Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 UI has Bing voice search across Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and live TV

Quick refreshing of Microsoft’s E3 landing page has apparently revealed some of the things it will be announcing within a couple of hours at its E3 press conference, including new features for Xbox Live like Voice Search and new look for the service. With the explosive popularity of the Kinect add-on, it looks like the system is being refashioned with support built in from the ground up as opposed to the current menu system that’s more of an afterthought. Also mentioned on the page are Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports Season 2 and most importantly, two new Halo games. One is Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary which appears to be the HD (& possibly 3D) remake leaked by Joystiq previously, while the other is Halo 4 — no explanation needed. We’ll surely find out everything when the press conference kicks off live at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and of course we’ll be covering all of the news live right here.

Update: Microsoft’s just confirmed some of the leaked information onstage at its E3 keynote, with demonstrations of a deeply integrated voice command setup powered by Kinect. YouTube has been announced as an Xbox Live partner, while Bing is coming to the console to let users search across Netflix, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Hulu all at once.That universal search also extends to new live TV partnerships with Sky, Canal+ and Foxtel.

Update 2: Want a better look at the revamped Xbox 360 UI that blends in more of a Metro look with the old Kinect UI elements? Look no further than the gallery below.

[Thanks, q & Pradeep]

Continue reading Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 UI has Bing voice search across Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and live TV

Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 UI has Bing voice search across Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and live TV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC EVO 3D launches on June 24th for $200, joined by EVO View 4G tablet at $400

The HTC bonanza that Sprint has been cooking up for a while now has its official launch date: June 24th. That will be the day when the 4.3-inch EVO 3D and its tablet buddy, the 7-inch EVO View 4G, launch on the Now Network, both equipped with WiMAX radios and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) as their OS. The 1.2GHz dual-core EVO 3D costs $200 on contract, with pre-orders available right now provided you buy a $50 Sprint gift card, whereas the 1.5GHz single-core EVO View 4G will set you back double that, at $400, while still requiring a two-year contract. Skip past the break for the full press release details.

Oh, we’ve also just noticed that Sprint Premier customers will be able to buy the EVO 3D online on June 21st — a three-day headstart on the competition to say thank you for being so damn premier.

Continue reading HTC EVO 3D launches on June 24th for $200, joined by EVO View 4G tablet at $400

HTC EVO 3D launches on June 24th for $200, joined by EVO View 4G tablet at $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 07:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Pictures hacked by Lulz Security, 1,000,000 passwords claimed stolen

Oh, Sony — not again. We’ve just received numerous tips that Lulz Security has broken into SonyPictures.com, where it claims to have stolen the personal information of over 1,000,000 users — all stored (disgracefully) in plain text format. Lulz claims the heist was performed with a simple SQL injection — just like we saw the last time around. A portion of the group’s exploit is posted online in a RAR file, which contains over 50,000 email / password combos of unfortunate users. We’ve downloaded this file (at our own risk, mind you) and can verify these sensitive bits are now in the wild, though it remains unclear if what’s published matches reality. In addition to user information, the group has blurted out over 20,000 Sony music coupons, and the admin database (including email addresses and passwords) for BMG Belgium employees. Fresh off the heels of the PlayStation Network restoration, we’re guessing the fine folks in Sony’s IT department are now surviving solely on adrenaline shots.

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in]

Sony Pictures hacked by Lulz Security, 1,000,000 passwords claimed stolen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T confirms it’s ‘working on’ a shared data plan, won’t commit to a time frame

AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega just confirmed at the D9 conference today that the carrier is “working on” a shared data plan, but he’s not committing to a time frame just yet. He also left no doubts about those plans when pressed further on the question, clearly opening the door to a situation where you could have an iPad, an Atrix 4G, an AT&T netbook and just about anything else all sharing a unified pool of minutes and data. He didn’t offer any hints about possible pricing, though, and it certainly sounds like this is something that’s still a ways out from actually being launched.

AT&T confirms it’s ‘working on’ a shared data plan, won’t commit to a time frame originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft reveals ARM-powered Windows 8 prototypes (eyes-on)

Remember how Microsoft unveiled that whole “Windows 8” thing earlier today? It’s back for more: here at Computex 2011 in Taipei, prototype ARM-based Windows 8 slates and smartbooks are coming out of the woodwork. Foxconn, Wistron and Quanta all unveiled early hardware for the new OS, with chips from Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NVIDIA powering their live tiles — including NVIDIA’s upcoming Kal-El, which got both a tablet and a super-slim prototype notebook to call its own. Dell’s also got a XPS development station up on stage, which Microsoft used to demo the UI — it’s bulky and ugly as such things are, but it suggests that Dell’s also likely to have a portable Windows 8 machine at some point. For its part, Qualcomm is promising a chip that can instantly wake from sleep, and one of the devices showed that USB host support works fine and dandy. Unfortunately, none of these machines will make their way to market, but it’s nice to know that the OEMs care enough to show their solidarity here.

Update: Video now added after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft reveals ARM-powered Windows 8 prototypes (eyes-on)

Microsoft reveals ARM-powered Windows 8 prototypes (eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video)

We’re live from Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky’s keynote at D9, and there’s something rather exciting on stage — a pair of experimental Windows 8 dev boards running an OS that looks very much like Windows Phone 7’s Metro UI. All Things D actually sat down with the man earlier today and got a sneak peek at what to expect starting with the live tiled screen you see above — and yes, like Windows Phone 7, this OS is designed for touch.

