Posts tagged Microsoft at Switched

Posts with tag Microsoft

Zune Tattoo Guy Covering Up His Tattoos

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 23rd 2008 at 3:42PM

Say it ain't so! America's most loyal advocate for Microsoft's Zune is apparently throwing in the towel. Of course, we should warn you that this could very well be a simple ploy for attention, but if the man keeps his word, he will soon be covering his Zune tattoos with... something else.

Curiously, he didn't say whether or not he would be playing the traitor card and picking up some sort of iPod, but considering that more people have seen this guy's body art in the wild than actual Zunes, the general public should know soon enough. You fought a good fight, Zune Guy, but consider yourself expelled from The Social. [Source: zunescene]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Wii Usurps Xbox 360 As Best-Selling US Game Console

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 18th 2008 at 10:17AM

It's neck-and-neck but Nintendo looks to have just slipped past Microsoft in terms of total US sales for current generation game consoles. What's more, it's pulling away with a 3:1 sales lead for the month of June. NPD Group reports more than 666,000 Wii consoles were sold in June compared to 405,500 PlayStation 3s and 219,800 Xbox 360s. That makes for a total of 10.9 million Wiis sold in the US since it launched in November of 2006. Impressive. Even more so considering that Microsoft had a one year head-start to reach a second place position of about 10.4 million US console sales. [Source: Bloomberg]

Xbox 360 Getting More Games, More HD, and Netflix

by Tim Stevens, posted Jul 15th 2008 at 6:03AM

Microsoft Extends Xbox 360's Appeal at E3

Microsoft kicked off this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) -- the video game industry's biggest annual gathering -- with a pre-show conference on Monday, and made a number of announcements about extensions to the Xbox 360 gaming console. None were groundbreaking to say the least, but all-in-all, Microsoft looks to be making its console a much more appealing package -- and cheaper, too. Here are the highlights:

It'll be cheaper and have more memory - Actually, Microsoft didn't even mention this at its conference, but instead quietly announced on Sunday the discontinuation of the 20-gigabyte Xbox 360 model (which is being closeout-priced at $299) and the addition of a new 60-gigabyte model (which will cost $349). Besides holding more downloadable games, saved games, and TV shows and movies, the additional memory will be useful for.....

Game discs can now be 'ripped' and stored on the Xbox 360's hard drive - Now you can install your game discs onto the Xbox 360's hard disk drive. The advantages of these are somewhat crippled, to say the least, since you still need to get up and put the disc into the drive to play it (which verifies that you actually paid for and own a disc version of the game). Still, installed games will load load a lot faster than disc based ones and you won't have to put up with all that noise that DVD-ROMs make.

Now, there's even more HD content available for download on Xbox 360 - Microsoft is now calling itself the numero uno source for on-demand HD content, and announced the immediate download availability on Xbox 360 of NBC and Universal shows like 'The Office' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' along with films like 'The Scorpion King.' 10,000 shows and movies are set to be available for download this fall, but we're just psyched that, at last, we don't have to wait a whole season to watch brand new 'Battlestar Galactica' episodes in HD (previously only available on HD in reruns on Universal HD and on the now defunct HD-DVD format).

Instant Netflix comes to your Xbox 360 - We've been rather eagerly awaiting this one, and it's finally official -- Netflix streaming directly to the Xbox 360 is coming this fall. It'll be no additional charge for Netflix subscribers, which is great news. Essentially, it functions exactly like the recently released Roku Netflix box, which is standard definition only and is limited to whatever is in a Netflix subscriber's "Watch Now" queue. Still, that "Watch Now" queue has plenty of first-rate titles to keep any video nut happy.

The new Dashboard is nicer looking and easier to use - The Xbox 360's "blade" Dashboard (a.k.a. interface/onscreen menus) was innovative but, compared to Sony's clean and polished XMB menu system, looks a bit dated. Enter the new Dashboard, which is simpler, cleaner, and leaves room for the next big addition -- avatars.

Xbox 360's new 'Avatars' look an awful lot like Nintendo Miis - Yes, the 360 is taking a cue from the Wii and its Mii's, and adding avatars, in-game, animated representations of yourself that you can custom craft. Unlike a Mii, which is rather simplistic and has very limited options, the Xbox 360 avatars can have custom created bodies, with specific clothes, detailed hairstyles, and loads of other options (sort of like custom characters in many of today's games).. They'll apparently be making in-game appearances too.

