Editorials

Dropbox security, how secure is your data?

By George Ponder, Sunday, Jun 19, 2011 at 5:41 pm

The more we come to rely on cloud services with our Windows Phones, the more we need to have assurances that our information is protected from unlawful or unauthorized access. The tie in with SkyDrive is obvious but we are also seeing more apps incorporate Dropbox support to store and share data. Password Manager for example is an app where you can manage all your bank account information, passwords, and PIN numbers. Password Manager supports Dropbox to backup and share that information with your home computer. We expect Dropbox to protect this data from unlawful and unauthorized access.

Dropbox Reader is a new tool that gives us pause. Dropbox Reader is a forensic investigative tool that basically breaks through the security encryption on Dropbox and allows anyone with the tool the ability to view your data and account information. At first we thought this might be a tool limited to law enforcement investigations but in reading the licensing information,

"You may use this software freely for forensic investigation purposes, personal study, or research and development."

I guess identity theft could be twisted to mean "research and development". Such programs should be regulated to prevent the average joe from hacking into your information.

Cloud services such as Dropbox and Skydrive have the customary clauses in the Terms of Service that allow for the lawful access to your information by a third party (e.g. search warrant) which is reasonable. What isn't reasonable is allowing a third party app to access your information without permission or authority. We'll always have hackers out there trying to by-pass cloud security but it shouldn't be this easy.

Dropbox Reader is another reason to be careful on what your put out in the cloud as well as what service you choose. We hope Dropbox will address this issue to prevent anyone from downloading programs such as Dropbox Reader and accessing our accounts without the proper authorizations.

source: betanews

Marketplace populating numbers with spam?

Editorials

By Rich Edmonds, Wednesday, Jun 1, 2011 at 5:12 pm

After we got through the horrendous amount of champagne at WPCentral HQ with the milestone of 20,000 apps being passed, we decided to take a good look at the new apps being submitted (and approved) to see what really gave the total a sudden shove past the 20K marker. It seems to be down to a good number of apps including the recently famed real estate apps, which have been a constant addition for days now.

There's one better though. Check these absolute beauties out, which were developed by Eric_Rulz (I know what you're thinking, L337 right?). SPAM apps. No, not for the meat, they're not a spam history related app, nor can you order cans of the stuff to your doorstep. I'm talking about useless crap, that type of spam. This guy is trolling via apps. Microsoft is actually allowing someone (probably a competitive fanboy, who knows?) to clog up our marketplace with ridiculous content:

He's not the only one as well, which makes the whole situation more infuriating and this is where I get upset. Remember when we announced our awesome app and a short delay occurred due to the submission being declined? It was due to minute design problems, which (in my personal opinion) shouldn't have prompted the ban hammer to attack us. Now with that in mind, I would certainly find it entertaining for a member of the app review team (whom all seem to be either drunk/asleep or both at the present time) to explain how these spam apps are getting through the quality control?

C'mon Microsoft, you can't boast about reaching goals quicker than competitors if the said goals are being completed by spam, surely? Hopefully they'll get a hand on this soon enough and ensure this doesn't happen in future.

Thanks Quicky for the tip!

Windows Phones in times of emergency

Editorials

By George Ponder, Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 12:30 am

It shouldn't be a surprise when someone comments that your Windows Phone is a great communications tool. From using the Phone as a phone to call friends, family and associates to checking your email to updating your Facebook Status, your Windows Phone keeps you in touch. While the abilities and capabilities of communications is tremendous during day to day life, it can also be very helpful in times of crisis. I personally discovered how useful my Windows Phone can be during recent events in my home State.

On April 27, 2011 the Southern States experienced a severe weather outbreak of historic proportions where storms produced a record three hundred twelve tornadoes. Alabama experienced a tornado outbreak that the State and possibly the nation has never seen before. One tornado tracked on the ground for over one hundred thirty miles in North Alabama destroying everything in its path. Another traveled over eighty miles destroying communities in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. While property damage was extensive and catastrophic, the greatest loss was that over 300 perished in these storms.

That day started for me around 5:45am when the first line of storms came through my neighborhood and produced a tornado with winds reaching 120mph. We lost power as these storms tossed trees around as if they were match sticks. With no power, my Samsung Focus became my only means of communication. While I can't say that one application was more important than the next, my Windows Phone helped me stay in touch with family, check on the severe weather, and make it around the house when night fell.

Continued after the break

Still Nogo on the Nodo Update

By George Ponder, Wednesday, Apr 13, 2011 at 2:17 pm

Microsoft has released its latest update on the Windows Phone 7 update. Briefly put, there are no changes since the last update.

