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Meat your match with this Tinder-swiping steak
Dating apps are often characterized as 21st century "meat markets" and, thanks to this Dutch art installation, Tinder's getting uncomfortably close the real thing. The piece, appropriately called Tender, was built by four students at Leiden University in the Netherland. It's scheduled to debut at the Habitat art exhibition at Radion Amsterdam next weekend. But don't worry about getting hooked up with cold cuts, the app is actually a Tinder knockoff called 6Tin and that's an instant dealbreaker. [Image Credit: The Ministry of Gifs]
LG's first Windows phone in ages is a budget model for Verizon
LG hasn't really done much to support Windows Phone as of late (despite promises to the contrary), but it's making amends for that today. Verizon has announced the previously leaked LG Lancet, a Windows Phone 8.1 device (LG's first, in fact) for the budget crowd. The hardware won't blow you away between the 4.5-inch display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera, 0.3-megapixel front camera and 8GB of expandable storage. However, it does have a few aces up its sleeve.
Windows 10 phone preview tests out universal Office, Xbox apps
Microsoft's latest preview version of Windows 10 for phones is here and whether you prefer work or play -- or non-Lumia Windows phones -- it has something new to offer. This is the first one ready to test out the new Universal Office apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote) that are built to run across PCs, phones and tablets alike. Control them via touch, pen, keyboard -- whatever you have they're ready to do business. This access arrives because build 10080 is also the first with a beta version of the new Windows Store. It's a universal app too (notice a theme here?) with a new look, but there are some known issues and the old Store app is still there in case you need to fall back on it. Microsoft announced that it would bring carrier billing for all with the new app and while that's still on the way, it's not enabled yet.
Microsoft's super-stable video recording arrives on PCs and phones
Microsoft's Hyperlapse is now more than just a clever idea in a research lab -- the folks in Redmond have released apps that help you record and produce super-stabilized videos on Android (in preview form), Windows and Windows Phone. Much like Instagram's software, the algorithmic tools whittle down your shaky footage into high-speed, smooth clips that your friends are more likely to watch. The big differences are in the amount of control you get. You can zip beyond Instagram's 6x speed limit, for example, and the desktop app (Hyperlapse Pro) uses 3D modelling to steady the footage from GoPros and other common action cameras.
Microsoft is reportedly making high-end Windows phones again
One of the biggest gripes among Windows phone devotees is a lack of high-powered devices as of late. How are you supposed to be a hardcore fan when most of the lineup is downright basic? At last, though, Microsoft appears to be catering to that need for speed. Both Unleash the Phones and The Verge understand that the Redmond crew is working on two range-topping Windows 10 phones, nicknamed Cityman and Talkman in a nod to Nokia's early handsets. They'd both be powerhouses with Quad HD screens, 3GB of RAM, 20-megapixel rear cameras, 5-megapixel front shooters and 32GB of expandable storage. It'd really boil down to your preference of screen size. The Talkman would be the mid-size model with a 5.2-inch display and a six-core processor (likely the LG G4's Snapdragon 808), while the Cityman would up the ante with a 5.7-inch screen and an eight-core (possibly Snapdragon 810) chip.
Windows 10 design lead explains what's changed (and what hasn't)
Albert Shum, the design team lead for Microsoft's OS team, has outlined through some of the decisions made in its new OS. He reiterates that - especially now Windows 10 is out in the open - the work here isn't yet done, with the blog post focusing on where the team's received the most.. "feedback", including the new menu options found on mobile iterations.
Your Windows 10 phone is a tiny desktop computer with Continuum
Microsoft just demoed its 2-in-1 Continuum feature on a Windows 10 phone giving the mobile device the ability to become a really tiny desktop computer. Continuum adjusts the UI of Windows 10 on a device from desktop to tablet mode based on what's plugged into it. If you plug a keyboard and mouse into a tablet or phone, it goes into desktop mode. When those are unplugged, a pop-up asks if you want to enter tablet mode with touch input. Desktop mode includes the Start Menu and Taskbar you usually associate with a full-size computer. For anyone that travels who would like to pare down the devices they pack, this is great. Corporate Vice President of the Operating Systems Group Joe Belfiore did note that phones would need a hardware upgrade to fully implement the feature.
