Nokia Lumia 620 vs. Sony Xperia P: Which Mid-Range Smartphone is a Better Buy?

Finnish handset maker Nokia had launched the much awaited flagship Lumia 620 smartphone only a few weeks ago into the Indian market.

Nokia's Lumia 620 falls in the bracket of mid-range smartphones which offer descent high-end features at an affordable price. Sony's Xperia P is one such competitor which packs similar features but comes with an expensive price-tag.

Here is a brief description of specifications of Nokia Lumia 620 and Sony Xperia P:


Display:

Lumia 620 sports a 3.8-inch TFT screen with 800x480p resolution display, whereas Xperia P boasts a bigger 4.0-inch TFT display with 960x540p resolutions.

Processor:
In terms of power, Lumia 620 packs a dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm processor, while Sony Xperia P too packs a dual-core processor.


Camera:

Nokia's Lumia 620 sports a 5.0-megapixel main camera with 720p HD video-recording and VGA front camera. Sony's smartphone packs an impressive 8.0-megapixel main camera with LED flash support and full HD video recording. It also comes with 8X digital zoom and a 0.3-megapixel VGA camera.

Operating System:

Like any other android smartphone, Sony Xperia P scores some points over Windows Phone 8 based Lumia 620. The Sony handset runs on Google Android mobile OS version Ginger bread with options of upgrading to the v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, which is currently the most widely used operating system version in the market. The Android ecosystem holds a large collection of more than 700,000 apps, only second to Apple's app collection.

Lumia 620 buyers will have limited options with the Windows Phone 8 OS, as the new OS was released only a few months ago in the market and only holds a little over 150,000 plus apps. Even popular photo app Instagram is yet to debut in the Windows app store.

Memory:

Sony Xperia comes with 16GB storage capacity with no options of memory expansion and packs a 1GB RAM. The Nokia smartphone comes with 8GB internal memory capable of expanding up to 64 GB via micro-SD card. But the device comes with 512 RAM; which means Lumia 620 buyers will not be able to play popular mobile game 'Angry Birds' which requires 1GB RAM.

Price:

Nokia Lumia 620 is currently priced ₹14,499, whereas Sony Xperia P holds a price-tag of ₹20,990, almost a ₹6,500 price difference between the two devices. In a price-sensitive market like India, this might play a crucial part in the minds of middle-class buyers who form a big chunk of the sub-continent's population.

With a sub-₹15,000 price-tag and peppy dual-colour back panel options, Lumia 620 is expected to be a hit among Indian youths.

Model	Nokia Lumia 620	Sony Xperia P
Display	3.8-inch TFT WVGA (800x480) with ClearBlack Display technology	4.0-inch TFT scratch-resistant screen with qHD 960x540p display resolutions and Bravia Engine
OS	Windows Phone 8 OS	Android v2.3 Ginger Bread operating system, but can be upgraded to v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS
Processor	Qualcomm SnapdragonTM S4 based dual-core processor with 1.0GHz CPU speed	Dual-core processor with 1GHz processor
GPU	Adreno 305	Mali 400
RAM	512 MB	1GB
Storage	8GB, expandable up to 64GB	16GB, with no option of expanding memory
Camera	Rear:5.0-MP with Flash support  (2592x1936p image resolutions) Front: VGA camera(640x480)	Rear: 8.0-megapixel camera with 3D Sweep Panorama, face & smile detection, auto-focus and LED Flash support. Front: VGA camera
Battery	1300 mAh, 330 hours(3G) standby time	1305 mAh, 475 hours (3G) standby time
Network	2G & 3G	2G & 3G
Dimension	61.1 x 115.4 x 11.0 mm	122.0 x 59.5 x 10.5 mm
Weight	127 g	120 g
*Price	₹14,499/-	₹20,990

Kapil Sibal Eyes Google, Nokia to Promote Urdu

In an effort to popularise Urdu, communication minister Kapil Sibal has decided to set up a committee of experts to evolve technology for linking the culturally rich language with the Google search engine. 

He also urged Nokia - the world's largest mobile company - to develop a software so that 170 million Urdu speaking people in India can communicate with each other in this language. 

The purpose is to link Urdu with all the social networking sites, Sibal said at the Urdu Editors Forum which was also attended by Harayana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Urdu scholars. 

Sibal said he held meetings with National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) vice chairman and noted poet, Prof Wasim Barelvi and director Khawja Ekram in this connection and directed them to prepare a comprehensive proposal in this respect. He said he has convened a meeting of top communication experts April 8 to take further steps in this regard. 

He also said a team of experts will be set up to develop method and technology for using Urdu in social networking sites. This will benefit Urdu-speaking people, who are not only in India but in Pakistan and other countries too. 

