The Windows Blog

HP unveils a bunch of new Windows 8 PCs

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:53:00 GMT

HP is announcing some new Windows 8 PCs today – including a brand new portable All-in-One PC called the HP ENVY Rove 20. Most if not all these new PCs all come with touchscreens.

HP ENVY Rove 20:

The HP ENVY Rove 20 is a portable All-in-One PC designed for the entire family. It can be used as a desktop PC or can be easily moved into the living room to enjoy multi-player games, or used in the kitchen while cooking a favorite recipe using one of the many cooking apps from the Windows Store like HP Recipe Box. The ENVY Rove 20 has a unique hinged stand that allows the 20-inch diagonal capacitive touchscreen (10-point) to be positioned at a variety of angles including completely flat. The display itself is a 1600 x 900 IPS LED panel for fantastic looking graphics. It also has Beats Audio for a great listening experience.

The HP ENVY Rove 20 will be available in July.

HP ENVY 15 & 17 TouchSmart Notebooks:

These PCs come with 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch flush glass full-HD touchscreen displays with discrete graphics from NVIDIA (great for gaming) and Beats Audio for sound with quad speakers and dual subwoofer. The ENVY 15 TouchSmart comes with the all-new 2013 AMD processors or 4th generation Intel processors. The ENVY 17 TouchSmart comes with 4th generation Intel processors.

The HP ENVY 15 TouchSmart Notebook and will be available in the U.S. on June 5, 2013 with a starting price of $649.

The HP ENVY 17 TouchSmart Notebook will be available in the U.S. on July 10, 2013 with a starting price of $799.

The HP Pavilion 20 and 23 TouchSmart All-in-One PCs:

These affordable All-in-One PCs have a 20- and 23-inch widescreen diagonal display respectively with 5-point optical touch technology along with an LED backlit display.

The HP Pavilion 20 TouchSmart All-in-One PC will be available in the U.S. on June 23, starting at $619.99.

The HP Pavilion 23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC will be available in the U.S. on June 5, starting at $749.

HP Pavilion 11 TouchSmart PC:

This is one of HP’s most affordable laptops yet. It comes with an 11.6-inch 10-point capacitive touchscreen. With quad-core performance and multiple ports including USB and HMDI – this PC is perfect for both work and play.

The Pavilion TouchSmart 11 Notebook will be available in the U.S. on June 26, 2013 with a starting price of $399.

HP Pavilion 14 TouchSmart Sleekbook:

This is a new touch-optimized Sleekbook with AMD discrete graphics and up to 2GB of memory on select models. A full selection of ports including HDMI and USB and up to 1TB of hard drive storage and premium DTS Sound+ audio. A PC great for entertainment.

The HP Pavilion TouchSmart 14 Sleekbook will be available in the U.S. on June 5, 2013 with a starting price of $479.99.

You can also check out HP’s announcement from last week on the HP Split X2.

Speed dial: 6 tips for quicker calling on Windows Phone 8

Matt Lichtenberg — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:20 GMT

With everything else it can do, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Windows Phone is still, well, a phone. Looking for ways to call someone a little quicker? Here are a few tap-saving shortcuts I’ve discovered along the way.

1. Call back quickly. It never fails that when my wife and I need to sync up, I miss her call or she misses mine. To increase the odds of catching her, I tap Phone on my Start screen, and then tap the Phone icon next to her name in call history to ring back faster.

2. No answer? Try another number. Even if I call her back a few minutes later, I still might miss her. Instead of leaving voicemail, I’ll tap End call, tap her name at the top of the screen, and then tap one of her other numbers. (Tip: You’ll need to be quick because the name only appears for a couple of seconds.)

3. Go double wide. Another way I try to save a tap or two is to increase the size of my Phone Tile. Then if I miss a call or get a new voicemail, it shows up right there—no need to go to call history. Just tap and hold the Phone Tile on Start, and then tap the icon on the bottom right to resize the Tile.

4. Turn a number into a name. Instead of hunting through call history and trying to remember which number goes with which person (I’ve guessed wrong more than once), I’ll save the number as a contact so I can quickly find and call them next time. Just tap Phone > History, tap the phone number, and then tap Save. I can tap New to make them a new contact, or add the number to a contact I already have. Check out this article on the Windows Phone website to learn more about saving contacts on your phone.

5. Can’t talk when someone calls? Text instead. If you have the latest update for Windows Phone 8 you might’ve already discovered this new feature, which I really love and use a lot. When a contact calls from their cell phone and you can’t talk, just tap Text reply, then tap a response and away it goes. I’ve customized my replies, too, so I can say what I want with two taps. This video shows the feature in action.

6. Who’s calling? Let Windows Phone tell you. I don’t always have my phone sitting next to me at home, so I have it announce the caller’s name out loud. That way, I know if I really need to run and pick up. To turn this feature on, go to Settings > Ease of access > Speech for phone accessibility. This setting turns on a few more things, too, including the ability to speed dial and forward calls with your voice. To learn more, see Use Speech on my phone.

I hope one or two of these were new to you. Have any tips or things you do to speed up calling? I’d love to hear ‘em!

The ASUS Transformer Book TX300 now available

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:01:19 GMT

ASUS just passed along the note that the Transformer Book TX300 is now available at Amazon, B&H, BestBuy.com, CDW, Excaliber PC, PC Connection, and Tiger Direct starting at $1,499 (U.S.).

The Transformer Book TX300 is a laptop with a detachable keyboard “station” so it can be used as a tablet. ASUS has incorporated a slick looking all-metal design for the PC with a spun metal finish for a sleek profile great for being on the go. The PC comes with the latest generation Intel Core processors – all the way up to a Core i7. It has a 13.3-inch IPS HD (1920 x 1080) touch display – great for 178-degree wide viewing angles - and comes with either 64GB or 128GB SSD options. And you get up to 5 hours of battery life as a laptop and up to 8 hours just as a tablet.

The keyboard station actually comes with additional storage for the tablet when connected – either a 320GB or 500GB hard drive. The keyboard is backlit and comes with two USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port, mini DisplayPort and micro HDMI ports, and a SD card reader.

For more on the ASUS Transformer Book TX300 – click here.

Trivial Pursuit, 3 other classic EA games now available for all Windows Phones. Plus: new Nokia exclusives arrive

Michael Stroh — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:12:27 GMT

It’s a great week for Xbox games from Electronic Arts, with four titles previously available only to Nokia owners now available to everyone and four new Nokia exclusives hitting the Windows Phone Store. Unless otherwise noted, these titles are available for both Windows Phone 7 and 8. Here’s the rundown.

All Windows Phone users can now test their driving and parking skills in the spatial-awareness Parking Mania ($2.99). If you love classic board games, you’ve got to try The Game of Life ($2.99). Sneak, scamper, and snack your way on an epic journey in SPY Mouse ($2.99). Or test the limits of your knowledge with Trivial Pursuit ($2.99).

Nokia owners get four new exclusive titles this week. Command and fight your way through the 3D third-person shooter Mass Effect: Infiltrator ($6.99), which runs only on Windows Phone 8. Burn rubber and race your friends over Wi-Fi on 14 different tracks in Real Racing 2 ($4.99). Tailor-make your own golfer and then play through world-famous courses in Tiger Woods 12 ($2.99). Or hoop it up with your favorite basketball pros in NBA JAM ($2.99).

Former Nokia Exclusives	New Nokia Exclusives
Parking Mania	Mass Effect: Infiltrator
The Game of Life	Real Racing 2
SPY Mouse	Tiger Woods 12
Trivial Pursuit	NBA JAM

Testing your Windows Phone app – Part 2

Adam Denning — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:07:00 GMT

This blog post was authored by Craig Horsfield, a Senior SDET on the Windows Phone Test and Operations team.

