iBall partners Intel, Microsoft for Rs 16,999 tablet

Electronics major iBall today launched an Intel Atom- processor based Windows tablet, priced at Rs 16,999 as it looks to increase the penetration of affordable business devices in India.

With the latest Windows 8.1 operating system, the 8-inch tablet will come packed with free licenses, including Microsoft Office license for one year, 1 TB OneDrive cloud storage and Windows Defender Antivirus and Firewall.

It features 2GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage (expandable upto 64 GB), 5MP rear and 2MP front camera.

Microsoft Launches The Nokia Lumia 830, Dual-Sim 730 And 4G 735

Microsoft MSFT +0.14% has today launched the Nokia Lumia 830, its new flagship affordable phone to battle with the latest from Samsung and Apple AAPL +0.59%.

Microsoft staked its claim in the flasghsip market with its new Lumia 830, which will retail at 330 euros. In comparison the Samsung Galaxy S5 sells for 440 euros and the iPhone 5S for 515 euros.

It has the latest quad-core Snapdragon processor, weighs in at 150 grams and measures in at 8.5mm thin. Microsoft describes it as its thinnest and lightest Lumia phone yet.

Microsoft is also throwing in a free subscription to music streaming service Mix Radio for all new Lumia devices, which has over 30 million songs on its books.



Microsoft also announced the dual-sim Lumia 730 and Lumia 735.  The 735, 730 and 830 all have improved front-facing cameras to improve the quality of selfies and the 735 and 730 now will ship with a new ‘selfie app’, which gives you more editing controls for your selfies.

To show off the capabilities of the front facing camera, Microsoft will ship all new Lumia models with a free three month Skype unlimited subscription.

The dual-sim Lumia 730 with retail for 199 euros and the 4G Lumia 735 will sell for 219 euros. Both devices have a 1.2ghz snapdragon processor, 6.7 mega-pixel rear camera and a front-facing wide angle camera. Both devices have the largest aperture in any smartphone yet and both will go on sale in September.

Speaking on the announcement, a carphone wearhouse spokesmen said “Windows Phone is fast becoming a very viable alternative to the other operating systems thanks to the intuitive interface and brilliant integration across other Microsoft products like Outlook, Office and even Xbox, allowing users to seamlessly connect their smartphone to their lives. Microsoft has kept up a commendable launch schedule with a range of devices all with impressive specifications addressing each level of the market.

“The 830, 730 and 735 announced today continue that with features such as a high tech selfie camera on the 730 and 735, wireless charging and the now signature on-trend fashionable colours, all at a reasonable price point look sure to help cement Microsoft smartphones as a trendy lifestyle product as well as a technically dependable one.”

Microsoft's OneDrive Android app merges personal, professional

Microsoft has released an updated version of its OneDrive for Android cloud-storage app that adds for the first time on Android support for OneDrive for Business.



The updated Android OneDrive app is available for download for free from the Google Play store as of August 28.

A few months ago, Microsoft moved the different teams working on a consumer version of its OneDrive cloud storage service and the business version of that same service into the same business unit. That may sound like a no-brainer move, but the two different OneDrives have shared little but the OneDrive name. OneDrive for Business is a feature of Office 365 and/or SharePoint.

With today's new unified OneDrive app for Android, nothing has changed from a back-end perspective. There are still separate OneDrive consumer and OneDrive for Business storage services. Microsoft is trying to make it easier for users to distinguish when they are saving and accessing files, documents, and photos in OneDrive consumer vs. OneDrive for Business.

The first revamp of the unified OneDrive consumer/business experience is happening on Android. Microsoft's updated OneDrive for Android app adds support for OneDrive for Business. (Previously, the OneDrive for Android app, which can be used on both Android phones and tablets, supported only the OneDrive consumer cloud storage service.)

A new single Android OneDrive app also features a new interface that allows users to more easily keep their work and personal files separate. Microsoft also has added support for setting up a four-digit pin to the new unified OneDrive Android app.

Microsoft officials said the company will be providing a unified OneDrive consumer/business client app to iOS and Windows Phone devices "in the coming months."

In the interim, Microsoft has made a few tweaks to those OneDrive for iOS and OneDrive for Windows Phone 8.1 apps.

OneDrive for iOS, which works on iPhone and iPad, now lets users swipe down in the app to get a search box to make searching for files and folders quicker and easier. The app also gets an "All Photos" viewing option.