Eric Hautala is taking it on the chin this week by saying that AT&T is expected to finish update testing in early April. Apparently nobody pointed out to Eric that today was April 13th, a date many consider well past early April.

We're eager to share progress. But these tests are important, and they're just not quite done. I expect to have more to say soon—so please stay tuned.

Blah, blah, blah. Microsoft needs to stop making excuses for delays that carriers are creating and light a fire to get these updates to consumers. We know the tests are important but why is everyone else making progress while others aren't? Are AT&T engineers that much slower than others?

The only saving grace is that the current version of Windows Phone 7 is running great. Sure, copy/paste would be nice but it'll get here one day. Thankfully this isn't a critical update needed to correct major problems with system stability.

What concerns me is how Microsoft seems to be surrendering the update process to the carriers. Wasn't Windows Phone 7 supposed to be a more controlled environment? If Microsoft can place requirements on Windows Phone 7 manufacturers and developers why can't they put requirement on carriers with respect to update? A requirement stating testing must be concluded 45 days after the update is released to the carriers?

This is the first update for Windows Phone 7 and maybe we should cut Microsoft some slack. However, if Microsoft can't get a handle on the update process, it will only create more problems down the road with future updates. Problems that will only hurt Windows Phone 7's chances for success.

Just as a reminder, you can check the current status of the Nodo update through Microsoft's Update Page or from your Windows Phone by using the "Dude, Where is my update" app.

source: Windowsteamblog

Weekly Nodo Update from Microsoft

By George Ponder, Wednesday, Apr 6, 2011 at 9:12 pm

According to Microsoft, they aren't going to be happy until everyone gets their update and continue to work hard to get this job done. In their weekly Nodo Update Microsoft recognizes that the update has gone out to O2 and SFR customers in Europe and Telstra customers are receiving the February update now. Eric Hautala also offers a word of caution to those turning to homebrew solutions.

As an engineer and a gadget lover, I totally understand the impulse to tinker. You want the latest technology and you’re tired of waiting. Believe me, I get it. But my strong advice is: wait. If you attempt one of these workarounds, we can’t say for sure what might happen to your phone because we haven’t fully tested these homebrew techniques. You might not be getting the important device-specific software we would typically deliver in the official update. Or your phone might get mis-configured and not receive future updates.

Hautala continues to say a lot of progress has been made in recent weeks. However, we all know there is still a lot of work to be done. AT&T has changed their update status to indicate that Scheduling (the stage before distribution) would begin early April 2011. But "early" April is fast turning into "mid" April. It is entirely possible we'll see the new AT&T HD7S running the updated OS before existing phones are updated.

With the original Windows Phone 7 OS working well, I'm more concerned about the update process than the update itself. While I agree with Hautala's call for patience, at some point Microsoft needs to get better control of their update process and make it more timely. Thoughts?

You can check the latest Nodo Status for your Windows Phone at Microsoft's Update Page or you can download "Dude, Where is my update?" app here (opens Zune).

Source: Windowsteamblog

Why you should care about IE9 on WP7

Editorials

By Tim Ferrill, Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011 at 8:51 pm

At Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore gave a demonstration of some of the new features coming to Windows Phone 7 in an update to come later this year. The touted features include multitasking, which is for some the Holy Grail of mobile platforms. Somewhat overshadowed by the multitasking features was the demonstration of Internet Explorer 9 for Windows Phone, which is to include many of the features of its desktop counterpart.

The real issue for some WPCentral readers is why they should care about Internet Explorer on Windows Phone? IE has long been the whipping boy among browsers, at least from a PC enthusiast’s standpoint. Lambasted for its lack of security and standards support, Internet Explorer has been losing market share to Google Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox.

Follow the break to learn why Internet Explorer 9 is the single biggest feature coming to Windows Phone 7 in 2011, at least in this writers estimation.

In defense of Microsoft and the 'NoDo' update

Editorials

By Tim Ferrill, Friday, Mar 25, 2011 at 2:49 pm

Let's start with some disclaimers. First of all I am a Windows Phone fanboy, so I may be slightly biased toward Microsoft. Secondly I am a Windows Phone fanboy, and I want my update right the heck now. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on.

Switching from Android to WP7, should I be nervous?

Editorials

By Darth Pooh#CB, Tuesday, Mar 15, 2011 at 4:59 pm

In the world of mobile phone technologies changing from one device to another usually brings excitement. Getting a new device with more memory, faster CPU/GPU, better cameras, newer and faster radios is so thrilling. Other times it can bring the same immense excitement mixed in with the feeling of wanting to throw up. If you fall into the latter camp, it’s probably because you are switching OS platforms and a devote technophile. That is where I am currently at … the week before a new device launch and I am planning to switch OS camps. This time around is the HTC Arrive for Sprint which is the first Windows Phone 7 device for CDMA networks; you might know the GSM variant, the HTC 7 Pro, with slide-out keyboard and all.

