Apple, Android app makers cool to Microsoft overtures

SEATTLE - Microsoft's plan to make its new version of Windows a mobile hit by letting it accept tweaked Apple and Android apps has met an obstacle: some of the software developers the company needs to woo just aren't interested.

Windows phones accounted for just 3 percent of global smartphone sales last year, compared with about 81 percent for devices with Google's Android system and 15 percent for Apple and its iOS system, according to research firm IDC. One reason is that Windows doesn't run as many or as attractive apps as its rivals.

To boost sales of its phones and new operating system, Microsoft said last month that it would provide tools to software developers to make it easier to design apps for Windows based on apps that run on Android or Apple. But because so few people use a Windows phone, most developers remain focused on the more popular systems and don't see a need to develop apps for Windows. They also said they doubt how easy the new tools will be to use.

"Windows phone will have to gain a significant share of the market before this becomes something that saves us time and/or money," said Sean Orelli, a director at app development firm Fuzz Productions in New York, which makes apps related to Citibank, the New York Post, and Conde Nast, among others.

For Microsoft, the world's biggest software company, there's a lot at stake this summer as it rolls out Windows 10, the first operating system designed to run on PCs, tablets and phones. If developers don't embrace the new platform, it will seriously damage the prospects of the new operating system, which Microsoft hopes will power one billion devices in two or three years.

CANDY CRUSH

Interviews with more than a dozen developers found just one planning to move an app from Apple or Android to Microsoft (MSFT.O). That's King.com, which ported its popular Candy Crush Saga game from iOS to Windows 10 "with very few code modifications" and will be installed automatically with upgrades to Windows 10, according to Microsoft. King.com confirmed the move but declined to comment further.

Eight developers said they aren't planning to develop for Windows 10 at all. Four who already have Windows apps said they would continue to do so.

Because Microsoft hasn't actually unveiled its new set of tools to turn apps into a Windows format, developers did not rule out any move, and a Microsoft spokesman said that "it is still early" and many software companies want to explore the tools over the coming months.

More and better apps might attract more people to buy a Windows phone or tablet, Microsoft reasons. Only six of the top 10 free apps on iPhone are available for Windows phone, and of those, two are made by Microsoft itself. In the past Microsoft has paid developers to create Windows apps.

Failure to attract the apps would not be fatal for Microsoft, which is growing more reliant on its Office, server software and cloud computing services, but it would be a sign that Microsoft is losing its hold on personal computing, in a world where phones are expected to outsell PCs by more than six to one by 2017.

Because of that trend, "it's going to be hard for developers to prioritize building for Microsoft," said John Milinovich, Chief Executive of URX, a mobile ad service that creates links between apps.

STATIC BUSINESS
Windows, closely tied to the stagnant PC market, is a big but static business for Microsoft. It's likely worth $20 billion in revenue this fiscal year, analysts say, compared with almost $30 billion for its Office business, out of total expected annual revenue of $93 billion. The company's server software and cloud-computing businesses are growing much faster, with cloud-computing revenue forecast to triple to $20 billion by 2018.

Even though only a handful of developers have been allowed a sneak preview of the new tools Microsoft says it's preparing, most doubt it will be easy to take iOS and Android apps to Windows. Concerns include how the Windows app will use batches of pre-written software, called libraries, that an app needs to run, and the prospects that Apple's new language, called Swift, may soon eclipse the current one.

Erik Rucker, head of mobile at Smartsheet, which makes an online tool to manage projects, said he doesn't plan a Windows app version. He doubts tweaking an iPad or iPhone app for Windows would be simple.

"We'd end up writing a whole bunch more code," to move over an Apple app that was tightly integrated with the device, he said.

For Jason Thane, general manager at General UI, a mobile app developer based in Seattle, the cost of developing a Windows app from another system would need to fall to about 10 percent to 20 percent of the cost of building it.

"It can cost 50 percent or more of the cost to develop an app on one platform to port it to a new platform," said Thane, who hasn't yet used the new tools. "So if Microsoft has a way for our customers to do it easily and cheaply, and if there's no serious performance or functionality impact, I think they'd have a lot of people wanting to do it."

Even a little extra effort is too much for some smaller developers, including former Microsoft executive Adam Tratt, who now runs Haiku Deck, which makes presentation software primarily designed for iPads.

