Microsoft reportedly buys social calendar app Sunrise
If you’re an Android, iOS or Mac user who doesn’t like the stock calendar app on your platform, you’ve probably tried (or at least heard of) Sunrise, whose socially-savvy software often fills in the feature gaps. And apparently, Microsoft has tried it too — both TechCrunch and Recode claim that the Windows maker is buying Sunrise. While the reasons for the reported acquisition remain a bit opaque, our TC colleagues say that the Redmond crew will preserve Sunrise’s existing apps while folding some of their features into Microsoft products. Neither Microsoft nor Sunrise has commented on the claim so far. However, it’s pretty easy to imagine both Windows and Outlook getting upgraded calendars that will keep you from scrounging for alternatives.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: TechCrunch, Recode
TRENDING APPS: Microsoft Picturesque offers Bing images, news, weather and more on your lock screen
Microsoft Garage, the developmental lab behind a number of Android apps, released another title this week. Called Picturesque, it’s a way for Microsoft to deliver Bing homepage images to your lock screen. Available at no cost, it supports notifications and includes news and weather update integration.
They say:
- Beautiful Bing Homepage images: Your lock screen will be updated with the beautiful daily Bing image; you could swipe through the images from past 6 days or shake your phone to change the image on your lock screen.
- Search on the lock screen: You could search for anything on the web directly from the lock screen and read all the linked pages without having to unlock your phone.
- Latest news: Keep yourself updated with the latest news headlines and tap through to read the full articles.
- Weather: Find out what the weather is at your current location; long tap through on the icons to get the detailed weather predictions for the week.
- Notifications on Screen: See your missed calls and Messages quickly from your lockscreen. Quick call or reply from the notification from Home screen itself.
- Regional Calendars & Muhurats (Only for Indian users): Personalize the lock screen to access your favorite regional calendars and Muhurat. Now you can figure out what festival is on for the day, rahu kalam, chogadiya/hora timings all from the lock screen itself.
- Camera & Phone controls: Access your phone camera from the lock screen; Change your WiFi, Bluetooth, volume, brightness settings; also use your phone as a torch from the lock screen.
We say:
We love to change up our home screens and lock screens and we’re always on the lookout for something from bigger players. We appreciate having the images automatically cycled throughout the day and there’s plenty of customization to be had. Does it try to shoehorn in other Microsoft apps and services? Sure, but we’d expect that. Google does the same every chance it gets so why not?
The post TRENDING APPS: Microsoft Picturesque offers Bing images, news, weather and more on your lock screen appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Microsoft’s Picturesque Lock Screen brings a new Bing image to your device everyday
Microsoft is certainly no stranger to developing applications for Android. The company has released Torque Search for Android Wear, Next Lock Screen to help you stay more productive, and now we’re seeing a new app from the Garage team called Picturesque. The app aims to bring a slew of Bing-centric features to your lock screen. While this might not sound particularly appealing, the app is quite beautiful and may offer up some unique functionality that you can’t get elsewhere.
The first big selling point for Picturesque is that it brings a new Bing image to your device everyday. If you don’t like one of the images, you can swipe to the right or shake your phone to cycle between 6 different images. Picturesque puts a Bing search bar towards the top of your lock screen, similar to what we see on Google’s launcher with the Google Search bar. Using the Bing search bar from your lock screen won’t unlock your device, so you can actually search through web content without getting into your device.
Swiping over reveals a news ticker and a weather center, which could particularly come in handy. You can also jump right into your Camera or Phone app directly from the lock screen. Picturesque will also show you your most recent notifications and missed calls. Additionally, if you’re a user from India, Picturesque will also show you regional calendars and Muhurats.
If you’re interested in Microsoft’s most recent Android app, you can grab it from the Play Store today for free by following the link below.
Download Picturesque Lock Screen from the Google Play Store
The 10 most-tweeted commercials from Super Bowl XLIX
It was a great night for Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots, but it wasn’t so good for our friend Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. It also was a great night for brands trying to hold your attention for seconds with ads to get you talking on Twitter. From the usual highbrow suspects selling soda and beer, to toe fungus medication and superglue, here’s our take on the most-talked about spots from last night’s big game.
Budweiser – ‘Lost Dog’
Budweiser does a good job at tugging our collective heartstrings regularly and did it again this year with an adorable spot featuring a puppy who gets lost, and finds his way home thanks to the famous Clydesdales. Later on in the game, though, craft beer enthusiasts weren’t happy with this jab.
Always – #LikeAGirl
What does it mean to run #LikeAGirl? “It means run as fast as you can,” says the girl at the end of this ad by feminine products brand Always. The spot questions the common insult about doing something “like a girl”, reminding us that girls (and boys) can do amazing things.
