Now there are tons of users — who are already using Xbox 360 wanting to upgrade and those who waited to buy only after the announcement. After hearing the yesterday’s announcement and looking at those amazing graphics, Xbox One is definitely a beast which is bring tons of features, new games and amazing social integration but does it mean you need to upgrade. We take a deep dive into each of feature and give it a thought.

Tailored Experience at Home

This feature is built to get you closer to Xbox so it is able to recognize you instantly, gives you personalized recommendation, allow to pin apps and music…something which Xbox wanted to achieve in the last Xbox Dashboard update but failed because there was too less space for personalization. In this Home screen you have a separate section called as My Pins where you get to keep and see only stuff which you like.

Honestly speaking, many of you who are core gamers don’t give any thought about it. We just hit the game and play and exit. However if you keep playing tons of games, Pins Section will be awesome as you can keep the games pinned and play it without wasting time on searching it.

Now if use Xbox for more than gaming, the same applies for you but  instead of games pins, you will have pins from different sections.

Strong Integration with TV

I have always hated to  switch between component mode and TV mode and so did my parents because I always tend to forget to switch it back. Thanks to  HDMI Pass-thru you can switch other TV View while you are using your Xbox.  It acts like sneak peek. The Xbox Live also features multitasking which let’s you watch movie or your favorite match while you are playing a multiplayer on Xbox. Again,  this is not restricted to just TV but also Apps in the Xbox itself.

There is one huge restriction here.  This Integration will work only if Xbox &the Television Operator have worked together to bring in this kind of feature.  So not every other set-top box will work with Xbox Instantly. However, if it does, you can create your own personal channel with all favorite channel, apps etc pinned into one place.

Xbox with Friends:

This is something which Xbox & Microsoft wanted to achieve from a long time and looking at the features,  looks like it’s done and ready for you.  It is possible for you connect your friends and watch a video or a TV show together.  Call this a virtual hangout with friends.

In case you are going to miss the party, Xbox will save TV shows with the GAME DVR.  The real deal comes out when you actually can  see what your friends are watching.  This was possible before but only restricted and constrained to games and apps but now it’s full-blown around the globe.

Gamers:

A couples of games were announced at Xbox Reveal,  the most impressive was Forza 5 and there are many more to come in E3 which is the next month.  Looking at the specs,  Xbox One has a lot improved hardware with more space and even more processing power.

Record Gameplays: Now it is possible for Gamers to record game play using the GAME DVR and then later share with the world. Now to lower down your excitement, it is still not clear if you will be able to export the recording or will be only sharing it via some in-built Xbox Interface.

Non Stop Play : Xbox One is powered by Living Get Technology which in turn is powered by cloud. This makes sure that your latest stats stay in the cloud even when you are now their and in fact you can switch your game play with your friends. I am not sure if this really means that you can actually switch live accounts or it lets you pass to a friend online who also has the same game with him.

Achievement Real Time with Moments: We all have hated either when the game play crashed or Xbox turned off because the power ditched you.  Stats & Achievements are stored real-time and it also knows why you earned it. This means you can go back to time and see your game moments and know why you unlocked it. You can share it with friends, It even lets compare with friends and share them.

Smart Match & Background Updates: Xbox One will now update everything in background without you quitting the game plays or even TV shows. This process also applies when you are looking for a match in the game lobby. So basically you could be doing anything while game is on and quickly switch back and fort.

Xbox Hardware:

Xbox One is powered by 16 GZ of processor with 8GB DDR 3 & ES RAM. The console will come with 500 GB of HDD space which is 125 times of the standard Xbox 360 version.  Xbox One will also have HDMI pass-thru support to help your TV work with Xbox. This version of Xbox also has an improved version of controller which will help you achieve more response time etc.

The New Kinect : Looking at the improvements, it seems like Kinect hardware was rethought. The Infra Red camera has now night vision so you can play in dark. The real motion technology helps the Kinect to capture even the smallest gestures. This means we will see a lot of gesture controls. It also comes with all new multi microphone array which makes sure your voice is heard even in the crowed room.

Conclusion:

Everything looks good listen to read and to learn but we can only know the perfection of these claimed features when you get the Xbox One and start using it. Till then keep an eye on E3 for new games.

The post Editorial : Xbox One & What It Means for TV & The Gamers appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Xbox 720 to get Windows 9, Zune Hardware, Less Costly and Sleeker
2. Leaks detail on What Next Xbox & Kinect will be like (Features, Upgrades and Pricing)
3. How to Setup Beacons in Xbox 360 Metro Update

The game has been released for both Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8 and allows multiplayer gaming over Wi-Fi. The game is priced at $4.99.

Features of this game;

• Test your racing prowess on a 16 car grid against highly skilled AI drivers – or battle it out against other racers over WiFi
• Select from 30 officially licensed cars including the 2010 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500, 2010 Nissan GT-R (R35), 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, and more
• Work your way from rookie to pro in a robust Career Mode, offering 10 hours of exhilarating gameplay. Jump into a Quick Race for instant fun or try to beat the clock in Time Trial Mode.
• Race in 15 beautiful locations, with 40 miles of highly detailed race tracks, speedways, and city circuits – including twilight and night races.
• Touch or tilt to steer, as you experience state-of-the-art handling with customizable options that tailor to your personal driving style.

Download Real Racing 2

The post Real Racing 2 Comes to Windows Phone (Nokia Exclusive) appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Windows Phone Stone Age Racing Game : Remember The Flintstones
2. Nokia rolls in Yahtzee, Lumia Exclusive Game (Xbox for Windows Phone)
3. Amazing Spider-Man and Real Football 2013 for Windows Phone [Games]

With the app, you can register, upload, comment, like, follow, find your Facebook friends on Instagram. Itsdagram filters can be updated daily without the need to update the app.

Features of the app;

• Timeline view
• Ability to upload photos
• Apply filters
• Comment or like photos
• Share photos to Facebook and Twitter
• Create new Instagram account

Download Itsdagram Free

The post Itsdagram Free now Available in Windows Store appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Itsdagram- Instagram Client for Windows Phone
2. 3 Awesome Apps to Post to Instagram from Windows Phone
3. Instagraph—Instagram App for Windows Phone

Here are some of the quotes which I heard in the podcast:

• 21st May is going to be about revealing the next Xbox Platform
• Vision for Future of Games and Entertainment
• Some Infinity Game
• Team, People behind the next Xbox platform.
• E3 will be all about Games.

So I am guessing that many of you who been waiting to see lot of Games or the console, it might not just happen. Its clearly mentioned that E3 will be about games!!!

Summarizing, It seems Microsoft & Xbox team will be talking about lot of stats and share why they are bringing this or that feature in the next generation platform. If you been following the Xbox rumors, the second point almost confirms that future of games and entertainment means we might see something about the TV connectivity with the platform and the console.

I might be wrong and all these guys might be just teasing and not talking about the console could be a plan.

The post Microsoft might just not show the Next Xbox on 21st May appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Next Generation Xbox Coming on May 21st, First Preview at E3
2. Xbox @ E3 2012: What to Expect and here is how you can watch
3. Microsoft takes Xbox Gaming Seriously in India, Launches Exclusive Offers with Airtel

The app is similar to the previous version, but has more options for users. They can create a new account and add their own app list and share it with friends.

If you are new to Windows Phone and looking for best apps to install, then this is a must have app. There are tons of recommendations in music, sports, games, social sharing, entertainment and more. You can create a new account and start your list.

When you pick a list from the app, you can view the apps which are listed in the app list. You can also view detailed information about the app and download them on your phone.

Features of the app;

• Enjoy browsing through tons of different apps lists brought to you by Nokia and App Highlights Social Beta users around the world
• While you browse you can thank users for cool app lists
• Sign in to create and share lists of apps with your friends and with the world in order to gain thanks and followers in your lists
• Search for your friends and tech celebrities to start following them and gain insights from their lists of apps

The app is in beta and available only in US, Italy, Finland and India.

Download App Highlights Social

The post Nokia Releases New App Highlights Social appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Nokia Releases Instagram Like Apps- SophieLens and #2InstaWithLove
2. Nokia Releases Glam Me, a Self Portrait App for Lumia Phones
3. Xbox.com to Get Metro Update and go Social

Although the Instagram API is not open for uploading images, these apps post using some workarounds. Also, these apps have almost all features you can find in the official app. So here are best apps for Instagram (uploading photos) for Windows phone.

