Xbox One gets even better -- Microsoft lets buyers choose a free game
2015 is proving to be a very strong year for gaming, with E3 underlining that fact. Both Sony and Microsoft had big announcements regarding their consoles, while AMD announced amazing graphics cards for PC gamers. What a great time to be a games player.
If you want to jump into the current generation of console gaming, you really have one decision to make -- PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. While it has arguably been a tossup -- both have much to offer -- Microsoft's console has now pulled ahead in one major way -- value. Not only can the console be bought with the Halo Master Chief Collection, but you now get another game included too, for free. Best of all? You get to choose the free game. Whoa.
How to easily switch from Android to Windows Phone
Once people have made the decision to go with a particular mobile operating system, they tend to stick with it. Moving all of your data from one device to another can be a bit of a pain, and it’s made even harder if you’re also switching operating systems, and have to find and re-buy all of your favorite apps.
If you’re thinking of making the move from Android to Windows Phone -- perhaps in anticipation of Windows 10 Mobile later in the year -- the process doesn’t have to be stressful. Here’s what you need to do.
Microsoft brings Disney and Pixar to Skype with 'Inside Out' emoticons
Human communication is very tricky. Words on their own are not enough to properly convey a message. Our tone and body language can speak volumes -- sometimes more than the literal meaning of our words. This can be dangerous when sending an email or text message, as the recipient can easily misinterpret the senders intentions.
Luckily, emoticons and emojis have enabled us to enhance our text-based communications. While some people decry millennials' use of these enhancements, they are seemingly here to stay. Today, Microsoft announces that it is delivering new emoticons to Skype that are based on Disney and Pixar's animated film "Inside Out". Since the characters in the movie are based on emotions, it is actually a brilliant partnership.
Apple does more to protect your privacy than Microsoft, Google, and Facebook
In the Electronic Frontier Foundation's annual Who Has Your Back report, Apple is commended for adopting a "strong stance" on user rights, transparency, and privacy. The 2015 edition of the report is the fifth to have been produced, and it rates a number of tech companies according to how they inform users about their privacy policies and how they respond to government requests for data.
Apple was awarded a full five star rating, faring better than Microsoft (three stars), Google (three stars), and Facebook (four stars). Other companies receiving a five out of five rating include Wikimedia, WordPress, and Yahoo. At the bottom of the heap are AT&T and WhatsApp who received just one star each. Despite a few disappointments, EFF is generally pleased with how tech firms have noted the renewed interest in privacy that now exists.
Massive Microsoft shakeup sees Stephen Elop departure
Microsoft is a company in a constant state of evolution, and today this is perfectly demonstrated by a huge shakeup at the top. Satya Nadella wrote to employees to explain a number of changes to the Senior Leadership Team -- including the departure of Stephen Elop.
The former Nokia CEO and Nadella "agreed that now is the right time for him to retire from Microsoft". A question that can be heard echoing through the company is "did he jump, or was he pushed?" Mark Penn is also leaving the company to form a private equity fund. The reorganization additionally sees the company dividing into three distinct teams to "deliver better products and services our customers love at a more rapid pace".
Microsoft discounts Surface Pro 3 by up to $150
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 may be a year old at this stage, but it remains one of the best Windows 8.1 devices on the market. Touted as "the tablet that can replace your laptop", it works well in the office and on the go, thanks to a large touchscreen, powerful processors and long battery life.
And if you are interested in getting a Surface Pro 3 -- perhaps in time for Father's Day, as it would make an awesome gift -- then you should know that, for a limited time, Microsoft has discounts of up to $150 on the Intel Core i5 and Core i7 models.
Box now integrates with Office Online, following Dropbox's lead
Dropbox is no longer the only non-Microsoft cloud storage service that integrates with Office Online, as enterprise-focused rival Box now also makes this feature available to its customers, taking advantage of Office 365 -- Cloud Storage Partner Program. Box already integrates with Office mobile, allowing smartphone and tablet users to easily create and edit Excel, PowerPoint and Word documents that are stored on its servers.
It is a win-win for both companies. Box gets to give its customers easy access to one of the best online office suites around and become more attractive to potential customers, while Microsoft gains more Office Online, and potentially more Office 365, users in the process. Let's see what this integration brings to the table.
Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10136 to Fast Ring
There has been plenty of news about Windows 10 rolling out of Microsoft central in recent months, however the focus has been very much on the desktop version of the operating system. But, of course, Windows 10 is destined for a wide range of devices and today Microsoft starts the roll out of Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10136 to testers who have joined the Fast Ring.
