UC Browser gets major update with new UI and more.

If you're out looking for a new internet browsing experience on your Windows Phone, you must check out UC Browser, a third party browser that is available free and is a decent and pretty alternative to the native Internet Explorer.

UC Browser has been updated today that brings the app to version 4.0. If you're familiar with software version numbering, then you know that this is a major version. Just look at the list of new features below before hitting the download link to download or update UC Browser:

1. New Cooler UI
   Totally new speed dial with a cooler UI.
2. Richer Site Navigation
   Beautiful graphics make it easier to find the latest hot sites.
3. Merged Address Bar and Search Box
   Offers you a more intelligent input experience.
4. Better Tab Switching
   More intuitive gesture control for switching tabs.

Download: Windows Phone Store
 

Summer finally comes to Disney's Frozen Free Fall.

Anna and Elsa are two sisters and they are not my daughters, but two characters made very popular by Disney hit movie Frozen. It is the story of two sisters, princesses of course, who end up in charge of a kingdom. The elder sister, Elsa, has special icy powers that accidentally plunges the kingdom in eternal winter. She then leaves the kingdom. Her departure sets off a series of funny events. The movie was such a huge success that Disney built a multi platform game called "Frozen Free Fall". And my daughters love it.

"Frozen Free Fall" was updated today with 30 sunny new levels and a bunch of new features that will certainly make fans happy.

New in this version:

• Play through 30 sunny and bright levels in our brand new sunny map and get gorgeously tanned with Olaf.
• Featuring all new collectibles! Gather flowers and unlock hot rewards like Olaf's new sneeze Power-up!
• Row into the sunset! Send Olaf's boat a'sailin to clear tiles in your path!
• Spin into Whirlpools and help Olaf move tiles across the board!

Download: Windows Phone Store

"Transfer my Data" supports transfer of SMS/MMS to/from SD card.

"Transfer my Data" is a free app that comes in handy when switching to a Lumia. Notice here that I do not say Windows Phone but Lumia because "Transfer my Data" is a Lumia exclusive. So if you're planning a switch to Lumia phones, add this app to your check list.

"Transfer my Data" has been designed to let you easily and smoothly transfer your contacts from almost any phones: Symbian, Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows Phone and others. Some phones may also support transfer of text messages. That's what the app description says in the Windows Phone store and I do not know which phones are actually supported.

In the update published today, one of the new features listed is "Transferring text and MMS messages to and from an SD card". Support for MMS is a new addition. The second feature is the usual bug fixes.

"Transfer my Data" is free for download in the Windows Phone store.

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.

Facebook Messenger app for Windows Phone gets video sharing.

Facebook Messenger today received another update. Up until now, it was only possible to take and share photos within the app. This changes now with the added support of in-app video sharing. After installing the update, simply tap the camera icon, then hold to start recording a video. A tap will take a picture. And there's more as received videos are now playable within Facebook Messenger.

The update also contains a feature that lets users find stickers easily with recent stickers and finally, the usual improvements to make the app faster and more reliable.

Facebook Messenger is a free app in the Windows Phone Store.

Fresh Paint updated with front-facing camera support and more.

Our beloved smartphones help us be more productive on the go; play funny and complex games on the go; Smartphones also let us develop and express our creativity using powerful and yet simple apps whenever an idea germinates no matter our location. Fresh paint is one of these apps that let us unleash our creativity.

Fresh Paint is an app developed by Microsoft and one of its main features is the ability to turn photos into beautiful paintings. Those with artistic genes will find in Fresh Paint a fun and easy way to lay out their creations using their Windows Phone. Today's update brings some new features that should inspire amateurs:

• New Pencil
• "Inspire me" feature helps you to search Bing for images to incorporate into your masterpiece.
• OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) improvements enable you to start painting on your phone and pick up where you left off on your PC.
• Front-facing camera support.
• Improved camera lenses.
• Big fixes.

Download fresh Paint free in the Windows Phone store.

Disney's Maleficent Free Fall gets 40 new levels and two game modes.

Disney today has updated its Maleficent Free Fall game for Windows Phone. This is an update that I'll stay quiet about until Saturday, else my daughters will take possession of my Lumia 920. When this happens, I'll only get it back after the battery has drained completely; Sometimes I do not see my phone for days. This is to say how my kids love Disney's games.

Maleficent Free Fall has been updated with 40 new levels and two new gameplay modes. Here's the full changelog:

• Now play through 145 puzzles
• All-new "Wallerbog Mud Fight" Gameplay - Take on this tiny creature in a fun mud fight at the moors.
• "Two Hearts Together" Game mode - Bring Aurora and Prince Phillip's hearts together to create a love match.

Maleficent Free Fall is a universal game and is availble free in the Windows Phone store.

Official Twitter app for Windows Phone gets big update.

The Official Twitter app for Windows Phone has been quite silent for some time. So it's with great pleasure that I acknowledge receipt of this big update from the popular micro-blogging platform. Those new features seems to bring the Windows Phone version on par with competing platforms and should silence those vociferous critic that Windows Phone is a platform that no developers care about as both Twitter and Facebook have beta version of their apps that are continuously getting new features before being ported to the official app. And numerous of these features are results of beta testers feedbacks. The "What's new" in this update is quite self explanatory, so I'll just publish the change log as is:

• Tag your friends in a photo to start a conversation.
• Capture the moment by uploading multiple photos to a single tweet.
• Tweets with Twitter photos, Vine videos and other select content now show a preview in your home timeline.
• You can reply, retweet, favorite or follow someone straight from a Tweet in your home timeline.
• Share photos through Direct Messages.