Microsoft is updating OneDrive for Windows Phone 8.1 with an update for the OneDrive recycle bin, making it easier to restore accidentally deleted files and folders. It also is receiving "a number of bug fixes," according to Microsoft officials.

The Future of Messenger "MSN Messnger" has no future

After 15 years of its existence, MSN Messenger will finally shut down for good in October. Microsoft Corp, the creator of the service, has announced the news to the remaining users of the messaging service in China.



This move will bring the end to an era of the once popular online chatting services, which is currently dominated by messaging apps using mobile devices. MSN Messenger, which is now known as Windows Live Messenger, will take its last breath in China.

The service was launched by the giant software firm in 1999 as an instant messaging service. It was eventually rebranded into Windows Live Messenger. It was designed to go against rival AOL Inc’s AOL Instant Messenger or AIM.

Gradual death
MSN Messenger had up to 300 million users in 2010. But it eventually started losing most of its users as time went by. When the service dwindled the volume of its users to just 100 million in 2012, the company decided to merge it with its acquisition, Skype, which during that time had over 600 million users worldwide.

In November 2012, Microsoft announced its decision to kill the service in all countries worldwide, except in China by April 2013. But now, even that service in the mainland has weakened. According to reports, Microsoft’s decision was prompted by the increasing popularity of rival chat service in the country called QQ, which is operated by Tencent Holdings Ltd.

According to sources, the remaining Windows Live Messenger users in China were already notified about the planned shutdown of the service last August 28. However, Microsoft assured them that their contacts list would not perish if they would migrate to Skype by October 31.

Migration to Skype
Skype would continue to keep Windows Live Messenger accounts active. Additionally, those users would also obtain a $2 coupon that could be used to make international calls through Skype.

MSN Messenger, or Windows Live Messenger, would not be completely forgotten. It is leaving behind legacy features, which have been adopted by many other messaging services and apps since then. Among those are customized emoticons, gaming between multiple players, and the nudge functionality that enables users to shake their friends’ chat windows just so they could grab instant attention.

Palo Alto startup Cyanogen may help Amazon, Microsoft, others compete with Google

Cyanogen, a Palo Alto startup that has developed a popular variation on the Android operating system, is reportedly being considered for acquisition or funding by Google Inc. rivals.

The Information reported that Amazon.comInc., Microsoft Corp., Samsung Electronics and Yahoo Inc. are among potential partners or buyers of the company founded by former Samsung Mobile R&D chiefSteve Kondik, who works out of Seattle, and led by CEO Kirk McMaster in Palo Alto.

The tech giants are interested in CyanogenMod, a variation on Google's Android system developed by Kondik while he was at Samsung.

They are reportedly looking for ways to get around Mountain View-based Google's dominance of mobile operating systems, where Android has nearly 85 percent of the market, according to research firm IDC.

The report said that Cyanogen is planning a large Series C round of funding. It has raised about $30 million to date from investors who include Andreessen Horowitz, Tencent, Benchmark andRedpoint Ventures.

The company faces the usual challenges of startups that are built on open source software that is supported by enthusiastic developers. It would likely need to find services and apps that it can charge for on top of CyanogenMod.

But if it is acquired by a handset maker like Microsoft or Amazon, it could become an important differentiator from makers of other Android-powered devices.

24 Hour Free Xbox One Game Promotion Was A Mistake

Microsoft listed an interesting promotion the other day on Xbox Live showing a 24 hour free game trial. It turns out the listing was a mistake.

As previously reported, the USA Xbox Live store showed an interesting listing. If you went to look at the game listing of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, there was a chance for you to trial the Xbox One game for 24 hours. This is of course if you are an Xbox Live Gold subscriber.

Short and Sweet Reviews reports Microsoft has now released an official statement on the listing and has admitted it as an “error”. They apologize “for any inconvenience”. However, Microsoft said they are still exploring ways of benefiting Xbox Live Gold members in the future. They will keep everyone updated when special offers are to become available for Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners.

It’s likely this 24 hour thing wasn’t supposed to be up so soon. Still, a chance to play select Xbox One games for 24 hours seems like a good thing. They already give out free games each month which was a method Microsoft borrowed from PlayStation Plus.

It will be interesting if Microsoft decides to implement the 24 hour trial to select Xbox One games sometime in the future. It would be a good way to let players decide if they want to purchase the full game or not. After all, not every game available out there is worth paying for…

The Sony PlayStation 4 Continues to Put The Microsoft Xbox One to Shame

Although many in the media have dubbed the sales showdown between the Sony PlayStation 4 and the Microsoft  Xbox

Source: Sony.

