Newest Microsoft Garage apps include conference calls, China weather, and Visual Studio management

Microsoft has announced a new wave of Windows Phone apps from its Microsoft Garage division, but a few of them have already been released on their own. One of them is Join Conference, which Microsoft rebranded earlier in February after previously calling it Nokia Conference.

The new Join Conference version, now under the Microsoft Garage group, has ditched its "beta" status and is now being released under its new 1.0.0.0 version number. As before, the app is designed to make it easier to dial into conference calls, and Cortana users can even speak into their phone and say "Join Conference" to begin their group chat.

QR: Join Conference

An all new app that's being released in this wave is Your Weather, which has been developed specifically for China. It offers both weather forecasts and air quality information for cities in that country. Microsoft says:

The app also stands apart through its artistic use of Chinese paintings integrated into the interactive reports. Live Tiles and Lock Screen integration give users instant updates so they don't have to open the app to get the information they need.

Your Weather

QR: Your Weather

Finally, Microsoft has released DevSpace, which allows software makers working with programs in Visual Studio Online to check in on parts of their project using their Windows Phone. Microsoft says:

"DevSpace, which took about five months from creation to completion, provides fast access to work items and queries, including the use of push notifications to get build status on the start screen, and access through secondary tiles. It also responds to voice commands using Cortana integration."

DevSpace

QR: DevSpace

Source: Microsoft

John Callaham