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Since we kicked off the Windows Phone Challenge over a year ago at CES (it was called “Smoked by Windows Phone” back then), the one question I’ve been consistently asked is:

“When do we get to see this stuff on TV?”

The answer is…THIS WEEK! A new spot that pits the Nokia Lumia 920’s PureView camera head-to-head against the Samsung Galaxy SIII will run on ESPN and CBS throughout the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament. Not a basketball fan? No worries – you can watch it online. Check it out:

The spot is 30 seconds long, but if you want to see the full video of how things unfolded with Brittany – and all of our other Windows Phone Challenge videos – head over to the Challenge Playlist on our YouTube channel.

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Touch and other new capabilities in Windows 8 are powering the latest hardware innovations coming from our OEM partners. Together we are delivering interactive new experiences through devices and services that deliver on customers’ need for constant connectivity, mobility and flexibility.

This new world of computing is on display this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from chipsets, to materials, hinges, touch panels, rotating displays, beautiful new designs and new capabilities in Windows 8.

The PCs and devices we’re seeing come to market are increasingly mobile and much more powerful. When Windows 8 launched in October, we talked about 1,000 PCs and devices that had been certified for Windows 8. There are now more than 1,500 with more expected in the weeks and months to come. The breadth of innovation continues as our hardware partners deliver new Windows 8 devices and experiences that are tuned for play and work.

With that, let’s take a look at some of the incredible new Windows 8 PCs that are being announced and garnering attention on the show floor this week.

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There were two big Windows Phone-related announcements today at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

First, Samsung said that the ATIV Odyssey will go on sale at Verizon Wireless in the “coming weeks.” Samsung makes some amazing hardware and this is its first Windows Phone 8 device in the US, so we’re all pretty excited about the ATIV Odyssey’s debut.

The phone—that’s it below—is a great new addition to Verizon’s Windows Phone 8 lineup, which also includes the Windows Phone 8X by HTC and Nokia Lumia 822. It features a 4-inch 800x480 Super AMOLED display, 5-megapixel rear camera with full 1080p recording and playback capability, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and 2100mAh battery.

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First Samsung unveiled the ATIV S. Then Nokia lifted the curtain on the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. Today, HTC is introducing their flagship Windows Phone, the 4.3-inch, brightly colored unibody Windows Phone 8X and the 4-inch, uniquely two-toned Windows Phone 8S, both of which come with Beats Audio. I’ve been working with these devices since the early prototype days and they’re flat-out awesome. HTC did an incredible job of building devices that are beautiful, packed with killer specs, and feel great to use.

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Hi, I’m Nick Parker and I lead the OEM Division at Microsoft.

Many of our partners are making announcements this week at IFA so it’s a good time to showcase some of the amazing hardware innovation coming to market with Windows 8.

IFA is one of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade shows and attracts upward of 150,000 people in Berlin each year. It’s great to see the buzz and excitement for the new products being announced, especially in the PC space.

The industry is building momentum for Windows 8, and the level of hardware innovation from components and hinges to ultrathin designs and beautiful touch displays is impressive. Customers will benefit from very rich and immersive experiences made possible by the combination of the incredible new Windows PCs and tablets running Windows 8 or Windows RT along with cloud services. With devices that range from tablets and hybrids to more familiar notebooks and all-in-ones on display at the IFA conference, it is clear that consumers will have a broad range of PC choices when Windows 8 launches.

Here are some of the highlights from Berlin this week:

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Today at IFA in Berlin, Samsung lifted the curtain on its first Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S. This is just the first in a big lineup of new hardware that’s coming with Windows Phone 8, but it’s a seriously impressive opening salvo. Samsung built the ATIV S with the latest and greatest technology, especially for anyone who want a superphone that’s equal parts powerhouse and head turner.

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During the past few months, we’ve been talking about how Windows 8 enterprise ready by design. But what does that really mean for organizations? For one of our early adopters, Seton Hall University, it means they’ll be able to give their students the convenience of a tablet with the productivity of a PC. They’ll be able to connect and collaborate across devices – on a desktop, smart phone, laptop or tablet. It means they can give their students and faculty the experiences they want while also having the enterprise capabilities their IT department needs.

Based in New Jersey, Seton Hall University is working hard to create new and dynamic learning environments and wants all of their students to have access to the latest technology to prepare them well for the workforce when they graduate. In 1998, the university began providing full-time incoming freshmen with laptops as part of their tuition and fees. This award-winning initiative, called the Mobile Computing Program, has evolved during over the last 14 years, right along with the definition of what “mobile” means to our society. In less than two decades, the way people – and students – work and use technology has drastically changed.

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We did a lot of work looking into who would be the best celebrity stylist for our BlogHer’12 makeovers. We wanted to find someone who was empowering, positive and helped women become the best versions of themselves. We wanted someone who thought about clothes not just by designers and cut but by how you felt when you were wearing them. Finally, we wanted to also bring someone into the fold who has their own blog and gets what blogging is all about. So, we are thrilled that Jeannie Mai (celebrity stylist, blogger, and “wearapist”) accepted our request to host the #windowstyle makeovers!

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Selecting a mobile PC is a process of balancing trade-offs. Screen size, computational horsepower, battery life, weight, size, and price are all factors that vary from one type of laptop to another. In the past, you had to choose between capabilities like battery life, size, and performance. These tradeoffs are becoming less pronounced with the new crop of thin and light laptops. With these PCs, you can enjoy ultra-mobility, great battery life, and have the power to run popular consumer or enterprise apps. In this post I’ll talk about the latest thin and light laptop from Samsung: the Series 9 (13.3” in this case, 15” models are also available).

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Here are my favorite Windows Phone highlights of the week. What about you?

The Samsung Focus 2 arrives on Sunday

Heads up that the Samsung Focus 2 makes its AT&T debut this weekend. With a $50 price tag, solid spec sheet, and 4G LTE network support—not to mention classy looks—I’m betting Samsung has another Windows Phone winner on its hands. The critics agree. CNET’s Jessica Dolcourt reviewed the phone this week and liked what she saw. “I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Focus 2,” she concludes. Ben “Smoked by Windows Phone” Rudolph also put this white beauty through its paces and walked away impressed. “If you’re looking for a value-priced phone that gets you top-level features, the Samsung Focus 2 is a great choice,” he wrote.

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