Every time a major acquisition takes place in the business world, there are clear cut winners and losers – the recent buyout of Motorola Mobility by Google being no exception. However, what makes this particular example rather unusual is that, according to analyst, neither of the companies involved really comes out on top overall. Instead, [...]
Microsoft may be planning to develop and release a tablet PC under their own brand name and bearing the Windows 8 operating system during 2012, according to industry reports from a currently unnamed source. The giant of software is thought to considering a partnership project with Texas Instruments for the central processor, along with Taiwanese [...]
Microsoft on Monday revealed its approach to challenge the BlackBerry, Android and iPhone, mobile phones with its innovative Windows Phone 7 Mobile OS. At a press conference in New York, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that Windows Phone 7 mobile phones would be offered in the United States on AT&T’s (T, Fortune 500) network. Microsoft [...]
The subscription price for Xbox Live Gold is going to be increased starting from November of this year. Major Nelson had announced that the in the coming months the memberships of Xbox Live Gold will be increasing. From November 1st the prices are going to vacillate each month onward. One month the prices will fluctuate [...]
Microsoft has been scrambling frantically to get a major chunk of the market share. Customers all over the globe have indeed complaint about the lack of operating systems that Microsoft has as far as Mobile Operating systems are concerned. More so, Microsoft thinks that in order to have a major chunk of smart phone markets, [...]
It has taken them years, but Apple has finally overtaken fierce rivals Microsoft in becoming the biggest technology business in the world. The end of market trading on Wednesday 26th May 2010 left Apple combined share value at $222bn, whilst Microsoft stood at $219bn. Although the company is now officially worth more then Microsoft, the [...]
&h=&q=90&w=90&h=65&zc=1" class="alignleft" alt="">
I’m not quite sure what this was important to someone, but Todd Bishop of TechFlash sat down with Microsoft to discuss those crazy Seinfeld ads from way back in ought-8. He essentially asked Microsoft “What were you thinking?” and got some interesting replies. Essentially, Microsoft wanted to introduce Windows 7 in a big way but they weren’t sure how to go about it. Their marketing execs wanted an icebreaker to invite the world back into the mind of Microsoft. The result? Some of the craziest commercials the company ever released. But the truth is, we actually hadn’t been doing that for a while. So we were a little worried about just having a cold start into that process, just jumping in with some Windows ads around features, and speeds and feeds. We thought we needed an icebreaker. Because at that moment, our biggest fear — and this is the part that I would say you would be right to say was laughable — would be that we would run ads and nobody would notice. That somehow, we would have a party and nobody would come. Now, knowing the level of scrutiny that every slight twitch that we have gets at this point, that was an incorrect assumption, certainly on my part, that anybody would fail to notice that we had started running a new ad campaign. So the idea that we came up with was, what if we sort of eased into this, not with a hard sales pitch on one of our products, but with something that said, hey, I’m getting back in touch with consumers, I’m going on this journey as a company to get back into having a consumer conversation with people. Let’s try to find an icebreaker. Ultimately, these commercials were the precursor to the humanizing “I’m a PC” and “Laptop Hunter” ads that came later. So think of Jerry and Bill as sort of a nice sherbet before the real meat.
&h=&q=90&w=90&h=65&zc=1" class="alignleft" alt="">
Microsoft revealed more information about Project Natal today, the motion sensing Xbox 360 camera. Previously, there were some concerns about exactly how much space would be required in a room in order for the device to work properly. Microsoft says don’t worry, Natal will know you live in a crappy studio apartment in New York. Previous reports indicated that you’d need a large space to use Natal, but apparently that is not the case. Microsoft was quick to respond that they are aware of the fact that people may have limited space, and that Natal will automatically scan a room to determine the size, and be able to detect movement within a range of up to 13 feet away. This should be more then sufficient for even the smallest of living rooms, no matter where you live.
