Get this nice Christmas wallpaper for your PC.

This post is about Windows 7; Windows Phone 7 big brother. With Christmas almost upon us, I am posting a link to a nice Christmas wallpaper for your PC from Microsoft. It takes some time to install. Enjoy.

Download the Christmas Ball wallpaper

Introducing SkyDrive for iPhone and Windows Phone

I thought I'd post about the release of Skydrive for Windows Phone and iOS before going to bed. Skydrive is Microsoft free 25gb online storage. While deeply integrated into Windows Phone 7, there was no one place to manage Skydrive. The app was designed to help you manage your files on the go.

Skydrive for iOS works on the iPhone and iPad but is not optimized for the latter.

More info and download links @ 

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2011/12/13/introducing-skydrive-for-iphone-and-windows-phone.aspx

Whatsapp updated to version 1.4.

Whatsapp, the multi-platform messaging app that wants to kill SMS, has published an update to Marketplace today. Among the new features there is now the ability to record audio notes and video messages and a better handling of picture messages.

Whatsapp can be downloaded free at http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/218a0ebb-1585-4c7e-a9ec-054cf4569a79

Nokia contest gives you and 9 friends the chance to win the Nokia Lumia 800.

Nokia has launched a worldwide contest on its Facebook page that gives you the chance to win a Lumia 800. But Nokia is not stopping there. You also have the opportunity to invite 9 of your Facebook friends into the contest. So if you're the lucky winner, your nine friends also get a Lumia 800. Go to the contest page here and add 9 friends using the people hub. Then enter your name, email address, phone number and click Enter Now. The contest will close on December 20. So hurry, the clock is ticking.


Good Luck.

Microsoft fixes Exchange Server 2003 and Voicemail issues with new update.

This fix was already available in the U.S. for a while and it seems that Microsoft is now pushing it to Europe and Africa today as I just got the notification on my HTC Mozart.


Update 7.10.7740.16 fixes the following issues:

Email threads. Fixes an email issue related to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. With this fix, when you reply to or forward a message, the original message is now included in your response.

Voicemail. Fixes a voicemail notification display issue that occurs on some European and Asian networks under certain conditions.

This update is available only in certain markets.

To update your Windows Phone, connect to your PC/Laptop where you have Zune installed and follow instructions on the screen.

Microsoft creates Windows Phone simulator for Android and iOS.

No, this is not just a launcher. In fact, it's not a launcher at all but a real Windows Phone simulator that Microsoft created using HTML so iPhone and Android users can play with and get a taste of Windows Phone 7. They can do that by using a mobile browser and pointing to this address: aka.ms/wpdemo. I ran the simulator on my Nexus One and it runs smoothly. Even the simulator is fun to use. 

HTC updates bring Internet Sharing to HTC Mozart.

Aesthetically, Android pales in comparison to the Windows Phone interface. When you come to think about it, Windows Phone - besides its visual appeal - is a pleasure to use as it's interface is unique. However, there is this one feature that my Nexus One has that was missing on my Mozart, Internet Sharing. The Android side of me was teasing my Windows Phone side.

That has changed today thanks to an update from HTC. Apparently, there is a similar update for the HD7 as well. To get the update, plug your phone to Zune on your PC. 

Microsoft France lets you try a Nokia Lumia 800 and keep it.

Yes, you've read that title well. Microsoft France and Nokia have a truck going to 8 French cities (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes and Strasbourg) handing out Nokia Lumia 800. Those interested will get a phone to test and post their experience to get points. The more points you get and you keep the Lumia 800. Yes, you've read that one well too. So, if you happen to be French and reading this English blog, go to www.tryandlikeit.fr to register and receive your phone. Lucky Frenchies.

7 Videos about the Nokia Lumia you need to watch.

The lumia is not yet available in Mauritius but before it gets here and you make your mind to buy it, here are some videos that will help. Enjoy.

Nokia showcases Windows Phone-based Lumia 800 and 710.