Carrier billing is coming to all Windows devices
Wish you could put that Windows app purchase on your phone bill rather than rack up a separate charge? Microsoft just made your day. It's bringing carrier billing to all Windows devices, so you only have to make one payment to cover everything. There are 90 providers involved, too, so there's a very good chance that your network of choice is eligible. The move is welcome, if not totally surprising. When Windows 10 focuses heavily on universal apps that run on both phones and PCs, it only makes sense to pay through your carrier on whichever hardware you use.
'Minecraft' finally has a free girl character
Lots of girls play Minecraft, but you wouldn't know it from the default character options. Unless you've been willing to pay up or install a mod, your only real choice so far has been Steve, the game's male mascot. At last, though, things are opening up -- Mojang is giving builders the choice of a free girl character, Alex. She's been around before as a randomly assigned character in the computer version, but the move will help female players on all platforms sculpt their dream worlds using a character they can identify with. PlayStation and Xbox gamers will get Alex as of April 29th, while mobile users playing the Pocket Edition should see her this summer.
Microsoft's Health app won't need a tracker to get your fitness data
When Microsoft said its Health platform was open to everyone, it wasn't kidding around. The company has revealed that its mobile Health app will soon get step counts and calorie burns from the sensors built into your phone -- you won't need a Band (or any wearable tracker, for that matter) to put fitness data in Microsoft's cloud. The update is due for Android, iOS and Windows Phone in the "coming weeks." Don't worry if you do like the Band, though, as it has a few upgrades in store as well.
Microsoft's Cortana comes to Android through a hack
Microsoft is already poised to bring Windows' Cortana voice assistant to other platforms, but the duo behind the OrangeSec team isn't willing to wait that long. They've developed and shown off Portaña, a simple Android adaptation of Cortana that uses a proxy to talk to Microsoft's servers. While it's nowhere near a complete recreation of the official software (you have to speak in Italian, for one thing), it does work -- you can ask a question and expect an answer back. Portaña is sadly likely to remain in a rough state as is, though, so you'll want to tinker the source code if you just have to speak to the Halo-inspired helper before there's an official solution.
LG is building a Windows phone for Verizon
LG pledged continuing support for Windows phones over a year ago. As you may have noticed, though, its actual support since then has been... less than enthusiastic. That could be changing shortly, as Neowin claims to have an image of a Windows-powered LG phone for Verizon. There's precious little revealed by the picture, but the tile sizes, interface and generic design suggest that it's a mid-size, budget-oriented Windows Phone 8.1 device -- sorry, you'll probably have to keep waiting if you want a giant Windows 10 flagship. If this image is accurate, though, you can probably expect to see this device on shelves before Microsoft's newest operating system arrives later in the year.
Vine remembers it has a Windows Phone app, finally updates it
When Vine revealed its newfound HD ambitions last week, your author wondered out loud whether the company's long-in-the-tooth Windows Phone app was ever going to get an update again. Well, the answer is a pretty definitive yes: Vine pushed out the update earlier today, and with it comes a new look, support for Vine messaging and the ability to import videos straight from your camera. (Oh, and for those keeping count, the last time Vine updated the app was over a year ago. Seriously.)
Apple lets you trade in some of its rivals' smartphones
Yes, the rumors of Apple expanding its trade-in program were true -- the company's stores (both online and retail) are now willing to take your competing smartphone in return for credit toward a new iPhone. If you live in Canada, France, Italy, the UK or the US, you can trade in certain Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices (the BlackBerry Z10, Lumia 1020 and Nexus 5 are among the examples). We can't imagine that you'll be too eager to use this option -- you may either remain loyal to a platform, or can find a buyer who'll offer more -- but it could be useful if you're determined to ditch an old phone in an eco-friendly way. Just be sure to call if you're going to try this soon. We've reached out to a number of stores, and only a few were aware that non-iPhone trade-ins were live. It could take some time before every store is up to speed. Photo by Will Lipman.
Microsoft's Lumia 430 is the cheapest route to Windows 10
If your budget is tight but you still want the new notifications and other stuff coming with Windows 10, Microsoft has your back -- depending on where you live. It just revealed the 4-inch Lumia 430 Dual SIM model that's Windows 10-ready for around 70 bucks. For such a price, you'll get about what you'd expect: a WVGA display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 CPU, 8GB of upgradeable storage and a 1,500 mAh battery. Unfortunately, the biggest compromise is with the cameras: it has a meager 2-megapixel front/0.3-megapixel shooters that will make for passable selfies and not much else.
Lenovo's long-promised Windows Phone might actually arrive
Like a dozing teenager promising to take out the trash, Lenovo's been pledging to build a Windows Phone handset since November 2011. Microsoft, like a patient parent trying to motivate its offspring, has now tried to inspire its partner by giving Lenovo a very public deadline. In a post on the Microsoft Blog, Terry Myerson has revealed that Lenovo will launch its first Windows Phone handset by the mid-year of 2015. The one-line announcement was buried deep in a story about Windows 10 upgrades, but there's a sting in the tail for expectant westerners. Unfortunately, the devices will only be available on China Mobile, but we can always hope that Motorola might see what its new owner is doing and take the hint. [Image Credit: Microsoft China]
This Windows Phone Pebble app isn't available for long
The Pebble Time may have broke $1 million in Kickstarter pledges at a record-setting pace, but it likely didn't do that with much help from Windows Phone users. The wearable lacks an official first-party app for Redmond's handsets, but Microsoft apparently developed a demo internally to show the smartwatch company how Pebble might work within its ecosystem. You can download that from Windows Central right this moment, but there's a catch -- it'll only be up for 48 hours. Past that? Where else it could appear is up to the internet, really.
Apple now ships more smartphones than Samsung, if you ask Gartner
When we last checked in on the battle for the top spot in the smartphone market, Apple and Samsung were neck and neck. If you ask Gartner, though, it isn't quite so evenly matched. The analyst group estimates that Apple managed to edge past Samsung in the fourth quarter of 2014, shipping 74.8 million phones to Samsung's 73 million. That isn't exactly a cavernous gap, but it's been a long time since any research firm unambiguously declared Apple the biggest vendor -- over three years, if you're wondering. Having said this, the changing of the guard isn't completely surprising. Apple had two brand new iPhones in the fall to goose its sales, while Samsung was grappling with both surging Chinese competitors (including chart rivals Lenovo, Huawei and Xiaomi) and a flagship phone that was getting long in the tooth.
This is how Microsoft will unite your Windows 10 devices
Microsoft's big promise with Windows 10 is its ability to run apps across the entire platform. The framework for these universal apps hasn't been described in much detail, but a post on the Windows Blog gives a bit more insight under the hood. Redmond's calling these "mobile experiences," meaning apps you can use across a variety of different devices; the software is mobile, not the gizmo you're using it on. Cortana moving from smartphone to desktop and the Xbox One's Game DVR tool being available on your gaming PC are but a few examples. The idea is to offer a set of standards across the Windows 10 platform so everything remains familiar regardless of what piece of hardware you're accessing the application from. That means everything should have, in Microsoft's words, an adaptive user experience with natural inputs; calls for cloud-based services including Cortana integration and the action center and one design language across the board.
Microsoft will soon help you find friends with Windows phones
It's fairly easy to locate friends and family if you have an Android or iOS device, but finding your pals with a Windows phone? Not so much, unless you come across the right third-party apps. That may not be a big challenge for much longer. Spanish site Microsoft Place has detailed an as yet unreleased service, People Sense, that will let you share and track locations with other Windows phone owners. The basic concept is familiar if you've seen Apple's Find My Friends, but there's a stronger emphasis on reaching out -- you can call or message contacts in-app, and even get directions if you'd like to meet face to face. People Sense is still in private beta testing (it's listed as "Buddy Aware" at the moment) and has no clear release date, but it won't be surprising if the software plays a role in Windows 10.