One the video game "console wars," it really hasn't been a fair fight.

The PlayStation 4 gained a dominant lead over the Xbox One when the two devices were launched within a week of one another last November and hasn't looked back. Microsoft's recent revamp of a few key aspects for the Xbox One does not appear to have made any meaningful difference at present. And as investors and gaming enthusiasts learned recently, Sony's device remains as dominant as ever.

Sony surges and Microsoft meanders
Last week, Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 had surpassed 10 million total end-user sales in the 10 months since the console's market debut. This makes the PS4 Sony's fastest-selling video game console in company history and helps to further paint Microsoft's Xbox One as an increasingly inferior product (although it's hard to pin down exactly how inferior it really is).

Microsoft has been notably tight-lipped in providing periodic updates on Xbox One shipments, a sign most interpret as an attempt to avoid outright embarrassment over the console's seemingly abysmal performance versus the PS4. In April, Microsoft reported it had shipped 5 million Xbox One units into its retail channel. However, it's worth noting that Microsoft reporting shipments into its retail channel isn't necessarily the same thing as sales to consumers, Sony's preferred measuring stick for console shipment health.

Investors have attempted to establish a more current comparison between Xbox One and PS4 shipments from the recent quarterly reports from Microsoft and Sony. Although not a perfect barometer, it appeared that Sony's total console sales (PS4 and PS3) outdid Microsoft's gaming hardware (Xbox One and Xbox 360) by a rough ratio of three-to-one. Judged through this lens, it appears that Microsoft's cutting the Xbox One's price tag by $100 (to $399) to match Sony's pricing has done little to shift demand away from the PS4.

What this means going forward
If you guessed "nothing good" for Microsoft, you'd be correct.

Source: Microsoft.

Although quantifying the exact impact is difficult, Microsoft undeniably disenchanted a lot of its core user base with several decisions made in the Xbox One's rollout. Moves such as forcibly including Microsoft's Kinect motion sensing device, pricing the Xbox One $100 above the PS4, and requiring users to maintain a paid Xbox Gold subscription were all key tactical errors. That is particularly true in the context of today's gaming market, which is rife with console alternatives thanks to the proliferation of tablets and smartphones, Microsoft might find it harder than originally imagined to grow, or even keep, its once-loyal user base.

Video game hardware cycles are extremely long at about eight years between console refreshes, so there's plenty of time for Xbox One sales to catch up to the PS4. It's also important to note that Sony's console currently enjoys a substantial distribution advantage over Microsoft's device. At last tally, Sony sold the PlayStation 4 in over 100 countries and regions, while the  Xbox retails in far fewer markets. Regardless, it appears the sales discrepancy between the two cannot be entirely explained away simply because of Sony's distribution advantages.

Ultimately, this is a narrative about consumer preference, and we have little evidence suggesting user penchants will shift anytime soon. So try as Microsoft might, it still appears 2014 will be the year of the PS4 in gaming circles, and that's certainly worth noting today.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors.

Video - 10 Controversial Facts About Microsoft

Sordid santas, arrests, and court cases are all behind one of the biggest companies in the world. Discover 10 Controversial Facts About Microsoft with our clip. 

Is Microsoft Abandoning Kinect?

Wave goodbye to motion controls.

Microsoft’s motion-tracking Kinect 2.0 sensor was supposed to be what differentiated the Xbox One from the competition. It was more than just a way to talk directly to your console: It was a tool designed to transform the game machine into a social and media hub, the tip of the spear in Microsoft’s fight to take over your living room. More than anything, it was supposed to be way, way better than the first Kinect.

Today, though, it seems little more than an afterthought.

The decision to decouple Kinect from the Xbox One in May was surprising only in that it took the company a good year to do so. We certainly saw this coming: The company spent most of 2013 backtracking on its initial stance that the Xbox One couldn’t exist without Kinect. That simply wasn’t the case.

Unbundling Kinect also made sense on paper, allowing Microsoft to lower the price of the system to better compete with the PlayStation 4. But since that move, the company has had very little to say about its once-heralded accessory. And while Kinect is still very much available, the ongoing silence has many people wondering if Microsoft is essentially walking away from the device.

