31 Mar 2013

March Apps Madness – Round 2 of Supreme 16 voting

Today marks the last day of Supreme 16 voting here on March Apps Madness. We had an active first round and now have worked our way into the next phase of the competition.

Here’s a look at the updated bracket (Large PDF link):
March Apps Madness 2013 Round 2
The Supreme 16 round will work a little differently than the first round. Today we’ll put 8 apps up for vote in the News+Entertainment and Utility+Productivity categories.  As a result – the voting will be fast and furious!
If you need to research your choice and study the form, visit the Windows Phone Store – and remember, you can try the apps before you buy on a Nokia Lumia phone.
Under each pairing, select your favorite among the two choices below. We’ll take it from there.
So – let’s commence the Supreme 16 voting!

News and Entertainment

In the first round of voting, weather apps fared well as did a favorite Windows Phone blog in AAWP. Will we see the weather apps face off in the Excellent 8?  Let’s see as Round 2 gets under way.
All About Windows Phone
AAWP prevailed over GasBuddy and now gears up to take on Weather Flow.  Can Rafe and company keep up the momentum?
Keep up to date with the latest Windows Phone news, reviews, apps and much more with the FREE All About Windows Phone (AAWP) app. AAWP is a widely read independent source of information for the Windows Phone platform.
The app includes the latest articles, device, app and game reviews, tutorials, opinion-editorials, links, media and podcasts. You can now easily browse, read and share all the essential news quickly and easily on the move and the live tile support will notify you when new articles are available so you can stay ahead of the game.
Reviewers in the Store like AAWPs insightful content. Emmanual says, “Rafe. Well done. Well integrated. I use it to listen to the podcast. Good job.”
Weather Flow
Weather Flow is a well laid out weather app that keeps you up to date on the weather in your area. It beat USA Today and now faces AAWP.
The weather experience tailored for Windows Phone 8 with amazing live tiles and awesome lock screen support.
Features you’ll love in Weather Flow include:
* Choose from two different live tile styles and three different live tile settings. Use the simple and elegant modern style or the graphical and beautiful rich style. Set the content of the live tile to show current, daily and hourly forecasts.
* Choose from three different lock screen styles and three different lock screen information settings. Choose your background image to represent the current weather, use a custom image or use the daily Bing wallpaper. Set the content of the lock screen to display the current weather, daily or hourly forecasts.
Reviews in the Windows Store give it a high star rating and like the app’s look and feel. Sean says, “Very, very nice app. Simple, attractive, smooth and functions very well.”
Supreme 16 - News & Productivity 1
VoteView Results
Plex
Plex is popular around the globe, which is why it isn’t surprising this app beat The Register in Round 1. 
Plex for Windows Phone brings the power of Plex to your mobile device. With Plex, you can stream your music, videos and photos from your home computers running Plex Media Server (available from http://www.plexapp.com/getplex/) and access content from a wide range of channels. Channels are available for iTunes, and for online services like YouTube, Vimeo and Revision3. There’s also a remote control feature for Plex Media Center. 
Additionally, you can sign up for the myPlex service, which lets you connect to servers shared with you by your friends, queue videos from your web browser to watch later, and connect to your Plex Media Server at home wherever you are in the world via Wi-Fi or a cellular connection, with no configuration necessary! 
This particular app has reviews calling for an update to address certain bugs. As one review says, “Great application, but has really annoying bug: when you are listening to music from the sever, song are not switching to next/previous :( Please release an update with the fix.”
AmazingWeather HD
AmazingWeather HD beat Baconit in round one, showing how Lumia owners love their weather apps.
It’s a fast and informative weather app with dynamic lockscreens and mix and match live tiles to bring you the ultimate experience on your phone. 
Beauty meets brain inAmazingWeather HD; have the most aesthetically pleasing app with live HD animations or a sleek modern look, and get the most weather details in addition to quick 7 days overview, hourly data, charts, warnings, satellite images, detailed forecasts, GPS live tiles, lockscreens and much more! 
Reviewers love the apps look and insightful weather info – and the live tiles. Sean says, “Amazing features and is the definition of beautiful simplicity. Well thought out and engineered. Recommended for the live tiles and lock screen options alone.”
Supreme 16 - News & Productivity 2
VoteView Results