Sibal said that all source material on Google will be made available in Urdu and this will help popularise the language all over the world. He said that Urdu can be taught through Skype as many students all over the world have shown interest to learn the language. 

Giving a detailed presentation, Ekram said it is possible to evolve new technology for providing source material in Urdu. 

Hooda said that his government has recently recruited scores of Urdu teachers in Muslim concentrated areas of Haryana like Mewat, Panipat and other areas and will render all possible help in promotion of the language. 

Delhi Urdu Academy vice chairman, Prof Akhtarul Wasey, former advisor to ex-prime minister Narasimha Rao, Pandit NK Sharma, Sahara Urdu group editor Syed Faisal Ali, Secular Qayadat chief editor Qari Mazhari and others also attended the function.

Microsoft Tells Facebook It Already Made A People-First Phone, Calling The Whole Concept Into Question

Microsoft is maybe a little jealous of the spotlight shone on Facebook yesterday for its Facebook Home announcement. In a new blog post today, Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft used some mild snark and mostly gentle prodding to complain about how his company had already done what Facebook was trying to do on smartphones, which sadly only reinforces the fact that no one had noticed.

The post is mostly a series of questions, which basically suggest that Facebook was asking the same ones when it came up with Facebook Home, but which Microsoft had already answered two years ago with the initial release of Windows Phone 7.5, where it actually employed the tagline “Put people first.”

Shaw glibly says that he checked the calendar to determine whether or not it was somehow still 2011, and obliquely compared the FB Home announcement to an April Fools’ joke, but the real punchline is in how a so-called “people-” centric approach to mobile has worked so far, and both Microsoft and Facebook end up looking the worse for it.

The whole argument of the post is based on the idea that Facebook Home merely accomplishes what Windows Phone already offers, but in a way that requires fewer sacrifices. Facebook Home is “another skin built around another metaphor, on top of what is already a custom variant of the OS,” Shaw argues, and to some extend he’s right. Windows Phone offers a lot of features taken from Facebook Home, baked right into the stock, native OS, including unified messaging and social feeds that put friend social activity front-and-center.

The problem is, Windows Phone hasn’t yet made a significant dent in the smartphone market, as you can tell from the most recent U.S. comScore numbers. Buyers so far haven’t embraced a “people-first” vision of a smartphone platform, at least as espoused by Microsoft. And in my own experience using a Nokia 920, I found that the social aspects didn’t really draw me in or make me feel any more socially engaged – surfacing social updates just reminded me how largely disconnected I actually am from the majority of people in my Facebook stream, in fact.

Microsoft may have wanted to spark consumer interest by piggy-backing on the high profile of yesterday’s Facebook Home announcement, but the net effect was actually to just leave me more skeptical about Facebook’s attempt to provide a similar experience. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about a people-first approach replacing an app-centric model, but if Windows Phone is the only example we have to go on so far of how that turns out, then the prognosis for Facebook Home isn’t all that good.

Microsoft files 'Glacier Blast' trademark

A trademark for "Glacier Blast" was recently filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office by Microsoft. While no other information about it exists, the trademark was filed as game software. Microsoft also registered the domain glacierblastgame.com in late March, according to WhoIs records. The URL currently points to a Bing search.

Using our refined detective skills, we think it's possible that this piece of "game software" is a video game currently in development by Microsoft. With a name like "Glacier Blast," we'll be disappointed if the final product isn't an arctic naval combat game in which large icy masses shoot lasers at an enemy called "Global Warming."

Microsoft Apologizes, But Refuses to Comment on 'Always On'

I was planning on avoiding yet another controversy started on Twitter yesterday, as it seems there’s a new gaming-related one every few hours.

In it, Creative Director at Microsoft Studios Adam Orth kicked things off by saying he “didn’t understand the drama around ‘always on’ consoles” because “every device is now ‘always on’ ” He concluded with the hashtag #dealwithit.

This naturally offended many long opposed to the concept of always-on anything related to gaming, most notably DRM. Orth went on to spar with Bioware’s Manveer Heir and jokingly insulted poorer areas that don’t have access to reliable internet.


I don’t want to talk about Adam Orth. People are entitled to their opinions, and the right to joke, troll or otherwise. That said, it would be wise for someone in such an important position at a company like that to mind what they say in public. Orth has since protected his tweets.

I’m not sure if he’s issued an apology yet, butMicrosoft has, and it’s their reaction that’s more interesting. Via MajorNelson:

“We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter.”

The apology is just for Orth being rude, but the important part about this is that Microsoft doesn’t even want to tip their hand a little bit about the next Xbox, to the point where they don’t even deny accusations that would immediately bolster support for the device. That in turn makes the rest of us feel like our worst fears about the consoles could be true.

