Windows Phone 8 Apollo builds
WP7Forum.ru posted a list of Windows Phone 8 build numbers gathered from a Windows Phone 7.5 app’s logs. Build numbers associated with Windows Phone 8/Apollo start at 8.0.9666, and build up to 8.0.9699. WP7Forum additionally reports that the major OS update should RTM by July 2012.
Nokia TV Finland
Nokia promised to bring the Nokia TV app to Finland when the Lumia 900 became available. News from last night indicate that the software release happened earlier than the hardware release.
The Nokia TV app is now available in many regions, but it only features Finnish TV channels. Do a quick Marketplace search to see if you’re able to download the Nokia TV app. Nokia will most probably pull the app from the worldwide store, and only make it available in Finland. Own localized versions should hit some markets later this year.
LG Optimus UI 3.0
LG today announce a new user interface which they call, quite unexpectedly, Optimus UI 3.0. Any idea why it’s called version 3.0, when there isn’t anything before that? Optimus UI 3.0 is the UI that will decorate LG’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and will be delivered together with the update to the new software version.
LG tries to do the same that HTC does with their Sense UI, and Samsung with their TouchWiz, i.e. customize the already great Android 4.0 experience. Their addition to the camera include a feature called Voice Shutter, which will take a picture or start filming at a predefined voice command like “Cheese”. Another handy feature is Quick Memo, which will let you scribble something on any screen with your finger. Quick Memo will come handy for those with dementia.
Hit View Post to see the press release.
HTC One X - white
HTC has just released their third minor firmware update to the international One X. The update is delivered as a simple OTA update that weighs 14MB. The exact software version after the update will be 1.29.401.11. The update will fix issues regarding USB storage. The WiFi bug that was found last week has not been fixed in this release.
HDBlog is most probably the first that have managed to do a complete video unboxing of the Samsung Galaxy S III. Their video can be seen here above.
Earlier this week I got my hands on this device too, and I’ve written about my experiences of it here. Just little over a week until this is publicly available in Europe, so stay tuned!
I Love WP Foursquare badge
Here’a an alleged letter sent by a self claimed Apple fanboy to Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer. Apparently he’s so in love with his Windows Phone that he took the opportunity to let the big guy know about it.
Here’s the letter in question:
From: Scott G.
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 1:50 PM
To: Steve Ballmer
Subject: Apple fanboy loves his Windows phone
Mr. Ballmer,Hopefully this will get to you. Your team deserves credit for producing an excellent product in the newest version of Windows Phone. Yes, I am writing from my MacBook Pro. And I have been a fairly loyal Apple customer over the years. However, I recently bought a Nokia Lumia 900 and intend on keeping it. For full disclosure, I was sure to make sure it could be returned after a dismal experience with an Android phone.
My reasons for switching are:
Call quality. I actually use my phone as a phone. That concept seems to get lost in many product reviews. One of my employees actually thanked me for getting rid of my iPhone as it was so much easier to hear me. I apologize for the tedium but it means a great deal to me and my business.
Simplicity. My family owns five vehicles, including two Fords with Sync. The 4S didn’t support all functions in any of them. My Nokia 900 was flawless out of the box. It was refreshing to have something that just worked. I cannot afford to have my primary means of communication be a science experiment.
No junk software. Speaking of science experiments, I also tried a Motorola Razr. Software that cannot be deleted and restarts itself? A company with questionable privacy rules. Software that terrified my poor in-laws? I guess if you like spending your day tinkering with your phone, it’s pretty cool. Maybe it beats playing with your Star Wars dolls?
Simplicity again. Everything after set up has been painless as well. Adding apps, setting up email accounts, etc. I thought the iPhone was good. Your set up was actually smoother and took less time. Same for Wi-Fi, in-car Bluetooth, etc.
Speed. The 900 doesn’t seem to lag the way the iPhone did at times. Everything seems to execute quickly. That I don’t think about it is probably the best compliment.
Live Tiles. It’s a minor thing but the Metro tiles are pretty cool. I just like the look.
Best regards,
Scott G.
Mozilla Firefox 14 beta for Android
It was just a few weeks ago when Firefox 13 beta was released for Android. Today, we get the Firefox 14 beta. Changes in this version include a redesigned user interface and start page, better touch support in the form of tweaked panning and zooming gestures, and support for Adobe Flash. The update can be installed on devices running Android 2.2 Froyo or higher, but tablets are so far left without an update. Mozilla stated that a tablet-ready version is on the way.
Fire up Google Play (former Android Market) to downloads the Mozilla Firefox 14 beta.
Android
Google’s earlier major Android releases have usually also seen a Nexus announcement. This has been a reference design by Google, and their Nexus smartphones have always been the first to receive firmware updates. The original Google developer phone, the HTC Nexus One, was released in 2012, followed by the Samsung Nexus S in 2010, and now the latest Samsung Galaxy Nexus in 2011. Rumors have it that also this year’s Nexus-device will be manufactured by Samsung.
Wall Street Journal reports today that Google’s next major Android version, version 5.0 or Jelly Bean as it’s called, will get up to five Nexus smrtphones and tablets this year. Google will sell these directly through their website. This move will probably shorten the time from announcement to availability, when carriers can’t require changes to the hardware.
Google is expected to announce Android 5.0 next month at their I/O conference.
