Seven months after Andy Lees became Microsoft's vice president of corporate development, the executive has decided that it's time for a rest. AllThingsD is reporting that the deposed former Windows Phone chief is taking a sabbatical to spend some time with his family in England, but will return to a new, currently undefined, role at Redmond later in the summer. Given that the country is currently suffering through one of its traditional summers, we suggest Mr. Lees packs an umbrella.

Update: Microsoft has contacted us to clarify that Lees is permanently relocating to the UK, but will remain with the company -- at a position that'll be announced once his sabbatical has ended.

Filed under: Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: AllThingsD

You know how it goes, you buy a phone on eBay, and it comes with a developer / pre-release version of a major mobile OS. Well, if these images are to be believed, that's at least what happened to one bargain-hunting Windows Phone fan. The screenshots -- said to be taken from a Nokia 920 -- show Windows Phone 8, but with a few new tweaks and features. Most notable, will likely be the notifications, but other tidbits include App list ordering based on frequency of use, week view in the calendar and the option to kill apps from the multitask screen. The phone reports a build number of: 12084.WPMAIN(wpbldlab).20130509-1407 leading some to infer that this version could have been compiled sometime in May. A tease of something to come? As always, hard to tell, but expect the price of second-hand 920s to bump up a little, for the next few weeks at least.

Update (06/09): The Verge got in touch with the buyer of the phone and it just so happens that Microsoft requested it be returned in exchange for a what was paid and a pro bono device. Looks like the resale value of 920s just dipped a bit earlier than we expected...

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Via: The Verge

Source: Reddit

Between the Xbox One, Steven Spielberg's latest TV project and the approach of E3, fans have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new Halo game. 343 Industries has heard their pleas, but its answer is somewhat unexpected -- the next game in the legendary franchise isn't for Microsoft's next-generation game console, but for the company's mobile and tablet platforms. Built specifically for Windows Phone and touch-enabled Windows 8 devices, Halo: Spartan Assault hopes to offer the essence of Halo in a portable format. Engadget stopped in at the game's launch event to take a look.

"In a nutshell, it's a top-down twin stick arcade-style action shooter," explained Dan Ayoub, executive producer at 343 Industries. "Really, a brand new way to play Halo." Ayoub told us that the game was designed to push the limits of phone and tablet graphics, stressing the Halo franchise's history as a trailblazer on Microsoft platforms. "We wanted this to be no exception," he said, inviting journalists at the event to try the game for themselves. We picked up a nearby Surface Pro slate and tucked in.

Gallery: Halo: Spartan Assault

Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft

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US Cellular's been promising a WP8 handset for quite some time now, and it looks like the company's about to deliver exactly that. As you might recall, US Cellular's last Windows Phone offering was the entry-level ZTE Render which ran WP7.5 (Tango). We recently obtained promo materials for an ATIV Odyssey with US Cellular branding. This mid-range Samsung device, which is currently available on Verizon, packs a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage (with microSD expansion), LTE and NFC support, plus a five-megapixel autofocus camera with flash. While none of this is official (yet), we fully expect US Cellular to make a proper announcement real soon now. Until then, check out the gallery below for some of the aforementioned promo material.

Gallery: ATIV Odyssey for US Cellular promo materials

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Microsoft

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You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Last week, Microsoft's YouTube app for Windows Phone came under fire for not adhering to some of Google's requirements. The result was an ultimatum from Mountain View, requesting that Microsoft make the necessary tweaks by May 22nd or pull the app entirely. Today, which just so happens to be that aforementioned date, Microsoft has released a new version of its YouTube app for Windows Phone. This time around, video downloads are disabled -- users who already have the app won't retain this functionality, either -- but one important feature is still missing: ads. It's unclear whether Google approved of this update, though that does seem unlikely, but we've reached out to Microsoft for comment. In the meantime, WP users can nab the new app via the Windows Phone store.

