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Dealing with conference calls is a daily fact of working life for many people. Indeed, they are also increasingly being used so that groups of friends can chat together on the same phone call.

Your Nokia Lumia smartphone is the ideal device for setting up conference calls – with just a few taps on your screen you’ll be chatting away to two or more of your friends.

There are also several useful apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace that can help you manage your work conference calls, for example automatic dialling of PIN codes and syncing with your calendar.

Before we look at some of these apps, here’s a quick recap of how to make conference calls on your Lumia. Also, check with your operator if they allow conference calls on your line. 

Making conference calls

To start you need to need to make a call to one person as normal. Either dial in their number or select them from your People hub.

Once you have them on the line, you then need to press ‘Add Call’ to then start dialling up another person – again you can either manually dial their number or find them via your People hub.

At this stage you are only making two separate phone calls – to create the conference call so that all parties can hear and talk to one another you need to press ‘Merge calls.’ The word ‘Conference’ will then appear at the top of your screen.

You can add more than once person to the conference call although be advised that the maximum number varies by mobile operator.

A further nice feature of making conference calls on your Nokia Lumia is that you can still have a private conversation with someone on the call if necessary.

To do this, select ‘Private’ and a ‘choose call’ screen will appear with the names and numbers of everyone on the conference call. Select the person that you wish to speak to privately – no one else on the call will be able to hear your conversation.

To return back to the full conference call just select ‘Merge calls’ again. Once you’re finished then just press ‘End’ as normal.

Conference call apps

So actually making conference calls on your Nokia Lumia is pretty simple and straightforward. However, when making conference calls for work it can often involve entering conference IDs, PIN codes and the like.

Here are several apps in the Windows Marketplace that can help you with your work conference calls.

Conference Caller (free) 

This clever app is able to identify conference calls that you have scheduled in your calendar and then with a single click call the conference line and also enter any associated IDs or PIN numbers.

You can also manually add conference details if they haven’t already been put in your calendar. If you have recurring conference calls, then they can also be pinned to your start screen for quick access. Nice.

Other free variations of this app and that are worth considering include Meetingo and InstantMeeting. 

FreeConference (free) 

If you use or have an account at FreeConference.com then this app is essential for you.

As well as letting you take part in conference calls, you can also use the app to quickly set calls up and then share the dialling in details to your friends or colleagues via email, text or using social networks.

 You can also listen to conference recordings and record a personalised greeting!

Panaton (free) 

If you don’t have a freeconference.com account then you may want to consider using Panaton instead, which offers many of the same features as a comprehensive conference call organiser and client.

In addition, Panaton has support for Skype, shares address books with Plaxo and LinkedIn and can even record your conferences as a downloadable MP3 file.

Have you used any of these apps to make or set up conference calls? Let us know in the comments below.

As the temperatures drop across the Northern Hemisphere (readers south of the Equator should bookmark this post and come back in June) thoughts turn to winter sports and activities that make the toes tingle. So we need to know what to do, and where’s best to do it.

World of RedBull

Cost: Free in the Nokia Collection on your Lumia
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Explore the world of RedBull near you and around the world

The World of RedBull is a crazy one, we all know that – from jumping out of a balloon in space to throwing yourself off a pier to hurtling down a course made from ice – and now you can keep a track of it all in one place. Bringing you nearby events based on your location, profiles of all the RedBull athletes, videos, insights and much more as far as winter sports goes, this one’s got you covered (also, handily, the World of RedBull doesn’t stop when the sun comes out, so it’s a year-round awesome app to have).

Yes! Make me want to wrap up warm and go throw myself down a mountain! In a good way.

Snowfinder

Cost: Free in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Search out that snow!

The guys at Appsolutely Fabulous reckon this app is the

‘leading supplier of snow and weather conditions’ [translated]

and features excellent information about the Austrian, Swiss, Italian, French and German ski resorts (other areas of the world are covered, of course – it gave me live info for Whistler Mountain extremely quickly). Pick your favourite resorts and find where the best snow is. Perfect for the ski bunnies out there.

Snow Report

Cost: Free in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Find the best powder. For skiing, snowboarding and cross country..skiing.

Izzi took a look at the app, and from the video below, it seems to be a little more comprehensive in its coverage than Snowfinder:

I’ll let you be the judge: download both apps and let me know which you prefer. Let’s call it the Nokia Snow App Challenge. Leave me a comment with your favourite and why you chose it.