"I'd like to at some point, but we're not working on it yet," he said. "It's a function of resources."

Recent history hasn't been on Microsoft's side. Last year Pinterest pulled its Windows Phone test app, and this year Chase and Bank of America stopped supporting Windows phone apps, saying few customers were affected. None of those companies would comment on plans for Windows 10.

Microsoft does have some loyal supporters. Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) and USA Today all confirmed they are developing apps for Windows 10.

USA Today, owned by media giant Gannett Co (GCI.N), is building a "universal" app for Windows, which will run across PCs, tablets and phones. But instead of reusing code from its existing Windows apps, or porting from Apple or Android, the development team opted to start fresh.

The best experience was always going to be achieved with tools made for a given software system, said Christopher Kamsler, manager of mobile development at Gannett, and even with those his team had to tweak the app to work for different sized devices.

It's an uphill battle for Microsoft, said Frank Gillett, an analyst at tech research firm Forrester.

"Android and iOS are in the zone, the Windows guys just aren't there yet," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Windows 10 devices to allow sign in with face, iris

WASHINGTON - The new Windows 10 operating system will allow users to sign in to a device without a password by using biometrics, including facial recognition, Microsoft announced Tuesday.

Microsoft said its Windows Hello feature will support biometric authentication as part of an effort to reduce the use of passwords, which can often be hacked.

This means "using your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock your devices," Microsoft vice president Joe Belfiore said in a blog post.

"You -- uniquely you -- plus your device are the keys to your Windows experience, apps, data and even websites and services, not a random assortment of letters and numbers that are easily forgotten, hacked, or written down and pinned to a bulletin board."

The move comes following a wave of reports about hacking into databases, which can lead to identity theft and other crimes.

Apple and Samsung have already begun putting fingerprint sensors on their smartphones, and other types of biometrics are being developed across a range of products and services.

Belfiore said Windows Hello offers improved online security because it "enables you to authenticate applications, enterprise content, and even certain online experiences without a password being stored on your device or in a network server at all."

Microsoft has begun testing for Windows 10, which is being developed for both traditional PCs and mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. No precise date has been given for its launch.

Belfiore said "there will be plenty of exciting new Windows 10 devices to choose from which will support Windows Hello," and that if the device already has a fingerprint reader, it will be compatible with the new authentication system.

Infrared imaging

For facial or iris detection, "Windows Hello uses a combination of special hardware and software to accurately verify it is you -- not a picture of you or someone trying to impersonate you," he wrote.

"The cameras use infrared technology to identify your face or iris and can recognize you in a variety of lighting conditions."

Microsoft also announced that developers of other services would accept the same authentication under the programming system dubbed "Passport."

This provides a more secure way of letting users sign in to website or apps.

This opt-in system will verify the user of a device before authenticating that person for the wider range of services accepting Passport.

"Instead of using a shared or shareable secret like a password, Windows 10 helps to securely authenticate to applications, websites and networks on your behalf -- without sending up a password. Thus, there is no shared password stored on their servers for a hacker to potentially compromise," Belfiore said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft's digital assistant to head to Android, Apple devices

SEATTLE - Microsoft is working on an advanced version of its competitor to Apple's Siri, using research from an artificial intelligence project called "Einstein."

Microsoft has been running its "personal assistant" Cortana on its Windows phones for a year, and will put the new version on the desktop with the arrival of Windows 10 this autumn. Later, Cortana will be available as a standalone app, usable on phones and tablets powered by Apple Inc's iOS and Google Inc's Android, people familiar with the project said.

"This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame," said Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research and a part of the Einstein project, in an interview at the company's Redmond, Washington, headquarters.

The plan to put Cortana on machines running software from rivals such as Apple and Google, as well as the Einstein project, have not been reported. Cortana is the name of an artificial intelligence character in the video game series "Halo."

They represent a new front in CEO Satya Nadella's battle to sell Microsoft software on any device or platform, rather than trying to force customers to use Windows. Success on rivals' platforms could create new markets and greater relevance for the company best known for its decades-old operating system.

The concept of 'artificial intelligence' is broad, and mobile phones and computers already show dexterity with spoken language and sifting through emails for data, for instance.

