WP7 App Update: NextGen Reader v1.15 now available

Today, I’m excited to announce some updates to the NextGen Reader app for windows phone. I’ve added some of your most-requested features, in addition to other enhancements.

What’s new:

• share to Facebook.
• subscriptions in alphabetical order.
• "all items" or "unread only" toggle mode:
• display all feeds or only unread feeds.
• display all articles or only unread articles.
• toggle using application bar button.
• new experience in "unread only" mode:
• auto hide articles when marked as read.
• auto hide feed/folder with no unread articles.
• auto back to top-level list.
• sync any feed or folder:
• navigate to desired feed or folder.
• press sync button to download new items.
• improved automatic loading of new items.
• option to lock screen to portrait mode.
• increased limit for starred and shared items.
• improved response on star button in article view.
• fixed image resizing on mango build 7712.
• improved layout in landscape mode.
• many bug fixes.

I hope you enjoy the new features – give it a try! The trial version has no ads or limitations except share to twitter support. And of course the mango version is coming soon!

Download NextGen Reader from Zune Marketplace, or visit the ngreader.wordpress.com blog.

By ngreader

Guess what? China did block WP7 Marketplace after all.

My last post left more confusion than answers I guess, with Chinese WP7 users having all sorts of problem. Some can't gain access to the Marketplace no matter what, some regained access after rolling back to build 7392 or earlier, some rolled back all the way to build 7008 and still can't download anything.

There were doubts that it's Microsoft trying to block users who are not officially supported out of the game. However, as we've discussed before, it's not likely, because:
1) By IP address filtering, Microsoft will be barring out all US users who are temporarily staying in China.
2) If it's Microsoft doing it, users should have been barred out before the payment step, instead of paying and not being able to download.

Now we have got really solid proof that it's China's Great Firewall working in the dark. As mentioned in this post (Chinese content), by manually assigning a set of DNS servers on the router, a Chinese user could easily get back to the Marketplace and all those apps.

I tried it, and it simply works. That puts all the confusions to an end: China's Great Firewall is again doing DNS hijack, like previously to a million things, Android Market one of them.

However this quick solution can't get everything back on track. Marketplace still doesn't work on 3G, since the carriers are all with the government. They send all their data through the GFW, some even go as far as making certain GFW house rules. There doesn't seem to be a way of configuring DNS servers for 3G connection.

Anyway, beggars can't be pickers. We have lived on this side of the GFW for a long time, and we have learnt to be grateful.

Thanks 0mxfzy0 for working it out.

By Chassit

China blocked WP7 Marketplace? (Updated: more test)

Well, guess most of us know that China always wants to control its entire web traffic. It doesn't want its netizens to see what's "not proper" by the government standard, thus sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook are all blocked by the national internet filter dubbed the "Great Firewall", or "GFW" in short. Along with popular SNS sites there are countless .au, .jp, .tw and .hk domain sites blocked for no apparent reason.

Now joining the rank of "China Hates You Club" might be our Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.

In the past 3 days or so, most Chinese WP7 users in my circle (myself included) had this problem: the Marketplace tile shows a certain number of apps could be updated, but when we click update, the progress bar stays "pending" like forever, then suddenly surge to 100%, and ends up "attention required" fail right away. The ISPs or carriers we had this problem on include:
- Beijing Unicom home ADSL
- Beijing Unicom 3G
- Shanghai Telecom ADSL
- Shanghai Unicom 3G
- China Mobile Fujian division 2G (worked briefly an hour ago and now as dead as a brick again)
- Zhejiang Unicom

Technically it could be the Marketplace itself going nuts. But now I'm sitting in my office where the WiFi is routed through a VPN to the United States. And guess what? All those apps stuck in the updating process last night are now getting updates super fast.

That leads to the conclusion that something went wrong between the Marketplace and our phones: the connection itself.

