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Bing and Cortana will make it easier to research your school papers
Microsoft might just give you a little help finishing your next term paper. The company is integrating academic data into Bing and services that use it, like Cortana in Windows Phone 8.1. When the upgrade hits in the fall, you should have an easier time tracking down articles on given subjects, finding an author's other works or following news from a conference. Importantly, you won't have to visit a separate page to see academic info front and center, as you do with Google Scholar. If all goes well, you'll have the luxury of starting research on a big report from your Windows Phone; just don't expect Cortana to bail you out hours before the due date.
Some new Windows Phones won't let you change your web search provider
If you're picking up a shiny new Lumia 630 or 930 in the near future, you may be in for an unwelcome surprise. The Verge has discovered that at least some unlocked versions of either Windows Phone won't let you switch Internet Explorer's default search provider to Google; it's either Bing or nothing. Some European models of the same phones do let you change the provider, though, so this clearly isn't a platform-wide policy. We've asked Microsoft if it can share more about what's going on, and we'll let you know if it has more to add. The move likely won't cause that much consternation given that many Windows Phone users are inclined to use Bing, but it's bad news if you like to use Google services on Microsoft platforms.
BlackBerry opens BBM for Windows Phone beta
"We've gotten an incredible number of requests for BBM to come to Windows Phone," BlackBerry proclaimed in its post announcing BBM for Windows Phone beta today. Whether that means 10 or 10,000 of you have been begging for the service is unclear, but either way, it's just about here. You'll get the usual list of features, such as individual and group chats, contacts and feeds, albeit with a refreshed Windows Phone-esque UI. BBM Voice, Channels and Glympse location sharing won't be available initially, however. You can sign up for access to the limited beta today, or wait for BlackBerry to open up access to everyone within the next few weeks.
Microsoft's Video Tuner outfits Windows Phone 8.1 with easy clip editing
Windows Phone 8.1 users have been rather strapped when it comes to video editing apps straight from HQ, but now Microsoft is looking to lend a hand. With Video Tuner, Redmond serves up a new app that wrangles smartphone clips with the ability to apply filters, add music (non-DRM protected MP3s, natch) and apply a range of corrective adjustments -- including speed tweaks. As you might expect, once the finished product is ready, footage can be broadcast directly to various social channels, with the exception of Vine. The software can save videos in the proper format for Twitter's video stream, but there's no direct sharing at this time. Video Tuner supports MP4 files and allows editing of video captured from the same device on which it is installed. You'll need a Lumia handset running Windows Phone 8.1 to nab up the new offering, but it's already available free of charge from Microsoft's app repository for those who qualify.
T-Mobile will sell the US' first Windows Phone 8.1 device on July 5th for as little as $99
If you've been waiting for a US-friendly device that ships with Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box, you can stop twiddling your thumbs. T-Mobile is launching Nokia's Lumia 635 (aka the Lumia 630 with LTE) this month for $99 up front at MetroPCS, or $7 per month ($168 total) on a T-Mobile installment plan -- not bad for a phone with Cortana and other features that aren't officially available elsewhere right now. Just when you'll get this spiritual successor to the Lumia 521 will depend on how you like to shop. Your first chance to buy the 635 is on July 5th, when you can tune into the Home Shopping Network to get one on a prepaid Simple Choice plan. After that, you'll have to wait until July 9th to order it online, or July 16th (the 18th for MetroPCS) to find it in a store. It's not the Lumia 930 that many power users crave, but it may fit the bill if you're looking for the cheapest way to get into Microsoft's latest mobile ecosystem.
Microsoft hints that Windows Phone will soon let you put apps in folders
Windows Phone already lets you store apps in Start screen folders, but it's a bit of a hack -- you have to use Nokia App Folder to get the feature in the first place, and you're really just opening one app to launch another. Microsoft might be near fixing that discrepancy, though. The company has posted instructions (since pulled) hinting that a future revision of Windows Phone 8.1 will include native folder support. Much like iOS and some flavors of Android, you'll only have to drag tiles on top of each other to make folders and tidy up your home page.
