Microsoft stunned the world when it first introduced HoloLens around a year-and-a-half ago. The first versions of the device are now in the hands of developers, providing an early look into how technology can augment the world around you.
Microsoft has begun to develop early versions of its core apps for HoloLens. Yesterday, it announced that Outlook Mail and Calendar are now available to HoloLens developers, allowing them to access a traditional email experience within augmented reality.
In your vision, the apps appear to float around in your room, allowing you to place them wherever you want. You can pin your email inbox to the wall of your office or stick a calendar view up in your kitchen. It gives you new ways to access two of Microsoft’s most important core apps.
The accent colour of the apps can be personalized to match the palette of your surroundings. You can tailor your calendar so it fits right into your room, like a physical printed one. A holographic calendar can do more though, letting you keep on top of your digital reminders and interact with appointments directly from your wall.
Microsoft hasn’t written these apps specially for HoloLens. They are the same apps that will be familiar to users of Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, running on HoloLens and adapting to its display and inputs. Because HoloLens is a member of the Universal Windows Platform, third-party developers can bring their own apps to the headset in the same way.
This helps to make HoloLens a compelling platform for app creators interested in experimenting with augmented reality. Developers can write code once and run it on Windows PCs, tablets, laptops and phones, as well as HoloLens and the Xbox One.
The new apps are available for free on HoloLens today. Microsoft said it remains committed to creating new augmented and mixed reality experiences, bringing the digital things that matter to you into the physical spaces in your surroundings.
“This release is just the beginning, and we’re excited about the opportunities that HoloLens presents to build new and powerful ways of staying connected, productive and on top of your schedule,” said Microsoft. “We are far from done innovating in mixed reality and would love to hear your feedback on how you use Outlook Mail and Calendar on HoloLens and what features you want to see next.”
HoloLens works by using a system of transparent holographic lenses to overlay full-colour holograms onto your vision. It is a standalone system that operates independently of a computer or phone, running Windows 10 and capable of supporting Universal Windows apps.
Microsoft began to ship the HoloLens Development Edition in late March. Although there is no firm timeframe for a consumer edition, the company said this week that devices running Windows Holographic, the mixed reality platform behind HoloLens, will arrive “in months” rather than years.
