Tag Archives: Microsoft

Xbox One gets unboxed [Update: the new controller gets examined]

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Xbox’s Major Nelson unboxes Microsoft’s next-gen console for the first time in the video pasted here. Though the unboxing isn’t revelatory, the Xbox One and its many included accessories are beautiful pieces of tech to gander at.

Inside the packaging ravenous gamers will find the liquid black console, of course, along with one wireless controller (the limited edition “Day One” controller is embossed with “Day One 2013” in its center and features a chrome D-pad), the new and improved Kinect sensor, a Chat Headset, the power brick supply, and an HDMI cable (Category 2 rated for 1080P, 3D and 4K). The system boasts a 500GB hard drive, slot load Blu-ray drive, IR blaster port, HDMI input and output connectors, a S/PDIF interface, new Kinect sensor port, three USB 3.0 Super Speed ports, Wired and Wireless network support, and a Kensington security slot.

Fun fact: the Xbox One featured in this video is one of very few production units in existence–less than 20 have been made so far. But that’ll all change soon as we near the console’s November 2013 release.

Update (8/12): Major Nelson and Zulfi Alam, the general manager of Xbox’s accessory business, discuss the Xbox One’s controller in a video embedded after the break. The newly redesigned Xbox wireless controller packs over 40 improvements including an integrated battery pack, a screwless design, a better D-pad, and impulse triggers. For the full rundown, watch the 7+ minute examination below. Continue reading Xbox One gets unboxed [Update: the new controller gets examined] →

Microsoft rescinds its Xbox One DRM policy, gamers rejoice (for now)

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Well you can forget everything that came before. Microsoft has pulled an Xbox 180, if you will, and reversed its controversial Xbox One DRM policies. In a post titled “Your Feedback Matters,” Xbox President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick announced that “an Internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games” and gamers can “trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today.” After initial setup, you can play any disc-based game without ever connecting online again; this means the system will not periodically check-in to see if you’re connected and you can play offline games with no disruption. Additionally there will be no limitations to picking up used games at retailers and sharing games with friends. In a nutshell, everything will work just as it does today.

“These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One,” Microsoft admits. For example, in the case of disc-based games, the disc must be in the tray in order to play. Previously in an always-connected state, games would have been playable from the HDD and the cloud without having to load the disc in the tray after an initial installation.

Right off the bat this seems like a big win for gamers. But, in the long run, is it really? With its new DRM policies for Xbox One Microsoft was attempting to push the video game industry in the future by introducing new features that take advantage of the cloud and an always connected state. Sure, the ability to game offline is nice and playing used games and sharing titles with friends without fees and restrictions feels right because we’re so used to it; but I can’t help but think: are we just delaying the inevitable here? Gizmodo plays devil’s advocate to the general public’s response in a post called “The Xbox Just Got Way Worse, and It’s Our Fault.”

[Via Xbox]

E3 2013: Microsoft and the Xbox One

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At Microsoft’s pre-E3 #XboxReveal event, the veil was lifted away from the company’s next-gen hardware known as Xbox One. The event focused primarily on introducing the hardware (including the black box, the enhanced wireless controller, and Kinect 2.0) and the power behind it. Xbox One and its ability to act like a TV set-top box and serve as “the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system” was the big highlight from that event. Though a handful of titles were teased there, MSFT would save the games for its E3 media briefing. For more, jump after the break. Continue reading E3 2013: Microsoft and the Xbox One →

Microsoft packs Windows 8.1 with welcome upgrades in features and functionality

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On June 26, eight months after its general release, Microsoft is updating Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. The free new update brings lots of new features and functionality to the modernized version of Microsoft’s operating system.

The updated Start screen allows users to resize their apps with new larger and smaller options; users can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal an app drawer and access all apps installed and organize them by name, date installed, most used, and category; installed apps are no longer downloaded to the Start screen–they are placed inside the app drawer and you must manually pin it to the Start screen if you want it there; and you can match your desktop background with your Start screen background to “create a greater sense of unity and familiarity” between them. Also, the Start button returns to the traditional desktop but it won’t open a portal to folders and files like it did in previous Windows iterations; it simply brings you back to the Start screen and all your apps. Also, multitasking just got better: depending on your screen size and resolution, you can now snap more than two windows next to each other and you can further customize the size of each window (you are no longer shackled to the 80/20 split).