We are quite positive that WP7 Marketplace has been GFWed by China, although not being 100% sure yet. It's not really a surprise. A couple of years ago when I was an Androider, the Android Market was GFWed by DNS hijack too. We worked around it by tweaking phone HOSTS files and such, but the solution just isn't stable. Maybe for stability's sake, Motorola now rips the Android Market off its phones shipped to China and replaces it with two 3rd party alternatives, one from Moto itself, the other from a Chinese download site.

We don't know if this GFW block will be permanent. But even in the worst case, we believe with Nokia's moving to WP7, it will be lessened. After all, China is still a Nokia country, and Nokia just got ranked the #1 most trusted consumer brand in a national survey not long ago.

Note: Almost every Chinese WP7 user is now on Mango Beta just for the Chinese input's sake. There is a slim chance that the Marketplace problem lies in the Mango Beta server, although from the look of it, Mango Beta and NoDo devices actually shares the same Marketplace server.

Update:

Just tested the Marketplace again on Unicom 3G. Previously overlooked the app-buying process. This is now very frustrating. If this is Microsoft's doing, I think it's already committing business fraud (essentially the same as phishing) and could be brought to the court. The testing result (all done on phone) is:
- Browing the Marketplace: OK
- Searching for apps: OK
- Buying paid apps (checking Live profile and credit card): OK
- Billing: OK
- Downloading what I just paid for: Fail, can't connect to the Marketplace.

By Chassit

Don't have a developer device? Don't worry - get Mango on your device now!

Microsoft pushed Mango beta to developers less than 24 hours ago. Some of us must be very happy right now while other could do nothing but shooting beams of jealous. Read more after the break

By Chassit

Window 8 Halo Effect On Windows Phone Sales?

On June 20th Microsoft unveiled the new Windows 8 user interface to the world during AllthingsD, D9 Conference. It also simultaneously released a four minute video entitled "Building Windows 8, Video #1" which featured Jensen Harris, Director of PM, Windows User Experience showcasing some of the "cool features" that Windows 8 has to offer. Shortly after the D9 conference Microsoft also started a technical demonstration in Taiwan at Computex 2011 for hardware partners featuring Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Windows Planning, Hardware and PC Ecosystem, Mike Angiulo.

The big surprise from these presentations from the folks in Redmond was that this new UI wasn't just for slates and tablets, but was also designed to be the UI for netbooks, laptops, desktops and the Xbox 360. Couple that with the transformation in Windows Phone and Microsoft websites that is already in full swing and our collective eyes where opened to Microsoft's grand scheme of unifying it's catalog of offerings under the Metro look and feel. It was a much broader scope for their unification plans than most had anticipated and clearly demonstrated that Microsoft wants the "Metro Mojo" spread far and wide.

The excitement is palpable, forums and viewer comments are exploding all around the globe. Now we hear there is also rumor that a beta version will be released to developers during the BUILD conference in September with a public RC in January and a final RTM in April. Does this mean we could see Windows 8 on systems much sooner than expected? Will the public availability of a new Windows 8 release candidate download in January create a halo effect for all things that include live tiles?

Now that the dust has settled and the blogosphere has positively reacted, the big question on my mind is will this be another watershed Windows 95 game changer for PC sales and will Windows Phone ride those coat tails all the way to the bank? Steve Balmer has stated, "It's a huge gamble for Microsoft," but the ultimate test is can they execute on what appears to be a pretty sound strategy? I don't know for sure, but I'm betting the answer is yes, and I'm very excited about finding out! What do you think, should Microsoft start adding the zero's to the Windows Phone sales estimates now, or will the Windows 8 halo be short lived?

By Rex Dee

Tango Before Apollo Update?

What do you do after a Mango? I usually sleep, but Microsoft has decided to Tango. Before Windows Phone 8, a major update similar to Mango (maybe, that's why the name) will be released, say DigiTime's sources. This is in with accordance to the rumors that Microsoft would be providing a major update to the OS every year. Furthermore, news has been leaked that Microsoft is already signing license agreements with OEMs, Compal being one of them. Compal is the company that is rumored to be developing Nokia's and Acer's first WP handsets.

