Many believe that video game consoles are preferable platforms for game publishing because of the lack of piracy and therefore better opportunities to earn higher revenue. However, since PCs are so widespread these days that even with piracy the market of PC video games is now larger than the market …
Read More »IE security flaw puts Windows XP users at risk
If you're still clinging on to the 12 year old Windows XP operating system then you might want to think about upgrading as a new security flaw has been found that allows hackers to gain full user permissions over your computer. This means that once a hacker has access, it …
Read More »AMD’s x86 processor market share rises, thanks to game consoles
New-generation video game consoles from Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. not only help AMD to offset declines of PC chips sales, but actually drive the company’s share on the market of x86 microprocessors. In the first quarter of 2014 AMD managed to gain share, whereas Intel Corp. lost some ground. …
Read More »First photo of Microsoft Surface Mini published by case maker
A smaller version of Microsoft Corp.’s Surface media tablet has been discussed ever since the launch of the original Surface back in 2012, but the software giant has never confirmed plans to release such a product. Nonetheless, in many cases rumours do materialise and the so-called Surface Mini tablet is …
Read More »64-bit Google Android devices will only emerge by Christmas
Although Intel Corp. already offers 64-bit microprocessors for ultra-mobile devices that are compatible with Google Android operating systems and a number of ARM partners plan to reveal their 64-bit system-on-chips featuring ARMv8 architecture in the coming months, actual 64-bit Android-based devices will only emerge by end of 2014. “We have …
Read More »Devs still struggling to hit 1080p, 60fps on both next gen consoles
It has been evident for a while that the Xbox One wasn't built for 1080p gaming and while some developers are managing to hit the resolution, many are still struggling. On the flip-side however, Sony's Playstation 4 is hitting 1080p more often than not although it seems to be struggling …
Read More »Windows 8.2 may be due this Fall, Windows 9, Windows 10 are en route
Microsoft Corp. has just released Windows 8.1 update 1, but the work in Redmond, Washington, continues. Based on a new leak allegedly made by Wzor, a well-known source of Microsoft-related news with a good track record, the software giant may release a new Windows 8 update this year. The general …
Read More »Japanese Xbox One launch gets dev support
It's easy to forget more than six months on from the launch of the Xbox One that it isn't available everywhere yet. One of those territories is quite a big one for gaming too – though not a big one for Microsoft – Japan. The Xbox One won't be landing …
Read More »Nokia’s devices and services unit to be renamed to Microsoft Mobile Oy
The sale of Nokia Corp.’s devices and services business unit to Microsoft is set to be closed this month and it looks like the situation with Nokia brand and the future of Nokia itself are getting clear. A letter from Microsoft suggests that the company will give its smartphone division …
Read More »Microsoft Xbox One total sales exceed five million units
Microsoft Corp. early on Friday said that total life-to-date sales of its Xbox One video game consoles have totaled five million units. The company is about two million units behind its arch-rival Sony Computer Entertainment, which has managed to sell over seven million PlayStation 4 consoles to date. It appears …
Read More »Nokia halts sales of tablet due to charger fault, advises not to use it
Nokia Corp. on Thursday halted sales of its Lumia 2520 media tablet and asked current owners to stop using the charger supplied with the device. The company said that at least some of the AC-300 chargers supplied with the slate are dangerous and can pose a hazard of an electric …
Read More »UK retailers cutting down Xbox One prices even more
Microsoft has been getting pretty aggressive with its pricing recently, once Titanfall launched, the Xbox One dropped in price to £399.99 and now the Titanfall bundle has been cut down further to match the PS4 at £349,99, which is closing in on £100 off of the console's original launch price. …
Read More »Microsoft Surface 2 4G gets UK release date
The 4G version of Microsoft's much improved Surface 2 tablet will be coming to the UK next month, Microsoft has confirmed. Currently only WiFi models are available and with networks getting stricter on mobile tethering, its getting harder to use your tablet to get online while on the road. The …
Read More »Nokia-Microsoft transaction nearly complete after China okays the deal
Nokia Corp. has announced that the Chinese anti-trust authorities have approved the sale of its devices and services division to Microsoft Corp. Essentially, this means that the transaction between the two companies is complete as by now the two were authorized by the majority of the world’s regulators. Nokia and …
Read More »Kapersky on XP end of life compound problems
Today is the day that Microsoft officially ends support for Windows XP, one of its most popular pieces of software ever and of course, everyone is trying to scare up a storm so that in the wake of no more patches, you buy something to protect yourself. And Kapersky is …
Read More »Microsoft Office apps for iPad hit 12 million downloads
