Sometimes my mind wanders, as it has this week when I decided to look for a coffee shop application for my Windows Phone. While the major chains don't have a presence on Windows Phone just yet, independent developer Denham Software Solutions has come up with an app called Starbux Card. With all the features of the first party apps, this is a smart piece of code that's pretty helpful for the Starbucks fan.
If I was to break down what I use my smartphone for, I suspect that the media player (specifically for music and audio podcasts) would be a big part of Windows Phone and of the devices and Operating Systems I've used before. Those historical handsets all had third-party applications that would link my musical listening to the popular Last.FM music service. I've not yet found something suitable for Windows Phone... will MetroScrobbler be the app to change that?
Released late last week, I wanted to take some time and have a closer look at PayPal's application for Windows Phone. It opens strongly, with some introductory screens promising the app is convenient, secure, trusted, and that the PayPal team will be there for you 24/7 to help you. Is it? Let's find out.
Sophie Cam is the latest image manipulation app to be downloaded onto my Windows Phone. As the rest of the All About team will tell you, my photography skills are pretty much non-existent, but while I can't get the crisp clear shots needed for publication, I do like playing around with apps like this. So, how much have I enjoyed Sophie Cam?
Even though money is being invested in mobile web sites, the key players in the media landscapes are turning to mobile applications to help deliver their stories, features and news to their readers. Next up in the list of news apps for Windows Phone, the New York Times. How does this app compare to other similar apps?
How do you get your news? Many people head to the BBC (I know it's one of the first bookmarks I add to any smartphone to see how the browser copes), but in an app world surely a BBC News application is the way forward, and not the humble web browser? That's what Lawrence Gripper thinks, and he's put together his own rather popular BBC News app for Windows Phone.
As the school summer holidays stretch out into the distance across the United Kingdom, parents might be looking for something to make the days pass a little bit quicker. As another long seven weeks come to a close in Edinburgh (this city runs about four weeks ahead of the rest of the country), can I recommend Origami HD?
Here's one of those applications that's practical without screaming out that it's a 'must have' when you stumble over it in the Marketplace. Parking Pal UK will help you find a car park anywhere in the British Isles, along with details on the cost, capacity, and in some cases provide you real time information on how many free spaces are available.
Back in my day we all used to buy music on CD (legal). Back in the following generation's day (early 2000s), the thing to do was to pirate music from file sharing sites (illegal). One phenomenon I've observed in the current day (2010 onwards) is that youngsters, rather than even bother to pirate music, simply play the appropriate YouTube video and, often, leave it running in the background on their device (legal but awkward). Yes, bandwidth really has become that plentiful, it seems. Mp3Tube is a utility that tried to take the same idea but makes it one step more efficient by downloading the music from that source (a legally very grey area!) - an approach which kind of works but which isn't without massive caveats.
Even if you are not a member of Qype, it's likely that you'll have benefited from the European based service when searching the web for local customer reviews of shops, cafés, etc. With the mobile app, you can look up reviews of locations in your area, as well as checking in at and reviewing places you've just visited. Fortunately, Qype is available on all major mobile platforms, including Windows Phone.
