'Next Lock Screen' Is Microsoft Telling Google What Android Should Be | TechTree.com

'Next Lock Screen' Is Microsoft Telling Google What Android Should Be

The app comes out of Microsoft Garage, a program to show off what the company's employees do in their free time

 

Microsoft, Apple and Google may be locked in an epic battle for tech supremacy, but that isn't stopping the Redmond giant from letting employees explore opportunities outside its Windows ecosystem. The company has expanded its Garage project to give the world a chance to see what the boffins at Microsoft do in their free time, starting with the Next Lock Screen for Android.

The Garage project signals a big change in Microsoft's ideology, where employees are encouraged to build cross-platform applications. The bottom line of the shift is getting good at experimentation, something which a company like Google thrives on, by allowing employees spend time on working on what they think will be beneficial for the company.

The Next Lock Screen is Redmond's take on making a better Android lock screen, and while it may be on the wrong platform, it's typically Microsoft. The company's insane drive to boost productivity has shaped the app, and helps users save time doing what needs to be done. The app, like many other lock screen apps, displays notifications for calendar items, missed calls, emails and messages, but with a few big differences.

Features like one-swipe dialing will allow users to dial in on a conference call saved in the calendar, with the app automatically entering the PIN and all. There's also a quick app launch feature, which seems to have taken a cue from what Apple does with iOS, allowing users to pin apps and quick settings right on the lock screen.

In recent times we've seen Microsoft embrace rival platforms to grow its business, with one of the biggest moves being bringing Office apps to iOS. While those are mainly business driven, there are a whole host of experimental apps the company is bringing out – a keyboard for Android Wear, and Torque, which replaces Google search with Bing on Google powered wearables.

"I think that the garage is just a really good fit with the culture change that Satya is driving for the company," said Jeff Ramos, manager of Microsoft Garage. However, the company's attempt at building cross-platform apps isn't new, but has been thrown into the limelight ever since Microsoft's new CEO took over the reigns.


TAGS: Microsoft, Next Lock Screen, Google, Android, cross-platform

 
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