Tag: #Microsoft

Popular Apps which need Desperate Update on WindowsPhone by @Tiwaash #WindowsPhone #app #Microsoft

It’s been a while now and we all WinPhans or WindowsPhone users have had enough of patience as far as app updates are concerned and in some cases even a decent workable app, which is slowly but surely becoming a threat and WindowsPhone as people are slowly shifting to other OSs than getting another WindowsPhone. So we decided to compile the apps which are desperately needing an update on the WindowsPhone Store. Continue reading and you would surely agree that yes these apps are dated now and need a new life.

TWITTER
Earlier in July this year when Twitter updated the it brought lot of excitement in the community and the app was greeted and applauded for because it provided WinPhans a new way to use twitter which was updated with a host of features. Sadly the app fails in most of features which were added to it like the notification aren’t accurate now, the photos do not appear in the timeline anymore and many more issues. On the other hand the same app on Android gets updated every week which definitely adds some valuable feature and bug fixes. So Twitter for WindowsPhone needs a desperate update.

FACEBOOK
The Facebook app from Microsoft is worst compared with the one on Android or iOS, it doesn’t allow you to wait a post or comment, doesn’t allow to post photo on a page. The cover photo cannot be changed using this app, doesn’t allow to comment on a note and many more shortcomings. This app was recently updated during the last week but nothing essential came in and just gotta some bug fixes and usuals. We wish that it gets updated soon so that we don’t have to always switch to android or PC to use Facebook as we want to.

INSTAGRAM BETA
Being a photography hobbyist I love sharing photos on Instagram but this app for WindowsPhone has never got updated since it made its way to the store in layer March, 2014. This app lacks way behind 6Tag which is a third party app available to WinPhans to use Instagram with enhanced functionality.  Compared with android and iOS this app is just elementary which savor be used for advanced functionality like regraming or direct messaging or editing the captions or even copying them. Instagram is in desperate need of an update to even make it workable.

VINE
I don’t remember when was the last time I saw Vine getting updated on WindowsPhone. It hasn’t got any kind of support since December last year whereas the app on Android and iOS rocks with host of new features. Vine for WindowsPhone is just the basic app, where you can only upload the videos made on vine and not upload videos which are created and then edited from hard disk, you cannot tag anyone (it doesn’t work) hash tags don’t show suggestions, notification is very poor. The third party app 6Sec works pretty well but lacks those features too. Vine deserves a full fledged update soon.

WHATSAPP
Undoubtedly Whatsapp is the only app which is almost on par on WindowsPhone when compared to Android & iOS but it still lacks some features related to audio, like we cannot send an audio file other than directly recording nor can we save one, which is pretty frustrating at times & this definitely needs to be fixed. This issue isn’t only with Whatsapp, it continues with all the messengers on the store and needs to be fixed.

YOUTUBE
The world famous video sharing and streaming service from Google has an app on the WindowsPhone store, but which just works as the bookmark our shortcut to the mobile site of YouTube and isn’t an app in real as on Android & iOS and this definitely needs to be fixed because it is not the way an app should look or work. It’s a shame to even call it an app. WindowsPhone deserves a much better app which goes well with the experience than the mobile site.

TUMBLR
This app just take forever to open on WindowsPhone. Also it fails to show the notification which gets irritating while we use it. Tumblr on Android is much better with the UI and functionality. The WP app is a pain, be it anything it at times even fails to load the app and the posts, hence it seriously need to be updated.

EMAIL
The email client on WindowsPhone is sharp and clean which works well but attaching multiple files other than media is just not possible. The only way out is to send separate mails for every additional attachment be out Word document or excel or even PDF file. This needs to be fixed so that the experience to users is enhanced.

FILES (MANAGER)
After a long long wait WindowsPhone got a complete manager, but in true sense it is not a complete file manager, still doesn’t show a lot of files and formats. For instance a video file received over Bluetooth, which is not in .mp4 would not be displayed, likewise a PDF file if opened with Adobe Reader does not show up in the files app, so these should be worked on so that the user gets a holistic view of the files saved on the device. The file saving system needs to be updated so that the user gets an idea of where the file is saved and can be located.

DIALER
There is no native smart dialer, an essential these days on the smart phones, though Cortana & third party app comes in handy here but not always. It gets difficult to look up for a contact on the phone. Forget Android or iOS, this feature was even available of Windows Mobile 6 and onwards so this isn’t anything new which we require but which had evolved over the years.

VIDEOS
This all needs a serious update not only to improve the functionality with support for various video codecs but also for the way files are saved on the phone. Even though there is a video folder all the videos captured or saved are found only in the pictures folder and this needs to be fixed.