Nokia is actually holding its annual event for customers, partners and developers in London and today unveiled a series of new phones including the much anticipated Windows Phones. Indeed Nokia showcased two new phones, the Lumio 800 and 710. Besides the Windows Phones, Nokia also unveiled four new stylish mobile phones: The Nokia Asha 300, Nokia Asha 303, Asha 200 and Nokia Asha 201. In his keynote address, Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO said, "Eight months ago, we shared our new strategy and today we are demonstrating clear progress of this strategy in action. We're driving innovation throughout our entire portfolio, from new smartphone experiences to ever smarter mobile phones,". Mr. Elop added, "From the Nokia Lumia 800 to the Nokia Asha 201, we are bringing compelling new products to the market faster than ever before. I'm incredibly proud of these new devices - and the people of Nokia who have made this happen."


Check out the new phones below:


Nokia Lumia 800 
The stunningly social Nokia Lumia 800 features head-turning design, vivid colors (cyan, magenta and black) and the best social and Internet performance, with one-touch social network access, easy grouping of contacts, integrated communication threads and Internet Explorer 9. It features a 3.7 inch AMOLED ClearBlack curved display blending seamlessly into the reduced body design, and a 1.4 GHz processor with hardware acceleration and a graphics processor. The Nokia Lumia 800 contains an instant-share camera experience based on leading Carl Zeiss optics, HD video playback, 16GB of internal user memory and25GB of free SkyDrive storage for storing images and music. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Lumia 800 will be approximately 420 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia Lumia 710
The purposely built, no-nonsense Nokia Lumia 710 can be personalized with exchangeable back covers and thousands of apps to bring the Lumia experience to more people around the world. The Nokia Lumia 710 is designed for instant social & image sharing, and the best browsing experience with IE9. It is available in black and white with black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow back covers. With the same 1.4 GHz processor, hardware acceleration and graphics processor as the Nokia Lumia 800, the Nokia Lumia 710 delivers high performance at an affordable price. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Lumia 710 will be approximately 270 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.






Both smartphones include signature Nokia experiences optimized for Windows Phone, including Nokia Drive, which delivers a full-fledged personal navigation device (PND) with free, turn-by-turn navigation and dedicated in-car-user-interface; and Nokia Music introducing MixRadio, a free, global, mobile music-streaming application that delivers hundreds of channels of locally-relevant music. In an update delivered later this year, Nokia Lumia users will also gain the ability to create personalized channels from a global catalogue of millions of tracks. Also integrated in Nokia Music is Gigfinder, providing the ability to search for live local music for a complete end-to-end music experience, as well as the ability to share discoveries on social networks and buy concert tickets also coming in the Nokia Music software update delivered later this year.



The new Nokia Lumia 800 is now available in select countries for pre-order on www.nokia.com and is scheduled to roll-out across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK in November, with 31 leading operators and retailers providing unprecedented marketing support in those first six countries. It is scheduled to be available in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan before the end of the year, and in further markets in early 2012.
The Nokia Lumia 710 is scheduled to be available first in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan toward the end of the year alongside the Nokia Lumia 800, before becoming available in further markets in early 2012.
Nokia also announced its plans to introduce a portfolio of products into the US in early 2012 and into mainland China in the first half of 2012.  In addition to the existing products, which include coverage for WCDMA and HSPA, Nokia also plans LTE and CDMA products to address specific local market requirements.

RWC 2011: The free official Rugby World Cup app.

Unless you've been on vacation on a distant planet, you probably know that the Rugby World Cup kicks off today in New Zealand. While you may not be able to go there to attend all the games or watch them on TV, the free RWC 2011 app will prove very useful. 


With it you will be able to get the latest news, get live match coverage  including stats and video highlights wherever you are. For those who are lucky enough to be there, the app will provide you information about nearby events, stadium locations, seating plans and facilities.


Whether you're in New Zealand or elsewhere and you're a rugby fan, this app is definitely a must have.


Download link: http://windowsphone.com/s?appid=72f30269-c0ea-4dff-88fa-6faadc26746d

Microsoft/HTC unveils two new phones with Windows Phone 7.5.

Microsoft and HTC have officially unveiled two new phones powered by Mango, the latest major update of Microsoft's mobile operating system. Mango is not officially out yet as device manufacturers are busy customizing it for release in October. As of now, HTC is the second manufacturer to reveal their starting lineup. Fujitsu is the first manufacturer to have launched a Windows Phone Mango in Japan recently. With October only a month away, we should expect to see more and more devices. Now back to HTC and their starting lineup.
The first of the devices is the HTC Radar crafted from a single piece of polished metal. The radar sports a 3.8" WVGA capacitive touch screen, a 1 GHz Qualcomm processor, and a pitiful 5MP camera. Unfortunately, there is no release date. I almost forgot, the Radar is white.
The HTC Titan plays at another level with a huge 4.7" touch screen, a 1.5 ghz processor, an ultra-slim 9.9mm unibody contoured design. The Titan has a 8MP camera.

