Looking for a fun way to liven up your Windows Phone fan site? Or embellish your next email (you know, the one to your buddy who’s still using one of those other smartphones)?

I’ve got just the thing.

This neat animated image of the Start screen has been making the rounds here, and I thought I’d pass it along. Never look a GIF horse in the mouth. Grab it and go crazy.

The Interactive Design Association (IxDA) just announced the winners of its first annual Interaction Award—and we’re thrilled that Windows Phone 7.5 has picked one up. Here’s the official award citation.

My buddy Steve Clayton over on the always-fascinating Next at Microsoft blog also reported the IxDA news—and included a YouTube video worth checking out. As Steve notes, it’s not the first big design prize our mobile operating system has taken home.

Windows Phone is off to a good start this year. Nokia’s gorgeous Lumia 900 captured the coveted Best of CES 2012 award for smartphones last month. There’s also been a flurry of great reviews and press lately.

And just think—it’s only February.

You love Windows Phone. The critics love Windows Phone. We love Windows Phone.

The question now is: How can we convince everybody else?

A few months ago we created the Suggestion Box for your feature suggestions for future versions of Windows Phone. Your passion and creativity has floored us. So now we’ve made a new place for your advertising and promotion suggestions. In other words, How would you get the word out about Windows Phone?

We’re looking for ad concepts, contest ideas, social media campaigns, and whatever other wacky but worthwhile ideas you can up with (think Ben Rudolph’s recent Smoked by Windows Phone challenge). Click here to submit an idea (and find out what stuff our lawyers don’t want see).

Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Good news—the Windows Phone Marketplace for apps and games is opening for business today in five new spots—Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru and the Philippines.

If you live in one of these countries, tapping on the Marketplace tile will soon (it might a few hours for all the lights to come on) put loads of great apps and games at your fingertips. One important caveat: Your phone will need to have Windows Phone 7.5 installed to access the new stores. (Look here for update instructions.)

If you’re a developer and want to make sure your app lands in one of these new stores, make sure to check out Todd Brix’s post today on the Developer Blog.

Happy downloading!

This week the internet was buzzing about how upwards of 5 million Android users have phones infected with annoying adware.  To help out, we offered up 20 free Windows Phones to people who shared their story about their frustrations with their Android phone, and why a Windows Phone would be a welcome upgrade.  

I got nearly 1000 responses since we kicked things off (thanks to everyone who sent in a story!), and out of those, here are our 20 winners:

• @GeoffEff - I REALLY wish my Galaxy Nexus would stop rebooting while I'm on the phone. #DROIDRAGE @BenThePCGuy
• @hippie_mom - @BenThePCGuy At least once a day, I get the pleasure of my phone crashing. Who has time for that? #DROIDRAGE
• @HunterRemington - @benthepcguy how about going through five G2X's and two Sensations in five months, if that isn't #droidrage what is? @windowsphone #WP7
• @MonyelleMingo - @BenThePCGuy 4 phones in 3 months. 3 hard resets in 6 months. I am dying alive from #DROIDRAGE & cannot wait for my new @windowsphone!
• @foodiegrrrl - @BenThePCGuy Wrote a haiku about my Droid: "You make me so sad. No updates available. Windows phone next time!" #DROIDRAGE
• @JuicelessJamie - @BenThePCGuy 140 characters isn't enough to spell out every pain that my DroidX produces #droidrage
• @SomeoneKrozey - @BenThePCGuy My Droid phone forces me to restart to read a text. #Droidrage so hard I'd even consider WinMo 6.5 an Upgrade at this point!
• @mistahclutch - My phone has frozen 3 times in the past 4hrs to the point of having to take out the battery. #samsungexhibit #tmobile #droidrage
• @blackibiza - @BenThePCGuy #DROIDRAGE apps stay always loaded in memory and you have to use a task manager to kill them. For battery's lifetime's safe
• @RawbMarley- @BenThePCGuy Love that exciting sound of a new incoming message. Hate it when it reads "Congratulations! You won a new laptop!" #DROIDRAGE
• @UnfriendlyMoose - @BenThePCGuy My phone became completely irrelavant a few weeks after it came out and will not get a update to the newer OS. #DROIDRAGE
• @adamismobile - @BenThePCGuy Showing my boss something on my phone and an ad about finding a new job pops up in the notification bar. #DROIDRAGE
• @agent2609- @benthepcguy And don't get me started on battery life, task killers, and TouchWiz. #DROIDRAGE
• @Pinkie678 - @benthePcguy Challenged my friend to a #smokedByWindowPhone competition... Lets just say I owe my friend $$$. Pls upgrade me! #droidrage
• @ShanoukBachchan - @BenThePCGuy at any point of time, my 'phone reboots > apps downloaded'. Avoid Android #DROIDRAGE
• @gremsems - @BenThePCGuy Could go on for wks about issues w Android,seeing my sister,brother,mother and girlfriend all come to me complaining #DROIDRAGE
• @fabiopablo95 - @BenThePCGuy Android crashes even when i (try) unlock the screen..i bought it only because other phones was too expensive for me #DROIDRAGE
• @OursTeh1337 - @BenThePCGuy got home from working late. Finally got to sleep only to be woken up an hour later by phone restarting after crash. #droidrage
• @Hobby_Chick654 - @BenThePCGuy Battery issues, freezing, worried about malware, viruses... my DroidX gives me more trouble than my 2 teenage kids #droidrage
• @Wakka420 - @benthepcguy my girlfriends droid incredible calls me on accident all the time, even when they are side by side. Its annoying. #droidrage

If you’re one of the lucky winners all you need to do to claim your prize send me an email with your name, Twitter handle, address and phone number.  Be sure to include the subject “I won the second round of #DROIDRAGE Phones!” so I can find your mail in my inbox!

Thanks to everyone who sent in their story!  And remember to follow me on Twitter to share your story, ask a question, or say hi.