Windows Phone 8 has been out on the market for roughly more than a year and now Microsoft is finally rolling out its official Xbox Video and Music apps.
The new Xbox Video app, which is already available in the Windows Phone Store, brings back the ability to purchase and stream movies and TV shows from the Xbox Network. Rented or bought media can also be downloaded to a handset for offline viewing.
Users that have already bought into Microsoft's video service will instantly have access to their library even if they purchased it on another device. Thus far, Xbox-ers and Windows 8 users have been able to access the Microsoft video channel on Desktops, the Xbox One, and Xbox 360, as well as a recently launched Xbox Video website.
Similar to the Xbox Video website, the new phone app comes missing HD playback, which is only available on consoles and Windows 8 computers. The Windows 8 Phone app also comes just a month after the OS maker announced it was killing video support for Windows Phone 7 devices.
There's music too
Xbox Music gets a nice bump
In another long delayed software released, the Xbox Music app also slid its way into the Windows Phone Store.
Although Windows Phone 8 already comes with a built-in app, this separate version includes more features including editable playlists and sync support for radio stations.
According to The Verge, Microsoft promises more updates will come down the line, and the current Xbox Music app release is only a preview.
In a similar note, yesterday we reported on the expected changes that the inevitable Windows 8.1 update will bring next year. Although mentions of the Xbox Music and Video apps were included, it seems Microsoft has decided to roll these out as separate updates for now
The LG G Pro Lite comes with a stylus, which BlackBerry says helps with BBM
BlackBerry Messenger is a success, which means it's time to start installing it on phones whether or not their users actually want it.
LG and BlackBerry announced today that the BBM app will come pre-loaded onto LG phones out of the box, starting with the LG G Pro Lite.
BlackBerry Messenger launched in full for iOS and Android in October, and BlackBerry said it was downloaded more than 10 million times in the first 24 hours.
Apparently people like the messenger app; this announcement with LG also noted that it's extremely popular in the Middle East, Africa and Indonesia.
Global messaging
"People across the globe are using BBM to connect with each other and the enthusiasm has been phenomenal," BlackBerry Executive Vice President for BBM Andrew Bocking said in the announcement.
BlackBerry announced in November that BBM would begin to come pre-loaded onto smartphones in Africa, India, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East, though only on regional OEMs initially.
LG is the first major OEM to give BBM the same treatment, and it's likely more will follow.
BBM voice and video are coming
BBM arrives pre-loaded first on the LG G Pro Lite, though other LG phones will definitely follow.
The 5.5-inch, dual SIM LG phone provides "an optimized BBM experience," this announcement said, thanks to its high-quality display and included stylus.
The existing BBM app features one-on-one and group messaging, plus photo, file and voice note sharing.
BlackBerry promised that its Messenger app will "continue to evolve for Android and iPhone users" and re-iterated that BBM voice and video calling will arrive "in the coming months."
The same goes for BBM Channels, a new service that "intimately" connects BBM users to communities with shared interests. BBM Channels is already available on BlackBerry 10 devices, and should arrive on Android and iOS soon.
It's safe to say that Apple's given the gaming industry a square kick in the tender regions.
Despite their bluster, dismissing Apple in every way possible, Sony and Nintendo are both clearly concerned by the meteoric rise of iPod touch and iPhone as handheld gaming devices.
Although great games are the driving force behind the success of Apple gaming, low prices have also helped. Most 'premium' titles cost six quid or less, and many developers end up in a race to 69p, thereby providing games that'd cost 20 quid on a rival platform for the price of a Kit-Kat.
But what if you've spent the last of your cash on your shiny Apple object of desire? Can you get great games for nothing at all, or is the 'free' section of the App Store best ignored?
The answer is, of course, both, and the trick is finding the gems amongst the dross. What follows is our pick of the bunch - our top 70 free iPod touch and iPhone games.
1. Asphalt 8: Airborne
At some point, a total buffoon decreed that racing games should be dull and grey, on grey tracks, with grey controls. Gameloft's Asphalt 8: Airborne dispenses with such foolish notions, along with quite a bit of reality. Here, then, you zoom along at ludicrous speeds, drifting for miles through exciting city courses, occasionally being hurled into the air to perform stunts that absolutely aren't acceptable according to the car manufacturer's warrantee.
