windows phone 8

Tech News

The Nokia Lumia 925 Does Just Fine Without Instagram

Days after the release of the Lumia 928 on Verizon, Nokia introduced yet another premium flagship Windows Phone, the Nokia Lumia 925.

Days after the release of the Lumia 928 on Verizon, Nokia introduced yet another premium flagship Windows Phone, the Nokia Lumia 925. The latest Lumia, available in gray and black metallic colors, replaces the plastic polycarbonate backing of its predecessors with a slim aluminum body that weighs just .3 pounds.

Like the 928, the Lumia 925's camera is the most standout feature, with some of the best specs on the market. But Nokia's new Windows Phone adds exclusive video photography apps in addition to its PureView camera lens technology to position the device as the ultimate mobile media creator.

Instagram is still missing from the budding Windows Phone OS platform — but can high-quality photo app alternatives and advanced camera technology make up for it? Meet the Lumia 925's built-in media apps and check out all the tech specs after the break.

Tech News

Nokia Lumia 928: The Sleekest Windows Phone Yet

Nokia officially introduced its latest flagship phone for Verizon Wireless today, the Lumia 928, a new premium device for Windows Phone that's sleeker, slimmer, and more powerful than any Lumia we've seen.

Nokia officially introduced its latest flagship phone for Verizon Wireless today, the Lumia 928, a new premium device for Windows Phone that's sleeker, slimmer, and more powerful than any Lumia we've seen.

The new 4.5-inch phone ups the ante with an edge-to-edge "infinity" glass design, xenon flash (the same kind used in DSLRs), and high audio microphones built to record supernoisy environments. Clearly, Nokia is poising the device as a high-end mobile media creator in the hopes of luring iOS and Android users to the young — but beautiful — Windows Phone 8 platform (which, sadly, still doesn't have Instagram).

Is the Lumia 928 ($100 with a two-year contract) the be-all, end-all premium device for Windows Phone? Peep the tech specs and standout features of the Lumia 928 in the gallery.

digital culture

The Most Download-Worthy Apps For Windows Phone 8

With its big, bold tiles and color-intensive interface, the Windows Phone OS sure has lots of style — but, unfortunately, it gets little love in the app department.

With its big, bold tiles and color-intensive interface, the Windows Phone OS sure has lots of style — but, unfortunately, it gets little love in the app department. Although the platform is still trailing behind iOS and Android offerings, there are some great hidden gems available for Windows Phone 8, like the beautiful photo app Camera 360 and Weave, an RSS reader available exclusively for Windows mobile. There's also a new crop of popular apps jumping on the Windows Phone wagon, namely Pandora (which has a special treat for WP users) and the multiplatform messaging app Viber.

The Windows Phone app store is still missing key downloads (ahem, Instagram), but Microsoft's new mobile platform is on the rise. If you're rocking a Nokia Lumia or HTC 8X, make sure you've got these 11 top-notch apps for Windows Phone 8.

digital culture

The Windows Blink App Won't Miss the Perfect Shot

Windows Blink, the latest photo app for Windows Phone 8 (WP8) devices, knows that out of every 16 shots, there's bound to be at least one good one.

Windows Blink, the latest photo app for Windows Phone 8 (WP8) devices, knows that out of every 16 shots, there's bound to be at least one good one.

Windows Blink brings burst mode to WP8, capturing 16 shots in a row before and after you press the shutter, and offers you a selection to choose from. Plus, Blink will save all the shots in the photos hub, just in case.

Poll

Microsoft Launches Parent-Friendly Windows Phone 8 Today

How often have you handed your phone over to your kids only to have them delete your favorite apps, mistakenly text your boss, or end up watching a YouTube video they shouldn't see?

How often have you handed your phone over to your kids only to have them delete your favorite apps, mistakenly text your boss, or end up watching a YouTube video they shouldn't see? Probably more times than you'd like to admit. That's the experience Kat Holmes, a principal user experience designer on Windows Phone, had over the years. Her experience, shared by many parents, was the inspiration for the Kid's Corner on the new Windows Phone 8, just introduced today.

The Microsoft Windows Phone 8, which will be available next month, will come with a built-in Kid's Corner that is a virtual phone-within-a-phone designed to keep kids safely and securely away from mom and dad's screens. With their own log-in action (a right-to-left swipe of the lock screen), a personalized start screen, and the ability to take pictures, draw, or play their favorite games without having to hide the phone from mom, the phone may be the perfect solution to handing your phone to your kids without worrying about what they're doing to it.

So tell us, are you more likely to buy a smartphone that has kid-friendly features like the Windows Phone 8?