Sure, Japan got them first, but here in North America we get the pink and blue Wii remotes on a day perfect for spreading love through pleasantly colored video game accessories. The two new colors come packaged in Nintendo's unique protective sleeve, which brings to mind intimate toys while also serving as a reminder about safe sex, while the bundled Wii Motion Plus accessory is perfect for reminding your loved one that just swinging it around randomly is only fun until someone loses an eye.

The announcement didn't specifically mention price, but we can assume they'll be in line with the current Wii remote / Motion Plus bundles at $49.99, or $54.99 at GameStop. Where's the love, GameStop?

An anonymous tipster with seemingly extensive knowledge about the Danger/Pink team has this to say to Apple Insider as to what caused the massive data outage:

...someone with access to the servers at the datacenter must have inserted a time bomb to wipe out not just all of the data, but also all of the backup tapes, and finally, I suspect, reformatting the server hard drives so that the service itself could not be restarted with a simple reboot (and to erase any traces of the time bomb itself)... If this was an ordinary sort of failure, the service would have come back within a day, so once again, all signs point to sabotage.

After all the reports we've been hearing about the troubled state of the Danger/Pink team, it's certainly plausible that there are more than a few disgruntled employees who could cause such a catastrophic failure. Whether or not anyone would is another question, but this whole thing is so waaaay out of the ordinary, I'm willing to believe it. [Apple Insider via Fast Company]

According to Channelweb, the Premium Mobile Experiences (PMX) team has caused, either by layoffs or by pissing them off, a large chunk of the Danger team to leave Microsoft. Danger is the team that actually built the Sidekick, and Roz Ho was siphoning off their resources into the Pink camp in order to make sure the latter could survive. By doing so, it seems like she's killed off both groups, which might be why Microsoft keeps denying that they're going to make phone hardware.

Channelweb's tipster sounds similar to the tipster last week that talked to MobileCrunch about management ineptitude and lousy business choices. To summarize, Roz Ho, Microsoft's "head of mobile experiences", seems to be making so many bad choices that naming the project after Pink, the angry singer, seems like one of her best choices.

If Microsoft somehow manages to push Pink out the door, CRN says that it won't even include a calendar app or an alarm clock app. That's a feature that if you saw was missing on a dumb phone, you'd politely hand it back to the salesman while asking him to show you something in a less shitty variety. Not only that, it won't ship with a mobile app marketplace—which makes sense, since it's also rumored that they're not really smartphones anyway.

The bottom line is that massive data outages might be just the kind of early warning users need to abandon the Sidekick and get on another device before the decision gets knocked out of your hands like the punchline to a standup's retort. [CRN]

Roz Ho, Microsoft's head of mobile experiences was "clearly incompetent" in her handling of the project, and "was not humble enough" to listen to her ex-Danger employees, who could've told her what she was doing wrong. And my favorite maybe-true bit? The origins of the "Pink" moniker

she was listening to a song by Pink (the singer) when she decided she was just the person to go one-up the Sidekick.

The sourcing is odd and the story occasionally contradicts the report it claims to corroborate—how could Pink be a tool to goad the Windows Mobile 7 team into action if it was kept secret from them?—and while it's far from unbelievable that Pink, the project, could've been mishandled, or that Pink, the phones, could be kinda crappy, the conclusion that the project is dead just doesn't match what we know we know. [AppleInsider]

Specifically, he said "No, we're not going to do that," which is odd, considering the sheer persistence—and substance—of rumors about "Pink" phones, which they've clearly been considering, at the very least. On Pink, Bach clammed up:

We're not going to discuss the rumors, or discuss any of the things you might see or might read.

So what about a co-branded phone, made by a separate ODM? Could that explain Pink? Are there any plans for that?

Yes, we announced that today, it's called the Windows Phone.

Sassy! Of course, an official denial of an unannounced product shouldn't be taken as gospel—Microsoft isn't in a position to admit too much now. But I can't help but think these flat denials will sound a little funny when Pink phones show up on shelves, made by Microsoft, cobranded with someone else, or otherwise.