- Adam

Testing your app throughout the development process can help you create a really great Windows Phone app. Testing helps ensure that your app is effectively represented in the Windows Phone Store as an app that offers Windows Phone users a high level of performance and quality. A small investment in the key areas described in this post can help you bypass common errors early in the development process, and help you get positive results in the long term. This post is part 2 of a 3-part series that outlines key test areas that you should consider before submitting your app to the Store. See part 1 for additional details.

Push notification and Live Tiles

Live Tiles

Live Tiles are updated through push notification or through an app’s periodic background agent. When testing these areas, you should accelerate the update time so that you can test more rapidly. For more info, see Tiles for Windows Phone.

Test scenario	Details
1. Verify that your Live Tile updates.	Verify that the Live Tile updates after it has been pinned to Start.
2. Verify that your Live Tile stops updating.	If this setting is disabled in the app, make sure the Live Tile stops updating.
3. Verify that the Live Tile updates via a periodic agent.	If the Live Tile is updated via a periodic agent, verify the update on all network types, and verify that the Live Tile updates when there is no network, for example, in Airplane mode.
4. Verify that the Live Tile is working and present after an app upgrade.	None.
5. Verify that the Live Tile is working and present after an app upgrade and subsequent restarting the device.	If updating the app, make sure that you don’t change the TokenID in the WMAppManifest.xml file. This results in your Live Tile being removed from Start when the device is restarted.
6. If using a background agent, verify that the agent doesn’t crash or terminate.	This results in disabling the agent and Tile updates will fail.

Notifications

Apps that use notifications normally are used within background agents. Test these notifications to ensure that they work properly. For more info, see Notifications for Windows Phone.

Test scenario	Details
1. Verify that notifications are received.	None.
2. Verify what happens when you tap the notification.	Tapping the notification launches the user into the app in the correct state.
3. Verify that the app doesn’t overuse toast notifications.	None.

Agents

Background agents provide key abilities for an app, but they also introduce some specific test considerations. Agents can be disabled and enabled in the phone’s settings, on the Settings > Application > Background Tasks screen. The app needs to be aware of the state of the agent. Resources available to agents also are restricted. A key point to remember is that when running in the debugger, these restrictions are not enforced so it’s important to test your app outside of the debugger and track the resource that it is using. For more info, see Background agents for Windows Phone.

Test scenario	Details
1. Verify initial app start.	The agent starts when it’s needed.
2. Verify that the app handles state in which the agent has been disabled by the user in Settings\Application\Background Tasks.	Additionally, verify that the app performs as follows: App notifies the user that it’s not available and continues to work as expected. App notifies that the agent is needed and re-enables it.
3. Agents are disabled in low-battery conditions - test that the app can handle these states.	None.
4. Agents that crash or are terminated by the OS for exceeding resources, on two successive crashes will be disabled. Ensure your app handles this state.	In this state the foreground app has to reschedule the agent. This state can be queried from the agent API. For more info, see Background agent best practices for Windows Phone.
5. Resource-intensive agent only runs when on power and Wi-Fi. Ensure app handles this correctly.	None.
6. Verify that the agent stays below the required CPU and memory caps.	None.

This table lists the required CPU and memory caps, by agent on Windows Phone 8:

Agent	CPU	Memory
CBE	10%	N/A
GBA	10%	11 MB
BAP	10%	20 MB
FA	5%	10 MB
VoIP agent	20%	60 MB

Media, audio, and video

Media, audio, and video throughout your app should be tested. Consider these test scenarios in the table below. For more info, see Media for Windows Phone.

Test scenario	Details
1. Preserve audio state.	If your app plays an audio sound (clip) when it starts, your app should not pause the currently playing audio. The app should preserve and not interfere with the currently audio playing on the device. If your app plays back audio content from a background agent or a foreground app, your app should pause any currently playing audio.
2. Verify the Universal Audio Control during audio playback.	Verify Play. Verify Pause / Resume. Verify Skip Next / Skip Previous. Skip to last and back to the first track, etc. Some apps may take time to process these calls. Verify that the UI is set to disabled while the app is processing these calls to prevent multiple invokes. Verify volume controls. Audio continues under lock. Audio continues when app is on the back stack. Verify all expected codecsthat the app offers can be played back. Track info is displayed in the UI.
3. Verify audio playback via a background audio agent.	Test all of the above test cases. Audio continues when the app is terminated but the background agent is allowed to continue. Audio continues to play when device screen is locked. App agent remains below the app 20-MB cap.
4. Media Source	Verify media from a network stream. Verify media from the app’s ISO store. Verify media playing from the media library on the phone. (This case requires the correct capability in the app manifest.)
5. Video playback	Verify all states: Play from start Pause, resume Skip forward and back Change states rapidly
6. S-Video playback in FAS scenarios	On navigate away event, the app needs to record the current media stream location. Play media stream return to the phone start page and then switch back to the app. Verify the stream is preserved, should continue from the previous point. Play media stream and force the app to tombstone via Visual Studio. In this case, the app should continue from previous point but will have to load the stream and forward it to the location saved in navigate away and deactivated events.
7. Bandwidth	Verify media stream playback on different networks and bandwidth. App should adjust playback quality and codec as need. Verify network dropped scenario and the app handles this and informs the user correctly. Visual studio phone emulator can manipulate the network quality and type to aid in this testing.
8. Media hub integration	Verify app is visible in the Media hub, manifest must have HubType=1. App has to use MediaHistory and MediaHistoryItemclasses in this scenario. Verify post market place ingestion where the correct capabilities are set on the app manifest to enable it in the hub. (Use the App Beta submission process to test this.) App must update the, ‘now playing’ tile, ‘history’ and ‘new’ list. Verify app plays correct stream when launched from history or new list.
9. FM Radio	App is not compatible with all hardware and versions of Windows Phone. Test app on the correct platform. Verify that app sets the correct region based on the phone location; this enables the correct frequency stepping. If incorrect it will not tune well or find stations. Set the correct power modes. For example, verify that the user is not playing media from the FM radio, then set RadioPowerMode to off.

Geolocation

With Windows Phone 8, you can create apps that use info about the phone’s physical location. Scenarios for location-aware apps include checking the user into a web service using the user’s instantaneous location, and tracking the user’s location as it changes over a period of time. The location data the phone provides comes from multiple sources, including GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular. The visual studio phone emulator can be used to simulate these location changes. The location can be moved manually or simulate a sequence of location changes. For more info, see Location for Windows Phone 8.

Test scenario	Details
1. Prevent PositionChange events from firing too often and placing CPU processing load on the app.	Set the MovementThreshold property to the appropriate value for the app needs and make sure that events fire only outside of that threshold.
2. Handle the unknown location state.	Ensure the app can handle NA values. Test the app when it has no location state.
3. Test a large change in location data so that any internal calculations in the app do not fail in these cases.	For example, position changes greater than 1 degree. This can happen if the phone has had no valid location data for some period of time.
4. Test app in all hemispheres: North/South and West/East.	Ensure that your calculations on negative degree values are correct.
5. Test 0-degree and 180-degree location for longitude and latitude.	None.

Design considerations when using location:

Test scenario	Details
1. Use a lower level of accuracy to save on battery power if applicable.	None.
2. Check the Position.Location.IsUnknown and GeoPositionStatus properties to ensure that the location is valid.	None.

Resource usage and performance

Windows Phone apps need to be designed to efficiently use and preserve the limited resources of the phone platform. You want to design your apps to use the least possible CPU cycles, to access networks efficiently and purposefully, and to make the best use of visual components—graphics, bright colors, and themes use more power than a simpler UI.

Test areas to consider:

Test scenario	Details
1. Check for a nonresponsive or jerky UI.	This could be caused by long-running activity on the UI thread.
1. Check for Memory leaks – repeat scenarios multiple times to detect memory leaks during specific sequences.	Repeat page navigation could increase app memory.
2. Check for rapid battery drain.	Can be caused by using the app for long periods of time.

