Grab The Lumia 520 For AT&T For $29.99 No Contract!

I have to admit to loving a good Amazon.com sale. Sure, the new Lumia 635 for AT&T has been clocking in around the $40 mark this holiday season, but if/when you find one might be a bit tough to determine. Instead, a slightly older Nokia Lumia 520 could be a solid answer for that holiday replacement phone. The 520 still features a solid 4” display and Windows Phone 8.1. It also has a decent 5MP shooter on the back and an SD card slot for adding all the music and videos you could want to it.

The Lumia 520 also features the Nokia Software Suite that includes MixRadio, Here Maps, Here Drive+, Access Point and Call Block, something that isn’t standard with most other handsets costing ten times as much. With all of that said, a $29.99 price point with FREE PRIME shipping is just a bit too good of deal to pass on. Act quickly though, deals like this won’t be around for long as stock is extremely limited.

Direct Link: Amazon.com

App Review: Add A Splash Of Color To Your Notes With ColorNotes

 
As many of you know, I am a pretty diehard OneNote user. That said, anytime a new note taking App sneaks on to my HTC One M8 for Windows, I tend to put it through its paces. ColorNotes by eFutureSoft Tech Solutions was one such App that sneakily appeared on my radar, so without further ado, let’s take a quick look around this slick note taking App.




First off, the build is very simple. You can color code your notes by subject or timing or whatever you want by simply opening a new note by pressing the (+) icon at the bottom of the main screen. The sort button is next to that and the delete button is the trash can icon located next to that. On the far right is the menu button.


Once you start to add a new note, you can “change the color” of the header by pressing the paint can in the center of the menu bar. The “x” button will close the note without saving changes and the checkmark will save the note for later use.



Changing the colors of the notes in ColorNotes couldn’t be easier. Simply select the paint bucket from the menu bar, then select your color from the color wheel. My test note was quickly changed from a bright blue to a subtle pink. A quick tap of the checkmark at the bottom had my note saved for later use in just seconds.

As we get down to the nitty gritty of the App, ColorNotes is very flexible in appearance and function. You can set it to auto-backup to your OneDrive account very easily – and also restore from the same account just as quickly. You also have the font size setting as well as a few other “nice” things you can do for the developer – such as liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter.
Overall, the $.99 price tag for ColorNotes is a pretty decent price for a customizable note taking program, but I’ll be sticking with my standard OneNote due to the cross device compatibility that it offers. ColorNotes is definitely worth a look if you want something with a bit more color though, so visit the link below and give it a test drive if you want.
Download Link: ColorNotes

Thanksgiving Sale: Grab A Lumia 635 For $39.99

If you’ve been looking at the Nokia Lumia 635, today may be the day to snag yours. Right now, Amazon.com is running the Lumia 635 for AT&T for an unbelievable $39.99. There’s no fancy pants deal to this, just a flat $40 for a great mid-range Windows Phone. This device is locked to the AT&T network, but it will work with plans from AT&T (GoPhone included), Red Pocket Mobile (GSMA), Straight Talk (AT&T SIM), or Net10 Wireless.

The Lumia 635 for AT&T features a 4.5” display, 8GB internal storage with an SD card slot, a 5MP camera and a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. Normally, Amazon.com runs this device at $99.99 so this deal is a savings of 60%. This great deals won’t last long, so grab your new Lumia 635 for AT&T today and enjoy a great new smartphone for an unbeatable price. Even if you just use it with MixRadio and Here Maps+ for your GPS, this is still a fantastic price on an excellent phone!

Game Review: Master Archer 3D – Some Bow And Arrow Action For Your Windows Phone

 
On rare occasions, a developer will take a great concept and screw things up with wonky controls or epically terrible ad placements. Worse yet, they build something brilliant, give it away, then ask for $10 a day to get the proper amount of this or that to complete the game. Fortunately for every Windows fan out there, Kajak Games Osk did not. What they did do, is create one of the most fun archery simulators that I have played on any platform to date, Master Archer 3D.

