Hasta La Gadget!

When Xbox Music goes live tomorrow on the Xbox 360, console owners will be the first to access the Spotify-esque service from Microsoft. Well, some of them will at least — existing Zune Pass subscribers (now an “Xbox Music Pass”) and folks willing to pony up $9.99/month or $99.90/year who also have an Xbox Live Gold account gain access to Xbox Music’s 30 million global song database via data stream (18 million songs for those of us in the US). Okay, okay, a free trial is available for 30 days. After that, though, 360 owners lose access unless they pay up.

Then, on October 26, Windows 8 PC and tablet users get the service for free — with or without the Xbox Music Pass — albeit with ads laced in. Windows Phone 8 is in the same boat with Xbox folks: no song-specific streaming without an Xbox Music Pass. That won’t arrive until some time “soon after” the PC/tablet version. Microsoft says the ad-supported free streaming is unlimited on PC and tablet, but that’s only for the first six months, after which it becomes time limited. A bummer for sure, but Microsoft’s banking on you digging the service enough to snag an Xbox Music Pass. But will you?

Like with Spotify and Pandora, some basic artist info, album/song info, and images garnish playing tracks, though not all artists are created equal — some artists had no images, while others had a detailed dossier. Microsoft says it’s adding more all the time, though. Xbox Music Pass holders can hang on to tracks for offline listening as well, which show up in your library and can be added to playlists. And should you wish to listen to a “Smart” radio station based on an artist/song/album, you can employ the “Smart DJ” (previously “Smart Playlist”) to create just such a station. The whole shebang is tied directly to your Microsoft login, mirroring settings and library data on all your devices (Xbox 360 included) accross the cloud. That same concept applies to playback, as you can pause a song on one device and pick it up right where you left off on another. Songs can also be purchased through the streaming service with or without the Xbox Music Pass, should you really want to hold onto that Barry Manilow track.

Continue reading Xbox Music heads to Xbox 360 first tomorrow, PC / tablets on Oct. 26, WP8 soon after; we go hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Alt, Microsoft

Xbox Music heads to Xbox 360 first tomorrow, PC / tablets on Oct. 26, WP8 soon after; we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live frontman Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) took to his blog on Tuesday to announce that Dish and Verizon FiOS customers can now download the Fox Broadcast app for Xbox 360 to stream next-day Fox programming. In order to use this free app, you’ll need a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription. In addition to keeping you up to date with recent episodes of Fringe and Family Guy, this new app also includes access to legacy series such as House and 24. Like most things Xbox, the Fox Broadcasting app features Kinect integration, because everything is “better with Kinect,” right?

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD

Fox Broadcast app now available to Xbox Live customers with Dish and FiOS subscriptions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fox embraced a radical thought when it outlined its Digital HD initiative earlier this month: customers are more likely to buy digital movies if the content isn’t artificially delayed and priced to match the releases on conventional discs. The studio is about to see if that gamble on common sense pays off. As of today, you’ll find 600-plus Fox movies ready to buy or rent in HD across every major digital video store in the US, with many downloads cleared to arrive ahead of their physical counterparts at lower prices that reflect a disc-free reality. The media giant has also decided to play nicely with Google after a longstanding absence, putting its movies and TV shows on Google Play Movies and YouTube. Its tentpole movie release Prometheus is unsurprisingly being used as the prime incentive to try Digital HD; the title is available online three weeks before the Blu-ray launch at a more reasonable $15 price. The sci-fi thriller is even Fox’s first movie destined for UltraViolet cloud lockers. Only Americans will have expanded access to movies and TV at first, but it shouldn’t be too long before many countries can be creeped out by Michael Fassbender’s android — including on their Android devices.

Continue reading Fox kicks off its Digital HD initiative by joining Google Play and YouTube, offering movies early

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, HD

Fox kicks off its Digital HD initiative by joining Google Play and YouTube, offering movies early originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can’t get enough coverage of the US presidential race even with YouTube in the mix? Microsoft’s Election 2012 Hub for Xbox Live may be able to satisfy your inner political junkie. Redmond’s initiative will provide video of town hall events at both the Democratic and Republican national conventions, daily content from NBC and full coverage of results as ballots are cast and counted on November 6th. Throughout live streams of the debates, users will be able to rate the performances of public office hopefuls and see what marks other viewers give them in real-time. Information on voter registration, politicians and their take on issues will also be included. According to Microsoft, roughly 40 percent of Xbox-owning voters surveyed aren’t concretely committed to a candidate running for the Oval Office, placing them in the highly-prized swing voter category. The service won’t launch until the Grand Old Party’s powwow kicks off on August 27th, but we hear there’s plenty of relevant reading to keep you busy until then.

Continue reading US presidential campaign trail winds its way to Xbox Live on August 27th with Election 2012 Hub

US presidential campaign trail winds its way to Xbox Live on August 27th with Election 2012 Hub originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even if you didn’t make the cut for the most recent Dashboard beta, Microsoft’s still got some goodies for you. It’s helping budget-conscious gamers with more than one friend swell their collection of accessories with the Xbox 360 Essentials pack. The package includes a controller, media remote, three months’ Gold subscription and a HDMI cable you’ll probably leave in a drawer. The set will arrive Stateside in October, setting you back $80 before the holiday shopping begins in earnest.

Filed under: Gaming

Xbox Essentials Pack coming in October for $80 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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