The source is anonymous, but sounds like someone who either worked for the project or somehow has a lot of insider knowledge of it. They say a good chunk of the Danger/Sidekick team that Microsoft purchased for their phone knowledge actually has been let go or left on their own, leaving "no braintrust that understands how to build a project."

What's even more interesting is that the tipster says the staffers on the team hate the phone, and feel like they're just being used to goad the Windows Mobile 7 team into stepping it up. Other details like the fact that the project might be 2 years behind schedule, that the smaller device's touchscreen is unusable and that their internal staffers are struggling to fix UI design work originally made by "an outside party" is troubling. [MobileCrunch]

It's because Danger was all about cloud services for their phones, and Ina hears that they'll be a big part of what Microsoft's doing with phones overall. If Windows Mobile 7 is the core, as Mary Jo Foley has reported, the phones won't launch until WM7 does, at the very earliest. Either way, it's clearly somebody's busy over in Microsoftland. [Cnet]

These phones are going to be made by Sharp, who'll get to share branding with Microsoft. Sharp produced the Sidekick hardware for Danger, who was bought by Microsoft almost two years ago. Pink will be primarily aimed at the same market as the Sidekick, and the branding and identity for it is highly developed, pointing toward a later stage in the development cycle.

The prior relationship between Danger and Sharp is the only reason we can think of why Microsoft stuck with Sharp for the new phones, and perhaps why they look so much like remixed Sidekicks. (Kind of yucky, that is.) The youth bent is somewhat surprising, if Pink is going to be their big consumer phone play, building off the expertise of Danger and members of the Zune team.

The hardware design has a definite younger feeling: Turtle looks like a chunky child's version of a Palm Pre, while Pure seems like a standard slider, and both are clearly plastic, with an overall sense of roundedness, thanks to lots of soft angles and circular keys.

It's been reported elsewhere that Pink phones will include Zune services, and have its own app store, making it as close to the Zune phone as we may get. We'll see if it's close enough in the coming months, though these are the only facts our source will let us safely publish for now.

ZDNet Microsoft extraordinaire Mary Jo Foley's sources say a phone (singular) and a tablet are brewing. The tablet project is part of something called Alchemy Ventures, and it's looking a like a mini Surface, with our man J. Allard heading it up, along with an exec from the Surface team. (That's a good thing.)

Foley also dug up a job listing hinting that the Redmond company is looking for a person with a breed of interest in the Zune, Xbox and Surface. There's also hints that the tablet will be more of a reader. And perhaps most interestingly, Microsoft might actually wait for Apple's tablet to strike first.

As for the phones, Foley says that Pink will be built on Windows Mobile 7 (which means we won't see it until 2010), with Microsoft branded with mobile services like the Zune store for buying music and videos. 9to5Mac says that there are actually two Microsoft phones being manufactured by Sharp under the Pink name. (Notably, Sharp made Sidekick phones for Microsoft acquiree Danger.) The squircle-shaped phone above is apparently Turtle," and has a slide out keyboard. The other phone is a candybar slider called "Pure."

Busy days in Redmond, apparently. [9to5Mac, ZDNet]

The presentation is by Lippicott, a "design and brand strategy" consultant firm with extensive retail experience that it appears Microsoft has hired to help develop the store's concept, principles, and design. It looks pretty legit to us—if it's a fake, it's fairly elaborate, with detailed graphics, research, plans and even rough store layouts.

Essentially, Microsoft is taking the best elements from the Apple Store, Sony Style and other "flagship" stores. The main focuses are going to be Windows 7, Xbox, PCTV (Windows Media Center) Surface and Windows Mobile, revolving around this concept customer they call "Emily," who's basically a younger version of your mom, since they make all the buying decisions.

Frank Shaw w/ Waggener Edstrom, left a comment below on behalf of Microsoft, implying that many of these concepts are merely that and not final plans:

"As a part of our process in briefing creative agencies, we shared some early prototypes and concepts of our retail store plans. No final decisions have been made. As we previously announced, we are on track to open retail stores this Fall."

