Facebook soon will update its Windows Phone app to version 2.5 with many major improvements

Facebook has announced the pending release of a major update of their Windows Phone app.The Facebook team say they have been hard at work to get the new features implemented, and it looks like all the missing features we have longed for are finally coming with the next update.


Facebook say version 2.5 will have the following improvements:

• Threaded messaging
• Full Facebook threaded messaging including group messaging, all in a beautiful Metro style design.
• Tagging
• Now you can tag friends and locations in your posts in the ‘with’ and ‘at’ format.
• Delete posts and comments
• Use the tap and hold context menu to delete posts and comments from your wall.
• Active links in posts
• Tap on links in posts to go directly to the content.
• Updates to the photo comments and likes page
• The photo comments and likes page has been updated to match the posts comments and likes page. You can see a hint of the image at the top of the page, pull down and you can see the whole thing.
• And finally, by popular demand…
• …you can now ‘like’ comments!

Source: Facebook

Skype for Windows Phone comes out of beta to final version 1.0

In February, after a long wait, Microsoft has released the first official Beta version of Skype for your platform Windows Mobile Phone.Microsoft had promised the release of the final version by the end of April. 

As promised  today in the marketplace the update came and Windows Phone Skype Beta version (0.2) has been updates to the final version (1.0).

Microsoft does not currently provide the innovations that make this new version, however probably the new update will bring some improvements  and enhancements, and general improvements in the management of audio / video.

Unfortunately, as we had imagined recently , the final version of Skype for Windows Phone does not support notifications to be notified of an incoming Skype call, it seems that this limitation will be removed only with the arrival of the next major update of Windows Phone (Apollo ).

Skype for Windows Phone v1.0 is free as usual and can be downloaded from the WP Marketplace

Code Warrior - Nokia stimulates the interest of developers of apps for Windows Phone

Application development is a vital element for the success of any mobile platform in the current market scenario. Nokia , after choosing Windows Phone as its flagship operating system, device, is aware that the development of apps for the platform of Redmond is a fundamental objective. To encourage developers to build applications, Nokia has recently launched a new initiative with the Site Code Warrior : a space in which Windows Phone users and developers can meet, exchange ideas on useful applications to make and vote for the most deserving. To promote the initiative, the Finnish house has organized a tour that will visit major U.S. cities , during which prizes will be distributed to the most skilled developers.

vNESLight - NES emulator for the lovers of "vintage" games!

For lovers of retro video games,the ones we love to play it as a kids, there's more good news today! After Purple Cherry and Blue Tomato , and SEGA emulators for GameBoy, vNESLight brings NES  experience for all Windows Phone smartphones.

Change the developer, but not the substance: now in version 1.1 with the correction of bugs in the previous build, the emulator developed by Nudua allows you to play your NES games wherever you are.

Viber for Windows Phone coming soon

Viber is a multiplatform application that allows you to send messages or make calls to users who have installed the same app on their devices; Viber is already widely used in the iPhone OS and Android.

We said, since last year that Viber will release its application in the Microsoft Windows Phone platform. In February, however, according to some rumors, the arrival of Windows Phone application should be delayed because would be released only after the release on the RIM platform.

Good news comes for those who use Viber, even though the version for BlackBerry devices is not available, it appears that the Viber arrival for Windows Phone will be eminent, since WMPU reader Gurmit has forwarded an email to them from Viber support, suggesting the Viber WP7 app will come to WP Marketplace in very short time.

Thank you for contacting us. You'll be happy to know that Viber for WP7 is coming very soon. Please stay tuned for the next week. Announcing its publication. Stay tuned for release updates, see IENI us on Facebook and Twitter .

The Windows Phone marketplace is increasingly populated by known applications on other platforms, this symptom, and in a sense of growth and confidence from developers.

Via WMPU

ChevronWP7 Labs homebrew unlocking service comes to an end! Within 120 days, the device will be re-closed

Given the capabilities, Microsoft has taken the team to find a way to unlock the devices in an official Windows Phone without a developer account that requires an annual cost of $ 99. The Chevron Labs team in collaboration with Microsoft has created a well-known experiment called ChevronWP7 Labs, for a small fee of $ 9 selling you token that allow you to developer unlock your WP smartphone. This method has had an immediate success because 10,000 tokens were sold in less than two months.

Team Chevron has stated that the agreement with Microsoft included only 10,000 tokens, sold out in just two months. In this regard, the service has been suspended for an unspecified time

The team has just published an article on its official blog saying that the service has been permanently discontinued.

