Next month at MWC, Microsoft's cloud services will crash to earth: SkyBox, SkyLine and SkyMarket. Neowin says that SkyBox is Microsoft's answer to Apple's MobileMe, the killer being that it's maybe for non-Windows Mobile phones.

Basically, SkyBox syncs a phone's info to the cloud: contacts, email/SMS, calendar and pictures, plus it has automatic backup and restore. Honestly, I'm not sure how this wouldn't be for Windows Mobile phones only, unless they're rolling out apps for other smartphones, which probably have their own cloud services anyway—Android's got Google, iPhone's got MobileMe—though I guess they could try to play ball in BlackBerry land, where a lot of Windows Mobile refugees wind up. But if they did offer this for all phones, that'd be pretty excellent.

SkyLine is a small business version of SkyBox, but with Exchange. And SkyMarket we first heard about in September—it's Microsoft's version of the App Store. Looks like it'll get an unveiling with Windows Mobile 6.5. I actually like all of the "Sky" branding, but Neowin says that all of it will probably be called Windows ____ Live, which is really just too goddamn clunky, and well, makes people think of Windows and how they don't use any of the Live services.

On a positive ending note, these are some confirmed concept shots for the new WinMo menu, first dug up by Smartphone France—they look as good as any skin by HTC or the like: Hopefully the rest of the OS got that kind of polish—and speed, more speed please—and then maybe, just maybe there will be a Windows 7-like Revival for Windows Mobile. Probably not, but fingers crossed. [Neowin]



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