Hasta La Gadget!

You can now scratch one more big name off the list of apps not available on Windows Phone. Tumblr has just released its official app for Microsoft’s mobile platform (the latest version of it, at least), offering all the key features found in its iOS and Android counterparts with a distinct Windows Phone flavor. That includes the ability to swipe left and right to switch between the dashboard and “explore” options, and the option to add the latest images from your dashboard to your lock screen or live tiles. You can also rest assured that animated GIFs will remain animated while you scroll.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: Tumblr, Windows Phone Blog

What’s an outgoing Microsoft executive to do on his last earnings call as CFO? Utter something that’d probably get the incoming CFO fired. Kidding aside, the outfit’s own Peter Klein saw fit to reiterate something we’d heard back in March — that Windows 8 is destined for smaller devices. To date, there isn’t a Windows 8-based slate on the market south of 10-inches, but as Apple, ASUS, Google and Samsung have found, people tend to like tablets that can be held with a single hand. Of course, the “coming soon” angle definitely adds a time stamp (albeit a vague one) that we didn’t have before, but we’re still no closer to figuring out what kinds of devices we’re to expect. A diminutive tablet? A smartwatch? A phone?

Earlier this week, Terry Myerson — corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division — admitted that the wearables space was undoubtedly an exciting one, though he wouldn’t go so far as to affirm that any of the code he oversaw was being tested on the arm. Of course, rumors have been running wild since Windows Phone‘s introduction that Microsoft would eventually push WP aside in favor of just using Windows on everything, so we suppose that’s another (far out) possibility. Wild imaginations are advised to contribute their best guesses in comments below. (But seriously, keep it sane. Thanks.)

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablets, Wearables, Microsoft

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Source: TechCrunch

Despite steadily advancing in version numbers, Skype for Windows Phone 8 has remained in a preview state for the past few months. It’s time for the app to enter the big leagues with its 2.5 update. The release is the first to drop the preview tag, mostly by fixing notable bugs with both video geometry as well as crashes when signing in with a Microsoft account. Frequent chatters may like that message notifications for Messenger friends are now active by default. There is one word of warning for HTC 8X owners: they’ll need the latest firmware to avoid a flaw that silences the microphone. Provided that’s no obstacle, though, we’d suggest swinging by the Windows Phone Store if you’re at all interested in Microsoft’s official mobile VoIP suite.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Via: Skype, Joe Belfiore (Twitter)

Source: Windows Phone Store

Nokia courted fashionistas back at Mobile World Congress with the Lumia 720, and it’s ready to embrace them more fully now that the slim Windows Phone is rolling out to its first countries. We’ve already seen it launch in Australia and the UK, where it’s available for free when subscribing to relatively frugal postpaid plans of either $29 AUD (on Virgin Mobile Australia) or £22 (on O2 UK); Brits can also spend £300 at O2 to use the phone on a pay-as-you-go basis. Other countries will get their units in short order, including Italy next week (for €349 off-contract) and Russia. As a reminder, it’s not coming to the US in an official capacity: while the mid-tier device made a visit to the FCC, the absence of LTE largely precludes American carrier deals. Some of us will have to gaze on the Lumia 720 from afar as a result, but many of those craving the most stylish of Nokia smartphones can get some satisfaction very shortly.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

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Via: All About Windows Phone

Source: O2 UK, Virgin Mobile Australia

While there’s no question that Android is thriving on the global scale, the situation is a little more complicated in the US when looking at ComScore’s market share data for February. The platform is still comfortably ahead in the American smartphone sphere at 51.7 percent, but the figure represents the second consecutive dip in recent months, and roughly matches share that we saw back in June. Apple is headed in the opposite direction and appears to be the main beneficiary of Google’s drop, albeit at a less-than-breakneck pace: the iPhone continued a gradual climb in February that put it at 38.9 percent. We’re not surprised that BlackBerry declined once more in its last month before the Z10 reached the US, although Microsoft will be happy to hear that Windows Phone inched forward again to 3.2 percent.

Among individual smartphone makers, it’s more of a familiar story. Apple’s platform control gave it the lead at 38.9 percent, while Samsung at 21.3 percent was hovering roughly around the same share it had in January. As for everyone else? It’s a bit ugly, to be honest. HTC, Motorola and LG all lost share in February, leaving the US firmly in a two-horse race. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if the market plays a different tune around April and May: with 2013 Android flagships like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 just around the corner, there’s room for a potential upset.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, HTC, Google, LG, Blackberry

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Source: ComScore