That said, it's still probably a pretty good indication of how Microsoft and its consultants are thinking about their store, at least at the beginning of this month, since the presentation is dated July 7.

Here are the highlights of the slides, if you just wanna skip to the meat of the 140 slides we got and the 54 we posted:

• There's going to be a Digital Media Wall—a massive screen—that wraps around the entire store showing various messages, which you can see in some of the slides
• Personalization is something they're stressing big time, with fancy areas devoted to customizing computers and gadgets using an "Xbox style" interface at various kiosks
• Here's a sample store layout
• Lots of Surface demos
• Stage areas for Windows 7, Windows Media Center (PCTV) (it's kinda surprising how much they're pushing PCTV, actually), Windows Mobile and netbooks
• Their take on the Genius Bar is the Answers Bar (or Guru Bar or Windows Bar, depending on which slide you look at, showing it's slightly up in the air, though we prefer Answers Bar since its sounds like slightly less like a Genius Bar ripoff)
• Apple Store-style table layouts
• Some of the stores they profiled for ideas are Nike, Nokia, Sony, Apple and AT&T
• They're already planning out huge demos and events around Project Natal and their secret mobile project Pink
• A fancy Microsoft shopping bag
• You can pay to have your birthday party at the Microsoft Store

In short, if it's anything like what Lippincott is planning, it sounds absolutely amazing, and we'll be lining up the first day it opens.

Not that there's much to take away from this, but just take a look at your white iPhone 3GS. If it looks like the photos here, then you have a problem. Or you've been eating cotton candy and you need to wipe your hands first before checking your email. [Nowhereelse via Engadget]

It's ok, I want to have it anyway. [ForevergeekTechnabob]

Besides FlashLite, Cashmere would bring a better browser, integrated Live Messenger, new connection manager and other core components. It could be the heart of Windows Mobile 7 and Pink, or maybe not. It'd be a stopgap on the way to Chelan, due in late 2010, which comes with IE7 rendering (oh my), Silverlight, Flash, Vista networking stack stuff, a DLNA 1.5 compliant stack and more.

Alchemy will let developers and designers make apps that actually look good since they'll have access to eXtensible Application Markup Language and be able to use Microsoft's Expression Blend for any Embedded Compact/Windows Mobile device with Alchemy.

Intriguingly, Mary Jo's also seen a "new category" on Microsoft slide decks that'd be using Alchemy called "connected media devices" which are distinct from everything that'd drop into your brain like navigators, portable media players and other standard stuff. What are they? She's not quite sure: Anything from a magic all-in-one tablet to portable Surface to ZuneBook. Hmmmmm. [ZDNet, ZDNet]

Whether or not this device is the fabled "Pink" Zune Phone is unclear, but Team Xbox is pretty sure that the device they've heard about lacks a phone.

Codenamed the "xYz" during discussions, the device will feature a WVGA touchscreen and a series of new hardware features not currently seen on the market (these features are unclear, and could include WiMax or graphics processing chipsets). It will implement Live Anywhere in a way that unites Microsoft's digital storefronts, allowing music and movies to play on the xYz and Xbox.

The xYz is meant to compete with Apple, Sony, Nintendo, but also Google through implementation of Live Search—maps, news, etc.

All in all, the device described by Team Xbox sounds a lot like a PSP with smarter connectivity. And while such a product would certainly be interesting, especially from the company that's (imho) the leading console developer in the world, it really needs the phone angle pointed out in the Mary-Jo Foley device to compete for our precious pocket space.

So are the Zune Phone and xYz separate, or similar, devices? Maybe the Zune Phone just the iPhone to the xYz's iPod touch?

Oh right, and we should remember, this is all just rumor for now. [Team Xbox and T3 Thanks Joel!]