1. Instagraph:

This was the first app to be released in the Windows Phone store which supported uploading. The app has pretty good features and filters implemented using Aviary tools. The UI is also good, but the main issues with the app is that there is no option to create an account and also images are uploaded in a queue system. We had reviewed the app in detail, but the new release of the app solves most of the problems and now supports unlimited uploads.

The app is priced at $0.99.

Download Instagraph

2. Itsdagram:

This app is relatively new as it was released few days back. But unlike Instagraph, this one is a full fledged app with almost no restrictions on posting to Instagram. It also has option to like a photo, comment on it, view your profile and also has custom filters. The app is priced at $1.49 with an option to try. The developer is also planning to release an ad-supported free version next week.

Download Itsdagram

3. Winstagram:

While this is just an Instagram uploader, a full fledged version is under development. As of now, the app just lets you upload photos to Instagram without any filters. You cannot view the timeline, comment or like photos. The app is priced at $1.99.

Download Itsdagram

The post 3 Awesome Apps to Post to Instagram from Windows Phone appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Itsdagram- Instagram Client for Windows Phone
2. Review: Instagraph, the Instagram Client for Windows Phone
3. Nokia Releases Instagram Like Apps- SophieLens and #2InstaWithLove

What is different about Lumia 925  and Lumia 928?

It’s a Lumia 920 variant same as Lumia 928 which is a CDMA device for Verizon. Now lets pen down all the major differences and the only differences.

Lumia 925:

• Aluminum + Polycarbonate body
• Pureview Camera
• No In-built Wireless Charging

Lumia 928:

• Infinity Display
• Best Speakers in the Phone
• Xenon Flash which is best when used in low light.

Why did Nokia choose metal body for Lumia 925

Nokia has always been praised for their solid polycarbonate designs for phone. They are stronger and brings more personal feeling when a user holds their hands on the phone. In case of Lumia 925 they chose aluminum which turns out to be because Vodafone wanted their signals to work better with the phone which wasn’t already working that great with polycarbonate body.

So when Nokia choses materials it’s because they look at the functional aspect. Metals work great when it comes to signals and hence they made their way for the edges where antennas are placed and work great with Vodafone’s frequency. Since metal has no role to play on the back of the phone, polycarbonate made its way which also makes sure that there is less of scratches and bent when its metal.

In the Nokia Event Vodafone Executive came on stage to explain this situation where he said the signals are very complex here and when Nokia and Vodafone got together, getting the signal work properly.

PureView Camera

Lumia 925 Camera is made up of 6 lens which not only has improved the low light photography even with no flash magical but even when used in daylight, they are sharper. Lumia 920 set a standard which no other phone could beat and now with Lumia 925, the bar has been raised even higher.

As a matter of fact, I did took a picture with both Lumia 925 and Lumia 920 and the Lumia 920 does not stand even close to what Lumia 925 does with low light imaging. Below is a sample which was taken in darker than normal low light condition. I just have this sample and no more. ( Lumia 920 on left while Lumia 925 on right. Shot with Nokia Pureview 808)

Satisfying Operators Demand around the Globe & The Business Strategy:

Nokia has worked with the most challenging operators Horizon, AT & T, Vodafone, etc. So when operators came out with their own set of data of consumer research they prioritize certain things.

If we carefully take a look at the differences between 920, 925 and 928, it turns out that not only did Nokia took operators demand carefully but they changed specification here and there so none of the phones could be put over the others. As an example Lumia 925 has 16GB of storage when compared to Lumia 920 while the camera of Lumia 925 is far better than Lumia 920 while Lumia 925 has infinity display with the best speaker in the world.

Now If you combine this with operators demand, Nokia has now three assets when it comes to high-end smartphones.  Now its up to consumers to decide which Lumia to pickup because every operator is offering a Lumia 920 with variations.

Conclusion:

That said, I think this is the end of Lumia 920 series. Nokia has done a lot when it comes to Imaging and all these phones are great examples of it. It’s the right time for Nokia to push the limits to other aspects as well. Waterproof phones is one such example. While Microsoft has a lot to do when it comes to Windows Phone enhancements, I think Nokia will have to wait till something major rolls out at this build.

The post Why Nokia made Lumia 925 and 928 appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video
2. Video: Nokia Lumia 720 Low Light Image Quality Test
3. Confirmed : Battery drain fixed with Nokia Lumia 800 Update ( 1600.2487.8107.12070 ) and expect surprising new features

How it works?

