If you’re anything like me, you’re extremely excited for November 22nd to roll around; that’s the day that the Xbox One is being released to the salivating masses. Today, Microsoft gave us a bit of a teaser into what the next-gen dashboard looks like and how it operates. Let’s just say that this only feeds the flames of desire.
This is like two juicy news stories in one … the first being that Microsoft has successfully leveraged its patent muscle and is earning a massive $2 billion annually from Android patent royalties across a range of handset makers, and the other is that huge operating losses from Xbox and Windows Phone consume all of that profit and more!
Known to some as one of the ultimate mulitplayer experiences on Xbox, Halo 3 is now free to download for Xbox Live Gold subscribers until the end of the month. Originally released in 2007, Halo 3 quickly became one of the most popular multiplayer games on Xbox. Now, you can take part in Master Chief’s epic adventure for free.
November 22nd is right around the corner and the Xbox One will soon be one of the most fought over holiday gifts of 2013. There has been lots of discussion over the Xbox One hardware, Microsoft’s inclusion of and subsequent back-pedaling on DRM, and the bundled Kinect 2.0. But in my opinion, what makes a console successful are the games. Now that the Xbox One’s launch titles have been confirmed, it’s time to decide what game(s) you’ll be spending your hard-earned money on. There are also games that are coming out in 2014, but are still considered to be in…
I like Windows Phone quite a bit, and am rooting for it to succeed as a viable third option in the mobile phone market. So I was quite excited to see that Microsoft and HTC still intend to work together, even with Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia. But the rumor of dual-boot Android/Windows Phone devices send a shiver down my spine. Yes, the latest rumor from Windows Phone Central is that HTC is investigating the feasibility of a dual-boot phone, which is intriguing, but I think will ultimately be very damaging to Windows Phone. There’s already a perception that developers are…
“The cloud” is a popular concept. We have terabytes upon terabytes of data stored in “the cloud,” which is really just a data farm of servers in the middle of nowhere. It’s a great way to keep personal files available wherever you are. What if you could stream Xbox games from the cloud? Word is, Microsoft is working on it. It appears that Microsoft is beginning to build it’s own cloud gaming service. Microsoft has begun internal testing of their service and showed it off in an internal meeting. The Verge tells us that the folks at Microsoft were streaming…
Grand Theft Auto V continues improvement in open world environments where crime is king and characters expand with a three main character scenario that allows character to switch among them. Rockstar Games expands existing gameplay into show-stopping events with more role-playing opportunities as main and supporting characters cross paths while players can take main routes or choose tangents any time. The Hype Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the…
Dan posted about the buyout of Nokia’s Mobile Device division by Microsoft this morning. I pretty much expected this to happen. Nokia always had great hardware and a great OS in Maemo. Some say they should have went to Android, but I think they gave up on Maemo way to soon. Nokia had some of the best hardware just a few years ago before the iPhone and Android trounced them. The N series of Nokia phones had some of the most unique form factors. It’s the N series itself that led to 4 unique devices that had a lot of…
Back in the early days of computing there was DOS, and DOS used what we call a command line. A command line or shell is a text interface for interacting with your computer. Today graphical interfaces rule the day, but the command line is still useful … in fact, sometimes it might even be better. Read on for more on how to improve your computing life with the good ol’ command line. When I bought my first IBM compatible PC, as we called them back in the day, DOS was the only way to interact with the PC. We launched programs…
Whether or not you’re a fan of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, there’s one issue both fans and detractors both recognize: there is a definite lack of Google support in the apps. It’s not just the lack of Google Maps, but also the lack of a Gmail app, a Google+ app, and worst of all, no official YouTube app. That last one has been the subject of a fair amount of drama as of late, with Microsoft creating an app, getting it blocked by Google, collaborating with Google, releasing a new YouTube app, and getting it blocked again. So what’s…
A few days ago I pointed out some very odd behavior in the Bing SafeSearch filter. Certain words, like “Lesbian”, were being summarily blocked while insulting or hateful words came through just fine. I had the chance to chat with someone from the Bing SafeSearch team today, and I learned a few important things: One, the SafeSearch filter isn’t as simplistic as it first appears, and there’s some nuance to how it blocks content. And two, Microsoft is an incredibly responsive and community-oriented company! I learned that SafeSearch is designed to filter out “adult” content from web results. If a…
