Reviews

Photo Maps is a Windows Phone 8 photography app that mixes your images with a map detailing the location of the photo. Photo Maps isn't like Image Map where your photos are mapped out based on where they were taken. Instead, Photo Maps lets you take a photo and adds small Bing map of your location to the image.

Maps choices can be set from within Photo Maps' settings and you can choose between road, aerial, hybrid and terrain map views. Camera controls are rather limited in that you can only turn on/off the flash and toggle between the rear/front cameras from within the app.

Star Chart is not only an educational app for Windows 8 it's also a neat one. Star Chart will help you explore the solar system by not only providing you a detailed map of the sky but it will also pull up information on the planets, stars, and travel forwards and backwards in time to see how things have changed or will change.

While Star Chart is available for Windows 8, it really shines on tablets such as the Surface RT.  Star Chart is a very nice app for those curious about astronomy as well as for those who are seasoned explorers.

The Xbox Windows Phone lineup has a spotty track record with time management games. Sally’s Salon was fantastic, but then it was followed up by the less impressive (and more bug-filled) Sally’s Spa. Both titles wore their feminine themes on their sleeves, making them less appealing to certain insecure male gamers. The only male-targeted genre entry, Star Wars Cantina got itself delisted last year, depriving WP gamers of the precious Star Wars license and lots of grinding.

Thankfully Nokia, along with developer Big Stack Studios and publisher Chillingo have come along with a more gender neutral time management title: Jet Set Go (not to be confused with SEGA’s Jet Set Radio). Not only can both guys and gals appreciate the game’s travel industry theme, but it even outdoes all the previously mentioned games in variety.

Jet Set Go started out as a timed Nokia exclusive before becoming available to all Windows Phone users in June 2013. Read on to see whether it’s worth a buy.

Pirate's Plunder is Flight Control styled game where you direct trade ships to the appropriate port, avoid high seas collisions, pirates, sea monsters and other dangers along the way.

Along with the main objective of docking your ships, there are a handful of side games with Pirate's Plunder that crop up to keep things interesting. Animations are nice, game play challenging, but the game has a cluttered feel to it. Still Pirate's Plunder has a bit of appeal to it and is worth a try.

Since the Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phone has only become available (and many customer orders are still backordered), the availability of accessories is still somewhat limited. Sure, you can pick up a few bigger name brand styles at the AT & T Store, but they’re awfully expensive. As such, many new Lumia 920 owners will be scrambling online to find a case to protect their phones. One affordable option is the S-Line Back Case from Cimo Technologies. Cimo produces the S-Line design for a number of phones and tablets, including the Lumia 920, HTC 8X, and HTC 8S Windows Phone 8 handsets.

The Nokia Wireless Charging Stand (DT-910) is one of numerous accessories the company has released this year for the Lumia 810/820/822 and 920 series. It’s similar to the Wireless Charge Pad that many have received via AT&T (or should) but it does have a few additions too.

The retail price is $69.99 and like all things Nokia these days, it’s hard to find. We had one backordered from AT&T for weeks but finally went the eBay route (and saved $10).

The Wireless Charging Stand differs from the Pad in two ways: the device is propped vertically and it features NFC. The vertical position has its obvious benefits, especially if you keep it bedside or on your office desk. Being able to see the display when a call comes in, alarm goes off or a new text message arrives is certainly convenient.

Russian developer MaxNick really impressed us with its Xbox Windows Phone release of Spider Jack. For a year, it was the closest thing on our platform to Cut the Rope, and remains a quality game. MaxNick has also released a handful of indie titles such as Doodle Invasion, a quirky little game about evil aliens attacking the Earth. Now the developer returns to Xbox Live with Turn N Run, which stars a nicer alien this time. The Windows Phone port arrives only a couple of months after the iOS original – a breath of fresh air after having to wait so long for Sonic CD to show up!

Both of the previous games I enjoyed from MaxNick featured charming 2D art. Does the transition to 3D graphics and a new gameplay style result in another quirky hit? Read on to find out.

Physi Bricks is a fun physics powered game for your Windows Phone that calls on you to bust up stacks of bricks. Physi Bricks is a multi-level game that starts out simple but progressively gets more challenging.

Some levels call upon you to knock the green bricks off the platform while other levels require you to leave red bricks standing. Along the way you earn custom ammo to help you with your tasks such as explosive, disintegrating, and magnetic ammo.

Graphics are simple, game play challenging and Physi Bricks is a nice way to pass the time with your Windows Phone.

Windows Phone Central's review of the HTC 8X - a powerful yet sleek Windows Phone 8 device

While the Windows Phone 8 launch spotlight has shined brightly on the Nokia Lumia 920, there's another Windows Phone that has been lurking in the shadows. The HTC 8X launched over at AT&T on the same day and is a respectable Windows Phone within its own right.

The 8X is fitted with a 4.3" Super LCD screen, NFC (Near Field Communication), BEATS Audio, and an 8MP camera with BSI sensor (helps with low-light performance. The 8X is noticeably narrower than the Lumia 920 and reminds me of how the Samsung Focus Flash compared to the Focus S.

If you prefer a more compact Windows Phone, the HTC 8X isn't a bad choice.

Toolbox for Windows 8 is an interesting utility for your Surface Tablet or Windows 8 computer. It is a collection of nine different tools where six of these tools can be tiled to a single screen.  Toolbox for Windows 8 is a nice multi-tasking app with a decent selection of reference tools but it needs more productivity tools.

I can see Toolbox for Windows 8 coming in handy at times and the app has potential.  It just needs a little more meat on the bones to make it shine.

FrogSling2 is the sequel to the popular Windows Phone game from DiNo Games. FrogSling2 picks up where FrogSling left off with you launching the amphibians from a sling shot into various buckets, pales, and other targets.

The multi-level game has quality graphics, interesting animations and game play is challenging enough to keep you interested. FrogSling2 may not appeal to everyone but if you're looking for an entertaining game to pass the time with, it's worth a try.

Altern8 is a puzzle game for your Windows Phone that offers you an alternative to mazes with walls. Instead of having your movement restricted by traditional walls, Altern8 restricts your movements through maze puzzles by colored squares.

You move through a grid of colored squares, alternating the colored squares you land on, as you seek the exit. Altern8 has five gaming modes, five difficulty levels and four color pairs. Altern8 is a fun, change of pace styled game that is worth a try if you're looking for a game to play while passing the time.