This isn’t my first (or last) switch from phone OS’s. I’ve gone from PalmOS to Windows Mobile (2003 all the way to 6.5) to Blackberry, to webOS, to Android and, to iOS. All of these in no particular order and on several occasions more than once. This time feels different to me than previous changes. When I wanted to switch from Palm to Windows Mobile, it was because of the lack of multitasking and Wi-Fi support. From Windows Mobile to webOS, it was the lack of pretty and notifications. From webOS to Android, it was… well it was a lot (credit goes to Palm/HP for making round two three more interesting). So, why am I making the switch now and why the sudden urge to expunge my Jolt Cola and beef jerky?

The rest after the break...

Windows Phone may be built on old code, but at least it's not stolen [schadenfreude] (Updated)

Editorials

By Daniel Rubino, Friday, Jan 21, 2011 at 7:42 pm

Back in December, Andy Rubin, who helped create Google's Android platform was asked about Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 at All Things-D. In turn he gave a response that came off a bit...well...glib and it made the 'rounds of the interwebs fairly quickly. Specifically, Rubin said this about WP7:

You just have this package of stuff that was invented before the Internet. When the architects built that product [Windows CE and Windows Mobile], they didn't have the Internet in mind.

So the implication being that since WinCE has code from 20 years ago ergo Windows Phone 7 must not be as good as Android. We're not sure what one has to do with the other as s Joe Belfiore pointed out Android --> Linux --> Unix, so there may be some old code there too.

But while Windows Phone may have some underlying "old" code in its kernel at least, as far as we know, Microsoft hasn't stolen any of it. In a well known lawsuit, Oracle is suing Google over their use of Java in Android, claiming patent infringement. Today, FOSSpatents blog has found evidence of 43 source files directly copied from Oracle's Java code. Or as Engadget put it: "Google copied Oracle's Java code, pasted in a new license, and shipped it."

It will be interesting to see how the courts rule on this case and hey, perhaps some of this actually falls under the GPLv2. Either way, we'll take old code over the legally-disputed, potentially patent-copying type any day. Own it Google.

Update: Our pals at Android Central point us to a ZDNet story this afternoon that changes things a bit. Apparently the code that was "copied" and pointed out in the FOSSpatents blog actually isn't part of Android. That doesn't change the fact that there's still a lawsuit going on between Oracle and Google or that we're pleased with our old code.

Update 2: Engadget has rebuttal against the "it doesn't count" viewpoint, pointing out that legally speaking it may not matter. May be worth a read.

WPCentral Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Editorials

By George Ponder, Monday, Dec 13, 2010 at 2:19 am

Looking for that last minute gift for the Windows Phone user in your life? If they haven't upgraded to one of the new Windows Phones, any one of the Windows Phone 7 devices would be on the top of our list. But for those who have already upgraded to Windows Phone 7, there are plenty of accessories and applications to choose from that would be great gifts.

We have put together a short list of recommendations on apps and accessories. If you're stumped on gift ideas for your Windows Phone user, follow the break to see what we would make for great gifting ideas.

Windows Phone 7 fix list

Editorials

By George Ponder, Wednesday, Dec 8, 2010 at 8:25 pm

It's not that we think Windows Phone 7 is broken. But with the first update due sometime in Januaryish of 2011 if you could bend the ear of Microsoft Developers on what needs fixing, what would you suggest?

WPCentral.com member Thanos911 has started a discussion on this very topic going in the WPCentral Forums. Just to highlight a few of the suggestions already tendered:

"There is no way to configure advanced email settings such as ports. You can specify SSL, but no way to specify non-standard ports that I have been able to figure out."
"SkyDrive documents aren’t readily accessible through the office hub. You can go through the internet, log into SkyDrive, and then open up a document, but why the extra step?"
"Universal Inbox or quick email switching. At least having the option to consolidate all your emails under one area, or a way to switch between accounts would be a plus."

We all have our thoughts on how Windows Phone 7 could improve with the first update. Cut/Paste is probably the most common addition requested. Custom Ringtones or expand the list of what can be assigned an alert. We've also seen a few requests for screen captures to allow users to show off their new phone or application.

We've already asked you what your impressions are of Windows Phone 7 after having it for thirty days, but what do you think needs to be fixed? What's not working just right that could benefit from an update?

