Microsoft has officially made available Windows 10 IoT Core, one of the seven editions of Windows 10 that is designed directly for developers, entrepreneurs and students who want to develop Internet of Things devices.
Steve Teixeira, director of program management for IoT at Microsoft's operating systems group, made the announcement in a blog post. Teixeira says Windows IoT Core, which was initially unveiled at Microsoft's Build conference in April, now brings support for Raspberry Pi 2, a $35 Linux-based computer designed to encourage individuals to develop their own computers, and the MinnowBoard Max (MBM board).
"Windows 10 IoT Core is a new edition for Windows targeted towards small, embedded devices that may or may not have screens," Teixeira says. "For devices with screens, Windows 10 IoT Core does not have a Windows shell experience; instead you can write a Universal Windows app ( UWP) that is the interface and 'personality' for your device."
Teixeira also says the new version now includes support for UWP languages, including C++, C#, JS and VB as well as debugging, project systems and support for Node.js and Python.
Additionally, Microsoft has added support for open-source Arduino to let Windows 10 devices communicate with Arduino boards and vice versa very easily. Aside from that, Microsoft has baked in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support and as much as 100 percent improvement in GPIO (general purpose input-output) performance for Raspberry Pi 2.
Interested developers can download the latest release from the Windows Dev Center, but the use of Windows 10 IoT Core requires having the July 29 version of Windows 10 and Visual Studio 2015.
Microsoft has also posted all of its own IoT samples on GitHub and its sample projects on Hackster.io, the most noteworthy of which is a face recognition tool, not unlike Windows Hello, which can be used to unlock doors with the user's face. The company also features a robotic air hockey table designed with Windows 10 IoT Core.
There is also Rover Robot Kit based on Raspberry Pi 2, a Windows Phone app that can control an LED, and a weather station. Microsoft is also featuring certain community contributions, such as a way to control fans and the two-wheeled robot GoPiGo.
