TVCatchup reaches Windows Phone 8 in the UK

TVCatchup reaches Windows Phone 8 in the UK

British Windows Phone owners won’t have to let their TV viewing habits slip while they’re on the move. TVCatchup has just posted the promised Windows Phone 8 version of its streaming app, giving locals access to live programming from the BBC, ITV and others. OS-specific optimizations aren’t extensive, but they exist — it’s possible to pin a favorite network to the Start screen, and to use voice commands to jump directly to a channel or guide. Viewers just need to hit the Windows Phone Store to stay on top of the latest shows with their Lumias.

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Source: Windows Phone Store

Nokia confirms Windows Phone 7.8 coming to the UK today, prices Lumia 620 at £149.99

Nokia 620 priced at 14999 in the UK, arrives on February 6th

Brits who ground their fingers to stumps hammering their Lumia’s update button will finally be able to rest, as Nokia UK has confirmed that Windows 7.8 is rolling out today. The company has also revealed O2’s pricing for the Lumia 620, the handset that’ll bring Windows Phone 8 to the cash-strapped masses. It’s available from today on the oxygen-themed network, setting you back £149.99 or free on contracts priced over £18.50. Normally, the interchangeable back plates would cost around £20, but O2 is offering buyers a choice of a yellow, orange, green, white or cyan model for free.

You’ll also be able to pick up the quirky handset from ThreeUK and Virgin Media today, although neither has opened up about pricing just yet. Vodafone has announced that it’ll launch the phone on February 6th with a choice of white or black covers, while EE has yet to commit to carrying the handset. If you saw removable covers and hoped that the 620 would benefit from the same wireless charging plates we saw in the 820, we’ve got some bad news — Nokia has said it’s not likely to happen.

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Google to continue offering Exchange ActiveSync support on Windows Phones through July 31st

Google to continue offering Exchange support on Windows Phones through July 31st

Today is the day that Google has been planning to shut off its support for Exchange ActiveSync, but it appears that the company has had a slight change of heart. Google has confirmed that it will allow Windows Phones to access Google Sync services for an additional six months, ending on July 31st. This move will allow Microsoft a little extra breathing room, giving the company more time to determine how to best resolve the concern that will affect countless Gmail fans that currently use Windows Phone as their primary driver; let’s hope this means the platform will be updated to offer CalDAV and CardDAV support before time runs out.

We reached out to Google and received this confirmation: “As announced last year, our plan is to end support for new device connections using Google Sync starting January 30, 2013. With the launch of CardDAV, it’s now possible to build a seamless sync experience using open protocols (IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV) for Gmail, Google Calendar and Contacts. We’ll start rolling out this change as planned across all platforms but will continue to support Google Sync for Windows Phone until July 31, 2013.”

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Via: The Verge

Nokia Drive+ beta now available for all WP8 users in US, Canada and UK

Nokia Drive beta now available for all WP8 users in US, Canada and UK

Nokia Drive+ is still in beta but, starting today, more people can take part in the navigational fun. The app has been freed from its Lumia exclusive bonds and is now available in the US, Canada and the UK on any Windows Phone 8 device. The download is free, but it’s important to keep in mind that this is still a beta product — so we can’t make any guarantees about stability or compatibility. Still, the turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are likely a huge improvement over whatever carrier-branded substitute you’ve been saddled with until now. Hit up the source for a few more details and to dig up a download link.

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Via: My Nokia Blog

Source: Windows Phone Blog

ATIV Odyssey hitting Verizon January 24th for $50

ATIV Odyssey hitting Verizon on January 24th for $50

We knew it was coming and, with very little warning, it’s practically here. Samsung’s 4-inch, budget Windows Phone 8 offering — the ATIV Odyssey — is hitting store shelves and Verizon airwaves on Thursday January 24th for $49.99. Well, with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail in rebate, that is. So you’ll have to shell out $100 up front — a price that will likely become semi-permanent when the promotional period ends. While the WVGA screen and dual-core 1.5GHz processor may turn off the spec-obsessed, we’re sure its low price, LTE radio and pretty little tiles will win over at least a few shoppers. If you need a quick refresher on this guy’s deets check out the PR after the break.

