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Posts Tagged “Microsoft”
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Microsoft Denies Slimmer Xbox 360
Everyone is pretty sure that Microsoft is shrinking the heart of the Xbox 360 onto one chip when the production process hits 45nm, but as we said yesterday, that doesn't necessarily mean a slim Xbox 360 is on its way. Microsoft has officially responded to the rumor with a big "nayi": More »
weird combo of the day
Microsoft Surface Model Now American Gladiator
Remember that Microsoft Surface model? The one that was a competitor on American Gladiators last season and actually managed to win the whole thing? She's actually a Gladiator now (her name is Jet), and really beefed up for the part. We would make a multi-touch joke here, but she'd break our fingers off and shove them into our eyeballs, so we won't. Hit the jump for her new photo. More »
gaming
Xbox 360 Slim Might Come in 2009?
TGDaily has a very interesting rumor about the Xbox 360 getting not just upgrade parts, but an entire redesign based on upcoming hardware. After the next 65nm chip upgrade, the next 45nm one won't just be a die shrink, but it'll be a complete redesign, integrating multiple components onto one chip (system-on-a-chip design). More »
gaming
Cymbals! That's what was missing from the Rock Band drum kit. Not missing, since some of the pads changed to cymbals whenever necessary, but it didn't have two upper pads dedicated explicitly to them. No more. Game Informer says the upcoming Guitar Hero IV will have a six-padded drum set, but a custom-designed guitar due to the legal problems Activision had with Gibson. You'll supposedly be able to create your own songs as well, but we're not sure if you can just import an existing MP3 and go from there, or if you have to create it from scratch. And by "scratch," we mean copying your favorite songs as best you can. [Primo Technology]
Guitar Hero IV's Drums Will Have Six Pads, Two For Cymbals
Cymbals! That's what was missing from the Rock Band drum kit. Not missing, since some of the pads changed to cymbals whenever necessary, but it didn't have two upper pads dedicated explicitly to them. No more. Game Informer says the upcoming Guitar Hero IV will have a six-padded drum set, but a custom-designed guitar due to the legal problems Activision had with Gibson. You'll supposedly be able to create your own songs as well, but we're not sure if you can just import an existing MP3 and go from there, or if you have to create it from scratch. And by "scratch," we mean copying your favorite songs as best you can. [Primo Technology]
webcams
Microsoft's LifeCam VX-5000 Webcam is Bendy, Portable, Not Ugly
The LifeCam VX-5000 is Microsoft's first attempt at a halfway decent looking webcam: a lightweight, compact unit with a flexible base, it can hook on a laptop or monitor, or rest on a desk. The 640x480 video camera (1.3MP still) has 3x digital zoom as well as pan and tilt functions. The LifeCam features a Windows Live Call button on top to quickly start video chats with contacts, and PhotoSwap, which allows you to share pictures in a virtual photo album. The ring around the camera's outside comes in blue, green, or red, a very tiny way to express your individuality. It will retail for $50 when it comes out in June; full release after the jump. [MS Hardware] More »
microsoft
Office for Mac 2008 Service Pack 1 Out Today; Visual Basic Coming Back to Macs
Today Microsoft is hooking up all Office for Mac 2008 users with Service Pack 1. The company is also announcing the return of Visual Basic for Applications—in the next version, though, so no specified date yet. Hey, at least they heard your concerns, right? Here's a link to the SP1 download, which is said to provide "increased stability, security and performance enhancements to the suite." After the jump, there's a press release with details on all the particular bug fixes. More »
microsoft zune
Industry numbers group NPD has just confirmed that Microsoft's Zune's sold 2 million units, just slightly under one year after it sold its first million. Where is Microsoft getting the marketshare for the extra million? Mostly from Creative, who dropped from 4% marketshare to 2% from Q1 '07 to Q1 '08. Apple's also gone down from 72% to 71%, so there might be some defectors in the fruit squad as well. Total marketshare for Microsoft now stands at a decent 4%. [PMP Today via Tech Digest]
Zune Hits 2 Million Sales, Drinks Creative's Milkshake
Industry numbers group NPD has just confirmed that Microsoft's Zune's sold 2 million units, just slightly under one year after it sold its first million. Where is Microsoft getting the marketshare for the extra million? Mostly from Creative, who dropped from 4% marketshare to 2% from Q1 '07 to Q1 '08. Apple's also gone down from 72% to 71%, so there might be some defectors in the fruit squad as well. Total marketshare for Microsoft now stands at a decent 4%. [PMP Today via Tech Digest]
ulpcs
According to confidential documents obtained by IDG News, Microsoft plans to issue a list of demands incentive-backed requests to ultra low-cost PC (ULPC) makers interested in Windows XP, such as Asus and OLPC, asking that their screens are smaller than 10.2 inches, hard drives are under 80 GB and touchscreens are not used. In addition, they want these computers to have less than 1 GB RAM and a processor under 1 GHz (except for the Intel Atom). In exchange for manufacturers' cooperation, Microsoft will offer them WIndows XP Home for a price between $26-$32, contingent on the region it's sold in.
