Xbox Companion App for Windows Phone Gets Minor Update
Last Updated on Monday, 14 May 2012 11:32 Written by Alan Monday, 14 May 2012 11:32
Today Microsoft pushed out a new update, version 1.2, of the Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone. First released back in 2011, the Xbox app brings console controls to your mobile handset, allowing users to search for movies, TV shows, music, and games. You can then use your Windows Phone as a remote control for the Xbox to play all of that media.
Microsoft has not posted a change log for the update so it’s not clear what is new, but since nothing is obvious, we can only assume the changes are behind the scenes, likely bug fixes and security updates. Unfortunately there are no cool new features present in this update, but maybe these fixes are in advance of one that is coming.
The Xbox Companion app is available for free download from the Windows Phone Marketplace. The app requires both an Xbox (obviously) and an Xbox Live account. Membership in Xbox Live is available for free, or you can get either a Gold account for $5 per month or a Family Pack for $8.33 per month (billed annually)
Siri Likes the Nokia Lumia 900 Best
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 May 2012 09:24 Written by Alan Thursday, 10 May 2012 09:24
Windows Phone may still be a long ways behind in market share, but their customer satisfaction rating is through the roof. In fact they are the number one rated mobile platform on Amazon. It seems those high marks haven’t gone unnoticed, even by Apple. An iPhone screenshot recently surfaced showing that Siri now rates the Nokia Lumia 900 as “the best cell phone ever” – specifically, the cyan version is Siri’s favorite.
Answers given by Siri are not programmed by Apple, but are the results of the analytical search engine Wolfram Alpha. In other words, the results are genuine.
The Lumia 900 is currently available only on AT&T in the U.S., and also on many other carriers around the world. It’s currently the best value for a top-of-the-line smartphone on the market. It’s available in black, white, and cyan.
Source: WMPoweruser
“Smoked by Windows Phone” By the Numbers
Last Updated on Tuesday, 8 May 2012 11:12 Written by Alan Tuesday, 8 May 2012 11:12
Today Ben “The PC Guy” Rudolph, the Microsoft Windows Phone guru, posted some numbers from his / the company’s recent “Smoked by Windows Phone” campaign. He posted some real numbers showing just how successful this campaign has been and they also illustrate what amounts to a landslide victory. Microsoft has been accused of choosing the challenge based on known weaknesses in the device that is challenging them, but the statistics are overwhelming enough to push those accusations aside.
Consider this: the challenge has taken on 50,000 opposing handsets and 98% of those contests were won by Windows Phone. Beyond that, “Smoked by Windows Phone” videos have been viewed more than 8 million times, and appear in two top five lists on YouTube, and it’s estimated that the total number of “participants” who took part, viewed, or read about the challenge probably tops one hundred million. Finally, the contest has been run in 36 different countries.
In Ben’s blog post he goes on to fill everyone in on some new Windows Phones ads that are on their way.
“Why stop there if things are going so well? Today we’re introducing a new set of Smoked by Windows Phone ads that you’ll start seeing across your favorite sites. If you’re in a hurry and want to see them all right now, hit our “Faster than Windows Phone?” YouTube playlist. Here’s a sample:”