Pinterest reaches Windows Phone, with some caveats
Microsoft has made some giant strides in getting big social networks to hop aboard the Windows Phone bandwagon, but Pinterest has long been a no-show. Today, though, that changes: Pinterest has at last released an official beta app for its collection-themed service. You can do most anything you'd do on the company's mobile website, whether it's planning for a car restoration or making an itinerary for your next trip.
Microsoft's next big Windows Phone may use Kinect-like motion gestures
Yes, the Lumia 930 and 1520 are fine Windows Phones, but where's the sequel to the fan favorite, the 1020? Apparently, it's coming -- and it's bringing a clever control scheme along for the ride. Sources for both WPCentral and The Verge claim that Microsoft's future Lumia hardware, nicknamed McLaren, will incorporate both a giant camera and "3D Touch" that uses motion gestures (some of them Kinect-like) to control the phone without poking at the screen. We've seen some of the rumored concepts elsewhere; you can cover the phone to mute it, or bring it to your ear to answer. Others, however, are unique. McLaren will reportedly react to your grip, and will let you see features 'hidden' inside a Live Tile (such as messaging in the Facebook app) by making a tapping motion that doesn't touch the glass.
Her name is Cortana. Her attitude is almost human.
She was modeled after real-life personal assistants. She is the product of two years of work, and a large team of scientists and product managers. She has video game origins. She is Microsoft's response to Siri and Google Now. She is Artificial Intelligence and proud of it. She is Cortana.
WhatsApp returns to Windows Phone with new features in tow
Windows Phone users worried that Whatsapp's devs might be enjoying their Facebook money too much to fix the app can now rest easy. Whatsapp is now back on the Windows Phone Store after a couple of weeks' absence, and it even comes with new features, including chat backgrounds, better privacy settings and the ability to customize notification tones. Its devs pulled the app from the store after a lot of users reported having serious issues with update 3 for Windows Phone 8 that permanently disabled notifications or caused persistent errors. Just as Microsoft's Windows Phone guy Joe Belfiore promised on Twitter, though, Whatsapp's back and ready for more cross-platform messaging. [Image credit: Luis/Flickr] [Thanks, Manthan]
Windows Phone now lets you browse your files
You no longer have to go searching app-by-app to find a buried file on your Windows Phone. Right on schedule, Microsoft has released its Files app; if you're running Windows Phone 8.1, you can now dig through folders to open and manipulate documents stored anywhere on your device. The interface won't compare to what you get on your PC, but it should be useful for offloading photos to an SD card or deleteing videos that are chewing up space. If you're already running Microsoft's latest and greatest mobile OS, you only have to swing by the Windows Phone Store to give the file browser a spin.
Spotify finally adds Android and iOS staples to its Windows Phone app
Windows Phone users sometimes get left behind when it comes to new apps and freshly updated software. Unfortunately, Spotify is no exception. Today, the music streaming service finally added three core features to the WP offering that have long been key pieces for Android and iOS -- ones that it promised back in February, in fact. Browse, Discover and Radio sections are now included in version 3.0, allowing you to hunt for tracks by mood, easily access new releases, create Pandora-like stations and more, all from the comfort of your handset's touchscreen. In addition to the add-ons, a tweaked interface is the app's first since it launched back in 2011, but it's still a far cry from the new coat of paint that's been applied elsewhere. Let's hope this bit of attention paid to Windows Phone is a sign of things to come, especially in terms of adding the service's new features as they arrive.
Smartphones for hire: Which personal assistant is right for you?
"Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding." This isn't a standard job interview answer, but then again, "What does the fox say?" isn't a typical question, either. The top three smartphone platforms now feature fully functional personal assistants, and just like real-life assistants, it's not so easy to pick one at random. Each has its own talents, weaknesses and personality quirks to consider. So, I conducted a series of "interviews" with Siri, Google Now and Cortana to get to know them better -- and yes, they all know exactly what the fox says.
