Microsoft has just confirmed that its upcoming Windows 8.1 will begin rolling out on 17th October to consumers, which ties in nicely with previous reports. The update, which will hit the various markets across the world periodically over the course of the 24 hours thereafter, brings a whole host of small changes from Windows 8 that collectively make for a better overall user experience.
While the adoption numbers of Microsoft's Windows 8 platform have been relatively impressive, many consumers have struggled to adapt to the new tiled interface. It's not particularly complicated by any means, but the significant changes made from Windows 7 mean there is a bit of a learning curve involved for anybody looking to be just as productive on the latest and greatest OS. To aid the continued transition, Microsoft has just dropped an all-new keyboard and mouse package that is, the company says, tailored to suit the needs of Windows 8 users.
Although most Xbox LIVE users get their fill of the online multiplayer experience through the Gold membership, Microsoft also used to run a "Home Gold" package designed to target families. For $99 per year, everybody in the family could have their own little piece of the sprawling universe that is Xbox LIVE, but having stopped accepting signups for the family package earlier on this year, it doesn't look as though it will be carrying through to the next generation. With that said, there's plenty of good news for those currently tethered to the Home Gold plan, for not only will all sub-accounts get their very own Xbox LIVE Gold membership, but Microsoft is throwing an extra three months into the bargain.
The Xbox One may have arrived late on in the day compared to the February launch of the PlayStation 4, but Microsoft seems determined to make up for lost time. Towards the end of last week, we saw Major Nelson run a special unboxing of the forthcoming console for fans to drool over, and with a short clip focused on the controller also arriving on the same day, the Redmond company has now come through with a feature-length video tour of the new game pad.
The Microsoft Xbox One should be hitting the market later on this year, and in anticipation of the big release, the Redmond company is doing everything it can to whet the appetites of consumers. We've already feasted our eyes on the console's new design and most of the key accessories, and today, the software maker has released yet another couple of videos allowing us to take a closer look at the new controller and some of the other important Xbox One accessories. The clips are only around 40 seconds long, but give enough of an insight to be deemed a must-watch for any prospective Xbox One owner. You can check the videos out after the break!
It's no secret that while Microsoft's Windows Phone platform has potential, it's going to continue struggling against iOS and Android unless it manages to cajole a decent amount of developers into building apps for its fledgling platform. In order to try and strengthen the ecosystem, the Redmond company has just introduced an all-new dev tool by the name of Windows Phone App Studio. Currently in beta, it allows anybody to create a basic app for Windows Phone -- regardless of experience in coding -- and although its ease of use means it does carry its fair share of limitations, it could be the software maker's secret weapon in finally thrusting Windows Phone from its relative obscurity.
In a move that is likely to grab the attention of those potential consumers sitting on the fence, Microsoft have taken the decision to slash $100 off the price of Surface Pro. The Redmond based company is no stranger to price reductions when it comes to the Surface. It was only last month that they reduced the price of all Surface RT hardware by $150, a move that many seem to think signals the company's intention to refresh the line in the near future.
There are very few things more annoying about using a smartphone than being right in the middle of a task - and somebody calls. The fact that they've called isn't perhaps the most irritating thing, but because your entire display is interrupted by the call, you're basically obligated to stop what you were doing and answer. If you're looking for a more subtle, unobtrusive notification of an incoming call, a new app by the name of CallHeads may well have you covered.
The upcoming next-gen console battle is so very nearly upon us and in anticipation of the release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this holiday, both Microsoft and Sony are naturally trying to score as many points with the gaming world as they possibly can. Recognizing that the graphics performance of its Xbox One is, at least on paper, inferior to that of the PS4, Microsoft has been working on pushing the boundaries further in this department since the console's announcement back in May.
When you stack up the graphics prowess of the PlayStation 4 against the Xbox One, there's no doubt that the Sony console is reflected favorably, but as we know, there's a great deal of difference between the on-paper checklist and real world gaming. The PlayStation 4, overall, offers around 50 percent more GPU power than its Redmond counterpart, you can't really draw any firm conclusions from these figures alone. Eurogamer, in collaboration with Digital Foundry, has sought to compare the two unreleased machines by mocking them up using parts similar to those announced, offering a relatively strong idea of what we can expect from each.
