Microsoft cleared to exhume E.T. from landfill for original documentary
Microsoft’s been given the go-ahead to dig through a New Mexico landfill in the hunt for dumped copies of Atari 2600 title E.T., local media reports. Not without aim, of course, but so Xbox Entertainment Studios can collect crucial material for its first original documentary, which’ll look into the alleged mass burial of unsold copies of the game. Released in late 1982 when the video game industry, including Atari, was struggling, E.T. was universally panned and a commercial flop. With millions of cartridges returned by retailers, gaming lore has it that Atari quietly shipped off this useless inventory, among other unwanted paraphernalia, to a landfill site. Opinions are mixed and evidence inconclusive as to whether this actually took place, though, hence a documentary to get to the bottom of it. As much as we’d almost prefer the mystery to remain one, let’s hope Microsoft come across something or there mightn’t be a documentary at all.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Via: Pocket-lint, Polygon
Source: Alamagordo News
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 2 ‘Geek’ bundle includes free Xbox controller and games
If you’ve considered the Surface Pro 2 to be more than just a portable workstation, then Microsoft’s latest tablet bundle might pique your interest. In collaboration with online culture show Geek & Sundry, the company has quietly pushed live a new gaming deal on its virtual store in the US and Canada that throws in $105 worth of free games and accessories. For $899, the price of the base 64GB Surface Pro 2 model that’s already included, you’ll also get a wireless Xbox 360 controller and two games: Farming Simulator 2013 and a premium pack for free-to-play WWII flying simulator War Thunder Mustang. To be clear, neither title will ever vie for any gaming awards, but you can’t argue with free, right? Microsoft intends to run the offer until May 1st or until stocks run out, whichever comes sooner, so if you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to grab yourself a Surface Pro 2, now might be the time to click in.
Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, Software, Microsoft
Via: Ubergizmo
Source: Microsoft Store
Daily Roundup: interview with Felix Baumgartner, Apple announces WWDC 2014 and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Felix Baumgartner is the man who fell to Earth and lived to tell the tale
Felix Baumartner will forever be known as the first man to free fall from the edge of space. Not only did he survive the 24 mile dive from the stratosphere, but he broke several world records in the process. Our own Joseph Volpe caught up with Baumgartner as he recollected the experience and its implications for the future of space tourism.
Turkey finally lifts Twitter ban, but YouTube is still blocked
Turkey’s two-week ban on Twitter has officially come to an end. The country’s high court ruled just yesterday that the ban was unconstitutional, but now the service is completely restored. Access to YouTube, however, is still being blocked.
Apple confirms WWDC 2014 will begin on June 2nd
Apple just announced that its annual WWDC developers conference will begin on June 2nd and commence until June 6th. Ticket sales are available on Apple’s website now, but this year, it’s switching from a first-come-first-served system to random selection of attendees.
Internet Explorer 11 now looks nicer no matter what device you’re using
Today, Microsoft announced a completely revamped version of Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. For the mobile OS, users can now take advantage of many features found on the desktop version of IE, like pinning sites to Live Tiles and using voice commands.
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12 million people are already using Office for iPad
Microsoft’s version of Office for iPad has apparently been a rousing success. So much so, that the company’s taken to Twitter to boast that the productivity suite has topped 12 million downloads. In a week. As the Seattle Times points out, though, Redmond hasn’t said how many Office 365 subscriptions (which are required to create and edit documents) have been sold alongside the free, document-view-only downloads. We reached out to Microsoft for clarification, and, well, weren’t given much. A spokesperson told us that the company is extremely pleased with the interest that Office has gotten so far, but that it has no additional details to share. So, there’s that.
More than 12 million downloads of Word, Excel, PPT & OneNote for #iPad from the @AppStore ❤ #OfficeforiPad pic.twitter.com/iT2egNPDkj
– Office (@Office) April 3, 2014
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Seattle Times
Apple and Microsoft help form lobby group opposing attempts to kill software patents
Few would object to legislative attempts to stop patent trolls in their tracks. However, a host of companies are worried these efforts might go too far — enough so that they’ve formed their own US political lobby, the Partnership for American Innovation. The group, which includes tech giants Apple, GE, IBM and Microsoft, wants a “balanced” approach that reduces the volume of junk patents (and the resulting abuse) while letting companies file for software and biotech patents. The policy isn’t surprising when these firms are trying to protect their cash cows. However, it also pits the Partnership’s members squarely against firms like Netflix and Twitter, which argue that patents only get in the way. No matter what lawmakers do, it’s now clear that they’re going to get an earful from both sides.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Internet, Apple, Microsoft
Via: Reuters
Ridley Scott is working on a Halo project for Microsoft
Remember that Halo film that wasn’t happening? Microsoft representatives have confirmed that the old rumors are true: a Halo feature is in the works, and it’s being produced by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien, Prometheus, Call of Duty Elite: Friday Night Fights). Unfortunately, the confirmation is intentionally vague, offering no other information save for the project’s director (Battlestar Galactica’s Sergio Mimica-Gezzan) and a promise that it won’t overlap with Spielberg’s TV series. It’s described as a “digital feature project,” which implies that the production will end up skip the box office entirely. Well, either that, or Microsoft is just really excited about the kind of cameras it’s using. According to Variety, it could be something similar to the Halo: Forward Unto Dawn short-form episodes. We’ll find out pretty soon, regardless — the project is set for release sometime later this year.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source: Joystiq
Internet Explorer 11 now looks nicer no matter what device you’re using
With Windows 8.1 updates rolling out on April 8th across all platforms, you didn’t think Microsoft was going to forget its browser, did you? Redmond has unified features on its mobile and desktop Internet Explorer 11 versions, while making it easier to use on different-sized devices. IE 11 for Windows Phone 8.1, in particular, underwent a major overhaul. You can now pin sites to Live Tiles like you can with the full version and sync tabs between devices using OneDrive. Another highly-requested new feature is InPrivate browsing, which leaves no trace of your surfing à la Chrome’s Incognito mode. There’s also a nod to low-bandwidth users with the so-called High Savings data compression mode which loads only the elements you want, reducing data use by 60-80 percent. Finally, Microsoft has introduced voice commands to WP8.1, plus a new reading view that brings a Kindle-like look to articles on your smartphone. Meanwhile, Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 8.1 received more subtle tweaks — check after the break for more.
