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Category: Microsoft

Apps · Microsoft

Microsoft Office For The iPhone Makes It To The App Store

  • June 14, 2013

office-ios

It’s simple enough: Microsoft Office for iPhone works with basic editing skills and allows the user to  save locally or to Microsoft’s cloud servers. You can also view and edit spreadsheets, docs and Powerpoint files, or do all of that with attachments pinned to emails.

In order for it to work, you need an Office 365 subscription (of course we do, Microsoft) and an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 6.1 (no iPad version yet) in the United States; global availability will happens sometimes later.

Via: iTunes Store

Did You Know? · FTW · Gaming · Microsoft

The Xbox One Pricing Has Been Confirmed At E3: $500

  • June 10, 2013

xbox-one-xlThat’s how much — five hundred dollars — that will have to be ponied up for a new Xbox One, later this year, Microsoft says. Those five Benjamins get you a Kinect 2, the Xbox One itself, and a wireless controller. Both Amazon and Microsoft directly are offering pre-orders, but what really matters is a release date. GameStop is pointing towards an unconfirmed November 21st. The whole shebang sounds good, if you ask me.

Did You Know? · Gaming · Microsoft

Microsoft Details Xbox One Policies: Used Games, Kinect, And Internet Connectivity

  • June 6, 2013

xbox-one-xlIn what will go down as a bad day of news for Microsoft, the Xbox One’s restrictions have been detailed a little more clearly than at the announcement a few weeks back. The Xbox One needs to connect to the internet every 24 hours for games to work. “Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection,” says the statement from Microsoft. However, the Xbox On’s accounts can be used on other consoles to access digital libraries, but still restrictions apply: an hourly check of an internet connection will be put in place. Live TV, Blu-ray, and DVD movies will work without a connection check every 24 hours, as well.

As for used games, Microsoft set the record straight, stating that,”game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers,” and that the company “does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games.” However, since most video game publishers are against the loaning of games, and Microsoft has announced that the loaning feature among Xbox Live friends won’t be present at launch, then the fact remains that used games won’t be as commonly seen.

A physical disc can be passed to someone in your Xbox list, but this it is a one-time, 30-day affair. Games can also be shared on a family library, to which 10 different users can sign in and use on the same Xbox One.

Lastly, probably the best bit of news is that the Kinect can be completely turned off to ensure no monitoring occurs.

Via:  Xbox Wire (1), Xbox Wire (2), Xbox Wire (3)

Did You Know? · Microsoft · Windows

Before June 26th Preview, Microsoft Uploads Windows 8.1 Promo Video

  • June 5, 2013

instagrammed-windows-8-start-screen

While it may not show how the new Start button works, Microsoft outed a video today that details a few of the features of Windows 8.1. Those include new Start Screen changes, UI improvements, and the new Search interface, as well as SkyDrive integration in Windows 8.1. By June 26th a public preview release of the update will be made available, but if that’s not your cup of tea, Microsoft has already confirmed existing users of Windows 8 will get the update for free, later this year.

Promo vid after the break.

Via: Windows Team Blog
READ MORE

Breaking · Did You Know? · FTW · Gaming · Microsoft

Microsoft Announces The Xbox One, New Controller, And Kinect

  • May 21, 2013

xbox-one-xlBig news, straight out of Redmond. The Xbox One is the new gaming console from Microsoft. Boasting an octa-core processor based on AMD’s Jaguar design and 8GB of RAM to go up against the Sony PlayStation 4, plus USB 3.0 ports, 500GB of hard drive storage, WiFi Direct, and 5 billion transistors for calculations — it’s a beast. 7.1 surround sound, 1080p and 4k video resolutions are supported, along with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a Blu-ray / DVD, HDMI 1.4 out and USB 3.0 ports.

Microsoft’s new 1080p HD Kinect is bundled with the new Xbox One, which now contains 250,000-pixels in an infrared depth sensor as well as a regular 720p web cam.

The controller itself has also been redesigned, with a completely new design, more responsiveness and comfort, with a design to match the edginess of the Xbox One’s own casing, which also is squared off, with fans that are now designed to be extremely quiet, despite the octa-core processor hammering away.

