Microsoft acquires Beam livestreaming service
Microsoft has just announced its acquisition of the livestreaming service Beam, a platform that allows viewers to interact with streamers during broadcasts.
Beam allows for real-time communication between streamers and their fans rather than focusing on passive viewing like Twitch. For instance, viewers can choose the next weapon you use to dispatch enemies, select a game mode or even fly a drone around your room.
Beam’s SDK allows for interactive experiences that go beyond simple chatting and viewing streams. In addition to directly interfacing with streamers and getting involved in-game, you can also earn XP points, boosters and emoticons based on how much you watch and how often you tune in.
By joining Microsoft’s cadre of services it’s obvious Beam will be able to grow larger together than it would have by itself, a sentiment echoed by Beam CEO Matt Salsamendi: “As part of the Xbox team, we’ll be able to scale faster than we’ve ever been able to before.”
It appears from Microsoft’s announcement that the upcoming Sea of Thieves and Minecraft may be big parts of Beam going forward, as they’re both titles that largely draw from social interaction. Sea of Thieves is an interesting amalgam of first-person gameplay and user-generated content that allows players to create their own stories by playing cooperatively.
They’re the kind of games that seem perfect for the type of interaction Beam can bring to the table, especially when the lines of communication are opened from two or three players in-game to viewers across the world, and as Microsoft has mentioned them expressly during its acquisition announcement, it’s clear what direction Beam integration is meant to go in.
Gaming is always becoming more social, and Beam is an interesting chance to blur the lines between spectating and actually getting involved.
Source: Major Nelson
Xbox One S converted into a road-ready laptop
Do-it-yourself Xbox laptops have been around since Ben Heck cobbled one together from an Xbox 360, but “laptop” is a misnomer — most are more like small desktops with screens hinged on. Modder Edward Zarick, the creator of the “Xbook One,” is trying to change that (a bit), though. The “Xbook One S” is a smaller and slimmer thanks to the Xbox One S guts and a Samsung 19-inch screen. Unlike the 22-inch Vizio model used on the original, the new display has 720p rather than a 1080p resolution, unfortunately.
He built the new model for users who might want console gaming on the go or in a plane, assuming there’s a power outlet and they’d let you on with one. (It’s easy to imagine one in the back of a band’s tour bus, as a colleague notes.) The case is made from laser-cut acrylic and 3D printed parts that Zarick describes as “sturdy,” though not rugged.
Inside, it’s a stock Xbox One S that “has not been altered in any way,” he says, adding that the original warranty is nonetheless void because of his modding. If you’re crazy enough about console gaming to want one of these, it’s available in black or white and costs $1,495 for the 500GB model, and $1,545 with 1TB (plus shipping).
‘Quantum Break’ reaches Steam on September 14th
When Microsoft vowed that it would resume releasing games on Steam, it wasn’t making an idle promise. Microsoft and Remedy have announced that Quantum Break will reach Steam on September 14th for $40. You won’t get anything special for your patience (just all the updates released since launch), but that’s not the point — the big deal is that you won’t have to shop at the Windows Store to get a PC copy. If you were worried that Microsoft would use Windows Store exclusives as part of a bid to dictate the future of PC gaming, you can relax.
If you are looking for something special that day, you’re in luck. Remedy will also be launching a Timeless Collector’s Edition of the game in retail stores that includes a physical copy as well as a making-of Blu-ray disc, a making-of book, the soundtrack on CD and two posters. The odds are that you bought the game months ago if you’re a big Quantum Break fan, but hey — this is a good way to either show your appreciation or avoid a massive download.
Source: Xbox Wire, Remedy Entertainment
Microsoft figured out how cloud servers can swap encrypted data
A team at Microsoft Research has figured out a way to share encrypted information stored in the cloud without compromising security. The example the outfit gives is as follows:
“Machine learning algorithms may examine our genomes to determine our susceptibility to maladies such as heart disease and cancer. Between now and then, computer scientists need to train the algorithms on genetic data, bundles of which are increasingly stored encrypted and secure in the cloud along with financial records, vacation photos and other bits and bytes of digitized information.”
Given the nature of encryption, though, only the owners of said data can access it. Good for security, but bad for researchers.
The methodology proposed by the team uses multiparty computation, where results are shared, but no one involved learns any of the specifics about the data contained in the encrypted file. “We require that none of the parties involved learns anything beyond what they already know and what is revealed by the function, even when the parties (except the cloud) are active malicious,” the research brief says.
So, essentially, it’s a lot like having an impartial pal know the number of books in two friends’ collections. From there, the third party would tell each friend who’s bookshelf has more on it, without saying exactly how many books are on either shelf.
Encryption computations are all performed within the cloud as well, and the scientists involved say that the computations themselves are encrypted. The servers don’t even know what they’re processing. “Set up this way, the data exchange is secure provided that the cloud itself follows the rules and nothing more,” the post says.
The end result could apparently make it easier for scientists to preview data for experiments without buying it. What’s more, it’d they’d only have to make a costly purchase once they know the data is worthwhile for their studies.
Source: Microsoft Research Blog (1), (2)
Microsoft has two big Windows 10 updates slated for 2017
While announcing the gradual rollout of its Anniversary update for Windows 10, Microsoft confirmed that there would be two feature updates coming in 2017. This means moving to a twice-a-year schedule the company had previously set up for its “Threshold” updates for Windows 8, which used the codename for that operating system. According to Windows Central, the first update for 10, called “Redstone 2” after this operating system’s nickname, will come in early 2017, followed by “Redstone 3” four to six months later in late summer or early fall. The latest internal builds are around the 14900 range, the site said, meaning testers should soon receive bits of Redstone 2 to try out and give feedback.
