The Metro UI hides a lot of the established chrome around the screen of a smartphone. While the time stays visible in the top right corner (mostly), other details, such as the connectivity status, are hidden away till you tap the top of the screen or call up a menu. But how to actually change the status of the Wifi, the 3G, the Bluetooth and the other connectivity options? You can either dive into the menu system... or you can run Toggle.
Let's blow stuff up! How many games have that as their principal goal? And how many of those games are fun to play? Exactly - we need a constant supply of digital things to blow up. With Implode, you can be a little boom-happy in the safety of your Windows Phone.
It really does feel like Windows Phone has rebooted itself with Mango. New devices, lots of press coverage, and an acceleration of notable names bringing their apps to the Marketplace. Spotify is one of those names. It's recognisable not just in tech circles but as a brand name that's in the public consciousness. And now the mobile client reaches Windows Phone.
As part of the launch period for All About Windows Phone, we've all been invited to write about the long term experiences we've had with the Windows Phone hardware that's now around a year old. 12 months certainly makes for an informed 'long term review', in my case with the monster (size wise) of the original device batch, the 4.3"-screened HTC HD7. Here are my thoughts.
As Nokia's first Windows Phone device, it is no surprise that the Lumia 800 is attracting a great deal of attention. It marks a new chapter for the smartphone pioneer and, while it's not a make or break device, it will set the tone for conversations about Nokia for the rest of the year. So what's the device like? What are its key characteristics? In this first part of our in depth review, we look at the Nokia Lumia 800's hardware and, in detail, consider the story behind the device.
If you like to download podcasts over the air, then Windows Phone 7 might leave you a tad frustrated. Even though Mango can download podcast episodes under its own steam, you still have to add subscriptions from the Zune Desktop. If you want to be completely independent of using a PC, then third party applications are the way to go. One such option is "Podcasts! Pro" (including the awkward exclamation mark). Read on to find out how well this solution can work around the limitations of WP7.
I'm flying home from BlogWorld Expo in Los Angeles (you know, where I've been doing the video diaries). By the time this is posted, I'll probably be home and Rafe will have me under the thumb to do some detailed write-ups on the Lumia 800. But before then, time for a quick look at the American Airlines application for Windows Phone.
Imagine if you could play Asteroids, but instead of a gun in a spaceship, you had to throw asteroids onto the playing field to break up the asteroids that were already there. That's (kind of) what you have to do in Orbital. What I am sure about is this, there's lots of neon, some great tactical choices to make, and this is one of the fastest arcade games you can play on Windows Phone. Is it worth the learning curve? Most definitely.
Although we've got a multi-part, definitive, text review of the Nokia Lumia 800 coming very soon here on All About Windows Phone, we also wanted to give you a quick look at the device via the expert eyes (and fingers) of Rafe Blandford. In this eighteen minute HD video, Rafe gets the unboxing out of the way in seconds and then goes into detail on the Lumia 800's hardware and software, before giving his initial review conclusion.
I'm still amazed at the number of weather applications that are out there on every smartphone platform. My recent trip to Florida provided me the chance to have a look over a few and pick out the one I've been using regularly... the free to download Smart Weather.
