Update: Microsoft has now pulled the page and videos
While there's a lot to love about live tiles in Windows and Windows Phone, there's one element that's been missing: interactivity. Sure, they'll refresh with your latest notifications, but all you can do is tap on them to open the respective app. Microsoft Research is aware of this limitation, and is working actively to supercharge live tiles with interactive elements.
The gist of Microsoft Research's interactive tiles concept is that you can tap on the tile to expand its height into a miniature window in the start screen. For email, for example, it displays a list of your emails, and tapping one will open that specific email in the email app. There's an interactive live tile for the calculator as well, letting you perform quick calculations right from the start screen. Interactive live tiles can even live in the multitasking sidebar, letting you, for example, browse your OneDrive files and drag an item straight from that into your working app.
Thanks to Travis for the video!
The potential applications for these interactive live tiles are many, though there's no time frame for when we might see them actually hit Windows and Windows Phone (certainly it will be a substantial update to both the OS and SDKs).
It's a really cool concept, but we want to know: what do you want to see from interactive live tiles?
Source: Microsoft Research (1), (2) Via: Microsoft-News.com, Thanks to Jagar for the tip!
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
The Black Friday keyboard deals you need to know about
Getting your hands on a new keyboard is exciting for PC users, and thanks to Black Friday, it's more affordable than ever before. Here's a look at the best Black Friday keyboard deals available now.
Best Wireless Headsets for Xbox Series X, Series S 2020
Next-gen consoles need next-gen wireless. Here are our picks for the best wireless headsets for Xbox Series X and Series S.
Here's what to expect from Windows 10 in 2021
The year is almost over, so it’s time to look ahead to 2021 and see what we can expect from Windows in 2021. Windows 10 has taken somewhat of a backseat when it comes to major features or OS changes in the last couple of years, but that appears to be about to change as Microsoft aims to refocus on the OS in big ways next year.
These are the best PC sticks for when you're on the move
Instant computer, just add a screen! That’s the general idea of the ultra-portable PC Compute Sticks, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we’ve got you covered.