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The most secure mobile platform for Enterprise discovered

Apr 132012

RIM has always offered secure platform to the enterprise customers and maintained their status through the years. The survey by Trend Micro compares different mobile platforms to suggest that the Blackberry scores highest among all to meet the demands of use in the enterprise.

The test parameters include a combination of factors from built-in security to application security, authentication, virtualization, device wipe and firewall.

Blackberry stood victorious at the highest average score of 2.89, followed by iOS at 1.7. Windows Phone stood close at 1.61 and Android managed a score of 1.37.

Raimund Genes, CTO of Trend Micro quoted:

Against the growing, unstoppable backdrop of consumerisation and BYOD, every mobile device is a risk to business. What is interesting in these results is that, whilst some mobile platforms have evolved very noticeably along enterprise lines, there is still a strong ‘consumer marketing’ legacy in some quarters and this is negating some of the progress made on the enterprise front. Indeed, some of the attributes we have examined in the report are still firmly ‘enterprise-unready’.

Trend Micro, Bloor Research and the researchers from Altimeter Group declared Blackberry as the best option for the most stringent mobile roles due to corporate-grade security and manageability.

Now that’s something no one can dare argue against…!!!

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Smoked by Windows Phone in Korea

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Apr 132012

Microsoft’s “Smoked by Windows Phone” marketing campaign is a test for the rival smartphones to prove their worth and win or get SMOOOOOKED!!!!

From a small promotional gimmick at CES 2012 to the full blown campaign is the latest approach to market Windows Phone. Web commercials and Microsoft’s retails stores are running comparison videos of Windows versus Android and iPhone devices as the promotional and social networking approach.

The task includes you to bring your smartphone to a participating store and square it off against a Windows Phone in a randomly chosen challenge. Winners will be rewarded with 100000 Korean won which is around $90in US currency. $100 was offered by Microsoft at the promotion during the Consumer Electronics Show in January. This Korean challenge is named: Art of Speed.

The calendar of planned events is available on the official Facebook page.

AT&T store salesmen suggest iPhone first, Android second, and flagship Windows Phone in the end

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Apr 112012

Microsoft and Nokia have been pretty busy pushing the Windows Phone. With AT&T coming into the picture, the game was quite clear – Lumia 900 was to be AT&T’s new flagship.

We all know that a flagship is something which the carrier/store pushes with all it’s might. But this is not the case with AT&T. As an article points out on CNET, who conducted a secret shopper survey of 5 AT&T stores in Manhattan. They did not find the Nokia Lumia 900 high on the list of recommended handsets. Here is what happened

…But when I asked for advice on buying a new smartphone, sales associates in five different stores in Manhattan actually recommended the Apple iPhone and not the carrier’s latest "hero" device.

Even when I prompted them to tell me more about the Lumia 900, none was willing to recommend it to me for purchase.

"Windows Phone is alright," said an associate in a store on the Upper West Side. "But it’s no iPhone."

This became clear to me when I walked into the AT&T stores and told each associate I encountered that I had never owned a smartphone but was looking to buy my first one. I explained I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about which device I wanted to buy. I told them I was a PC user, who knew little about cell phones and was looking for something easy to use. My main objective for owning a smartphone was to access email, surf the Web and check Facebook.

While all these activities could be easily achieved with a Windows Phone, associate after associate first pushed me to toward an iPhone and then suggested an Android device as my second option.

"For your first smartphone, you should get an iPhone," an assistant manager at an AT&T store told me. "When you get bored with that, you should try an Android phone."

When I asked him about the Lumia 900 and the Windows Phone OS for someone such as myself who had never had a smartphone, he told me he thought it was too complicated. He admitted he hadn’t used the Lumia 900 much. He had only gotten the device a couple of days before the launch on Sunday.

No wonder we will see competition on the east coast between Android and iPhone only.

Experience the new change: Microsoft Exchange 15

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Apr 102012

Microsoft Exchange 15, the new software is expected to be unveiled this September at the Microsoft Exchange Conference (MEC). The main focus of the conference was on the Microsoft exchange server software that handles the mail, calendars, contacts and tasks. MEC 2012 is an opportunity for the attendees to get, meet and try the exclusive content of the new software. With the preview version of the software already in market for release, Microsoft expects a stupendous response with the full version. Attend the conference with an early registration @$1800 for the release of the Microsoft Exchange 15.

