Just before you break into the weekend, or the bank holiday weekend for those who support it, we thought we'd fire up a quick roundup for you app fans. Some developers have released new versions of their Windows Phone apps to the store and we'll be taking a look at what's new. Today, we're covering Sky Sports News, Surfy, Infinite Game Stream, among others.
Sky Sports News 3.0
The official Sky Sports News app for Windows Phone has been bumped to a new version. This latest release brings a number of neat additions to the experience, but more importantly it shows the British corporation is still supporting the platform, even if it's taking forever for the company to release more apps. So, what's new in the update? How does a brand spankin' new design sound? That and added Lockscreen support.
As well as the complete redesign, which looks infinitely better than before, and Lockscreen support (showing upcoming matches and more), the Sky development team have implemented a number of improvements (mainly Windows Phone 8 features) and miscellaneous fixes to ensure everything works as one expects. Let us know if you spot anything else in this substantial release.
- Download Sky Sports News (MB - free)
Surfy 4.0
While Microsoft is boasting how awesome Internet Explorer 11 is in Windows Phone 8.1 (and we agree with them!), there are those who just need something more from their web browsing experience. This is where third-party alternative apps come into play, including Surfy. Just like the Sky Sports News app above, Surfy has been updated with a new design, alongside a new logo and customizable interface.
Users are now able to use the new theme support to personalize the app color scheme, which affects browser tabs, the application bar and accent color used throughout. A handful of options are available, or you can simply opt for Surfy to grab the system color scheme. It's even possible for custom background images to be loaded for the hub. But Surfy doesn't just look even better, the developers have made improvements too.
Say hello to a new Facebook compatible reading mode and some major bug fixing. For French speakers, there's now localization in your region.
- Download Surfy (- free)
- Download Surfy Premium (- $)
Infinite Game Streamer 1.0.0.8
Infinite Game Stream is an unofficial Windows Phone client for Twitch.tv. Twitch itself is a leading video platform and community for gamers. Twitch provides content on gaming strategy, development and industry news, enabling the general public to set up and manage their own live streams. Twitch is also integrated into Xbox One, partnering with Microsoft.
Here's what is new in version 1.0.0.8:
- A global better experience thanks to a list with the last channels viewed by the user
- The user can subscribe/unsubscribe to a channel
- A new version of the video player with more stability, with smileys available in the IM.
- The video quality can be changed without refresh the entire page.
- 3 displays: full screen, full screen with chat in transparency, split mode.
- A new fresh design
- Minor bug fixing
If you enjoy watching the numerous channels available on Twitch, we strongly recommend you check this app out.
- Download Infinite Game Streamer (- free)
Odds and Ends
Not only have we received updates for the above apps, but also some others too. Here is a quick fire list of apps that have been bumped:
- Apict (version 4.7): New filters, new fonts, and new sharing options that include Instagram
- Movie Maker 8.1 (version 1.1.2.9): New Modern UI styled interface, new support to share content with other apps that support .mp4 files such as Facebook, email, OneNote, etc. (OneDrive still problematic) and Movie Maker projects can be saved and re-opened.
- Frozen Free Fall (version 1.4.0.7): New characters and gaming levels
- Melodia (version 1.1.23.0): New alerts (26 of them), new backgrounds, and new 'Recently Added' section
