BBC iPlayer reaching Windows Phone within ‘weeks,’ will catch up with Sherlock on your Lumia (update: perhaps not)

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We've see BBC iPlayer reach many devices over time, but it's been conspicuously absent on Windows Phone. Nokia has stepped into give us some relief, and it's now promising that a port of the TV catch-up service will be ready for your Lumia 800 "in weeks." Good news no doubt, although Nokia's encyclopedic knowledge of British TV streaming is also dashing hopes of using the Sky Go mobile app on Windows Phone anytime soon: the same Nokia rep doesn't see Sky being ready for a "good few months" at the earliest. As such, you'll have no problems keeping up with Doctor Who and Sherlock when they're airing, but we wouldn't count on watching live football matches for awhile.

Update: Pocket-lint is reporting that it quizzed the BBC over this issue and got a firm denial about a Windows Phone version, which suggests that The Inquirer's report, or its Nokia source, may have made an illogical deduction.

BBC iPlayer reaching Windows Phone within 'weeks,' will catch up with Sherlock on your Lumia (update: perhaps not) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 01:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Inquirer, Pocket-Lint  | Email this | Comments

Kantar: Windows Phone clawing back share thanks to Nokia, but Android still rules the roost

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It's seldom the case that we get to look at world smartphone market share on a national level, but Kantar WorldPanel has given a rare peek that might give Windows Phone fans some good news to crow about. Even though things haven't always gone well for the Microsoft camp, Nokia phones like the Lumia 800 sparked a minor Renaissance in some countries in the three months leading up to mid-April: Windows Phone was up to between three and four percent in France, Italy, the UK and the US. The Metro interface must also be sehr gut for Germans, which nearly doubled Windows Phone's local share to six percent in that short space of time.

Kantar is eager to point out that it's still mostly a tale of Android and iOS successes, though. Google took extra ground in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US, while Apple was on a tear both on its native soil and in the UK. HTC's upbeat predictions may have played a significant part in Android's continued rise -- the One X cracked the British top 10 list despite having only been in shops for a few days. About the only underdog story not going well in early spring was RIM's, where the BlackBerry's share of the US was cut to a third of its year-ago glory at three percent.

Kantar: Windows Phone clawing back share thanks to Nokia, but Android still rules the roost originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties?

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We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Daniel (no relation), who wants to upgrade his parents cellphones. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"My parents (aged 52 and 57) are long-time Nokia (dumbphone) users who aren't savvy at all. I told them about how me and my girlfriend's Android phones automatically sync calendars and they want something similar. My father's eyes aren't the best and he's a carpenter, so I thought about a dust-proof handset like the Lumia 800 or the Galaxy Xcover, but I'm worried Android's too technical for them. We're in Europe, so carriers are no problem, but any help you can give would be great. Thanks!"

We're all getting older, so let's try to work out a great handset for those who need a little help. We speak from personal experience when we say it's probably not going to be the Samsung Galaxy Y -- trust us. If you think you've got a better idea, throw it down in the comments below.

Ask Engadget: best smartphone for the over fifties? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 22:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 May 2012 19:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s Q1 2012 financials: $9 billion in sales can’t stop a $1.7 billion loss

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Nokia's released the bundle of spreadsheets that comprise its 2012 Q1 financials, just a week after it acknowledged that it would make a loss, despite bullish sales of the new Lumia 900. The numbers reveal that the company had net sales of €7.4 billion ($9.7 billion), down from €10.4 billion ($13.6 billion) at the start of last year. Net sales are down 30 percent year-on-year, which means the company's posting a loss of €1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) for the first three months of 2012. That loss is broken down as €772 million to restructure Nokia Siemens Networks, €101 million to restructure the Devices & Services and Location & Commerce departments, principally in shedding employees and relocating its factories to Asia. It had forecasted an operating margin of three percent below "break even," and says it's likely to remain that way well into the second quarter.

Stephen Elop pointed out that much of the loss is due to both increased competition and the costs of restructuring, but also seemed to tacitly confirm rumors we'd heard that UK carriers have been resistant to Nokia's new direction, saying that establishing momentum in the country has been "challenging." However, it's still promising to arrest the slump and in a statement to Moody's on Monday, the company pledged that it was prioritizing "cash conservation" exercises, although its liquid cash reserves have fallen 24% in a year, meaning that the company's only got €4.8 billion ($6.3 billion) put aside for a rainy day.

Nokia's Q1 2012 financials: $9 billion in sales can't stop a $1.7 billion loss originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Giveaway: win a Nokia Lumia 800, courtesy of Quixby!

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Not everyone needs a Nokia Lumia 900 -- in fact, we imagine that there are plenty of you out there that could care less about LTE and the larger screen. That's where the Lumia 800 comes in real handy... especially an unlocked version that would come to you completely gratis. The beauty has been made possible by Quixby, a startup based in Ohio that just launched a new service that could make it easier to buy, build and share a computer. Intrigued? Enter to win, then take a look-see.

Continue reading Engadget Giveaway: win a Nokia Lumia 800, courtesy of Quixby!

Engadget Giveaway: win a Nokia Lumia 800, courtesy of Quixby! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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