Show full PR text

Samsung Mobile Launches its First Windows Phone 8 Smartphone in the U.S. with Verizon Wireless

Samsung ATIV Odyssey[TM] features Super AMOLED display,1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity

LAS VEGAS, NV – January 7, 2013 – From the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide1, today announced the Samsung ATIV Odyssey[TM] will be available in the coming weeks at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online.

The ATIV Odyssey boasts a brilliant 4-inch Super AMOLED[TM] touchscreen display (800×480) that allows users to watch movies, view pictures and play games in high resolution. This compact, versatile smartphone is Global Ready[TM], giving users the ability to call and email from more than 220 countries in the world. The ATIV Odyssey is equipped with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor to quickly access the Internet, stream music and download content at blazing speeds using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network.

The ATIV Odyssey runs on the sleek and intuitive Windows Phone 8 operating system, the only one with Live Tiles, designed to keep you closer to the people and things that matter most. The ATIV Odyssey also features unique Samsung sharing applications such as Photo Editor, Mini Diary and Now, an application that provides weather, news, stock and currency updates instantly.

The ATIV Odyssey is enterprise ready with enhanced security features to offer customers an extremely powerful business tool that keeps sensitive company data secure. Security solutions include advanced Microsoft(R) Exchange ActiveSync(R) features and policy control and on-device AES 256-bit encryption.

For more information about the ATIV Odyssey, visit www.samsung.com. To learn more about pricing and wireless plans available for the ATIV Odyssey, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

· Key Product Features:

· Super AMOLED[TM] Display (WVGA 800×480)

· 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and full 1080p recording and 1080p playback

· Front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera for video chat

· Global Ready calling and email capabilities in more than 220 countries in the world

· Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11 a/b/g/n)

· 8 GB on board storage (actual formatted capacity is less)/ 1 GB RAM

· Support for up to 64 GB microSD[TM] card

· 2100 mAh battery

· Photo Editor – Edit photos (crop, rotate, resize, etc.) and adjust colors (contrast, RGB and hue) instantly; users can also add effects such as Pop Art, gray-scale, fixed red eye and add decorations that include frames, stickers, etc. and share on Facebook, Picasa and Photobucket.

· Mini Diary – Contains daily activities, photos and drawings; users can share their diary via social channels including Facebook, email, Picasa and Photobucket; users can back up and store information in the free cloud service SkyDrive.

· Now – Provides weather, news, stock and currency updates instantly

Windows Phone 8 Features:

Live Tiles are the heart and soul of Windows Phone, and no other phone has them. People can arrange the iconic Start screen however they want by pinning their favorite people, apps, music, games, photos and more. In addition to Live Tiles, Windows Phone 8 offers a range of new features to make your smartphone experience even more personal, including:

· The only phone with Live Apps. Live Apps bring information right to the Start screen, such as the Groupon deal of the day, flight information and news headlines. With Windows Phone 8, Live Apps such as Facebook can even deliver real-time information right to your lock screen with updated wallpaper.

· Top apps. The Windows Phone Store has more than 120,000 quality apps and games, including hits such as “Angry Birds Star Wars,” “Cut the Rope,” Disney’s “Where’s My Water,” LivingSocial, Urbanspoon and many more. Pandora, the leading Internet radio service, is also coming to Windows Phone in early 2013.

· Kid’s Corner. Exclusive to Windows Phone 8, Kid’s Corner is a way to share your phone with your kids, so they can play “Angry Birds” without texting your angry boss. Parents can now hand over their phones to the kids without worrying about deleted photos, misdirected emails, unapproved purchases or accidental phone calls. After a simple setup, parents can activate a specialized place on the phone for kids to play – complete with their own customizable Start screens – where they can access only the apps, games, music and videos picked by parents.