Elsewhere, the lock screen has been updated to become a picture frame that can now play a slideshow of your pictures stored locally on your device or from images stored in the cloud in SkyDrive. Users can also take pictures directly from the lock screen without having to log into their Windows 8.1 powered device.

System-wide search has been enhanced here, too. Type a query in the Search charm and you’ll be provided with actual files and documents you may be looking for. To date users are forced to tap headers like Files and Apps to dig for their searches; in Win 8.1 time will be saved since the OS will now show you relavant Word documents and Xbox games at first glance. Something new called Search Heroes are also being introduced here; search “Brad Pitt” and the OS will provide an aggregated view of many content sources to help you learn more about your query.

To read more about the new features and functions inside Windows 8.1, head over to this Windows blog post that details it all. For a quick look at 8.1 in action, watch the clip embedded above. Some screenshots hang in the gallery below.

Microsoft introduces Xbox One

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“Can we take what you love and make it better?” That is the question Microsoft posed at the start of its #XboxReveal event earlier today. The answer lies in their new generation of Xbox hardware and software, “the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system” that is “simple, instant, and complete.” Nope, it’s not the Xbox 720 or Xbox Infinity as the rumor mill had us guessing; the next-gen console from Microsoft is the Xbox One. Continue reading Microsoft introduces Xbox One →

The next Xbox is coming

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Nintendo released the Wii U, Sony laid out its plans for the PS4, and so now it’s time for Microsoft to reveal its next-gen console. The followup to the hugely successful Xbox 360 will be announced on Tuesday, May 21 at 1PM EST at the Xbox Campus in Redmond, WA. On that day “we’ll mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment,” says Xbox’s Major Nelson. “We’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future.” If you didn’t score an invite to the event, don’t fret; the press event will be streamed live globally via Xbox.com, Xbox Live, and on Spike TV. See you then.

Microsoft announces Surface for Windows 8 Pro release date, new Surface accessories

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Microsoft’s more powerful version of its Surface tablet finally has a release date. Surface with Windows 8 Pro comes to market February 9. It comes packed with Intel’s Core i5 processor and it supports apps available in the Windows Store as well as legacy programs that run on Windows 7 and other previous OS’. More Pro advantages: this slate sports a 1920 x 1080 full HD display, 4GB of RAM, a fast USB 3.0 port, a Mini DisplayPort, and a pen with Palm Block technology. The Pro starts at $899 for the 64GB model; alongside it is a 128GB model that will sell for $999. Unlike the RT version, the Pro doesn’t come bundled with a keyboard cover. The Touch Cover and Type Cover sell separately for $119.99 and $129.99, respectively.

In addition to fully fleshing out the Pro’s future release, Microsoft announced a new pricing option for the Surface for Windows RT. This is the 64GB model but it ditches the keyboard cover to sell for $599. It joins the standalone 32GB model ($499), the 32GB model with Black Touch Cover ($599), and 64GB model with Black Touch Cover ($699).

And there’s more. Microsoft is adding more to its Surface accessory lineup. Three new limited edition Touch Covers featuring funky designs in red, magenta, and cyan are coming soon; they’re priced at $129.99. Also on deck is a wireless Wedge mouse whose design is inspired by the modern look of the Surface; it’s priced at $69.95.

Take a look at the Surface with Windows 8 Pro, along with the new accessories, in the gallery below.

[Via Microsoft]

Microsoft Research imagines an immersive future for gameplay with IllumiRoom

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At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft Research unveiled one of their latest projects called IllumiRoom. Like most of their ongoing technological marvels of the future this one is quite fascinating so perk up. Imagine you’re playing a video game–let’s say Halo 4–and all of a sudden the on-screen action extends beyond the confines of your TV set. In an instant the mysterious jungles of planet Requiem surround you and you feel as if you’re truly immersed inside the captivating game developed with precision by 343 Industries. Microsoft’s IllumiRoom attempts “to blur the lines between on-screen content and the environment we live in allowing us to combine our virtual and physical worlds.”

So how does it all work? A peek behind the curtain reveals two devices: the pairing of a Kinect for Windows camera and a projector. “Our system uses the appearance and the geometry of the room (captured by Kinect’s sensors) to adapt projected visuals in real-time without any need to custom pre-process the graphics.” Sounds simple now, doesn’t it? Unfortunately like most Microsoft Research projects IllumiRoom is only proof-of-concept, but with engineers working hard to make Kinect even more powerful and projectors keeping pace with high definition resolutions, the technology is there for this prototype to enter the marketplace. Let’s place IllumiRoom in the pile labeled “not if, but when.”

