Around six months ago, Microsoft quoted "28 months" as the supported period for each Windows 10 branch, but this figure seems to have been somewhat nebulous and - recently - truncated, judging from the official web site as it is now. At various points (I have screenshot proof), support has been "42 months", then "28 months", and now "18 months". Which is fair enough for the Desktop, but slightly more critical for Mobile...
With the switch/focus at Microsoft away from Windows 10 Mobile 'Insiders' test builds, using these rings to try out advance versions of core UWP applications is also now outdated. Or so evidence from the Microsoft Store suggests.
Well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see this one coming. Back when the Windows 10 Mobile-running HP Elite x3 was launched, it came with a custom virtualisation solution from HP (actually layered on top of Frame), the idea being that employees out and about could then run enterprise Win32 applications remotely on their Continuum display or HP Lap Dock. But Workspace was slow, clunky and expensive... and now no more.
Hold on... News? NEWS? It's not really, and I'm in severe danger of abusing my position at AAWP just to rant at Microsoft. But in this case they deserve it. One of the central first party applications is broken and I've run out of other ways to bring this to the world's attention. [Update: we now have a workaround!]
There has been another significant update to AAWP's own (ahem) much praised UWP application for Windows 10 Mobile. AAWP Universal v1.6 adds full 'Read Later' and 'My articles' functions, plus searching is now all within the application. Thanks (a million) as always to Joe Blumenow..
Microsoft Teams – recently reviewed on AAWP – has been updated twice during the summer with new features for its Windows 10 Mobile app. The new updates bring this to version 1.0.27.0 and introduce the ability to upload files in team conversations, search functionality, support for new languages (Norwegian and Thai) and a few UI tweaks.
Even past the original March 1st deadline, Skype still worked fully on Windows Phone 8.1. But as of July, four months on, it seems as though a switch has been thrown somewhere and Microsoft's now deprecated Windows Phone 8.1 platform and its accompanying Skype client no longer allow sign-ins with the company's new centralised Skype architecture (done mainly to enable many-to-many calls/video).
There has been another significant update to AAWP's own (ahem) much praised UWP application for Windows 10 Mobile. AAWP Universal v1.5 adds more UI tweaks, Disqus improvements and an option to donate to the developer. Thanks (a million) as always to Joe Blumenow..
The Flickr story so far on Windows Phone and beyond. Flickr Booth came and went, Flickr Central came and then... got stuck in a login loop for most people and developer doesnt seem interested. In desperation, I even went and did a tutorial for managing your Flickr content via Microsoft Edge. But now we have a brand new UWP Flickr client, it's from an active and reliable developer, and it's called.... Perfect Flicker (sic).
The Microsoft Band 2 was favourably reviewed by me last year, but I'd lost interest in wearing it every day because it didn't do enough for me - yet an update today may just have changed my mind and the gadget is charging up as I speak. You see, the new Explore tile - demoed superbly in the video example below - lets you wander over hill and down dale, tracking where you've been on the Band display itself, giving you detailed positioning and the facility to mark particular spots. For anyone who like walking, hiking, mountain biking etc. to keep fit, the Explore tile could be an eye opener.
