Analyst claims 6.4 million Windows Phones were sold in China in 2012

Analyst claims 6.4 million Windows Phones were sold in China in 2012

March 8, 2013 | By Surur

Analysts iMedia Research claims 6.4 million Windows Phones were sold in China in 2012, giving the smartphone OS a 3.8% market share for that year.

This places Windows Phone 4th, with Android holding 68.6 percent,  followed by iOS with 12.8 percent and  Symbian with 12.4 percent.

The Chinese market is currently the world’s biggest smartphone market, and back in September 2012 Stephen Elop himself confirmed that China is also Nokia’s biggest Windows Phone market.

The news is significant due to the recent rumour of Nokia celebrating 2 million Lumia sales in 3 months.  Given than 6.4 million per year equals 1.6 million a quarter, it is far from inconceivable that increasing support from carriers and even better Windows Phone 8 handsets would have raised this number above 2 million per quarter.

While we have had some sites pooh-poohing  the news, I think it would be a rather bad sign for Nokia if sales are not increasing at least at that rate in China.

Do our readers agree? Let us know below.

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Official The Coffee Bean App Now Available In Windows Phone Store

Official The Coffee Bean App Now Available In Windows Phone Store

March 7, 2013 | By Pradeep

The official app of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is now available in Windows Phone Store. You can find the nearest The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf store location, beverage details and more.

App Description:

Your official Windows Phone application for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is finally here! Now you can find your flavor by creating custom, one-of-a-kind beverages including all of The Coffee Bean® signature beverages like the Original Ice Blended® drinks, specialty espresso drinks and even our pure (caffeine free) beverage offerings! Our store locator makes it easy for you to find your nearest The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® location.  Looking for something more specific?  Every store listed lets you know what features are offered at that exact location.  Whether it’s our free WiFi, Custom Oatmeal Bar, Drive-Thru and much, much more! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest news about what’s going on in the world of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®. Feel free to listen to our custom, in-store playlist as you explore the rest of our app!  You might even unlock some of our secret menu drinks along the way…

Download it here from Windows Phone Store for free.

via: @theromit

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Viber Says VOIP Update For Windows Phone 8 Devices Coming Very Soon

Viber Says VOIP Update For Windows Phone 8 Devices Coming Very Soon

March 6, 2013 | By Pradeep

Viber has recently revealed via their official Twitter account that their VOIP update for Windows Phone 8 devices is coming very soon. They also mentioned that they don’t have any exact release date. My guess is that it will be released in next few weeks. What do you think?

Currently their app supports IM between Viber users and some basic functionality. Do you miss the full version of Viber on your Windows Phone 8 device?

Download it from Windows Phone Store here.

Source: Viber

Thanks to everyone who sent this.

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Real Soccer 2013 Comes To Windows Phone As Free Xbox Title

Real Soccer 2013 Comes To Windows Phone As Free Xbox Title

March 6, 2013 | By Pradeep

Gameloft has released their Real Soccer 2013 game to Windows Phone Store as one of this week’s Xbox LIVE title. Last week, they released Asphalt 7 Heat for Windows Phone 8 devices. It will work only with devices which has 1GB RAM.

Game Description:

The newest edition of the hit soccer simulation is back to score another win for the franchise with a whole new set of moves.
Take part in the most immersive soccer simulation and show that you are the best on the pitch. Reinforce your team by developing your club’s facilities, hiring new staff members, dealing with sponsors and more.
Join soccer legends like our cover athlete, Falcao, on the pitch. YOU ARE SOCCER, YOU ARE REAL SOCCER!

LEAD YOUR CLUB TO THE TOP
Take control of your team on the field. Starting with a rookie team, you’ll need to improve your players’ abilities to reach the top league and compete against the best teams in the world for the championship.

REALISM PUSHED FURTHER
For the first time in a Real Soccer game, see personal names and portraits of over 3,000 top players thanks to the official FIFPro license. Updates of the game will keep your game up to date with the most recent player transfers and roster changes.

DEVELOP YOUR CLUB
The best teams in the world have the most modern facilities. Get your players in shape by developing your training grounds to increase your players’ physical, technical and tactical skills. Earn more money and attract fans by expanding your stadium, filling it with shops and signing big-name sponsors.

THE MOST IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Smooth and realistic graphics make every player come to life on your screen. Witness over 700 motion-capture animations as you take on an improved AI for a TV-like experience with spectacular effects and cutscenes.