Utilities and Productivity

Voters went for the practical options in Round 1 – voting up shortcuts to needed features and nice lockscreen utilities that bring info to you at a glance.
ConnectivityShortcuts
Connectivity Shortcutsallows you to easily access your Wifi, Bluetooth, Cellular, Airplane Mode and Location settings. It also allows you to place shortcuts to each of those directly on your startscreen (you will be taken to the according setting screens).
- Four icon styles to choose from
- Editable Live Tile text
- Tile background can be chosen from all Windows Phne 7 standard accent colors
In the Windows Phone Store, reviewers laud ConnectivityShortcuts functionality and wish the app was built in to Windows Phone natively. “This should be built into Windows Phone. Great app!”
ProShot
Sometimes you just want to take the photo the way YOU want.  ProShot gives you that and more…and this is why it advanced handily in Round 1.
One of the first Windows Phone 8 Lenses specifically designed for the photography professional! Unleash the full potential of your phone’s camera with the ProShot camera OS, and discover new creative possibilities with Auto, Program, Manual, and two Custom modes, with the ability to manually adjust:
- Shutter Speed
- ISO
- White Balance
- Exposure Compensation
- Focus
Reviewers love ProShot and say they use it over the native camera app on their Lumia. Omar reports, “Good app, better than the native app, has more options to control”.
Supreme 16 - News & Productivity 3
VoteView Results
 
Box
Box has taken Windows Phone seriously and built a robust application focused on simple file sharing. It beat a popular AppoinTile in Round 1 and faces off against Battery Level for Windows Phone 8 in Round 2!
With 5GB free, Box makes it easy to access and edit your files, share content and stay connected with your team from anywhere on any device.
* Share important files with your co-workers
* Have your presentation at your fingertips
* Comment on documents on the go
* View updates to your spreadsheet instantly
Box allows you to do all these things and more! More than 120,000 companies – including 92 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on Box for simple, secure content sharing.
According to the reviews in Windows Phone Store, users love the app but wonder why a key feature is missing: “Great app! Why can’t I save a photo on my phone? Please add that feature! :)”
Battery Level for Windows Phone 8
Battery Level provides a popular lockscreen notification: exact battery life expressed as a percentage. This handy app beat Camper and now moves on to Round 2.
Battery Level just got better! The app provides a “missing feature” of Windows Phone 8 – the battery level percentage on the main screen and the lock screen. Pin the app to see Live Tile with battery status and remaining charge percentage on Windows Phone 8 main screen and lock screen.
In the reviews, Battery Level is rated highly. Daniel says, “Love it. Best battery app in the market.”
Supreme 16 - News & Productivity 3
VoteView Results
No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

#NokiaLumiaChallenge – the results

Wow. The #NokiaLumiaChallenge is over and we have been blown away by the creativity of you, our community, when we asked for your crazy mixes in our #NokiaLumiaChallenge. There were over 8,000 different combinations of artists and there were so many potential winners it was almost impossible to choose. Almost.
Before we get to the winners, those that deserved an ‘honorable mention’.

There were those who got clever with words and letters like Simon who I mentioned in my update last week, and Bountyquest who suggested (No) Doubt > (Kia) Calloway > (L)a(u)ren (M)ol(i)n(a). There was some more clever wordplay from psychomania666 who suggested Reel Big Fish > Hot Chip > Black Eyed Peas. A terribly English mix!

There was the Swedish themed mix from David Breyer – Hammerfall > Melissa Horn > Swedish House - now that would make all sorts of noise!

The sheer clash of sounds conjured up by Mozart > NSync > Blink 182 gets eeBeeebee a mention. As does the Rammstein > Aqua > Johnny Cash mix from Cristian. Weord sounds.

Pearl Jam > Flock of Seagulls > Dolly Parton – that suggestion from Ms_Scatty just made us sit up and take notice!

