Custom Made #WinPhan Tees are now available [Worldwide, Costs just $7]

As we are growing daily, we are expanding our reach to provide best possible service to our loyal readers. As on the request of some of our readers, we have designed a custom WinPhan Tee to show support towards the very awesome Windows Community. The Tees are available as limited edition and will be shipped worldwide. The tees cost you just 450 INR or $7. They are made of best quality and are 100% cotton. We have created a goal of 100 tees which is required to be reached before the tees get shipped. Help us by purchasing them and share this news on social networks with the hash-tag #WinPhanTees and #WinPhan. We will select 3 persons randomly and they will get these tees for free from us. So what are you waiting for. Head to the website Here and buy these awesome tees now.

Give these high quality tees a spin and we promise you that we will bring more awesome tees like this in future. WE PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET PURCHASING THEM.

Buy Now

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Video: Unboxing of Microsoft Band

The Microsoft Band was just released on Thursday, October 30th. If you haven’t been following the news, the Microsoft Band is a hybrid between a Fitbit and a typical smartwatch. It has a touchscreen and lets you interact with Cortana, in addition to tracking your heart rate and more.

The device is pretty nice. Feels a little bulky on my wrist, but not bad. Comfort is questionable, but as I play around with adjusting the band size, I’m finding something that feels better. It’s quite useful for getting notifications of text messages, or checking your calendar. 

Check the unboxing video by Windows Central for more info.

Video: Windows Central

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See Microsoft band into action in this Video

Microsoft has already shocked everyone by launching the new fitness band. The band is a amazing fitness device that syncs perfectly with your life and your work giving you the best experience possible. While the band is scheduled to be available from tomorrow and that too only in US, Microsoft released a video detailing all the features of the band and also the advantages of it. Check the video below and let us know your initial thoughts about it. Also for our US based audiences, let us know if any of you are going to get it tomorrow.

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Microsoft Band now available for purchase (US Only)

Microsoft today announced the fitness tracker and made it available for those in US. You can now order the Microsoft Band from the Microsoft Store. The new fitness tracker and notification hub can sync with your Windows Phone, Android or iPhone. It can be yours right now for $199.99.
The Microsoft Band offers guided workouts, 24-hour heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, email alerts, calendar support and Cortana integration.
Are you buying? You get a complimentary $5 gift card to Starbucks and a screen protector when buying online.

Buy Microsoft Band

Via: Windows Central

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Microsoft announces fitness tracker, companion apps for Windows, Android and iOS

After much rumors and excitement, Microsoft has revealed the Microsoft Band and Microsoft Health. The Band is simply a fitness tracking wearable that will go to sale starting tomorrow in US. The band will cost $199. You can pick it up on your local Microsoft Store or online at the Microsoft Store website. Microsoft Health is a new cloud-based service that runs the numbers from the data collected by the Microsoft Band.
The Microsoft Band has 10 sensors and is able to track things like heart rate, step and general movement. But some novel sensors give you the ability to measure UV exposure and a galvanic skin response measure to track stress. The fitness tracker will last 48 hours on a single charge. You can wear it all day and night to track sleep as well.
Microsoft Health not only collects the data from the Band for crunching, but is available on Windows Phone, Android and iOS as a companion app. This app allows you customize your Band. You can also use the app to view notifications on your wrist and interact with Cortana.

Microsoft has also announced the companion apps which will run on not only Windows Phone but also on Android and iOS.
Here's the app description for Microsoft Health:

Live healthier and be more productive with the Microsoft Health app for Windows Phone. Achieve wellness goals by tracking your heart rate, steps, calorie burn, and sleep quality. Maximize your fitness with Guided Workouts, 24-hour heart rate monitoring, and automatic activity counting. Be more productive with email previews and calendar alerts at a glance. Take notes and set reminders with your voice using Cortana personal assistant. Personalize your Microsoft Band and get new features as they roll out.

The Microsoft Health app gives us some insight into features we can expect from the Microsoft Band. Look forward to 24-hour heart rate monitoring, automated activity tracking and more. It also sounds like you might be able to take Cortana notes and set reminders using the Band.

Download Microsoft Health for Windows Phone

Download Microsoft Health for Android

Download Microsoft Health for iPhone

Via: Windows Central

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Xbox Music and OneDrive receives updates for Windows Phone

We are here with another set of updates to start your day. Microsoft is going very active today by updating two of its apps. OneDrive for Windows Phone and Xbox Music received updates today. While the Xbox Music update looks minor, OneDrive gets a major update especially for Business users. Head below as we cover the app updates and give you the better idea of what's new in those updates.

OneDrive:

After announcing that all Office 365 subscribers will get unlimited OneDrive storage, Microsoft has now updated the OneDrive app for Windows Phone. The update to version 4.4.0.0 adds a new UI along with support for business accounts as well as various performance improvements.

Here's the changelog for the update:

• Improved design
• OneDrive for Business support
• Sign in with both your personal OneDrive and your OneDrive for Business accounts
• Organize and open your OneDrive for Business files
• Save new files to your OneDrive for Business account
• Easily send your OneDrive for Business files
• Bug fixes and performance improvements

Download OneDrive

Xbox Music:

Yes, Microsoft has once again updated its Xbox Music app for Windows Phone. This would be the fourth time this month that the music store app has gotten an update.

The change log shows that the version number got a tiny upgrade since last week's release, from 2.6.347.0 to 2.6.348.0, so we would assume this is a bug fix and improvements patch.

