Notifications for Windows Phone 7

Notifications for Windows Phone 7 hits the Store

For those looking for a notifications center, you might be in luck. Notifications is now available in the Windows Phone Store that should do the trick.

The downside to Notifications is that it's only available for Windows Phone 7.x devices (not sure about 7.8 devices though). The developer is trying to rectify that but it'll take some time.

You will need a companion program, Notification Center, running on your computer to complete the Windows Phone installation. Here's how to go about it.

• Install the Notification Center on your computer (that you can find here).
• Install the Notifications app on your Windows Phone (that you can find here).
• Run the Notifications Center on your computer and connect your Windows Phone to your computer.
• Let your Windows Phone sync with Zune then re-start your Windows Phone without disconnecting.

Once your Windows Phone re-starts you can disconnect and the Notifications app should be operational. That is, when you get a notification on your Windows Phone, it will be logged in the Notifications app and you'll get... well... a notification.

Installation went smooth and to be honest, I don't get many notifications and getting one to pop up could take all night (if not longer). If that should change, I'll let you know or if you try Notifications out and get a notification first, speak up in the comments.

The developer does note that if you were a Beta Tester who donated to the cause and your name is on the tester list, the app will be free. The cost is mainly due to the load cost of the Notification Center. There is a trial version available for Notifications and the full version is running $2.99.

Again, you can find Notifications here in the Windows Phone Store. Just keep in mind it is only compatible with Windows Phone 7 at this time.

source: windowsphonehacker

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/notifications-windows-phone-7-hits-store

SkyMotion for Windows Phone

When’s it gonna rain? Just ask SkyMotion, now available for Windows Phone

Here in New England, we’re getting hit with some nasty winter weather: snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain and all the variants of wintry precipitation. And if you’re planning your day—especially if you golf, ride a motorcycle or were looking to schedule something outside, knowing when that rain is going to happen is important.

Enter in SkyMotion, which just does just that—it pulls down your location and in various, user-selected time increments, tells you the chance of rain in your exact area. Sure, other weather apps tell you that info in a general sense, but this is about granularity, specificity and SkyMotion kicks it up a notch.

The app was previously on Android and iOS but is now available for our Windows Phones...

The app is simple enough: you launch it, it pulls your location (you can also enter in locations for saving and comparison) and it then tells you rain, clear, etc. over the next few hours in 1, 5, 15 or 30 minute intervals. You can even share the information via social networks, email etc. in case you’re collaborating and the app has a Live Tile too. Best part? Yeah, it’s free.

SkyMotion is a certainly a must have app if rain status is important to you and seeing as it costs nothing, is smooth and simple to use we see little reason to not use it. Pick up SkyMotion here in the Windows Phone Store for Windows Phone 7.x and Windows Phone 8.

lnk: http://www.wpcentral.com/when-s-it-gonna-rain-just-ask-skymotion-now-available-windows-phone

HTC 8X Windows Phone

'Limited Edition' HTC 8X Windows Phone for Verizon employees looks hot

Verizon employees get a special gift this year, a 'special edition' of the HTC 8X Windows Phone in rare grey

File this under 'cool' as some Verizon employees are getting special, limited edition HTC 8X Windows Phones in grey with limelight yellow accent colors.  That’s right, not only do is it in a new color but it has that two-tone look from the 8S that people adore.

We don’t have word on which employees qualify for the ‘Employee Edition’ of the 8X but we certainly are a tad jealous and we would love to see that look go public. The devices are individually numbered (we blurred it out) meaning these really are hard to come by.

So what do you folks think? Would you buy the 8X in this color? Thanks, Verizon Wired, for the images!

Link: http://www.wpcentral.com/limited-edition-grey-htc-8x-windows-phone-verizon-employees-looks-hot

Conserve Windows Phone battery life

Conserve Windows Phone battery life by managing background apps

We heard and experienced for ourselves some rather crummy battery life with the Nokia Lumia 920Windows Phone. It's a mixed bag of results with some report fantastic battery performance while others are struggling to make it through half a day.

While Nokia is looking into things, they've reminded us that managing the apps that are running in the background could help with battery life.  And this power saving technique isn't exclusive to the Lumia Windows Phones.  If you want to conserve power on your HTC 8X or Samsung Focus 2, shut down some of the apps you don't need that are still running in the background.

To see what's running in the background, go to your Windows Phone's settings and swipe over to the applications page. There you will find "background tasks" setting at the top of the list.

