News Byte

Hulu Plus Hits Windows Phone 8

Microsoft has added another marquee app to its Windows Phone 8 catalog: Hulu Plus. The video service app debuted Monday on the Windows Phone store, offering streamed access to its catalog of TV shows and Criterion Collection films for an $8 per month subscription. The app’s lone Windows Phone customization: a Live Tile that updates with Hulu’s “hottest shows.” Still, a great addition to the Windows Phone app catalog which has been criticized for its lack of top-tier apps.

Microsoft, Nokia Target Low End in Effort to Crack Tough U.S. Market

The Lumia 521, which goes on sale at Walmart and Microsoft stores next week, sells for around $150 without a contract.
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Facebook Timeline Makes Its Way to Windows Phone, at Least in Beta

The Windows Phone 8 app is still in beta, but adds some long-requested features, including support for high-resolution photos.
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BlackBerry’s Pitch to iOS and Android Game Developers: We’re the Same, but Different

A few questions for BlackBerry games guru Anders Jeppsson.
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Microsoft Says Paying Developers Is Not Its Main Strategy for Getting More Windows Apps

As part of a short-term promotion, the company is paying developers $100 for every new Windows 8 app they write.
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Is Samsung Stringing Microsoft Along on Windows Phone 8?

A diabolical theory, but Samsung does have its own Tizen mobile OS in the works.
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Huawei Plans Firefox OS Phone, but CEO Says Unclear How Consumers Will Take to It

Richard Yu tells AllThingsD that while carriers like alternatives to Android and Apple, it remains to be seen whether consumers will bite. Meanwhile, Huawei plans more Windows Phones.
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With New Windows Phone Models, Nokia Aims to Better Compete on Price

The phone maker adds lower-end models to its lineup in an effort to address the challenges posed by low-end Android devices.
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Windows Phone on a Budget: Nokia vs. Samsung

The Samsung ATIV Odyssey and Nokia Lumia 822 both do Windows Phone a budget. But which is the better deal?
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News Byte

Samsung ATIV Odyssey Journeys to Verizon Stores January 24

Samsung announced today that its first Windows Phone 8 device for the U.S. will be available from Verizon Wireless on Jan. 24. The Samsung ATIV Odyssey will cost $50 with a two-year contract, and features a four-inch, 800 x 480-pixel touchscreen, a five-megapixel camera on back, and a front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera. The smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and has eight gigabytes of internal memory. It’s also 4G LTE capable, and can be used internationally. The ATIV Odyssey is Verizon’s third Windows Phone 8 offering, joining the HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 822.