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Google shamelessly steal Metro (again) for new website

February 6, 2012 | By Surur

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Either Google has decided to start promoting Windows 8, or they have once again decided to steal Microsoft’s new UI paradigm to make their website look a bit more hip and modern. This is of course Matias Duarte’s idea, and he is delusionaly convinced he did not get his inspiration from Metro.

Hopefully we cam help keep him a bit more honest.

See the new site here.

Thanks Kamal for the tip.

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YouTube now provides High Quality video playback option on Windows Phone

February 5, 2012 | By Surur

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Google’s YouTube have thrown Windows Phone 7 a bone by providing an option to stream YouTube video at high quality, rather than the more pixelated standard quality playback that has been available up till now.

The YouTube web app now offers access to most of the features of desktop YouTube, except for uploading and downloading videos.

While this is still no native client, ones does have to start wondering, in these days of HTML5 web apps, whether there is still really any point in wanting or waiting for a native app from the company.

What do our readers think? Let us know below.

Via WPCentral. com

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Gizmodo recommends Windows Phone to escape Google’s evil clutches

January 25, 2012 | By Surur

medium_2e6a352b01e4c0913179af4bf30e6b5c With Google recently making sweeping privacy changes which will mean they can get even better at selling you to their advertisers, some people have been re-evaluating the bevy of Google services which they are using.

Included with the wide variety of substitutes they also recommend worried users replace their Google listening and location device, also called an Android phone, with a Windows Phone 7 handset.

They note:

It’s tough to get out of your contract if you’re locked in on an Android phone. But if you’re up for an upgrade some time soon, and you want to sidestep Google’s info-grab, you should take a long hard look at Windows Phone. Yes, there’s the iPhone. That’s really great. But Windows Phone is a totally fresh take on phones, and if you’re going to be an Android expat, you should take a dip in the totally-new-and-different pool before trudging back to familiar waters like iOS.

Of course we can recommend a Windows Phone to just about anyone, even with the limitations, simply based on the satisfaction rate. We suggest however if you are going to jump into a Windows Phone you might as well chuck your Gmail for Windows Live Mail and nestle into the comfortable Microsoft ecosystem, which is actually pretty completely also.

See Gizmodo’s other recommendations here.

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NewsSpot v2.3 adds synchronization of read articles, navigation to feeds, appearance customization

December 28, 2011 | By FourSpotProject

NewsSpot, your Google Reader with advanced sync-engine, image caching and article search was recently updated to Version 2.3.
The last two updates added a lot of features and bug fixes, such as:

Added sync for read articles.
Added navigation to single feeds.
New application icon exclusively designed by Zed Martinez.
Added application themes, so you can e.g. use the app with dark letters on a light background without switching the system theme.
Added option to lock screen orientation to portrait or landscape.
Added option to auto sync periodically while the application is running.
Added option to sort unread articles by oldest to newest.
Added option to hide system tray.
Fixed crash when exiting application from credentials page and returning to it.

Try the ad-supported version which has all features with the only one restriction that it lets you sync at a max 200 unread and 50 starred articles. The full version costs 1.99$ and supports up to 1000 unread or starred articles.

For suggestions, bug reports or other feedback, please feel free to contact us: service@fourspotproject.com

Twitter: @FourSpotProject

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WTH! Now HTC’s YouTube app also pulled from Marketplace: Update: Still there if you search

December 22, 2011 | By Surur

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We heard this morning about MetroTube being removed from Marketplace due to a violation of Google’s APIs.

Now it seems the HTC YouTube app has also been pulled from Marketplace.

We don’t know what is behind the change, but if it is Google turning on the screws on Windows Phone 7 maybe we are not particularly impressed. We have been informed Microsoft has no response yet, but are considering their options.

Update: The app is still there if you search, but has been moved from HTC’s app section.

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In lieu of actual apps, Google offers pinnable shortcuts for Windows Phone

December 2, 2011 | By Surur

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There are 6 million odd people Google love to ignore, and they all user Windows Phones. Google app support on the platform is near non-existent, but today they did throw the OS a bone by alerting users that they could pin the Google search page to their start screen (see the screen shots via WPCentral above).

The move actually simply extends their other efforts to support the OS via web apps, including the YouTube web app, but I would suggest if Google wishes to retain users who chose the Windows Phone platform they need to work a little harder.

Via WPCentral.com

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Microsoft signs up but Apple and Google hold out on Mobile ESRB game age rating

November 29, 2011 | By Surur

esrb The Wireless Association and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) have announced a newly-developed rating system, the CTIA Mobile Application Rating System with ESRB which will utilize the well-known and trusted age rating icons that ESRB assigns to computer and video games to provide parents and consumers reliable information about the age-appropriateness of applications.

AT&T, Microsoft, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless are all members of the rating system, but significant hold-outs are Apple and Google, who both use their own rating systems.

The ESRB system is developer and industry financed and widely supported on consoles and on the PC, but with different systems on each mobile platform it will mean that the same game may have different age ratings on different platforms.

The announcement is an extension of CTIA’s 2010 Guidelines for Application Content Classification and Rating.