Download it here from Windows Phone Store for free.

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The Amazing Spider-Man Game Comes To Windows Phone As Xbox Title

The Amazing Spider-Man Game Comes To Windows Phone As Xbox Title

March 6, 2013 | By Pradeep

Gameloft is on a roll. They have released two Xbox titles for Windows Phone 8 devices this week. One was a free title Real Soccer 2013 and other one is this one, The Amazing Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man game requires 1GB RAM on your Windows Phone device to work.

Game Description:

THE OFFICIAL GAME FROM THE 2012 MOVIE “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”

Get ready for intense web-slinging action with the Amazing Spider-Man! Join Spidey in the official game app of this highly anticipated 2012 blockbuster! Play through the movie storyline as Spider-Man faces off against the Lizard and rampaging gangs. Web-sling and crawl your way through an open, fully 3D New York while using your amazing skills to save the city.

THE OFFICIAL GAME OF 2012’s HIGHLY AWAITED SUPERHERO BLOCKBUSTER
• Fight the Lizard and his minions to put a stop to his dark schemes.
• Play the Amazing Spider-Man through more than 25 immersive missions inspired by the upcoming movie’s storyline.
• Climb, jump and web-sling from building to building for an aerial thrill like never before!

FREE NEW YORK CITY
• Explore the city through its five distinctive districts (Central Park, Business, Downtown, Pier and Residential)
• An exciting and enjoyable fighting system with melee, ranged, combo attacks and much more
• A wide selection of upgrades to customize your style, attacks and skills

A HIGH PRODUCTION-VALUE GAME
• Explore an open-world Manhattan, teeming with action. Discover random missions, collectibles and more secrets in the City that Never Sleeps!
• Fight in a fully 3D New York City with cutting-edge graphics.
• Advanced shaders and visual effects make Spider-Man more realistic than ever before!

Download it here from Windows Phone Store for $6.99 with free trial available.

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Box App For Windows Phone Updated With File Preview Support

Box App For Windows Phone Updated With File Preview Support

March 6, 2013 | By Pradeep

Box team today announced the release of v1.5 of Box client for Windows Phone devices. This new updated bring some of the most awaited features such as File preview, ability to open Office documents in native Windows Phone Office client, etc,.

• Preview documents—without opening them: The real value of preview technology on a Windows Phone or Windows 8 device is in our unique ability to show previews of 75+ file types—we’re the only app capable of this in today’s marketplace. We’re going far beyond the typical Word document or PowerPoint presentation. Ever wanted to see an AutoCAD file on a mobile device? Or an Adobe Illustrator file? With Box, it’s all possible—no need to open other apps or spend time downloading the file.
• Added support for Office documents and PDFs to open directly in Microsoft Office.
• Designed a new wide cycle tile; pin our Live Tile to your Start screen at the largest size, and you’ll see your Box Updates feed rotate through it.
• Finally, we also added the ability to see and edit file descriptions, as well as engage in discussions on a folder level, within our Box for Windows Phone app.

They have also updated their Windows 8 app with similar features.

Download it here from the Marketplace.

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Confirmed: BBC iPlayer App Coming To Windows Phone Devices

Confirmed: BBC iPlayer App Coming To Windows Phone Devices

March 5, 2013 | By Pradeep

Image for illustration purpose only

Cyrus Saihan, head of Business Development at BBC Future Media has confirmed via blog post today that BBC has partnered with Microsoft to bring iPlayer app for Windows Phone devices.

Today I can let you know that we have signed a deal with Microsoft that will enable us to bring BBC iPlayer to the Windows phone platform.

We will be releasing a shortcut to BBC iPlayer in the near future which will be available in the Windows Phone Store, enabling the BBC iPlayer website to work on Windows Phone 7.5 and 8 via a live tile.

We will be releasing a shortcut to BBC iPlayer in the near future which will be available in the Windows Phone Store, enabling the BBC iPlayer website to work on Windows Phone 7.5 and 8 via a live tile.

This shortcut will wrap the BBC iPlayer mobile website together with our media player. Hopefully these and other developments will help to expand our online reach further. Our latest figures show that over 650 different device types can access BBC iPlayer.

The news  is an acknowledgement of the progress Windows Phone is making in UK in terms of market share, with Kantar saying Windows Phone holds 6.2% market share there at present, converting buyers from Blackberry and Android, with around 1 million Windows Phone users in the country at present.

