So you’ve gotten yourself a brand spanking new Windows Phone 8 and you’re wondering what the killer apps are, well we here at Windows Phone Fans have put together an all star list of some killer apps to get you started! Full list after the break.
In February 2011 a partnership between Microsoft and Nokia promised the Finnish mobile manufacturer would make Windows Phone their primary operating system for its smartphone devices. The combination of know-how between the software giant and leading mobile handset manufacture set some high expectations.
The following year saw the introduction of the Nokia Lumia handset line in various model iterations. In April 2012, the latest Lumia 900 handset was released and promised to the be the flagship Windows Phone. This model featured AT&T’s LTE speeds, quality build in a simple interface and a much-touted Carl Zeiss camera lens. We took a closer look at the Lumia 900 in a variety of areas to determine if Nokia’s flagship smartphone lives up to its hype.
Have you wanted to create an app for Windows Phone, but have been held back by concerns about making money?
While nobody can guarantee that the work you put into creating an application will end up paying off, there are some things that you can do to stack the chips in your favor. Thankfully, Michael Stroh, Senior Writer at Microsoft, is prepared to help by breaking down ten secrets to making money with your app. Read the rest of this entry »
Matic Bitenc, co-founder of Toshl, developer of Toshl Finance, recently detailed some of the challenges they experienced developing for Windows Phone on their blog.
They chose to develop Toshl Finance for Windows Phone because they saw potential in what they believe to be a beautifully designed OS. However, their blog goes on to state what they describe as a “surreal and horrible” experience.
The first roadblock they faced was due to their location. Toshl is located in Slovenia. In many countries around the world like Slovenia, a developer cannot register directly to create applications for Windows Phone. Instead, applications must go through a third party. In this case, Toshl had to go through Microsoft Slovenia. In some other cases, depending on region, developers might go through a company like Yalla Apps. The blog goes on to detail some of the challenges that resulted from this arrangement.
You get the chance to do dirty deeds for dirt cheap. The anticipated game Contract Killer releases on the Windows market place today.
Contract Killer pulls you into the life of an assassin who takes bounties or contracts for cash, experience and a good time. You can play 17 story missions, unlimited random missions and against friends on Xbox Live.
You can grab the game here or by scanning the tag below, however it appears to not be working on some phones as of the moment.
Nokia is bringing more great apps to its Lumia phone line, as well as games through its partnership with Zynga. The apps will be available on the Windows Phone marketplace starting this week in a phased approach. A list of some of the apps is listed below.
A few days ago we published an article introducing you to XBOX SmartGlass.
If you’re interested in finding out more about this emerging technology, be sure to watch Plan8’s video of a live demonstration of SmartGlass by Lisa Brumfield, a Marketing Manager at Microsoft.
The video shows SmartGlass being used with Ascend:New Gods, a game by Signal Studios, that is expected to launch on XBLA and Windows Phone in 2013. In it, we see that a Windows Phone, or other supported device, can provide support information while playing the game. The examples presented showed the player’s position on a map to aid in navigation. It also gave information describing a boss character that the player was about to face. Developers who adopt SmartGlass early will be able to differentiate themselves from the competition with useful functionality. This will help those games stand out from the crowd. Read the rest of this entry »
On June 4th 2012, at Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference, the software giant revealed how it plans to dominate your living room.
With the XBOX 360 already in millions of homes, and now the top selling game console in the world, it was only a matter of time before Microsoft would leverage its popularity to strengthen its position in other markets. One part of their plan is through something they call SmartGlass.
In today’s mobile world, standing out as an app developer can be a challenge. Apps are expected to have cloud connectivity. This allows user to access the data from a variety of devices, as well as let hidden processes be handled outside of the user’s view. If you have ever played a game that keeps track of player scores on leader boards or manages user accounts, then you understand the importance of these services. They definitely enhance the user experience. In some cases, the services are integral to the core functionality of the game or app. Because of the amount of work involved, it’s also understandable why some games or applications don’t take advantage of such services.
For many developers, the management of the backend connectivity can be a nightmare. Buddy hopes to change that. As of May 30th, the Buddy Platform is out of beta and available for developers. Read the rest of this entry »
Microsoft’s much-anticipated panorama application, Photosynth, has been released on Windows Phone. It can be used to create interactive 3D panoramas from normal 2D photos and is available at the Marketplace absolutely free!
Photosynth is the only mobile app that can piece together a full panoramic sphere, 360 degrees horizontally and vertically. You can visit the official Photosynth site to check out some of the beautiful “synths” other users have created and see for yourself.
Get it free here, or just scan the tag below.
Source: Windows Phone Blog
