Category: Microsoft

Microsoft Xbox One Priced : US $ 499 coming to 21 Countries in November
Microsoft has announced the prices and availability of its new Xbox One Console at their E3 Press Event. The console will go on sale in 21 countries in November for a retail price of $499.99 in the U.S., £429 (GBP) in the U.K. and €499 (EUR) in European markets. Roughly translated, the Xbox One can be expected in India for a price of Rs. 30,000 including taxes.

Every Xbox One system sold will include the new Xbox One console — which features a 500GB hard drive,1 Blu-ray player and built-in Wi-Fi — the new Kinect, one Xbox One Wireless Controller and a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members.

Several titles were announced to be available by launch time from developers including but not limited to 343 Industries, Crytek, Turn 10 Studios, Respawn Entertainment, Remedy, Kojima Productions, Capcom and Insomniac Games.

The trailer of Halo for Xbox One, was highly unexpected yet well received.

Microsoft Studios is committed to making Xbox One the best place to play games, with more titles in development and more exclusives coming than at any time in the history of Xbox, With amazing games such as ‘Forza Motorsport 5,’ ‘Ryse: Son of Rome,’ ‘Dead Rising 3,’ ‘Titanfall,’ ‘Halo Xbox One,’ ‘Kinect Sports Rivals,’ ‘Project Spark’ and ‘Quantum Break,’ Xbox will continue to lead the industry with the biggest exclusives, new IP and blockbuster franchises that will delight gamers for the next decade and beyond.” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Studios.

Gamers who reserve the following exclusive Xbox One Day One edition launch titles, also available in limited quantities at major retailers while supplies last, will receive special bonus content:
[Via]
June 11, 2013
Report : Internet Explorer 10 Is the Most Energy-Efficient Browser on Windows 8

Microsoft loves its Internet Explorer browser and has no problem showing off to the world what it is capable of doing. This time around, IE is championing a new title as the most energy efficient browser on Windows 8.

According to the new findings, Internet Explorer 10 is the most energy-efficient browser on Windows 8, using less energy than Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to display a large number of websites.

The study discovered some pretty miniscule changes between each browser when it came to situations like “Average, Top 10 Websites” and “Fishbowl Benchmarks.” However, the introduction of Flash into the test showed a fairly substantial change between browser power consumption, with Internet Explorer consuming approximately 18.6 percent less wattage than Google Chrome.

“In the above scenarios, Internet Explorer 10 exhibited the lowest energy consumption. In some scenarios such as playing Adobe Flash video on laptop PCs, it was 18% more energy efficient than Google Chrome, and it was 17% more efficient than Mozilla Firefox in playing HTML5 video,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft goes so far as to say that if every single Chrome and Firefox user switched to Internet Explorer 10, it would save enough energy to power over 10,000 US homes for a year.

“This is enough energy to power 10,722 households in the United States for an entire year [and] would eliminate the release of over 85,000 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions,” it said.

[SoftPedia, TechCrunch]

June 7, 2013
“Smaller” Windows 8 Tablets To Get Office 2013 For Free

Aside from announcing that Outlook 2013 will be coming to Windows RT 8.1 later this year, Microsoft has revealed at Computex 2013 that all new “small” x86 tablets running Windows 8 will come with basic Office 2013 apps for free.

So far, there are few details regarding what products will be eligible for the bundle, what version of Office will be included and whether it will be a time-limited deal, but we do know that Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote will form the free package.

Only x86 Windows 8 tablets will qualify for the bundle, as they are the only devices able to run the full version of Windows 8. The ARM processors used to power Windows RT devices, such as the Microsoft Surface RT, can’t run x86 applications and will miss out.

This follows with what we’ve seen in recent tablet launches, such as the 8-inch Acer Iconia W3, which comes with a free copy of Office 2013 installed out of the box. Expect more information about Windows 8 and the inclusion of these Office 2013 apps at BUILD 2013, Microsoft’s developer event scheduled for later this month.