Update: Microsoft responded with the same line it gave to other news outlets such as ZDNet. It doesn't exactly address our questions, but it's proof that Redmond is in damage-control mode. Head past the break for the full statement.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Google

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Via: ZDNet

We've already spent some quality time with Nokia's handsome Lumia 925 and while it's no secret the company's Windows Phone flagship is coming to the US courtesy of T-Mobile, we'd never actually seen the carrier-branded model -- until now, that is. Nokia brought T-Mobile's version of the handset to CTIA 2013 where we took it for a brief spin. As you'd expect, the phone is identical to its global twin save for the operator's logo below the capacitive button and the radios which support T-Mobile's bands. Unfortunately, the Lumia 925 we played with was not final, so the software was off limits. In terms of hardware, it features the same 4.5-inch 1,280 x 768 AMOLED screen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB of storage and 8.7-megapixel camera with OIS. This is definitely one of Nokia's most attractive designs yet, and we're looking forward to getting our hands on a review unit soon. In the meantime, why not check out the gallery below?

Gallery: Nokia Lumia 925 for T-Mobile hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia, T-Mobile

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YouTube only recently came to Windows Phone 8 as a full-fledged app, but its availability may be short-lived. According to documents obtained by The Verge, Google has requested that Microsoft remove the app from it Windows Phone Store -- and disable installations on devices -- immediately. The reason? Apparently the app didn't get Goog's stamp of approval before going live, and it blocks the ads that typically run on YouTube. Naturally, ads are an important source of revenue for both Google and no shortage of third parties, so Mountain View may not be out of line for crying foul. And that's not the only strike against Redmond: according to the cease and desist letter, YouTube on WP8 lets users download videos, in addition to streaming content that's been restricted on certain devices. Oh, and all the above-mentioned issues violate YouTube's Terms of Service. Google is giving MS until May 22nd to remove the app -- we're sure this isn't the last you'll hear on this subject.

Update: Microsoft has responded. We have the full statement from a Microsoft spokesperson after the break.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft, Google

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Source: The Verge

Huawei and the United States government may have their differences, but here's something we can all agree on: Walmart's going to sell whatever it darn well pleases. Including, mind you, Huawei's first Windows Phone 8 smartphone. The W1 -- which has made inroads in multiple markets already -- is heading to Yankee soil, with shipments expected to begin "this month" at Walmart.com and at select Walmart stores. For those in need of a refresher, it'll pack a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, a 4-inch IPS touchpanel, 1.7GB of user-available internal storage (expandable to 32GB via microSD card), a 5 megapixel rear camera (with a 0.3MP shooter on the front) and the latest iteration of Microsoft's mobile OS. Strangely, Huawei nor Walmart are saying what the damage will be, but it'll reportedly be priced "competitively" on a prepaid, no-contract plan.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: Windows Phone Blog, Huawei

You can now scratch one more big name off the list of apps not available on Windows Phone. Tumblr has just released its official app for Microsoft's mobile platform (the latest version of it, at least), offering all the key features found in its iOS and Android counterparts with a distinct Windows Phone flavor. That includes the ability to swipe left and right to switch between the dashboard and "explore" options, and the option to add the latest images from your dashboard to your lock screen or live tiles. You can also rest assured that animated GIFs will remain animated while you scroll.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: Tumblr, Windows Phone Blog

What's an outgoing Microsoft executive to do on his last earnings call as CFO? Utter something that'd probably get the incoming CFO fired. Kidding aside, the outfit's own Peter Klein saw fit to reiterate something we'd heard back in March -- that Windows 8 is destined for smaller devices. To date, there isn't a Windows 8-based slate on the market south of 10-inches, but as Apple, ASUS, Google and Samsung have found, people tend to like tablets that can be held with a single hand. Of course, the "coming soon" angle definitely adds a time stamp (albeit a vague one) that we didn't have before, but we're still no closer to figuring out what kinds of devices we're to expect. A diminutive tablet? A smartwatch? A phone?

Earlier this week, Terry Myerson -- corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Phone division -- admitted that the wearables space was undoubtedly an exciting one, though he wouldn't go so far as to affirm that any of the code he oversaw was being tested on the arm. Of course, rumors have been running wild since Windows Phone's introduction that Microsoft would eventually push WP aside in favor of just using Windows on everything, so we suppose that's another (far out) possibility. Wild imaginations are advised to contribute their best guesses in comments below. (But seriously, keep it sane. Thanks.)

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablets, Wearables, Microsoft

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Source: TechCrunch

Terry Myerson, who took over as corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Phone division following Andy Lees' departure in 2011, is helping to kick off the second day of D: Dive Into Mobile here in New York City. Right out of the gate, host Ina Fried asked where Windows Phone is seeing the most success. The response?