2. Letterpress
What mad fool welds Boggle to tug o' war Risk-style land-grabbing? The kind who doesn't want anyone to get any work done again, ever, that's who. Letterpress is, simply, the best word game on the App Store.
You make words to win points and temporarily 'lock' letters from your opponent by surrounding them. The result is a tense asynchronous two-player game with plenty of last-move wins and general gnashing of teeth when you realise 'qin' is in fact an acceptable word.
3. Jetpack Joyride
We're pretty certain if there's one thing you shouldn't be using for a joyride, it's a jetpack that's kept aloft by firing bullets at the floor. But that's the score in this endless survival game with decidedly tongue-in-cheek humour, not least the profit bird power-up, a rather unsubtle dig at certain App Store chart-toppers.
4. Super Monsters Ate My Condo
Logic? Pah! Sanity? Pfft! We care not for such things, yells Super Monsters Ate My Condo. It then gets on with turning the match-three genre and Jenga-style tower-building into a relentless time-attack cartoon fest of apartment-munching, explosions, giant tantrums and opera. No, really.
5. Hero Academy
Most developers create games from code, but we're pretty sure Hero Academy's composed of the most addictive substances known to man all smushed together and shoved on to the App Store.
The game's sort-of chess with fantasy characters, but the flexibility within the rule-set provides limitless scope for asynchronous one-on-one encounters. For free, you have to put up with ads and only get the 'human' team, but that'll be more than enough to get you hooked.
6. Trainyard Express
Developer Matt Rix is bonkers. That's the only explanation for Trainyard Express, which isn't so much a demo version of the wonderful Trainyard as an entirely separate edition.
The mechanics are great: draw tracks to lead trains to like-coloured stations, combining or crossing them on the way, as necessary. It starts out easy, but soon hurts your brain, and the 60 puzzles aren't repeated in the paid-for version. Bargain.
7. Triple Town
Three bushes make a tree! Three gravestones make a church! OK, so logic might not be Triple Town's strong suit, but the match-three gameplay is addictive. Match to build things and trap bears, rapidly run out of space, gaze in wonder at your town and start all over again. The free-to-play version has limited moves that are gradually replenished, but you can unlock unlimited moves via IAP.
8. Real Racing 3
While Asphalt 8 aims squarely at arcade racers, Real Racing 3 goes for the simulation jugular. Its stunning visuals drop you deep into high-quality racing action that sets new standards on mobile devices. Plenty of cars and tracks add longevity, although do be aware the game is a bit grindy and quick to hint you should buy some in-app cash with some of your real hard-earned.
9. Pitfall!
Fans of the ancient Pitfall series on the Atari might feel a bit short-changed, given that this comeback in the shape of a Temple Run clone diverges wildly from the platforming action of the originals. However, it's one of the best-looking endless runners on iOS, and if you persevere there are exciting mine-cart and motorbike sections to master.
10. MazeFinger Plus
Again, the forced Plus+ account sign-up is hateful, but it's worth persevering to get to this addictive game, where you "unleash the awesome power of your finger," according to the App Store blurb.
The aim is to drag your finger from the start to the finish of each simple maze. The problem is you're against the clock and obstacles litter your path. Great graphics and 200 levels of compelling gameplay ensure you'll be glued to your screen.
11. Dactyl
Almost entirely lacking in depth, Dactyl is nonetheless one of the most furiously addictive games on the App Store. A gloriously demented Whack-A-Mole-style effort, Dactyl merely tasks you with tapping red bombs to stop them exploding.
Almost immediately, though, red bombs arrive thick and fast, forcing you to keep track and tap them in order, to avoid the inevitable 'game over'.
12. Trace
Trace is a sweet, inventive platform game which has you navigating hand-drawn obstacles to reach the star-shaped exit. The twist is that you can draw and erase your own platforms, to assist your progress.
With an emphasis on time-based scores rather than lives and the ability to skip levels, Trace is very much a 'casual' platform game, but it's none the worse because of it.
