Facebook Messenger for Windows Phone has been updated overnight with performance improvements and a new forwarding feature. It is the latest update in the instant messaging application that is now across multiple platforms including Windows Phone, iOS and Android. The update is available now in the Windows Phone Store. The big new feature is the ability to forward messages to others.
Over the course of the past several months, Microsoft has been slowly and quietly renaming the Nokia apps to the Lumia Apps. This has all ben a part of the absorbing of Nokia as a company into Microsoft. Last week during the Lumia 830 announcement at IFA, this became even clearer as every app mentioned by name was Lumia, like the Lumia Selfie app. Now more and more of what were the Nokia apps are under the Lumia name.
Earlier this week you undoubtedly heard of the iCloud security breach that happened to some well know celebrities. While Twitter and other places lit up with nudie pics of the like of Jennifer Lawerence, there were a lot of people at Apple frantically trying to find the source of the problem. Was it a real breach? Was there an inherent flaw in iCloud where anyone and everyone could be compromised?
The short answer is no. This came down to, at the most basic level, a brute force attack against usernames and passwords. It was the latest in what seems to be a weekly announcement of someone having data security compromised by hackers. The problem of course is that we all have digital data – digital footprints and fingerprints – all over the Internet. From our Facebook account(s) to Twitter to our Banks. Even our identification to remotely access our corporate networks. Nobody is immune but you can protect yourself as best as possible.
Identification security is something we should all be vigilant about whether it is on our smartphones, our PCs or Macs. Security breaches happen at the weakest point so the goal is to make it difficult to discourage but also not so difficult that you yourself are unable to access your data. Here then are a few tips that you should consider when it comes to your personal data security.
The most basic thing you can do in personal data security is use complex passwords. That is, use passwords with a mixture of:
Passwords should also not be associate with any personally identifying information such as:
Complex passwords serve as a strong deterrent for those who would potentially try to gain access to your data. While any password can be compromised with enough time, complex ones point hackers to easier targets.
It has been just over a month since I re-opened the doors of this site and it has been a great month. First, thanks to everyone who has followed and welcomed me back into a community I was very active in from 1999 up until 2012. I really appreciate it. But this post isn’t about me. It’s about Windows Phone. And more specifically it is about how I think Windows Phone is posed for the first time for real greatness in the mobile market. This comes, in large part, to the announcements that the Microsoft/Nokia team made yesterday and IFA in Berlin. With three new Windows Phone’s announced – Lumia 830, Lumia 735 and Lumia 730, along with a slew of apps and accessories, yesterday was a banner day for the platform in many ways.
My attention over the past 24 hours though has been drawn to the Lumia 830. Could it be the single device that takes Windows Phone more mainstream? Equally, it is clear that (more important than me, the idiot with the microphone) Microsoft thinks that it is the device that will take them to the next level given their direct challenges to Apple and Samsung in their keynote. Looking at the specs, it’s hard to argue. In fact I won’t. I agree wholeheartedly.
The New York Times Crossword app has been released for both Windows Phone and Surface, bringing perhaps the most well known and popular daily crossword to your devices. It is the perfect way to take on the challenge of the crossword game, which began publishing in 1942, with you on-the-go and you can do it completely free.
The new app brings you both a daily mini puzzle (for Windows Phone) then the published crossword for the day. You can play either one of these completely free without a subscription to The New York Times and in fact can play the previous 7 days of puzzles for free. If you want to go back further, up to a year on the device and 20 years on the web, you will need a subscription to the service.
The New York Times Crossword for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now
On the Nokia YouTube channel, the company has posted two new Lumia 830 videos for your viewing enjoyment. The two videos, both found after the break, highlight the features, style and design of the 830 which was announced today in Berlin.
Having watched both videos a couple of times, I have to say I’m quite excited about this new Lumia.
Jump past the break to see the two videos.
This morning at IFA in Berlin, Microsoft has been busy. They have announced several new things including the all new Lumia 830 Windows Phone. A slim 5″ display device, the Lumia 830 comes packed with features including an impressive 10MP PureView camera and wireless charging. The 830 is the successor to the 820 and is expected to ship later this month for around €330 or $430. While the 820 was never a world beater, Microsoft certainly is aiming the 830 to be with a good mix of advanced features without the massive high end price tag.
As I’ve continued the process of getting myself back into the swing of things in the Windows Phone world, there has been one aspect that has puzzled me. WiFi Sense? What is it? What does it do exactly? I asked around to some colleagues who use Windows Phone and generally got the answer “it’s what allows you to use WiFi networks”.
Well technically yes, that’s correct. It does allow you to use wireless networks but it is not required for WiFi access. In fact you can completely disable WiFi Sense and gain access to a wireless network. The ability to turn WiFi on and off is wholly separate from WiFi Sense.
So what is it then? Think of it as crowdsourcing for WiFi networks. It allows your Windows Phone to collect wireless network information about a network you have joined, and share that information with your friends. But it also allows you to quickly and easily enter credentials required to get onto a wireless network. It is a handy little app and one that is built into Windows Phone.