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Latest Gear Live Videos
Microsoft To Drop OneCare, Adopt Free Morro
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, Software,
Microsoft has announced that they will be offering free antivirus software late next year for Windows XP/Vista/7 and the upcoming IE 8. Referred to as Morro, the software will provide “comprehensive protection from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.” Because it is smaller, it is a welcome relief for those of us with aging PCs. Although they are discontinuing their OneCare subscription service in June, users should be happy they are saving a few bucks.
Read More 
| Daily Tech
Gallery: Microsoft To Drop OneCare, Adopt Free Morro
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Microsoft Lowers Prices on Zune Players and Accessories
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video,
We told you yesterday about the Zune Pass being such a sweet deal and you probably countered with, “But I don’t have a Zune.” Microsoft is pleased to announce that they have lowered their prices on their flash-based products just for your. Effective now in the U.S. and Friday in Canada, the 4GB model is now $99.00, the 8GB is $139.00, and the 16GB Zune drops $20.00 to $179.00. There are also accessories that have been marked down, so you have no excuse.
Gallery: Microsoft Lowers Prices on Zune Players and Accessories
Zune Pass now includes 10 keeper songs per month
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Hot Deals, Microsoft, Music,
Wow. The best deal in music just got a whole lot better, as Microsoft has announced that the $14.99 per month Zune Pass will now allow subscribers to download and keep 10 tracks per month, which is a $10 value. Those tracks are yours, permanently, even if your Zune Pass subscription comes to an end. Participating labels include EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music, Warner Music, and independents like INgrooves, Independent Online Distribution Alliance, and The Orchard. Tracks downloaded from Sony BMG and UMG will be DRM-free MP3s, which tracks from EMI and Warner also include MP3 files, there are also some WMAs still hanging around. The Zune guys say that soon, 90 percent of the music in the Zune Marketplace will be in the MP3 format.
So when you break this down, if you subscribe to the Zune Pass, and download 10 tracks a month, you are really just paying $5 for unlimited access to the huge catalog of music available in the Zune Marketplace. We can’t think of a better, legal deal in music than what Microsoft is offering with Zune right now. Can you? At this point, we see no reason to fire up iTunes to do our music purchasing.
Gallery: Zune Pass now includes 10 keeper songs per month
Zune 3.1 update: More games, better Social, more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Video Games,
Just two months after the Zune 3.0 release, Microsoft is now deploying the next incremental update to their Zune platform with Zune 3.1. Available for download today, the Zune 3.1 update brings quite a few welcome feature changes and updates:
- New Games: Checkers, Sudoku, and Space Battle
- New multiplayer mode, and single-player difficulty levels, for Texas Hold’em
- Visual changes to the Zune Social, making it prettier and easier to navigate
- Like-Minder Listeners feature added to social, allowing you to compare your music tastes to others
- Improved play count reporting, content synchronization, and other bug fixes in both the hardware and software
You can grab the update now by launching your Zune software, going into Settings, and hitting Check for Updates.
Read More | Zune Insider
Gallery: Zune 3.1 update: More games, better Social, more
Microsoft Web-Based Office Suite
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Internet, Microsoft,
Microsoft is planning a web-based version of their Office suite, which will include full versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote. As long as you have a Firefox, IE or Safari browser, you can access it from anywhere. The company has not given an official public release date, but you can probably expect it in late 2009. This should give iPhone and other handheld addicts another source of happiness since they have even more reason now to use them more than their computers.
Read More | Unwired View
Gallery: Microsoft Web-Based Office Suite
Microsoft’s Windows Celebrates 25 Years
Posted by Patrick Phelps Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Videos,
It was 25 years ago today that Bill Gates unveiled Microsoft Windows; of course, it wouldn’t be released in stores for nearly two more years, but it was undeniably the start of a revolution.
There are those who love to hate the software giant, but the Seattle-area economy has nothing to offer but gratitude – in King County, which includes Seattle and Microsoft hometown, Redmond, there are some 70,000 households with a net-worth of at least $1 million. My dentist once told me that his two brothers, who went to Microsoft while he went to dental school, both retired at the age of 36; he is well past 36 and definitely not retired. Some people have all the luck…
In honor of Windows’ anniversary, we’ve posted a video (up top) of current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doing his best cheesy car salesman impersonation in this ridiculous Windows commercial from the 80’s; proving that dignity is not always a prerequisite for success.
Gallery: Microsoft’s Windows Celebrates 25 Years
Zune Zodiac Series Etchings
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video,
It seems that every time we turn around, Zune has a new design. This time it is their Zodiac Series. Custom laser engraved, there are all 12 from the Western Zodiac from MS graphic designers and all of the animals from the Chinese years, which were designed by Iosefatu Sua. Choose your Zune, pick your etching for a little extra coinage, and you will also get access to matching wallpaper and playlists chosen by the artists.
Read More | electronistic
Gallery: Zune Zodiac Series Etchings
Microsoft Plants Kiosk in Front of Apple Store
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Microsoft, PC / Laptop,
Microsoft, in a clever move, located an “I’m a PC” recording kiosk outside an Apple Store in Birmingham, England. By the way, if you really are a PC, you can upload a photo or video online and you might find yourself in one of their commercials. The company has already selected several of them in ads that are airing on network TV and are part of a $300 million advertising campaign. We’re all for any idea that doesn’t feature Gates and Seinfeld.
Read More | Apple Insider
Gallery: Microsoft Plants Kiosk in Front of Apple Store
Netflix Adds TiVo as Streaming Partner
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Movies, PC / Laptop, Video Games,
Netflix has been busy, busy, busy. We already knew that Netflix will be available for Macs by the end of the year and on Xbox Live for Gold members next month, and now they have announced that they are adding TiVo as a partner that already includes LG, Microsoft and Samsung. You will be able to receive movies on your TiVo Series3, TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL. Testing has already begun and the service should be available to all by December.
Read More | New TeeVee
Gallery: Netflix Adds TiVo as Streaming Partner
First Look: New Xbox Experience setup gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Microsoft, Software, Video Games,
So, you know that nifty New Xbox Experience you’ve been hearing about all over the place? Well, our pals up in Redmond gave us the opportunity to grab the dashboard a few weeks before it becomes publicly available on November 19th. We have a bunch of info coming your way in the coming days (and, please, feel free to leave any questions on the forum and we will answer them all - seriously, ask away!). In the meantime, though, we thought we would take you through the setup process. After downloading the update (which takes a good, I dunno, 10 seconds), your Xbox 360 will reboot, load the new firmware, and hit you with a high impact video before dumping you into the new dashboard. It really is all sorts of fancy. We’ve created a New Xbox Experience setup gallery with a bunch of pictures showing you the process of installing, setting up, creating your avatar, and browsing around the new interface. Go ahead and take a look, and don’t forget, leave your questions here.
Read More | New Xbox Experience Gallery
