Windows Phone Summary of the Week: August 1-7, 2011

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By Rich Edmonds
last updated

We're at the beginning of yet another week in the Windows Phone world, pressing on forwards through the holidays and heading ever closer to the looming "Mango" update. We've had our Mobile Nations breif (and podcast), ensuring we're all up-to-date with news and happenings while we have published another WPCentral podcast (this time it was live).

Jay has been hard at work brining version 1.3 of the official WPCentral app to the Marketplace, boasting more Metro UI aesthetics. Before we crack on with the summary, Google has thrown its toys out the pram while Microsoft tells them to grow up. Always good fun, right (it carries on)? Head on past the break for the summary and links. 

Kicking off with our selected highlights, the new Windows Phone logo, adopting a square shape in favour of the circle, has gone official. We fast forward a good number of months to "Tango" the post-Mango update, which has been supposedly spotted on "Dude, where's my update?" app as mysterious build 7.10.8200. We take a look at the future update with a content search feature.

We previously covered concerns over Microsoft's Live.com geolocation service, these issues are being looked into with some being addressed already. Brandon Foy, the brains behind the advert shown at MIX'11, has landed himself at Microsoft. The Fujitsu IS12T sports early earthquake warnings for users. Long Zheng of ChevronWP7 has published a concept for a new search where the user has to hold down the button for it to register.

Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, spoke about Nokia heading down the paths of not only Windows Phone, but MeeGo too. Taipei has displayed great enthusiasm for the platform, just like a child seeing the Pick'n'Mix at Woolworths for the first time.

Our Paul Acevedo interviewed Game House, makers of Doodle Jump and Sally's Salon. Pong7 receives a makeover and reminds our Daniel Rubino of his young age. ilomilo is still this week's deal of the week, while Tentacles is proving to be too tough - a fix is on the way. Rise of Glory is no longer MIA and is updated to version 1.2, repairing broken achievements.

The Xbox Live title Cro-Mag Rally is now available and we take a further look at Kinect integration with WP7. Minesweeper and Sudoku (Xbox Live titles) are coming to WP7 on August 10th and GameHouse announces five new Live titles while some Xbox Live Indie Games are in the works for WP7.

Mango opens up new doors with IM, users will now be able to receive music and video via Messenger (although files aren't stored locally). A Google+ WP7 app has been spotted in the wild, possibly existing? gMaps gets updated to version 1.10 and starts to excite our Daniel, DC Comics also gets updated, as well as Wordpress, Kik and Evernote. The file:recon beta is looking for testers, so if you wish to use the app for the WHS addon Service Transfer Manager be sure to get involved. 

Skype is definitely bringing video calling to WP7, hopefully sooner rather than later. USA Today's Live Tile plans for Mango are revealed, an official Brother iPrint&Scan app is now available, and Adobe plan to bring 'Edge' to WP7 - the HTML5 version of Flash. USB storage makes a return to Microsoft's mobile platform.

The IS12T has been updated to RTM build and is now displaying more system information, including KDDI carrier. After this handset has been in the spotlight, we have learned that Fujitsu and Toshiba will be breaking up. Samsung has responded to customers with the Omnia 7 by announcing a fix is on the way.

Fancy wasting a few minutes or wish to impress someone with humour? Why not give Helium Voice a go? Should you find yourself at the cinema during a movie and you need the bathroom, RunPee will let you know when the best moments are in that film text is available to run you through the minutes you've missed.

Beloved developers. We have word of the Developer October Hackathon, which is to be held on the 26th and 27th. The free ebooks offered by Microsoft are now in reader formats and the Silverlight Toolkit for WP7 is getting a Mango-August refresh.

Highlights

Gaming

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Hardware

Fun

Developers

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.