"When you think about the world, there are markets where operators are subsidizing phones, and then there are markets where they aren't. We're seeing the most success in markets where operators are not subsidizing the phone. What happens in the subsidized market -- the market that Apple and Samsung have chosen to focus on -- is that the best innovation happens in the $650 product that's sold for $200. For us, the momentum we're building is with building a phone we can offer for less than $650 [unsubsidized]. Getting to 20 percent share in Mexico or Poland, that's the opportunity."

Gallery: Microsoft's Terry Myerson at Dive Into Mobile 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Building on yesterday's announcement that Temple Run and several other games are coming to Windows Phone, Microsoft's been actively courting developers at GDC 2013. To that end, the company's booth showcases several games that highlight cross-platform development and middleware. Now that WP8 and Windows 8 share the same NT kernel, DirectX APIs and tools, it's easier than ever to write games that use the same code base for both platforms. Microsoft is sweetening the deal with a few significant middleware partnerships -- Unity, Marmalade and Havok, to be specific. We talked with Larry Lieberman, Senior Product Manager for Windows Phone development, who was kind enough to explain what these partnerships mean for developers and to give us a tour of the games. Hit the break for our hands-on video.

Gallery: Windows Phone middleware demo at GDC 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

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You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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You don't need to be Captain Subtext to understand that a few manufacturers (and developers) aren't best pleased with Microsoft's latest mobile products. The latest to damn Redmond with faint praise is Samsung's newly-minted Co-CEO, JK Shin, who told The Wall Street Journal that demand for Windows-based phones and tablets isn't sending the company's accountants cross-eyed with glee. When asked about Samsung's relationship with Microsoft after the latter deepened its ties with Nokia, Shin said:

"Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's Windows operating system aren't selling very well. There is a preference in the market for Android. In Europe, we're also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products."

Which, naturally, has done nothing to scotch those persistent rumors of the ATIV Tab being axed in Europe as well as the US. The CEO added that we can expect to see a Tizen-based phone in the third quarter of the year, although Samsung will continue to flirt with every available OS for the needs of its customers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung, Microsoft

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Via: The Verge

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Still hurting from Google's "spring cleaning" announcement yesterday? Google Reader fans may be out of luck, but Windows Phone users can take heart in knowing that Microsoft made the whitelist for the CalDAV sync interface, which is now shelved to all but developers who get Mountain View's green light.

Early this year, Google announced it would extend support for Exchange ActiveSync on Windows Phone through July 31st, with the implication being that Redmond would build support for CalDAV in the meantime. Luckily Microsoft's work was not for nothing, though -- and this is a big though -- the Windows team won't be adding CalDAV or CarDAV support for users trying to connect a Google account via Mail, Calendar or People apps after January 30th, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Google

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Via: ZDNet

We caught up with Greg Sullivan -- senior product manager of Windows Phone -- for an early morning chat during Mobile World Congress. He was kind enough to give us an update on the state of Microsoft's mobile OS, which has apparently experienced a four-fold increase in sales since version 8 launched last fall and is taking share away from Android in the UK. We discussed the delightful user experience provided by lower-end Windows Phone 8 handsets like Nokia's Lumia 620 and asked how Microsoft plans to satisfy power users at the higher-end of the spectrum who are still missing critical features such as proper notifications, quick settings and CalDAV / CardDAV support (to name a few). It's clear that the company's aware of these shortcomings and is working to remedy most of them in a future release. We also talked about the ecosystem, what Microsoft is doing to improve app quality, how it meshes with Windows 8 / RT and whether the company is looking to expand its partnership beyond existing device manufacturers. Look for our full video interview after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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Trust. It's a valuable commodity. But serial twitter-sleuth @evleaks has done enough to earn ours for this latest leak. A Windows Phone 8 device -- apparently known internally as the Tiara -- which will be one of the first to run the next revision of the mobile operating system (GDR2). With a reported 4.3-inch display, a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera and 1GB of RAM, it bears more than a resemblance to another recent addition to the HTC fold. If you had hopes that it might also borrow from the firm's latest Android flagship design, then sorry to dash them, as the sources suggest otherwise. The Tiara moniker is unlikely to remain, with @evleaks taking a stab at it coming to market mid-May, possibly as the HTC 8W. Not a bad guess. Now it's just a matter of waiting to see if all that trust is truly well placed.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Unwired View

Twitter has finally given some love to its Windows Phone app, a change the company promises will put it "in line with other Twitter apps." On the docket are changes to the UI and a slew of new features. The app now offers tabs for Home, Connect, Discover and Me, making it easier to keep up with your feed and mentions around the Twittersphere. Also new are Tweet and Search icons, which let you perform those activities from anywhere in the app. And those who hate going to the trouble of opening the app the old fashioned way can pin searches and lists to their phone's start screen now, thanks to a new Live Tile update. For more info on the changes, click the source link below.

Filed under: Microsoft

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Source: Twitter

Nokia just launched the stylish Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 Windows Phones plus a pair of affordable candy bar handsets (Nokia 301 and 105) here at MWC 2013. We spent a few brief minutes with CEO Stephen Elop to discuss the announcement -- talking about the common design language and the incredible price points for these devices (€15 / $20 for the Nokia 105 and €139 / $184 for the Lumia 520). We also quizzed Mr. Elop about the Lumia 920's ongoing camera woes and what's being done to address them, then chatted about the company's recent focus on entry-level smartphones like the delightful Lumia 620 and what it means in terms of strategy. Hit the break to watch our video interview.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Are you curious as to what mystery gadgets are hanging out in Stephen Elop's pocket right now? So are we, and thankfully we won't have to wait much longer to find out. The Nokia CEO is set to take the stage at MWC in just a few minutes to show off the latest and greatest mobile wares coming out of Finland, so sit down and join us as we bring you the announcements as they come.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Thumbs twitching, in an attempt to get on that new Spotify beta? You might have had a frustrating morning. Multiple users are reporting that when trying to purchase or download apps on their Windows Phone they are instead receiving error code 805a0193. As handy as the code is, there's no further information about what is causing the problem. Unlike previous issues that seemed more localized, this current instance appears pretty widespread with reports coming from the US, and France amongst others. Are you affected? Let us know in the comments. In the meantime we've contacted Microsoft to see what's up.

[Thanks to all who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

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It's true, folks: Spotify is finally available as a free download on Windows Phone 8, which should come as a happy surprise for users who have been sorely missing the perks of the music streaming service on their brand new devices. Until now, the app was only available for legacy Windows Phone users, but it's finally made its way to WP8. If you don't see it available in your phone's store, hang on for a few hours; the app just barely started rolling out, so it may take a little while to reach everyone.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: Windows Phone Blog, Windows Phone Store

When Microsoft and Nokia married at the temple of Windows Phone last year, the dowry was nothing if not complicated. Nokia had to pay a minimum amount in software royalties to Microsoft each quarter, regardless of how many Lumia smartphones it sold, but the financial hit was more than cancelled out by Microsoft's "platform support payments" coming back the other way. At some point, however, the net flow of cash was always bound to switch direction, as the cost of the software royalties grew to exceed Redmond's $250 million quarterly support payments, effectively bringing the whole thing closer to being a zero-sum transaction. According to Nokia's latest financial report, that turning point has now been reached and the company's accountants will have to start writing a minus where there used to be a plus. The extra expense makes it doubly fortunate that Nokia has just returned to profitability -- at least if future quarters prove it really has.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Via: AllThingsD

Source: Nokia

A big chunk of the quarterly profit came from the Nokia Siemens Networks infrastructure business, which chipped in with an operating profit of $334 million, while Nokia's Device business contributed $367 million. Nokia confirmed that it shipped 4.4 million Lumia handsets and 2.2 million Symbian smartphones during this period and, while those numbers are still sliding, the higher margins on phones like the Lumia 920 have had a positive effect on the bottom line. America, however, still hasn't fallen in love with the company's phones, with sales increasing from 300,000 to 700,000 -- but as of yet that's hardly enough to say they've been a big hit.

On the upside, Nokia begins 2013 with a reasonably clean slate. It's cashed out another $250 million donation from Microsoft and has seen its net cash reserves increase for the first time in over a year -- up to $5.8 billion from $4.6 billion in the Autumn. The company has also decided not to grant a dividend to its shareholders for the first time in over a century as it hopes to keep adding to its corporate nest-egg.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Source: Nokia (PDF)