Microsoft stresses Windows 10 Feedback app as UserVoice sites meet their demise

Up until now, a great place to give feedback to Microsoft has been through the Windows and Windows Phone UserVoice site. These sites have given Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile (and Windows Phone) users a place where they can hand feedback over to Microsoft engineers effectively, and has been a platform that's continuously improving around the wants and needs of the people who use it. Both Windows and Windows Phone on UserVoice are, however, being shut down.

Microsoft announced that, starting from October 30th, they are in the process of ramping down the UserVoice site. Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile for UserVoice will continue being functional until November 16th, but after that point it will no longer be accessible. This may be somewhat alarming to those who frequently utilized the website, but fear not: UserVoice is being replaced by something that, hopefully, will be even more effective at bringing feedback to Microsoft's attention.

Now, instead of keeping feedback in a website separate from Windows 10 itself, feedback is all going to be coming from a client built right into the operating system. All feedback should now be directed through the Feedback app on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, which should be on your Windows 10 device right now, accessible by typing "Windows Feedback" into your Cortana search bar.

With Windows 10 Feedback now doing work as the primary medium through which our feedback is delivered, Microsoft hopes that they will have even more ways to refine Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile in the future. Windows 10 Feedback gives Microsoft engineers access to "the complete set of raw feedback" and, according to the post on UserVoice, "not only makes it easy for the engineers to find user feedback, but also makes it easy for them to act on it."

Hopefully Microsoft is right about Windows 10 Feedback being a more effective tool with which users can interact with Microsoft directly – since it's directly built into the operating system, it certainly seems to be a more useful system than UserVoice presented before it.

FeedbackUserVoiceWindows 10Windows 10 Mobile

Source: Microsoft stresses Windows 10 Feedback app as UserVoice sites meet their demise

Hands On with Windows 10 Mobile build 10572

Microsoft released build 10572 of Windows 10 Mobile last week, hot on the heels of build 10549, as the release date nears for the first Windows 10 smartphones, the Lumia 950 and 950XL, expected in November.

The company has not made it easy for Windows Insiders keeping up with the builds. Both 10549 and 10572 require first resetting your phone back to Windows Phone 8.1, which means double the effort.

The Windows Phone story is heartbreaking for its fans, with Microsoft first acquiring Nokia, the main device vendor, and then dismantling most of it, declaring a change of strategy. What the new strategy is has never been clearly articulated, but it seems to involve a retreat from the mainstream smartphone market. Microsoft phones will instead be ultra-portable PCs, aimed at business and productivity users, with the ability to connect to full-size displays, keyboard and mouse.

This feature, called Continuum, requires new hardware, even though Windows 10 Mobile will install on most existing Windows 8.1 devices. The reason seems to be lack of dual-display capability in existing hardware.

Existing devices, like the Lumia 830 on which this review is being typed, can connect wirelessly to full-size displays, but only with display mirroring, limiting the screen resolution. True Continuum displays different content on each screen. Therefore the forthcoming HD-500 Display Dock requires a Lumia 950 or 950XL.

Despite this limitation, there are features in this build that seem to be aimed at Continuum users. After connecting to an external display, there is an Advanced setting appears that only offers "Mirror what's on my device", but which would presumably have further options on new hardware.

Typing on a big screen means tiny type on the phone itself (click to view full size)

You can also reduce the size of the text and other on-screen items, making it almost unreadable on the phone itself, but more usable on the connected display. This makes it feasible to type a document in Word Mobile, though I cannot pretend it is a great experience. Connecting a Bluetooth mouse is no-go for me; the mouse works, but types random repeating characters as a side-effect. Without a mouse, it is fiddly to perform operations like taking a screenshot, inserting it into the document, and cropping it. I found myself looking forward to finishing the document on a real PC.

Another issue is power management. In full Windows 10, you can vary how quickly the screen goes off after inactivity, according to whether the device is on battery or external power. This is not possible in the current build, and screen time-outs are particularly annoying since the wireless display disconnects.

Continuum lets you connect to an external display with dual screens

Real Continuum will be a better experience, though no doubt there will still be annoyances. The open question here is how useful it will be. It only makes sense if you are travelling without a laptop or tablet, and to use it you will need keyboard, mouse and a display with either the Microsoft dock or wireless connectivity. It is unlikely to replace a PC since x86 applications will not run. It all sounds rather niche.

How is Windows 10 Mobile shaping up as a smartphone OS? It is usable though there is still occasional jerkiness on the Lumia 830 used for this review. There are several things to like. App navigation is excellent, with the Start menu available by swiping in from the right, and pinned tiles which support groups as well as multiple sizes. Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant, makes more sense on a phone than on a PC, and works rather well, with decent voice recognition as well as handy features like reading incoming texts and accepting dictated replies, now fixed to be always on (as an option) rather than restricted to Bluetoooth audio. Give Cortana a sum to do, and a calculator appears embedded in the reply, another neat feature.

Sponsored: Are DLP and DTP still an issue?

Source: Hands On with Windows 10 Mobile build 10572

Windows 10 Mobile Build 10581 restores “Hey Cortana” feature with beta tag

Microsoft is rolling out Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10581, which fixes the upgrade bug, also restores the Hey Cortana functionality in old flagships.

As one would expect, Microsoft has rolled out Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10581 for Insiders on the Fast Ring. The latest build 10581 is essentially about bug fixes and performance improvements as it does not include any new features.

With this new build, Insiders will not need to reflash their device to Windows Phone 8.1. Microsoft says they have fixed a bug that was causing issues that did not allow Insiders to upgrade from earlier Windows 10 builds, implying that you can now upgrade to the build 10581 no matter what version you are currently running on your smartphone.

"We've fixed the bug preventing upgrades from earlier builds. So if you stayed on Build 10536 or if you flashed back to Windows Phone 8.1 and then installed 10549 or 10572 you can upgrade directly to this new build without going back to 8.1 again," said Windows Insider Chief Gabe Aul.

Notable fixes in the build include the 'Hey Cortana' feature whose functionality is now repaired, which can be activated via Settings > Extras > Hey Cortana. This applies to devices upgraded from Windows Phone 8.1 and now works on the Lumia 930, Lumia Icon, and Lumia 1520 again.

In addition, users will now be able to share photos via third-party apps like Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Beta, WhatsApp etc. Furthermore, battery performance issues have been addressed with the latest build as the company has fixed a few bugs that were impacting battery life. The company also adds they've fixed an issue where users were not able to choose some apps to display quick status on the Lock screen via Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen.

While other improvements have also been made to video recording functionality, autocorrect and text prediction along with Visual Voicemail sync.

See Also: Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview surpasses Windows Phone 7: AdDuplex.

Talking about known issues with the build, users will see a blank screen once they upgrade for around five minutes, though the company says its pretty normal and there's no reason to panic. In addition, you will not be able to switch save locations in Storage settings, and some apps might also crash if moved to an SD card, though upon rebooting they'll work as they are supposed to.

Meanwhile, those of you eagerly awaiting for a new PC preview, the Windows maker has also released the build 10576 for PCs.

Source: Windows 10 Mobile Build 10581 restores "Hey Cortana" feature with beta tag

Top 10 smartphones released in October 2015: OnePlus, Microsoft, Motorola, Sony and more

Top 10 smartphones released in October 2015:OnePlus, Microsoft, Motorola, Sony and moreOnePlus via Twitter

If you are in the market shopping for the latest smartphones, there are plenty of options to suit your varying needs. The high-end flagship race got intense in October, as major companies emulated Apple and Samsung by launching new devices. With festive shopping on, smartphone makers are luring customers with new products.

Here we have listed the top 10 smartphones that were launced in October, enabling buyers to chosse from a wide range of devices. 

OnePlus X

After a series of teasers, OnePlus finally launched the OnePlus X last week, bringing a new mid-range smartphone with great looks and features. The handset comes with a metallic build, 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP front snapper. Under the hood, OnePlus X is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB DDR3 RAM, Adreno 330 GPU for graphics and 16GB built-in storage with microSD card expansion up to 128GB.

The OnePlus X comes in Onyx (glass) and limited edition ceramic models but available only via invites. The handset is priced at Rs 16,999 for the Onyx variant and Rs 22,999 for the ceramic model.

Moto X Force and X Style

Motorola is back in the game with new releases. The most recent addition in the portfolio is the Moto X Force, which was launched shortly after the company released the Moto X Style. Both handsets have their own appeal.

The Moto X Style comes with a 5.7-inch QHD display, 21MP primary camera with dual-LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and plenty other features along with a 5MP front snapper. The handset is powered by a 1.8GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM and 16GB/32GB expandable memory. The Moto X Style runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and a 3,000mAh battery with TurboPower feature.

The Moto X Force, as the name hints, is known for its sturdiness and packs a 5.4-inch QHD shatterproof display and same camera features as the X Style. The handset is powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB RAM, Adreno 430 GPU, 32GB/64GB expandable memory up to 2TB. Moto X Force packs a bigger 3,760mAh battery.

The Moto X Style 16GB variant costs Rs 29,999 and Rs 31,999 for the 32GB model. The Moto X Force, on the other hand, costs £449 ($764/€696/Rs. 49,850) and £534 ($818/€745/Rs.53,350) for the 32GB and 64GB models, respectively.

Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL

Microsoft launched the first Windows 10 smarpthones, Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. The two flagship devices spell class, performance and luxury. The Lumia 950 features a 5.2-inch Quad HD screen while the Lumia 950XL sports a 5.60 inch screen with same resolution. Both phones have a 20-megapixel primary camera with Zeiss optics lens with triple LED RGB natural flash and 5MP front snapper.

The Lumia 950 is powered by a 64-bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, while the Lumia 950XL is treated with a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. 3GB of RAM and 32GB expandable storage up to 2TB is common for both phones.

The Lumia 950 packs a 3,000mAh battery and a 3,340mAh unit powers the Lumia 950XL. International pricing for both phones is yet to be revealed but reports suggest the Lumia 950 will be priced at Rs 38,000 and the Lumia 950XL priced slightly higher at Rs 43,000. The handsets were launched for $549 and $649, respectively.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium and Xperia Z5 Dual

Sony upped the ante on the flagship race by launching the two high-end devices, Xperia Z5 Premium and Xperia Z5 Dual. The Xperia Z5 Premium is the higher-end variant with a 5.5-inch 4K UHD display, 23MP Sony Exmor RS primary camera, 5MP secondary shooter and 32GB internal space with microSD card support up to 200GB. The handset is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and Adreno 430 GPU. The premium variant of the flagship has a 3,430mAh battery, fingerprint scanner, dual SIM and Android 5.1 Lollipop.

The Xperia Z5 Dual packs identical specifications as the premium variant with some downgrades. These include a 5.2-inch Full HD display and a smaller 2,900mAh battery while rest of the features remains intact.

The Xperia Z5 Premium is priced at Rs 62,990 while the standard variant costs Rs 52,990.

Lenovo Vibe P1 and Vibe P1m

Lenovo expanded its smartphone offering with Vibe P1 and Vibe P1m in India this month. The handsets pack powerful batteries, addressing the most pressing concerns of short-lived phones. The Lenovo Vibe P1 sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 13MP main camera with LED flash, 5MP front snapper and a 4,900mAh battery. The handset is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB expandable memory and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop based Vibe UI. The handset also has a fingerprint scanner, dual SIM support, 4G LTE support at a reasonable price.

The Lenovo P1m is more of a budget device with a 5-inch HD screen, MediaTek quad-core processor 16GB expandable memory, 8MP main camera and 5MP front snapper. The handset sports a 4,000mAh battery and supports dual SIM, 4G LTE and runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop based Vibe UI.

The Lenovo P1m is priced at Rs 15,999 while the Vibe P1m costs Rs 7,999.

HTC One A9

HTC welcomed a new smartphone, One A9, popularised by its iPhone-like design. The handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Octa-core SoC, 2GB/3GB RAM, 16GB/ 32GB expandable memory up to 2TB and a 2,150mAh battery. It boasts a 5-inch Full HD screen, 13MP primary camera and UltraPixel front snapper. It also has a fingerprint scanner on the Home button and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The HTC One A9 16GB/ 2GB RAM variant is priced at $399.99 (around €352/Rs 26, 050) while the higher-end model costs £429.99 (around $664/Rs 43,235).

BlackBerry Priv

After long-running rumours about the first Android-based BlackBerry smartphone, the Priv finally made its debut. The Canadian smartphone maker launched the handset by accepting pre-orders for the device in the US, the UK and Canada.

The BlackBerry Priv comes with a 5.4-inch QHD screen, 18MP primary camera with dual LED flash, 2MP front camera, 32GB expandable memory up to 2TB and a 3,410mAh battery. It is powered by a 64-bit class based 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM and supports 4G LTE.

The BlackBerry Priv in the US costs $699 (around Rs. 43,450) and £559, $899 CDN in the UK and Canada, respectively.

Huawei Honor 5X

While all major smartphone companies launching new phones with great specs, Huawei joined the bandwagon by releasing Honor 5X in China. The handset sports a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, 13MP camera with dual LED flash, 5MP front snapper and a 3,000mAh battery. It is powered by a Snapdragon 616 chipset, Adreno 405 GPU, 16GB expandable memory and comes in two variants with 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM. Additionally, the handset features a fingerprint scanner and supports 4G LTE.

In China, the 2GB variant of the Honor 5X is priced at CNY 999 (about Rs 10,200) and the 3GB RAM model costs CNY 1,399 (about Rs 14,300).

Coolpad Note 3

Among the high-end releases this month, Coolpad made an outstanding appearance with its Note 3 smartphone. Priced at Rs 8,999, the handset comes with a fingerprint scanner, 5.5-inch HD screen, 13MP primary camera, 5MP front snapper and 16GB expandable memory. It is powered by a 1.3GHz 64-bit Mediatek MT6753 octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and Android 5.1 Lollipop-based COOL UI 6.0. CoolPad Note 3 packs a 3,000mAh battery and also supports 4G LTE.

Oppo Neo 7

Following the trend, Oppo also released its own budget device, the Neo 7, complete with a 5-inch qHD screen, 8MP primary camera, 5MP front snapper, 2,420mAh battery and dual SIM 4G LTE support. It is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC, Adreno 306 GPU and 1GB RAM. Available in black and white colours, Oppo Neo 7 costs Rs 9,990.

Article Published: October 30, 2015 18:05 IST

Source: Top 10 smartphones released in October 2015: OnePlus, Microsoft, Motorola, Sony and more

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

This week's roundup includes some new apps, some extremely updated apps and few useful apps. Actually, this is a surprisingly creative bunch: There's a new video app, an app that builds color palettes, and even a comic-book creator. And somehow, only one of them costs money.

Android Boomerang

You've met Instragram, but now you can meet its video app counterpart. Boomerang, which went live as a standalone app for Android and iOS last week. Videos created in the app are super short, lasting only one-second each. Boomerang actually combines photos—which can be shot in portrait or landscape—and plays them forward and back in a loop. After your GIF-like video is finished, you can upload them straight to the app or share them elsewhere. (Free)

Advertisement

Parchi

Here's a note taking app to try out if you're looking to change things up. It recently left the Microsoft Garage project and the app's emphasis is on jotting down notes fast. So fast, you can even take notes down straight from the lock screen. You can also tag notes (#tips, #grocery, #work), which works really well in the long run if you consistently use them. The app is also easy to use, designed well and packed with features for no cost. (Free)

iOS Snap Palette

The concept is in the name: Snap Palette helps you create an entire palette of colors using a single photo. So just think: It's fall, and pretty much every outdoor scene is painted with reds, oranges and yellows. It looks so good you decide you want these tones to be used in—I dunno—a new interior decorating project you're working on. Snap a photo. Use the app to identify the hex codes and voilà! ($1.99)

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The Weather Channel

You're probably already familiar with The Weather Channel—now the channel has refreshed its app, and you might like what you see. The home screen is the most noticeably different—and it's a good change, because the view actually displays more information without cluttering the overall look. There are also a handful of new features, like a 15-day forecast (it used to only be 10) and the option to go ad-free. (Free)

Windows Phone Comic IT

If you didn't already know, there's a pretty decent comic creator for Windows Phone. Comic IT let's you use your own photos in a layout you can choose to tell a story. The app also has stickers that you can scale and move around. And a comic creator wouldn't be complete without speech bubbles. (Free)

Remember to Drink

WATER. Remember to drink is an app that wants to help you remember to drink water, because it's good for you. Throughout the day the app will remind you to wet your whistle. Over time, you can look at a graph to see how much more water you've started drinking. The app also takes into account things about you, including weight, gender, activity level and other circumstances. There's an iOS version of the app that's recently been released as well. (Free)

Source: Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Top 10 best new Windows Phone Games for Lumia October 2015

Playing the latest Windows Phone games has never been as fun as it is right now. With the Lumia 640 XL offering a truly large screen experience, and more games than ever, we've picked out 10 of the best new Windows Phone games for Lumia in October 2015.

Whatever Lumia phone you have, you're bound to find plenty to enjoy on the Windows Phone Store. We've been putting in the gaming miles so you don't have to, and the following 10 games definitely deserve your time and attention.

MORE: Find out about Lumia smartphones at Microsoft Lumia UK

October has been a great month for Windows Phone games – we guarantee there'll be something for you in the following selection.

