Windows Phone 8.1 Features

Stiletto72 · 14-04-2014 3:30pm

liamog wrote: »

I've the update done, working on Cortana, I've change the region to English US, now I just need to get the English US Speech pack installed.

How do you get Cortana?

Fingleberries · 14-04-2014 3:32pm

Stiletto72 wrote: »

How do you get Cortana?

Region needs to be US, Language Needs to be English (US) and Speech needs to be English (US).

My calendar now appears to be greyed out and won't launch. Anyone else have that issue?

gman2k · 14-04-2014 3:35pm

_Puma_ wrote: »

Quick question, do you need Windows 8 to get the Developer preview programme set up?

Do you mean running Windows 8 on a PC?
I don't, and it's not needed.

Stiletto72 · 14-04-2014 3:45pm

Fingleberries wrote: »

Region needs to be US, Language Needs to be English (US) and Speech needs to be English (US).

My calendar now appears to be greyed out and won't launch. Anyone else have that issue?

Got it.

No problem with the calendar.
New calendar looks nice.

unkel · 14-04-2014 3:52pm

Cortana wrote:

I'm absorbing the entire internet. Won't take long.

unkel · 14-04-2014 3:56pm

Found me a 4 star restaurant. Only it's 1100 miles away in Spain

Fingleberries · 14-04-2014 4:02pm

Stiletto72 wrote: »

Got it.

No problem with the calendar.
New calendar looks nice.

Hmm. Two things that are missing so far:
1. I don't seem to have the three column view and
2. The calendar cannot open (albeit the calendar is showing my entries on the Notification screen).

awec · 14-04-2014 4:12pm

Note that if you change your region and language to US in order to get Cortana you won't be able to purchase apps from the store unless you have a US card.

Free apps will install fine, but paid apps won't work on the phone or the website (the website will redirect you to the US store when you want to pay for something).

Stiletto72 · 14-04-2014 4:21pm

Fingleberries wrote: »

Hmm. Two things that are missing so far:
1. I don't seem to have the three column view and
2. The calendar cannot open (albeit the calendar is showing my entries on the Notification screen).

1. Go to Settings and then start+theme. Scroll down and turn on Show more Tiles.
2. No idea. Seems to be working fine for me.

awec · 14-04-2014 4:24pm

Fingleberries wrote: »

Hmm. Two things that are missing so far:
1. I don't seem to have the three column view and
2. The calendar cannot open (albeit the calendar is showing my entries on the Notification screen).

Is your calendar app currently updating? When an app is updating, it gets greyed out and you can't open it. Try and see that it isn't "stuck" updating if you go to the Store and see Downloads.

gman2k · 14-04-2014 4:50pm

I've changed region to US, language to English (US), restarted phone but still no sign of Cortana..... :-(

awec · 14-04-2014 4:51pm

gman2k wrote: »

I've changed region to US, language to English (US), restarted phone but still no sign of Cortana..... :-(

You have to reboot after you change each one. Go to your settings now and I bet one of them isn't set right.

Change language - reboot straight away by clicking the "reboot" button that appears on that page.

Then reload, and change region, and click the reboot button that appears.

If you try do both at once it will reset one of them, you need to reboot straight away or it won't remember the change.

long_b · 14-04-2014 5:18pm

Language, region and speech set to us but no Cortana

gman2k · 14-04-2014 5:23pm

awec wrote: »

You have to reboot after you change each one

Perfect

awec · 14-04-2014 5:35pm

long_b wrote: »

Language, region and speech set to us but no Cortana

Did you reboot after each one, one at a time whenever it prompted you?

long_b · 14-04-2014 5:40pm

awec wrote: »

Did you reboot after each one, one at a time whenever it prompted you?

Not sure if I did it after each setting but I've rebooted many times since.

In region the Regional Format says "match phone language".

Do I need to set the keyboard and time zone too?

awec · 14-04-2014 5:56pm

long_b wrote: »

Not sure if I did it after each setting but I've rebooted many times since.

In region the Regional Format says "match phone language".

Do I need to set the keyboard and time zone too?

No.

You need to go change language, and then reboot by clicking the "reboot now" that appears.

Then when the phone has started up again, you need to go to region and change and then click "reboot now" when it appears.