For the full IE 11 version, Microsoft is trying to make sure users are happy whether they’re using a 7-inch tablet or a 28-inch all-in-one. Depending on the device and whether it has a mouse or touchscreen, the browser will adjust the number tabs of displayed, adapt the type size and permit full-screen or regular browsing. Other changes are mainly for developers, with enhanced debugging and simplified testing for older versions of Internet Explorer — the latter often being a serious pain. Finally, Microsoft revealed FishGL, a new version of its classic aquarium screen that also serves as a 3D WebGL graphics benchmark on Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1. If you’re raring to grab all of that now, the updates are available for download on Windows 8.1 — otherwise, they’ll be pushed automatically for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 starting April 8th.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Skype for Windows Phone 8.1 easily jumps from voice to video and works with Cortana
Now that the Windows Phone 8.1 and Cortana announcements are out of the way, Skype’s spilling the details on its upcoming app refresh for Microsoft’s new mobile platform. The upgraded Skype app for WP 8.1 will feature a new button that you can press to turn a regular phone call into a Skype video chat. It’s similar to that FaceTime option iOS users see when they make calls, though obviously, Skype’s version will only work if you have the other person’s account details.
That’s not all, though — Skype will now also come with Cortana (the platform’s Siri-like voice assistant) integration. This gives you the power to instantly launch convos by hitting the search icon and saying: “Skype, get [someone’s name] on video.” Other than that, the Microsoft-owned outfit is updating its Windows 8.1 and RT app, as well, so you can finally pin it to the taskbar and make it accessible on both Start and desktop screens. Unfortunately, the updated app might not be available as soon as WP 8.1 launches, but Skype says it should be out in the coming months.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Skype
New Kinect for Windows arrives this summer
Amid the volley of announcements from Microsoft’s Build conference, is word that the new Kinect for Windows has a near-future release time-frame for both the hardware and its SDK. The desktop version of Microsoft’s do-all sensor will be available to the public this summer, as will its development framework. Perhaps more importantly, once they’re done, developers can publish their creations to the Windows Store; meaning, there’ll probably be more Kinect applications for Windows in one place than ever before. As Redmond tells it, this self-publishing will happen “later this summer.” Next summer (notice a theme here?), Microsoft is adding support for one of gaming’s most pervasive dev toolkits to Kinect for Windows: the Unity engine — tools developers already know the strengths and weaknesses of, which should bolster the app selection even further. Given that the Xbox One will see Unity support this year, this could mean that cross-platform apps and games are a distinct possibility. Or, maybe we’ll get a cool new bank account manager instead.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Kinect for Windows Blog
Windows apps can run on Xbox, but only the ones Microsoft approves of
When Microsoft announced earlier today that universal Windows apps could run on the Xbox One, it seemed pretty…self-explanatory. A developer could easily port any Windows or Windows Phone app over to the Xbox for you to use on your TV. Right? Not exactly. Here at Build, we had the chance to sit down with Steven Guggenheimer, corporate vice president in the Developer Platform and Evangelism group, who gave us a little more insight into how this universal app thing is going to work on Xbox.
Basically, the Xbox will still very much be a curated platform (more so than Windows or Windows Phone), with the Xbox team deciding if something even makes it onto the console. What’s more, Microsoft still gets the last word on whether an app will be locked behind an Xbox Live Gold subscription. All told, then, it’s not like we’re suddenly going to see a glut of Windows apps repackaged for Xbox. To quote Guggenheimer: “Terry Myerson [EVP of Operating Systems] showed Xbox because technically you can do it.” Indeed, Myerson’s presentation today was mainly about developing apps for PCs, tablets and phones. So it’s there where you should expect to see that universal app selection.
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