app – SomeGadgetGuy

July 7, 2014

App Review: UPS has landed on Windows Phone!

Screenshot_13 It looks like another official app has been added to the growing number of apps for Windows Phone users. UPS has arrived! The UPS app should be super useful for those running a small and big business or for when Some Gadget Guy sends out prizes to contest winners!

The design of the app has a modern UI and the familiar brown and gold UPS branding. You can sign in with Facebook, MYUPS ID or you can just skip the sign in and get down to tracking your packages. The UPS app also gives you the option of requesting a quote for shipping and will let you pick your preferred method of shipment such as UPS Overnight to UPS ground and everything in between. The UPS app lets you choose your packaging from a tube all the way to the large UPS Express Box. Are you shipping an oddball sized box? The UPS app has you covered in that department as well! Just enter the box dimensions while requesting your quote.

wp_ss_20140703_0002 wp_ss_20140703_0011 Continue reading “App Review: UPS has landed on Windows Phone!”

March 5, 2014March 5, 2014

App Review: Robotek by Hexage

One day I was browsing the Microsoft Store to see if there were any Mech Assault like games just out of curiosity. I used to have that really crazy controller for the Mech Assault game for my first gen Xbox. After about 10 minutes or so I came across Robotek! It’s not quite a Mech Assault game however it is a very fun and addicting turn by turn game with great sound and super smooth graphics!

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Here’s the scenario: Humanity has fallen and the rise of robots is starting to take place. Your job is to take back the world from the robots one node at a time! When you fire up Robotek you will notice the super smooth graphics of this game and the sound quality which is really amazing! When starting Robotek you will play your first level as a tutorial so you can get the hang of the game play. Once you complete the tutorial then you can start taking back the world one node at a time. The game play is a mix of RPG, action, strategy and slot machine. You hit the green arrow and try to match all three of your weapons to inflict serious damage on your opponent. This is a turn by turn game so plan your strategy carefully! Just a friendly warning: Robotek is very addicting with its game play and graphics!

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Here’ the feature run down on Robotek: Continue reading “App Review: Robotek by Hexage”

December 26, 2013

App Review: Poker King Texas Hold ‘Em

Are you a poker fan and just can’t get enough of the game? You should check out Poker King developed by Geax Game Inc. Poker King is one of the top rated poker games for Windows 8 phones, Android and iOS.

This app was very well designed and very easy to use. The graphics are very easy on the eyes and well polished. Playing Poker King is very smooth and you can choose to play in Sit-N-Go, Tournament, or browse tables to play at.

One of the nice features while searching for a table to play at is the option to choose the fast option. If you regularly play poker on your phone then you know how frustrating it can be when another player is taking his sweet time trying to figure out their next move. When you choose a table with the fast speed, you will have a shorter time to make your move thus making the game a lot faster and enabling you to play more games in a shorter period of time.

Poker King’s game features: Continue reading “App Review: Poker King Texas Hold ‘Em”

September 10, 2013

App review: 6tag brings a near perfect Instagram experience to Windows Phone 8

The lack of an official Instagram app for Windows Phone has long been held as proof of the lack of quality apps for the WP8 ecosystem. “I mean, windows phone doesn’t even have Instagram? AmIRite! High five!”

The problem with not developing an app for a popular service? Someone might develop that app in your absence. There are a couple different solutions for getting pics off of your gorgeous Lumia camera, and on to Instagram’s servers. As of today, my favorite is now 6tag.

Developed by Rudy Huyn, who has produced a number of popular apps for Windows Phone, including mobile 9Gag and Wikipedia clients, 6tag offers up every feature and filter of available on Instagram with a Windows Phone twist.

All of the favorites are here. Upon logging in, you’re presented a page full of square pics from all the people you follow. The same interactions are available, being able to like by double tapping the pic for example. To leave a comment or tag someone in a photo, you swipe across the photo to get access to these other options. It keeps the photo stream a little more focused on photography, and it looks a little less cluttered. Plus lateral sliding squares is just so Metro.

Pics and videos can be uploaded and edited using the same tools and filters as you would find on the official Instagram app. Happily, all of the sharing services are also included, giving you one touch sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Flickr. Unlike the official Instagram app, Huyn also included sharing support for VK, the second largest European social network behind Facebook.

You can also access your likes and lists of people who have liked and commented on your pics. If I have a complaint here, it’s that the live tile doesn’t seem to update those likes very often. I’ll jump into the app and be surprised that my pet picture recently got a dozen likes. It’s a small smudge on an otherwise great experience.

6tag is free to use, but ads are served on certain screens like your profile or when commenting.

It really is unfortunate that Instagram continues to ignore Windows Phone. Some of the most camera phone passionate consumers are Nokia fans, and Instagram is excluding a base of potential users who have sided with a company producing some of the best cameras ever built into smartphones. Seriously. No Lumia 1020 pics?

Of course, this means an industrious developer can step in to fill the void. Until we get that official app, 6tag will do just fine. Plus if you use instagram, you can find me there as SomeAudioGuy.

6tag on the Windows Phone app store.

September 6, 2013October 2, 2013

MyGlass updated to control Google Glass from Android phones and tablets.

Pretty straight forward folks. If you’re lucky enough to be rocking Glass, then you’ll want to update the MyGlass app. The update allows you to control Glass using your phone.

Apparently, controlling Glass through taps and head tilts isn’t always ideal, and now utilizing Glass’ screencast capabilities, you can spread out the Glass UI on an Android handset instead.

Plus there are “Bug Fixes”. So. You’ll probably want those too.

MyGlass on Google Play

September 5, 2013

Skype for Windows Phone Finally receives Video Messaging.

It’s been a long time coming. While Windows Phone is now the third place phone platform, these kinds of announcements still get us excited.

Now if you’re using a WP8 handset and Skype, updating the app will finally give you the ability to send video messages to your Skype contacts. Your own private video communications, free and unlimited messaging. So go get updating! And now instead of leaving me a voice mail you can shoot me a video. That’s way more interesting. Just remember to look into the camera and stop trying to make eye contact with yourself.

While I have you here on this post, I do have a gripe. If Microsoft owns Skype, why are Windows Phone users the last, DISTANT last place, to be getting this kind of functionality? If Redmond is going to drive the WP8 platform to any kind of success, and after buying Nokia I’m guessing they hope for some kind of success, this kind of neglect needs to stop.

Seriously. I hate myself for what I’m about to type here, but Microsoft, yeah, we need a little more brand synergy. Thanks.

Love,

GadgetGuy

P.S.

Skype on the Microsoft App store