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6 of the weirdest on-screen phone cameos, from the RED Hydrogen One to the Nokia N93i
Who knew the Simpsons family loved the Galaxy Nexus so much?
It makes sense that smartphones have become a part of film and TV; after all, smartphones are what we carry around most. Sometimes, these placements make sense, using some of the best phones available at the time, and sometimes, it feels jarringly random. One of my favorite pastimes is to watch out for weird phones in media, and these are six of my favorites.
Microsoft abandoning smartphone development made sense at the time, but was it a mistake?
What would the mobile landscape look like if Microsoft hadn't called it quits?
Microsoft's spirited sojourns into mobile development haven't exactly been slam dunks, bogged down with middling design choices and failure to adapt in a competitive market. It wasn't exactly a fair fight; Google and Apple are (for the most part) completely dedicated to mobile development and can, therefore, devote the necessary time and resources. Microsoft was in the opposite position, a front-runner in PC development that was also busy co-running the console gaming industry with the Xbox. How on earth could the company possibly keep up with the high-pressure mobile industry on top of everything else?
This Windows Phone emulator for Android wants to revive some of your favorite games
It's an early build, but the emu has been tested with 15 WP titles
One of Android's strengths is that you can easily load up emulators, ranging from console emulators to OS emulators; there's no shortage out there. Well, seeing that emulators are so popular on Android, it's no surprise to see that an enterprising developer has created a Windows Phone emulator (with this news recently shared on Reddit). The emulator is in the early stages of development, so it is very much a work in progress, but the developer has already tested 15 XNA games, and they are supposedly working with Vulkan, which certainly sounds promising.
The Android army marches on, killing other operating systems left and right, leaving carcasses of once vibrant and flourishing platforms in its wake, dangling them more and more from the Gartner and IDC market share tables, until there's no place left for them but the ambiguous "Others" row.
Microsoft is getting ready for a big Windows 10 Mobile push after more than five years of toiling in vain on Windows Phone. In hopes of encouraging Android users to jump ship, Microsoft has released AppCompare, an app that tells you if the apps you have installed on your Android device are available on Windows Phone. If this sounds familiar, that's because Microsoft already tried this, and it didn't go well.
It might surprise you to learn that the Android Police staff does not work on a series of networked Chromebook Pixels connected to Google's sentient God-Cloud. Nope, most of us use Windows for daily posting and other general tech stuff. So it's awfully interesting that Microsoft is making a push to bring Android apps to its various Windows platforms starting with the upcoming Windows 10. At today's Build 2015 developer keynote, Microsoft said that devs will be able to "reuse nearly all the Java and C++ code from an Android phone app to create apps for phones running Windows 10.”
Huawei recently shared plans to release a dual-OS Android/Windows device in the US come Q2 of this year. Now, the company has publically stepped back from those words. It didn't provide an explanation, but it did emphasize its "open approach" towards mobile operating systems and a desire to provide "a range of choices for consumers." Most of the Huawei's handsets will continue to run Android, and while Windows Phone still isn't off the table completely, the two platforms won't play along anytime soon.
Huawei Reportedly Plans To Release Dual-Boot Windows Phone/Android Device In The US This Spring
Huawei is reportedly planning to release a Dual-Boot Windows Phone and Android device.
Huawei likes Windows Phone. However, it thinks the mobile OS would taste better when served alongside Android. That's why, despite expressing commitment to Microsoft's platform, the company reportedly plans to bring a dual-booting Android/Windows Phone handset to the US sometime this spring.
Back many moons ago, HTC and Microsoft we're buddy-buddy. HTC was producing Windows Mobile devices, Microsoft was happy to be one of the leaders in the smartphone business, and everything chugged along nicely. Then the iPhone and Android showed up, changed the smartphone game completely, and Microsoft was essentially left in the dust. The company has since been trying to get back in the ring with Windows Phone, but high licensing costs and lack of third-party support make this an unappealing option to many hardware vendors – why pay for the OS (Windows Phone), when you can get one for free (Android)? HTC has produced a few devices in the Windows Phone era, but the primary focus has still been on the company's Android handsets.
If you're a dedicated follower of tech news, you've probably heard the big story from late last night: Microsoft is buying Nokia. Holy cow, Redmond has an end-to-end distribution model! This could finally make Windows Phone a competitor! The phone and tablet market is getting its first major shakeup since the rise of Android!
Microsoft Just Released An Android App That Prepares You For Switching To Windows Phone By Lying To You
Changing ecosystems is hard. You have to download your apps all over again and if you're going to a platform that's not made by Google or Apple, you have
Changing ecosystems is hard. You have to download your apps all over again and if you're going to a platform that's not made by Google or Apple, you have to wonder whether or not you'll even have your apps available to you. Well, thankfully, Microsoft has stepped in to provide a tool for users to find out whether or not you'll be covered if you switch. I tried it out and guess what it found? 92% of the applications I use are available on Windows Phone! Except...
The Developer Economics 2013 report—a sort of State of the Union on app development—is out and it's packed with helpful tidbits, both for armchair analysts and programmers trying to make some sense out of this crazy software world. One of the most interesting observations the survey showed is there is still demand for a third platform. And right now they're getting it in a surprising place: on Blackberries.
Well, this sure came out of left field. Microsoft has released an official Xbox LIVE app for Android! The app can be used to view and modify your 3D Xbox avatar, track your achievements, connect with Xbox LIVE friends, and even get news and information from the Xbox Spotlight feeds. Color us surprised at how fully featured this app is.
Samsung The King Of Android With 45.4% Of All Global Shipments In Q1 2012
Samsung The King Of Android With 45.4% Of Shipments in Q1 2012
IDC's report for the first quarter of 2012 indicates that Google's Android continues to grow its market share to 59%, while Apple's iOS lags in second at 23%. Unsurprisingly Samsung has given the biggest boost to Android, accounting for a whopping 45.4% of all Android smartphone shipments worldwide.
It would appear that Sprint plans on going full speed ahead in focusing on product development for its 4G LTE lineup this year. David Owens, Sprint's VP of Product Development made clear at CES Wednesday that Sprint "won't be introducing any more WiMax smartphones," adding "April, May, June, July, August, those will be very aggressive times for us." This may be a hint that we could begin seeing LTE devices as early as April, which is great news for customers holding out for a new device (like Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, which is poised to be Sprint's first LTE device).