Category Archives: Windows

Nokia Lumia 925 Early Views

Tech News, Windows

Nokia announced the Lumia 925 a few days ago. It appears at first glance to be a modest upgrade in specification from the Lumia 920.

My tech friends were all surprised that the bump forward in specification wasn’t as dramatic as they thought it would or needed to be, and that it wasn’t a far enough leap forward from the 920. But whilst I agree it appears a little similar to the 920, it is in fact no different to what every other manufacturer is doing at present.

Samsung and the S3 to Samsung S4. Apple and the iPhone 5 to iPhone 5S, and HTC One X to HTC One.

In reality these are all small increments forward in specification. And the 925 is no different. However, it does come in a sleeker more stylish body, is a lot lighter than the 920, has an improved screen and camera optics. There are also a few other smaller tweaks. And for some that will be good enough. If you like the Windows Phone 8 platform, and I do, then the 925 is a great option to have available.

The question that remains is that as the competition gets stronger than ever before is this phone good enough? For Nokia to shine ahead of the pack it needs a unique selling point that isn’t available on any other platform. I will be obtaining a Lumia 925 for review at some point soon, so will aim to discover more about this new phone from Nokia, and see how it performs against the modern crop of phones available now.

Google asks Microsoft to remove its YouTube app with a cease and desist letter

Android, Tech News, Windows,

The YouTube app has just arrived on the Windows Phone 8 but it’s arrival may be short lived. Google has requested that Microsoft remove the app from it Windows Phone Store, and that it disables installations on its devices and immediately. This is due to the fact that no ads are shown and videos can be downloaded. This is against Google’s TOS. The deadline provided to Microsoft to comply is 22nd May.

Nokia London Event – All the latest news and details of Lumia 925

Tech News, Windows, ,

Nokia held an event this morning from London, where it announced the following –
nklum

The Nokia Lumia 925-

-8.7-megapixel with OIS and Carl Ziess optics and flash
-A 4.5-inch OLED display
-The side ia an aluminum frame, and contains the antenna construction. Very strong reception.
-The back shows an inserted plate into the aluminum frame
-Grey and black versions, a polycarbonate rear
-Nokia Smart camera software for combining images, action shot of 10 photos, best shot, motion focus
-Ships in June at 469 euros plus taxes
-Available on T-Mobile US, China Mobile and Unicom, Vodafone UK, Italy and Spain,
-The 925 is slimmer and lighter than the 920 and will have a 32gb exclusive variant

Nokia Smart Camera –

-This software is coming as an amber update to existing Nokia’s.

Nokia Apps –

-Windows Phone has 145,000 apps

What will count with the Nokia Lumia 925 is the camera quality. Will it hold the trophy for the best smartphone camera?

Windows Phone 8 gets official YouTube app from Microsoft

Tech News, Windows,

Microsoft is finally updating its YouTube application for Windows Phone. Previously, the app was simply a web link to the mobile YouTube interface, but it’s now a full application for Windows Phone 8. You can now access videos, channels, playlists, and pin them to the Windows Phone 8 Start Screen as well.Microsoft is also supporting YouTube accounts, allowing you to access your uploads, playlists, and video lists.

Finally we are seeing more traction with apps for this platform which is a great step forward.

Nokia might be unveiling the replacement for the Lumia 920 next week

Tech News, Windows

The Nokia Lumia 920 has been part of Nokia’s Windows 8 range of handsets, and it’s flagship. The 920 strong point was its camera.

Well next week, Nokia is likely to be releasing details on its replacement the Lumia 925. Rumoured specs for the Lumia 925 include a 4.5-inch 1280 x 768 OLED display, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of memory, 16GB of storage, a non-detachable battery, and an 8.7-megapixel back camera. The camera once again is going to be a focus, with even better low light and better quality snaps. It is meant to be lighter which is a step forward as the 920 was a heavy as a brick.

Is this a phone that might interest you?

Microsoft releases sales figures for Windows 8 and Skydrive

Tech News, Windows

Microsoft CMO/CFO Tami Reller stated that it “recently” sold its 100 millionth Windows 8 license since the OS launched in October, which averages about 10 million units a month between its January stats update and today. It does show adoption hasn’t picked up again since the initial dropoff.

With regards to its Windows Store, downloads of both free and paid apps increased from 100 million in January to 250 million.

Microsoft’s file storage Skydrive celebrated its 250 millionth user recently.

Microsoft all mentioned is Windows Blue update would arrive before the end of the year.

Whilst the figures aren’t rocketing forward, there is signs that Windows 8 is continuing to gain some traction. Difference is that competition has never been so fierce.

Bill Gates – iPad users are frustrated

Tech News, Windows

The iPad has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any tablet in the world, but Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates thinks that many of its users are “frustrated” because it doesn’t come with a physical keyboard and it lacks access to Microsoft Office. Business Insider reports that Gates, while being interviewed on CNBC on Monday, said that a lot of iPad users “are frustrated, they can’t type, they can’t create documents, they don’t have Office there.” As an alternative, Gates plugged Microsoft’s own Surface Tablet.

Sadly, many iPad users are clearly not frustrated. And once upon a time lack of office editing would have been an issue. But there are many third party apps available now that provide office docs and editing. Then there are alternative cloud solutions like Google Docs.

I think the Surface Tablet is a good idea, but it just might be too late into the game.

Selfridges announces the Blackberry Q10 as a major success

RIM, Windows

Apparently qwerty keyboards are still loved. Selfridges said that the Q10 had been its fastest-selling consumer electronics product ever, through its London, Birmingham and Manchester stores. “Selfridges’ initial stock of the BlackBerry Q10 sold out in stores within two hours,” the store said in a statement. “Stock of the BlackBerry Q10 is being continually delivered on the hour, every hour to keep up with demand.” No actual numbers were provided though.

At the launch the queue was split into two, for bulk buyers (5 upwards) and small purchases (1-5). At £600 each these phones were not cheap. They actually make the new Samsung S4 seem cheap. Several people were buying in excess of 30 phones to sell or export themselves.

So in the Q10 on your shopping list?

When is Thin too Thin and Does Size Matter

Android, Apple, RIM, Tech News, Windows

Size matters. Or does it. Is thicker better than thin. Is a longer length better than a shorter one.

Recently, I have held many different phones, some thin, some thick, some long, some not so long and some massive. And the most comfortable and reassuring phone to hold was the Nokia Lumia 620.

The 620 beat the iPhone 5, Samsung S4, S3, Note 2 and HTC One. And yet it is the thickness and for its size possibly the heaviest that gives it this result. Surely this can’t make sense.

Lets look at each of the devices in turn.

The Nokia Lumia 620 just fits in the palm of your hand. It’s weight feels assured and your would have no chance of letting it slip.

The iPhone 5 is just too light. If it had been made thicker, then battery life could have been increased. As it has more angular sides it is not as comfy to hold as the 620 with curved sides.

The S3, S4 and HTC One all should have been made thicker to incorporate a bigger battery too.

The Note 2 has a big battery for a longer usage time. Except its too big for general use.

But then we sometimes opt for a bigger screen to provide a better media experience.

What’s your ideal sized phone and why?