Trivial Pursuit & Friends (Free)

Trivial Pursuit & Friends for Windows Phone is a great new take on a classic game. Take the world-famous quiz game with you and enjoy it anytime, anywhere and discover modern and social gameplay that lets you go head-to-head against friends… or make new ones.DOWNLOAD: Trivial Pursuit & Friends

Runemals (Free)

Runemals for Windows Phone is a classic turn-based Role Playing Game with puzzle elements that taps into the idea of such games as Pokemon as you'll need to catch train and collect a wide range of creatures to play the game effectively. Explore an island full of adventures, defeat powerful enemies and acquire the loot and lead your team in battle, decide your strategy and manage your energy resources.DOWNLOAD: Runemals

Train Tunnel (Free)

Train Tunnel for Windows Phone is an endless-running game with the star of the show being a train running through tunnels (if you hadn't already guessed). Your job as the train runs along endless tracks is to move the obstacles for the train to pass smoothly. Avoid accidents and see how far you can get – doesn't get much simpler than that – or so you make think!DOWNLOAD: Train Tunnel

Doodle God: 8-bit Mania (£1.49)

Doodle God: 8-bit Mania lets you re-live gaming in the 80s as the entire game has been beautifully redrawn in pixel graphics with an awesome new 8-bit soundtrack that takes you back to the very beginning of video games. In the game itself you'll have to work your up from a simple microorganism to create animals, tools, storms and even build armies before you have what it takes to build the universe!DOWNLOAD: Doodle God: 8-bit Mania

Nitro Nation Online (Free)

Nitro Nation Online  for Windows Phone allows you to race, mod and fine-tune dozens of licensed cars in this drag racing game that will turn your Lumia into a speed machine. The game offers a host of amazing cars in great detail, including Mercedes-Benz/AMG, Koenigsegg, Pagani, Jaguar and SSC all licensed and rendered in great style. Overall, we've been impressed with what the game has to offer – if you have a passion for cars that goes beyond simply racing them, then this is the game for you.DOWNLOAD: Nitro Nation Online

Disney Dream Treats (Free)

Disney Dream Treats for Windows Phone is a great looking and fun game for the younger gamers out there. With over 100 levels of gaming fun to work your way through you'll be able to match three or more sweet treats to make matches and serve guests the sweet treats they crave. The game itself differs from standard Match-3 fair by virtue of you'll need to do more than go in straight lines. By bending your moves you can pick up and match more treats to win amazing bonuses.DOWNLOAD: Disney Dream Treats

Candy Crush Soda Saga (Free)

Candy Crush Soda Saga for Windows Phone is the latest game from King developers who brought us the amazing Candy Crush Saga. This time around join Kimmy on her journey to find Tiffi. You do this by switching and matching your way through hundreds of new levels, as well as make the most of the new modes of play. What's great about this game is that you can easily sync Candy Crush Soda Saga between your Lumia smartphone and Surface tablet devices and unlock the full game features when connected to the internet.DOWNLOAD: Candy Crush Soda Saga

Pic Star (Free)

From the same publisher as Slots Pro (Rolling Donut Apps), Pic Star takes the fun to a new level with five cool picture games in a single app. Use each picture to figure out the missing word in categories like Animals, Food and Travel. Each game mode has its own set of rules, and hundreds of free levels mean the play can on and on and on. Then, earn coins to unlock packs and hints to help you solve even more puzzles.DOWNLOAD: Pic Star

Sago Mini Friends (Free)

Playtime is a great time for kids to learn about empathy and sharing, and Sago Mini Friends makes it creative and fun for the whole family. Each playdate with your mini-friends brings silly surprises and reactions, and kids can make up stories to go with the action they see. Take a walk to a friend's house, help Robin fix a birdhouse, play dress-up with Jinja the cat or enjoy a snack with Harvey the dog. With five friends and nearly a dozen activities kids can relate to, there's a lot to explore!DOWNLOAD: Sago Mini Friends

The Last Door: Collector's Edition (£2.29)

Haunting music. Cool, 8-bit graphics. Spooky, special fun. As you move a young man, Jeremiah Devitt, through different locations and situations, combine objects and solve puzzles to keep him advancing. What's he after? The dark secret of his past, and the whereabouts of a childhood friend. There are stumpers along the way, for sure, but the answers are mostly within reach and the journey is an, engaging, intriguing challenge.DOWNLOAD: The Last Door: Collector's Edition

Agree with our choices or have you your own favourite new Windows Phone game this month?

Source: Top 10 best new Windows Phone Games for Lumia October 2015

Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL up for pre-orders in the UK

Microsoft's latest Windows 10 Mobile offerings, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, are now up for pre-orders in the UK. The Lumia 950 carries a £449.99 incl. VAT, while its bigger sibling, the Lumia 950 XL, comes with a £529.99 incl. VAT price tag. Microsoft lists on the product page that both devices are expected to ship by December 3rd, so we can assume that it's the date when users will be able to purchase the handset off the retail shelves as well.

It's not just the Microsoft Store, the handsets are already listed at some of the retailers in the UK, but it's always a good idea to get it from Microsoft directly.

As far as the specifications are concerned, here's a summary of what both devices have to offer:

Lumia 950

5.2-inch display (2560 by 1440 pixels resolution)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor clocked at 1.8GHz

3GB of RAM

32GB internal storage

MicroSD card slot

3,000 mAh battery

20MP camera with optical image stabilization

5MP front-facing camera

Windows 10

Lumia 950 XL

5.7-inch display (2560 by 1440 pixels resolution)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor

3GB of RAM

32GB internal storage

MicroSD card slot

3,340 mAh battery

20MP camera with optical image stabilization

5MP front-facing camera

Windows 10

Just head over to the local Microsoft Store to pre-order the Lumia 950 or the Lumia 950 XL.

Thank you Nicholas for the tip!!

LumiaLumia 950Lumia 950 XLMicrosoftsmartphones

Source: Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL up for pre-orders in the UK

Config Manager goes hybrid, rethinks Windows 10 admin

Microsoft has been steadily moving its on-premises server applications to the cloud via hybrid deployments that let IT keep using the on-premises versions, even as IT moves to cloud delivery for new features. Today, Microsoft announced System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) will join the parade later this year, following in the footsteps of SharePoint, Exchange, Active Directory, and the Office suite.

The tactics of the new SCCM

At a tactical level, Microsoft plans to release by January a new version of SCCM that fully supports all three versions of Windows 10: Current Branch (automatic updates), Current Branch for Business, and Long-Term Servicing Branch (IT-managed updates) versions. It will be an in-place upgrade for existing SCCM deployments.

Gone in the new SCCM is a version number. Instead, the software will be updated roughly once a month to keep up with changes in Windows 10 and with Microsoft's Intune cloud-based device management service, which manages Windows, iOS, and Android clients (but not Macs, though OS X's management APIs are mostly the same as iOS's).

IT can skip or defer SCCM updates, but Microsoft will not support any SCCM deployments whose version is a year old or older. With a recent compatibility packs, there's partial support for Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Branch summer 2015 build in SCCM 2007.

To help IT transition to the new SCCM, SCCM 2012 (running the latest service pack) will support the summer 2015 and forthcoming fall 2015 builds of Windows 10 Current Branch, but no other branches or future builds. 

SCCM's hybrid shift is your path to EMS

SCCM has been and remains an on-premises server too. But Microsoft is now connecting it to Enterprise Mobility Service (EMS), treating it as a local subset of the company's cloud-based management tool -- you can still use its console to administer clients, leveraging the cloud potions of EMS as well. 

SCCM licenses can be upgraded to include EMS, and EMS licenses include rights to using SCCM for services that EMS also provides. Microsoft's goal is that enterprises migrate to EMS whether sooner or later.

EMS is where the new capabilities exist and will be added. EMS is composed of Azure Active Directory Premium, Intune, and Azure Rights Management Platform. Despite the word "mobility" in its name, EMS manages Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 PCs in addition to iOS devices, Android devices, and Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 smartphones.

Mac support in EMS is limited: Intune does not support OS X at all; Azure Rights Management Platform works with Microsoft's Office 365 clients for OS X; and Azure Active Directory Premium manages user access to Office 365 apps, Azure AD-managed corporate portals, and Azure AD-managed cloud services no matter the client platform.

Windows 10 management gets modernized and expanded

EMS takes a modern approach to client management, using OS-level APIs rather than software agents -- the approach Apple pioneered for iOS and later extended to OS X (Android also adopted it). Windows 10 takes the same approach, with management as an API-level aspect of the OS. (EMS still supports agent-based Windows management for legacy deployments, such as for Windows 8.1 devices.)

For example, EMS's Azure Active Directory allows devices to be managed without being domain-joined. It also allows users to self-enroll, join groups, and reset their passwords, as well as for IT to manage applications and conduct identity-based security reporting that can provide conditional access, a capability not found in traditional mobile management tools but standard in identity-based access management tools such as Ping Identity.

Conditional access can be used, for example, to detect access attempts from different locations that suggest a user's credentials were compromised, or to prevent access from known bad IP addresses.

EMS also provides single sign-in to about 2,500 cloud apps, not only Microsoft's own cloud services.

And EMS's Azure Rights Management Platform lets admins and authorized users assign rights to documents; these rights and their keys travel with the files. A compatible Microsoft client -- such as Outlook 2016 or Word 2016 -- in Windows, OS X, iOS, or Android can open the file if the user is authorized for that file based on the rights applied by IT to his or her Azure Active Directory account. (IT-created policy templates let you ensure members of specified groups can open documents over time in the same project.) A compatible Office 365 subscription is required.

Source: Config Manager goes hybrid, rethinks Windows 10 admin

Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 830: How they differ and compare

The Microsoft Lumia 950 is set to go on sale in November 2015 and will bring Windows 10 Mobile to life in its 5.2-inch stylish way. We reckon it makes the perfect upgrade to your Lumia 830 – here we take a look at how they compare and differ.

