Microsoft has revealed new wearable versions of several applications. However, these aren’t aimed at the Microsoft Band, but Apple Watch and Android Wear. Apple Watch will soon be seeing Outlook, Wunderlist and Yammer, while Android Wear will have Microsoft OneDrive and One Note. Both platforms will also be able to download and run Microsoft Translator.
Microsoft Outlook on the Apple Watch is nothing too out of the ordinary. The app allows users to see notifications about incoming email, read those email, and even reply to them. Outlook on Apple Watch also allows for pre-generated responses and voice dictation for replies. About the general kind of features expecting from a wrist mounted email client.
Aside from that Wunderlist is a voice activated to-do list generator, which not much else to it. Yammer, on the other hand, is a corporate social media platform intended mainly for internal use. Yammer on Apple Watch will allow users to keep in touch with their Yammer notifications from the wearable, and it will also be accompanied by Yammer support on iOS.
OneDrive support on Android Wear doesn’t bring much. It allows for a new watch face that cycles through different pictures stored on the user’s OneDrive, while also providing notifications when shared documents are updated or edited. OneNote is similar to the Windows version, and features voice activation integration. It might be a little odd to say “Okay Google” to activate a Microsoft product, but that is apparently a thing now.
Both platforms will also see the Microsoft Translator app, is probably the most significant news. Users will be able to speak directly into the watch and have it translated into 50 different languages. The app will allow users to pin their most used phrases to the watch screen for easy access, and also list previous translations for later reference.
The fact that Microsoft is making wearable apps for other platforms comes as no surprise. The company has been working on expanding its reach away from just Windows products, and has been embracing both Android and iOS over the last few months.
[Source: Office Blog]
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