Still, Microsoft believes its work on speech recognition, search and machine learning will let it transform its digital assistant into the first intelligent 'agent' which anticipates users needs. By comparison, Siri is advertised mostly as responding to requests. Google's mobile app, which doesn’t have a name like Siri or Cortana, already offers some limited predictive information 'cards' based on what it thinks the user wants to know.

Microsoft has tried to create digital assistants before, without success. Microsoft Bob, released in 1995, was supposed to make using a computer easy, but ended up being the butt of jokes. The Office Assistant nicknamed 'Clippy' suffered a similar fate a few years later.

"We're defining the competitive landscape... of who can provide the most supportive services that make life easier, keep track of things, that complement human memory in a way that helps us get things done," said Horvitz.

Outside his door stands "The Assistant", a monitor showing a woman's face that can converse with visitors, has access to Horvitz's calendar and can book meetings.

On his desktop, Horvitz runs 'Lifebrowser', a program that stores everything from appointments to photos and uses machine learning to identify the important moments. A keyword search for his university professor instantly brings up photos and video from the last time they met.

Cortana could tell a mobile phone user when to leave for the airport, days after it read an email and realized the user was planning a flight. It would automatically check flight status, determine where the phone is located using GPS, and checking traffic conditions.

None of the individual steps are a breakthrough, but creating an artificial intelligence that can stitch together the processes marks a breakthrough in usefulness, Microsoft says.

Rivals are on the same track. Google's latest mobile app uses the predictive power generated from billions of searches to work out what a user is doing, what they are interested in, and sending relevant information, such as when a favorite sports team is playing next.

Apple is also pushing Siri, which uses Microsoft's Bing search engine in the background, into new areas with its CarPlay and HomeKit platforms, as well as the recently unveiled Apple Watch.

The key to Cortana's success will be knowing where a user is, what time it is, and what they are trying to do. Albert Einstein's work on the relationship between space and time gave rise to Microsoft's secret project name, said Horvitz.

"Einstein was brilliant about space and time," he said. "It’s using brilliance about space and time generally in our agents."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Windows 10 aims to be core of connected devices

REDMOND -- Microsoft pulled back the curtain Wednesday on the upcoming Windows 10 operating system focused on bringing harmony to the diverse array of Internet gadgets in people's lives.

As it previewed the new operating system, Microsoft also unexpectedly added to the roster of modern gadgets with the unveiling of headgear that overlays holograms on the real world and lets wearers use their hands to interact with virtual objects.

By allowing users to work seamlessly over devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones, Microsoft hopes Windows 10 will renew its relevance in an age of mobile computing dominated by Apple and Google-backed Android software.

And in order to boost its takeup by the approximately 1.5 billion people around the world who use Windows-powered computers, in a change of policy Microsoft will allow free upgrades.

Microsoft also hopes to lure users with stunning new technology.

Chief executive Satya Nadella touted HoloLens capabilities that will debut with Windows 10 later this year as the next generation of computing.

The US technology titan is also trying to make it more natural to interact with devices, such as conversational-style speaking with the company's virtual assistant Cortana.

"The number of devices is just exploding around us," Microsoft's Terry Myerson said during a presentation to press and analysts at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

"It should be easy to put one device down and pick up another where you left off; technology needs to get out of the way."

HoloLens was touted as an entry to "the world's first holographic computing platform" which enables users to place three-dimensional holograms in the physical world.

"Until now, we've immersed ourselves in the world of technology," Microsoft's Alex Kipman said while introducing HoloLens. "But, what if we could take technology and immerse it in our world?"

Walking on Mars

Windows Holographic creates three-dimensional images in the real world, then lets people wearing the headgear reach out and manipulate virtual objects.

Examples shown during the event ranged from someone getting visual prompts during a routine home plumbing repair to being able to virtually walk on Mars and control a rover lander actually on that planet's surface.

Kipman said he invited virtual reality innovators, including Facebook-owned Oculus VR, to explore adapting different applications for the goggles.

"Holograms can become part of our everyday life," he said.

Nadella called HoloLens and Windows 10 a "mind-blowing" experience that will open a new type of computing.

"Today is a big day for Windows," Nadella said as Microsoft provided a look at its latest operating system at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. "We want to move from people needing Windows, to choosing Windows, to loving Windows; that is our bold goal for Windows."

