Microsoft

“Game Consoles” Are the Final Key to Digital Domination

Google might be building a game console, rumors say. Apple too. Actually, everyone’s building game consoles. It’s just, they aren’t game consoles, exactly. They’re puzzle pieces. https://gizmodo.com/wsj-google-is-making-an-android-video-game-console-and-603197957 Game consoles have historically been their own little colony off to the side of technology. For a while that’s because they were seen mainly as an expensive kids’…

A Deal With Time Warner Just Gave Your Xbox 300 New Live TV Channels

Microsoft has just announced a major deal that means Time Warner Cable subscribers with an Xbox Live Gold membership will be able to watch more than 300 live TV channels direct from their Xbox 360 this summer. A Time Warner Cable app will roll out later this summer which let you log in with your…

With Facebook Ready to Go, Windows 8 Finally Gets Some App Respect

Today, Microsoft announced that Facebook, Flipboard, and NFL Fantasy Football would all soon have official apps. That may not be an earth-shaking revelation, but it’s a sign that some big names are ready to step up and give Windows 8 the old Metro try. https://gizmodo.com/official-facebook-and-flipboard-apps-are-coming-to-wind-586541741 It’s no secret that Microsoft has had trouble getting big…

This Is Sad

Guys, come on, a little self-respect here. From the Design for Windows Phone session at Microsoft Build.

Xbox Music For Windows 8.1 Now Has Free, Ad-Supported Radio

No word yet on whether or not Xbox Music is breaking out of its Windows 8 prison and turning into a web-app, but it now has a free, ad-supported radio feature where you can start a station based on a specific artist. You know, like Pandora. https://gizmodo.com/according-to-the-verge-microsofts-xbox-music-service-w-573329884 You’ll also be able to take any website…

Windows developers itching to get their hands on Xbox One’s new Kinect are in luck. Pre-orders for the new Kinect’s development kits—going at $399 a pop—have just opened up.

Windows 8 WIll Get “Official” Facebook and Flipboard Apps

Today we learned that Facebook and Flipboard will be getting “official” apps for Windows 8. Indeed, Flipboard has confirmed that an app will come out this year. Yes! But all its got to show so far is an 8 second prototype animation. More official apps for Windows 8 is important because developers have been hesitant…

Here’s How to Get the Windows 8.1 Preview for Free Right Now

The preview version of Windows 8.1 is available to download and try out right now. Here’s how to get it. The update is available through the Windows Store, so you’re going to need Windows 8 to try 8.1. Duh. Now, just go here and download the .exe from Microsoft (it should be live now), which…

Windows 8.1: Everything You Need to Know

Microsoft rolls out the next version of windows, 8.1, at its annual Build developers conference today. It’s a big deal. Windows 8 was a crazy ambitious step, what follows is just as important. This is what Microsoft’s taken from your months of feedback (or just, yelling). Almost everything coming in 8.1 seems like a genuine…

Watch Microsoft Unveil the New Windows 8.1 Here

It’s flown under the radar a little bit, but today’s the day we see the new Windows. We’ll be covering it in depth, but you can watch Microsoft’s streamed live here. The keynote begins at 9AM PDT, noon Eastern.

Windows 8.1 Is Getting Native 3D Printer Support

Microsoft is adding native support for 3D printers to Windows 8.1. That means you don’t have to jump through any hoops to 3D print an item—if your computer is hooked up to a 3D printer, you can just hit print. There have been some rumors floating around that Microsoft would release its own affordable 3D…

Report: Xbox Music Will Leave Its Windows 8 Prison and Hit the Web

According to The Verge, Microsoft’s Xbox Music service will launch in the form of a web-based version accessible across platforms next week. That would make sense given that Microsoft’s Build developer shebang happens, uh, tomorrow. Maybe more importantly, move makes sense given the big Xbox push the company is set to make at the end…

The Xbox One Just Got Way Worse, And It’s Our Fault

Microsoft just announced that its much-maligned DRM policies won’t look at all like they originally had originally been described. They’re going to more relaxed, sort of like the PS3’s. Good news, you say? No. Bad news. The Xbox One just got worse. https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-just-gave-up-on-its-xbox-one-drm-514393553 But what? Isn’t all DRM bad and anti-consumer? No. Often it is,…

You Will Be Able to Share Games on Microsoft’s Next-Gen Game Console

Good news for consumers: in a 180-degree turn, Microsoft’s next generation console—the Xbox One—will not have any of its extremely limiting restrictions that had all gamers in the world up in arms. Now people will be able to share games freely and use them without a permanent connection to the Internet.

Microsoft Just Gave Up On Its Xbox One DRM

Microsoft has caught a lot of heat for restricting the sale and trading of used games on Xbox One, and requiring the consoles to phone home every 24 hours for verification. Basically, for having hefty DRM. Well good news for whiners everywhere: Microsoft is giving up. Microsoft has just announced that the Xbox One will…

Bloomberg: Qualcomm Chips Are Headed For Microsoft’s Surface RT

Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft is planning to give its Surface RT tablet an overhaul using chips from Qualcomm. According to “people with knowledge of the company’s plans” some new versions of the tablet will used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor—rather than Nvidia’s Tegra 3 chip which currently drives the device. Once source, however, suggested that Nvidia…

Facebook, Microsoft Disclose How Many People Were Spied by the NSA

According to Facebook, government agencies had access to between 18,000 and 19,000 user accounts in six months. The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft admitted 6,000 to 7,000 user data requests by the NSA and other law enforcement organizations during the same six-month period.

Microsoft just released data on its government requests (including FISA) too. For the last six months last year, Microsoft received between 6,000 and 7,000 government requests affecting between 31,000 and 32,000 accounts. [Microsoft]

The Good News About Xbox One That Microsoft Brushed Right Over

E3 is over, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. An internal, seemingly official Microsoft PR document about the Xbox One just leaked out, but it’s not full of horrible secrets, or general shadiness. Nope, it’s actually full of good news that Microsoft just didn’t bother to stress. With gamers up in arms…

Doing It Wrong: The Xbox One and PS4 Aren’t the Consoles We Need

As E3 closes up shop for the year, we finally have a moment to reflect on a week of gorging ourselves on news about the continuing console war between Microsoft and Sony (and, uh, Nintendo). It’s all very new and exciting news about the next half-decade of gaming, but in a lot of ways, it…