Will they be made by Nokia or not?

Nokia is also expected to start manufacturing its own handsets in 2012 which conveniently coincide with the Apollo update.

In terms of functionality not much is known, but a lot is hoped for. Perhaps dance lessons with dual cores? But first, let us have our Mango Microsoft!

By Sameer

Upcoming Windows phone handsets in 2011

Which mill never closes down, even in the worst of economies? The rumor mill. The juicy rumors that have caught our eye are those regarding new WP7(.5) hardware. From the new OEMs announced at Microsoft's latest event to the desperate Nokia, here's a list of all the rumored upcoming handsets on OEM road maps

Look who joined the new kid in the block.


Nokia:

Will they look like this??

Ever since Stephen Elop's memo to the employees at Nokia and his decision to choose WP over Android as their main OS (woohoo!), new hardware has been imminent. Images have been leaked and so have some tasty rumors regarding them. Here are the cold facts
1. Nokia will be launching their first WP devices in the UK around fall. Whether the US will get Nokia's or not is still shrouded in darkness
2. All their phones will run Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) and might have a bit of a custom overlay on top of them along with their Ovi services, now renamed to ‘Nokia Services’
3. There is a high possibility of them releasing phones in quick succession to regain market share.

Gorgeous screens, great hardware and a great OS. Can Nokia make a comeback with these

Now to the rumors, expect Nokia to meet all the minimum requirements and put out a high end device. They also suggest the phones will belong to a 'W' series starting with the W7 and W8. They are also rumored to have an AMOLED screen with Nokia's Clear Black Display coating on it.
Whether they will have Nokia's EDoF camera technology or not is any one's guess, but for their flagships Nokia has usually gone with Carl Zeiss (which is better) for it's camera requirements.

HTC:

Can HTC’s camera troubles end with this phone?

The Taiwanese company had announced it's decision to launch WP7 devices last year and kept to it's promise with a set of quality phones. AT&T's road-map conformed the HTC Brandon, a previously rumored Windows Phone device with a monstrous 16MP camera. Later evidence (the pictures above) suggest it was of the resolution 4000x3000p making it a 12MP camera. HTC isn't exactly known for it's camera quality but this might prove to be a turning point. Different sensors and lenses perhaps (high grade hopefully).
With HTC's track record expect to see a few more phones after Mango's official release.


Acer:

Will the dummy get smart?

It's one of the new OEMs who have decided to board the WP train. A few months ago, at Computex 2011, an Acer WP device was spotted -Acer W4 . It was a dummy though, but at least the specs were displayed beside it. It sports a 3.6" WVGA (480x800) LCD display. It doesn't seem to be a global phone as there are two different models according to the specifications given above. Other specifications were the Microsoft standard and nothing hair-raising.

Asus:
Is that a front-facing camera up there?

Although there has been no news regarding an Asus WP device, expect one because it was an Asus device that was used to demo the new OS at this year’s Windows Phone Event. Regarding the specifications nothing is known, but since it has been used in this years event it will probably follow the requirements to the last letter.


Sony Ericsson:

Will Sony Ericsson release another phone with a Microsoft made OS?

Prototypes of Sony Ericsson WP devices were leaked last year but Sony vehemently denied any truth in them (possibly because WP supports Xbox Live and promoting that might seem like weakness to the PlayStation makers). But if a device was ready it would be having a screen powered by Sony's Bravia technology. Software-wise don't, expect Microsoft to be lenient about the version running in the handsets

Regarding other OEMs nothing is known just. Rumors will increase as we inch closer to Mango's release date. Maybe a SUPER AMOLED PLUS display in Samsung's next or NOVA technology in LG's next.
When will the new ones come out?

Keep your eyes and ears peeled and keep visiting us for news folks.