Download Xbox Music

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Official Windows Phone Facebook Page will soon have a new name

The official Windows Phone Page will soon get a new name as suggested from the Status Update today. Microsoft would be changing the branding on their smartphones from Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia. Microsoft Lumia will also be the new name of the Windows Phone Facebook page.

A message posted to the official Windows Phone Facebook page reads:

In the next few days you'll receive a message directly from Facebook about the name of this page changing. We're about to become Microsoft Lumia! Watch this space for more news soon.

 What's going on here? It would appear that Microsoft is downplaying the Windows Phone brand, which is something we've seen recently. And really nothing to be too alarmed about.
Desktop, tablet and phone operating systems are already on a collision course which will result in Windows 10 next year.

Source: Facebook (Windows Phone)

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Sign up for Microsoft Office Sway without an invitation for a limited time

Sway is the latest addition to Microsoft's wide range of product line. Announced back this month, it is currently available in a preview version. You'll need to request an invite at the Sway.com website if you're interested in trying out the preview. Except today, you have a chance to join without waiting for that invitation.

The official Sway Twitter account is letting anyone join via an open invitation. It's available for a limited time, so act fast if you want to try out what's been described as "PowerPoint on steroids".

It is in invitation only for now. But Microsoft has opened it for a limited time, sign-up for Sway here.

Source: Twitter (@sway)

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"Critical Update" available for those on Preview for Developers

Microsoft is pushing a new update for users enrolled under Preview for Developers program. The update is listed as a Critical Update but we don't know what exactly Microsoft meant by 'Critical'. Head to the Phone updates and you'll find 8.10.14192.280 available. The download and installation of the update should take about 5 to 10 minutes. As Microsoft is listing this as a 'critical update' so don't skip out.
Here's what Microsoft has said about today's update:

This update contains our usual scope of fixes and improvements. We're requiring this update so we can continue to test our update systems. The update will show as a "critical update" on your phone.

 We're updating right now, so we can't comment on what's new or fixed. We'll let you know after installing if we find anything. If you beat us to the installation of this critical update, let us know what you find!

Thanks to Toine Theis for the tip.

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Microsoft finally shows off the 'Microsoft Lumia' Branding

As expected sooner than later, Microsoft finally took the Conversation Blog to show off the latest branding featuring Microsoft Lumia instead of Nokia. Nokia lives on as a separate company, while Microsoft takes ownership of the Lumia brand and brings the new employees into the fold.
Speculation about the name change has been going for months but on October 21, Microsoft made it official by stating the new name will go from Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia.

Speaking with Tuula Rytilä, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Phones at Microsoft, Conversations reports that some big changes are starting this week. Quoting Rytilä:

In the coming weeks and months, you’ll start seeing even more brand experience come to life across different channels as we transition from Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia.

 Perhaps the biggest question is when can we expect to see the first Microsoft Lumia device? Rytilä was mum on specifics, though she did have this to add:

I wouldn’t comment on future product announcements, but what I can say is that that we are looking forward to unveiling a Microsoft Lumia device soon. This is of course a natural progression as all devices that once came from Nokia now come from Microsoft.

And, the Lumia promise of great phone experiences will remain the same as our customers have come to know and love. What’s more, Lumia phones will also showcase the best of Microsoft’s services such as Office, OneDrive, Skype and Bing to help customers with their work and personal lives.

 Rytilä confirms that Microsoft continues to "honor customer warranties and provide world-class care services as before". Finally, she notes that the Nokia name lives on, at least with "entry-level…phones, such as the Nokia 130."
As we have noted, this name-change is not a surprise. Still, waving good-bye to the Nokia smartphone brand is an epic – and sad – moment. Here is looking to a bright future at Microsoft.

Source: Conversatons

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Microsoft offers up for custom backgrounds on Xbox one

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that the Xbox One November update would enable custom backgrounds. For those in the Xbox One preview program that have already received the update, the software maker is offering detailed instructions on how to create a custom background using your own pictures.

Here's what you need to do:

• Connect a USB to console / Connect a source through DLNA
• Launch Media Player (either directly or through Settings>My Xbox > My background > Custom image)
• Navigate to source of your choosing (USB/DLNA)
• Navigate to folder/file of your choosing
• Select the jpg/png image – see it full screen.
• Once you are viewing the image full screen, hit the menu button.
• Select "Set as background"
• You will be sent back to the full screen view of the image. Hit nexus, see the image on Home.

The Xbox Design Team also created a Photoshop template through which you can see which elements of your photo will be hidden by the tiles. Download the template here.

What is your take on custom backgrounds? Are you excited about the feature?

source: wpcentral

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Microsoft confirms the use of ‘Microsoft Lumia’ in near future

As Microsoft acquired Nokia, it got a temporary license to use the Nokia brand for a certain span of time. It's not exactly a shock, but Microsoft has apparently settled on the "Microsoft Lumia" brand name as the new label for its smartphones that use Windows Phone, replacing the Nokia brand name following Microsoft's acquisition of that company's Devices and Services division in April.

“As part of our phased transition, we will drop the manufacturer name from product references during the Holiday campaign. Lumia is a trademark owned by Microsoft Mobile Oy.”

 The transition will take place slowly, beginning with changing over the Nokia Twitter and Facebook feeds around the world to the new Microsoft Lumia brand. The Nokia France Facebook page has already announced, "In the coming days, you will receive a message from Facebook on the renaming of this page. We are about to become 'Microsoft Lumia'! - Stay tuned to learn more soon...;)."

