BizSparkCamp, A Technical Day focused on Windows Phone 7 – 29 November 2010

I’m pleased to let you know that Bindi Karia has invited me to speak at the next BizSparkCamp on 29 November. It’s a technical day focused on Windows Phone 7, (although my session won’t be the least bit technical – I’ll be talking more about trends and opportunities) and is being held at the Microsoft Customer Centre near Victoria station.

I’ve been playing around with the latest Windows Phone 7 – I have an LG Optimus 7 – and I rather like it. I like that the operating system doesn’t look like any other on the market, yet is still intuitive. It’s fast, responsive and the screen and audio quality are great. The camera is good too.  And I never thought I’d be saying this about a Windows Phone as the track record until now has not been strong. It’s a contender so should be considered accordingly as part of a mobile strategy.

So here’s the blurb about both the phones and the event and maybe I’ll see some of you there:

Windows Phone 7 is a different kind of phone, designed to bring together what you care about most. Its smart design lets you do more in fewer steps. Its intuitive Hubs, for People, Music + Videos, Pictures, Games and Office, means we bring things together for you so you can do what you need to do more quickly and easily. With this new platform, Microsoft offers a fresh approach to phone software, distinguished by smart design and truly integrated experiences that bring to the surface the content people care about from the Web and applications. For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, exclusively on Windows Phone 7. “Microsoft has nailed it. Windows Phone 7 feels like an iPhone from the future” (Jesus Diaz, Gizmodo)

What: BizSparkCamp: A Technical Day focused on Windows Phone 7. It is free to attend.

When: November 29th 2010, 11:30am – 5:30pm, followed by networking reception. Light lunch will also be served.

Where: Microsoft Customer Centre, in the Microsoft offices, Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street, SW1E 5JL.

RSVP: To register, please go to http://bit.ly/bHxa36 and enter Invitation Code: FD8513

Microsoft BizSparkCamp for Windows Phone 7 is a technically focused day designed to offer assistance to entrepreneurs, in particular, the CTOs and developers/architects within Technology Startups.

• Learn to build new applications on the Windows Phone 7 platform (via a series of technical briefings)
• Potential Nomination for BizSpark One (an invitation only program) for high potential startups
• Generate marketing buzz for your brand

Microsoft BizSpark is inviting registrations from Startups interested in Windows Phone development. Register now for your chance to learn the latest development techniques with Windows Phone and your chance to meet other startups who have already developed and successfully launched apps on the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.

So in case you missed it, to register, please go to http://bit.ly/bHxa36 and enter Invitation Code: FD8513

Technorati Tags: events,bizspark,microsoft,windows phone 7,london,mobile development

Got an idea to help us Brits (especially those in Norfolk) save time?

Hotmail has teamed up with Ladygeek TV’s Belinda Parmar and Lisa Rogers from scrapheap challenge to try and help busy people save time in their lives. New research from Windows Live Hotmail – the email service for busy people from the folks at Microsoft – reveals that us Brits want to squeeze more into our daily lives but are leaving only one hour a day to dedicate to ourselves. On average, Brits say they have eight and a half hours less free time than they did five years ago. Surprisingly, it’s not Londoners who are the most time poor. It’s the people of Norwich who only dedicate a measly 45 minutes a day on what they want to do. Who’d have thought?!

Hotmail independently researched 3,000 people in the UK to find out how they manage their time. Over 50% of Brits are in the office for a full five-day working week, yet almost half of the nation still brings work home, so employment is the biggest time guzzler. Following work, Brits spend the most time focusing on personal relationships, family and kids, exercise, organising holidays and leisure activities, only leaving one hour to spend on the all-important ‘me’ time.

With that in mind, Hotmail has kicked off a nationwide search to find the nation’s best timesaving invention.

About the competition:

Hotmail is searching the nation to find out what Brits dream about to help them save time – the time-saving device of the future. The lucky winner will be selected by a team of esteemed judges and will receive £10,000 to spend on some all-important ‘me time’. Hotmail has also enlisted a team of experts to develop a prototype of the invention. Find out more, be inspired and enter the competition at www.hotmailtimesaver.co.uk

It seems to me that this competition is crying out for a mobile solution. So if anyone out there in mobile land has the time to devote to this, then I think you’d be making a lot of people happy and maybe winning some cash and getting your invention made in the process. Or maybe you have an idea already that just needs a bit of dusting off to make it competition-fit? Either way, why not give it a go? I would love to see something innovative in this area that connects with your phone somehow. There’s already been an idea about having a Hotmail app for your phone and a fashion matcher so your wardrobe decides for you what to wear each day (now that’s potentially a mobile app) but I’m sure there are many more good ideas out there.

The competition is open to UK entrants aged over 18 only and closes at 4pm on Monday 8th November. More terms and conditions at www.hotmailtimesaver.co.uk – and don’t worry, Microsoft won’t be claiming any IP on any of the entries and they’re not looking to invest in a new business.

One thing I need is something to make my email life faster and easier to manage. Maybe I’ll have to give the new look Hotmail a go…

Thursday thinking

Well, not so much me thinking as other folks are thinking about mobile stuff saving me having to think about it so much.

Tomi Ahonen writes about why the iphone isn't going to rule the world. It's a long post, but it's well worth a read. Web developers are obsessed with the iphone but this post clearly explains why that thinking is misguided. Meanwhile Screendigest believes that the iphone will revolutionise gambling. Hmm.

Russell Buckley questions Microsoft's current mobile strategy and believes they're in more trouble than they're letting on sales-wise. There's plenty of debate there so head on in and add your 2p. Whilst Alfie discusses the potential for Nokia to have the monopoly on computing (not just mobile) in the next 5 years. And it's raised a few heckles.

The TV: is it losing the battle for our attention? [I think it probably is as I sit here writing on my laptop, chatting on MSN with the tellybox on in the background]. And Blyk customer, Samantha, wonders if mobile marketing will ever work.