Tips and tools:

The Visual Studio app profiler, on the debug menu, is a key tool for looking into app memory and CPU usage.
Using the EnabledFrameRateCounter/EnableRedrawRegionscan be useful when app testing.
Use APIs in the DeviceStatus class track memory usage in the app, especially ApplicationCurrentMemoryUsage and ApplicationPeakMemoryUsage.
See App performance considerations for Windows Phone for an overview of app performance for Windows Phone.

In part 3 of this series, we’ll discuss additional areas and testing approaches to consider, including to network resources, device-specific tests for hardware variations, display resolution, app upgrade, common Store test cases, and real-world testing.

Use your HTML5 skills, port your PhoneGap app to Windows Phone, and win prizes

JC Cimetiere — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:09:00 GMT

Many of you have heard about PhoneGap (aka Apache Cordova), the popular open source framework you can use to create mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. PhoneGap has supported the Windows Phone platform since Windows Phone 7.5, and had a major update to support new capabilities in Windows Phone 8, including Internet Explorer 10.
Today, we’re launching a Porting Challenge and inviting developers who have used PhoneGap to publish apps in other stores – for example, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Blackberry World, Bada, Symbian, or Palm OS – to take any of their existing PhoneGap apps, published in any store, and port it to Windows Phone 8, like the Untappd app recently ported to Windows Phone 8.

Members of a panel selected from Microsoft, the Adobe PhoneGap team, and industry experts will choose 20 winners, based on apps that are:

Original
Innovative
Easy to use
Engaging and visually appealing to the user

The panel will pick 3 grand prize winners who each will receive a Windows Phone 8 device and a Surface Pro, and 17 first prize winners who each will receive a Windows Phone 8 device. All winning apps will be evaluated for featured slots in the Windows Phone Store.

The challenge starts today, May 20, 2013. You have through June 30, 2013, to submit your app for this porting challenge. Winners will be announced July 19, 2013, at the PhoneGap Day event in Portland, Oregon. The challenge is open to developers in all countries/regions where Windows Phone Dev Center registration is available. Read the complete rules for all the details before you sign up at http://www.phonegapwpchallenge.com/.

Whether you’re a seasoned PhoneGap developer new to Windows Phone, or if you’re new to PhoneGap, I encourage you check the pointers on how to get started on the challenge site: http://www.phonegapwpchallenge.com/Home/Resources
We have a 5-minute video tutorial that shows you how to set up PhoneGap with Visual Studio, and a few other detailed tutorials. We’ve also collected tips & tricks to adapt WebKit-optimized HTML5 code to Internet Explorer 10, and how to give your app UI a Windows Phone look and feel.

If you’re curious to see examples of published Windows Phone apps that were built using the PhoneGap framework, head over to the PhoneGap website to browse their Windows Phone app gallery.

Ready, set, go!

JC Cimetiere
@jccim

Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat – Acer #winchat

Kristina Libby — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:35:51 GMT

As some of you know, I use an Acer Aspire S7 and love it. It’s a great device that has travelled from event to event, city to city and work place to fun place and back again. It’s why I’m thrilled to be joined by Acer for this week’s tech chat as they talk about the new Acer Aspire R7 (one of a few new PCs recently announced by Acer). This device is a touch notebook with an inventive hinge that allows your screen to be manipulated at multiple function points – this makes reading, sharing and playing more enjoyable. With an optimized series of positioning points, you can be more effective and more comfortable.

To participate in the Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat and be eligible to win an Acer R7, please do the following!

Join us from 12-1 PT (3-4 ET) on Twitter
Follow the hashtag #winchat
Follow @windows, @kristinalibby, @aceramerica, @microsoftoem and @windowsblog to make sure you get the whole picture.
For full legal terms and conditions, click here.

Major League Soccer and Windows partner on exclusive app, fan and stadium experiences

Brandon LeBlanc — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:03:00 GMT

Soccer fans tend to bring a lot of enthusiasm to the sport with the chants, team spirit and gusto. The global appeal of soccer, which in much of the world is called Football, gives us all a common sport to know and discuss. Today we’re excited to share our multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS). We know sports fans love using technology to enhance and expand the experience on the field and soccer fans rank high in wanting to know and share their club’s latest stats and highlights!

Together, MLS and Windows are bringing the game to you with unique in-stadium and online experiences for soccer fans. The Major League Soccer app for Windows 8 lets fans follow the entire season from anywhere at any time.

The app features exclusive content and this season’s schedule, standings, highlights, play-by-play, roster lineups, game stats, goals, cards and substitutions. In addition, with live tiles - fans are able to customize their experience to get updates on their favorite club’s news right on their Start screen.

So, go download the app from the Windows Store or go to www.mlssoccer.com for more information on your favorite team or where to stop-by for a demo in a stadium near you this season!

New themes and wallpapers: Alaska, New Zealand, Sweden and sweets!

Jennifer Shepherd — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:15:39 GMT

Many years ago, I spent a week visiting my brother in Alaska. At the time, he was working on a fishing boat out of Homer, and I spent several days on the boat enjoying the sights of Kachemak Bay and the Kenai Peninsula. The impression that struck me immediately as my flight descended toward the tarmac, and that stayed with me throughout my visit, was just how huge and near the mountains looked; in fact, every aspect of nature seemed larger, closer, and more vivid. That’s one of the things I like about the photographs of Kyle Waters, featured in our new Alaskan Landscapes theme—the immensity and immediacy of Alaska’s natural landscape really comes through.

On the subject of great landscapes, in my previous blog post I promised you more of Ian Rushton’s HDR photography, and I’m pleased to be able to follow through with not just one, but two new themes. The first is a tour of Queenstown and the surrounding landscape, including the shores of Lake Wakatipu and views of the Kawarau and Shotover rivers.

The other, and my new favorite, is a walk through the lush greenery of One Tree Hill Domain and the adjoining Cornwall Park, in Auckland, New Zealand. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what song I hear in my head when looking at these images!

Fans of our Swedish seasonal themes might have noticed when we published the Swedish Autumn, Swedish Summer, and Swedish Winter themes several months ago, that something was missing. You’ll be relieved to know that we’ve finally filled in the missing season with Swedish Spring.

For a total change of pace from landscape photography, I’m pleased to present a theme featuring the quirky artwork of illustrator Karyn Servin. The Delectable Designs theme’s cartoony cupcakes, popsicles, and other goodies will bring a cheerful pop of tasty color to your desktop.

If you have an older version of Windows that can’t use themes, or if you prefer to use a single desktop background, be sure to check out the fresh wallpapers. Here are just a few:

We also added a new tab to the Desktop backgrounds page, specifically for panoramic wallpapers. If you have Windows 8 or Windows RT, these wallpapers will automatically extend across dual monitors that have the same resolution setting. But you can also enjoy them on an older version of Windows or on a single monitor. And as I explained in an earlier post, you can use wallpapers on your Windows 8 or Windows RT lock screen, as well.

By the way, you can control how wallpapers fit to the screen in the Desktop Background section of Personalization in Control Panel. To see the full width of a panoramic image on a single monitor, choose Fit in the Picture Position menu. The image will be scaled down to fit the width of your monitor, and you'll see black above and below it. To fill your entire monitor but see only the middle of the image, choose Fill in the Picture Position menu. This will fit the image to the height of your monitor, and crop off the right and left edges.

As always, keep checking back on the Personalization Gallery – we’ll have even more new themes and wallpapers for you next month.

Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows 8 now available in the Windows Store

Brandon LeBlanc — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:50:56 GMT

Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows is now available for download from the Windows Store. Photoshop Express for Windows 8 comes with a variety of features to quickly edit your photos on your Windows PC or tablet.

