windows phone

Microsoft is planning to release a number of improved features for its Windows Phone 8 mobile platform. The update could dramatically improve how the system functions. The update carries the codename Apollo Plus. Microsoft promises that it will ... offer fixes and features inspired by consumer feedback. VPNs Add Sense of Security for Windows Phone Users The first new feature in Apollo Plus is the inclusion of support for Virtual Private Networks (VPN). VPNs enable a host computer to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if they were private. Adding this feature to Windows ... (view more)

According to a new report, Microsoft will not allow HTC, a major hardware company, to use the upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) on its newest tablet devices. Apparently, Microsoft has some concerns about the quality of HTC hardware. Back in ... April, reports suggested that Microsoft was working closely with several manufacturing firms to ensure that their new hardware met certain quality and usability standards set by the Redmond-based software giant. The idea was that Microsoft wanted to make sure its new operating system would make a positive impression on consumers from the very start ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch an Xbox-branded, cross-platform music streaming service along with its new Windows 8 operating system. Current expectations point to an unveiling of the new service at this year's E3 (Electronic ... Entertainment Expo) convention set for June, in Los Angeles. Microsoft is calling its new service 'Woodstock' and promises to offer its customers many more features than the music service's predecessor, Zune Music Pass. Rival Device Compatibility While 'Woodstock' will have an Xbox branding, it will not be limited to the video game console. Rather, the music ... (view more)

A leaked Microsoft production schedule, or "roadmap", has revealed to the public some approximate release dates for a number of the company's most anticipated new products. The roadmap appears to have been published late last year, and lays out when ... consumers can expect to see updated versions of Office, Internet Explorer, and Windows Phone software released. According to reports, the roadmap was leaked earlier this week through Microsoft's own publicly accessible Microsoft Partner Network. MeeTroo chief executive officer Maarten Visser is reported to have sent it out via Twitter, although it ... (view more)

Microsoft's standing in the smartphone operating system (OS) marketplace may have been seriously hurt by the many delays associated with Windows Phone 7, it's most current offering. But a newly leaked video suggests work on the next Windows Phone ... system is well underway and could make up for several current failings. The video, which was leaked to the Pocket Now website, was produced by Microsoft for Nokia, which now uses Windows Phone 7 in almost all of its new smartphones (one of Microsoft's few mobile success stories in recent years). It's not clear why Microsoft created the video, though ... (view more)

Microsoft has reassigned the man responsible for its mobile phone division during the past three years. Whether it's a snub for poor performance or a major change in the way the company serves desktop and mobile markets remains open to debate. Andy ... Lees, who was President of the Windows Phone division and oversaw all the company's work in the smartphone market has now been reassigned to work directly with Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer. His replacement, Terry Myerson, had been in charge of the division's engineering. Lees retains the title "President," while Myerson remains a corporate vice- ... (view more)

A Microsoft manager has revealed that the latest Windows Phone system already includes support for "contactless" smartphone payments in stores. However, there remain serious questions about the system's security status, which is still being worked ... on. Electronic Payments Make Transactions Quicker NFC is a form of wireless communication that works very much like Bluetooth and WiFi, but only over a much shorter distance (as little as a few centimeters). One of its primary uses could be to make electronic payments in stores without swiping a card. Although technically NFC payments are ... (view more)

Microsoft has recently released the first major overhaul of its Windows Phone operating system and it's getting some generally good reviews. The revised system is powering a range of devices, including the first significant results of the ... Nokia-Microsoft partnership. Windows Phone 7, released late last year, was a much-delayed revamp of what had previously been Windows Mobile. Although the system was generally praised, it appeared to come far too late to overcome a significant loss of market share to systems such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Sales of the Windows Phone 7 handsets thus ... (view more)

A hardware manufacturer has revealed that applications designed for smartphones running Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system (OS) will work on PCs running the next edition of Windows. It's believed that this could encourage developers to ... turn their attention to the phone OS. At the moment, there are an estimated 30,000 applications available on smartphones running Windows Phone 7. That may sound a lot, but it's only around one-eighth of the number available on Android phones, and less than one-tenth of those available for Apple's portable devices. Chicken and Egg Situation This ... (view more)

Microsoft has released test editions of its next update to the Windows Phone operating system (OS). It should mean some of the changes will be hitting new and existing phones relatively soon. The update has been codenamed 'Mango' and is the largest ... set of changes to the Windows Phone 7 OS yet, though the company hasn't yet decided to officially dub it version 2.0. There are two slightly different versions of the update in circulation at the moment. One has gone to phone manufacturers and is designed to allow them to test it on both existing and forthcoming handsets to spot any potential ... (view more)