For me, the choice between these two devices is quite obvious. The white color of the Radar is already a repellent. But it's nice to see that both devices have front faced camera. So Skype should soon make its way to Windows Phone Mango.

Now, has anyone seen a Nokia out there?

Source: www.Microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/cmpn/HTC.aspx

A free version of IM+ now available for Windows Phone.

An ad-supported version of the multi-platform messaging app is now available for download on Marketplace. This is a great move from the IM+ developers. They had a similar strategy on Android.The paid version is now called IM+ Pro.

I started using IM+ today because I missed being able to chat via Skype on my Windows Phone. Since Microsoft acquired Skype recently, I expect to see the latter deeply integrated into Windows Phone sometime in the future. When that happens I'll use IM+ for Google Talk...until Google comes up with a GTalk client.

IM+ Messenger is free on Marketplace.

GroupMe comes to Windows Phone.

GroupMe is a nice groups messaging app that works with data or plain SMS. You basically setup a group on your phone and start group conversation with friends. GroupMe lets you create as many groups as you want and assign a unique phone number to them. Any member of the group can initiate a group call by just dialing the number.

This is the first instalment of GroupMe. Expect more features to be added in future updates.

GroupMe can be downloaded free on Marketplace.

Keep track of your borrowings and lendings with IOU.

How many times you borrowed/lent money or anything else and forgot about it? It happens often, way too often. Well, you can put an end to this and use your Windows Phone to keep track of your belongings and, equally important, what you've borrowed. Chances are that your friend is also is using the same app. IOU is just the app you need to keep track of those and it's free on Marketplace.


Download: http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=e35eb877-1ba4-e011-986b-78e7d1fa76f8

Source: http://wmpoweruser.com

IM+ upgrade adds Windows Live Messenger; $5 cheaper.

A few weeks ago, IM+ Messenger made its way to the Windows Phone Marketplace amid rumors that Microsoft has approved the multi-messenger but has blocked Windows Live Messenger. The good news is that version 1.1 includes Messenger and a $5 drop in the price.


IM+ was initially priced at $9.99 and while customers will appreciate the drop, it still remains an expensive application.


Download: http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=86a45097-5bdb-df11-a844-00237de2db9e

Kik Messenger now available in Marketplace for free.

The 4-million users strong messaging platform is now available for free on Marketplace. The popular app lets you do group chat, picture sharing and supports push notifications. 


Check out Kik Website: http://www.kik.com/

Download: zune://navigate/?phoneappid=432c8fec-569c-e011-986b-78e7d1fa76f8


Source: WMPoweruser.com

Expensive IM+ Messenger ($9.99) for Windows Phone receives Microsoft seal of approval.

The popular IM+ Messenger has got the Microsoft seal of approval and is now available on Marketplace for $10. While this price is grossly exaggerated, there is not even a trial. Plus I can't even buy it since Marketplace remains inaccessible to Mauritians. But wait, why do I have to buy this when I have it already on my iPad and Nexus One. IM+ for the iPad and Android is no match to the Windows Phone version in terms of pricing. Both platforms sell it for the unbeatable price of $0.00. You can also get the Pro version on Android for $9.99 if you need an ad-free version. So, who do we blame for this: Microsoft or Shape Services? All I know is that I'm starting to see some sites publishing price comparisons between Microsoft and Apple stores. Microsoft has the lead for the most expensive apps. Microsoft, I think it's high time you review your prices.


Download IM+
Source: Pocket Now

Recently released Evernote gets updated to version 1.1.

Last week we saw Evernote finally makes its way to Windows Phone Marketplace. For those of you who just came back from Mars, Evernote is a nice app that lets you take notes, recordings and sync all that to the web and make your ideas accessible on any device or PC. Evernote is now again making the headlines with an update already posted to Marketplace. According to a blog post, "We’ve published an update for Windows phone 7 (V. 1.1). This version addresses the “white screen” problem some reported. Please check for updates to try the latest version." I have not experienced this issue on my HTC Mozart, but an update being an update, I have no choice but to download it.


Source: Evernote Blogcast

Evernote makes it to Windows Phone.

Evernote, the coolest note-taking app is now available for free on Marketplace. I'm particularly excited by this because I now have it running on all my devices and since Evernote saves my notes to the cloud, I can access them wherever I am and no matter which device/platform I'm using. It is also possible to download entire notebooks for offline access if you're a Premium subscriber.


Evernote takes full advantage of Windows Phone Metro UI and makes taking notes a breeze.


Learn more about Evernote for Windows Phone.


Evernote is free for download here.

Test the quality of your SharePoint site with Site Checker.

SharePoint 2010 Site Checker is a must have application for SharePoint Site administrators. Site Checker is set of automated tools that will test the quality of your internet facing SharePoint site right on your Windows Phone. "This version executes only site checks and page checks on the homepage". Mavention, the developer behind Site Checker, wants to "know if you are interested in scanning a complete site or in running the tool on premise so that you can check the quality of your internet-facing website before it is published online."


Site Checker is free to download on Marketplace.

Share your photos in one place, in real-time with LiveShare.

You've been to a great party this week end with your friends, family and, besides the abundance of drinks and foods, there were also a lot of flashes around emanating from cameras. So you and your friends have decided to capture the best moments of the party. What next? Some of the pictures will end up on Facebook but most of them will remain on that camera and most likely be moved to that huge TB size external hard disk sitting next to your laptop and never to be viewed again. That is because you have not looked at LiveShare yet.


LiveShare is a free app for Windows Phone that lets you share your photos in one place and in real-time. This way you do not have to chase them around. Real-time also means you can see what your loved ones are actually doing at the party. And LiveShare is very easy to use besides being free. Just open the app on your phone, start a photo stream, invite your friends and family to share photo into your stream. Pretty simple. The streams you create can only be viewed by people you invite or they invite.


LiveShare is a free app that can be download at zune://navigate/?phoneappid=7daafbde-1f2f-e011-854c-00237de2db9e


Learn  more at www.liveshare.com

Shutdown of Windows Mobile Marketplace website and My Phone service.

Microsoft will discontinue Windows Mobile Marketplace website starting July 15, 2011. What that means is that owners of phones running Windows Mobile 6.x will no longer be able to browse the mobile website to download and purchase apps. However, this move does not affect the Marketplace application already installed on Windows Mobile 6.x phones. Users will still be able to browse, buy or download applications directly on their devices.

Along with the Marketplace website, Microsoft is also shutting down the My Phone service on October 6, 2011. Data currently stored on My Phone will be moved to Windows Live Skydrive which is Microsoft free online storage. Contacts, Calendar, text messages and photos will be moved to SkyDrive.  Videos, music, documents and favourites will not migrated, so it is the responsibility of the user to migrate those to a PC. The My Phone website will no longer be available on October 6, 2011. However, Microsoft will continue to store users’ data for one year and that same data can be shipped upon request until October 5, 2012.

To learn more visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2557520

Check out this app: Photo Crop

Crop, rotate and flip your photos for free on your Windows Phone.

Photo Crop | zune://navigate/?phoneappid=1710a949-f151-e011-854c-00237de2db9e


Sent from my Windows Phone 7

Free SPB TV 2.0 for Windows Phone released.

The prolific SPB software strikes once again with the release of SPB TV 2.0, a free application that lets you stream more than 150 TV channels from more than 20 countries without any subscription required. Users are able to choose which channel they want to watch using the channel selection screen which also provides all the "needed information about the running TV program including a screenshot and TV guide information".

*** SPB TV for Windows Phone 7 Main Features *** 

- More than 150 TV channels from more than 20 countries, subscription free 

- Unique TV browser with fast channel launching and switching 

- Integrated TV Guide with a list of current and upcoming TV shows 

- Video-on-demand 

- Network bandwidth fluctuations support 

- Onscreen controls

Download SPB TV at Microsoft Marketplace http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=5bead4b5-b65e-e011-854c-00237de2db9e 

Read the full press release after the break.

See the next Windows Phone OS.

