Microsoft's Sway lets you share ideas on the web without any design skills

byJon Fingas|@jonfingas| 2 hours ago

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Sharing ideas on the web is tricky. You probably want something more persuasive than a social network update, but it's usually overkill to design a whole web page just to get your point across. Microsoft may have reached a happy balance between the two with Sway, a new part of the Office portfolio that lets you publish content in a slick, web-native format without knowing a thing about code or design. All you do is write and pull in content, whether it comes from your device or internet sources like Facebook, OneDrive and YouTube; Sway automatically organizes it all into polished web layouts that adapt to any screen size. You can switch layouts to fine-tune your work and update projects over time. Think of this as a Medium-like authoring tool that handles much more than just articles -- it's possible to publish daily photo diaries, non-linear presentations and other pieces that would typically require a dedicated web editor or a specialized app.

Sway is launching as an invitation-only preview on the web, but Microsoft tells us that it's going to both expand the audience and the functionality very quickly. You should expect new features every couple of weeks, with feedback playing a big role in determining what comes next. The company plans to release an iOS app soon (Windows Phone and Android are coming as well), and you'll eventually have the option to post interactive charts and other Office 365 content. This won't necessarily replace an elaborate PowerPoint slide deck, but it could be good enough to get your classmates or coworkers to consider proposals that they'd otherwise dismiss out of hand.

Source: Sway, Office Blogs

Tags: android, internet, ios, microsoft, mobilepostcross, office, officesway, publishing, sway, video, web, windowsphone  Hide Comments 0Comments

Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 Key specs Reviews • 8 Prices Discussions Type Mobile / embedded OS Source model Closed Released 2014-04-14 see all specs → 9.1average user rating Ease of use 10 Speed 10 Configurability 9.3 Ecosystem (apps, drivers, etc.) 7.8 Openness 8.3

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Microsoft's first post-Nokia phone is the budget Lumia 530

BYMatt Brian @m4tt6 hours ago

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With Nokia's range of Android-powered smartphones all but dead, Microsoft is pushing its newly-acquired Lumia line harder than ever. Today, it's introduced the lowest-priced Windows Phone to date, the Lumia 530, delivering middle-of-the-road specs for €85 ($114). For that, you'll get a 4-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) display, quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory (with support for 128GB microSD storage). There's also a 5-megapixel camera on the rear (no selfie camera here folks), which is controlled by Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8.1 software. That, of course, offers access to Cortana (if you're in the US), the new WordFlow swipe keyboard and a multitude of other custom Microsoft- and Nokia-crafted apps. Like its older siblings, the Lumia 530 will also come in both single and dual SIM (3G) variants and offer interchangeable back covers, which will be available in the traditional orange, green, white and dark grey colors. Microsoft's latest Lumia will go on a global tour in the near future, starting with an initial rollout in "select markets" from next month.

Nokia Lumia 530 Press Gallery See all photos 11 Photos

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Via: Conversations Blog

Source: Nokia

Tags: budget, entry level, lumia, lumia 530, mobilepostcross, nokia, windows phone, windows phone 8.1 Next: YouTube star sued for copyright to the tune of $150,000 per song Nokia Lumia 530

Nokia Lumia 530 Key specs Reviews • 0 Prices Discussions Type Smartphone Operating system Windows Phone Screen size 4 inches Internal memory 4 GB Camera 5 megapixels Dimensions 4.71 x 2.45 x 0.46 in Announced 2014-07-23 see all specs → There are not any reviews for this product yet.
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Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 Key specs Reviews • 4 Prices Discussions Type Mobile / embedded OS Source model Closed Released 2014-04-14 see all specs → 9average user rating Ease of use 10 Speed 10 Configurability 9.5 Ecosystem (apps, drivers, etc.) 7.5 Openness 8

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Microsoft's Atari doc remains on track despite studio closure

