News and reviews of Microsoft Windows mobile devices technology

May 13, 2013

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Microsoft Reportedly Offers to Buy NOOK for $1 Billion

A report claims that Microsoft is close to purchasing Barnes & Noble’s NOOK business for $1 billion. But Microsoft apparently isn’t interested in the chain’s struggling eBook reader devices. Instead, the firm is looking to obtain NOOK’s digital assets, which it could integrate into its growing digital content ecosystem....More
May 11, 2013

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No iTunes Mobile App for Windows 8/RT? Good! 59

Microsoft revealed this week that Apple has no plans to make a “Metro” mobile app version of iTunes for Windows 8 and RT. Sounds good to me: iTunes is an anachronistic and outdated music service that hasn’t kept up with the times....More
May 6, 2013

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New Samsung Galaxy S4 Ads 12

If you enjoyed the latest Samsung Galaxy S4 advertisement, Graduation Pool Party, you should check out these two equally effective new ads. They will begin airing on TV this week....More
May 6, 2013

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Amazon Accidentally Previews First Windows 8 Mini-Tablet

We’ve known for months that Microsoft will improve Windows 8 this year to support a new generation of mini-tablets and that it will prep its own 8-inch Surface to take on the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. But this past week, Amazon offered the first conclusive evidence of this next generation of machines when it outted a coming 8.1-inch Acer tablet by mistake....More
May 4, 2013

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Yes, Windows RT Has a Role to Play in the Future of Windows 46

Like many people, I’ve openly questioned Microsoft’s decision to make and sell Windows RT, an ARM-based version of Windows 8 that sacrifices backwards compatibility while embracing today’s key mobile platform. But a recent flub by tech bloggers triggered an understanding of the very vital role that Windows RT should play in the future of Windows. And it’s a need that RT, quite simply, isn’t fulfilling today....More
May 4, 2013

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Effective New Samsung Ad Pushes Features that iPhone Lacks 9

iPhone users who were upset that previous Samsung ads mocked them while promoting unique features in Samsung’s smart phones will love the firm’s new ad for the Galaxy S4. This ad does document many Galaxy S4 features that the iPhone lacks, but it does so without any mocking at all....More
May 2, 2013

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Why is the Facebook Beta App for Windows Phone 8 Identical to the Android and iOS Apps? 31

This week’s release of a new Facebook Beta app for Windows Phone 8 had enthusiasts of the platform hopping. But as excitement over early access to the app turned to confusion over the new, non-Metro user interface of the app, questions arose. Why would Microsoft (allegedly) make a Facebook app for Windows Phone that looks exactly like the Android and iOS versions of that app? And what does this mean to the future of this platform?...More
May 1, 2013

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Report: Microsoft Surface Already Impacting Tablet Market

With just two quarters of Surface sales under its belt, Microsoft is already one of the top five tablet makers in the world, a report from IDC claims. And the firm sold an estimated 900,000 Surface RT and Pro tablets in Q1 2013, despite limited availability of the latter....More
May 1, 2013

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Office 365 to Go: The Android Experience 5

This next look at configuring Office 365 for businesses on mobile devices focuses on the most popular mobile platforms, Google Android. Unfortunately, getting Office 365 up and running via Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) on Android is a bit more complicated than with Windows devices....More
May 1, 2013

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Sleeping with the Enemy: Switch to Windows Phone App for Android 15

When I heard that Microsoft was set to release a Switch to Windows Phone app for Android a few days back, I imagined something truly useful that would take Android account and app settings, back them up to the cloud, and then apply them to a new Windows Phone install. And then the app was released and … Wow. What a disappointment....More
Apr. 30, 2013

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Report: Windows Phone Sees “Steady Growth” in the US

When it comes to Windows Phone, you need to take the good news wherever you can find it. And this week, a report from Kantar Worldplanel claims that Microsoft’s beleaguered smart phone platform has seen “steady growth” in the crucial US market, jumping to its “highest sales share figure so far.” Is it true?...More
Apr. 29, 2013

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Sleeping with the Enemy: Google Now for iPhone, iPad 13

Google has ported its innovative Now user experience to Apple’s iOS devices—iPhone, iPad, iPod touch—via an update to the Google Search app. This is a full frontal assault on Apple’s hype-tastic Siri feature, which also offers voice search....More
Apr. 29, 2013

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Don't Fight: Nokia’s Great New Ad for Windows Phone 40

