Here are my favorite Windows Phone stories of the week. What about you?
Lumia 900 “Batphone” launches in U.K.
It’s not just for Commissioner Gordon anymore. Nokia has created a limited-edition Lumia 900 to satisfy your inner superhero and celebrate the July 20 release of The Dark Knight Rises, the latest installment of the Batman saga. The phone’s black polycarbonate case sports a laser-etched Batman logo on the back. There’s also an exclusive Dark Knight Rises app with movie-themed wallpapers and ringtones. As The Verge reports, Phones 4U in the U.K. is now taking preorders for the handset, with an expected June 1 delivery date. Learn more
How to create a flight simulator app
Whether you’re a fan of Infinite Flight, one of Marketplace’s best flight sims, or simply a developer wondering how other people do it, you’ll enjoy the interview with Infinite Flight CEO Matthieu Laban on Nokia’s blog today. In the post, Laban discusses the future of Infinite Flight and the challenge of creating a realistic flight simulator on a smartphone. “Anybody could write their own app,” Laban says. “All it takes is time and passion.” Read it now
What your phone’s color says about you
Why do some people fall for fuchsia-tinted phones while others prefer blue or black? Nokia blogger Jeppe Christensen explains what drives our color decisions and what it means about us. “Every time you make a color choice, you’re making a statement about what’s going on in your head,” color psychologist Angela Wright told him. Wonder what’s going on in yours? Read on
8 great indie games for Windows Phone
WPCentral’s George Ponder picks the best Marketplace games written by “indie” developers—you know, the folks who spend their lunch hours or long nights in basements creating new apps. The Windows Phone Marketplace is filled with great indie games, including some that “can give the larger software companies (EA, Microsoft, etc.) a run for their money,” argues Ponder. In the end, he settles on eight favorites: AlphaJax, Archer, ARMED!, Bike Mania, Breakrusher, Impossible Shoota, Juice Factory, and MissileDefender. But one look at reader comments and you’ll see the question of best is far from settled. Read the post
And finally…Jim Cramer squawks about Windows Phone
Is celebrity stock picker Jim Cramer mad about Windows Phone? On CNBC’s Squawk on the Street this week, the wild man of Wall Street said he bumped into Microsoft CEO and former Harvard classmate Steve Ballmer at their reunion last weekend (both were class of 1977). Cramer checked out Steve’s Windows Phone and told his co-hosts he was impressed. “I’m not kidding,” he raved, “the Windows Phone was cool.” (He also called Windows 8 “fabulous.”) Smart picks, Jimbo, smart picks. Watch the clip