Sony had to deal with the same problem, and DID deal with it. They too were asked point blank if the Playstation 3 would be used titles. They said it would. They were asked if the console would require an internet connection to play games. They said it wouldn’t.

But Microsoft has been asked the same questions, and has said nothing. First, when Durango specs were leaked that seemed to indicate games must be installed to the hard drive to play (presumably eliminating used game sales), Microsoft could neither confirm nor deny that. Now, when an employee is making people think that the game could require an internet connection to play games, Microsoft bundles in a “no comment” in their official apology.

What’s going on here?

There are two options, it seems. The first is that Microsoft wants to be SO secretive with their new console, that ANY revelation, good or bad, is a closely guarded secret. After all, it wasn’t until the PS4 was at least revealed that we got answers to the two questions posed above.

The second option is that Microsoft really is developing a console that despite their labeling, most would not see as “consumer-centric.” If the system goes “full PC” where it blocks used games and requires internet verification for play, it could spell disaster for them if players decide to flock to the less restrictive PS4 instead. Hell, even the Wii U might look good by comparison at that point.

The only way I could see Microsoft succeeding if it did indeed end up employing both of those tactics would be if they either knocked the price of games way down (to Steam level prices, which is how PC deals with this) or sold their console for a fraction of the cost of its competitors. With many speculating the PS4 will cost $400, I’ve heard analysts wonder out loud if Microsoft could go down an odd path by making the next Xbox $99. They’d sell at a loss sure, but it would ensure a HUGE install base as the system is part of Microsoft’s grander plan of living room domination. And as much as players want to play used games and be free of internet restrictions, a $99 console would be hard to pass up.

Of course that’s all speculation. Microsoft could not be blocking used games or forcing always on, but until they tell us otherwise, we won’t know. And that’s what’s a bit unsettling.

Nokia Shuts Biggest Store in Shanghai

The once ruling phone-maker Nokia is sure battling tough times. After selling their Finnish headquarters last year, Nokia is now shutting down exclusive Nokia stores too. The Finnish phone maker recently confirmed the shutdown of their biggest store in Shanghai.


The store which was Nokia’s flagship store and the largest their largest in the world was shut down on March 31 this year. However, Nokia refused to speak to the media breaking the silence much after the shut-down. 

Nokia explained that while the company is definitely not deserting the Chinese market, instead of having their own properties, they are looking at retailers and distribution arms for better reach. According to a Nokia spokesperson: “Nokia is focusing on growing its presence in operator and third-party retail outlets, rather than through our own physical stores. We are, of course, also continuously beefing up our online presence. With this in mind, our store in Shanghai was closed on 31 March.” The statement was provided to ZDNet who confirmed the news of the closure with Nokia.

The future looks bleak for Nokia as despite its success with the new Windows 8 phones, there is still a long way to go for the company. The Chinese markets look especially bad as Nokia’s market shares have declined sharply in China. Nokia seems to be struggling to survive in what was once considered its strongest market.

The advent of Android and Apple’s popularity in China have definitely not helped the struggling phonemaker. While Apple is getting stronger in the Asian markets, Nokia seems to be slowly falling behind. Also, considering two of the most popular Android implementers, Samsung and HTC both come from Asian markets, they have a stronghold over China. 

Nokia’s decision to shift from Symbian to Microsoft might have saved the company from doomsday but it has definitely not gone well with their biggest market. Is this another nail in the coffin for Nokia?

Press image of Nokia Lumia 928 for Verizon Wireless leaks out

A press image of the previously tipped, long-awaited Nokia Lumia 928 for Verizon Wireless has made the rounds on Twitter. The Big Red's upcoming Windows Phone 8 flagship will likely be officially released by the end of this month.

As its name mildly suggests, the Nokia Lumia 928 will be closely related to the AT&T exclusive Lumia 920 - it is expected to share the same CPU and display. The Verizon offering however, will one-up its AT&T counterpart by packing a xenon flash in addition to the standard LED one. It is also expected to ditch the 920's polycarbonate unibody for an aluminum outfit.

Source: http://twitter.com/evleaks/status/320360832833835009

Bill Gates and Paul Allen together again

The Microsoft co-founders reprise a famous photo of themselves from the early days of the company.

Paul Allen and Bill Gates posed in 1981 amid some contemporary computers. They reprised the photo on April 3 at the Living Computer Museum. (Credit: Paul Allen)

Thirty-two years ago, Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen took a picture together, surrounded by the computers of the time. It was 1981 and Ronald Reagan had just become president of the U.S. In June of that year, Microsoft incorporated in Washington state, and in August IBM introduced its first PC with Microsoft's fledgling operating system, MS-DOS. At the beginning of 1981, Microsoft had 129 employees. By 2012, Microsoft had more than 97,000 employees and MS-DOS still lives on.

