Blog posts by Garage Team
This Microsoft Garage intern shares how she refused to let fear define her
In high school, Kristen Laird experienced terrible burns as a result of a lab experiment explosion. She struggled for years with fear of flames, and decided to turn it around by looking her fear straight in the face and becoming an EMT (emergency medical technician) and a volunteer fire fighter. Through this experience, she has learned to experiment, explore, and....
In the Microsoft Garage, community “making” sparks curiosity in students
It’s just before 9am on a Monday morning, and the team at Microsoft Vancouver is placing the finishing touches on a room full of circuit boards, laptops and, comically, sunglasses (winter is the rainy season, after all). Moments from now, almost one hundred middle-schoolers will descend on this state-of-the-art-facility for innovation, training, and software development, to rub shoulders with engineers....
The napkin disrupted: meet Ink to Code, a Microsoft Garage project
Urban legend has it that some of the greatest ideas in history started with a napkin. The Gettysburg Address, the poem that gave way to the U.S. National Anthem, and the premise of the Harry Potter series—each were reportedly born into the world through the medium of sketches on scrap paper—and when app creators put pen to paper for their....
How to use hacking culture to find your mojo
Mike McCarter was ready to leave the company. He had goals and dreams, and his everyday work wasn’t getting him there. He looked to his life-long affinity of tinkering and hacking on physical objects and found new ways to bring these skills to the workplace. His journey from reinventing his team culture to applying his skills to making a difference....
Our newest Garage project just might be your favorite lock screen
Favorites Lock Screen, a Microsoft Garage project, is now available for Android in India. Favorites Lock Screen is a lock screen app built around fans and the celebrities and interests they care about. It’s also our fourth lock screen project in as many years. Here’s why we’re fans of the overlap. Curious…Another Lock Screen? Since releasing its first batch of....
Sports Performance Platform crunches data to optimize training for the Seattle Seahawks
DeShawn Shead, a 28-old Seattle Seahawks cornerback, hasn’t been able to play for a year due to a torn ACL and meniscus injury suffered during Seattle’s 36-20 divisional round playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons in January, but he’s just about ready to head back onto the field. In fact, he’s returned to practice. Technology and science – sports science....
2017 Hackathon team connects with non-profit Yuwa to create mobile app
Devika Mittal, a corporate strategy manager at Microsoft who grew up in New Delhi and now lives in Washington, DC, knew that child trafficking and violence against women in rural areas in India was a growing human-rights crisis. But for a long time, the fate of at-risk Indian girls far away from her, while distressing, was something she felt helpless....
Explore interesting places near and far with Outings, a Microsoft Garage project
Outings, a Microsoft Garage project, helps explorers discover and search for interesting places near and far in a new app for iOS and Android. Whether you’re looking for a fun hike near town or planning your next vacation destination, often the hardest part of travel is just figuring out where to go. Outings makes it easier by presenting inspiration for....
12 Weeks at the Microsoft Garage
What happens when you bring together 45 college students into a space that encourages big ideas, inspires creativity, and provides delicious (free!) snacks? As I walked into the Microsoft Garage at the New England Research and Development Center (NERD) 12 weeks ago, I had no idea I would leave with a boatload of new skills, work on a team to....
Mixed Reality gives neuroanatomy lessons a boost
With its unique hemispheres and intricate connections, the brain is one of the most exceptional, yet complex organs in the human body. The intricate structure has posed a unique challenge for generations of students looking to understand and ultimately master how its many parts fit, and work, together. But this fall — thanks to Microsoft HoloLens and mixed reality technology—....
Artificial intelligence eclipses cloud and mobile projects to win the day at Microsoft 2017 Hackathon
What started in 2014 as an experiment to engage employees has turned into a strategic tradition to help Microsoft establish itself at the leading edge of innovation. And this year, the hottest player at the Microsoft Hackathon was artificial intelligence. Organizers say the four-day event, which has become the world’s biggest private hackathon with more than 18,000 employee participants, provides....
New Garage project brings predictive analytics to sports performance data
Sports Performance Platform, a Microsoft Garage project, announces an invitation-only experiment for teams and athletes. Sign up to express interest in participating. Meet the newest project to join the Garage portfolio: Sports Performance Platform. A project built on Power BI, Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft Surface technology, Sports Performance Platform has an ambitious mission to drive the shift in the sports industry....
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