All About Windows: News & Discussions


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Nokia just started rolling out the Lumia Black update for the Lumia 925 and 1020, with the other devices following soon after. The update is meant to include the following improvements:

App Folder. This brand new feature makes your Lumia experience even more fluid by giving you an option to further personalize and organize your Start screen. With App folders you can group similar apps and settings into one folder, a tile, on your Start screen.
Nokia Glance screen 2.0. Helps you keep track of information in real time, making all your most important notifications including: phone, messages, email, outlook, calendar, or any apps that use notifications such as Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, or games; always visible at a glance on your screen. It saves time and energy.
Bluetooth LE. Will now be enabled across the full Windows Phone 8 Lumia range for compatible gadgets like the Adidas MiCoach smart run watch.
Nokia Refocus. The amazing Nokia Refocus comes to all Windows Phone 8 Lumia smartphones with 1GB of RAM and upwards.
Nokia Beamer. Sharing what’s on your phone is easier than ever with Nokia Beamer. You can now beam documents, presentations, anything you like, to any HTML5-enabled screen by simply scanning a QR code on the screen. It’s coming to all of the phones with 1GB RAM upwards.
Nokia Storyteller. The app arranges your photos for you, by date and by place, making it easier to tell the stories behind your pictures, and give extra context through the close integration of interactive maps.
Nokia Camera. Combines Nokia Pro Camera and Smart Camera to simplify the photo-taking experience, and ensure you get the perfect shot every time. The app has been available for Lumia PureView smartphones since last year, but it’s now coming to the rest of the WP8 Lumia range. The latest Nokia Camera update also brings raw DNG support for Lumia 1020 owners.
Latest generation of imaging algorithms. The Lumia Black update further improves the image quality, especially in Lumia 1020. Among others, the improvements include a new oversampling algorithm, making your images more natural looking with reduced noise, while ensuring your photos remain wonderfully sharp.
The Lumia Black update also brings a series of enhancements from Microsoft to Nokia Lumia smartphones. These include safe driving mode – which cuts out unnecessary distractions when you’re on the road; customized ringtones for each contact. You can now also close apps within the in multitasking view and lock the screen rotation if you wish.
To update your phone you have to check “software updates” in the settings. If your phone does not show any updates do not worry; the update is rolling out in periods and it won’t take long until you will get it.

Nokia rolling out Lumia Black update to the Nokia Lumia 925 and 1020 | WMPoweruser
 
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Yesterday night got the " black " update on my wife's Lumia 925 . In the many features the best is having notification icons on the glance screen itself .
 
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Microsoft to pay Samsung, Sony, Huawei to make Windows Phone 8 devices: Report

It's been over three years since Microsoft introduced its Windows Phone OS for mobile devices, but the company has managed to garner little success in relation to years it has spent in the mobile OS battle. But now it seems that Microsoft has decided to bait OEMs to gain a decent share in the mobile market.
According to Russian mobile blogger and industry insider Eldar Murtazin, Microsoft will use its cash reserves to entice companies to make devices running Windows Phone. Eldar Murtazin, in a tweet, said that Microsoft will pay $1.2 billion to Samsung, $500 million to Sony, $600 million to Huawei and $300 million each to several other partners.
Reportedly, that sum that Microsoft will pay will be classified as "support" payments to the tech majors.

Microsoft to pay Samsung, Sony, Huawei to make Windows Phone 8 devices: Report
 
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Long time industry pundit Eldar recently claimed Microsoft is paying around $2.6 billion to smartphone OEMs to release Windows Phone handsets.

He wrote:

Windows phone 8 in 2014 – Samsung 1.2 bln USD, Sony 0.5 bln, Huawei 0.6 bln, others – 0.3 bln. Thats “support” from MS to develop one (1!)hs
The numbers are rather large, which is likely what prompted Microsoft’s head of corporate communications to tweet:

reality check. Do we do co-marketing with partners? You bet! But these numbers are complete fiction!

Eldar’s numbers do have the quality of being pulled from his nether region, and I suspect besides making actual payments Microsoft is making lots of contributions by offering discounts on items like Android and Windows/Windows Phone licensing, with little money actually changing hands.

It is interesting however how widely these numbers were accepted without any proof at all. It seems difficult for the industry to believe an OEM would actually want to make a handset other than one running Android, which from the profusion of handset announcements running alternate operating systems like Firefox OS we know is not true.
Microsoft calls $2.6 Billion number “complete fiction” | WMPoweruser
 
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Microsoft Reports Record Quarterly Revenues of $24.52 Billion | Paul Thurrotts WinInfo content from Windows IT Pro

So much for that PC slump: Microsoft delivered stunning financial results for the final quarter of 2013, earning a net income of $6.56 billion on record revenues of $24.52 billion. The firm credited its Devices & Consumer segment—responsible for Surface—and its business offerings for the gains.

"Our Commercial segment continues to outpace the overall market, and our Devices and Consumer segment had a great holiday quarter," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a prepared statement. "The investments we are making in devices and services that deliver high-value experiences to our customers, and the work we are doing with our partners, are driving strong results and positioning us well for long-term growth."

According to Microsoft, its Surface business came on strong during the quarter, though it declined to provide unit sales numbers. Instead, it noted that Surface revenue more than doubled sequentially, from $400 million in the first quarter to $893 million in the second quarter. Of course, that's not even remotely telling: Microsoft delivered two new Surface models in Q4, and it never reported Surface revenues in the year-ago quarter.

Windows revenues, amazingly, were down only 3 percent (year over year), thanks largely to softness in the consumer PC market. But "Windows OEM Pro revenue"—a curious new metric—was up 12 percent.

Microsoft also said that it sold 3.9 million Xbox One consoles and 3.5 million Xbox 360 consoles "into the retail channel" in Q4, meaning to retail stores and distributors. The firm had previously revealed that it sold over 3 million Xbox Ones to consumers by the end of 2013.
 
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Saw the Lumia Black update briefly on a friend's 625. My 720 will take some time to get its update since it is based on thailand firmware and it takes longer to get it approved there. happened same for amber update.
 
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Micromax fan site MMXNewscaster has just tweeted that “Micromax’s first Windows Phone (is) to be out soon.”

That Micromax is making a Windows Phone is not news, with the company’s CEO Rahul Sharma saying in October that they handset will be available in the middle if 2014.

With the handset expected “soon” we may see the smartphone announced at Mobile World Congress with the rest of their 2014 collection.

Micromax is well known for their great value handsets, and due to this have more than 20% of the Indian smartphone market.

Micromax’s first Windows Phone out “soon” | WMPoweruser
 

350Z

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Lumia 525 will launch next month and will be in your budget , dual core with 1 gb of ram
May I know your budget please? FYI, 525 and 1320 are coming soon in January and they're not to be ignored if it fits in your budget.
I am tilting towards the Lumia 525. What are initial reviews in case anyone out here checked it? Any worth considering alternatives (regardless of OS) in similar range?

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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