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| Hello stomach - didn't you used to be called Arrow Launcher? |
MICROSOFT'S chest-burster strategy has accelerated as it brings its lonely browser Edge to Android and iOS users, alongside a relaunched, er, Launcher launch.
A preview of Microsoft Launcher, based on the Arrow Launcher it bought in 2015 has arrived.
Its main purpose is to give a continuation between your PC and Android experience (ie encourage lock-in) and works in a similar way to Apple's 'handoff' feature.
It allows you to launch files from your home screen on your PC, providing, of course, you're a Microsoft app user.
It also acts as a way of getting you used to the new Microsoft Fluent Design language that will start to roll out to Windows 10 in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Edge, the little browser nobody loves has arrived as an Insider preview for Android and iOS.
Confusingly, you need to have the latest version of Windows 10 on your PC for it to work. Microsoft explains: "From PC to mobile, you can browse seamlessly across your devices, while your information syncs in the background.
"Go anywhere and pick up where you left off by easily moving content between your mobile device and your Windows 10 PC*. Your passwords and favourites are synced across your devices so your browser is always personalized to you."
Yeah, but guys… there are no synced tabs here. Where are the synced tabs? Surely if you're gonna have a mobile browser, you need ruddy synced tabs. Chrome has them. Admittedly not very efficiently, but it can be done.
There's a long way to go with both apps, hence they're in relative stealth mode. But the big thing here is that this represents the zenith of the chest-burster strategy. Microsoft's own mobile platform has now officially died - we learned that this week - and now Microsoft has all the pieces in place to launch an entire Android handset that relies on its apps, not Google's.
Which sounds absolutely ghastly
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