Use Microsoft Outlook to schedule a meeting at Starbucks
At March’s Build developer conference, Microsoft gave the full rundown on a number of Office extensions for Mac. Part of that announcement was a Starbucks add-in that allows you to send gift cards and book meetings inside Outlook. Well, that extension, er “add-in,” is ready for prime time. This means that you can easily send a “thank you” cup of coffee or schedule a meeting at your nearby Starbucks location while you’re looking at a related email. And if you need to place an order, the add-in will boot you out to the coffee company’s mobile app to input all the details for your Grand Soy Latte or Iced Americano.
Source: Microsoft
Why Microsoft is the best home for LinkedIn
The news of Microsoft purchasing LinkedIn for a whopping $26.2 billion dollars almost feels like a gag from HBO’s Silicon Valley. Two companies, each often mocked for being boring in their own way, join together to become a sort of Voltron of dull enterprise synergy. The Clippy/LinkedIn invite jokes pretty much write themselves. And yet, dig a little deeper and it’s easy to see why the two companies decided to team up. Microsoft has plenty of uses for a robust business social network, and LinkedIn has little room to grow on its own. And there’s one big reason this acquisition won’t go the way of Microsoft’s Nokia deal: Satya Nadella.
In addition to being Microsoft’s largest acquisition ever, the LinkedIn deal is also Nadella’s first as CEO, so the pressure is on for him to prove it’s worthwhile. But even at this early stage, it’s also clear Microsoft is taking a much different approach with LinkedIn than it did with Nokia’s phone division or even Yammer. For one, LinkedIn will will retain its “brand, culture and independence,” according to CEO Jeff Weiner. Compare that to Nokia’s device arm, which was forcefully assimilated into Microsoft’s mobile group. And while it’s certainly a pricey deal, it’s also one that has some immediate benefits for Microsoft.
Business intelligence isn’t the sexiest of topics, but having one of the most robust data troves out there could do wonders for Dynamics, Microsoft’s floundering customer relationship management (CRM) tool. It could be incredibly useful for a Dynamics user to pull up LinkedIn information around their customers on the fly, for example.
“Think about it: How people find jobs, build skills, sell, market and get work done and ultimately find success requires a connected professional world,” Nadella wrote in his letter to Microsoft employees. “It requires a vibrant network that brings together a professional’s information in LinkedIn’s public network with the information in Office 365 and Dynamics.”
Indeed, Microsoft seems to have more practical potential uses for LinkedIn than Linkedin itself. It could be integrated throughout Office (especially in Outlook) and potentially even Windows (as developer and writer Paul Ford imagines). Outside of Xbox Live, Microsoft has never really had a robust social network and graph to take advantage of — LinkedIn changes that (though it’s certainly no Facebook).
Mostly, though, LinkedIn makes sense because it fits right into Nadella’s revised mission for Microsoft: “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” Again, not exactly sexy, but it’s a philosophy that cuts to the heart of a newer, more productive Microsoft. He’s not out to control entire industries and crush competition like former CEO Steve Ballmer, instead he’s doubling-down on the company’s strengths.
For LinkedIn, Microsoft offers peace of mind. Despite amassing 433 million users and annual profits over $3 billion, LinkedIn has been showing signs of weakness. Back in February, its stock fell 40 percent in a single day after it announced a lowered forecast for the rest of the year. The reasons for that are varied: LinkedIn’s premium subscriptions, its primary source of revenue, haven’t been growing as quickly as it expected. Its marketing business can’t compete with Google and Facebook when it comes to attracting ad dollars, as CNBC reports. And just like many online businesses, LinkedIn’s display ad revenues are also falling.
LinkedIn’s CEO admitted as much in his letter to employees: “Imagine a world where we’re no longer looking up at Tech Titans such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook, and wondering what it would be like to operate at their extraordinary scale — because we’re one of them.” He also asked workers to think of a world where they’re not just reacting to “the intensifying competitive landscape,” where they’re “not pressured to compromise on long-term investment,” and where they’re not as easily affected by global economic changes.
Basically, LinkedIn has plateaued as an independent company. It has some of the best brand recognition in the world, but it’s also a social network you only need when you’re desperate for a new job. Most of the time, your interactions with LinkedIn probably involve getting annoyed at unwanted connection requests or the vast amounts of spam the company sends out. Its website is a cluttered mess, and even its redesigned mobile apps feel archaic compared to other social networks. It’s hard to imagine how Microsoft could make things any worse.
Sure, Microsoft hasn’t had the best of luck with acquisitions lately, which makes me hesitant about getting too excited for LinkedIn. Its $7 billion Nokia deal was a spectacular failure that forced the company to issue a $7.6 billion write-off. It also paid $6.2 billion for the ad company aQuantive, which resulted in its own $6.2 billion write down. But those were deals made under Ballmer, ones that ultimately led to his ousting. Nadella’s Microsoft is an entirely different company, one that might actually know how to use its expensive new toy.
