"It's what's on the inside that counts" is something of an unofficial mantra of Microsoft's new Xbox One. The Kinect is perhaps the best example: externally, it's more or less unchanged from its predecessor, but it's actually a very different device. It's been upgraded in a huge way, but the end...
Your Xbox knows an awful lot about you
We've already been told a fifth season of Arrested Development on Netflix is unlikely due to scheduling issues with the show's busy ensemble. But it turns out show creator Mitch Hurwitz barely managed to get everyone together for season four —...
We think of video game consoles as being principally about, well, the games. But when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 went head-to-head in 2006, it wasn't games that truly determined the victor. What eventually drove the Xbox 360 to first place was the underlying vision — a place where your friends could connect, chat, and compete — as well as additions that no one saw coming, including...
"For the first time, you and your TV will have a relationship."
That's how Microsoft began the introduction of its new Xbox One today — a presentation that focused less on games and more on the new console as a complete living room device. "The ultimate all-in-one entertainment system," said Microsoft's Don Mattrick. And since no ultimate entertainment system is complete without television, the event segued neatly into a demonstration of the new Xbox's Live TV feature. Just say the name of a channel and it'll switch; say the name of a show and the Xbox will find it. Jumping from TV to game to the built-in Internet Explorer browser is instant, we were told. Watching an NBA basketball game? Say "fantasy" and you'll see stats and highlights instantly appear.
A familiar nightmare
The next generation is nearly upon us. Both Microsoft and Sony have revealed their latest gaming / entertainment consoles to the world, setting up yet another high stakes battle for your hard-earned dollars later this year. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 each represent a major leap over anything we've seen before from a home console in terms of hardware and software capabilities. With their...
Which side are you on?
Nigel Warren, the New York tenant who ended up in trouble with the city after renting his room out on Airbnb, just got some bad news. A judge on the city’s Environmental Control Board (ECB), which arbitrates these matters, has found Warren’s landlord guilty of violating the state's illegal hotel law and fined him $2,400. Many Airbnb listings were already explicitly illegal in New York, but...
Microsoft's latest game console is (almost ) here: the Xbox One has been unveiled. Catch up on all the big moments from the press conference — Live TV, live-action 'Halo,' new Kinect and more — in less than one-fifteenth the time. And if you have some more time, catch up on all the announcements and maybe check out our pre- and post-event shows!
Apple's iOS mobile operating system gained integration with Twitter and Facebook in recent years, and a new report from 9to5Mac claims that the next version of the platform will likely add similar integration with Flickr and Vimeo. Citing unnamed sources familiar with Apple's plans, 9to5Mac claims that users will be able to sign into their Flickr and Vimeo accounts through iOS 7's settings menus — much in the way you can integrate Facebook and Twitter accounts right now. Additionally, it is likely that third-party apps will be able to access Flickr and Vimeo services using the native integration with iOS. Earlier reports have claimed...
One of the big rumors leading up to the new Xbox One announcement was the possibility of Microsoft forcing gamers to keep the console connected to the internet. Microsoft says that while the Xbox One requires an internet connection, "it does not have to be always connected." The difference means that Xbox One players won't be restricted from gaming if a connection drops. "We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies...
Always online, but not interrupting your games
Google Glass isn’t ready for prime time. Even Google knows this, which is why it hasn't shipped to the masses yet. Instead, Google floated a few units to “Explorers,” glorified guinea pigs who can enjoy the joys and trials of this cuttingest edge of cutting edge technologies. But nascent or...
If you were hoping to play your vast collection of Xbox 360 games on Microsoft's latest creation, we've got a spot of bad news. Microsoft Xbox Live VP Marc Whitten confirmed to The Verge that the new Xbox One console will have no backwards compatibility whatsoever.
"No, there's not," said...
Microsoft has just announced a broad partnership with the National Football League intended to make the Xbox One the definitive living room device for football fans. Dubbed NFL on Xbox, the initiative will take the simple act of watching football,...
Microsoft has just announced a new expansion of the Halo universe — a live-action TV series will be coming to Xbox Live, and Steven Spielberg will be involved in an as-yet undefined role. "Halo has always been more than a game," said Bonnie Ross from 343 Industries when she...
Microsoft's Xbox One will use Blu-ray discs for games, but you won't be using them as frequently as you might have with your PlayStation 3. In a statement made to Wired, Microsoft said that all games are installed to the Xbox One's hard drive to play; you won't have to insert the disc to run the...
Microsoft has just launched its new Xbox One, and one of the first confirmed games for the next-generation console is Quantum Break. Created by Remedy Entertainment, the team behind Max Payne and Alan Wake, and produced by Microsoft Studios, the game was announced alongside Microsoft's Forza and a number of EA Sports titles.
Microsoft just unveiled its next-generation Xbox, and in addition to the console itself, the company also revealed some of the games that will be coming to the platform. Electronic Arts announced a quartet of sports games, including Madden NFL 25,...
Xbox Live has long been a central component to Microsoft's game consoles: it (and Halo 2) almost singlehandedly made the original Xbox a force to be reckoned with, and it's been key to the successes of the Xbox 360. For the Xbox One announced today, Microsoft has naturally seen fit to refresh its...
At E3 last year, Microsoft introduced Xbox SmartGlass — a second-screen companion app to the Xbox 360 for smartphones, tablets, and Windows 8 PCs...
At its Xbox One launch event today, Microsoft debuted Skype for Xbox One, a new version of the communications service that lets you conduct HD video chat with friends using the Kinect camera. You...
After months of rumors and speculation, Microsoft's next-generation console is finally here. During a special event at the company's Redmond headquarters today, Microsoft is unveiling Xbox One....
Every new Xbox One will comes with a Kinect, Microsoft has just announced. The peripheral has received an incredible overhaul: the Xbox One uses it to turn on your entire entertainment system and...
Microsoft has announced TV for Xbox One, bringing a long-rumored live TV system to its next-generation console. Saying "Xbox, watch TV" will turn on live TV, and it's possible to switch between TV...
Internet radio site Pandora is launching a new station called "Pandora Premieres." Unlike its regular service, which creates custom radio stations...
Microsoft's Xbox One will come complete with a Blu-ray drive. Games for the new console will be stored on Blu-ray discs, matching the PlayStation 4 as well as the Wii U's high-capacity proprietary media. It's not currently known what speed the Blu-ray drive runs at.
The move marks an about face from Microsoft, which opted to support DVD media on the Xbox 360 while Sony's PlayStation 3 made use...
The newly-designed Xbox One hardware will come with a redesigned controller, Microsoft revealed today at its next-generation Xbox event in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft says its console gamepad has been "refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations," including an updated...
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