Tag: windowsphone

Meet Cortana , Microsoft’s Alternative to Siri

Microsoft has finally shown off its new mobile search assistant, Cortana, its version of Siri and Google Now.

As a part of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1 update, Cortana is a new Voice Recognition based personal digital assistant. Named after the AI in the popular XBOX title “Halo” the “personal digital assistant,” has the ability to search the Internet, set up alarms, shift calendar appointments, find restaurants, send messages, place calls and more.

Cortana is quite identical to Siri on an iPhone, tap a button and ask the ui a question, however like Google Now Coranta can also tap into applications and and the phone’s core services to deliver you contextual information.It can offer the weather where you’re located, deliver favorite sports scores, or scan email and provide updates on a flight status or package delivery.

Cortana runs on Bing and has a lot of intriguing features, for example it learns from habits of its users when and how they do their tasks. One unique feature of Cortana is that it can actually push the results of its searches over to other apps. Also like competition, Cortana doesn’t need to learn your voice and tries to interact with you naturally.

Cortana wasn’t the only new aspect of Windows Phone 8.1, which now has a notification drawer called Action Center, which collects text messages, emails, calls and updates from social networks and other apps. It also has quick toggles for things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi seen on Android and iOS both.

Microsoft Also plans to push this Windows for free for hardware makers to use on phones, tablets with screens under nine inches. This should considerably bring down the costs of hardware running Windows.

April 3, 2014
Nokia Lumia 925 Leaked in low-res Press Shot

Just hours before their official launch in London, Nokia’s Lumia 925 aka Catwalk has been leaked. Following along with the leaks of the past the design is fully metallic and appears to be much slimmer than the previous generation Lumia devices. The overall design of the back shell also appears to be a bit different compared to the existing Lumias, with the front to back taper towards the edges, The edges also appear to be more squarish compared to the usual rounding seen on Nokia phones.

Nokia will full Launch the phone in a couple of hours, so stay tuned for the specs.

Update : An image of the back panel has leaked too.

[via]

May 14, 2013
Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac updated for Windows Phone 8
The Mac app for connecting and syncing your precious upcoming Windows Phone 8 device has been updated on the Mac App Store. Not only has the app been updated to Version 3.0 but it has also received a new “Windows Phone” name, to prevent further name changes one can presume. The app has added support for Retina MacBooks and also drag and drop sharing capabilities b/w some of Apple’s native apps like iPhoto and iTunes.

The new app will support all upcoming phones including the ATIV S, HTC WP 8X and 8S along with the Nokia Lumia Devices. Full Changelog below :
- Support for Windows Phone 8
- Drag and drop files between Windows Phone and your Mac desktop
- Drag and drop files from Finder to your Windows Phone 8 devices
- Support for iPhoto 9.3.2 and Aperture 3.3.2
- Support for battery charge state (Windows Phone 8 devices)
- Enhanced capability support for ringtone files (Windows Phone 8 devices)
- Support for Retina display Macs
[Mac App Store]
November 2, 2012
HTC Will Launch the new portfolio including Windows Phone 8X and 8s for India and Asia Today

We are in Singapore for the launch of the new HTC Windows Phone 8 Devices, including the Windows Phone 8X and the 8S alongside Android devices like the HTC One X Plus. We will get you cover by cover so stay tuned to iGyaan and expect updates on Twitter ( @iGyaan) and Facebook as they happen.

HTC Windows Phone 8X will Be HTC’s flagship running Windows Phone 8 operating system, which was officially released on the 29th of October. It features a completely new approach to Windows Phone 8 Devices with a new polycarbonate unibody design and a list of new bright colors. The HTC Windows Phone 8X features a 1.5 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 processor, a 4.3 inch display, 16GB of inbuilt storage and 1GB of RAM. WiFi a/b/g/n, NFC and an integrated 1,800mAh Li-ion battery. There’s also quadband radio support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSPA/WCDMA (850, 900, 1900, 2100MHz) and LTE where available.

