Microsoft, like many other companies, was caught off guard when the iPhone came out. They released WM6 around the same time the first iPhone was announced, WM6.5 came out 2.5 years later, after the iPhone 3GS was already out. So it took them two and a half years to release an outdated OS update and in the same time frame, Apple achieved a smartphone that was deemed affordable by many who resisted the previous models. I was in NYC when it launched, a lot of hold outs at work who for months said they will not switch to the iPhone came in with the 3GS in the first few weeks after it’s release.
WM6.5 was the fastest solution the could get out but it was still the old business oriented OS no one wanted. WP7 was the bigger effort that would make their OS suitable for consumers and WP8 was the real solution they wanted but couldn’t get out in time. They could have waited for 8 to be ready, just like Blackberry waited with BB10, it’s not looking so great for them.
Download Galaxy Grand 4.2.2 Stock, Rooted, Deodexed, Zipaligned ROM
Since the stock build of Android 4.2.2 for Samsung Galaxy Grand has been released, a ROM has been made available that is pre Rooted, Deodexed, Zipaligned as well. No application has been added or removed from the stock ROM.
Features.
The latest Android OS, 4.2.2 Jellybean build JDQ39.
Insecure boot.img (allows for elevated commands such as adb remount).
Rooted with the su binary and SuperSU app.
Deodexed for easy themeing and modding.
Here is a screenshot of the AnTuTu benchmark of it.
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Honest Review of Halo: Spartan Assault for Windows Phone
There was a lot of hype around this game, so I thought I should finally install it on my new Lumia 925 windows phone. Seriously blows my mind they are charging $7 for a phone game that is pretty much just on-par with free or very cheap phone games in the same class, and on top of that have the gall to include microtransactions inside.
I mean, ZombieHQ (link) is basically the same exact game, same exact level of visual fidelity, but involves zombies and not halo and is completely free (with optional micro transactions).
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Google Search option No Longer Available in Windows Phones
I just noticed something very weird on my Lumia 920 after receiving the official Amber update. There is no Google search option in the Internet Explorer! Earlier, there were two options – Bing and Google and after selecting either, you could simple type in to the address bar to perform search by your favourite search engine. This is apparently happening to Windows Phone users in India.
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Download InstaWeather Pro for Windows Phone
Popular application, InstaWeather Pro is now available for the Windows Phone platform. Earlier it was available only for iOS and Android platform. The Instant Weather Pro lets you put your weather information on pictures stored on your phone and then, allows you to share them via most of the social networks that includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Foursquare.
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Rant: Why Windows Phone 8 Sucks?
I first dipped my toes into the WP8 waters with the purchase of a 8X some months ago. I had been a WP7 user since the pre-Mango days (I jumped on when NoDo was a thing) and bowed out when Microsoft announced that they were pulling the plug on everyone who bought into the Lumia 900 marketing blitz. Nonetheless, I loved WP7 as it were, and I thought WP8 would be better. Alas, it seems it is not so.
Full Nokia Lumia 925 Specs
Full Nokia Lumia 925 Specs
Most of the countries will be getting the 16GB version only, which makes it kind of a downgrade when compared to the Lumia 920 windows phone.
GENERAL 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – all versions
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 – RM-892
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 – RM-910, RM-893
4G Network LTE 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 – RM-892
LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 – RM-893
SIM Micro-SIM
Announced 2013, May
Status Available. Released 2013, June
BODY Dimensions 129 x 70.6 x 8.5 mm, 78 cc (5.08 x 2.78 x 0.33 in)
Weight 139 g (4.90 oz)
DISPLAY Type AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 768 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 inches (~332 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 2
– PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack display
SOUND Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack Yes
– Dolby Headphone sound enhancement
MEMORY Card slot No
Internal 16 GB/ 32 GB (Vodafone only), 1 GB RAM
DATA GPRS Class B
EDGE Up to 236.8 kbps
Speed HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
NFC Yes
HTC Desire 500 On Sale in Germany
HTC has announced a new mid-range smartphone with Android operating system for the German market. The Desire 500 will hit shelves in a few weeks with its quad-core processor and 4.3-inch display. It will cost 279 euros, unsubsidized.
According to the manufacturer, the HTC Desire 500 does not support LTE 500. The quad-core processor is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200. This SoC integrates four ARM Coretex-A7 cores clocked at up to 1.2 GHz, and an Adreno 302 GPU. The RAM is mere 1 gigabyte and the 4.3-inch touchscreen smartphone packs just 800 x 480 pixel resolution. The internal flash memory is just a 4-gigabyte module, but thanks to microSD card slot, you can expand it up to 64 GB. The battery capacity is HTC 1,800 mAh, so you get up to 12 hours of talk time on 3G networks easily. The 8-megapixel main camera with BSI sensor and autofocus takes excellent pictures.
HTC Desire 500 on Sale in Italy
HTC has launched Desire 500 in Europe, which will be made available in Italy from September. The Desire 500 is a mid-range Android phone equipped with a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, HTC BlinkFeed and Video Highlights, which lets the user combine images in 30-second video. HTC Desire 500 is designed for those who seek for a high quality mobile at an affordable price. HTC Desire 500 will be made available in Lacquer Black and Blue Glacier, and both look refined and elegant.
You can shoot and share every moment with its 8 megapixel camera, which is backed by a dedicated imaging processor that also lets you take HD video. The front facing camera is 1.6 megapixels that allows you to take self-portraits easily. The innovative Video Highlights application redefines the way you share your most precious moments. Thanks to the HTC’s collaboration with professional musicians, the transition effects of the images are synchronized with the rhythm of each theme to guarantee a professional result.
Play Music in Italy (Price, Contract)
In May, during annual conference Google I/O, the Mountain View company introduced a new streaming music service called Play Music and was touted as an alternative to Spotify, Deezer, Nokia Music or Xbox Music. Initially, it was launched in US and some European countries, but starting today, Italians will be able to use Play Music on their Android phones.