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Microsoft Store Super Busy in Austin, TX; Even on Sunday Late in the Day

dgstorm — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 20:06:27 GMT

It looks like curious consumers were out and about checking out Microsoft's new offering this past weekend. In fact, we took this picture ourselves while hanging out at the Microsoft Store in "The Domain" Shopping Mall in Austin, Texas. As you can see the store is packed, and this was on Sunday after 4PM! It looks like Microsoft will have another bona-fide hit on their hands, and could bring some serious competition to both the laptop and tablet worlds. Could the Surface Tablet be the ultimate hybrid device? We can't wait to get our hands on one to find out!

Nokia Lumia 920 to launch November 11th on AT&T?

dgstorm — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:25:46 GMT

Earlier on Thursday, we told you that Italian carrier TIM had tweeted that it would launch the Nokia Lumia 920 on November 12th. Now comes word from multiple sources for BGR that the device will be available via AT&T in the U.S. starting November 11th. In the states, the device is an AT&T exclusive unless you're a famous actress like Jessica Alba who already has a red version of the device for which she probably paid zippo. TIM has sold out of its pre-orders which bodes well for a great reception when the device does become available in the United States.

Anyway, getting back to AT&T's launch, the sources say that the Nokia Lumia 920 will be available in three colors from AT&T's retail stores. Last week Best Buy started taking pre-orders for the phone at a price of $149.99 with a two-year contract, and the listing later disappeared from the big box retailer's site. Subsequently, we did see an image of the pre-order page with a "Sold Out" banner.

Continue Reading @: Nokia Lumia 920 to launch November 11th on AT&T?

Windows RT: the essential apps

dgstorm — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:50:09 GMT

The folks over at PhoneArena put together a great list of apps that they consider to be the "core-must-have" for everyone when using Windows RT. It's a handy and well thought out list, so we decided to share it. Here's a quote below from the article along with a bullet-point of the list. Feel free to check out the full article at the source link below to see the details on why they chose these apps.

Quote:

If you haven�t heard it by now, let us make it extra clear - Windows RT is not the full Windows 8. No, it won�t run Photoshop, Dreamweaver, or whatever traditional Windows program you throw at it. Except for Microsoft�s Office package that comes pre-loaded.

Knowing this alone will save you plenty of confusion. But still this won�t answer the burning question: what apps does Windows RT have then, and which ones should I install right after getting it?

There is no universal recipe, but we�ve narrowed down 10 apps that should come handy for pretty much everyone out there.

Metro Commander
FireFox
Skype
MineSweeper
Cut The Rope
Tunin Radio
Evernote
Netflix
WordPress
Sketchbook Express

Source: Windows RT: the essential apps

Microsoft Gears Up for Global Launch of Windows 8 on October 26

dgstorm — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:31:57 GMT

Just a reminder to all of you Windows users out there: Windows 8 launches tomorrow at 12:01 AM local time all around the world. Microsoft is gearing up for this global launch with the opening of a ton of temporarily retail locations, and today the company held a launch event for the new OS in New York City. Sadly, we didn�t get many new details at the event, but it did its part to ramp up anticipation for the all-new OS.

So, is Windows 8 worth it? We think it is, as the new OS offers a number of improvements over previous versions of Windows. It�s true that the changes to the Start menu and the UI will take some getting used to, but once you�re familiar with them, it�s easy to like Windows 8. Of course, we can�t make decision of whether or not to buy for you, but luckily the upgrade to Windows 8 starts at $39.99 (if you�re upgrading from XP, Vista, or Windows 7 before the end of January), so if you do decide to take the plunge, it won�t require a hefty investment.

If you already know that you want Windows 8, there are a few ways to go about buying it. You can pick it up at various retailers all around the world, including Best Buy and Staples here in the US, or you can order directly from Microsoft. You can also download the new OS if you aren�t interested in waiting for a boxed copy to arrive, so you have a few options when it comes to buying Windows 8.

Continue Reading @: Microsoft gears up for global Windows 8 launch on October 26 - SlashGear

See techno-illusionist Marco Tempest do his thing at Asus' Windows 8 event

dgstorm — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:45:44 GMT

Yesterday, we managed to check out some of all the cool Windows 8 stuff that Asus showed off at its event in the Big Apple. Moments before it started, the atmosphere at the event seemed to center around Apple�s unveiling of the iPad mini. However, that quickly changed as Asus quieted down the hall with one memorable introduction.