Press release: Microsoft Previews Next Release of Windows Phone

REDMOND, Wash. — May 24, 2011 — Microsoft Corp. today previewed the next major release of Windows Phone, code-named “Mango,” through a series of media events around the world. “Mango” will deliver more than 500 new features to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the Internet. The “Mango” release will be available for free to Windows Phone 7 customers and is scheduled to ship on new phones beginning this fall. More details on device update timing will be provided closer to availability. Windows Phone will also add support for additional languages, expand access to apps by launching Windows Phone Marketplace in new countries, and partner with new OEMs to enable expansion to new markets.*

“Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more,” said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. “With ‘Mango,’ Windows Phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the Internet, giving you better results with less effort.”

Communications: Easier to Connect and Share

The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate — from calls, texts, email and instant messages (IM) to status updates, Tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging. To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the “Mango” release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use.

•
Threads. Switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
•
Groups. Group contacts into personalized Live Tiles to see the latest status updates right from the Start Screen and quickly send a text, email or IM to the whole group.
•
Deeper social network integration. Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and “Mango” includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the Web.
•
Linked inbox. See multiple email accounts in one linked inbox. Conversations are organized to make it easy to stay on top of the latest mail.
•
Hands-free messaging. Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.
A Smarter Approach to Apps

Flory is no more. Developer cuts development.

I blogged about Flory a few weeks ago in this post as being the first multi protocol messenger app for Windows Phone. Since then I have been using it and it has served me well. Unfortunately, Flory has disappeared from MarketPlace. The developer has decided to remove it from MarketPlace but will keep the server running "until at least IM+ is released...". I've learnt from a blog post at www.flory-im.com that the developer "was looking for an instant messenger for his new Windows Phone. Since there was no messenger, he decided to develop his own, to motivate known messenger developers of other platforms like WhatsApp, IM+ etc. to finally release their messengers for the Windows Phone platform, too. And of course, to have an instant messenger in the meantime". 


According to the blog post, IM+ is working to get a beta version released this month and Kik Messenger has been announced during MIX developer conference. Read Flory blog post here.


Note that neither IM+ or Kik Messenger are available yet in MarketPlace. Those who downloaded Flory can still continue use it until the Flory folks shut down the server.

Check out this app: Appa Mundi Tasks

I have seen a lot of rant and request for a Task application into Windows phone. So I decided to look for one on MarketPlace and there are quite a few out there. Among them Appa Mundi Tasks, developed by Appa Mundi Ltd. It is not free - the app costs $3.99 - and a seven days trial is available for download.

Appa Mundi Tasks can be used as a standalone app in case you do not have an Exchange Server 2003 or later. But if you have a need for an online solution so you can create, modify and backup your Tasks, you can always synchronize your list with Hotmail To-Do. That way if you lose your phone, your Tasks list will remain available online. You should already have Hotmail To-Do.

To setup sync between the phone and Hotmail To-Do, open Appa Mundi Tasks on your Windows Phone, tap “...” > Settings > Synchronization Settings. Enter your Windows Live ID or Exchange server credentials. Contact your Exchange server administrator if you do not have this information. For the server name for hotmail, type “m.hotmail.com” and check the “server requires encrypted (SSL) connection”. Validate and start filling your list and synchronize with your Exchange/Hotmail server. Unfortunately, there is no way to auto-synchronize. To view your Tasks in Hotmail, login to your account online and open the Calendar and look under the Hotmail To-Do tab.

Appa Mundi Tasks is a simple to use task app. See list of features below.

Appa Mundi Features:

View your Tasks by due date 
View all Tasks by category
Create new Tasks on your Windows Phone
Edit and Delete existing Tasks
Assign Tasks to categories.
Send status reports via email (Not available in trial)
Synchronize with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or later or Hotmail To-Do
Live tile shows number of active Tasks (Not available in trial)
In application reminders (Not available in trial)
Supports recurring Tasks
Keyword search

Download a trial or full version here.

Microsoft to acquire Skype.

It's now official, Microsoft is acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion, the largest acquisition made by the software giant. The new Microsoft Skype division will have Tony Bates, Skype current CEO, as its president and he will report directly to Steve Ballmer.  


"Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

"Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world."

Read more @ http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10CorpNewsPR.mspx

Posted on the go.

Check out this app: Fim Facebook Chat.

This is a great app for chatting on Facebook on your Windows Phone. Enjoy.

Fim Facebook Chat | zune://navigate/?phoneappid=fc382cec-df01-e011-9264-00237de2db9e

No Windows Phone? Get one at WindowsPhone.com!

