Tag Archives: WP8

Live Tiles on a Windows Phone 8

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I am currently using the Nokia Lumia 925,  and the only screen customisation is on the home screen. You can tweak the theme colour from white or black background.

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After that you can decide what live tile to pin to the home screen and the size from a small square, large square or a rectangular shape that takes up the whole width.

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In fact it is possible to spend a good few hours messing around with the look, colour and size options.

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The beauty of the Windows Phone home screen is you only need a quick glance to see what’s happening or active or what notifications you have received via social networks,  apps or messages.  It is a very simple and clear way of viewing activities.  I started with the phone app, email,  sms,  tweets,  app.net,  WhatsApp,  calendar,  marketplace,  settings,  news feeds,  blog,  Nokia Here Navigation and Maps,  Internet Explorer,  Nokia PRO and Smart Cam apps,  weather,  photos, weather,  sport,  news,  podcasts and more.  Most of these tiles update constantly providing at a glance information.

It certainly makes the home screen more engaging,  than say static icons on the iPhone.

Is Windows Phone 8 about to get a notification centre?

When I used my Nokia Lumia 620, the one omission was notifications. Once they had appeared they disappeared unless you had a live tile with an update showing. Based on the leaked screenshot by a reddit user it looks like that will be addressed on a software update.

With the improvements in the quality of apps this piece of the jigsaw will make the platform a decent option. I really enjoy using Windows Phone with Nokia hardware.

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Windows Phone 8 gets official YouTube app from Microsoft

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.