You can do the basic photo enhancements such as crop, straighten, rotate, flip, or remove red-eye. You can adjusts color, contrast, and brightness all at once. And you can use “slider controls” to enhance contrast, exposure, and white balance, or let the app auto-correct it for you.

But my favorite feature are the quick one-touch filters – called “Looks” – to add different effects to your photos. The app comes with 15 free “Looks” with additional premium “Looks” available for purchase from Adobe.

And of course once you’re done editing your photo, you can quickly share your photo out to folks on your favorite social networks or save to your PC.

Love magazines? Get a $50 credit from Zinio for your Nokia Lumia

Michael Stroh — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:16:23 GMT

The popular digital magazine app Zinio arrived in the Windows Phone Store this week as an exclusive for Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 models. (Miss it? You can grab it here.) It’s a beautifully-designed app that should please any magazine junkie.

But it gets better: To celebrate their debut, Zinio is also offering a $50 magazine credit to jump start your library. Click here to claim the credit. The deal ends June 30.

Zinio has an impressive stable of publications to pick from—everything from mainstream titles like The Economist, Esquire, and Rolling Stone to niche offerings such as Poker Player and Simply Crochet. Reader-friendly features of the official Windows Phone app include the ability to pull articles from multiple sources into your own customized reading list and read magazines offline. Zinio also serves up free articles each day from a selection of top-drawer titles. Check it out and let me know what you think.

XAudio2 Performance and Battery Considerations for Windows Phone 8

Adam Denning — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:50:31 GMT

This blog post was authored by Joao Lucas Guberman Raza, a program manager on the Windows Phone team.

- Adam

In this post we cover important information for Windows Phone 8 developers who use the XAudio2 APIs, including best practices for battery performance. XAudio2 is a high-performance audio API available in Windows 8, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 8. An app developer can use XAudio2 to create audio graphs in which they can treat each audio source in the graph as a distinct “voice.” The developer can apply different effects to each of the “voices.”

In Windows Phone 8, the XAudio2 engine must be aligned with the life cycle of the app. This means that if an app is suspended, the app that’s using XAudio2 must force the XAudio2 engine to stop. When the app resumes/rehydrates, if it is designed to resume sounds using XAudio2, it must restart the XAudio2 engine. Significant battery drain can occur if an app doesn’t stop the XAudio2 engine when the app is suspended, and the engine continues to run.

To avoid this scenario, an app must call IXAudio2::StopEngine when the app is suspended as described in the Native audio APIs for Windows Phone 8. When the app resumes, it should call IXAudio2::StartEngine. For Silverlight and Direct3D with XAML apps, the suspend/resume APIs are the Suspended and Activated events. For Direct3D native-only apps, the suspend/resume APIs are the Suspending and CoreView Resuming events.

The following code examples show you how you can do this in a pure native Direct3D app.

First create the XAudio2 object, which handles the XAudio2 sound APIs.
C++
1. IXAudio2* pXAudio = NULL ;
3. if( FAILED(XAudio2Create(&pXAudio, 0, XAUDIO2_DEFAULT_PROCESSOR) ) )
4. return false ;
6. if ( FAILED(pXAudio->CreateMasteringVoice( &pMasterVoice ) ) )
7. return false;
Then, on the suspending/resume events, set up the XAudio2 object to call StopEngine and then StartEngine. In the following example, we use the default events in the Windows Phone 8 SDK template for Direct3D native-only apps.
C++
1. void WindowsApp::Initialize(CoreApplicationView^ applicationView)
2. {
3. applicationView->Activated +=
4. ref new TypedEventHandler<CoreApplicationView^, IActivatedEventArgs^>(this, &WindowsApp::OnActivated);
6. CoreApplication::Suspending +=
7. ref new EventHandler<SuspendingEventArgs^>(this, &WindowsApp::OnSuspending);
9. CoreApplication::Resuming +=
10. ref new EventHandler<Platform::Object^>(this, &WindowsApp::OnResuming);
11. }
13. void WindowsApp::OnSuspending(Platform::Object^ sender, SuspendingEventArgs^ args)
14. {
15. pXAudio->StopEngine() ;
16. }
18. void WindowsApp::OnResuming(Platform::Object^ sender, Platform::Object^ args)
19. {
20. pXAudio->StartEngine() ;
21. }

With these steps, you can design your app to follow best practices for battery consumption when you use the XAudio2 APIs. It’s important to note that this is one of many best practices you can use in your app. To learn more, see also local folder best practices for Windows Phone, localization best practices for Windows Phone, and background agent best practices for Windows Phone.

App roundup: 7 apps for better health

Kirsten Ballweg — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m a writer for Windows by day, and a musician by night. Musicians don’t always have the best health habits. Late nights, hanging out in smoky clubs, and getting paid in drink tickets have taken their toll on my health. So I decided to take a look at some apps that might get me back on the health wagon.

Heart Age

Before starting an exercise regimen, I thought it might be a good idea to figure out if my heart could handle it. Heart Age is a free app that estimates your heart's "true age" based on info like your height, weight, frequency, and intensity of exercise, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

According to the test, I have the heart of a 28 year old. That sounds good to me! I ♥ Heart Age!

Bodeefit

Want a quick but brutal workout? Bodeefit has workout plans based on time (most are around 10-15 minutes) or number of rounds (the time these take depends on how fit your “bodee” is). The equipment you need is minimal—basically a floor, a wall, a box (for diabolical box jumps), and a bench (for dips and possibly for jumping over). There’s something reassuring about the video clip examples in this app. Watching a guy jumping on the box made me think that I could actually do that too. I was wrong. Box jumps are hard! But the videos make it fast and easy to figure out how to actually do the exercises—a lot easier than reading a description on how to do each move.

With workouts named Furious 10, Fire Breather, and Sit, Sit up, Crawl! I'm strangely looking forward to seeing what new form of torture awaits me next.

If you want to save your results, you can sign up for a free Bodeefit account (or upgrade to a Pro membership for additional benefits). With the free membership, you’ll get daily workouts sent to your email address, and a paleo recipe from PaleOMG once a week. The paleo diet, if you haven’t heard of it, is based on what Paleolithic man might have eaten. So basically: meat, fish, certain vegetables, and no sugar, carbs, or dairy. The recipes actually look delicious and include banana bread, brownie trifle, and cake (with substitutions for ingredients not allowed on the diet). Those cave men ate a lot better than I thought!

BallStrike

Taking a workout and disguising it as a game is sheer brilliance. There’s no Mario or Ms Pac Man character in the game of BallStrike, though. Through the magic of your webcam, you’re the main character. Balls appear on the screen, and it’s your job to twist, turn, kick, hit, and jump around to destroy the balls. Just watch out for those pesky bombs. You want to destroy them, not the other way around.

At the end of your session, you can share photos of yourself on Facebook, through email, and on other sites.

The first few levels of the game are completely free. To get the full version of the app (complete with 12 levels of ball-striking fun) it will cost you US$3.49, but that seems a small price to pay if you like to kick and punch things as much as I do.

MyPlate Calorie Tracker from LIVESTRONG.COM

Losing weight, I’ve been told, is mostly about what you put and don’t put into your mouth. Exercise certainly helps and is very important for overall health and fitness, but as far as actual pounds go, it’s all about the food.

The MyPlate Calorie Tracker has become my favorite app for tracking what I’m eating. It’s easy to add foods. Tap or click the + button under the meal you want to record, and then start typing. Then just pick from the results and, if necessary, adjust your serving size. With a database of more than 1.3 million food items (including many popular brands and restaurant items), you’re bound to find the foods you’re eating. Foods you eat often are shown in a list of recently eaten foods, so it’s easy to add them.

You can also track the amount of water you’re drinking and how much and what type of exercise you’re doing.

