Hasta La Gadget!

Google has thrown in its lot with wireless charging, equipping the LG Nexus 4 with a companion desktop charging stand called the Wireless Charging Orb. A compact bubble finished in black plastic and rubber, and with a sliced-off docking plate that props the Nexus 4 up at an angle, the new dock will rejuice your Googlephone as well as hold it up for video viewing.

Drop the Nexus 4 on the magnetic dock and it will automatically kick into “Daydream” mode, a new addition to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and show photo albums, news from Google Currents, and other content. We’ve seen similar tech used back in the days of the Palm Pre and the Touchstone charger.

Earlier today it was confirmed that Google – among others – had joined the Power Matters Alliance, which bizarrely is actually pushing a different type of wireless power standard than the Nexus 4 uses. That’s because LG is a member of the Wireless Power Consortium, which is advocating the Qi standard.

Still, it does mean that the Nexus 4 will work with other Qi-compatible chargers, and it’s worth noting that Google-acquired Motorola Mobility is also part of the Wireless Power Consortium, along with Samsung, HTC, and others. We’d not be surprised to see Google push for a pulling-together of the various standards, using its heft in the marketplace to put pressure on each charger player.

No word on pricing or availability for the Google Wireless Charging Orb at this stage.

[via The Verge]

Nexus 4 Wireless Charging Orb revealed is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week Microsoft has announced that they’re bringing on a whole new Skype app for their Windows Phone 8 app. This update allows Skype to be on always, or “always-on”, as it were, not draining the battery as a normal app would. This is allowed quite simply because Microsoft owns the bulk of Skype, thus letting them work as close as possible with the developers running the show – integration as never before.

This update allows Skype to work just as intuitively as your phone. You can video chat here with a tap – just as you’ve been able to chat with your phone or your text messaging in the past. With Skype on always, it’s as if the Windows Phone 8 universe is as tied up with this giant chat beast as it is with SMS.

This is a giant deal for Microsoft who also made a big deal of their Skype integration on Windows 8 – with this boost from Microsoft, Skype is ready to stay a giant name in the video chat business. As it were though, should one or the other fail, Skype may well fall with it. With cross-over deal happening, both Skype and Microsoft are ready to harvest the power of brand trust – one must be excellent if they work with the other.

Stick around and see how both brands expand and how Skype will truly be integrated with the Windows Phone 8 world in the very near future!

Skype gets “always-on” feature for Windows Phone 8 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft knows that Windows Phone 8 is only as successful as its apps. To that end, it’s blowing the doors open in terms of major app support. It’s not only promising a Windows Phone version of Pandora Radio for early 2013, it’s offering ad-free listening for the first year. How’s that for strong out-of-the-box content? On top of this, Microsoft is vowing a slew of new apps and games that had previously only been available in the Android or iOS camps, including Asphalt 7, Cut the Rope, Temple Run, Urbanspoon and Where’s My Water. By the time the expansion is done, Microsoft hopes to have 46 out of the 50 most popular apps onboard, making any platform switch that much gentler. Instagram is a notable omission — still, it’s a big leap in terms of equality.

Update: If you need even more detail, Microsoft has posted a wider list of new apps as part of its official Windows Phone 8 launch post. If that’s not enough, you can catch a video overview of the platform after the break.

For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!

Continue reading Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more (update: full list)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more (update: full list) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week Microsoft has introduced an update to Windows Phone 8 with a brand new set of features for their lock screen – starting with Live Apps. This update brings on a feature similar to what we’re seeing with Windows 8, the desktop system being released here right at the same time as Windows Phone 8. Here with Live Apps comes a unique version of Facebook, made specifically for the Windows Phone 8 environment – personalization for your everyday first look at the smart mobile world.

This update also brings Windows Phone 8 into a new age for a collection of applications including Angry Birds Roost, Words with Friends, Chase, Twitter, and Skype. The Windows 8 version of Skype is made with a new architecture – so too is the Windows Phone 8 edition. With Microsoft owning the bulk of Skype, you’ve got features that don’t appear on any other operating system.

Skype is one example of an app that doesn’t run in the background – it’s on all the time, but doesn’t drain your battery like a normal app would. True also is the set of apps that appear at your lockscreen. Temple Run is also coming to the Windows Phone 8 environment, as is the Star Wars version of Angry Birds.

Stay tuned to SlashGear for more Windows Phone 8 action all day long as we stay on the Microsoft event right here in our Microsoft portal!

Windows Phone 8 gets Live Apps for lock screen is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’re live at the Windows Phone 8 launch in San Francisco, good thing Hurricane Sandy is not going to make a pit stop here. Having said that, Windows Phone 8 has just been officially announced, where it is touted to deliver Live Tiles on your smartphone, similar to how Windows 8 works on your desktop to ensure you remain up to date with your friends and family via different apps. One thing that is interesting is, Windows Phone 8 carries a spanking new Lock screen powered by Live Apps. Basically, it automatically surfaces photos, notifications and contents from your favorite apps, and you choose what you want to see – from news to sports scores and Facebook updates.

There is also a dedicated Facebook app for Windows Phone 8, letting you connect to your phone and feel even more personal. Woe to the person whose Windows Phone 8 is stolen though…

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Windows Phone 8 San Francisco Launch Event, Windows Phone 8 handsets to invade Europe this weekend, the world next,