Look at all the kinds of Xbox One controllers you can custom-make
Peppy, colored customizable Xbox One controllers are coming. Well, in September. That said, you can still design and order the controller of your multi-colored dreams right now, online at the Xbox Design Lab. Until then, here’s some design suggestions — direct from Xbox’s booth at E3 2016. With the choice of colors on the face and shoulder buttons, joysticks, the controller’s faceplate and more, there’s apparently eight million color combinations out there, so some guidance on your $80 custom ‘pad may be appreciated. Blue thumbsticks sound like a good start.
What you’re playing next: The best of E3’s opening day
The biggest show in video games starts off the same every year: with a seemingly endless torrent of announcements, teasers and surprises a full day before the show floor even opens. It’s nerve wracking, but wonderful; Never change, E3. On Day zero, EA, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Microsoft and Sony showed us the bulk of what’s in store for the next year in gaming: virtual reality, epic sequels and, of course, new hardware. Don’t worry if it sounds overwhelming though, our very own Jess Conditt and Tim Seppala are here to tell you everything that’s happening at E3.
Suffice to say, you’ll have plenty to play over the next year. EA kicked off the pre-show announcements with deeper looks at TitanFall 2, Battlefield 1 and teasers for Mass Effect: Andromeda and a whole mess of upcoming Star Wars games. Meanwhile, Bethesda boldly announced plans to create virtual reality experiences for both Doom and Fallout 4, a remaster of Skyrim for modern consoles and Quake Champions, a competitive, PC-exclusive eSports reimagining of the beloved franchise.
Looking for hardware? Microsoft has you covered with the Xbox One S, a slimmer redesign of the flagship console with more storage and a revamped gamepad. The company announced plenty of new games too, including Halo Wars 2, Gears of War 4, ReCore, Sea of Thieves and more.
Despite warning fans that it wasn’t bringing any new hardware to the show, Sony went ahead and blew us out of the water anyway. With a new God of War game on the horizon, as well as an exclusive Spider-Man game from Insomniac, a firm release date for The Last Guardian, a new property from Hideo Kojima and a slew of intriguing PlayStation VR titles that include the likes of Resident Evil VII, Batman Arkham VR and Star Wars, PlayStation fans have a lot to look forward to.
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here.
It’s never been harder to buy an Xbox One
Yesterday should’ve been a triumphant day for Microsoft. The Xbox One S is, on paper, a fantastic iteration on what was already a solid console. It’s a thin, striking machine with 4K and HDR support and a seriously attractive proposition for those who don’t have an Xbox One already. (By all accounts, that’s the vast majority of gamers.) But then Microsoft did something crazy: It announced the next next Xbox, code-named Project Scorpio. And now … why would anyone buy an Xbox One S?
Until about five minutes before the end of Microsoft’s press conference, the reasons were clear. While some have called 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray a pointless format in the age of streaming, it’s likely to be the gold standard for those who care about high-quality movies, given the bandwidth and compression required to stream 4K content. Even if Blu-ray isn’t your thing, there’ll be 4K content from Netflix and Amazon Video. There’s also support for HDR gaming. It’s in its infancy, but Microsoft announced that Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 would support the wider-color gamut it brings.
Then there’s the hardware. The One S is smaller, more attractive and fixes niggles with the original model. There’s a USB port at the front of the machine and no external power brick, and the new controller works via Bluetooth with your PC or laptop. At $299 (for the 500GB version), it’s a pretty compelling offer. If you’re one of the 40 million or so people with a PlayStation 4, why not pick up an Xbox as a 4K-capable media player and take advantage of some exclusive games while you’re at it?
But now we have Project Scorpio, and it’s going to be a completely different beast. It has a new CPU and GPU that will allow it to play “4K games at 60Hz” and support VR. That’s presumably through the Oculus Rift, as Microsoft announced a partnership with Oculus last year.
Microsoft says no gamer will be left behind, but that’s just not true.
At the press conference, Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, said that no gamer would be left behind and that all games and accessories will support all versions of Xbox One. But that’s just not true. Only Project Scorpio is confirmed to work with a VR headset, which is clearly an accessory. And there will certainly be games and experiences designed for VR that won’t be available for the Xbox One S. When you add the comments made since the press conference by Shannon Loftis, Xbox’s head of publishing, the status of the gaming promise seems even shakier. On a YouTube livestream Loftis said that “it’s up to the game development community” to decide whether or not there will be Scorpio-only games. That means we could see developers releasing some high-end games only on Scorpio. Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg has since denied this, which is confusing, but regardless, VR games will not work on the One S.
