Microsoft has published its design guidelines for building Universal Apps on Windows 10. The new documentation outlines designing apps for Windows 10 on PCs, phones, and tablets. The guide is split into three primary sections: Design basics, Guidelines, and Design downloads. Design basics covers the fundamentals of designing for multiple screen sizes. You can get a primer on...
Earlier this morning, Microsoft demonstrated how current Win32 apps (aka 'Classic Windows apps') can be ported as Universal Windows Apps that can run on various devices. Even better, these apps can be bought and downloaded through the store, and they avoid all the pitfalls of traditional Win32 apps, including bloated registries and poor uninstall abilities. Microsoft is also now going...
While the latest official release of Windows 10 Technical Preview still stuck in build 10049, a new preview of the operating system (build 10056) recently leaked onto the web. This release of the OS unveiled a number of changes, improvements and updated apps including a new Weather app. Additionally, Microsoft is also including new redesigned version of its Sports, Money, and News apps...
Although YouTube is once again changing their API for developers and third party apps, one of our favorite apps Tubecast is getting a big update today, including fixing some recent bugs. If you recall, a few weeks ago Tubecast for Windows 8.1 joined the ranks with its Windows Phone brother to become a universal app. Today is the first update for both apps, bringing some improvements...
Microsoft's Windows 10 promises to bring a unified front to developers who previously had to pick a platform to write their app on. Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 have seen middling releases, although the pain was less on Windows due to it being able to run legacy x86 software. Xbox One development, on the other hand, is only open to those companies with deep budgets. Windows 10 looks...
Over 275 million people use Foxit Reader (foxitsoftware.com) as their PDF reader on their computers. If you're a Windows Phone user, you can now install the company's MobilePDF Reader on your phone. It has been released as a Universal Windows app, so you can also install it on your Windows tablet. It's quick and dependable. Want to see it in action? Check out our hands-on video....
Yet another Star Wars games has been released for mobile devices, including Windows Phone and Windows 8.1. This time, the game is Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions, based on the current animated TV series on Disney XD that tells the story of the early days of the Rebellion between Episode III and IV. While the game is free to download and play, in-app purchases do unlock some extra...
Microsoft may have settled on a new but simple label to describe its universal apps that will run on all Windows 10 devices. That name? "Windows Apps". In a presentation last week at the company's WinHEC hardware conference in China, Microsoft displayed a slide which showed that "Windows apps" is the name the company is using to define any app made on the universal app platform. In...
Have you heard? Universal Windows apps are the big thing for Windows and Windows Phone users. Today, we have another addition to our bucket of apps. Fedora Reader is a super quick, clean and Modern RSS feed reader from Joshua Grzybowski, the developer of Pouch, a well-received Pocket app for Windows Phone. Fedora Reader is unlike many other RSS apps in that it looks very Windows 10...
Philips Hue Lights (MeetHue.com are certainly not cheap, but they are very awesome. The system allows you replace your current lights with a LED bulb that will supposedly last 10 to 20 years. Even more exciting, the Hues color bulbs can change to nearly any color in the spectrum through a wireless connection. As a result, you can make your living room glow different colors as accent...
Last month, a unique little puzzle platformer called Chronology made its way to Windows Phone. Chronology wowed us with its time-traveling mechanics that allow players to travel back and forth between time and even stop it, all in the name of solving puzzles and saving the world. It also features beautiful art and music. Denmark-based developer Osao Games recently released a Windows 8...
Although the much-loved Pinball FX2 sadly never showed up on Windows Phone, Microsoft's mobile phone platform has a long-running pinball series of its own: Pinball League from Tainicom. It started with The Juggler way back in 2011, followed by Dr. Pickaxe the next year. Both games also made it to Windows 8 and RT. After a two year absence, Tainicom is back with their latest pinball...
The tantalizing benefits of universal games for Windows Phone and Windows desktop is lurching slowly every day to becoming a reality. The process should accelerate with Windows 10 due next year, but for now, users have to settle for the occasional release. Today, Riptide GP2 is that next game. Originally released through the Windows Store back in December 2013, the Windows Phone 8.1...
Know anyone that sleepwalks? It sounds dangerous. In Back to Bed, you guide a sleepwalker named Bob to the safety of his bed. You don't want him to fall off a ledge. To achieve this, you control a subconscious guardian named Subob. He looks like a dog with a human head. Since Bob automatically turns right after hitting a wall and other objects, it's up to you to place things in front of...
Earlier this year, Pixel Chat Games and publisher The Secret Service Inc. released a charming endless runner/platformer for Windows Phone called The Adventures of SlingCat. Windows Central's own George Ponder was impressed with the game's cartoon-like graphics and array of distinct levels (always a plus in endless runners). Fast forward to today and SlingCat is back, this time on...
When it comes to cooking, timing is very important. While Happy Chef 2 sounds like you're required to cook dishes, this very popular game from Nordcurrent (nordcurrent.com) is more about testing your time management skills. It has been available on iOS and Android, but it's now on Windows and Windows Phone devices, too. Make pizzas, pastas, ice creams, brownies, pancakes, and more while...
Early this summer, a big batch of Xbox Windows Phone and Windows 8 games disappeared from the Store and into the ether. Some of these games would return without their Xbox features, we reported, while others would stay gone for good. One of those delisted titles was Carcassonne, a strategic board game from German developer Exozet games. This week, it finally returned to Windows Phone....
Windows 10 promises to fulfill Microsoft's goal of giving app creators support for making universal apps that can run from everything from small smartphone to large 80 inch screens. Indeed, the company has already admitted that Windows 10 will also be the next big version of Windows Phone. In a blog post directed at app developers, Microsoft said that Windows 10 will continue the...
Community favorite YouTube app myTube, is making the jump from Windows Phone to Windows 8.1. A true universal app, myTube for Windows is now in beta, and anyone can join in and test. Anyone looking to test myTube for Windows 8.1 will first need to download the beta app here, then follow these instructions: Once the download is complete, extract the .zip file and open the...
Earlier in the summer, we compiled a two-part list of freshly-released indie games for Windows Phone. Microsoft had helped a number of independent developers create a fine batch of games. One of those games, Pop! Food Factory from Blacksmith Software, suffered from performance issues though. I liked the core game but felt it needed more time in the oven. A few months later, Blacksmith...