At its recent press conference before the gamescom show in Germany, for instance, Kinect wasn’t mentioned at all. At E3 2014 in June, it was mentioned in a quick announcement about a new Dance Central game but otherwise flew under the radar.

Microsoft, not surprisingly, has downplayed talk that it’s de-emphasizing Kinect.

“That wasn’t, in any way, to make any editorial statement about the future of Kinect,” Phil Harrison, corporate VP at Microsoft, told IGN after the gamescom press event. “It’s just that these were the games we wanted to highlight in our briefing. The games that we focused on in our briefing were the blockbusters and exclusives for this holiday, 2014.”

Harrison’s follow-up comment, though, was more telling.

“We let the developers choose” whether they want to use Kinect, he said. “It’s one of the tools that they have in their tool belt for taking advantage of the Xbox One, and we hope they continue to do so.”

Punting the decision to use Kinect over to publishers is a graceful way for Microsoft to take a hands-off approach to its fate. That’s because developers have no real incentive to use the controller, given that creating a Kinect-less game gives game makers 10 percent more graphical processing power to tap into. The development system update that followed the Kinect decoupling, in fact, let game maker Bungie increase the resolution of the Xbox One version of Destiny.

Even Microsoft’s most notable in-house Kinect developer, legendary game company Rare, is stepping away.

Four years ago, then-Rare studio head Scott Henson announced the company’s allegiance to the peripheral, saying, “Kinect will be the main focus for Rare going forwards as it’s a very rich canvas. This is just the beginning of an experience that will touch millions of people.”

At gamescom, though, Xbox studio head Phil Spencer, in discussing what’s next for Rare, downplayed the relationship.

“I don’t want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports,” he said.

Kinect hasn’t been completely buried. In a prominent television campaign, actor Aaron Paul showcases its features (inadvertently turning on existing Xbox Ones around the country).

However, when that ad comes to the all-important price screen, the $399 non-Kinect version of the Xbox One is shown, presumably the version people will seek out at retail.

And Kinect games? There are only a handful in the pipeline right now: Disney Fantasia and Dance Central Spotlight from Harmonix, Shape Up and Just Dance 2015 from Ubisoft, Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 from Halfbrick Studios, and the clever puzzle-platformer FRU from indie outfit Thought Games.

That’s a pretty meager crop, and at least one major publisher isn’t exactly gearing up for more.

“It depends which hat I put on,” said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, when asked for his thoughts about Microsoft downplaying Kinect at E3 this year. “When I put on the casual hat, it’s not good, for sure. We have less families with a camera. So it’s more difficult for [Ubisoft] to do content for families. [However,] when I put my gamer hat on, it makes sense.”

Without a significant slate of upcoming games to help promote it, Kinect in its current form seems destined for the bargain bin. It might not be dead yet, but it isn’t moving much.

Microsoft May Be Looking To Sell Xbox Entertainment Studios To Warner Bros.

The recent closure of Xbox Entertainment Studios by Microsoft MSFT +1.19% as an effort to refocus the company signaled that the company’s digital TV ambitions on Xbox was likely coming to an end. Outside of a few existing projects in the works like the high profile Halo: Nightfall, it seemed that Xbox would not focus seriously on TV show content for its players going forward.

But now there’s some interesting news out of THR that says Microsoft is shopping around Xbox Entertainment Studios to Warner Bros. The media giant is reportedly considering merging XES with the video game network it already has a large stake in, Machinima, though reps for both have declined comment on the possible deal as of yet.

Many may not realize that Warner Bros. even owns a large part of Machinima, but as recently as March 2014, Warners led a $18M round of funding for them. Machinima is often viewed as the “only game in town” when it comes to high profile YouTube video game partnerships, allowing their content creators to make videos featuring game content free from many tricky copyright issues that plague the unaffiliated. Though even their partners ran into trouble during a recent YouTube crackdown on content, and many pointed the finger at Machinima for not doing enough to prevent it.

Machinima is no stranger to working with Xbox, and helped to distribute the last Halo web series, Forward Unto Dawn, which ended up being the inspiration for the new Halo: Nightfall. The deal would potentially allow for more collaborations like that, though with Warner Bros. directly involved, they may look to bring much of the digital content to actual broadcast networks. Halo: Nightfall is already in talks to come to Showtime, even ahead of this possible deal.

It should be noted that Sony is still pressing ahead with their PlayStation TV show plans, including the upcoming Powers, based on the Brian Michael Bendis comic. If Sony’s concept of video game-based TV takes off and Microsoft has abandoned those plans completely, they could end up behind the curve.

