Author: Clinton

The official Facebook for Windows Phone app has been updated with a minor release today, bringing performance improvements and other minor fixes to the app.  For those keeping score, it is version 8.3.3.0 and it is available now in the Windows Phone Store.

The majority of the big updates to Facebook for Windows Phone came with v8.3 and the minor dot updates have generally focused on app performance improvements and bug fixes.  What that means is if you are looking for something new & exciting in the app… well, keep looking peeps.  There’s nothing to see here.

That said, the app does seem a bit faster than the previous build in my non-scientific “yep, looks faster” playing with the app this morning.  Likewise, I was not impacted by any issues on the app so what bug fixes are in this update are a bit of a mystery to me.

Facebook for Windows Phone is free and available in the Windows Phone Store now.  You will need a Facebook account in order to use the app.

Facebook for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now

Facebook Messenger for Windows PHone QR

I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing several cases from Noreve over the course of the last couple of years and I’ve yet to be disappointed.  The Saint-Tropez company has advertised themselves as a true couture designer of cases for all types of devices and one touch of their cases and you will know that there is a large dose of truth in their statement.  Noreve cases are not on the low end of the scale in quality or in price.  However I would challenge you to find a higher quality constructed case out there that looks as good as their cases do on your devices.

I’ve had a good relationship with Noreve over the years at AlliOSNews and since coming back into the Windows Phone ranks, I’ve been looking for a quality case for my Lumia 1320.  The folks at Noreve have been kind enough to send me a case for review and having had it now for three weeks, it has yet to come off my phone.  It is stylish and functional, protecting your phone on all sides as you go throughout your day.

This week work wise has been amazingly busy.  Between spending 2 days in continental Europe (including 3 countries in one day!) and then two days at a trade show here in London, I’ve been going non-stop.  But the week has also been an enlightening one on the Windows Phone front for many reasons and it reminded me once again why I love my Lumia 1320 Windows Phone battery life.

There were two things that made me appreciate the battery life of my Lumia 1320 this week:  Tuesday’s 3 country jaunt and two days at a trade show.  Tuesday was, in a word, hell.  I traveled to Lille, France Monday night only to find that my meetings had been cancelled.  A few phone calls later it is decided that I will travel to Liege, Belgium on Tuesday morning to go to another meeting.  So up I am at 5:00 AM on Tuesday, unplug the Windows Phone from charging overnight and off I go.  In all I spent multiple hours on trains (missed a train and had another massively delayed), ate a huge amount of data checking and sending emails, updating files and the like on my 1320 and when my feet finally brought me home at 23:29 on Tuesday night, I still had 8% battery left.  Compare that to my iPhone 5s which was in my bag with me.  It was never connected to data (I turned off roaming) and I didn’t use it throughout the day on Tuesday.  When I got home it had switched off because it had run the battery flat.

Okay, I get it.  The battery in the 1320 is nearly double that of the iPhone 5s.  But seriously, literally not a touch on the iPhone all day and it still goes flat just sat in my bag?  That’s not a feature peeps, I don’t care the size of the battery.  And for comparison, I also had my Lumia 520 with me and it wasn’t touched all day either.  It still had 92% battery life left.

I think part of this , in addition to the massive battery in the 1320, comes down to the battery saving features in Windows Phone when compared to other platforms out there.  It simply does a better job of managing tasks and apps to maximise the battery life of the device while you are on-the-go.  For me, it was the most dramatic example yet of how much better battery life performance is on Windows Phone.

Microsoft has updated all of the MSN apps for Windows Phone today and I have absolutely no clue what changed in any of them 🙂

Every one of the MSN apps for Windows Phone has been updated with a small bump in each of their build numbers.  However, the release notes are non-existent so there is no clear indication of what changed in any of them.  One thing I have noticed is that all of the apps are Universal apps for Windows and Windows Phone – but I could have simply missed that in the past.

If you have automatic app updates enabled then you likely have already received these new updates on your Windows Phone for the apps that you have installed.  If you don’t have automatic updates enabled, go to the Windows Phone Store on your device, go to More>Settings and tap the Check for Updates button to force a check for updates on all of your apps.

Microsoft today announced the availability of its affordable flagship Lumia 830 in the UK, priced from only £24.99 pm.

Features include premium design, PureView imaging for superior picture quality and integrated Microsoft services that work straight out of the box. The affordable Lumia 830 makes high-end innovation available to more people than ever before.

With the ease of use and elegant interface of Windows Phone 8.1, and packing the very best Lumia innovations including Cortana, Wireless Charging, Optical Image Stabilisation and SensorCore into an ultra-sleek package, the Lumia 830 delivers:

• Cortana – your very own personal assistant. She is there to make things easier for you and to make sure that you are always up to date on the things that matter most.
• Incredible image and video quality, day or night – the Lumia 830 captures sharp images with its 10-megapixel PureView
  

  Lumia 830

  camera with ZEISS optics, multi-mic Rich Recording, and Lumia’s thinnest optical image stabilisation system to date.

• The chance to capture expressions and emotions with Living Images that make your photos come alive. These are easy to share on social networks using the integrated Storyteller app.
• The latest software – Windows Phone 8.1 including the new Lumia Denim software enhancements. It means faster and easier connections to everything and everybody that matters most to you.
• Great software like Cortana, Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft Office with Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint for leading productivity on the go, ready installed, straight out of the box!
• A massive 15GB of free OneDrive storage – sync and instantly share pictures and content with friends, family, and colleagues on the go across all your devices. .
• A world of apps including Instagram, Adidas miCoach, Vimeo, and Flipboard – plus apps that sync across devices so you can be always ready to pick up where you left off.
• Great hardware design backed by a powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 processor, featuring quad-core CPUs at 1.2 GHz, for super-fast, smooth web browsing and gaming, all delivered on a beautiful, sharp 5-inch ClearBlack display.
• Inbuilt SensorCore low-power motion sensing which tracks motion and location even while the phone is ‘asleep’ in your pocket – perfect for exercise and exploration – and with apps like Bing Health and Fitness, and Adidas miCoach you can make every step count!
• A large 2200 mAh battery so you can keep going longer and built-in wireless charging adding convenience (wireless charging pads, car kits and audio docks are sold separately).

The Lumia 530 has always been aimed to be a budget Windows Phone and generally retails for $79.99 in the US.  However at T-Mobile you can now get this great little phone for only $69.99 without a contract.  This is a great price for this great little phone.  While the 503 won’t set the world alight with its specifications, it is a good entry level phone that has some great features for those looking for a second Windows Phone or getting into the platform without having to make a massive financial commitment.