Microsoft is also adding a version of its Outlook email and calendar app to Windows RT — the version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM-based chips from Qualcomm and Nvidia. Prior devices, such as Surface RT, came with only Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, along with a custom e-mail and calendar program.

“We’re always listening to our customers and one piece of feedback was that people want the power of Outlook on all their Windows PCs and tablets,” Microsoft said in a statement.

June 5, 2013
Microsoft Targets Another 25 Million Xbox 360 Sales

Microsoft is still aiming for another 25 million sales of their eight-year-old Xbox 360 console, bringing the total to 100 million units sold. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s senior VP of Interactive Entertainment Business, speaking to OXM, said they expect half of these sales will come from new Xbox 360 owners, while the other half will be old console replacements.

Speaking with OXM, Mehdi said of Microsoft’s hopes for Xbox 360, “We believe over the next five years we can break a 100 million unit installed base. That’s something we’re shooting for, it’s not a financial plan as such, it’s just rough numbers if you will.

The company plans to bolster 360 sales with a “Huge Announcement” at the upcoming 2013 E3 show, according to the report.

Microsoft Game Studios executive Phil Spencer recently told GameSpot:

“I think the Xbox 360 is going to be very vibrant for many years. In fact, we have a huge, I think it’s huge, Xbox 360 announcement for E3 that I keep wanting to talk about, but I can’t. I think it will surprise people. I loved what we did last year with Minecraft; bring Minecraft to the box; six million units later it’s kind of a beast. I think there’s a lot of life in the Xbox 360 for years to come.”

As regards hopes for Xbox One, it’s obviously a bit early to say, but Medhi does think next gen consoles as a pack can trump sales of their predecessors as handily as the latter trumped sales of theirs.

“Every generation, as you’ve probably heard, has grown approximately 30%,” he said. “So this generation is about 300 million units. Most industry experts think the next generation will get upwards of about 400 million units. That’s if it’s a game console, over the next decade.”

May 24, 2013
Xbox One Will Allow Multiple Accounts On Single Xbox Live Subscription

It seems Xbox Live memberships can not only be used across both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, but memberships can be used across multiple profiles. This means multiple profiles on a single Xbox One console can use a single Xbox Live Gold membership to be able to access Xbox Live Gold exclusive demos, cross-game chat and, of course, play online multiplayer.

The “new generation” of Xbox Live will be compatible with both Xbox 360 and Xbox One and allow users to communicate with each other across consoles.

Microsoft’s president of Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, confirmed to Polygon players will be able to chat and communicate across the generational barrier between Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

So you’re essentially paying for the IP of that console, rather than the online account.

“We want to make sure that you and your son both have your own account,” Kilgore told Polygon, using the example of a parent and child sharing the same Live Gold membership. “We want you log in to get your stuff, and when he logs in to get his stuff. On that console, if you have Gold, he can use Gold as well.”

Xbox Live Gold memberships offer a host of features, including online multiplayer games, free game demos, access to the Web via Internet Explorer, and movies and TV shows via services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus (not much use in India). The current membership costs $9.99 for one month, $24.99 for three months, and $59.99 for 12 months.

[Polygon]

May 22, 2013
Xbox one first round of games revealed, Fifa 14, Forza 5, Call of Duty : Ghosts and Madden NFL 25

Microsoft just announced their next big gaming console revolution the Xbox One. The biggest developer as always has been EA games and it wasn’t much behind here either with Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, EA Sports UFC and the much hyper Fifa 14.

All new EA Games Titles will run on the new EA Sports Ignite game engine. EA’s Andrew Wilson said ;

All four will launch in the next 12 months, All four will be revolutionary.All games will have Xbox One-exclusive content, which will be revealed in the coming months.”

Xbox-exclusive Forza Motorsport 5 along with Turn 10 Studios racing series will be among the console’s early titles. A new title exclusive to Xbox from Max Payne Developer-Remedy Entertainment called Quantum Break, a game title that will blend live action gaming with Live TV, details on how it will work are scarce now.