That said, it’s easy to remain skeptical about the idea. While streaming services like Netflix NFLX +1.84% and Amazon are accessible by anyone across a number of devices, which means original content by those brands makes sense, the same can’t really be said for video game systems. These shows would be restricted to not just video game consoles, but one brand of video game console and only with a specific kind of subscription (Xbox Live Gold or PS Plus). That’s limiting your audience in a pretty huge way, and it may be that Microsoft may have the right idea by partnering with a more traditional media company for possible distribution. In Sony’s case, Powers very well may be an amazing show in the end, but limited to a select audience, it may not find the reach it deserves. And certainly no one is going to pick up a game console to watch even a handful of original shows, so it mostly exists as a fun bonus for existing owners.

An XES partnership with Machinima may worry some, however. The brand isn’t exactly beloved these days in the gaming scene, with many content creators coming forward to tell tales of how they’ve been mistreated in one way or another by a company that feels like something of a monopoly in the YouTube gaming realm. As recently as today, YouTuber Broteam came forward with a lengthy diatribe explaining how his handlers were fired without him knowing, Machinima explicitly told him to change his content from retro to present day, and he wasn’t paid an amount that was initially agreed upon in his contract. The story got worse when Machinima Producer RickyFTW started joking about Broteam’s complaints on stream, and suggested his contract be extended out of spite. Needless to say, Machinima hasn’t won all that many fans as of late, and some would be wary of them partnering with XES this closely in the wake of a possible Warner Bros. deal.

None of this has come to pass yet however, and XES remains in limbo until something official is worked out. One way or another, Halo: Nightfall will at least see the night of day, but Microsoft’s other TV plans may be put on hold indefinitely, or transferred to a more traditional media giant.

Microsoft opens new site for Lumia beta tests

Microsoft is closing the Nokia Beta Labs site, but users will still be able to test apps under development via the new Lumia Beta Apps site, designed to elicit more feedback and make it easier for users to participate.

The new site is powered by UserVoice, which also hosts the Windows Phone Feature Suggestion box page.

On the Lumia Beta Apps site, users will be able to find information about ongoing trials, instructions on how to install apps, and notes about features and known issues. Each beta has its own feedback forum for interacting with other users and the teams developing the apps, according to Microsoft.

The apps can be downloaded via Microsoft’s Windows Phone store, by clicking on a link or by scanning a QR code. Anyone is welcome to participate, but Microsoft prefers if users have a “relatively new Lumia smartphone”, “are willing to tolerate rough edges” and aren’t afraid to share their opinions, it said.

On Thursday, four apps were available on the Lumia Beta Apps site: the Nokia Camera App, Nokia Chat powered by Yahoo, App Social and Nokia Conference.

That the name of the new site does away with Nokia shouldn’t come as a surprise. Back in April, Stephen Elop, now executive vice president of the Microsoft Devices Group, said during a Q&A on the in-house Conversations website that “Nokia as a brand will not be used for long going forward for smartphones. Work is underway to select the go forward smartphone brand.”

The old betalabs.nokia.com will be closed in the near future, but all links will continue to work and redirect to the new site.

Nokia may launch Lumia 830, Lumia 730 at IFA 2014

Nokia is likely to launch Lumia 830 and Lumia 730 at IFA, Berlin on September 4.

The company is hoping that the launch of two new Windows Phone 8.1 running handsets will help it to regain some of its lost ground in the smartphone market.



Microsoft Devices is scheduled to hold a press conference at IFA and would unveil the two devices at that time. For its part, Nokia has not acknowledged which new device or devices will be launched next month, the invite sent by the company to media houses says it all. The invite to the event asks users if you're "ready for more".

The Lumia 830 codenamed Tesla will feature a 4.5-inch 720p display, 20MP PureView camera, a microSD card slot, 16GB of on-board storage and more. Some other expected features include: LTE support and Windows Phone 8.1 mobile OS under the hood.

The invite further reads "Join us for more face time". This is seen by many as a hint by Nokia at its upcoming "selfie phone".

Sources claimed that Microsoft is gearing up to launch the Lumia 730 with an exceptional front-facing camera. This phone will have a 4.7-inch 720p HD display, 5 MP front-facing camera, 6.7 MP rear-facing camera, Snapdragon 400 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of expandable internal memory. The Lumia 730 will be a mid-range handset.