Runner up

You’d have to be a music addict like Olivier to come up with Deadmau5 > Sepultura > SClub7 – the very thought of that mix makes our ears shudder.

Winner

SD Mabyeni – wins a Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Wireless Charging Plate – who grabbed our attention with this

‘New Radicals + New Order + New Found Glory is what I’ll be playing with my new #Lumia920′

Not only would the mix jar a little, it was crazy enough to qualify for the win. Congratulations winners, look out for a message from us.

Don’t worry – the #NokiaLumiaChallenge series isn’t at an end. Keep your eyes open for our next announcement, coming soon right here.
No comments:
Labels: ,

10 quotes about the Nokia Lumia 620 you need to read

If you’re looking for a Nokia Lumia, you’ve now got more to choose from than ever before. The question is, which of the world’s most innovative family of smartphones do you go for? There’s tons of reviews, comparisons, unboxing of each and every one, but if you want a quick sense of what the interweb’s best tech blogs think of the Nokia Lumia 620, look no further.
The Gadget Show

“Put simply, this is the best budget smartphone we’ve ever tested.”

PC Pro

“We’ve been impressed with the design and build quality of Nokia’s latest Lumias, and the 620 is no exception. Build quality is on a par with Nokia’s more upmarket Windows Phone handsets, and it shares many of its design cues with the Lumia 820.”

SlashGear

“Nokia´s Lumia 620 is arguably the most balanced device in the company’s current line-up, and it makes a case for being the best mainstream smartphone on the market today.”

Techradar

“The bundled Nokia apps help it stand out…thanks to the thoroughly decent Nokia Drive sat nav service and Nokia Music, which has all the features you’d expect of a music player along with free radio mixes.”

Pocket-lint

“Removable covers, a sturdy feeling device, reasonable price and a solid operating system. It’s all here.”

GSM Arena

“The 5 MP camera and microSD card support are a welcome bonus, but it’s the dual-core Krait chip and ClearBlack 3.8″ display that shine the most, while the colorful and almost unibody-like chassis sets it apart in a crowd.”

WP Central

“We’ll just flat out say it: We love the Lumia 620.”

V3

“We’re very impressed with the Nokia Lumia 620…it offers decent performance combined with all the inherent business features of Windows Phone 8 to buyers on a budget.”

3G.co.uk

“Nokia is obviously targeting the youth market with its Lumia 620 – just look at those colourful cases, the lower price tag and the 100-decibel speaker. But don’t just write it off as a kids’ handset – because the 620 is actually a very slick device… and its performance is possibly the best of any of the Lumia phones.”

Engadget

“Is this the best bang-for-your-buck Windows Phone we’ve ever seen? We think it might be.”

We’re happy to see we’re not the only ones loved up with the Nokia Lumia 620. Still, we never tire of hearing people’s opinions, so if you’d like to share your thoughts on this bold beauty, please get writing.
No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

March Apps Madness – kicking off the Supreme 16 voting

Today marks the beginning of Supreme 16 voting here on March Apps Madness. We had an active first round and now have worked our way into the next phase of the competition.