13. Solomon's Keep
Reminiscent of a twin-stick shooter mashed into an RPG with a really big wand, Solomon's Keep has your wizard battle endless hordes of supernatural foes, with the help of your thumbs and some in-game spells. It's a bit like an overhead Diablo, or, if you're getting on a bit, a powered-up Gauntlet.
14. Buganoids
Buganoids resembles a NES game where the author decided to mash together random bits from various arcade classics. You patrol tiny planets, blasting 'across' them to kill nasty bugs. The gameplay's reminiscent of Gyruss and Tempest, and although the controls sometimes feel a little off, the game's always fun for a quick blast.
Hornet Smash includes a level from that game, but its main draw is the frenetic arcade minigame. Still controlling our eight-legged hero, the aim is to fend off attacks by swarms of angry hornets, while weaving webs and munching tasty lacewings for health boosts. Three environments are included in this compelling and innovative title.
16. Bankshot
One for pool sharks, Bankshot tasks you with sending your orb to a goal by bouncing it off of at least one wall. A few different modes are on offer in this attractive neon-style game, but the best is Blitz, a high-octane time-attack affair.
17. 10 Pin Shuffle (Bowling) Lite
A curious mix of ten-pin bowling, shuffleboard and poker, 10 Pin Shuffle proves surprisingly addictive. You get two cards for each strike and one for each spare, and whoever has the best hand at the end of the tenth frame wins.
18. Lux Touch
Quickfire Risk clone Lux Touch isn't exactly a champion in the smarts department - the AI's pretty easy to outfox - but it's perfect ten-minute fodder for Risk fanatics. The graphics are clear, the board is responsive, and the game's also universal, for if you want to install it on your iPad.
19. iCopter Classic
There are loads of one-thumb copter games on the App Store, and while this isn't the best, iCopter Classic is without doubt the finest free variant. It's also fast and responsive as you go about helping your helicopter (or - in the unlockable themes - bee, submarine, spaceship or football) survive for as long as possible without smashing into something.
20. Cell Splat
So you think you're observant? Cell Splat will test that claim to the limit. The game distills 'match' games to their purest form. You get a target shape or colour, and, against the clock, must tap all matching items in the well. Quite why this frantic, great-looking, fun, addictive game is free, we don't know; we just suggest you download it immediately.
21. InvaderR
Like Cell Splat, InvaderR streamlines and hones a popular game, but this time it's Space Invaders. Like Taito's original, aliens are out to get you, but in InvaderR you have it tough. While the invaders are content to stay out of reach, it's 'game over' the second you're hit by a projectile. This turns InvaderR into a compelling and exciting score-attack game.
22. Whacksy Taxi
Although it looks like a 1980s racer, Whacksy Taxi also has much in common with platform games. You belt along absurdly straight highways, avoiding traffic by dodging or leaping it. Variety's added by power-ups, new background graphics when you reach a stage's end, and several bonus zones that also provide extra challenge.
23. Volkswagen Think Blue Challenge
Most racing games are about tearing round corners at high speed, your only concern being to not smash into things. Think Blue turns the genre on its head, providing you with limited fuel. The game becomes a unique and intriguing survival-based challenge as you try to eke out an extra few metres each go.
24. Hoggy
Hoggy resembles VVVVVV smashed into Nintendo's Kirby, combining platforming and puzzles. The game tasks you with grabbing fruit within jars that are peppered around a maze. Complete a jar and you get a key; with a certain number of keys, new maze areas open up. Although occasionally a mite frustrating, Hoggy's a great-looking, fun and innovative freebie.
25. Bam Bam Dash
Imagine Monster Dash with the cast of The Flintstones and you've got Bam Bam Dash. Your auto-running caveman has to avoid plummeting to his death and being eaten by things with sharp teeth. Nice graphics and helpful dinosaurs you can ride add extra flavour to the game.
26. Alice in the Secret Castle
If brutally difficult old-school games are your thing, Alice in the Secret Castle will appeal. The game boasts 64 rooms of NES-style hell, with a curious game mechanic that hides walls when you hold the 'A' button. Progression therefore becomes a case of mastering taxing and relentless (but rewarding) puzzle-oriented platforming.
