This isn't directly phone-related, but I was interested to see WC's Daniel Rubino get his hands on the new Microsoft Surface Connect to USB-C Adapter. With Lumias using USB Type C for years, ditto the Elite x3 and Alcatel IDOL 4 Pro, along with newer Macbooks and just about everything else in the computer/tech world in 2018, it seemed odd that the Surface Pro 3 and 4 didn't also have Type C support in some official way. This new dock solves the issue, expanding the newer style 'Surface Connect' port into a multi-function Type C jack that can be used for hubs, power, displays, and more.
If your phone has been through several OS branches (even as part of production updates) and if you've been trying loads of applications (, you know), there will come a point when you fancy 'factory fresh' performance again. No under-the-hood cruft, no detritus. Here, in a 2018 updated edition of my original feature, are the steps needed to keep things smooth and ensure that you don't lose much in the process.
This is something I've seen a number of times now and the fix is always the same - meaning that it's time to commit it to the (web) page here, for permanent record. The problem? After updating an application in the Store, it then won't launch. It tries to start but then crashes and you're back at the applications list. Happily, the cure is simple enough and (usually) works.
As often happens, additions to software can leak hardware plans and this is what happened in the recent builds of Windows 10 RS5 (due for release in a few months), it seems. A new constant with five (or six, depending on how you count) possible states reveals possible configurations of a folding mobile device, almost certainly what is project 'Andromeda' internally and what will end up as the Surface Mobile (or similar) when it appears on the open market later this year.
Getting news/feed headlines on your Start screen has always been a case of information overload. A feed reader will cycle through dozens of stories from hundreds of sites. A news app will cycle through the top stories it thinks are most important. But what if you just want the top, breaking story on just one site? What if you have specialist needs? This is where the new RSS Live Tiles UWP app steps in for all Windows 10 phones, tablets, laptops, etc.
I suspect the use case for trimming audio and video files is somewhat niche, but still Auvid Tuner UWP might be a useful tool to keep up your sleeve. Perhaps making ringtones, video lopps/clips, and - yes - editing music track ID3 data (at least, if you pay the IAP). Screenshots and details below.
There have, of course, been a number of third party clones of Apple's innovative (/crazy, depending on your own preferences!) Air Pods - the individual Bluetooth audio buds that charge in a little pocket case, that itself gets charged up occasionally. But this is the first I've tested, so here goes. Pros and cons, brickbats and bouquets, all here tested with a Lumia 950 XL, this being AAWP!
The story so far.... Uber released a UWP application for Windows 10 (that was never really finished), then withdrew it, then . And now we have that same PWA, packaged neatly by Uber itself as a UWP application in the Store. As usual, it will run on any Windows 10 device - including Windows 10 Mobile phones.
Even though both NFC 'info' tags and QR codes seem not to have really taken off in the mainstream after a decade of availability*, QR codes are still a 'thing' and most people recognise them when they see the four corner dots and mass of encoded characters within. And most phones can now recognise QR codes, even if - as here - an extra application is needed. There are quite a few QR code scanners under Windows 10 Mobile, but this is the first that I've seen that focusses (pun intended) more on QR code generation and what you might do with such a graphical construct.
Although there's life left in Windows 10 Mobile in terms of updates and support, new hardware is almost non-existent, plus repairs and spares for older hardware are becoming tricky - so it makes sense for everyone to be aware of the best of the rest, flagships from other platforms. And with the productivity-centric Blackberry KEY2 in the office, it seemed appropriate to put up a direct comparison with a Windows 10 Mobile handset, an OS which is itself - these days - equally centred on 'getting things done'.
Just a note of apology for the extended (24 hours) downtime for AAWP yesterday. We had major server problems, but Rafe thinks it's all resolved now. Thanks to Rafe for his hard work into the small hours yesterday evening and normal content should now start resuming.
OK, so this is Android, but is harkens back to the glory days of Psion, classic Symbian, Communicators, the HTC 7 Pro(!), and much more. The Gemini was designed by the same guy who designed the Psion Series 5, back in 1996, so it's worth taking a look, at least. For my Phones Show, I've now reviewed the Gemini and I think many people will find my verdict of interest. It can run Android, Linux or Sailfish (currently), it can run at a wide variety of screen scalings, it has full travel keys and pretty modern phone internals.
This is news from Microsoft itself, though it's a bit of stuff and nonsense in terms of branding and partnerships at the end of the day. Still, with all the 'iOS & Android' prose in the original story, I wanted to emphasise that the 'new' Microsoft News is also just as much part of Windows 10 Mobile, even if it's not called out explicitly. Because... of course. It's Windows 10.
Facebook's authentication changes have now finally stopped the old (2014?) official client for Windows Phone 8.1 from being able to log in, as anyone with an older Lumia should be able to verify. With the platform itself now not supported by Microsoft, such major service/client failures are not surprising. What is surprising is that finding alternative means of logging into Facebook are also not easy. Though, as ever, I do have a solution for AAWP readers still clinging to Windows Phone 8.1!
Last covered , a month ago, Twitter's new PWA app status on many platforms has meant that the company has been able to roll out updates server-side. And a big one hit last night, with the Explore 'tab' now much expanded and with Twitter's 'Moments' now scrolling vertically, which is tuitive and consistent. All good, though the big downside of using PWA tech for the Windows 10 UWP app is that there are no push notifications (anymore).
No, not the list of things Microsoft needs to do (that's quite long!), but another of the regular (every fortnight) updates for Microsoft To-Do, the cross-platform, cross-device task and project manager that's becoming more and more useful as time goes on. In this update, the welcome arrival of support for a dark mode. AMOLED-screen phone users will be cheering - I know I am.
Telegram has been in the news in recent times as having strong security that's even got the Russians worried. Telegram Messenger is the official client for all Windows phones and it's still getting decent updates, even though WP8.1 itself is now not officially supported. Which is quite impressive, perhaps speaking to the fact that an awful lot of older Windows phones are still in use around the world and that many of them don't like governments (or even Google or Apple) tracking what they want to say...(!)
Calling itself, rather curiously, 'Instagram for Windows 10 Tablets', by which I assume it's for any Windows 10 device on an ARM chipset, this official client has had a big update overnight. New to be enjoyed here are a type mode in Stories and various video modes and the possibility to send a choice of 'replay' or 'view once' media.
I was surprised by in an imaging shootout between the new Blackberry KEY2 and the venerable Lumia 950 XL - it seems that there are people considering a 'productivity-based' jump to Android and Blackberry but who also want to quantify what they'd be losing in terms of imaging in the process.
From the developer of the terrific comes this new News/RSS feed reader. I have to be honest and say that the UI had me all in a spin, it's too easy to get confused and be unable to get back to browsing and adding new feeds without closing the app down(!), but I suspect a little extra refinement would sort this out. Not that news readers are in short supply, even under Windows 10 Mobile, but add this to the pile, at least, and watch for updates.