Microsoft

The Xbox One Just Got Its One True Remote

The Xbox One loves to take control of your TV, but there’s something a little uncanny about surfing channels with a dual-stick controller. No more. The Xbox Media Remote is aiming to be your One True Clicker. The little guy will be able to control Blu-rays, or whatever other kind of streaming video you scare…

Office Web Apps is now Office Online. Bcause it’s a version of Office. Which is online. Office, online. Office Online!

Microsoft’s Rebranded OneDrive Cloud Storage Is Now Here

SkyDrive is now OneDrive! And OneDrive is finally arriving on desktops and phones everywhere. https://gizmodo.com/skydrive-is-now-onedrive-until-microsoft-gets-sued-aga-1509732891 After being sued by British Sky Broadcasting Group over its original name, Microsoft has subtly rebranded the online storage system and at least tried to make it feel like a relaunch as opposed to a panicked legal obligation. Though, if…

Google has announced that, in collaboration with VMWare, it’s starting to port Windows software to run in its Chrome OS. Time for Microsoft to worry?

An Xbox One Media Remote Could Be Coming March 4th

You can control the Xbox One by shouting, waving your arms or—if you must—using a controller. But a leaked pre-order page suggests that a conventional remote is on the way, too. The page briefly appeared on Amazon’s Canadian website. It revealed an image, a price ($25), a March 4th release date and… little else. But…

Nokia Lumia Icon: No Time For a Review, But the Box It Came In Is Nuts

Well this is was an interesting mail call. Nokia just delivered the Lumia Icon to our doorstep, and while we weren’t given enough time to do a proper review before Nokia’s embargo lifted—that’s coming later this week—the glowing red $150 armored case it came in sure is something! The 5-inch Windows Phone arrived in a…

This Genius Kinect Rig Puts You Inside a Video Game in Two Minutes Flat

What if, the next time you played a video game, the main character not only looked like you but had the same body, same clothes, same everything? How would it change the way you related to the game? How would it change the way you relate to the other characters in it? I found out.…

Rumor: Microsoft Is Building an Xbox Reader App

Clearly, the future is (possibly) all about reading. A new Microsoft job listing suggests that the company is looking to build “a groundbreaking interactive reading app on Windows, which incorporates books, magazines, and comics.” The ad describes a position in the Xbox Music, Video, and Reading (MVR) team, which would help put together the reading…

What Microsoft’s New CEO Means for You

Ballmer’s out, Satya Nadella is in. The search for Microsoft’s third CEO is over. Thousands of people have a brand new boss, but what does that mean for you? You can read Microsoft’s official announcement here, but you won’t find much more than the usual press release cheerleading. Which makes sense; if the board didn’t…

Microsoft’s New CEO Is Cloud Guru Satya Nadella

As had been widely rumored and expected, Microsoft’s new CEO is Satya Nadella. He previously headed up the company’s Cloud and Enterprise group. The change is effective as of today. Nadella has been with Microsoft for over two decades, and has recently been in command of one of its most important divisions. In an email…

Is This Samsung’s First Windows Phone 8.1 Handset?

Nokia may be readying its own Android phone for Verizon, but it also looks like Samsung could be working on its own Windows Phone 8.1 device for the carrier, too—at least if this Evleaks post is to be believed. This image depicts what’s reported to be a Samsung device known as Huron, powered by Windows…

Every Super Bowl Tech Ad, Ranked

Unlike recent years, 2014 saw some Super Bowl ads for tech companies that were actually… good? Inconceivable! We’ve gathered them all here, in easily processed ranking form. As always, all rankings are totally subjective and legally binding. 15. Sprint – “Sprint Framily Plan – Band” This is the exact same as Sprint’s previous Framily Plan…

Latest Windows 8.1 Update Leaks Onto File-Sharing Sites

Microsoft’s latest Windows 8.1 update has hit the web early ahead of its March release, letting those happy to take a punt on an unofficial, torrented version of the update check out what’s in store for the divisive operating system. Most of the obvious improvements deal with better keyboard and mouse support, such as a…

Report: Windows 8.1 Update May Scrap Tile Interface By Default

Windows 8 is an OS struggling to capture the imagination of the masses, and now rumors suggest that Microsoft may alter the way its Start Screen works in Windows 8.1 Update 1. https://gizmodo.com/hp-would-very-much-rather-you-buy-a-windows-7-pc-1504977965 When Windows 8.1 landed last year it included an option to bypass the Metro interface. But now “sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans”…

Microsoft’s board is reportedly preparing to name Satya Nadella as the new CEO. Nadella is an internal candidate most recently in charge of the company’s enterprise and cloud endeavors. The company is also reportedly considering replacing Bill Gates as chairman. [Bloomberg]

The rumor mill suggests that Microsoft is planning to rebrand its existing Word and Excel Web Apps asOffice Online. That’ll help, right?

SkyDrive Is Now OneDrive, Until Microsoft Gets Sued Again

Microsoft’s SkyDrive is a terrific little cloud service that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. Unless, of course, it’s being sued by British Sky Broadcasting Group over its name. But now SkyDrive will be called OneDrive, for just as long as is legally allowable. https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-has-to-change-skydrives-name-because-of-a-la-976021224 Presumably Microsoft’s gaggles of lawyers have vetted the…

Can You Spot All the Hidden Easter Eggs in This 20 Gigapixel Panoramic?

Multi-gigapixel panoramas are rad. It’s like peeping at the world through a telescope from the comfort of your own ground-floor living room. But Microsoft has made the concept even more fun with its 20 Gigapixel “ArtZoom,” and has hidden a bunch of stuff for you to find. Shot as a series of 2,400 digital photographs…

Microsoft’s Building Smart Elevators That Know When You Want to Get On

Smartphones, smartwatches, smart home appliances. Why not smart elevators? That’s the question Microsoft asked—and then answered, by putting a Kinect camera in an elevator, training it to recognize when people want to get on, and teaching it to open the doors automatically when needed. Smart, indeed. https://gizmodo.com/oh-great-even-refrigerators-are-hackers-now-1502811526 The project, installed at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington lab…

Microsoft Is Paying YouTubers for Positive Xbox One Coverage

Microsoft has been outed by YouTube content generators, who claim the company has been offering to pay increased ad revenue to video producers who mention Xbox One in a positive light and include the relevant tag in their videos. News of the pay-to-mention promotion came via the Machinima UK YouTube channel’s Community Manager (who has…