1 Samsung Mobile is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States according to Strategy Analytics, North America Handset Vendor Marketshare, Q2 2012. Samsung Electronics Company is the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide according to Strategy Analytics Global Smartphone Vendor Market Share by Region: Q2 2012.
Samsung, ATIV, Super AMOLED are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

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Huawei Ascend W1 now available in China for $260, cheaper than Lumia 620 locally

We knew that Huawei’s 4-inch Ascend W1 will be hitting the UK at some point this quarter, but the company is once again launching a new device in its home country first. Currently available in black at the official online store, this dual-core, WCDMA 900/2100-flavored W1 is priced at ¥1,599 or about $260, making it the cheapest Windows Phone 8 device you can get in China — probably something that will help address Huawei’s smartphone penetration problem. Better yet, placing an order now will knock ¥100 (about $16) off the order but only while stocks last, so interested buyers better start calling their pals in China soon, especially before they shut down for Chinese New Year early next month!

The title of cheapest WP8 device in China was previously held by Nokia’s ¥1,999 (about $320) Lumia 620, though in the US it is available for just $249. Given the bigger screen and battery, the W1 might be a better buy, but we shall reserve our final judgement until we get to play with it properly. Meanwhile, somewhere in Redmond, Steve Ballmer is closely observing with a massive grin.

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Source: Vmall

Nokia releases 3D-printing specs for making custom Lumia 820 back covers

Nokia releases 3Dprinting specs for making custom Lumia 820 back covers

One of the great things about Nokia phones from way back when was making it your own with swappable plastic. While that level of exterior personalization isn’t available on many handsets these days — instead we’ve got bumpers and cases — Nokia added a removable shell to its Lumia 820 Windows Phone. You can always go ahead and buy new ones, but if you’ve got access to a 3D printer, Nokia has just released a “3D-printing Development Kit” with all the documentation you’ll need to create a custom backing for yourself. It’s available for download from the source links below, and contains “3D templates, case specs, recommended materials and best practices.”

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Source: Lumia 820 3D-printing Development Kit (1), (2), (3)

Asus says it’s interested in making a Windows Phone, maybe even a Windows-based Padfone

Asus says it's interested in making a Windows Phone, maybe even a Windowsbased Padfone

An Asus exec has revealed to the Wall Street Journal that his company is “in talks” with Microsoft to license Windows Phone 8. Talk is cheap, of course, but at this point WP8 is much in need of friends and it’s interesting to contemplate what Asus might do with the OS, given that manufacturer’s penchant for quirky form factors. Speaking of which, the same executive — VP Benson Lin — brought up the notion of a Padfone-style modular device based on Windows:

“With our Padfone concept, the phone plus tablet, I think it makes sense for Windows 8”

What doesn’t make sense is how such a thing could work. The Android-based Padfone employs the exact same OS regardless of whether it’s in phone or tablet mode, but no version of Windows (whether WP8, RT or the regular “8“) currently allows that sort of flexibility with screensize. Lin may know something about the future of Windows that we don’t, or he may just be throwing out abstract ideas about some sort of dual-OS device — after all, he admitted that there is “no target timeline” for any of this.

In the shorter term, Lin also said that Asus is talking to US carriers in the hope of bringing its wares to the States by 2014, which could mean that a Padfone 3 — if there ever is one — may be more than just a remote curiosity or an Expansys special.

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Source: Wall Street Journal (paywall)

Huawei Ascend W1 launching on O2 in UK, due to land sometime in Q1

Huawei Ascend W1 launching on O2 in UK, due to land sometime in Q1

A little late to the party, perhaps, but Huawei is finally trotting out that Windows Phone 8 device it promised way back in June. So, when can you get it? Sometime in the first quarter, if you’re living in the UK — O2 just announced the Ascend W1 as its first Windows Phone 8 handset. Specifics on the launch are as allusive as ever, of course — Huawei would only say that the handset would hit China and Russia in January, though they were more than happy to show off its 4-inch 480 x 800 display and gush over its 1,950mAh battery. Into official, if vague, availability declarations? Check out the press release after the break.

Continue reading Huawei Ascend W1 launching on O2 in UK, due to land sometime in Q1

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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Nokia’s Chris Weber

Live from the Engadget CES Stage an interview with Nokia's Chris Weber

It’s been a heck of a year for Nokia and Windows Phone, so we’ve got lots of catching up to do with the smartphone maker’s EVP / Microsoft ex-pat Chris Weber. We’ll talk to the exec about the company’s transformation in 2012 and find out what the next year holds for Nokia.

January 8, 2013 2:00 PM EST

Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here!

Continue reading Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Nokia’s Chris Weber

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