Microsoft Windows Phone 8 update features Driving Mode

MICROSOFT is introducing a drive mode to its Windows Phones to help users avoid distractions on the road. Other features include rotation lock, new layout for bigger phones.

Microsoft announced update for Windows Phone 8 software. This significant update offering a number of enhancements including support for higher resolution and to include a new featurecalled Driving Mode.

It's the third update to Windows Phone 8 software since the system's release a year ago. Devices with this new update will start appearing in the next few weeks. According to Microsoft, all the older phones will be eligible for a free upgrade.

A new Driving Mode will automatically silence incoming calls and texts so that you can focus on the road. You also can configure the feature to automatically send out a reply to say that you're driving. What the Driving Mode won't do, however, is block outgoing calls or texts.

It can be activated automatically when the phone is linked with a Bluetooth device in a car. Apple added a “Do Not Disturb” feature for iPhones, but that needs to be turned on manually.

The new OS is going to support 5 and 6-inch class devices with support for resolutions up to 1920X1080.Currently, the system supports a highest resolution of 1280 pixels by 768 pixels, which is adequate for phones with screens no larger than 5 inches on the diagonal. But video and image quality degrades when stretched out on larger phones, such as a 6.3-inch Android phone from Samsung.

There are a few ways Microsoft Corp. will catch up to the iPhone and Android phones with the new update. For the first time, Windows phones will have a rotation lock function, so that the screen won't switch back and forth between horizontal and vertical mode while you're curled up in bed. There also will be a central way to close open apps. Before, you had to go into each open app and press and hold the back button.

Microsoft is launching a program to give app developers early access to the new software. Apple has had a similar program for the iOS software behind iPhones and iPads, while Google often has worked with selected developers on unreleased features.