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App Hub to start accepting submissions for the new Windows Phone Marketplaces

Development No Responses »

Mar 192012

As the Windows Phone brand grows, so does the Marketplace(s). The Windows Team Blog has announced that it will start accepting app submissions for new Marketplaces soon. According to the blog:

The 23 new Marketplaces are launching this month in Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam. That’s in addition to the five stores we opened earlier this year in Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, and the Philippines.

Once this latest batch goes live, it will bring our total number of customer storefronts to 63—nearly half of which are new in 2012. Factor in the new wave of handsets (including more affordable models) coming from Nokia, HTC, and ZTE, and it means a nearly 60 percent increase in the total addressable market for your apps.

The guidelines for developers to publish their apps are as very simple:

How can you take advantage? Just visit App Hub once it’s been updated and select the markets where you’d like to publish your apps—or choose “worldwide” (even if you’ve selected this before) to make them available everywhere. We’re not adding new App Hub locations in this release. If it’s not available where you live, use a global publisher to submit your app.

Since some markets are sensitive to certain stuff, apps might have to go through an extra round of certification before they are available for download. Also, it would take at least 7 calendar days for apps to complete certifications.

Happy developing…!!

Microsoft releases Bing Chinese dictionary app for Windows Phone

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Mar 182012

Microsoft has strengthened it’s translator services by releasing the Bing dictionary for Windows Phone. The app comes as a freeware and has received generally positive reviews from users at Windows Marketplace.

The app is described as follows:

Bing Dictionary Windows Phone version is published by Microsoft. It supports Local/Online dictionary look up, particularly nice features like Smart Index, Search Suggestions and more.

• Local/Online dictionary: Local dictionary contains 100,000 most-frequently-used English and Chinese words. Online dictionary provides more words, sentences and voice.

• Smart Index: Creative Smart Index matches incomplete words and their inflections. Quick-definition is also provided for convenience. Try to input ”better”?

• Click-to-Lookup: Don’t like keyboard on phone? Try two clicks to start a new search: first click a word in definitions or sentences, then click the search button.

• Search Suggestion: uncertain of spelling? Online dictionary provides search candidates of similar spelling or pronunciation to your input.

• Machine Translate: online dictionary mode supports machine translation. Input a long sentence to try the latest Microsoft translation engine between Chinese and English.

• Themes and Fonts: UI themes, Chinese or English user interface, and different font sizes for comfortable reading experience.

• Search history: save your history for recent queries, easily review and traffic-saving.

You can get the dictionary from http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/1d59eeb0-1590-4d33-a846-6fe7fef1b107 but remember that the app works only on Windows Phone 7.5 or higher.

Windows Mobile 6.x RIP

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Mar 142012

Microsoft has more or less pulled the plug for Windows Mobile 6.x. After May 9, 2012, no one can buy or download apps from the Windows Marketplace for Mobile 6.x app.

According to a post at Microsoft Answers

March 8, 2012

Dear Windows Mobile 6.x customer:

Microsoft is discontinuing the Windows Marketplace for Mobile service for Windows Mobile 6.x. Please review the details below to familiarize yourself with the changes:

Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace Service To Be Discontinued

Beginning May 9, 2012, the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service will no longer be available. Starting on this date, you will no longer be able to browse, buy or download applications directly on your Windows Mobile 6.x phone using the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace application and service.
Applications and games acquired from the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service installed on your Windows Mobile 6.x phone will continue to work after the service is discontinued on May 9, 2012. However, additional downloads of these applications and games from the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service will no longer be available.

Take Action

Microsoft recommends you review the applications or games installed on your Windows Mobile 6.x phone and install any available updates in advance of the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service shut-down on May 9, 2012.
Please note: All phone data, including applications acquired through the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service, data and user-specific settings, will be deleted from your Windows Mobile 6.x phone in the event that your phone is wiped or "hard reset." Any data on a removable storage card, if present, will also be deleted if your phone is wiped or "hard reset".

Windows Mobile applications and games that are compatible with Windows Mobile 6.x may still be available directly from their developers or via third-party marketplaces.

Thank you for your continued support of Windows Phone.

-The Windows Phone Team

This moves comes as step to push people from legacy systems to Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft launched the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace in 2009 as an answer to Apple’s App Store, which at the time had some 35,000 applications (and now claims more than 550,000 apps).

The closure of Marketplace for Windows Phone 6.x doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your legacy phone any longer. You can still download apps from third party app stores or directly from developers’ websites, just not from Microsoft’s store. Winking smile

Microsoft partners with Zain to promote Windows Phone in the Middle East

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Mar 082012

Kuwait based operator Zain has partnered with Microsoft to promote Windows Phone based smartphones and apps in the middle east. The new deal, as per Zain will allow the

consumers across the region to purchase a variety of the latest devices from various manufacturers of Windows Phone devices that enable and compliment their digital lifestyles.

Zain looks forward to develop an ecosystem of apps on it’s own network, which will directly benefit regional developers who will get more exposure on the network.

Gustavo Fuchs, Microsoft Mobility Director for Middle East and Africa commented

…We are seeing huge smartphone growth in the region and this is expected to continue with a prediction of 38 percent year-on-year growth for 2012…

Zain’s wide reach across Middle East and North Africa and its globally recognized distribution expertise will ensure consumers have access to the latest and greatest phones as soon as possible

Microsoft should leave no stone unturned if it wants to make a strong foothold in the middle east, where BlackBerry and iPhones are a rage.

Its official – Lumia 800 outselling iPhone 4S in Finland

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Mar 012012

Its official, Nokia Lumia 800 is outselling the iPhone 4S in Finland, report Finland’s largest carrier – Elisa.

Elisa’s top 10 list for business as well as consumer devices is as follows

Elisa’s top 15 for February 2012:

Nokia Lumia 800

Apple iPhone 4S

Nokia C2-01

Samsung Galaxy Gio

Samsung Galaxy Xcover

Samsung Galaxy S II

Nokia 300

Nokia 500

Nokia C5-00 5MP

Nokia 7230

Samsung Galaxy S+

Nokia Lumia 710

Nokia E7-00

Apple iPhone 4

Nokia N9-00

And the same list, but for business users:

Nokia Lumia 800

Nokia C2-01

Apple iPhone 4S

Nokia E7-00

Samsung Galaxy Xcover

Nokia C5-00 5MP

Samsung Xcover 271

Samsung Galaxy Gio

Nokia E5-00

Nokia C6-00

Samsung Galaxy S II

Nokia Lumia 710

Nokia E52

Nokia E6-00

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10,1

According to the press release (read as rough translation)

Elisa’s February sales figures confirmed Snow Nokia 800 phone foreseen by the success of thousands of reservations. Both private and corporate customers bought Lumiaa raising its number one on both lists. This is a long time for a phone that has hit so well through both customer groups. Lumian and Elisa Office 365′s strong demand for companies’ needs to show a more flexible work possible, solutions.

Lumian sale has been remarkable by the fact that it was not just a sale to home, located in tine, but the sale has been going steady for a good month. Elisa has been able to prepare for high demand, and the phone’s availability has been very good with the exception of a momentary warehouse is empty, the very first days in advance due to the supply of reserves.
Was not until the end of February sales become less expensive, less than 300 euro priced Nokia 710 is Snow also attracted interest from both private and corporate customers. It is now in both customer groups, ranked 12, and it is expected to continue to rise to the list. Next summer will arrive in Finland for sale in Snow 900, where the family is the most powerful and biggest display and 4G support (Dual Carrier). In addition, family of the least expensive model, the compact Snow 610 comes in late spring sales of over EUR 200 price.

