Last night we brought you the Nokia Lumia 920 service manual, a necessary guide for breaking down and building up your device should you want to replace a part (and void your warranty). Now, our same tipster has passed on the Lumia 820’s guide for those who are in need.

The 31 page guide comes in at around 4MB and features lots of details and tips for disassembling your 820 should you need to replace the display (a common request) or we suppose if you just like tinkering with electronics. You’ll also find the necessary schematics and part numbers, which is also useful if you need something specific to replace on your device.

Should you want the guide, just head to the link below (hosting site) and you’ll be redirected to download the zip file, which contains the PDF.

Nokia Care Service Manual Nokia Lumia 820 (RM-824, RM825)

• http://no.nl/L820-Service-Manual

Thanks, again Jeroen S., for the file

Update: Files have been updated to make the app more stable and reliable and indeed it does work better now. (5PM ET)

Windows Phone Hacker has released a new “wrapper” tool called 'Seven-Eighter'that reportedly makes manually installing the 7.8 update less cumbersome than downloading all the files yourself. The app comes in x86 and x64 and is a simple executable that you run on your PC (you’ll need to give it permission in Windows 8).

In theory, it’s the same method we detailed in our CAB file post yesterday---you specify the languages on your device and then it fetches the files for you, all through a progress-bar UI.

Since Windows Phone OS updates are cumulative but iterative in the process, you’ll have to go up through Tango before proceeding to 7.8 meaning there will be a few cycles of updates.

Testing it out

We gave the app a spin on our Windows 8 machine and ran into a few problems. We tried to do the update on our T-Mobile HTC Radar and had the app throw an “exception” during the process. In addition, it did not appear to have all of the language packs that were installed on our device, which would also cause a problem (having to manually check each language as opposed to ‘select all’ was also tedious).

We next tried on our Sprint HTC Arrive and had the same exception thrown. Granted, the app stayed “working” with the installing Tango screen in a permanent progression but for all intents and purposes, it had crashed.

Click click click click click

Interestingly, not selecting any languages does seem to get the process started but we don't recommend that. At least on HTC Arrive, we're unable to even access our About screen anymore, telling us something went awry with the update (spoiler alert: incorrect language packs).

Looking over on comments on Windows Phone Hacker, we can see mixed results from users—some are having success after a few attempts, some required that the right languages were supported while some are reporting failure. In other words, your mileage may vary.

Language, Languages, Languages

The key to doing these manual upgrades is choosing the right language packs. Doing that is easy but it’s very crucial to the process.

1. Settings –> Keyboard
2. Make note of all of the languages installed
3. Download the 7.8 language packs that are on your device

Some phones only come with a handful of languages installed, while others (including those in the US) come with every single language pack on board. If the latter, you must download all the CABs with those languages for the update.

If you don’t do this, it’s not the end of the world. You may have some Live Tiles that look odd (People Hub) and you won’t be able to get further updates, including device specific firmware should it become available later on. You can always reinstall the OS with the proper language packs to correct the mistake, so long as you are even aware of it.

Our advice

You should first try the Wi-Fi force update method. That will give you the official OS and firmware update for your phone, assuming that there is one. For some of you, your device will never get this update making this method null and void. For the rest, this is the ideal method.

Next you can try 'Seven-Eighter' by Windows Phone Hacker as detailed here. It’s a little bit easier than doing it yourself, though as we discussed your success rate seems to be about 50/50.

Finally, you can always just do the manual CAB update for the OS. Assuming you pick the right language packs, this instance will always work.

Read more on 'Seven-Eighter', including download link, at Windows Phone Hacker.

One look at the comments section of our article announcing the release of Asphalt 7: Heat on Windows Phone 8 will tell you that the game is pretty popular. Hey Microsoft, we told you people wanted decent mobile Xbox games!

Ahem. With that gloating out of the way, we have more tasty Asphalt 7 tidbits to share with you now. Head past the break for a hands-on video, multiplayer walkthrough, and update news!

Coming to an affordable Windows Phone near you

Rich Edmonds gives his first impressions.

The Xbox version of Asphalt 7 currently requires 1 GB of RAM in order to run. That’s because it uses about 380 MB of RAM, and one game isn’t allowed of hog all of a device’s memory. Regrettably, several Windows Phone 8 handsets only come equipped with 512 MB – these devices can only run games that use up to 180 MB of RAM.

Gameloft knows that owners of the HTC 8S, Lumia 620, and other budget handsets want some heart-pounding racing action as well. To that end, the developer is working on an update that will allow the game to run on low-memory Windows Phone 8 devices. They can’t specify whether the graphics will take a hit on those handsets (likely) or when the update will be ready, but it’s still great news all around.

Creating a multiplayer account

Seeing as how many Windows Phone users are stuck with handsets that can’t run the game, and the Store is still experiencing frustrating downloading issues, many potential racers haven’t had the chance to check out Asphalt 7’s multiplayer just yet. Don’t worry, dudes and dudettes; your lovable Games Editor has finally managed to go online and lived to tell the tale. Here’s how it works.

First, you’ll need to set up a Gameloft Live account. Tap the blue Live! icon at the bottom of the main menu to get started. Fill in your details and you’ll end up at the in-game Gameloft Live portal where you can manage your friends list, edit your profile, and more.

One advantage of this setup is people with an existing Gameloft account from other platforms can carry that over to Windows Phone and vice-versa. Also, we know that Microsoft’s Windows Phone Xbox Live servers are completely terrible, so working outside of the Xbox Live system is (awkwardly enough) the best west to ensure a smooth online experience. The only real downside is that you can’t just invite Xbox Live friends right off the bat. You’ll need to manually add their Gameloft profiles through your Gameloft Live dashboard.

Starting a multiplayer game

Now that you have a multiplayer account, head to the Multiplayer mode from the main menu. Here you’ll select from online or local Wi-Fi multiplayer. Gameloft really covered all the bases, making Asphalt 7 the first Xbox Windows Phone game to support both online and local Wi-Fi. And considering how impressive and affordably priced the game is, there’s a good chance other Windows Phone 8 owners you run into will own it and be available for local games.

Next you’ll need to enter your Gameloft Live login information for the first time. Don’t worry, as long as you let it save the info you’ll only have to do this once. If you skipped the account creation step at the beginning, you could also do that from here.

The screen that follows allows players to instantly jump into a lobby, browse open lobbies, or create their own games. Lobbies can hold up to 6 players simultaneously. After joining a lobby, you’ll have the opportunity to change cars or invite your fellow Gameloft Live friends. There doesn’t seem to be a way to communicate with other players – an issue we discussed in the latest ‘How Microsoft can save Xbox Windows Phone games’ editorial. Oh well. I guess we’re here to race, not talk!