Right away, the lights were dimmed with our attention placed on a monitor that was placed in the center of the stage. All of a sudden, a man dressed in dark clothing appeared � with dark shades to complement his look of course. In fact, it was none other than mater techno-illusionist Marco Tempest. Without divulging too much on what he performed at the event, all we have to say is that we were utterly blown away by the mind-boggling performance.

Continue Reading @: See techno-illusionist Marco Tempest do his thing at Asus' Windows 8 event

Pictures of Microsoft Surface phone outed by Redmond crew?

dgstorm — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 21:07:03 GMT

Microsoft recently decided to promote its new Microsoft Surface tablets by snapping a couple of pictures of Surface users hard at work with the tablet in front of them. But off to the side in both pictures is a phone that looks a little different than any model that has appeared before our eyes before. What we are saying is that this could be the Microsoft Surface phone, a model of which is allegedly being holed up in Studio H at Microsoft's Redmond campus.

Continue Reading @: Pictures of Microsoft Surface phone outed by Redmond crew?

5 Ways Windows 8 Beats iOS

dgstorm — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:23:05 GMT

Consider first that I’ve been a daily iPad user since the day the tablet launched. I’ve never had much affinity for MacOS and Apple desktops, but I have literally used either the iPad, iPad 2 or new iPad every day since April 3, 2010. Tablets work for me. Touch navigation works for me. And the iPad has worked for me—despite the fact that it’s never helped me do any real work.

But now there’s a legitimate alternative to the iPad in my life. For the last few weeks, I’ve been playing with various Windows 8 tablets, including, yes, the new Surface RT, which I took for a spin on Microsoft’s Redmond campus earlier this week.

Windows 8 tablets are the real deal, people, and their unique charms tie directly back to the new OS. Now, make no mistake: Navigating the Windows 8 touch interface involves a steep learning curve. The new touch gestures aren’t intuitive, and this alone cedes important ground to iOS, which is so simple, farm animals could probably figure it out. But as with many vexing software interfaces (think Photoshop or Excel), great power is often locked within seemingly inscrutable UIs.

Think about that as I share the five ways Windows 8 beats iOS...

Continue Reading @: 5 Ways Windows 8 Beats iOS | PCWorld

Microsoft Leaks Official Surface RT Pricing: $499 Without TouchCover; $599 With It

dgstorm — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:30:12 GMT

We knew that eventually Microsoft would reveal the official pricing of their new Surface RT Tablets, but they surprised us today with a leaked pricing page that was promptly taken down. The new pricing for the Surface RT Tablet variations will be as follows:

32GB Surface RT Without Optional Touch Cover = $499.00
32GB Surface RT WITH Touch Cover = $599.00
64GB Surface RT WITH touch Cover = $699.00

As you can see from the pic, the Surface RT will come in several color varieties. Also, it looks like pre-orders may begin soon, with a potential ship date of October 26th. Of course, since they quickly took the page down, it is distinctly possible that these dates may change. As always, we will keep you informed if we find out more.

Source: Engadget and Microsoft Store

Windows Phone 8X by HTC and LG Optimus L9 release dates leaked by T-Mobile roadmap

dgstorm — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:43:55 GMT

What is supposedly a T-Mobile roadmap has been leaked and is giving us details about the release dates of several devices that the magenta carrier will launch soon.

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC will apparently arrive in stores on November 14. The LG Optimus L9, on the other hand, will be out on the last day of this month � October 31, therefore.

A titanium colored version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will arrive on October 29, and the BlackBerry Armstrong (that�s a codename, by the way) will land on October 24.

The mysterious Huawei Summit is due out on October 31, as previously rumored. That�s probably also going to be when we�ll find out what the Huawei Summit actually is � since until now absolutely no details about it have been leaked.

Source: Windows Phone 8X by HTC and LG Optimus L9 release dates leaked by T-Mobile roadmap � Unwired View

Windows 8 packaging and pricing: standard OEM $99, Pro Pack $139, pre-order today

dgstorm — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:23:56 GMT

There are four packages listed: Windows 8 Professional Upgrade ($69), Windows 8 Pro Pack ($69, product key card only), Windows 8 OEM ($99) and Windows 8 Professional ($139), with the latter two being available in both 32- and 64-bit versions (for the same price). If you go into the product page, however, we can see that the original price for the upgrade and product key card only versions is listed as "$199" suggesting that this might either be a launch offer, or subject to change. Don't forget though, there's still the chance to upgrade for an even lower price, for those who qualify. You can officially reserve your copy of Pro from today for $69.99 at all the main retailers, but if you can hold back on that impulse purchase for just a little longer, you'll be able to upgrade to Pro online for $39 (until January 31st).

