It's that time of year again, and I presume many of you are already preparing yourselves for the annual consumer frenzy that is Black Friday. Companies in most product fields will be lowering their prices this weekend, but it's the tech we're most interested in, and Microsoft has today joined Apple and others in revealing some of the deals it'll be offering as of tomorrow.
Accompanying the talk and speculation of the next-gen, "Xbox 720" games console, the prospect of a separate, entertainment-focused entity has also stuck around. With the current Xbox 360 having morphed from an out-and-out gaming portal to an all-round device for music, movies and apps as well as your favorite games, it's looking increasingly as though Microsoft plans to make a more sustained assault on the television market in the near future. In fact, a report over at TheVerge states, in no uncertain terms, that Microsoft is building a set-top box, and it'll rival the likes of Apple TV when eventually unveiled next year.
A games console resembles different things to different individuals, and while some prefer to chow down on some serious tactical battles on Call of Duty, others prefer - often to the disdain of neighbors and housemates - to test their vocal ranges on the various singing / karaoke games available. With Sony having already adopted a freemium model to its SingStar karaoke range, Xbox 360 maker Microsoft plans to deploy a similar tactic with its own upcoming app, which is quite aptly named Karaoke.
It's been six years since the release of the Xbox 360 and as to be expected, consumers are anxious to tuck in to the next installment. There have been many conflicting insights with regards to which features will and which will not make the cut of the next-gen Xbox - dubbed the Xbox 720 - but a recent report from Xbox World seems pretty adamant it will feature a Blu-ray drive and offer Kinect 2.0.
According to a report over at WMPowerUser, the long-awaited release of Windows Phone 7.8 is almost upon us, so those rocking one of the older WP7.X devices will be able to get something of a taster of Windows Phone 8.
Since acquiring Skype, Microsoft has been implementing the VoIP software and technology into every product possible. So far, so good, and as well as a slew of new apps for various different platforms, the promotions have also been rolled out at a rate of knots. In the latest, regular Skype users can make free calls for a month not only to other Skype users, but to mobiles and landlines.
Everybody likes free stuff, and if that particular item of "stuff" happens to relate to something you've been enjoying for a decade, well, even better. To commemorate ten years of Xbox LIVE, Microsoft has been really generous to some ardent users of its online gaming service, and has, it would appear, begun sending off free, limited edition versions of the Xbox 360 console to some of those who've been playing all along.
The problem with running on old software is, you're always likely to be left behind. In order to coerce consumers into updating or upgrading, the newest software is developed first, and anybody left behind is, well, simply left behind. While those on Windows 8 can already enjoy Internet Explorer 10, anybody still straggling on Windows 7 will still be waiting for the new version, and although it's not quite ready for end-user release, a preview version has now been dropped by Microsoft.
Wow. That was unexpected. In an interesting development today, Microsoft today announced that President of Windows and Windows Live division Steven Sinofsky is leaving the company with immediate effect. Julie Larson-Green is said to be taking over his place at Microsoft.
With the holiday season fast approaching, those looking to make the market-leading games console a feature of theirs - or somebody else's - living room will have a decent array of bundles to choose from, and if you're looking to acquire an Xbox 360 this holiday season, please check out the details below.