Ready up, wait for the race to start, and the race will begin. Your fellow racers’ usernames float above their heads, so you’ll always know whose dust you’re eating and vice versa. Racers can actually interact with each other, colliding and receiving speed boosts by overtaking opponents (with the proper sponsorship perk equipped).

In my short time playing Asphalt 7 online, I experienced a few hiccups during each race. The game doesn’t deal with lag as well as an Xbox 360 title would, but that’s not surprising from a phone game. The experience of racing against other players is just as exciting as you’d hope for, and that’s what matters. Compared to the single-player racing games that came before it on Windows Phone, Asphalt 7 offers far more replay value thanks to its multiplayer modes.

Share and share alike

One more social aspect of the game comes from its sharing system. After accomplishing various milestones, players can opt to share the news via Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Frankly, I don’t care to see that you just leveled up in a game on Twitter or LinkedIn. That’s a waste of everyone’s time.

But Facebook – that’s where game spamming got its start, so why not share the deets there? Each time you do so, you’ll earn 5,000 in-game currency. You can always delete those Facebook posts after you’ve fattened your wallet, or set them to share only with yourself instead of your friends. Update: Readers are reporting that you can actually just press Back, skipping the sharing alltogether, and still get the in-game reward!

Asphalt 7 costs 99 cents. Windows Phone 8 users can get it here from the Store. Remember, the Store is messing up at the moment so you might need to try again in a few hours of you can't find the game.

If there’s one thing people really like about their Lumia 920s and that is underappreciated, it’s the ability to wirelessly charge them. So it’s fun to see forum regular and video guru Nisse Tuta show us how to improve upon our nightstands by integrating our standard Nokia wireless charging plate.

The process is not that involved and only requires a few tools for the job, but it is something you’ll want to take your time with and plan out accordingly. Personally, we think this project came out quite nicely and makes us wish for more furniture that is Qi-ready.

See an earlier and similar project using a coffee table here.

Source: Windows Phone Central forums

Whether you like it or not, Instagram is here to stay as a social network. Whatever plans Facebook has in the future are irrelevant, today it’s a huge platform for a lot of users. Its presence (or absence) makes or breaks potential smartphone purchases by the active 90 million users. Windows Phone still doesn’t have an official app, but Instagraph is a good workaround for right now. From the forums, here’s another slightly more involved way to get pictures up to Instagram without using an iPhone or Android device.

We get it, for some reason you can afford a smartphone, but shelling out $2.50 for Instagraph is too much. Here’s a nice little hackaroo to get your plates of food up on Instagram. It involves a Windows PC (most of you probably have one or access) and BlueStacks.

If you don’t remember from the last time we covered BlueStacks, it’s software that can allow you to run Android applications through emulation. It only works on x86/64-based machines. So you can’t use it on your Surface RT, but you can on your Surface Pro and desktops. Back when we covered BlueStacks I actually installed Instagram, but couldn’t get the app to work. If you found yourself in the same boat, Windows Phone Central Forum member illegaloperation offers up a step-by-step guide to getting it working.

Head on into the Forums to get a look at how you can Instagram from your PC.

Alternatively, there are some other ways to get pictures up to Instagram if you’re primarily a Windows Phone user. Like the Sam Sabri method (it’s really called that, Bing it if you don’t believe me). Just make sure your photos are automatically saving to SkyDrive and you can then access them from most any modern computing device through SkyDrive. For example, I have an iPhone 4 around that is basically an Instagram machine (thanks to SkyDrive). I’m kidding about it being only an Instagram machine, I mostly use it to check for app parity when we get a new release from on Windows Phone.

Anyways, let us know below what other ways you get pics up. And thanks to illegaloperation for sharing the guide with us all.  

Source: Windows Phone Central Forums

One of the bigger news coming out from last summer’s Windows Phone 8 reveal was support for game engines – like Unity. It allows game developers to easily target multiple platforms if their particular engine is supported there. Unity is one of the more popular engines at the moment, with support for nearly any platform you can think of. Right now game developers can get early access to the beta of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 versions of Unity.

Want to jumpstart to Windows Phone 8 and Unity?

There are a handful of games in both the Windows Phone and Windows Store that take advantage of Unity. On Windows Phone you have games like Drift Mania Championship, Temple Run, and Orcs Must Survive. So what do you do if you have no experience with Unity but want to develop a game using it? Easy, jump into Windows Phone 8 and Unity with the help of our old pal Matt from RogueCode.

Matt was on a 12 hour flight from Amsterdam back to South Africa and decided to do an introductory how-to for starting out with Unity for Windows Phone. The quick start was so good that it has been cross-published to the Nokia Developer Wiki. It’s a post to bookmark if you plan on doing anything with Unity and don’t have much prior experience. He also gives an early look at an upcoming game he’s working on - Viscous Attack Llama Apocalypse. The video trailer is below, he also stresses that it’s super early into the development and is pre-alpha. It's rough, but it will be fun to see how the game progresses over time.

Links below to join the early Unity program for both Windows Phone and Windows 8. If you have any questions about development reach out to Matt through Twitter at @RogueCode. Anybody out there planning on developing games using Unity for either Windows Phone or Windows 8?

Join the Unity 4 Beta program for Windows Phone 8

Join the Unity 4 Beta program for Windows Store

Source: RogueCode

About a week ago Microsoft made your account more secure. If you use any Microsoft service or product you own a Microsoft Account. You use that account to sign into your Windows Phone to download apps and track the phone if you ever lose it. On Xbox it’s associated with your Gamertag and allows you to carry your profile from Xbox to Xbox and keep your Gamerscore and Achievements synced. On Windows 8 it allows your settings and wallpapers’ to sync across your laptop, desktop, and tablets.

If you’re in anyway shape or form using a Microsoft product you need to enable two-step verification to keep your account secure. Here’s how to set it up.

Why two-step verification?

The first thing you’re probably asking yourself is why do I need two-step verification? Short answer? You have one account that connects you to a variety of services and products, it’s too important to not do everything you can to protect that account.

Right now you have your email address and password keeping your digital world safe. Two-step verification works by adding another step in the mix to gain access to your account when you login. In addition to your password you’ll be using a code. That code is generated in a variety of ways, either through email, an SMS message, phone call, or authenticator application. It’s an extra layer of protection and totally worth it if you value what your Microsoft account has access to.
 

