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Latest Gear Live Videos
Zune and Windows Live will die with the release of Windows 8
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Rumors, Software,
It looks like two Microsoft products are about to get killed off (or really, renamed) with the release of Windows 8. When the next major Windows OS launches, that'll be the end of the Zune and Windows Live brands. Yep, Microsoft is finally getting rid of the brand that was supposed to rival the Apple's iPod/iTunes ecosystem, but failed miserably. It’s not just the physical player they’re killing off - they did that last year while holding onto Zune as the name of the desktop software and music service. Now, Zune will be no more.
In addition, in an effort to further simplify things, the Windows Live brand is also going away. Here's a look at what to expect, and what will replace the two brands:
- Microsoft Account (Windows Live ID)
- Mail (Windows Live Mail)
- Calendar (Windows Live Calendar)
- People (Windows Live Contacts)
- Photos (Windows Live Photo Gallery)
- Music (Zune Music Player)
- Video (Zune Video Player)
We also wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft replaced Zune with a streaming music service similar to Spotify. The sad part is that Zune could have been what Spotify Premium currently offers had Microsoft been more forward thinking with the concept. We've actually said many times in the past that the Zune Pass was the best deal in music. Currently there are other well-established music services with dedicated users like Spotify, Rdio, MOG, and Rhapsody. If this is Microsoft’s attempt to dominate a new market, we sure hope they've got a better plan than they did with the original Zune launch.
Read More 
| The Verge
Gallery: Zune and Windows Live will die with the release of Windows 8
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Ask Andru: Should I get Kinect if I use my Xbox 360 primarily for watching Netflix?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Microsoft, Video Games, Videos,
We're back with another edition of Ask Andru - this time we're focusing on the wildly popular Kinect add-on, and how useful it might be for Xbox 360 owners who primarily use their consoles for watching streaming video. On to the question:
My family has an Xbox 360 but we end up using it primarily for Netflix, not games. I've read that the recent Xbox Live update added more ways to navigate menus and content using voice and gestures with Kinect. Is it worth buying a Kinect just for those controls, if we don't use it to play games? Is talking and waving at the TV better than using the controller?
It's true--Microsoft recently released an update for the Xbox 360, known as the Fall 2011 Dashboard Update, that has fully optimized the console's interface for use alongside the Kinect add-on. Many early adopters of Kinect complained about how clunky and tacked on the experience felt when trying to navigate menus while using the Xbox 360 outside of gaming, and the update pretty much solved all of those problems. Now, it's easy to "grab" something on screen, swipe through menus, and make selections using hand gestures. Even cooler, though, is that the dashboard is now pretty much fully navigable using just your voice. Simply say "Xbox" and all your options for where you can go are displayed on the screen. If you can see it, you can pretty much say it. Here's a video I made that looks at the features you'll find in the latest update:
Gallery: Ask Andru: Should I get Kinect if I use my Xbox 360 primarily for watching Netflix?
Rumor: Nokia Lumia 900 to sell for $99.99
Posted by John Ball Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,
With January almost over and CES behind us, the rumor mill has moved on to the next big thing. Today, the device in the limelight is the Nokia Lumia 900, Windows Phone Mango device that's at the top of our lust list. Set to launch March 18, 2012, you can expect to start seeing advertisements soon, and if word on the street is correct, the device will be just $99.99 with a two year contract. That is huge. That's half of what we expected the device to launch at, what with its 4.3-inch display and 4G LTE data speeds.
Gallery: Rumor: Nokia Lumia 900 to sell for $99.99
Top 10 Gear Live Videos of 2011
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Video Games, Videos,
2011 will come to an end in just a few short hours, and we are just in time with our annual top 10 list of the most-watched Gear Live video episodes. Over the past year, as expected, there was a bunch of Apple gear that made the list, but the HTC Thunderbolt gets two of the top spots, as does the Motorola Xoom.
Oh, and if you wanna be sure to get our new video episodes as they come out in 2010, be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes, on YouTube, or in your RSS reader!
Also, you can check out the top ten videos from 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007 - and when you're done, be sure to check out the top 10 most popular Gear Live stories of 2011 as well!
Click to continue reading Top 10 Gear Live Videos of 2011
Gallery: Top 10 Gear Live Videos of 2011
Giveaway: HTC Titan Windows Phone!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Smartphones, Features, Microsoft,
Yes - we're giving away an HTC Titan smartphone, running Windows Phone 7 Mango! We know that Christmas has come and gone, and we hope our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide served you all well, but we're not done with the gift-giving just yet. The HTC Titan we're giving away runs on the AT&T network, and is one of the first Mango devices that are available, and sports a 1.5 GHz processor and has 16 GB of storage built-in.
So, how do you enter to win the HTC Titan? Simply use the widget below to keep track of your entries! We've got a lot of ways for you to enter, but don't check off any that you don't actually perform. If you do, you'll be eliminated:
Gallery: Giveaway: HTC Titan Windows Phone!
CES 2012 keynote will be the last one by Microsoft
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: CES, CES 2012, Microsoft,
Microsoft announced today that Steve Ballmer's keynote at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be the software giant's last.