According to her, this "may or may not be the final specs for the Windows Mobile 7 Chassis 1," the hardware specs necessary to run Windows Mobile 7. She says that it is also the heart of Pink, which the rumormongers say will be an iPhone/Pre/Android killer made by Microsoft: The infamous Zune Phone.

The list starts with core requirements that will make us very happy: ARM v6+ processor, with an Open GL ES 2.0-capable graphics chip—this may be the TI3430 or the Nvidia Tegra. To show all the eye candy there will be a 3.5" 800 x 480 or 854 x 480 pixels touchscreen. The specification also points out at other things in Pink, like 3-megapixel camera, GPS, light sensor, 3-axis compass, accelerometer, USB, Bluetooth, and full Wi-Fi support.

If this is all real and Microsoft actually releases a Windows 7 phone with these specs any time this year, the smartphone battlefield will really get interesting (and bloody.) [ZDnet]

Naturally, details are scarce—although the word is that the device will be a multimedia touchscreen that will push both Windows Mobile and the Windows Marketplace. It is also rumored that a third party may handle the manufacturing of the device. Could this be the Zune software "Pink" project we have heard so much about? [WSJ]

AdWeek says the three ad firms, McCann Erickson, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and JWT, are vying for the ad run. The first firm has worked with Microsoft before and the second is in charge of the I'm a PC and laptop hunter ads.

There's no target for when the ads will hit, but Microsoft will choose a winner by the end of May. [AdWeek via CNET]

And so now, since it's my last day, I'm lightning reviewing the Tinge Razor.

The Pitch: It looks like and actually works as a razor (it even comes with cartridges), but when you put the cap on and press some set of buttons, it turns into a personal massager with 32 different speed and mode combinations.

The Price: $99 gets you the Tinge Razor, its charging base, universal power adapter, two shaving razor cartridges and a bottle of gel.

The Verdict: For some odd reason (hint, visa regulations of a certain country I reside in), I find myself traveling a lot, and lemmee tell ya - does it get stressful! So having a personal massager around that, incidentally, also functions as a shaver was actually more useful than I first thought.

The actual massage was pleasant, if not as strong as it could have been – though that could have been due to me not charging it long enough. I especially liked "mode four" of the five different modes you could choose from: it starts from a low roll and escalates in power.

Not having to worry about what the voltage of whatever country I'm in is was a big plus. The fact that I could pull it out anytime and get a massage discreetly was an even bigger plus. Though I'm not sure exactly what I need to be discreet about. Can't a girl loosen up some muscles without being judged? Geez.

What? It's for use on my... what?

Okay... if you say so. But I don't know, she didn't seem to enjoy it that much. [My Tinge]

Well, at least no Zune Phone as we're hearing it. A few days ago, some analysts stirred up the rumors of a Zune specific piece of hardware this week, complete with hardware details, which Barrons quoted. CNBC declared that a Zune Phone, called Project Pink, was slated for CES. Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet, who separated the Zune Phone hardware from the Pink project weeks ago reminded us that Pink is not a piece of hardware but a platform of services that could allow Zune like services to run on platforms like Windows Mobile. (Although Mary Jo Foley told me today that she thinks that it would be powerful if Pink services ran on other devices, and I agree.) So leave the hardware and Pink apart for a moment. Mary Jo believes Pink could come at CES and with it, a platform for Zune like content on mobile devices, but in line with what Seitz has said on behalf of Microsoft and what Mary Jo Foley believes, I think the Analyst and CNBC have the details slightly skewed.

Both CNBC and the analyst Barrons quoted could have been talking to a manufacturer of a phone, describing a specific implementation of Zune like features on a given set of hardware, via Pink components. But coming from a company that builds their best devices in house, I don't think we can call a Zune Phone a Zune Phone until we see actual devices designed in house design by the Entertainment and Devices team. (To me, this stands in contrast with Google and its Android platform, where every implementation of the OS is a Google Phone, since they have no claim to making great hardware.)

