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Latest Gear Live Videos
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
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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
Gallery: First Look: New Xbox Experience setup gallery
New Xbox Live Hard Drive Pack Shipping on Nov. 4th
Posted by Ponzi Black Categories: Accessories, Microsoft, Storage, Video Games,
A new Xbox Live pack is coming to the US next week on November 4th. The pack is mainly for those who don’t yet have a hard drive on their Xbox 360, but is a decent upgrade if you have the original 20GB hard drive, and are in need of more space. The $99 bundle includes a 60GB hard drive, Xbox Live headset, and 3-months of Xbox Live Gold. The upgrade comes just weeks before the new Xbox Live Experience dashboard upgrade on November 19th. The hard drive should allow much more storage if you plan to use the Netflix subscription service on your 360 and want to store all of your media which also debut’s on the 19th. There is also a $30 upgrade option for the 20GB hard drive being offered due to the New Xbox Experience requirements which will not work if you lack a hard drive.
Read More | Gamestop
Gallery: New Xbox Live Hard Drive Pack Shipping on Nov. 4th
Microsoft Officially Outs Xbox Bundles
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Microsoft, Video Games,
News from the Tokyo Game Show includes Microsoft’s formal announcement about their Xbox 360 holiday bundles. As part of their new Xbox Experience, the Arcade comes with Sega Superstars Tennis (plus bonus games) for $199.99, and the Pro at $299.99 includes LEGO Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda. Go for the deluxe Elite at $399.99 and get the same two games. From the titles chosen it appears obvious that they are aimed at the younger crowd that have yet to discover the “experience.”
Read More | Xbox
Gallery: Microsoft Officially Outs Xbox Bundles
Windows 7 officially named Windows 7
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software,
So, you know that follow-up to Windows Vista that Microsoft has been working on for the past couple of years? They’ve been calling it Windows 7 for a while now, but we just thought that was going to be its codename. As it turns out, Microsoft just announced a few hours ago that Windows 7 is the official name of the next version of their operating system. Why not go with another cutesy name like Windows ME, XP, or Vista? Well, they say this is the seventh release of Windows, and that it “just makes sense.” Well, we guess it does. If you’ll be at WinHEC or PDC, you can plan on getting Windows 7 pre-beta code from Microsoft to play with.
Read More | Windows Vista Team Blog
