Google has decided to extend Google Sync support for Windows Phone until December 31st—which’ll give Microsoft longer to guarantee its mobile OS plays nice with Google Calendar and Contacts in the future.
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One of the ways Windows Phone manufacturers separate themselves from the rest of the herd is by offering up exclusive apps which are only available for a particular manufacturer’s device. Given that Windows Phone hardware is pretty much the same across the board, with some minor differences and features, like Nokia focusing on camera specs, or a different design, it can be hard to choose a brand to go with. Well the good news for Samsung fans is that if you were looking for a reason to get a Samsung Windows Phone handset, like the ATIV S or the ATIV S Neo, Samsung has released two exclusive apps: MangaCamera and Paper Artist.
Granted these aren’t exactly deal-breakers or deal-makers, they might be appreciated by Samsung users who might otherwise feel that the South Korean company might be focusing on its Android efforts and neglecting its Windows Phone division. The apps are photo-related and with MangaCamera, it basically gives your photos a cartoon-like effect (pictured above to the left), while Paper Artist will allow effects to be added to photos, like a watercolor-type effect as pictured above to the right. Hopefully there will be more to follow in the future, but for now Samsung owners should be pretty pleased with this.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Samsung Releases Exclusive Apps For Its Windows Phone Devices original content from Ubergizmo. 
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While Windows Phone is a pretty smooth operating system, what it lacks is a bunch of official apps that iOS and Android users are enjoying, and one of the big ones is none other than Instagram. This has resulted in developers creating third-party alternatives that would provide Windows Phone users with the Instagram experience, albeit not from the official app, but recently this has resulted in Instagram deleting posts made by third-party apps. Well the good news is that if you thought this would be the end of your Instagram posting via apps such as Instance, you can rest easy because it seems that Instagram has recently made some changes that will now allow third-party apps to continue uploading photos to its website.
It is not clear if Instagram has reversed their decision out of good will or if it was a mistake that wasn’t intended in the first place, and now they are fixing it. Instagram had previously stated that they are not seeking to block third-party apps, which we guess would be pretty mean-spirited of them considering that there are no plans for an official Instagram app for Windows Phone at the moment, although last we heard Nokia was hard at work at bringing Instagram to Windows Phone.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Instagram No Longer Deleting Posts By Third-Party Apps original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Windows Phone users working with Instagram through any of a number of 3rd party apps may want to have a peek at their photo collections this week, as reports are filtering in of mass deletes. Instagram has issued a statement on the matter, suggesting that they’ve recently “made an update to the systems that we use to fight spam to help prevent future attacks and increase security”, but appear to offer no specific details on 3rd party apps specifically.
At the moment it would seem that the photo removals are only affecting users working with 3rd party apps – not Instagram itself. This would be because the company is able to detect photos uploaded from apps other than the official app, and seem to have decided that they’d like their servers to be filled with only photos that they’ve had uploaded through their own product.
In some instances it would appear that photos are being deleted entirely, while in others the photos are being kicked out of the public eye only. This would mean that the user who uploaded said photo could still see and access the media, while anyone else outside of the logged-in account would not be able to see it at all.
Instagram does allow developers to use their Instagram API to create apps, but there is a process which creators of 3rd party apps must follow before their app can be approved. And approved an app must be before Instagram will be OK with you, the developer, releasing said app to the public.
We’ll be updating this article as necessary as additional reports come in.
VIA: The Verge; Daniel Gary
Instagram deletes photos from 3rd party apps in Windows Phone is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Windows Phone users still do not have an official Instagram app. Major apps have committed themselves to the platform, such as Vine and Flipboard. There’s no word as yet on when an official Instagram app for Windows Phone will be released. There are a host of third party apps out there that allow users to upload photos to Instagram through their WP devices. It appears that the service is blocking uploads from such apps, and even deleting photos that get posted within seconds of them going online.
Lets look at one particular third party app for Windows Phone, Instance. It is a popular client that WP users use to upload their photos to Instagram. Its not an official solution, Instagram’s API has been reverse engineered in Instance to bypass the service and upload pictures directly. The developer of Instance has said that images posted through the app are being deleted. It seems that uploads from Instance are being tracked, and there’s a big possibility that they’re doing the same with other popular clients. Facebook has not commented as yet on these removals.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Instagram Blocking Photo Uploads From Third Party Windows Phone Apps original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Yesterday we reported that Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system appeared to be doing quite well for itself in the UK, nabbing about 8.1% of market share which put them ahead of their competitor, BlackBerry. While that is definitely good news for Microsoft and cause for celebration, over in the US it seems that Microsoft just can’t seem to get out of the shadow of iOS and Android, and according to the latest figures released by Kantar, Windows Phone currently sits at 4% of the market in June 2013, compared to back in April 2013 where they peaked at 5.6%.