When you first start the app (after you sign in or create a free account), you decide how much weight you want to lose each week. MyPlate Calorie Tracker crunches the numbers for you. You can see how many calories you have left to consume, and how many you’ve used each day. I’m going to try using this for a full week. Hopefully the scale will say 2 pounds lost by next Friday.

HealthVault

Insurance info, health history, doctor info – HealthVault brings them all together in one place. I signed in, and then plugged in my info. Not only does Health Vault help track calories and weight, it can keep track of any health conditions you want to enter (oh, my aching back!).

Many popular exercise or heath devices (like pedometers, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose monitors, and even some scales) work with Health Vault, so you can save all your data in one place. There are over 200 devices that are compatible, and the list is growing. Have a Fitbit? You’re golden.

If you use other health apps, they can plug into HealthVault too. So if you have prescriptions at Walgreens, CVS, or various other pharmacies with apps, HealthVault can pull in your prescriptions so all of your health info is in one place.

You can also track health information for your family. So if you have kids or aging parents, HealthVault can help you out.

KinectHealth

When it comes to working out, I’m motivated by competition. The KinectHealth app is perfect for people like me. It offers virtual training videos that use your webcam to monitor your activity level. Then, the app shares info about your workout with your friends who also use KinectHealth, so you can all stay motivated.

When you watch a workout video, you'll see your trainer on the main part of the screen, and on the left, you’ll see a video of yourself working out, with your stats. At the top of the screen are friends and trainers who've taken the training already. As the video plays, you can see how your friends were doing at that specific point in the video. Your friends don’t need to be doing the same video at the same time—KinectHeath saves their data and just replays it back to you. You’ll see how many calories they burned and if they were calm (a purple circle on their profile picture), active (a green circle), or hyper (a red circle).

There were a good variety of video workouts available when I started the app (including yoga, Pilates, cardio, and strength). I decided to try out the Legs are Burning video, with the trainer, Jason. This workout delivered. As I did my squats and lunges along with Jason, my PC webcam monitored my activity. By the end of the training I was in the hyper zone.

As you reach your fitness goals, your progress is shared with friends (and vice versa) so you can cheer each other on, or at least get guilted into working out more. Effective!

Digital Health Scorecard

From Johnson & Johnson, the makers of a lot of health-related items from baby powder to Nicorette®, comes the Digital Health Scorecard app. Plug in some numbers (the app walks you through 7 questions) and you’ll get your overall health score, based on The World Health Organization’s “Global Burden of Disease” data.

The lower your score, the higher your chances of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.

On the results screen you can see how various changes in your overall lifestyle might affect your score by using the “What if?” button.

If you’re currently a smoker, you can see how your score would change if you quit. Or if you regularly enjoy a martini or two at lunch, you can drop your weekly drink number and see how much your score goes up. Making the comparison can be pretty motivating. But there’s no way I’m completely giving up my martinis. I like olives too much. And olives aren’t bad for you, at least in moderation, right?

Here’s to your health! (Clink!)

- Kirsten

Dell Announces New Workstations: Dell Precision T1700 series and Dell Precision R7610

Gavin Gear — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:15:13 GMT

Today Dell announced some exciting new workstation PCs, the Dell Precision T1700 small form-factor workstation, the Dell Precision T1700 mini-tower workstation, and the Dell Precision R7610 rack-mounted workstation.

The new Dell Precision T1700 mini-tower (left) and Dell Precision T1700 small form-factor (right)

The new T1700 mini-tower now offers 150W for graphics and an expanded set of ISV certifications, providing customers with even more power and reliability – all at about the price of a typical desktop PC. The new Dell small form-factor T1700 workstation PC is an incredibly small and light workstation PC that takes up minimal space. Both new T1700 workstations offer next-generation Intel processors, your choice of AMD or NVIDIA professional discrete graphics and Intel integrated graphics. These workstations also have some great standard features like dual front mounted USB 3.0 ports and PCIx x16 Gen 3 slots. Pricing for both T1700 workstations will be released by Dell on June 4.

The new Dell Precision R7610 rack workstation

Today Dell also announced a new member of the Dell rack workstation family: the R7610. Compared to previous Dell rack workstations, this new rack workstation will offer:

Greater performance
Enhanced remote experience
New virtualization capabilities

For this new rack workstation, Dell has packed the hardware capabilities of the Dell T7600 tower workstation into a compact 2U rack form-factor.

In addition to 1:1 remote computing, the R7610 now enables up to four users to access the workstation in a virtualized environment without sacrificing performance, resulting in increased access and better utilization of their assets. The Dell R7610 can support up to four single wide graphics cards including the NVIDIA Quadro K2000, NVIDIA Quadro K4000, and AMD FirePro W5000 cards or up to three double wide cards like the NVIDIA K5000. Also of note is the fact that the Dell R7610 supports Dell’s Reliable Memory Technology, and memory capacity has been expanded to four channels with up to 256GB in 16 DIMM slots. The Dell Precision R7610 rack workstation will be available starting at $2,179 on May 21.

For more details, please see the official Dell press release.

Find me on twitter here: @GavinGear

Tips to grow your app revenue through in-app purchase

Bernardo Zamora — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:28:18 GMT

Your Windows Phone 8 app presents three potential sources of revenue: app sales, in-app advertisement, and in-app purchases.

In a previous blog post I wrote about what you can sell in your Windows Phone 8 app by adding in-app purchase. You can:

Sell digital items.
Offer consumables (items that are used a set number of times per purchase) and durables (items purchased and then owned by the buyer).
Extend app features: add game levels, app features, and game currency, for example.

Today, I want to share recommendations and guidance to optimize the experience and effectiveness of in-app purchase in your Windows Phone app.

In-app purchase trends in the Windows Phone store

In-app purchase was added with the launch of Windows Phone 8 as a way to expand the value of apps and offer the possibility of additional revenue. It represents a growing revenue source in the Windows Phone Store: already 40% of the top 15 highest-grossing developers have apps that use in-app purchase.

Consumer adoption of in-app purchase varies by market, depending on regional trends, consumer preferences, and other regional differences. Central Europe, China, France, Middle East and United States are the markets where consumers purchased most in-app items, as a percentage of app downloads, compared to other markets.

In-app items are used in all categories of Windows Phone 8 apps in the Store. The categories with highest use of in-app purchase are Games, Tools and Productivity and Books & Reference. So in-app purchase can be used in all types of apps.

Use of in-app purchase by app category

Insight from the apps with highest in-app revenue

We analyzed the 30 apps and games with the highest in-app purchase revenue in the Windows Phone Store, and found some interesting trends, common characteristics, and best practices. Here’s what we discovered.

In-app purchase can add value to both games and non-game apps: the top grossing list includes 20 games (shooters, puzzles, racing, family, and other types of games) as well as 10 non-game apps (audio book, health/fitness, tools/productivity, navigation, and sports).

Start with a great app: All these top 30 apps are high quality, engaging apps with beautiful graphics and compelling sounds and music. All apps have 4-star ratings or higher, and user comments posted in the Store show that users love these apps, and therefore are willing to purchase the in-app items to enhance their experience. All these apps are easy to use and intuitive.

Use the ‘freemium’ business model: Most of these apps are free and offer in-app purchase extends the value of the app (90% of the apps are free and 10% are available in a paid version only). There are a few apps that are not free, and these apps are from developers with a brand name strong enough that users will know the quality or utility of the app. Very few of the apps, less than 5, use advertisement in the apps: most of these top developers focus only on in-app purchase to generate revenue.

Offer value even without purchase, and extend the app through in-app purchase: 28 of the 30 apps are useful even without in-app purchase. The apps provide great value even if no in-app purchase is used. In-app purchase is used to improve the app experience:

The games use in-app consumables to offer game currency, which in turn is used to purchase items in the game. Users can earn this currency through gameplay, or accelerate gameplay through purchase.
Non-games offer content through consumables and durables (audio books, book chapters, navigation maps, more sounds) or offer additional features through durable in-app purchase (for example additional features like online backup).
Three of the five apps that have ads use in-app purchase as an option for the user to remove the ads.
Two apps use in-app purchase to unlock the full version or new levels. These apps require in-app purchase to provide value beyond the introductory level or content.