Own a Lumia 830, or just curious as to how the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 830 compare, then you're in for a treat. The Lumia 950 may be the slightly smaller of the two new Windows 10 Mobile flagship smartphones but it's still a technological marvel offering everything from Continuum to super-fast charging, while carrying on the wireless charging tradition of the Lumia 830.

MORE: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL and Lumia 950: How they compare and differ

Here we look at how the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 830 differ and compare:

Microsoft Lumia 950 & Lumia 830: Screen

The Lumia 830 offers up a 5-inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It comes with ClearBlack technology for easy reading of the screen in outdoors environs and also come with Super sensitive touch technology, so you can still access the screen when wearing gloves.

By contrast, the Lumia 950 sports a larger 5.2-inch AMOLED Glance screen with crisp WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixel) display resolution. Made from Corning Gorilla Glass 3 it also comes with super-sensitive touch, as well as orientation sensor and sunlight readability enhancements. You'll also find that it comes with a higher pixel density, making for sharper reading of websites and documents on the go, amongst other things.

Microsoft Lumia 950 & Lumia 830: Tech Spec

The Microsoft Lumia 950 makes the most of the latest advances in mobile computing and is made with Windows 10 Mobile in mind. It is powered by the 1.8GHz Hexa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and backed by 3GB of RAM. There is 32GB internal memory and up to 256GB of additional storage using the microSD.

The Microsoft Lumia 830 has been a great Windows Phone 8 smartphone that will get the Windows 10 Mobile update that will be powered by its 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM. It comes with 16GB of internal memory and microSD slot expansion with support for up to 128GB in capacity, making it a less powerful and storage packing phone than the new Lumia 950.

Microsoft Lumia 950 & Lumia 830: Camera

Camera skills are at the heart of every Lumia. The Lumia 830 has proven a great PureView camera with ZEISS optics and Optical Image Stabilisation on-board. The sensor is a 10-Megapixel sensor and comes with LED Flash.

On the back of the Microsoft Lumia 950 you'll find that things are far more in the way of cutting-edge, with the 20-Megapixel camera with six-lens ZEISS optics and triple LED Natural Flash. You'll find the fifth generation Optical Image Stabilisation is also present for amazing image control, making this an amazing camera setup we're hankering to get our hands on.

Microsoft Lumia 950 & Lumia 830: Front-Facing Camera

It's not only the rear-camera where the two phones differ, as you'll find that both take a different approach when it comes to the front-facing camera too. The Lumia 830 has a fairly standard 0.9 MP wide-angle camera, while the Lumia 950 come with a Full HD 5MP wide-angle camera that allows for the best selfie and Skype experience currently possible.

Microsoft Lumia 950 & Lumia 830: Battery Life

The 2200 mAh of the Lumia 830 has proven solid and reliable with great battery life on the go. With 22 days of standby time, as well as up to 14.8 hours of talk time when in 3G mode, we've been happy with what it delivers.

However, we have to admit, that the 3000 mAh battery of the Lumia 950 while offering up to 12 days of standby, serves up to 18 hours of talk-time in standard 3G mode, making it a better option for chatter boxes of the go all day.

Microsoft Lumia 950 & Lumia 830: Where to Buy

There we have it, great reasons why the Microsoft Lumia 950 is an amazing smartphone that you need to be excited about. The Microsoft Lumia 950 will begin rolling out in November with a price of £449.99 SIM free here in the UK. You can register your interest at the Microsoft Store UK now.

Source: Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 830: How they differ and compare

DeskAlerts brings their employee notification service to Windows Phone

DeskAlerts is an internal messaging and notification system that allows a central administrator to send out desktop alerts that can't be ignored, set aside, or deleted. With DeskAlerts system it is possible to use various channels, including messages from IT, Administrator, General corporate channel, HR, etc. The DeskAlerts system also provides detailed tracking and reporting, so you can be sure everyone gets the message.

In response to what they call overwhelming customer demand, DeskAlerts has confirmed that it will be rolling out mobile apps support for Windows Phone users.

"Windows may not enjoy the same market share as iOS and Android however its still a hugely popular choice within the corporate world. Were committed to offering every one of our clients a superlative experience so when we started receiving mobile apps compatibility requests from our Windows Phone demographic we took immediate action", says Anton Vdovin, DeskAlerts Director.

"Windows is still used by a significant number of smartphone owners. Given Microsofts office based roots and corporate functionality and the system is ideally suited to business phones."

"As well as customer feedback DeskAlerts also conducted internal research into possible upgrade areas. With an increasing number of Windows Phone users signing on as DeskAlerts clients, the company identified a key area to augment its services with mobile notifications for one more operating system."

With the addition of the Windows Phone application, mobile notifications now will be available to a larger segment of corporate employees, notes DeskAlerts, enabling them to stay tuned about corporate events and actions.

"A large chunk of our client base rely on Microsoft to support their everyday corporate communication needs and were ecstatic to be able to offer them the same state-of-the-art experience that iOS and Android users enjoy," adds Vdovin.

The new mobile app update has been designed exclusively for Windows Phone users to ensure a streamlined mobile notifications experience from start to finish.

The Windows operating system is incredibly sophisticated, offering users intuitivism, intelligence and rapid response times. The new Windows Phone mobile app has been engineered to complement all of these features and make sure that, noted DesktopAlerts.

To find out more about DeskAlerts and how the new Windows Phone mobile app brings a new level of convenience and functionality to the softwares smartphone user base, visit the website at:www.alert-software.com.

Source: DeskAlerts brings their employee notification service to Windows Phone

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: tech spec, size, weight and features

The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL is the brand new flagship smartphone of the Windows Phone family. Based around a 5.7-inch display, the smartphone has been designed with Windows 10 Mobile in mind and goes on sale November 2015. Read on to find out more about the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL tech spec, size, weight and features.

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL is a reality and puts the power of a PC-like experience in your pocket. Offering stunning dual-antenna, Octa-core processing and liquid cooling technology first seen in Surface tablets, this is the Windows 10 Mobile smartphone to lead them all.

MORE: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: What you need to know 

The Lumia 950 XL sports a 5.7-inch AMOLED Glance screen with sharp WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixel) display and 518 PPI for amazing colour reproduction. Made from  Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with automatic brightness control, you'll find it also packs in super sensitive touch.

But that's just scratching the surface. If you love to get under the hood and find out what's on offer, then check out the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL tech spec, size, weight and features:

Watch Microsoft Lumia 950 XL video: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Tech Spec at a glance

Display: 5.7-inchRear camera: 20-MegapixelMass Memory: 32GBNetwork: 4G/LTESoftware release: Windows 10Front camera: Full HD 5-Megapixel wide angleCamera Flash Type: Natural FlashProcessor type: Octa-core 2.0GHzCharging: Built-in wireless charging, Fast chargingMaximum talk time (3G): 19 hoursMaximum standby time: 12 daysColours: Black, White

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Size & weight

Height: 151.9mmWidth: 78.4mmThickness: 8.1mmWeight: 165g

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Display

Display size: 5.7-inchDisplay resolution: WQHD (2560 x 1440)Display colours: TrueColor (24-bit/16M)Display technology: AMOLED, ClearBlackPixel density: 518 ppiDisplay features: Orientation sensor, Sunlight readability enhancements, Easy to clean, High brightness mode, Lumia Color profile, Wide viewing angle, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, Automatic brightness controlTouch screen technology: Super sensitive touch

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Main camera

Main camera: 20-MegapixelCamera Focus Type: Auto focus with two-stage capture keyCamera optics: 6-lens opticsStabilisation: Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)Sensor size: 1/2.4 inchMain camera f-number/aperture: f/1.9Camera focal length: 26 mmCamera Flash Type: Natural FlashCamera features: Backside-illuminated image sensor, PureView, True 16:9 sensor, Fast Focus, High resolution zoomCamera minimum focus range: 10cm

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Front-facing camera

Front camera: Full HD 5MP wide angleFront camera f-number/aperture: f/2.4Front camera features: Still image capture, Video call, Video recordingFront camera video resolution: 1080p (Full HD, 1920 x 1080)

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Video recording

Main camera video resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160)Camera video frame rate: 30 fpsVideo recording features: Video zoom, Optical image stabilization, Continuous autofocus, Video light, Lumia Rich Recording with four microphonesVideo recording formats: MP4/H.264

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Memory

Mass memory1 32GBRAM: 3GBMaximum memory card size: 200GBExpandable memory card type: MicroSDUser data storage: In device, OneDrive cloud storage, App and data storage on memory card

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Battery

Replaceable battery: YesBattery capacity: 3340 mAhBattery voltage: 3.8 VCharging: Built-in wireless charging, Fast chargingWireless charging standard: QiMaximum standby time: 12 daysMaximum talk time (2G): 25 hMaximum talk time (3G): 19 hMaximum music playback time: 75 h

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Processor

CPU name: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810Number of cores: Octa coreClock rate: 2000 MHz

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Connectivity

SIM card type: Nano SIMAV connectors: 3.5 mm stereo headset connector, DisplayPort over USB-CCharging connectors: USB-CSystem connectors: USB-CUSB: USB 3.1Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1NFC: Pairing, Secure NFC for payment, Sharing, TaggingWi-Fi: WLAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO, Wi-Fi callWi-Fi hotspot: Up to 8 Wi-Fi-enabled devicesOther wireless connectivity: Screen projection

