Two weeks after its release, there is an update to the Windows Phone App Studio beta with one of the improvements being that you no longer need to wait for your access code.

Microsoft seems to be surprised by the early success of its template-based app creation toolkit. Writing on the Windows Phone Developer Blog , Emilio Salvador Prieto writes:

To be honest, the response rate has been well above what we expected. In the first 48 hours we saw more than 20,000 people from all over the world kicking off more than 30,000 projects, and just a few hours ago we surpassed 55,000 active projects.

We knew this tool would appeal to hobbyists and enthusiasts, but we didn’t expect quite so many to jump in so quickly.

This level demand led to "a few hiccups" and the enhancements, designed to improve scalability and performance, include a temporary access code system so that would-be users can sign up and access the beta straight away.

While the App Studio is mostly being used to create personal or specialized apps for specific local needs, and which they can share with friends and family, Prieto notes that is is also being used by professional developers and give links to Rob Miles' blog, where there are now four screencasts, the latest of which looks  in detail at how you can work with the Visual Studio projects that are produced when you make an App Studio solution.

Windows Phone 8 itself is also being updated - GDR2, announced in May, is "trickling out" to existing Windows Phone 8 smartphones over several weeks. It beings Data Sense support to more Windows Phones, re-introduces the FM radio feature from Windows Phone 7 and has several tweaks to the camera app on some devices. It also has support for additional audio codecs for voicemail messages and " a slew of bug fixes and improvements ... especially around phone storage and music".

Several of the changes are intended to pave the way for the new Nokia Windows Phones like the Lumia 102.

So at the moment things seem to be looking up for Windows Phone - even though it still only has a 3.3 percent market share according to Gartner.

More Information

Windows Phone Developer Blog

Windows Phone App Studio

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