Category: Microsoft Windows

In a recent earnings call, an AMD executive let it slip that Windows 10 would be shipping to consumers in July of this year.  That would fit nicely into the Microsoft announced “summer” release date that they offered back in February.  Summer is certainly a broad term as technical summer is from June 21st through September 23rd this year and everyone is clamoring for a more definitive date.  The challenge of course is that Windows 10 is still very much in beta as are many individual components of what will be released with the new Operating System.  That to me makes a July release date nearly impossible and in fact I’ll give you five reasons why I don’t think Windows 10 will launch in July 2015.

Developer Rudy Huyn just keeps at it on his various Windows Phone apps and today we see another update to 6Tag, arguably the best Instagram app on the platform.  The update, version 4.1.3 for those keeping score at home, is aimed at improving the memory usage of the app, making it a bit more efficient in its operation on your device.  There are no other changes noted in the Release Notes but if you are a 6Tag user, you should definitely go get this update today.

6Tag for Windows Phone – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now

The value priced but powerful BLU Win HD LTE Windows Phone has made its way to the Microsoft Store and is priced at $199 unlocked.  If you don’t remember, this new phone was announced just before MWC this year and is the latest in the lineup from BLU Windows Phones aimed at giving solid mid-range features at an attractive price.  This new phone also eliminates one of the complaints with the BLU Win HD which is that it did not support LTE bands for higher download speeds so at $199, it is a great deal for what it has to offer.

BLU Win HD LTE – $199 – Microsoft Store

The official Amazon for Windows Phone app has received a small but important update today, addressing some bugs within the app and making some performance improvements.  The update, version 2.6.82.1 for those keeping score at home, doesn’t bring any new features but in my testing this morning does have a significant performance boost over the previous build.  If you use the Amazon app on your Windows Phone this update is certainly one to get.

Amazon for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now

As expected and promised, the second Technical Preview of Windows 10 is now available to Windows Insiders.  The update released around 10:00 AM PST this morning and for those who are a part of the Insiders program and have the Windows Insider app on their Lumia phones, you should check for updates on your phone to get it.  The build is 10051 for those keeping score at home.

As I noted in my post earlier this morning, this preview is still very much in beta and will have bugs and other issues.  But it is an update that many of us have been waiting for since February.  You can read the full blog post on the update here.

One of the big changes coming in Windows 10 is the unified app store where no matter what device you are using – Windows 10 PC, Tablet or Phone – you go to one store to get the universal apps for all the platforms.  Today Microsoft has announced another step forward in this process.  Earlier this month in the Windows 10 Store beta we saw the Movies & TV section go live but you couldn’t actually access any content.  That has now changed and over the course of the next 24 hours, all users should see this roll to the Store beta on their devices.