Microsoft has released two more apps for iOS devices, continuing their full-court press into the iOS app space. Following up on recent apps OneNote and XBOX Live for the iPhone/iPad market, they released apps for SkyDrive cloud storage and the popular Kinect game “Kinectimals”.
SkyDrive app accesses your files from your iPhone
SkyDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage service, allowing users to store and share documents, photos, and other files. They recently upgraded the web interface and service features, and now the mobile version allows you to access all your documents and photos while on the go. Browsing folders, sharing links to files, deleting files, creating new folders, and uploading photos in their original resolution are all supported within the mobile application. It’s available now in the iTunes App Store for free.
Kinectimals comes to the iPhone/iPad
Also released is a universal iOS version of Kinectimals, the popular title for XBOX 360 with Kinect that lets kids interact with virtual pets on the tropical island of Lemuria. Graphically, the game looks pretty good, and the touch interface carries over well from the Kinect motion-based interface on the original console game. Apparently, raising your cub on the iPhone/iPad version of the game will also allow you to unlock new animals on the console game as well, so this is really some welcome cross-pollination that we might be able to see on other titles in the future. Kinectimals is available now for $2.99 as a universal app. My kids LOVE this game on the Kinect, and I’m sure I’ll never see my iPad again once they see this. Of course, maybe I’ll get some Xbox 360 time now . . .
This just lends more weight to the rumors that we’ll soon see a version of Microsoft Office for iOS devices as well, directly competing with Apple’s Pages/Numbers/Keynote apps. Microsoft sure seems to have suddenly gotten very active in the iOS space as of late, it’s good to see them developing apps for other platforms rather than exclusively for Windows Phone 7.
