Nokia Coloud Pop Headset WH510 For Lumia 920

Nokia Coloud Pop Headset WH510 For Lumia 920 is a great headset if you are looking to replace your old headset that came with the phone. It is a premium headset withpremium sound quality at a reasonable price. It works with Lumia 920 and has a good sound quality with great bass. The wire quality is very robust and does not get tangled. You can get this for about 1000 INR (or 20$) on amazon or flipkart. Buy Here

Nokia Beamer on Windows Phone 8

Nokia Beamer is an amazing application which makes a phone with Windows Phone 8 worth all the money. It is one of the simplest ways of sharing your phone's screen anywhere in the world. The application allows you to share your phone's screen in real-time with any internet enabled device whether it is a TV, Laptop, Tablet, Desktop PC or another smartphone.

The application works in two modes. The first mode allows you to share a particular link generated from the application with any other user wherein the user can use the link on an internet browser to see your phone's screen in real-time. The second mode is meant for instant sharing with a nearby device for instance your internet TV. All you need to do is visit 'beam.nokia.com' on the internet browser in your TV and you will see a QR Code generated on the website. Simply scan the code with the application and the devices get connected.

A Working Free FTP Client for Windows Phone 8

I own a NAS (Network Attached Storage) and use it to store all of my multimedia content. The NAS does not allow access over HTTP as such I cannot use the phone browser to access or download the multimedia files. I needed a WebDav client or an FTP client to access the files. I tried a number of FTP clients for Windows Phone 8 which get listed from the store if you search for FTP but none of them work or they are not free. 

Here is a working FTP client that you can use. The name of the application is File Manager which allows a host of cloud services as well that you can access. This is a paid application but you can install a trial version. The only difference is that you can use only one type of connection at a time. 

So if you have setup a FTP connection, you cannot setup another connection. However, there is no other limitation in terms any file download or access limit. I have successfully watched an entire movie using this client by accessing it directly without save. I have also synced a folder to my phone and was able to access the files flawlessly. So here is the download link for the FTP Client - File Manager For WP8 or Direct Link

Lumia Black Update Error Resolved in India

The Lumia Black Update error is supposed to be resolved. I have finished installing the update just now and everything look fine at least in India. It appears that the new update includes the missing updates as well which initially failed the updated. As per the Microsoft Community Thread, all the devices should now update as normal. If you face issues, you can report the incident on the thread with details of your device, operator and location.

Latest Nokia Lumia Black Update Fails with Error 80188309

The latest Nokia Lumia Black update rolling out in India has faced issues during install on the device. The update downloads on the device without errors, however, during the install, the update stops with the following error - "The update was downloaded, but couldn't be opened. (80188309)" . Apparently, this issue has appeared across the globe that includes Germany, Sweden, Italy, Nigeria, etc across Lumia devices 820, 920, etc.

One of the speculations going on is that the issue is caused on devices that do not have the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update which in fact most device do not have. Those devices which have the developer preview installed did not face issues with this update. It appears that Nokia goofed up with the update on a very large scale and the effect is globally spread. Some websites are suggesting you to install the developer preview with specific steps, however, that may void your warranty, hence, it is best to wait for the resolution directly from Nokia.

Resolution

Nokia is currently working on the issue. However, you can raise concerns on the links below.

Please raise a complaint at the following link [For India]

You can also see updates related to the issue at this Microsoft Community link [Global]

Nokia Lumia Black Update Release Date

Nokia Lumia Black Update has begun rolling out globally for all the Nokia Lumia devices which include -

• Lumia 520
• Lumia 620
• Lumia 625
• Lumia 720
• Lumia 820
• Lumia 920
• Lumia 925
• Lumia 1020

This is a major update release most awaited across the globe which promises a best ever enhanced experience with Windows Phone 8 OS. You can check the status of the update release for all the countries here - http://www.nokia.com/global/support/software-update/wp8-software-update/wp8-availability-in-asia-pacific/

Nokia Lumia Black Update Coming Early 2014

In line with the strategy to aggressively promote the Windows Phone 8 OS, Nokia will be pushing the Lumia Black Update early next year. It is based on the WP8 GDR3 update. Some of the major features include - 

