Apps

Cocktail Flow is an app that allows users to find and try new cocktails with combinations of alcoholic beverages. You can input into the app what ingredients you have in your bar and cocktails are then identified that can be created for any event or occasion. We covered the app just before MIX'11 when a pack of cocktails named after Microsoft products was released.

We're now back reporting on version 3.4, which has just been pushed out. This update brings Mango goodness including pinnable tiles for individual recipes, live tile, push notifications and performance improvements. Cocktails can also now be rated and users can upload photos to the database. The app is continuously updated with new recipes being added and is often cited as the pinnacle of Windows Phone app design.

You can download Cotail Flow from the Marketplace for $2.99. Thanks Argenys for the tip!

Speaking of updates, WhatsApp not only updated their app description to reflect a future subscription fee, but also bumped the app to v1.2. So are we finally getting video support? Group chat? How about some avatars in the conversation? Nope.

Instead, under Favorites now, they ditched the letter-picker system, at least if you only have a few contacts. This makes Favorites much more streamlined. It also looks like the Task bar has been thinned out, giving more room on the main screens. Finally you get a  Favorites refresh button under Settings, which is good if you want to make sure you have all of the latest contacts showing.

Update: We've also noticed it now thankfully has landscape support for typing and better auto-correct. HTC Arrive and LG Quantum users, rejoice! (*Also note, you're not crazy--it will still say v1.1 under the About section as the developers forgot to update that part).

Grab it here in the Marketplace (Zune link) or the Web Marketplace.

Core77, an industrial design and development magazine out of New York City, has teamed up with the Windows Phone 7 people at Microsoft to host a new contest for the WP7 developer community. It's targetted at young and aspiring designers that are looking to get their portfolio moving, show off their design skills and even get their app ideas developed by those experienced with the platform.

The contest, called Fast Track to the Mobile App, beckons app designers from all walks of life and regions to put their skills to the test and compete for some pretty decent prizes. 130 winners of the contest will win prizes that include:

• Free Windows Phones
• XBox 360 (with Kinect)
• 1-year App-Hub subscriptions
• App Development Deal (with revenue sharing options) to bring your design to life

For developers and designers that are already well established in the field, this might not be the best contest to look into. But if you have ideas for an app and can design one to look better than other entries, you could win some pretty cool stuff, not to mention get an app put in the catalog with your name on it. Want more details? Hit the link below to get the full scoop on how to enter, and win, this contest.

Source: Core77 Contest Details

We covered Yammer back in July, when it was first announced that it was headed to Windows Phone and now the corporate social-network is available for our devices.

"Stay connected to your business wherever you go with Yammer for Windows Phone. Yammer is a private, secure social network for your company. No matter what type of business you're in, Yammer let's you connect with your coworkers to collaborate, share ideas, and be more productive. This application offers on-the-go access to real-time conversations happening inside your organization. View messages, post updates, and receive important notifications no matter where you are, because the conversation doesn’t end when you leave the office."

Features include:

• Threaded Conversations - Post, reply and like messages. Easily follow conversations with replies displayed underneath the original message.
• Multi-Feed Access - Quickly navigate between My Feed, Group Feeds and Company Feed to find relevant conversations.
• Multi-Network Access - Switch between various internal and external networks.
• Member Directory and Profiles - Find updates, links and files posted by a specific colleague in addition to contact information.
• Private Messages - Communicate privately with one or more colleagues.
• Live Tile Integration - Receive real-time notifications from Yammer about new conversations and messages on your Windows Phone Start screen, all without opening the application.

The app is Mango compatible and looks to be pretty killer for those of you in enterprise who need this functionality. You can pick it up here in the Web Marketplace.

Add two more apps that have been updated to enjoy the Windows Phone 7.5 features. Flickr and Lindy Reader have been Mango-fied.

The official Flickr app (updated to version 2.0) not only gives you access to your Flickr account but now it is integrated with your Windows Phone camera. You can launch the camera app from within the Flickr app, place a grid overlay on top of the viewfinder to help with cropping, and access camera controls/settings.

You also have Live Tile support for the camera function, your galleries (launches directly to your photostream), contact activity, as well as the app itself. The update brings a significant amount of bells and whistles into the mix and adds a good amount of functionality as well.

We first took a look at the Lindy Reader earlier this year. It's a comic book reader that let's you download comic's save on Dropbox. The Mango update (version 2.2) improves the speed of the app, adds fast resume, thumbnails, banners, and folders to make your comic book reading easier.

The Lindy Reader does have a free, ad-supported version which you can find here at the Windows Phone Web Market. The ad-free version will run you $1.99 and you can find it here at the Web Marketplace.

Flickr is a free app which you can find here at the Web Marketplace.

We have received numerous tips today that the HTC Hub was updated over night. Sure enough, it was and the new version is v2.2.

The update brings a few Mango features into play and gives the Hub an improved appearance. For those not familiar with the HTC Hub, the old version offered you weather information and links to featured Windows Phone apps. The new version still offers the weather and featured apps but also adds news and stock information to the Hub.

The new version spreads everything out on multiple pages while the old version had a cramped, cluttered feel to it. You can add forecast cities to the main page (tap on a city to pull up a detailed forecast), customize your stock information on the next, access customized RSS news feeds on the next and then check out featured Windows Phone apps.

Another very nice feature of the new HTC Hub is Live Tiles for your forecast cities. Just tap and hold on the forecast city listing on the main page (you can also do this from the detailed forecast view) to create a Live Tile on your Start Menu. The Live Tile will display the current temperature and forecast high/low along with a weather icon for the current conditions.

All in all, the update vastly improves the HTC Hub. It's cleaner looking and better laid out. The Hub enjoys Mango's fast resume feature and the Live Tiles are really nice. If you're running Windows Phone 7.5 on an HTC device, you can find the HTC Hub here at the Windows Phone Web Marketplace or check your HTC Apps listing in the Windows Phone Marketplace app.

Thanks goes out to everyone who tipped us on this!

Good news for those of you like Viber (see site), the mobile VOIP solution that millions are using on the iPhone and Android these days, as the app is set to come to Windows Phone in early 2012.

Viber has an interesting history with Windows Phone. They lamented the "closed" system very early on, noting that they would not bring their app over simply because they could not due to the lack of codec support. In turn, they were quite public with their dissatisfaction with the Windows Phone development process.

Fast forward and guess who got involved? Yup, Brandon Watson. Back in July, Watson stepped into the Twitter conversation with Talmon Marco, founder of Viber. Watson simply asked "...Have you had a conversation with anyone on #wp7dev phone team yet? Can we start one?" which from what we understand, go the ball rolling.

Since the, the Viber team has worked with Microsoft and got the native access they needed for their codecs. In turn, with the increased market share for Windows Phone, means we should see a Viber client in the next few months, according to their Facebook page. Sounds like another win for Windows Phone and with Kik Messenger and WhatsApp, should bring some new folks over. It also demonstrates how Microsoft is flexible and willing to work with devs, who ask.

Source: Twitter, Facebook; Additional info via Gizmo Digit; Windows Phone Daily