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Facebook Beta gets another update on Windows Phone

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March 24, 2014

Facebook Beta gets another update on Windows Phone

Facebook Beta on Windows Phone has rather become active in the last couple of days and the app has received another update, taking the version to 5.2.4.1. The update comes sans a changelog, but some users were reporting issues after the previous update, so we’re assuming they’ve been quashed.

Facebook Beta was bumped to version 5.2 back in May last year, and since then the app has been receiving minor improvements to bring it at par with apps for Android and iOS. The app is available for free and can be picked from the Windows Phone Store here. You can also scan the QR code below.

Microsoft might have fixed the spam problem on Windows Phone Store

Sharang Sharma

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March 23, 2014

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Microsoft might have fixed the spam problem on Windows Phone Store

We’re all sick of the several spam and look alike apps on the Windows Phone Store that not only bring down the quality of the store, but also make searching for the authentic apps, a a daunting task. Microsoft, it seems, is aware of the issue too. Here’s what the company had to say to a developer’s query:

According to this reply, Microsoft’s new algorithms should take into accounts things like the app’s rating, the number of times it’s been pinned and unpinned to the Start Screen and the totall times it has crashed, while ranking it in the Store. The company’s earlier system used to put more emphasis on the number of downloads.

We don’t know as to when the new algorithms will jump into action, but it’s for certain that they will help developers with quality apps rather than those trying to make a quick buck or two.

[via]

Twitter kills its music app that could never get its notes right

Sharang Sharma

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March 23, 2014

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Twitter kills its music app that could never get its notes right

Twitter is finally pulling the curtains on its Twitter Music app after being launched in the market last year. Twitter #music has been pulled from the app store on Friday, although users who’ve downloaded it before that will still be able to use the service until April 18th.

The app which remained exclusive to iOS for its brief lifespan sourced music from services like Spotify, iTunes and Rdio. The app was available in select countries and allowed users to follow artists in the same way the system works on Twitter’s main site. However, with enough competition to fend off, the app never really took off. Perhaps the competition was too much in the already crowded market, which made the company call it quits.

[via]

Instagram Beta picks another quick update on Windows Phone

Sharang Sharma

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March 22, 2014

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Instagram Beta picks another quick update on Windows Phone

Only recently, Instagram Beta on Windows Phone was updated to version 0.4, adding Lock Screen support. Today, the app has picked up another update, taking the version number to 0.4.2. So, what’s changed in the latest version? Not much actually. The update brings performance improvements, crash fixes, and UX refinements.

The two back to back updates are a sign that Instagram isn’t dosing on its Windows Phone port. However, with Instagram Direct and video upload still missing, there’s still a long way for the app to go until it becomes at par with its Android and iOS counterparts. Well, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. You can grab Instagram Beta in the Windows Phone Store here.

2048 on the same path to stardom as Flappy Bird

Games
News

Sharang Sharma

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March 22, 2014

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2048 on the same path to stardom as Flappy Bird

Internet keeps throwing new things at people, some of which become instant success. After Flappy Birds, the next big sensation that seems to have come out of nowhere is the new game called 2048. The app was earlier available as a webpage, the success of which, prompted the developers to publish an app.

2048 is pretty simple. In a 4×4 grid you’ll have either 2 or 4 popping up at random free spaces. Your target is to combine to blocks of same denomination (say, 2 and 2) to form a bigger denomination (in this case, 4). You can move the all the blocks in the grid in either of the four direction before the next one pops up on the screen. The ultimate objective is to form 2048 block on the screen. You loose if all the 16 grids fill out before you’ve reached that number.

The app is available on Play Store, Apple App Store and Windows Phone Store, albeit all of them have been made by different developers. There are plenty of clone copies, but the source code for most of them has been picked from gabrielecirullli, the site where the game originally showed up.

Saying ‘play some music’ to Google Now launches the ‘I’m feeling lucky’ radio station

Sharang Sharma

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March 22, 2014

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Saying ‘play some music’ to Google Now launches the ‘I’m feeling lucky’ radio station

Google is full of innovations, some of which although small, are still welcome nonetheless. After adding the ability to launch the camera and video recording on Android using Google Now, the company has added another feature to its voice recognition software. Just say ‘play some music’ and Google Now will open up Google Music right away, which will then take you to a ‘I’m feeling lucky’ radio station. The radio station has got an infinite playlist that is based on your recent listening.

