BUILD 2014 – SomeGadgetGuy

What a week! Tons of hot tech news dropped, and we got to have a little fun as well. Here’s a run down on your favorite stories from the last seven days!

5- Microsoft BUILD 2014 Kicks Off With Windows Phone 8.1

Developers were the focus, but consumers finally got official word on all of the updates coming down the pipe for Windows Phone 8.1. Along with a pair of new Nokias, Microsoft looks to be building a much stronger portfolio as the third place mobile competitor.

4- Google Looks to Become Wireless Carrier in Fiber Areas?

A little nugget from the rumor mill, but one welcomed by the internet community at large. With their reputation for market disruption, and the small successes they’ve found in delivering fiber internet to homes, it would seem many consumers would strongly consider doing business with Google as a cell phone carrier…

3- Corrupting User Moderated Web Sites: r/Technology Bans Tesla Stories?

When your site or service is built on volunteer workers, there’s always the potential that some of them might be corrupted by outside influences. Reddit had a meltdown when it was discovered that r/Technology had been shadowbanning any story with the word Tesla in it. Rogue moderator, or example of social news site corruption?

2- Review: The Leef Access MicroSD card reader for Android Phones

As not all Android phones come with SD cards any more, this is a handy little gadget which can help you add and manage storage while you’re out and about!

1- Potato Unboxing, 1st Impressions, Full Review, and Comparison to the LG G2

We decided to play along this April Fools Day, and produced this ridiculous 18 minute long video unboxing and review of one of our favorite sources of starchy carbs. Little did we now that many people online feel the same way about unboxing videos as we do…

It’s a big day for Microsoft. Kicking off their BUILD Developer Conference, Joe Belfiore took us through an on stage demo of Windows Phone 8.1 and the new Cortana digital assistant.

New Phones

Microsoft announced new partnerships with MicroMax and Prestigio to develop hardware. These companies should help expand Windows Phone’s presence in European, African, and Asian markets.

Of course the premier line of Windows Phone handsets is the Nokia Lumia line. Stephen Elop took the stage to show off the Lumia 930, which looks like an international version of the Lumia Icon we’ve been reviewing over the past several weeks, only now we’ll have more colors than stingy Verizon was willing to offer up.

Nokia also has two mid range phones on the way, the Lumia 630 with 3G and dual sim variants, and the Lumia 635 with 4G LTE. The dual sim 630 will show off different colored Live Tiles for each of the sim accounts.

The Lumia 630 will be priced at $159 for single sim, $169 for dual sim, and $189 for LTE, and it’ll be the first phone to land with Windows Phone 8.1. It wasn’t announced what the screen resolution of the 630 will be, but it is arriving with the newer 3 rows of Live Tile arrangement found on the 1520 and Icon. Cortana will also be arriving for these entry level handsets.

ALL Nokia Windows Phone 8 Lumias will be upgraded to WP8.1 this summer, which is exciting even down to customers who opted for a sub-$100 Lumia 520, especially when compared to the Android market at that price point.

Windows Phone 8.1 Updates

A ton of new features and polish are coming to the Windows Phone platform. Demonstrated on stage, here’s a short list of some of the highlights!

WordFlow keyboard is getting gesture “Swype” style typing. You can now slide your thumb around the keyboard to create words. This new keyboard now holds the Guinness Book world record for fastest text entry. Continue reading “Microsoft BUILD 2014 Developer Conference Kicks Off with Windows Phone 8.1, New Phones”