Based on all this, I reiterate that my best guess is that we have is a good chance of seeing Pink, but not a Zune Phone, at CES 2009. [Thanks to Mary Jo Foley for her expertise]

Coming with a pink "Cross Your Heart" Reader skin and a coupon for 14 Harlequin Special Releases...let's just say that we'd never date anyone who accepted this gift in earnest. For those interested in what a real lady (my wife) thinks about the Sony Reader, hit up her impressions here. For the record, she's still reading with it nonstop.

Apple Adds Pink to the iPod nano Lineup

CUPERTINO, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced that it is adding a gorgeous new pink iPod(R) nano to the lineup of the world's most popular music player. The much-requested pink iPod nano is available immediately in an 8GB model for $199. iPod nano features a two-inch display which lets users watch the brand new iTunes(R) Movie Rentals, or TV shows and music videos purchased from the iTunes Store. iPod nano delivers up to 24 hours of audio playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge* and is encased in a beautiful all-metal design made with anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel, which is also available in silver, black, blue, green and a (PRODUCT) RED special edition.

"Customers are going to love the gorgeous new pink iPod nano," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. "The pink iPod nano is perfect for people who want a great new color this spring, or who are searching for a special Valentine's Day gift."

iPod nano features an enhanced user interface that shows off album artwork and photos like never before and includes Cover Flow(R), so you can scroll through your entire music collection by album cover artwork using the Click Wheel. Customers can also buy music, video and games for their iPod nano from the iTunes Store or check out the latest iTunes Movie Rentals.

Pricing & Availability
The new pink 8GB iPod nano is available worldwide immediately for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) and joins the other 8GB models available in silver, black, blue, green and a (PRODUCT) RED special edition. The 4GB iPod nano in silver is available for a suggested retail price of $149 (US). Both the 4GB and 8GB iPod nano for Windows or Mac(R) are available through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. All iPod nano models include earbud headphones, a USB to 30-pin cable and a Universal Dock Connector.

iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS(R) X v10.4.9 or later and iTunes 7.6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 7.6. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended, fees may apply. The iTunes Store is not available in all countries. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.

*Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See http://www.apple.com/batteries for more information.

Hmm, I thought. Is this just a chance for Casio to perk up an already-launched camera and inject some new sales whoomph into an old product? It seems that the pink camera is the same old same old, but the camera case is "embossed with the pink ribbon and a pink lanyard." Great, I've always wanted a pink lanyard. Hasn't everyone?

But that's just me being Princess Cranky-Pants on a Friday morning. If repackaging a oldish product for charity means that money will be raised for a shitty little disease ("a portion of the proceeds will be going towards the NBCF" said the nice PR person without specifying exactly how much) then one should suspend one's cynicism and applaud Casio for doing something a bit nice.

Hopefully the money is going toward research, rather than the awareness side of the NBCF, but I'll shut up now. The NBCT Exilim costs $179.99 and you could make a breast very happy indeed.

CASIO, INC. THINKS PINK IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER Casio Partners with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to Offer Special-Edition EXILIM Digital Camera Bundle DOVER, NJ, JULY 20, 2007 - Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women and their families each year. It's a disease that can strike any one at any time - no one - man or woman is exempt. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is devoted to building awareness and finding a cure while sharing stories and information about breast cancer. This October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Casio, Inc. will release a special-edition camera bundle, featuring a pink EX-Z75, a camera case embossed with the pink ribbon and a pink ribbon-clad lanyard to show their proud support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). The EX-Z75, a 7.2 megapixel digital camera which is part of Casio's highly-regarded zoom line of EXILIM cameras, will be available as a special bundle in the month of October to help raise awareness of NBCF's mission - Help for Today...Hope for Tomorrow. "The National Breast Cancer Foundation was founded to give help, support and hope to those facing breast cancer," said Janelle Hail, Founder and President of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. "We thank Casio, Inc. for joining us in helping save lives through education and early detection." The EX-Z75 is packed with a 2.6-inch wide LCD display, Anti-Shake DSP for reducing photo blur due to shaky hands or moving subjects and eBay mode which allows for photographs to be easily uploaded at the appropriate size for selling on eBay or for personal web use. "We are proud to be a sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation," said Bill Heuer, Vice President of Casio's Digital Imaging Division. "We hope that by purchasing the EX-Z75 in honor of breast cancer patients and survivors, users will capture every valuable moment with their friends and family." The special-edition pink EX-Z75 will be available beginning October 2007 and can be purchased at Staples, Sears, Adir, Fred Meyer, BJ's, Nexcom and AAFES. The bundle package will have an MSRP of $179.99, and will proudly sponsor the National Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, please visit www.casiousa.com.

