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Topic: Windows 8

Microsoft looks to extend its Fresh Paint app for Windows Blue, Phone

Summary: Microsoft seems to be adapting its Fresh Paint Windows 8 app to run on Windows Blue and Windows Phone, according to a job posting.

Mary Jo Foley

By for All About Microsoft |

Stephen Chapman of Microsoft Kitchen fame unearthed an interesting Microsoft job post that offers insights on what Microsoft may be planning next around its natural-user-interface (NUI) "creative" apps.

freshpaintcanvas

According to the post for a job that's in Microsoft's Startup Business Group, Microsoft seems to be planning to enhance its Fresh Paint application so that it will run on Windows Blue, as well as Windows Phone 8 -- which the job post refers to as Windows Mobile 8. (Someone didn't get that Windows Phone rebranding memo from a few years ago, I guess.)

More interestingly, according to the post, the Fresh Paint team is planning to make use of the physics engine that currently is built into Fresh Paint to build a "family of creative apps from sketching and journaling to 3D experiences like clay and pottery."

The self-described "small" team is "productizing ideas and code from Microsoft Research, designing APIs (application programming interfaces), and developing new experiences using physics simulations," the post said.

There's no timing mentioned in the post as to when the updated Fresh Paint and/or related creative apps will come to market. But Windows Blue is supposedly coming to market late this summer and will be optimized to run on smaller screen sizes. Windows Phone Blue is expected to follow some time after that, though possibly not until early 2014. One of the alleged goals of Blue is to bring the developer platforms of Windows and Windows Phone closer together to allow developers to make fewer modifications in writing apps that will work on both platforms.

Fresh Paint is a free, Microsoft-developed application that works on both Windows 8 and Windows RT. It allows users to create simulated oil paintings. Fresh Paint is one of the most downloaded Windows 8/Windows RT apps and is featured in a number of Microsoft's Windows 8 ads.

Topics: Windows 8, Microsoft, Software Development, Windows Phone

About

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

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43 comments
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  • Who cares about Fresh Paint?

    Can we get a decent freakin' Metro Mail app for Windows 8 please? (The Mail app on Windows Phone 8 is pretty good).

    I know you've said it's coming, but it's just embarrassing that it's been this bad this long.
    FDanconia
    Reply 2 Votes

    • it does need a good update

      heck we can do more on outlook.com than Mail app. It misses drag and drop, moving without going through 3 step process etc. Or Microsoft should just release an RT or MX version of it like they do with OneNote.
      Ram U
      Reply 1 Vote

      • I mean Outlook RT or Outlook MX.

        n/t
        Ram U
        Reply 1 Vote

        • Ram U..its simple Surfsace 8 apps are CHEEP all they S*** as well

          Mail wouln't even set up properly, had to use thunderbird

          Mapping totally is a waste...put me 38 miles from where I live...installed Google maps and it put me on my door step

          Went back to W-7 for when I need Windows
          Over and Out
          Reply Vote

          • That sums up your competency...

            your posts are a total waste, go out more often. competency...
            Owlll1net
            Reply 3 Votes

          • Hey, troll, maybe he can't spell, but you have no basis to dispute

            the problems he's had. MS is supposed to be effortless, it's supposed to "just work". Yet the internet is filled with stories of how bad the mail app on the surface is, how lousy the mapping app is and how silly the Fisher-Price w8 interface is. Look, MS has always put out a lot of crap apps and waited for users to complain to know where to fix them. Nothing's changed. That's what he's saying. Stop being a fan of MS or anyone else and use your brain a little to see that this rah-rah crap doesn't help anyone who's dependent on these gizmos.
            WhatsamattaU
            Reply Vote

      • Signs point to Outlook

        All signs point to an Outlook app to replace the Mail app soon. Microsoft's ads have been showing an Outlook tile on Surface (not the Office 2013 Outlook tile, a proper Metro one). It's obvious that the Mail app is going to be completely replaced.

        Also, we can safely assume the crap Messenger app will be replaced/superseded by Skype.

        It looks promising, but it's frustrating that these apps are so bad in the first place...couldn't they have just ported over the apps from Windows Phone? Or, you know, get an amateur developer to spend a week making a better app...
        allusernamestaken
        Reply Vote

        • I think people may be misreading the job posting...

          There were a couple things that struck me about the job posting...

          1-The reference to "Windows Mobile." Everyone's assuming that that refers to "Windows Phone" & that it's simply a typographical error. But what if it's not? What if Microsoft is going to rename "Windows RT" to "Windows Mobile" to clear up the confusion? Maybe "Windows Mobile" will soon power both tablets AND phones (they're both ARM after all). I'm just speculating here, but it just seems unlikely that Microsoft would misname it's own OS.

          2-I read somewhere else that IE11 won't be ready until Windows 9. Huh? Wasn't W9 not expected to come out until late 2014? But if that's the case, then that means that IE11 won't be ready until TWO YEARS after IE10. Sorry, but there's no way IE11 will take that long. Therefore, perhaps... (just perhaps) Windows Blue will be called "Windows 9"... and will have IE11 when it launches in August. This timeframe makes more sense to me. Also, keep in mind that Windows Blue has a new kernel... which is normally when a Windows OS goes up a number. Maybe Microsoft wants to get rid of the Windows 8 "stink" as soon as possible, and make a fresh start with "Windows 9."

          This is all speculation on my part of course. I'm just trying to put the pieces together.
          newyorkcitymale
          Reply 1 Vote

    • Mail update

      I couldn't agree more. Windows Mail is really awful on Win8/WinRT. I'm just bringing you the app news updates as we get them... Wish I could help push them to hurry with the Mail one. MJ
      Mary Jo Foley
      Reply 3 Votes

      • Unfortunately if it were too good

        You wouldn't buy outlook.

        Just be glad it's there for now! I wouldn't roll back to windows seven over it... A bad mail client to no mail client? I suppose it does work, and it is easy to set up, it's just reay limited. I keep hoping it'll get an update with this switch over to outlook.com
        MarknWill
        Reply 1 Vote

    • 1st party apps

      I hear they are already done. In dog-food test now. We will see the updates ahead of blue -- probably this month. I have no idea what's in them, but the update is coming.
      frankwick
      Reply Vote

  • Lipstick on the M$ pig

    painted ruby red.
    CaviarGreen
    Reply 1 Vote

    • are you talking about yourself?

      n/t
      Ram U
      Reply 8 Votes

      • No, that's you

        Or did you switch to beige...
        CaviarGreen
        Reply Vote

        • My name is not M$ and neither Microsoft's

          I thought M$ was yours. Anyway, we know who is pig. Just moving on.
          Ram U
          Reply 5 Votes

          • My name is not M$ and neither Microsoft's

            You sure about that, shill?

            I don't think your handlers would appreciate hearing that from you.
            CaviarGreen
            Reply 1 Vote

          • Well, I haven't received any payment from Micrsoft or M$

            so I am not shill, probably you are one and you think everyone is same. Interesting.
            Ram U
            Reply 4 Votes

          • Sure you haven't, pal

            Surrrre....

            I have some bridges for sale. What color would you like?
            CaviarGreen
            Reply Vote

          • You're making yourself look stupid...

            ... And I'll take the Green Bridge.
            ForeverCookie
            Reply 2 Votes

          • But I don't really care

            So there.

            ~

            I have green with polka dots.

            lol...
            CaviarGreen
            Reply 1 Vote
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