Once inside the settings, you'll see a list of all the apps running in the background. To shut it down, just tap on the app and tap the "block" button. To confirm that you've shut down the app, press and hold the back button to view any open apps.

Nokia has received reports that if Nokia Drive is left running in the background can contribute to high power consumption. They also note that Angry Birds: Star Wars may also be consuming higher than normal power. There's nothing definitive about either, just suspicions that are being researched.

Along with shutting down apps operating in the background, consider disabling the NFC feature (touch + share feature in your settings menu). We aren't sure if there's a connection but over the past two days with NFC disabled, our battery life has improved dramatically.

It's nice to see Nokia taking an interest in the Lumia 920's performance and if we here anything definitive on the 920's battery concerns, we'll pass it on.

Source: Nokia Support

http://www.wpcentral.com/conserve-windows-phone-battery-life-managing-background-apps

Nokia Lumia 900 vs. Lumia 920

Nokia Lumia 900 vs. Lumia 920 Windows Phones: First Impressions

If you currently own a Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone you're probably considering the Lumia 920 as your next Windows Phone. But how do the two compare?

Sure, the Lumia 920 has NFC support, the Pureview camera and Windows Phone 8 but how do these two Windows Phones compare with regards to design?

Here's the tale of the tape on the two. The Nokia Lumia 900 measures 5 x 2.7 x .45 inches and weighs 5.64 ounces. The Nokia Lumia 920 measures 5.13 x 2.79 x .42 inches and weighs in at 6.5 ounces. On paper the Lumia 920 is longer, wider but thinner than the Lumia 900.  The Lumia 920 also weighs almost an ounce heavier than the Lumia 900.  While on paper these differences are easily noticeable, in the hand the differences are not.

While I can tell the Lumia 920 is the larger phone when held, the 920 doesn't feel larger. In a blindfold test, it would be tough to tell the two Lumia Windows Phones apart just by the way they feel.  The extra weight is nicely distributed to avoid feeling heavier and the larger screen size is accommodated by a balance of making the phone's frame wider and taller.

There are some design changes that will give away the Lumia 920. Such as the charging port now on the bottom of the phone and headphone jack centered at the top but feel alone, these two phones are very similar.

Nokia did a good job of increasing the size of the 900 without adding to the bulk.  With regards to design and feel, the 920 is a refined version of the 900. If you like the fit and feel of the Lumia 900, you'll like the Lumia 920 just as nicely.  

Link: http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-lumia-900-vs-lumia-920-windows-phones-first-impressions

Nokia Lumia 920: Developer edition

Developer edition of the Nokia Lumia 920 is a one of a kind pentaband

With BUILD 2012 now behind us, we can talk a little about those Lumia 920’s that were handed out en masse to all the developers in attendance (media did not get them nor the Surface).

Seeing as BUILD attracts developers from all over the world, it would be a bit inconsiderate to give out a phone with limited 3G/4G capabilities as some would get the full package, while others would be restricted to their network. The problem is multi-dimensional as 3G GSM and 4G LTE networks vary quite widely, not to mention the combination of the two often required for great performance.

As it turns out, the Lumia 920 that was given out at BUILD is a “frankenphone” of sorts, with mixed components and from what we are told, it won’t be made again. That 920, as evidenced by the photo above from game developer Marios Karagiannis (Monster Up creator/karios.gr), shows the broad supported bands of this Nokia device, including:

• WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100, 1700_2100
• LTE 700, 850, 1900, 1700_1900

We’re not 100% sure on what networks that specific device will run on but we’re guessing it will work on more carriers than an unlocked AT&T version.  Anyway, if you are a lucky recipient of such a phone or can get your hands on one, we suggest you hold on to it as it could be the most “universal” Lumia 920 made.

Of course if you're a bit jealous, just remember that this 920 only came in boring black. While we know some of you prefer that color, we're just going to say the 920 "pops" a bit more in those other optical variations.

Link: http://www.wpcentral.com/developer-edition-lumia-920-one-kind-pentaband

Lumia 810

Site News - Lumia 810 has arrived at the Windows Phone Central Forums

Today T-Mobile announced the Lumia 810, a version of the Lumia 820 that'll be heading to the US carrier. While many would simply assume it's a mere codename alteration, don't be fooled into thinking the same. The Lumia 810 does sport some differentiations that space the device out from AT&T's second Lumia Windows Phone 8 offering.

Because the Lumia 810 is set to arrive in a matter of weeks, we figured it would be a perfect opportunity for discussion to spark. A forum has been designated for threads to be created that cover the new Windows Phone.