27. Fairway Solitaire
In this game, golf met solitaire and they decided to elope while leaving Mr. Puzzle Game to fill the void. What's left is an entertaining bout of higher-or-lower, draped over a loose framework of golf scores, with a crazed gopher attempting to scupper everything. You get a few courses for free with Fairway Solitaire and can use IAP to buy more.
28. PicoPicoGames
It's clear you'll never see Nintendo games on iOS, but PicoPicoGames is the next best thing: a collection of tiny, addictive NES-like minigames. Frankly, we'd happily pay for scrolling shooter GunDiver and the Denki Blocks-like Puzzle; that they're free and joined by several other great games is astonishing.
29. Escape from NOM
Another entry in the physics game genre, Escape from NOM differentiates itself by lacking a price-tag but nonetheless rolling in nice graphics and gameplay. The aim is to drop 'Alan' and use obstacles and bumpers to get him safely into coloured goo at the bottom of the screen. However, he must be the same colour as said goo when he reaches it and avoid hungry NOMs.
30. Need For Cheese
This tilt-based avoid 'em up has you steering clear of cats (especially red ones that home in on you), munching cheese and grabbing power-ups to smash evil cats off the screen. Need For Cheese is simple, but a first-rate quickfire highscore game that rivals Bit Pilot for best-in-class.
StackMob, a development team that created a platform for companies to easily create mobile applications, has been picked up by PayPal's payments unit.
The StackMob website claims that the San Francisco-based team has been "fundamentally changing the way developers build mobile applications". The developer will join PayPal's core engineering team to help refresh its platforms, ready for future development of apps and services.
Announcing the news on the company's blog, PayPal chief technology officer James Barrese said, "We are thrilled to have the StackMob team put those same skills and expertise toward enhancing PayPal's technology stack."
PayPal did not disclose the terms of the deal between the two. Due to rumours of low asking prices and rejection of the company by other online firms such as Yahoo, however, it may not be a blockbuster fee.
Battle for m-commerce
StackMob CEO Ty Amell said the reason he sold the four-year old startup was because monetisation and payments remained a constant challenge for them. It isn't clear whether PayPal will support StackMob clients, which Amell wrote would be communicated "very soon".
PayPal processed $4 billion ($2.44 billion, AU$4.4 billion) in mobile payments in 2011, nearly $14 billion (£8.5 billion, AU$15.7 billion) in 2012 and predicts it will process over $20 billion (£12 billion, AU$22 billion) in mobile payments in 2013. It has been a cash-machine for parent company eBay, accounting for 42 per cent of its revenue last quarter. A large part of this is down to exponential increases in mobile retailing. Scooping up mobile developers, PayPal is arming itself in the looming battle over who is king of m-commerce.
In 2011 PayPal acquired WHERE, a Boston startup that focused on location technology and data for mobile advertising. In September this year the company picked up mobile payments company Braintree, whose app Venmo enables fast and easy mobile payment, for $800 million (£489 million, AU$898 million).
Everything Everywhere (EE) has become the UK's first network operator to offer 4G connectivity to international visitors. The company has announced this week that people visiting from abroad can now take advantage of EE's network.
Due to an agreement with US comms giant AT&T, the carrier has become Britain's first to offer 4G to travellers from abroad. This is the second international deal that AT&T has made, following a similar arrangement earlier this year with Rogers of Canada. EE plans to launch additional partnerships around the world in 2014, which would give visitors from other countries a chance to access the network itself.
Jet-setting
There will be benefits for consumers at home too, as it has also been announced that the company will open free roaming 4G to UK customers travelling abroad in 2014. No specifics were mentioned as to where they may be able to do so, however. EE does already have a variety of roaming packages, but at present all of these top out at HSPA data speeds.
Olaf Swantee, chief executive, argued that tourists "are increasingly looking for fast and reliable mobile experiences" when they travel abroad. "Technology is not just shaping how people book and research holidays, but what they look for when they are choosing a country to visit," he added.
The 4G network released by Everything Everywhere was the first in the UK and has rolled out to more than 60 per cent of the country's population to date. The carrier anticipates that by Christmas more than 160 towns and cities will be covered.
How much the 4G roaming will cost AT&T or EE subscribers has not been detailed. As of December 2013, EE's membership has doubled from last year to more than 1.2 million subscribers.