Sent from my Windows Phone 7

Microsoft rolls out security update 7.0.7392.0 to Windows Phones.

I woke up this morning with my HTC Mozart displaying a new update notification for Windows Phone. Since I blogged about this a while ago, I knew instantly that it was about the announced security update to fix an issue caused by one root certificate authority who issued nine untrusted certificates. That can lead to spoofing and phishing. Note that this is an industry-wide issue, not just one affecting Windows Phone. So whatever phone, desktop OS or browser you're using, making sure you have the latest update installed. 

These certificates affect the following Web properties:

•	login.live.com
•	mail.google.com
•	www.google.com
•	login.yahoo.com (3 certificates)
•	login.skype.com
•	addons.mozilla.org
•	"Global Trustee"

Update 7.0.7392.0

•

Fix for fraudulent third-party digital certificates. This update includes a critical fix to an industry-wide issue with nine untrusted digital certificates that were issued by one root certificate authority. These third-party digital certificates are used to access popular websites and email portals. Although this is not a Microsoft security vulnerability, these untrusted certificates may be used to spoof content, perform phishing attacks, or perform man-in-the-middle attacks against all web browser users. This update moves the affected certificates to the "Untrusted Publishers" certificate store on Windows Phone, which helps ensure that these fraudulent certificates are not inadvertently used.

For more info, see Microsoft Security Advisory (2524375)

Check out this app: Bandwidth tester; which local carrier is speedier?

This is a simple app to test your 3G or WiFi connection on your Windows Phone.

I ran a test on two phones connected to 2 local carriers. Results: The company that does not have a fruit name had a download speed of 1.93mbps, whereas the fruit company had 1.35mbps. The latter did not complete the upload test, so it not worth mentioning the results nor the latency.

The Bandwidth app is free for download on Marketplace.

BandWidth | zune://navigate/?appID=bd5202c2-c401-e011-9264-00237de2db9e


Sent from my Windows Phone

Check out Flory, an app that brings Gtalk to Windows Phone.

I have long been looking for a Gtalk app for Windows  Phone and I'm happy today I've finally found it. Flory is an app that currently supports Gtalk and Facebook and does it quite well. Flory is available free for download on Marketplace.

I will post a short review later.

Flory | zune://navigate/?appID=129a347d-6609-e011-9264-00237de2db9e


Sent from my Windows Phone

App Review: Wake up to your music with Music Alarm Clock.

I think you will all agree that the Windows Phone alarm clock sucks. You are limited to the default system sound and it is currently not possible to set your own music as alarm, the same you cannot have a customized ring tone. All of this will supposedly change with the Mango upgrade. If you’re out looking for an alternative to the default alarm clock, which by the way is extremely annoying, then look for Music Alarm Clock on Marketplace.

As its name implies, this nice utility lets you set your own music as your alarm thus ensuring a pleasant wake up. Very simple to use, Music Alarm Clock will tap into the songs you synchronized to your phone.

How it works?

Start the app and set the alarm time. Then you may choose to manually set your song or have the app randomly select a song from your playlist. I really like this feature.

What I don’t like.

In fact, there is just one thing I don’t like about Music Alarm Clock. It supports just one alarm. It would be nice to be able to set multiple alarms.  The other issue is not the developer’s fault. Because of restrictions set by Microsoft, the application does not run in the background. So you’ll have to keep Music Alarm Clock running in the foreground. Therefore, remember to bring it up before going to bed and switch off the screen and it will work fine. The developers said will they will update the app when Microsoft enables multitasking. Until then, Music Alarm Clock is a cool utility to have if you’re bored and annoyed by the default alarm sound.

Download here.

Seesmic for Windows Phone updated to version 1.5.

Seesmic is not just an app that lets you post to a Twitter account; it's also capable of handling multiple Twitter accounts and your Facebook account. It also helps you keep all these organized on a dashboard.

So what's new in 1.5:

·         Better user experience with context menus

·         Trend integration with services from What The Trend

·         Send tweet via SMS

·         User is now able to select how to open hyperlinks (in-app browser      or IE)

·         UI improvements in Salesforce Chatter

·         Fixed Facebook timeline bug

·         Fixed Twitter login bug

·         "speak" a tweet (it reads the tweet for you)

Seesmic can be downloaded free on Marketplace

zune://navigate/?phoneappid=bc081865-c2cc-df11-9eae-00237de2db9e

Sent from my Windows Phone 7

Microsoft has a security fix in the works for Windows Phone 7.