Windows Phone Marketplace - Microsoft working to improve the certification process of the apps in WP Marketplace

As shown by the latest figures reported days ago , Windows Phone Marketplace is growing but with the increase in applications submitted by developers for certification, you discover the real bottleneck of the system.

Lately, in fact, Microsoft acknowledged that the growth rates of the store may be much higher but to clip the wings of these dreams of glory fall on the certification process of the app, a system of control of code and content to avoid spread of malware and inappropriate content.

And 'the voice of Todd Brix to confirm this, stating that in the last three months were 30,000 new applications and new servers and a system of certification of new generation will come in the summer 2012 to minimize the lag between submission of the app and availability in the market.

We have plans of both medium and long term. We are already developing a service for the marketplace more "robust" and that will solve the problem is scalable will make way for even higher growth rates that we expect for years to come. The work of engineering, however, can not be executed in one night: according to our plans will be complete by late Summer 2012.

Until then we apply short-term control measures including the addition of more capacity in servers to better handle the load and a streamlining of the process to speed up the publication of the app.

Netflix updated to version 2.0, now with Mango support

Netflix, the popular movie streaming service, has updated their Windows Phone app to version 2.0 and finally adds Mango support.

In this update UK and Ireland, as well as 47 countries in Latin America, are now supported, which is a huge plus for those who patiently awaited access on their handsets. 

Version 2.0 brings the following features:

• Support for additional international locations – UK & IRE, 47 countries in Latin America
• New localised UI for all international locations
• Support for subtitles, closed caption and alternate audio
• Performance improvements and optimisations for a better browsing and viewing experience

Netflix can be downloaded from WP Marketplace for free (reminder :requires a subscription to use the service).

Nokia Music - Nokia Lumia exclusive app bumped to version 2.1

One of Nokia Lumia exclusive apps, the Nokia Music has been  updated to version 2.1.

Changelog:

• Overall performance and responsiveness
• Nokia Music Unlimited (only for supported countries)
• Controls for shuffle and repeat in the music player

Nokia Music is available for  download/update from the Nokia corner in the WP Marketplace 

Microsoft confirmed that current windows app will run on Windows Phone 8

Microsoft on its blog had confirmed that current Windows Phone applications and games will run on the next major version of Windows Phone aka Apollo or Windows Phone 8. 

“With regard to existing applications: today’s Windows Phone applications and games will run on the next major version of Windows Phone. Driving application compatibility is a function of Microsoft’s commitment to its developers. Regardless of what we release in terms of new developer features and functionality, we have made a large investment in protecting your existing investments,” 

Silverlight for Windows Phone will be discontinued – at least in that way we know it today.

Please don’t panic; XAML and C#/VB.NET development in Windows 8 can be viewed as a direct evolution from today’s Silverlight. All of your managed programming skills are transferrable to building applications for Windows 8, and in many cases, much of your code will be transferrable as well.

More info at windowsteamblog

Windows Phone Marketplace has now 82,000 applications

Bronze medal for Microsoft, although the level of sales has not yet become the third largest in the world of smart phones, with regard to applications exceeds Symbian and BlackBerry.

The two operating systems, in fact, count some 70,000 respectively Ovi app Store and App World and last month served to Windows Phone to break away from competitors thanks to 10,228 new app in March bringing the total count to 82,000.

The numbers are not yet sufficient to worry about Android and iPhone OS, respectively the second and third place with more than 450,000 and 550,000 app. The growth of the WP Marketplace, however, expect a continual progress, if it continues at current rates, will allow Windows Phone Marketplace to reach 100,000 apps in May.

Going into detail of the various formats, the U.S. is still leading with 69,123 applications available for this market, while China, the last in time to debut with Windows Phone is stuck at 21,530.

Windows Phone Marketplace reached another milestone, 70,000 applications are now in the WP Marketplace

At the launch of Windows Phone with Tango in China, Simon Leung had "given numbers" on these applications on Windows Marketplace.

In fact 70,000 applications according to official figures that Microsoft announced that it has passed the milestone and is now launching to 100,000. Someone may have already heard, some time ago, have achieved this level but had not been officially disclosed by Microsoft and included applications that were removed as redundant or unsafe.

With regard to the numbers of growth has now come to 300 new applications per day, number expected to increase with expansion up to 63 different markets.

At the time the developers have registered more than 100,000 and for them has simplified the certification process to get the app in the Market: are only 3 days maximum needed to make his debut in the store. The interest of developers, although not as high as Android or IOS, is still growing, especially in view of the arrival of Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and the convergence between the systems.