&h=&q=90&w=90&h=65&zc=1" class="alignleft" alt="">
I hate it when a product like the Viliv S10 Blade looks so good as a concept but fails to live up to its potential. The S10 has a late-model Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a multitouch 10-inch screen. Should be solid, right? Wrong. Features Multitouch resistive touchscreen Convertible design 32GB or 64GB SSD Intel Atom Z530 or Z550 CPU Pros Battery life at around 7 hours with WiFi on Multitouch screen combined with Win7’s Touch Pack Great 3G modem Cons Chintzy build quality Very weak screen hinge No way to lock the screen in tablet configuration Review The Viliv S10 Blade is the largest and latest model in Viliv’s growing arsenal. It’s essentially an S7 with a larger screen, with the same convertible touchscreen design and 3G modem. However the S10 adds a 7-point multitouch to the mix along with Windows 7. These two main additions make for a much more pleasing user experience. Computer power-wise, the S10 is technically faster than the S7 with a 1.66GHz Atom rather than a 1.33GHz. But it doesn’t seem faster because it also uses Windows 7 instead of XP. Even with all of Windows 7’s fancy user enhancements turn off, there’s still some noticeable lag opening and closing programs. Things tend to stutter. But that’s a small price to pay for the goodies that come with Windows 7 Touch Pack. While Windows 7 certainly isn’t a touchscreen-type interface, the Touch Pack makes it at least usable with a slightly modified pointer. The pack builds the touchscreen interface controls directly into the OS, rather than relying on 3rd party solutions that often didn’t work well. Touch the screen and the pointer turns from an arrow into a small round circle, which is better suited for a finger or the included stylis. Touch and hold brings up the right click menu along with the ability to drag and select multiple icons. Even the Microsoft Surface apps are included with the pack, although the graphically-intense programs do not run well on the low-power S10. Also, the handwriting app could use a little work. (see the pic to to the left) None of this touchscreen fun is Viliv’s doing, though. It’s an official Windows 7 add-on pack. Viliv however opted for a nice mutlitouch touchscreen that full takes advantage of this pack. Everything from pinch-to-zoom works. It’s practical use however is still in question because right now there isn’t much taking advantage of it on the small, low-power device. While the multitouch screen is cool, it’s also one of the S10’s main disappointment. It has a horrible viewing angle. It must be +/-10 degrees. Users cannot be at all off of center. Forget about folding the screen flat and laying the it on the table in slate mode. You can’t see it unless you’re directly above the screen. Then there’s the screen hinge. This is where the S10 really starts to fall apart. It’s a bit on the loosey goosey side. A loose hinge is even worse on a convertable notebook as there’s nothing stopping the screen from twisting and turning at the slightest touch. Generally convertable notebooks and netbooks have a little latch or a very strong hinge to prevent the screen from moving when in notebook mode. Then in tablet mode, there should be another latch that locks the screen in place. But the S10 doesn’t have either allowing the screen to move around way too much. This could be a dealbreaker for some power users coming looking to upgrade from older convertible models. It’s not just the screen that looks and feels cheap. Even the slightly amount of pressure between the battery and the front lip causes the plastic to flex, revealing the hard edge of the battery. The keyboard is mushy and while the trackpad is fine, the mouse buttons are the single bar-type that rock between right and left click that require you to click on a small sweet spot rather than anywhere on the bar. The speakers are horrible, which is actually a bit of a surprise. The two previous Viliv’s I’ve reviewed, the X70 tablet and S7 netbook, both had speakers that were both loud and clear. Not the S10, though. The computing power is on par for an Atom. It handles YouTube and Xvid videos fine, but chokes when it comes to Hulu and any of the included Microsoft Surface apps. GeekBench gave it a 793. There is some good news, though. The 3G modem is great and I found the battery lasted around 7 hours under normal use with the WiFi on. (that’s it) So while I love to tell you that the S10 is a viable slate alternative, I can’t. The bad screen hinge is that big of a deal in my mind. It not only contributes to the cheap feel, but also seriously limits the S10’s ability as a tablet as there’s no way to confidently keep the netbook in tablet mode without the aid of a latch or locking mechanism. It’s a fine netbook with the normal mediocre performance that an Atom CPU offers, but don’t think that the S10 is the best of both the netbook and tablet worlds.
&h=&q=90&w=90&h=65&zc=1" class="alignleft" alt="">
Despite repeated statements to the contrary, the rumors are true: Microsoft will be selling a 250GB hard drive separate from a console. Better news, the drive is available today at your favorite retailer. Microsoft revealed the news via the accessories section of the Xbox Dashboard, so it’s not clear if this was intentional, or if someone made an error. Either way, the 250GB drive is available today, and selling for $129.99 and your favorite retailer or online. A bit steep for a drive this size, but since you can only buy one from Microsoft, you don’t have much choice. [via Joystiq ]
© 2012 Headline News. All Rights Reserved. Log in