Microsoft has been busy redirectling Nokia website visitors to its new Microsoft Mobile page for the past month. It has also renamed nearly all of the Windows Phone apps that were developed by Nokia, replacing that name with "Lumia" in most cases. Microsoft may also be slowly phasing out the "Phone" part of "Windows Phone" in terms of marketing the OS to consumers in favor of a "Windows" effort that will cover all devices.

The big question that still lies is, Do you think "Microsoft Lumia" is a good brand name for its smartphones or should a new name be used? Take our poll below and answer this question.

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Microsoft accidentally releases Windows 10 Technical Preview updates for build 9860

It looks like Microsoft has just pushed out an update for those on Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9841 but it is not exactly compatible with the same. The updates released include KB3008956, KB3008968 and KB3008931 all require build 9860 to be installed. As of writing, Microsoft is yet to push any new Technical Preview build.
According to WinBeta, users can actually download those builds but that isn't going to get you very far as the installer stops before the update even gets started. They also doubt Microsoft releasing a new build today. The latest build spotted ie, build 9860 is rumoured to have many new features.
We will cover all the news from Microsoft as they will happen, so stick to us. In the meantime keep refreshing the Check for Updates section in your PC Settings. Microsoft may be rolling update today.

Source: WinBeta

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Xbox Music for Windows Phone grabs new update

Today Xbox Music for Windows Phone grabbed a new update. Latest version of Xbox Music is at version 2.6.347.0, up from 2.6.322.0 a few weeks ago.

Going by the change log this update is minor updates with bugs fixing. Here is the change log provided by Xbox Team:

"A new update for the Windows Phone 8.1 Music App is now available in the store! This release (2.6.347.0) addresses a number of customer issues and bug fixes."

You can grab the updated app from Windows phone Store.

If you notice any changes, let us know your comments.

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Zomato for Windows Phone Updated to v6.0

Zoomato for Windows Phone has just been updated. The latest version brings a big round of changes to app. Head to the Windows Phone Store and you will find v6.0 ready to be updated. The new update has lots of new features including a new logo, ability to check-in at restaurants, friends tagging and more. 

Head below to find all the new features in the app and be sure to download and try it.
New in this version:

• A lovingly crafted new logo. It represents the spirit of Zomato and celebrates the thing that connects our vast global community – our love of food.

• Check-ins at restaurants. Now, you can check into restaurants you’re eating at to easily access more useful information about the place. You can also tag friends you’re eating or drinking with!

• Friend tagging. You can now tag your fellow foodies in reviews, comments, and photo captions.

• Easy-to-browse Bookmarks. Your Wishlist and Speeddial have now been neatly combined into Bookmarks; no multiple lists to worry about.

• Your Food Journey. All your photos, review, and check-ins are now on a timeline that lets you track your food journey – from the day you signed up on Zomato, right up to this very moment.

• Local Experts. Some folks just know their city better than others. Earn Expertise by documenting your culinary exploits in various neighborhoods.

• Design improvements. Our design team’s had a lot of fun with this update. You can now enjoy a smarter search bar, cleaner search result and restaurant pages, filters that require fewer taps to access and apply, a sleeker photo viewer, and a few little treats hidden from plain sight. Tweet at us if you find them ;)

• A lighter, cleaner Zomato experience. This is one diet program our app’s taken seriously. It’s shed a ton of weight, runs faster, has lighter icons, softer colours, and cleaner fonts that’ll have you spending a lot more time on it. Don’t say we didn't warn you :)

This app is much recommended for the foodies. Give the app a spin and let us know your feedback to the latest update.  Download it now from the Windows Phone Store Here.

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Click a selfie and win a Lumia 730 from Microsoft India

How many people can you fit in a selfie? Take the group selfie challenge & stand a chance to win a #Lumia730 pic.twitter.com/1OeoPfSI0s
— Nokia India (@NokiaIndia) October 18, 2014

In the time for celebration of Diwali (the festival of lights) in India, Microsoft India has officially announced the #GoWider Twitter contest!
What’s the prize? You get a free Nokia Lumia 730.

How to Enter?

To enter the Microsoft India’s #WideAngle Contest, follow the steps:

• Bring together your friends and family and take an amazing and great Group Selfie
• Post it to Twitter to @NokiaIndia with the tag #WideAngle.

Yeah, that’s pretty much it!

The prize:

If you win this contest, you will receive a brand new Nokia Lumia 730 (not the 735) in India which has recently been announced on October 1, 2014 and was available in stores since October 6, 2014.

Also, Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) of WPCentral has partnered with Nokia India to give away a MD-12 Bluetooth speaker. 

So what are you waiting for. Go Wider and bring the selfie phone to your house.

Source: Twitter (@NokiaIndia)

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Cortana fan made T-Shirts are back for limited time

After tremendous response from WinPhans, our friends at WpCyte introduced Cortana T-Shirts for the second time. This time the T-Shirts are edited and they look better and more attractive than the last time. The 3rd part paraphernalia has returned with some small adjustments – the price has improved, the quality has increased, and the graphic is now somewhat smaller, with some explanatory text on the back for those who are not familiar.

The T-Shirts, which are available in white and black, cost only 450 INR ($7.32) and be ordered for worldwide delivery from Freshmonk.com Here.
The T-Shirts are of best quality and are 100% cotton so that you can have best comfort.
Hurry Up as the Campaign ends by October 31st, 2014. Shirts are shipped Worldwide to most of the countries.