Source: Windows Central
Beat the world at ‘Forza’ and drive away with a Ford Focus RS
Your skills at driving supercars around on Forza’s meticulously detailed racetracks could net you a real ride. The top prize in the first-ever Forza Racing Championship is a 2017 Ford Focus RS — an almost $40,000 and 350 HP hatchback built with pure performance in mind. Sign-ups are open right now for the ESL-ran event, with the first Elite Cup races starting August 8th.
Qualifying rounds will follow each week after and the top four competitors from each event will go onto the Grand Finals. Oh, right: This only applies to last year’s Forza Motorsport 6, so if you were hoping all that time spent in Forza Horizon 2’s Nice, France would pay off, you’re out of luck. Maybe next year?
Source: Xbox Wire, ESL
Microsoft just changed its toy gun emoji to a real pistol
Looks like Microsoft and Apple may not be on the same page about firearm emojis afterall. Right after Apple changed its gun emoji to a water pistol in iOS 10, Microsoft replaced its toy pistol emoji with an actual revolver.
Pushed out with its Windows Anniversary Update on Aug. 2nd, the new glyph is part of a major emoji redesign that Microsoft detailed in a blog post. Before this, the company’s representation for a gun looked more like a space toy, while the new image is a more realistic silver-and-grey revolver.
Left – Windows 8.1 gun. Right – New Windows 10 gun. Photo credit: Emojipedia
When asked for the reason behind this change, a Microsoft spokesperson told us, “Our intent with every glyph is to align with the global Unicode standard, and the previous design did not map to industry designs or our customers’ expectations of the emoji definition. We will continue to work with the Unicode Consortium to refine and update glyphs that reflects customer needs, feedback and supports a consistent system that works across the digital world.”
That’s not the only thing Microsoft revamped in its massive update. In addition to introducing more than 1700 new symbols, the new Windows emoji let you mix and match skintones so you can create more diverse glyph families.
While Apple and Microsoft have gone back to edit their symbols, Google continues to use a pistol in Android keyboards and doesn’t appear to have plans to change this. None of the companies in question have adjusted their knife, sword, bomb, poison and coffin emojis, so… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Via: Emojipedia
Acclaimed platformer ‘Inside’ is coming to PlayStation 4
Limbo developer Playdead has revealed it will be releasing its latest acclaimed platformer, Inside, for PlayStation 4 on August 23rd. The date was announced via a new trailer which shows the game’s main character falling into an abyss.
Inside has been available exclusively on Xbox One and PC since late June. It’s a 3D side scroller that has you control a young boy in a monochromatic landscape where you solve environmental puzzles. It’s visually similar to Limbo, with a minimalist art style and muted color pallet.
It might come as a slight surprise to see Playdead porting its latest game over to a PlayStation platform so quickly. Limbo came out for Xbox 360 in July 2010 and was a timed-exclusive on Microsoft’s console for a year, before it was released for PlayStation 3 and PC. Inside’s Xbox One exclusivity, on the contrary, only lasts two months. That means, PS4 owners won’t have to wait too long to play a game Game Informer called “the perfect showcase of the kind of emotion an interactive experience can inspire.”
Skype rolls out its suite of third-party app chatbots
Skype is the latest service to be joining in on the bot craze. After deploying a preview of Skype Bots back in April, the company is pushing a new series of chatbots out into the Skype Bot directory across Windows, Android, iOS, Mac and Web apps.
The goal is to offer services to users in a more efficient manner so that more complex tasks can be completed in an expedient manner. You’ll be able to bring bots into group conversations to manage tasks with friends and family, or collaborate on things like selecting restaurants, as daunting of a task as that can be. For instance, you can use Hipmunk to browse flight times or figure out travel recommendations directly within your discussions.
Skype has partnered with services like StubHub and Skyscanner to bring additional functionality to its bots, as well as the IFTTT Bot, which allows you to set your own personalized triggers like social media notifications, someone coming to your door, etc. There’s also a special Star Trek Spock bot, if that’s your thing.
Chatbots are quickly becoming a way of the future, so it’s not surprising to see these bots being folded in to Skype functionality. Done correctly, they’ve got their own unique boons that make them useful for every day situations, but many do still have a long way to go.
Source: Skype
Xbox One S teardown reveals a simpler, speedier design
If you’re a console gamer, you’ve probably been wondering: how did Microsoft manage to shrink the Xbox One S so much compared to its predecessor? And importantly, did it have to make any big sacrifices in the process? iFixit will be more than happy to show you. The DIY repair shop just tore down the Xbox One S, and it’s clear that nothing has been lost in the move to a smaller size… in fact, there are a couple of pleasant surprises.
It’s about as easy to take apart as the larger Xbox, with an even cleaner modular layout. A hard drive replacement remains the only real hassle, iFixit says. And importantly, the faster graphics aren’t the only upgrade. You’ll also get a slightly faster hard drive with a larger cache and an SATA III interface (at least with the 2TB model), and the newly internalized power supply should work “anywhere there’s a plug.” It’s evident that Microsoft saw the S as an opportunity to spruce up its overall Xbox One design, even in subtle ways that wouldn’t be immediately noticeable.
Source: iFixit
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