The Supreme 16 round will work a little differently than the first round. Today we’ll put 8 apps up for vote in the Social and Gaming categories.  On Monday, we’ll conclude the Supreme 16 round with the News and Entertainment and Utility and Productivity Apps. As a result – the voting will be fast and furious!
If you need to research your choice and study the form, visit the Windows Phone Store – and remember, you can try the apps before you buy on a Nokia Lumia phone.
Under each pairing, select your favorite among the two choices below. We’ll take it from there.
So – let’s commence the Supreme 16 voting!
Games
In round 1, the games category captured the most votes, with old favorites such as Angry Birds trouncing the competition. As the brackets advance, what type of game will prevail?
Star Wars Angry Birds
After beating out Galactic Reign, the Rebel birds move on to face Dredd!
In Star Wars Angry Birds the rebel birds, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Imperial Pigs. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the PIG STAR, and are racing to deliver the plans to the rebel birds. Now they need your help!
We like this review from the Windows Phone Store in favor of this Angry Birds edition:
“Best version of Angry birds yet! Love it! Great mix of Angry Birds space and Starwars. Not just a game with Star Wars skinning. Interesting changes and levels. ❇❇❇❇❇ 5/5″
Dredd vs. Zombies
Dredd vs. Zombies didn’t take any punches from 1 Million Punches in Round 1.  Will you support it in round 2?
You must protect Mega-City One from a zombie invasion! Arm yourself with a Lawgiver pistol and three other devastating, upgradable weapons. Fight four deadly zombie archetypes in thirty levels of game play. Choose from seven special upgrades to give you an edge over your undead foe!
According to one review in the Windows Phone Store: “If you need a zombie game get this one it is the best zombie game you can get.”
Supreme 16 - Social Games 1
VoteView Results
Flow Free
After beating a brainy puzzle game, Flow Free is back in round 2.
Flow Free is a simple yet addictive puzzle game.
Connect matching colors with pipe to create a flow. Pair all colors, and cover the entire board to solve each puzzle. But watch out, pipes will break if they cross or overlap!
According to the reviews in Windows Phone Store, this highly rated game is a nice time killer and makes gets your brain thinking! 
Will you have a mind like water when playing it?
Asphalt 7 Heat
Asphalt 7 Heat cruised past Skulls of the Shogun and now faces Flow Free.
Asphalt 7 Heat allows multiplayer play and is not subject to Xbox LIVE parental settings. Microsoft shares User IDs and gamertags.
Hit the speed of heat in the newest, fastest, most visually stunning edition of the famed Asphalt series.
According to Gatlyn’s review: “Best racing game you’ll find. Impressive graphics and realtime multiplayer. It’s a surprise they’re giving this away for only $1.”
Supreme 16 - Social Games 2
VoteView Results

Social

In round 1, old favorites such as Twitter and LinkedIn beat the upstarts facing them. However, two popular apps, WhatsApp and 4th and Mayor will face off in this round – let’s see what happens!  We have some great variety in this section!
Twitter
TwitterTwitter has won some new fans with its version 2.0 that just game out – however, can it beat LinkedIn?
Twitter is your global town square, a real-time connection to what’s happening in the world. Follow people you know and people you’d like to know. Search and discover. Browse and enjoy!
Twitter for Windows Phone 2.0 is a major refresh, bringing the best content to the experience of the Windows Phone.
Miro’s review in the Store reflects sentiment on the new Twitter app: “The app is much better after the latest update.”
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the professional’s social network and it beat GroupMe in the first round. Does it have steam to beat Twitter?
Get on-the-go access to your professional network with LinkedIn for Windows Phone. Find and connect with more than 161 million members worldwide, read the latest industry news, keep up-to-date with your groups, explore jobs you might be interested in, and share content with your network from anywhere.
The LinkedIn App on Windows Phone is a new experience for mobile phones, and it’s popular amongst reviewers. “My professional needs stop….Great app , i have not seen linkedin better than this, not on ios or android”
Supreme 16 - Social Games 3
VoteView Results
WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a globally popular app as it allows free messaging. After moving past Mehdoh in round 1 – it takes on a popular Foursquare app next.
WhatsApp Messenger is a smartphone messenger available for Windows Phone, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, and Nokia phones. WhatsApp uses your 3G or WiFi (when available) to message with friends and family. Switch from SMS to WhatsApp to send and receive messages, pictures, audio notes, and video messages. First year FREE! ($0.99/year after)
Need to keep in touch with friends abroad? This is your app, or as one user puts it: “Flawlessly helps me keep in touch with my friends who live far, far away.”
4th and Mayor
This quick and simple Foursquare application ran past Twabbit in round 1…can it beat global favorite WhatsApp?
4th & Mayor is a snappy, simple, fun foursquare client for your Windows Phone. It has live tiles and toasts. Foursquare is a service that helps you find new ways to explore your city by checking in to places that you enjoy.
Reviewers in the Store love 4th and Mayor, even over the official Foursquare app. As Chadwick puts it, “Awesome app, with the new update it just blows the stock 4square app out the water”.
Supreme 16 - Social Games 4
Vote
No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)