There are many other places and apps which needs an update but this process is rather very slow on WindowsPhone and which is surely frustrating the users and might go against Microsoft if the continue to ignore the need to get these fixed at the earliest. Hope the officials at Microsoft take things seriously since it’s not just the camera or photos or videos which are important but these apps are essential too and need to be updated at the earliest.

Let us know in the comments below what you feel and which other apps still needs to be included to this list.

Disclaimer: This list isn’t exhaustive, it is just indicative.

Stay tuned for more updates and tech buzz.

Microsoft has jump to wearable Van with their own MS Band By @VicenteA_George #Mcrosoft #Band #Android #IOS #Windows

The MS Band
The MS Band

The new Microsoft Band is a new health and fitness tracker created by the company to enter in the new buzz for wearable technology, has a retail price $199. (Only for U.S at the moment and already out of stock).
This new Band It’s an interesting device. Has a 310 x 102 touch display with 132 background options to choose from to personalize the smart device, a 100mAh battery that MS says that lasts 48h (depending of usage), a microphone (for the Cortana’s integration) and 9 extra Sensors! Besides been dust and splash resistant.

Some Sensors
The Others Sensors

The band can be use for sleep tracking, guided workout and step counter, plus as a handsfree device, wich as advertised will let you be more present in your daily activities with no need to look your phone.

Leave your phone

One thing I want to clarify to our reader, because I seen it a common question, the heart monitor will not recorded every single minute of your day, why? BATTERY

This is how the heart monitor will work:

Exercise modes: Heart rate records every second.

Sleep tracking: 2 minutes on, 8 minutes off. Repeats throughout duration.

All other times: 1 minute on, 9 minutes off, and repeating the cycle.

Manual: You can force-check your heart rate at any time by tapping the Me Tile.

Heart Rating

Something that I really love about some Microsoft products as I said before with the Sway app is that they do it universal, this means the band is compatible with Windows Phone, Android and IOS.

Compatible with WP, Andoid and IOS

In the box you will find the usual stuff, the device itself, the magnetic charger and the instruction manual that noone reads but should.

The Magnetic Charger and the Band

Here’s the Ad the Microsoft Itself is using to promote te device.


I finding myself thinking of buying one. But what do you think? Will you do it? Let us know in the coments below! And stay tuned for more related Tech news!

Good News for Office 365 Subscribers by @Tiwaash #Microsoft #OneDrive #Office365 #CloudStorage

What a Monday it is turning out to be. There are launch events happening, new devices entering the markets, new offers to pull more customers and now free unlimited cloud storage. You might be thinking if you read something wrong above, but no, not at all. Microsoft announced today that they will offer free unlimited cloud storage space for Office 365 members starting today via OneDrive.

This isn’t something which we hear every now and then, this free unlimited cloud storage offered by Microsoft is a ground breaking achievement. Office 365 subscribers can now store any amount of data on OneDrive for free be it Home, Personal, University customers and support for Business users would start in 2015. People who want to be one of the first to access the unlimited OneDrive storage can register here to get priority of using it first.

Stay tuned for more Tech news and updates.

by @Tiwaash

The #NokiaLumia530 now on sale with Emobile,Meteor Mobile and 02. #Mircosoft #Ireland

The Nokia Lumia 530 has finally hit Ireland ,a couple of days later than what we had been told some weeks ago,but nonetheless its finally here at last.

 

Today on Facebook  Nokia Ireland made the announcement..this is the latest handset in the portfolio at the entry level bracket priced at €99

 

 

 

 

Emobile have also posted the device on their Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

Whilst Meteor mobile has a competition running to win the Lumia 530.

 

 

Currently there is no listing for O2 regarding the device nor is it live on the websites just yet,we will update when the info comes in.But we have received the following info. This is from the latest brochure.

Three Ireland will also sell the device which is expected this week.

The device is expected to be in the region of €89/99 euros and as confirmed by others,this concludes with the info we received prior to today.

Will you pick up the Lumia 530 ??

 

 

 

#Microsoft clears out 1500 fake apps from the #WindowsPhone store.

In todays world there several apps stores available to us all to either download apps for free or pay also some for trial.

The trouble is today that there is too many fake apps,not enough checks made and bad apps can hit all stores,been a user of both the Play Store and the Windows Store  there is a noticeable amount of apps that appear multiple times and those none the wiser can just click any one of the big named apps and not realise if its in fact the real deal,always check the publisher and look at more than just the photo and reviews.

 

 

 

Here is what Microsoft said today on what is happening users will be pleased.

 

As Windows Store expands to reach more customers in more markets with a growing list of great titles, we are continuously looking for ways to improve both customer experience and developer opportunity. We strive to give our worldwide customer base easy access to amazing app experiences while keeping developer friction to a minimum. From time-to-time this process slips out of sync and we need to recalibrate.