Rebooting over and over again will do nothing - change each setting, rebooting immediately after changing each.

liamog · 14-04-2014 5:56pm

long_b wrote: »

Not sure if I did it after each setting but I've rebooted many times since.

In region the Regional Format says "match phone language".

Do I need to set the keyboard and time zone too?

I'm on the UK keyboard and Ireland regional format, with US region and speech language. do you have the Cortana option at the top of the application settings now, you need to turn it on before the search key works.

long_b · 14-04-2014 6:03pm

liamog wrote: »

I'm on the UK keyboard and Ireland regional format, with US region and speech language. do you have the Cortana option at the top of the application settings now, you need to turn it on before the search key works.

... And I need to enable location services too! All good now!

Thanks all !

rolion · 14-04-2014 9:20pm

On the "debute" of the WP8.1,a nice gift to us, living in the EU (to be read non USA regions) ... Windows Store is down !

gman2k · 14-04-2014 9:25pm

Uh oh, my ATIV has become extremely 'laggy' and very unresponsive with touch actions, such as swiping or pressing on screen buttons within apps.
Rebooting has made no difference :-(

KingOfFairview · 14-04-2014 9:27pm

Ah **** why is Facebook integration gone? Was a great feature

GerardKeating · 14-04-2014 10:14pm

KingOfFairview wrote: »

Ah **** why is Facebook integration gone? Was a great feature

What exactly is "gone". The contacts integration, or everything?

liamog · 14-04-2014 10:35pm

GerardKeating wrote: »

What exactly is "gone". The contacts integration, or everything?

Just the messenger integration as far as I can see. They finally fixed the capitalization of the letter I on the UK keyboard though.

gman2k · 14-04-2014 11:23pm

FFS, one of the main selling points of WP up to now......
That separate messenger app is a pain in the hoop.

liamog · 14-04-2014 11:31pm

I believe the plan is to provide hooks into the messaging screen to allow this to work, Facebook won't though as they are too into giving Messenger it's own brand.

wilser · 15-04-2014 12:12am

Anyone else having trouble with boards mobile site? There is a white border & the screen size is reduced by a third.
Only on boards & since the update, every other site seems to be ok. Tried zooming in but no joy

Czarcasm · 15-04-2014 12:20am

wilser wrote: »

Anyone else having trouble with boards mobile site? There is a white border & the screen size is reduced by a third.
Only on boards & since the update, every other site seems to be ok. Tried zooming in but no joy

Wilser you could try a different browser like UC Browser and see if you experience the same issue in full screen mode.

Stiletto72 · 15-04-2014 12:21am

wilser wrote: »

Anyone else having trouble with boards mobile site? There is a white border & the screen size is reduced by a third.
Only on boards & since the update, every other site seems to be ok. Tried zooming in but no joy

Looks OK to me in both mobile and desktop setting.

liamog · 15-04-2014 12:27am

Boards is working fine on my 1520 with 8.1

GerardKeating · 15-04-2014 1:04am

rolion wrote: »

On the "debute" of the WP8.1,a nice gift to us, living in the EU (to be read non USA regions) ... Windows Store is down !

Seems to be back now, 8.1 downloaded and is installing.

GerardKeating · 15-04-2014 1:45am

wilser wrote: »

Anyone else having trouble with boards mobile site? There is a white border & the screen size is reduced by a third.
Only on boards & since the update, every other site seems to be ok. Tried zooming in but no joy

Am getting that as well.

Also noticed. Before the update, I have the screen locked in portrait mode, but the update turned that off for me.

long_b · 15-04-2014 3:49am

liamog wrote: »

Just the messenger integration as far as I can see. .

Think that's something Facebook did rather than a WP 8.1 change

wilser · 15-04-2014 7:30am

Czarcasm wrote: »

Wilser you could try a different browser like UC Browser and see if you experience the same issue in full screen mode.

Yeah tried uc browser, same problem.
Touch boards is working ok on both browsers

liamog · 15-04-2014 7:33am

long_b wrote: »

Think that's something Facebook did rather than a WP 8.1 change

I think its something Microsoft did at Facebook's request. I'd love to see Skype transformed into an iMessage competitor.

PaulieC · 15-04-2014 10:02am

GerardKeating wrote: »

Am getting that as well.

