Mainstream support for Windows Phone 8.1---the last version of Microsoft's mobile platform that was worth a damn---ends tomorrow.

Microsoft announced last night that the Skype for Business app for Windows Phone is now available, replacing Lync and adding a new look and new features.

Next week, Verizon is finally going to start selling the Lumia 735. Here's what you can expect, including some Verizon-specific information like pricing.

A key Microsoft platform differentiator was silently killed by one of the software giant's biggest partners this week, as Facebook discontinued support for a key API.

Microsoft has announced updates to the OneDrive app on Windows Phone and Android. And each adds exactly one interesting new feature.

In addition to supporting Miracast-type wireless display mirroring, Windows Phone 8.1 also lets you mirror—or “cast”—your handset’s display over USB. This setup requires a Windows 7 or newer PC and comes with significant limitations. But it works with all Windows Phone handsets, even those that aren’t powerful enough to support wireless display streaming. Here’s what […]

With Windows Phone 8.1 or newer and a compatible handset, you can wirelessly mirror—or “cast”—your handset’s display to a Miracast-enabled HDTV or other display. This is a great solution for enjoying phone-based entertainment services, sharing a photo slide show, displaying a presentation, and more, all on the biggest screen in the room. Note: This Miracast-based […]

In Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft added the ability to select custom volume levels for different activities. The most obvious change is that you automatically get different volume levels for the phone ringer and notifications, and for media and apps. But if you use external speakers and other devices, the volume controls will adapt for them […]

Microsoft and Google might not play nice—OK, it’s all Google’s fault—but that doesn’t mean that you can’t access your Gmail account—including your contacts and Google Calendar—on Windows Phone. Here’s how to configure Windows Phone to work with Gmail. Note: Gmail support is moving forward to Windows 10 for phones, of course, but it is also […]

Starting with Windows Phone 8.1, you can significantly extend the battery life of your handset by enabling a feature called Battery Saver. This feature also lets you monitor your battery usage so you can see which apps are using the most battery and can control which apps are allowed to run in the background. Note: […]

With Windows Phone 8.1 and newer, Microsoft is expanding on the system’s native Wi-Fi capabilities by letting you automatically connect to over one million free Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, potentially saving your cellular data usage. It can also be used to optionally share your Wi-Fi credentials with your contacts. Note: Wi-Fi Sense is moving […]

MixRadio—previously a Nokia music streaming service that was exclusive to Windows Phone—is now available on Android and iOS. But no worries, Windows Phone fans: MixRadio tells me it is still very committed to your favorite mobile platform. I was invited to MixRadio’s announcement today in New York but couldn’t justify the expense. But I have […]

Dropbox is updating its app on both Windows and Windows Phone today, with the big news being that the app is now a universal app with shared code across both platforms.

With Windows Phone 8.1 and newer, Microsoft offers an integrated Data Sense functionality that helps monitor and optimize your data usage so that you don’t exceed your monthly allotment. Data Sense is available in Settings and as a standalone app as well. Note: Data Sense is moving forward to Windows 10 for phones, but also […]

In Windows Phone 8.1 and newer, Microsoft includes a useful feature called Storage Sense that lets you manage how your handset utilizes its available storage. This feature is especially useful for those handsets that include microSD storage expansion, since you can offload many of your apps, games, and much of your data to this removable […]