With this information in hand, it seems the only people who might want to buy the S are those with no interest in playing games in 4K or VR. But even if you don’t own a 4K TV yet, chances are you’re going to want one in a few years.
It’s only fair to point out that Sony too has an improved console on the way. The company admitted that a PlayStation 4 “Neo” is in development and will be sold alongside the regular PS4. As for when it’ll be formally unveiled, that’s still a closely guarded secret, but what we do know makes Sony’s new console a very different proposition than Scorpio.
Outwardly, Sony’s language seems identical to Microsoft’s. It promises that all games will work on the standard PS4 and that “all or a very large majority of games will also support the high-end PS4.” That implies that some titles may not be optimized to offer graphical improvements on Neo but otherwise every PlayStation 4 owner is taken care of. The difference between the two promises is really one of peripherals. While Microsoft is promising that the new console will be VR-ready, it will be the only Xbox to offer such functionality. Sony’s PlayStation VR, in contrast, will support every PlayStation 4.
What Sony is proposing, then, is simple: if you have a 1080p TV, use a PlayStation 4. If you have a 4K TV, use a PlayStation Neo. The latter system will have more power, but it’ll be used to make games that look better on a 4K TV. That’s the only difference.
Project Scorpio will offer experiences that no other Xbox can. Even if you’re not convinced by VR just yet, developers are embracing the medium. We’ve already seen a few heavy hitters announced for VR at E3 this year. Resident Evil 7 and Arkham VR both have the potential to be hugely entertaining takes on fan favorites. Knowing all of this, do you want to buy an Xbox One S, given that a fresh Xbox will be out in just over a year? I don’t, and I think 40 million gamers are going to agree with me.
We’re live from E3 2016 in LA!
It’s that time of year again…time to play all the video games! We’re back in sunny Los Angeles to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016, or as some (mistakenly) like to call it, the games industry’s Fashion Week. Last year’s focus was on big games, but so far E3 2016 sees virtual reality come into view, not to mention Microsoft unveiling two consoles, Sony finally giving us a launch date for PSVR, oh, and Resident Evil VII! All the show floor action kicks off today at 12PM PT, and we’ll bring you the latest news as it happens. We’ll also be documenting our experiences (from every literal angle) across our many social media channels, so make sure you’re following us there too! You can find all the important stuff right here.
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Watch Microsoft’s Xbox E3 event in under 15 minutes
If you want to see what happened at Microsoft’s E3 2016 briefing without sitting through all the game trailers and yada-yada, you’re in the right place! In under 15 minutes, you get a video wrap-up of all the excitement, including the launch of a smaller Xbox One S, a powerful 4K model (Project Scorpio) and Xbox Design Studio that lets you customize your controller. Game-wise, you’ll see a beta launch of Halo Wars 2, Dead Rising 4 and Forza Horizon 3, among many others. Check it out, and if you still need more, hit our Xbox E3 wrap-up here, or check out all of our E3 2016 coverage.
Apple and Microsoft address Orlando, avoid gay community
Early Sunday morning, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., became the home of the deadliest mass shooting in US history. The following morning Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft’s Phil Spencer took the stage at separate, preplanned press conferences to offer support from “the Apple community” and “the gaming community,” respectively, before launching into their regularly scheduled hyperbolic outpourings of consumer enthusiasm. In doing so, they not only undermined the tragedy, they ignored the community it most affected.
I have no doubt that the people behind Apple and Microsoft had the best intentions in calling for a moment of silence. But best intentions aside, some things are better left unsaid.
Consumer brands have an uncomfortable relationship with tragedy. On Sept. 11, 2013, AT&T sparked a social media firestorm with a tweet featuring a disembodied hand holding a smartphone, an image of the 9/11 memorial lighting its screen. The tweet read simply, “Never Forget.” The judgement was swift and unforgiving. As the internet hive mind saw it, AT&T exploited one of the greatest American tragedies to hawk cellphones. The company quickly apologized and pulled the tweet.
When Cook took the stage at Apple’s developer conference this morning and called for a moment of silence, the response was largely positive. At first glance, this may seem like an apples v. oranges debate. After all, Cook’s comments can be seen as personal, given that he is a gay man speaking just one day after the shootings, while AT&T’s tweet came 12 years to the day after the Sept. 11th attacks. AT&T seemingly used a tragedy to promote its business, while Cook used his platform to draw attention to a tragedy. In both cases, the offense is all about the context.
WWDC may not be a consumer-facing event. It is a developer’s event first and foremost, but it is, nonetheless, an advertisement of sorts. Like AT&T’s Twitter account, Apple uses its WWDC keynote to get fans and developers excited about upcoming products. It promotes its latest operating systems, software developments and potential revenue streams for developers with hyperbolic back-patting, impromptu dance routines, and, yes, dad jokes. In that sense, today’s event was business as usual. Aside from its opening moments, there was no evidence of a great national loss or any sign that Apple and its top brass felt anything but excitement over incremental innovation.