Also noticed. Before the update, I have the screen locked in portrait mode, but the update turned that off for me.

try the reading mode

Fingleberries · 15-04-2014 10:31am

For the screen lock that was in Portrait mode before the update. Can you not just enable it again from the Action Centre (swipe down from the top of the screen)

For my calendar issue: It seems that it was stuck in some sort of 'updating' status. It was not installing anything new, but was greyed out as if it was, and therefore I couldn't launch it.

I reset the phone and can get into the calendar app now. Must say, I like the week view a lot.

Cortana is quite good for Messaging and setting reminders - I especially like the 'Remind me next time I'm talking to xxx about yyy' reminders.

I can't say that using it to control music is much use (requesting songs, or controlling the music player while driving). It seems to have a problem with the Oirish accent when I speak too quickly so I have to learn to speak more slowly and like an A-muhr-I-can.

In fairness, it's in beta, so I'll let stuff like that slide. I'll keep using it as it will hopefully all add up and help improve the service.

Although, I'd like the option for it to put the glance weather in Celsius.

Fingleberries · 15-04-2014 12:01pm

Can anyone confirm whether Cortana works on the Lumia 520 also?

KingOfFairview · 15-04-2014 12:08pm

The new swipe method of typing is really good

liamog · 15-04-2014 12:09pm

I may have it installed on a 520 by tonight, there's no reason for it not to work though.

GristlyEnd · 15-04-2014 12:15pm

Fingleberries wrote: »

Can anyone confirm whether Cortana works on the Lumia 520 also?

I have it working on mine after changing region to US and downloading speech language, English (United States).

joujoujou · 15-04-2014 1:47pm

WP 8.1 finally downloaded and installed!

First look - O.K. :cool:

Have no time to look deeper into it. Will wait until weekend.

GerardKeating · 15-04-2014 1:55pm

Fingleberries wrote: »

For the screen lock that was in Portrait mode before the update. Can you not just enable it again from the Action Centre (swipe down from the top of the screen)

Of course I can and did, but what about the other settings that might get changed that are less obvious....

KingOfFairview · 15-04-2014 3:06pm

joujoujou wrote: »

WP 8.1 finally downloaded and installed!

First look - O.K. :cool:

Have no time to look deeper into it. Will wait until weekend.

What's the wink for? Are you planning on not waiting until weekend?

KingOfFairview · 15-04-2014 8:42pm

How do you get notifications to remain in the notifications centre? Mine vanish after I've checked them, I would have though the most recent 5 or so would stay there

Sir Oxman · 15-04-2014 9:42pm

liamog wrote: »

Boards is working fine on my 1520 with 8.1

PS how do you like the 1520? (I'm on the 1320)
Is it worth the huge extra over the 1320?)
I love the 1320 so far but will look at the 1520 when cost comes down.

Sir Oxman · 15-04-2014 9:49pm

KingOfFairview wrote: »

How do you get notifications to remain in the notifications centre? Mine vanish after I've checked them, I would have though the most recent 5 or so would stay there

You mean the notcification icon at the top left? AFAIK you can't
It goes when you first swipe down but the notifications stay on swipe down until you tap them or clear all.

theothernt · 15-04-2014 9:49pm

Sir Oxman wrote: »

PS how do you like the 1520? (I'm on the 1320)
Is it worth the huge extra over the 1320?)
I love the 1320 so far but will look at the 1520 when cost comes down.

The screen is *a lot* better, and the Lumia 1520 is a lot faster too at most things compared to the Lumia 1320.

Sir Oxman · 15-04-2014 9:53pm

theothernt wrote: »

The screen is *a lot* better, and the Lumia 1520 is a lot faster too at most things compared to the Lumia 1320.

yeah, the screen is THE best of all phones/OSes out there I have heard.

I have the 'poor' cousin but the screen on it is amazing IMO - I will get the 1520 within next while or it's successor.
No lag on it either as WP is virtually lag free compared to the opposition, even/especially with 512mb!

liamog · 15-04-2014 10:12pm

Sir Oxman wrote: »

PS how do you like the 1520? (I'm on the 1320)
Is it worth the huge extra over the 1320?)
I love the 1320 so far but will look at the 1520 when cost comes down.

The 1520 is the best phone I've ever had, I've not had the change to play with the 1320 at all. It's fast and has a beautiful screen.

It didn't take me long to get used to the size, I have trouble going back to smaller screens now. My wife's 1020 seems tiny by comparison.

Windows Phone 8.1 Features

Comments