Microsoft Announces New Mice with Dedicated Start Buttons
Microsoft on Thursday announced a new generation of Sculpt mice that will include, for the first time, a dedicated Start button. Presumably, this addition is aimed at ensuring that every Windows user has a hardware Start button of some kind.
Third Generation Kinect Coming to Windows in 2014
The third generation Kinect sensor that Microsoft will ship with Xbox One in November is coming to Windows users in 2014, Microsoft said today. But it’s still not clear whether (or when) Microsoft intends to target end users with the device.
In New Ad, Microsoft Finally Takes on the iPad
Well, it only took three years, but Microsoft has finally taken on the iPad in the place that needs the most work: Public perception. A new ad, designed to mimic the sickly sweet iPad ads of late, pits Apple’s tablet against a Windows 8 tablet. And it is awesome.
Microsoft Offers a Free User Guide for Windows 8
Microsoft has issued a free user guide for Windows 8, offering to help users “learn how to get around, navigate, manage apps, and personalize” the controversial new OS. Does the existence of such a document prove that Windows 8 is inscrutable? Or is this just the right thing to do?
Lenovo Again Defies PC Market Slowdown
Lenovo on Thursday announced financial results for its most recent fiscal fourth quarter and full year, and the world’s second-biggest PC maker didn’t disappoint. Despite an ongoing PC market slowdown that is hobbling its rivals, the firm posted record highs in annual sales, pre-tax income, earnings, and PC shipments.
Microsoft Updates YouTube App for Windows Phone 8
In the wake of Google complaints about the YouTube app for Windows Phone 8, Microsoft today revealed that they have modified the app to address those complaints. The new version of the app is available from the Windows Phone Store, or soon will be.
SkyDrive Pro for Windows Now Available
Microsoft announced this week that the SkyDrive Pro client for Windows is now available for download, providing customers with a way to automatically sync their SharePoint 2013- and SharePoint Online-based SkyDrive Pro and Team Site document libraries with their PCs. Previously, this capability was only available bundled with Office 2013.
Xbox One Preview
On Tuesday, Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, giving us a broad but only partial understanding of its upcoming video game console. Here’s what we’ve learned so far, and my take on Microsoft’s third stab at jumpstarting a major new market for living room entertainment.
Xbox One Unveil Video
Here’s Microsoft’s promotional video for its new entertainment console, the Xbox One. Looking good!
SkyDrive, Google+ Photos and Flickr, Oh My
Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo! have all announced major updates to their online photo services this month, triggering a reevaluation of these solutions. This was nicely timed as I was just gearing up to discuss cloud photo backup as part of the ongoing Zero Data series.
Xbox One Photos
As expected, Microsoft revealed its next-generation Xbox, the Xbox One, today. Here are some photos showing off the new console, the next-generation Kinect sensor, and the new Xbox One hand controller.
Microsoft Reveals Next-Gen Console, Xbox One
At a gala event at its Redmond campus, Microsoft on Tuesday revealed that its next-generation Xbox video game console will be named Xbox One and will include the expected feature-set, including a bundled next-generation Kinect sensor and Blu-Ray optical drive. The system will hit the market in November alongside Sony’s PlayStation 4.
Azure Is the Future of Microsoft
What I’m about to suggest will be controversial in some circles. But it’s a message that IT pros need to hear now so they can prepare for the future. And it goes like this: The market for on-premises servers and infrastructure is coming to an end. The future—the end game, if you will—isn’t on-prem, and it’s not even really a hybrid model, although there will of course be some of that. It’s the cloud. And for Microsoft, that means Azure.
On Eve of Xbox Reveal, Microsoft Issues Defense of Gaming Market
While Xbox has given Microsoft a valuable consumer brand with absurdly loyal customers, it has also paradoxically never directly repaid the billions of dollars in R&D that Microsoft invested, let alone the unexpected warranty repair costs of the current generation console. But on the eve of a reveal event for its third Xbox device, Microsoft issued an interesting defense of the video game console, arguing among other things that more people are playing games than ever before.
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