First, it is important to point out that this fix will be issued by Microsoft for a mistake made by a third party Certification Authority called Comodo. According to The Unwired, the latter “issued fraudulent digital certificates on behalf of a third party without sufficiently validating its identity. These certificates may be used to spoof content, perform phishing attacks or perform man-in-the-middle attacks against all web browsers including Internet Explorer on Windows Phone 7.”

The update is currently being tested by Microsoft and its partners. The fix is expected to be released early May.

App Review: “9 Contacts Quick”. Add 9 contacts to one tile on your home-screen.

The new Windows Phone screen lets you pin your favourite contacts to the home screen for easy and quick access. Which is great and efficient, but it’s not so when you have more than one favourite contacts. Adding them to your home screen will make for more scrolling. What if you could group them together under one tile? That is possible with “9 Contacts Quick”, a free app from NeverDecaf that lets you add nine members of your family or friends to one tile on the main screen.

“9 Contacts Quick” is very easy to use. After downloading and installing from Zune, open the app from the application list on your phone. The main screen has three headers: Call, SMS and Email. Below the headers are 9 tiles that you will fill up with your favourite contacts to quickly call, SMS or email them. Tap Call to initiate a phone call, SMS to send a message etc.

 

Tap a tile. Doing so will launch your contact list. Now choose your favourite contact and select a phone number. The data is added to the tile with the phone number displayed. This is somehow inconvenient, since it adds one more step to have the contacts name displayed. I think the developer should take that one step out. To have the name displayed, just tap the tile again and fill up the available fields: Name, Description and Symbol/Initial. Click OK when done. Repeat the same steps for the other tiles.

When you’re done filling up the other tiles, remember to pin the app to the Start menu.

Say that one of your friends is not a favourite anymore or you want to make update a tile. This is easily achieved by a tap and hold on a tile. A menu appears with the following self explanatory options: Select New Contact and Update Name and Description.

This is it. Now you have 9 persons who are important to you on your home screen. No need to search for them in your extensive contact list. “9 Contacts Quick” is extremely easy to use. However, some steps in the addition of a contact can be automated. For example, having the name of the contact added to the tile. One last thing that I believe should be change is the name of the app, really.

I recommend “9 Contacts Quick”.

zune://navigate/?appID=a61b7096-5265-e011-81d2-78e7d1fa76f8

Facebook for Windows Phone updated.

Microsoft is pushing an update for the Facebook Application for Windows Phone. The update does not bring features like push notifications but includes "a lot of fixes to known issues and significant performance improvements".

You should have received a notification on your home screen by now; if not make sure you add the Marketplace tile to your main screen.

Check out this app: NBA Scores Lite

This is a must have application if you're a NBA fan. Besides games schedules, NBA Scores Lite supports Live tile. Just choose your game and pin it to your Windows Phone 7 screen and watch the score evolve. The tile will display each teams jerseys with their respective score. As I'm writing this, I'm "watching" the Spurs vs Grizzlies game on my phone. Very useful when you cannot watch the game on TV.

I recommend this app.

NBA Scores Lite | zune://navigate/?appID=b11cc098-7bf7-df11-9264-00237de2db9e

Sent from my Windows Phone 7

My HTC Mozart - front

Sent from my Windows Phone

My HTC Mozart.

Sent from my Windows Phone

MIX11 WP7 "Help Turn This Fan-Made Windows Phone Video into a Real TV Ad"

Voici une vidéo à ne pas manquer sur YouTube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xm-_gbmcM4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Enjoy.

HTC releases app that makes WP7 see hidden networks.

A known issue since its release in October last year, Windows Phone 7 phones built by HTC now can see hidden networks. Hidden Wifi is available free for download on MarketPlace.

"The hidden Wi-Fi app let's you add 3 Wi-Fi access points with hidden network names to your Wi-Fi network list. After you add them to your list, you can connect to them like any other Wi-Fi network."

Hopefully we'll see a similar app built into Windows Phone 7 soon.

Follow the link on your HTC Windows Phone 7 to download the free app:

zune://navigate/?phoneappid=92a1beb6-c564-e011-81d2-78e7d1fa76f8