In a new building Windows 8 blog post, Microsoft begin to talk about the new and improved sensor system that will be coming with Windows 8, and how it can help make the metro experience when switching between orientations, playing games and lighting.
First of all, the company spoke about Adaptive brightness, which was originally introduced in Windows 7. It has only been improved in Windows 8 by “dynamically controlling screen brightness based on changing ambient light conditions,” which allows the device to safe battery life and screen brightness when needed. This is mostly going to be used on Slate PC’s, convertibles and laptops.
Next, the company talked about automatic screen rotation. “Data from an accelerometer allows the device to determine its basic orientation. By automatically rotating the screen, people can use their devices (primarily slates and convertibles) in a more natural and intuitive way” This allows the user to switch between orientations without the need for a manual switch with a button or software.
Below is a video, demontrating some scenarios when using an accelerometer.
Microsoft is preparing a public preview of Windows 8, and is expected to launch this February. This week the operating system entered beta escrow, where the company “vote on” the build which will be used for the public preview.