The picture of the older Gates and Allen was taken in Seattle at the Living Computer Museum, which was developed by Allen to preserve the history that led to the founding of Microsoft.

A bearded Paul Allen and glassesless Bill Gates in 1981.

Google and Microsoft trade insults for April Fools

April Fools' Day provides the springboard for companies to make some unbelievable announcements, but for Google and Microsoft, it serves as the perfect time to poke fun at eachothers' shortcomings. With Gmail Blue, Google is teasing Redmond over a product that doesn't officially exist yet, while Microsoft goes back to basics to poke fun at its rival's "vanilla" search engine.


Gmail Blue is said to be the culmination of a challenge to "completely redesign and recreate something, while keeping it exactly the same." While we are left with a distinctly bluer Gmail interface, Google's references to Microsoft's own blue project — Windows Blue — are clear to see, as Microsoft gears up to revamp Windows 8's "metro" mode with new features and some UI tweaks later this year.

For one of its own April Fools pranks, Microsoft fights fire with fire by making Google's iconic start page the target of its affection, serving Bing users with a classic white search page (complete with a multi-colored Bing logo and an 'I'm Feeling Confused' button) when they enter "Google" into the Bing search box. Microsoft also includes the same small boxes found at the bottom of its traditional Bing search page, displaying tooltips including "with so many delicious flavors available, most people still choose vanilla." It's an attempt to advertise its more visually rich search page and perhaps steals some of Google's users in the process, as Microsoft explains: "the main goal here is just to learn more about how our world would look if we hadn’t evolved."

Google's over-the-top dedication to its annual April Fools prank has not gone unnoticed, however. This year, we've seen Google launch Google Maps Treasure Mode, announce the closure of YouTube, and offer the chance to smell search queries via Google Nose,new Google+ emoticons, introduce Google SCHMICK in Australia, expand Google Analytics to include referrals from the International Space Station, offer Google Fiber poles (so far). But Google users have blasted the company for focusing on its April Fools antics, arguing that the time invested in polishing its gags might have been better spent keeping Google Reader alive.

Samsung Galaxy S4 official specs and availability in US and UK

Samsung has officially announced its flagship smartphone Galaxy S4, based on theme ‘Life Companion’, with many exciting features and apps.

Though you would read a number of detailed reviews over the most awaited Android device of the 2013, here is a brief description of specifications, without any comment, officially given by Samsung:

Processor: Exynos Octa CPU based on ARM’s Big LITTLE Tech with Quad Cortex A7 cores clocked at 1.2GHz and Quad Cortext A15 cores clocked at 1.6GHz. For US market, the processor will most probably be the QualComm’s SnapDragon 600 CPU clocked at 1.9GHz.

GPU: PowerVR SGX544 PM3 up to 533 MHz or Adreno 320 with 2 GB RAM.

Camera:The Galaxy S4 has a 13 MP auto focus camera equipped with Flash & Zero Shutto Lag. The super smartphone also has a 2 MP camera making it a great option for video calls or video conferences.

OS and GUI: The device is preloaded with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with the Samsung’s latest skin Nature UX 2.0, really an amazing user interface.

Smart Features: The Samsung Galaxy S4 has smart features like Smart Scroll and Smart Pause, based on eye tracking technology. AirView has been included too in the device like Galaxy Note II with one variation: to use finger instead of S Pen.

Connectivity: The device includes WiFi 802.11ac, an IR blaster for remote control access via WatchON service. Other connectivity modes are Near Field Communication, Bluetooth 4.0 plus LE, MHL 2.0 and ability to use MHL connector.

Sensors: A number of sensors are part of the Galaxy S4. They include Temperature and Humidity Gesture, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Proximity, Barometer, Gyro and RGB Light.

Storage: The devices will come in three variants with a MicroSD Slot: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB

Dimensions: According to the SamMobile the dimension of the super smartphone is 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and 130 grams in weight.

Colors: The device would initially be launched in two colors including White Frost and Black Mist

Availability: The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available in 155 countries gradually starting from Easter Europe and then Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia from April’s first week.

More US companies plan to support Windows Phone 8 than Blackberry 10

Underlining that Windows Phone has now moved ahead of Blackberry in USA in terms of market share and mind share, a recent survey by iPass® Inc. and MobileIron,  which drew from the experiences of 477 IT executives worldwide, found that IT is more bullish on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 handsets than on RIM’s BlackBerry 10 phones.

The majority (about 75 percent) of respondents were currently employed IT professionals, at the director level or above. Fifty (50) percent of respondents worked for companies with more than 1,000 employees.

