With over 120,000 apps Windows 8 is trying to make a strong bid to become an app competitor. In this article we will look at why to get Windows 8 and all the features associated with it.
Why MS says Windows Phone 8 is great
Windows Phone 8 is described as “the most personal smartphone.” To take this further, Microsoft said that they are going to “reinvent the smartphone around you.” Stating that Android and Apple phones are stale in their human interface MS says that Windows Phone 8 is going to revolutionise the way that smartphones work.
The Live App
What is a Windows 8 live app? They are live tiles that constantly update with the latest information, one could argue that this is not new at all but just similar to widgets found on Android phones! A new feature for live apps is a new lock screen that’s powered by live apps that bring you new photos and notifications from your apps on the lock screen. For example, the Facebook app updates the lock screen with your personal photos. Which live apps are available? Twitter, Zynga and Rovio are updating their apps to take advantage of live apps.
Besides Facebook, Microsoft detailed another new live app hitting Windows Phone 8. The new live app version of Skype will be able to run in the background without taking up any resources.MS promises that these live apps running in the background won't consume the phone's power.
Free music is also coming to Windows Phone 8 in early 2013 in the form of a free Pandora subscription.
What is Windows 8 Data Sense
Data Sense keeps real time track of your data and allows you to use less of it. Web pages are compressed and automatic adjustment of data to keep within carriers limits is performed. With the feature, Microsoft promises 45 percent more Web browsing on Windows Phone 8 compared to another smartphone on the same data plan. The first mobile carrier to have data sense is Verizon.
Windows 8 for Kids
Kids Corner lets a parent set aside specific apps that their kid can play without having to worry. It prevents kids from deleting any files, or accessing any harmful content. In effect it is a sandbox mode for kids.
What are Windows 8 Rooms?
The People app. includes all of the social media accounts of contacts as well as their contact details, these people can be put into Rooms. An example would be a family room in which all members of the family can be receive exclusive updates from other family members.
The Room can be extended to other phones including iOS and Android devices. The full functionality of Rooms can’t be used on iPhones, but iPhone owners can get important updates from Windows Phone 8 users who have put the iPhone owner in their Room.
SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud platform, is being extended across all Windows 8 devices. One example is a voice note on a document. It’s automatically uploaded to the cloud and shared across all of your Windows 8 devices from phones to desktop.
The same goes for photos. Any photos taken will be automatically uploaded to SkyDrive. The photos can then be accessed across all Windows 8 devices. As for storage, Microsoft offers 7GB of free storage on SkyDrive. Photos will also be saved to the cloud forever.
Xbox Music will sync with your computer and match any songs you already own. The sync app will be available on Windows 8, Windows 7 and Macs in the near future.
Bing's Windows 8 Apps
There is a standard Bing app for web search and image search, a Travel app, a Weather app, a News app, a Finance app and a Sports app.
"Searching with the Bing app is fast and fluid, whether you use a touch device to tap and swipe or type and click with a keyboard and mouse," says Brian MacDonald, Corporate Vice President, Online Service Division for Microsoft. "Finger-friendly results and images are front and center letting you quickly find what you're looking for, so you can search less and do more. You can still rely on the same great Bing web experience in Internet Explorer 10, but we've optimized the Bing app to shine on Windows 8."
"The Maps app makes it easy to find the places you're looking for and helps you get there faster," adds MacDonald. "Quickly pinpoint locations, get directions, see traffic conditions and more— all designed to be easily navigable with touch." It remains to be seen whether the Bing Maps app will attract as much controversy as the iOS 6 maps!
The Weather app gives you a preview of the current weather and the hourly, daily, and 10-day forecasts.
What are Bing media apps
Known as media apps- Finance, News, Travel and Sports apps with large media groups such as ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Reuters bringing complete daily editions of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Essentially this is news tsand for windows 8 newsstand.
The Sports app offers headlines, live scores, schedules, standings, stats, etc. and is very comprehensive in this way , but more importantly can be customised to bring you a very personalised experience based on the teams you follow.