For FPS lovers, Call Of Duty : Ghosts from seasoned FPS developer ; Activation, will come first to the Xbox One. A trailer for this upcoming title has also gone live (see below). Expect this game to hit all consoles, but the Xbox-One version will have exclusive content.

Microsoft is also working on 7 exclusive Kinect based titles which will be launched alongside the new Xbox One, to take control of the exciting new features of the new iteration of the Kinect.

With the ability to capture gameplay, expect the likes of Youtube to be flooded with gameplay footage from users worldwide.

[youtube id=”Zxnx3W-HA18#!” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

May 22, 2013
Microsoft confirms that the new Xbox One will have a very sensitive Kinect controller.

All rumors prior to the launch of the new Xbox One related to Kinect seem to be right on the bullseye. The new Kinect controller is uber sensitive and can capture quite a lot of movement. The next-generation Kinect model is capable of tracking motions as minute as wrist rotations, and Microsoft’s Marc Whitten said the new Kinect would even be able to read users’ heartbeats when they’re exercising or when players shift their weight.

The new Kinect’s main camera is capable of recording 1080P RGB video at 30 frames per second and the new Xbox One Handles roughly 2GB/sec of live data from the new Kinect with ease.

Microsoft SVP Yusuf Mehdi showed a demo on stage that shows of the promptness and accuracy of this new sensor towards not only gestures but also voice commands. You can control the console, multitask and even open layer within the console with just voice commands, you will also get pinching, swiping and rotations in the natural format incase you don’t wish to do the talking.

May 21, 2013
Microsoft Unveils The Xbox One!

Microsoft’s next-generation console is finally here, the Xbox One.

The Xbox One is all black and features a two-tone finish with both matte and gloss in equal measure; a slot-loading Blu-ray optical drive sits out front on the left face, while a power button with the traditional incomplete circle symbol is emblazoned on the right side (which looks to be touch-based). A new Kinect was also unveiled, and it powers the console — “Xbox On” is being trumpeted as the most important feature.

“Team Xbox is on a new mission,” Don Mattrick, president of the interactive entertainment business, said.”And that mission is focused on making this an entertainment console.”

He said the goal is to build a system that lines up games, television and software and that the most important part is that it must be “simple, instant and complete.”

“It is time for technology to step behind the curtain and you and your entertainment to take the stage,” Mattrick said.

Yusuf Medhi, senior vice president of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business, unveiled how voice input can be used to control Xbox One. It will also respond to gesture controls.

“Xbox On” turns on the hardware to power up an instant-on system with a new Home dashboard that is near-identical to Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system.

There’s instant switching from the Xbox One dashboard to live television (which seems to confirm that HDMI-in rumor). People using Skype on Xbox One will be able to do group chats now.

Mark Whitten, corporate vice president of Xbox LIVE, said the console can detect your heartbeat when you are exercising, using the Kinect sensor.

The Xbox One’s controller was created with game players, Whitten said. It will have improved ergonomics and a new d-pad. “This is your controller,” he said. The triggers now have a built-in rumble system, which Microsoft’s calling “Impulse Triggers,” and there’s now also a redesigned D-pad. The battery compartment, meanwhile, is much smaller than the previous version.

Whitten said the Xbox One will use more power than the entire world did in 1999.

EA said that it is developing four games for Xbox One: FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA Live, and UFC, which will release within the next 12 months.

EA Sports Ignite has been unveiled: “to blur the line between real and virtual.” It will utilize the Xbox One’s exclusive updates for enhanced game play.

“Sports are as much about your head as your feet or your hands,” Microsoft said.

Forza Motorsport 5 announced for Xbox One and will be available at launch. Microsoft Studios plans to launch 15 new games in the first year of Xbox One, including 8 brand new franchises.

More developing…

May 21, 2013
Next Xbox comes today, Here is the Roundup!

The next Microsoft Xbox is going to be announced in a few hours and we know quite a lot of things about it so far (or at least we think).

The Xbox (next) should carry on Microsoft’s legacy of the gaming industry as it has from the beginning. The Xbox became an icon of the gaming industry the minute it landed, quickly becoming the most popular gaming console, due to the sheer volume of gamer available on it. Microsoft Studios’ dedication in creating exclusive titles, also had a big role to play here.