 

 

 

 

Every app store finds its own balance between app quality and choice, which in turn opens the door to people trying to game the system with misleading titles or descriptions. Our approach has long been to create and enforce strong but transparent policies to govern our certification and store experience. Earlier this year we heard loud and clear that people were finding it more difficult to find the apps they were searching for; often having to sort through lists of apps with confusing or misleading titles. We took the feedback seriously and modified the Windows Store app certification requirements as a first step toward better ensuring that apps are named and described in a way that doesn’t misrepresent their purpose. These changes included:

  • Naming – to clearly and accurately reflect the functionality of the app.
  • Categories – to ensure apps are categorized according to the app function and purpose.
  • Icons – must be differentiated to avoid being mistaken with others.

These revised policies are being applied to all new app submissions and existing app updates for both the Windows and Windows Phone Store. We’ve also been working on titles already in the catalog, conducting a review of Windows Store to identify titles that do not comply with our modified certification requirements. This process is continuing as we work to be as thorough and transparent as possible in our review. Most of the developers behind apps that are found to violate our policies have good intentions and agree to make the necessary changes when notified. Others have been less receptive, causing us to remove more than 1,500 apps as part of this review so far (as always we will gladly refund the cost of an app that is downloaded as a result of an erroneous title or description).

The Store review is ongoing and we recognize that we have more work to do, but we’re on it. We’re applying additional resources to speed up the review process and identify more problem apps faster. No approach is perfect, so we encourage people to report any issues they may encounter with Windows Store. For most issues, customers can use the “report concern to Microsoft” link in the Store. For infringements concerns, people can use our online tools or emailreportapp@microsoft.com directly.

We remain as committed as ever to delivering a great customer experience AND expanding the developer opportunity through fair and transparent policies

 

 

So hopefully now going forward we will see less junk and more real apps,especially locally here in Ireland where the app gap need addressing.

 

Source

 

 

Microsoft silently announces the Nokia BH-222 Headset in the UK. #Nokia #Microsoft

Not very often things get announced without official announcements but it does happen,its happened before and has happened yet again,this time its a Bluetooth headset not a phone or any like it.

Currently the status says its “Coming Soon” But we are all aware of how that phrase sounds now.

The Nokia BH-222 bluetooth headset is what we are talking about not seen anything of late on this department but here we have it.

 

Nothing is known about price or availability just now so its a guessing game as to what the future holds for this..

 

  • Listen up

    This tiny headset lets you effortlessly enjoy music, podcasts and calls from any Bluetooth enabled device such as a smartphone, laptop or tablet while freeing your fingers for more important business.

  • Universally accepted

    Charge your headset through a USB port in your laptop, car or even boat and enjoy hours of music or conversations with a single charge.

 

Stay free of distractions. The crystal clear sound quality helps you stay on top of calls even in the hustle and bustle of busy streets. Available in timeless black or white colours, the BH-222 rests subtly and lightly in your ear.

 

No need to change batteries. A universally available USB port and the included micro-USB plug is all you need to keep your headset fired up for hours on end.

 

  • Dimensions

    • Width: 15.5 mm
    • Length: 57.5 mm
    • Thickness: 8.6 mm
    • Weight: 8 g

  • Audio

    • Audio features: Mono
    • Digital/active noise reduction in uplink audio: Yes

  • Usage

    • Maximum talk time: 5 h
    • Maximum music playback time: 5 h
    • Maximum standby time: 4 days

  • Connectivity

    • Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0
    • Bluetooth profiles: Headset profile (HSP) 1.2, Hands-free profile (HFP) 1.5

     

    You can read more from the UK store .

Check this amazing offer for XboxLive customers on @Meteor_Mobile.Free #NokiaLumia930 #4G bundle

If you are an Xbox Live and Meteor Mobile customer and need a new phone you need to check this offer out right away.

You can get a reduced plan – 20% off the Smart Classic 4G plan..Check if 4G is in your area first if you wish to avail of the deal.

A free Nokia Lumia 930,wireless speaker and charging plate.

 

 

This is a sweet deal head over to the Meteor Website and check the deal out there.this is pretty sweet i have to say and you should look into it..

 

 

 

Thanks to Ross for the tip..

Press Release. #Nokia expects the sale of substantially all of its Devices & Services business to #Microsoft to close on April 25, 2014

 

Nokia Corporation

Stock exchange release
April 21, 2014 at 16.55 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that it expects the transaction whereby the company will sell substantially all of its Devices & Services business to Microsoft to close on April 25, 2014. The transaction is now subject only to certain customary closing conditions.

The transaction was originally announced on September 3, 2013.


