Author: Clinton

Windows Phone fans have been watching over the course of the last few months the slow demise of the Nokia name.  Nobody should be surprised by this given that Nokia is now simply a division of Microsoft but still, there is a bit of nostalgia in the name given many, many of us owned a Nokia branded phone at some point in our lives.  Now the transition is nearly complete with Microsoft announcing today that the Nokia Lumia name will be disappearing from Windows Phones and the new Microsoft Lumia name will begin to be used going forward.  The elimination of the Nokia name doesn’t stop there as Nokia named social network accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram will all be changed from Nokia-whatever to Microsoft-whatever or Lumia-whatever.

The moving away from the Nokia name really started with the rebranding of apps in the Windows Phone store.  Apps like Nokia

Now the Microsoft Lumia 635

Panoramic and Storyteller are now Lumia Panoramic and Storyteller.  That will continue until all the apps are rebranded and any new apps, such as the Lumia Selfie app, will start life branded as Lumia.  But the Microsoft Lumia change is a bit bigger than just eliminating the Nokia name.  This is a fundamental shift in how Microsoft is going to market with their phones.  Indeed it is entirely possible that we will see the name Windows Phone go away in favor of simply Windows as Microsoft tries to convey the one OS for all devices.

All of these changes along with the continual, steady development of Windows Phone as a platform, points to a new sense of direction and optimism for the Little OS That Could.  With the new Cloud and Mobile centric vision that Microsoft has under the leadership of Nadella, it only seems fitting that everything be unified under Microsoft and under Windows.

While it is sad to see the Nokia name nearing its end, it is also a point of excitement for what Microsoft has in store for the Microsoft Lumia devices and Windows Phone platform.

I always debate if I should post these minor update notifications but just in case any of you are impacted by a bug in the code, I feel I should.  So here you go… Microsoft has updated the Music app for Windows Phone with a minor update to address some fixes and improvements in the app.  What are those fixes or improvements?  Haven’t a clue.

The update brings the revision number up to 2.6.347.0 for those keeping score at home (baseball term if you aren’t familiar with it) and the release notes literally say that there are minor fixes and improvements in this build.  There is however no indication as to what exactly is fixed or improved.

What is interesting however is that this is the 3rd update that the app has received in almost as many weeks.  Clearly Microsoft keeps tweaking on this app to improve it – just have no idea what they are trying to improve!

Music for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now

The latest update to the Skype for Windows Phone app has just gone live in the Windows Phone Store and it brings a very cool new doodling feature.  The update, version 2.24.0.111 for those keeping score, brings several new features including the new drawing function.  There is also support for HD screens and improved third-party app access to Skype amongst the new features.

First and foremost with the new app, which is universal for Windows and Windows Phone, is the new drawings function.  Now you can add a drawing to a message by tapping the + icon next to where you normally type then select Share Drawing.  On your Windows PC, Tablet or Windows Phone, draw out your message or picture then send it.  You can also send annotated maps.

Skype for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now

One of the aspects that I loved about iOS was the ability to quickly and easily share my iPhone or iPad display on a projector via a USB or VGA cable.  As one who regularly is showing mobile apps for the day job, it was handy and efficient.  Since moving to Windows Phone I’ve been looking for away to do the same thing it actually was right under my nose the whole time.  In fact, in some ways, it’s a little bit easier.  In this How To I’m going to show you how to project your Windows Phone screen to your Windows PC via a USB cable.  There is no special cable required – your phone’s charging cable will do the trick – and only requires a free download from Microsoft to do it.

For this How To you will need to have a Windows Phone running v8 or v8.1 and a Windows PC running Windows 7, 8 or 8.1.  You will also need your USB-to-MicroUSB charging cable that comes with your Windows Phone.  Finally, you will need the Project My Screen for Windows Phone app from Microsoft which is a free download.

This weekend the Windows world was teased with some great headlines that Microsoft will be launching a Smartwatch or fitness device within the coming weeks.  The source of the report is Forbes which has been a reasonably reliable resource when it comes to rumors and leaks around Microsoft.  The article, which you can read here, goes into a little detail about what is expected and rightfully so points to a mixed bag when it comes to Microsoft’s track record when it comes to launching new devices into the market.

Zune?  Anyone?  Anyone?

But this same article points out what could very well be two key features of this rumored device that will set it apart from the current Android lineup of Smartwatches and from the AppleWatch set to debut next year:  Cross-platform support and greater than one day of battery life.

If you are a Windows Phone user and on Verizon, the last two weeks have been a pretty frustrating experience.  Last week they announced they are retiring the Lumia Icon (Lumia 930) and just yesterday it was widely reported that Verizon will not be stocking the new Lumia 730 until early 2015, almost six months after its release.  It compounds an already poor user experience for Windows Phone owners on Verizon when it comes to updates and really smacks of the platform as being a distant 3rd cousin once removed in the eyes of the company.  It’s sad and frustrating and is part of the daily struggle Windows Phone faces in the US market.