Integrate in-app purchase seamlessly: The app developers use in-app purchase as a natural extension of the app, not as an afterthought. When using these apps, users feel that they are getting a significant additional value of value through the in-app purchase, and don’t feel forced to buy the app items to be able to use the app. In-app purchase is shown on simple, clear screens that show the value of what is being purchased, and frequently offer many options so the user can choose the best one for their budget and needs.

Make the app available also on Windows Phone 7: In-app purchase is only available on Windows Phone 8, so many of these top apps have created a XAP for Windows Phone 7 and a XAP for Windows Phone 8, to offer the app on Windows Phone 7:

10 of these apps are available for free on Windows Phone 7, providing the same functionality as the Windows Phone 8 versions, without in-app purchase. A few of these apps added mobile ads to provide ad revenue in place of the in-app revenue.
5 of these apps have a paid Windows Phone 7 version that offers the capabilities of the Windows Phone 8 version with all the in-app purchases.

Rebellion: Dredd vs Zombies and Guns 4 Hire

I interviewed Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, to understand more about their Windows Phone games and how they use in-app purchase. Rebellion has two shooter games on Windows Phone: Dredd vs Zombies and Guns 4 Hire. Both games use in-app purchase, and are among the highest grossing free Windows Phone games.

Rebellion makes games for many platforms, including PC games and Windows Store games. Chris shared with me the principles that he thinks have made in-app purchase successful in their Windows Phone games:

The game has to be great.
The game has to be designed with in-app purchase from the ground up.
The game has to balance free versus paid content.
Test, test, test, with as many people as possible.

Dredd vs Zombies was designed for in-app purchase from the ground up: the game is playable from beginning to end without in-app purchase. In-app purchase is used to sell credits that are used to purchase items that make the game more fun and which accelerate leveling up.

The items are designed so they genuinely feel like they are part of the game, and they provide a better play experience.

Dredd also offers items to try out, so players can get a feel for the game items that can be purchased. This also helps increase player engagement.

Guns 4 Hire offers a variety of in-app purchase items. The player has different options to choose from, and isn’t required to purchase to play the game.

The game shows the items for purchase in a very effective way: a large display for each item, a price, and a short and clear description of what you get with the purchase.

Chris from Rebellion mentioned they have another game coming up this month for Windows Phone – Zombie HQ – which builds on the shooter template by allowing players to customize their own HQ between missions.

Adding in-app purchase to your app

In-app purchase can enhance the app experience and increase your revenue, so if you think that you have a great app or game that is a good candidate for in-app purchase, add it today! Here’s how to get started:

Understand what can be sold through in-app purchase and how to add it.
Define how you would add in-app purchase to your Visual Studio project:
- Add it to an existing Windows Phone 7 project (through reflection) or create a new Windows Phone 8 project that uses in-app purchase natively.
- Offer a trial/paid version for Windows Phone 7 users.
Add the in-app purchase to your code.
Add the in-app purchase items through Dev Center.
Test using the different available testing techniques, and share the game with as many users as possible to polish the in-app purchase experience.
Publish your app in the Store!

Please post your feedback or questions about in-app purchase.

Pre-order the Lenovo Yoga 11S today, available in June

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:42:36 GMT

Starting today, you can now place orders for the IdeaPad Yoga 11S Ultrabook from www.lenovo.com and pre-order from Best Buy. Various models of the Yoga 11S will be available in Best Buy stores starting on June 23. The estimated retail price for the Intel Core i3 model is $799.99 (U.S.).

The Yoga 11S follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Lenovo’s Yoga 13, and boasts an 11.6-inch HD IPS screen with 10-finger touch support. And like the Yoga 13, the Yoga 11S converts into four modes, including “tent,” as shown in the above photo. It can be used as like a laptop or folded and flipped to be used like a tablet.

For more on Lenovo’s Yoga PCs – click here.

Now in the Store: Angry Birds Rio for Windows Phone

Michael Stroh — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:06:46 GMT

Here’s another classic Angry Birds title for your growing Windows Phone collection. As we previously hinted, Rovio’s Angry Birds Rio arrived this morning. The game works on both Windows Phone 7 and 8 devices. Price: $0.99.

In the game, the original Angry Birds have been caged up and shipped off to exotic Rio de Janeiro, where they eventually elude their captors and set out to rescue friends Blu and Jewel—two rare macaws you’ll recognize from the 2011 movie Rio. The scenery in the game is fresh and exciting, and the physics-based gameplay is as fun as ever—with 210 challenging levels and more than 40 bonus ones. Speaking of bonus: The Windows Phone 8 version of the game also includes Xbox LIVE achievements and leaderboards.

Buy it for Windows Phone 8

Buy it for Windows Phone 7.5

HP announces the HP Split x2

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:50:17 GMT

Today, HP is announcing the HP Split x2. The Split x2 is a two-in-one detachable PC that can be used as a high-performance laptop or a tablet.

The Split x2 comes with a powerful third-generation Intel Core processor and a 13.3 diagonal HD touchscreen display. You can get the device with an optional hard disk in the base (the keyboard) that gives you expanded storage capacity. And it has dual-batteries – one in the tablet and another in the base. The design of the Split x2 features a “soft-touch” coating for a comfortable hold and apparently protects against fingerprint smudges. It has Beats Audio for fantastic audio and a trackpad that allows for multiple finger gestures (they call it the HP ClickPad).

For more on the HP Split x2, click here.

The HP Split x2 is expected to be available in the U.S. in August with a starting price of $799.99.

Buy' ngop! Bing adds Klingon to its popular Translator app for Windows Phone

Michael Stroh — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:33:13 GMT

Bing just added a new language to its highly rated Translator app that makes it a must-have for Star Trek fans headed to see Star Trek: Into Darkness this Thursday: Klingon. Download it to your Windows Phone communicator.

In what could be the biggest advance for the popular fictional language since the publication of 1984’s “The Klingon Dictionary,” the app lets you translate back and forth between Klingon and the 41 planetary tongues it supports. If you really want to test your skills, check out this post from Microsoft’s Translation team.

Klingons, as most fans of the Trek franchise know, are a fictional warrior race with famously boney foreheads (an anatomical quirk that presumably inspired the cringe-inducing Klingon curse: “Your mother has a smooth forehead!”). Early in the series, they were everybody's favorite villain. According to Guinness World Records, their throat-wrecking tongue is today the world’s most popular fictional spoken language (though it’s unclear how much competition it has).

Curious linguaphiles and younger Trek fans might be surprised by its origins and rich history.

Klingon got its start with some words and phrases made up by James Doohan, the actor who played Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in the original series. The occasion was 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” the first time the language was spoken in a movie. It was then fleshed out by UC Berkeley-trained linguist Marc Okrand, author of "The Klingon Dictionary,” which is still in print.

In the years since, as Wikipedia notes, several Shakespeare plays and parts of the Bible have been translated into Klingon. There’s even a nonprofit Klingon Language Institute, formed in 1992 to promote the study of “Klingon linguistics and culture.” The organization, which publishes its own quarterly academic journal registered with the Library of Congress, assisted Bing with its intergalactic upgrades to the app. As the LA Times reported yesterday, Bing also received help from Okrand and Microsoft engineer Eric Andeen, who is fluent in the language. (You knew there’d be someone here who was, right?)

Give it a shot and post a comment—Klingon only, please. And leave my mother’s forehead out of it, thanks.

(In case you’re wondering, the headline starts with the Klingon for “Great news!” As the screenshots above show, the Translator app is also handy for doing things like ordering Chinese for lunch.)

