Last week, we told you of Microsoft's plan to release its Xbox 360 console bundled with a Kinect sensor for $99, with a paying subscription model charging $14.99 a month and offering users Xbox LIVE Gold Membership for the duration of the 24 month contract.
One of the most popular aspects of previous versions of the Windows operating system has to be the inclusion of Media Center which provided a rich multimedia experience to users. The news that the new Windows 8 OS won't come bundled with Media Center may have filtered down to prospective purchasers, but for those who were a little disappointed with that may be a little perturbed to find out that it isn't the only part of the Windows media experience that is missing in action.
According to sources close to The Verge, Microsoft is geared up to release a $99 Xbox + Kinect console package next week, which will charge a monthly subscription fee and include Xbox Live access, as well as additional extras.
The Release Preview of Windows 8 will be released in June, it has been confirmed by Microsoft today. Subsequently, the final version will be signed off and released to PC manufacturers at the same time, which suggests the retail date could arrive as early as September.
The tech world was stunned last year when Microsoft shelled out a jaw-dropping $8.5 billion to acquire VoIP telecommunications outfit Skype. While the move itself was a logical one for business expansion, the price shocked many, who couldn't see why the Redmond-based outfit had parted with so much money for a company which wasn't making much of its own.
Earlier this week, Microsoft officially unveiled the official SKUs of Windows 8, and, much to the surprise of many Microsoft enthusiasts, they actually simplified things. However, while the simplification is definitely a great step as far as branding is concerned, they did do one peculiar thing: The SKU for Windows on ARM was named Windows RT.
Following much rumor and speculation, Microsoft has just announced the final Windows 8 SKUs, as well as reaffirm that Windows 8 is the official, final name of the upcoming OS. Prior to clicking on the link to the announcement post on the Windows Team Blog, I was slightly nervous; Microsoft is notorious among the tech community for their unnecessarily complicated product branding. Expecting the worst, I was actually quite delighted to see that Microsoft… actually simplified the number of editions in Windows 8!
Given that Windows Phone is still in relative infancy, the activity regarding customization and modding devices running Microsoft's mobile OS has yet to really get out of first gear. The guys over at XDA Developers have once again delivered a treat to mobile enthusiasts, though, with the first custom ROM for both the Lumia 800 and 710.
With the Xbox 360 now in its seventh year on the market, the ardent gamers are getting increasingly excited about the prospect of its successor, and the rumor mill has been fairly rampant over the past 6 months or so, covering just about every eventuality possible.
There's a lot of talk right now about Nokia and its Windows Phone 7 handsets. Specifically, it is the newly released and much hyped Lumia 900 which is seeing most of the headlines and clicks right now.
