Author: Adam Z. Lein

Now that many cell phone carriers are offering tiered data plans for less money than an unlimited data plan, watching your wireless data usage is more important. New Windows Phone 7s coming to AT&T and T-Mobile next month will have apps built in that will help you monitor your data usage on your account. If you decide to sign up for one of the cheaper data plans, you might be surprised when your new Windows …

When I first downloaded the “Local Concerts” app for Windows Phone 7, I expected it to simply show a listing of concerts showing near a specified location on certain days. Of course the app does do that pretty well, but what surprised me was that it also looks at my music library on the phone and shows me nearby, upcoming concerts by musicians that it knows I already listen to. For example, Brandon recently said …

One of the cool things in Windows Phone 7 is the ability for 3rd party applications to integrate themselves into certain hubs. The Lyrics by musiXmatch app shows up as part of the Music + Videos hub and allows you to search for lyrics to a song that you might be listening to. The app was a free download, however it has mysteriously disappeared from the Windows Phone Marketplace. Hopefully, it was only removed temporarily …

While Windows Phone 7 already has some great Facebook integration in its People and Pictures hubs, of course there’s also a full Facebook app in the Marketplace as well. It’s arguably the most well-designed mobile app for Facebook, and it works pretty good. Unfortunately you’re missing some features like video uploads and instant messaging. There’s no way to add Facebook events to your Calendar either. Overall it’s a decent app, but it could be better. …

One of the missing features with Windows Phone 7 that Microsoft apparently didn’t get around to adding is the ability to add your own custom ringtones. It might someday be possible, and we hear there are rumors you’ll be able to buy ringtones in the Marketplace. In the meantime, you’re stuck with what’s built into the device. Luckily OEMs and carriers are capable of adding their own selection of ringtones to their devices. In the …

One of the great (and unique) features of Windows Phone 7 is its Xbox Live integration. The Games Hub and its Live Tile even show your personal Xbox Live avatar. Previously, you could only customize your avatar using an Xbox 360 console. Well, now with Windows Phone 7, there’s an Xbox Live Extras free download that upgrades the Games Hub to support avatar editing on your phone! You’ve seen a demo of this before. After …