Tips

T-Mobile, for some reason (we bet they signed something), evidently insists on making Google the default search engine for their phones, including the HTC HD7. It's sort of annoying for many because Bing is actually really good at what it does.

In the Mango update for the HD7 for T-Mobile (in the US at least), users have an extra option under the IE9 settings--basically they get to choose Google as default or switch to Bing, which is migh-tee nice of them, no? Of course, you're probably wondering why the rest of us don't have that option to go in reverse, right? Yeah, we don't know either.

But at least for T-Mo users, feel free to switch back to Bing now and take a shower to wash the ick off. Thanks, Prakash G., for the tip and photo!

We hear some super hero film called "Captain America" is opening soon and that this cap'n has some fans. What better way to demonstrate your patriotism (and comic book geekiness) than throwing him on your Windows Phone?

Techie writer Manan Kakkar has assembled some pretty sweet shots of the first avenger and made them 800x480 at a nice tight resolution. Result? They look pretty great, especially with those bold colors on a Super AMOLED screen.

Hop to Manan's blog to grab the pack which contains seven pics, including a NSFW (language) one that makes a...strong statement.

Bonus: he also has them for your OS desktop for a power punching patriotic combo.

Ever wonder what all those icons mean at the top of your Windows Phone screen? Look no further at Microsoft has gone ahead and detailed all of 'em for you.  Things like roaming, DO (for EvDO, CMDA's 3G standard) and a few others may be a little obscure, so it's nice to have a key.

Sure, for many of us who've been around smartphones, the support article at Microsoft seems like a big ol' "duh" but there are more non-smartphone users in the world than ones with, so be kind.

Even more icons and descriptions can be found here on Microsof'ts support page.

For those familiar with CDMA handsets, you'll remember the old "PRL" (preferred roaming list) and "Network Profile" options. It  took a few years to get direct OS support for it (Anyone remember calling Sprint to get your PRL update "flagged"? Yeesh), but we did with later versions of Windows Mobile.

So it's nice to know that in Windows Phone 7, part of the CDMA integration that came with the 'NoDo' update on the Sprint Arrive was PRL and Network Profile support. To update them, simply go to Settings --> System --> Carrier and scroll to the bottom. There you can just tap either/or and it will walk you through the update, which takes about 30 seconds.

You can later check your PRL version under Settings --> System --> About --> More info, under PRL-ID (mine is currently v60677). For those wondering what any of this is, your PRL is a list of towers that the phone looks to for roaming and in some cases, data connections. From Wikipedia:

On many networks, regularly updating the PRL is advised if the subscriber uses the device outside the home area frequently, particularly if they do so in multiple different areas. This allows the phone to choose the best roaming carriers, particularly "roaming partners" with whom the home carrier has a cost-saving roaming agreement, rather than using non-affiliated carriers. PRL files can also be used to identify home networks along with roaming partners, thus making the PRL an actual list that determines the total coverage of the subscriber, both home and roaming coverage.

So, if you roam, it helps to have the latest version on board. Meanwhile, the Network Profile is good if you ever run into connectivity issues with the CDMA network, as on occasion, though rare, your profile may get corrupted.

As a developer, do you consider markets outside the US (or your country of location)? There are many factors that differ from country to country, like naming, pronunciation, and much more. All these considerations could lead to your app bringing in more revenue (downloads if free) or – for example - potentially receive less due to a large audience missing your product due to different keywords being used while searching the Marketplace.

Chris Hay, from the UK, noticed this trend that can be present if used effectively, or completely missed altogether. A clear and understandable article that he whipped up (includes a very pretty graph for you diagram lovers) explains how his Flashlight app – that was released for free – performs better in the UK market when compared to the US, and the rest of the world.

While English use the term “torch” as opposed to the American “flashlight”, the UK Marketplace searches would be performed using the keyword torch, while US searches would be flashlight. Seeing proof of these small considerations actually causing an impact on the number of downloads an app gains is pretty impressive. This is definitely a good example that developers should pay more consideration to how their app is presented, on any platform.

Source: ChrishayUK

A few weeks ago, we reported on a tweak to boost the sound on the Samsung Focus (as if it wasn't loud enough). Turns out, we were a little premature as the settings did not stick.

Flash forward 10 days later and looks like the folks at XDA figured it out, so we figured we'd do an update. We also have a new one that boosts the volume when using a headphones (the Focus turns the overall volume down for obvious reasons).

The process is similar: using the Samsung Diagnosis app, enter in some values. Done. For this, we can definitely confirm the headphones are much louder...probably too loud, but you can decide. And both stick after a reboot. Post results in comments or our Focus sub-forum!

Full instructions after the break...

There's a discussion going on over in the WPCentral Forums concerning Windows Phone 7 apps and what to do if you accidentally delete one from your phone.  Unlike Windows Mobile, there isn't a centralize listing of the Marketplace apps your purchased to re-install from. This doesn't mean all is lost.

You'll need to access the Marketplace from your Windows Phone. From there all you need to do is go into the Marketplace, find the app you need to re-install and go through the installation/purchase steps. Instead of choosing how to pay for the app, you'll be notified, "You've already purchased this app. Would you like to install it again?".

Just tap "install" and you'll re-install the app.  You'll find the full discussion over here in the forums.

One of the nice things about having Office Mobile is the ability to not only view those Office docs on the go, but to edit them as well. But getting those files to your device can be a challenge. We already saw one homebrew solution, which basically creates a local server for you to download files to your device.

Another, more simple solution is to just use Dropbox. While we still don't have a mobile application for the service (crosses fingers) you can use their site through Mobile Internet Explorer, which works just a well. In fact you can easily grab your files on the go this way. The only downside is you cannot upload Office documents, just photos, to Dropbox and for some that is a no-go. Then again, the free service "Send to Dropbox" allows you to easily email your modified files back to Dropbox, which we think is pretty darn cool.

Back a few weeks ago, we detailed a small and unique problem when you tried to stream music from two Zune devices, serially:  Basically you would pause music on one device e.g. your phone and then you would try to stream it on your Xbox.  While this was supported, it would result in an error only solvable by rebooting your phone.

Microsoft has now responded to the problem by adding a small note on the Zune how-to on their site, which shows how to get around the streaming error:

If you have a Zune Pass, keep in mind that you can play streaming music on only one device at a time. (For example, you can't simultaneously play Zune Marketplace streams on your phone and your PC.) In certain circumstances, Zune Marketplace might think you're still playing a stream on your phone when you've stopped playback and temporarily block you from playing streams on your PC. If you encounter this problem on your PC (sometimes identified as streaming error C101A9CA), go back to your phone and play something that isn't streamed (for example, a song that you ripped from a CD or bought from Zune Marketplace). Then go back to your PC and try playing the stream again.

Seems easy enough to us and according to Steve M who sent us the tip, it works just fine. Thanks, Steve.