- We hold a positive Lumian product line expansion in different price categories. Elisha is important to be able to provide a wide range of phone to meet customers’ different needs so the price, as the character of the operating system. Lumian sales to date supports the fact that Windows Mobile will be one of the key operating systems, assesses customers’ personal voice accession Director Jan Virkki.
Elisa Entertainment Service Windows phone smartphone application has already been downloaded to date, significant amounts. Elisa Entertainment application with the TV program information and the provision of a video store browsing and recording opportunities are always there. Windows Phone platform will soon be published in the popular My Saunalahti self-service applications, which are expected to equally large bandwidth and active use. The application can access data will be able to manage their own phone.
Henkilöasiakkaissa iPhone 4S is back again after a short break close to the top and was placed second in the list. The tip of smartphones caste remain strong in the Samsung Galaxy S II, and the Nokia N9. Samsung’s strong position is based on three different-end phones. Meanwhile, Symbian phones still being sold a lot, and the most recent updates have brought clearly to the new improved features.
Opportunities for smartphone power use in companies <

Strong demand for both small and large companies also raised the Lumian Elisa’s corporate customers top-selling phone in February. Sized enterprises is particularly interested in integration with Microsoft’s back-end systems and the ability to use Microsoft’s cloud services directly from your smartphone.
Lumian contribute to the rapidly proliferating in the Office applications in the cloud. – Snow brings office in your pocket safely. Elisa Office 365′s introduction has been reflected in a clear spike Lumian time. For example, Lemminkainen took Elisa’s agreement in February with 3 000 on your purchase of a service and will make use of Microsoft programs, opportunities for mobile working. Smaller companies to facilitate nomadic calendar and e-mail applications, network drive sharing working documents SkyDrive, and OneNote notes of tasks with different devices, Anssi Okkonen says.
Developing a mobile work also reflects the increase in tablet computers to the list. They are going to step up its part, the use of video-conferencing mobiilipäätelaitteilta.
- Samsung has introduced a number of tablet models, which correspond to the needs of businesses. The operating system and user interface are the same as the phones, so their implementation is easy. For example, Vidyon through video conferencing is easy to start and the comfort is much better than on the phone, Okkonen continue.

Windows Phone Tango, in brief

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Feb 292012

The much promised and similarly awaited Windows Phone Tango has been unveiled by Microsoft at the MWC.

Microsoft has lowered the hardware specs for Tango to smoothly run. The Windows Phone 7.5 now runs on Qualcomm 7×27 processors and 256MB of RAM, thus ushering a new era, ahem, for low end smartphones.

But this comes alonwwith some sacrifices at core level. SkyDrive automatic uploads and Bing Local Scout have both been removed from devices with 256MB of RAM. The reason behind this is that they stored a large amount of data in RAM, which is plainly not feasible on low RAM devices. Though 95 percent of existing applications will work fine on these devices, apps that use a lot of memory (aka badly programmed apps) will be slow and clunky on the updated platform. The multitasking feature is also to go down the gutter except for background audio.

But there is a silver lining to all this..!! The perk comes as an improved MMS which can now handle video and multiple images as well as a new voice notes feature to record one minute audio snippets.

you can get a hands on demo of the ZTE orbit running the Tango HERE.

Stay tuned for more..!!

See through Windows phone unearthed from secret labs

News No Responses »

Jan 312012

From the secret dungeons of Microsoft, the Verge unearthed a marvel: Transparent Windows Phone. These labs turn 3D designs into physical objects of fantasy. Don’t believe us? See for yourself:

The transparent phone looks amazing and very attractive. All this non- functional device needs is the battery to induce life into it. You can hope the next time we peep in their prototyping lab, the device of wonder becomes a reality.

Boom!!

Microsoft Kinects at Austrian Underground Rail

News No Responses »

Dec 012011

The marketing department over at Microsoft is doing a fantastic job. They have plastered the Austrian underground rail stations with Kinect ads, and – Kinects.

This is an out of the box approach from Microsoft which gives exposure to the already acclaimed Kinect to a greater number of people.

Windows Phone interface beats iPhone interface, hailed as New world order

Editorials No Responses »

Nov 292011

When CNET got their hands on Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia 800 to be precise), they were simply awestruck by the balance the platform had to offer. The UI was, well, slick, but was a lot less clunky, as per CNET.

According to the article:

The king is dead

Until not so long ago, that meant Apple. But something insane has happened. Something that we simply wouldn’t have countenanced just three short years ago.

One company makes a beautiful, intuitive, elegant interface, and the other makes a dated, clunky interface. But now it’s Microsoft showing off the thing of beauty, and Apple that’s behind the times. Microsoft is the underdog and Apple is the monolithic, restrictive monopoly. Has the world gone mad?

