New Zealand bank ASB teases upcoming Windows Phone app

The official Twitter account for New Zealand's bank ASB (www.asb.co.nz) tweeted a photo that teases a Windows Phone app for customers to make use of mobile banking. ASB joins numerous other banks that have released apps for the platform, adding another name to the pool of officially supported apps.

While no details are included, we can see the app offering a number of features. Amongst the list of menu items is an option for exchange rates and possible conversion calculators, as well as the ability to locate nearest branches and (we'd assume) ATMs, receive quick balance checks to stay on top of the bottom line without diving into feature rich account management, visit the official ASB website and to contact the bank for enquiries.

"The wait is almost over... #ASBmobile #WindowsPhone  twitpic.com/awrabl

— ASB Bank (@ASBBank) September 21, 2012"

Should the number of features present not be enough, a line of security is also illustrated in the photo - an account PIN. It's positive to see another bank taking Windows Phone seriously with security, features and usability in mind. No word on when the app will be available on the Marketplace, but we can't imagine it'll be too long.

Source: @ASB (Twitter)

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YoYo announces upcoming Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 support in GameMaker

YoYo Games (www.yoyogames.com) announced yesterday that GameMaker: Studio, the cross-platform games development environment, will support upcoming Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The studio enables developers to create games in a single code base and subsequently export with ease to multiple platforms and formats.

Current level of support includes HTML5, Facebook, Android, iOS, Windows and OS X. GameMaker: Studio for Windows 8 is stated to be available for developers prior to the OS launch, while support for Windows Phone 8 will reportedly arrive following device availability.

Sandy Duncan, CEO at YoYo Games, explains the company's close partnership with Microsoft to bring support to both its new desktop operating system and mobile platform:

"We are thrilled to be working closely with Microsoft to launch GameMaker: Studio for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The beauty with GameMaker: Studio is that it’s extremely easy for developers who have already or are currently developing with our environment to have Windows Style UI games ready for publishing on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 in a short amount of time."

YoYo Games offers GameMaker for free with three purchasable tiers available - Standard ($49.99), Professional ($99.99) and Master ($499.00). John Richards, Senior Director of Windows Apps Marketing at Microsoft, added the following comment to the announcement:

"We are excited that YoYo Games is bringing Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 publishing to the GameMaker: Studio™ development community,” said . “We are looking forward to expanding the Windows 8 development community and the breadth of apps available across Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8."

GameMaker has been developed with usability and efficiency in mind, which introduces functionality such as drag-and-drop to create a simple yet powerful environment. There are a number of showcases available on the YoYo Games website that make the possibilities for Windows Phone appear exciting.

We'll be able to add GameMaker to the list of supported developer tools, which will include the likes of Unity. 

Source: YoYo Games, via: @YoYoGamemaker (Twitter)

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