Coca-Cola – #MakeItHappy
The internet is sometimes filled with hate and trolls, and it’d be a better world if we all were much nicer to each other — point taken. However, pouring soda accidentally on a server isn’t going to do much other than severely irritate an IT manager.
Supercell – ‘Angry Neeson’
This year we saw freemium apps getting airtime for the first time ever during the big game, one with model Kate Upton for Game of War and this hilarious spot by Supercell promoting Clash of Clans. Here, Liam Neeson plots his revenge on a mortal enemy, “bigbuffetboy85.”
Esurance #Sorta – with Lindsay Lohan and ‘Walter White‘
Lindsay Lohan driving a car is what Breaking Bad’s lead character is to working in a pharmacy. These ads try to get drivers to realize some insurance providers might charge based on similarities in demographics, versus letting people pay what’s right for them individually. Also, who trusted Lindsay to drive a car around children, even if on a closed set?
BMW i3 – ‘Newfangled Idea’
A little known segment on the ‘Today’ show in 1994 illustrated Bryant Gumbel’s lack of knowledge with the Internet and tried to talk it through with her then co-anchor (now Yahoo Global News Anchor) Katie Couric. Fast forward to 2015, it might be hard to understand how BMW’s all-electric (and self-parking) i3 works, but the duo did their best to understand it.
T-Mobile – #KimsDataStash
Kim wants us to take advantage of T-Mobile’s new Data Stash program (the one where you get to rollover your unused data from month to month). Not so we can have access to our email, but more so that we’re not deprived of her belfies selfies. Like the several she sent me via T-Mobile’s Twitter account.
Microsoft – ‘Braylon O’Neill’
Narrated by Common, Microsoft tells the story of Braylon, a boy born without the tibia and fibula bones in his legs, now replaced by prosthesis. Microsoft technology helps him thrive and live an active life.
Nationwide – ‘Make Safe Happen‘ and ‘Invisible Mindy‘
This ad illustrated a boy’s thrilling life had he not died in an accident. Sure, we all want to keep our kids safe from harm, but this ad upset more people than it inspired with its raw tone. One commenter on YouTube noted the ad was a “gut punch” to anyone who suffered a loss. It was the second ad Nationwide aired, noting its first was a more humorous one featuring an “invisible” Mindy Kaling.
Nissan – ‘With Dad’
There were a lot of “Dad” commercials during the game which folks noticed on Twitter en masse. To the tune of Harry Chapin’s ‘Cats In the Cradle,’ this focuses on a race car driver who’s son was growing up with him often away at his job, but at the end realizes he’s missing a lot of his upbringing. While some argue the song is more about a bad dad, the commercial is trying to focus on a distant father, who in this case might be able to make up for some lost time with a new car. So everything’s okay. Right, Nissan?
Android Authority this week
Hello Android fans, here’s what went down in the world of Android this week: Facebook launched its Lite app for entry-level Android devices, we’ve heard some troubling news about Sony, Qualcomm confirmed its overheating problems, ZTE and Meizu introduced new devices, alleged renders of the Galaxy S6 and One (M9) surfaced, we discussed Cyanogen’s plans to take Android from Google, and Microsoft launched its Outlook and Office apps for Android.
Inside AA HQ
This week Josh and Darcy visited Huawei’s headquarters in China, where they learned more about the tech giant’s plans for 2015 and got a peek at all the work that goes into designing, building, and selling a modern smartphone. Expect a look behind the scenes soon.
Because of Josh’s trip, our Friday Debate podcast is actually going down this Sunday. In this edition, Josh, Andrew, Joe and Jon are talking about the Cyanogen’s plans for a Google-free Android. This topic has been on everyone’s lips this week, especially since news broke that Microsoft has become an investor in the company founded by Steve Kondik. We’ll update this post with the podcast widget as soon as it goes live.
Joe is piloting a new format and a new name for his popular weekly show about apps. The segment is now called Android Apps Weekly, but the gist of it is the same – cool new apps, big updates, and all the news that matter in the world of Android apps.
In our Sunday Giveaway, we’re putting up for grabs a brand new Nexus 9! Throw your name in the hat here.
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
Here are some interesting posts for your Sunday reading:
- Opinion: Matthew prefers Tizen to Android Wear – read all about it here
- Hands-on: Josh checks out the new Huawei Honor 6 Plus
- Review: It’s thin, it’s cheap, it’s the Blu Vivo Air
- Throwback: A modern look at the phone that start it all – the T-Mobile HTC G1
- Debate: Cyanogen has huge ambitions. Can it make it?
Top news of the week
And here are the top news in the Android world this week:
Sony news
- Sony is getting back to longer smartphone release cycles – report
- Is releasing a single Xperia Z flagship a year the right move for Sony?