Sure, the iPhone and iPad interface is still slick and simple. But the shine is gone — iOS 5 looks almost exactly the same as iOS 4. Android showed what you can do when you can truly customise the look and feel of your phone, with its flexible home screens, handy widgets placing information right at your fingertips, and the capacity to alter any feature you like.

I seem to recall an old story, when the only smartphone OS of the time, Symbian, was bashed by everyone. People wanted behemoths of phones. They worshipped a large screen and a powerful processor, only to realise that the duo would eat battery faster. They demanded an app store like no other, only to trial a few apps and then delete them and move on to the next.

Nokia was undeniably the game setter, Apple was the game changer, Android was the turmoil that uprooted everyone, and yet RIM et al were wondering what just happened. This proves the age old proverb – The only thing which is constant is change.

Source

Nokia Lumia gets a mild start, tablets announcement might be imminent

News No Responses »

Nov 182011

Nokia’s flagship phone, the Lumia, has received a mild start. With pre-orders in the EU falling a lot short of the iPhone, and even the high end Android phones, Nokia has failed to gain a head start it had expected from it’s first bath of Windows Phone powered smartphones.

According to Financial Times, Orange said it was the most successful Nokia launch ever and had been popular in pre-orders.

In an interview, Stephen Elop said

We are interested first and foremost about volume. Our highest priority is to help Windows Phones to compete with Android. This is the first showcase product.

…You see us pricing the devices so that that we can get what we think will be a good volume…

What a nice strategy Stephen, rather than eyeing for the top spot, you want to be content with the second position.

Also, there are reports about Nokia launching tablets running Windows 8 in June next year. Despite having the most powerful platform named MeeGo out there, Nokia decided to drop it for an untested Windows8 (coincidentally, I tried the developer preview and it is not that great).

Elop said that

It is clearly a very interesting opportunity

We need no proof of Elop handling “interesting opportunities” well, a historically factual example quoted above.

We have to see if Windows Phones made by Nokia bring up the mojo or will they be recorded in the annals of history as the biggest failure in the history of Finland. Only time will tell

Microsoft to deploy new encryption method to fight piracy on Windows Phones

News No Responses »

Nov 102011

The world is enjoying Nokia Maps and Nokia Music on their Windows Phones, and it is quite a concern for Microsoft and Nokia.

Currently, users can download XAP files (installer files) directly from Microsoft servers and sideload them on their unlocked (I call it pwnd) Windows Phones. A number of developers have raised a hue and cry (read as legitimate) on this practice of Microsoft’s. They argue that Microsoft is openly allowing their hard work to be leeched and pirated by making the XAP files available for download.

Microsoft has replied that it will be fighting piracy by introducing a new server side encryption method. This method will encrypt the XAP files in such a manner that they can not be sideloaded on any Windows Phones after being downloaded directly from the servers.

Purportedly, Microsoft is waiting for a majority of public to update their Phones to “Mango”, on which the security method supposedly works, before releasing it.

While we do not condone piracy of any sort, it is interesting to see this cat and mouse game. Either of the parties has to be one step ahead of the other. This whole game helps developers identify loopholes in the system and plug them.

Nice try Redmond. We just wait to see how log it is before the awfully and insanely genius hackers would blow this encryption gimmick to a hundred billion pieces. We just wait…

via

Older Entries Newer Entries

TamsPPC – the Windows Phone Blog

The most secure mobile platform for Enterprise discovered

Smoked by Windows Phone in Korea

AT&T store salesmen suggest iPhone first, Android second, and flagship Windows Phone in the end

Experience the new change: Microsoft Exchange 15

App Hub to start accepting submissions for the new Windows Phone Marketplaces

Microsoft releases Bing Chinese dictionary app for Windows Phone

Windows Mobile 6.x RIP

Microsoft partners with Zain to promote Windows Phone in the Middle East

Its official – Lumia 800 outselling iPhone 4S in Finland

Windows Phone Tango, in brief

See through Windows phone unearthed from secret labs

Microsoft Kinects at Austrian Underground Rail

Windows Phone interface beats iPhone interface, hailed as New world order

The king is dead

Nokia Lumia gets a mild start, tablets announcement might be imminent

Microsoft to deploy new encryption method to fight piracy on Windows Phones

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