Let’s set up two-step verification for your Microsoft Account

1. Head on over to account.live.com to get started. Under ‘Overview’ on the left side, click on ‘Security info’.
2. Make sure you’ve added your cell phone number under ‘Phone number’. If you haven’t add it and follow the prompts.
3. Under ‘Two-step verification’ click on ‘Set up’. Next we’ll be following the on screen prompts to set it up. Have your Windows Phone nearby to receive your verification code.
4. Enter the code that was just sent to you.
5. That’s it. You’ve turned on two-step verification.

Authenticator app

Now that you’ve turned on two-step verification your account is secure. Every time you try to log into a service that uses your Microsoft Account, like accessing your SkyDrive through the browser, you’ll need to enter a code in addition to your password. Usually you’ll have your smartphone with you and can opt to receive that code with your via text. But what if you’re on a plane or subway with no cell service? Download an authenticator app, like this one for Windows Phone to generate those codes.

Under ‘Security info’ you’ll see a section called ‘Authenticator app’, here’s where we’ll pair the authenticator app you just downloaded with your Microsoft account. The screenshot below shows you what you’ll see when pairing the app. In my personal experience I had to hold the phone a little further from the computer screen with this app compared to others. Once you’ve scanned you’ll be given a code that you’ll enter to pair. Those codes will show up on your screen for a short time, so don’t waste time in entering them. If you miss it, just wait for another code to generate on the screen.

The really cool thing about the Authenticator app from Microsoft is that you can use it with other services that allow two-step verification. Some reviewers in the Store note that the app works with Dropbox, Facebook, and Google. Although for the last two you’ll need to directly enter a code to pair as opposed to using a QR code.

App passwords

Some services and products that require a Microsoft account have may not support two-step verification just yet. For example, your Xbox 360 and Windows Phone. So what do you do? Generate an app password for the devices.

When you launch your Xbox 360 and want to download your profile or don’t have the password saved to the device you’ll need to head make sure you have your laptop nearby. Again, login to account.live.com and go to ‘Security info’ and scroll down to ‘App passwords’. Click ‘Create a new app password’. You’ll then be given a bunch of random letters that you enter into your Xbox in place of your regular Microsoft account password (even though the Xbox dashboard is asking for your ‘Microsoft account password’).

App passwords will work when the device or service doesn’t support two-step verification. What about your Windows Phone? I reset my Lumia 620 to see what would happen with it after enabling two-step verification for my Microsoft account. Guess what? My normal Microsoft account password wouldn’t work. After creating an app password like detailed above I was able to put my Microsoft account onto the newly reset Lumia 620. My daily driver, the Lumia 920, hasn’t had account syncing problems the past few weeks, but I had a buddy enable two-step for his account. Sure enough, on his HTC 8X he had to update his Microsoft account password to one generated by the ‘app password’.

TL;DR

First off, you don’t be lazy, go up and read this. But if you’re short on time…

• Enable two-step verification for your Microsoft account for increased security
• Two-step verification works by requiring a code to be entered in addition to your password
• Codes are generated by either text, call, email, or an authentication app
• Some devices, like your Windows Phone or Xbox, don’t support it yet. You’ll need an app password in place of your regular password for your Microsoft account
• Generate app passwords on account.live.com

This is a lot to take in, but overall things should go smoothly. If you do run into any problems sound off below with questions and the Windows Phone community (you and other commenters) will do the best to help you out.

If you use Windows Phone, 7 or 8, you probably know that holding down the Start button will bring up TellMe, the native voice command service from Microsoft. You can use it to launch app, write an SMS message, etc.

For Windows Phone 8 users though, you get the added bonus that apps optimized for the new OS can also take advantage of TellMe, allowing you quickly open an app and then go to a specific section, for instance.

The issue though is some apps don’t really mention that they do this or even more, they don’t list what commands you can say. Heck, some of you may have apps on your phone that you didn’t even know could be operated via your voice. To find out which apps do this on your phone, just do this trick:

Find which apps support Voice Commands

1. Hold the Start/Windows key down for 3 seconds
2. Speak “What can I say?”
3. Swipe right from Common to Apps

If you hit the “Read it” button in the lower right, you can take your time to peruse the list of apps that support voice command. If you tap on any app, you’ll get a sub-list of its specific command parameters.

Our bet? You’re going to find apps that you didn’t know supported this feature or didn’t know the full extent of which commands you could use. It’s perhaps a pain to memorize those parameters, but if you use an app frequently enough, it shouldn’t be too bad.

Bonus tease: The next version of the Windows Phone Central app will support voice commands too. You can see it in the image above.

When you picked up your Nokia Lumia 920 a few months back you probably had a color in mind before heading to the store. Maybe you wanted Cyan or Yellow to stand out from the crowd. But you get to the store only to have your selection limited to whatever was on hand. You could have waited for more colors to come in, but you said screw it and took black because you wanted that Windows Phone 8 goodness right then and there. You could throw on a case and get a new color, but you’ll lose out on the beautiful industrial design of that high-end Lumia.

Why not just swap the shell?

Reddit user lego_hobbit did just that. He took his stoic black Lumia 920 and turned it into head-snapping yellow. He took to eBay and found a replacement shell in a variety of colors: black, yellow, red, and white. Opting for a slightly more expensive one that included ceramic buttons and camera lens. This item on eBay is the one he went with. It only costs $36 and included the tools needed for the job. Edit: Since posting this the price has gone up to $49. Supply and demand baby. 

The process was fairly straight forward, at least if you’re somewhat comfortable/familiar with taking apart electronic devices like smartphones. If not, check out this 33 minute video taking apart a Lumia 920. The yellow replacement pieces were identical to the black ones on his Lumia 920. The only difference was the lack of a code insight the SIM slot. The kit from eBay included everything he needed for the swap. The wireless charging coil and headphone port were the only two pieces that needed to be swapped over.

The final result is a yellow Lumia 920 that is indistinguishable from an official one. He even reports that the phone no longer creaks and the volume button doesn’t “snap”. Now he just needs to adjust to the glossy finish versus the matte black. Check out more photos at the Imgur link below and his follow up answers at Reddit.

I’d do it in a heartbeat for cyan or gray, but those two colors don’t appear to be showing up on eBay at the moment. What do you guys think? Any MacGyver’s out there thinking of doing this?  

Source: Imgur, Via: Reddit, Windows Phone Central Forums

File under fun. Like most of you, we spend a lot of time staring at some screens throughout the day. Typically our Windows Phone device and computer are the ones that get the most action. You love the look and feel of Windows Phone and get that same familiarity in Windows 8. But what about in the wild web? You don’t have much control over how a site looks. Or do you?

If you want to make your web browsing experience on the desktop a little more like Windows Phone check out the following extensions for Chrome. Yes, Chrome, mostly because Internet Explorer doesn’t support add-ons/extensions at the moment like Chrome does. We’ll be making Reddit and the general web a little more “Metro”.

