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Nokia unveiled DaVinci Pinball on April 23rd for Nokia Windows Phones and now the game is on sale for consumers. The game is themed around Leonardo DaVinci’s inventions and sketches. The wooden table is chock full of levers, pulleys, and other era-appropriate gadgets. The inventor himself also provides vocal narration, but it's essentially a pinball game.

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Windows Phone head Joe Belfiore has announced on Twitter that the recent updates for Microsoft's Facebook and YouTube apps will be made available to those who are on Windows Phone 7. Currently only those with the latest hardware can enjoy the added features and improvements, but this will soon change. 

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We’ve had a few tips over the last few days about a new Xbox Avatar prop featuring a bold Yellow Lumia 920 showing up on people’s Xbox 360s. Evidently, the mysterious offering appears in the “Advertisement” section on your Xbox Home page, allowing folks to add it to their collection and showing off some Windows Phone pride.

Alas, none of us have seen here at Windows Phone Central on our consoles, despite the occasional “refresh” of our Xbox Home (Menu Guide > Y button). That makes this addition quite the rare one to actually find, and despite our attempts to get a Store URL to manually add it, we have come up with nothing.

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When it rains, it pours. Today, the official YouTube app for Windows Phone 8 has received a massive makeover, bringing new features and becoming more than just a web-wrapper for the popular video streaming site.

Version 3.0 is now going live in the Store (depending on region) and brings a new UI, High, Medium and Low video quality settings, pinnable channels, ability to download videos for offline play, play under Lockscreen and more. Indeed, it’s just about everything most casual users could want in an official YouTube client.

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One day after Windows Phone 8 users received the new Hulu Plus app, they’re being treated again to another major app: Foursquare. While Windows Phone has had an official Foursquare app for some time on the platform, the new version is a complete overhaul.

Co-developed with Microsoft and Nokia, the new app is a completely new UI, is much faster to use and is simply gorgeous.

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Some mixed news for Viber users on Windows Phone. Although we were recently blessed with a fully-functional Windows Phone 8 “HD” version of the increasing popular VOIP app, we’re still lagging a bit behind our Android and iOS brethren in terms of features and release cycles.

Version 3.0 for Apple and Google devices went live today, bringing new features including more languages, video messages, online status, “last online” feature that shows how long your contact has been offline, brand new stickers, improved UI with an “enhanced photo experience,” and a few other changes.

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Many of our readers have noticed that Chronos Calendar is no longer available on the Windows Phone Store. The app received a major upgrade only yesterday, but the developer has found a bug within the app and has pulled Chronos Calendar until an update is published. If you've already updated or downloaded the latest version, the developer has offered a quick solution to avoid issues.

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If you're wondering, "what on Earth did I just watch?" Fear not as we're still asking ourselves that very same question. Nokia Thailand has published this interesting and rather seductive promotional video for the Lumia 920. The Windows Phone is paired with a young lady who enjoys noodles, taking self-portraits and being slightly cheeky with the arrival of a mystery male.

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Today brings yet another glimpse of the Nokia Lumia 928. Whether Nokia's deliberately putting up billboards and magazine ads or they've lost control of their ad agency isn't clear (we'd bet on the former), they've successfully managed to build up some buzz without saying anything official. Just today an ad for the Lumia 928 popped up in Vanity Fair, with a link to Nokia's website for the image above.

"Capture the highlights" the ad implores, and though the Nokia page doesn't say anything about the phone's name, the image's file name certainly includes the phrase "Lumia-928". While the Nokia page doesn't spill any deets, the fine folks over at Engadget got a look at the ad in Vanity Fair (not really our rag; we're more GQ and Vogue folks) and like the billboard from this weekend, it touts the Lumia 928's low-light prowess.

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It was only yesterday when we covered NAVITEL's Windows Phone app, which is available for those who still wield older generation hardware. Should you be on Windows Phone 8, the team has confirmed on Facebook that a version is well on the way. Good news should you be eagerly awaiting the turn-by-turn navigation solution.

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It’s been a little over six month since Windows 8 launched for consumers. How’s it doing right now? If you listened to the critics and pundits you’d be under the impression that Windows 8 was a flop – another Vista most of them joke. Because we all know Microsoft can’t make two good operating systems in a row, right? I disagree! Today we learn that Windows 8 is on pace to catch up with Windows 7 sales-wise, plus more interesting facts and figures.

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File under fun. Like most of you, we spend a lot of time staring at some screens throughout the day. Typically our Windows Phone device and computer are the ones that get the most action. You love the look and feel of Windows Phone and get that same familiarity in Windows 8. But what about in the wild web? You don’t have much control over how a site looks. Or do you?

If you want to make your web browsing experience on the desktop a little more like Windows Phone check out the following extensions for Chrome. Yes, Chrome, mostly because Internet Explorer doesn’t support add-ons/extensions at the moment like Chrome does. We’ll be making Reddit and the general web a little more “Metro”.

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We guess Nokia is enjoying creating these new filters for their #2InstaWithLove app, as they keep pushing out new ones each and every week.

And although this morning we saw an actual app update, you won’t need to download a new version tonight. So long as you have version 2.3 you can  now open the app on your phone and you’ll get the new filter live on your phone. Kind of cool how they do that, no?

