Windows Phone Store

Like a lot of you, we’ve been yearning for Microsoft to come up with a gift card solution for Windows Phone. Sunny skies ahead. Looks like Microsoft is finally gearing up to drop the Points system on Xbox and replace it with gift cards and cash.

That's right, folks. We're firing up an article on user review etiquette. Why, you ask? We've had numerous developers complain that consumers simply don't pay attention to information provided on the Windows Phone Store. This is prior to downloading trials or purchasing apps and they then leave negative feedback, which is viewable by the general public. We've noted this ourselves when browsing the catalogue.

Our own Jay Bennett has had this issue with the official Windows Phone Central app, so we figured we'd talk about how you can help make the review system less skewed for others to rely on, as well as improving the overall store experience for everyone (including developers). If you're one to quickly jump the gun and add a one-star review on apps and games then this resource is for you.

Joe Belfiore is continuing to tease followers on Twitter that an app is set to be released for Windows Phone tomorrow. To kick off the coming week, consumers will be able to download a special app from the store, but it's not currently known what we'll be seeing. Much like Pandora (see the above photo), Microsoft's working hard to get more big name apps on the platform.

The popular Windows Phone RSS reader Feed Me has vanished from the Windows Phone Store. Nothing nefarious or sinister in the works, just likely removed for damage control.

It is our understanding from the developer that the last update caused a few unforeseen problems and it was likely pulled to avoid further issues. An updated version has been submitted to the Windows Phone Store for certification and should be published shortly.

If you are currently using Feed Me without issues, be careful to not delete the app for it may take a few days before it becomes available again.

The Chinese side of the Windows Phone Store has had a bumpy time lately. For the last a few days, Chinese users have been experiencing problems when trying to purchase apps. Many found it impossible to download any paid app; you go through the payment process only to get an error message. The money gets accepted by the Windows Phone Store well enough, but the app license never comes. Some fairly persistent folks have tried repeatedly, paying $3 for Angry Bird Seasons in three shots. Yet they still failed to get the app at the end of the day.

The Windows Phone team have published some helpful tips and pointers for developers who are thinking of submitting apps to the Windows Phone Store. They go into some detail, covering the multiple XAPs per GUID, as well as deciding on how to approach the submission. Walkthroughs for three scenarios have been provided for the benefit of those who may find themselves needing a quick helping hand.

The Windows Phone Store is dead. Long live the Windows Phone Store! It would seem the store is inaccessible to many, with app listings returning the error 805a01f7 when a user attempts to view more information or download an app / update. Many are also receiving a "We can't search right now, be sure Internet is available and SkyNet hasn't been activated."

Many have noticed the recently released update for BBC News Mobile has been withdrawn with updated installations being reverted back to 3.8. We've contacted the developer, Lawrence Gripper who has revealed to us that a serious bug was present in version 4 that caused the app to fail to when booting up.

Most of us have suffered this pain, especially back in the early days of Windows Phone 7: There's a new Xbox Live title for Windows Phone, however those Xbox Live games aren't available in YOUR Marketplace. The Americans get them every Wednesday, but no such luck for those in Microsoft's "less favored" countries. Or the same game is priced differently in different regions of the Marketplace, for some absurd reason yours is a tad more expensive than everyone else's.