Weekend Reading: Aug. 22nd Edition – Microsoft and TracFone partner on a pilot project and the HTC One (M8) comes to Windows

As summer winds down, Weekend Reading delivers stories on a project that helps diabetes patients, a profile on the chief technical officer of Microsoft’s Cloud and Services organization, the debut of the HTC One (M8) for Windows smartphone and Steve Ballmer stepping down from the Microsoft Board of Directors.

A new pilot project, in conjunction with Health Choice Network, will provide Windows Phone devices to diabetes patients to help them better manage their care. Microsoft and pre-paid wireless leader TracFone announced Thursday a better way for underserved and high-risk populations to access and keep up with their care, on the go.

Microsoft and TracFone collaboration on pilot project
Microsoft and TracFone collaboration on pilot project

A profile on Dave Campbell, Chief Technical Officer of Microsoft’s Cloud and Services, uncovers why he’s disruptive. And by that, we mean how one of the company’s elite corps of Technical Fellows can be considered transformative, tearing something down to create something new and better.

Dave Campbell
Dave Campbell

Tuesday, we saw the debut of the HTC One (M8) for Windows. It’s the first device to ship in the U.S. with the Windows Phone 8.1 Update, will be available exclusively through Verizon Wireless online and in stores. It comes loaded with features such as Cortana, Live Folders and Action Center. It’s made from a single block of aluminum, and has a 5-inch Super LCD3 1080p HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

HTC One (M8) for Windows
HTC One (M8) for Windows

Steve Ballmer steps down as Microsoft board member. Effective Aug. 19, 2014, Steve Ballmer has stepped down from the Microsoft Board of Directors. Read Ballmer’s letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Nadella’s response.

A profile on teenager Alejandra Tristan, who has a rare genetic disorder that made it impossible to use a mouse or computer, revealed how Windows 8 has helped transform her life. Tristan suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which makes her joints fragile and loose. With its customizable design, enhanced accessibility features and touchscreen, Windows 8 has helped Tristan reclaim her studies, her friends and her voice. She writes research papers by gently touching the on-screen keyboard and dictates notes using speech recognition software. When she works on vocabulary words, she uses digital notecards.

YouTube Video

Bing Maps crossed a major milestone: more than 100 cities are now available for viewing from a street level perspective and in 3D, including Atlanta, Las Vegas and Omaha. These could come in handy if you’re planning to visit any of these places and want to preview the sights to get oriented. You can see Streetside imagery in both Bing Maps and the Bing Maps Preview app exclusively on Windows 8.1. With this release, Streetside has more than 100 cities. In 3D, more than 125 cities are available through the Bing Maps Preview app.

Las Vegas new on Bing Maps Streetside and 3D
Las Vegas new on Bing Maps Streetside and 3D

Apps and games ranged from working out with the Seattle Seahawks champion quarterback to working on creatures that have invaded a mad professor’s brain. Athlete Fit with Russell Wilson for Xbox Fitness is now available exclusively on Xbox One now and free with Xbox Live Gold memberships. The App of the Week is also on Xbox One: MTV. The weekly Red Stripe Deals included sales of Windows and Windows Phone apps and games – slashed in price by at least 50 percent, and sometimes free. AccuWeather has launched a new version of its Weather for Life app for Windows Phone, which has MinuteCast, a minute-by-minute precipitation forecast for your exact street address or GPS location. And then there’s “Tentacles: Enter the Mind” from the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store, that plunges you into what Blogging Windows describes as “the crazy story of Dr. Phluff and his tentacled mascot, Lemmy. In the game, they embark on a journey inside the mad Professor to take out the creatures that have overtaken Phluff, progressing through the many layers of his mind from Super Ego to Paranoia.”

Athlete Fit with Russell Wilson for Xbox Fitness
Athlete Fit with Russell Wilson for Xbox Fitness

The Lotus F1 Team uses Microsoft Dynamics AX under the hood to manage the design, manufacturing and testing of the 20,000-plus parts on each of its cars.

Photo credit: Steve Wiens
Photo credit: Steve Wiens

This week on the Microsoft Facebook page, we challenged fans to tweet an #8WordEssay about this photo, for a chance to win a Surface Pro 3 prize package. Join us on our page for more info on how to win.

This week on the Microsoft Facebook page, we challenged fans to tweet an #8WordEssay about this photo, for a chance to win a Surface Pro 3 prize package
This week on the Microsoft Facebook page, we challenged fans to tweet an #8WordEssay about this photo, for a chance to win a Surface Pro 3 prize package

Thanks for checking out this edition of Weekend Reading. Hope you’re enjoying summer’s last hurrah! See you next week!

Posted by Athima Chansanchai
Microsoft News Center Staff

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