So what’s the new filter called? Smartshot. And it looks to add a light, reddish hue to your photos, should you choose to use it. Overall, it’s a fun little app and you can’t beat the price. Thanks, Kloyd A., for the heads up!

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The developer of the popular RSS Reader Nextgen Reader has announced on the official blog that an update has been released for the Windows Phone app. Version 4.5 includes numerous improvements, but the main points we walk away with is that plans for the app to continue to function after Google Reader is closed down are still in the works. More on this in a moment.

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Update: Gameloft could not confirm the May 8th release date and the game hasn't shown up, so our source looks to have been incorrect. Sorry for getting everybody's hopes up. Ubisoft's Monster Burner is this week's actual Xbox release.

Gameloft announced 12 killer Xbox games for Windows Phone 8 back in October of last year (and later amended the list). Those titles starting rolling out with Asphalt 7 in February. With Ice Age Village appearing at the end of April, we’re up to seven out of 12 games so far. Not a bad two months of releases, but the most anticipated game (among our readers, anyway), N.O.V.A. 3 had yet to appear.

That changes this Wednesday when Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3 finally debuts. A first-person shooter based on the Halo series. N.O.V.A. 3 is the closest thing Windows Phone will have to a proper Halo title unless Microsoft ever has a change of heart. Like Modern Combat 4, this one will require 1 GB of RAM and lots of storage space, so some devices like the Lumia 520 and 620 won’t be able to run it.

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Microsoft is scheduled to reveal the next Xbox console (codenamed Durango) in two weeks’ time on May 21st. The announcement of the reveal event marks the first time the console maker has publicly acknowledged the existence of the upcoming system. Still, the gaming industry has known about the next Xbox for quite some time now thanks to the usual steady trickle of leaks and rumors.

One of those rumors that we haven’t addressed here at Windows Phone Central is that the new console would require an internet connection in order to function. We’ll expand on that rumor in just a bit. The new rumor (which I take for truth) is that the next Xbox will not require an always-on internet connection after all. Thank goodness!

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A handful of weeks ago Hidden Pineapple teased about an upcoming update for Rowi. This morning the update is slowly propagated through the Windows Phone Store and should be available for everyone. Let’s check out what we get with the latest and greatest edition of Rowi.

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Although we have the stellar and frequently updated Beem Plus for Windows Phone to deliver your thumping Digitally Imported (www.di.fm) electronic music, having an official app always gives a nod of true authenticity and some legitimacy to the platform.

So it’s quite exciting to see DI.fm list Windows Phone as “Coming in 2013…” under their supported apps section. Hoorah!

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This Week: Purchase the Trident Aegis Case for Nokia Lumia 822 and save $12.99!

The Trident Aegis Cases offer complete protection with creative design to keep the Lumia 822 safe and unharmed without compromising its advanced functionality. The four corners of double-thick silicone insulate your device from everything including light bumps to violent drops with a unique shock-absorbing design. This case also features a multi-coated rubberized finish which lavishes the Aegis with a velvet touch and a sleek look.

List Price: $34.99     This Week: $22.00

Learn More and Buy Now

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Weekly Deal alerts!

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Navitel has announced that its Windows Phone 7.5 app is now available on the store. As one would imagine, this restricts use to those who are running older software on previous generation hardware. So what's Navitel all about?

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We told you about Chronos Calendar a few weeks ago and we hope you grabbed it then. The super smooth calendar app was free at the time and has since been bumped up to $1.99 for new users.

We gushed at the time about the clear and easy to read calendar replacement, which allows you to create, edit and delete appointments as it syncs directly to your Microsoft Account. While some opined that it wasn’t “Modern UI” enough, others complained about the lack of Google Calendar support as they need it for work.

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We’re big fans of Nokia’s Drive+ Beta app for Windows Phone but we’re the first to tell you it’s lacking some major features when you compare it to non-free apps like Navigon (our current favorite navigation app). But we always knew that with Nokia it was just a waiting game: whatever isn’t here today, will be added by them in the future, they just need some time to catch up.

Word has it from one of the Nokia HERE team, Pino Bonetti, that the “beta” status of Drive+ will soon be lifted and thankfully, live traffic data for route calculation will be added. The info comes via Pino’’s twitter account and since he often speaks for the HERE team, we can bank of the commitment.

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No sooner than we posted our hands-on video did the link go live, which means you can go ahead and experience high quality video of your favorite shows, streamed to your phone yourself.

There’s not much else to say about the app except that you do need a premium account but in our opinion, it’s totally worth it (especially if you have an Xbox 360 and/or Windows 8 machine).

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Before you get your hands on the official Hulu Plus (www.hulu.com) app for Windows Phone 8, due later today, we figured we would show you how it all works.

While you do need a premium account for Hulu Plus (we’ve had one for years), we think if you’re a cord cutter, it’s a good deal even if you still have to watch an occasional ad.

As we said in our announcement post, it’s a solid app and when combined with the Xbox 360 app, Windows 8 version and now on Windows Phone, we’re pretty psyched to watch Psych on the go. We’ll of course publish the Store link as soon as it goes live. [Update: The app is now live in the Store]

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There are numerous ways to enjoy music while on the go with your Windows Phone. Xbox Music and Nokia Music to name but a few. But what about finding out more about an individual artist? Microsoft's music service provides a biography for major artists, but consumers may wish to read more into the background of the individual (or group). Cue Music Scene.

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