Even if you don’t ski, snowboard or even like the snow, the World of RedBull at the very least is worth checking out (they do car racing too) – you can watch what others get up to in thedeep white powder or the flat, hard unforgiving ice. Can you tell I’m not very winter sporty? Let me know what you think below or on Twitter, or if you’ve found another winter sports app I should try.

Few people could have been as excited to get their hands on a Nokia Lumia 920 as Marc Wielaert, the founder of the PureViewClub website.

Marc, from the Netherlands, has been testing and reviewing camera phones for more than 10 years and three weeks ago he made a trip to Germany, on the day the device was released there, to buy himself a red Lumia 920.

Obviously, for Marc and the readers of his website, the Lumia 920 is not just any phone. As well as being Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone 8 device, it also packs the latest evolution of PureView imaging technology.

In an interview with Conversations, Marc told us how he has been getting along with the Lumia 920, using Windows Phones 8 and his verdict on the camera.

What were your initial impressions as you held the phone for the first time?

Getting a new smartphone out of the box is always a small party. Everyone will recognise that feeling when you get a new phone and start taking it out of the box, removing the plastic; you weigh it and caress it in your hand, start it up, see it come to life, login, syncing – I just love it.

As for my very first impression: many people have been complaining that it’s too heavy. I do not agree at all. I love the way it feels: sturdy and very strong, yet the design is so subtle and beautiful. I love the feel of it, to watch the screen. It’s a great experience, really. 

Have you enjoyed using Windows Phone 8?

I immediately had the feeling that it was much better than Windows Phone 7. It’s much more versatile and you can personalise it in a much easier way.

For instance, you now have three different sizes for the tiles on your start screen and Windows Phone 8 uses the full screen, and that’s even better because you’ve got a much higher resolution. 

Also, the new social functions on Windows Phone 8 are very practical I think. Like in “Rooms” you can keep in touch with any group of family, friends or colleagues you choose. It’s very fluid, it’s fast, it’s dynamic, and I’m really very enthusiastic about it.

Have you been impressed with the camera?

Absolutely. The camera is always a very personal thing. It has its own character; you have to get to know it first. That’s not any different if you are working with Nokia 808 PureView or a compact camera – you have to learn which settings will give you the results that you’re aiming for.

After you know what you’re doing, it’s much easier to avoid shots that are too bright for instance. Some of my first shots were too bright, but soon I realised that I had been playing around with the settings. It’s not very complicated; you just have to experience what happens when you change the default settings.

Because the Lumia 920 has PureView technology, people will compare it to the 808 PureView. That device is still the king of camera phones, no doubt. But on a daily basis what you can achieve with the Lumia 920 is very impressive and much better than what you’ll see in many other smartphones, especially in low light conditions.

Much has been said about the camera’s performance in low light conditions. How have you found that?

I took some stunning shots, I must say. I was extremely surprised the first time. Near the Central Station in Amsterdam I was having dinner with a friend of mine, actually my Webmaster Peter Buijsman who takes care of everything that keeps the PureViewClub live. 

After dinner I said, ‘come on, let’s take this 920 outside and see how it does for night shots’. It was my first time to try it out and it was really dark. There was a nice old ship in the harbour, which was very difficult to see in the pitch-black water.

I then took this shot and suddenly we could see so much more detail than in real life. It was amazing for both of us!

You’ve also done some filming to test the Lumia 920’s optical image stabilisation, haven’t you?

If you watch that video itself on the Lumia 920’s screen then it’s almost like you have been using a Steadicam.

This video was taken with one hand on my bike going through the mud and leaves in a forest. It was far from a smooth ride but it looks like you are slowly floating over the road. That was quite impressive, I must say. It works very well.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

How is the PureViewClub website going?

It’s growing fast and going from strength to strength. There appears to be much more interest for the PureViewClub as a community, especially after Nokia announced the Lumia 920 with this second version of PureView.

Also, I was very honoured that Nokia’s former head of imaging, Damian Dinning gave me that exclusive about his plans for the future. That certainly made a big impression. 

I still remember people asking me, ‘why are you starting a website about one phone?’ It’s amazing how much there is to share about PureView imaging technology and there are now even two devices offering it. Plus, the Lumia 920 offers a different kind of imaging experience, so there’s more to write about and more to share too! 

Read his full Lumia 920 review and keep an eye on Conversations in the coming days for a showcase of some of the photos that Marc has taken with his Lumia 920.