Update 07/09/13: Please see Microsoft’s Response Sarah and I were chatting this morning about parenting books, and we wondered what resources were out there for lesbian moms. So I pulled out my trusty Lumia, hit the search key, and typed in “Lesbian mom blogs”. Imagine my surprise when Bing informed me that “Your current Bing SafeSearch filters out results that might return adult content.” I had no idea same-sex moms were so risqué! So I set out to test the Bing SafeSearch filter (on moderate, FYI), and the results were shocking. Read on to find out more! (NOTE: All the…
GRID 2 is a motorsport masterpiece game sequel was worth the wait featuring two main modes for one player and online plus a two player split screen racing option. New features include a reverse action button and gameplay video uploading/editing/posting to YouTube. The Hype An extensive and separate online campaign redefines multiplayer racing games plus full RaceNet integration Powered by Codemasters’ EGO Game Technology Platform for jaw-dropping damage and stunning visuals, GRID 2 sets the standard for technical excellent in racing. Race a handpicked selection of iconic cars that represent the best in automotive engineering from the last 40…
The kids are out of school and summer time is in full swing. Look for these great console and computer game offerings when you need a break from the heat. You can keep that summer feeling on your down time with The Sims 3 Island Paradise on PC/Mac (also in limited edition with extra content). Construct and manage a five-star resort hotel; explore the endless ocean, and/or build and sail your own houseboat in this extensive expansion pack (requires The Sims 3). Other PC releases include Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded (PC/Mac) and Machines at War 3 (PC/Mac), the sequel to…
Microsoft revealed the release date and price for the Xbox One at this year’s presentation at E3- November 2013 and $499. The Xbox One Day One Edition is now on sale on Amazon and GameStop (all as special bundles with games). Microsoft has hit the price points well so far while avoiding snafus like Nintendo (3DS) and Sony, which originally priced the PlayStation at $599…$100 higher than the Xbox 360. The special editions and different bundles might offset any sticker shock. Xbox One hardware will not be compatible with Xbox 360 games. The “always on” Internet connection status will be…
Now to concentrate on the main content at the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) – the games! Microsoft has plenty of new Xbox One launch games coming before the end of the year including Ryse, the racing sequel Forza Motorsport 5 and Quantum Break, a sci-fi action game that will release at the same time as the television series. Sony will have their PlayStation 4 launch games in full force including the racing game sequel Gran Turismo 6, action shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall (set 30 years after Killzone 3), the action adventure filled Knack featuring an advanced robot as the…
Mike Siebenaler will be giving us a thorough look at all of the E3 presentations in the coming days, but as a primarily PC gamer sitting on the sidelines I had a couple of observations on what would draw me in or push me away from the new consoles. When Microsoft announced the XBOX One, there were many concerns from hardcore gamers about used games, indie developers, backwards compatibility and more. Since then we have learned more from Microsoft … some good, some not so good. But in the context of used games and online requirements, Microsoft has said that…
If you have a Windows Phone and you use Gmail, then whether you realize it or not, you have sent at least one email that was received looking like this:
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition, the 16th release in this game series, offers players an in-depth, rewarding golf experience. This high quality golf game features improved graphics, PlayStation Move controller capability, real-time weather system, and Legends of the Majors mode. Players can now create their own unique experience facing Tiger Woods or his fellow golfers, past and present like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Bubba Watson. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition includes tournament practice facility, extra content, online pass (broadband connection required), The Masters’ green jacket ceremony and five additional courses in additional…
I have to give you a disclaimer right up front: So far, BOTH computers I have that run Windows 8 have required a complete re-installation of Windows 8. I do not find the OS to be inherently stable, and if you are buying a new computer or tablet that runs Windows 8, I would encourage you to BACK UP FREQUENTLY. If I had the option to choose between Windows 7 or Windows 8 on my computer, I would choose Windows 7 every time. However, for a tablet running Windows 8 that was designed to do so, it is less of…
A Little History… A while back I took the plunge and made the shift from an iPhone to a Windows phone, first with a Nokia 900 and later with a 920. It was an interesting exercise. I learned a lot, discovered some new ways of working, and learned to make some compromises. I even learned that some things I thought were “critical” to my daily functioning really weren’t so critical, after all. True, I am heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem for apps and movies, but music is pretty much DRM free these days. Books are still problematic no matter…