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.iZjJKz28.dpuf

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Rumour: Instagram to come to Windows Phone 8 handsets as a Nokia Lumia exclusive

Rumour: Instagram to come to Windows Phone 8 handsets as a Nokia Lumia exclusive

March 5, 2013 | By Surur

Chinese site WPDang reports that photo manipulation network Instagram may be on the way to Windows Phone after all, as a Nokia exclusive.

They have been told by a tipster the app is in development and testing, and will be coming to the Windows Phone Store shortly.

Apparently only Windows phone 8 handsets need apply, and then only Nokia Lumia handsets.

To compensate for the lateness of the app one extra photo filter that is not available on iOS will be made available on Windows Phone.

We do not know the veracity of this claim, given that we have been keeping a close eye on Instagram’s job boards, and they only ever advertised for iOS and Android developers, but truth be told we have been waiting for this announcement for some time, although we would have preferred Microsoft, not Nokia, pay for the app.

In the end though Nokia does receive $1 billion a year from Microsoft, so I am sure it is a wash in the end.

Do our readers believe? Let us know below.

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.iZjJKz28.dpuf

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Windows Phone 8 Company Portal App

Windows Phone 8 Company Portal App

March 5, 2013 | By Pradeep

The Windows Phone 8 Company Portal App enables Windows Phone 8 devices which are managed by Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 and Windows Intune to be able to view and install line of business applications targeted to the Windows Phone 8 devices by their administrators.

The Windows Phone 8 Company Portal App is downloaded by the administrator and made available to the management system infrastructure to enable device enrollment for Windows Phone 8 devices. The Company Portal App is needed to manage Windows Phone 8 devices. After downloading the Windows Phone 8 Company Portal App, the administrator must code-sign the app.

Download it here from Microsoft.

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.iZjJKz28.dpuf

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GDR2 Windows Phone 8 firmware for the Nokia Lumia 920 already on Navifirm

GDR2 Windows Phone 8 firmware for the Nokia Lumia 920 already on Navifirm

March 5, 2013 | By Surur

Well, that escalated quickly.

WPCentral reports that while sniffing around on Navifirm for the update which brings the “Other” storage fix they also stumbled across some new Swedish firmware for the Nokia Lumia 920 which are clearly labelled GDR2.

GDR2 was leaked by evleaks initially as the next minor Windows phone OS update which will ship with the HTC Tiara mid-range WP8 handset. With the firmware already on Nokia’s Navifirm, and containing such an important fix, it seems likely that it will be pushed our sooner rather than later.

Lets hope for April rather than July

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.iZjJKz28.dpuf...

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NotifyMe – a novel approach to getting a Notification Hub on your Windows Phone 8 lock screen

NotifyMe – a novel approach to getting a Notification Hub on your Windows Phone 8 lock screen

March 3, 2013 | By Surur

NotifyMe by developer Alex White takes a novel approach to getting notifications from apps and services on your Windows Phone 8 lock screen.

The service uses a web hub to receive notifications either from online services such as Facebook and Twitter, or from apps running on your device, pulls them down to your phone and then adds them as image overlays on your lock screen. The app does not use or interfere with the native lock screen notification service, which is limited to only one detailed entry and 5 badge notifications.

The service relies on 3rd party developer adoption, but does provide the service for free to developers, and promises to promote the apps which do implement the API.

One of the weaknesses of the implementation is that notifications can not be interacted with directly from the lock screen, and that it relies on the security and integrity of a 3rd party web service.

Alex expects the app to become available in around 2 weeks time.  The app will be available either paid or free with ads. 

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.pvy8xRju.dpuf

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Laridian Pocket Bible now available for Windows Phone

Laridian Pocket Bible now available for Windows Phone

March 3, 2013 | By Surur

Laridian PocketBible has finally made the jump to Windows Phone from Windows Mobile, and is now available in the Windows Phone Store.

PocketBible for Windows Phone is designed to help one read and study the Bible on-the-go. It comes with the KJV Bible and allows one to choose from 40 additional Bibles and reference books to download after registration. You will also be able to use any Laridian titles you’ve purchased in the past in this new program.

