Microsoft’s Build was exceptional this year. Android apps on Windows Phone, a new browser called Edge, and the awesomely jaw-dropping HoloLens. I can say without a doubt that 2015 was, is, and will be a great year for Microsoft.

Just in case you missed the conference, you can watch all the sessions on their official website.

Let’s start with…

• Android Apps On Windows Phone

It has been rumoured for a long time now that Windows will support iOS and Android apps. The apps won’t translate directly to the Windows-based device, but developers have made it easier for those who wish to do so, by releasing a number of tools for app creators.

Windows Phone has struggled in the market – a device without Android apps, or iOS apps isn’t that popular nowadays; but now, with Microsoft’s intention of making Windows-based devices the home for universal apps, Windows Phone will be like a diamond in the rough, waiting for developers to shape it into a beautiful gem.

• Windows Phone Equals Windows PC

One of the biggest announcements that was made at Microsoft’s Build was Windows 10 Continuum – sounds future’ish, right?

This is Microsoft’s big plan to turn your ordinary phone into a personal computer. Besides getting a free upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft’s new OS will have some cool new features too. Yes, you can scale it down so it is mobile friendly, but that isn’t the only awesome thing. You can even up-scale your mobile device, keeping the capabilities of your personal computer, to the big screen without a hitch.

Continuum stands for continuing everything you were doing like searching for a place on maps, reading an article, watching a video, or even playing a game – on the big screen!

•  Goodbye Internet Explorer, Hello Edge!

Internet Explorer was really great in its time, but not wanting to evolve like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and even Opera – I hate Opera – has made it one unstable little fiend. But no more, says Microsoft.

Project Spartan was kept under a closed lid for a couple of months, and finally they have announced what’s it really about – a new browser called Edge. A browser that isn’t going to crash because I opened another tab? Well, that’s a step up!

It will be on par with Chrome, and Firefox not only because it will feature a new architecture, but the Edge will also feature Cortana, and it will support browser extensions.

• HoloLens, or ” The Story About the Boy Who Decided to Never Leave His House Again!”

Although it is a work in progress virtual gear headset, it doesn’t seem to be all that buggy. Watch a little bit of their on-stage demo, and tell me that you don’t want that awesome toy for yourself. You can scale everything. Fancy cooking dinner, but also watching the latest Game of Thrones episode? No biggie. Scale the media player on the wall in front of you. Not in the mood of getting out of the bed to read the newspaper? No problem, scale articles in the ceiling so you can lay in bed all day.

When they say that you can scale everything, I hope that they mean it. I want to scale the dog to humongous proportions, not only because I want to scare my friends when they try out my HoloLens device, but who wouldn’t want a huge dog?

Plaster apps on your walls, make those apps follow your around, create your own virtual environment. The downside is that you’ll live in your own bubble, without decorating anything in your home, but if that’s the price we have to pay for advanced technology, then so be it!

• Some Love for DirectX 12

Although nothing major was presented at Microsoft’s Build this year regarding gaming, Square Enix showcased a demo featuring DirectX 12, and it was superb. The clip, titled Witch Chapter 0 [cry], can be seen on Youtube.

Those look like real tears, and more so, that women looks so real it’s kinda’ scary. The rig that pushed the graphics to the max in the presentation consists of a four GPUs that were capable of presenting 63 million polygons – that includes the whole environment.

 

That’s about it. There are some other announcements, but they weren’t so big. The not so important, but stil great announcements at Microsoft’s Build were:

– Azure Learning platform which is a machine that constantly learns and improves itself;

– Surface Hub, a 4k, 84-inch tablet, mounted smart table;

– Microsoft wants 1 billion devices with Windows 10 – a respectable goal, or a child’s dream?

 

The most important announcement that wasn’t made at this year’s Build was the release date of Windows 10. It’s still a mystery to all of us.

 

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