Microsoft renovates MSN For Android's

Microsoft renovates MSN ahead of Android and iOS launch

Microsoft has redesigned its MSN portal and optimised it for mobile ahead of the launch of its iOS and Android apps

Microsoft has unveiled a revamped version of its MSN portal – which aggregates news and lifestyle content from leading media outlets, as well as offering access to Microsoft productivity tools – ahead of a planned launch on iOS and Android in the coming months.

The new MSN, which is currently available in beta, features a 'Me Stripe' at the top of the page, which provides quick access to Microsoft services such as Outlook.com, OneDrive, OneNote and Skype, as well as popular third-party sites like Twitter and Facebook.

It also aggregates content form over 1,000 of the world’s most authoritative sources, including The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent and Sky News in the UK, The New York Times in the US, and Le Figaro and Le Monde in France.

Content is organised into 10 sections including sport, news, health and fitness, money, travel and video, and is curated by MSN’s editors for individual markets and cultures. In an echo of Microsoft's Windows 8 'Metro' interface, content is organised in a grid layout and pictures are displayed prominently.

New tools allow users to personalise their MSN homepage and track up-to the minute news on any topic, from 'Game of Thrones' to celebrities, sports teams, or share prices. They can also browse over 300,000 recipes, and convert ingredients into a shopping list on their mobile phone with the touch of a button.

Microsoft said that the new MSN is "designed from the ground up for a mobile, cloud first world". While it is currently only available on the web, Microsoft is planning to release a suite of MSN apps (previously known as Bing Apps on Windows 8 and Windows Phone) across Windows Phone, iOS and Android.

The move to revamp MSN has come as a surprise to many, given that Microsoft had largely abandoned its MSN brand in favour of Windows Live and Bing over the past few years. However, MSN.com still receives a lot of traffic, due to it being the default homepage on several versions of Internet Explorer over the years.

"Boasting an audience of more than 425 million people across 50 countries, MSN has long been an essential part of peoples’ online lives," said Frank Holland, corporate vice president of Advertising and Online business at Microsoft, in a blog post.

"Reimagined for a mobile world, the new MSN will help people around the world to connect with the content that most interests them while at the same help them make the most of every minute."