Meanwhile, Taiwan-based handset maker HTC is also getting ready to launch a Android handset with a front-facing camera.

Nokia must be hoping that its upcoming Windows handsets manage to grab the attention of consumers in Asia, particularly Indian users. Nokia recently launched the low-end Lumia 530 in the Indian market. At Rs. 7,300, the new phone is dubbed by the company as the most cost effective handset under the Lumia series.

Microsoft Devices unveils cheapest Lumia device for Rs 7,349

Microsoft Devices today its most affordable Lumia smartphone, Lumia 530, in the country for Rs 7,349.

The dual SIM device will be available in stores starting tomorrow.



“The affordable smartphone segment is growing exponentially, driven primarily by youth who are constantly looking out for smartphones with power packed features at affordable prices,” Nokia India Director Marketing Viral Oza said. Nokia India is a subsidiary of Microsoft Mobiles Oy.

Lumia 530 builds on the legacy and success of Lumia 520 and will help Microsoft Devices consolidate its position in this segment further, he added.

Previously, the Lumia 520 was the cheapest smartphone in the company’s Lumia portfolio. The device is currently retailing at about Rs 8,000.

Microsoft Devices also sells affordable smartphones under the Asha range, which was part of Finnish firm Nokia’s handset business. The software giant acquired Nokia’s handset business earlier this year.

The Lumia 530 is powered by Microsoft’s latest Windows 8.1 operating system and 1.2 GHz quadcore processor. The four-inch device features 5MP rear camera, 4GB on-board memory (expandable up to 128GB) and an additional 15GB of free cloud storage on Microsoft OneDrive.

“With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8.1 and signature Lumia experiences, the Lumia 530 3G dual SIM is the perfect device for those who are looking for a distinctive smartphone,” Oza said.

The company has partnered Airtel to offer prepaid subscribers 500 MB of 3G Internet usage free for two months.

Rise of the Tomb Raider to be an Xbox exclusive

The next Lara Croft adventure will only be available on Xbox consoles, Microsoft announced today. 

At a press conference ahead of the Gamescom video game event in Cologne, Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher took to the stage to confirm that Rise of the Tomb Raider, follow-up to last year’s critically acclaimed reboot of the long-running action adventure series, will be “exclusive to Xbox”. It is not yet clear whether this means Xbox One alone, or Xbox 360, too.

The competition between Sony and Microsoft to control the current console generation is hotting up. PlayStation 4 is slightly ahead with seven million units sold, compared to a reported five million for Xbox One. The two gaming giants are currently competing to secure the best platform exclusives, but usually unless developed by in-house studios, these are merely timed offers, with one console getting key titles or content a few months before the other.

It seems at this point that this is not a timed exclusive – Rise of the Tomb Raider is unlikely to appear on PS4 or PC – at least not for the foreseeable future. The news has prompted a fierce reaction from fans, many of whom have already pre-ordered the game on other platforms. Writing via the Crystal Dynamics Tumblr, Gallagher has sought to reassure the Tomb Raider community:

“Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011. We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past – we believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.

“This doesn’t mean that we’re walking away from our fans who only play on PlayStation or on PC. Those are great systems, with great partners, and amazing communities. We have Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris coming to those platforms this December, and Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is available on PS4.”

However, there is still some slight ambiguity about whether the deal is for Winter 2015 only. Official Xbox spokesperson Larry Hyrb has simply tweeted: "Just announced… Rise of the Tomb Raider, coming holiday 2015, exclusively on Xbox."

Published by Square Enix, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a considerable coup for Microsoft – even as a timed exclusive. Last year’s Tomb Raider title has now sold around seven million copies and the series is one of the most recognisable brands in the gaming world.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is due out in the Winter of 2015.

Microsoft Debuts New White and 1 TB Xbox One Bundles

The big news out of Gamescom this morning is that Microsoft MSFT +0.37% has landed the Tomb Raider sequel as a platform exclusive from Crystal Dynamics, but it was hardly the only story to come out of their presentation.



Now that the Xbox One is free of Kinect, more and more new bundles are going to be released for the system, and two of them were on display this morning. The first is a $499 Advanced Warfare bundle, which includes the game and continues Microsoft’s longstanding bromance with Activision’s Call of Duty series. If that math doesn’t quite make sense to you, it’s because the new system comes with a double-sized 1 TB hard drive, the first of its kind in this new console generation (at least provided by the manufacturer themselves). Advanced Warfare comes pre-loaded onto the hard drive, because this is the age we live in now.