As for software, the Xbox One uses three operating systems, simultaneously  the Xbox OS, what most users are accustomed to and that developers will use to code their games, a main system OS that allows for navigation between apps on the system, and a new version of Windows 8, designed as Windows for Xbox, which will technically turn the Xbox One into a full home entertainment system. Each OS can be updated independently, so that developers won’t have to worry about constantly getting their apps working on the next version.

On top of that, support for used games, and the ability to be used offline, without a constant internet connection rounds off the feature-set. However, to add to all that, Microsoft has included several other convenient features, like game recording and sharing in Xbox Live, a new cap of 1,000 friends, and Blu-Ray game discs only being used for initial installation; not for every time you want to play, and if accessed from another account, a fee must by paid.

Xbox On is the primary new feature of the Xbox One — instant switching from live TV to gaming; rather saying “Xbox On”, will turn on the console, so technically it is always listening. New games announced for the Xbox One include Call of Duty: Ghosts, Fifa 14, Forza Motorsport 5 and Madden NFL 25,

Via: Xbox One

Did You Know? · Microsoft · Windows

Windows 8 Successor, Codenamed ‘Blue’ Will Be Part Of Public Preview In June

  • May 7, 2013

windowsbluesleakedThe next Windows iteration is actually not a complete numerical jump, but instead is just Windows 8.1, codenamed “Blue”. During June 26th to the 28th, Microsoft developers in attendance will hear more about the next Windows iteration, and as a result, so will the public. During this whole time-frame, a public preview will be released, bringing cosmetic updates and other features, such as a new side-by-side app view and Internet Explorer 11, by the end of the year.

Via: Microsoft

Breaking · Did You Know? · Gaming · Microsoft

And Here It Comes: New Xbox Reveal Planned For May 21st

  • April 24, 2013

Xbox May21st EventAnd here comes the new Xbox console from Redmond. The event, which will be the usual press-style event that Microsoft uses to announce new products, will be held at the Xbox campus in Washington state. Planned for May 21st, it will be streamed on Xbox Live, the web, Xbox.com, and Spike TV and will ”mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV, and entertainment.”

As Microsoft’s own Major Nelson put it, “We are thrilled to pull back the curtain and reveal what we’ve been working on,” writes Xbox Live’s Larry Hryb (“Major Nelson”). May is going to be an awesome month, no?

Via: Major Nelson

Did You Know? · Microsoft

Microsoft Continues To Profit Off Of Android, Now Using Foxconn

  • April 17, 2013

IMGP5689The never-ending stream of Microsoft doing good business doesn’t end. Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer that produces an amazing 40 percent of the world’s consumer electronic devices (!!!) will soon be sending plentiful sums of money to Microsoft.

The reason being? In the past (circa 2012), Microsoft has convinced the likes of Samsung, HTC, and LG to license their patents as long as they make Android devices. More explicit details aren’t to be had, but there is confirmation that what Foxconn will be paying for is the Android and Chrome OS devices it makes, including televisions, smartphones, and tablets.

Via: Ars Technica 

Gaming · Microsoft

Microsoft’s Xbox Event Might Be Planned For May

  • April 8, 2013

xbox-controllerSome interesting news out of the Microsoft camp: Windows expert Paul Thurrott revealed recently that Microsoft is planning an Xbox event for May 21st, and this lines up with credible information to narrow down an announcement date. Afterwards, the announcement from May will turn into a full display at E3 later this year.

Looks like Durango (the new Xbox codename) is coming as soon as possible, and with rumors swirling about “always-on” connectivity, there’s a lot of explaining to do from Microsoft, so the event can’t come any sooner.

Via: Verge, YouTube

Did You Know? · Microsoft

Bill Gates And Paul Allen Pose For Replica Of Famous 1981 Photo

  • April 4, 2013

originalvs1981Back in 1981, Bill Gates and Paul Allen has licensed their new operating system to IBM, called MS-DOS, but retained full control of the software. Fast forward, and they are some f the two richest men the world has ever seen. In this photo, they recreate the shot they took in black and white in 1981. Interestingly, the new photo was shot at  Seattle’s Living Computer Museum, which is founded by Allen, and features some of the same systems seen in the original.

Via: Paul Allen

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