Many of you have been waiting for this. And today we are excited to announce our new Skype for Windows Phone Beta app. This now makes Skype available on almost all of the leading mobile smartphone operating systems. The gold version of the app will be available in April.

Starting today, download the beta version directly from your Windows Phone or at the Marketplace from your computer to test drive Skype for Windows Phone and share your feedback with us.

Skype for Windows Phone Beta* supports the most important Skype features you’ve come to know and love. And you will be especially thrilled by the clean and simple Skype experience that the Metro user interface delivers on your Windows Phone. It has never before been so easy to connect with the people you care about most.

With Skype for Windows Phone Beta you can make free audio and video calls** to your Skype contacts over 3G and 4G or WiFi***, make affordable calls to landlines and mobiles using Skype Credit, create and hold one-to-one and group chats, and update your profile and account information, among others features.
This is only the beginning for Skype for Windows Phone…it’s just going to get better and better. We see incredible potential to include Skype capabilities in Windows Phone in order to enable a great experience for you.

You can download the beta version of the Skype for Windows Phone app for free**** by clicking here directly from your Windows Phone, or simply scanning the QR code below. You will need to have a smartphone running Windows Phone 7.5. You can check what version of Windows Phone your phone is running at Settings > About.

We have already tested and certified the following devices for the best performance of Skype for Windows Phone:

• Nokia Lumia 710
• Nokia Lumia 800
• HTC Titan
• HTC Radar
• Samsung Focus S
• Samsung Focus Flash

HTC pushes out firmware 7.10.7740.16 to fix email issue with Exchange 2003 and voicemail notification problem. If you own a HTC trophy 7, you should have received the notification to update to the latest edition of firmware.

Discuss

Although Microsoft has acquired Skype, this popular voip application is not the first to be ported over to it’s own Windows Phone 7 platform. Instead, Tango, a new kid on the block is now available on WP7.

You can now make free video calls to your friends on WP7, iPhone, iPad, Android. You can download it at the link below or at the marketplace on your mobile handset.

http://www.tango.me/get-tango/

The long wait is over, WP 7.5 is here to stay. Although Mango has brought some new features like Asian language input (but less menus in Asian language), it did not deliver the highly anticipated feature – Tethering via USB or WIFI. These two popular features are readily available on iPhone and Android phones.
According to media representatives, they said that the updates will be available to first generation Windows Phone 7 at a later date. There is no indication when will it be available.

So far, for Singapore, HTC trophy 7 (M1) has already delivered it’s updates while LG Optimus 7 from Singtel hasn’t got the update signal yet.

Comments

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango brings new life to Windows Phone
Bluetooth 28 Sep 2011

It has been months since we received the NoDo update which didn’t impress us. Just 1 hour ago, I received a notification to update it to the Wp 7.5 (Mango). I hook up my HTC trophy 7 and update it through Zune downloading the massive update via internet.

Once the update is done, you will be greeted with a RED colour Windows Logo. In split seconds you will be greeted with the usual tiles screen somewhat with a updated font.

A flip to the right shows us the applications tha are previously installed. I notice the slight change in layout. It now includes a search app option and the apps are now arranged just the way the phone book is, categorising them under alphabetical order.

Asian users have always been concerned about the Asian language support. Wp7.5 didn’t forget about this part of the world. Although display language and menus are still restricted to 5 European languages, input methods include Chinese, Japanese and Korean. The Chinese language includes handwriting too.

The popular mobile messaging application WhatsApp is now available in the Marketplace for downloading. This cross platform tool allows free “sms” to other platform users on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. It it definitely a great tool to have on the Windows Platform. Unfortunately, SKYPE is still not available on this platform.

A check on the HTC Apps in Marketplace, I discovered 2 new apps, one is Locations and the other is Connected Media.

Locations is for you to save your favourite location with photos, voice and notes. You can also share it with friends. The second is Connected Media. It is  software that allows you to view photos and play music or video stored on media servers. you can also send media from your device to networked media players such as TV or Set top boxes.

In settings, you will also find a new item “background tasks” which  list the apps that can continue to run in the background.