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Cellular connectivity

GSM network: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHzGSM max data speed DL: EGPRS 296.0 kbpsGSM max data speed UL: EGPRS 236.8 kbpsWCDMA network: Band 1 (2100 MHz), Band 2 (1900 MHz), Band 4 (1700/2100 MHz), Band 5 (850 MHz), Band 8 (900 MHz)WCDMA max data speed DL: 42.2 Mbps (Cat 24)WCDMA max data speed UL: 5.76 Mbps (Cat 6)LTE FDD network: Band 1 (2100 MHz), Band 2 (1900 MHz), Band 3 (1800 MHz), Band 4 (1700/2100 MHz), Band 5 (850MHz), Band 7 (2600 MHz), Band 8 (900MHz), Band 12 (700 MHz), Band 20 (800MHz), Band 28 (700 MHz)TD-LTE network: Band 38 (2570-2620 MHz), Band 40 (2300-2400 MHz)LTE max data speed DL: 300 Mbps (Cat 6)LTE max data speed UL: 50 Mbps (Cat 6)

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: Contents

Microsoft Lumia 950 XLProduct user guideBatteryChargerUSB-C cable

The Lumia 950 XL is set to go on sale starting in November with a price of £529.99 SIM free here in the UK. You can register your interest at the Microsoft Store UK now.

Source: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: tech spec, size, weight and features

Weekly discussion: Skype, MixRadio and Here stagnate, Lumia sales fall, and a new build

Microsoft releases Windows 10 build 10572 to insiders.

Based on the feedback from Windows Insiders, Microsoft is releasing Windows 10 Build 10572 to Windows Insiders. This new build includes new features, lots of fixes, improved battery and performance, etc. You need to upgrade from Windows Phone 8.1 to upgrade this build. If you don't want to flash the ROM from WP8.1, you'll be able to upgrade directly to Windows 10 Build 10575 from any current 10 builds in rings (10166,10536,10549) when they release it next week on Tuesday.

Microsoft this week released Windows 10 Mobile build 10527 to Windows Insiders this week. This build was notable for several reasons. First was that it was one of the very first times Microsoft is releasing a build a week after releasing another one (I was expecting next month), its also the first build to drop "preview" status and identify itself as Windows 10 Mobile. The OS is just a week away from completion and already we're starting up our review engines in anticipation.

My impressions of this build are both positive and negative. First is that it is really fast and stable and the best of times, but it is not immune to random bugs at the worst of times.

Microsoft's Abysmal Lumia sales

Microsoft has just released its financial results for the last fiscal quarter, and the results for Lumia are just as you'd expect. Well – not really. The company did not exactly give a number for its Lumia sales this time around, they did note that Windows Phone revenue declined 54% to reflect their current strategy. Hurrah?

…

Phones revenue decreased $1.5 billion or 58%, as we sold 5.8 million Lumia phones and 25.5 million other non-Lumia phones in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, compared with 9.3 million and 42.9 million sold, respectively, in the prior year."

Microsoft sold a record low of 5.8 million Windows Phones and I am using the words record and low here not in a strictly factual manner. Microsoft has held the reins on the Lumia line for more than a year and after the 10.6 million high, it has all been coming down slowly with a massive 2 million unit sales drop. What happened? I'd attribute it to a mixture of Microsoft mismanaging both halves of Windows Phone that it owned, plus the firm FUD'ing itself (Osborne/Elop effect). The other more positive aspect may that Lumia sales were low because Microsoft intended for them to be. If Microsoft was planning to drastically overhaul its Windows Phone operation with new hardware, the firm would have been justified in reducing the volume of units shipped out to partners in favour of newer units like the x50 series which have an emphasis on a more premium experience from top of the range to bottom of the range. It's clear that this wouldn't have needed to happen had Microsoft prope rly executed its Windows Phone strategy properly.

Skype continues to disappoint.

Microsoft today updated the Skype app for Windows Phone devices to v2.29.0.21. This appears to be just a minor update with no new features. In particular the update does not bring the new range of emojis the service recently introduced(months ago).

Skype on Windows Phone remains abysmal. It does not have many of the new features that the new Android and iOS versions have, nor does the Skype team mention including them in new Windows devices. Windows 10 is about to launch and the built in messaging solution remains a gimped version of what is available on other platforms. Not only that, but the built in slolution also lacks some of the niceties that made the Windows Phone Skype app feel like less of an afterthought. Pathetic to say the least.

Windows Phone has a new app problem

American Airlines, Chase Bank, Bank of America, NBC, Pinterest, and Kabam have all discontinued their Windows Phone apps in the past year. These huge apps have simply disappeared or will no longer be updated. Some companies have cited a lack of Windows Phone users, and others have remained silent, but each removal has put Microsoft another step behind in the mobile race.

It's not just third-party apps disappearing, either. Microsoft has removed several MSN apps and its popular Photosynth app, and the software maker has also killed off a number of special Lumia camera apps. Windows Phone users still don't have great Skype or Office apps like Microsoft produces for the iPhone. It's stunning that, after five years, the best experience of using Skype or Office on a phone isn't on one powered by Windows. This will change in Windows 10 Mobile, but it's not available yet

Windows Phone does not have a new app problem. This app removal issue has been here for ages and has fluctuated. Apps have come, apps have gone. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that a glut of low-end devices can not power a healthy app ecosystem. It can not happen and only a fool would believe otherwise. In this case, the removal of the mint app is merely another dev taking after Microsoft in removing its apps from the app store. After all, several of Microsoft's own apps have been removed or left  to languish. This leads on to my next point.

Here apps removed from the Windows store (glitch)

Whether technical issue or a glitch, I do not think Here (and maybe Mixradio) is interested in the Windows market anymore. They have both promised to issue updates to their Windows apps in future, but short of lip-service updates for updates sake, they have not touched their Windows apps for ages or indicated anything recently. Its a shame that a company that built itself up on Lumia would abandon it so quickly, but when even Microsoft is treating its own product like a red headed step child at times (schizophrenic behaviour), who can blame ISVs for following suit.

Source: Weekly discussion: Skype, MixRadio and Here stagnate, Lumia sales fall, and a new build

Get the Lumia 950’s new ring tones now

The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL will be launching with a whole new audio scheme, which includes some pretty nice new ring tones.

Serial OS leaker Core has tweeted a sample from the new collection, and have now uploaded the full collection for anyone to download.

 The same sound scheme should be available on the other x50 range of handsets also.

The full selection can be sampled below:

Source: Get the Lumia 950's new ring tones now

How Microsoft suffocated, strangled and choked Windows Phone in 2014 and 2015

The difference between a drowning man and one who has everything to lose are very obvious to the casual onlooker. A drowning man would seize on any attempt to save himself, grasping at the most straws and reaching for anything that could give him a chance at survival, while the man with everything to lose simply sits comfortably in his chair, potentially missing obvious things that could help in later in life. In the Windows Phone world, there once was a company which had nothing to lose, whose life raft was Windows Phone. That company was Nokia, and once Microsoft purchased Nokia's D & S division and then changed CEOs, you could see the downward spiral of Windows Phone hardware begin. In my research for my history of Windows Phone, perhaps with the benefit of hindsight, you could just about see the point where the Windows Phone platform began to flounder and fail.

After Nokia announced and released the 1020 and subsequently the 1520, the Windows Phone platform looked like it was going to move forward, ostensibly for the better. We had powerful flagship devices, and apps by big names regularly being updated and the looming shadow of Windows Phone 8.1, which was going to change everything. The future was bright. What happened? Simply put, nothing. Once Windows Phone 8 released, Microsoft left the barely functional OS as it was for a year with bugs like the "other storage" bug and limited support for hardware. The 920 and co were great phones, but you couldn't put them side by side with the monsters Android was bringing out. Imagine being Samsung or HTC, and releasing the Galaxy S4 or HTC One M7 and then showcasing the Samsung Ativ S2 with a Snapdragon S4 or HTC 8X 2(Windows Phone 8×2 by HTC) with 720p and not bursting into laughter. It's simply not going to happen.

Then there was the apps issue. Unlike Apple and Google which constantly produced apps and services for its platform, Microsoft did not prop up Windows Phone with new or exclusive features for a while. Kids Corner and Driving mode are useful, but I note that even now in Windows 10 they have yet to be updated. Even innovative features like the hubs did not receive extension from Microsoft services. Microsoft Outlook did not support all Outlook features, neither did Microsoft Office et al. Then Windows Phone 8.1 happened, Microsoft released a powerful new OS with quite a few new features. Yet it wasn't enough. The OS had several strong points, but the loss of the integrated hub features and the abysmal state of Microsoft apps like Skype and Xbox Music put a dampener on the situation. To place everything wrong with Windows Phone 8.1 in a sentence, Microsoft released an OS without a functional music player. In the words of Joe Belfiore himself, "Alpha-level".