Price of the Next Xbox

While most consoles debut around the US $ 499 price mark, we expect the next Xbox to be the same. Microsoft in the U.S., offers the Xbox 360 on subsidy and has tried to work out similar strategies with their sales in India with no real subsidy offers.

What real package deals may is unknown, but it appears that Microsoft realizes that the biggest market for games cannot afford Rs. 25000 consoles outright.

Release Cycle and Branding

While many rumored names for the next Xbox are floating around, the Xbox Infinity the Xbox ultimate, etc. The most probable name is going to be Xbox 8 ( due to a trademark filed by Microsoft), which could also tie in with the specs of the hardware below. On the flip side Microsoft could simply call it Xbox or if they were to follow in Apple’s footsteps the “New Xbox” or the “Next Xbox”.

The new gaming console from Microsoft is expected to clash with Sony’s rivaling Playstation, when both will be available around the Christmas holiday season of 2013.

Hardware and Specifications

Apart from major aesthetic changes, the new Xbox will also get a hardware overhaul. Starting with the 64-bit, 8-core, 1.6GHz processor made by AMD with x86 architecture and 8GB of DDR3 RAM vs the existing 3-core 3.6GHz processor and 512 MB or RAM. The previous architecture was based on PowerPC so the GHz change will actually be better. The GPU is an 800 MHz DirectX 11.x, and will be accompanied by custom hardware for Xbox-specific tasks vs the existing 500MHz GPU. The new hardware will also have a traditional ethernet port, an optical Blu-Ray disc drive( even though rumors pointed to diskless systems, this is a way to curb piracy) , a default 500GB SATA 2 HDD, USB 3.0 ports, and HDMI out and in ports for Full HD/ maybe even 4K video.

New Xbox Controller

Many are expecting a Kinect overhaul, and some rumors have pointed to a controller less console ( which in all entirety would be a failure). The new controller is expected to be smaller and more ergonomic. It is also rumored that the new Xbox controller will have an additional set of buttons to enhance the gamers experience. The Kinect sensor is expected to come bundled with the hardware, along with a better optical recognition system which would be able to respond more accurately to movements.

The Handheld controllers are expected to come with rechargeable and replaceable batteries out of the box, to one up on Playstation’s rechargeable but irreplaceable batteries.

The new Hardware, along with controllers and Kinect have been with Game developers for a while now, but since each unit is tightly packed, coded and covered in stripes, not a lot has leaked out from design perspective.

TV or Gaming Console (or Both?)

Microsoft’s Nancy Hellens – a former boss at US TV station CBS has been brought on to spearhead new TV-esque entertainment experiences. Uk based, Lift London is working on new gaming experiences, Microsoft Soho Studios has already put out interactive TV-like games based on Sesame Street and Discovery Channel. Now well a lot of heat around different types of TV’s systems is in place, Microsoft could bundle these features into the new Xbox and make the package a lot worth for the owner. Replacing the likes of recoding boxes and streaming accessories.

A move along such lines would also replace devices, like Nexus Q or even Apple TV from living rooms.

Microsoft has already clarified that the launch will be for the hardware and not for the games, which would be announced possibly at E3, but expect at least a few titles to show up for a wonderful preview.

May 21, 2013
Microsoft Releases Facebook Beta For Windows Phone, Features High-Resolution Photos, Timeline And More

Facebook for Windows Phone, while maintaining a nice design, has always lagged behind its iOS and Android counterparts for features.

Microsoft is launching a new version of its Facebook app today in beta, bringing many of the most highly-requested features to Windows Phone users. Not only is the design a better compromise between the company’s existing mobile apps and the Windows Phone design guidelines, but it offers Timeline support, high-resolution images and post sharing.

Instead of showing a tiny preview, the beta Facebook app now allows pics embedded inside a post to take up all the horizontal screen estate. Basically the shots can take advantage of large high-resolution displays.

