Microsoft has just blog about the issues that were being reported about the pre-Nodo update that has started to be pushed out (here More answers about our first software update). In summary about 90% of phone updates have gone smoothly however and the other 10% have been failing mainly due to “insufficient computer storage space” or poor internet connection. So the update is not going all that bad however it is certainly not without its issues…

Meanwhile back in Australia none of the carriers (according to WMPowerusers.com here)  have started to push out any updates their Windows Phone devices. This is certainly frustrating as Australia was one of the first countries that had Windows Phone 7 devices for sale so its users have been waiting longer than a lot of other countries.

When I asked the @telstra twitter account when the update was coming for the HTZ Mozart they said that were still waiting for details from the “Mobile team”. This would seem to indicate that the update process is initiated by the carriers explaining why Michael Stroh said on the Windows Phone Blog why the update process “could be days—or even weeks—before you’re able to update your phone.”.

Winrumours has just published some video of add’s from Microsoft that challenge the views to accomplish the same task on their phone. These video’s show how the Windows Phone UI helps users get in and out of the phone to get more accomplished. These video’s show in practice the point of the “Really” launch TV add’s.

Microsoft have just released an update to the Zune software that to sync Windows Phone’s with PC’s. This is the first update to any software related to Windows Phone 7 and is hopefully a sign that long awaited “NoDo” firmware update that will enable the much wanted Copy & Paste feature for the phone.

Update: According to Paul Thurrott and Windows Phone Secrets has found out that this was only a minor update bug fix update.

Below are the instructions for updating the Zune software:

Step 1. Click on “Settings” on the top right

Step 2. Click on the “General” option on the left side then click on the “Check for Updates” button.

Wait a few seconds while it checks for updates to the software….

Step 3. Click on “Update Now”

After the UAC prompt it will now download and install the Zune software… The whole process will only take a few minutes depending on the speed of your internet and computer.

Step 4. Click “Close” and now you are done.

The new software will now be installed…. However note that the version number of the software has not changed and there are no noticeable changes to the UI or options.

I recently bought some covers for my HTC Mozart from Case Mate after they announced a new line of  covers for various Windows Phone 7 handsets. Well a few days later they are here and below is a few photos of the cases they come in and how they look on my phone. I also hope that this is a sign that now that Microsoft have announced they have sold over 2 million copies of WP7 that more manufacturers jumping on board the WP7 train such as Klipsch that are “Working on” headphone with remotes that are WP7 compatible.

Interestingly they seem to be in high demand as originally Case Mate did list cases for the Samsung Focus and Omnia handsets as well…

Barely There

This is the hard cover that clips on easily and almost looks as if it is part of the phone. It probably does not offer as good screen protection as the Safe Skin case however the screen protector should give it fairly good scratch resistance.

Safe Skin

Nice soft rubber case that is still smooth however it has a little more grip so you are probably less likely to drop it using this case. The cover is a little raised above the screen so if put on a flat surface face down it should offer good protection. This rubber version would be much better at protecting the phone from drops however it is also quite obvious you have a cover on the phone due to the extra thickness.

Case Mate also have similar cases for the HTC HD7 and the HTC Trophy if you have one of those handsets instead. As a bonus I was also pleasantly suppressed to see that both covers came with a screen protector for the phone that fitted very well.

So which one should you buy…. ? Well that is up to you but at this stage I am keeping the Barley There cover on as it keeps the look and feel of the device much more authentic plus I think the Safe Skin cover will be more of a magnet for dust and dirt like a similar cover I had for my iPhone 3GS.

P.S. In case you were wondering the Barley There cover is so thin that you can still easily fit the the Safe Skin cover over top to have two cases on at the same time… For those that want EXTRA protection…

More Info: http://www.case-mate.com/Windows-Phone-7-Cases/Windows-Phone-7-Cases.asp