After the release of Windows Phone 8.1 and the subsequent purchase of Nokia's devices decision, not only did software updates cease, but hardware stopped coming as well. Windows Phone fans who follow the news would remember the story of the McLaren and how it was cancelled just before launch, leaving Windows Phone without a flagship device. Apparently, there was also another flagship designed by Nokia as well that- like the McLaren- didn't see the light of day. Microsoft didn't release these devices because some theorize, they didn't offer enough differentiation. A point I find fascinating as Microsoft did itself release the 730, 735, 830, 640 and 640 XL which not only had inferior specs to similarly priced devices, but all had the exact same bas specs. If Microsoft had released the 935, 938, 939, 940 and 940 XL in the place of these devices, I doubt Windows Phone would be in the same situation.

Aside from hardware, Microsoft also switched focus to Android and iOS in terms of software, not only releasing great apps for them, but also releasing better apps than Windows Phone equivalents. See my article on how Skype is one of the biggest issues for Windows Phone on that. For most people, Microsoft didn't have to say it and probably didn't intend it, but they delivered a vote of no confidence on Windows Phone right there and then. That killed Windows Phone in 2014, and each new low-mid range handset was like an escalating series of offensive gestures towards Microsoft's long-suffering fans.

Like I put it a year ago, its like Microsoft got bored with Windows Phone 8 and moved on to Windows Phone 8.1 once it released. Then got bored with that and moved on to Windows 10 and Windows 10 mobile. I'm not sure how they managed to keep increasing sales for the past year (though I did theorise that flagship launches boosted Windows Phone sales and once they stopped, the drift began). Window Phone was doomed from the moment Microsoft took control over the full stack. While a cornered rat looking for survival is dangerous, a Lion that hasn't realised that it is no longer the king is even less so. With Microsoft, Windows Phone became the latter, and by the time anyone realised that they should have been the former, it was too late.

Now that Windows Phone has failed at its original goal, many predict that Microsoft would drop it and move on. But why would they? Is anyone under the illusion that iOS and Android would not simply be Blackberry and Symbian in a few years. Paradigms change, technology evolves and believing in your own power to stay on the top is the surest way to head to the bottom. With Windows 10 Mobile Microsoft has abandoned trying to be "the current thing", they are looking for the next big shift. If they can find  and successfully make use of it, the world will shift again, possibly for the better.

Source: How Microsoft suffocated, strangled and choked Windows Phone in 2014 and 2015

Train Cortana in Windows 10 to Learn Your Voice Better

One of the new features in Windows 10, which was ported from Windows Phone, is the digital assistant Cortana. It works fairly well out of the box without any training. But if you want better results from Cortana, take a few minutes and train it to recognize your voice.

The reason you would want to do this is if you have the "Hey Cortana" feature enabled. Cortana, like digital assistants on other platforms, can do a lot of things for you such as create reminders, open apps or settings, provide sports scores and weather forecasts, and a lot more.

In fact, Cortana gets more capabilities through updates on a regular basis. And the better Cortana understands you, the smarter it gets.

Train Cortana Learn Your Voice

First make sure you have "Hey Cortana" turned on by going to Notebook > Settings. And when you do that, ensure that it's set to Respond best to me.

Then just underneath that, select the Lean my voice button.

A wizard will start, and you'll need to go through and repeat six phrases that Cortana reads to you.

These phrases are all things you can ask Cortana, and will help it get more familiar with your voice. Make sure you're in a quiet room without anything playing in the background like music or your TV.

Of course, everyone's voice is different, and this helps the AI that powers Cortana to become more familiar with your pitch and vocal inflections. I do this on all of my Windows 10 devices, and when reading the phrases, just speak naturally like you normally would.

When you're done, Cortana will understand you better, and will be able to respond faster and more accurately.

Don't be loud and over enunciate the phrases. That way you can speak like normal and get the information you want…just like in Star Trek!

For more on the Windows 10 digital assistant, check out our collection of Cortana articles. And, for detailed discussion, join up with our Windows 10 Forums.

About Brian Burgess Based in MN, Brian Burgess is Editor in Chief at groovyPost. Follow him on Twitter @mysticgeek or email at [email protected]
Source: Train Cortana in Windows 10 to Learn Your Voice Better

Lumia sales are in the toilet, Surface revenue is down

Microsoft has just released its Q1 FY2016 (Q3 CY2015) earnings report, posting revenue of $20.4 billion, operating income of $5.8 billion, net income of $4.6 billion and earnings per share of $0.57 (all GAAP figures). The software giant's numbers beat analysts' expectations, which has added around 10 percent to its stock price in after-hours trading. Here are the highlights of the software giant's quarter.

Microsoft has divided its earnings in three categories, namely Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. The good news comes from Intelligent Cloud, where revenue is up by eight percent, while the bad news is in More Personal Computing, where the poor performance of Lumia and Surface devices lead to a 17 percent decrease in revenue, year-over-year.

Revenue from devices decreased by $1.8 billion -- or 49 percent, year-over-year -- thanks to a decrease of $1.5 billion in Phones revenue and a further $236 million in Surface revenue. Microsoft sold just 5.8 million Lumias in Q3, which explains the huge difference compared to the quarter a year prior.

To put things into perspective, Lumia sales have never been this low since Q1 CY2013, when they reached 5.6 million. Lumia sales for Q1 FY2015 were 8.8 million units. Without any major releases in well over a year, it is hardly surprising to see consumers largely ignoring the platform.

As a result of this weak showing, Windows Phone's market share is more than likely to take another dive. We can expect to see some signs of recovery this quarter, however, when Microsoft is set to introduce new Windows 10 Mobile flagships and entry-level offerings.

On the Surface side of things, revenue is indeed down but Microsoft stands a good chance of turning things around with the introduction of Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, both of which go on sale this month. The software giant blames the weaker revenue on Surface Pro 3's age -- well over a year-old now, being released in June 2014.

We can't talk about More Personal Computing without mentioning Windows. Windows OEM Pro and non-Pro revenues are down by seven percent and four percent, respectively, year-over-year. Windows volume licensing revenue is also down, by three percent (on a constant currency basis, however, it would have been four percent higher).

Things are not all bad in More Personal Computing, as search advertising revenue is up by 23 percent ($127 million), and gaming revenue is also up, but only slightly. Revenue from Xbox sales is down, however, thanks to weaker Xbox 360 sales. This was offset by an increase in revenue from Xbox Live and video game sales.

Moving to Intelligent Cloud, Microsoft says the boost in revenue is due to higher revenue from server products and services, and Enterprise Services. Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Server and System Center as well as Microsoft Azure supported this gain. Speaking of Microsoft Azure, the cloud platform saw its revenue grow by 121 percent for the quarter.

In Productivity and Business Processes, revenue is down by three percent (or $184 million), which is blamed on foreign currencies (its impact is said to be 7 percent on revenue). Consumer and commercial Office revenues are down, but Microsoft Dynamics revenue is up.

Office 365 continues to be a strong performer for Microsoft, as the software giant added around three million new subscribers in Q1 FY2015 over the previous quarter. Year-over-year, the number of subscribers increased by 11 million.

Also in the Office department, Microsoft says its Office downloads on Android and iOS devices have exceeded 200 million so far, which has surely helped with growing its number of subscribers.

Source: Lumia sales are in the toilet, Surface revenue is down

Microsoft reportedly laid off approximately 1,000 employees

Today, Microsoft reported its earnings for Q1 2016. The company reported a revenue of $21.55 billion and earnings per share of $0.67. The software giant beat analysts' expectations as analysts expected the company to earn $21.03 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $0.59.

Now, according to a new report from Re/Code, Microsoft has reportedly laid off approximately 1000 employees across various business areas. A Microsoft spokesperson stated:

"The job reductions were spread across more than one business area and country and reflect adaptations to business needs"

It is worth noting that the company laid off more than 7,000 employees earlier this year, which were mostly focused on the software giant's phone business. While it's unclear if the latest layoffs are related to the company's Windows Phone business, we won't be surprised if the company cuts more jobs in its Windows Phone business in the near future.

Source: Microsoft reportedly laid off approximately 1,000 employees

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL and Lumia 930: How they differ

The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL is the brand new flagship of the Windows Phone family that will deliver Windows 10 Mobile in its most advanced form yet. The phone replaces the Lumia 930 as the premium phone in the range but how do they differ? Read on and find out the key differences.

If you're hoping to upgrade your Lumia 930 to the brand new Microsoft Lumia 950 XL when it goes on sale in the coming weeks and are looking for a definitive reason, other than it just looks amazing, then you'll be happily surprised how much of a leap forward in technology the new phone is.

MORE: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL what you need to know

We've pulled together the key facts so you can make an informed decision but we have a feeling just one look at the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL and you've already made up your made to own one!

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Lumia 930: Screen

The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL is quite clearly the larger of the two devices with its 5.7-inch AMOLED screen and sharp WQHD display. It has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and pixel density of 518ppi for amazing colour reproduction. It is made from Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and comes with Glance display, something you won't find on the Lumia 930, which means you can view updates and information on the screen without the need to wake up the OS, so saving battery life.

By contrast, the Lumia 930 has a 5-inch display with 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution and Full HD OLED display technology. Made from sculpted Gorilla Glass 3 it offers the latest Sunlight Readability and Super-Sensitive Touch for glove and nail usage. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the Lumia 930 has a 441ppi (pixels per inch), so images will look crisper and sharper on the newer Lumia 950 XL.

