Tubecast for Windows Phone gets full Apple AirPlay support and more.

The rumor is more and more persistent about Microsoft releasing a Miracast dongle to compete against Apple and Google. But until we see the actual thing, which according to the same rumors should surface at IFA, there is Tubecast which lets Windows Phone interact with Google's Chromecast. As a side note, it is interesting to see the ingenuity of the Windows Phone developer community who works hard to bring Google apps to Windows Phone. It is just silly that Google still does not grasp the ridicule it put itself in by ignoring Windows Phone. 

Tubecast is an excellent YouTube client with great support for Chromecast, Google's proprietary dongle that lets Android and iOS users project media on their phones or tablets to a TV. The Windows Phone app has been getting better and better. When it was first released, all it could do was to play a video at a time. Tubecast has improved a lot since and is getting more mature and interesting if you own a Chromecast dongle.  

Tubecast was updated today with a slew of features and bug fixes. The most noteworthy feature is full support for Apple AirPlay including full password handling. See the full change log below:
- Apple AirPlay full support (passwords handled too)
- Chromecast bug fix (video seek) for the new firmware
- DLNA bug fix, have a try if cast didn't work
- Preload MP3 from videos
- Windows Phone 7 video playing bug fix
- New gesture : hold to close the Picture in Picture
- Picture in picture bug position fix
- Bug fix for fullscreen video HD playing (no more drop frames)
- New channel page user interface (more handy)
- Keep playing while switching apps is now disabled by default (change in the settings)
- Youtube URL copy to clipboard : direct access in the application bar
- Newsfeed faster loading & less data downloaded
- Live Tile shows newsfeed subscription when you are logged
- 20 icons improved

Tubecast has a free and paid version available in Windows Phone store.
 

Office Lens new algorithm generates cleaner document images.

Office Lens is a Microsoft developed app that puts a scanner into your pocket. Using your device camera, it is possible to digitize a document, business cards even notes on whiteboards and blackboards. A very useful app to also keep track of receipts and save them to OneNote. Today Office Lens was updated with an improved algorithm that generates cleaner document images. This update also lets you select the OneNote location where a new page is created. Finally the usual bug fixes that makes Office Lens more stable.

Office lens is available free in Windows Phone store.

CloudMesh updated with new sync feature and support for more languages.

Think of CloudMesh as your favorite newsreader. It brings all the popular cloud storage services in one app thus negating the need of downloading and using separate apps on your Windows Phone. CloudMesh does that very well with the ability to sign in to OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, Mega Dropbox, Facebook and MeoCloud.

It is not only your one stop shop for your cloud storage needs, CloudMesh also includes a sync feature that lets users sync/copy files between the cloud services. A very neat feature that gets even better with today's update as synchronizing files from the phone to the cloud and vice-versa now happens in the background.

The update adds support for more languages: Swedish, Russian, and Dutch. Besides the usual performance enhancements, the developer added support for offline folders and UI and UX improvements.

CloudMesh is available in the Windows Phone store in both a free and paid version.

Angry Birds Rio for Windows Phone gets 20 exotic new levels.

While the Windows Phone community is all excited about the deployment of the Cyan and GDR1 update, Rovio has updated its Angry Bird franchise with 20 new levels and 6 bonus ones to the Rio episode. The Monkeys are back and they got their hands on some logging equipment.

Here's the full change log:
NEW LEVELS! 20 exotic new levels and six bonus ones!

CALL THE FLOCK! Get some demolition help from your Macaw buddies!

NEW TIP! If you get stuck, get a tip – or just continue on your own!

POWER POTION! Juice up your bird with more destructive power!

Source: Windows Phone store

4Shared for Windows Phone updated.

Let it be said that neither Google, Amazon, Microsoft or Apple invented cloud computing. 4Shared is among the precursors in this area offering cloud storage services back in the early 2000 when Pocket PCs was dominating the mobile world. I started using 4Shared to store my data and it was awesome back then to access data everywhere where a data connection existed. Today we take all that for granted.

Today 4Shared is available in beta in the Windows Phone store. I did not use 4Shared for quite a long time with the advent of OneDrive and Google Drive. I installed it and it was with some emotions that I found some old files that was still stored up there. A lot of them are cab files of apps I had installed on my Pocket PCs and Smartphones. I even found old popular songs.

4Shared has published an update today that brings it to version 1.1.0.9 with the following features:

• Open a file in other apps from the file details view.
• Sort files in your account by size, date or alphabetically.
• Added thumbnails bar to the image preview screen for quick visual search.
• File list and music player tweaks.
• Other bug fixes and improvements.

Source: Windows Phone Store

Subway Surfers world tour goes to Hollywood.

Yay! it's Friday, my favorite day of the week. The fresh beer is out despite the shitty and cold weather outside. In my other hand is my Windows Phone and there is showing an update for Subway Surfers game. This time the runner game is taking me to Hollywood, the city of the stars.

Today's update of the popular multi-platform game, does indeed brings you to Hollywood to explore the movie settings and subway of Los Angeles. Along the way, you will meet new characters like Wayne who is presented as a skillful actor. You will take Wayne for a ride on the "Cruiser Board".

Other new features include joining awesome events in the Subway every day of the week and customize your Surfer cast with cool new Outfits.

Subway Surfers is available free in the Windows Phone Store.

Remember, don't dash and drink.