Miesiąc pełen nagród Najpierw Pearl Award dla magazynu Expert Play a teraz wyróżnienie w kategorii Design Roku w konkursie POS Stars dla naszej wyspy na Lotnisku Chopina w Warszawie. Na wyspie Play, na lotnisku możecie wypożyczyć tablet na okres podróży Szczegóły akcji znajdziecie na stronie PlayTablet.pl. Przypominam, że akcja testowania tabletów Samsunga jest [...]

Miesiąc pełen nagród Najpierw Pearl Award dla magazynu Expert Play a teraz wyróżnienie w kategorii Design Roku w konkursie POS Stars dla naszej wyspy na Lotnisku Chopina w Warszawie. Na wyspie Play, na lotnisku możecie wypożyczyć tablet na okres podróży Szczegóły akcji znajdziecie na stronie PlayTablet.pl. Przypominam, że akcja testowania tabletów Samsunga jest [...]

Hello everyone – some exciting news…

We’ve started rolling out* a new software update for Xperia P, Xperia U, Xperia go and Xperia sola that brings bug fixes and performance tweaks.

The Ice Cream Sandwich firmware includes improvements to: stability, WiFi, tethering/portable hotspot, camera (capture and playback), NFC and Messaging.

All Xperia P users will get a notification when the upgrade is ready, but direct availability in the phone may vary across different markets and carriers.

For Xperia U, Xperia go and Xperia sola users – if you’ve already upgraded to ICS, you’ll receive a notification in your phone and be able to download it over-the-air. For those guys on Gingerbread, you’ll need to plug in and upgrade using PC Companion or Bridge for Mac. For more information, please visit http://www.sonymobile.com/update

Let us know how you get on, and feel free to drop a comment below.

*Over the coming weeks, the availability and scheduling of this software upgrade will vary by market and carrier requirements

The fabulous Nokia Lumia 820 has received a lot of attention from gadget and tech enthusiasts across the globe, and here are the best reviews over the past week. Sit back and enjoy!

Highlighting the ‘crisp’ video-capturing facilities and the ‘super responsive’ phone software such as Nokia Maps, reviewer Funnynoteable also found the loudspeaker to be pretty useful ‘once you get the music going’.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Alastair Stevenson’s indepth V3 critique of the device pointed to the Lumia 820′s solid build which feels very ‘comfortable’ in your hands, as well as producing ‘vibrant’ images from the 8 mega-pixel camera. 

As I know you all love a bit of nostalgia, here is one of the first reviews of the excellent Lumia 820, from CNET at the phone’s New York launch last month. Notably, Brian Bennett takes us through the devices ‘funky’ look and the NFC wireless capabilities.

Watch this video on YouTube.

That’s the round up. Has that inspired you to get your hands on a Lumia 820? Share your thoughts here (or on Twitter).  

As introduced back in August, Welcome Home for Windows Phone makes moving to Nokia Lumia super easy. Just load this application on your computer (it doesn’t matter if you’re on a PC or a Mac – it works with both) and plug in your old phone.

In a few guided steps, all your crucial content is pulled off your old phone and imported into to your Nokia Lumia.  Whether your old phone was an iPhone, a BlackBerry or an Android device, Welcome Home makes your new Lumia phone feel like, well, home.

Today we’re glad to inform you that Welcome Home for Windows Phone has been updated for the brand new Lumia phones that are running Windows Phone 8, which include the Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 820, Lumia 822 and Lumia 810.

Markspace, the company behind Welcome Home for Windows Phone have made this app drop-dead simple to use. Just plug in your new Lumia and the application copies over your contacts, calendars, videos, photos and music from your old iPhone, BlackBerry or Android phone.

Using the application is relatively easy – just plug in your device and use the onscreen prompts to move data off your old phone and import it into your lovely new Lumia.

Let’s walk through the app via screenshots below and see how it works firsthand in the following gallery.

With all the fancy things you can do with your Nokia Lumia, it’s easy to forget the handset’s core function: making phone calls.

You might be thinking that there’s not much more to using the phone than launching the Lumia’s dialler or going through your contacts to call someone up.

In fact, there are apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace that can jazz up how you can make those phone calls and to change the look of your dialler altogether.

At this point you might very well be thinking, how could you possibly improve on a simple numerical keypad? Well, give these apps a try and you can see for yourself!

Phone Dialler (free)

If you have lots and lots of contacts then this app should make finding and calling them a little simpler and faster.

Using the T9 predictive text system that we all know and love, you just start by typing someone’s name and then their details magically appear in the list below.