The second was a worse-kept secret, a $399 white Xbox One that comes bundled with the MS exclusive Sunset Overdrive. This bundle hits October 28th, while the COD: Advanced Warfare variant will be out November 3rd. There’s also a European FIFA 2015 bundle for £349.99 out September 25th, but that doesn’t have a special console attached to it.

The white Xbox One is nothing surprising, given the leak, and given that any system that comes in black will inevitably come in white at some point, or any white system will be black eventually, as with Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Though usually it takes a bit longer than this, and is usually complimented by a “slim” modifier. And the Xbox One is still a long way from slim, in any of these versions.

EA Access On Xbox One Is a "Game-Changer," Microsoft Says

EA Access, the recently announced Xbox One subscription program from Battlefield and Mass Effect publisher Electronic Arts, is a "game-changer," according to Microsoft.

"That was announced last week as well and is very much a game-changer," senior Xbox evangelist Jeff Rubenstein said during Major Nelson's latest podcast.

An EA Access subscription is $5/month or $30/year and lets you play any game in "The Vault" for as long as your subscription is active. You also get a 10 percent discount on EA digital games and content, as well as access to upcoming games five days before they are released. Rubenstein also shed some additional light on this last point during the podcast, saying that early access to upcoming EA games will offer "at least two hours" of gameplay. In addition, he said he thinks "pretty much every [upcoming EA] game" will be available to play ahead of time if you're a subscriber.

According to the official EA Access FAQ, early access for upcoming EA games will vary by game. For some games, you'll be able to play one mode for a limited time, while other games will allow you to play a full version for a limited time. In all cases, if you decide to buy the game when it is released, your progress will be saved, allowing you to pick up where you left off.

When asked for greater clarity on the limitations for EA Access trial games, an EA representative told GameSpot, "Each EA Access trial will be different and the amount of time you have with each free trial will differ depending on the game."

EA Access is currently in beta on Xbox One, with a public release date to be announced soon. As for why EA Access is only available on Xbox One and not PlayStation 4, Sony said last week that it did not think the service offered the kind of value PlayStation fans have come to expect.

The first four games confirmed for The Vault are FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4. More will be added in the future, and might includes titles like EA Sports UFC, Need for Speed Rivals, and Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, if box art featured on the EA Access is anything to go on. Earlier this week, EA COO Peter Moore promised that the company will not remove games from The Vault.

Microsoft recreates its first website from 1994

This was Microsoft's first web page. It's been 20 years since Microsoft created its first web page 20 years ago. In 1994, among the reasons Microsoft started a website was to put its growing Knowledge Base online.

Mark Ingalls, the first administrator of Microsoft.com, says: In 1994, using the slow dial-up connections of the era, the first Microsoft.com home page would have taken awhile to load.

"For most folks at home in that day and age, you would have been able to count to three or five before that picture showed up on your screen," Ingalls says.
Microsoft recreates its first website from 1994.

There were only a few thousand websites then - compared to nearly 1 billion now - and Microsoft was among them. In the 20 years since it has been on the Web, Microsoft.com has remained in the top 10 most-visited websites worldwide.

Microsoft.com was also one of the first corporate sites in the world to be built using modern, "responsive" design, meaning its design adapts to and renders appropriately for any device.

Microsoft and iFixit launch gadget repair guidance site

Microsoft and gadget repair website iFixit have announced the launch of a new service designed to try and help more people learn how to fix gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.

The Pro Tech Network partnership is designed to give more people the skills they need to fix devices, to both help them set up businesses and save more of the precious materials used within many of the gadgets people own.

The network offers a raft of services, ranging from in-depth repair manuals, a community where individuals can ask questions and share advice, small business accounting, cash-flow worksheets and marketing tips.

Microsoft’s group manager for Environmental Sustainability Josh Henretig said in a blog post that the company wants to ensure that as many devices as possible are used for as long as possible to cut down on electric waste.

“By providing free online training for people to set up a phone, tablet or PC repair business, we hope to increase the reuse of these devices,” he said.

“Some studies have suggested that you would need to use a tablet or phone for tens of years before the usage footprint was larger than the manufacturing footprint. With this in mind, anything that can be done to extend the life of these smaller, low-power devices can have a positive environmental benefit.”

