Hasta La Gadget!

Now here is a rather interesting proposition – Microsoft, a corporate giant in its own right, already has their very own retail website, not to mention have over 75 Microsoft Store brick-and-mortar locations which dot the landscape in the U.S. as well as Canada. The thing is, the company still has plans to expand their retail presence, and their latest effort in doing so would be through the announcement of their very own store on eBay.

According to the Microsoft blog,” By working with eBay, a top global shopping destination with more than 124 million active users globally, even more customers can now purchase their favorite Microsoft first-party products including Surface and Xbox, as well as accessories. Our customers can expect the same safe online shopping experience, return policy and free shipping from the Microsoft Store on eBay that they’ve come to expect on microsoftstore.com.”

Right now, the eBay page for Microsoft does seem to arrive with a limited supply of products in comparison to the main Microsoft Store site. It is still selling the previous generation Surface and Surface Pro tablets at a discount, instead of having the most recent Surface products on sale. While everyone is looking forward to the Xbox One this weekend, the eBay page is still pushing the aged Xbox 360 console. We wish Microsoft the very best in this endeavor! [Press Release]

Microsoft Store Now On eBay original content from Ubergizmo.

There has already been a lot of speculation about who is going to get the top job at Redmond. Being the CEO of one of the biggest tech companies in the world is no easy job and Microsoft will most definitely be looking for the right candidate. Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates has attended but not addressed the company’s annual shareholder meeting for the past few years, today he broke that pattern in Bellevue, Washington. Bill Gates talked about various subjects, including the company’s search for a new leader.

Gates thanked Ballmer for his service, adding that Microsoft is “quite unusual” as it has only had two CEOs in its entire 38 year history, the two CEOs being Gates himself and his successor Steve Ballmer. Outgoing CEO Ballmer announced earlier this year that he’s going to step down within the next 12 months as the board’s special committee conducts a search for his successor. Gates said today that the committee is considering several people, both internal and external candidates are being vetted, but he didn’t give any specific names. Recent rumors suggest that ex Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Microsoft COO Kevin Turner are at the top of the list. Gates didn’t say when we can expect the search to be completed, though he did mention that he and the committee are pleased with the search process so far. Gates said that the new CEO will have to lead a “complex global business,” and focus on the company’s strengths and address the areas where its weak or faces challenges.

Bill Gates Talks About The Search For New Microsoft CEO original content from Ubergizmo.

As the ancient proverb goes: a next-gen console ain’t no next-gen console without next-gen mobile apps. We can’t remember who said that exactly, but it’s impossible to forget what’s built into the new Xbox One SmartGlass app. After all, Microsoft’s been hyping everything you’ll be able to do with that second screen for months now. In preparation for the One’s launch later this week, the companion app has (unsurprisingly) landed first in the Windows Phone store. As you’d imagine, it’s basically useless, but you can still download it, sign in and poke around the limited UI should you wish. We expect the new version to show up in the App and Play stores in due course, but perhaps this debut appearance will remind Sony that Windows Phone users like apps, too.

Update: It appears that Microsoft not only released the SmartGlass app for Windows Phone today, but the folks in Redmond unveiled the Windows 8.1 version as well. So now that Microsoft fans can get SmartGlass on any of their devices, the only thing remaining is to get their hands on that lust-worthy console.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile, Microsoft

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Via: the::unwired

Source: Windows Phone store, Windows App Store

The world marked its calendars for November 19th when it was first announced that Microsoft has agreed to acquire Nokia’s phone business for $7.17 billion. The Finnish manufacturer’s shareholders were to vote on this deal today, and they have done so in favor of the deal with overwhelming majority. 99.7 percent of the votes have returned in favor of Nokia’s phone business being sold to Microsoft, which means that Redmond now has the all clear, at least from Nokia. While some shareholders might have been upset that the iconic Finnish manufacturer will no longer slap its name on devices, that didn’t tilt the vote against the deal in any major way.

As a result of this deal, ex Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will now head back to Redmond where he will take charge as the head of the devices and services team. His name has been rumored to be in the running for the CEO slot at Microsoft, so it remains to be see if he ultimately becomes Ballmer’s replacement. Microsoft gets to keep the Asha and Lumia brands, though it remains to be seen how the company integrates them with its own branding strategies. Ballmer has already said that they could go with shorter device names, but at this point in time, nothing has been said about future devices. Microsoft looks to close the transaction by Q1, 2014.

Nokia Shareholders Have Approved Sale To Microsoft original content from Ubergizmo.

It sure is good that Microsoft’s Xbox One controller doesn’t have a “Share” button dedicated to pushing live broadcasts of gameplay to the internet, because that functionality is being delayed beyond the console’s November 22nd launch date. Microsoft confirmed as much this morning in a cursory footnote in a larger piece about the Twitch.tv app, which reads, “We are working to ensure the initial Twitch on Xbox One broadcasting experience meets the expectations of the Twitch community.” It sounds like, as it stands now, broadcasting via Xbox One isn’t up to snuff for release.

“While this feature won’t be available right away, we’ll let you know as soon as it is ready,” the note continues. “Our goal is to deliver it during the first part of 2014.” We’ve yet to use the Xbox One’s broadcasting since first hearing about it during the console’s debut event last May. To be clear, the Twitch.tv app is different from the ability to broadcast gameplay through Twitch.

In addition to the delay news, Microsoft released a video of Twitch.tv’s app in action, which enables viewing of gameplay broadcasts (it’s below the break). Hilariously, this will allow Xbox One players to watch live gameplay from other game platforms, just not the one they’re using. Womp womp.

Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Software, HD, Microsoft

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Source: Xbox Wire