Banned Xbox's flooding eBay and Craigslist
In the wake of the mass Xbox Live bans hundreds of Xboxs have appeared on online marketplaces such as eBay and Craigslist by gamers looking to offload their Xboxs.
In the past two weeks Microsoft has banned nearly one million users from the online gaming service after finding that they had modified their consoles to play pirated games.
Since the ban is connected to the console rather than a gamer's online account, many modified Xboxs have appeared on multiple bidding and personal sales sites.
eBay has issued a warning to potential buyers on its website to be wary of buying consoles in the wake of Microsoft's move. In a post on the website's guide section, it said: 'If you are looking to buy an Xbox 360 on eBay in the near future, ask the seller if it has been banned from Xbox.'
Curiously, most Craiglist "modded" Xbox 360 sellers are forthcoming about their console's "banned" status, whereas ebay sellers acknowledge the system modifications but often do not specify whether their system's been banned or not.
There's even a "want to buy" market on Craigslist for the banned systems. One Craiglist ad reads "I'm looking to buy one of the newly banned X-Box 360's," adding that it needs "to come with some new games such as Modern Warfare 2 and what not."
Microsoft has said that all bans are permanent to the console and no affected units will be permitted back onto Xbox Live on any account. Apparently, the race is on to offload banned systems and there doesn't seem to be a shortage of people willing to buy them.... Read on »
Windows 8 is coming in 2012
According to the latest roadmap from Microsoft, it would appear that Windows 8 will arrive sometime in 2012. This would follow a three year product cycle that would keep it in line with Vista and Windows 7 releases.
The road map is clear about the targeted date and does not try to hide the fact that the code name is "Windows 8". Little else is known about the OS other than its targeted date of release.
Let the speculation begin.
Image courtesy of msftkitchen.com ... Read on »
Firm considers class action over Xbox Live bannings
Law firm AbingtonIP has revealed that it's currently "investigating" what it calls the "convenient" Xbox Live bannings over modded consoles.
The firm believes that it's no coincidence that Microsoft banned "tens of thousands" of users after receiving its money for Gold memberships, post release of Halo 3: ODST and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Therefore, the law firm is considering a suit in order to get the membership fees refunded to subscribers along with a "refund for the prorated sums".
"To me, this certainly sounds a lot like a cash grab directed at a company with deep pockets, but perhaps there are more facts than they are letting on," said Joystiq legal columnist Mark Methenitis. "If, in fact, Microsoft is inducing people to buy a service only to terminate them, then there's certainly a deceptive business practice concern.
"But this seems far more cut and dry than that."
Methenitis also stated that a user "savvy enough to have a modded console" should be savvy enough not to connect it to Xbox Live without "serious risk."
Microsoft recently banned as many as one million players from Xbox Live for altering or modifying their Xbox 360 consoles in order to play pirated versions of Xbox video games.... Read on »
Sky Player in Windows 7 Media Center now available
Sky Player, Sky's online TV service, is now available to Windows Media Center UK users in Windows 7.
Sky kicked off the service on the Xbox 360 late last month. The service will allow users access to Live TV, on demand content, movies and sport. Existing Sky TV customers will be able to purchase an online Sky Player multiroom subscription for £5 per month (currently on offer, normally £10). Customers with Sky Multiroom or Sky Broadband Unlimited will be able to access live channels for no extra charge. Non-Sky TV customers will require a monthly subscription that starts at £15 per month to the Base Entertainment Pack. In addition to the live channels, customers will also have access to on-demand programmes from channels they subscribe to.
Two new live channels, Crime & Investigation Network and British Eurosport 2 are also being added to the service today bringing the number of live streaming TV channels currently available to 26. Sky Player for Windows 7 Media Center takes full advantage of the new touch capabilities the operating system has to offer. The interface is touch enabled which allows for panning and gesture based navigation. Sky and Microsoft are both celebrating the launch today and are offering non Sky TV customers three months of Sky Player for the price of two with any Windows 7 purchase. Customers who already have Windows 7 can subscribe to the offer via the Sky Player sign in page in Windows Media Center.
Neowin got an early hands on with the addin for Windows Media Center at a launch event for Windows 7 last month. We asked a Microsoft rep to take us through some of the features and you can see the hands on below.
... Read on »
Microsoft goes social with Outlook 2010
As part of Microsoft's Office 2010 announcements today the company has taken the wraps off a number of social networking add-ins that will be available for Outlook 2010.