The survey found only 34 percent of IT managers plan to support BlackBerry 10, compared to 45 percent who plan to support Windows Phone 8 devices going forward. This is an improvement on the current level of Windows Phone 7 support, which is around the 32.6% mark, and a large drop in support for Blackberry, which is currently at the 62% mark. iPhones are currently supported by 77% of businesses, while Android phones are supported by 61%.

The survey also found however increasingly strong support for the Bring Your own Device movement, with 81 percent of respondents stating their company now accommodates personal devices in the office, underlining the need to continue fighting for consumer market share, as the business and consumer market continues to converge.

The survey took place between December 2012 and January 2013. The full iPass/MobileIron Mobile Enterprise Report can be found at here.

Windows Phone Tops BlackBerry In U.S.

Windows Phone sales exceeded BlackBerry sales in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2012, says Strategy Analytics.


The real battle in the U.S. smartphone market isn't for first or second place, at least not yet. Apple and Google will continue to tussle for the smartphone crown for some time to come. No, the real war will be waged for third place. Right now, it looks like there may have been a change in the rankings.

"Microsoft Windows Phone overtook BlackBerry OS to become the third largest smartphone platform in the influential United States market during Q4 2012," reported Strategy Analytics. "It was the first time Microsoft has surpassed BlackBerry since 2006."

If true, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Sales of BlackBerry smartphones in the U.S. are probably at their lowest point in a decade. Sales have been dropping steadily for some time. Further, BlackBerry widely publicized that it planned to launch BlackBerry 10 in late January. Fans of BlackBerry devices know enough to wait for the Z10 and Q10, announced last week, to arrive.

At the same time, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8 during the fourth quarter with a half-dozen new models. Solid smartphones, such as the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X, went on sale in November at aggressive price points.

In fact, at least one source reported that WP8 sales have been incredibly strong. New statistics from AdDuplex show that in the 90 or so days since its release, there are now more active Windows Phone 8 users than Windows Phone 7 users. Considering that WP7 has been around for more than two years, that's a notable data point.

This may be a temporary victory for Microsoft, though. With BlackBerry 10 reaching U.S. store shelves in March, BlackBerry's turnaround saga begins in full. The first BB10 smartphone, the Z10, has seen decent initial demand in other markets, even outselling some WP8 devices. With the Z10 and Q10, expected to arrive in May or June, BlackBerry has a fighting chance against Microsoft.

It will be up to Microsoft's OEM partners to continue to bring new and exciting WP8 devices to market. Nokia is prepared to reveal new gear at Mobile World Congress later this month, and other smartphone makers, such as HTC and Samsung, are sure to introduce new WP8 hardware before the Q10 goes on sale toward the end of the second quarter.

Unfortunately, we'll need to wait until the close of the third or fourth quarter to see if BlackBerry or Microsoft will be standing in third place behind Apple and Google.

‘Blue is large update for Windows 8, Windows Phone and Hotmail’

Blue would not only be the codename for a large update for Windows 8 but also a large update for Windows Phone, Windows Server, Hotmail and Skydrive. Microsoft will update its products every year from now on, according to ZDNet.

The Blue update would be the first time that Microsoft will update a large amount of its products at once. ZDNet claims that the information comes from a reliable source close to Microsoft. The site frequently receives correct insider information about Microsoft which makes the rumor trustworthy. The site was also the first to report about the existence of the Blue update.

If the information is indeed correct, it’s the first time that information becomes available on a large update for Windows Phone 8. The mobile operating system already received an updated called Portico, but this was rather small and mainly fixed some bugs. A large update hasn’t been announced, but could now be part of the Blue release.

Besides the large yearly updates that should be released at once, it’s likely that Microsoft will also release smaller updates more often. Release dates for these updates would vary per platform. The yearly update cycle isn’t new for Microsoft but other large tech companies use the same method. Apple releases a new version of iOS and Mac OS X every year and Google releases large updates for Android at least two times a year. Canonical also releases two updates of Linux variant Ubuntu.

In the meantime development of Windows 9 also seems to have started. ZDnet has posted a picture of a Linkedin profile (now changed) that reveals that Microsoft has developers in India working the successor of Windows 8.

Spotify Lands On Windows Phone 8

Spotify has just landed on the Windows Phone 8 platform, giving Microsoft’s mobile users access to one of the world’s largest music streaming platforms.

Before today, the app was only available on iOS, Android, Symbian, and to legacy Windows Phone users, but Spotify has spread the love around to the newest version of the Windows Phone software.

The app is currently being released as a free beta in the Windows Phone Store.

If you’re reading this, you should already be familiar with Spotify, but in case you aren’t familiar, here’s the deal. Spotify is a music streaming platform that helps you discover new music.

