Microsoft Xim Photo-Sharing App Update Brings Streaming Support, More

Microsoft's Xim photo-sharing app, which was launched in October this year for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, has now been updated with new sharing features.

Getting bumped up to version 1.3 from 1.0, the Xim app now includes the ability to share photos on big screens like televisions, via a variety of streaming media devices that include Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox One and Amazon Fire TV.

The updated app, as mentioned on the Microsoft blog on Wednesday, automatically searches for any such streaming devices in range and pairs itself with a single button tap. "What's especially cool is that someone can call you on your mobile phone while you're at home, initiate a Xim session, have you pair your device with the streaming media player in your house and, using their mobile phone, control the images appearing on your big screen," added the blog.

The new Xim 1.3 app version also lets users set Xim session expiration time to one hour. Several bug fixes are also included in the Android, iOS and Windows Phone platforms.

Microsoft earlier this week launched the Gestures Beta app for Windows Phone, showcasing the company's advances in the particular field. The app is available only for Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1. The app lets users answer calls, put incoming calls on silent and do more tasks via simple gestures.

Gesture Beta, which is sized less than 1MB on the Windows Phone Store, will however have limited functionalities on Lumia 630, Lumia 635 and Lumia 530, says the firm. It is also speculated that the Redmond-based tech giant might be a testing the app before it finally gets released on Windows 10 operating system for smartphones.