Head on over to the forums and share your thoughts on the subject in this discussion. We'll sticky it up to the top to make it more visible. Who knows who might see it.

Windows Phone 7 - How's it look after thirty days

Editorials

By George Ponder, Wednesday, Dec 8, 2010 at 6:24 pm

Windows Phone 7 hit the U.S. Market just over thirty days ago with the Samsung Focus and HTC Surround landing at AT&T and the HTC HD7 hitting the shelves at T-Mobile. The new Windows Phone lineup would eventually be joined by the Dell Venue Pro at T-Mobile and the LG Quantum at AT&T. As far as hardware is concerned, the new Windows Phones have their own strong points but what about the OS?

Microsoft choose not to upgrade Windows Mobile, instead deciding to start with a clean slate and build a new OS. We saw more design and development controls were put in place to bring uniformity to Windows Phone 7.

So how does it look after thirty days? Are you satisfied with what you've experienced so far with Windows Phone 7? Did Microsoft hit the nail on the head and exceeded all your expectations? Or do you feel the need to run screaming back to Windows Mobile or another system all together?

Feel free to share your thoughts on the first thirty days with Windows Phone 7 in the comments sections. After the jump, you can see some of our thoughts on the first thirty days with Windows Phone 7.

Beating Apple's exclusivity: How Microsoft caters to developers while Google does not

Editorials

By Daniel Rubino, Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010 at 1:34 am

Recently, in a jocular back and forth between Matthew Mller (ZDNet), myself and Chad Garrett of TiPB, Chad suggested that we're enjoying just old ports of iPhone games and therefore nothing special when it comes to things like Assassin's Creed.

But after reading John Gruber's excellent article on Where Are the Android Killer Apps? I realized that Microsoft has done something that Google/Android have not: taken away Apple's exclusivity on various games and killer apps. Sure, we don't have nearly as many and are still lacking some big ones, but isn't that just a matter of time? Here's Gruber's quote on the matter which sums it up perfectly:

A final thought, regarding Android’s relative weakness as a software platform. iOS’s exclusivity for a bunch of big-name mobile games — Need for Speed Undercover, Star Wars: Battle for Hoth, Monopoly, Tetris, The Sims, Assassin’s Creed — has been broken. Not by Android, where none of these games exist, but by Windows Phone 7, a one-month-old platform.

That really is huge. Why, despite how popular Android is, have they failed to get many big titles? Why no killer, exclusive apps, except the closely held "Google experience" ones (e.g. Gmail, Google Talk)? We already know about why there's no Netflix (poor security, fragmentation).

Of course we know the answer: Microsoft puts a lot of emphasis on courting developers, even throwing money at them to cover the cost of development. Sure it's brash, perhaps uncouth but it works. Remember, this about the ends (consumer experience) not so much the means (save it for you business ethics class). Fact is, at this pace, Microsoft and Windows Phone 7 will have more quality big-name offerings than Android, who's big sellers instead tend to be ones that modify or fix the OS.

Sounds a lot like our old Windows Mobile, aka the past.

So yes, Apple, we'll take your ports and exclusives and any apps that make your platform "unique"--you'll loose that and a reason for people to choose your product over Windows Phone 7.

Choices: HTC Surround or Samsung Focus?

Editorials

By George Ponder, Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 at 3:11 am

A discussion is going on over in the WPCentral Forums is going on that's trying to decide between the Samsung Focus and the HTC Surround. Which phone is better?

Both are quality phones and, honestly, niether one is a bad choice. It's more of an issue of finding which phone fits your personal tastes best.

That's a nice, safe position to take but we couldn't end things with that. In weighing the pros and cons, I see the Samsung Focus having an edge over the HTC Surround. To see why, follow the break.

Windows Phone 7 and OS updates: lots of speculation, little to go on

Editorials

By Daniel Rubino, Thursday, Nov 11, 2010 at 7:10 am

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about how updates will work on Windows Phone 7. Now there's talk about talk about talk in Ars Technica's latest article on the subject. Much of this we find amusing but not too illuminating. Still, we'll take a crack at why some of this is wrong and misguided.

The issue, we believe, starts from what Microsoft's Charlie Kindel said awhile back about WP7:

"We want everyone on the same version of the OS." He continued, "Updates will be available through the Zune desktop or over the air." Larger updates would be handled through the Zune software while minor updates would be handled OTA.

Recently however, Windows Phone Thoughts had an in-depth interview with Andrew Brown, Program Manager for Windows Phone Update who stated that OTA updates are now out of the picture.

Reason? Read more to find out why and why some of Ars Technica's arguments are either incorrect or unimportant.