'Final Fantasy XIII' is finally coming to the Xbox 360 - The latest edition of the biggest role-playing game franchise on earth is finally hitting Microsoft's console, and it will drop on the same day that it hits the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, which means Xbox 360 owners no longer have to feel like they're getting sloppy seconds.. That's quite a coup, and wraps up an understated but ultimately promising conference for Microsoft.

So that, in a nutshell, is what you can expect on Xbox 360 in the coming months. For a detailed recap, make sure to read through Engadget and Joystiq's Live Blog transcript from the conference.

Microsoft Brings Netflix Streaming to Xbox 360

by Nilay Patel, posted Jul 14th 2008 at 4:28PM

After months of speculation and rumors, Microsoft just announced that it's partnering with Netflix to allow Xbox 360 owners to stream movies from their Netflix queues for no extra charge. Microsoft says the 360 will be the only game system that allows Netflix access for no additional cost -- which isn't entirely accurate, since it sounds like only Live Gold members will get access.

Streaming movies can also be shared with your Live party, allowing you to watch content together. Users will have instant access to their Netflix instant access queues, but it's not clear what resolution the content will be streamed at -- we'd guess it's roughly the same DVD-quality res that Roku's Netflix streamer is getting for now, but hopefully that'll change when the service launches in the fall with the new dashboard.

For more news and up-to-the-second coverage from E3, head on over to Engadget and joystiq.

Local Students Get Free Lesson-Equipped Zunes

by Ryan Block, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 12:04PM

The latest edu-gimmick to hit small-town America: 100-plus media players -- Zunes, to be specific -- are being handed out to local high school and middle school students in Liberty, Missouri and Fort Sumner, New Mexico for listening to lesson-supporting podcasts in the hopes of saving them "lost class time."

Surely this will raise test scores, right? Or at least improve the Zune's cachet? Who knows -- even the district superintendent said, "Is it the next great thing? I don't know. Maybe. But it is another tool."

Maybe the Kindle might make a better tool, but either way, Microsoft apparently intends to release data on the case study later this year. [Source: Yahoo]

Windows XP Officially Unavailable After Today

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 11:30AM

Today marks the end of an era... sort of. Microsoft will cease making Windows XP available to most resellers and PC distributors, just 18 months after the release of the much hyped and much derided Vista hit the market.

Companies will be allowed to sell XP until their stocks run out, and computer manufacturers will still be able to get their hands on the stripped down version targeted at low cost PCs like the Eee, but for the consumer, the options are running out. The fear of Vista is intense, even inspiring a Save XP campaign.

A "downgrade" option will still be available to most people buying a new Vista-equipped PC, though manufacturers are looking into ways to shortcut the system and offer computers pre-downgraded to XP. Microsoft may be trying desperately to herd the computing masses towards Vista, but we're sure this isn't last we've heard of the little OS that could. [Source: AOL Money & Finance]

Bill Gates Steps Down as CEO -- What's Next for Microsoft?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 27th 2008 at 4:05PM

After 30-plus years of running Microsoft, Bill Gates is stepping down from his post as day to day leader of the company in a culmination of a phased withdrawal by Gates of himself. First, Gates handed over chief software architect duties to Ray Ozzie. Craig Mundie took over as chief research and strategy officer. Then, the fiery and often frightening Steve Ballmer was tapped to take over as CEO.

Considering Gates' role as a major business and pop-culture figure, it's understandable that the media, in light of this very public pseudo-exit, is opining about Gates' legacy and Microsoft's future as if the man had died. Let's take a dip into the media and the blogosphere to see what's being said about Gates, his "retirement" and Microsoft:

"'His legacy has to be as one of the shrewdest businessmen and technologist of the 20th century,' said Michael Cusumano, a professor at MIT... he became known as a bare-knuckles businessman and manager, sometimes dismissing a suggestion as 'the stupidest thing I have ever heard.'" [Mail on Sunday]

"It is almost unthinkable that any one human could pick up where Bill Gates leaves off... He is credited by analysts and academics for the emergence of software as a moneymaking industry" [AP]

Some say his wealth and famous opportunism are reminiscent of the robber barons of yore. Yet here is a man who has set a goal to eradicate malaria. Rich as he is - his net worth is an estimated $50 billion - you can't call the man greedy when he has pledged to give back to humanity all but a tiny fraction of 1% of that fortune. [Fortune]

Within popular culture he has also come to symbolize the public perception of what a computer geek should be: bespectacled, skinny -- and very, very successful. [CNN]

Gate's retirement certainly marks a turning point for the company that is struggling to build and monetize its Internet properties and facing increasing competition from the likes of Apple and Google. Whether the company will be re-energized by the management change, or whether it will continue its slow slide into irrelevance, remains to be seen.