• Nokia Storyteller - integrate picture with HERE application
• Nokia Video Editor - video editing application
• Nokia Beamer - share content on other screens
• New Nokia Camera Application - integrating pro, smart and video modes
• Better Storage Maintenance
• Enable Locking Screen Orientation
• Bluetooth Fixes
• Internet Sharing Over Bluetooth with Windows 8.1
• Driving Mode - minimizes distraction while driving
• Enhanced Glance Screen - more information
• Other Phone And Camera Performance Fixes

Looking at the features listed above, this is a very important update from Nokia/Microsoft so far. This update is bound to push the lumia sales a lot further. A preview of the update can be downloaded  and installed from the Windows Phone Developer site, however, this will void your warranty. Also this is an incomplete update having only the Microsoft updates and make not work properly.

Nokia Lumia 920 has a new update AFTER Amber and GDR2

I found a notification today on my Nokia Lumia 920 about a new update available. This was really surprising as I had recently updated to the Lumia Amber Update. Apparently, this only fixed a small issue with the IE Default Search Engine. After the Lumia Amber Update, the Google option from the search engine selection from the IE Settings was removed which I thought was as per design given the recent Microsoft / Google fight over YouTube application. However, after this update, I found Google set as the default search engine automatically in IE Settings. I haven't seen any visual changes so far yet. However, some reports over the internet suggest possible changes to the camera post processing.

All the version numbers remain the same after update

This is a small update which is about 19 MB, however, it took about 30 minutes to complete the entire update process but that could also be due to the huge amount of user data in my phone. This might be a regional update as well since the issue was mainly reported from India about the Google option missing in IE. For me, all the relevant version numbers remain the same before and after the update.

Nokia Lumia Amber Update Availability Status

Here are the links to check the release status of the Windows Phone 8 Amber Update across the world.

Africa | Asia Pacific | Europe | Latin America | Middle East | North America  

Microsoft to acquire Nokia - NextChapter

"Microsoft to acquire Nokia" - something that everyone may have had a feeling of ever since Nokia tied up with Microsoft for the Meego platform and then the famous 'Windows Phone Mango' based Lumia devices. We already know that Google acquired Motorola long ago to boost its Android OS. Similarly, with the success of the new Lumia series of devices, Microsoft is all set to acquire Nokia. With this acquisition, Microsoft is all set to push its Windows Phone 8 OS much further. The only factor that stands out in this acquisition is the fact that both the parties are the champions of their field unlike Google/Motorola. Nokia is known for its outstanding hardware designs since the birth of cellphones while Microsoft has long been the leader in Operating System designs ever since man came to know of home PCs. #NEXTCHAPTER

Press Release

Windows Phone 8 Amber Update Brings FM Radio to Nokia Lumia 920

I was not sure that I was ever going to get the FM Radio in my Nokia Lumia 920 as I believed from the beginning that it lacked the hardware itself. However, with the Amber Update, I can see the FM Radio functionality now available in the 'Music+Videos' hub which is a much needed feature for a high end phone like this. For a few minutes I was confused as to how the radio worked.

Using the radio on Nokia Lumia 920 is the easiest of all. All you need is to swipe right/left on the radio page for tuning a station. Once on the required radio station, simple tap on the 'favorites' star shaped icon and the radio is saved. Long tap on the screen brings up the pop-up menu where you can choose the phone speaker or pin the station or launch the settings menu. The settings menu allows you to choose the region - North America, World and Japan. Choosing either of them made no difference for me at-least in India, I was able to still tune selecting North America as the region. 

Windows Phone 8 Amber Update For Nokia Lumia 920 Released In India

The Amber Update for Windows Phone 8 based Nokia Lumia 920 got released in India a few days back. This was the second major update since the phone got released. The update size is big and it takes 30-45 minutes for the update to complete. On a quick look after the update, I could see one new application and one new system settings available. The application is 'Data Sense' that gives you greater control over your data usage which is a much needed feature in today's data intensive mobile phone usage. A new entry in the settings menu is the 'call+SMS filter' which appears at the bottom of options list. This provides a native feature for blocking calls and messages which is again a very high priority feature. Most OS in the market do not offer this as a native feature and gets supported by 3rd Party apps.

What is Floating Lens Technology by Nokia?

