People Hub: The Buddy Joint in Windows Phone

Being in touch with near and dear ones can make life more cool and soothe. Keeping pace with advancements in technology, since last few years or so folks worldwide (especially the youth) have really utilized the power of the Internet to economically and effectively reach out to the ones that matter the most to them. They message, chat, share snaps, upload videos, play online games and engage in all fun and frolic on the move with their mobile smartphones, tablets and the likes. Well aware of the pulse of the young breed, Microsoft first introduced People Hub in Windows Phone 7.5, and now kind of relaunched it in a new avatar in Windows Phone 8. As a matter of fact Microsoft has taken extra care to ensure that any user of Windows Phone 8 should fell in love with its People Hub. So what makes People Hub so special? Let’s take a trip through this enthralling Windows Phone 8 app.

More than an address book, so to speak, Windows Phone 8 is a joint where you meet friends, communicate with them, or share photographs clicked on joyous moments. It’s really fun and handy. The together panel has two features – Groups and Rooms. The Group feature lets you add up people and categorize them as you wish. So browsing the names to contact them is made easier here. Oh C’mon! Don’t say that this feature was available in previous version of Windows Phone as well. Alright; then let’s dive into Rooms, an improved version of Groups.

Just like a real life room, the one in Windows Phone 8 allows families and friends communicate and share without letting the rest of the world know about it. Some noteworthy aspects of a Room are:

• You are the Room creator: Remember, as you create a Room, the right to invite and delete a member lies with you. Every post in the Room will be viewed by all members. And in case you want to limit the audience, a better way is SMS, or e-mail.
• Share photos, videos, locations and calendar: In a Room, you are free to share photos, videos, locations, and calendar with every member. As every member can view a posted photo, it is better to avoid those snaps that need to be kept hidden.
• Send messages to keep in loop: You can send message to all your friends to keep everyone in loop. A birthday party invitation or if you are going on a trip, for instance.
• Create as many Rooms as you want: You are free to create as many Rooms as you need. The calendars of the Rooms won’t get mixed up and can be edited and shared by members. Shared calendars are useful for family get together, outings, and parties.
• Change the Room background:You can give the room a fresh appearance by changing the background quite frequently. Every member can see the Room and can comment on its look.

What is more interesting about People Hub in Windows Phone 8 is the facility to filter your contact list. The Hub may have your personal friends, colleagues from work place, or people you have met through different social networking sites. By filtering them, it becomes easy for you to view the contacts that you communicate to frequently. And in case you don’t use a name or feel like blocking one, People Hub lets you do that as well.

People Hub also gives you the facility to hide updates from one or more of your social networking sites. This is helpful when too much of messages, tweets, or posts annoy you. Now you know why I like this feature the most. And in case you have special affinity with a person or a group and need to keep a track on updates and messages that person or group posts come to People Hub. All you need to do is to pin a contact or a group to the Start.

Are you someone who loves to be in company of your buddies, but gets less time for that? Well don't worry as People Hub no doubt is meant for you. So own a Windows Phone 8 device to make your life more vibrant, chirpy, and joyous.

Watch the video underneath to have a hands-on experience with People Hub.