Be sure to head on over to the Windows Phone Central Forum to engage with other Windows Phone fans and developers. 

Link: http://www.wpcentral.com/site-news-lumia-810-has-arrived-windows-phone-central-forums

Price apps in the Windows Phone Store

How should developers price apps in the Windows Phone Store?

As Bruce Forsyth would say - higher or lower?

Bernardo Zamora has published an insightful blog post on the Windows Phone Developer Blog, which goes into detail on how developers should configure individual market pricing - if at all. It's an interesting part of marketing one's work. Building and submitting the app is one thing. Effectively pricing your app(s) is another.

Windows Phone enables developers to uniquely price apps (using available tiers) for every country or region where paid apps are supported. This also affects in-app purchasing as well, so if you're planning to craft apps for Windows Phone 8 and make use of new functionality, you may also wish to configure in-app purchases.

Bruce Forsyth used to ask the question, "Higher or lower?" on gameshow Play Your Cards Right, which is what developers should be asking themselves when managing individual market submissions.

Zamora covers a number of points, including the first question: "Is it worth the trouble?" There are a number of factors to take into account when thinking about whether or not it's worth looking to set individual prices for markets. The main factor is looking at competition to see how other developers have priced their apps / games in that particular region. 

The subsequent step is to analyse app data to understand regional trends. Looking at total downloads by type (free, paid, trial), region and country will enable one to determine which markets may prove to be worth the effort in customising the app / game price. From there developers are to consider whether it's best to raise or lower pricing and spot-test any changes made. 

All that's left to do is to monitor customer feedback, app performance data and adjust pricing as needed. Dev Center provides tools and ways for developers to keep on top of app performance and sales and spot any potential negative effects from price alterations.

Be sure to read more on effective app pricing over at the Windows Phone Developer Blog, where Zamora goes into detail about each step.

Source: Windows Phone Developer Blog

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/how-should-developers-price-apps-windows-phone-store

HTC 8S and 8X

Site News - HTC 8S and 8X have landed on the Windows Phone Central Forums

HTC announced the 8X and 8S today at its New York Windows Phone 8 presentation. These two new smartphones are the company's Apollo entries to go up against Samsung's ATIV S and Nokia's family of Lumias. 

The HTC 8X and 8S sport new designs and implemented features that are sure to turn heads and demand attention - particularly the choice of colours and Beats Audio support. Both featuring LCD 2 displays and dual-core S4 chips, the new HTC Windows Phones aren't slouches by any means.

We've opened up two new forums -- one for the 8X and another for the 8S -- for these handsets, which can now be discussed as well as any compatible accessories. 

Be sure to head on over to our community forums to mingle with other Windows Phone fans and voice your opinions. Why join the Windows Phone Central forums? Well, we're the largest Windows Phone community out there with bags of activity and a superb readership / userbase. There's never a quiet day and our aim is to continue this trend.

link:http://www.wpcentral.com/site-news-htc-8s-and-8x-have-landed-windows-phone-central-forums

Nokia Lumia 920

Rumor – AT&T to launch the Nokia Lumia 920 on October 21st

Coming to the US on October 21st? Not likely.

File this under wishful thinking and maybe true but BGR’s Geller personally posted that they’ve confirmed through sources the AT&T launch date for the Nokia Lumia 920. On Tracour, BGR.com only has a 52% average rating on rumor accuracy, so take this rumor with some skepticism. 

The flagship Windows Phone from Nokia is reportedly going to launch on October 21^st—a traditional Sunday launch for the company. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy Note II will launch the same day. That contradicts earlier rumors from the Verge and TechRadar who suggested November 2nd--the last day of Microsoft's Build '12.

That date, if accurate, is certainly earlier than the November time frame that many have come to expect. If AT&T and Nokia can pull it off, it will surely be a huge win for the OS and the Finnish company as uncertainty about the release has plagued them ever since the September 5^th announcement.

Skepticism?

AT&T has not even officially announced that they are getting the Lumia 920, though it has long been speculated seeing as they are the “premier” Windows Phone partner in the US. What’s more, to our knowledge, Windows Phone 8 OS has not been finalized or released-to-manufactures (RTM) which makes this early date slightly suspect. We should also mention there is no finalized, official SDK yet either. That does not bode well for the idea that this phone is coming out so early.

Then again, with all the pressure Microsoft and Nokia are under, perhaps some late night struggling and corner cutting have been implemented to get this out the door sooner than later.