There’ll be two kinds of applications for Windows 8, one that runs in a traditional desktop, and the other pseudo-mobile apps based on HTML5 and Javascript, but both environments — rather, the entire OS — have been designed from the ground up for touchscreen use. Keyboard and mouse will still be options for both sets of programs, but there are multiple virtual sets of keys for different form factors, including a split keyboard for vertical slate use. Multitasking is simply a matter of swiping running apps into the center of the screen, and you can pull windows partway to “snap” them in place alongside other windows — even mixing and matching traditional desktop programs with web apps simultaneously (like Twitter alongside your spreadsheet). There’s a new version of Internet Explorer 10 (which runs Silverlight) and an app store built into the touchscreen interface, along with integrated services like Office 365. Microsoft says the new OS will run on laptops, tablets and desktops when it appears — whenever that might be.

All Things D didn’t have any details on when we’ll get pricing or availability, but we’re looking at some Intel Atom-based demo units on stage right now, and Microsoft says it will have ARM designs (the OS will support NVIDIA, TI and Qualcomm) viewable on the Computex show floor, and more will be revealed at the Build Windows developer conference in September. We should note that “Windows 8” is just a codename for what we’re seeing here — “we’ll figure out the real name in due time,” Sinofsky told the crowd — but we don’t see much harm in calling it Windows 8 for now.

Update: Video after the break!

Continue reading Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video)

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP’s Leo Apotheker totally open to licensing webOS to other handset makers

We just wrapped up our liveblog of HP CEO Leo Apotheker’s appearance here at D9, and while he certainly spoke far too frequently about printers, there was one nugget that we just couldn’t overlook. When speaking casually about the future of webOS on non-HP handsets, he noted that the firm was looking to license webOS to various other hardware manufacturers. Granted, the bulk of these are likely to be wrapped up in the enterprise, but he’s not tossing out the idea of using webOS on other mobile devices. When asked if he’d consider licensing webOS to a company like HTC, he confessed to being very willing to having that conversation should the scenario present itself — a stance that’s quite different than the one held by the “old HP.” It’s hard to say if he’s just shooting the breeze or if there’s already a company or two behind the scenes looking to do just that, but either way, you can bet we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any webOS creations sans HP’s labeling. Talk about a serious play to get the attention of developers.

HP’s Leo Apotheker totally open to licensing webOS to other handset makers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!)

Acer’s David Lee just hijacked Intel’s netbooks and tablets Computex keynote to unveil a brand new 10-inch tablet: the Iconia M500. It’s the first in the company’s new M Series and runs MeeGo atop an Atom (Moorestown) processor. Its appearance and dimensions are strikingly similar to the company’s Android tablet, the A500, and that similarity extends to the resolution of the screen as well: 1280 x 800. The MeeGo interface is a custom Acer skin offering what was described as a “snackable UI.” The point seems to be to offer instant access to the things you care about, and the brief demo we saw featured a set of live widgets organized around an “Acer circle.” Mr. Lee, an Assistant Vice President with the company, tells us Acer’s new 10-incher will be on sale at (not by, sadly) the end of this year.

Update: We’ve just added a gallery of hands-on shots below and you’ll find video of the M500 after the break.

Continue reading Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!)

Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft will talk about ‘the next version’ of Windows at Computex tonight

Microsoft’s Computex keynote today was all about the software giant’s expansive portfolio of current offerings, but it started off with a pretty awesome promise: a partner preview event is coming tomorrow (Taipei time) where we’ll get to hear about the next version of Windows. Steve Guggenheimer, the man who dished up this delicious tease, naturally had nothing more to say on the matter, but we do know that said event kicks off at 10AM local time, making it 10PM ET (on Wednesday!) in the US. Whichever side of the Pacific you’re on, however, rest assured that we’ll have all the details that Microsoft is willing to disclose about its future as soon as they become available.

Update: Remember, there’s a remote chance that we might see Windows Next (aka, Windows 8) revealed a few hours earlier when Steven Sinofsky hits the stage at the D9 conference Wednesday afternoon. Naturally, we’ll be bringing the conversation with Microsoft’s president of Windows to you live, just as soon as things kick off at 3:15PM PT (6:15PM ET).

Microsoft will talk about ‘the next version’ of Windows at Computex tonight originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Sensation available on T-Mobile June 15th for $200, hits Walmart ‘as early as June 12th’

The foremost question in the hive mind of Android power users these days is typically whether to go with HTC’s 1.2GHz, dual-core, 4.3-inch Sensation or the similarly specced Galaxy S II from Samsung. Of course, neither of those is actually out in the US yet, so if patience is not your favorite virtue, T-Mobile just made that decision for you. The carrier has announced it’ll start selling the HTC Sensation from June 12th at Walmart stores, after which it’ll be “exclusively” available on June 15th from T-Mobile retail stores. Pricing is your typical $200 on a two-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate. Samsung’s superphone shouldn’t be too far behind, but it does look like T-Mo subscribers will get a good few weeks to familiarize themselves with Sense 3.0 before having to hear any gloating about Super AMOLED Plus displays and 8.49mm slimness. PR after the break.

Continue reading HTC Sensation available on T-Mobile June 15th for $200, hits Walmart ‘as early as June 12th’

HTC Sensation available on T-Mobile June 15th for $200, hits Walmart ‘as early as June 12th’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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