How to import iTunes playlists into the Music app

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:08:23 GMT

If you have spent a great deal of time building out playlists in iTunes, you probably don’t want to have to rebuild those playlists. With the Music app in Windows 8, you can import those playlists into your collection.

If you are on a Windows 8 PC with iTunes installed and your music collection physically downloaded on the PC, you can follow these easy steps to add your iTunes playlists into the Music app.

Step 1: Open the Music app.

Step 2: Tap or click on “my music”.

Step 3: Under “my music”, tap or click on “playlists”.

Step 4: Bring up the app commands by either swiping from the bottom or right-clicking.

Step 5: Tap or click on “Import playlists”.

Step 6: The Music app will then look for playlists in your Music library on your PC and playlists created in iTunes. Just click “Import playlists” to import them in!

The end result is you should see your iTunes playlists in the Music app – as seen here with my iTunes playlist called “iTunes Stuff”.

If you have an Xbox Music Pass, you can sync your music to the cloud. The Music app can automatically scan your music collection and match the information to music from the Xbox Music Store. If a match is made, that music is tagged and available for streaming on your Windows 8, Windows RT, or Windows Phone devices and your Xbox 360 console.

In order to make sure you have cloud sync enabled:

Start the Xbox Music app in Windows 8 or Windows RT.
Swipe from the right or go to the upper-right or lower-right corner to bring out the charms.
Tap or click on the Settings charms, and then tap or click Preferences.
Make sure Xbox Music Cloud is set to “On.”

If you want to import your iTunes playlists on a Windows RT device – you will first need to move all your music files from your Music library on the PC that has iTunes installed (including the “iTunes” folder in your Music library) and all your music to your Windows RT device and then follow the steps outlined above to import your iTunes playlists.

How-To: Configure and Use File History in Windows 8

Gavin Gear — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:53:42 GMT

File History is a new feature in Windows 8 that automatically keeps a backup history of your personal data. I previously wrote a detailed article about File History in Windows 8 with a lot of detail about this feature. In this post I’ve created a video to show you how easy File History is to use, and how flexible it is for backing up and restoring your files.

In this video I talked about File History with photos, but File History works just as well for any other kind of file including office documents, videos, and any other files you have in your document libraries.

As a quick recap, most users will need to do the following to get going with File History in Windows 8:

Add non-library folders to document libraries (optional, if non-library folders need File History)
Populate “Exclude Folders” list for File History (optional)
Plug in an external storage device
Launch the File History Control Panel
Click the “Turn On” button

If you already have an external drive plugged in and use default settings, you will only need to perform steps 4-5 above. Now that’s easy!

Find me on twitter! @GavinGear

Windows Keeps Getting Better

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:45:00 GMT

Windows 8 was built for a world that blends our work and our personal lives, a world where we expect high quality touch experiences everywhere, and a world that is always on the go and always connected. Windows 8 redefines our market from PCs to mobile computing.

We are pleased with the progress we’ve seen with Windows 8 so far.

Our OEM partners have delivered tablets, touch laptops, and convertibles that bring the vision of Windows 8 and mobile computing to life. They have introduced some incredible (and unique) new form factors like the Dell XPS 12, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, the Sony VAIO Tap 20, or the recently announced Acer Aspire R7. And today at retail, you can find a powerful mobile touch laptop starting at just over $400.

We now have more than 70,000 apps in the Windows Store (the online app store for Windows) – apps such as Twitter, eBay, Netflix, CNN and games like Temple Run: Brave, Bejeweled LIVE and Angry Birds Star Wars and many others.

As PCs continue to evolve for this world of mobile computing, so does Windows 8.

Today at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston, Tami Reller shared with the audience that the update previously referred to as “Windows Blue” will be called Windows 8.1and will be a free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store.

During her remarks today, Tami reiterated our goal of delivering continual updates to create a richer experience for Windows customers. Windows 8.1 is part of that and continues the journey we first began with Windows 8 last fall. Windows 8.1 will help us to deliver the next generation of PCs and tablets with our OEM partners and to deliver the experiences customers— both consumers and businesses alike —need and will just expect moving forward.

Today, there are more devices – and choice – allowing you to pick the right Windows 8 device that meets your needs. Windows 8 provides a great experience for consuming and creating content, for both work and play and on the go. And you’ll immediately benefit from continual updates – whether it’s from app updates through the Windows Store, performance updates through Windows Update or the Windows 8.1 update later this year.

We have much more to share about Windows 8.1 in the coming weeks. We will also be making a public preview of Windows 8.1 available starting on June 26, timed with the Build developer conference in San Francisco. The preview will be available for Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Nokia’s first metal Windows Phone arrives. Meet the sexy Lumia 925

Michael Stroh — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:36:06 GMT

Nokia’s design team is on fire lately. Just days after unveiling a sleek new addition to its Windows Phone 8 flagship line—the Verizon-bound Lumia 928—the company today took the wraps off another innovative new model at a highly-anticipated London press event today. (Watch the replay.)

There’s a lot to say about the new Lumia 925, but let’s start here: The first Windows Phone to incorporate aluminum into the design is something to hold and behold. The second thing to know is that the phone will come with the latest Windows Phone 8 update that adds FM radio support and a handful of other goodies—extras that existing Windows Phone 8 owners will ultimately be offered, too. (More on that in a moment.)

The Lumia 925, which also includes an advanced new camera, will debut in June on Europe’s Vodafone network, then head to China Mobile and China Unicom. It’s scheduled to launch on T-Mobile in the U.S. later this year, Nokia said. In Europe, the phone will cost around 469 euros before taxes and subsidies.

Why metal?

All of Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 models to date have been made with sturdy polycarbonate plastic. Adding metal to the mix opened up a new world of design possibilities for Nokia engineers. Metal supplies strength, saves weight, and allows designers to sculpt a thinner, more tapered edge. It also helps deliver better antenna performance, Nokia says. (Learn more about its construction.)

The new Lumia 925 sports many of the same specs and hardware that helped earn its sibling, the Lumia 920, Smartphone of the Year honors from Engadget this year. It has a 4.5-inch AMOLED WXGA touchscreen with curved Gorilla Glass 2, 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 16 GB of internal memory, and a beefy 2000 mAh battery. Nokia Lumia 925 will be available in white, grey and black matte. Wireless charging snap-on covers will come in white, black, yellow and red. Here’s a little peek at how it all comes together.

Introducing Nokia Smart Camera

But the real star of the show is the phone’s 8.7 megapixel PureView camera with optical image stabilization and dual LED flash. The Lumia 925 continues to evolve this critically-acclaimed camera and push the boundaries of what’s possible on a smartphone, thanks to its advanced new lens design and new imaging algorithms.

I never realized that a smartphone lens is actually a sandwich of glass, but the Lumia 925’s camera now includes a sixth physical lens—an industry first. This means the phone’s Carl Zeiss optics are able to take in five times more light than competing smartphones for sharp, naturally-colored images and 1080p HD video, even under challenging conditions. The video above offers a glimpse of how this new lens is constructed. The Lumia 925’s onboard imaging software algorithms have also been tweaked to help make the camera perform even better in low light, and to improve color reproduction and reduce noise in shots.

Another cool innovation in the Lumia 925 is its new Smart Camera feature, which captures ten 5-megapixel shots in a short burst and then lets you edit them using one-touch editing options like Best Shot, Action Shot, Change Faces, and Motion Focus. Check out the video below to see what I mean. Then head over to the Nokia Conversations blog, which has an even more detailed post today showing how Smart Camera works. Another nice touch: The Lumia 925 lets you set Nokia Smart Camera as your default camera interface so you can open straight to it just by pushing the camera button.

Nokia says Smart Camera—as well as the new under-the-hood imaging algorithms—will roll out to all its Lumia models with Windows Phone 8 as part of a future update the company is calling Nokia Lumia Amber.