"We'll continue to participate in CES as a great place to connect with partners and customers across the PC, phone and entertainment industries, but we won't have a keynote or booth after this year because our product news milestones generally don't align with the show's January timing," Microsoft said in a statement.
Ballmer is scheduled to take the stage at CES in Las Vegas on Jan. 9 at 6:30pm. It will be the Microsoft CEO's third keynote appearance; he took over in 2009 after Bill Gates retired in 2008 to focus on philanthropic efforts.
In recent years, however, the Microsoft CES keynotes have not included anything particularly spectacular or unexpected.
Click to continue reading CES 2012 keynote will be the last one by Microsoft
Gallery: CES 2012 keynote will be the last one by Microsoft
Samsung Focus S review: The best Windows Phone in the US
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Product Reviews,
When we first reviewed the Samsung Focus Flash, we felt its smaller form factor and significantly lower price made it a better deal than the Focus S at first glance ($199.99 - $19.99 on Amazon). Now that we've tested the Focus S, we're singing a different tune. True, you're only getting a bigger screen, an improved camera, and a thinner profile, but the Focus S brings Windows Phone 7.5 Mango closer than it has ever been to the high-end. That alone makes this smartphone worth a close look, especially given its slick OS. Click on through to see why in our full Samsung Focus S review.
Click to continue reading Samsung Focus S review: The best Windows Phone in the US
Gallery: Samsung Focus S review: The best Windows Phone in the US
T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft,
And the Lumia 710 shall lead them. T-Mobile and Nokia today announced the first Nokia Windows Phone in the U.S.: not the flashy Lumia 800, but its lower-cost sibling, the Lumia 710. I got some time with it and spoke to Nokia and T-Mobile execs about the companies' strategy.
First, the phone: the Lumia 710 is a medium-sized, slab-style cell phone with cropped corners and a curved back. It isn't really a rectangle, but it also isn't as radically shaped as the Lumia 800. Below the 3.7-inch, 800-by-480 LCD screen there's a large physical button, and there's a 5-megapixel camera that records 720p video on the soft-touch back. The phone comes in black and white.
Nokia used pretty classy materials for a $49-with-contract phone, although the 710 doesn't measure up to the Lumia 800's polycarbonate body. The bright, sharp screen is Corning Gorilla Glass, and the phone feels solidly built. Turned off, the black model has the usual problem where it will blend in with a line of other black slab phones, though.
The Lumia 710 runs Microsoft's Windows Phone Mango OS with a few exclusive additions. Nokia's Drive GPS software offers free driving directions, both on and offline, in 2D and 3D. App Highlights helps point out useful apps among the 40,000-plus in Microsoft's store, and T-Mobile TV offers several dozen streaming TV channels.
Click to continue reading T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on
Gallery: T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on
Microsoft releases SkyDrive app for iPhone, Windows Phone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Storage,
Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a version of its SkyDrive cloud service for Windows Phone and the iPhone.
The move, Microsoft said in a blog post, comes as people increasingly need access to files on-the-go.
"As devices proliferate, having a great experience on the Web is only one piece of a pretty complex puzzle," Microsoft's Mike Torres wrote. "People are choosing where to put their files based on how portable and accessible they are across the various devices they use; therefore, it's critical that we continue to extend the SkyDrive experience to the devices you use every day."
To that end, the most recent version of Windows Phone, known as Mango, included deep integration with SkyDrive via the Pictures and Office hubs, allowing for the sharing of photos via text, email, or IM, for example.
But users wanted more, Torres said. "Many still want the full SkyDrive experience from Windows Phone, including tasks like browsing their entire SkyDrive, sharing links to folders or files, deleting files, and creating folders." As a result, phones running Windows Phone 7.5 can now download the SkyDrive app from the Windows Phone Marketplace and do just that.
For those on iOS, the same app was also released in the App Store. See the video above for more.
Click to continue reading Microsoft releases SkyDrive app for iPhone, Windows Phone
Gallery: Microsoft releases SkyDrive app for iPhone, Windows Phone
New Xbox Live Terms of Service say you can’t sue Microsoft
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, Video Games,
Microsoft has wisely slipped a new proviso into the latest Xbox Live terms of service licensing agreement to prevent the kind of class action lawsuit Sony faced after the huge PSN data-breach and site downtime caused by hackers.
It's amusing since most of these agreements already take away the users' rights. The courts almost always uphold these supposed contracts, virtually giving any company the right to sell a faulty, or even dangerous, product.
Here is a snippet from the latest Xbox Live terms of service (TOS) :
"...if you live in the United States, you and Microsoft agree that if you and Microsoft do not resolve any dispute by informal negotiation ... any effort to resolve the dispute will be conducted exclusively by binding arbitration ... you understand and acknowledge that by agreeing to binding arbitration, you are giving up the right to litigate (or participate in as a party or class member) all disputes in court before a judge or jury."
Note the "in the United States" proviso. Many foreign countries do not allow these sorts of contracts, but few make it easy to file a class action lawsuit so it is not as important.
Click to continue reading New Xbox Live Terms of Service say you can’t sue Microsoft
