Hasta La Gadget!

According to a job listing popping up this week, “in the next 18 months” there’s going to be a whole new batch of Microsoft products including not least of all a whole new Xbox. This job listing says quite specifically what the new hire will be working on, it including no less than a year and a half of efforts into essentially a whole new collection of interfaces for Microsoft hardware. But here’s the thing: this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an Xbox 720 coming in under 2 years, it may only mean that there’s going to be a software update.

UPDATE: The listing has now been taken down – perhaps a bit too revealing for the public to see with prying eyes.

What we’re to understand here is that Microsoft is looking for someone willing to be part of an initiative in Microsoft that’ll revitalize their whole empire. Of course we know that Windows 8 is coming and that Windows Phone 8 is popping up too. We also know that the next version of Office is well on its way into our hearts this season as well. What we don’t know is what precisely Microsoft will bring to the Xbox universe.

“Over the next eighteen months Microsoft will release new versions of all of our most significant products including Windows (Client, Server, Phone and Azure), Office and Xbox.” – Microsoft job listing

Earlier this season we saw Microsoft speaking about a “new Xbox” only to quickly turn around and assure the public that it was only a software update that’ll be bumped. We imagine they’ll say the same thing about this situation. Perhaps a new thinner console could be in the works as well. Have a peek in the timeline below to check on all of the most recent rumors, tips, and leaks of information on the next generation gaming beast.

[via Laptop Memo]

New Xbox tipped in Microsoft job listing is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s a wrap! Suffice it to say, it’s a been a relatively short, yet astoundingly fruitful — and initially record-breaking — funding run for OUYA, the hackable, Android-based gaming console. With just 29 days to work with since being announced, the Yves Behar-designed system has raked in over $8.58 million thanks to just under 63,300 backers on Kickstarter as of its official 1AM ET funding deadline today (You’ll find the final tally below).

Those who opted for developer editions will be able to start tinkering with their own units around December, while the majority of backers should receive the console as early as March 2013. Missed the Kickstarter bandwagon? Don’t fret, because OUYA plans to take pre-orders from the general public over the web soon, expecting those units to arrive at doorsteps near April.

The numbers are only part of the picture, of course. If you’ll recall, OUYA swiftly acquired a slew of partnerships from companies like OnLive, Square Enix, XBMC, Vevo, and Robotoki — and as if that wasn’t enough, just yesterday Namco Bandai and Plex officially joined the content-providing party as well. What’s more, we now know that each console will support up to four of those touchpad-equipped controllers for local multiplayer action. Even with all that, this story is far from over, as Joystiq points out that Julie Uhrman and company “promise” to have more updates before its official launch. Naturally, it still remains to be seen how OUYA’s (literally) tiny, Tegra 3-powered footprint will fare against the big three in gaming, but we’re cautiously optimistic.

So, while the final, mass-produced product is still months away, in the meantime you’ll find a recap of all the highlights from OUYA in the nifty saga module below. You can also hit up our friends at Joystiq here for extra insight from the company about its successes so far.

Update (1:15AM): Despite the timer hitting zero, it appears that pledges are still being accepted past the 1AM deadline — better be quick! We’ll be sure to update the numbers again as soon pledging is officially halted.

Update 2 (7:30AM): It took a bit of time, but OUYA’s Kickstarter is officially not accepting any more pledges. The final numbers? 63,416 backers helped to raise a final sum of $8,596,475.

Filed under: Gaming

OUYA’s Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.59 million raised, starts shipping in March originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the break-out kickstarter project known as the OUYA gaming steam with not just future prospective users, but developers of apps for the Android-based system as well, the folks at iHeartRadio decided that it was time to jump on board. This gaming console works with Android and is ready to bring on a collection of games with wireless controllers and a full HD television hookup – so what would a radio app be doing on it? The folks at Clear Channel are more than ready to make a case for that, we assure you.

The Android-based version of iHeartRadio has been promised by the developers at Clear Channel for the OUYA with essentially the same features as the standard edition, but one whole heck of a lot larger. In essence, this version of iHeartRadio will have an interface that’s made for a large screen and, like the current Android app, will be HTML 4 based. You’ll be getting sweet radio action right from your home audio and HDTV setup right after the OUYA console is released – easy as pie.

OUYA gained major traction after it reached the $1 million USD funding mark in the first eight hours after it was pushed to Kickstarter, making it the fastest Kickstarter project to reach such a goal in their short history. This console will end up costing right aroudn $99 USD when it’s out for real, and is the size of a Rubik’s Cube – easily transportable and made for plug-and-play action for real.

You can currently grab iHeartRadio on your Android or iOS device right this second and can access their radio environment from Xbox and GoogleTV right now as well. The OUYA iHeartRadio app will bring on web-connected radio stations from across the United States and will allow you to create custom-made radio stations at will.

Have a peek at our OUYA timeline below and don’t forget to hit up the [OUYA portal] for all the OUYA you can handle the whole weekend long!

[via iHeartRadio]

OUYA teams with iHeartRadio in newest developer update is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

To put it mildly, the OUYA console has had a better than expected funding run — the project is now past the $6 million mark, or six times what it originally needed. The team still wants a little something to end the last week of fundraising with a bang. It just unveiled a limited edition brown, brushed metal version of the console with a controller to match; all it takes is a $140 pledge during the final push to August 9th and you’ve got the Yves Behar-chosen color for yourself. The special run should arrive as part of the wider March 2013 launch. If the original silver hue will do just nicely, thank you very much, OUYA has struck another content deal and will launch Vevo’s music video hub side-by-side with the console. Click past the break for a peek at the controller, and consider a pledge on Kickstarter if you just can’t stand the thought of having the same console as everyone else.

Continue reading OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal

Filed under: Gaming

OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Android-based gaming platform known as OUYA has sent out an update letting both developers and end-users know that they’ll not only be given instructions on how to hack their devices, they’ll be given alternate software builds as well. This guarantee was initially only made to developers signing up to the development program for the gaming console, but other Kickstarter-friendly users have been assured of the option to root (with instructions) as well. The project known as Ouya has been quite vocal about being “open-source” since they first appeared on the croudfunding site Kickstarter some weeks ago, and now that they’ve raised many times their original asking amount to get their project in motion, they appear more than willing to continue with their initial promises.

For those of you wondering what’s going on here, the following nutshell explanation should suffice, starting with the difference between “hacking” and “rooting” : When you’ve got an Android-based device, you need to be able to get past a block or two before you can get at the guts if you want to “hack” the device. The OUYA device will be provided in two states, one of them “rooted”, one of them not rooted. The non-rooted device will also be able to be rooted with a set of instructions given by the manufacturer on request.

If your device is rooted, this generally means that you’re going to be able to make whatever changes you want to the Android software inside. The fact that the OUYA team is providing this set of root services to all of its users is unprecedented entirely. Google’s Nexus line of devices is root-able and Google encourages developers to get into the line’s insides, but never before has a company provided the means to do so with the product itself.

In addition, again, OUYA is providing several different software builds so that if you change your software in a way that leads you to a dead end, you can simply load the software given to you by the OUYA team and you’ll be fresh and clean. Have a peek at the timeline below to see all the other elements that are making this Android-based project a blockbuster over and over and over again.

[via OUYA]

OUYA team assures pre-hacked units on request is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.