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ICYMI: Earhoox running a contest worldwide

Earhoox is an amazing company which gives your earphones a support and help them to fit perfectly into your ears. On the achievement of 60,000 sales, the company has announced a worldwide contest and will be giving you some great accessories. The contest is already running well and we have posted about it on our Facebook Page.
For those who haven't participated, we have added a link to directly go to their contest page and get lucky. Also if you successfully complete their challenge, then you could be the one winning a pair of Earhoox every month forever. They are doing this contest worldwide so anyone can participate.
For those who are really interested in the contest, Click Here to enter. You just need a Email ID to register in for the contest. The contest is live till 20th October so hurry up. We wish everyone a very best of luck. Enter Here.

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Lumia Emerald makes its appearance on the Internet

Microsoft Mobile announced the Lumia Denim update for all Lumia phones with improvements and features that will make the OS more suitable with its current hardware, these updates will hit flagship devices as soon as in December this year but also comes pre installed on the Lumia 830 and the Lumia 730 for current devices.

The Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 for developer preview devices is expected soon enough and even a leak couple of days ago states Lumia Denim availability somewhere in the upcoming 2 weeks.  The Internet has a lot to show up with and this is what was found on one of the sites, LUMIA EMERALD firmware!
As history goes, (A)mber , (Black) , (C)yan and now (D)enim and this order could put E for EMERALD in the list for the next firmware update.
How true could be this rumor and pictures? Remember the Lumia Debian Red leak we had just before Denim was announced? It could be one of those hoax but cant trust the internet, as we all know, never trust everything on the internet.
Screen shots have also shown up in Vietnam and China over the last 24 hours.
The devices that seem to have these updates are just restricted to Lumia 830, is anyone curious ? Anyone from Vietnam or China here to confirm this?

Do let us all know in the comments below

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Microsoft will launch online store in India

India's leading journal, The Times of India has reported that Microsoft will be launching their own e-commerce stores in India and that too as early as in November. 

Microsoft global site operates as an international online store that ships to multiple countries. In USA Microsoft sells all it products like its Office suite to its gaming product Xbox via their websites. That could be a possibility in India in coming November. 

Earlier Microsoft  wanted to launch microsoftstore.in before Diwali but that didn't happened. It will open up towards the end of November and will offer all the products of the company. 

However Microsoft stayed tight lipped on this, as their spokesperson said "'We do not have anything to share at this stage"

Excited for launch of Microsoft India online store. What our readers think about this, do let us know in comments.

Source: Times Of India 

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Microsoft announces next Build conference

Microsoft today announced that its next annual Build developers conference will be held from 29 April 15 - 1 May 15 in San Francisco. Build is the an annual conference event held by Microsoft, aimed towards software and web developers using Windows, Windows Phone and Windows Azure and other Microsoft technologies. There are rumors that Microsoft can release the final version of Windows 10 which is undergoing testing as a part of a public Technical Preview via Windows Insider program. We can also see evolution path of Windows Phone with Windows 10.

You can follow build event on Twitter at: Build
Additionally you can also Sign up Build mailing list for the latest news on upcoming Build events at: Sign Up

Source: Microsoft

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Latest update of Extras+Info shows false Denim firmware sightings

Microsoft this morning pushed out an update for the Extras + Info system app found on Nokia Lumia smartphones. The Extras + Info area is where users can find out what firmware version they are currently on, like Lumia Black, Lumia Cyan, or Lumia Denim.

Today's update arrives without a changelog; however it is safe to surmise that it is laying the groundwork for the forthcoming Lumia Denim update for those still on Cyan. In fact, many people have tipped us after updating to tell they now have the Lumia Denim update.

This claim of having Lumia Denim though is false.
Evidently, the Extras + Info update for some users is causing the app to reveal temporarily the firmware as Lumia Denim. Going back into the app afterwards though resets it back to Lumia Cyan.

Indeed, over-the-air firmware updates are obviously much more significant than just updating an app in the Store. Moreover, firmware updates typically start at 1 PM Eastern Time and not early in the morning. Having said that, this is a good sign that Microsoft is getting ready to being pushing out the firmware, as updating Extras + Info is needed properly to reflect any changes in a firmware update. This example is analogous to the odd Network+ update last week, which was needed for today's Truecaller app update to expose API access to the Windows Phone dialer for real-time Caller ID.

Regardless, take today's update for Extras + Info, but do not assume you just received a firmware update. Windows Central will keep you posted when Lumia Denim does officially begin.

Download Extras + Info 3.12.0.3 update for Lumia phones

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Truecaller gets updated with Caller ID feature

Truecaller has announced a new version of their app, specially for Windows Phone 8.1 Lumia handsets.

As we wrote a few days ago, the app for the first time brings live Caller ID functionality to the Windows Phone 8 platform. Now, when Truecaller users are using a 3G or WiFi connection, live Caller ID will identify numbers from all over the world, even if it is beyond what is written in the user’s contact books.

The feature was developer in cooperation with Microsoft and the company commented:

We are very happy to be able to support Truecaller in bringing this great functionality globally to Windows Phone for the first time. Our partnership goes back several years and we have seen that Truecaller is a very dedicated company focused on delivering a great service for its users,” says Mikael Stendahl, Head of Partner & Developer Relations at Microsoft.

Windows Phone Lumia users who update the Truecaller app to the new 4.2 version by October 30 will also get 30 days of free Premium access.

Please note that it does require Windows Phone 8.1 to work, and it may be just for Lumia devices as it also needs the Network+ update.

