Tag: Windows Phone

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Windows Phone Game Review: Square Me

Square ME squareI have come across quite a few interesting games in the Windows Phone Store and today we are taking a look at one of the simplest yet fun games out there.

Square Me is a bare bones game which has no options nor does it have any setting to adjust game play. Square Me has one objective which is to find the tile that does not match and tap it so you can advance to the next level.

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At the beginning of the game you start out at Level 1 which has four big tiles but as you advance the tiles become smaller and the color change of the mismatched tile become ever so slight. Believe me it can be a challenge as you advance in levels. Of course you also have a timer that counts down while hunting the mismatched color tile, adding to the tension. Good luck! Continue reading “Windows Phone Game Review: Square Me”

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Verizon to Retire Lumia Icon Eight Months After Release?

nokia lumia icon rear panel long term review somegadgetguyA frustrating development for Windows Phone fans on Big Red. It looks like VZW is pulling the plug on the Lumia Icon only eight months after the phone was launched.

Internationally known as the Lumia 930, Verizon was the exclusive carrier to offer it here in the United States. While the rest of the world has officially been updated with Windows Phone 8.1 and Nokia’s Cyan software, the Icon has languished under Verizon’s ultra-strict and very slow upgrade approval process. Galaxy Nexus owners likely understand the frustration of watching the rest of the software world pass you by.

Now with word from @VZWSupport on Twitter, that the Icon is retired, it seems even less likely that there will be an official 8.1 update for the Icon. I also doubt that we’ll see a 930 variant arrive on any of the other carrier with AT&T focusing on launching their HTC One W8 and the Lumia 830 mid-ranger. As it pertains to Windows Phone, T-Mobile largely seems content at the entry level with the Lumia 635.

Very frustrating indeed as the Lumia Icon/930 is a solid flagship phone, but all smartphones are only as good as their support, and this move removes one of the precious few options for a WP flagship here in the States…

(via WPCentral)

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Nokia Unveils “Affordable Flagship” Lumia 830 Smartphone

Lumia-830_group1Following the announcement of their Lumia Denim, Nokia showed off the first phone which will include the software update.

Nokia is positioning the 8XX line as upper mid-range. The Lumia 830 has a 5″ 720p display powered by a Qualcomm 400 series quad-core. The rear shooter scales back to a 10MP shooter which supports 1080p video and includes optical image stabilization. While there’s only 16GB of storage built in, it will include a MicroSD card slot unlike its bigger brother the 930.

It also retains a lot of the design language we current enjoy, a metal frame with a polycarb back which will come in white, black, orange, or green. It’s a nice aesthetic touch, not punishing consumers who opt for the less expensive models.

The Lumia 830 will be available this month with an expected launch price of 330EUR. You can see Nokia’s teaser vid below, and their full PR after the jump.

Continue reading “Nokia Unveils “Affordable Flagship” Lumia 830 Smartphone”

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4K Video Recording Coming to Lumia 1520 and 930 with “Lumia Denim” Update

Lumia_CameraWe recently covered some of the updates we’d like to see for the Nokia Camera, and it would seem the Lumia team has been paying attention.

Following on the heels of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, which brings Apps Corner and Folder support, Nokia is also detailing their custom software improvements. There will of course be speed improvements and bug fixes, but we’ll also see a few features coming to the camera that have been noticeably absent.

The Qualcomm 800 powered phones will finally receive 4K video recording at 24 FPS, and specific mention was made of improving low light image processing. We’ll also see an HDR mode included and the ability to save individual frames from a video as still photos.

Nokia is also leveraging their “SensorCore” tech to add Cortana voice activation. While the phone is idle, the voice command “Hey Cortana” will wake the phone and start a voice search.

You can see all the rest of the goodies included in Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 in our video review below!

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Pro Tips: How I would fix the cameras on Nokia Smartphones (Post Cyan Update)

The cameras found on Nokia flagship phones are certainly formidable, but no gadget is perfect, and there’s ALWAYS room for improvement.

Here’s how I (and others who have commented on this blog) would tinker with Nokia’s camera software.

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AT&T Confirms They Will Carry The “HTC One M8 For Windows”

Apparently Verizon’s claims of exclusivity weren’t entirely accurate, as we’ve just received a press release from Big Blue that they too will be carrying the Windows Phone flavored HTC M8.

The HTC “W8” will join the most complete collection of Windows Phones offered up by any USA carrier, and should give some of those Nokias a run for their money.

htc one w8 adWhile I’m really looking forward to see how HTC customizes the WP8.1 experience, I still think the name of this phone is tragically confusing. As I said in my VZW write up, “M8 FOR Windows” makes it sound like some kind of accessory for a Windows PC. I was really hoping to see a sleek sophisticated ad where the “M” in the M8 title flips upside down to become a “W”. Sigh… But I digress…

AT&T PR below.

Continue reading “AT&T Confirms They Will Carry The “HTC One M8 For Windows””

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Verizon Shows Off HTC One M8 for Windows in Teaser Video

The phone is real. The phone looks good. The name is still kinda dumb.

Sorry Big Red, I just can’t bring myself to call this “The HTC One M8 for Windows”. I mean “HTC One M8” is already clunky enough, but “For Windows”? FOR Windows??? It makes the phone sound like an accessory FOR a Windows PC. Even “With Windows” sounds better. From here on out I will now be referring to HTC phones as the M8 and W8. No more “One” this and “For” that.

That said, the W8 looks like a great crossover to the Microsoft side of the fence. HTC’s build quality is second to none, and the changes made to the Windows Phone OS (allowing manufacturers to more easily swap over Android hardware) appear to be working.

Plus, many of the apps developed by HTC already have that modern minimalist look, which should help them blend in with Live Tiles. Blinkfeed for example already looks like a Metro app.

Lastly, it’s just nice to see another company giving Nokia a little competition in this space as we wait to see if Microsoft and Samsung will ever settle their licensing squabbling.

We’re you considering switching to a Windows Phone? Does an HTC W8 sweeten the deal for you? Drop us a comment! And catch Verizon’s teaser vid below.

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Nokia Confirms Lumia Cyan Updates for Developer Devices Coming Soon

We’ve been posting about Lumias receiving the official updates to Windows Phone 8.1. While Microsoft is in charge of the overall OS, there are a lot of tweaks, updates, and drivers which come from Nokia. Those updates are named by color, and the most recent is “Cyan”, which along with performance improvements and bug fixes, brings a few fun features to the camera.

Those of us on the bleeding edge however have been running the Developer Preview of WP 8.1, and unfortunately the first round of Cyan updates has not been compatible with the official update. The only workaround has been to wipe the phone running DevPre, roll back to the old version of Windows Phone 8, then re-install the new WP8.1+Cyan. In updating my Lumia 1520, the whole process took a little over two hours.

Nokia’s Developer team on Twitter recently announced however that they are working on fixes so folks with proper Developer Devices wont be forced into this OS dance.

Unfortunately this isn’t directly addressing the number of developers running DevPre on non-Developer Variations of phones, or any consumers who were running DevPre on their own phones.

With these updates rolling out for Developer Variations however, we can hope that all folks running DevPre will soon receive official Cyan support. Otherwise a wipe and reinstall is the only way to go…

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