One of the last 1st Generation Windows Phones to get the 7740 update that was released last week has finally started getting the love. The LG Optimus 7, which is aimed at the European markets, has started receiving the 7740 build to solve some Exchange 2003 connectivity issues and other minor voicemail issues in the Windows Phone OS.
If you have an Optimus 7, check your phone or Zune to see if the update has rolled out for you.
With Black Friday just a day away, it is now well past the time for getting prepared. Sure I will be running Black Friday and Cyber Weekend deals here on the site but I know some of you just have to get out there and mingle in the crowds looking for that gift or bargin. If you are one of those who will be up at 4:00 AM – or maybe not go to bed given some stores are opening at Midnight – there is a great built-in tool for you to use on your Windows Phone. Bing!
With the release of Windows Phone 7.5, the Search function (powered by Bing) on the devices become much more powerful. Now Bing includes BIng Vision, which brings you the ability to scan barcodes but also books, DVDs and CDs for reviews. And of course, it is free because every Windows Phone running Mango has it.
To use Bing Vision, just press the Search button on your Windows Phone to open Bing. Next, tap the eye icon at the bottom. Now you can scan a traditional barcode, QR Code or Microsoft Tag and get pricing information about that item. If you hold your phone over a book cover, CD or DVD you will get links to reviews of that item to see if it is something you really want to purchase.
Bing Vision on Windows Phone
There is no doubt as you shop on Black Friday or any other day that Bing Vision can be a real time saver and give you great information and reviews on the products you are interested in buying. If you haven’t tried it out before, take your phone to your bookshelf or find a barcode to scan at home see what Bing Vision can do.
Without question the best flight simulator game for Windows Phone is Infinite Flight. It provides an incredible flying experience and is beautifully designed. Now the developer, Flying Development Studios, has released a major update to the game.
Infinite Flight Screenshot
The new 2.1 update, which is now available in the Marketplace, brings two new aircraft to the game (F/A-18 Hornet and 787-900 Dreamliner) along with a host of improvements, changes and fixes. Here is the complete 2.1 change log:
2.1:
– Added the F/A-18 Hornet
– Added the Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner
– Added more smaller airports in both regions (137 total airports)
– Reworked HUD readability
– Improved physics of jets at high altitude (flight up to FL400+ is now possible)
– Added airport beacon at night, visible from afar.
– Updated airport database (up to date frequencies, runways…)
– Runways surfaces now supported (asphalt, concrete, dirt, mud, dry lakebed…)
– Fixed aircraft shadow issues
– Cleaned up UI to select airport by region
– Tweaked physics of the B747, C17 and A380
– Added virtual cockpit camera for new airplanes
In all there are 11 aircraft you can fly in and around 137 different airports in the San Francisco and Southern California areas. The game is $4.99 and is a healthy 38MB download so you will need to be on WiFi to download it. If you are a flight sim fan (Clinton raises his hand) then you have to give Infinite Flight a try. You won’t be disappointed.
For those who travel, your life is about to get a whole lot easier. GateGuru, the app that gives you information about airports, itinerary management, security line information and a wealth of other things that travelers need, is coming to Windows Phone in the coming weeks.
GateGuru for Windows Phone (Courtesy of TechCrunch)
GateGuru has been on Android and iOS for a while now and this will not only be a welcome addition to Windows Phone, but will substantiate some of the numbers indicating that Windows Phone is rapidly becoming a popular developer platform.
No word yet on when we can expect the app to hit the Marketplace.
WPCentral is reporting that the new Xbox 360 update is expected to drop on your console on December 6th, several weeks ahead of Christmas. Why is this important and what does it have to do with Windows Phone? A lot actually.
The new update will bring the Metro UI to Xbox 360 , giving Windows Phone users a familiar look and feel. It is optimized for Kinect of course and brings a host of new services to the system. One that I’m looking forward to is FoxSports in Australia… so I can watch Footy! (That’s rugby everyone).
Wpcentral has the complete rundown of what to expect on this update