14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently started work on a new project behind closed doors, whose purpose could be to enhance the HoloLens experience while also adding some new capabilities to various hardware products developed by the company.
Details are very vague at this point, but as Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley notes, there are several job postings on the Microsoft Careers website that mention the name of “Beihai” as a new secret project that’s currently being worked on at the company.
The job ads, first spotted by @h0x0d on Twitter, have since been removed, as Microsoft most likely wants to keep everything secret, without too many people hearing about the project.
A project of the Windows Apps Studio
The aforementioned source notes that, although many believed Beihai to be a new game developed by Microsoft Studios, it’s not, and the chances are that it actually refers to a new project started by the Windows Apps Studio team.
Interestingly, this team is now led by Corporate Vice President Kudo Tsunoda, whose role is to “bring new experiences to Windows devices using natural user interface technologies,” plus machine-learning features. The final purpose is to create a 3D experience that can be available on all devices, including PCs, tablets, smartphones, and HoloLens.
Beihai, which is the name of a Chinese city, will be specifically designed to work with these devices and is expected to be aimed at consumers, rather than at enterprises. Since the project is only now being developed and Microsoft is still looking for software engineers to support the process, do not expect it to see daylight sooner than the end of the year.
And yet, it’s pretty clear that Microsoft’s putting a lot of effort into this project (living proof is even the fact that it removed the job ads from its website), so expect more information to surface soon.