That’s one way to make browser speed more entertaining …

Airspace Rebooted from ItoWorld on Vimeo.

As a Microsoft developer I’ve been disappointed by every Window Mobile device I’ve touched. The Android based HTC Hero I currently have is arguably the best phone I’ve had (apart from the pathetic camera, but hey …).

But with Windows Phone 7 series, Microsoft have seemingly rebooted their phone platform into something genuinely usable, engaging and slick. This has Zune UI influence all over it, which is a good thing. Task Oriented UI with deep social network integration.

I like.

From: http://blog.ted.com/2010/02/augmentedrealit.php

Microsoft continues to innovate in the mapping space by integrating many different data sources, from Flickr, World Wide Telescope and more, and accurately compositing them into a fluidly integrated 3D world which truly moves us beyond “just Street View”.

How long before the datasets that are limited to dashboards or reports become visual overlays over live video footage embedded in a front end like this? Why are my sales figures for this store down 20% this month – that’s because of the building work on the doorstep I can now see. As a tool for making data more discoverable, the technology now available is empowering whole new levels of user experience.