Windows 10 is being designed with feedback from millions of "insiders" testing early versions of the operating system, Myerson said.

IE cedes to Spartan
Microsoft is so intent on distancing Windows 10 from its predecessors that it skipped directly from Windows 8, which failed to deliver on its promise as a platform for a variety of devices.

The Windows 10 design creates a foundation on which developers can build applications for smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, and Xbox One video game consoles, he said.

During the first year after the release of Windows 10, the operating system will be available as a free upgrade for computers running prior generation Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 software.

Microsoft said it will also keep Windows 10 upgraded during the lifetime of devices.

Personalized virtual assistant Cortana, and its touted ability to answer questions conversationally, will be now available on personal computers. Cortana made her debut on Windows-powered mobile devices.

Microsoft also unveiled a new Web browser code-named Spartan, which will have Cortana built in and ready to chime in at presumably helpful moments.

Spartan is poised to be the successor to Internet Explorer.

"Project Spartan is a new browsing experience tuned for being mobile and working across this family of devices," said Microsoft's Joe Belfiore.

Windows 10 is also designed to hook gamers, according to Xbox team leader Phil Spencer.

Along with modifications that allow for more sophisticated play on smartphones, an application for Xbox will let people use Windows 10-powered computers or tablets at home to play games with or against friends using one of the Microsoft consoles, Spencer demonstrated.

"I think there are lots of developers who want to bring their experiences to the Xbox," Spencer said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft gives peek at Windows 10 software

SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft on Tuesday offered its first glimpse of its Windows 10 software that it hopes delivers a winning formula for powering tablets and smartphones, along with laptops and desktop computers.

The US software colossus focused on its core business market while unveiling an "early technical preview" of next-generation Windows software slated for release next year.

Microsoft executives said the naming decision to skip right from Windows 8 to Windows 10 was intended to reflect that the new software will be a big leap and not a small step.

While pulling back the curtain on an early technical build of Windows 10, Microsoft heralded the operating system as a blend of what was best in the previous two generations.

"This is what Windows 8 should have been," analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley said after attending the unveiling event in San Francisco. "Now, they have the most advanced platform to deal with a BYOD (bring your own device) world."

An "Insider Program" for developers who want to dabble with Windows 10 and provide feedback will kick off on Wednesday.

"Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect," said Microsoft operating systems group executive vice president Terry Myerson.

"This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers."

Aimed at businesses

Pressure has been on Microsoft to win over companies that have shunned the current version of Windows, which was radically overhauled to adapt to the booming popularity of computing devices with touch screen controls.

While Windows 8 was tuned into personal lifestyles rich with smartphones or tablets, it was not a hit at companies where people still work using traditional computers with keyboards and mice.

More than a year after its release in late 2012, the number of businesses using Windows 8 were vastly outnumbered by those using Windows 7 and even using the earlier Windows XP, according to market trackers.

The operating system is crafted to automatically adapt to whichever device someone is using, from Xbox consoles and desktop computes to tablets or "tiny gadgets," according to Microsoft.

"Windows 10 will run across the broadest range of devices ever from the Internet of Things to enterprise data centers worldwide," the US software firm promised.

Microsoft also said the coming version of Windows will provide developers a converged platform that will allow them to write a single application that can run across the array of devices powered by the software.

Windows 10 will also boast enhanced security, including separating and securing data in ways more resistant to breach or theft.

A beloved "start menu" missed by users will make a comeback, providing 'quick one-click access to the functions and files that people use most," according to Microsoft.

Windows 10 is also designed to make it easier to work using multiple files or applications simultaneously.

The software can also segregate personal and work activities on mobile devices, allowing companies to wipe their information as needed but leave anything else untouched.

Windows 10 is also the first platform to aggressively handle biometrics "up through eyeball recognition," according to Enderle. "I had a list of things Microsoft needed to do, and they ticked off everything," Enderle said of how Windows 10 is shaping up.

"It looks like they really hit on all the elements."

Microsoft even improved a command prompt, addressing a long-running lament of Windows users stretching back for generations of the software.

Microsoft's Windows remains the dominant platform for traditional PCs but has been overtaken in the fast-growing mobile segments of tablets and smartphones by Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

Shares in Microsoft fell 0.19 percent to close at $46.35 after the announcement.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com