This application runs face detecting algorithm on top of the Windows Phone Camera. When a face is detected, you get see the detection border and you can choose to take a picture.

The phone is in continuous detection mode which comes very hand when you to capture somebody’s face while in motion as it can auto focus when it figures out it’s a face.

Features:

• You can configure to automatically take picture. This means expect lots of flashes when you are n a crowded place.
• You get an alert when it detects a face in form of flash and tone.
• Audio Control. You can take a snap using voice or set auto nap.
• Option to turn on or off voice commands and flash.
• If you want, you can even choose Eton disabled auto snap.

Few drawbacks:

• It does not disable the lock screen timeout when in use. So expect an auto lock if you did not tap for long
• Does not uses the front camera which could have been great addition for self-portrait.

Download:

The app is available in trail or paid version in separate version. The free version does not have advertisement but watermarks the images. You can install the free version by downloading the app from here or paid from here.  The paid version is priced at 3.49$ which  IMO is bit too high.

The post Intelli Cam brings Auto Face Detection in Windows Phone appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Video : Face Mask for Windows Phone is here
2. Swap People’s face in a picture : Face Swap ( Video )
3. Windows Phone to get Auto Clear Cache & better Phone Storage Management

In Angry Birds Rio, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio de Janeiro, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the hit motion picture, Rio. Angry Birds Rio pairs the physics-based gameplay of the original game with unique twists based on the film.

Angry Birds Rio features:

• Seven fantastic episodes with 210 exciting levels, plus over 40 exciting bonus levels
• Completely new achievements
• Special Hidden fruits – discover them all
• Put your Angry Birds skills to the ultimate test in spectacular boss fights

The game is priced at $0.99 and is now available for purchase.

Download Angry Birds Rio (WP8)

Download Angry Birds Rio (WP7.5)

The post Angry Birds Rio Comes to Windows Phone appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Angry Birds Seasons for Windows Phone 8
2. Angry Birds Star Wars for Windows Phone 8 is out, May come for Lumia WP 7.5 users
3. Nokia Announces Lumia Exclusive Apps, Including Angry Birds, PayPal and Box

In past, Google had sent out similar notices to bring down many popular YouTube Apps claiming it to be against terms and conditions & Trademark Infringement as they were not the official YouTube App.  Microsoft is facing a similar problem and there is another reason to it — There are no advertisement and users can download the videos. The later option is not available except for YouTube Channel owners. As a matter of fact YouTube had been banning out many Online Tools and Desktop Applications for this.

Microsoft has replied back to Google that since YouTube API which supports advertisement and many other features is not open to Microsoft. They have been blocked and unless access is granted there is no way to support it.

I am sure Microsoft saw this coming and now it looks like this was a move to take this issue into limelight. Though MS is at fault for using the YOUTUBE name in the app which actually makes it look like an official app from Google.

Windows Phone user base has increased but the percentage is still low. Not sure if the percentage or it’s the companies rivalry that holding up Google to develop apps on Windows Phone Platform but this is going to take some good amount of time to get resolved.

That said,  We can hope that Microsoft & Google do resolve this issue and everybody gets benefit.  What is your take on this ?

Via Verge

The post Is Microsoft drawing Google to Open up the YouTube API Access appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. How to access Google Maps on Windows Phone
2. Microsoft New Game Content Usage Rules puts Gaming YouTube Channels Into trouble, No More making Money from Game Footage
3. Video : Google now supports Multiple Calendar for WP, Hope YouTube is next

Please note, the app is available only in Windows Phone Store UK and Windows Phone 8 devices.

Features include:

• On demand content over Wi-Fi and 3G.
• Add shows to your favourites so new episodes are quick to find for you to enjoy later.
• Ability to listen to BBC Radio in the background.
• Browse programmes by category, schedule, featured and most popular.

Download BBC iPlayer

The post BBC iPlayer for Windows Phone 8 appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. BBC iPlayer coming to Windows Phone but as a Browser Wrapper
2. Hulu Plus for Windows Phone 8
3. Gaana App for Windows Phone Released

The update also brings in camera enhancements and also the new camera app, Smart Camera to other Lumia phones.