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
It should be noted that Nokia and its business are exposed to various risks and uncertainties and certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) the planned sale by Nokia of substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, including Smart Devices and Mobile Phones (referred to below as “Sale of the D&S Business”) pursuant to the Stock and Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 2, 2013, between Nokia and Microsoft International Holdings B.V.(referred to below as the “Agreement”); B) the closing of the Sale of the D&S Business; C) expectations, plans or benefits related to or caused by the Sale of the D&S Business; D) expectations, plans or benefits related to Nokia’s strategies, including plans for Nokia with respect to its continuing businesses that will not be divested in connection with the Sale of the D&S Business; E) expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in leadership and operational structure; F) expectations and targets regarding our operational priorities, financial performance or position, results of operations and use of proceeds from the Sale of the D&S Business; and G) statements preceded by “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “foresee,” “sees,” “target,” “estimate,” “designed,” “aim”, “plans,” “intends,” “focus,” “will” or similar expressions. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) the inability to close the Sale of the D&S Business in a timely manner, or at all, for instance due to the inability or delays in satisfying closing conditions, or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement; 2) the potential adverse effect on the sales of our mobile devices, business relationships, operating results and business generally  resulting from the announcement of the Sale of the D&S Business or from the terms that we have agreed for the Sale of the D&S Business; 3) any negative effect from the implementation of the Sale of the D&S Business, as we may forego other competitive alternatives for strategies or partnerships that would benefit our Devices & Services business and if the Sale of the D&S Business is not closed, we may have limited options to continue the Devices & Services  business or enter into another transaction on terms favorable to us, or at all; 4) our ability to effectively and smoothly implement planned changes to our leadership and operational structure or maintain an efficient interim governance structure and preserve or hire key personnel; 5) any negative effect from the implementation of the Sale of the D&S Business, including our internal reorganization in connection therewith, which will require significant time, attention and resources of our senior management and others within the company potentially diverting their attention from other aspects of our business; 6) disruption and dissatisfaction among employees caused by the plans and implementation of the Sale of the D&S Business reducing focus and productivity in areas of our business; 7) the amount of the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to or triggered by the Sale of the D&S Business; 8) any impairments or charges to carrying values of assets or liabilities related to or triggered by the Sale of the D&S Business; 9) potential adverse effects on our business, properties or operations caused by us implementing the Sale of the D&S Business; 10) the initiation or outcome of any legal proceedings, regulatory proceedings or enforcement matters that may be instituted against us relating to the Sale of the D&S Business, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 12-47 of Nokia’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012 under Item 3D. “Risk Factors.” and risks outlined in our fourth quarter and full year 2013 results report available for instance at http://www.nokia.com/financials. Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proving to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Nokia does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.

About Nokia
Nokia is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another. Nokia’s technological and design innovations have made its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia.

– See more at: http://press.nokia.com/2014/04/21/nokia-expects-the-sale-of-substantially-all-of-its-devices-services-business-to-microsoft-to-close-on-april-25-2014/#sthash.Fxy2LQXr.dpuf

Privacy, Data Protection and Service Terms Information Regarding the Sale of Nokia’s Devices & Services Business to #Microsoft

#Nokia press release just received…..

 

Hello,

We wanted to share some important information about your data privacy and contracts.

Nokia currently expects to complete the sale of its Devices & Services business to Microsoft in April 2014. With the completion of this transaction, a Microsoft Finnish affiliate* assumes responsibility for your personal data and the contractual relationships for the products and services related to this business. Microsoft cares deeply about your privacy and the protection of your personal data and will continue to collect and use your personal data in the same ways and for the same reasons as Nokia, and you should experience no difference as a result of the sale.

Also, please note that Nokia will continue to run its businesses, including HERE location-based products and services, which are not part of the Microsoft acquisition. The responsibility for your personal data and your contractual relationship relating to these Nokia products and services remains with Nokia. Nokia continues to be committed to the highest standards to protect your privacy and your personal data.

We wanted to give you notice of these changes. Our commitment to your privacy remains paramount. To learn more about Microsoft’s and Nokia’s privacy policies and service terms, click here. http://www.nokia.com/global/privacy-landing/


You may also contact us at: Microsoft Mobile Oy, c/o Privacy, Keilaranta 7, 02150 Espoo, Finland or Nokia Corporation, c/o Privacy, Keilalahdentie 4, 02150 Espoo, Finland.

Sincerely,

Chad Fentress
Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
Nokia

Brendon Lynch
Chief Privacy Officer
Microsoft

* With the completion of this sale, the Nokia Devices & Services business will be part of this Finnish entity, Microsoft Mobile Oy, a subsidiary of Microsoft Corp.