Windows Phone – Mango Update

To quote the great and all-knowing Lionel Richie: “Well my friends the time has come; raise the roof and have some fun…” Yes, it’s Mango time! A lot has been said about this update and while this technically is an update, the word “update” really doesn’t do it justice. Instead of me regurgitating all the new features and capabilities, I think the “What's new in Windows Phone 7.5” article from Microsoft.com sums it up best.

I will however mention the one feature I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time now. No, it’s not custom ringtones (although they're in there) but rather hidden Wi-Fi networks. Now it’s possible to connect to hidden Wi-Fi networks (networks that don't broadcast their network name) as opposed to broadcasting your home/office network SSID just to get off your carrier’s network (i.e. 3G) . Oh how I adore you Mango!

So all this heady goodness is great for those that get a message to update but if you’re not receiving a prompt from the Zune software (or from your phone for that matter) you can force the update to occur. Details of this procedure are courtesy of the fine folks at WPCentral and are located here.

And for my developer friends, don't forget to download the Windows Phone SDK and signup for AT&T's free developer program webcasts.