The new app supports left- and right-side sliding bars, much like Android and iOS, and they open smoothly with a swipe from either side. Any page, including specific timelines, the messaging folder or even specific brand pages, can be pinned to the home screen for easy access, and the app still supports using images from albums as lock screen art. Toast notifications are said to be more reliable as well.

“Once you’ve put the beta app through its paces, we hope you’ll pass along bug reports, feature requests, and other feedback by going to Settings>About in the app”, Microsoft says. “You can also post a Store review. Your comments and suggestions will inform future releases”.

While the beta is not quite stable, and cannot be found by searching in the Windows Store, it will go a long way to alleviating some of that cross-platform envy Windows Phone users have been feeling lately. No word on whether Chat Heads are coming to Windows Phone any time soon, but having native Facebook Messenger support from the Messages app should suffice for now. The beta will be installed alongside your current Facebook app until it comes out of beta.

[Windows Phone Blog]

May 1, 2013
Upcoming Xbox 720 To Utilize Microsoft IllumiRoom Projection Technology?

Microsoft’s Illumiroom could play a role in the future of the next-generation Xbox, according to a new preview video released ahead of this week’s CHI 2013 event which promises to reveal more technical details about this proof-of-concept system.

IllumiRoom is a wide-angle projector that’s situated on your coffee table, pointed at your big-screen TV. The current prototype has a Kinect strapped to the projector, but the final version will have a Kinect sensor built in. The built-in Kinect uses an automatic calibration process to captures the color and geometry (shape, depth) of the wall behind and furniture around your TV.

Then you hook the IllumiRoom up to your next-generation Xbox (wirelessly), and watch in awe as peripheral projection takes you to new levels of game immersion.

The video goes on to state that the new technology “can extend the gaming content out of your TV, creating a truly immersive experience. Or we can selectively show game elements, like explosions, or make it snow in our living room.”

Microsoft will have had to have got permission from Valve to include their game in the demo, so it suggests they’ve already been shopping the technology around to developers in order to get them interested in supporting it.

Entirely self-calibrating and theoretically working in any room containing the next-generation Xbox, Microsoft realises that, like with Kinect, there may be issues with the technology.

“While there are many unanswered questions regarding peripheral projected illusions, we hope we have demonstrated that they are worth answering.”

[youtube id=”0qyM5kRU-KM” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[The Verge]

April 29, 2013
Microsoft and Airtel launch Xbox 360 combo offer

Airtel and Microsoft have tied up to deliver a unique set of offers to prospective buyers of Airtel connections and Xbox 360 consoles, or even owners of both or either. In the form of Airtel broadband and free Xbox LIVE gold memberships. The offer is valid in Delhi, NCR, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore till June 30.

Up for grabs for new owners is a Xbox 360 4GB Kinect model with an Airtel Broadband connection for Rs 15,500. The new buyers will get 10 free Xbox 360 games, a 12 month membership of Xbox LIVE gold and up to Rs 4,888 off on the Airtel broadband connection.

Consumers can now enjoy a smooth Xbox LIVE entertainment experience which includes the best multi-player action that Xbox is so well known for on an Airtel broadband” – Microsoft Corporation India Business Group Lead (Interactive Entertainment Business) Anshu Mor said.

Interestingly, Existing Xbox 360 owners who buy a new Airtel broadband connection will get Rs 4,888 off and a three month membership for Xbox LIVE gold. But if you already have an Airtel connection and buy a new Xbox 360 you will get 10 free games and a 12 month membership for Xbox LIVE gold worth Rs 10,699, along with savings of Rs 4,888 on an Airtel Broadband upgrade.

We are confident that our-tie up with Microsoft… deliver a much-awaited and enhanced experience for gaming lovers”- Bharti Airtel CEO (Homes and Office) Najib Khan said.

April 25, 2013
Rumour : Start Button To Make A Return In Microsoft Windows 8.1

Microsoft, which is being berated for taking out the Start button from Windows 8, may put it back in the next major Windows update known as Windows Blue.