The HTC Windows Phone 8S also features similar builds but has a dual tone look. The display is a rather sharp 4-inch, 720p screen. For memory there’s 1GB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage, with room for an additional 32GB via microSD expansion. That actually puts it above the 8X, which is stuck at 16GB of space thanks to its lack of expandable memory support.

The HTC One X+ (plus) will come with a faster 1.7GHz Tegra 3 CPU, larger 2,100mAh battery, expanded 64GB of storage and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4+ onboard. The One X+ is targeted to replace the One X as a new flagship for Android.

No information on pricing, but all of the above are pegged at a pre Diwali availability. Stay tuned for more information.

November 2, 2012
Nokia Launches new Nokia Lumia 510 for the Budget Windows Lover
Nokia has brought what others have failed to deliver, a Windows Phone at a budget price. The Lumia 510 has been launched at a press event in New Delhi, the 510 has a 4 inch capacitive screen with a 480 x 800 pixel density. On the spec sheet of the Lumia 510 you will find a 5-megapixel camera at the back (no front-facer), an 800MHz Qualcomm processor, 256MB RAM and 4GB of non-expandable storage.

Nokia is targeting markets like India and China for this phone expecting it to penetrate the lower strata of Smartphone users shifting up from an Asha Phone to a smart phone. The price of the Lumia 510 is expected to be US $199, so expect it to hit the Indian market in the coming weeks for under Rs 9999.

Sales are planned to begin in November, starting with India and China, and followed closely by other Asia-Pacific countries and South America.

Windows Phone is different to other smartphone platforms thanks to Live Tiles, making it easy to see incoming messages and updates; People Hub, which brings together contacts and updates from across social networks into one location, and access to Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer 9 on the mobile.

The Camera Extras app provides exclusive digital lens functionality to go with the five megapixel camera and built-in autofocus. Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport also offer comprehensive smartphone location and navigation experience available.

Complete Specs
- 4 inch LCD
- 480 x 800 px resolution
- 5 MP camera
- Windows 7.5
- 800 MHz Processor
- 256 MB RAM
- 4GB Fixed Storage
- 7GB cloud with SkyDrive
- Interchangeable Back Panels
- Price : US $ 199 or Under Rs. 9999 in India
October 23, 2012
Samsung ATIV S gets a very early Hands on (Video)
Samsung is ready to launch the new Windows Phone 8 Lineup, with the ATIV S taking center stage. GSMArena managed to get a hands on with the product, they uploaded the video then removed it. But luckily enough the video landed up on Youtube so check it out.

Important details include
- 4.8” Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 2
- dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU
- 2300 mAh battery on board
- MicroSD card Slot
October 10, 2012
Nokia brings the Xpress browser compression to the Lumia Line

Nokia has launched a new Xpress browser of or the Lumia line that is identical to the browser found n the new Asha phones.

Announced today via the company’s Beta Labs site, Nokia Xpress leverages the cloud to compress internet data up to 85 percent, help users keep tabs on their consumption habits and even reformats favorited sites into a magazine-like layout.

The app also allows for simple searches for items across Bing and YouTube from within the browser.

Its not available in the marketplace as of now but can be downloaded from the source below.

[Nokia BetaLabs]

October 4, 2012
HTC Launches Windows Phone 8S, S4 Chipset, 512 MB RAM (PR)

HTC alongside the new Windows Phone 8S has also announced a new Windows Phone 8S which will be a cheaper variant of the 8X . Specs on this one include a 4 inch display with gorilla glass we are assuming a minimum 820×480 display. It has 512 MB Ram and a S4 processor running at 1 GHz vs the 1.5 GHz of the 8X.

Inbuilt storage is kept at 4 GB with a micro-sim and micro-SD card slot available. It features a twin colour (dual tone) polycarbonate unibody shell, and has a 5 MP camera with 720p video capability. The body of the 8S is 10.28mm thick and has tapered edges.

Just like the HTC Windows Phone 8X the 8S will be available in November in a variety of colours.