Unlike upgrading from preview builds on the desktop, there's a bit of a quirk with this mobile release. Microsoft is only making the upgrade available to handsets that are running Windows Phone 8.1 -- so if you have installed build 10080, you'll need to use the Windows Phone Recovery Tool to roll it back first. As well as new features and tweaks, there's also an important note to keep in mind.
Microsoft Lumia launches an uplifting 'good news' paper to inspire commuters
Most newspapers are full of bad, and depressing news. Microsoft Lumia wants to change that, and is putting together its own print newspaper that it hopes will inspire commuters and help them to "achieve more".
The Five to Nine newspaper will focus on positive, uplifting content, and also show workers how they can use technology to work smarter and more efficiently. There will be five editions, published between 22 June and 26 June, all focusing on a different theme (culture, music, fashion, design, and sport) and featuring commissioned content alongside crowd sourced "good news" stories, life hacks and musings.
Does Microsoft's Xbox Elite Wireless Controller give unfair advantage to those with money?
You know what makes console gaming so awesome? For the most part, everyone has the same specs. Conversely, in PC gaming, gamers can pay for better hardware -- a faster graphics card, more RAM, more accurate mouse, keyboard, etc -- these can enable higher scores and increased wins online. In other words, even though winning takes skill, the gamer with the bigger bank account can get an advantage -- arguably, an unfair one.
Today, Microsoft announces the Xbox Elite controller. Quite frankly, it is a work of art -- featuring a customizable, modular design and a sexy look. The problem? It is insanely expensive at $149.99. If you can afford it, more power to you, however, is it fair that a console gamer can simply buy an advantage?
Minecraft is coming to Microsoft HoloLens, and it looks incredible
It has been a few months since we first heard about HoloLens, Microsoft's foray into holographic virtual reality. We've already been told that the platform will be able to run Windows apps in 3D, but -- let's be honest -- what people are really looking forward to is the potential for games. Today at E3, Mojang demoed the upcoming HoloLens version of Minecraft.
This is a game that has proved phenomenally successful, and the preview showed off today looks nothing short of incredible. This is a game that is all about the third dimension, and truly takes advantage of what HoloLens has to offer in this department.
Xbox One gets backwards compatibility, will play over 100 Xbox 360 games
If you own an Xbox One gaming console and wanted to play Xbox 360 titles on it, Microsoft is granting your wish. At gaming conference E3, Xbox chief Phil Spencer announced that backwards compatibility is coming to the current-gen console.
At the event, the company demonstrated Mass Effect by Mike Ybarra, one of the most popular Xbox 360 titles, on the Xbox One console. The company notes that it is bringing “native” support for the old titles on the Xbox One. It will be bringing more than 100 such titles including Gears of War, Super Meat Boy, Halo Reach, Halo 3, and Borderlands, this holiday.
Microsoft's Skype for Web (Beta) available worldwide, including Linux and Chromebooks
Skype is one of the most recognizable communication services in the world. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not yet perfected it; there is plenty of room for improvement. The company is arguably mishandling Skype, by killing the much maligned Modern UI version rather than fixing it.
Not all news about Skype is bad, however; last week, Microsoft announced that it was opening the web beta to all in the US and UK -- awesome news. Today, the company makes this announcement even better, by expanding it globally, including Linux distributions and Chrome OS (which is technically a Linux distro) for instant messaging.
Watch Microsoft's E3 keynote live here
The annual E3 video game conference gets underway properly from tomorrow, but Microsoft’s press keynote takes place today, and you’ll be able to tune into it right here as it happens.
The company’s focus will, naturally, be on the Xbox One and Windows 10, but there will also be plenty of games announcements too -- Microsoft says we can expect to see "the greatest games lineup in Xbox history" this year.
How to sideload apps in Windows 10
The sideloading of apps is something that most people associate with smartphones and tablets. If you want to install unofficial apps on your iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone handset, there are things you can do to make this possible. The same is true with Windows 10 assuming you are using build 10122 or newer.
If you want to be able to install apps that are not featured in the Store, all you need to do is enable Developer Mode. As the name would suggest, this is something that will be of particular interest to developers as it makes it possible for them to test out their own apps before they hit the store, but there's nothing to stop anyone from enabling the mode to take advantage of the same feature. Here's what you need to do.
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