Windows Phone 8 update coming this summer

Speaking of updates. As I mentioned earlier, the Lumia 925 comes with the latest update to the Windows Phone 8 operating system that includes a small number of improvements and upgrades. (It’s similar in size to the one we delivered earlier this year, which brought new Wi-Fi and messaging improvements like the ability to text a reply to an incoming call.)

The new update, which is expected to start rolling out to existing Windows Phone 8 phones later this summer, brings back support for FM radio (we heard you!) and makes the Data Sense feature of Windows Phone 8 available for more carriers to offer. The update also makes it easier to select, download, and pin tunes in Xbox Music and improves the accuracy of song info and other metadata—something I know music fans will appreciate. (FM Radio and Data Sense availability depend on your phone model and carrier.)

The update includes hundreds of other small quality improvements. One final one worth highlighting, as we announced earlier, is that the update also ensures Windows Phone continues to work with Google services by adding support for the company’s newest sync protocols—CalDAV and CardDAV.

Make sure to check out Nokia’s official blog for more coverage and photos of the new Lumia 925.

Construction SMB Always On, Always Connected with Windows 8 Pro

Jay Paulus — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:15:20 GMT

I often sit down with IT staff and decision makers from small and medium-size businesses [SMBs] to discuss their unique technology needs and challenges. One of the biggest themes I hear in these meetings is the importance of mobile technology that allows them to be connected to their business from anywhere. Compared to larger enterprises, these small, rapidly growing businesses have fewer resources and employees at their disposal and need the technology that they adopt to wear as many hats as they do. Above all, SMBs want their technology to give them a fast, flexible computing experience so they can stay competitive and always be one step ahead of their customers and competitors.

Meet Glenigan, a construction intelligence supplier.

One such fast-moving midsize company that has taken advantage of Windows 8 Pro is Glenigan, based in the United Kingdom. Glenigan is a construction intelligence supplier; the company provides construction project sales leads, market analysis, forecasting, and intelligence by searching thousands of construction planning apps across the UK and aggregating the information on behalf of their clients. Glenigan helps companies increase their profits by providing timely intelligence about construction jobs. Whether customers are looking to bid for new construction work or refurbishment projects, Glenigan helps them stay ahead of competitors. The company offers access to its continually updated leads database as well as email alerts on construction projects that help customers bid for work contracts at the right time.

At the end of the day, Glenigan’s business depends on technology that helps them outpace competitors. Since January, Glenigan has been using the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist and the ThinkPad Tablet 2 to do just that. Tablets and convertibles with Windows 8 Pro help Glenigan’s employees stay connected to their clients, colleagues, and their ever-changing database of customer leads from anywhere.

SMBs take Windows 8 Pro tablets on a train.

According to Neil Taylor, PC and Network Support Analyst at the company, the biggest benefits Glenigan has experienced while testing Windows 8 Pro has been the speed and mobility of the platform. After interacting with the Windows 8 Pro devices, he notes, “It is always on, always connected, so I can manage my day from anywhere, anytime, anyplace—and it just works. With Microsoft Office 2013, I can connect to Outlook and Word and documents on SharePoint sites, and I can go home and carry on working. That’s the beauty of it.”

The ThinkPad’s twist capabilities in particular help employees stay productive while traveling. Theresa Ferguson, Head of Delivery at Glenigan, describes it like this: “I was sitting in a coffee shop, waiting for the train, filling out a questionnaire, and I was using the laptop to start answering questions. The train arrived, I closed the keyboard, switched to tablet mode, and just carried on. I didn’t even realize I had done it.”

As a company, Glenigan has been increasing its focus on making employees as mobile as possible in recent years and Windows 8 fits into this vision. All of their teams meet with customers onsite, whether representing the research, content, or technical teams. The Windows 8 testers have enjoyed the benefits of the new touch-based operating system over more traditional desktop models while they are on the road. For instance, they can easily take their devices with them when visiting their parent company in London, two hours from the company headquarters in Bournemouth. Mobility also increases employee communication within the office, so colleagues can more easily move around and exchange ideas with each other. This is something Glenigan’s management hopes will increase over time as their core office incorporates more mobile devices.

When comparing the company’s experience with the iPad and Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2, Taylor notes that with Apple, people can’t join to the Windows domain network or install Office, but the Windows 8 tablet is always connected so “you can access the network and you can access your files and it’s just there.”

Outside of the flexibility Windows 8 Pro offers, Glenigan highlights inherent security features like picture password that help the business transmit information securely from anywhere. Taylor calls Windows security over Apple security a “no brainer.”

Deploying Windows 8 alongside other systems.

Glenigan is a perfect example of many of the SMBs I talk with that are actively working within a mixed operating system environment. Glenigan has approximately 110 employees and most of them are currently using Windows 7 32-bit as the standard desktop platform; they also use laptops with Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit. The Windows 8 devices have been integrated into their business operations alongside this existing infrastructure to increase the company’s mobile operations with simple-to-use, lightweight touch devices.

Whether SMBs need a notebook, a tablet, or an all-in-one, whether touch-based or a keyboard-and-mouse system, Windows 8 offers a variety of choices to fit their needs. There is also great compatibility between Windows 7 and Windows 8, and this makes it easier to adopt Windows 8 with existing systems.

Glenigan’s case shows how technology can be a key business enabler. Whether it’s visiting a construction site, traveling to another city by train, or meeting with clients on the road, the devices just have to work. With Windows 8, Glenigan has discovered that they can have it all. They don’t have to sacrifice performance while away from the office or trade flexibility for reliable business functionality. To learn more about Glenigan’s recent interactions with Windows 8 and Office 2013, check out this new case study. And for more information about Windows 8 Pro for small and midsized businesses, click here.

New SkyDrive photo timeline and uploads 2x faster

Omar Shahine — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

People put a lot of their stuff in SkyDrive, but photos are the most common file type we see in SkyDrive, both in sheer number and in total storage consumed.

All photos view

Starting today and rolling out over the next 48 hours, we're making it easier for you to see all of your photos in SkyDrive across all your albums and folders based on a timeline view.

In the timeline view you can scroll down to navigate through all the images. They're organized into groups by event and time. Take 20 pictures at a birthday party with your phone, and then a photo of your parking spot at the airport a few hours later? Now they'll appear as two different groups in the timeline.

The new view is convenient when you want to quickly get to a photo from June and you only have access to a web browser. Maybe the reason you only have access to a web browser is because your laptop was accidentally destroyed by a random camping accident.

We also think this view is particularly excellent for your camera roll folder, since that can contain thousands of photos taken over many years (at least in my case).

If you want to quickly navigate to a specific month, just click the month name.

You can also view all your photos in the filmstrip view, and then watch them in a slide show.

Improved performance uploading photos via the SkyDrive desktop app

In the past few months we’ve also been hard at work addressing the feedback we’ve received about how long it sometimes takes to upload via the SkyDrive desktop app. To improve upload times, we worked on changes to both the app and the server code. The end result is that in our internal tests, we’ve seen a 2-3x improvement in upload times for photos.

Windows Phone full-resolution camera upload comes to all markets

We're also excited to share the news that we now have full resolution uploads of photos and videos in all markets where Windows Phone 8 is available. Now everyone with a Windows Phone 8 can have a complete backup of all the photos they take in their SkyDrive camera roll.

New layout for thumbnails and now PowerPoint and Word docs get thumbnails, too

Thumbnails make it easier to find the file you're looking for, and so we're also introducing some changes to our thumbnails view. We worked hard to improve the readability of the files and folders you have in SkyDrive and are introducing new thumbnails for your PowerPoint and Word files.

We hope this saves you time finding the stuff you need. Check it out and lets us know what you think.

Omar Shahine, Group Program Manager, SkyDrive.com