Hasta La Gadget!

It appears that Microsoft is having some issues with a few new Windows Phone 7.5 apps, and as a result has decided to stop publishing new ones as it works on delivering a fix. According to a recent post on the Microsoft blog, there’s a glitch with the digital certificates used to sign apps, meaning that some apps which were published in the last few days aren’t installing properly. Microsoft also says that the problem has nothing to do with your phone, so at least you don’t have to worry about that.

The blog post states that this issue only affects phones that were upgraded to Windows Phone 7.5 and not phones that came with 7.5 pre-installed, but some commenters on the blog post are saying that isn’t the case. Microsoft also says that this certificate issue only affects a “small percentage of the 100,000-plus apps in Marketplace,” pointing to apps like The New York Times, WhatsApp, and Translator from Bing – all three of which were updated recently – as examples.

If you run into this problem, it’s recommended that you just wait until Microsoft has delivered a fix. Microsoft warns not to delete the app that’s giving you grief, as you probably won’t be able to download it again until a fix has been issued, and you risk losing any saved data with the app by doing that. So, just sitting tight and waiting for that fix to arrive seems to be the best thing you can do in this case.

Microsoft doesn’t give a time frame for this fix, so we could be waiting a little while for it land. Things are looking hopeful though, as the company says it is “already planning to roll out a fix,” so it may not be that long before it arrives. Keep it tuned here to SlashGear, as we’ll let you know of any new developments with this issue.

Microsoft temporarily stops publishing new Windows Phone apps is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
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I’ve sung praises about it for years, but it seems like only now the industry is getting on the same train of thought. It could be my unnatural adoration of travel, or just an entirely healthy fear of getting lost, but offline navigation has long since been a top priority for me when choosing a mobile device. Or, more importantly, a mobile operating system. For the longest while, iOS forced my hand to Android due to Google Maps Navigation being available only on the latter, and while even that wasn’t offline, it still far surpassed any other routing app in terms of system integration, map updates and general silkiness.

Even dating back to our 2010 mobile GPS shootout, Nokia has been a player. At that time, it was the outfit’s Ovi Maps leading the pack, offering the only legitimate offline solution amongst a legion of ho-hum alternatives that required bits of data to keep you on track. But frankly, there wasn’t a Symbian device in Nokia’s stable that could show up my Nexus One in terms of overall utility, so begrudgingly, I pushed it aside. Eventually, Google came around and added caching to routes, which effectively downloaded all routing guidance along your path as soon as you plugged in a destination. The killer, however, was that it wouldn’t take too kindly to veering far from that path should you ever drop signal. Close, but no cigar.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve got Google Maps already working in offline mode for Android 2.2+ devices. Furthermore, the company’s Brian McClendon confessed to us at its June 2012 ‘Maps’ event that it’s “committed” to bringing all of the app’s features to iOS (and potentially other platforms). But in my haste to find something in the here and now, I recently turned to the Lumia 900 for guidance. Literally. Back in late March, the Lumia-exclusive Nokia Drive application gained full offline access, and I sought to use the handset exclusively to navigate a 1,900-mile trek through some of America’s most remote locales. How’d it go? Join us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Software

Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kodak’s recent announcements may have circled around patent brawls (and victories), but if you’ve indentured yourself to the company’s range of all-in-one printers and digital photo frames, you might want to pick up its new Windows Phone app. Pic Flick will share your images with compatible hardware through WiFi — provided you’re connected to the same network on your phone. It’s largely identical to the existing iOS version, albeit cocooned in Microsoft’s metro style, and includes a handful of simple editing tools and filters. However, you will need to check that your Windows Phone is running version 7.5 or later. If you pass that requirement, hit up the source for the download.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Windows Phone Kodak Pic Flick app pushes photos to printers — as long as you have version 7.5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Early Lumia 900 adopters might feel spurned knowing that their devices won’t get any near-future upgrades beyond Windows Phone 7.8, but AT&T and Nokia are hoping that some new customers just need a little incentive to forgive the OS ceiling. As of now, the Lumia 900 has taken a permanent price cut to $50 on contract, whether it’s one of the early color options or pretty in pink. Although the price drop might not take power users’ eyes off of the Windows Phone 8 prize, it could make the Lumia 900 a low-hanging fruit for more than a few newcomers.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia and AT&T cut Lumia 900 price to $50, sweeten the Windows Phone 7.8 pot originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d heard that the Lumia 800 and 710 were to get Windows Phone 7.5 sometime soon, but the time has officially arrived for these two to Tango. Today Nokia announced that the fresh code has already started rolling out, bringing hotspot and flip-to-silence functionality to the handsets. Plus, once you’ve updated via your Zune desktop software, access to the nifty Camera Extras software — already promised to Lumia 900 owners — is but a download away. As a refresher, those Extras allow Lumias to take Scalado-powered Smart Group Shots, provide a better burst mode for action pics, plus add a self-timer and panorama mode as well. Want to see the new camera features in action before taking the plunge? Check out the video after the break.

Update: As our astute commenters have pointed out, the Lumias both have Mango onboard, so this bit of software is but an update to Windows Phone 7.5 that brings additional features.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 get Windows Phone 7.5 update, finally get to Tango (updated)

Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 get Windows Phone 7.5 update, finally get to Tango (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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