The new IE is refreshing too. The default screen appears in full screen with the URL bar relocated to the bottom of the screen.

So far, after 30 minutes of running on this new update, I wouldn’t find 500 updates but have found most of the improvements I wanted. One of the disappointment is the menu screen which is still not configurable to other Asian languages. The other feature that is missing is Tethering. According to our PR contact, the Tethering feature will be added on in another update (with no dates specified). Well, I can live with it so long there is WhatsApp.

WP7.5 is a leap ahead for Microsoft that is long overdued. The next apps that will make Windows Phone 7.5 more complete would be SKYPE, banking applications.

So have you installed yours ? Post your comments at the end of the post.

Comments

HTC unveils HTC RADAR, htc’s FIRST WINDOWS® PHONE 7 WITH MANGO UPDATE

HTC boosts of a richer multimedia experience and seamless communication with latest Windows Phone device

SINGAPORE – 2 September, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled the HTC Radar™ with Windows®  Phone smartphone.  The HTC Radar is designed to keep you close to the people, news and entertainment that matters to you most.

“The new HTC Radar smartphone raises the bar with new advanced photography, multimedia and social capabilities that enable you to take full advantage of the latest Windows Phone innovations,” said Lennard Hoornik, President of HTC South Asia Pacific. “The HTC Radar’s aluminum uni-body, compact size and finish will capture people’s attention.”

Picture Perfect

HTC Radar features a dedicated hardware camera button which enables you to capture vivid images while the f/2.2 aperture lens and back-illuminated sensor provide improved low-light performance – making sure you never miss that perfect shot. With 28mm wide-angle lenses you can capture more of the scene in front of you while the new panoramic feature lets you create dramatic pictures of skylines and landscapes.  HTC Radar can shoot bright and vibrant HD (720p) videos, making them perfect companions for family functions or a night out with friends. And with the HTC Photo Enhancer, you can quickly touch up pictures and upload them to Facebook, tagging your friends as you go using automatic face detection built in to Windows Phones.

“Phones were originally designed for communication, but they haven’t kept up with the way consumers are actually communicating today. That’s why we built Windows Phone to put people first, building in all the key types of communication people are already using right out of the box,” said Andy Lees, President of Windows Phone Division.  “The HTC Radar brings a sleek, modern design that perfectly complements this people-first experience, making sure it’s easy to connect & share with the people you care about most so the message always gets through.”

HTC Radar

Elegantly crafted with an aluminium unibody, HTC Radar brings you closer to the important things in life, with the new People Hub from Windows Phone. The People Hub keeps you up to date with your friends’ latest news showing all of your communication history with each person, as well as their recent social network updates and photos. You can also stay in touch using SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live® Messenger in one conversation, without having to switch applications or disrupt the conversation flow. Alternatively, speak “face-to-face” with new video calling that lets you see your friends’ faces on the bright and sharp 3.8 inch screen.

Entertainment on the move

With the HTC Radar, mobile multimedia is greatly improved. It includes HTC Watch™ – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. Utilizing Virtual 5.1 surround sound for a rich audio experience, these phones are your perfect entertainment on the go.  Internet browsing is fast and smooth with HTML5 support.  You also get an amazing mobile gaming with Xbox LIVE®, giving you access to a great selection of games for Windows Phone, which include features like Leaderboards and Achievement that connect you with your friends and the Xbox LIVE community around the world.

Availability

The HTC Radar will be available at all mobile operators and authorized retailers at a suggested retail price of $569 in October 2011.

Application launching performance comparing Mango beta vs NoDo on WP7

In our test, we put the two WP7 phone side by side. The LG Optimus 7 is loaded with Mango beta while the HTC Trophy 7 is with NoDo.

We launch the game from XBOX Live and time how long before the music starts. The mango beta loaded phone took 14 secs, 2 secs faster than the HTC Trophy 7 with NoDo.

We quit the application from both phones and tested it again. This time round, we found something unusual, the HTC Trophy 7 loads up faster than the LG Optimus 7.

Does that mean that Mango only speeds up loading for the first launch and is slower in subsequent launches?