The classic Start menu which Windows users have come to know and love over the years, was missing in Windows 8, which was released in October 2012, resulting in an unprecedented backlash.

The Verge is also reporting that plans have been revealed to them to indeed bring back the Windows 8 start button together with the boot to desktop option also rumoured earlier this month.

According to another report by Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott, Microsoft’s Executives are the ones who are overruling objections from the Windows team about bringing back the Start button. “And I’ve separately confirmed that this is really happening, with the Start button, in particular, driven by upper management, which overruled objections from the Windows team,” Thurrott added.

It turns out, however, that Windows 8.1’s Start button will have a different behavior as compared to the traditional one, according to a report by The Verge. Microsoft is looking to bring us a Start button that would launch the Start Screen, instead of a Start Menu.

Microsoft hasn’t said a thing about such a feature, so more details will most likely be provided in June at the BUILD developer conference when the company is expected to unveil the public beta of the new OS.

Recent reports are that the global computer market fell 14% in the first quarter of 2013 with market analysts IDC putting the blame squarely on Microsoft’s shoulders with a lacklustre launch of Windows 8.

But if Microsoft brings the Start button back and adds in a few new tricks into Windows 8.1, combine that with the new Intel Haswell chips on the way and it could make for a very different second-half of the year for computer fans.

[The Verge, Geeky Gadgets]

April 22, 2013
Bing Answers Critics, Says It Blocks “94% Of Clicks To Malicious Sites”

Bing has responded to the malware study conducted by AV-TEST earlier this week, claiming that Bing search results led to five times more malware than Google.

To that Bing said, “the conclusions many have drawn from the study are wrong.”

A blog post by Bing said :

AV-TEST didn’t actually do any searching on bing.com. Rather they used a Bing API to execute a number of queries and downloaded the result to their system for further analysis. By using the API instead of the user interface, AV-TEST bypassed our warning system designed to keep customers from being harmed by malware. Bing actually does prevent customers from clicking on malware infected sites by disabling the link on the results page and showing the below message to stop people from going to the site.

Overall, Bing says it shows results with malware warnings for about 0.04 percent of searches. Microsoft’s senior program manager for Bing David Felstead also claims that Bing’s warning system blocks “94% of clicks to malicious sites.”

We show results with warnings for about 0.04% of all searches, meaning about 1 in 2,500 search result pages will have a result with a malware warning on it. Of those, only a small proportion of malicious links ever get clicked and the warning therefore triggered, so a user will see the warning only 1 in every 10,000 searches. In any case, the overall scale of the problem is very small.

Felstead later points out a search term that can be entered into Google that results in malicious results.

[SearchEngineLand, TechCrunch, Bing]

April 20, 2013
Windows 8.1 Build 9369 Leaked, Reveals ‘Metro’ File Explorer

A new build of Windows 8.1 has surfaced on file sharing networks this week along with a host of screenshots providing a fresh look at Microsoft’s plans for its Windows 8 upgrade. The latest leak shows some new features including a file explorer in the Metro interface, new animations, greater SkyDrive integration and others.

The leaked build 9369 hit the web a few hours ago but users are already starting to uncover features that were not present in the previous leaked Windows 8.1 build such as the new Files app. This application may be the file manager for Windows 8.1 and we are getting another look at the application courtesy of build 9369.

The video and screenshots posted online reveal a file explorer app in the Metro apps list, that allows you to explore system files as well as SkyDrive files. There is a new button on the Metro start screen for accessing the app list, clicking on that takes you to the apps list. The little orb will disappear if you use a touch screen PC. The apps can be sorted by name, date installed and most used. The apps page also includes a search bar at the top corner.

Image Courtesy : Neowin

Snap view has also been updated to make it easier for you to choose where you want to Snap the app to, even featuring a cool animation. This feature makes it easier than ever to see exactly where your app is being snapped to.

It’s not yet clear if Microsoft plans to make “Files” part of the final version of Windows 8.1, but more information will probably be provided in June at the BUILD developer conference.

[Neowin]

April 17, 2013