Nokia 808 Pureview launched in 2012 had a 5 Lens imaging system which was an award winning innovation. Nokia Lumia 920 was the world's first smartphone to implement Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). With Lumia 1020, Nokia went ahead and implemented the Floating Lens Technology (FLT) which comprises of not 5 but an array of 6 lens stacked together and floats by means of ball bearings. The first lens is made of high precision glass which the rest of them are made of high performance plastic.

In order to compliment the five times larger sensor found in normal smartphones, it was necessary to implement the FLT which enables amazing image clarity with fine details. Nokia Lumia 1020 actually creates two images in a single click of the camera. One of the image is a high resolution image @34/38 MP while the other is a 5 MP image and they both are saved at the same time. This has been termed as dual capture by Nokia.

Coming back to the Floating Lens Technology, the whole lens assembly sits on top of ball bearings controlled by micro motors which 'float' the lenses as per the camera shake by the user as detected by the inbuilt gyroscope. This is indeed a fine innovation which many of us may not be knowing even though we use the phone everyday. 

Nokia Lumia 1020 Infographic - 41 Reasons to Own It

This is an amazing infographic created by Jing Zhang illustrating 41 different features of Nokia Lumia 1020's camera. This infographic gives an amazing insight into the superiority of this device's camera over other camera phones. Download High Resolution Infographic

Nokia Continues To Amaze Us with Lumia 1020

Nokia Lumia 1020 amazes the entire mobile community with its whopping 41 MP camera. Pending release in the coming weeks in most countries, this phone takes smartphone photography to a whole new level. Lumia 1020 is equipped with a xenon flash which was first launched with Nokia N8. Xenon flash makes it possible to take night-time pictures like any regular point and shoot camera. The light sensitivity can be adjusted upto 3200 ISO which is not available even in many regular cameras. The actual camera resolution stands at 7712 x 5360 pixels which makes it possible to click and zoom to the intricate details of the picture sometimes not even being visible to the normal eye.

Amazing pictures by Nokia Lumia 920 in HongKong & Macau

I recently took a trip to Hong Kong and Macau where I took some amazing picture with my Nokia Lumia 920 phone. It is alot easier to take picture with this phone as compared to any point n shoot camera or a DSLR for that matter. These picture would make you believe how amazing it is to use this phone in place of a regular camera.

Love the panoramas create with Nokia Lumia 920 - Macau Tower

Facebook For Windows Phone 8 Gets An Update

The Facebook app on Nokia Lumia 920 got an update recently. This is a much awaited update for this application. There are many new design enhancements included. The best of all, chatting is now included within the application. The feeds are formatted to give you a comfortable and wholesome viewing experience. The images load faster than before and the comments open in a separate page such that the image does not need to load twice as it did before. The new design makes it easier to like/share/comment on posts. Changing your profile pictures has never been easier, you can now set any picture as your profile picture by checking a small check-box at the top when you are in the image view mode, however, you need to be tagged on to that picture to be able to set it as your profile picture.

Amazing everyday pictures by Nokia Lumia 920

Here is a collection of some amazing pictures taken from my Nokia Lumia 920 in various day to day lighting conditions. I have never seen pictures so amazing from a phone camera. These pictures are actually better than any point and shoot camera. The pictures are taken in every possible lighting conditions you can think of, afternoon, morning, evening or night. View at Picasa View at Facebook

Big File Downloader For Windows Phone

As the name suggests, Big File Downloader is a Windows Phone app that enables you to download files up-to 2 GB in size while most apps limit this size to merely 100 MB. Windows Phone 8 does not allow media files to be saved when accessed from the browser and directly starts streaming. This is a pretty bad functionality which is expected to change in future. However, until that happens, this application comes to a great rescue. This is a basic download manager which is still early in its development and helps you download media files using the download links and retain them and view them at your own leisure time. This app is also supported on the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Nokia Lumia 920 Update: Storage Check on Windows Phone 8

Storage Check is a brand new feature that got added to Windows Phone 8 as a result of a recent update delivered to Nokia Lumia 920. When I first got this phone I was confused as to how can I clean the memory on this phone. I couldn't even view the memory consumed by the apps that I installed on the phone. Hence, even though I did not have a lot of multimedia on the phone, I could see half my mass memory already consumed. Thus, 'Storage Check' is a new feature on Windows Phone 8 added under Settings which shows all the memory details that I wanted to see and analyze.