Or perhaps we are seeing a pre-order day and not one for an actual launch.

No price was announced though we’re going to guess that $199 on contract seems to be a fair pricing point for the flagship phone. Will Nokia undercut that and go for $150? Too early to tell.

Edit: Due to some personal communications with others in the tech field since we first published, we've downgraded this to a 4 on the rum'o'meter from a 6.

Source: BGR

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/rumor-att-launch-lumia-920-october-21st

Windows Phone App Short Take: Time Sync

Time Sync is a nice little World time app for your Windows Phone. If you need to keep track of the current time in another part of the world, Time Sync should come in handy.

Time Sync includes a listing of over 6,500 cities and there's a neat conversion tool that will convert any random date and time for one city or country to another.

There's really not many bells and whistles to Time Sync. You have the main page that displays all your world clocks with controls to add cities to your list and to access the conversion tool.

Your local time will be displayed at the top with the date and a small icon illustrating day or night. In tapping a city listing you pull up the synchronization page that will let you adjust the local time of that city and see the other clocks adjust accordingly.

To access the conversion tool, you can use the button at the bottom of the screen or tap/hold a city clock to pop-up a menu.

The conversion tool has fields for the from and to locations and the time and date you want converted. Just fill in the blanks and the conversion is calculated automatically. Time Sync contains historical time zones and civil changes since 1970. The app also includes transitions such as Daylight Savings Time and records Leap Seconds.

So if you want to convert your local time on January 2, 1983 to the time it would have been in Adana, Turkey the conversion tool will do just that.

Again, there's not much to Time Sync but it does the job of time synchronization rather well. If you have colleagues located in another country or you need to keep track of times for an event in another time zone, I can see Time Sync coming in handy.

Time Sync is a free app for your Windows Phone that you can find here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-app-short-take-time-sync

Nokia Lumia 920

Nokia Lumia 920 Pureview Camera: bad ads or bad camera? New evidence suggests the former

The Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phone's Pureview Camera turned a lot of heads this week with it's very impressive low light and stabilizing features. The demo video and still images gave hope that a "knock your socks off" camera was heading to the Lumia Windows Phone line. But the video and still images have been dissected more than a High School science project with accusations that Nokia faked it all and the camera isn't as grand as Nokia would like us to think. But is this a case of bad advertising or a bad camera?

We think it's two separate issues and too many nay sayes are trying to mesh them together to make the Lumia 920 look bad. We believe this because the specs on paper lead credence to the camera's touted performance and most importantly because we've seen the camera perform up close and personal.

We believe the Pureview Camera will be a solid performer based on two things, specification and personal observations. On paper the Lumia 920's Pureview Camera has a 8.7mp camera that is fitted with a 28mm f2.0 lens. The sensor is a BSI sensor that has the wiring behind the receptors to allow for more light to hit the sensor. The optical housing is stabilized by a series of springs that allows for more stable operation when using slower shutter speeds. Having used similar technology on other devices and based on my experience as a photographer, all these elements combined gives the Pureview Camera the potential to be a better low light performer than other smartphone cameras.

There is always a chance that what is on paper doesn't translate as successful in real life. There is always a possibility that the Pureview Camera could fall flat on it's front element but we've seen it up close and personal in action and the performance quality is there.

New image samples from the Verge shows the 920 still out-performing the competition

To further bolster the low light performance of the Lumia 920, an old friend who used to haunt these parts was given the opportunity to take the Lumia 920 out for a nighttime test drive. Dieter Bohn from over at The Verge compared the Lumia 920 to the Samsung Galaxy S III, Apple iPhone 4S, the HTC One X and the Lumia 900. Dieter's conclusion,

"The Lumia 920 takes very good low-light images, the OIS compensates for enough hand shake to take in light to create a photo in situations where you'd expect none are possible. In near darkness, we will say that it took a relatively steady hand to get a shot without camera shake — but that's a very small complaint. While we were getting blur on the 920, we were getting vastly darker and grainier images on the rest."

I had to raise an eyebrow when Nokia apologized and admitted the footage was a simulation of what the Pureview Camera could do. Based on all that I know, I discounted the critics and felt the videos and stills were legitimate. The performance and quality results made sense. Then I remembered that most advertisements are simulations to grab your attention and it's not that uncommon.

From "Bounty being the quicker picker upper" to car ads that show mini-vans conducting high speed maneuvers. They are all simulations of performance with one exception. Most of these ads will have fine print disclaimers letting everyone know what they are watching is a simulation. Not having such clarification doesn't help Nokia and the footage and photos should never have been shown without such a disclaimer.