You too have a mini vacuum cleaner—how's that for equality?—but instead of the fan and compact mirror, you get a cup warmer (perfect for that steaming mug of coffee your secretary tirelessly brings you each morning), pen holder and an LED light. Each set is $29.95, and it's a f***ing waste of cash that makes me wonder where the human race is going if someone, somewhere is inventing crazy-assed bollocks like this money well spent, IMHO.

*Perfect for bringing out your inner coke monster.

[USB Brando for the Gents and USB Brando for the Laydeez]

And if you're wondering, yes, this came from Japan. Where else? – Jason Chen

Product Page [Strapya via Sci Fi]

Instead of retina-scarring pink, it's a soft baby pink that makes you feel oh-so-pretty. We're digging this one.

Catch more nicely photographed shots over at Zune Scene. – Jason Chen

Pink Zune Photos [Zune Scene]

Now then, this could mean three things: one, that Microsoft has a, like, hulaaaaarious sense of humor; two, it's utter bollocks and I should go back to my day job of sexing chickens; or three, that the rumors are true.

The rumors being that the pastel-colored machines are indeed made from the flesh of zombie nympho piglets. One way to check—scratch the screen and see if you draw blood. You may smell bacon as well. – Ad Dugdale

Pink Zune Released on Friday the 13th [Zune-Online]

And sometimes the new fact is so mind-bogglingly riddickerluss that you forget what it was you were writing about. It makes you want to run, naked, into the street and shout, "Why, Lord, WHY?"

And then, nudie and unashamed, you get down on your knees and you prostrate yourself in front of the traffic lights on the main drag of your town, ignoring the gathering crowd and that nice man who is dangling a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in front of you while hiding a straitjacket behind his back, and you pray for a solution to come to you.

And when it finally does, it's simple. Two words. Goodbye Kitty. Actually, why leave it at two? Here are some more. Sayonara. Feck Orf, Please. Just Go. Don't Say A Word*. Be Gone, Libidinous Strumpet. You Eat Little Fishies, Now Sleep With The Fishes. Lock The Catflap On Your Way Out, Would You, There's a Dear? Watch Out For The...*Squish* ...Runaway Hummer. Oops.

Anyway, where was I? Reece's? No, The mind-boggling fact. It's after the jump.

Since 1983 Hello Kitty has been the US Children's Ambassador for UNICEF.

See what I mean? The fact completely surpasses the gizmo. Which in this case is a Hello Kitty car charger for iPod with built-in FM receiver. Now please excuse me, I need to lie down in a darkened room and dream up ways to kill Kitty. Your help would be appreciated. – Ad Dugdale

* That can't be too difficult, seeing as you are not in possession of a mouth. You shoulda starved to death by now.

Hello Kitty car iPod recharger [One's and Zero's]

But really? Orange? – Jason Chen

Orange Zune Pics [Zunescene]

Zune Online

After the jump, I get on my soapbox about pink gadgets like this.

I'm all about pink and different colored gadgets, but I am sick of companies releasing pink gear to only appeal to the ladies. If you are going to release a pink, overpriced gadget, at least do what the folks at Seagate, Kensington, Pioneer and others have done by linking the pinkness to breast cancer, or other female-disease awareness and donate for every gadget sold.

Nice they're spray painting their Zunes instead of working on that patch. –Travis Hudson

Pink Zune on May 1st! Confirmed! [cliczune]