The standard features included with the free version of PocketBible for Windows Phone allow you to install up to 20 books at a time and use them for reading and studying. You can also search through and bookmark your books. Advanced Features are available for $6.99 and allow you to download an unlimited number of titles, view multiple books at once, add highlighting and notes and more. Additional Bibles and books can be purchased for use with the program at the Laridian website.

The app features:

• Read and study the Bible anywhere. No Internet connection required
• Install up to 20 books on your device, or unlimited books with the advanced features set.
• Move easily through Bibles and books by simply scrolling. Quickly move around the bible using an intuitive table of contents display.
• Quickly find any word or phrase
• Keep track of what you learn with bookmarks, highlights and notes (highlights and notes are part of the advanced features set)
• Take your study further with popular commentaries, word study books, dictionaries (each sold separately)
• Share verses by Text, Email or Facebook
• Pin a book to your start screen!

An in-app upgrade to advanced features bring:

• Install more than 20 books at a time on your phone
• View multiple books at the same time with a split screen
• Add your own notes to any verse
• Highlight verses in a variety of colors
• Download all the books you own to the phone with one click
• Quick access to recent verses
• Pin a Bible’s table of contents to your start screen

The app is a free download which can be found in the Windows Phone Store here.

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.pvy8xRju.dpuf

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Gameloft promise more Windows Phone8 games in March

Gameloft promise more Windows Phone8 games in March

March 2, 2013 | By Surur

Gameloft has been promising a raft of games for the Windows Phone platform since October last year.

They just started delivering with Asphalt 7 recently, and now on their Facebook page they promised:

“Other Gameloft games for Windows Phone 8 (will) follow in March!”

The full list of titles include:

• The Amazing Spiderman
• Asphalt 7: Heat
• NOVA – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
• The Dark Knight Rises
• Order & Chaos
• Kingdoms & Lords
• UN & Friends
• Ice Age – The municipal
• Real Football 2013
• Six-Guns
• Shark Dash
• Modern Combat 4

See that teaser video again after the break. Is there any one our readers are particularly looking forward to? Let us know below.

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/gameloft-promise-more-windows-phone8-games-in-march/#more-89423

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GetThemAll Moves Downloaded Files from Windows Phone to Any PC

GetThemAll Moves Downloaded Files from Windows Phone to Any PC

March 1, 2013 | By Serge Bogolubov

FVD Media today introduced a major update to the GetThemAll app that now allows users to move downloaded content from Windows Phone to any Windows PC.

GetThemAll is a Windows Phone download manager that allows you to grab video, audio, images and other content from any webpage and download to your Windows Phone. The application has been recently updated to version 2.0.1 and has added Skydrive support that allows you to upload downloaded files to the cloud and have them synced down to whatever device or computer you have attached to Skydrive. For example, on Windows Phone 8 if you download a video, the application can sync that file to Skydrive. If you have Skydrive installed on your PC and tied to the same account, that video will show up in the Skydrive folder on your computer.

GetThemAll also gives you the ability to move downloaded files to any computer via WiFi or Microsoft Zune. For this you need to download a client called GetThemAll Receiver from http://www.everhelper.me/get_theme_all.html , install it onto the computer, and then enter your IP and passcode in the app options to connect the phone.

The GetThemAll App is available for free from the Windows Phone Store. Supported operating systems are Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8.

Download GetThemAll For Windows Phone	Download GetThemAll Receiver for Windows

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.aZXmQ6Xo.dpuf

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NetApplications: Windows Phone continues steady growth in February as Blackberry plunges

NetApplications: Windows Phone continues steady growth in February as Blackberry plunges

March 1, 2013 | By Surur

It seems Blackberry’s expensive new white elephant will not save it from being overtaken by Windows Phone in mobile browser share in March, as the operating system has continued to lose market share as measured by NetApplications (and nearly everyone else).

Currently standing at 1.39% market share and rapidly falling, it would take a miracle for it not to be overtaken by Windows Phone in March.

At the same time Windows Phone continues to make steady market share gains, currently standing at 1.24%, a rate of growth which has been relatively consistent, despite February not being a holiday month.

Windows Phone is currently in a struggle with Blackberry for the 3rd ecosystem, with Blackberry recently having made a play with Blackberry 10, but which is had little impact in slowing losses so far, despite claims by Blackberry management of robust sales.

Net Applications uses data captured from 160 million unique visitors each month by monitoring 40,000 Web sites.  The numbers do not tell us exactly how large the installed base is, but is a reflection of how many active internet users the platform has.