But that omission should reflect poorly on the ad agency, not the camera. Due to our competitive nature we try to associate one poor decision as an indictment on the whole.

Consider this, this isn't Nokia's first ad blunder. Remember the Beta Test ad campaign? Where Nokia boasted that they had finally gotten the smartphone right? Then a few days later the data connectivity issues surfaced on the Lumia 900 and it was obvious that Nokia didn't get it right. Nokia jumped on the issue, fixed the problem and while the ad campaign didn't make Nokia look good, the Lumia 900 is still a quality Windows Phone. We think the same will hold true on the Pureview Camera.

With the Lumia 920's Pureview Camera we know that it has the potential based on the specifications and we have a two reliable sources who have witnessed it's performance. That's enough for me to cut Nokia some slack for a bad ad decision and still believe that we'll see a fantastic camera on the Lumia 920.

Related:

• Thoughts and impressions of the Nokia Lumia 920’s PureView camera
• Nokia takes photo challengers against the Lumia 920 PureView, crushes the iPhone, GS3

Video footage and photo sample via The Verge

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-lumia-920-pureview-camera-bad-ads-or-bad-camera

HTC Windows Phone 8 devices

HTC Windows Phone 8 devices will reportedly feature Beats Audio

Beats Audio coming to Windows Phone 8 too?

Although we thought Beats Audio was dead for HTC, the company is pushing forward with the technology and are reportedly bringing it to Windows Phone 8 this fall.

According to the Verge, the HTC Accord (a 4.3” display device) will feature the high-end audio technology with the familiar Beats branding on the back of the device.

With Nokia pushing their camera and ClearBlack display, Samsung with their super-thin phones, it appears that HTC too will have their own “sword” to slay the competition by focusing on more high fidelity music.

Since Windows Phone 8 allows more customization to the hardware via the OS, it appears that HTC will take advantage of this new power to offer some quality music devices with Windows Phone 8. Rumors go back to nearly one year ago that HTC was bringing Beats to Windows Phone, but nothing ever came of it.

In a recent public statement, HTC did reaffirm their commitment to Beats Audio:

"HTC remains strongly committed to Beats Audio and including their innovation in our devices. Any rumor of HTC no longer integrating Beats Audio into our devices is categorically false."

The question is, which do you value more? Your camera, a super thin phone or high-end audio?

Source: The Verge 

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/htc-windows-phone-8-devices-feature-beats-audio

Windows Phone App: Metro.am

Windows Phone App Review: Metro.am

While there is not an Instagram app for our Windows Phone, there are a few client apps available. One such is Metro.am.

Metro.am does a good job delivering Instagram content to your Windows Phone but does feel a little lacking. Lacking because of the inability to sign up for an Instagram account or post images to your Instagram account. And it's not the developers fault for overlooking these features. You can blame the Instagram API restrictions.

Metro.am does allow you to sign into an existing account, view other Instagram images, view Instagram images submitted by nearby members, and view your most recent submissions.

You are able to pan/zoom individual images, like the images, comment on them and save them to your Pictures Hub. Metro.am will also allow you to view your Instagram profile as well as profiles on other Instagram members.  Metro.am will also let you search for photos by Instagram user or tags.

Still, regardless on how nice Metro.am is it is tough to overlook the fact that you can't create an Instagram account or upload images to Instagram from the app. The account sign up can only be done through a iOS or Android device running the "official" Instagram app. Kinda silly that such restrictions are in place but it is what it is.

I ended up borrowing my wife's iPhone to create an Instagram account. There is another workaround that WPCentral Reader Marc sent in. You can download and install the bluestacks software from bluestacks.com on your desktop. Bluestacks allows you to run Android apps on your PC. Once bluestacks is installed, install the Instagram app from your PC and sign up for an account. Once an account is established, you can delete the bluestacks software as it will no longer be needed.

While this will get around the account creation hurdle, there's not a way to get around uploading images to Instagram. It is kinda silly to have these restrictions (or the lack of an official Instagram app for Windows Phone) in place. Maybe one day this will change.

Metro.am may not be a fully functional Instagram client for your Windows Phone but it does what it does well. Which is basically allowing you to view, comment and save images from Instagram. You can't blame the developers for these limitations and they did a good job with what access they had to Instagram.

