Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Update Supports Large Screen

Recently Microsoft announced the imminent launch of the latest Windows update for Windows Phone 8.

The timing of the update matches previous updates which tend to be around fall time. The update, labelled GDR3 (General Distribution Release) sees theWindows Phone empire beginning to join the large screen phone trend. One of the most prominent features of GDR3 is the fact that it will support displays between 5 and 7 inches with 1080p maximum resolution. At the moment though, Windows have no intention to add support for tablets

Windows Phone users will now be able to access a third row of tiles on their starts screens so now smart phone users are able to access a good looking start screen whether on their phone or tablet. Phones in the future that feature GDR3 as standard will be running on a more powerful quadcore processor and support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800.

Extras

The main points of the update address the software support and screen issues for the phones. However, there are a few bits and bobs that people will find useful:

• In an effort to make their Windows phones more accessible, Microsoft have made it easier for people who are visually impaired to use devices by sharing internet via Bluetooth.
• Driving Mode allows users to turn incoming calls on or off while driving and triggers any Bluetooth devices automatically.
• The screen will lock in place if the user wishes so that the display doesn’t switch from portrait to landscape when the position of the phone moves. For anyone who’s tried to look at a picture that has been posted at a 90 degrees angle, this will surely be good news!
• The way in which the internal storage usage is shown has also been altered, with the way in which data is counted being changed slightly.

Early Updates

Microsoft will be bypassing the carrier testing stage of the update and going straight to developers and is even offering Windows Phone users an opportunity to get their hands on the update before it is officially released to the public for a small subscription fee.

It’s unclear how future updates will work on the Windows Phone Preview program but it’s clear that Microsoft are actively trying to provide a solution to customer’s frustration at waiting for delays in updates due to carrier testing.

Microsoft Working On Technology To Replace Cookies

Microsoft is developing a new technology to replace cookies.  This work is similar to projects being undertaken by Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.   Tracking cookies have come under scrutiny recently from regulators by many concerned about privacy.

Certain types of cookies (Third party tracking cookies) are now easily blocked through built-in functions and extensions/add-ons within main web browsers.  Google’s Chrome browser, however, has all cookies fully enabled by default to maximize advertising revenue.  On the other hand Apple’s Safari browser blocks third party cookies by default and Firefox is considering doing the same.  The Do Not Track function is also impeding advertisers; with Microsoft’s browser, Internet Explorer, at the forefront having it enabled by default.  Most browsers also have a private setting which blocks many cookies when it is enabled.

Microsoft’s new technology will be designed to enable tracking across a users desktop, tablet, smartphone, and Xbox console.  This technology should also include Microsoft services including their search engine Bing.  Tracking in mobile devices remains a key point. The big advantage of Microsoft’s emerging technology is that it could track a user across a platform.  Microsoft plans are currently in the early stages, and no further details whatsoever are know, but, Microsoft have released a statement:  “We agree that going beyond the cookie is important. Our priority will be to find ways to do this that respect the interests of consumers,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email.

Microsoft’s cookie replacement would essentially be a device identifier, meaning consumers could give permission for its advertising use when opting in to a device’s regular user agreement or terms of service. Microsoft would then become directly responsible for users’ data and, assuming it doesn’t share it with third parties, confine privacy concerns to the Redmond, Wash. based company rather than countless companies that currently collect data on people’s browsing behaviours.

At its core, Microsoft’s cookie replacement would enable what’s already possible on a desktop web browser with third-party cookies and extend it to a new device, such as a smartphone or a connected TV.

Microsoft’s cookie replacement program could also include behavioural data from Microsoft’s own services, such as Bing, sources said.  This means that search data could inform TV-style advertising within streaming video apps on The Xbox platform. 

In terms of identifying the same user across platforms, there has to be another way.”  The Media Kitchen president Barry Lowenthal commented, “Not only would [Microsoft] be building out an ad ID, but they would also be building out a cross-channel attribution model, which everybody wants.”

A cookie replacement that would work on Xbox should round up advertiser interest, considering the console has become more of a connected tv device. In the last year, 46 million people devoted 18 billion hours of non-gaming entertainment on their consoles, such as movies and TV shows, Xbox marketing executive Yusuf Mehdi said earlier this year.