Download Truecaller from the Windows Phone Store

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Truecaller for Windows Phone 8.1 gets live Caller ID

Truecaller updated its private beta to version to '4.1.10' with most desired feature for windows phone i.e.live incoming Caller ID. Truecaller's live incoming Caller ID allows you 'live caller identification' and brings a fully functional and global caller ID to identify numbers not already in your windows phone book. Truecaller Caller ID was already available on Android and iOS but Windows phone user were kept at bay from it due to limited API, but with the evolution of Windows phone 8.1 it has now become reality.

It is available with Truecaller 4.1.10 beta release. This version is available only for WP 8.1.

Caller ID is available only for Nokia WP 8.1 with Lumia Cyan or higher update. After installing the application it is recommended to update “network+” system application. In order to do that open Truecaller -> settings -> caller id -> Update network+ application.

It's a private beta of Truecaller and these features will be added later in public version of Truecaller.

What our readers think about this update? Sound off below.

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Xbox 360 500GB Holiday Bundle Comes With ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ And ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’

Microsoft has announed a new Xbox 360 bundle that will go on sale this holiday season. It comes with 500GB Xbox 360 E console, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and one month of Xbox Live Gold.

Unwrap a bundle of fun with the Xbox 360 500GB Holiday Value Bundle. The Xbox 360 E console is sleek and super-quiet and comes with a wireless controller, while the spacious 500GB hard drive has loads of space for your games and movies. Plus, with built-in Wi-Fi, it’s easy to connect to Xbox Live to access tons of great entertainment, from HD movies and TV shows to live sports.

Contents:

• Xbox 360 E console
• Xbox 360 500GB hard drive
• 1-month Xbox Live Gold membership
• Call of Duty Ghosts game
• Call of Duty Black Ops II download code
• Xbox 360 wireless controller
• Xbox 360 headset

Order it here from Microsoft Store.

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Blu Win HD and Win Jr head north with Microsoft Store Canada

Blu, purveyor of low-cost Windows phones, can now be found in Microsoft Stores in Canada. The pair of Windows Phones had previously only been available from Blu and Microsoft Stores in the United States. Blu's phones aren't associated with any carrier in either country, so that these prices are off-contract is an encouraging thing: $179 for the Blu Win HD and $89 for the Blu Win Jr.

So what do these low prices bring to the party? The Win Jr has a meager 4GB of internal storage, but sports microSD expansion, plus 512MB of RAM and a 1.2Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor. The 4-inch display has a resolution of 480x800, while the rear camera clocks in at 5-megapixels with a little VGA shooter on the front. These aren't mind-blowing specs, yes, but a phone with a small number following the dollar sign also comes with small numbers in the specifications department. Laws of economics and all that.

The Win HD is a more impressive phone, with the same Snapdragon 200 processor, but throwing in an Adreno 302 GPU, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage with microSD support. The screen here is bumped up to 5 inches with an improved 720x1280 resolution — it's not the 1080p HD we'd like, but again, we're talking about a sub-$200 Windows Phone here. The cameras are also bumped up on the Win HD, with 8MP on the back and 2MP on the front.

There are trade-offs for phones at this price, of course. They're not as awesome as the more expensive phones you can get from HTC or Microsoft, and they're missing out on support for some features like microSD cards larger than 32GB or LTE.

Even so, it's good to see Blu's Windows Phone distribution expanding beyond the borders of the United States. Anybody in Canada picking up a Blu Win HD or Blu Win Jr?

Blu Win Jr at Microsoft Store Canada: $89

Blu Win HD at Microsoft Store Canada: $179

Source: WPCentral; Reddit

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Windows Insider testing program likely to continue after Windows 10 launch

A new report says that Microsoft is "highly likely" to keep its current Windows Insider Program going even after the official release of Windows 10 sometime in 2015, perhaps as a way to offer large scale testing of new features for the OS before they are released to all users.

Microsoft started the Windows Insider Program with the release of the technical preview of Windows 10 on October 1 as a way to gain feedback from users for this early desktop centered build of the OS. Now Ars Technica, using unnamed Microsoft sources, claims that the Windows Insider Program will most likely continue after the official launch of the OS, although they did add that this is not guaranteed.

Continuing the program would be in line with the rumors that Microsoft will no longer issue major updates for Windows every two to three years after the release of Windows 10. Instead, the company may choose to issue new features for the OS via free updates alongside security and bug fixes. Having a program like Windows Insider would allow Microsoft to beta test features from a wide number of users.

Do you believe Microsoft should continue the Windows Insider program after Windows 10 is released?

Via: WPCentral

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Lumia Creative Studio receives a update

Lumia Creative Studio picked up an update today that reinstates Color Pop, and sees the addition of new features that include support for PNG images as well as screenshots.

Here's a look at the changes noted in version 6.3.3.2:

• Color Pop is back
• Support for PNG and screenshots
• Rotate 90 degrees locks to original orientation

Are you guys excited that the feature is back?

Download Lumia Creative Studio for Windows Phone

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Travel to New Orleans with the latest update of Subway Surfers

Subway Surfers is the game that needs no introduction. It is one of the best game available today. The app receives a new update as a part of World tour and heads to New Orleans. Without any delay, head to the changelog and see what's new in the update:

- Travel to New Orleans with the Subway Surfers World Tour
- Celebrate Halloween with Eddy, the brilliant magician  
- Play with your Facebook friends and get a great gift
- Step up your Top Run game to earn Gold Surfer Awards
- Ride in spectacular style with new Board Upgrades

Head to the Windows Phone Store and get the new update Here.

Do let us know your comments on the latest update.