There is a free trial version available for Metro.am that is basically an ad-support version that lacks the ability to pan/zoom images. The full version (no ads) ofMetro.am is currently running $1.49 and you can find it all here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Thanks, Marc, for the bluestacks tip!

http://www.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-app-review-metroam

Surprise launch for Windows Phone 8

Are Nokia and Microsoft planning a surprise launch for Windows Phone 8?

How close are we to a Nokia Windows Phone 8 device?

If there is one thing we can say about Nokia and Microsoft lately is that both companies have faith in their products. Whatever the sales or marketshare figures show, the Windows Phone OS and Nokia hardware are a brilliant combo.

So we’re relishing the words by Chris Webber, Nokia’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, who Tweeted this morning a nice little message to rival Samsung:

“Samsung take note, next generation Lumia coming soon.”

It is a bit unusual for companies to directly call each other out so publicly, which is why this probably has garnered so much attention. If we wanted to deconstruct that tweet a bit we could highlight the usage of “note” by Weber as a hint to Nokia’s upcoming Windows Phone 8 plans. Samsung has quite successfully launched and sold a few GALAXY Notes in recent months (see our hands on when we compared it to the HTC Titan).

While there is no evidence that Nokia will be offering a massive 5”+ device come early September, rumors around the Nokia ‘Phi’ have suggested a device with a quite large 4.65” screen, akin to the HTC Titan series. (We’ve previously expressed to Nokia the desire for large screen devices back at Mobile World Congress; at the very least they were interested in our appeal).

Then again, that’s probably reading a bit too much into it and instead was just a playful jab at Samsung. But it does raise some other interesting questions for discussion.

The Lumia line of phones for Nokia so far have been a critical success but it remains to be seen if they can catch on with mass adoption. With what appears to be an accelerated launch plan, Microsoft and Nokia may be rushing their next-generation devices to market sooner than expected.

Gearing up for production?

Those recent leaks of parts for upcoming Nokia handsets suggest that pre-production units have already rolled out and mass-production is gearing up. That’s good news as we may be getting some Nokia devices with Windows Phone 8 sooner than the previously anticipated “end of October” timeframe.

With Apple expected to announce the iPhone 5 on September 12th, Nokia and Microsoft will beat them to the punch for revealing their next contender for Über-smartphone one week earlier.

But Apple is still predicted to actually launch their phone sooner. That’s because Apple enjoys unparalleled control over the OS and hardware that Microsoft lacks, not to mention the ability to dictate launch-dates to carriers. For even if Microsoft and Nokia have their next-generation Lumia ready, it still needs to bend to a carrier’s launch cycle (presumably AT&T, maybe Verizon) adding a wrinkle to any planned “surprise” unveiling. And that’s really the issue here: How long will we have to wait until we can actually purchase a Nokia Windows Phone 8 device?

At the very least, it does look like Microsoft and Nokia are fast-tracking plans, which shows a new, more agile strategy for both companies.  That’s good news. But are we now expecting too much, too soon?

Let’s hope they adapt well and don’t disappoint come September 5th.

Windows Phone Central will be covering the Nokia-Microsoft event live from NYC, on September 5th starting at 9:30am ET.

Source: Twitter;  Tweet Image and via: Pocketnow

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/are-nokia-and-microsoft-planning-surprise-launch-windows-phone-8

Windows Phone Dev Center

Windows Phone Dev Center now automatically encrypts all apps to prevent piracy

Software piracy is a serious battle, which can also affect our beloved platform developers. Microsoft has taken action by automatically applying encryption to all apps through the newly unveiled Dev Center. According to a detailed post on the Windows Phone Developer Blog, Todd Brix states that all apps (including those already submitted) are automatically encrypted without user input.

We first heard about the possibility of server-side encryption back in November, 2011. From our understanding, Microsoft was waiting until everyone was on Mango to implement that feature and it now looks to have happened. If you recall, at the end of April Microsoft decreed that you had to have Windows Phone 7.5 to get to the Marketplace. Combined with the Dev Center refresh, we think that transition for encryption is now complete.

The software giant has been cracking down on Windows Phone app piracy by making it harder for devices to be unlocked and removing the Marketplace from Zune PC software. This would surely slow down those who desire to steal work and make it freely available, but we're hoping this app encryption will help strengthen the blockade against attacks.

It will be warmly welcomed by developers who have poured not only funds and resources, but time and effort into their projects. This will in-turn benefit consumers with more apps being released through more potential sales carried out and a stronger ROI for content providers. Here's hoping anyway.

Source: Windows Phone Developer Blog; via: Windows Phone Daily

link: http://www.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-dev-center-automatically-encrypts-all-apps