Press release: SPB TV 3.0 comes to Windows Phone.

June 28th, 2012 – MobiWorld Media (SPB TV trademark), the leading provider of technology solutions for mobile and OTT TV, announces the release of SPB TV 3.0, the latest version of the popular mobile TV application for Windows Phone platform. The updated version provides social accounts integration, enriched VoD player functionality and convenient Channel Store; the app is redesigned in the laconic and fine Metro style for the most comfortable and enjoyable user experience.

According to the SPB TV Survey that the company held earlier, more and more people highly value social features of the mobile applications. With SPB TV 3.0 Windows Phone users can stay connected with their friends in Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live and LinkedIn informing them about amusing shows and sharing comments upon the TV content quickly and easily.  

The Channel Store, convenient and well-organized way of content
representation, is now available to WP users. Here one can easily find the desired channel or just browse for interesting content. SPB TV 3.0 also provides advanced video on demand playing options: now the user can rewind, forward, pause and play the clip using handy on-screen buttons.

SPB TV 3.0 for WP has a new original design following all main principles of Windows Phone interface style called Metro. The Metro style highlights simplicity, content and typography emphasis, and purity.

“New SPB TV application fully uses Metro style design principles and very naturally fits the Windows Phone environment. The app provides great usability and comfort to Windows Phone users, who now can enjoy over 150
channels in multiple languages through the accustomed Windows Phone interface,” said Mik Chernomordikov, Evangelism Unit Lead, Microsoft Russia.  

SPB TV 3.0 inherits all the best features of the previous versions: picture-in-picture mode, quick channel previews and easily accessible TV guide. The amount of channels available in SPB TV is constantly growing and has already reached 150 items. All the channels are subscription free. Just like other SPB TV mobile solutions, SPB TV 3.0 ensures smooth and uninterrupted video playback in any network, including Wi-Fi, 3G and Edge, due to adaptive streaming technologies support.  

SPB TV 3.0 is available for all smartphones running Windows Phone 7.5. It can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Marketplace.
http://windowsphone.com/s?appid=83e3b3ed-d9b0-45d1-9f27-c9bc0df24dd1

Mauritius makes it to the list of Windows Phone 8 release countries.

With the upcoming release of Windows Phone 8, Microsoft is opening up marketplace to 180 countries, including Mauritius. What that means, is Mauritians will simply be able to buy apps and games from Marketplace for their brand new Windows Phone 8. Local developers will also be able to signup to App Hub and start publish their apps right now. So no need to wait for the Windows Phone 8 release to start coding. Besides Mauritius, the other Indian Ocean countries to appear on the release list are Madagascar, Seychelles and Maldives.

While this is great news, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft will get developers, resellers and, most importantly, customers excited about Windows Phone 8. Windows Phone is relatively unknown in Mauritius where the smartphone market is dominated by Android made by Samsung. The island has seen the release of first generation of Windows Phone (HTC Mozart and Samsung Omnia 7) two years ago. These two devices are still available at an exorbitant price and have gathered much dust on the shelves ever since. No second generation Windows Phone managed to reach our shores. On the other hand , Android has been living happily here, basking under the sun and selling like hot cakes. Will the release of Windows Phone 8 reverse the trend? Let's wait and see. For that to happen resellers and Microsoft will have to get their act together.

Check out the list after the break

Ben Rudolph shows off new Windows Phone 7.8 Start screen.

Remember Ben? He's the guy who gives away Windows Phones or vouchers if you manage to beat a Windows Phone with your Android or iPhone. He's been doing that a lot recently and that contributed to making Windows Phone a little bit more popular. With last week announcements of Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 7.8, Ben, aka Ben the PC Guy, has posted a short video showing the new Start screen that Microsoft will push out to the most current Windows Phone 7.5 devices soon.

For this video, Ben Rudolph uses a Nokia Lumia 900 - what else?. The new Start screen will let users have more control on home screen customization with the ability to re-size the tiles to small, medium and large. The thing that bothers me with Ben Rudolph's post is the constant reference to Nokia Lumia as if that's the only recent Windows Phone 7.5 released.



Source: Windows Phone blog