By Sameer

Game Review: Dungeon Stalker

Overall rating: 5/5
Before I begin, let me introduce myself. I am @sushovande, and I will be reviewing games for WpSauce.

Today we are talking about Dungeon Stalker, an action RPG by Pansoft. Once you get about five minutes of gameplay, what will strike you the most is the very gothic feel of the game. Stop me if this sounds familiar – a dark room, 5 pointed star in blood, with two human skulls on top. Limited field of view, and sudden eerie music. Nobody? Is Amnesia: the dark descent not popular at all? And this is level 2 of Dungeon Stalker. For an RPG to have a distinct Amnesia feel to it is not a shortcoming – it is extravagant praise. In the two levels the trial version provided, it managed to cause a few shivers down my fragile spine. Yes, I am fairly certain this Bangalore chill had nothing to do with it.

It is very easy to get started. You pick a name, a character picture, and click the random button to distribute your points, and you’re all set to start playing. Right off the bat, the controls for the game are excellent.Throughout my gameplay, I never clicked the wrong button once. Opening the inventory, opening the map – everything is intuitive and responsive.

Gruesome? Yes. Eerie? Yes. Provides an ice-cold chill down your spine as you sit alone in a hotel room with your Wp7.. er.. okay, maybe not that much.

Dungeon Stalker is not a 3D game where you move continuously. When you click Forward, you go ahead instantly by one block. (Hey! You can imagine you are doing mini teleportations!) While the movement seems jarring at first, I got used to it pretty fast. Remember too, that Diablo 1 used to only let you stand in on a grid (though it did move smoothly between them.) The similarities don’t end there. Like Diablo 1, the maps seem to be procedurally generated, so every time you play, you get a new map to play with, including new item drops, new locations for enemies and of course, new surprises. That they have managed to create maps on the fly, on a phone is something worth appreciating.

The spell system here is quite different from the usual point and click affair. You pick up scrolls which contain instructions for spells in runes. You have to remember them, and then when you are confronted with an enemy, bring up the spell screen, and invoke the spell by tapping those runes in order.

The Dungeon Caster Spell casting screen. Tap the runes in the correct order to cast a spell. Wingardium Leviosa is not supported.

As I can testify, remembering the exact shape of runes while a zombie is chomping off what little health you have left is no mean feat (I’m no Hermione). Failure is rewarded with this:

Here lies Teddy, slayer of 11 foes. Hey! No jokes about my character’s name.

On the inventory screen, you have your usual suspects – the weapons and the slots. I did not immediately understand what the vital statistics were saying. Heart is health. What are the ones that look like lightning, a stomach, and a river? The XP bar is also unlabeled. As I kept playing, their meanings became clear: you pick up a bottle of water, drink it and find that the river is your hydration level. Very well done. Next time I feel thirsty, I will just imagine the river in my stomach has gone dry. Speaking of stomachs, that symbol stands for hunger. “You need to find food” reminds the on-screen message. [So do I, please stand by while I get dinner...]

The game did crash on me once.. and it managed to recover from a previous checkpoint. When your character dies.. the game saves automatically, which didn’t make too much sense to me.
Overall though, I spent a very enjoyable, eerie time with Dungeon Stalker. Go check it out.
Direct link to Dungeon Stalker on Zune. (Avg customer rating 3/5).
Dungeon Stalker on Marketplace Browser, on Facebook.

By Sushovan De

First Nokia WP7 Phones to be named W7 & W8

People following technology news are all aware of the deal that Nokia & Microsoft announced. Well we are hearing that the first fruits of this deal is taking shape. Nokia is reportedly working on W7 based on X7 hardware and W8 based on the N8 hardware. I wish these phones could hit the market late this year, as per Industry rumours though Nokia plans to release their first WP7 phones in First Quarter 2012. Any takers on WP7+Nokia. Would you be compelled to buy it or have you been putting away Wp7 waiting for Nokia?

via @Engadget 

By Anonymous