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Microsoft India offers lucrative deals on the purchase of Lumia 530 and Lumia 630

Just as the auspicious festival of Diwali is round the corner, Microsoft India is offering great deals to customers who are willing to get a Lumia device. From now until October 23, customers purchasing a Lumia 530 will get a guaranteed cashback of Rs. 1001 ($16), with Lumia 630 purchases entailing a cashback of Rs. 1501 ($25).
Microsoft is also running a lucky draw through which customers buying the Lumia 530, Lumia 630 (single and dual-SIM versions), Lumia 730, Lumia 830, Lumia 930, Lumia 925, Lumia 1020, Lumia 1320 and Lumia 1520 stand to win 100 percent cashback. The promotion is valid across all Nokia Priority Partners, Nokia Priority Dealers and retail outlets in the country.

See the promo video of the same below.

Just ahead of Diwali, are you willing to get yourself a new Lumia Device with this lucrative deals? Sound off below.

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Tutorial: How to enable Notification Centre in Windows 10 Technical Preview

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Technical Preview for IT experts few days back. We have been using it since the very first day and as we already told, it is awesome. There have been many other experts who tried to dig deep in the OS and got some really interesting things for us. If our readers remember, we saw a video showing the notification centre in Windows 10 a couple of months ago. The build Microsoft released doesn't contain the notifications centre. Some of the readers at Neowin created a program that actually enables the Notification Centre in Windows 10.
Before you go any further, be aware that this is not a supported method by Microsoft - the file you download could corrupt your install and many bad things can happen. In other words, proceed at your own risk and expect the worst, but hope for the best.
If you are running Windows 10, you can turn this feature 'on' by going Here and downloading the zip file. You can then run the .exe file after unzipping the folder and voila!, up comes the Notifications Center. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much right now and we can't get any notifications to show up, but enabling the feature is the first step towards making it work.
We recommend you to read the 'read me' file in the .zip before trying this. Also, if you don't have much idea about this then don't try it at all.
Microsoft will be enabling Notification Center officially in Windows 10 Technical Preview in the coming weeks.

Source: Neowin

NOTE: We recommend you not to try this as it will be implemented in the coming weeks. If you still want to proceed then do this at your own risk. We won't be responsible for any damage. If you don't have full knowledge about Registry Editor then better stay away.  

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UC Browser has a Windows Phone 8.1 app too

UC Browser is probably the most advance browser for Windows Phone users. The company that is pretty open about their betas, and a new version of their award-winning browser has just turned up in the Windows Phone Store, compatible only with Windows Phone 8.1.
The version number is still 4.0, and there does not appear to be any major new features, but one can imagine the browser can now implement windows phone 8.1 only features, such as being able to browse the file system.

Join the program and download the browser Here.

Source: WMPU

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Traces of Biometrics and Quiet Hours found in Windows 10 Technical Preview

As Microsoft rolled out the Technical Preview for IT Professionals, we have found many features disabled by Microsoft in the current build. Another thing I just found are the traces of Biometrics and Quiet Hours. Although, Finger Print Biometric sensor was already supported in Windows 7 and Windows 8, but seeing this may suggest that we can have eye scanning or face recognition from Microsoft as well. Moving towards Quiet Hours, I think it is a bit natural as we already say Cortana in the system files. As Quiet Hours is a part of Cortana, so we will have that on our PC soon. For now we don't know the real motive of Microsoft and what they are going to do in near future. I will update the article if we found some details. Till then see the images below for the same and stay tuned as we dig more in the new Operating System.

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Tutorial: Hide Search and Task View buttons from the taskbar in Windows 10

Windows 10 has the new Search and Task View buttons on the Taskbar, which are hardcoded to the taskbar in the Tech Preview. They take up valuable space on the taskbar. Although they look like any other regular pinned app, they have no context menu and it is not possible to unpin them. Windows 10 users may want to turn off these buttons. Here is how to get rid of the Search and Task View buttons from the taskbar.

To hide these buttons from the taskbar, we will use the open source app created by MyDigitalLife forums user "vali20". All credits go to his camp.

1. Go to vali20's post and download the included app from here: MDL forums. You will need to register there to download the ZIP archive. It's not a big deal actually as MyDigitalLife is a resourceful Windows community.
2. Unpack the WinTHButtonHider folder from the zip acrhive you download and then run the following file:

WinTHButtonHider\WinTHButtonHider\bin\debug\WinTHButtonHider.exe

That is all you need to do. Search and Task View buttons will disappear from the taskbar.

To get them back again, kill the WinTHButtonHider.exe process using Task Manager and sign out and sign in back to your Windows account or restart the Explorer shell. That's it.

Source: Winaero

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Tutorial: How to get the Modern version of IE running on Windows 10 Technical Preview

While the desktop version of Internet Explorer is supposed to be the only one available on the Windows 10 Technical Preview, there is a way to access the Modern UI version of IE in this preview build as well, if you want a more touchscreen-based experience.
A man who goes by the Twitter handle "AdamUCF" has created a script that can be accessed and downloaded on the Pastebin website. After downloading it, you will have to change the file extension name to to .ps1. After that, you just right click the file and open it with Powershell to access the Modern IE version.
As we reported yesterday, the Windows 10 Technical Preview does not yet have the upcoming Internet Explorer 12 web browser, but it does have a few improvements over the current Windows 7 and 8.1 versions of IE11. If you have tried this script, what do you think of the Modern IE running in this early build of Windows 10?

Via: WPCentral; Download the script Here.