Watch Illumiroom perform its magic in the video embedded above; Microsoft ensures the action was “captured live and is not the result of any special effects added in post production.”

[Via MicrosoftResearch]

In exposing the design origins of Windows 8, Jensen Harris gives a course in modernity

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Even if you aren’t a Windows aficionado, you should take an hour out of your day to watch this. Jensen Harris, Director of Program Management for the Windows User Experience Team, took the stage at UX Week 2012, a user experience design conference. His presentation is called “The Story of Windows 8,” it details how Microsoft reimagined Windows for the next wave of PCs. He travels back in time to 1992, the year the Start Menu, Taskbar, and many of the other familiar facets of Windows were born. “They were designed to help people do things with computers that they did in 1992, not necessarily with what people do today with PCs, tablets, [and] phones today,” admits Harris. And this is what compelled the company to radically re-engineer the OS. Many things have been updated and refreshed over the years from Windows 95 to Windows 7, but “the basic elements of the user interface have remained the same,” he explains. Instead of waiting to be engulfed by the modern, his team decided to reimagine Windows by defining what is modern.

Over the course of the presentation, Harris gives a grand tour of Windows 8, interweaving and fully detailing the OS’ design principles (namely do more with less, authentically digital, pride in craftsmanship, fast and fluid, win as one).

He makes it a point to highlight the progression of Windows and what makes the latest release stand out from all the others. But what’s most fascinating about this intellectual and informative presentation is its overall theme which Harris calls “familiar usurped by modern.” Before diving into the OS, he spans the video game, smartphone, and automobile industries to compare and contrast “familiar” products and ideas to “modern” ones. It’s a course in shifting the status quo, being bold by leading by example, what it means to think and be modern. For design enthusiasts it’s a captivating watch, and along the way you might just learn all about the painstaking, detail-oriented effort that went into the making of Microsoft’s new OS.

Microsoft reveals Surface for Windows 8 Pro pricing, a January release

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Windows 8 is out, and Microsoft’s been pushing its own hardware dubbed Surface to highlight the best its tablet-friendly OS has to offer. When Surface was first announced, Microsoft detailed two different models: one running Windows RT and another with Windows 8 Pro. Surface for Windows RT was released into the marketplace the same day as Windows 8–on October 26. Surface for Windows 8 Pro would be saved for a later date.

We still don’t have a specific release date for the more powerful Surface, but this week Microsoft did announce pricing. As expected, the slate running Win8 Pro is pricier than its WinRT sibling (which starts at $499). Surface for Win8 Pro starts at $899 for the 64GB model; a second option with 128GB of storage space will go for $999. Microsoft is calling these “standalone versions” since they do not come bundled with an attachable keyboard cover. The Touch Cover and  Type Cover sell separately for $119.99 and $129.99, respectively.

So you want to know the differences. Let’s start with software. As explained in a previous post, Windows RT runs off ARM processors and does not support legacy applications made for Windows 7, Vista, XP, and so on. RT will only run apps downloaded from the Windows Store. Windows 8 Pro, on the other hand, supports x86 processors and will run all legacy apps just fine. What makes this version of Windows 8 “Pro” are its enhanced security features including BitLocker encryption.

Moving onto the hardware side of things, Surface running Win8 Pro packs a more powerful processor with Intel’s third-gen Core i5 chip, double the RAM at 4GB, a higher resolution 1920×1080 full HD display, a faster USB 3.0 port, a Mini DisplayPort that can enable an external display up to 2560X1440 resolution, a larger 42 W-h battery, and it supports pen input. It ships with a pen and display tech called Palm Block that “prevent[s] your handwriting from getting interrupted if you accidentally place your palm on the screen as you write.” This enhanced Surface boasts the same 10.6-inch screen size, but its body is bigger and its weight heavier; it measures 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53in (compared to Surface for WinRT: 10.81 x 6.77 x 0.37in) and it weighs half a pound more at 2lbs.

So there you have it. Surface for Windows 8 Pro is coming in January. Keep your eyes peeled at Microsoft’s portal, and when the release date becomes apparent you’ll know.