If you thought Samsung’s anti-iPhone ads were great—and they were—wait until you get a load of this one: In Nokia’s new ad, Samsung and iPhone users are both lampooned to great effect. It’s yet another hilarious because it’s true moment in tech product advertising....More
Apr. 29, 2013

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Thoughts About the Nokia Lumia Event in May 23

Nokia has invited bloggers to a mysterious Lumia event in May, teasing us with its plans to show us “what’s new” and see how the “Lumia story continues.” Nokia fans from the around the world are waiting with bated breath, but since we have two weeks to go, let’s do what we can do: Speculate....More
Apr. 29, 2013

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Tablet Growth Tied to Success of Mini Devices

While Apple should be credited for creating the market for media tablets, it didn’t see the biggest sales trend in this market at all, the rush to smaller, 7-inch devices. That misstep has destroyed Apple’s lead in this new market as hardware makers rush to push inexpensive mini tablets out to consumers. But where’s Microsoft?...More
Apr. 26, 2013

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Smart Phone for the Win 21

Behold the new face of mainstream personal computing: This past quarter, smart phone sales exceeded those of feature phones for the first time, an IDC report claims. Of course, this milestone is somewhat less important than the fact that smart phones have long outsold both PCs and tablets. In fact, it’s not even close....More
Apr. 26, 2013

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Short Takes: April 26, 2013

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including questions about Windows 8 sales, an epic patent fail for Motorola Mobility, my expectations for a Nokia teaser, a really inexpensive Lumia hits T-Mobile this weekend, and Samsung dominates the smart phone market yet again....More
Apr. 25, 2013

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Report: Windows 8 Secures 7.5 Percent of Tablet Market 82

According to a report issued this week from Strategic Analytics, Windows 8 has already secured 7.5 percent of the tablet market, despite lackluster reviews and a paucity of high quality devices. This suggests that the market for Windows tablets is far stronger than many critics would have you believe....More
Apr. 24, 2013

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ZTE Signs Patent License Agreements with Microsoft

China-based smart phone giant ZTE has joined an ever-growing list of firms that make Android-based devices in licensing Microsoft patents. But this agreement is unique in that it covers ZTE phones, tablets, computers and other devices running both Android and Chrome OS....More
Apr. 24, 2013

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Apple Profits Drop for First Time in Nearly a Decade

Apple’s normally triumphant quarterly financial results were undercut by a rare lapse: This was the first time in nearly a decade that the consumer electronic giant’s profits fell year-over-year. But despite not shipping a truly new or innovative product in years, Apple is still on a roll, and it promises to surprise customers with “new exciting products” in the coming year....More
Apr. 23, 2013

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Surface Coming to More Countries Over Next Several Weeks 10

If there’s been a consistent complaint about Microsoft’s Surface family of tablets, it’s that the devices are not available in enough markets. That’s about to change: Microsoft announced today that Surface RT and Pro will be launching in additional markets over the next several weeks....More
Apr. 23, 2013

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Sleeping with the Enemy: Xbox SmartGlass for Kindle Fire HD 2

Users of Amazon’s best-selling Kindle Fire HD tablets can now download free versions of Xbox SmartGlass optimized for those devices. The availability of this app follows the release of Xbox SmartGlass apps for Android and iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch)....More
Apr. 16, 2013

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Sleeping with the Enemy: Outlook for Android Gets a Major UX Upgrade 23

When Microsoft delivered the first version of its Outlook app for Android, it became obvious quickly that it was just a slightly altered version of the Hotmail app. But the version released today features a complete user experience refresh that makes the app look and work more like the excellent web client....More
Apr. 16, 2013

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Dell Speaks on Windows RT. Why? 31

While the jury is still out on Windows 8, the verdict on its ARM-based sibling has been decidedly negative: Most feel that Microsoft should simply abandon the fledgling OS and focus on the more compatible and powerful mainstream Windows product. But this week, Dell voiced support for Windows RT, raising some interesting questions. Is this just a close Microsoft partner falling in line, or does Windows RT really have a future?...More
Apr. 15, 2013

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Windows 8/RT: State of the Tablet/Hybrid Hardware 32

Following up on my expectations for Windows Phone 8 handset hardware, I thought I’d take a look at where we’re at with this new generation of non-traditional computing devices. These hybrid systems typically offer a tablet option of some kind and run Windows 8 or RT. And today, most of them are unacceptable compromises that don’t answer any real world needs. This has to change....More