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Flipboard finally makes its way to the Windows Phone Store

The long awaited Flipboard online news reading app for Windows Phone that's been in development for over a year and had a false start a few days ago, may finally and officially be available for download in the Windows Phone Store sometime today.
Originally, the app became available but it was later pulled from the Store due to it being a 'placeholder' version and not the official one.
Microsoft's Joe Belfiore used his Twitter feed to make the announcement, but it looks like the app is still not available for some users. Hopefully that will be fixed later today. In any case, the Flipboard app is something that has been promised for a long time so we would hope that this announcement means it is close to release. We will update you when and if the app really becomes available.
Not much is clear in regards to this updated version of the Flipboard app. We still do not know if it actually 'flips' or if it has 512 MB support. We will update accordingly.
If you want, you can use the download link below, which has the Flipboard app last updated today. However, we are still getting a 'not available for your device' error message, so this could take a few hours before it really gets out there. In other words, don't shoot the messenger if you cannot download it right now.

Download Flipboard for Windows Phone 8.1(512 MB)

Update: Users can now download the Flipboard app. It is still not available for 512 MB phones although it does have some 'flip-like' animations. Flipboard is working on a 512 MB optimized version of the app.

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Windows 10 preview for phones and ARM devices isn't due until 'well into 2015'

Microsoft's Joe Belfiore has confirmed previous rumors that a preview of Windows 10 that will run on ARM devices like Surface RT and Surface 2, along with Windows Phones, won't be released for a while.

Answering a question on his Twitter feed from a fan who was wondering when the Windows 10 preview would be out for ARM and phones, Belfiore replied, "Right now tech preview is for x86 PCs. ARM devices and phones, not 'til well into 2015." In response to the same question from another fan, Belfiore stated, "The purpose of going out this early on the PC is largely to get enterprise/corporate feedback. More later."

A few weeks ago, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reported via her own sources that a preview build of the next version of Windows would launch sometime in January or February 2015. Belfiore's statements would seem to corroborate her report.

Microsoft has already admitted that Windows 10 will in fact be the next big version of Windows Phone but we likely won't hear much, at least via official channels, about the company's mobile plans for the OS for some time. Do you think Microsoft is doing the right thing to hold off on the Windows Phone preview of Windows 10?

Source: WPCentral

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Facebook Beta gets a major update with picture comment and more

Microsoft has released the update for Facebook Beta on Windows Phone and it seems to be a rather big update. ead into the Windows Phone Store and you'll now see the beta at version 8.3.2.1. Today's update appears to add the ability to edit comments and more!

The changelog listed in the app description lists the following items as new:

• Updated design
• Video upload
• Messenger support
• Post detail page
• Photo commenting
• Ability to edit comments
• Tagging improvements
• Upload improvements
• Performance improvements

Download Facebook Beta for Windows Phone

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Tutorial: Get back the Modern Start Screen in Technical Preview

Microsoft has released the Technical Preview yesterday and there are alot of changes made in the new OS. One of those is removing the Modern Start Screen and replacing it with Start Menu. If like me, you installed the Technical Preview but you would like to get back the Modern Start Screen, here is a quick and easy way to make that happen.
The current preview is mostly geared towards IT professionals and those on a desktop PC.
Microsoft made it relatively easy to switch between the two and to set the default. Here is how.

1. Go to Search.
2. Type Navigation Properties.
3. Go to tab 'Start Menu'.
4. Toggle 'Use the Start Menu instead of the Start Screen'.

The system then tells you to log out and back in again to make the change. Note, however that as far as I know, you cannot have both the Start Menu and Start Screen working in tandem. In other words, when on the Desktop and using the Start key, it uses whichever is the default.

Source: WPCentral

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Tutorial: How to Dual Boot Windows 10 Preview with Windows 7 or 8

Microsoft finally revealed the next Windows two days. They also promised a insider program for IT Professionals so that users can get a sneak peek at the new Windows. While the program ran successful and users downloaded the preview OS, there remains a question. Is it advisable to install Windows 10 as a primary OS? If you use your computer for work purposes they it is not advisable to install as it has some bugs and maybe all the apps will not run properly. So what's the best way to use Windows 10 Technical Preview? It is to dual boot the OS into another partition and run both the primary as well as Windows 10 Technical Preview easily. Doing this is very easy and below is the process.

1. Download the Windows 10 preview ISO file from insider.windows.com. Once you’re on the site, you will need to hit the Get Started button, click Join Now, sign in with your account and accept the terms and conditions.  You’ll then click the Install technical preview link and look for the correct ISO file (you may have to click a link that says “Get the ISO files” first).
2. Download and install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. Don’t be fooled by the name; this software will burn the Windows 10 installer to a USB stick so you can use it like a bootable DVD.
3. Insert a USB Flash drive that’s at least 4GB into your PC. Make sure there’s no data on it that you need to keep, because the burning process will erase it.
4. Launch Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.
5. Select the ISO file by hitting the Browse button and then click Next.
6. Click USB device. If you have an optical drive, with a blank disc you could choose DVD instead, but for most people, USB is easier.
7. Select the USB drive and click Begin copying.
8. Click Erase USB Device and click OK to confirm if prompted.
9. Create a new partition using Disk Management.
10. Boot off of your USB drive. You may need to hit a special key such as F11 or F12 as soon as your computer starts in order to select your boot device.
11. Click Next, leaving the language, time and keyboard settings intact.
12. Click Install Now.
13. Accept the license terms and click Next.
14. Select Custom Install.
15. Select the partition you just created, which may be marked as “unallocated space.” Click Next.