Soon, you'll be able to browse files on your Windows Phone
Windows Phone's latest update added a lot of features that we've been waiting years for, such as a virtual assistant and notification menu, but a file manager is still notably missing. In a Reddit "Ask me Anything," Microsoft's Joe Belfiore announced that his team is working on having one ready in the Windows Phone Store hopefully by the end of the month, and even had screenshots to prove that it's pretty close to becoming final (shown below). Of course, Microsoft's OS isn't the only one that's mysteriously neglected this particular feature: iOS and stock Android don't have a dedicated file system, either (unless you count third-party apps), so this is a good opportunity for Windows Phone to set itself apart from one of its larger competitors.
Windows Phone 8.1's new apps let you make reading lists and bite-sized movies
The perks for Windows Phone 8.1's early users just keep on coming. Microsoft has posted versions of two desktop Windows 8.1 apps, Movie Moments and Reading List, that are built solely for its new mobile OS. Reading List is arguably the bigger of the two releases -- you can now save articles on your Windows Phone to digest them later on any synced device, whether it's the handset or your PC at home. Like its full-size counterpart, the mobile app both highlights articles in its Live Tile and lets you pin favorite reading categories to your home screen.
Windows Phone thrives in Europe, but struggles in China and the US
Microsoft's quest for smartphone market share is hitting a few roadblocks, it seems. Kantar estimates that Windows Phone is still gaining ground in Europe, where it's up year-over-year to 8.1 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2014. However, it's taking a bruising in other areas. In the US, Windows swung from increases this fall to a slight dip in the winter; while it's still doing relatively well at 5.3 percent of US share, it's not posing much of a threat to Android or iOS right now. The platform also took a drubbing in China, where its share was nearly cut in half to exactly one percent thanks to the rise of budget Android handsets.
Windows Phone's music app now lets you start playlists using your voice
When the Windows Phone 8.1 preview rolled out, its music app was underwhelming; you couldn't use Cortana voice commands for everything, and it was fairly buggy. Both of those gripes are gone now that Microsoft has updated the music client with its latest mobile OS in mind. You can now use voice to do most anything, including starting playlists by name; you no longer have to go hunting for that collection of hot summer jams. Problems with unexpected black screens should also be gone, and interface transitions should be smoother across the board.
Microsoft offers a peek at Remote Desktop to Windows Phone 8.1 users
Microsoft promised that it would put out a Remote Desktop app for Windows Phone, and it's making good on its word -- provided you're an early adopter, anyway. The company has released a Remote Desktop Preview that requires Windows Phone 8.1 (which itself is considered a preview) just to run. If all the stars align, though, you'll get fairly advanced remote PC access that lets you perform Windows 8's multi-touch gestures and stream "high quality" media. The folks in Redmond haven't said when the finished app will arrive, but we wouldn't be surprised if it launches after Windows Phone 8.1 rolls out in earnest.
Twitter's new Windows Phone beta ties into your photo collection
A handful of those eager to install the Windows Phone 8.1 preview just got an additional perk for being early adopters. NokiaNewsIreland has discovered an unannounced (and now unavailable) open beta for Twitter's Windows Phone 8.1 app that makes much better use of Microsoft's mobile OS than the regular client. For a start, it now ties into the Photos Hub -- it's now easy to browse the pictures you've tweeted, even if they didn't come from your phone.
Buy Halo: Spartan Assault on one Windows 8 device and kill Covenant on the others you own
One of the big promises that came out of Microsoft's Build conference this year were apps that'd work across a number of Windows devices with a single purchase, and Redmond is using Halo to lead that charge. The first group of applications includes Halo: Spartan Assault and Skulls of the Shogun, both of which recently made the conversion to universal games -- making them playable across Windows Phone, Windows 8 and RT devices for one price. If you'd rather not pay for your entertainment, though, Microsoft also converted the likes of Wordament, Minesweeper and Hexic too. However, as Windows Phone Central notes, buying the universal version of Skulls doesn't grant access to the Xbox 360 version, nor does Spartan Assault's universal purchase unlock the Xbox 360 or Xbox One versions. Given that the Xbox division is still pretty separate from everything else though, that isn't exactly surprising.