It’s super easy to get going with making the world a little more “Metro”. To start you’ll be installing an extension which is available for either Chrome or Firefox. It’s called Stylish. Go install the Chrome version or the Firefox version.

Once you’ve installed Stylish you’ll be installing a user style. There’s two we’re looking at today. What’s a user style? Little pieces of code that make changes to style changes to websites. For example they might change the font, remove sections, tweak the display, or completely redesign the site. They’re a nice way to change up the look of an ugly site or customize something to your liking. You can browse and find a ton of them available for free to the community. Here’s the two we’ll be looking at.

Reddit – Metro

First up is a user style called Reddit – Metro. It adds some Windows Phone design to Reddit. It should work with the Reddit Enhancement Suite (highly recommended), but you might have trouble using it with “night mode”. Below is a before (left) and after (right). While it might not be for everyone, it’s fun to play around with and you can always disable it with a click of a button. Grab Reddit – Metro.

Before

After

Metro Everything!

This user style does one thing and one thing well. It changes the font of every website to Segoe UI – the same font used throughout Windows Phone. Below is what it looks like before (left) and after (right). Again, not for everyone, but the Windows Phone Central crew has been playing around with them this afternoon and just wanted to share with you guys. Grab Metro Everything!

Before

After

Be sure to click on the images if you're on your PC and want a closer view. Or just install the extensions yourself and give it a whirl. Have any other user styles we should check out? Share below!

Thanks Daniel R. for the tip! ;)

P.S. If you want the PSD of that awesome lead image, go here.

The Xbox Windows Phone version of Monster Burner started out as a free game before jumping up to 99 cents a few days later. Like most freemium games, it features In App Purchases that speed up player’s progress in the game. Using the in-game currency, you can buy upgrades to increase your firepower and life or single-use items to slow down the enemies and make tough levels a bit more manageable.

The game doesn’t force players to buy coins; you’ll earn some every time you complete a level. But while the first upgrade of any type sells for a reasonable price, subsequent upgrades cost astronomical prices. Even if you repeat an easy and high-coin level like Plains 3, it would still take hours of grinding to afford the best upgrades on your own.

Fear not! We’ve caught wind of a trick that reduces grinding times tenfold. Using this method, you could easily earn an average of 10,000 coins every two minutes! Read on for our full guide and video.

Rush for the gold

Tricks or no, the highest paying single levels are found in Gold Rush mode. The actual Gold Rush level changes based on date, so some levels award a lot more coins than others. But Gold Rush is only available every six hours, so you can’t normally grind it over and over.

Thankfully, this trick removes the time restriction from the equation. First, head to your phone’s Settings menu. Then scroll down to Date and Time. From there, switch off ‘Set automatically.’ Change the date to June 03, 2013. This date creates a particularly good Gold Rush level that lasts for 120 seconds and distributes coins like candy.

Now launch the game or return to it if it’s already running. Gold Rush will be available right from the start, even if you just played it a few minutes ago in real time. Play through the level as normal, reflecting your shots to create the largest combos you can. You’ll easily get combos in the forties and higher, and enemies will drop tons of items as a result.

Repeat as necessary

Change the clock back to normal before you buy that last upgrade!

Once the level ends, you should earn a minimum of four- or five thousand coins. If you bought the permanent 2x coin multiplier, you’ll get anywhere from 9,000 to 11,000 coins from one attempt! But that’s not enough to buy all the upgrades – not by a longshot.

You want to repeat this Gold Rush over and over. Whatever you do, don’t press the right arrow at the bottom corner of the screen; otherwise you’ll have to switch the time back and forth again. Instead, press the Back button on your phone. The level will restart and you’ll get to keep all of the coins you earned in the previous attempt! Now just keep repeating this process until you have enough coins to buy the upgrades and items you need. Return to the Date and Time menu and change it back to ‘Set automatically’ whenever you’re done grinding.

Just be careful not to purchase that final upgrade and unlock the ‘Prepared for war’ Achievement while your date is manually set. Doing so will cause the Achievement to unlock at a later date, and you don’t want that. Before you buy that last upgrade, double check to make sure your phone’s clock is accurate.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for our full Monster Burner review!

Thanks to K4rn4ge at TrueAchievements for discovering this trick! And thanks to Marcel at InsideGames.Ch and Mark Tepper for letting us know about the price increase.

You may or may not know that if you buy a Nokia Lumia 928 from Verizon, you qualify for a $25 Windows Phone Store credit. That’s a big chunk of money actually for picking up some $0.99 apps and even a few EA games.

The question you may have is how do you get it?

As it turns out, Verizon, who is not shy about emailing or calling you, will pass along an email with the voucher link.

How to redeem, once you get your email (it can take a few days)

• Simply click the Store link
• Enter in your info, including IMEI number from the phone
• Register

Microsoft will then send you code, which you then enter into your phone’s Wallet. Every time you want to make an app purchase, you can use that as a payment method.

Like we said, $25 is quite a bit to spend on the Store, especially with all of the free apps and games out there. It’s a good deal for new Windows Phone users and even veterans who could use a few more purchases.

UPDATE: You can also use this direct link, so long as you have your phone in-hand for the IMEI number http://aka.ms/appcredit

Did you get your code? Enjoying your Lumia 928? Let us know in comments!

Nokia’s Lumia 521 can be picked up for only $105 and with no carrier contract, at your local Microsoft store. There are a bit of tricks involved, but here is how to do it.

1. Find a local Microsoft Store and go in to purchase the Lumia 521 at a price tag of $149. Once there, speak to a Microsoft Store representative and have them price match Walmart at $129.88.
2. Run over to the “Bing it on Challenge” to spend a minute comparing Google and Bing in a blind test. As a reward for your time, you will be presented with a $25 gift card.
3. Finally, use the $25 gift card to bring the phone's price down even lower to $104.88.

We hope you enjoy your new Nokia Lumia 521 and don’t forget to check out our unboxing and first impressions of the device here on Windows Phone Central!  What do you think of the device so far? Any T-Mobile users planning on picking one up?

Source: Kurt Shintaku’s Blog

Hey Xbox game fans, Windows Phone Central is back with another exclusive and professional-quality Achievement guide. This time we tackle the Windows Phone version of NBA Jam from EA Sports. Whether you’re a Jam veteran or new to the series, our guide will help you knock the game’s Achievements out as quickly and easily as possible, though it’ll still take just over 30 hours to unlock the final one.