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HTC AND MICROSOFT UNVEIL FIRST SIGNATURE WINDOWS PHONES

New Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC to be available through
more than 150 mobile operators globally

NEW YORK, 19th September, 2012 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, and Microsoft today unveiled the first signature Windows Phones, the stunning Windows® Phone 8X and 8S by HTC®. The smartphones feature the new Windows Phone 8 operating system and boast iconic design, studio-quality sound with Beats Audio™ and incredible camera capabilities.

“Pairing HTC’s beautiful new Windows Phone 8X and 8S with our brand is a big milestone for both companies,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “Together we are offering customers a clear choice and a truly unique experience. I’m thrilled to take our longstanding partnership to the next level.”

“We’ve been inspired by Windows Phone 8 to create new smartphones that give the platform the iconic design and personality it deserves,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “Windows Phone has clearly emerged as one of the top mobile ecosystems and is competitive against any other smartphone platform in the world.”

Iconic Design
The only phone with Live Tiles, Windows Phone has a clear, differentiated vision and the consumer experience has been widely recognized as being groundbreaking, innovative and fresh. HTC created the Windows Phone 8X and 8S to blend the virtual and the physical utilizing a three dimensional, pure uni-body design based on the Windows Phone Live Tiles. The Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC are perfectly sculpted with a dramatic taper making them feel magically thin in your hand.

Because color is such an integral part of the Windows Phone experience, HTC is bringing bold, sophisticated and adventurous colors in a premium matte finish to these devices. The Windows Phone 8X will come in a variety of colors including California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow. The Windows Phone 8S by HTC will be available in Domino, Fiesta Red, Atlantic Blue and High-Rise Gray.

Capture and share your world
For the first time, HTC is introducing a 2.1mp, f/2.0 aperture, 88° ultra-wide angle front-facing camera that allows up to four people and more to be captured at once. It also supports 1080p video capture. The rear camera sports an 8mp CMOS sensor with backside-illumination (BSI) for improved low-light performance, along with an f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated imaging chip. A physical shutter button makes it quick and easy to capture spontaneous action, even if the phone is locked.

Spectacular Sound with Beats Audio
Exclusively available on HTC smartphones, Beats Audio provides authentic, studio-quality sound that delivers the spirit of the original recording. The Windows Phone 8X by HTC featuring Beats Audio also offers a unique audio amplifier powering the 3.5mm audio jack and the speaker, boosting the audio signal for even better sound no matter if you’re listening to music, playing a game or watching a video.

Brilliant Display
The Windows Phone 8X by HTC features a beautiful, 4.3″ HD-resolution super LCD 2 screen protected from everyday bumps and scrapes by lightweight Gorilla® Glass 2, while optical lamination reduces reflections and glare, ensuring you see every detail. The Windows Phone 8S by HTC boasts a bright super LCD 4″ screen with Gorilla® Glass, allowing users to see the Windows Phone Live Tiles, and every message and photo, with crystal clarity and sparkling color.

Entertainment
With the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC people can carry their favorite music, movies and photos with them wherever they go. With the Windows Phone Store and Xbox Live, it is easier than ever to enjoy the latest video, music and games on the move.

Availability
The Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC will be available beginning in November. Available through more than 150 carriers in 50+ countries, the Windows Phone 8X or 8S by HTC will be available from the world’s top carriers including: United States: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Europe: Orange, O2 Telefonica, MTS, Three UK, T-Mobile, and Vodafone Asia-Pacific: Chunghwa Telecom, Optus, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel), Smartone, Telstra and Vodafone Australia.

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September 19, 2012
Samsung readying 2 windows phone 8 devices, Odyssey and Marco, Leaked

Samsung has two Windows Phone 8 devices found in the pipeline. According to the filing that’s been unearthed by The Verge, both are running on a dual-core 1.5Ghz Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset.

Looking at the leaked info, the Odyssey has a 4.65-inch high-definition Super AMOLED display and NFC ready for Microsoft’s upcoming wallet service. The Marco will have a smaller 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen and no NFC. Now these appear to be US versions of devices which will eventually land up in India, possibly with different names.

Stay Tuned.!

July 31, 2012
Nokia Q2 Results are out : 4 million Lumias sold, $1.01 billion net US Dollar loss

Nokia’s Q2 result shows that the company has made a loss of over US $ 1 Billion in last quarter, however sales were at US $9.2 billion which is still .5 Billion lower than last quarter.