However when it came down to individual carriers, AT&T’s sales of Windows Phone devices remained somewhat stable at around 4.5%, although admittedly it was down by 0.2% when it was up at 4.7% in April. Verizon on the other hand does not appear to be selling as many Windows Phone devices and the latest figures show that Windows Phone sits at 5% and is down from 6.8% in April earlier this year. While Microsoft appears to be doing quite well in Europe, we guess they should really start focusing their efforts in the US as well.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Windows Phone US Market Share Falls To 4% original content from Ubergizmo. 
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We’ve been eagerly waiting for Nokia to make the Lumia 1020 since the PureView camera made its debut. And luckily, it doesn’t fall short of expectations.
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Nokia may be one of Microsoft’s largest partners for Windows Phone 8 devices, but that certainly doesn’t mean that Nokia is 100% happy with the platform. It’s not the lack of Windows Phone devices available, as there are plenty of those, but Nokia is mainly disappointed in the number of apps available and the lack of software updates.
Speaking with the International Business Times, Nokia’s vice president of App development, Bryan Biniak, says that Nokia is attempting to get Microsoft back on the horse, as time is running out for the platform to make a big impact, saying that “waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn’t do us any good when I have phones to sell today.”
Biniak also mentions the lack of apps for Windows Phone, saying that while Nokia makes a lot of Windows Phone devices, no one will buy them if essential apps aren’t available for it. He says that “if there is an app that somebody cares about that’s not there, that’s a missed opportunity of a sale.”
Essentially, Biniak reiterates what we’ve heard before about the Windows Phone platform: “You can’t sell a phone without the apps, you just can’t,” he says. There are some fantastic Windows Phone 8 devices out on the market, with the latest Lumia 1020 to make an arrival shortly, but Biniak says that without apps, the hardware is useless.
SOURCE: IBT
Windows Phone 8 progress not up to Nokia’s standards is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
It is pretty clear that Apple and Google dominate the smartphone market, with their iOS and Android operating systems taking up a huge chunk of the pie, leaving the position of third and fourth up for grabs and making it essentially a fight between Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform and BlackBerry’s OS 10. Well the good news for Microsoft, Windows Phone manufacturing partners, and Windows Phone fans is that according to the latest figures released by Kantar, it seems that at least in the UK, Windows Phone has managed to nab the number three spot by grabbing about 8.1% of the market. As for BlackBerry, Kantar has reported that in the UK, BlackBerry’s market share has fallen to 4.1%.
Kantar also goes on to report that Apple’s iPhone managed to nab about 30.5%, while Android grabbed a cool 56.2%, although it should be noted that this is a drop from 57.2% in the same period last year, presumably due to other operating systems gaining more ground. Will BlackBerry eventually play catchup with more impressive devices like the upcoming BlackBerry A10? Or will Windows Phone eventually start taking up more share and leave them in the dust? We guess only time will tell, but for now Microsoft definitely has something to celebrate about.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Windows Phone Nabs 8.1% Market Share In The UK Ahead Of BlackBerry original content from Ubergizmo. 
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In Finland, home to Nokia, Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system was reported to own about 20% of the market, numbers which are pretty impressive compared to the UK where they are at around 8.1% (impressive but not as big a number compared to 20%). However with these recent figures and despite the numbers lagging behind operating systems like iOS and Android, Nokia has remained largely positive about the Windows Phone operating system, as shared by Nokia’s vice president, Bryan Biniak. However while Biniak is pleased with the state of things, given that Nokia has pretty much put all of their proverbial eggs in the Windows Phone basket, he believes that Microsoft, too, needs to step up their game.
According to Biniak, “People rely on applications for their day-to-day life and if you don’t have something which I use in my day-to-day life I’m not going to switch [operating systems] because I don’t want to compromise the way I live my life just to switch to a phone […] It’s not just about the hardware, it’s about the tools that are on the hardware. You can’t sell a phone without the apps, you just can’t.” We can’t help but agree with Biniak’s statement, especially since many big name developers tend to release apps for Windows Phone as an afterthought, as opposed to making it their priority versus iOS and Android. In any case hopefully with the next update to Windows Phone, we will start seeing more developers pay attention to the platform.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Nokia Thinks Microsoft Should Step Up Their Game To Make Windows Phone A Success original content from Ubergizmo. 
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