Users can create their own playlists, or browse the playlists of others, and the best part is that you don’t need an internet connection to do so. The platform also works in the cloud, meaning your phone’s Spotify library is also available on your PC.

The app is free and available now, with a 30-day free trial. After that, premium service will cost $9.99 a month.

Windows Phone 7.8 finally arrives for older Lumia devices, adding apps and Start screen functionality

Nokia has announced that Windows Phone 7.8 has arrived and is encouraging people to update their Lumia devices. In a video uploaded to YouTube, the phone manufacturer highlights what’s new with the updated Windows Phone operating system, and how users can do so through their Zune software.

Promised by Microsoft in early 2013, Windows Phone 7.8 is considered by some to be the company’s “stopgap measure” for older handsets. If you’ve purchased a Windows Phone device that didn’t come with Windows Phone 8, you’re out of luck because you won’t be able to get it without buying a newer phone. To that end, Microsoft released Windows Phone 7.8, with a new Start Screen similar to Windows Phone 8.

Nokia says that the updated operating system has been shipping pre-loaded on its Nokia Lumia 510 device, along with other phones in the Lumia family. For those with Lumia 510, 610, 710, 800, and 900 model phones, update notifications will appear soon.

To update your phone, Nokia says you should connect the device to your computer through Zune for PC or the Windows Phone app for Mac and then follow the onscreen instructions.

Some of the features that the Lumia phones will receive as a result of the update includes more tiles, Internet sharing, Bluetooth sharing, image enhancements like Camera Extras, and release of apps such as Contact Share, Play To, and Nokia City Lens. Nokia says that the Start screen experience has also been refreshed to allow tiles to be resized, there are new options to lock the screen, receive a daily background image from Bing, and increased language support.

Windows Phone 7.8: hollow, pointless, and essentially useless

A few days ago, Microsoft released the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 update for all those users who will be stuck on Windows Phone 7 forever because there's no upgrade path to Windows Phone 8 other than buying a new phone. Now that it's here, what, exactly,does WP7.8 to the table?

Windows Phone 7's core consists of Windows CE 6.0, as we already detailed a long, long time ago. For Windows Phone 8, the company made the bold move of leaving the venerable Windows CE behind in favour of the just as venerable Windows NT. According to Microsoft, this brought with it heftier system requirements that Windows Phone 7 devices couldn't fulfil.

This was a slap in the face of the - admittedly, small - existing Windows Phone userbase, especially since Windows Phone 7 devices were still being sold, and, in fact, are still being sold today. As a sort of peace offering, Microsoft promised us Windows Phone 7.8. Its release has taken quite a bit longer than anticipated, but now that it's here, was it worth the wait?

Well, first of all, we're looking at yet another one of them phased rollouts, so it's very likely your phone hasn't been updated yet at all. There are a few ways to force the update - the Zune trick,manual .cab files, or the automated .cab install - but if you don't want to take any risks, it might take a few weeks before you'll get the update. Even though I've already happily moved on to an HTC 8X, I grabbed my unbranded and unlocked HTC HD7 out of the closet to see what WP7.8 is all about. I had to use the automatic .cab tool to update, but it worked.

So, what does Windows Phone 7.8 bring to the table? To be honest, very, very little. Despite the version number jump from 7.5 to 7.8 and the update's symbolic function as a peace offering, it's purely cosmetic, and other than resizable live tiles, a few new accent colours and minor changes to the lock screen, it brings absolutely nothing to the table. So, it basically comes down to the only new feature being resizable live tiles - of which the small versions, the new size, look fuzzy because the developers haven't updated their applications to include the proper resources.

The deprecated nature of WP7 also becomes apparent when looking at applications. You see, just as with the shift from 7.0 to 7.5, developers can't just submit a single version of their application to Microsoft. Instead, they have to maintain both a WP8 and a WP7.8 version of their application. With Windows Phone already playing a distant third fiddle to the Android and iOS juggernauts, you can't really blame developers for not bothering with WP7.8 at all, moving to working on WP8 versions only.

And so, Rowi on WP8 is version 3.2.0, but only 2.2.0 on WP7. Facebook - 4.1.0 on WP8, 2.8.0 on WP7. Not only is the operating system itself outdated, the applications are as well. You'll have to settle for slower versions, possibly with bugs that have already been fixed in the WP8 version. For a platform with few users, this doesn't seem like an inviting prospect for developers.

Really, that's all there's to it. There's nothing else to add here - that's how utterly insubstantial the Windows Phone 7.8 update is. There's no noticeable speed improvements, no defining new features, and - my biggest complaint, which I saved for last - it didn't address Windows Phone 7's biggest problem.

