Hot on the heels of the release of build 10074, Microsoft has now released a preview of Windows 10 for IoT. Windows 10 for the "Internet of Things" allows people to create cloud connected "things" using development boards like the Raspberry Pi 2 and Minnowboard Max. We first heard about Windows 10 IoT back in 2014 and now Microsoft is looking to get your feedback with this new release. From Microsoft's blog:
Our goal is to give Makers the opportunity to play with the software bits early and to listen to the feedback on what’s working well and what we can do better. You may notice some missing drivers or rough edges; we look forward to receiving your feedback to help us prioritize development work. We’ll be incorporating the feedback we receive into regular software updates along with additional drivers, bug fixes and new features. Those looking for a commercial-quality release should wait for general availability this summer.
In addition to the release, Microsoft announced two new partnerships. The Arduino partnership aims to bridge the gap between the capabilities of Windows software and Arduino hardware. One of the examples they gave was utilizing a phone, such as the 530, to act a virtual shield allowing the Arduino to access its touch screen, GPS, microphones, proximity sensors, and more.
For those not familiar with shields, they are "add-on" boards that allow you to add sensors and extra functionality to your Arduino board. They are usually fairly expensive, so the option to utilize your existing phone and its host of sensors is a great benefit. Additionally, Windows 10 will extend Arduino commands to Windows Apps to provide rich hardware interaction and increased software capabilities such as speech recognition and image processing.
Finally, with the Hackster.IO partnership, they are working to bring their extensive project gallery capabilities to Windows 10 developers to help them collaborate and share their ideas. You can join the Windows Developer Program for IoT here to get started developing.
Source: Microsoft Blog
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