In this first part of our in-depth review coverage of the Nokia Lumia 920, Rafe Blandford looks at every aspect of the 920's hardware, from screen technology to camera to materials and dimensions. He looks inside the Lumia 920 too, covering processor and other electronics. In future review parts, coming soon, Rafe and other All About Windows Phone writers will tackle the Windows Phone 8 operating system, the specific Nokia additions and we'll feature and deliver verdicts on the 920's unique selling points, including the ground breaking OIS camera.
Ah yes. The one-button game, in this case a helicopter that has to stay in the air and avoid crashing into oncoming cavern walls - it's a very familiar concept. Except that Karmic Apps have made that just the starting point and have built a decent arcade shooting game on top of it, complete with variations in aircraft, enemies, weaponry and scenery. Intriguingly, there's also a whole new way of monetising a mobile game that I hadn't seen before - I'm not sure I'm a fan, but full marks for lateral thinking!
Shooting games are a staple of gaming, but sometimes they just stray too close into uncomfortable territory. That's where the latest Xbox Live title, Big Buck Hunter Pro, sits. Solid graphics and realistic sound effects add to the effect. The developers have done a good job here, but when your starting point is recreating the traumatic scenes from Bambi, it's a tough sell.
Calling all space cadets, we are not alone, the universe is full of aliens and they want to destroy the Earth! All you have to do is load up Smashing Planets on your Windows Phone device. This arcade action game challenges your reaction times and anticipation skills, in a similar way to how Missile Command did in the good old days of computer gaming. How well does Smashing Planets translate the genre? Read on to find out.
With so much focus around the camera and sharing images on your smartphone, it always surprises me that so many apps focus on adding funky filters and image twisting, as opposed to doing something that's a bit more useful. So picking up Phototastic to review is a pleasant surprise.
While all Windows Phone devices have the ability to act as a SatNav while you're driving or walking, not all of us drive. Some of us have to take the bus. While Lumia devices have the Nokia Transport application it doesn't have a broad enough coverage. That's where Next Bus UK steps in. Covering the whole of the UK, this app shows you where to find nearby bus stops and timings.
Sometimes there comes along a smartphone game that simply enchants me when I first run it, and it never lets go. There are a lot of games that can do that in the first ten minutes of play, but for a title to be really special it needs to retain that feeling in the following hours and days. Carcassonne is one such title. Its availability on Xbox Live has been promised since the start of the year, and now it's here, I've let out a little cheer.
Time for some puzzling fun to kick off the week. Move your block through an isometric world and collect the tiles and reach the exit. While Cubed Reloaded isn't going to break new ground in terms of design, control, or ambition, it does achieve what it sets out to do with a sense of style.
Cracking Sands has a tough challenge. It's a kart racing game on a mobile device, and I've not found a really good kart game on Windows Phone since it was launched. Polarbit though are a known quantity, and have done some really good apps in the past, and if anyone could step up to the challenge, it would be them. Have they? Read on.
Because of the limited way in which videos can be loaded onto Windows Phone devices, many users are looking for a way to watch their favourite files without having to use Zune transcoding and USB transfer. One option for wirelessly browsing a home media library is the Plex app, but an older way of piping video around a home network is the Video LAN Client (VLC). VLC Mirror is a new app for Windows Phone 7 that takes advantage of VLC's streaming prowess.
