Recent Editorial Content
Review: Nokia DT-900 Wireless Charger - living in the future
This, wireless charging, is supposed to be the future - but I approached this latest accessory with extreme caution. Iunderstood the theory behind the Qi charging standard - electromagnetic induction, and so forth, but I was sceptical about the value proposition ('how hard is plugging in a cable, after all?') and I was even more sceptical about how much power could be transferred in this manner ('surely it's going to take five times as long to charge a phone?'). Well, I've been using the Nokia DT-900 Wireless Charger with the Lumia 920 for the last week and it has made me a believer. Turns out this really is the future.
Nokia surprises with better than expected preliminary Q4 2012 results
Nokia today announced that its Q4 2012 results will be better than previously expected, with the key Devices & Services division's non-IFRS operating margin expected to be between break even and 2 percent. Previously the company had indicated this would be -6%, with a +/-4% range. Nokia also currently estimates that it sold 6.6 million smartphones (4.4 million Lumia, 2.2 million Symbian) in the last quarter. Mobile phone sales were 86.3 million, and, of these, 9.3 million were Asha full touch devices, which are sometimes classified as smartphones (in which case, a total of 15.9 million smartphones).
Why Windows Phone 7 users don't need a mythical WP8 upgrade
I'm spotting an interesting trend in articles talking about Windows Phone 8, and I want to disagree with some of the automatic thinking that is going on. The idea that there are hordes of Windows Phone 7 users ready to flay Microsoft alive because they aren't getting a new OS was laughable at best, but now I've had some time with Windows Phone 8, I think the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' is appropriate here. If Windows Phone 8 was available for the first and second generation Windows Phone 7 devices and forced on them, that's when the trouble (and the flaying) would start.
Gallery: Samsung ATIV S
In this gallery, we kick off our review coverage of the Samsung ATIV S by offering a visual tour of Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device. It's a high end device with key specifications including a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen, dual core 1.5 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera, and 16GB of internal storage. It's notable for being the only current high-end Windows Phone device with both a removeable battery and microSD card support.
AAWP Insight #51: ATIV S and ecosystem perception
In episode 51 of the AAWP Insight, Podcast Ewan, Steve and Rafe start by talking about app updates and the issue of notifications, before moving to chat about the Samsung ATIV S. The third main discussion point is the perception of ecosystem rivalry, prompted by the recent Google Maps and Windows Phone headlines. We also find time to discuss some holiday related Windows Phone highlights, before finishing, as usual, with some app picks.
Review: Rise of Glory
No, this is not a new XBox Live game, it's actually an old one and I cannot believe that Ewan left this one for me for so long - we're both flight sim nuts! As it turns out, Rise of Glory is as much a game as it is a 'simulation', but it's none the worse for that and straddles the divide between the two genres pretty well. In short, it's World War I acrobatic duelling, with planes everywhere, frantic rolling and diving and firing and... generally trying to survive! Somewhat surprisingly, the biggest flaw in Rise of Glory turns out to be the size of your right thumb and its relation to your phone's 'Start' key...
Review: Jewel Tower
Jewel Tower is a fast paced block building game, but unlike the Tetris genre, the aim is not to make as many lines as possible and keep the game grid as clear as possible, you're asked to build your stack of bricks as high as possible. And when you manage to get to the required height, you'll move up a level and be asked to build a higher tower from scratch. Oh and it's against the clock.
By popular request: Nokia N8 vs Lumia 920 PR1.1 vs Ativ S camera test
Following previous head to heads, many people asked for a comparison between the Nokia N8 camera and that in the Lumia 920 with the PR1.1 camera fix in place. Furthermore, others wanted a direct comparison between shots from the Lumia 920 and industry-standard cameras like that in the new Samsung ATIV S (or Galaxy S III). Finally, I couldn't resist throwing a wild card into the mix with the Meego-powered Nokia N9. Four top camera-toting smartphones, which one will emerge victorious?
Size matters - the quest for 'right' for a truly MOBILE mobile
It's true, I'm something of a rebel - you can count on me to disagree with the accepted wisdom of the rest of the smartphone world fairly often. Camera phones with real Xenon flash, for example. And I've mused on the trend towards ever-bigger phones before, but with CES 2013 now upon us and 5" and 6"-screened 'phones' now a reality, I find that I just can't stay silent. These monstrosities may well be 'phones' to the well-heeled twenty-something geeks, but to every day mums and dads, and to people who really are mobile, the size rather gets in the way. Having tried everything on the market, I'm convinced that the sweet spot for me is smaller. A lot smaller.
Review: Final Approach
There are a lot of titles out there that take Flight Control as their inspiration. Guiding aircraft down to a safe landing seems to be a rather popular past-time on a mobile device. Many of them go for the Flight Control approach and hope that nobody notices, or they can get away with it as long as possible. Flying Development Studios have taken the other approach, added a twist to the game, and released it for the world to judge. You know what? It's not that bad.
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