On the other hand, phone boot up time for LG Optimus 7 with the Mango beta is way ahead of the HTC trophy 7 with NoDo by at least 4 – 5 secs. Check out the video below.

http://en.ocworkbench.com/feature/lg-optimus-7-with-mango-beta-updated-differences-from-nodo/

http://en.ocworkbench.com/mobile-news/application-launching-performance-comparing-mango-beta-vs-nodo-on-wp7/

http://en.ocworkbench.com/mobile-news/how-to-install-windows-phone-7-mango-beta-update-on-any-wp7-phone/

In our last news update, we posted the instructions for readers to test out the update on their WP7. We spent the early hours (2 hrs) going through the 2 step process which took us 2 hours to get Mango beta onto the LG Optimus 7.

In the following video, we present you the interface of the Mango beta which should be almost final unless last minutes cosmetic changes. We also a few other things. The mango beta allows Chinese text input using pinyin and handwriting method. In addition, the back arrow key seems to be able to go back to the previous application which we “swap” out – well some sort of task swapping handling.

We tested it with Angry Birds but it didn’t keep the gaming state. Looks like applications might have to be modified to take advantage of this upcoming feature in Mango.

Thirdly, the XBOX Live interface is beautified but functions remains the same as on Nodo. Powering off also involve sliding down the screen before you can power down the phone. Boot up time is shorter and application also launch slightly faster than before.

Do comment and let us know what is your experience with the Mango.

http://en.ocworkbench.com/feature/lg-optimus-7-with-mango-beta-updated-differences-from-nodo/

http://en.ocworkbench.com/mobile-news/application-launching-performance-comparing-mango-beta-vs-nodo-on-wp7/

http://en.ocworkbench.com/mobile-news/how-to-install-windows-phone-7-mango-beta-update-on-any-wp7-phone/

If you intend to try out the multilingual input and some form of multitasking, Redmonpie has posted this hack works by tricking Microsoft’s update service into thinking that you have a developer phone, and push the update straight to you. Sounds simple enough, right?

Disclaimer: Follow the following steps at your own risk only. Updating to Mango this way (unofficial) may void your warranty. This guide is for testing & educational purposes only. Redmond Pie is not to be held responsible for any loss of important data or malfunctioning of your Windows Phone.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. A Windows Phone running NoDo, an update that should have been pushed to your phone a few months ago.
2. Windows Phone 7 Support Tools, used to upgrade your phone. Get the x64 or x86 version, depending on the flavor of Windows you’re running.
3. Download the updating tool from this post on Windows Phone Hacker. Per request, we’re not hotlinking, but look for the link above the “Notes”.
4. A beta version of Zune made specifically for Mango, which you can get from here.
5. A PC running Windows (obviously).

How to get up and running:

Step 1: Make sure Zune isn’t running and extract the updating tool you’ve just downloaded to the C drive’s root directory (C:\) and run it as an administrator (right-click on Update.bat and select “Run as administrator). Let the tool do its thing.

Step 2: Zune should automatically launch when this process is finished. Once you check for updates, the program should display the “Windows Phone 7 build 7401″ update: install it. Once it’s done, check again, and look for the “Windows Phone 7 Mango build 7661″ update and install it as well. That’s Mango.

Step 3: Once Mango is installed, Zune shouldn’t be able to locate your phone. Download the beta version of Zune made specifically for Mango (which we linked to above) and install it.

You’re done!

Note: if you wish to revert back to NoDo, this tool also offers that option. Just run restore.bat as an administrator and follow the on-screen instructions. Be sure to downgrade your Zune client first. The final version of Mango will require NoDo to be present, so be sure to keep this tool handy.

Source

http://en.ocworkbench.com/feature/lg-optimus-7-with-mango-beta-updated-differences-from-nodo/

http://en.ocworkbench.com/mobile-news/application-launching-performance-comparing-mango-beta-vs-nodo-on-wp7/

http://en.ocworkbench.com/mobile-news/how-to-install-windows-phone-7-mango-beta-update-on-any-wp7-phone/