BYTimothy J. Seppala @timseppala10 hours ago

0

The news that Microsoft is shuttering Xbox Entertainment Studios won't have an effect on its Signal to Noise series, the first episode of which focuses on the rise and fall of former gaming giant Atari. Fuel Entertainment's (one of the production houses behind the episode) director of communications Nick Iannitti tells us that everything was still proceeding on schedule despite the closure, and that nothing has changed for his team. Its behind-the-scenes panel about Atari scheduled for the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con is still happening, and production for the show is still under way. What's more, he says that he learned of Xbox Entertainment Studios' shuttering at "about" the same time as everyone else. If you couldn't make it to New Mexico earlier this spring, it sounds like you'll still be able to check out the infamous video-game landfill at some point in the future, regardless of Microsoft's new plans.

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More Coverage: The Hollywood Reporter

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Watch Microsoft's Surface event livestream right here!

Microsoft is set to announce some Surface related news and we'll have all the nitty gritty in our liveblog. But you can also watch the event live after the break or right here courtesy of the fine folks in Redmond. So follow along, while still reading our live coverage, of course.

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Source: Microsoft

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Microsoft's Innovation Center to school citizens on technology, help startups in Miami

Miami is going to get a whole lot geekier if Microsoft has its way. The software giant has recently announced plans to open its first US-based Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) in the sexy city later this spring, with more stateside locations to follow. The Miami MIC will focus on four different audiences: academia, the local Latin American community, government and start-ups, and it's said that each group will benefit in its own way. Students, for example, will have a place to net specialized training and pick up valuable tech-related job skills. Will Smith's favorite burg will also serve as a part of Microsoft's CityNext program, which uses locals to create "healthier, safer and more sustainable" places to live. Only time will tell if the siren song of South Beach will have an adverse effect on any of the above, though.

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Microsoft's E.T. game excavation hits paydirt

It looks like the legend might be true after all. Microsoft has uncovered intact copies of E.T. for the Atari 2600 at a New Mexico landfill, supporting claims that Atari buried legions of unsold cartridges in the desert after the movie-themed game proved to be a massive failure. With that said, it's not yet clear that this is the treasure trove that Microsoft was hoping to find for its first Xbox-only documentary. The excavation team has only found a few E.T. units as of this writing, and they have company -- there's a shrink-wrapped copy of Centipede in the mix, for one thing. If the team does find many more examples of the extra-terrestrial flop, though, it could finally put a 32-year-old mystery to rest.

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Microsoft's new keyboard is meant to be used with Smart TVs

This fall marks 20 years that Microsoft has been making keyboards (make that "computer hardware," as it was quaintly called back in 1994). Ironically, though, as the company approaches this milestone, it's now making accessories not just for PCs, but... Smart TVs? Yes indeed. The company just announced the All-in-Media Keyboard, and while you could use it with a computer, it was designed to help you navigate your TV or media streamer from your couch. Chiefly, it features a built-in touchpad -- something we've seen on other devices -- meaning you won't need to balance a standalone mouse on your La-Z-Boy.Microsoft All-in-One Media Keyboard hands-on

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Windows Phone 8.1 review: Microsoft's mobile OS finally feels whole

Android, iOS, Windows Phone. Each of these mobile platforms had to start somewhere, and none were anywhere near perfect on the first try. Fortunately, each OS gets better with each iteration until, at some point, it all just clicks. Arguably, Windows Phone just came of age with its latest update, version 8.1.

Even before today, Windows Phone only had a few big holes remaining and indeed, 8.1 appears to fill those gaps. In particular, the OS now has a fancy notification center in addition to those signature Live Tiles; the keyboard now allows for swipe gestures; and last but not least, it now has Cortana, a virtual assistant to take on Siri, Google Now and Samsung's S-Voice. The 8.1 update is a fairly significant one, and I got the opportunity to take it for a spin ahead of the official developer preview's launch. It may not be perfect yet, but it's clear Windows Phone has finally grown up.

Cortana

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