Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Microsoft Garage Revs Up Cross-Platform Consumer Apps

    Written by

    Pedro Hernandez
    Published October 23, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Microsoft is replacing “O.K., Google” with a twist of the wrist for Google smartwatch wearers.

      The company has launched a new consumer app hub called Microsoft Garage, an offshoot of Office Labs, that features software for a variety of mobile operating systems, Google wearables and even the Xbox One. Offerings include an app called Torque that allows users to search Bing by simply rotating their smartwatches instead of speaking the customary “O.K., Google” greeting to trigger the microphone.

      Microsoft Garage “represents Microsoft’s evolving culture,” wrote Microsoft writer Suzanne Choney in a company blog post, “where experimentation is encouraged, failure is an option, apps are platform-agnostic” and fast-tracking them to customers is part of the company’s efforts to commercialize its innovations, many stemming from Microsoft Research. “The Garage’s mantra is ‘Doers, not talkers,'” she added.

      Another Android-flavored app now available is Next Lock Screen, which aims to cut down the number of times smartphone users have to unlock their devices in a day. The app, developed by MJ Lee, group program manager of Microsoft Digital Life and Work Development in Beijing, “was inspired by a study that found, on average, a mobile device is unlocked 120 times a day to do mostly repetitive tasks,” said Choney.

      Next Lock Screen offers Android users some of the functionality provided by Windows Phone’s Live Tiles, Microsoft’s self-updating answer to app icons. Choney explained that the software, which runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above, allows users to “see information on their phone screen that might be vital to them at the right time—showing critical information for their next meeting or whether a spouse called—without having to unlock the display, something that is now done repetitively every day by users so they can see such information.”

      Journeys & Notes, a commuter app for Android and soon Apple’s iOS, creates anonymized communities among users of mass transport, allowing them to share tips and stories during their commutes. “The app’s algorithm connects people with similar commutes, based on their origin, destination and distance,” said Choney. Another social-enabled app, called Floatz (Windows Phone), lets locals anonymously share images and ideas to spur neighborhood-level conversations.

      Collaborate, a universal Windows and Windows Phone App, creates a shared digital whiteboard. With the app, users don’t need “to photograph the whiteboard or jot down notes in email. … It is a digitally authentic experience designed for sharing right from the start,” Alvin Chardon, senior program manager at Microsoft’s Foundry Intern Program, said in the blog post.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a writer for eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×