Microsoft just unveiled the Microsoft Band, and it’s already a very capable device. But what else does Microsoft have planned for their first wearable? We’ve got a few ideas.
There were already rumors about one awesome application: gaming. Microsoft didn’t mention any specific gaming details in their info for Band, but Major Nelson did put up a post about it — and it’s hard to imagine the Xbox division not thinking about ways to take advantage of its technology. Indeed, Kinect team members have been thinking about other types of sensors ever since its launch.
Microsoft could provide studios with access to the Band’s sensors to enhance the experience. Your heart rate, for example, could affect how steady your aim is while lining up a long distance killshot. In horror games, your character could become panicked and have trouble executing actions. One day your real-world fitness routine could actually be used to adjust the strength, speed, or endurance of your in-game characters. Leaderboards could show the world just how calm you remained while doing battle with a zombie horde, heavily armed insurgents, or wave after wave of OD’d humans.
Where else might Microsoft want you using Band? At the checkout counter, naturally. It’s right there on your wrist, and it can easily tap into payment card data stored in your phone via Bluetooth.Microsoft already has one partner on board — Starbucks — and there will no doubt be others who follow their lead.
Band doesn’t have built-in NFC, however, so for now payments would be limited to scanning barcodes on its display. They work just fine in a lot of cases, though, and a whole slew of major retailers just decided to shut down NFC support on their POS terminals anyway.
One other way Microsoft Band could be utilized? For authentication. Not as a standalone device, mind you, that wouldn’t necessarily be a great idea. If someone were to swipe both your Band and laptop, they’d be able to log right in. But it could work well as part of a two-factor solution (instead of your phone or a token) or even three-factor authentication (in addition to your phone or token) scheme.
Like existing Bluetooth-friendly authentication apps, Microsoft could auto-lock your system when your Band is out of range. And while you may sometimes leave your phone behind when you get up from your desk (when it’s charging, for example), there’s a good chance that Microsoft Band owners will have them on at all times.
What else would you like to see Microsoft do with the Microsoft Band? Health might be their focus now, but there are plenty of other possibilities.
