The first time we mentioned that Microsoft was considering buying out the hardware portion of Nokia was back in June of this year. Microsoft announced in September that it would continue to license Windows phone to other customers after the Nokia purchase. The purchase deal was subject to certain closing conditions. One of the major […]
Later today, Nokia’s shareholders are expected to convene and vote on the approval of the sale of Nokia’s handset division to Microsoft, although it should be noted that this does not cover the approval of the Patent License Agreement or the HERE licensing arrangement as well. It is expected that there will not be much opposition to the acquisition by Microsoft as Nokia shareholders have seen the company’s share prices doubled since the deal was announced back in early September. Assuming all goes well with shareholders and regulatory boards approving the acquisition, the deal is expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2014.
Both Microsoft and Nokia have had a pretty special partnership with each other over the past few years, with Nokia pretty much putting all their eggs into Microsoft’s Windows Phone basket, a move which surprised many given that the Windows Phone platform was struggling at that time. While Windows Phone is still a pretty small player in the smartphone market, it has managed to grow, partly thanks to the efforts of Microsoft and Nokia, with the Finnish company rolling out some pretty impressive Windows Phone devices which have surprisingly caught on in emerging markets. What do you guys think? Are you for this acquisition, or do you think that Nokia should not have sold themselves to Microsoft?
Nokia Shareholders Expected To Approve Microsoft Acquisition Later Today original content from Ubergizmo. 
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So, the next generation console war is about to enter full swing later this weekend as the Xbox One from Microsoft is released then, and whether it will be able to follow up with Sony’s PS4 performance of 1 million units sold in 24 hours remain to be seen. Well, I am quite sure that much thought have gone into the Xbox One as well as its controller during the design phase, so it is interesting to look at how the design process came about and what it entailed. In fact, GamesBeat have managed to find out that Microsoft actually invested more than a cool $100 million in order to redesign the Xbox 360 controller to bring it to the Xbox One generation. How do you improve what has been deemed as “best in class” to be better?
Some of the prototypes involved built-in displays and cameras, with another one actually packing in a cartridge that emits smells. Not only that, there is also another prototype that featured a built-in projector which is able to throw out visuals which would bring back memories of an illuminated room. Perhaps after the Xbox One’s generation is over, the future console from Microsoft will be able to let you smell what is going on in the game itself.
Xbox One Controller Could Have Come With Smell-O-Vision original content from Ubergizmo. 
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While Sony was content to toy with radical designs for the PlayStation 4’s controller, it turns out Microsoft took a more conservative approach when building the Xbox One’s gamepad. GamesBeat scored a look at the controller creation process and discovered that Redmond was reluctant to tweak the Xbox 360 controller at all since it considers the hardware “best-in-class.” After some pressure from Zulfi Alam, Xbox’s general manager for accessories, Ballmer and Co. decided to explore what changes could be made, and invested over $100 million throughout the course of the effort.
Despite the firm’s aversion to rocking the proverbial boat, it still wound up with more than a few unconventional prototypes — some of which packed built-in displays and cameras. One of the strangest versions included a cartridge for emitting smells, and another featured a built-in projector that could throw out visuals reminiscent of illumiroom. Ultimately, the wackier iterations gave way to the traditional kit that’s heading to stores, as the adventurous features drained battery life too quickly or the company’s “core base didn’t appreciate them,” according to Alam. While we wouldn’t have expected the Xbox One to usher in the age of smell-o-vision, we can’t help but wonder what that future would have looked smelled like.
Source: GamesBeat
Over the past few weeks it has been rumored multiple times that Microsoft is interesting in securing the naming rights to Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, which is the home of the famous Real Madrid soccer team. The unsubstantiated rumors even claimed at one point that Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates was personally involved in the negotiations. That is not the case though, as the president of Microsoft operations in Spain has confirmed to the country’s EFE press agency that Microsoft has no intention of renaming Real Madrid’s stadium after it.
Microsoft has collaborated with Real Madrid in the past, and Maria Garana, the president of Microsoft operations in Spain says that the company has “excellent” relationships with the soccer club. She rubbishes the rumors and reiterates that adding Redmond’s brand name is not part of the sponsorship package and that neither party is interested in making such a move. Garana says that Microsoft’s relationship with Real Madrid is “fundamentally based in technology and innovation.” Real Madrid fans, who were quite irritated by these rumors, can certainly heave a sigh of relief. The home of their beloved soccer club isn’t going to be rebranded or renamed in any way, at least not by Microsoft.
Microsoft Denies Interest In Renaming Real Madrid’s Stadium original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Microsoft has long championed Windows Phone’s Office integration, but there has been a missing piece in that puzzle: an official way to control Office from a Windows Phone. The company is filling that gap today by launching its Office Remote app. The Windows Phone 8 client lets users navigate Excel, PowerPoint and Word on a Bluetooth-equipped Windows 7 or 8 PC, offering slide notes and other cues you’ll need for a big presentation. We can’t promise that managers will be impressed when you steer a quarterly results briefing from your Lumia 1520, but it won’t hurt to grab Office Remote today from the Windows Phone Store.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Windows Phone Store
Google and Microsoft have reworked their search algorithms to make child abuse content harder to find, though some experts still argue that it will make little difference to those who actually hunt out the illegal imagery. Announced at a UK internet safety summit, the new search code has apparently already removed around 100,000 Google results […]
During this year’s E3, Microsoft announced a number of titles would be making their way to the Xbox One when it releases on November 22. Minecraft unfortunately won’t be available at the launch of the Xbox One, but once it does become available, Xbox 360 saves may possibly be transferrable to the next-generation console. (more…)
Minecraft Xbox 360 Save File Transfers To Xbox One Currently In Development original content from Ubergizmo. 
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If you start counting from the Magnavox Odyssey, we’ve been playing console games for seven generations now. Yes, it’s crazy to think of, but it’s even more alarming to realize that the industry has been in an all-out “war” since generation three. For better or worse, competition became a part of the hardware cycle. The players (you know, Sega, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft) have changed several times through the years, but until recently, the game hasn’t — the console wars were fought over who had more bits, what had the most RAM and how fast a machine could render frames. Now, as we kick off generation eight, we’re seeing a very different kind of contest.
We’re not saying that hardware specifications don’t matter — they absolutely do — but this time, the two leading armies are packing painfully similar heat. On paper, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 really aren’t that different. So, what’s going to win the war? Software, services and brand.
Is a device with a 6-inch display even a smartphone anymore? The Lumia 1520 is so comically large that doing ordinary smartphone things with it feels like you’re making a joke. At its best, the 1520 is a funny party trick. At its worst, it’s absurd.
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