What’s really clever is that contacts will be sorted by both their names and their phone numbers. For example if you type 2 and 5, then you will see everyone whose name begins with AL, as well as everyone whose number feature 2,5 in the sequence. It might seem odd at first, but it becomes intuitive very quickly.

Rotary Dialer (free or £0.79p) 

If you are feeling a little nostalgic for the old rotary phones, then this app will transport you straight back down memory lane.

I’m not even going to pretend that using a rotary dialler is more efficient or quicker than the modern keypads but it’s all in the name of fun, isn’t it? It might not be practical but it will make you the hipper than all your friends.

The sound effects are charming and there’s also that satisfying little ‘click’ feedback when you dial each number. You can also change the sound effects, turn them off and also change themes. 

Metro Dialer (free or £0.79p)

This app gives you a choice of both the classic rotary dial and the modern keypad; although in a cheeky move the modern keypad is only unlocked after you’ve submitted a review. To be fair, it only took several seconds to do this. 

It’s worth the effort though because both the diallers are very clean and sleek that sit very nicely with Windows Phone tiles. There is also a choice of sound effects for you to choose from.

If you are wondering how to change the colour theme for the diallers, then you have to go to your Lumia settings because the app will automatically use the colour theme you’ve chosen for your phone.

RapDialer (free or £2.29)

The free version of RapDialer enjoys extremely high ratings in the Marketplace, and after using it for a short while it’s easy to see why.

It’s perhaps the first app here that could make a genuine case for replacing the native Windows Phone dialler. It’s packed full of features such as groups, speed dial, swipe gestures and is highly customisable.

My favourite feature is that once you’ve brought up your contact using the super-responsive T9 predictive text, you can send them a SMS just by swiping across their name. 

RapDialer works really, really well and you will be rewarded by the effort spent getting used to it.

Gesture Speed Dialer (£0.79p)

If actually using numbers to call a contact seems terribly old-fashioned, then you might be a little more impressed with this app. 

You can assign a gesture to call a contact, text, email them or even open a web page. It’s very easy to set up and works wonderfully.

If you are worried about having to remember all sorts of different gestures (and what they each do) then fear not, the app keeps a list for your easy reference.

Do you think these dialler apps are useful, or do you have a favourite one? Let us know in the comments below.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The phrase ‘a perfect marriage between form and function’ might very well have been coined with the Nokia Lumia 820 exchangeable shells in mind.

Form: They look fantastic and barely betray any hint of their changeable nature. In fact, the Lumia 820 both looks and feels like it has been painstakingly crafted out of a single block of premium material.

The shells also come in several striking colours with either a gloss or matt finish. However, as Tuomas Reivo, Lead Designer on the Nokia Lumia 820, told Conversations a few weeks ago:

“We’ve moved beyond just changing the colour of your phone. People can now decide how they want to use their phone, by doing something as simple as changing a shell to add a function.”

Function: How about shells that allow you to recharge your Lumia 820 wirelessly? Or the rugged shell that offers greater protection from the wear and tear of every day use?

Personalisation

With the different colours and different sorts of shells available, it might be quite tricky deciding which one you prefer. Of course, you can always buy more than one!

To recap here are the options:

Standard changeable shells, one of which you will receive when you buy a Lumia 820 are currently available in high gloss:

• Red
• Yellow
• Cyan
• Purple
• White

Matt versions are available in black and grey.

Using a wireless charging shell means that you can simply place your Lumia 820 on the Nokia Wireless Charging Plate or an accessory such as the JBL PowerUp Speaker to charge up your phone.

These wireless charging shells, all with matt finishes, are available in the following colours:

• White
• Yellow
• Black
• Red
• Cyan

Finally, we have the rugged shells for extra protection. While you might be thinking that shells designed for extra protection are normally pretty chunky and ugly, these are the same width and same length as the other shells, and only a fraction thicker.

As well as covering the back, they slightly stretch over the front of the Lumia 820 to protect the screen and the four corners.

They are available in matt yellow, green and orange with a black protective TPU trim.

The Poll

We thought it would be fun to find out which of these shells you prefer. This isn’t scientific and it’s not meant to be taken seriously, but everyone enjoys a quick poll, right?

We’ve devised a couple of questions.

Which type of shell best suits your needs?

Out of all the different colours (either gloss or matt) available across the range, which one do you prefer?

In your comments below, you can also tell us which of the shells you prefer and why.