Microsoft launches live, interactive TV show on Xbox Live called Music Room

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We’re expecting to find out about some sort of entertainment-related features at the next generation Xbox reveal this morning, but Microsoft is already getting a head start in that department with the debut of a new live, interactive music show exclusively on Xbox. It’s called The Music Room, a two-part program hosted by Laura Jackson… Read More…

Customer satisfaction with Microsoft software declines slightly after Windows 8

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New data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows satisfaction with Microsoft software declining slightly this year, falling 1.3 points to a score of 74 on a scale of 100. The result follows the release of Windows 8 last fall, with a new interface that creates a learning curve for many longtime Windows users. David VanAmburg,… Read More…

5 things I learned while working on the original Xbox

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[Editor's Note: With Microsoft preparing to unveil the third generation of the Xbox on Tuesday, we asked GeekWire Chairman Jonathan Sposato to share his lessons learned while working on the original Xbox games effort, in this installment of his Startup Jedi column.] Before Xbox was an entire division of hundreds, it started out as a… Read More…

Study: The biggest social collaboration tool inside big companies is … Facebook?

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Salesforce.com, Microsoft, IBM and many smaller companies are competing aggressively in the market for enterprise social collaboration, offering advanced tools specifically designed to help workers communicate and share insights. But it turns out the dominate social collaboration tool inside big companies is plain old Facebook, followed by Twitter. That’s one of the takeaways from a… Read More…

The next Xbox: What to expect from Microsoft’s new console

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Well, we’re almost there. In less than 24 hours, the tech world will be listening and watching in anticipation as Microsoft officially unveils the next generation of the Xbox. The console market has been struggling, but Microsoft — which has led in the U.S. in console sales for 28 consecutive months — is aiming to shake things up… Read More…

Sony teases PS4 hardware in new video, one day before Xbox launch

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Less than 24 hours before Microsoft reveals the new generation of Xbox, Sony has just posted a teaser video showing off aspects of the Playstation 4 console. But if you were looking for high-def pictures of the new console, you’ll be disappointed. The 39-second clip shows a blurry black box and quick glimpses of the console… Read More…

Take a picture with your voice? Microsoft wants a patent on it

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Tired of using a timer to snap a picture? Microsoft has a solution for you. Well, it’s not a particularly original solution, at least not at this point. But the company is hoping to patent the approach. A newly surfaced patent application, first reported by Patent Bolt, describes a method for “voice-controlled camera operations,” in… Read More…

Amazon should introduce AWS to China the Microsoft Way, says China VC

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What’s the best way for Amazon to take its vaunted cloud computing platform to China? Follow Microsoft’s lead. That’s the opinion, anyhow, of famed China venture capitalist Kai-Fu Lee. More by contextChina • Cloud Computing, Amazon and China: An Insider’s Perspective • China’s E-Commerce Market Grows in Size, Importance and Dynamism • Starbucks’ New Rival in China: Nestlé… Read More…

Microsoft: Global video-game market hits $65 billion, and consoles still lead the way

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Microsoft is getting ready to reveal the next generation of the Xbox next week, and despite signs that the console market is struggling, the company this afternoon released a big batch of stats to make the case that the industry is very much alive and kicking. Spending on all types of video games (including hardware… Read More…

Report: Facebook and Microsoft eyeing Tumblr as Yahoo sets Monday press event

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Where is Tumblr going to end up? Reports have been circulating that the New York-based microblogging and social networking powerhouse is in the crosshairs of Yahoo, with a potential price tag hanging on Tumblr over $1 billion. Adding some mystique to the reports, Yahoo just announced that it plans to host a product related news… Read More…