Tag: Windows Phone

Smart marketing

So we all know that Windows Phone is behind the ball when it comes to market share. I think some of the things they have done (like the Smoked by Windows Phone challenge) have been a really smart idea and boosted the products profile.

 

Again, here’s what I think is quite clever (and necessary). Celebrity endorsement.

 

Out of the office with Windows Phone

Here’s a great video case study of how Windows Phone allows a business to get back to business with mobile technology. How did I come by this case study? Well, it has been done in conjunction with a great business colleague, Darryl McAllister from Netcare Helpdesk (look out for him in the video as well). Here’s the link to the case study (the video is on the right):

 

http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Windows-Phone/Buildcorp/Windows-Phone-frees-Buildcorp-s-staff-from-the-constraints-of-the-office/710000001065

 

I really feel the added features and integration that Windows Phone provides when working in a Microsoft environment make all the difference and allow business to actually use mobile devices for what they are supposed to be for, getting the job easier and quick.

 

Well done Darryl and roll on Windows Phone.

Audible comes to Windows phone

Those who follow this blog and my Goodreads know that I enjoy reading and writing reviews. One of the real killer apps in my books that has been missing from Windows Phone 7 of late has been Audible.

Audible allows you to listen to audio books on your mobile devices. It is another company owned by Amazon (a business I really, really like for many reasons) so purchasing audiobooks is really simple. You can either opt for subscription plan or purchase them as one offs.

Thankfully Audible has finally come to Windows Phone 7 and can be downloaded for free:

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-AU/apps/bdc813dd-c20b-41f8-8646-de72fa0b365d

I have for a long while now used audio to listen to podcasts, books, etc while on the go. It allows to to get through so much more stuff. Once you start you’ll never stop, trust me. Sign up for Audible today and expand your mind.

Windows Phone 8

 

Microsoft has provided details of Windows Phone 8 due out soon. Here’s a video of some of the new features (some of which will be available to Windows Phone 7 users via an update I believe).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25DKXGKblOw

 

A good summary can be found at:

 

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/06/the-new-features-coming-to-windows-phone-8/

 

So if you are looking for a Windows Phone then perhaps it maybe worth a wait until the new models become available (September-October is the rumoured date). Downside is that existing Windows Phone 7 devices typically can’t be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 (nothing surprising there) but will receive a number of updates to improve the experience.

 

Even though Windows Phone has taken a knock with falling revenues with Nokia I still reckon Windows Phone is better than most out there in the market. Being as late to the game as Microsoft is with Windows Phone makes it an enormous mountain to climb. However, more competition and choice is only going to benefit customers on the long run. So I’m still saying that you shouldn’t write off Windows Phone just yet but it will certainly have to kick some major goals soon and perhaps with Windows 8 Phone it will?

Good publicity for Windows Phone

I have always been a fan of Windows Phone and think that with the release of the Nokia hardware it makes a very compelling offering. The other good thing is that Microsoft has found a great angle to publicize the phone.

 

As I mentioned before they have been touting the ‘Smoked by Windows Phone challenge’. Here’s the latest video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNgN5vS_stc

 

Now there was some recent controversy around one challenge incident (and there have been others). But that sort of thing is always going to happen when you put yourself out there now isn’t it? I applaud Microsoft for sticking with this campaign as it is certainly novel and gets the word out there that Windows Phone are at least equivalent with most other models available today. This is definitely the thing you need to do when you are coming from behind. Kudos I say as I’d rather see Windows Phone being aggressive in the market rather than taking a beating like it did with Vista.

 

Another way they are promoting is via events like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_c0LYmmutA

 

Personally, I’m not into all this ‘cult of the celebrity, (a.k.a. Kardashian’s et al) but I will readily acknowledge that it does appeal to a huge segment of the market. Similar techniques have been used by other brands to great success so I again applaud Microsoft and perhaps more so Nokia in this case for being out there are doing these sorts of things to lift the profile of the Windows Phone.

 

Time will tell what the results are but I think it is great to finally start seeing a strong challenge from Microsoft against the incumbents. 

Windows Phone Challenge at CES

Yes, I know it is all staged and managed and blah, blah, blah …. BUT what these video continue to indicate to me is:

 

1. Windows Phone is as good if not better as the others

 

2. Microsoft is not in game of bashing the competition. It acknowledges that other brands and models are good as well.

 

This shows me they are truly confident about their product, which they need to be to compete. As I said in a previous post, don’t write Windows Phone off just yet.

 

Take a look at these videos and see what you think:

 

Don’t write Windows Phone off just yet

Many people have completely written off Windows Phone but I’m seeing more and more reason that this might not be such a forgone conclusion. One of the more recent reasons why in my mind was the partnership with Nokia which has resulted in Nokia releasing a whole swag of phones, including the Lumia range. Here’s a video of the new Lumia 900:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Nfh9bl0Z8

 

These phones look pretty nice and are available now I believe in the US. I hope they won’t be long for our shores here in Australia as I reckon they will make a big impact. Sure, Windows Phone still has a mountain to climb to catch up BUT as far as I can see it is moving the right direction and there indications from others in the market that they face major challenges as well.

 

So I wouldn’t write off Windows Phone just yet.

I didn’t know it did that

I recently received an update to my Windows Phone 7. I am now at OS version 7.10.7720.68 but discovered something interesting about this update.

 

Wireless connectivity is bad and evil because it is insecure no matter what you do. The best you can do, if you REALLY need it, is to make sure that it is as secure as possible. One of the ways that you improve the security of your wireless networks is to use an Access Control List (ACL). In the case of WiFi you control connection to your Access Point by restricting which network cards can attach to the Access Point. You do this by using the ‘unqiue’ Media Access Control (MAC) address of your device’s network card in your Access Point and preventing access for all other devices that don’t have a matching MAC address. Here’s how you do it with Netgear:

 

http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13112/~/securing-your-wireless-network%3A-access-control-list

 

Thus, you enter a list of device MAC addresses you want to attach to you Access Point and deny everything else. If the network card attaching to the Access Point doesn’t match something in the list it can’t connect to your WiFi.

 

Not 100% fool proof but an additional way that you can make it more difficult for people to break into your WiFi. I have this enabled and have a list of all my devices in the WiFi Access Point so they can connect. Well, they could until recently. My Windows Phone 7 would see the WiFi but wouldn’t connect. What the hell? I retyped the details and tried again, still no go. Hmmm…

 

Then the Eureka moment! I had recently upgrade my Windows Phone 7 firmware and guess what? It had a new MAC address for the WiFi connector. Interesting. When I updated my WiFi Access Point with this new address it could connect again.

 

I am still puzzled why the MAC address of a Windows Phone 7 WiFi adapter would change during a software update? It doesn’t really matter, just have to make sure I remember that the next time my Windows Phone 7 updates. Strange I can’t remember my iPad 2 doing that when it was upgraded to iOS5 recently.