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Lumia 930: Size and Weight

With its larger screen offering more in the way of viewing real estate, the Lumia 950 XL can be forgiven for being larger than the Lumia 930. It measures in at 151.9 x 78.4 x 81.4mm, compared to the 137 x 71 x 9.8mm size of the Lumia 930.

But hang on, size doesn't always have to equate to weight and thanks to the evolving technology you'll find that the Lumia 950 XL is actually lighter with a weight of 165g, compared to the slightly heavier 167g of the Lumia 930 – so it's a win for the new phone here too!

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Lumia 930: Tech Spec

Time moves on and while we were super-impressed and in love with the Quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 of the Lumia 930 with its 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory, it's time to embrace the new and get ready for the fastest Windows Phone experience yet.

Peel back the hood of Lumia 950 XL and you'll find it is powered by the 2GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and backed by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. If that's not enough to keep you happy, then you'll find that with technologies such as Continuum tucked away inside, offering a PC-like experience, and the Type-C USB you'll be able to put all that processing power to amazing use every day.

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Lumia 930: Camera

If you play a numbers game then the news that the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL has a 20-Megapixel PureView camera – the same as the Lumia 930 – may not seem impressive. However, dig a little deeper and you'll find that the Lumia 950 XL offers more in the way of features and technology updates.

That's because the camera still comes with six-lens ZEISS optics but has the addition of Triple LED Natural Flash for the most realistic tones yet. It doesn't end there are as you'll find the fifth generation Optical Image Stabilisation is also present for amazing image control.

It's not just the rear-camera where the Lumia 950 XL is pushing the envelope, as on the front is a 5-Megapixel front-facing camera with 1080p video recording, making it ideal for use with the integrated Skype app. All this wraps up to a camera that takes the very best of what the Lumia 930 had to offer and takes it to a higher level.

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Lumia 930: Battery Life

We've always been happy with the 2420mAh of the Lumia 930. It clocks up a great daily usage and offers up to 15 hours in 3G mode. However, the larger Lumia 950 XL does allow for a larger battery capacity so the 3340mAh comes as no surprise.

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL & Lumia 930: Price and on-sale

Now you know how they differ, the final difference between the two comes in the form of price. The Lumia 950 XL will go on sale in November with a price of £549.99 SIM free here in the UK – you can pre-order at Microsoft Store UK now.

Source: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL and Lumia 930: How they differ

Other undocumented changes in Windows 10 Mobile build 10572

Windows 10 Mobile build 10572 is out, and besides being much better than the preceding two builds and taking away the preview tag from the OS, there are also several new features.

Microsoft listed a fair few on their Windows Experience blog, most prominently being the ability to text people through Cortana.

In our use of the OS over the past few hours, we've spotted a few more changes that help refine the experience of Windows 10 for new users.

Message Sync settings: Previously on Windows Phone, if you were to share a Microsoft account with another Windows Phone, all your text messages would sync over immediately., This made sharing Windows Phones with family members very hard (for parents with children), as text messages would be synced near instantly on all devices with no expectation of privacy. In Windows 10, Microsoft has now added a sync toggle that allows you to choose whether messages sync across devices or not.

Transparency Slider: Microsoft previously added a transparency slider for Windows 10 a while back, allowing users to customise their start screen experience to some degree. While the slider setting was meant to be a transparency slider, in practice it was an opacity slider, which each level dictating just how opaque the tiles would be. In the latest build, the slider now increases transparency as opposed to opacity. It's a small change, and one that may be a bit confusing to insiders at first.

New accounts settings screen: Just like in Windows Phone 8, there is now a new Accounts settings screen that allows you to see what accounts the device can plug into. Outlook and Facebook (Windows 10) both show up there.

VPN Quick setting shortcut removed: The VPN quick settings shortcut has been removed from the action centre. It's not listed as a bug so it's currently unknown whether this was deliberate (for symmetry reasons) or simply a bug.

The introductory text is no longer from "Windows Phone" or "Windows 10 Mobile" but simply from Windows 10.

Those are all the unmentioned changes we managed to spot while going over the build. After using the build for a while, we have to say it is quite snappy to use. Microsoft is finally heading straight for the finish line and in a week or so, the OS should be ready for general consumption by eligible parties.

Source: Other undocumented changes in Windows 10 Mobile build 10572

Microsoft to feature new earnings structure with 1Q 2016 report

latest earnings come out tomorrow, October 22nd

Microsoft's 1Q16 earnings report is just around the corner (actually tomorrow, October 22), and we'll get our first glimpse at the performance of the new Microsoft following their restructuring on September 29, 2015.

In case you forgot, Microsoft simplified their organizational structure from six "reportable segments" down to three. Simplified, the new structure breaks out as follows.

Productivity and Business Processes segment, made up of:

Office Commercial (including services such as Office 365 Commercial, Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business)

Office Consumer (including Office 365 Consumer, Outlook.com, OneDrive, and Skype)

Microsoft Dynamics

Intelligent Cloud segment, comprising:

Server products and services (including Windows Server, SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and Azure)

Enterprise Services (including Premier Support Services and Microsoft Consulting Services)

More Personal Computing segment, which includes:

Windows (including Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Embedded, MSN, and Windows Phone)

Devices (including Surface, smartphones, and PC accessories)

Gaming

Search advertising revenues

As GeekWire reports, Microsoft published financials that reflect what the company would have looked like if the new structure had previously been in place:

How Microsoft's past financials would look under the new reporting structure.

This compares to Microsoft's old structure:

How Microsoft's financials actually looked under the old structure.

As GeekWire points out, the level of detail that Microsoft provides going forward will dictate the ability to see just how individual products, such as the Surface and Lumia lines, performed. These are important metrics for determining just how well Microsoft's "mobile-first, cloud-first" strategy is playing out, and we'll be digging into Microsoft's earnings report with some vigor.

EarningsMicrosoftMicrosoft FinancialsRevenues

Source: Microsoft to feature new earnings structure with 1Q 2016 report

Microsoft delivers another Windows 10 Mobile test build, 10572

Microsoft has made available to its Fast Ring Insider testers a new preview of Window 10 Mobile, the second such build within a week.

MJ Foley The new preview build, 10572, is the follow-on to last week's Windows 10 Mobile Build 10549. Last week's test build required those who wanted to try out the latest bits to first roll back to Windows Phone 8.1. And this week's new test build has the same requirement.

For those willing to put up with the roll-back hassle, the latest test build has a number of new features including:

Ability to recieve missed call notifications and send texts on users' PCs (running test Build 10565 or higher)

Ability to test the built-in Skype Universal Messaging, Callingand Video apps

Improvements to Cortana, including integrated Uber ride-booking

Ability to save offline maps to an SD card

Photo app and Storage setting improvements

As usual with test builds, the latest release includes a bunch of other bug fixes and also breaks some things that were previously working. The October 20 blog post detailing the newest Windows 10 Mobile preview fixes and updates is worth a close read for that information.

Microsoft is believed to be working toward releasing Windows 10 Mobile to manufacturing in November 2015. It will be available on new Windows Phone devices next month and will be pushed out to existing Windows Phones starting in December.

Source: Microsoft delivers another Windows 10 Mobile test build, 10572

Microsoft Store lists Lumia 950 as teardown offers peek at 950 XL's liquid cooling

Microsoft loves nothing more than a long build-up to a product release, and the Lumia 950's slow stroll towards launch sure drives that home. Weeks after initially revealing the Windows 10 Phones, the Microsoft Store is finally listing the Lumia 950 after posting the 950 XL earlier, as noticed by Windows Central.

There are actually two listings for the device: an unlocked version and the AT&T only build. Just like its larger XL cousin, however, the 950 is not yet available for pre-order—you can only scope out its detailed tech specs on Microsoft Store site. Both phones are supposed to roll out in November.

As a refresher, the 950 features a 5.2-inch display, a 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, a 20 megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5MP video chat camera, 32GB of storage, and a microSD slot that accepts up to 200GB cards.

When Microsoft announced the new phones in early October it said they would come with some interesting features, including Iris recognition for Windows Hello logins. The larger Lumia 950 XL is also packing a "liquid cooling" set-up for the processor to deal with the handset's powerful graphics capabilities.

Now, thanks to the YouTube channel Kaption LAB, we're getting what appears to be our first look at a teardown detailing the 950 XL, as first reported by Windows Blog Italia (Google Translate link).

The disassembly shows that the XL is packing a front-facing infrared sensor for Windows Hello for the Iris recognition. Microsoft's liquid cooling comes down to a flat copper tube that runs over the CPU.

Why this matters: While it's hard to call a Windows mobile device highly anticipated, there is at least higher than normal curiosity about Microsoft's new phones—mostly because of the interesting new features the phones promise, such as Continuum, which lets you run a Windows-y desktop experience right from your phone. As our own Mark Hachman said during his hands-on time with the 950XL, "this is the Windows Phone flagship we've been waiting for." At the very least Windows mobile fans will be pleased.

