Hasta La Gadget!

Windows Phone 8 is a pretty slick operating system, but it only supports up to 720p resolutions, as well as lower-quality WVGA and WXGA resolutions. However, it’s said that Microsoft will be adding 1080p support to Windows Phone 8 by the end of this year, as well as planning larger devices with 5-inch-and-higher displays.

According to The Verge, sources familiar with the development of Windows Phone 8 have revealed that Microsoft will issue and update later this year that will add support for 1080p devices, so that they’ll be able to run Windows Phone 8, allowing customers the opportunity to own a phablet-style smartphone running Microsoft’s latest platform.

The update is said to arrive in time for the holiday season, meaning that phones running Windows Phone 8 with larger displays and 1080p resolutions could be available to purchase by November, roughly. The update would also bring support for new Qualcomm quad-core processors, which would allow phone manufacturers to use higher-power quad-core chips in new Windows Phone 8 devices.

While the update is set to bring a lot of improvements to Windows Phone 8, it’s been noted that it’s actually separate from Microsoft’s long-term plan to bring improvements to the platform — codenamed “Blue,” as we’ve mentioned in the past. Instead this update will address different improvements and enhancements to the Windows Phone platform.

[via The Verge]

Windows Phone 8 to support 1080p and quad-core chips by 2014 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft is of the view that Facebook Home imitates Windows Phone and that the launch event for Facebook’s new Home on Android “was remarkably similar” to the launch event the Redmond based company did for its Windows Phone over two years back. This claim was made by Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, on the company’s official TechNet blog. Shaw says that when Microsoft got down to developing Windows Phone they put three words on the wall, “Put People First”, to guide the team that the phones should be developed around people that matter the most to a user and not the apps that they might use to reach them.

Shaw then praises Facebook, albeit sarcastically, saying that they understand why Facebook is finding a way to bring similar functionality to a platform that lacks it. He adds that Android users know that their platform is complicated enough without having to add another skin upon what is already a custom variant of the core OS. Shaw goes on to applaud Facebook for giving Android users a taste of people-centric phones, but suggests people that they get the “real thing and simply upgrade to a Windows Phone.”

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: “Babel” Moniker For Google’s Rumored Unified Chat Service Spotted Again, Samsung Infringes Crucial Part Of Apple Patent, Says ITC,

It’s been far too long since Netflix was fullscreen on all Windows Phone devices – this week the app has been updated to include 720p displays for Windows Phone 8. As an added bonus, this update will work for not just Windows Phone 8, but Windows Phone 7.8 devices as well. As Microsoft’s push for a fully-stocked app store continues, big names like Netflix kicks like this are a bit of a high-five on the way up.

As the Netflix app is updated for larger resolution displays, it’s apparent that updates are still needed before this iteration of the video environment is up to snuff with the rest of the smart device universe. You’ll still not be able to get HD video on your Windows Phone 8 device, and though it’s not Netflix’ fault, we’re still not at a place where essentially every new Windows Phone 8 device is able to have its picture output to a larger screen via HDMI.

This update will ring in at 2MB as a download to your device this week. Remember that you’re going to need a Netflix account to take full advantage of the app, but you can still make with a trial period if you like. You’ll get addicted real quick.

Have a peek at the Netflix timeline below to see what else this streaming video giant has been bringing to the universe over the past few weeks. The Netflix app has quickly become one of the must-have apps on every mobile platform over the past few years, right along with Hulu and your everyday collection of YouTube-like apps. Stay up to date!

Netflix app hits 720p on Windows Phone 8 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The UI that Microsoft uses for Windows 8 and Windows Phone is pretty unique. Personally I love how neat everything is and how organized it all is. We’re sure that there are some iOS and Android users out there who feel the same, which might explain why there are Windows Phone themes available for Android and jailbroken iOS devices. However if you don’t have the time or knowledge to root your phone and flash a ROM with a Windows Phone theme on top, perhaps the Karbonn A6 Android phone from India might be worth checking out.

As you can see in the blurry photo above, the Karbonn A6 is a phone that appears, on the surface, to be running Windows Phone, but in reality is actually running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Other specs include a 1GHz CPU and a 4” IPS display, really nothing much to shout about. In fact if anything, we can’t help but be reminded of the HTC 8S. No word on pricing but chances are the Karbonn A6 might not be seeing any availability outside of India.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100P, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus Start To Receive Android Jelly Bean, Apple Expected To Develop Digital Wallet By 2014 [Analyst],

Rovio is certainly a name that everyone should remember by now, as they are the ones who came out with the Angry Birds game that took the world by storm, appearing on just about every mobile platform to boot. Well, I guess they are now stuck with the curse of Angry Birds, as their subsequent title, Amazing Alex, did not do too amazing in terms of sales, but at least the game has finally arrived on the Windows Phone Store.

Once you have installed the application from the Windows Phone Store, you can get started with the game. Basically, the reason Alex is “amazing” is due to his imagination and a penchant for the extraordinary, where he is capable of turning his toys as well as household objects into gripping adventures. Amazing Alex can be downloaded onto your Nokia Lumia for £0.79p a pop, as long as your handset runs on Windows Phone 7.x or 8, you are good to go. There are more than 100 levels to go through, set in a quartet of locations, so it is time to exercise that brain!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Blackberry Gaming Platform Advantages, In Select Markets, Wii U Miiverse Coming To Smartphones, PC In A Few Weeks,