Windows Phone 7 sales, the echo chamber and why it doesn't matter

Editorials

By Daniel Rubino, Wednesday, Nov 10, 2010 at 10:48 am

Much like how technically the number of applications in the Marketplace doesn't really matter (though you can glean some info from it), how well Microsoft did or did not do on Monday, in terms of raw sales, seems to be a moot a point in the long run. Unless of course you're looking to ask rhetorical questions for major publications. Such was the case yesterday where lots of headlines were phrased "Was the launch a bust?" "Did it underwhelm?" "Is it really a huge success?" etc.

Fact is, we don't know, they don't know and no one will know for awhile. This is understood by everyone. Citing anonymous sources who claim to know that "40,000" devices were sold was passed around as evidence, trumpeting headlines despite not knowing the authenticity of the claim. It's the equivalent of journalist trolling (the use of "?" is always a sure sign). Sure, there were very few lines if any. Sure it was a Monday (launches do better on Fridays) and we now know that stock was quite low (here and here), not even lasting the day at a lot of AT&T and T-Mobile stores (we heard reports of anywhere from 2 to 12 Samsung Focuses per retail outlet).

Did anyone really expect iPhone like masses to appear? No. The only thing to consider is that Microsoft is in this for the long run. This is day #1 of what will be a multi-year process. Two things to remember about Microsoft: they have lots of money and they are suborn when committed to entering a market. Lets revisit this six months from now where adoption rates will be better understood, where the OS has had a chance to build public awareness and real figures make their rounds, shall we? Yes, it's fun to speculate, but everyone in this business knows one day tells you very little e.g. the Palm Pre sold very well for Sprint its first day, fast forward one year and they're sold to HP.

But instead of going further, I could just refer you to Devindra Hardawar's piece at MobileBeat which does a much better job of making these points.

IE on WP7: HTML5, Silverlight, and Flash (Oh My!)

By Tim Ferrill, Friday, Oct 29, 2010 at 8:59 pm

As we get closer to the launch of Windows Phone 7, it’s inevitable that we are going to start learning more about Windows Phones and the Operating System behind them. Hardware details are becoming more plentiful, information about what we can expect from apps and the Marketplace are getting tossed around, and even carrier availability is becoming less of a mystery.

One area that I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t received more time under the microscope is Internet Explorer. There has been some traffic among the developer community as of late around the fact that Microsoft has neglected support for HTML5 in Windows Phone 7, but how much of a problem is this to Microsoft and to Windows Phone 7 in particular? Read on for my opinion.

The problem with a popular Marketplace: boring, redundant apps

By Daniel Rubino, Friday, Oct 29, 2010 at 1:32 pm

Not everyone is happy with the Windows Phone Marketplace. Someone at Reddit (hello 'rage comics', my favorite other time killer) is lamenting the overabundance of "non apps" in the Marketplace Tools section. As noted in the image, there seems to be quite a bit of...the same thing? Echoing similar statements, writer for ZDnet, Noikia Experts and friend of the site Matt Miller noted last night in a tweet: "Appears to be maybe 50 decent apps and 950+ crap ones in WP7 Marketplace. Numbers aren't everything, let's pick up the quality please."

Question: even if Microsoft wanted to prevent this from happening, how would they go about doing it? Set a five "Tip calculator" rule? (And seriously, who actually uses a tip calculator?) Do you think the Windows Phone Market, despite promises, will become like Android's and Apple's with the majority of apps subpar? Or is this just the 1st wave of a new OS that will up the ante?

Fire away in comments!

Source: Reddit, Twitter (@palmsolo)

Staff Picks: Windows Phone 7 apps - Tim

Editorials

By Tim Ferrill, Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 at 3:31 am

With the impending launch of Windows Phone 7 in the US, software developers are preparing their applications for the platform. This is a look at the apps in the Marketplace that I am most looking forward to.

Staff Picks: Windows Phone 7 apps (George)

Editorials

By George Ponder, Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010 at 1:38 am

Windows Phone 7 is right around the corner and the Marketplace is already full of 1,000+ apps to choose from. But what do you choose first? Do you go with titles that have carried over from Windows Mobile or do you start from scratch?

We've seen applications being added to the Windows Phone 7 line-up over the past several months and over the next few days, we'll share which apps will end up on our Windows Phones first.

Follow the break and find what my top seven apps for Windows Phone 7 will be.

Oh, speaking of applications, we'll start posting Windows Phone 7 software reviews shortly. There will be plenty of apps out there to keep us busy but if there's a particular title you'd like to see reviewed, feel free to suggest it through our Contact form.