Xbox One: Watch the new Kinect detect a heart rate from across the room

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Microsoft has significantly upgraded the sensing capabilities of the second-generation Kinect sensor that will ship with the newly announced Xbox One game console. One example: The Kinect can detect a user’s heart rate optically. See the video above for a demonstration of the capability during a tour of the Microsoft Xbox campus today. The idea… Read More…

Xbox One: Here is the official video from Microsoft

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Microsoft unveiled the new “Xbox One” console in Redmond today, with highlights including souped-up hardware, live TV integration, Skype functionality, an upgraded (and bundled) Kinect sensor, a “snap view” for multitasking, and an operating system that bridges the worlds of Xbox and Windows. The company also announced partnerships with the NFL and EA Sports, and… Read More…

Reactions mixed as group of 14 Xbox fans watch console launch at Microsoft Store

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It certainly wasn’t as exciting nor populated as the Surface tablet debut or the Halo 4 launch party, but a group of 14 Xbox aficionados still managed to gather at the Microsoft Store in Seattle’s University Village to watch the Xbox One launch streamed over Xbox Live. Everyone stayed to watch the hour-long presentation and… 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…

The next Xbox: Why this launch is so critical for Microsoft

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Next Tuesday, May 21, is a Very Big Day for Microsoft. With the rest of the technology world watching, the company will take the stage at 10 a.m. Pacific time in Redmond to reveal the new generation of Xbox, whatever form (or name) it may take. This is the world into which this new Xbox… Read More…

Photo: Microsoft building a gigantic tent for next week’s Xbox unveiling

The house that Xbox built is underway, hopefully we get better weather by the 21st. #XboxReveal

There’s a little more than a week to go until Microsoft unveils the next generation of the Xbox, at a special event May 21 on the the company’s Redmond campus. And here’s an early indication of how big the event will be. The photo above was posted by Aaron Greenberg, the Xbox chief of staff,… Read More…

Bored this weekend? Xbox Live Gold is free for everyone

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If you’ve wanted to experience the benefits of Xbox Live’s Gold service but didn’t want to dent your wallet, Microsoft is providing a nice little treat this weekend. Starting this morning and running through Monday morning, Xbox Live Silver members can enjoy the benefits of a Gold membership without charge. That means Xbox owners in… Read More…

Xbox chief: Main rivals are Nintendo, Sony, Apple and Google … but not Valve

Don Mattrick

The competitive landscape for Microsoft’s Xbox console is expanding to include Apple and Google, but the company’s top game and entertainment executive doesn’t see Valve’s move into the living room as particularly competitive with what Microsoft is doing. That was one of the more interesting tidbits from media event on Microsoft’s Redmond campus yesterday. The… Read More…

Microsoft: 24M Kinects sold, Xbox Live hits 46M members

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Microsoft this afternoon released a wave of stats related to the Xbox 360, including Xbox Live membership growth and the first official update on Kinect sales in more than a year. The company says it has now sold 24 million Kinect sensors since the motion controller launched in the fall of 2010. That’s up from… Read More…