I was under the impression that Windows Phone 7.8 would significantly improve upon its predecessor in one particular area: the browser. Internet Explorer 9 in WP7.x was already lagging behind when it was new, and this has only gotten worse with the years. Sadly, Windows Phone 7.8 does not update Internet Explorer to version 10, which is way, way better. In other words, you're getting an update, but you're left with an old and outdated browser.

So, all in all, Windows Phone 7.8 is hollow, pointless, and essentially useless. It does nothing to address the total and utter abandonment of loyal Windows Phone 7 users, and doesn't solve the problem of current Windows Phone 7 buyers already buying outdated, deprecated stuff.

I honestly have no idea why this was released in the first place.

Windows Phone, BlackBerry will coexist with Android and Apple

The latest figures and forecasts show that despite Android and Apple's dominance, there's room in the global smartphone market for BlackBerry and Microsoft too.

Despite lavish launch events, intuitive operating systems and cutting-edge handset design, many consumers will be thinking twice about taking a chance on a Windows Phone or BlackBerry handset due to the dominance of Android and Apple and the perception that the smartphone market is essentially a two-horse race.

However, according to ABI Research, although Android will indeed account for the lion's share of global market for some time to come, of the 1.4 billion smartphones predicted to be active by the end of 2013, 45 million, or 3.2 percent, of that total will be Windows Phones and 1 percent (20 million) will be BlackBerry.

As senior ABI analyst Aapo Markkanen comments: "2013 should be seen as relative success for both Microsoft and BlackBerry. For the end of the year, we expect there to be 45 million Windows Phone handsets in use, with BlackBerry 10 holding an installed base of close to 20 million. Microsoft will also have 5.5 million Windows-powered tablets to show for it."

But while a comparatively tiny marketshare, especially compared with Android's predicted 57 percent share (based on 798 million handsets) and Apple's 294 million device 21 percent share, Microsoft's and BlackBerry's shares will still be sufficient to keep developers engaged and involved and therefore continue to make apps for both platforms.

"The greatest fear for both Microsoft and BlackBerry is that the initial sales of their smartphones will disappoint and thereby kill off the developer interest, which then would effectively close the window of opportunity on further sales success. Our view is that the installed bases of this scale would be large enough to keep these two in the game. It will definitely also help that both firms have actively kept the developers' interest in mind while designing and rolling out their platforms," says Markkanen.

So for consumers in the market for a handset that bucks the trend but who are worried that this show of individuality could saddle them with a smartphone with no apps and no future sixth months later, don't panic. At least, for the moment.

Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade on the way

Nokia's Italian arm has confirmed that the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade, which introduces Windows Phone 8-like features to the company's last-generation smartphone products, will be launching within the next few days.

Originally scheduled for release some time this quarter, the upgrade was announced whenMicrosoft stated that Windows Phone 7.5 users would not be able to use Windows Phone 8 - news that owners of the at the time recently-released Nokia Lumia handsets were not happy with. Designed to address concerns about longevity, Windows Phone 7.8 brings selected Windows Phone 8 features to older handsets - but it's been a long time coming.

The wait, however, looks to be finally over for Nokia Lumia owners still running Windows Phone 7.5. Responding to a customer query on Twitter, Nokia Italia confirmed that the Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade for its older handsets would be launching within the next couple of days - confirming an earlier claim from Nokia's Spanish division that the release would occur sometime in January.

Earlier this month, a version of the upgrade was uploaded to Nokia's firmware repository but not officially released to handsets. Those who wished to upgrade early found they could manually download and install the upgrade, but Nokia has since removed the files from its repository ahead of the official, formal launch.

Owners of the Nokia Lumia 610, 710, 800 or 900 - all of which use Microsoft's last-generation Windows Phone 7.5 operating system - should keep an eye on their handsets over the next week to receive notification that the upgrade is available.

Facebook and Apple empires are bound to fall

Nothing lasts forever: if history has any lesson for us, it is this. It's a thought that comes from rereading Paul Kennedy's magisterial tome, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, in which he shows that none of the great nation-states or empires of history – Rome; imperial Spain in 1600; France in either its Bourbon or Bonapartist manifestations; the Dutch republic in 1700; Britain in its imperial glory – succeeded in maintaining its global ascendancy for long.

What has this got to do with technology? Well, it provides us with a useful way of thinking about two of the tech world's great powers. The first isApple. The past week saw a veritable torrent of hysterical reaction to its quarterly results, coupled with fevered speculation about its future. The globe has been hypnotised for years by Apple's metamorphosis from a failing computer manufacturer into a corporate giant that, on some days, is now the most valuable company in the world, with bigger cash reserves than the annual GDP of some countries. But as with all inexorable growth curves, the question on every commentator's lips is: has Apple peaked?