Earning NBA Jam’s Achievements also unlocks a variety of characters, but several of the game’s most outlandish characters can only be accessed via secret codes. We’ve got those for you too, right after the break. Boom shaka laka!

Unlocking the Hidden teams

When you select the ‘Play Now’ option from the main menu, you’ll be prompted to enter your initials before choosing your team. To unlock the secret teams, enter these initials:

• DEM: Unlocks the Democrats (Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton)
• MAS: Unlocks the Mascots (Rufus Lynx, Rumble the Bison, Rocky The Mountain Lion, G-Wiz, The Raptor, Bango the Buck, and Mavs Man)
• OGJ: Unlocks the Original Jam Team (Mark Turmell, NBA Jam’s creator and Tim Kitzrow, the announcer)
• REP: Unlocks the Republicans (George W. Bush, Sarah Palin (barf!), John McCain, and Dick Cheney)

Once unlocked, the secret teams will appear between the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks in the team selection menu. You only need to enter each code once; the teams stay unlocked even if you change your initials.

These teams are only playable in Play Now and Multiplayer modes, not Career mode. However, if a team’s mascot is part of the Mascot team, then unlocking the Mascot team makes that mascot appear as a playable member of that team in Classic Career.

Three teams can only be unlocked by earning specific Achievements:

• ‘Buzzer Beater’ Achievement: Unlocks the Beastie Boys (Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock)
• ‘100 Club’ Achievement’: Unlocks the EA Mobile team (Ryan Winterholler, Josh Valensi, Sean Chapel)
• ‘Southwest Division represent’ Achievement: Unlocks Stickman team (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow)

Single-game Achievements

These eight Achievements can be earned during single games in either Play Now or Classic Campaign modes. For all of the Achievements in this guide, you’ll want the difficulty set to Rookie and Controls to Arcade. Most of the single-game Achievements are easier to get with Quarter Time set to five minutes, but you can get all but ‘Century Scorer’ with two minute quarters.

Because you’ll have to play a whopping 222 Classic Campaign games to get all of the Classic Campaign Achievements, I recommend going for the single-game Achievements in Classic Campaign mode, not Play Now. A character with high DNK, STL, 2PT, and 3PT stats such as the Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett will make several Achievements easier.

Buzzer beater - Hit a Buzzer beater shot to win the game.

Unlocks: Beastie Boys team, George Gervin, Mark Price

This is probably the hardest Achievement in the game, but it’s not that bad. A ‘buzzer beater’ is a thrown shot (not a dunk) that goes through the hoop at the end of the fourth quarter after the clock has already hit zero. Not only that, but the shot must actually cause you to win the game ; if your score was high enough to win before throwing the ball, it won’t count.

The ideal time to go for ‘Buzzer beater’ is during the very first Classic Campaign game because the difficulty rises incrementally in subsequent games. But this is Achievement takes eight minutes to attempt (four quarters at two minutes each) and is easy to fail, so you might want to hold off until your second Campaign playthrough (when you’ll have mastered the ropes of the game) before you try for it. Picking a character with high 2PT and 3PT stats will help too.

The key to setting up a buzzer beater is keeping your score tied or only one point below the opponent's score throughout the entire match. Every time they score a goal, you need to score your own, and vice versa. To keep your AI partner from scoring points, have him pass you the ball (blue button) whenever he gets it.

Once the last 15-30 seconds of the final quarter nears, hold the ball and avoid the enemy until the timer reaches one second, then throw the ball. If it makes it through the hoop and causes you to win, you’re all set! Also, you can still get a buzzer beater if the game goes into overtime.

Century scorer – Score 100 Points in 1 Game.

Unlocks: Dan Majerle, Magic Johnson

To get 100 points, you really need the quarter length set to five minutes. For the points to count, you must personally score the baskets, not your partner. Always have him pass to you or set you up for alley oops. If he does score some baskets, you’ll just need to score an extra shot to make up for each one.

Double Up - Beat the CPU in a game by doubling their score or better.

Unlocks: Brad Dougherty, Nick Anderson, Mitch Redmond

Like ‘Buzzer beater,’ this one’s easier with two minute quarters. As your score gets ahead of the opposing team, they will become more aggressive. Just do your best to steal and block as much as possible. During your many Campaign games, you’re bound to come out with double the enemy’s score eventually.

Fired Up - Get On Fire 4 times in a single game.

Unlocks: Chuck Person, Larry Johnson

Whenever you personally score three baskets in a row without the enemy scoring a basket, you’ll ‘get on fire,’ signified by the basket catching on fire. The key to catching on fire is to steal or block the ball and take possession while on defense.

Losing points to Goal Tending violations doesn’t count against you catching on fire; only the enemy scoring baskets does. At minimum, you’ll want to catch on fire once per quarter. But you can do it more than once if you catch on fire early in a quarter and then quickly lose the fire.

Glass cleaner – Grab 10 rebounds in 1 Game.

Unlocks: David Robinson, Scottie Pippen

A rebound happens when a player throws the ball at the basket and misses, and then someone catches it before it hits the ground. It doesn’t have to bounce off the rim or backboard. This can happen while you’re on either offense or defense.

It’s hard to specifically try for rebounds. Just set the quarters to five minutes, throw the ball a lot (trying to catch your own missed shot), and swoop down on both your partner’s and enemy’s missed throws like a hawk. Choosing players with low 2PT and 3PT stats could help a little.

High flyer -Perform 10 successful alley-oops in one game.

Unlocks: Happy Face basketball, Camera Hog privilege, Dr. J

Alley-oops – when you jump into the air and your partner throws you the ball for a dunk – are so much easier on Windows Phone than in the Xbox 360 games.

When your partner has the ball, run close to the basket and hold the green button to jump into the air. Unless your partner had already started to dunk, he’ll throw you the ball and you’ll alley-oop it. If you find yourself with the ball and you want to alley-oop it, just pass with the blue button before initiating the alley-oop.

Sticky fingers - Steal the ball 10 times in one game.

Unlocks: Bowling basketball, Lava basketball, Kenny Anderson

To steal the ball, stand close to the opponent ball carrier and press the blue button. You will reach for it and hopefully grab it. It’s tough to steal consistently, so just do your best to get in front of the ball carrier every time after you score a basket. Longer quarters and players with high STL ratings can make this easier.

Throw it down, Big man - Dunk the ball 10 times in one game.

Unlocks: Globe basketball, Cobalt basketball, Rany Seikaly

You should get this without even trying for it. Dunks score more consistently than throws anyway. Use a character with a high DNK stat if you need help.

