Windows phone 8

Windows Phone 8 is here, and while it will be available only on new hardware, rather than rolling out to previous models like the Nokia Lumia 800, it's worth covering in detail what is new and improved and what's not and ultimately whether or not it is worth opting for the Microsoft operating system.  

                         New Start Screen 

The key focus of Windows Phone has always been the Start screen with its bevy of home tiles that jostle and jive according to the information they pull in. Where once this viewpoint was alien and strange, with the introduction of Windows 8, and some heavy marketing from Microsoft and Nokia over the past six months, everything should be a lot more familiar.

This time around we've got even more tiles to fill the Start screen, with three different sizes that each deliver different types of information. If you like the grid of icons from the iPhone or Android, then Windows Phone can replicate that with a stack of small icons that do nothing. If you find the jostling is too much, then its actually quite liberating, but it just doesn't tell you a lot about what is going on.

For those who need more information, then there's the next size up. This is akin to the Windows Phone 7 tiles, and they give a little more information without going overboard.

Finally, there is the larger tile, which can give you even more visibility into the app. In the case of the email app for example, you get to see who the last email is from, what the subject line is, and the first line of the email.

OneNote Mobile

In Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has moved the OneNote Mobile app from the Office Hub to a dedicated app on the Start screen, making it easier to jot down notes without having to create a Word document. OneNote saves to SkyDrive automatically, so your notes will always be synchronised across your phone and PC.

Inbox

Email in WP8 gets some new features too, all to its benefit. As with iOS and Android, you can now dictate your emails to your phone. In a series of tests we were impressed with the results, although it doesn't get it right every time, but it was easily accurate enough to make it worth using, over the built-in keyboard. We found it worked well in noisy environments too, which is crucial.

Other new tricks in Windows Phone 8 include the ability to keep the dark theme, although this doesn't extend to the actual email itself, just the inbox. It s a little detail but one that we are sure will please those who wanted it from WP7.

Attachments now also automatically show up in the Office hub. Useful, especially for business users who might get sent a lot of office documents they later need to see in one, central, location.

One problem we have experienced however is that the email app sometimes completely garbles our emails to other devices. It's annoying and we are trying to get to the bottom of why it does this, but it is worth bearing in mind. 

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Windows 8... Blue?

Way back in August, three months before the release of Windows 8, we learnt about the existence of a project at Microsoft codenamed Blue. At the time it wasn’t clear whether this was Windows 9, or some kind of interim update/service pack for Windows 8. Now, if unnamed sources are to be believed, Windows Blue is both of those things: a major update to Windows 8, and also the beginning of a major shift that will result in a major release of Windows every 12 months — just like Apple’s OS X. This information stems from The Verge, which cites several anonymous sources who are “familiar with Microsoft’s plans.” According to these insiders, Blue will roll out mid-2013, and will be very cheap — or possibly even free, to ensure that “Windows Blue the next OS that everyone installs.” Exact details are still rather vague, but at the very least Blue will make “UI changes” to Windows 8. The sources also indicate that the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 SDKs will be merged or standardized, to further simplify the development of cross-platform apps. Once Blue has been rolled out, the insider sources claim that the Windows Store will no longer accept apps that are designed specifically for Windows 8 — i.e. developers will be forced to create a single Metro app that works on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. Presumably the new SDK will ensure that this is a Good Thing, and not just an arduous hoop to jump through. The sources say that Windows 8 will keep its name for the foreseeable future, too — much in the same way that OS X hasn’t changed its name in 11 years.

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Google NEXUS 4

Google's Nexus (ten points to anyone who can tell us if Nexi is the correct plural) smartphones have always set the standard when it comes to a pure Google experience. The first Nexus One was a true geek device. Sold only through Google directly (apart from a brief flirtation with Vodafone), it never achieved massive sales. But it gave the world the true raw power of Android without the bloatware of other variants. As of January 2010, the ball was well and truly rolling. LG's not had the best track record of late. Sure, we thought the Optimus 4X HD was a pretty decent offering, but too little, too late compared to what was already out there by the time LG got it to market. And whereas LG did have good form when it came to innovation back in the day (who remembers the Chocolate, the Shine – and even the dubious widescreen BL40?), the mojo seemed to have passed. That's not a dig at the South Koreans – far from it. But just to set the scene to show why we weren't expecting much from the Nexus 4.

Size wise, the Nexus 4 comes in at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm – which means it is similar to its predecessor. But it is far more stunning to look at and hold. The front is all glass in piano black. Extra tough too thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Think iPhone 4 territory, but just a little nicer looking (we are aware that is a matter of opinion, iFans!) The whole front is set within a dull chrome bezel and the shininess even extends to the rear of the handset, which has an attractive, though unusual sparkly pattern adorning it. Think the glittery kind of jacket that you could see Cilla Black, Joan Rivers or Shirley Bassey in at an awards ceremony, and you catch our drift. There's no way of getting the back off – so you know what that means, peeps. No removable battery and no expandable storage. The former doesn't faze us too much since the 2,100mAh battery pack is no slouch but the lack of memory card allowance is annoying. Yes, we know that ever since the Nexus S, expandable memory is out. Google's said that it doesn't offer it because it's confusing. But for those with lots of content who can't or don't want to stream, it's a real pain. We don't quite buy Google's argument. As for the innards, LG has cut no corners here. Make no mistake, this is a premium handset. DC-HSDPA, the very latest iteration of Jelly Bean 4.2, a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, A-GPS with GLONASS, NFC and so forth.

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How to disable the Metro interface in Windows 8

Or rather, how to enable the classic interface only. Say you want to run Windows 8, but you have encountered a few issues with the new tile-like interface. First, it is designed and optimized for touch screens, normally reserved for smart phones and tablets. Second, you're on a desktop, and the prospect of flipping between a useless tablet interface and a classic desktop is a tedious task. Third, your machine is not coping well with the more resource hungry Metro. Lastly, you may not like the actual new looks. So how do you switch back to having only the old, classic theme? In this extremely short and simple tutorial, I will show you the one tweak you need to do to get the Aero only looks or perhaps even the Win95 looks, if you care to do so. The best thing about this change is that it only requires logging off and on, no reboot, and it's completely reversible. So, let's take a look. Situation report You have this kind of interface:

But you would prefer this:

Well, to that end, run regedit. Then navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

In the right pane, double-click on RPEnabled key and change its value from 1 to 0. P.S. It is also possible to tweak system files, but we don't want that. Well, that's all. Now, log off, log back in and you will be using the Aero interface only, with a few small visual changes, like the new windows borders, new fonts and such.

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W8StartMenu for free only on our blog

“The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available and has taken the Windows interface to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the preview did not come with a desktop feature that the world makes use of billions times a day, the “Start” menu. Luckily, we have a solution!

w8startmenu brings the “Start” menu back to Windows 8. This product is free and is available now! 

Features
- Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
- Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
- Adds Run… option via right-click menu
- Adds Shutdown… option via right-click menu
- Choose a custom Start button image”

Gei it now for free(click download button): 

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