Gates, for his part, will be focusing on running the charity he started with his wife, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which works on fighting diseases such as AIDS and malaria in the third world and handing out micro-loans to help people in developing nations build businesses and livelihoods.

What will Gates' legacy be? Will he be remember more for his philanthropic good deeds? Or for the anti-trust lawsuits and charges of anti-competitive business practices? Only time will tell. His impact on the computer industry can not be understated however, without Bill Gates we would still be mired in a world of incompatible computers. For a fascinating run-down of major Bill Gates stories over the past couple of years, be sure to check out Engadget's compendium of Bill Gates stories. [Source: AP]

Bill Gates E-Mail Reveals His Frustration With Windows, Too

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 25th 2008 at 2:34PM

Most users of Microsoft Windows have had days where they wanted to throw their computer out of a real window; days where the thing just wouldn't cooperate and had to reboot 15 times just to install whatever piece of software or update they are trying to get. Those aren't fun days, and Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates isn't immune to them either, as shown in a scathing e-mail originally revealed during an anti-trust suit against the company. The e-mail was just republished by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in a retrospective on Gates, whose last day at Microsoft is Friday.

The e-mail was sent by Gates in 2003 and recounts his troubles trying to download and install Windows MovieMaker and Microsoft Plus. In an e-mail that spans a full five pages, he tells of having to run Windows Update, make multiple downloads, wait through many installs and reboots, and watch as his system is cluttered with meaningless garbage -- all just so that he can install that one app he wanted. At the end of it all....well...read for yourself:

"So after more than an hour of craziness and making my programs list garbage and being scared and seeing that Microsoft.com is a terrible website I haven't run Moviemaker and I haven't got the plus package."

Mind you, this was back in 2003, and there have since been many changes made to both Microsoft.com and to Windows, but the next time you're swearing at Windows, just think about this e-mail and remember that you're not the only one. [Source: seattlepi.com]

Gallery: Bill Gates at Microsoft -- a Look Back

Microsoft Reunion Photos, Still Geeky After All These Years

by Blake Besharian, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 3:34PM

You've probably seen the original photo of the founders of Microsoft (above right), nine geeky looking guys and two girls, awkwardly arranged for a mall photo portrait. But have you seen the reunion photo? Thirty years after the original was taken, the old crew has gotten back together again, this time minus the '70s apparel and facial hair.

With Steve Jobs retiring at the end of this week, it seems he's gathered the crew together for another photo op, and this time the results a little more flattering. All of the founders returned for the photo, with the exception of Bob Wallace (top row center in the original) who passed away in 2002, and the addition of Miriam Lubow (front and center in the new photo), who missed the original photo op. Those gathered for the reunion had some words to say about participating in the founding of Microsoft: "I could have had an office and a title from a respectable company-but I thought this would take off," said programmer Gordon Letwin (second row, right).

Well, that gamble seems to have paid off for some, but you have to wonder if anyone was eating sour grapes, while posing for a photo with the third richest man in the world. [Source: Newsweek]

Related Articles:

Bill Gates Leaving His Fortune to Charity, Not His Kids

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 20th 2008 at 4:01PM

Bill Gates Giving All His Money to Charity

While being the child of Bill and Melinda Gates no doubt has its share of perks, financial security may not necessarily be one of them. Bill Gates has promised that he will leave his vast $58 billion fortune to the charity started by him and his wife, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and not to his offspring.

Gates -- who is officially stepping down as the chairman of Microsoft next Friday -- said of the decision that he and his wife made, "We want to give it back to society in the way that it will have the most positive impact."

The money will go to fund educational and health projects around the globe, which is certainly a much more positive use than buying a yacht for the kids. [Source: Daily Mail]

Gallery: Bill Gates at Microsoft -- a Look Back

Related Links:

Video: Microsoft's Surface Coming to Vegas

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 9:46AM

See all those beautiful people? You don't know them. And pushing your specs up the bridge of your nose while seated in front of Microsoft's Surface won't change that. Nevertheless, next time we're adjusting our gadget-laden fanny packs in Vegas, we'll be doing so at the i-Bar in the Rio hotel -- the newest home to Microsoft's big ass multi-touch table. Check out the video cheese after the break. [Source: Microsoft]

Continue reading Video: Microsoft's Surface Coming to Vegas

Microsoft's Device Manners Policy Patent Enforces "No-Talking Zones"

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 9th 2008 at 6:45AM

This is either the best or worst idea ever, depending on your point of view. Microsoft has patented what it calls a "device manners policy" (DMP), a wireless zone-enforced device protocol that allows local operators to turn certain features off (or on) based on local manner and safety policy.