Nokia has sold a total of 73 million handsets, most of which are thanks to the Asha series. Nokia is low on cash reserves as the company shows total $5.1 billion in reserves vs the $6.3 billion in Q1. Nokia did get $250 million support from Microsoft, but that does not have seemed to help the situation.

You can read the full report at the link below

[Nokia (PDF)]

July 19, 2012
Microsoft gives a hands on look to the Windows Phone 7.8’s new Live tiles Home screen.

While thousands complain about the fact that their devices will not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8, Microsoft tries to give it a positive look. Ben Rudolph demonstrates hows Windows Phone 7.8 will look on existing Windows Phone 7.5 devices, while he shows off a Lumia 900 running 7.8.

The video shows how the new home screen will work on existing devices, including restructuring of tiles. The company is trying to push on on features that will be added, but there is no mention of the features that will be left out for those who actually took a skinny dip into the Windows Phone Pool.

[Windows Team Blog]

June 26, 2012
Samsung Omnia M Europe only, 4 inch Super AMOLED (PR)

Samsung’s global version of the Focus 2 will be replaced with the all new Samsung Omnia M. The device features Windows Phone Mango 7.5 running on a 1Ghz processor, a 5 Megapixel autofocus camera alongside a VGA front camera. The Samsung Omnia M will come with a 4 inch Super AMOLED Display. The model number of the Omnia M is same as that of the Omnia W which we reviewed some time back.

The phone will also feature Samsung’s popular Chat-On messenger, the company plans to bring the device to all regions of Europe.

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of the Samsung Omnia M (model: GT-I8350), a Windows Phone based smartphone ideal for social and entertainment multi-taskers. The Omnia M will be available starting in Europe and rolled out to other regions.

Featuring top-notch multimedia capabilities and a wide array of social connectivity options, the Omnia M is a phone fornon-stop entertainment, content sharing and keeping in touch in whatever way that suits you. It boosts a stunning design, 1GHz performance and a vividly large 4” Super AMOLED display.

The elegant Omnia M complements your style with a minimalist, compact design. It features an ergonomic contoured casing that ensures the device sits comfortably in your hand. An expansive 4.0’’ Super AMOLED display with reduced glare provides a incredible viewing experience and lets you view messaging, multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity—even in daylight conditions—while saving significant battery life.

Keeping up with your social life is easier, fun, and more interactive than ever with the Omnia M. Family Story,Samsung’s cloud-based family network, can be downloaded to let users share family messages, videos and photo slide-shows on a virtual bulletin-board with other Samsung devices. Samsung’s ChatON communication service connects you and users from any phone platform into a single community, enabling spontaneous group chatting and messaging—whether with text, animations or images—in seconds.

The Omnia M wants you to play, share, and access multimedia entertainment. With Samsung AllShare you can play films, games, or any other media direct from your Omnia M to a TV so that family and friends can share the fun. For music lovers, Music Hub offers aSmart DJ feature which automatically generates playlists to suit your mood; and for a touch of creativity, Photo Studio lets you edit your photo images for easy sharing. Windows Live SkyDrive offers 25GB of free online storage for anytime access, storage and sharing of photos, videos, Office documents, andOneNotenotes.

For added social connectivity, Windows Phone’s People Hub unifies all your messaging and contacts into a single portal to instantly sync with Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.This ensures you are never left out of touch. The Omnia M also features Samsung’s integrated video-call feature, allowing instant video chats using the phone’s front-facing camera and superior voice audio quality. Keeping in touch has never been easier or more fun.

The Omnia M also offers the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience built-in. Access your personal gaming information on Xbox LIVE, including recent games you’ve played, Xbox LIVE leaderboards, and you avatar, Gamerscore and Achievements – all from your phone.

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May 12, 2012
Nokia Lumia will come to China on March 28th

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has confirmed that the company will bring its pride Windows Phone Devices AKA “Lumia” Series to the Chinese waters later this month. No specifics on the models available , but looks like China will get Lumia 900 Global, 800 and 710 at first followed by the 610 later this year. Both China Telecom and China Unicom are said to be partners with Nokia for the upcoming launch.