Why MS says Windows Phone 8 is great
Windows Phone 8 is described as “the most personal smartphone.” To take this further, Microsoft said that they are going to “reinvent the smartphone around you.” Stating that Android and Apple phones are stale in their human interface MS says that Windows Phone 8 is going to revolutionise the way that smartphones work.
The Live App
What is a Windows 8 live app? They are live tiles that constantly update with the latest information, one could argue that this is not new at all but just similar to widgets found on Android phones! A new feature for live apps is a new lock screen that’s powered by live apps that bring you new photos and notifications from your apps on the lock screen. For example, the Facebook app updates the lock screen with your personal photos. Which live apps are available? Twitter, Zynga and Rovio are updating their apps to take advantage of live apps.
Besides Facebook, Microsoft detailed another new live app hitting Windows Phone 8. The new live app version of Skype will be able to run in the background without taking up any resources.MS promises that these live apps running in the background won't consume the phone's power.
Free music is also coming to Windows Phone 8 in early 2013 in the form of a free Pandora subscription.
What is Windows 8 Data Sense
Data Sense keeps real time track of your data and allows you to use less of it. Web pages are compressed and automatic adjustment of data to keep within carriers limits is performed. With the feature, Microsoft promises 45 percent more Web browsing on Windows Phone 8 compared to another smartphone on the same data plan. The first mobile carrier to have data sense is Verizon.
Windows 8 for Kids
Kids Corner lets a parent set aside specific apps that their kid can play without having to worry. It prevents kids from deleting any files, or accessing any harmful content. In effect it is a sandbox mode for kids.
What are Windows 8 Rooms?
The People app. includes all of the social media accounts of contacts as well as their contact details, these people can be put into Rooms. An example would be a family room in which all members of the family can be receive exclusive updates from other family members.
The Room can be extended to other phones including iOS and Android devices. The full functionality of Rooms can’t be used on iPhones, but iPhone owners can get important updates from Windows Phone 8 users who have put the iPhone owner in their Room.
SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud platform, is being extended across all Windows 8 devices. One example is a voice note on a document. It’s automatically uploaded to the cloud and shared across all of your Windows 8 devices from phones to desktop.
The same goes for photos. Any photos taken will be automatically uploaded to SkyDrive. The photos can then be accessed across all Windows 8 devices. As for storage, Microsoft offers 7GB of free storage on SkyDrive. Photos will also be saved to the cloud forever.
Xbox Music will sync with your computer and match any songs you already own. The sync app will be available on Windows 8, Windows 7 and Macs in the near future.
Bing's Windows 8 Apps
There is a standard Bing app for web search and image search, a Travel app, a Weather app, a News app, a Finance app and a Sports app.
"Searching with the Bing app is fast and fluid, whether you use a touch device to tap and swipe or type and click with a keyboard and mouse," says Brian MacDonald, Corporate Vice President, Online Service Division for Microsoft. "Finger-friendly results and images are front and center letting you quickly find what you're looking for, so you can search less and do more. You can still rely on the same great Bing web experience in Internet Explorer 10, but we've optimized the Bing app to shine on Windows 8."
"The Maps app makes it easy to find the places you're looking for and helps you get there faster," adds MacDonald. "Quickly pinpoint locations, get directions, see traffic conditions and more— all designed to be easily navigable with touch." It remains to be seen whether the Bing Maps app will attract as much controversy as the iOS 6 maps!
The Weather app gives you a preview of the current weather and the hourly, daily, and 10-day forecasts.
What are Bing media apps
Known as media apps- Finance, News, Travel and Sports apps with large media groups such as ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Reuters bringing complete daily editions of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Essentially this is news tsand for windows 8 newsstand.
The Sports app offers headlines, live scores, schedules, standings, stats, etc. and is very comprehensive in this way , but more importantly can be customised to bring you a very personalised experience based on the teams you follow.
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