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Skype and WhatsApp get updated on Windows Phone

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June 28, 2014

Skype and WhatsApp get updated on Windows Phone

Two major apps have received updates on Windows Phone – WhatsApp and Skype. WhatsApp only recently made a comeback on the Windows Phone Store with new added features after disappearing from it a month ago altogether.

The update for WhatsApp takes it to version 2.11.516.0. The changelog only mentions “Various enhancements and bug fixes”. We haven’t discovered anything new either. Given that the app received a major update only recently, we might not see a lot of new features anytime soon.

The update for Skype brings support for Cortana in the US. Users can now simply make calls using Cortana. To make a call, simply shout, “Skype get Lara Kingwell (for instance) on the screen” and you’re all set. The update also adds support for 51 languages against 19 earlier. Also, the new version allows Windows Phone 8.1 users to see any emails, texts and Skype updates in the Action Center. You can also edit last sent message in case you make typo errors in a hurry.

Find the store links for both the apps below.

Skype – Windows Phone Store

WhatsApp – Windows Phone Store

31 apps worth over $100 free on the Amazon Appstore for today

Android
News

Sharang Sharma

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June 28, 2014

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Amazon Appstore offers one paid app for free everyday, but the company is taking its softhearted approach to another level today. There’s not one but 31 paid apps that have gone free on the Amazon Appstore today. Here’s the complete list:

Card Wars – Adventure Time
Plex
Notepad+
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The Room Two
Dr. Panda’s Bus Driver
Wedding Dash Deluxe
AccuWeather Platinum
Root Explorer
Ravensword: Shadowlands
Sudoku 10’000 Plus
Pho.to Lab Pro
Informant 3
Business Calendar
Jump Desktop
CrossMe Premium
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek
EZ Money Manager
MobiLearn Talking Phrasebook
Splashtop Remote Desktop
CLARC
Dungeon Village
aCalendar+
Travel Interpreter
Pinball Deluxe Premium
MyBackup Pro
Loco Motors
PUZZINGO Puzzles
2Do: Todo List
Real Shanghai Mahjong
League of Heroes Premium

Besides these, there’s MacGyver Deadly Descent that is the free app of the day.

You can install Amazon Appstore on any Android device (besides being available on the company’s own Kindle line of tablets) and start downloading these apps right away. The deal is valid for today, although it might not be available in many regions.

You can grab amazon Appstore for your Android device by following the instructions here.

1.7 million clocked in to WatchESPN for the USA-Germany game, beating even Super Bowl

Sharang Sharma

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June 27, 2014

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While many might say that football (or soccer as American fans call it) is not and will never be famous in the US, clearly didn’t seem like that yesterday. In fact, 1.7 million viewers tuned in to WatchESPN using the app or the web version yesterday. That, when ESPN was facing issues streaming for so many users and many users were unable to connect during the first half of the game. ESPN has released a statement that 1.7 concurrent viewers were logged into the service, so we’re assuming a few of them might be watching the Portugal-Ghana game.

What makes the feat more special is the fact that Super Bowl managed to clock only 1.1 million concurrent viewers at its peek, although it wasn’t available for mobile devices. That’s not all, a majority of viewers still rely on traditional television to watch the game. So if the number doesn’t seem too big to you, it’s only for the users viewing the match online.

Even though the US lost the match, with Portugal failing to make any magic in their game, US qualifies for the next round of the tournament. That should keep all the soccer fans in the country happy, eh?

[Source]

Opera Mini 8 brings an overhauled design on iOS

iOS
News

Sharang Sharma

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June 27, 2014

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Opera has given the popular Opera Mini web browser on iOS a complete overhaul with version 8. The UI has been completely redone to make it in line with the overall design on iOS 7 (which will be carried forward to iOS 8).The flatter design on the app is something we’restarting too see a lot of companies and app developers picking up. Opera Mini 8 also uses transparency to visualize layers. Still not happy with the look? You can even use themes n the app to completely change the way it looks.

The app retains its most popular feature — saving data. Using Opera Mini 8, you can browse the internet in three modes on your iPhone or iPad. The first mode offers the highest compression rate (up to 90 percent) and ensures you not only save data, but the pages load up on time too when you’re not on a particularly speedy connection.

The second mode called Opera Turbo mode offers less compression, but renders more sites better, giving better website compatibility and is ideal for average users. The last mode completely turns data compression off and ensures maximum website compatibility.

That’s not all, since the app gets couple of more features in the latest update, including a QR reader, combined search and address bar and the ability to switch search providers (including Amazon, eBay and more).

You can grab Opera Mini 8 on the App Store here.

Facebook’s Slingshot goes global to take on Snapchat

Chetna Chauhan

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June 26, 2014

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Facebook’s answer to Snapchat was revealed to the world last week when the company formally announced Slingshot. After being available in the US for over a week, Slingshot is now available worldwide on Android and iOS for free.

Slingshot allows users to send messages, photos with captions or videos to their friends. These messages disappear on being viewed once on he recipient’s screen. However, unlike Snapchat, Slingshot allows users to send same message to multiple friends. Another key difference is that to view a received message (or shot as it is called), users are required to send a shot back before they can unlock it. This has been done to promote cross messaging on the app.