Now Windows will install usually. After a few minutes, the system will restart and display a boot menu.

16. Select Windows Technical Preview. If you have Windows 7, the menu will work the same way but display as ASCII text rather than a graphical interface.

After this, setup your Windows as usual and reboot your computer to get Windows 10 Tech Preview.

I hope this short tutorial helps you. If you have any queries then comment below.

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Rumors claim that Microsoft Skipped ‘Windows 9′ Name Because Of Legacy Code Compatibility Issues

Two days back Microsoft launched the next version of Windows OS and it shocked the tech world by revealing Windows 10 skipping the number 9. Will surfing the web today I found the possible reason for doing so. That was the Legacy Codes issue. According to latest reports, Microsoft decided to go with Windows 10 branding to avoid issues related to Windows 95/Windows 98 legacy code. Here's a tweet from Engadget who were the first to spot this issue on Reddit.

Rumor calls out Windows 95 as the reason Microsoft skipped version 9 http://t.co/iI8Zf1zEU3 pic.twitter.com/8tAjFSBAv7
— Engadget (@engadget) October 2, 2014

If Microsoft named it as Windows 9, all classic apps with the above code structure will treat it as either Windows 95 or Windows 98. So, Microsoft decided to avoid it by naming it Windows 10.
Do our readers think this was the actual reason for naming the next Windows as number 10 or there is something else cooking in Microsoft?

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Microsoft launches Lumia 730, 830 and 930 in India

Microsoft had a press conference in Delhi today. The company announced three devices in the event, ahead of Diwali which sees a boom in the sales of electronics. In the press event today, Microsoft launched selfie phone aka, Lumia 730, budget flagship phone aka, Lumia 830 and the Lumia 930 (International Version of Lumia Icon). All the three phones are priced under three different price points but personally I feel both the Lumia 930 and the Lumia 830 are a bit overpriced. Considering the Lumia 730, it is aggressively priced for Indian consumers. Let's head below to take a glance at all the devices.

Lumia 930:

The Lumia 930 features a 5-inch touchscreen with Full HD. That's a 1920 x 1080 OLED ClearBlack display with an eye-pleasing 441 pixels-per-inch. This is protected with by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, so it's resistant to daily scuffs and scratches.
The Lumia 930 has powerful internal specs. There's a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Unfortunately, there's no expandable memory card support, but 32GB internal storage and cloud storage on OneDrive should take care of the missing slot.
As a flagship, the Lumia 930 also packs a punch in the imaging department. At the back, you have 20MP PureView camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and ZEISS optics. On the front, you have a high-definition 1.2 MP wide-angle camera for selfies and video calls. In India, the Lumia 930 will be available in bright orange, black and white starting from October 15 at a price of ₹38,649 ($630).

Lumia 830:

Lumia 830 is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM, the device packs in 16GB of internal storage, expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The Lumia 830 boasts of a beautiful 5-inch 720p (1280 x 720) IPS ClearBlack display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It also features a slight curve to help feel improve the overall feel while holding the device.

Of course, the highlight of the phone is its PureView camera. The 10-megapixel rear camera with ZEISS optics packs in optical image stabilization and allows video recording at 1080p 30 fps. There's also rich recording with three microphones, similar to high-end flagships like the Lumia 930 or the Lumia 1520.

It features a better resolution display, improved processor, and a vastly better camera. The 830 also includes integrated wireless charging. The design of the Lumia 830 is similar to that of the Lumia 930, but it is thinner and lighter. The back shell is removable, and swappable, and it houses a 2220 mAh battery.

In India, the Lumia 830 will be available in orange, white, and black colors at an MRP of ₹28,799 starting from October 8.

Lumia 730:

The Lumia 730 features a 4.7-inch 720p (1280 x 720) OLED ClearBlack display. Powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1 GB of RAM, the device packs in 8 GB of internal storage expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The phone features a removable battery, and changeable shells.

The rear camera is a 6.7 MP shooter with ZEISS optics and includes LED flash. The front camera, incidentally, is one of the best front-facing cameras on any smartphone (yes, call it a selfie phone) – a full HD 5 MP wide angle camera.

In India, the Lumia 730 will be available in orange, green, white, and dark grey colors at an MRP of ₹15,299 (US$250) starting from October 6. 

Now after the specs roundup comes the best part from the customer's point of view. Its the introductory offers part. Microsoft also introduced some offers with these devices. Head below to check them out.

Lumia 930: 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage available free for first 6 months, and chargeable thereafter at a minimal ₹125 per month.

Lumia 830: The online store Snapdeal.com will offer minimum ₹6,000 off for consumers shopping through the Snapdeal app on Windows Phone. Consumers will get a minimum discount of ₹1,000 per month on a minimum transaction of ₹2,100 on fashion and home décor items. Also, BoxTV will offer a free 60-day subscription to the Lumia 830 customers. There's also 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage available free for first 6 months, and chargeable thereafter at a minimal ₹125 per month.

Interestingly, apart from Snapdeal and BoxTV apps, Flipboard comes preloaded on the Lumia 830, which might explain their rush to publish an early, unfinished release.

Lumia 730: 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage available free for first 6 months, and chargeable thereafter at a minimal ₹125 per month.

So, finally words are these devices are undoubtedly great and launched at a perfect time of festival season in India. But there are people who were expecting Lumia 830 and Lumia 930 a couple of grand less. Still, I'm sure many will be tempted to pick one up. What are your thoughts on the devices and the pricing?

Pic Credits: Abhishek Baxi (Instagram)

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