Source: Microsoft Store lists Lumia 950 as teardown offers peek at 950 XL's liquid cooling

Speed of Windows 10 Mobile Build 10549 and Windows Phone 8.1 compared in video

Last week I wrote down my personal pros and cons about Windows 10 mobile and concluded that it does not offer as high-quality experience as Windows Phone 8 did. What I found to be very good, however, was the performance.

From my experience Windows 10 mobile is the snappiest mobile OS Microsoft has published so far. Due to a lack of phones I have not done a side by side comparison, though. So a lot of you guys did not agree. While most of you agreed with me saying the latest build has an enormous performance boost compared to earlier builds, you found Windows Phone 8.1 to be overall better performing.

For sure this will be a matter of which phone you use and what settings you have applied. So a general statement about whether Windows 10 mobile is faster or not may not be possible just yet. Anyhow, this did not prevent the folks over at OneTechStop.net from making a video comparing Windows 10 mobile Build 10549 and Windows Phone 8.1 in terms of performance.

Their results are pretty clear: Windows Phone 8.1 is still the better performing OS on their Lumia 930 phones. Still, the differences are only small and the superiority of Windows Phone 8.1 seems to be minor. It gets pretty obvious, on the other hand, that – at least when it comes to the Lumia 930 and 1520 – Windows 10 mobile became a quite well performing OS with the latest build.

What are your experiences with the latest Windows 10 mobile build? Do you find the performance as good as the guys at OneTechStop.net and me or would you disagree with us? What phone are you using the software on? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Speed of Windows 10 Mobile Build 10549 and Windows Phone 8.1 compared in video

Weekend Discussion: Is Windows 10 Mobile finally ready? Verizon sucks, New Build at last and Gapless Playback!

Verizon is blocking the Lumia 950 and 950 XL from working on its network.

The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL will not be available either officially or unlocked on Verizon, at least in the short term. The reason for the first is that the Lumia 950 is exclusive to AT&T, and the second because both handsets lack any CDMA functionality.

The radios in both handsets could however easily support CDMA and GSM, and according to Paul Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley the bands were specifically disabled due to Verizon making it clear they would not allow the devices on their network

Last week we heard that Microsoft was, in fact, complicit in the carrier limitations of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, at least in the USA – the device is sold widely in European countries. Now this week, we hear a story that makes more sense. According to Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley on Windows weekly, Verizon is, in fact, refusing to allow the Windows Flagships on their network. This isn't completely consistent with what the duo said earlier with Microsoft cutting Verizon off like a bad limb, but you can kind of see how those two explanations can go together. Here's my understanding of the facts, Verizon refused to certify Microsoft's Lumia devices for work on their network (they legally can't, but when do people do what they're supposed to) so Microsoft disabled the bands so people do not buy the device, get disappointed and then blame their "awful"  Windows Phone.

Verizon is 100% at fault here – especially when coupled with prior treatment of the Lumia Icon, 735 and HTC One M8.

Microsoft released new build to Windows Insiders

Microsoft has just released a new Windows 10 Mobile build for Windows Insiders on the Fast ring — build 10549 With the latest build of Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft has made a bunch of performance improvements and added some new features. First off, is the new improvements for Cortana…

Microsoft finally released a new build to Windows 10 Mobile for insiders, and this one is quite the build. The OS and app speed are beyond the previous build, and to my eyes, as fast as Windows Phone 8.1.

I think this build is the best one so far, and coming off 10536, well worth the hoops we had to jump through to get there.

Gapless Playback comes to Groove Music

Microsoft has just pushed out an update to the Groove Music app for Windows 10 Mobile. Its not a very large update as far as looks and number of new features go ,it does have one very well requested feature (title-spoilers)

That's right, the Groove Music team has finally added support for gapless playback in the latest update for the music app. While they may have had a rough start the past year, the team has finally picked up in the past month, delivering updates that finally bring the app to surpass its old versions in terms of usability even though feature parity isn't quite there yet.

Groove Music is almost there, with the last update released this week, Microsoft has added gapless playback. Interestingly enough, though I had given up on Groove Music a while ago, after that article went out the app got quite a few updates to make me change my mind. Being wrong has never felt so right.

Mozo Accessories covers released

Mozo's attractive replacement backs for the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL promise to be the must-have accessory for Microsoft's new flagships. We know the price (48.50 Euro) , and now we know when the accessory will become available.

According to Mozo's site the leather and faux metal replacement backs will be shipping on the 16th November to eager buyers, probably somewhat earlier than the devices themselves.

Mozo's extremely attractive back covers for the Lumia 950 and 950 XL are now being scheduled for delivery from the 16th of November. I've never been one for cases and covers on my device, but Mozo's cases are attractive enough to catchy my eye. While the 950 and 950 XL have been hogging up the news cycle lately, they also carry covers for the 640 and 640 XL (which I have ordered for both). I'll be reviewing their covers when they get here so those who have qualms about third part covers can have an idea of how these covers perform in real life.

Microsoft will decide when to push Windows 10 Mobile updates (or not?)

•    "Microsoft is working closely with mobile operators to leverage their testing and our flighting to meet and exceed current quality bars. We will use their input but will decide when to send the updates out based on input from Mobile Operators and our Windows Insiders."•    "The optimum way to ensure our customers are running the best Windows is to get them the latest updates for Windows 10. Delivering Windows 10 as a service means we can offer ongoing security updates, new features and capabilities – we'd like to make sure people can get access to the latest Windows 10 updates as soon as they are available.

This week Microsoft released a straightforward statement on the Windows 10 update matter. Microsoft here claims that they would be working with carriers to ultimately decide when to push the updates out based on carrier and insider feedback. The key sentence in that statement is "We will use their input but will decide when to send the updates out ". While being aware that there was a preceding conversation which led to this statement, the gist of the matter is that Microsoft claims to be pushing more frequent updates with Windows 10 mobile and that while it will be taking advice from the carriers, it will make the ultimate choice on when the updates go out. Now Paul Thurrott has a different take on this.

He writes, "Microsoft is changing nothing with regards to software updates when it comes to updating its next smartphone OS, now called Windows 10 Mobile. That means that carriers can, as always, block updates as they see fit" Not quite sure how that reading came from our statement, but sure whatever. Assuming his reading is true, literally nothing about the statement makes no sense anymore. I'm not sure I agree with Paul's reading of this. At all.

Is Windows 10 Mobile ready?

Steve from AAWP tackles this topic in an editorial this week:

I'm still optimistic about the time frames too. Bear in mind the points I started with – Microsoft only has to get Windows 10 Mobile rock solid for new devices, under sealed conditions, for the start of December, with no variables and no pesky users to install troublesome applications before the OS gets going. I think that's achievable. Microsoft's task is then to use a vast battery of test devices and users to harden Windows 10 Mobile in terms of over-the-top upgrades. That will take much longer (months) and I can absolutely see why the initial range of devices to be supported is quite small – this is a huge update and there's an awful lot to go wrong. As I proved above, even on a fresh install.

The cynics will say that the timescale doesn't matter that much since there aren't that many Windows Phone users out there to upgrade in the first place. In the global market that's true, though we're still talking of up to 100 million people and devices. Anyone using Windows Phone 8.1 in October 2015 is probably going to be fairly content though (if they haven't noticed the app gap by now then they never will), so whether they see an 'Update?' notice from Microsoft in January 2016 or April 2016 is probably not that relevant.

Here's Lucas's take on the matter –

A lot of you will surely be annoyed by me constantly criticizing Windows 10 mobile and I get that. Many people like it but I know that there is also a lot of people who do not. I am part of the latter, obviously. I will understand any sort of criticism towards this article by people who like it, but see this not as some sort of hate. Rather see it as criticism by a dude who wants to stay a part of this community. There is the feedback app and I use it – but I cannot and will not write 20 or something feedback treads only to write them again just because they haven't been noticed over the weeks. I do not have the time or the nerves for this. I rather address Microsoft in this way and I hope that they will read it.

I have said it again and I will said it as often as it is necessary to say it: I am getting a new phone around Christmas. Looking at the hardware only I am totally obsessed with the Lumia 950 XL, but then there also is the current state of the software. Microsoft can still do a lot, but if they chose not to I am probably getting myself an iPhone. Because this phone just works…

I find that I will be agreeing with Steve over my fellow WMPU writer Lucas in this case.  My experience with the latest Windows 10 Mobile build has been quite stable and pleasant for the most part.

One thing I found most intriguing is the ability to set or change DPI settings on all devices. With the Lumia 640 XL, setting the DPI at the lowest produced a desktop style UI on all Windows 10 compatible apps. The Mail and Calendar apps had the most drastic changes, basically turning my large phone into a small tablet. Amazingly enough, when Windows phablets first debuted, a chief complaint about them was that Microsoft didn't make adequate use of the screen size. Now Microsoft has taken that issue and stomped into the ground. Not only does MS provide an appropriate DPI out of the box, but you can choose your DPI yourself without interop unlock, root or jail breaking your device. At the highest DPI a very capable small tablet, at the lowest, a good phone. Everyone wins here and the road to having a PC in your pocket is even clearer.

Source: Weekend Discussion: Is Windows 10 Mobile finally ready? Verizon sucks, New Build at last and Gapless Playback!