Happy download and enjoy this new version of Twitter for Windows Phone.

Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows Phone released.

The Windows Phone store has plenty of photo editing app, but in the mobile world, that does not seem to count so long as you do not have an official big name in the lot. I'm not sure Adobe Photoshop Express is the best photo editing software for mobile devices out there, but it's another big name that makes its way to the Windows Phone Store.

Adobe Photoshop Express is now available free in the Windows Phone Store with the following features:

• Basics: Crop, Straighten, Rotate, and flip your photos. Remove red eye.
• Auto-fix: One-touch adjustment for brightness, Exposure and shadows.
• Color: Slider controls for Exposure, Contrast, Clarity, Vibrance and more.
• One-touch filters "Looks": Choose from over 20 eye-catching effects!
• Get creative by adding the Looks Pack and Noise Reduction Pack.
• Share easily to social sites like Instagram and Facebook, and via SMS text.

Download: Windows Phone Store.
 

Skype for Windows Phone 8.1 gets Cortana integration.

Skype today has announced an update that will please Windows Phone 8.1 developers and users alike. The said update, that brings Skype for Windows Phone to version 2.19, includes Cortana integration. Thus, users will be able to start a Skype call by asking Cortana something like: "Skype get Linley Meslier on the screen." This new feature will be available in the U.S. or devices that have Cortana working. So it should work even if you're outside the U.S. on devices running the 8.1 preview.

The update includes some other exciting features as well such the addition of more language support bring the number from 19 to 51; fast app resume to bring the app in the foreground faster; improved notifications. The other interesting new feature is the ability to edit the last message user sent. Not sure how's that useful, but according to a Skype blog post, it is a user requested feature. So there you have it.

The update is already available on the Windows Phone Store here. 

Source: Skype blog

6tag (Instagram) and 6snap (Snapchat) for Windows Phone updated.

The two excellent unofficial Instagram (6tag) and Snapchat (6snap) clients for Windows Phone have been updated today. Developed by Windows Phone star developer, Rudy Huyn, 6tag and 6snap include features that are not even available on official clients on competing platforms. Windows Phone does have an official Instagram client currently in beta.

In the update published yesterday, 6tag has been bumped to version 3.3.1 which now lets users check followers requests on a new page. An issue with user search has also been fixed. Finally the last improvement brings better support for Russian language.

6snap is the unofficial client for Windows Phone. In today's update the developer added better conversation management. Users are now able to either delete a specific conversation or all of them.

Both updates are live in the store. Use the links below to download the apps or update them:

6tag
6snap

eBay update brings localized prices, fewer redirects to website and faster shopping.

In an update published today, eBay has added some features that will make online shopping for its users faster thanks to fewer redirects to its website. This is made possible with Native GSP Support. Items flagged as GSP, which stands for Global Shipping Program, are now purchasable from within the app.

Another interesting addition is the localization of prices for items that are in the users feed; very useful when comparing prices and does not require doing conversion any more.

Other features include:

- Customer support contact information for US and Canada has been updated.
- New users are now taken to the full registration page.
- Various localization changes & corrections.
- Other bug fixes.

Download source: Windows Phone Store

Endomondo Sports Tracker gets Bluetooth 4.0 support and more.

Do you use your Windows Phone to monitor your fitness? If the answer is yes, you probably have Endomondo in your application list. If, on the other end, the answer is no, then either you do not exercise at all or you do but you don't keep track of the burned calories, the distances, speed and distance for any outdoor sports you practice regularly or even your indoor workouts. If you fall in the first group of those who do not exercise, you better get started for some obvious reasons. One of the tools you will need to make sure you're doing it right is Endomondo Sports Tracker, a free personal trainer for Windows Phone.

Endomondo Sports Tracker got a major update today and the most noteworthy is the added support for Bluetooth 4.0. The latter will not work on Lumia devices running Windows Phone 8.1 preview until Nokia releases its Cyan update. Until then, check out the new features in Endomondo Sports Tracker version 9.1.0.3:
 

● Bluetooth heart rate belts support● Updated calorie calculation● Set your weight, height, age and gender in settings● Enhanced newsfeed (like, comment, send peptalks, view photos, mini map, open friends workout)● Set title and attach photos to your workout● Fixed autopause bug that would crash application after workout was stopped● Fixed manual workout sport selection bug● Other small fixes and improvements

Download: Windows Phone Store

Metrotube updated with search suggestions.

Metrotube is the best YouTube client your money can buy on the Windows Phone store. I dare say that in the event of Google coming forward with a client of its own, I shall stick to what has been the best YouTube experience for Windows Phone. That might seem nonsensical, but not so much considering Google's ludicrous attitude towards Microsoft and Windows Phone.

Metrotube has been updated today to version 4.1.3 with the following features:
- Search suggestions
- Age restricted videos are playable to users over 18.

Download source: Windows Phone Store

Vevo for Windows Phone redesigned, gets real time feed and more.

A smartphone, among other things, lets you watch videos/movies, listen to music during boring meetings and on the go. There are lots of apps in the store that keeps you entertained and a few of them really standout, and one among them is Vevo. It was designed to serve a large and diverse collection of music videos on your Windows Phone.

Provided you have an unlimited data connection on your device, Vevo lets you enjoy your favorite artist on the go, discover new artist and even watch live performances. Like other entertainment apps, Vevo lets you create your own playlist with recommendation while watching.

Vevo has been updated today with the following features:
- All new design
- New real-time feed
- Vevo TV now has three channels: Hits (Pop), Flow (Hip-Hop/ Rap), and Nashville (Country)
- Improved playlist management

Vevo is a free download in the Windows Phone Store.