Note: This post originally appeared on GoWindowsGo.com, a fan site for Windows and Windows phone.
It’s very interesting to see what kinds of apps that Microsoft was working on for Windows Phone in 2012.
Microsoft has a large and vibrant research department. They also make quite a few experimental apps for Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. Here are a few of the best from Windows phone, along with their official store descriptions. Note that we excluded a few apps that are either Chinese only or have been replaced in the Marketplace with official, non-experimental apps.
Academic Search
“Academic Search WP7 client is a free academic search application based on new technologies from Microsoft Research. It gives users access to more than 36 million publications on multiple academic domains.” Get Academic Search here.
Face Mask
“Want a fun way to play with photos? Or for reasons like privacy, would you like an easy way to hide a person’s face before sharing a photo? Then Face Mask is the right app for you. It offers a wide selection of masks/stickers to apply to your favorite photos.
Face Mask is a magic tool that enhances your pictures with cool effects. Just take a picture, and add a mask either by a tap or through a shaking gesture. Photos can be saved to your photo library or shared directly on Facebook, Twitter or Sina Weibo.” Get Face Mask here.
Sketch Match
“Do you want to try and practice sketching in a fun way? Do you want to search images by sketching what you’re looking for? Then Sketch Match is a great entertainment app for you!
Here are the main features:
– Get rated on your sketches of given images
– Search similar images using a sketch
– Keep your sketch history in the gallery
– See your sketching rank in the global leaderboard”
Get Sketch Match here.
Face Swap
“Have you ever thought of swapping your face with someone else’s?
Face Swap provides a simple and quick way to swap the faces of people using a photo taken with others. All you need to do is to take a photo facing the camera or select one you already have, and then shake your phone. Then let Face Swap do its magic! You’ll see the faces are automatically swapped.
Photos can then be saved to your photo library or shared directly on Facebook, Twitter or Sina Weibo.
Main Features:
• Multiple face detection enabled
• Shake to create a new photo with people’s faces swapped!
• Share your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Sina Weibo
For more information, please check http://msra.cn/faceparty-en”
Get Face Swap here.
Face Touch
“Create funny facial expressions by poking different parts, unlock different steps and solve the final mystery!
This app uses face-related technologies from Microsoft Research. For best results, please select a photo with frontal faces in good lighting condition.
Main Features:
• Tap your face to create funny facial expressions
• Multi-face detection
• Integrated with Pictures Hub
• Share your photos on Facebook, Twitter, SkyDrive or Sina Weibo
For more information, please check http://msra.cn/faceparty-en”
Get Face Touch here.
Tip Tap Tones
“Tip Tap Tones for Windows Phone 7 helps language learners to identify the sounds and tones of Mandarin Chinese in a way that is fast, fun, and effective.
In the game, you listen to a Mandarin sound before tapping the button representing the tone and syllable you thought you heard. The game begins with just a single syllable and four tone options, but as you progress by giving correct responses, the sounds get faster and the number of confusable syllables increases. By making you pay close attention to small differences between similar sounds, Tip Tap Tones gets you learning to listen just like a native speaker.
The game ends after 60 seconds, in which time you need to complete as many game screens as you can by giving fast and accurate responses. The game also shows you how often you get each tone correct as well as how often you confuse it with other tones, giving you the information you need to increase your accuracy, your game scores, and your real-world listening skills.
Overall, Tip Tap Tones represents a new way to “sharpen your ears” and retrain your brain to identify the foreign sounds of Mandarin Chinese, in a game format that is challenging and enjoyable for learners of all levels.“ Get Tip Tap Tones here.
TestMyNet
“TestMyNet provides detailed information about network conditions, such as open and blocked network ports, HTTP compression, round-trip delays, and throughput. By using TestMyNet, you gain more insight into the performance of your network connection.” Get TestMyNet here.