The Windows Phone 8 SDK has escaped to the wild, and some sifting through the device emulator has dug up elements that Microsoft either skipped or only touched on lightly during the big unveiling in June. The most important addition may be the one customers see the least: backup. A WP7.hu search has the new OS replicating apps, settings and SMS messages in the cloud to prevent disaster, and that new SD card support will let WP8 owners shuffle photos from internal storage to the removable kind for safekeeping. There's also more work on Internet Explorer than we saw before, with MobileTechWorld noticing that DataSense provides an option for Opera-like remote compression to save that precious cellular bandwidth.

Media fans might have the most to gain. If we go by The Verge, both the Music/Video and Xbox hubs are getting fresh coats of paint -- both to integrate new ventures like Xbox Music as well as to jive more closely with the SmartGlass visual theme. Shutterbugs will like the long-awaited options to crop and rotate their work, pick multiple photos, and unify third-party camera apps under a Lenses concept. There's even more clever features in store, such as a Maps update that finds nearby WiFi hotspots, so head on over to the sources to get a full sense of where Microsoft will be going.

Filed under: Cellphones

Windows Phone 8 SDK leaks show quiet upgrades to backup, media and the kitchen sink originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WMPowerUser (1), (2)  |  MobileTechWorld, WP7.hu (translated), The Verge, Reddit  | Email this | Comments

Have you linked your personal data to HTCSense.com's cloud? Did you even know that was possible? Well, tough luck Johnny-come-latelies because it's too late now, anyway, as that feature is destined to sunset at the end of next month. Users who'd previously opted-in for that remote storage have begun to receive notices via email regarding the company's plans to pull the plug on April 30th and have been urged to download and back up all pertinent info before it heads for the recycle bin. The transition is reportedly part of a service overhaul, with an enhanced consumer-facing experience in the works for an unspecified future launch. Just what those service enhancements entail we can't say for sure, as the OEM's staying relatively mum on the subject. We did, however, reach out to the company for an official comment which you can read after the break.

Continue reading HTCSense.com to shutter service April 30th, facelift on the way

HTCSense.com to shutter service April 30th, facelift on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elan is launching an adapter that allows an external USB hard drive to be plugged into a cellphone's micro-SD slot.
Once connected using the Mobidapter, files can be transferred and backups made without the need for a PC.

INTERVIEW: Sanjiv Parikh, vice president of marketing for FutureDial, talks to smartphone-biz.news about its mobile content management service and its potential to generate revenue for operators and retailers.
The company's Retail Management Solution (RMS) 4.0 allows mobile content to be directly loaded to handsets at store counters - an industry first.