- Sony will reportedly cut 1,000 more jobs from its mobile division
- Sony announces partnership with Spotify to replace Music Unlimited service
Facebook Lite
The heat is on Qualcomm
- Snapdragon 810 issues may put the heat on Qualcomm
- Qualcomm reveals “large customer’s flagship” won’t use Snapdragon 810, all signs point to Samsung
- LG reassures that the G Flex 2 and G4 won’t be affected by Snapdragon 810 issue
ZTE Blade S6
Meizu M1
Our first look at the One (M9)?
Cyanogen saga
Microsoft loves Android
- (Update: final versions) Microsoft Office for Android tablets now available on Google Play/
- Microsoft Outlook Preview for Android lands in the Google Play Store
Galaxy S6 rumors
- There will be less bloatware on the Galaxy S6 – report
- Don’t take those Spigen Galaxy S6 cases too seriously (Updated)
Samsung’s shaky quarter
- Q4 2014 was a photo finish between Apple and Samsung
- Samsung sold fewer phones in Q4, but made more money out of them
Sound off
We always want to hear your feedback. Whether it’s criticism or praise, feel free to tell us what you think about Android Authority’s content, design, and community. Comment here or get in touch with us on our social channels:
Happy Sunday!
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week
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Sponsor: ETheme Launcher
[Price: Free]
Our sponsor this week is ETheme Launcher. It is a launcher that boasts over 2000 themes, 200 fonts, a light feel, and more. It comes with a home screen set up to help you get to your apps quickly with additional home screens available if need be. It also comes with a lock screen and new themes every week. It’s free with no in app purchases if you want to check it out!
Welcome back the newly redesigned Google Play Weekly show, now called Android Apps Weekly! We hope you enjoy the new format. Here are your headlines for this week!
- Google finally addresses WebView security issues and their advice is pretty simple: It’s broken, don’t use it.
- Dish’s SlingTV web TV service is now available via invite with a public release slated in a couple of weeks.
- Law enforcement is asking Google to shut down Waze because it allows people to “stalk police”.
- The Marriott Android app has apparently left credit card info open to hackers for years. It’s now been fixed.
- Former Opera CEO has announced a new web browser called Vivaldi with a lot of features.
- Rolling Stone Magazine is publishing their entire archive to Google Play via the Newsstand app.
- Spotify is running a promo to give people 60 days of free Premium Service. They’re also now partnering with Sony to create PlayStation Music.
- With only a few days left, Humble Bundle 10 has added three new games to the Bundle. Act fast!
Here are some of the big Android app updates that took place this week!
- Google Search on mobile is getting an update to bring us gloriously gorgeous movie information.
- Plex updated with a new UI, casting your camera roll to a Plex client, and a new purchase model.
- Twitter now allows Direct Messages (DMs) with up to 20 people at once and has in-line clip sharing (think Vine).
- Snapchat releases a new feature called Discovery which is essentially a mashup of a news feed and Snapchat.
- Hotspot Shield VPN updated to bring three new protection modes for improved simplicity.
And here are the new Android apps releases this week!
Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Tablets
[Price: Free]
Microsoft has released Word, Excel, and Powerpoint for Android tablets after a year of hearing us complain about not having it. The basic functionality of each app is free to use but to get the full experience, you’ll need an Office 365 subscription. So far, each app seems to work pretty well but do keep in mind that these are early releases and improvements are likely right around the corner.
You can pick up Microsoft Word by using the button below.
Download Microsoft Excel from Google Play here.
Download Microsoft PowerPoint from Google Play here.
Facebook Lite
[Price: Free]
Facebook has released a new lite application that is intended for devices with spotty connectivity and lesser specs. The interface is very scaled down although it is noteworthy that the messaging is built back into the main app here. Otherwise, it’s a basic Facebook experience without too many frills. It’s only available in some countries and on some phones but you can get the APK for yourself by clicking here.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news, let us know in the comments!
Microsoft’s white space internet aims to improve education in Ghana
Microsoft has long been championing TV white space internet for use in places conventional types of connections don’t reach, even in places that don’t even have access to electricity. After a pilot program that brought white space broadband to some African universities, Redmond is now making it available to anyone in Ghana. The company has collaborated with local provider Spectra Wireless to launch what it claims is the “first commercial service network utilizing TV white spaces” in Africa. Now, people (specifically students) in Ghana can subscribe to affordable high-speed internet bundles and even internet-enabled devices, presumably phones, tablets and laptops.
While the project page doesn’t have a comprehensive list of gadgets, it did mention the brands, namely: Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP. Each internet/device plan will also give students access to useful apps like Microsoft Office 365 and The Microsoft Virtual Academy. The service costs at least 2 Ghana cedi (or roughly 60 cents) for a 24-hour internet access, going up depending on the duration and the speed. And, in case subscribers can’t afford any of the devices offered, they can apply for a zero-interest loan, thanks to a partnership with a local bank.