Master Archer 3D starts out simply enough. You have two modes available to you off the bat. The call them boosters, I call them ‘shooting and scoring modes.’ That said, you have a few options, all of which you unlock by moving up in level, not purchasing them. I’m liking where this is going right away. The first option is no booster. This gives you 100% of your target score. The second is ‘Show Arrow Trajectory’ which will show you where your arrow is headed before you shoot it. It’s great for learning but, really hurts the score long term.
The next two boosters, once you unlock them, include being able to steer your arrows and a double your score multiplier. The latter of which is obviously the way to play the game long term as it allows for racking up the most points possible in the 5 arrows you get to shoot.

Controls on Master Archer 3D are about a simple as can be, while be about as challenging as you would want them to. Placing your first finger or thumb on the screen brings up the bow. The second finger/thumb is used to draw the arrow back for shooting. You aim at one of the 5 targets by moving your finger around the screen before letting the second one go to shoot. Simplistic, yet completely realistic. Just like any fun simulator should be.

The graphics on Master Archer 3D might appear a bit cartoony for some. That said, I thought that they lent themselves quite nicely to the feel of the game. I almost felt like I was dropped in an old Warner Bros cartoon or became part of a story book for this game. While it’s not a realistic deer hunter game, the smooth action and beautiful rendering makes Master Archer 3D play more like a $5 game than a free one.

Overall, it will take you some time to master this game. Master Archer 3D isn’t a 5 minute play and remove game. It will drive you a bit batty and getting all the achievements isn’t all that simple. What is simple is the decision to download Master Archer 3D and get playing. Once you do, be prepared to find a charger, you’ll need it. Download Master Archer 3D now from the store and give it a good look. It’s a challenging little two thumbed shooter.
Download Link: Master Archer 3D

Buy An M8 For Windows, Get A Free Xbox Green Dot View Case

Been thinking about that amazing HTC One M8 For Windows? Well right now, if you grab one for AT&T or Verizon Wireless, you can snag yourself a $50 value for free. That freebie comes in the form of a green Xbox edition Dot View case, Simply visit this website to redeem your free Xbox Dot View cover ($50 value)

Source: http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2014/11/17/buy-a-htc-one-m8-for-windows-get-an-xbox-dot-view-cover/?OCID=PARTNERPROMO_SOC_TW_ORGANIC_HTCONECASE&linkId=10591739

According To @Lumia, All Windows Phone 8 Devices Will Get Windows 10

Truth be told, I’m taking this with a grain of salt, especially after the T-Mobile Lumia 810 was left out in the cold back on Windows 8, but according to the official Lumia Twitter Page, “All Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices” will be upgraded to Windows 10 when it is released. Again, this is the same song and dance that Microsoft spouted about the move from Windows 7.5 to 7.8, then again on the move from 8.0 to 8.1, so I’m not going to put much into a passing tweet.

That said, we are almost a year away from seeing that magical update, so anything is possible. Of course, since this is the Lumia page and not the official “Windows Phone” or Microsoft accounts, there is no mention of other hardware manufacturers. HTC will give their standard, “We won’t comment on any rumors or speculation about future updates or devices” answer and Samsung doesn’t even respond to requests about Windows Phone device any longer.

As soon as there is official confirmation one way or another regarding any upgrade plans to Windows 10 for existing devices I will let you know what I hear, but until then, take posts and rumors like a grain of salt and realize that your contract will probably be up before Win 10 comes out anyways and you will probably want to get a new device either way.

Source: https://twitter.com/lumia/status/532128314467823616

Microsoft Launches The Perfect Window Phone Companion

For those that have been wondering what on earth Microsoft has been doing by ‘perfecting’ their Skype, Office and Xbox Apps for other operating systems before getting Windows Phone versions finished first, you now have your answer. Microsoft isn’t going to ride their mobile operating system to future glories, but rather sell the services that they have spent so long developing to anyone and everyone that will have them.

When you look at the $3 a month price for Skype Premium US, $10 for Office 365, $100 for Xbox Music and another $10 a month for Xbox Live, it starts to get a bit expensive for folks out there. So, why not make it a bit easier to make that commitment. For $199 a year, you get everything, which even includes an unlimited data allotment for your OneDrive account. Not only does this deal offer a serious value, but it’s one of the most powerful offers out there for how all-inclusive this service pack becomes.