Multigame/Campaign Achievements

To get all of the game’s Achievements, you’ll have to play through Classic Campaign a total of six times: once with each of the six division’s teams. One playthrough consists of 37 matches. With two minute quarters, that will take approximately five hours. So you’re looking at 30 hours to complete all six playthroughs!

The only other general advice I can give you is to beat it with the eastern divisions (Atlantic, Southeast, and Central) first. The Unlimited Turbo privilege you’ll get after those three playthroughs will make the final three run-throughs easier since it only benefits the player, not the AI. The western divisions’ reward of 1 Shot Fire benefits both sides.

Atlantic Division represent - Beat the Atlantic Division Legend Team in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Kevin McHale

You must be butter - Go on a 10 game win streak in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: Big Head mode privilege, James Worthy, Dennis Rodman

Since the first 10 games are easier than the ones that follow, you should try to get this at the beginning of the Campaign instead of later on. If you reach the last 30 seconds of the fourth quarter and expect to lose, quit the match. Select Classic Campaign, say No to resuming, and (I believe) you’ll be able to restart the match without it counting as a loss.

Southeast Division represent - Beat the Southeast Division Legend Team in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: Manute Bol, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb

Central Division represent - Beat the Central Division Legend Team in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: Bill Laimbeer, Isaiah Thomas, Scott Skiles

Grand scorer - Score 1,000 Points

Unlocks: Danny Manning, NBA Jam basketball

Only points that you personally score count towards this Achievement, not your partner’s points. If you average 50 points a game, you should get this around the 21st Campaign game or so.

Northwest Division represent - Beat the Northwest Division Legend Team in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: Kevin Johnson, John Stockton, Karl Malone

Southwest Division represent - Beat the Southwest Division Legend Team in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: Stickman team, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kenny Smith

Pacific Division represent - Beat the Pacific Division Legend Team in Classic Campaign.

Unlocks: Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, Glen Rice

100 Club - Win 100 games.

Unlocks: Bryant Reeves, EA Mobile team

Since one campaign consists of 37 matches, you should get this near the end of your third playthrough.

Eastern Conference Domination - Beat Classic Campaign with a team from each division in the Eastern Conference.

Unlocks: Unlimited Turbo privilege, Larry Bird

Western Conference Domination - Beat Classic Campaign with a team from each division in the Western Conference.

Unlocks: 1 Shot Fire privilege, Orlando Magic Shaq

NBA Domination - Beat Classic Campaign with a team from each division in the NBA.

Unlocks: USA basketball, Clyde Drexler

Whew! At long last, you can now use Clyde “The Glide” on the Portland Trail Blazers, assuming you’re not totally burned out on the game already.

Xbox 360 version

Get in on the Jam

NBA Jam is currently exclusive to Nokia Lumia phones. Windows Phone 7 devices with 512 MB of RAM can play the game, but Windows Phone 8 devices will require 1 GB of RAM. Whether or not you have a Nokia device, don't miss our informative review!

NBA Jam – $2.99 – 211 MB – Store Link

We’ve seen quite a few projects come from our forums and the latest is from AccentAE86, who took the concept of Nokia’s “dual shot” Lumia 620 shell design and applied it to his Lumia 920.

For those who aren’t familiar, “dual shot”, especially on the Green Lumia 620, is actually a two-layer yellow and blue shell that results in a bright green color. It’s an interesting new design language that Nokia is evidently experimenting with and something we hope to see in future devices.

On the Lumia 920, Accent AE86 uses a spare shell, which is then sanded down and spray painted with a special paint called Duplicolor Metalcast. The colored paints are “transparent” and when red is added to a yellow shell, it causes it to turn orange. Throw in some clear coats, wet polishing and a nifty how-to video and you have yourself a serious DIY project.

If you thought changing the shell the on the Lumia 920 was enough of a project, we’re not sure doing this would much of an option—it looks quite time consuming and involved. Having said that, if anyone wants to open a small business by making and reselling these for the lazy, we’re sure many of you wouldn’t be opposed.

Head to our forums for the full discussion. Thanks, Muessig, for the tip!

At last count, Nokia had well over 50 exclusive apps or games in its Collection, giving Lumia owners a slight edge in features.

But that advantage may be no more, at least temporarily. According to Chinese site WPDang, there is a freshly spotted glitch in Windows Phone Store that could enable everyone to download exclusive apps from the Nokia Collection.

Yes. The picture above shows Nokia Glam Me being installed in a Huawei Ascend W1. Not photoshopped.

Basically, the server glitch is exploited like this:

1. Someone sets up a proxy server which disguises itself as a Lumia phone.
2. Users anywhere connect to the Windows Phone Store through said proxy, effectively disguising themselves as Lumia phones too.
3. Users perform search via the proxy in the Store, searching for Nokia-exclusive apps by name. Normally a device model/brand check would be performed by the Store server, and refuse to offer any result upon finding model/brand mismatch. But since now those users are cloaked, the server will spill app descriptions and download links without a fuss.
4. However, the proxy server is not able to pass file download streams to each user request, therefore non-Nokia users who just managed to get app download links are not able to really buy or download stuff.
5. This is where the server glitch actually exists: in common sense of this universe, the Store should perform a model/brand check upon each search AND download request, to make sure what's supposed to be exclusive will stay exclusive, no matter how hard people try. However in Microsoft's case, download requests are NOT FILTERED AT ALL.
6. Therefore if a user switches into WiFi setting, turn the proxy off, then switch back to the app description page and click the download button, he/she just gets the app. Microsoft is assume that if this button is displayed on your screen at all, your device must be well qualified, what could possibly go wrong? Just go ahead and make yourself comfortable.
7. End of story: Nokia-exclusive apps ending up on non-Nokia phones.

Yes I agree with many of you in the comment thread, this is technically not a glitch. But no, I won't call it a hack, which emphasizes efforts on the client end. I'd say this is more a server-end problem, a design flaw, a loophole, and a rather naive one. It's like protecting confidential files in your computer by putting them into a hidden folder, instead of having them properly encrypted.

Unlike some are concerned about, I don't think this problem will cause Lumia phones to devalue for losing the advantage of exclusive apps. Because: 1) the loophole seems rather easy to patch up; 2) even if one manages to load a Nokia app to a HTC or Samsung phone, quite likely it just won't work, because most of these OEM-specific apps utilize special drivers, APIs, or even hardware modules to run.

And there's another effect of this loophole. If a user on a low end Lumia (like 520 or 720) connects to the Windows Phone Store through a proxy disguised as a top notch Lumia (920 or 925), he/she easily gains access to all apps that are originally hidden to them for not meeting RAM size requirement. That means being able to try out some of the most impressive apps and games on Windows Phone with merely an entry-level device. But again, there's no promising that blockbuster apps installed through this trick will actually run smoothly on low end phone, if they run at all. Microsoft decided to hide them for a good reason: those functions, features and graphic charms just do need more horsepower and RAM size to come into full life. Trying to force them onto weaker devices might result in hellish user experience, or even crash phones.

