windows phone 8

Microsoft is preparing to release the software development kit for Windows Phone 8 — but only to a select group of developers.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Windows Marketplace chief Todd Brix said Microsoft was starting to accept requests for access to the SDK, which lets app creators tailor their products to the upcoming version of the Windows Phone OS.

However, only the "developers of [the Marketplace's] most-downloaded apps" will get in early, Brix said. As for the rest, they will only get access at the launch of Windows Phone 8 because Microsoft is trying to keep … Read more

Nokia may offer entry-level Windows Phone 7.5 devices by year's end, according to DigiTimes.

Citing the usual "industry sources," DigiTimes said the new phones would be aimed at consumers in emerging markets, who are considered more price-sensitive.

The hardware requirements for Windows Phone 8 are stricter than those for its predecessor, demanding a dual-core processor and support for near-field communication (NFC). Those features would be difficult to add to more entry-level and mid-level phones, according to the sources, prompting the need for less pricey Windows Phone 7.5 devices.

A Nokia spokesman told CNET that the … Read more

Ever since it revealed that ARM-based Windows RT PCs and tablets would not be able to join Active Directory domains, Microsoft has been keeping users in suspense as to how Windows RT devices could be managed.

Yesterday, Microsoft officials finally shared a few more details about its plans.

The next version of Windows Intune, Microsoft's PC management and security service, coupled with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack (SP) 1, will be the way administrators will be able to manage Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 devices both, according to a new post on the Microsoft "Server &… Read more

Mobile is the future, and nobody wants to be left behind, because losing would mean certain death.

The iPhone accounts for a whopping $150 billion of Apple's revenues over the last five years. Google spent $12.5 billion in order to acquire Motorola. Microsoft and Nokia have finally built a flagship Windows phone (though they seriously need to fire whoever named it).

Amazon is the company everyone should be watching in this space, though. The online retailer first struck gold with the Kindle e-reader in 2007. A few years later, Amazon decided that Apple and Google needed some competition … Read more

Armed with their new, yellow Nokia 920s, Microsoft head man Steve Ballmer and Nokia chief Stephen Elop are ready to challenge the two companies that have an 85 percent share of the smartphone market: Google (Android) and Apple (iOS).

Elop, the former head of Microsoft's business division, has bet big on Microsoft's new phone platform to revive Nokia, which has struggled to gain traction in the smartphone arena. In the second quarter of 2012, Nokia sold 10.2 million smartphones worldwide, which equates to a 6.6 percent share, down from 15.4 percent a year earlier, according … Read more

Ever struggled to use your smartphone's touch screen with gloves or long fingernails? A new feature in Nokia's Windows 8 smartphones should provide some relief.

Developed by touch-pad designer Synaptics, the new "Super Sensitive Touch" technology will better detect and respond to your individual touch. As such, those of you wearing gloves or sporting long fingernails will be able to tap and swipe your way through your Nokia phone touch screens without running into the usual challenges.

Nokia's new Lumia 920 and 820 will be the first recipients of Synaptics' new ClearPad Series 3 feature. … Read more

One thing is very clear when it comes to Nokia's mobile devices: Cameras are extremely important.

Kicking off today's press conference about its Microsoft Windows Phone 8 devices, Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia, started by talking about the Lumia 920 and its PureView camera.

However, for the Lumia 920, there was no mention of megapixels or oversampling or lossless zoom, making it clear this is not the same 41-megapixel PureView camera module in the Nokia 808 PureView. PureView is now and, according to Nokia imaging head Damian Dinning's tweets, has always been about branding for … Read more

NEW YORK--At its Windows Phone 8 press event today, Nokia and Microsoft gave us more than just the Lumia 920. Microsoft Corporate Vice President Joe Belfiore also announced new camera features for Windows Phone 8 devices.

The new features aim to integrate the camera deeper into the smartphone user experience and with the operating system's social features.

Screenshots: User will now be able to snap screenshots and share them via Twitter. That's a big boost for a phone reviewer.

Flash: New flash controls for the camera will be easily accessible in the viewfinder interface.

Bing Vision: Part of … Read more

Nokia today unveiled its latest flagship phone, the Lumia 920, its first to run on Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system.

CEO Stephen Elop showed off a bright yellow Lumia 920, larger than its predecessor, the Lumia 900. Nokia later showed off the smaller and lower end Lumia 820 as well.

The phones represent Nokia's latest bid to vault back into the smartphone business in a big way. They also represent a last chance of sort for the company to pull out of its recent decline. … Read more