For that $16 a month charge, you get access to Office 365 on up to 5 PC’s, tablets and phones. You get unlimited OneDrive storage – though you need to email them to receive more than 10TB that comes as a standard ‘cap’. Further more, you get unlimited downloads from Xbox Music – and streaming music via Xbox “radio” stations. Then you add in the Xbox Live Gold membership for your Windows Phone and Xbox gaming system for good measure.

Wait just a minute though, the savings don’t end there. Also included with this monstrous deal is a Skype Unlimited World + Wi-Fi membership. The Unlimited World plan usually costs $13.99 a month on it’s own. Add on the Skype Wi-Fi package, which allows you to connect to Skype locations all over the world for no additional charge, and you have a seriously amazing communication tool.

Overall, there isn’t a better deal than the Work and Play Bundle from Microsoft. There is something in it for everyone and as long as you can be the primary log-in to the family devices, you can use the features on almost anything. Before you ask, yes, it also works with iOS and Android Apps as well. The hitch, you have to hit a Microsoft Store to snag this deal. Also, this deal is region locked to the US and Canada, so no luck for you overseas users, for now.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/workandplay/Overview

HTC One (M8) For Windows Available Soon On T-Mobile

I’ll admit to being very excited for this one. The darling of my pocket, the HTC One M8 For Windows is going to be available soon for T-Mobile customers, according to their website. Pricing shows as zero down on the home page, but nothing officially has been posted at this point regarding payment sizes or full retail pricing. Stay up to date by following the link below.

Link: http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/htc-one-m8-for-windows.html

Microsoft’s Black Friday Deals Leave Windows Phone Users Wanting A Little Bit More

There’s nothing like getting up at, well actually, staying up until 10 AM the day after Thanksgiving to go out into the world and grab those “once in a lifetime” deals that retailers put out on Black Friday. Usually the best of those deals involve some crazy pricing on some great tech. Fortunately, thanks to the magic of the internet, most of the Black Friday advertisements are already on the web and the most dedicated shoppers are already laying out their plans for which stores to get to and what time they need to be there. Unfortunately for those shoppers, it doesn’t look like Microsoft is going to give any Windows Phone users a reason to skip out on that 75% off sale at Kohl’s, at least not yet.

Yesterday, the Microsoft Stores began their push to Black Friday with a mass email campaign. While the deals themselves weren’t highlighted, the items were. The only Windows Phone product to make the list this holiday season is the Lumia 635. Currently the offer page takes you to the standard AT&T Lumia 635 page, reflecting a price of $.01 with new 2 year agreement. This will probably translate into a $50 deal for the Lumia 635 sans the 2 year commitment, but still isn’t appealing enough to get me out of bed on Thanksgiving night. One has to consider that Amazon has that same AT&T compatible Lumia 635 for $79.99 right now.

While it looks like there will be some amazing deals on Xboxes, games and a few other items, there’s not much love for the Windows Phone crowd at the MS Store’s this Turkey Day. Hopefully that magical – more items to come section will have something that Windows Phone fans can really get excited about. If not, there’s always Amazon to save me from the madness.

Wanted: Kids Apps – What Do Your Kids Play?

Some of us have them, others don’t. If you do, having those few Apps loaded into Kid’s Corner on your Windows Phone is a lifesaver. This week, I want to start collecting some great Kids Apps to review. These will not be full write-up style reviews, but a quick reference of what is out there and what is fun. I’ll be breaking them down to a few different segments, which will depend slightly on what comes in.

So, fire away in the comments below or send an email to smartphonedeals@gmail.com if you don’t want to publically say that the Barbie Hair Salon is a ton of fun and you can’t imagine your Windows Phone without it,

Nokia Camera Renamed To Lumia Camera As Rebranding Continues

In a not so shocking move, Microsoft pulled the Nokia Camera App from the store yesterday to ready it for a name change, and apparently 2 different versions for future use. The first is Nokia Camera Classic, which appears to be only compatible with devices that will see the Lumia Denim update. These include the later generation Lumia devices and the Icon. The description and version numbers are exactly the same between the Classic version and the stock Lumia Camera that everyone else will be getting, so it appears that releasing Classic is just a way to segment the App for future updates. You can be assured that the 830 will end up with more powerful camera software then the 520 will in the future.

The biggest question I have is why the lack of support for the 1020 with your premiere camera software?