Windows Phone

Microsoft is the latest technology giant preparing to jump into the wearables market, with plans to offer a sensor-rich smartwatch that measures heart rate and synchs with iPhones, Android phones and Windows Phones, Forbes has learned. It’s a surprising development in the ongoing conversation about wearables that till now has been dominated by Samsung and Continue Reading →

Microsoft announced a partnership with Insteon on Thursday, along with some big plans to fully incorporate the popular home automation network into its ecosystem. Starting June 1, an enhanced version of the Insteon app with exclusive features will be made available for Windows Phone 8 devices, along with any tablet, laptop, or desktop running Windows Continue Reading →

Microsoft’s Cortana may be younger than counterparts such as Google Now and Apple’s Siri, but the virtual assistant already stands out thanks to some unique features. One prime example is Notebook, which the service uses to learn about your habits and keep track of your preferences. Another is the ability to communicate with third-party apps, Continue Reading →

On April 23, Microsoft quietly made available for download a preview of its Remote Desktop app for Windows Phone 8.1. Many Windows Phone users were none too happy that Microsoft delivered Remote Desktop apps for Android phones and iPhones last fall with no word on when it planned to introduce a Windows Phone version. In Continue Reading →

If you use Windows Phone 8 and want to get the new Windows Phone 8.1 hotness and give Cortana a spin before it rolls out officially—and you do, it’s really great—then don’t despair. Although the early access is a “developer preview,” you don’t actually have to write any code to get your hands on it. Continue Reading →

After 18 months since the last major Windows Phone update, Microsoft is finally releasing Windows Phone 8.1 to developers on Monday. The software maker detailed the update at its Build conference less than two weeks ago, and it’s clear the version point increment doesn’t tell the whole story. This is a significant update to Windows Continue Reading →

Microsoft researchers in Asia are experimenting with the usefulness and feasibility of making Windows’ Live Tiles interactive. A newly published video clip from Microsoft Research’s TechFest 2014 event in February 2014, Human-Computer Interaction Group researcher Jiawei Gu shows off the Interactive Live Tiles research project. In one of the video clips showing off the research Continue Reading →

Microsoft packed the three hours of Wednesday’s Build 2014 event with announcements for Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1 and even the Xbox platform. Although all of Microsoft’s platforms have news of their own, the biggest focus was on the mobile one: Windows Phone 8.1. The software update starts rolling out to consumers in the next Continue Reading →

At its Build 2014 conference on Wednesday, Microsoft announced universal Windows apps, which work across PCs, phones, tablets and even the Xbox One. In other words, the Windows runtime in Windows 8.1 Update 1 will be available to Windows Phone developers. This is a huge announcement for developers looking to build apps on Windows. David Continue Reading →

At its Build 2014 conference on Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8.1. Among the new features is a personal digital assistant named Cortana, a new Action Center, as well as support for customizable lockscreens and backgrounds. Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Google Now and Apple’s Siri, completely replaces the search function on Windows Phone, which makes Continue Reading →