[21st Century]

March 13, 2012
Skype Beta comes to Windows Phone (video)

Skype has announced and released the Beta version of their App for Windows Phone devices running 7.5 and above. This early version will allow free audio and video calls over WiFi or 3G, alongside those any-number paid-for calls.

You can download the beta version of the Skype for Windows Phone app for free by clicking here directly from your Windows Phone, or simply scanning the QR code below. You will need to have a smartphone running Windows Phone 7.5. You can check what version of Windows Phone your phone is running at Settings > About.

Tested and working Windows Phones:

• Nokia Lumia 710
• Nokia Lumia 800
• HTC Titan
• HTC Radar
• Samsung Focus S
• Samsung Focus Flash

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Skype brings voice and video calling to Windows Phone users around the globe

Many of you have been waiting for this. And today we are excited to announce our new Skype for Windows Phone Beta app. This now makes Skype available on almost all of the leading mobile smartphone operating systems. The gold version of the app will be available in April.

Starting today, download the beta version directly from your Windows Phone or at theMarketplace from your computer to test drive Skype for Windows Phone and share your feedback with us.

Skype for Windows Phone Beta* supports the most important Skype features you’ve come to know and love. And you will be especially thrilled by the clean and simple Skype experience that the Metro user interface delivers on your Windows Phone. It has never before been so easy to connect with the people you care about most.

Check out this video to see how the app works.

With Skype for Windows Phone Beta you can make free audio and video calls** to your Skype contacts over 3G and 4G or WiFi***, make affordable calls to landlines and mobiles using Skype Credit, create and hold one-to-one and group chats, and update your profile and account information, among others features.

This is only the beginning for Skype for Windows Phone…it’s just going to get better and better. We see incredible potential to include Skype capabilities in Windows Phone in order to enable a great experience for you.

You can download the beta version of the Skype for Windows Phone app for free**** by clicking here directly from your Windows Phone, or simply scanning the QR code below. You will need to have a smartphone running Windows Phone 7.5. You can check what version of Windows Phone your phone is running at Settings > About.

We have already tested and certified the following devices for the best performance of Skype for Windows Phone:

• Nokia Lumia 710
• Nokia Lumia 800
• HTC Titan
• HTC Radar
• Samsung Focus S
• Samsung Focus Flash

We love hearing your thoughts and questions, so please feel free to visit our Skype Support Network or tweet your Skype for Windows Phone questions to @Skype. Also, you can join us on Twitter by following the #SkypeMWC hashtag where we will be sharing Windows Phone tips throughout the week.

*The beta version of the Skype for Windows Phone app will have English language support only.
**The device must be equipped with at least one camera to utilize video calling.
*** Users can place calls with their Windows Phone over a cellular data connection or WiFi network. Additional data charges may apply. To get the best quality video calling, Skype recommends a strong WiFi connection. Skype-to-Skype calling on Windows Phone is compatible with Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac OS X 2.8 and above, Skype for Linux, Skype for iOS 3.0 and above, Skype for Android 2.0 and above, and Skype running on TVs.
**** The Skype for Windows Phone Beta app is free. If you use your mobile data connection to download the Skype app, operator charges may apply, so we recommend an unlimited data plan.

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February 27, 2012
Leaked : Nokia Lumia 610, priced at around Rs 11,000 in India.

Looks like information on the, due to be released today, Nokia Windows Phone Lumia 610 has been outed. The phones has a substantially lower end spec lineup but the price seems to be the attractive aspect of the device. Priced at a mere Rs. 11,000, the device is expected to change Nokia’s bad outlook in recent times and may also give a heavy boost to Windows Phone as an OS. The Lumia 610 will feature a 3.2-inch display and a 3 MP camera. It will also run Windows Phone Tango, running on just 256MB RAM.

The Phone is expected to be officially launched within the next 24 hours along with the global edition of Lumia 900 flagship smartphone from Nokia.

February 27, 2012