Microsoft creates its own news bot called Rowe

Bots are the new it thing and Microsoft’s internal R&D incubator, Microsoft Garage, outs its own version news-finding bot called Rowe. The bot can be accessed via the Bing-powered personalized news reading app, News Pro. Rowe is designed to help you search for news based on topics, look at today’s headlines, or ask for personalized suggestions. One unusual feature is being able to upload your photo and the bot surfacing articles of people it thinks you look like. News Pro connects to your Facebook and LinkedIn profile to help better understand your interests. The app has been updated to allow things like groups for discussing news with others, among other new features.

Source: TechCrunch | Download: Apple App Store (Free) 

Microsoft’s News Pro app focuses on your work

A new Microsoft Garage app for iOS and the web puts the focus on your career. The News Pro app is a delivery service with “hyper-relevant news for your work.” What it does is it pools together stories based on your work-related interests on Facebook or LinkedIn. According to 9to5Mac’s Greg Barbosa, the iOS app delivers stories on topics you may already be interested in. The example he gave was the news items he was able to get based on his interest in computer software. The Highlights section of the app gave him different stories on various software companies. The app’s Explore section takes categorizations to a granular level as it has subcategories you can explore based on more general topics, making it easier to find stories that you are interested in reading. The app comes with a Speedy View that mimics the Reader View of Safari. It’s available for free download if you want to try it out on iOS.

Source: Microsoft News | Via: 9to5Mac | Download: Apple App Store (Free)