Who knew that the tech community would be buzzing excitedly about the things Microsoft was up to these days –but it’s happening. This time, it is because they have released a suite of MSN-branded mobile apps designed to run on Android and iOS devices. Timing for the launch makes good sense when you consider that Microsoft recently remodeled their MSN.com portal site (which serves to point users to their other services like Outlook.com, Skype, and Bing).
Some of the apps are particularly impressive, with the ports adding platform-specific tie-ins (like MSN Health and Fitness on iOS working directly with Apple’s HealthKit platform); unfortunately some obvious opportunities were missed, with many reviews already pointing out that there isn’t a weather widget to work with the Android version of the MSN Weather app.
Many features are ready to be enjoyed, including: synchronization across platforms (so you can maintain state between your various devices) and full customization options (so you can identify and organize the information provided by each app according to your personal interests).
Curious to see what Microsoft has been up to? Download any or all of these new (and free!) Android apps:
- – MSN Food & Drink – Recipes
- – MSN Health & Fitness
- – MSN Money – Stock Quotes & News
- – MSN News – Breaking Headlines
- – MSN Sports – Scores & Schedule
- – MSN Weather – Forecast & Maps
Are you impressed by Microsoft’s efforts to carve out their piece of the mobile marketplace? Do you think their mobile apps are good enough to compete (and dominate) against the competition?
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.