Author: Clinton

The Facebook Messenger app for Windows Phone has received an update that brings significant performance improvements along with the ability to message people using their mobile numbers from within the app.  The update, version 9.1.0.0 for those keeping score at home, is the latest evolution in the Messenger app where Facebook wants to be your one-stop shop for messaging friends on the social network as well as those not on it.  The browser war may be over but the messenger war rages on between Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype and others.

Facebook Messenger for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now

I am writing this post, at least the beginning of it, from my Toshiba Encore 2 Windows tablet cruising at 32,000 on my way to Orlando. The first fifteen minutes of this flight where a challenge for no other reason than the inability for Modern Internet Explorer being able to sort out the inflight WiFi service.  The browser kept timing out and failing as I watched others around me quickly and easily get online with their various devices.  That was my indicator that the inflight WiFi was working just fine.  Frustrated, I dropped into Internet Explorer on the desktop.  I was online in 3 minutes.

This experience is all to common when it comes to using Modern apps in Windows 8.1.  They often do not play nice or are so out of date from a feature perspective that they border on being useless.  Modern IE is not alone in this quandary and if Microsoft wants Windows 10 to be successful, the Modern app experience has to improve.

Why would I suggest such a thing when the desktop and Start menu dominate the Windows 10 PC experience? Because it is these modern apps that will be the universal apps across all your devices. And while I have suggested that universal apps alone will not make Windows 10 a success, they will certainly be a part of it.  That means Microsoft themselves and the developer community must – absolutely must – improve not only the performance of Modern apps but the features to bring them inline with the desktop or other platform counterparts.

The recently announced Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL have made their way to the Microsoft Store in the UK and are available for Pre-Order.  In case you missed it, these are the two new Lumias that were announced at Mobile World Congress and are 5″ and 5.7″ mid-range Windows Phones respectively.  The pricing is in line with what was expected.  The Lumia 640 will be about $250 while the larger Lumia 640XL is equal to $325.  Both can be pre-ordered now with a release date of April 28 being posted on the site.

A couple of weeks ago I told you about the new Audible for Windows Phone beta that is out and how even as a beta it is far superior to the current production app that is available.  Over the weekend the app received another update to address some issues but also to add a couple of options.  The updated, version 9.0.1.19 for those keeping score at home, is available now and while I don’t normally suggest you try beta software unless you know what you are getting into, this one is worth the download if you are an Audible customer.

Audible for Windows Phone (BETA) – Free – Download Now

Okay Windows Peeps, time to get in on the Ninja Cat craze and the team over at Windows Central has the ultimate answer.  Now in case you missed it, the Ninja Cat riding a unicorn carrying a Microsoft banner was on some of the Windows 10 team laptops when the Windows 10 for Phone preview launched.  It somewhat took a life of its own and there are even stickers of reported to be running around the Microsoft campus’.  However, for us commoners, this is even better.

First, go here on the Windows Central site and follow the link to order the shirt.  It is $20 (plus shipping of about $3.50) and it will arrive in mid-April.  The minimum required number to order has been met so these will be printed.  And really, how can you NOT want one of these?

[UPDATE] – The Insider Hub now confirms that the Fast Ring will be getting faster with a much more discernable difference in release drops between it and the Slow ring.  If you want a more polished, stable Windows 10 experience then you should move to the Slow ring.  If you want more updates but with likely more bugs/issues, stay in the Fast ring. 

For those in the Windows Insider program waiting for an updated build of Windows 10 Technical Preview, time to start looking towards next week.  Microsoft’s Gabe Aul has just tweeted that there will be no new build released publically today.

No new build today, but we will be posting an announcement in Insider Hub. suggesting people who want lower risk to move to Slow.

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) March 12, 2015

While the news undboutedly comes as a disappointment to many in the program, given that it is Friday it shouldn’t be much of a shock.  As I eluded to earlier today, Microsoft does not tend to release updates on Friday’s (nor does anyone for that matter) because the weekend and generally lower availability of support makes it a bit of a non-starter.  It’s unfortunately on the other hand as the weekend is a good time to do testing and work on Windows 10 for many.

As you can see from the post though, it looks like an announcement to Insiders will be made in the Insider Hub which is part of Windows 10.  As of this writing that post has not been made in the Hub.  That announcement is likely going to circle around the speed of the releases and the increase of speed given Aul’s reference to those wanting lower risk to move to the Slow ring.

My suspicion is that we will see a new build on Tuesday or Thursday of next week.  More news as I get it.