- See more at: http://wmpoweruser.com/#sthash.aZXmQ6Xo.dpuf

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Orange CEO not the greatest fan of Windows Phone, thinks it lacks the “wow factor”

Orange CEO not the greatest fan of Windows Phone, thinks it lacks the “wow factor”

February 26, 2013 | By Surur

Orange CEO Stephane Richard  is not the biggest fan of Windows Phone.  Speaking to AllthingsD about competition for the iPhone/Android duopoly, he said:

“There is probably not room for everyone, but all of us hope that among those initiatives, at least one will be able to emerge as a third ecosystem.”

He continued, saying said that Windows Phone has a “very difficult” road to truly compete with iOS and Android. Richard said devices running the Microsoft-developed operating system are neither better designed nor cheaper, nor do they offer a better application experience than iOS or Android.

“The Nokia family in my opinion is nice, but there is no ‘wow’ effect,” Richard said. “When you have a market with very steady players like Apple and Samsung, you need to have a ‘wow’ effect.”

Oddly he was a bigger fan of Blackberry,  praising the work of CEO Thorsten Heins and the new leadership there, though he still expected them to have a tough road.

“He is doing a great job, but I am not sure they will be successful,” Richard said. “At least they have a basis of very faithful users, which is not the case of Nokia.”

Underlining his obviously poor impression of Windows Phone, he noted operators were selling Windows Phones for the same price as more popular devices, implying presumably that the OS was only good for cut-price handsets.

Unfortunately Richard’s view is shared by many who just do not get that Windows Phone was specifically designed to be minimalist and elegant, rather than brash and loud like Android. Given the steady headway the OS has made, underlined by recent Kantar numbers, it seems however that the message is getting though to at least some segments of the buying public.

Do our readers think Windows Phone is suffering from lacking a flashy UI with a “wow” factor, like Android and Blackberry 10? Let us know below.

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WhatsApp updated once again to version 2.9.4, may have fixed issues caused by 2.9.3

WhatsApp updated once again to version 2.9.4, may have fixed issues caused by 2.9.3

February 24, 2013 | By Surur

WhatsApp is not having a lot of luck, with many users complaining after the last update, or possibly the one before, they have been having difficulties and crashes launching the app.

At least Microsoft is approving apps fast these days however, as WhatsApp has just pushed out another update, version 2.9.4.

As usual there is no changelog, and nothing obvious new this time, but in the review section of the app some users are saying it has solved their crash on start-up issues.

The latest version can be found here.  Have our readers found it better? Let us know below.

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Missed Church Today? Try Roman Catholic Daily Readings

Missed Church Today? Try Roman Catholic Daily Readings

February 25, 2013 | By g4mb10r

According to the 2012 census, the number of Roman Catholics of the world is about 1.196 billion. Smartphones can be of great help to the faithful.

Roman Catholic Daily Readings, is an app that delivers just what the title promises.  Opening the app shows the Roman Catholic daily mass readings for the current day. It also allows you to share them via email, SMS or social networks.  On Windows Phone 8 you can even have the app speak the readings aloud for you.

Roman Catholic Daily Readings can be downloaded here or by using the QR code.

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WhatsApp receives another update, adds large live tile, hopefully bug fixes

WhatsApp receives another update, adds large live tile, hopefully bug fixes

February 23, 2013 | By Surur

Mere days after releasing update 2.9.2, and after much complaints in the review section in the Windows Phone Store, WhatsApp has released another update, to version 2.9.3, for the app.

The update appears to add large profile pictures, a large live tile with recent messages and hopefully the bug fixes which users who just updated to version 2.9.2 are screaming for.

The latest version can be found here.  Have our readers found it better? Let us know below.

Via Plaffo.com, thanks Arbnor for the tip.

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Gameboy Advanced Emulator now in the Windows Phone 8 Store

Gameboy Advanced Emulator now in the Windows Phone 8 Store

February 24, 2013 | By Surur

The developer of the SNES8X emulator has now ported the Visual Boy Advanced Emulator to Windows Phone 8.

The app features full audio support and supports both portrait and landscape mode, and imports ROMs via SkyDrive, with many ROMs available here.

The games look great in the app, and the sound is pretty good, if often scratchy.  The app comes with a free trial and the full version costs £2.29.

Find the app in the Windows Phone Store here.

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