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Microsoft Goes Big Brother on Low-Cost PC Makers Using XP
According to confidential documents obtained by IDG News, Microsoft plans to issue a list of
gaming
One-Eyed Alligator Eats an Xbox 360
It just goes to show you that a pissed off one-eyed alligator will eat just about anything in a pinch. All joking aside, this is actually a cool- looking casemod produced by a talented guy with the forum handle dfw monkie. The alligator effect was pulled off using hand-sculpted layers of Bondo coated with paint and clear coat along with a plastic alligator eyeball over the power switch. It's not a super-complicated mod, but the results speak for themselves. [Llamma Repair Forums via Technabob]
blackberry
Hotmail Comes to BlackBerry
In addition to the big Bold BlackBerry news at RIM's Wireless Enterprise Symposium, the company announced it would finally support Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, says Crave. This includes push, realtime synch and full HTML support, plus an "almost PC-like" Messenger experience, with file transfers, custom status messages and cartoon emoticons. Like the Bold itself, this service is due in the vague "this summer" timeframe. Ironically, this might actually be more than what Microsoft itself is doing for poor old Hotmail. [Crave]
smartphones
Rumor: MWg to Launch Windows Mobile 7 Device This Year
One fun rumor bopping around the phone sites is that MWg, the smartphone maker previously known as O2 Asia, will be rolling out a Windows Mobile 7 phone in the fourth quarter of 2008, specifically the Flame II shown above. That's about a year earlier than we last heard. Everyone sounds skeptical, but you never know, the timeline could have been Boy Genius, or to see the whole MWg presentation, have a accelerated because WM6 isn't exactly a crowd pleaser. If you want a more complete roadmap, check out Boy Genius; for the original video presentation from MWg, look at MoDaCo. Either way, take it with a grain or two of salt. [MoDaCo via BGR]
8:29 PM on Sun May 11 2008
By Wilson Rothman
2,697 views,
5 comments
Latest by MeeM: It's about time manufacturers took screen sizes seriously. 2.8" is decent, but if they intend on using VGA or better resolution in a compact device, they should at least use a screen size of 3" or larger. The more »
microsoft
Microsoft Offers Mega-Discount on WinXP to Low-Cost Laptop Makers
Ultra low-cost PCs such as OLPC's XO laptop could end up bundled with copies of Windows OS after all, if Microsoft's most recent scheme to grab market share works. The company is giving computer manufacturers Windows XP Home Edition at a steep discount to put on ULPCs, in hopes of luring them away from Linux. More »
watching netflix on xbox 360
By installing the vmcNetflix plug-in to a Vista Premium Media Center computer, you can watch streamed Netflix content on an Xbox 360. It's buggy, but it's a lot better than watching Netflix on a laptop screen. (Providing you have Netflix, an Xbox 360 and a Vista Media Center.) Maybe Netflix should open up streaming to lots of devices, not just windows PCs as of today. I know Mac support is coming, but combining wide support for their online services with disc delivery, it could be a pretty sweet hybrid of the old and new. Video demo post jump. [vmcNetflix via Hacking Netflix and Thomas Hawk, thanks Mike]
More »
Watch Netflix Downloads On Your Xbox 360
By installing the vmcNetflix plug-in to a Vista Premium Media Center computer, you can watch streamed Netflix content on an Xbox 360. It's buggy, but it's a lot better than watching Netflix on a laptop screen. (Providing you have Netflix, an Xbox 360 and a Vista Media Center.) Maybe Netflix should open up streaming to lots of devices, not just windows PCs as of today. I know Mac support is coming, but combining wide support for their online services with disc delivery, it could be a pretty sweet hybrid of the old and new. Video demo post jump. [vmcNetflix via Hacking Netflix and Thomas Hawk, thanks Mike]
More »
bbc iplayer
Vista Media Center Supporting BBC iPlayer (Unofficially)
For those living in the UK, the BBC iPlayer is a pretty fantastic VOD service with one drawback: you have to watch shows in-browser. Now one philanthropist coder has written a Vista Media Center interface for the iPlayer. So you can view BBC content on your TV without the PS3 and Wii workarounds, or, at the very least, break free of your browser's annoying viewing restrictions. It's a free download, so all you Doctor Who fanatics should have plenty of cash left over for living-room-destroying merchandise. [Milliesoft via eHomeUpgrade]
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