Outlook 2010 features a new Outlook Social Connector (OSC) straight into Outlook 2010. The connector provides a stream of content from SharePoint, Windows Live and other social networking sites. At the bottom of Outlook emails users will be provided with contacts latest social networking posts. The presence of social networking inside Office 2010 is part of a broad strategy that Microsoft is implementing. The next version of Windows Live Messenger will also feature a social stream within the client, similar to the OSC.
Microsoft has not currently made Facebook or Twitter add-ins available but according to a Microsoft spokesperson an SDK will be provided so that third party developers can create add-ins. Neowin understands that a Facebook add-in is forthcoming but may not be available until Office 2010 ships. Microsoft confirmed a partnership with LinkedIn that will see the social network stream enter into Outlook 2010 once 2010 ships. Microsoft will make a Windows Live add-in available "early next year".
... Read on »
Microsoft Office 2010 public beta available
Microsoft has made the Office 2010 beta available publicly today.
Earlier this week Microsoft released the beta to MSDN and TechNet customers. Neowin has taken a look at the top features of Office 2010. Improvements include social networking intergration into Outlook 2010, smart pasting options and of course Office Web Applications to allow you to read, edit and save documents in the browser.
View: Office 2010 Beta
... Read on »
Microsoft Office 2010 top new features
Microsoft introduced a public beta of Office 2010 today. Neowin has taken a look at Office 2010 and we have pulled out our favourite new features. Check them out below.
Embed, edit and manage videos within PowerPoint 2010
PowerPoint 2010 now allows you to easily insert local videos and web videos. New features include video trim which allows you to cut down your video without a third party application. With video tools you can apply fades, set video effects and styles and also set a preview image for your video. PowerPoint will also compress your media for improved playback in presentations. Supported formats include:
- AVI
- WMV
- WMA
- MP3
- MOV
- H.264
New text effects in Word 2010
Microsoft has improved the text effects in Word 2010. You can now apply text effects to document text, allowing you to edit and spell check text and even add text effects to paragraph, character, list, or table styles. Several different effects (similar to the WordArt in previous versions of Office) are available including glow, bevels and custom shadows.
Customize the Ribbon
Microsoft is now allowing users of Office 2010 to fully customize the Ribbon, adding the ability to customize or create your own tabs on the Ribbon. The Ribbon also provides contextual tabs, for example, when you select a picture in Word a contextual tab will appear on the Ribbon allowing you to edit or format the picture.
Office Backstage
Microsoft ditched the "Orb" style from Office 2007 and decided to go back to the 'File' menu in Office 2010. The main reason behind this decision was users constantly asked IT departments and support lines "where's the file menu?" The file tab gives you access to Backstage with a variety of tools that were previously spread across different locations. Print preview is now combined into the print tab to make it easier for users to print. Businesses are able to extend Backstage and add extra options to Backstage.
Preview options before you paste
Paste options now provides a preview of what content is being pasted into Office 2010. The ability to see what you are pasting in prevents users from using the undo feature of Office which is used most frequently out of all options.
OneNote 2010 improvements
OneNote now includes improved search navigation, quick filing and linked notes. Quick filing allows users to quickly collect information whilst working on other applications. With quick filing you can send a copy of content from documents, web sites, e-mail and other applications straight into your OneNote notebook. Linked notes allows you to take notes whilst working in Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010 or Internet Explorer.
Office 2010 64-bit support
Microsoft Office 2010 will be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. The added support will allow for larger and more complex data spreadsheets. The 64-bit version of Office 2010 will allow for greater memory intensive documents.
PowerPoint broadcasting
PowerPoint 2010 makes sharing and connecting easier than before, allowing users to remote share presentations with users from anywhere in the world. PowerPoint 2010 even allows movie sharing to users, even if they don't have PowerPoint installed.
Outlook 2010 email management
Outlook 2010 comes with a new style of mail management, allowing for grouped email replies. Outlook also gives you a list of related messages when reading emails.
Outlook social connector
Microsoft has introduced a Outlook Social Connector (OSC) straight into Outlook 2010. The Connector provides a stream of content from SharePoint, Windows Live and other social networking sites. At the bottom of Outlook emails users will be provided with contacts' latest Facebook and Twitter posts.
Office Mobile 2010
Microsoft is providing mobile apps of Office 2010. The applications will be available on Windows Mobile 6.5 or above and for Nokia devices. The mobile apps provide the ability to create and edit on the go.
... Read on »
Microsoft set to announce Internet Explorer 9 plans
Today at a packed out keynote for Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) Microsoft's Ray Ozie hinted at the next generation of Internet Explorer.
