Software : Windows Phone 8.1 fans can soon jump on wearables bandwagon with FitBit app

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• Windows Phone 8.1 fans can soon jump on wearables bandwagon with FitBit app
• Twitter now allows you to embed tweets within tweets on iOS and Android
• Microsoft's Cortana might one day lend a hand on iOS and Android

Windows Phone 8.1 fans can soon jump on wearables bandwagon with FitBit app Posted: The manufacturers of smartphone-aided wearable fitness trackers have been totally pre-occupied with catering for iOS and Android users so, but that's about to change. The maker of the FitBit wristbands has confirmed it is working on a Windows Phone 8.1 application, which can pair up with the devices like the Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Force and Fitbit One. The confirmation came, via WPCentral, on the company's forums with a short and sweet statement: "Fitbit is developing an application for Windows Phone 8.1. Thank you for all your feedback and support!" FitBit did not reveal any release dates or specifics, but it would be neat to see those real-time updates sit within one of the Windows Phone Live Tiles on the homescreen. De facto choice The launch of an app would make FitBit the de facto choice for Windows Phone-toting fitness enthusiasts seeing as the Nike Fuelband SE, Jawbone UP and Fitbug Orb are all incompatible. Maybe that is one of the reasons why Microsoft is seemingly hellbent on creating its own platform agnostic wrist accessory? Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review

Twitter now allows you to embed tweets within tweets on iOS and Android Posted: Twitter is experimenting with a brand new feature for users of its iOS and Android apps - the ability to embed tweets within their tweets. The embedding tool, which could become an alternative to retweeting or straight-up quoting tweets, can be enabled by copying the link to a tweet you wish to embed and pasting it within the tweet you're composing. From there you must click the individual tweet itself in order to see the embedded tweet. Oh, and it doesn't work on the web either. It may not be entirely straightforward, but the result is the tweet appearing below your own a la a photo, video, vine or web-link preview, rather than a URL link to the update. Rethinking retweeting Twitter often tries out new features on a selection of its users before rolling it out to the full crowd, so it's far from certain it'll become a standard feature, however there are many good arguments for introducing it. For example, you'll often see users retweet a post, only to follow it up with an "re: that last RT..." tweet, or quote a tweet only to have very few characters left to add their own comment. This feature, perhaps simplified with an embed option alongside retweet and quote, would solve both of those problems. According to The Next Web, the feature is available as part of the latest update on iTunes and Android. Opinion: Twitter's new mute feature is for chumps

Microsoft's Cortana might one day lend a hand on iOS and Android Posted: Considering its very name is taken from the Microsoft-exclusive game series Halo, it's no surprise the virtual personal assistant Cortana currently lives exclusively on Windows Phone. But Microsoft is considering migrating her to iOS and Android as well, according to GeekWire. "It's a bit of a head scratcher for us right now," Windows Phone Group Program Manager Marcus Ash said at the SMX Advanced Search Marketing expo on June 12. If nothing else, his comment indicates that Cortana's expansion to other platforms is an ongoing conversation at Microsoft. Home sweet home In addition to Ash's quotes, statements made by Applications and Services Group Program Manager Rob Chambers were also referenced by Search Engine Land. According to the site, Ash said they're "actively talking about" Cortana on iOS and Android, and the duo even reportedly went further than that, discussing Cortana on desktop PCs, Cortana in vehicles, and more. There are hurdles in that iOS and Android users might not want Cortana, as they already have Siri and Google Now, respectively. And Cortana might not have access to many of the features on those platforms, including users' personal data, that it uses on Windows Phone. But Microsoft already overcame whatever hurdles may have existed in bringing Bing and Office to rivals' platforms, and it's nice to know it's considering doing the same with Cortana. Cortana vs Siri vs Google Now

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