Techno Blog

TheHD7, which Is being billed as Microsoft's fresh take on smart phone's, feels more like something out of an alternate dimension. Its Interface Is divvied up Into sliding, tile-based hubs (People, Marketplace, Zune music player, etc.) that Incorporate services that other phones treat as separate applications. The People hub, for instance, culls contacts from your Facebook profile and provides real-time status updates. The Games hub Integrates your Xbox Live avatar and Gamer score, while many of the games are scaled-down spin-offs of Xbox 360 titles. A decent virtual keyboard and Mictosoft Office suite means the phone works as hard as it plays. The whole experience Is zippy, bold, and a bit befudcllng for those weaned on the more rigidly organized IPhone and Anclroid Interfaces.