Slingshot is available to anyone with iOS 7 and above and Android 4.1 and above. You can find the store links below.

Slingshot – Android

Slingshot – iOS

Bing Rewards app lands on Windows Phone

Promil Bhardwaj

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June 26, 2014

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Although Bing rewards that credits you with for using Microsoft’s own search engine over competitors (ahem, Google) has been built into Windows Phone 8.1’s search app, there was no way to monitor your credits until now in a convenient manner. Today however, Microsoft released the Bing Rewards app for Windows Phone. Ironically, the app has been available on Android and iOS for over five months now.

The app offers similar features that are available on Android and iOS version and adds Live Tile support as a bonus feature. The tile shows users their earned credits without the need to open the app. These credits can be used against rewards from Amazon.com, Starbucks, Xbox, and many more. You can also choose to donate your credits to a local school or charity.

Bing Rewards app is only available in countries where Microsoft supports Bing Rewards (which is very limited). You can pick the app on Windows Phone Store for free.

Microsoft updates OneDrive app on Android and iOS

Sharang Sharma

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June 26, 2014

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Microsoft updates OneDrive app on Android and iOS

Microsoft has pushed updates for the OneDrive app on both Android and iOS, improving the online cloud storage service for the users on these platforms.

For the iOS version, version 4.2 of the app brings improvements to camera backup. The service also gets integrated with the Office apps on iPad and iPhone. Then there’s the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements.

On Android, the update brings the app to version 2.6. The update brings a new navigation drawer for switching between pivots. You can also search for our files and folders stored on OneDrive, like it should have been available before. Then, users can also refresh by pulling gesture on the screen.

Find the store links for OneDrive below.

OneDrive – iOS

OneDrive- Android

Facebook Beta, Xbox One Smartglass and Foursquare pick minor updates on Windows Phone

Sharang Sharma

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June 26, 2014

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The latest round of apps that have been updated on Windows Phone include Facebook Beta, Xbox One Smartglass and Foursquare. Let’s take a closer look at what the updates for each of these apps have to offer.

Facebook Beta

The most recent update for Facebook Beta takes it to version 5.3.0.2 and 8.3.0.2 on Windows Phone 8 and 7 respectively. The changelog doesn’t mention anything but it seems like after the update the News Feed bar that was introduced with version 5.3 disappears while scrolling through the new feed. Let us know if you find anything else.

Facebook Beta – Windows Phone Store

Xbox One SmartGlass

The update to Xbox One SmartGlass takes it to Version 1.0.07. Again, there’s no changelog, but we’re assuming general bug fixes and such.

Xbox One SmartGlass – Windows Phone Store

Foursquare

Fourquare is the third app to have been updated, but again there’s no changelog provided. The update takes it to version 3.5.7.0.

Foursquare – Windows Phone Store

Google Play quarterly revenue more than doubled in the first quarter over last year

Android
News

Shivendra Pal

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June 25, 2014

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While Google and Android have leaped ahead of iOS on almost every parameter, it still can’t beat the Cupertino giant when it comes to app revenues. However, that doesn’t mean things aren’t changing fast. According to a report published by independent research firm App Annie, the Google Play quarterly app revenue grew more than 2.4 times in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period last year. The report further adds that the total downloads in Q1 f this year also grew by 150 percent over the first quarter of last year. Of course, that’s due to more number of Android users in the world, as well more number of apps available in the Play Store and increased internet penetration across the globe.

Games section continue to be the biggest cash cow for Google and the developers, accounting for 90 percent of the total revenue. A big part of that came from in-app purchases, a strategy that has turned out rather well for the developers. In fact, the “freemium” model brought home a staggering 98 percent of all revenue in May 2014. Revenue from Social and Communication category also grew significantly, while Tools and Communication categories particularly saw high growth in number of downloads.

Regional breakdown shows that Japan leading the charts when it comes to revenue, while the US being numero uno in terms of absolute downloads. Other significant markets were South Korea, Germany, Brazil, Russia and India.

[Source]

Dropbox’s Mailbox app updated on Android and iOS

Sharang Sharma

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June 24, 2014

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Dropbox has updated its gesture based Mailbox app on both Android and iOS. On iOS, the update brings several improvements to the Auto swipe feature. Here’s the full changelog:

swipe and hold to manually create an Auto-swipe pattern
Auto-swipe suggestions added to email view
other Auto-swipe improvements
attachment improvements
various bug fixes

The update brings Auto-swipe patterns that learns from your swipes and snoozes. You can manually create a new Auto swipe pattern by pressing and holding on the list, snooze, archive or delete icon while viewing a conversation. Outside the conversation, users need to press and hold an email to initiate the process. These Auto Swipe features are saved and synced across devices.

On Android, Mailbox now allows you to undo your last action. You can also set aliases as the default address in the app. Here’s the full changelog:

undo your last action (via the drawer)
set aliases as default address
faster contact autocomplete for large address books
bug fixes and UI improvements

Mailbox can be picked for both the platforms at the store links below.

Mailbox – iOS

Mailbox – Android