Similar to how wireless service on planes can lock out voice but allow data, Microsoft's DMP concept would allow local czars to enforce, for example, "no talking out loud" or "no photography" rules. Audio recording could be disabled at concerts, video recording killed at theaters, and ringers turned off at funerals. Of course, this all requires manufacturers to comply with the DMP protocol in their devices. In the end, we'd be looking at a pre-movie PSA that says "your phone is now being put on silent" rather than "please turn off your cell phone." [Via Unwired Review]

Microsoft Previews Next Generation Windows 7, Reveals Multi-Touch Support

by Paul Miller, posted May 28th 2008 at 10:04AM

Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer got on stage at D6 with Walt and Kara to talk... Microsoft, of course. While the company is still being rather coy about Windows 7 -- some have blamed loose lips early on in Vista development for saddling the OS with too high of expectations and making things difficult for developers -- they were nice enough to show off what Ballmer called "the smallest snippet" of Windows 7.

The big reveal was multi-touch support, which utilizes technology developed by the Surface team. The taskbar seems to have been reworked a bit, and the demo was running live on a Dell Latitude XT tablet. Apparently Microsoft is reworking the whole user interface with a multitouch experience in mind. Steve reiterated the "three years after Vista" mantra for availability. Not exactly earth-shattering, but we'll take what we can get at this point.

Update: Video added after the break. Enjoy! [Thanks, Dan Z.]

Continue reading Microsoft Previews Next Generation Windows 7, Reveals Multi-Touch Support

Holographic Bill Gates Terrorizes Kuala Lumpur Tech Conference

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted May 21st 2008 at 9:17AM

See that 15-foot beam of glowing manhood? That's Bill Gates. While cohort Steve Ballmer was being pelted with eggs by angry Hungarians, Microsoft Chairman Gates was making a virtual appearance at the World Congress on Information Technology 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. The crowd cheered -- or screamed in terror -- as the giant 4.6-meter holographic specter assured them that technology is, in fact, the future. Said the chairman, "There are one billion people who have a personal computer each but there are five billion others who don't. Microsoft also wants to reach these people." We're hoping that Bill has recorded several hundred holographic speeches and will continue to grace conventions' presences for years, and years, and years to come. [Source: the star online]

[Thanks, alma]

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Dodges Eggs at Hungarian University

by Donald Melanson, posted May 19th 2008 at 4:46PM

We've already seen how quick on his feet Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer can be, and it looks like the big man finally had to put those fleet-footed skills to good use, as he was recently forced to duck for cover under a barrage of (three) eggs during a speech he was giving at a Hungarian University. Apparently, the disgruntled egg-tosser was angry with Ballmer for "stealing billions in Hungarian taxpayer money," which he demanded that Ballmer give back "right now."

Click on the video above for a record of the thoroughly awkward encounter. And click on the gallery below for some unforgettable pictures of other famous instances of pie-, eggs-, or water-in-the-face, because Ballmer now joins the very exclusive club of fellow flying food/liquid victims that also includes fellow Microsofter Bill Gates, superstar Tom Cruise, '70s-era anti-gay-rights activist (and orange-juice-spokesperson) Anita Bryant, and 'Vogue' editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. [Source: CNET]

Gallery: Famous Faces Get It

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Zune Tattoo Guy Covering Up His Tattoos

Wii Usurps Xbox 360 As Best-Selling US Game Console

Xbox 360 Getting More Games, More HD, and Netflix

Microsoft Brings Netflix Streaming to Xbox 360

Local Students Get Free Lesson-Equipped Zunes

Windows XP Officially Unavailable After Today

Bill Gates Steps Down as CEO -- What's Next for Microsoft?

Bill Gates E-Mail Reveals His Frustration With Windows, Too

Gallery: Bill Gates at Microsoft -- a Look Back

Microsoft Reunion Photos, Still Geeky After All These Years

Bill Gates Leaving His Fortune to Charity, Not His Kids

Gallery: Bill Gates at Microsoft -- a Look Back

Video: Microsoft's Surface Coming to Vegas

Microsoft's Device Manners Policy Patent Enforces "No-Talking Zones"

Microsoft Previews Next Generation Windows 7, Reveals Multi-Touch Support

Holographic Bill Gates Terrorizes Kuala Lumpur Tech Conference

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Dodges Eggs at Hungarian University

Gallery: Famous Faces Get It

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