Well that was fast. Not even two weeks after Sony announced its upcoming PS4 gaming console wouldn’t have the insane restrictions on used and resold games that Microsoft had instituted for its new Xbox One device, reports say the boys from Redmond have decided that maybe some of their policies weren’t exactly the greatest ideas. [More]
Microsoft Decides Maybe It Doesn’t Want To Ruin Xbox One, Removes Restrictions
By June 19, 2013
Apple Says It Received 5,000 Data Requests From Law Enforcement, Doesn’t Say How Many It Fulfilled
By June 17, 2013
With many people still wondering about the extent to which the National Security Agency and other authorities were peeping in to consumers’ phone and Internet activities, some of the larger firms caught up in the scandal are making attempts at being transparent about what they did and didn’t hand over to the government. However, some are being more transparent than others. [More]
Microsoft Hopes Publishers Will Provide More Value To Consumers If Xbox One Games Can’t Be Resold
By June 13, 2013
Microsoft continues to try to convince concerned consumers that the highly restrictive policies for lending out, reselling, and giving away Xbox One games are actually just the next step in entertainment evolution and that we’ll all come to thank the company for what it’s doing. [More]
Law Enforcement Officials From Around The Country Ask Smartphone Manufacturers To Install Kill Switches
By June 13, 2013
As we mentioned yesterday, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón are meeting this week with execs from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Google to discuss ways wireless device manufacturers can help deter theft and eliminate the market for stolen phones. Today, Schneiderman and Gascón — along with attorneys general, district attorneys, chiefs of police, consumer advocates, and educators — have launched a nationwide initiative to bring this issue to the fore. [More]
Microsoft Exec: If You Don’t Want To Always Be Online, Keep Playing Xbox 360
By June 12, 2013
Following Sony’s crowd-pleasing announcement that its upcoming PS4 gaming console will not require the user to constantly be online, one might have hoped that Microsoft would ease up on that continually connected model for its Xbox One device. But no, the company is sticking to its guns, basically telling anyone concerned about this issue to kiss off. [More]
As Expected, Sony Backtracks A Bit On Restriction-Free Games For PS4
By June 11, 2013
Last night, Sony delivered a mammoth kick to Microsoft’s rear-end when it announced that the upcoming PS4 would not put any restrictions on how users share games for the new console. But this is obviously too good to be true 100% of the time, and now Sony is having to clarify what it meant. [More]
Latest News About Xbox One And Used Games Only Muddies The Waters
By June 7, 2013
Among the major concerns Xbox users had about the unveiling of Microsoft’s newest console, the Xbox One, was whether or not gamers would be able to play used games. Some retailers who make mountains of cash selling old games also have reason to worry. The company is now attempting to clear up those concerns, but it is really just making the picture murkier and testing the boundaries of copyright law. [More]
After 6 Months Of Battle With Microsoft, Consumerist Post Gets Refund In 5 Hours
By May 30, 2013
We Consumerist editors kind of wish that companies would put us out of business. We wish that all consumers could resolve their problems with a few calm, reasonable phone calls or e-mails, and that getting anything done in a massive bureaucracy didn’t require hours of phone calls. We’re still here, though, and Steve’s story is a good example of why. [More]
Microsoft Eases Concerns (Slightly) About Being Spied On By Xbox One
By May 28, 2013
Among the major concerns about the upcoming Xbox One gaming console is that the device’s new Kinect sensor is so thoroughly integrated into the the system that it will always be on and listening/watching what users are doing. In response to consumers who would rather not be monitored 24/7, Microsoft has issued a statement that quells some concerns while raising others. [More]
4 Early Concerns About The Xbox One
By May 23, 2013
Earlier this week, Microsoft finally got around to showing off Xbox One, the console some gamers have been waiting for since the Xbox 360 came out eight years ago. The company made sure to highlight all the cool bells and whistles of the upcoming device, but also skipped over a number of issues that are already giving some folks reason for concern. [More]
Microsoft Says Liquid Damage Ruined My Surface’s Battery, And That’s Final
By May 23, 2013
Electronics that are popular and have been on the market long enough to be out of warranty have vibrant industries of third-party repair shops, replacement parts, and online repair manuals. Yes, we’re thinking of iDevices when we say that. The problem with owning a newer device like the Microsoft Surface is that this kind of cottage industry hasn’t had the opportunity to grow yet. Warranty replacements are the norm and the only way to get things replaced. [More]
The Xbox One Is Intended To Be An All-In-One Home Entertainment Solution
By May 21, 2013
It’s been eight years since Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, a wildly successful gaming console that has gradually evolved into a home entertainment hub for many users. Today, the company finally got around to releasing details of the “Durango” project, its code name for the next generation of the Xbox. [More]
Microsoft To Announce New Xbox Tomorrow; Sony Teases Video Of Playstation 4 Today
By May 20, 2013
It’s been three full months since Sony announced — but did not unveil — the Playstation 4 videogame console. And with Microsoft about to announce its follow-up to the Xbox 360 tomorrow, Sony must have figured today was as good a day as any to finally show a glimpse of the PS4. [More]
Microsoft Reportedly Considering Buying Out Barnes & Noble’s Nook Division For $1B
By May 9, 2013
Usually when we hear one big company is interested in buying out another big company, there’s an element of “Hmm, didn’t see that one coming…” But in the case of Microsoft reportedly toying with the idea of paying $1 billion for Barnes & Noble’s Nook business, it’s more of “It’s about time those two crazy kids made formal commitment.” Microsoft already invested $300 million in Nook last year, and it seems prepared to go all the way. [More]
Microsoft Decides To Try This Whole Windows 8 Thing Again With A Few Tweaks
By May 7, 2013
When something doesn’t go quite right the first time, what’s a ginormous technology company supposed to do? Why, just slap a couple of coats of paint on the ill-received Windows 8, fluff it up a bit and send it right back out on stage. Microsoft is reportedly tweaking its most recent iteration of Windows because customers have been complaining of confusion, and PCs aren’t selling so well. [More]
Could It Be Possible That The New Xbox Will Actually Let Users Play Games Offline?
By May 6, 2013
In a world where game makers are releasing titles that demand players always be connected to the Internet or just not play, it’s not surprising that fans of Microsoft’s XBox were worried that the next iteration would also require a constantly-on connection. According to a leaked internal Microsoft email, that won’t be the case. Cue rejoicing. [More]
Microsoft Includes Free Disposable Wifi Router In Forbes Magazine
By April 29, 2013
“I still like print magazines, but I wish that they functioned as a portable wifi hotspot,” said no one ever. This wish came true for some people last week when they received a special edition of Forbes magazine in the mail that serves as a disposable wifi hotspot as well as a disposable news delivery device. [More]
Microsoft Trying To Get A Grip On Customers’ Online Privacy Concerns With New Campaign
By April 22, 2013
In a time when almost any aspect of our lives can be translated into online terms and our personal information collected, tracked and used like so much currency, many people are understandably concerned about privacy in the virtual world. Microsoft is attempting to show its customers that it’s on top of things with a new campaign dedicated to discussing online privacy. [More]