The Amber update is in lines with the new GDR 2 update for Windows Phone from Microsoft. Support for FM Radio will be available for all devices except Lumia 620 which does not have the hardware for radio.

Apart from these, Nokia could also be bringing in the tap to wake up feature for its Lumia range.

The update will be rolled out in July and will be available for all Lumia phones.

The post Nokia’s ‘Amber’ Update for Windows Phone 8 to bring FM Radio and more appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. New Nokia Lumia Apps, Camera Extras etc and Update Rolling from 27th June for Lumia 800, 710
2. Tango to bring Internet Sharing to Windows Phone ? Nokia Lumia 610 / 900 already have it.
3. Nokia Music App For Lumia Handsets Updated; Adds Mix Radio Feature

Man of Steel branded Fat boy pillow wireless charger and Nokia Lumia 920 cases were announced. The Fatboy pillow charger has a new shape based on the movie with logos. Here are some of the images of the new accessories. We are not sure about the availability and price.

Here is a quick video of the accessories.

The post Man of Steel Branded Accessories for Nokia Lumia 920 appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Man of Steel Movie app for Nokia Lumia Phones
2. 5 Awesome Accessories for Nokia Lumia 920
3. Nokia Wireless Car Charger Hands On Video

The new phone also has a accessory in the form of wireless charging case and unlike Lumia 920, wireless charging is not available out of the box. The device will be available in June for a price of around EUR 469. If you want the detailed specification, check out this post.

Related Reading: Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video

Meanwhile here are some captures of the new Lumia 920.

Related Reading: Nokia Lumia 925 vs Lumia 920- Specs Comparison

The post Nokia Lumia 925 Photo Gallery appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Nokia Lumia 925 vs Lumia 928- Specs Comparison
2. Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video
3. Nokia Lumia 925 vs Lumia 920- Specs Comparison

The app adds quite a lot of options to the camera including removing objects from the image. Here is a quick demo on Smart Camera App from Nokia.

We will have more detailed hands on later when the app is available to other Lumia phones.

The post Nokia Smart Camera App Demo appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Smart Camera App in Nokia Lumia 925
2. Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video
3. Nokia Place Tag Camera Lens Demo

Here is quick video on what’s new in Nokia Lumia 925 camera.

Related Reading: Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video

As you can see from the above video, the new camera has much better low light photography capabilities along with better and sharper images. We will have a detailed review of Lumia 925 camera later.

The post Nokia Lumia 925 Camera–What’s New appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video
2. Smart Camera App in Nokia Lumia 925
3. Video: Nokia Lumia 720 Low Light Image Quality Test

This case is offered in different colors like the Lumia 920 and you can simply attach it to the back of the device to start charging with your wireless charger.

Here is a quick demo of Wireless charging cover in action;

The post Nokia Lumia 925 Wireless Charging Case appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Brando’s Wireless Charging Pad for Nokia Lumia 920
2. Review : Nokia Wireless Charging Plate – Do You Really Need it?
3. Qimini Wireless Charging from USB

Related Reading: Nokia Lumia 925 vs Lumia 920- Specs Comparison

Here is a quick hands on video of Lumia 925;

The post Nokia Lumia 925 Hands On Video appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. Smart Camera App in Nokia Lumia 925
2. Nokia Lumia 720- Hands On Video and Photos
3. Nokia Lumia 520- Hands On Video and Photos

The Action Shot feature in Nokia Smart Camera lets you snap once to get a sequence of movements in a single high-quality image. The Remove Moving Object feature in Nokia Smart Camera lets you erase unwanted details to get your picture looking just the way you want.

The Change Faces feature in Nokia Smart Camera lets you combine your favourite expressions from a series of shots into a single perfect group photo. Below you can see video demo of all the features;

1. Change Faces using Smart Camera:

2. Remove objects using Smart Camera:

3. Action Shot using Smart Camera:

We will have a detailed hands on with the app later.

The post Smart Camera App in Nokia Lumia 925 appeared first on Wpxbox.

Related posts:

1. New Nokia Lumia Apps, Camera Extras etc and Update Rolling from 27th June for Lumia 800, 710
2. How to Use White Balance on Lumia 920 Camera [Video]
3. Confirmed : Battery drain fixed with Nokia Lumia 800 Update ( 1600.2487.8107.12070 ) and expect surprising new features