Microsoft General Manager in Africa, Fernando de Sousa, believes TV white space broadband will provide teachers and students in Ghana what they need to improve education in the region. “High speed broadband offers students and teachers a way to access learning resources from all over the world, equalising the divide between developed and developing nations,” he says. “While the initial pilot project in Ghana offered wireless broadband to universities, this new commercial service allows students to have their own internet bundles, determine their own usage and purchase an internet-enabled device for anytime, anywhere access and enhanced productivity.”
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Via: Neowin
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft to reportedly invest in popular startup Cyanogen Inc.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft is to invest about $70 million dollars into Cyanogen Inc. Many of you I am sure are familiar with the popular ROM CyanogenMod project that was started by software developer Steve Kondik back in 2009 that went on to become a huge success. Cyanogen Inc. was created as a way to make the ROM more accessible to more people and runs CyanogenMod as its OS.
Though what makes this report so interesting, if it is in fact true, is that Microsoft would be investing directly in one of its competitors. CyanogenMod is still a modified version of Android which Microsoft has been competing with for quite some time using their Windows Phone mobile devices. The Wall Street Journal states that neither Microsoft or CyanogenMod replied to their inquires pertaining to the investment so we can only wait and see until things are made official or denied. For more information regarding Microsoft’s investment please use the link below.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The post Microsoft to reportedly invest in popular startup Cyanogen Inc. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Microsoft silently investing in Cyanogen
The last two years have been quite good for Cyanogen. The company saw its software ship on new hardware and quickly gain praise. All of this made investors eager to become involved with the software developer. Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, and even Yahoo all were said to have expressed interest in Cyanogen almost six months ago. In October, Google joined those interested but Cyanogen declined what was reportedly an offer to acquire the entire company. Cyanogen wants to operate on its own and keep Android as open as it should be. Of all the companies interested in Cyanogen, it looks like Microsoft has made the most progress.
Microsoft, according to The Wall Street Journal, is active with “putting money into Cyanogen.” A recent round of equity financing ended with about $70 million and Microsoft was labeled as a minority investor. The reason for Microsoft being involved with Cyanogen is not clear; however, the company’s issues with Windows Phone could be an indication that CEO Satya Nadella wants to see what other options are available. The software produced by Cyanogen is indeed Android, but it is quite different because of the adjustments and additions made. Microsoft could abandon Windows Phone altogether in the event Windows 10 does not improve market share. The more likely scenario is that Microsoft backs Cyanogen and, perhaps, launches devices with the software while supporting Windows Phone simultaneously.
Or maybe Microsoft intends to release dual-OS devices…
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Come comment on this article: Microsoft silently investing in Cyanogen
Microsoft is now reportedly a minor investor in Cyanogen
Just last week Cyanogen found itself in the news after speaking at The Information’s “Next Phase of Android” event, where Cyanogen’s Kirt McMaster boldly stated, “I’m the CEO of Cyanogen. We’re attempting to take Android away from Google.” Now according to the Wall Street Journal, Cyanogen is making news once again, this time thanks to Microsoft. If the WSJ is to be believed, Microsoft is a minority investor in the latest round of equity funding that managed to secure $70 million for Cyanogen.
While neither Cyanogen or Microsoft has yet to comment, apparently several people familiar with the situation have spoken up about the matter. Microsoft isn’t alone in cozying up to Cyanogen either, as many other strategic investors are said to be interested in investing, mainly because they want a piece of the Android pie and are hoping to steal some of Google’s control over Android. After all, Google’s certification terms dictate what the default search engine will be used for a phone, what many of the default apps will be out of the box, and several other aspects of the OS. Although this translates to a solid experience for end-users, it makes it harder for app makers and service providers to get any attention from their own alternatives to Google apps and services (ehm… Bing).
Microsoft isn’t alone in cozying up to Cyanogen, as many other strategic investors are said to be interested in investing, mainly because they want a piece of the Android pie and are hoping to steal some of Google’s control over Android.
What exactly would Microsoft have to gain from getting in bed with Cyanogen? For one thing, Windows Phone is still a relatively small time player with about 3% of the mobile marketshare. While Microsoft is pushing forward with its mobile efforts and has big plans for Windows 10, it never hurts to have a backup plan. It is also worth noting that Microsoft has been much more Android-friendly in recent years, introducing versions of Microsoft Office and even experimenting with apps for Android Wear.
As already mentioned, investing into Cyanogen could also make it more likely that Microsoft could get their Bing search engine and other services featured in future handsets that come with Cyanogen OS out of the box. Bottom-line, Microsoft isn’t putting all of its eggs in one basket, and we can’t say we blame them. Just remember MS is a minority investor and so this won’t really give them any real power over the future direction of the Android-based ROM.
AIVAnet 