Update:

1. Yes I saw the outcry in the comment field. Personally I don't think it's piracy, because all it does is to let the minority of the Windows Phone ecosystem get access to some free apps freely, in a more often than not very buggy way. Nothing is stolen, just a cluster of people having a bit geeky fun in endless trial and error. But thanks for the reminder, guys. I'm all ears.
2. Still, after thinking better of it, I've basically rewritten this post. The tutorial for exploit is no longer there. Instead, I've decided to explain how exactly it works, and why Microsoft is to blame in this matter.
3. If any of you still wants to try the trick out, click into the source link and puzzle the Chinese stuff out.
4. I'm a proud Lumia 920 owner like many of you guys. But I'm kind of in support of this exploit. So often I want to show my wife how awesome Nokia's exclusive apps are, and why it's wise to ditch her HTC 8X for a 920 or the EOS, despite the bulky form factor. Nothing says the endorsement better than getting a few of Nokia's killer apps onto her own phone, and make her grown dependent on them.
5. I'd suggest Nokia release a stripped down version for all of its key apps (panorama, music, Glam Me, etc) to all Windows Phones, like a free trial. Except that these trial apps won't remind users to buy the full function, but rather ask them to consider buying a Lumia. That would be very powerful advertising. Just pack all those apps into one, and name it "THE Lumia Experience" or something like that. Windows Phone makers differentiate themselves in apps and services instead of user interfaces, so let the apps and services do the talking. 

Source: WPDang, Sina Weibo

Xbox gamers have been eagerly anticipating Halo: Spartan Assault ever since Microsoft announced the Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 game at the beginning of June. Many Windows Phone gamers especially look forward to it since Spartan Assault is likely the only Xbox Windows Phone game that will be released this month (we hear next week, in fact). Be that as it may, Windows 8 users got the first shot at the first mobile Halo game today, however briefly…

For a few hours, the tablet and PC version of Halo: Spartan Assault became available for purchase in the Caribbean island nations of Trinidad and Tobago. People from outside of those countries were able to buy it too, thanks to a little regional trickery and the magic of PayPal. Unfortunately, Microsoft quickly pulled Spartan Assault as we were in the process of writing this story to tell you about it, just hours after the game first appeared on the Windows Store.

Good news though: AlphaJax and Ty the Tasmanian Tiger are still available early via the same method!

Why Trinidad and Tobago?

Microsoft routinely “soft launches” Xbox games for Windows 8 in non-US countries a week or two in advance of their official worldwide release. They do this in order to test the games in a smaller environment before releasing them into the wild.

It’s also a common practice with iOS games; Gun Bros 2 (which has yet to come to Windows Phone) soft launched in Canada months before its official release. When Windows 8 games launch early, they typically do so in either Canada or Trinidad and Tobago.

How does it work?

First off, you don’t need anything special in order to download FREE Windows 8 games like AlphaJax. (By the way, there’s a Windows 8 version of AlphaJax. There! Now you’re all caught up.) However, games that cost money prove a little more challenging. The Windows 8 Store expects a credit card from the nation you’re buying a game from, so your US or European credit card won’t work by default.

That’s where PayPal comes in! Before you start buying a game from the Trinidad and Tobago or another country’s Windows Store, make sure you add a working PayPal account to your Microsoft profile. That way PayPal can handle the currency conversion for you.

Region switching

To change your Windows 8 device’s region, first head to the Control Panel. If you don’t have a great Start button app like Start8, the easiest way to reach the control panel is: head to the desktop and press the Windows Key + I on your keyboard. Now select Control Panel from the menu that pops up on the right.

After launching the Control Panel, select View by: Small icons to see the full list of icons. Go to Region.

From the Region panel, select Location and find the desired country. Hit Apply and OK to complete the switch.

Now that your device is set to Trinidad and Tobago, the following Store links will work for you:

• AlphaJax– Windows 8 – 23 MB – FREE – TT Store Link
• Ty the Tasmania Tiger– Windows 8 – 275 MB – 32 TT Dollars ($4.99) – TT Store Link

Don't forget to change your region back after grabbing the game(s) of your choice!

Note that AlphaJax currently suffers from two broken Achievements, but those are extremely likely to be fixed by the time it launches worldwide. And yes, if you buy one of these games, you’ll retain ownership when the title officially launches.

The Spartans are coming

It’s a real bummer that Microsoft pulled Halo: Spartan Assault from the Trinibago and Tobadad Store so quickly. 9 gamers have started playing it at TrueAchievements– head over there to see the full Achievement list. The rest of us will have to wait until the game officially launches within the next few weeks. On the plus side, we did learn that Spartan Assault is an 848 MB download on Windows 8. The Windows Phone 8 version will likely clock in at a slightly smaller size.

Thanks to TNTJudbud for the tip!

This is a strange one indeed. OneNote for Windows Phone 7 allows consumers to pin the create note tile to their Start screen, but this feature is amiss in Windows Phone 8.

That is unless you're using the latest hardware with the GDR2 update. We've checked on our Nokia Lumia 925 and it does indeed enable us to pin the tile to the Start screen, which has been confirmed by the OneNote team on Reddit.

An option to pin the new note tile is now listed in the main menu. We've not noticed anything else that's new, though we could easily be missing something else. Good news is the feature has returned and will be available when you update your Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

via: Reddit

Last week’s Xbox Windows Phone 8 release Order & Chaos Online is pretty much the largest game on the platform, as far as quantity of content goes. One can’t possibly see all there is to see in an Massive Multi-player Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) in only a week’s time, so we’re going to hold off on reviewing it for a bit.

Today Windows Phone Central brings you part one of our exclusive Order & Chaos Online Beginner’s Guide, complete with video. Stick with us to learn how the game works and get ahead quickly! Remember, you can play Order & Chaos Online until you reach experience level 8 for FREE (and purchase the game without losing your progress if you desire) so anybody who can run this game needs to give it a try.

Characters

In last week’s article we briefly covered the game’s various races and classes, so we won’t go into too much more detail this time. Players get three character slots with purchase of the game. Each class works differently from the others, so creating new characters provides a new experience and dozens of hours of additional playtime. You can also purchase a fourth and fifth character slot using Runestones, the game’s premium currency.

Here are the starting attributes (stats) for each class. Unfortunately the Mendel stats aren’t currently available online, but if you guys submit them to us, I’ll be happy to update the chart.