Sound’s cool eh? You’ll need Google Play Music to get access to the feature though. No worries though, since it’s free and can be picked from the Play Store here.

[Source]

Apple mulling bringing iTunes to Android: Report

Sharang Sharma

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March 22, 2014

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Apple mulling bringing iTunes to Android: Report

iTunes has been one of the jewels of Apple’s crown and soon we could see it being shared with Android. According to a report on Billboard, Apple is mulling bringing iTunes on Android. The reason behind the move is being blamed on the declining revenues.

Apple which is the biggest music retailer in the US has seen shrinking revenues due to the double digit decline in the sales in digital industry. Although it has ad-supported iTunes Radio, a chunk of its money comes from the sales of single and album sales on the iTunes Store.

In case Apple does bring iTunes to Android, it would give the company the opportunity to open up to millions of new customers worldwide. However, Android has already got subscription based services like Spotify, Pandora and Google’s own music services. Of course, it’s all just rumor for now, but the idea doesn’t seem as abhorrent as before.

[Source]

Windows Store hits 150,000 apps

News
Windows

Sharang Sharma

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March 22, 2014

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On an average, a user is likely to have anywhere between 50-150 apps on hit tablet or smartphone. As such, you might never even use 99 percent of the apps available on the Windows Store. Oh, and did we mention you have 150,000 apps to choose from on the Windows Store? The Windows Store has crossed 150,000 app milestone in about a year and a half since its inception. For perspective, it took Windows Phone Store almost two years to reach the same number.

WinBeta also reports that the pace of app growth has rather slowed down recently, with only 50,000 apps added in the last eight months. Unfortunately, most of these apps are sub-par or spam. We’d be happy if Windows Store would have even just 1 percent of the total number as quality apps. Still recent additions like the VLC app are promising signs.

[via]

Nokia releases Pocket Magnifier, updates its other apps including Glance

Sharang Sharma

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March 22, 2014

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Nokia releases Pocket Magnifier, updates its other apps including Glance

We remember the time when Windows Phone Store was still nascent and Nokia took the charge to load it up with quality apps. Well, after all this time Nokia still continues to push itself and the company has released a new app in the Windows Phone Store, dubbed as Nokia Pocket Magnifier. The app has been designed for visually impaired, although others can find it useful too. Using the phone’s camera it allows you to zoom in on text, use LED for light and much more. The app is available for free and can be picked from the Windows Phone Store here.

Nokia has also updated its other apps, namely Nokia Chat Beta, Glance and Storyteller Beta. First of all the WhatsApp style Nokia Chat Beta that is based on Yahoo Messenger has been updated to version 1.5.8. There’s no changelog, but we’re assuming general bug fixes and optimization for Windows Phone 8.1. Catch the app here.

Moving on, Glance has been pushed to version 2.3.0.4. The only update the version brings over the previous one is support for Windows Phone 8.1. Great. Now let’s just wait patiently for the Windows Phone 8.1 update. The app is available for free and can be picked here.

Lastly, Storyteller Beta’s version 1.12.0.4 has also been pushed in the store. No word on the new features again, but in case you find out, do let us know. The app is again free and can be picked from here.

Motorola updates its camera app in the Play Store, allows to click photos using volume buttons

Sharang Sharma

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March 21, 2014

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Motorola updates its camera app in the Play Store, allows to click photos using volume buttons

Motorola’s camera app started its humble beginnings on the Moto X before being released as a standalone app in the Play Store later on. Today, the company has pushed out an update to the app that allows users to click photographs using the volume rocker. It’s nothing new, since the stock Android camera app comes with this feature and other manufacturers have also implemented the feature on their respective camera apps.

The update also adds support for Android 4.4.2, as well as squashes some bugs. Users are also reporting faster burst speed after the update. Motorola Camera is available for free on the Play Store and works with the Moto X, Moto G and newer phones from the DROID lineup. You can grab it here.