Parrot is a company known for a couple of products, such as the AR.Drone 2.0 and the Zik headphones which stood out partially thanks to its rather clean and minimalist design by Philippe Starck. The downside to these two products that added functionality that came from its accompanying apps were limited to just iOS and Android devices, but then again given that iOS and Android are the two largest smartphone platforms around, it made sense from a business point of view. Well the good news is that with Windows Phone starting to gain some traction, Parrot has teamed up with Microsoft and have announced Windows and Windows Phone app compatibility for both products.This will include the Parrot Audio Suite app for the Zik headphones which will be available for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, with the former expected to be available by the end of the year, while the latter can be downloaded now from the Windows Phone store. The headphone’s NFC feature will also play nicely with Nokia Lumia devices like the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 1020. The app will allow music listeners to adjust audio parameters and choose audio settings, such as the “Tuned by Lou Reed” feature to see what a rock legend thinks sounds good.
As for the Parrot AR.FreeFlight app for the AR.Drone 2.0, the app will be made available come early December 2013 and will be available for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices. The app will allow for the piloting of the drone, as well as allow users to stream the video being captured from the drone’s HD camera onto your device. According to Henri Seydoux, founder and CEO of Parrot, “We have been working for months with Microsoft to ensure the compatibility of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices with Parrot products. I am happy to announce the Windows compatibility of apps that are linked to two of our star products: the AR.Drone and the Zik headphones.”