Windows Phone Marketplace Developer Newsletter - April 2011

Just received an email from Microsoft regarding the status of the WP7 marketplace.  I won't bore you with the gory details but here are some interesting bits for us wp7 users.

Korean Input App from LG for LG Handsets only

LG has just released a LG only app that allows wp7 users to type in Korean.

It is DRM'ed to LG so no such love for HTC and Samsung users.

The app is called LGHangul.  Fastest way to find this if you have an LG handset is of course via the LG marketplace or just search fo LG in marketplace.

Source: WPCentral

Official Groupon App

The official Groupon app for WP7 is now available for download at the marketplace and of course it is FREE!  Looks like you can sign on to your Groupon account and access all your purchased groupons and deals directly from the app.

It claims that it is for US and Canada for some reason, I do not get the "Install" button (both on my WP7 phone and on Zune Desktop). 
I am trying to find out from Microsoft why this is the case.  (Probably they just published in the US marketplace and completely forgot about the Canadian one) All looking, no touching. 

I will keep you posted or you can try to install the app.  Let me know if you can actually install this and you have a Canadian WP7 handset.

*Update* - Time is April 25 around 10pm PST.  The "install" button is working now.  Go grab it!

Ovi Maps to Windows Phone 7?

One of the biggest news that was reported in Februrary was Nokia + Microsoft getting together in the smartphone OS fight against the likes of iOS and Android.  Many WP7 users (and even more potential users now that a lot them are actually just waiting for the first Nokia WP7 handsets) before finally taking the plunge. 

So what does this holy matromony (or unholy if you are an Symbian fanboy) brings to the WP7 ecosystem?  On one hand, we know that Nokia is getting 1 billion dollars over the next 5 years from Microsoft for this "deal".  Microsoft is getting a big player fully behind WP7, but what about other Nokia goodies?

In case you don't know but Microsoft and Nokia got together this past week and finally signed this agreement.  Now, more information are coming to light from the Nokia front.  There are some good news for the army of Symbian developers as well.

More Canadian Apps Released!

Well, not mine but I finally have one coming soon.. I think I'll make it another one of those free but you can buy me a coffee if you like it type paid apps (i.e. trial mode and purchase versions are exactly the same - you can purchase if it you like to get me a coffee type $1.09 app - like my Canadian Tips calculator).  I'll post that once I finished testing and is released on the marketplace.  Now back to this post..

SUN media, the publisher of such websites as canoe.ca and owner of the "SUN" newspaper chain in Canada has just released a shit load of WP7 apps in the available for FREE in the marketplace.

It's your typical news, weather, entertainment, magazine type apps in the marketplace.  To download it, click here (opens zune)

Now, if you happen to live in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, and/or Ottawa, SUN media also released localized versions of the SUN WP7 app just for you.

Read on for the links in marketplace.

HowardForums WP7 App now available!

Unless you have been living under a rock, you'd probably heard of HowardForums.com.  This excellent mobile phone/carrier related user community has just released a WP7 app.  It employs the familiar metro UI throughout the app, push notification (guess this is for forum messages - you need to log into to your howardforums account, don't think you can just create one from the wp7 app but you can go to the main website to register for an account).  It supports forum posting and from what I can tell, its pretty slick looking. You can create/reply to posts and etc.

 It did, however, crashed on me a couple of times for no reason. 

Dell Venue Pro Launching Soon?

I do this search in the Dell.ca once in a couple of days in hoping that there is news from Dell as to when Canadians will be getting their hands on this WP7 beauty.

From my past search, all I get is some garbage brochure on the phone.

I just did another search today and noticed something a little different.  The Dell.ca website is linking to troubleshooting and forums items which was not there before.

Could this mean that it is finally launching in Canada?  I certainly hope so.  I have gone through the Robellus websites and still nothing.
Here's a link from dell.ca