Category: Reviews

One of the new apps in the Windows and Windows Phone Stores that is a real bright spot is the NPR One app.  National Public Radio, or NPR, released the app last week for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 to bring you news and information from your local NPR station as well as news and information from the wide range of NPR shows to your devices, completely free.  With smooth navigation and powerful search functionality, the NPR One app is a must have for those who listen avidly to National Public Radio.

The release of NPR One last week covered both Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 to the closest thing that the platforms today have to Universal Apps.  Functionally they are identical with only modifications for the UIs coming into play.

NPR One for Windows Phone 8.1 – Free – Download Now

NPR One for Windows 8.1 – Free – Download Now

dTilt Shift photography is not something new to Windows Phone but many of the apps can be complicated to figure out, especially on photos you have already taken.  That is one of the reasons that the new Diorama app for Windows Phone is one try out.  The Diorama app allows you to take a photo with your camera or from your photo library and quickly apply a tilt shift effect to them.  With simple controls and a clean, simply UI, Diorama is a fast way to apply this fun photo filter to your pictures.

For those who are new to smartphone photography, tilt shifting is a photo effect where you make something look miniaturized, or as the case may be, like it is in a diorama.  It certainly isn’t new to digital or smartphone photography or photography in general for that matter.  Smartphones however have made the effect popular because apps like Diorama have made it easy.

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

No matter what type of music you like, headphones and speakers make all of the difference when it comes to sound quality.  This is particularly true on the sub-$100 end of the scale where the vast majority of us reside, particularly when it comes to headphones.  I’ve always been one who tries to keep my headphone purchases under $30 for a lot of reasons but mostly because I tend to tear them up with the amount of travel I do and frankly I lose them.

Recently I picked up a pair of the Coloud Pop Headphones to use with my Lumia 1320 and have been nothing short of impressed.  Normally priced at $24.99 but currently on sale for $9.99, this headset provides outstanding sound quality for listening to music but also has a built-in microphone so phone calls are not a problem for this accessory.  It is also designed to be tangle free which makes it great when you are frantically pulling it out of your bag to join a conference call.  No more trying to sort out the cords while trying to listen to the call at the same time.  All this for under ten bucks is hard to beat.

Coloud Pop Headphones – $9.99  – Microsoft Store

Coloud Pop Headphones – $25 – Direct from Coloud

There are some classic games out there that many of us grew up playing at one time or another.  Bingo is likely one of those games, be it at home with family or in a bingo parlor.  While often associated with seniors, Bingo is a fun game and can be quite competitive.  Microsoft has captured that well in their Microsoft Bingo app.  This universal app for all Windows platforms gives you both that competitive nature of the game along with giving you awards thanks to Xbox Live integration and frankly it has proven to be hours of fun as I’ve prepared this review.  Whether you like the game or not, here is my review of Microsoft Bingo, a fun classic for your Windows devices that even casual players can enjoy for free.

Microsoft Bingo for Windows Phone – Free (In-App Purchase) – Download Now

Microsoft Bingo for Windows PC & Tablets – Free (In-App Purchase) – Download Now

One of the things that I have missed since leaving the iOS wilderness has been a tablet device.  I loved my iPad Air and I increasingly found that I was having to schlep around my Windows powered MacBook for what I use to do on my iPad. With Black Friday coming up last week, I decided to pick up an inexpensive Windows tablet to fill the gap.  I didn’t want to spend a lot of money in case I absolutely hated the experience and thought it would be a good launch point for a more advanced tablet if I wanted to go that route. In that vein I ended up getting the Toshiba Encore 2 for a mere $132 from Amazon. At that price, I didn’t expect a lot nor was I in deep cost wise if I hated it.

After a couple of days of using the Encore 2, I have to say that I am quite pleased with the purchase and you can still get it for a great price of $149 at the Microsoft Store.  For that price it’s hard to beat.

Without a doubt one of my favorite games in my twenties was Age of Empires.  I spent hours playing this game and in fact at one point, my entire startup company on Friday’s would have an AoE tournament.  When Microsoft announced that Age of Empire Castle Siege was coming to Windows and Windows Phone earlier this year, I was ecstatic but also had my concerns about it living up to my memories.  I can say now after a few weeks of playing, it lives up to expectations.

The game play in Age of Empires Castle Siege is outstanding with great graphics, smooth scrolling and a truly universal app for both Windows and Windows Phone.  Having played the game for a few weeks now I can say that you won’t be disappointed, especially if you are an old AoE player.

Age of Empires: Castle Siege – Universal App – Free – Download Now