Via CNET.com

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Windows Azure Cloud Computing Powers Popular Line of Windows Phone Apps

November 23, 2011 | By aemami

Seles Games, the company behind popular news readers Weave (reviewed here), Windows Phone News, Tech News Now, as well as several other apps, recently switched to Windows Azure to provide fast delivery of news for WP7 users. Their press release appears below.

Windows Azure competes with Amazon Web Services as well as Google App Engine in the realm of cloud computing – and while Amazon’s cloud solution is the more widely used and discussed platform, Microsoft has made an excellent case for Windows Phone developers to use Azure for Windows Phone development.

“Press Release: Seles Games switches to Windows Azure for all news apps – sees huge speed gains.

Since switching to Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the amount of time it takes to download articles in our news apps.

The gains have been staggering – even on a slow cellular connection, our apps are able to download news in a fraction of the time it took prior to using the Windows Azure platform!

By leveraging Azure, our apps such as Weave and Windows Phone News are able to bring users fresh news up to 5000% faster than competing products. That is no typo – compared to an app like Pulse, we can download over 3 times as many feeds and do it 50 times faster.

We are very pleased with Windows Azure as a platform. We will be continue to leverage Azure for our news reader apps, as well as some new apps we have in the pipeline.

We believe it is a very compelling platform for Windows Phone developers who need a fast cloud-based solution.

Seles Games is a company dedicated to providing incredible Windows Phone application experiences to users.

Our apps.

Follow us on Twitter for news on app updates, sales/promotions, and more! @SelesGames”

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gMaps Pro now supports Mango – as close as Google Maps on WP7 as you will ever get

September 21, 2011 | By Surur

It is no secret Google is not exactly providing much support apps-wise to Windows Phone 7.

gMaps Pro has done a lot to fill that gap however, with the the app, which uses Google’s Maps, supporting map navigation with different layers, GPS tracking, local and business search with multiple results, routes search with route statistics (include A-B routes), Driving Mode with auto-rotation and much more.

The app has now been updated to Windows Phone 7 Mango and brings one new surprise – support for Google’s Lattitude service.

The app is $1.99 and can be found in Marketplace here.

Via WPCentral.com

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HTC looking at purchasing an OS of their own

September 12, 2011 | By Surur

The Next Web reports that HTC’s Chairwoman Cher Wang has confirmed the company was mulling over purchasing their own operating system.

“We have given it thought and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse,” Wang said in an interview with the Economic Observer of China, via FocusTaiwan.tw.

Recent moved by Google in its purchase of Motorola has created uncertainty amongst Android OEMs, resulting in Samsung moving Bada development into high gear.

The only OS of note that’s currently up for purchase is webOS, which has a significantly damaged brand.

Wang however said there was no urgency to purchase another OS at present, as HTC itself was not dependent on the underlying operating system:

“We can use any OS we want. We are able to make things different from our rivals on the second or third layer of a platform,” Wang said. “Our strength lies in understanding an OS, but it does not mean that we have to produce an OS.”

HTC however continued to express support for the Google purchase of Motorola, saying it was not clear how Google would go forward with managing the company, especially in terms of branding, but that Google did need the patents to protect Android development.

On the back of the rumours of Samsung itself turning towards Bada instead of Windows Phone 7, it suggests Microsoft is not doing enough to position Windows Phone 7 as a viable alternative to counter Google, and that Microsoft’s relationship with Nokia may be seen as negatively by OEMs as Google’s with Motorola.

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Microsoft adds Acer and ViewSonic to its Android licensing program, working its way up to Motorola

September 8, 2011 | By Surur

Microsoft has continued to succeed in its efforts to convince Android OEMs to pay Microsoft for the privilege of using the supposedly open source OS.

Microsoft announced today it was adding Acer and ViewSonic to its licensing program, with the companies joining HTC, Itronix and Velocity Micro. Microsoft is said to be in negotiations with Samsung already, and being close to getting Motorola’s handset imports into USA banned.

Much have been made of Microsoft possible earning more revenue from its Android licensing than from selling Windows Phone 7 licenses, but if the rumour that Google makes $6 from each Android user holds true, Microsoft may be making significantly more than even Google from Android.

Via Engadget.com

Thanks Milad for the tip.

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Google Korea offices raided due to Android anti-trust concerns

September 7, 2011 | By Surur

Google has been accused on multiple occasions of strong-arming their Android partners, despite the OS supposedly being free. Google’s recent move to purchase Motorola also did not go over very well in South Korea, who felt an increased impetus for an independent home-grown OS.

Seemingly in response to this Google’s Korean offices were raided by authorities today, looking for evidence of these practices.

Responding to accusations that they force their services on Android OEMs Google commented:

“Android is an open platform, and carrier and OEM partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android phones. We do not require carriers or manufacturers to include Google Search or Google applications on Android-powered devices.”

“We will work with the KFTC to address any questions they may have about our business,” Google said.

Google also facing anti-trust action in USA, with the Federal Trade Commission also looking into issues of its own.

Via AllthingsD.com

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Mobile YouTube page returns, now much better

September 6, 2011 | By Surur

We posted yesterday about the failure of the mobile YouTube webpage, but it seems that was just a prelude to something much better.

The page has now returned and is better than ever, offering full access to the videos with a much better and cleaner looking UI.

Maybe Google isn’t that evil after all?

Thanks Tee for the tip.

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