Tag Archives: build2013

Microsoft announces Visual Studio 2013 preview: now available for download, 5,000 new APIs in Windows 8.1

Posted on by

Microsoft announces Visual Studio 2013, 5,000 new APIs in Windows 81

Windows 8.1 isn't just good news for users, as the new OS version is also bringing the goodies for developers as well, in the form of 5,000 new APIs for devs to play with. Along with 8.1's arrival is a new version of Visual Studio that'll allow devs to write native apps for Windows 8 and optimize them for the platform. The software comes with all the diagnostic tools any good Win8 developer needs, including a way to see an app's power consumption and network efficiency. The Visual Studio 2013 preview is available for download today, so devs anxious to dig in can do so at the source below.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Visual Studio

Next-gen Kinect for Windows opens dev kit applications, costs $400

Posted on by

Microsoft's new version of Kinect for Xbox One is also headed to the world of PCs, like its previous incarnation. The new Kinect for Windows sensor won't be available publicly until some point in 2014, but developers can apply for an early, $400 development kit starting right now (due before July 31st at 9AM PT), Microsoft announced today. In that $400, developers (if accepted) will get early SDK access, a pre-release "alpha" version of the device, a final retail version (at launch), and private access to both APIs and the Kinect for Windows engineering team (in private forums and webcasts). Should you get in, you'll find out more come this August.

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments

Source: Microsoft

Fresh Flipboard, Facebook and NFL Fantasy Football apps coming to Windows 8 (update: Flipboard video)

Posted on by

Flipboard and NFL Fantasy Football apps coming to Windows 8

Windows 8.1 preview was the first big announcement to come out of Build 2013, but Ballmer's not done with the software goodies. Turns out, Facebook, Flipboard and NFL Fantasy Football apps are coming to Windows 8. Naturally, we haven't seen what these (presumably) Metro-styled apps will look like, but it's good to know they're coming, right?

Update: The folks at Flipboard have uploaded a (very) brief video of their new Windows 8 app, and we've embedded it after the break for your viewing pleasure.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Inside Flipboard

Microsoft teases a Metro-style version of Office, no word yet on availability (update)

Posted on by

Microsoft teases a Metrostyle version of Office, no word yet on availability update

We already knew that Windows RT tablets would be getting their very own Outlook app with Windows 8.1, but apparently Microsoft has even more plans up its sleeve. Here at Build, the company is teasing a Metro-style Office suite that will be available through the Windows Store, just like any other non-desktop Windows program. Unfortunately, this is a tease in the truest sense of the word: Redmond won't say when the app will be available, and isn't providing many official screenshots. However, a company spokesperson did tell reporters that PowerPoint will have "all of the same transitions, the same graphic power [and] file format capability" as the desktop version, so presumably the same is true of Word and Excel too. That's all we have to share for now, though you can bet we'll be back with a proper hands-on as soon as Microsoft is ready to show off a more final version of the app.

Update: ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports that the Metro-style Office applications (codenamed Gemini) will hit the Windows Store in 2014.

Gallery: Metro-style PowerPoint teaser

Filed under: ,

Comments

Windows 8.1 in-depth hands-on: features, apps, impressions and screenshots (video)

Posted on by

Windows 81 indepth handson features, apps, impressions and screenshots

The last time we wrote about Windows 8.1, we had lots to talk about, but very little to share in the way of hands-on impressions. You see, though Microsoft unveiled loads of new features, apps and UI tweaks, it only released a handful of screenshots -- and nobody outside the company was permitted to actually use the new software. Today, though, the OS update is available for anyone to download for free; in fact, because we're oh-so special, we've playing around with it for about 15 hours already. So while that's not enough time to put together a comprehensive review, we feel qualified to offer a few early thoughts. If you're curious, you can meet us after the break for impressions on everything from the new panorama capture feature to Xbox Radio. And yes, we brought screenshots this time. Lots of 'em.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Microsoft

Windows 8.1 to support 3D printing through native API

Posted on by

Windows 8.1 3D printing

As quickly as 3D printers have taken off, they haven't had true OS-level support. Microsoft is fixing that with Windows 8.1: a built-in API will let developers weave 3D printing into their own apps. While the experience will be slightly more complicated than firing up an old-fashioned inkjet, it should include familiar-looking printing dialogs and persistent settings. The only real challenge will be picking up a 3D printer in the first place -- but that's getting easier by the day.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Microsoft Build 2013 opening keynote liveblog!

Posted on by

Microsoft Build 2013 opening keynote liveblog!

Hello, and welcome to sunny San Franciscso where Microsoft is about to kick off its annual Build developer conference. We already know today is the day Windows 8.1 becomes available as a public preview, and the execs in Redmond have hinted they have even more to share about the big OS update. But what else? Will those rumors of WebGL support for IE11 come to fruition? And how 'bout some news indie gaming developers can use? We'll be giving you the blow by blow, starting around 12PM ET today. Stay tuned!

June 26, 2013 12:00:00 PM EDT

Filed under:

Comments

We’re live at Microsoft Build 2013!

Posted on by

We're live at Microsoft Build 2013!

This time of year, developer conferences and the Moscone Center in San Francisco go together about as well as hamburgers and hot dogs. We enjoyed Google's and Apple's annual conventions last month, and this week it's Microsoft's turn. During this edition of Build 2013 (oops, we mean "//build/"), we're expecting Windows 8.1 to take the bulk of the devs' attention, while we also hope to see a few additional nuggets of info about other projects such as Xbox One and -- if we're lucky -- Windows Phone. If we're even more fortunate, we might get to see a famous Ballmer chant-and-dance for the developers, but we don't want to set our expectations too high. Join us here as we canvas Moscone for the latest and greatest developments at Build 2013!

Filed under: ,

Comments

Nokia brings Augmented Reality to the employment market with JobLens

Posted on by

DNP Nokia brings AR to the employment market with JobLens

Once Sesame Street starts using Augmented Reality, you know the tech is no longer considered a niche affair. Strangely enough, however, we haven't actually seen an AR app that caters to job seekers, but Nokia's got that covered with JobLens -- an app we've tested at Nokia's UK-based Lumia 925 launch event last month. The program arrives on Lumia devices in the US and Canada today, utilizing the same LiveSight sight recognition tech previously seen in Here, and involving collaborative efforts with LinkedIn, Indeed, Zillow and Salary.com. In addition to gaining the benefit of visualizing exactly where you can find open positions around you, the app will help you create and submit resumes to push you in the right direction. There's still no word on when we can expect to see JobLens outside of North America, though we imagine it won't be too long. As a gentle reminder of how it all works, we've added our hands-on video after the break.

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments