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Microsoft's Android lock screen now shows your music and online chats
Microsoft's intelligent take on an Android front end, Next Lock Screen, just got much more useful if you're a music maven or love to chat online. An updated version not only brings music controls to the lock screen (as you'll sometimes see elsewhere), but surfaces your Hangouts, Line and Skype messages -- you'll know at a glance whether or not that friend got back to you. The new software shows MMS chats, too. While it may still feel a bit odd to use an Android interface add-on from the folks in Redmond, the revamp is big enough that you'll want to give it a shot if your phone's existing lock layout just isn't cutting it.
Microsoft's smart Android lock screen now shows the weather
Microsoft's experimental Garage team has been busy -- hot on the heels of a Torque update, it's releasing a big upgrade to Next Lock Screen. The refreshed Android front end now shows the weather, so you won't be caught off-guard by rain on the way to a lunch meeting. Personalization is also more important here; you can use your home screen wallpaper as a backdrop if you like, and hide the status bar if you find it unsightly. This won't necessarily have you ditching your usual Android lock screen (especially not if you're a fan of Lollipop's notifications), but it's worth a try if you like quick access to apps and info.
Microsoft Android Wear app lets you search Bing by twisting your wrist
Slightly irked that you have to say "OK Google" whenever you want to use voice search on your Android Wear smartwatch? Microsoft, of all companies, is coming to your rescue. The developer is leading a trio of experimental Android releases with Torque, an app that lets you start a Bing search just by twisting your wrist; you only have to speak when you're asking your question. You'll get optimized output for certain kinds of search results, including maps, stocks and weather.