Microsoft Corp. has announced that its Office applications for Apple iPad were downloaded more than 12 million times in just one week. At present, the Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint applications are top free apps in Apple’s AppStore. But is 12 million really a lot? “More than 12 million downloads …
Read More »Microsoft shows off Cloud gaming tech demo
Microsoft has shown off a tech demo for its cloud computing technology at its yearly Build Developers Conference this week. Microsoft has talked about cloud computing and its ability to help systems run games better for some time now but had yet to really show gamers any proof. Titanfall is …
Read More »Microsoft officially announces its answer to Siri- Cortana
It has been rumoured for a while but Microsoft has finally officially revealed Cortana, the Windows Phone version of Siri or Google Now. The Halo AI inspired voice assistant will be available in the next Windows Phone 8.1 update which is due to arrive in the US in beta form …
Read More »Microsoft to drop Windows license fees for select devices
Microsoft Corp. announced at the Build 2014 conference on Wednesday that it would waive licensing fees for special versions of Windows operating systems for select devices. Microsoft wants to enable partners to offer lower-cost systems in the highly competitive smartphone, tablet and PC categories. Microsoft Windows will be available for …
Read More »Microsoft readies ‘Windows on Devices’, teams up with Intel
What do smartwatches, intelligent coffee mugs, robots and smart goggles have in common? It looks like Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have an answer: Intel chips and Windows software inside. At the Build 2014 conference, the two companies indicated they would team up for wearable devices, tiny intelligent electronics, robots …
Read More »Xbox’s Ed Fries thinks VR will be a bust, like 3D
There's a lot of talk of Virtual Reality at the moment, with the announcement of Facebook's Oculus acquisition, Sony's debut of the Morpheus prototype and the news that there's a new kid on the block, the next year is looking quite exciting for VR enthusiasts. However, not everyone thinks the …
Read More »GlobalFoundries to make semi-custom APUs, CPUs, GPUs for AMD
Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday announced plans to slightly boost its purchase commitment from GlobalFoundries by around $50 million this year compared to last year. As part of the agreement, the contract maker of chips will manufacture not only its traditional central processing units (CPUs) and accelerated processing units (APUs) …
Read More »Xbox head vows to bring leading games to all Microsoft platforms
Satya Nadella, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., continues to re-appoint executives in an attempt to create an efficient executive team at the software giant. In addition to the new team, we are starting to see changes that Mr. Nadella wants to bring to Microsoft. For example, …
Read More »Microsoft may launch Windows Phone 8.1 later this month
Although the code-named “Blue” updates were supposed to modernize virtually all products and services offered by Microsoft Corp., the Windows Phone still has not received its updates nearly half a year after the launch of Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1. However, the wait seems to be nearly over as, …
Read More »Microsoft spends $150 million on wearable tech assets
Microsoft is starting to make moves in the wearable tech and virtual reality space as it has reportedly spent $150 million on augmented reality and head-mounted computing technology patents. The intellectual properties and patents were bought from Osterhout Design Group, a not so well known tech company that worked with industrial …
Read More »Qualcomm confirms plans to support Microsoft DirectX 12
Although Qualcomm took part in the announcement of Microsoft Corp.’s DirectX 12 application programming interface, the company’s plans regarding support of the new API were not completely clear. Last week an executive of Qualcomm confirmed that the future Adreno graphics cores will fully support DirectX 12. The current Snapdragon 800 …
Read More »Microsoft reveals the new Kinect for Windows
Microsoft has unveiled the new Kinect sensor for Windows which for the most part, looks the same as the Kinect sensor for Xbox One with just a few differences. The new Kinect requires two other pieces of hardware to work properly: the hub and the power supply, which come included …
Read More »Dell licenses Android-, Chrome- and Xbox-related patents from Microsoft
Dell and Microsoft this week announced a patent licensing agreement that covers a broad set of intellectual property and also causes a lot of questions. Under the terms of the deal, Dell will obtain licenses to use Microsoft IP that covers Google Android and Chrome platforms. Moreover, Dell may get …
Read More »Microsoft launches free Office for Apple iPad, but there is a catch
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday made several announcements regarding Office suite applications for Apple iOS and Google Android mobile platforms. The company introduced Office for the iPad and free Office Mobile apps for iPhone and Android smartphones. While the applications are free to get, Microsoft requires Office 365 subscription to actually …
Read More »Founder of Oculus VR: Facebook – a better home than Apple or Microsoft
The acquisition of Oculus VR company by Facebook caught everyone in the industry by surprise. It took just around two years between collecting money for the start-up on Kickstarter and selling it for whopping $2 billion of dollars. Still many gamers and enthusiasts are not happy with the deal. Palmer …
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