Henretig also noted that many devices contain important materials that can be reused if they are extracted from device. “With mobile electronics containing valuable and often scarce resources, including copper, gold, lead, zinc, beryllium, tantalum and coltan, they represent a large materials resource that can be 'mined' by recycling them to help build the next generation of devices. “

By partnering with iFixit, which regularly scores major devices on their ‘repairability’, Microsoft has chosen a company that knows first-hand how hard many devices are to repair.

Jeff Snyder, director of marketing at iFixit, said the firm was pleased to work with Microsoft to launch the Pro Tech Network, though, as part of its efforts to give people the skills to fix and repair people’s gadgets.

“The explosion of mobile devices means the refurbishment industry will need new knowledge, tools and techniques to meet new challenges. The Pro Tech Network helps people learn to repair PCs, smartphones and tablets – and create businesses with these skills,” he wrote.

“Written by iFixit and sponsored by Microsoft, the Pro Tech Network collaboration ensures up-to-date business methods and repair documentation will be free and accessible, even as technology continues to change.”

Microsoft set to open data centre in India

Microsoft is contemplating to set up its first local data centre in India.

Microsoft corporate VP and CIO Jim Dubois said, “We are considering a data centre in India. There are a lot of different companies that are looking at cloud right now, in anticipation that Microsoft will somehow figure out how to get that work.”

If the setting up of the local data center fructifies it would help Microsoft offer its cloud offerings to several industry sectors, especially banking, financial services and insurance sector, which is the biggest consumer of technology.

However, Microsoft’s plan may hit a roadblock since RBI guidelines prohibit storing any customer data outside of India, which limits cloud adoption by financial services company.

Governments across the globe have become cautious about sensitive information being stored on servers at foreign locations after Edward Joseph Snowden released thousands of classified documents he had acquired while working as a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor for Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Cloud services are the fastest growing segment for Microsoft, though it contributes less than 5 percent to Microsoft’s overall revenue as of now.

“It (cloud services) is growing double, triple digit every month, not every year,” Dubois said.

According to Gartner, public cloud services market in India is expected to grow from $423 million (Rs 2,550 crore) in 2013 to $1.3 billion (Rs 7,800 crore) in 2017. Gartner expects India to be the fastest growing market for cloud adoption globally.

Microsoft sues Samsung for not paying Android royalties

Microsoft is taking Samsung to court, claiming that Samsung has stopped honoring an Android patent licensing agreement both companies have entered back in 2011.

Following fruitless discussions with Samsung over its refusal to continue paying royalties to Microsoft for every device running on Google's Android operating system it sells, Microsoft filed a lawsuit before the U.S. District Court in New York's Southern District on Friday, asking the court to take over the resolution of the dispute between it and Samsung.

In its complaint, Microsoft says Samsung was late in paying its royalties to Microsoft in the fall of last year and claims that Samsung is again threatening to pay its obligations because of Microsoft's recent acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services division. Microsoft is also seeking interest payments that currently go unpaid after Samsung's late royalties payments.

David Howard, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for Microsoft, says in a blog post that the two companies have gone through "months" of discussions to no avail, citing a "fundamental disagreement" in the companies' understanding of their contract.

"We don't take lightly filing a legal action, especially against a company with which we've enjoyed a long and productive partnership," Howard writes. "Unfortunately, even partners sometimes disagree."

Microsoft also alleges that Samsung's dominant rise to the top of the Android market is likely the reason why it has refused paying royalties. Howard cites data from research firm IDC that says Samsung shipped 314 million Android phones in the first quarter of 2014, a significant jump from the 82 million units shipped in 2011 when Samsung entered the multi-year agreement with Microsoft.

"Curiously, Samsung did not ask the court to decide whether the Nokia acquisition invalidated its contract with Microsoft, likely because it knew its position was meritless," says Howard.

Surprisingly enough, both companies extended the coverage of their contract into 2018 in November last year, after Microsoft's announcement that it was buying out Nokia's phone business and Samsung's late royalties payment for Fiscal Year 2.

Microsoft's Android patent licensing business is a profitable one, generating about $2 billion every year in revenues with a margin of around 95%, says Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund. Microsoft itself has said that nearly every Android device maker pays the company an alleged $5 to $15 in royalties for each device the company sells. The profits, Sherlund says, is used to conceal losses in Microsoft's own entertainment and devices business consisting of Windows Phone, Xbox and Skype.  

For its part, Samsung refused to say anything beyond the fact that the company is reviewing Microsoft's claims and will come up with an appropriate response based on its evaluation.