[Via Microsoft]

Xbox LIVE turns 10

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On November 15, 2002 Microsoft turned on Xbox LIVE and over the past ten years what began as a multiplayer service for video gamers has evolved into an entertainment service that provides not only live multiplayer gameplay around the world but also a hub for the latest in movies, TV, music, and sports. Microsoft took a gamble when they charged gamers to pay a yearly fee for an online subscription; after ten years of supporting blockbuster games and other entertainment outlets it turns out that the price of admission was well worth it.

Here are some fun facts about LIVE Microsoft is sharing today:

  • Initially available to U.S. and Canadian Xbox players, the service is now available in 41 countries and territories around the world.
  • In the 10 years of LIVE, nearly 14.5 billion Achievements have been unlocked worldwide, accumulating a total combined Gamerscore of more than 270 billion.
  • This year we had an average of 9.4 million people a week using multi-player gaming on Xbox LIVE.
  • During the week of Nov. 6 through Nov. 13, our members spent more time on Xbox LIVE (gaming and watching entertainment) than any other week in the history of our service: a total of 442 million hours.
  • Halo 4, which broke entertainment industry numbers, resulted in the LIVE community unlocking 43 million achievements in just the first five days of gameplay.

In an open letter to Xbox LIVE members, Microsoft’s Marc Witten shared his enthusiasm about the service and how far it’s come. “Over the last 10 years you’ve helped us define LIVE as the best place to play online and the definitive online gaming experience for two generations of Xbox consoles, and you’ve helped us evolve LIVE into a full entertainment service, delivering amazing games, sports, movies, TV and music,” he said. “If the last 10 years is any indication of what’s possible in the next 10 years, imagine the innovation yet to come,” he continued. “One thing is for sure – we will continue to offer some of the best entertainment, from premium games, sports, TV, movies, web to music. To the members who’ve been with us since the beginning – I sincerely thank you, both for your support and your feedback. And for those of you that have just become members, a very warm welcome.”

To celebrate Xbox LIVE’s 10 year anniversary, Microsoft is offering special deals on Xbox LIVE Arcade games and you can win a custom-designed Xbox 360 console. Head over to the anniversary portal for more.

‘Halo 4’ releases Tuesday; prepare and watch ‘Forward Unto Dawn’ web series

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This Tuesday Halo 4 releases for Xbox 360 and a new trilogy forges on. In the original trilogy developer Bungie introduced us to the iconic Master Chief and we controlled the super-solider as he discovered the Halo Array and the Ark, crippled the alien alliance known as the Covenant, and battled the parasitic Flood. After going on to release a prequel to Halo 3 designated ODST and a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved with Halo: Reach, Bungie handed the franchise’s reigns to a new developer, 343 Industries. Halo 4 brings us back into control of the Chief, and we find him just where we left him at the end of Halo 3 in 2007; he’s aboard the UNSC ship Forward Unto Dawn, floating in space drifting toward a mysterious Forerunner planet called Requiem. Chief’s last words were delivered to Cortana, his AI companion, and they were, “Wake me, when you need me.” Halo 4, in addition to providing addicting online multiplayer modes, will delve deeper into the franchise’s mythology as Master Chief inadvertently crash lands on a Forerunner planet infested with Covenant, Forerunner technology, and, according to the game’s marketing, “an ancient evil awakens.” And on top of that, there’s something wrong with Cortana; she is going “rampant” (or insane) because she is operating beyond her natural lifespan.

Excited yet? Let me give you a boost…

Leading up to the release of Halo 4, Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries developed a five-part live-action web series set in the Halo universe. Forward Unto Dawn follows a group of freshman cadets at the UNSC’s Corbulo Academy of Military Science and places particular focus on troubled cadet Thomas Lasky. The story takes fans to the beginning of the Human/Covenant war and it seamlessly weaves into where things kick off in Halo 4. The series is a bold journey into the Halo universe and it tells a compelling story worth investing your time in, especially if you’re a fan of the franchise. The acting and special effects are surprisingly effective, and in addition to amping you up for the new game it will also make you wish a Halo miniseries a la HBO’s Band of Brothers was made. Forward Unto Dawn can be viewed online at Machinima or on your console via the Halo Waypoint app.

Halo 4 is being sold in various forms; there’s the regular copy ($60), the limited edition copy ($100), it’s bundled in a Halo-themed 320GB console package ($350), and there’s a Halo-themed wireless controller ($60). Want a read more before jumping in? IGN gives a glowing review. Watch the launch trailer after the break. Continue reading ‘Halo 4’ releases Tuesday; prepare and watch ‘Forward Unto Dawn’ web series →