The first ever Microsoft Store will open this Thursday in Scottdale, Arizona. MS tells customers to “Be entertained,” “Be excited,” and “Be early.” There will be free give-aways and a live performance from who else by “pop superstar” Ashley Tisdale. According to Engadget, the Store will look a little some like this (see the gallery below) and will feature a genius support bar.
[Via Engadget]
Microsoft Research believes it can. The video above goes behind-the-scenes at MS Research, revealing five prototype mice that are still in the works. They include “cap mouse,” “FTIR (Frustrated Total Internal Reflection) mouse, “orb mouse,” “arty (articulated) mouse,” and “side mouse.” Each of them use a different method of multitouch to perform on-screen action. They are like multitouch track pads featured in laptops but converted and developed in mouse form. Very interesting stuff, to say the least. I’m glad to see Microsoft taking a look at unique and intuitive input methods for the future. With word of a new multi-touch capable Apple Mighty Mouse in the works, this was a timely move for Microsoft.
I hate to use the phrase “all versions” in the a sentence that is about an operating system, but the geniuses at Microsoft leave me no choice.
Windows 7 will come in six different editions: Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise. Of these six editions, four of them will be available to the general public in the US: Starter, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. (The others were developed for different countries.) If you would to know “which one is right for you,” take a look at what Microsoft has to say on the decision-making process.
Up until this point Microsoft made it clear that all netbooks would be restricted to the Windows 7 Starter Edition, meaning that all netbooks would be limited to running at most three applications at a time. That stinks, I know. Fortunately, though, Microsoft has given it some thought and has decided to remove this restriction from the Starter Edition, andallow netbooks to run any version of Windows 7. In other words, you can run the dumbed down Starter Edition or you can rock the Ultimate Edition with Areo Peek features and all. As the release of the new OS dawns upon us (October 22), it looks like Microsoft is trying to do anything and everything to ease the transition from the troubled Vista to what may be its savior, Windows 7.
[Via Engadget]
It features some great music, cool visual effects, and most importantly, it shows off some of Windows 7’s best new features including the new Start menu, the Areo visualizations, and the themes.
[Via Gizmodo]
In addition to this revealing video picked up at Gizmodo, ZDNet’s Mary Jo-Foley reported on new speculation from a “more verifiable source” that sheds some more light on the still unannounced Microsoft Courier booklet device. Her source claims that the Courier is currently running on top of the Windows 7 operating system. However, the consumer will not be able to install Windows 7 apps on the device: Microsoft tablets of the past “failed because the applications were not tailored to a tablet form factor – that is, Word still had toolbars and menus and scollbars. So, a tablet needs to be like an iPhone – a UX that is specific for the form factor.” The source mentions that the development team at Microsoft is creating this device like they did the Xbox video game console; Microsoft will handle the hardware and software so as to speed up the development process. The source also says that the Courier is on track for a “mid-2010” release.
Very interesting tidbits of information, yes. As Apple is currently in the process of manufacturing their own tablet, I am excited to see how all of this will play out. Will it be the MS Courier vs. the Apple tablet in the near future? Only time (and potential surfacing FCC filings) will tell.
With the release of Windows 7 just around the corner (October 22), Microsoft has created an instructional video about how to make the perfect launch party to celebrate the new operating system. It is so lame it’s kinda funny. (Can you say awkward actors interacting in the most awkward of ways?) It is a six minute video, and you should not watch it in it’s entirety. However, you should at least scrub through it. Why, you ask? YouTube user “cabel” has created a parody of the video, and it is funny, in the inappropriate kind of way. So funny, in fact, that it makes the effort of the Microsoft advertisers who made the original worthwhile! Check out the parody video after the break. Continue reading MS creates Windows 7 Launch Party ad; the parody makes it worthwhile
The awesome dudes at Gizmodo picked up this story earlier this week, and boy is it a fascinating one. What was a big secret for Microsoft has now been reveiled to the public–a MS-hardware and software designed booklet.
Gizmodo has the details:
Until recently, it was a skunkworks project deep inside Microsoft, only known to the few engineers and executives working on it.
Courier is a real device, and we’ve heard that it’s in the “late prototype” stage of development. It’s not a tablet, it’s a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They’re connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.
So, the MS Courier is in fact a real device, it packs two 7-inch multitouch displays and an integrated camera, and has a UI design that looks sleek, organized, and most importantly, simple. For more on the UI, check out the video below for a quick tour of the Courier user interface, still in development. One question: What’s with the stylus? That’s so 1990s!
[Via Gizmodo]
Though the Xbox 360 Elite recently saw a dramatic price drop (from $399 to $299), it seems like Microsoft was not fully content with this sweet spot. Starting today, the Xbox 360 Elite console will be sold for $299 with a $50 mail-in rebate. So that’s $249 for the best next-gen console on the market; what a deal! This mail-in rebate offer runs through October 5; Microsoft has not specified what will happen to the standard price of the console after that date. Looks like Christmas may be coming early for some folks; get on this!
I really enjoy these live action Halo trailers/videos. I can only imagine what director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) could do with it to create a live action Halo movie. Halo 3: ODST drops September 22 for Xbox 360.
Microsoft is ready to go head-to-head with their arch-rival Sony in the video games business. The Xbox 360 Elite console will match the PS3 Slim costing $299.99 (from $399.99) this Friday. The Xbox 360 Pro console (now $249.99) will phase out after inventory gets flushed, making the Elite and Arcade ($199.99) the only Xbox 360 SKUs on the market. In somewhat related news, Microsoft has stated that the upcoming Project Natal accessory “will work with every Xbox 360 sold today and tomorrow.” Neat-0.
[Via Engadget]
Let’s wrap this up quickly, cool?
What? Microsoft Zune HD. When? September 15, 2009. Price? $219.99/black, 16GB; $289.99/platinum (silver), 32GB. Where? Best Buy, Amazon (pretty much all respectable electronic outlets). Where to demo it? Select stores in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C on 8/22 & 8/23. Preorder: Through http://www.zune.net/zunehd from Amazon.com, Best Buy, Walmart and Microsoft starting on 8/16. Why? TEGRA HD processor, OLED screen, HD radio, Wi-Fi, Internet browser, and more.
In related news, it has been discovered that there will be a bevy of color options to choose from, besides the standard black and silver options–variations of blue, green, and red. Also, the Zune HD’s AV dock and Power Pack are also up for preorder. The AV & Power Pack includes a dock, three inserts, wireless remote, AC adapter, HDMI cable and AV output cable and will sell for $89.99. The AV dock includes an AC adapter, HDMI cable and AC output cable and will sell for just a penny under a Grant. See an image of them together after the break.
It’s almost here, folks. Hopefully this beefier and handsome Zune will have its time to shine before Apple steps in with new iPods this September. *Check out my ongoing coverage of Zune HD news here, here, here, and right here.
It’s official–Netflix’s streaming capabilities will only live and breath on Xbox 360’s. Microsoft struck a very smart deal with Netflix (and squashed previous rumors) when they announced that their Xbox gaming system will be the sole game console provider to allow Netflix streaming with the Netflix Watch Instantly feature. This is big news on the streaming movies/TV shows front. If people are looking to stream Netflix contentto their TVs, they only have one option when it comes to buying a game console. Another point for Xbox, cha-ching! See the full press release after the break.
[Via Engadget]
Continue reading Netflix will stream content exclusively on Xbox 360