Hasta La Gadget!

Maybe you heard, but Microsoft launched a new email service today. No, not Hotmail — a completely new, built-from-scratch service. This is Outlook.com, and for the time being, at least, it will exist separately from Hotmail. So why didn’t Redmond just give Hotmail a drastic overhaul? Well, friends, there are two explanations. First, the polite one: for technical reasons, the engineers found it easier to build a new service from scratch rather than retrofit the old one. The frank answer: Microsoft is keenly aware Hotmail has a bad rap, thanks to those banners and flashy video ads. In fact, the company has been very candid that it wants not just to compete with Gmail, but siphon away some of its growing user base. As such, Outlook offers a fresh, minimal interface — far cleaner than Hotmail ever looked. What’s more, the ads are more pared-down here: no video adverts, and no targeted ads on messages between people (newsletters are still fair game).

The service is open to the public as of today and you get virtually unlimited storage, along with 7GB of SkyDrive space if you create a new Microsoft account. (Microsoft uses the word “virtually” to hedge itself against spammers who might otherwise use limitless storage to game the system.) And you should take our word when we say it’s worth giving the service a shot: we’ve been testing it for almost two weeks. Go get yourself situated and then meet us after the break for details, impressions and lots more screenshots.

Note: many of our screenshots say “NewMail” instead of “Outlook.com” in the upper left corner. NewMail is a codename Microsoft used before announcing the service to the public.

Continue reading Outlook.com preview: Microsoft reinvents its online email offerings

Filed under: Internet, Software

Outlook.com preview: Microsoft reinvents its online email offerings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype has hit back at allegations that it has opened up greater access of its instant messaging systems to law enforcement authorities, insisting that nothing has changed post-Microsoft acquisition. Concerns over Skype’s transparency around monitoring and backdoor access surfaced earlier this week, when the company refused to comment on specific wiretap provisions; however, the truth is that you’re no more likely to be monitored now – and in no greater depth – than you were before, Mark Gillett, Chief Development and Operations Officer at the company, explains on the official Skype blog.

It had been suggested that following the switch to so-called server based supernodes, Skype had extra provision for monitoring instant messaging conversations and user data (though not VoIP and video calls, something Gillett also reiterates). In fact, “the move to supernodes was not intended to facilitate greater law enforcement access to our users’ communications” the Skype exec says, and “the enhancements we have been making to our software and infrastructure have been to improve user experience and reliability. Period.”

Gillett also highlights Skype’s privacy policy and specifically that section which deals with instant messaging communications.

“Your instant messaging (IM) communications content may be stored by Skype (a) to convey and synchronise your messages and (b) to enable you to retrieve the messages and history where possible. IM messages are currently stored for a maximum of 30 days unless otherwise permitted or required by law. Skype will at all times take appropriate technical and security measures to protect your information. By using this product, you consent to the storage of your IM communications as described above” Skype

In short, Skype is doing just what the most recent suggestions indicated the company was – making chat conversations available when correctly requested from law enforcement, as long as those conversations took place within the last 30 days – but nothing more. Gillett’s comments are carefully phrased, of course, to take the emphasis off of Skype doing anything specifically and primarily in the name of law enforcement; even the rumors earlier this week suggested that the supernodes moving in-house to Microsoft’s servers had merely had the side-effect of making monitoring of IM chats more straightforward.

Skype snipes back at security change claims is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Logitech isn’t giving up on living room video chats just yet. Sure, the Revue and the Viera-friendly TV Cam failed to set the world on fire, but a new TV Cam HD just hit the FCC and appears poised to bring Skype to your couch. There was a promo video on Vimeo, but it’s since been pulled. Fortunately there’s still a Best Buy listing (at the more coverage link) for the device which has it priced at $200. When will it hit shelves? That’s anyone’s guess… but we imagine it wont be much longer.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Logitech’s Skype TV Cam HD passes through FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No one likes to think their private conversations can be eavesdropped on by a third-party. The United States government and law enforcement agencies have been trying to force VoIP carriers such as Skype and other digital communications companies to include a backdoor that would allow police and government agencies to institute a wiretap on online communications. The surveillance laws have been proposed not only in the US but in other countries as well, including Australia.

The proposed laws would force software companies to add backdoors to allow wiretapping in certain instances. Skype has historically resisted any attempt to get it to institute a backdoor for legal wiretapping. However, there is some indication from an unlikely source that things may have changed at Skype with regards to a backdoor. Hackers originally alleged that changes made to Skype’s architecture seemed to be able to make it easier for wiretapping by law enforcement agencies.

Microsoft won’t confirm or deny that it can intercept phone calls. A Microsoft spokesperson said that the VoIP service cooperates with law enforcement agencies as much as is legally and technically possible. However, we do know that Microsoft was granted a patent in June of 2011 for “legal intercept” technology designed to be used with VoIP services such as Skype. The patent documentation said that the technology would allow Skype to “silently copy communication transmitted via the communication session.”

[via Slate]

Microsoft won’t say if Skype has a wiretap backdoor is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

According to Microsoft, which released its quarterly results earlier today, the Xbox division has increased its revenues by 20%, but the credit goes entirely to the Skype acquisition that became official in May (that’s a huge number for Skype). The Xbox business suffered a small decline in fact: during the past quarter, Microsoft has shipped 1.1M Xbox consoles which is not bad at all – however, if you compare that to the 1.7M shipped during the same period last year, it’s significantly down (almost 40%).

Still, Microsoft Xbox is a $9.6B business which generates more than $360M in profits, which is about 1.5X Yahoo or 2X Facebook. Also, Microsoft is not the only player to see hardware sales go lower. Pretty much everyone in the business experienced it, so despite the negative number, Xbox can still claim to the top-selling console for the 18th consecutive month.

If you wonder why Skype falls into the Xbox division, it’s simple: that organization inside Microsoft handles most of the “consumer” stuff.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Job listing hints at deep Skype integration for the Xbox, Microsoft job listing points at Skype integration for Xbox,