If you think "hysterical" is a bit harsh, then ponder this. Although Apple did not sell the 50m iPhones that had been forecast for the quarter (it "only" shifted 47.8m) and sales of its Mac computers were down somewhat, nevertheless the quarterly results mean that in 2012 Apple earned more in the year than any other corporation, ever. And even the quarter's supposedly disappointing earnings of $13.1bn were the fourth largest of all time, according to the same metric. And the reaction of the stock market to this news? The share price dropped 10% in after-hours trading.

Then there's the social network Facebook with its billion users, which is likewise the focus of much hyperventilating comment. Recently, the Mark Zuckerberg empire launched its latest deadly weapon with the catchy name of Graph Search – as in "social graph". Facebook's new tool is just an algorithm that finds information from within one's network of friends and supplements the results with hits from Microsoft's Bing search engine, but to read some of the commentary on it you'd think that Zuckerberg & co had invented either a perpetual motion machine or a through-ticket to hell.

"Facebook's new search engine attempts to build walls around theinternet and keep its horde within its gates," wrote the webmaster of arespected online magazine. "It's a nightmare and it will probably work."

Actually, it's Facebook's latest attempt to become the AOL de nos jours. And, in the end, it will fail for the same reason that AOL's attempt to corral users within its walled garden failed: the wider internet is just too diverse, innovative and interesting. But because Facebook looms so large in the public consciousness at the moment, it's difficult to keep it in perspective. Which is why Kennedy's book makes such salutary reading.

So what we need to remember as we wade through the current overheated commentary on Apple and Facebook is that nothing lasts forever. I have been in this racket long enough to remember a time when Microsoft was at least as dominant and scary as these two companies are now. Spool forward a couple of decades and Microsoft is still around, but actually it's an ailing giant – profitable but no longer innovative, trying (and so far failing) to get a foothold in the post-PC, mobile, cloud-based world.

Although the eclipsing of Apple and Facebook is inevitable, the timing and causes of their eventual declines will differ. Apple's current strength is that it actually makes things that people are desperate to buy and on which the company makes huge margins. The inexorable logic of the hardware business is that those margins will decline as the competition increases, so Apple will become less profitable over the longer term. What will determine its future is whether it can come up with new, market-creating products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Facebook, on the other hand, makes nothing. It just provides an online service that, for the moment, people seem to value. But in order to make money out of those users and satisfy the denizens of Wall Street, it has to become ever more intrusive and manipulative. It's condemned, in other words, to intrusive overstretch. Which is why, in the end, it will become a footnote in the history of the internet. Just like Microsoft, in fact. Sic transit gloria.

Microsoft Releases Windows Phone 7.8 SDK — Ahead Of Long-Awaited 7.8 Update, Still Due In “Early 2013″

Microsoft has released an SDK for Windows Phone 7.8 – aka the last ever update for Windows Phone 7 handsets, which have been orphaned by the company’s platform shift to Windows Phone 8 (built on a different kernel). The SDK release wasannounced yesterday by Microsoft on the Windows Phone developer blog.

Redmond describes the SDK as an “optional update” for developers — noting that it adds two new Windows Phone 7.8 emulator images to the developer’s existing SDK installation. “These two emulator images should enable you to fully test how your Windows Phone 7.5 app’s Live Tiles will look and behave when they are run on a device running Windows Phone 7.8,” Microsoft writes.

The main difference added by the 7.8 update is that it brings the new, more flexible Windows Phone Live Tiles homescreen to the older handsets. Instead of a mostly fixed grid of squares, WP7.8 lets users choose between combinations of three sizes of tiles to build up a more nuanced grid of apps and widgets (not that Microsoft ever calls Live Tiles ‘widgets’).

In the SDK posting, Microsoft goes on to note that new phones running WP7.8 are “beginning to ship” — so it’s not a great leap to expect the 7.8 update to be rolling out to owners of existing 7.x Windows Phones pretty soon. If the OS is good to go on new hardware Microsoft can’t still be ironing out bugs. And now, with the SDK out in the wild too, WP 7.x owners really shouldn’t have much longer to wait. Carriers are likely to complicate the equation further though — which may explain why Redmond is refusing to be pinned down to a specific date.

Back in December the 7.8 update apparently started landing on some Nokia Lumia 800 handsets in the Netherlands – but there has been no official confirmation that a rollout has begun. Microsoft has said only that 7.8 will arrive in “early 2013″.

Asked when the 7.8 update would be landing, a Microsoft spokesman provided the following statement: ”We know you’re eager to get the Windows Phone 7.8 update, and we want you to know that we’re working closely with our hardware and carrier partners to get it tested, approved, and rolled out to as many devices as possible in early 2013.”