Considering what followed, Cook’s call for a moment of silence felt like a token nod to tragedy before getting to the good stuff. As for his personal connection to the events, I have no doubt that as a gay man, Cook has very complicated feelings about what happened in Orlando. I think we all do. That said, his moment of silence wasn’t for our community; it was addressed instead to “the Apple community.”
“It was a senseless, unconscionable act of terrorism and hate, aimed at dividing and destroying. The Apple community is made up of people from all around the world, from all different backgrounds, and all different points of view. We celebrate our diversity. We know that it makes us stronger and moves everyone forward. Please rise and join us in a moment of silence to honor the victims and the people who love them.” — Apple CEO Tim Cook, WWDC 2016
I appreciate Cook’s sentiments, and I’m all for gay people in positions of power drawing attention to the hate and discrimination our community faces every day, but there is a time and place for serious discussion and reflection. The opening moments of what is essentially a self-congratulatory, hourlong advertisement isn’t it. Forcing these two things together is as tone-deaf and seemingly self-serving as AT&T’s 9/11 fail.
That said, it’s nowhere near as poorly thought-out as Microsoft’s own shout-out to the victims of the Orlando shooting, a similarly milquetoast moment of somberness before a multimedia assault promoting, among other things, hyperviolent video games that glamorize gun violence. Just minutes after addressing the Orlando attacks, Spencer turned the stage over to creators of Gears of War 4, for a bloody, guns-blazing demo of the game.
“To everyone affected by the recent tragedy in Orlando, our hearts are with you. And you should know, you are not alone, the gaming community mourns with you.” Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, E3 2016
Tragedy isn’t an opportunity for brand awareness. Apple’s new OS and Microsoft’s latest console may be hot shit, but they’re not symbols of hope or unity. They are symbols of selfish consumerism and multibillion-dollar profits. While the individuals who drive these brands no doubt feel very strongly about what happened in Orlando, brands aren’t people. They don’t have feelings, they have products. Attempting to connect the two in the context of a tragedy is tone-deaf at best.
The Orlando shootings were an act of violence against the gay community; yet when Apple and Microsoft attempted to show their support, there was no mention of that community. In avoiding the identity of the victims and the nature of the violence, these corporations betrayed their underlying allegiances. As Cook and Spencer’s carefully worded speeches show, today’s keynotes weren’t about the gay community, no matter how well-intentioned.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
‘Halo Wars 2’ takes the series back to its roots next February
If Halo 5: Guardians disappointed you last year, maybe try Halo Wars 2 on for size on February 21st next year. It takes the shooter series back to its strategy roots, something that’s been toyed with a bit before. New stuff like the Mantis mechs from Halo 4 and Halo 5 look to be controllable units, with a heavy emphasis on battling the ape-like Brute enemies. It continues the story of the original game’s Spirit of Fire crew and has you battling those enemies on The Ark, a location from Halo 3.
And if you’re unsure about the whole real-time strategy nature of the game (and/or missed Ensemble Studios’ swan song back in 2009) there will be a beta to take for a spin this week for Xbox Live Gold members.
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
Microsoft announces a new super-powered Xbox console: Project Scorpio
Microsoft and Oculus announced a close partnership at last year’s E3, but we haven’t seen much out of it just yet. That’s changing today, as Microsoft just announced a new version of the Xbox console — one that’s optimized to work with 4K visuals and high-quality VR out of the box. Project Scorpio will launch at the holiday season in 2017, but most notable is the fact that all games and all accessories will work across the Xbox One, the Xbox One S and Project Scorpio.
Microsoft showed off a video in which a number of developers touted the console’s massive power — it’ll feature “true” 4K resolution, 6 teraflops of GPU power and will run at 60Hz. It’ll of course be VR ready, and Bethesda noted it’ll run Fallout 4 in VR, as announced last night. While Microsoft didn’t mention Oculus by name, the two companies have a partnership that was announced at last year’s E3. So it seems highly likely that the Rift will be the headset of choice for Project Scorpio.
Phil Spencer alluded to such a development earlier this year, saying that he envisioned a future in which your game library stayed with you and in which consoles were upgraded faster in a more PC-like fashion.
Naturally, there’s no word on price yet, and we’re guessing Project Scorpio won’t be the console’s launch name. But Microsoft’s biggest fans clearly have a lot to look forward to in the coming year or so — the big question for those who don’t own an Xbox will be whether to buy a Xbox One S or wait until next year for Project Scorpio. But at least if you buy the One S, all your games will work if you upgrade to Scorpio.
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
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