Talents

Every time you level up after level 5, you’ll gain one skill point to spend on talents. Access the Talent menu from a tab at the top of the Spells menu.

Each character has two different talent paths they can take. You can mix and match between both paths, but you’ll need to spend a lot of points on one path or the other if you want to reach high level talents. Here’s a Talent Calculator (more calculators here) to aid with planning.

If you need to change your talents, you can purchase a respec from trainers in Silence or Greenmont. Respecs cost 10 Gold.

Quests

Killing enemies is a decent way to grind for experience, but more so for money and loot. The best way to gain experience is by completing quests. You’ll also earn money, rare items, and equipment as quest rewards. Sometimes you have to choose between multiple rewards; pick the one that best suits your character’s class.

You can have up to 12 quests at a time. If you want to take on a new quest when you already have 12 active, you’ll have to either drop one (in which case you can restart it by talking to the NPC who provided the quest) or turn one in. Completing quests often opens up new quests, while other quests become available at certain levels.

Unfortunately, quests can’t be sorted by proximity to your current location. But you can decide which quest to work on by looking at its colors in your quest log. The color of the quest name indicates the recommended level for completing the quest in relation to your current experience level.

• Grey: Much lower level than you (Very easy)
• Green: A few levels lower than you (Easy)
• Yellow: Same level (Normal)
• Orange: A few levels higher than you (Hard)
• Red: Several levels higher (Very hard)

If the background behind a quest name appears in blue, that quest is ready to turn in.

Map

Nearby characters or objects that can provide you with quests, quest destinations, and places to turn in quests are marked by yellow symbols on your mini-map. These symbols can also be seen from the full map, but only if you zoom in on the map (it doesn’t zoom very far).

If you do see nearby quest markers on the map, it’s generally a good idea to do them while you’re in the area instead of leaving for a different area. You don’t even have to select the corresponding quest as your primary one; just head to the marker and see what progresses the quest.

Speaking of heading to quest markers, don’t just blindly follow the blue arrow created by your primary quest. Roaming the wild often leads straight into impassable mountains (not to mention hordes of enemies) and wastes time. Stick to the road as much as possible and you’ll reach your destination much sooner and safer.

Teleporting

The fastest way to travel is by teleport. Most towns have a Teleport Master (shown above) who can send you to one or more specific locations for a fee that ranges from 75 copper to 57 silver. That seems expensive but it actually becomes negligible at higher levels.

Teleportation Wings are single-use items that teleport you to a specific location instantly, no matter where you are. They can be handy for getting out of an unsafe area or just saving a lot of time, but they’re also fairly expensive (10-50 silver). Each one is level locked, so you can’t just use them to skip far ahead in the world. Buy Teleportation Wings in the city of Greenmont, near the Auction House.

See the Order & Chaos Online Wiki for a full list of Teleport Master locations and Teleportation Wing destinations.

Lucky Crosses

To play the Daily Lottery, either touch your character’s portrait and access it from there or select it from the map screen. One of the frees prize you can win is the Lucky Cross. Its description enigmatically reads “It will bring you good luck, keep it for further use.” But what does it do?

As it turns out, Lucky Crosses do nothing on their own. But you can trade them for prizes in the city of Greenmont. Located at the northern border of the Arkadian Forest region, Greenmont is the first major city that most players will visit. There you can start a guild, buy Teleportation Wings, auction items, and much more.

Right in front of the Auction House, you’ll see a Mysterious Trader (he is designated by a red symbol on the map). Just to the left of him is a wooden object with a cross on top called the Kating. Activate the Kating to trade your crosses. The cheapest prize costs 10 Lucky Crosses, so it will take a while before you can cash your crosses in. Place them in your Storage Box until you can afford a prize.

Camera views and getting unstuck

New players often have trouble with getting stuck in first-person view. To adjust the level of zoom, use two-finger pinching motions. Zooming in all the way switches to first-person and zooming out goes back to third-person.

Another beginner problem is getting stuck and becoming unable to move. If this ever happens to you, tap your character’s portrait and go to Options. Choose Help and then “Break Away.” You’ll re-spawn at the nearest cemetery.

Dying

Whenever you die, you’re given the option to re-spawn in the same location by spending one Runestone. Most players will choose to re-spawn in the nearest cemetery instead.

Sometimes tough enemies will surround the cemetery, making it difficult to escape from where you re-spawned. If that happens, you should ask for another player help from your guild or via Global chat. Also, if you’re teamed up with a Monk who has the Resurrect spell, just let him or her revive you instead of re-spawning in the cemetery.

There is no penalty for dying until you reach level 10. After that, the game charges a fee in silver coins every time you die. Thus it’s very important not to take on enemies and quests you can’t handle at the current level. If you’re not holding any money when you die, you won’t be charged the fee.

To be continued

That’s it for part one of our guide, loyal readers! Don't miss the second installment, in which we go over auctions, guilds, earning and buying gold, and much more.

Order & Chaos Online– Windows Phone 8 with 1 GB RAM – 1012 MB - $6.99 – Store Link

We’ve reported quite a bit on Nokia’s Glance screen in the past but we also know some of you are new to Windows Phone and may have picked up a Lumia 925 this week or a Lumia 1020 next. If that’s the case, you may not be familiar with how to enable Glance (or even what it is) and all the options that it has available to you.

So we whipped up a little tutorial video to show you how to enable this feature (it’s not on by default, though we don’t know about the 1020 yet) and configure it for your liking.

Glance, for those who don’t know, is Nokia’s always-on clock for their Lumia line. It launched with the Lumia 925 but will be available on the Lumia 1020 for launch and other Lumia series devices when Nokia’s Amber update rolls out later this summer. Basically, a clock is fixed on your otherwise-off display and while it of course uses battery, it’s quite unassuming for usage.

The clock is quite ingenious too as it auto-turns off when in your pocket and turns on when you pull it out. Likewise, you can set it to be off, always on, peek or timed. We detailed ‘peek’ last week, as that is the one that allows you to hover your hand over the phone to turn on the clock for 60-seconds. Timed will turn off after about 15 minutes and always on or off are self-explanatory.

Likewise you have a setting for “night mode” where the display won’t be as bright and instead of a grey clock, it’s a deep red, making it less distracting and easier on the eyes (very nice for movie theaters). You can even set at which times you would like night mode to kick in and turn off, which is a nice bonus.

Other alerts that are shown on Glance include vibration and when it is charging.

And that’s it so far for Glance from Nokia. Who knows what else they will add to it in future updates, but there is little doubt in our minds: it’s one of the most useful and elegant looking features we’ve seen recently on a smartphone.