That was even quicker than I expected. Yesterday, invitations for an unexpected Microsoft event began circulating. Little was known about the April 12 event and the invitations stated merely “It’s time to share.” Given that it’s Microsoft, the safest guess was that the event wouldn’t be anything too groundbreaking and would likely be for the Project Pink phones Turtle and Pure. Shortly after the initial story broke, CNET confirmed with a source that the prediction will hold true and the event will indeed be all about Pink.

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Apple isn’t the only manufacturer sending out invites on this post-Easter Monday of early April. Microsoft has also been busy stamping  and sending out invitations. Only it hasn’t offered much information on what it’s event is all about.

The event will be held next Monday in San Francisco. Microsoft offers only this cryptic line: “It’s time to share.”

Does that mean that they’ll be sharing a secret product? Does it mean the product has to do with sharing? Perhaps both? We don’t really know anything for sure and it looks like we’ll have to wait for the event (or spoiler rumor) to find out.

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One of these days, an electronics company is really going to surprise us with an announcement that comes completely out of left field. No leaks. No rumors. No accidentalearly web postings. Just a pure, new, unforeseen product.

Today is not that day. The electronics world already knew all about the Zune HD 64 GB thanks to a Web page slip-up earlier this week, so Microsoft just came out and told us what we already know. However, the company did put a price to the name: $350, and officially cut the prices of the 32 GB and 16 GB models to $270 and $200 respectively.

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The Zune HD may be a lame duck, what with Phone 7 and Microsft Project Pink phones coming later this year, but that’s not stopping Microsoft from updating the Zune line with a higher capacity HD. Earlier today, Engadget spotted a 64 GB option on the Zune HD home page. It’s since been removed, but the leak already dribbled its way out. It looks like Microsoft is getting ready to double the capacity of its Zune HD, which currently only goes up to 32 GB.

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Microsoft had a real opportunity to offer consumers a different (and hopefully equally satisfying) experience from the Apple iPhone, continuing with the open policy of WinMo phones, while encouraging expanding app development. Instead, it’s chosen to mimic Apple and take a unilateral role in app approval and sales. The company revealed yesterday at Mix 10 that the cleverly-named Windows Phone Marketplace will be the only place that consumers will be able to buy Phone 7 apps. Apps will be approved or rejected at the sole discretion of Microsoft. How original.

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Microsoft has done a little name-dropping over at Mix 10 and provided a list of development partners who will be offering apps when the initial surge of Windows Phone 7 handsets hit later this year. The lofty list includes notables such as the Associated Press, EA Mobile, Fandango, Foursquare, IMDB, Match.com, Netflix, Pandora, Photobucket and Sling. So Phone 7 adopters will get everything from news to games to movies to dating right out of the gate.  

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Motorola announced that it has made a deal with Microsoft to offer Bing and Maps on its Chinese Android handsets. The deal will commence during this financial quarter through preload and over-the-air updates. Chinese consumers will now get a Bing bookmark on their browser and a search widget with Bing integration. Looks like China will get to “Bing and decide” whether it wants to or not.

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Ahhhh….isn’t that always the way. A pretty slow week in the electronics world, but I step out of the office for one afternoon and the biggest story of the week just happens to drop during that time slot.

It seems that with all attention turned on the iPad, some within Microsoft’s ranks are intent upon jumping up and down and yelling “Me too!! Me too!!” Yesterday, new information emerged on the all-but-forgotten Project Pink, and this afternoon, another Microsoft fable character came crawling back into the picture: the Courier. Engadget got the scoop this time around, with a trusted source providing the information.

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With all the commotion about Windows Phone 7, we nearly forgot about those Project Pink phone rumors from months ago. Almost. Providing a reminder in a big way, Gizmodo got its hands on some leaked marketing documents and whispers that all but lay out the full details of the two phones: Turtle and Pure.

The first Pink phone to get leaked was the funky, little slider codenamed Turtle. The phone is clearly for messaging with a strong emphasis on social networking. It is also capable of some apps, though it’s not entirely clear where those will come from as Windows Phone 7 appears to be missing from the phone. The resolution is given at 320 x 240. Verizon is outlined as a carrier and may have an exclusive contract on the phone. The launch is rumored to be coming in April.

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