Continue reading @: Windows 8 packaging and pricing revealed: standard OEM $99, Pro Pack $139, pre-order from today -- Engadget

Verizon�s Nokia Lumia 822 Atlas shows up in live photos

dgstorm — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:54:17 GMT

Quote:

One of Verizon�s upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices is made by Nokia, and, as already reported, it�s the Lumia 822 / Atlas.

Seen a few days ago in an officially-looking render, the Lumia 822 / Atlas has appeared in live photos now. These new images confirm that the smartphone has LTE connectivity, and a Carl Zeiss rear camera with Flash: Assuming the 822 is identically specs-wise to the Lumia 820 and T-Mobile�s Lumia 810, it should feature a 4.3 inch WVGA display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal memory.

Continue Reading @: Verizon�s Nokia Lumia 822 Atlas shows up in live photos � Unwired View

[RUMOR] Nokia Lumia 9XX For Verizon?

cereal killer — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:38:04 GMT

If you are a Verizon customer still feeling the sting of the Nokia Lumia 920 heading to AT&T exclusively, we have some potentially very good news for you. We normally discount Tweets, but @NokiaPureView has a pretty good record when it comes to spilling the beans on Nokias plans. The tweet read "Finally got. Hands on lumia 9XX for verizon,can you guess it???what phone is that??? Hint wp8 of course" and another Tweet came later saying: "Another hint: wireless charging and thinner lighter better #SwitchToLumia"

This could all end up being nothing, but then again with their track record we are not ready to say that there is nothing to see here. Could it be a 920 varient for Verizon? It appears so, and some speculate Verizon would have to wait out until early 2013 for their 9XX variant whilst AT&T bask in the temporary exclusivity. What say you?

*pic above does not represent the VZW branded Lumia 9XX*

Via: Phonearena

First published sample of Nokia Lumia 920 photo taken with the pulse LED flash

dgstorm — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:26:40 GMT

So far we have been treated mostly with demonstrations of the Nokia Lumia 920 video stabilization method, as this is the most impressive feat, but stills get a bump from the OIS tech inside, too.

The joys of the suspension mechanism have been shown briefly in controlled scenarios with only the autofocus assist light firing up and not the flash. We have also seen pics taken with a prototype in night settings, but never indoors with a flash.

Well, that injustice is remedied today, as we have the first published indoor photo where the dual LED flash on the Lumia 920 fired. It is a pic from the wedding ceremony of Nokia's Head of Developer & Content Marketing Chanse Arrington.

Continue Reading @: Here's the first published sample of Nokia Lumia 920 photo taken with the pulse LED flash

[Rumor] Windows Phone 8 pre-orders to begin on October 21st

dgstorm — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:23:00 GMT

Microsoft's first Windows Phone 8 devices will be available for pre-order in the US on October 21st. Sources familiar with AT&T and Microsoft's plans have revealed to The Verge that the carrier will start taking pre-orders for its range of Windows Phone 8 handsets on October 21st � including the HTC 8X and Nokia's Lumia 920.

Pre-orders for Samsung's Ativ Smart PC and the Asus Vivo Tab RT will also commence on October 21st in preparation for a launch on October 26th.

Continue reading @: Windows Phone 8 pre-orders to begin on October 21st | The Verge

Nokia Lumia 920 exclusive and Lumia 820 coming to AT&T

dgstorm — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:27:17 GMT

AT&T just announced today that its bringing Nokia�s flagship smartphone, the Lumia 920, to its network as an exclusive, as well as offering the Lumia 820. Sadly, no details on pricing or availability were mentioned in the press release, other than that the two device will be hitting Ma Bell sometime this fall, just in time for the holiday season.

Nokia�s Lumia 920 is the company�s flagship device that runs on Microsoft�s Windows Phone 8. It has a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 that touts a �super-sensitive touch� screen that allows for even glove-friendly use. The phone also packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM.

However, the biggest feature of the Lumia 920 (and most controversial as of recently) is its camera. It�s capable of shooting full-HD 1080p video at 30fps and uses a new technology the company calls PureView. Nokia has seen its share of criticism lately for faking a demonstration of their new image stabilization technology in a commercial.

Continue reading @: Nokia Lumia 920 exclusive and Lumia 820 coming to AT&T - SlashGear