Report: Nokia Planning To Release A New Bluetooth Accessory Called ‘Treasure Tag’

With the support for Bluetooth LE/Smart in the upcoming Windows Phone GDR2/Amber update, Nokia is planning to release a range of Bluetooth 4.0 based accessories for its Lumia Windows Phone devices. Today, The Verge reported that Nokia is planning to release a Bluetooth 4.0/NFC accessory called “Treasure Tag” which will pair with Lumia Windows Phones via NFC and will come with a with a loop strap to attach it with other items. This accessory will allow Windows Phone users to track items with a special application.

The app will also display the location of the sensor on a map, complete with Nokia’s LiveSight augmented reality view. You’ll also be able to locate a phone that’s paired to the sensor by holding down a key on the device. The sensor will trigger a notification sound on a phone, but only if it’s within range.

We first wrote about the accessory as an unsubstantiated rumour on the weekend, but it seems confirmation has come rather rapidly.

Source: The Verge

How to Add an All Programs Button to the Windows 8 Taskbar

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Millions of users bemoan the fact that Windows 8 has done away with the classic Start menu button. Fortunately, there’s a way to resurrect a skeletal version of it in Windows 8’s Desktop UI by attaching the Programs folder to the taskbar. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the desktop if you’re not there already.
2. Right-click on the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen to pull up a menu.
   
   
   
   

   
   
3. Highlight the Toolbars sub-menu to reveal more options.
    
4. Click on New toolbar.
   
   
   
   
5. Type or Paste “%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs”(without the quotes) into the Folder field at the bottom of the New Toolbar window that appears and click Select Folder.
   
   
    The Programs button now appears on the right hand side of the Taskbar, labeled with “>

Nokia Lumia 625 tear down pictures posted

As we have come to expect WindowsMania.pl have managed to acquire internal pictures of the Nokia Lumia 625.
The device has a massive 4.7 inch WVGA screen and relatively cheap components, lacking for example a gyroscope and packing only 512 MB RAM.
The handset will retail for around £200 or 220 Euro, which seems somewhat on the high side for the technology it contains. The handset is however LTE equipped, which does help justify its price point.
From the disassembly pictures after the break the handset does look pretty repairable, which is always a plus.
See more pictures after the break.

Via WindowsMania.pl.

Kantar June US numbers show reduced Windows Phone market share on Verizon

Kantar has now also released their June report focussing on the US market. Their data is derived from more than 240,000 interviews per year in the U.S. alone.
In the 3 months ending June 2013 Windows Phone slipped back from a high of 5.6% market share in April 2013 to only 4.0% in June.
Looking at the individual operators it seems Windows Phone has been pretty stable on AT&T, holding 4.5% market share, only slightly down from 4.7% in April 2013 when US carrier numbers were last released.





It is however on Verizon where we see the source of the problem. 
There Windows Phone held 5.0% market share in June, admitted upped massively from 0.3% a year ago, but down significantly from 6.8% in April this year.

The issue is unfortunately amplified by the fact that Verizon sells nearly 40% more smartphones than AT&T, meaning a reduced market share there has a much greater impact on the US market than on AT&T.

Unfortunately AT&T has been Microsoft’s closest partner in the US, despite Verizon currently selling more Windows Phones, and we would suggest releasing top end handsets on all carriers may be a better approach that favouring AT&T with the best hardware the earliest.

Source: Kantar Wordpanel

New Nokia Lumia 1020 Ad Focuses On Camera To Target Photography Loving Consumers

Last week we saw the first ad for AT&T Nokia Lumia 1020, as expected it focused on the low-light and lossless zoom of camera in action. Today we got another commercial, and this one also focuses on camera of the device. The ad shows different people trying to capture different moments and how Nokia Lumia 1020 with its amazing camera can serve them better to do that.

Meet the Nokia Lumia 1020, with 41 megapixels and reinvented zoom—this is what billions of smartphone camera photographers have been waiting for. Nothing else comes close.

Do you like this ad?

Source: @windowsphone