According to sources close to Neowin, Microsoft VP Steven Sinofsky is set to unveil the software giants plans for Internet Explorer 9 tomorrow. Neowin understands that the company is planning a technical preview of Internet Explorer 9 for developers and customers, but that the bits and preview may not be available immediately.
Scott Guthrie is also set to announce Silverlight 4 plans tomorrow, further pushing the "3 screens and a cloud" vision that Microsoft believes in currently. The software giant sees data and services available across the PC, the phone and TVs. Internet Explorer 9 and Silverlight 4 are essential elements of this vision.
Neowin will be live blogging the day 2 keynote tomorrow so stay tuned for all the announcements.
Update: It's likely that the technical preview will be available at CES 2010.... Read on »
Microsoft to open source .NET Micro Framework
Microsoft announced today at PDC09 here in Los Angeles that they will be opening the .NET Micro Framework source code and also release the next version, 4.0. The release will be available under the Apache 2.0 license, something that is already being used inside the community.
Developers will be able to gain access to the Base Class Libraries that were implemented into the .NET Micro Framework and CLR code.
Both the TCP/IP and Cryptography libraries are not included in the source. Colin Miller told the developers that the reason behind Microsoft not releasing the available source code was because they use a third-party from EBSNet and do not have distribution rights.
Microsoft is opening discussion of how to improve their .NET Micro Framework for developers through their community, including Microsoft developers and external partners to make improvements on their open source development.
Neowin is live from PDC 09 this week ... Read on »
Turn Windows 7 into a Wi-Fi hotspot
If you have ever wanted to turn your laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot, a secret feature has been revealed in Windows 7 code that allows you to tether your cell phone or other wireless device to your laptop.
The unfinished feature was hidden by default because of incompatibility with many of the devices and drivers. The feature can be enabled through some simple command line scripts and a feature clicks of the mouse.
Open up the Run command with Administrative permissions and run:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=Hotspot key=passwordhere
Set the network adapter with:
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
After running the command, you should notice "Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter" appear in your network and sharing settings.
Enable "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection" under your Sharing tab, under properties.
After you have configured everything, you should be allowed to wirelessly connect to your laptop with your mobile devices. However, this isn't very useful to the everyday user, but has its future possibilities.
Users have reported that the following chipsets work:
- Atheros AR5005GS (as in the TP-Link TL-WN651G)
- Atheros AR5007EG with 8.0.0.238 firmware
- Broadcom 4310-series (in many Dell laptops)
- D-link AirPlus G DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter (driver version 3.0.1.0)
- Intel 5100/5300 (with latest drivers from Intel's site, version 13.0.0.107, 64bit systems only)
- Ralink RT2870 (in many 802.11n USB dongles)
- Realtek RTL8187SE (with the drivers that came with Windows 7)
- Realtek RTL8192u with 1370(Beta)
Connectify is also available that takes advantage of this feature in Windows 7.... Read on »
Microsoft Office 2010 beta available on MSDN/TechNet
Microsoft has made the latest beta of Office 2010 available to MSDN and TechNet customers.
The release follows news that Office 2010 beta builds have begun leaking from the software giant.
It's widely expected that a public beta build of Office 2010 will be available this week. Microsoft has kept quiet on the reports but has hinted on the official Office twitter account "MS Office team has some exiting news to tell at PDC. This is a must attend event. Stay tuned!" and a follow up post hints at possible social networking features in Outlook, "would you like your inbox to talk to your social networks? Useful integration or distraction?". Stay tuned for all the PDC 2009 information as Neowin will be live in Los Angeles this week.
Update: The build 14.0.4514.1004 is available to MSDN/TechNet customers. 14.0.4536.1000 is the correct build number.... Read on »
Microsoft: Sorry we used GPLv2 code illegally
Microsoft tonight issued an update on the reports that the company used open source code in their Windows 7 USB/DVD tool, illegally.
Neowin originally reported earlier this week that Microsoft had pulled the tool after complaints by Rafael Rivera over some of the content of the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool.
Microsoft issued the following statement regarding the reports:
After looking at the code in question, we are now able to confirm this was indeed the case, although it was not intentional on our part. While we had contracted with a third party to create the tool, we share responsibility as we did not catch it as part of our code review process. We have furthermore conducted a review of other code provided through the Microsoft Store and this was the only incident of this sort we could find.
Microsoft also confirmed it will be making the source code as well as the binaries for the tool available next week under the terms of the General Public License v2. The software giant also said sorry, stating "we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this has caused." The tool allows end users to upgrade to Windows 7 in an easier way.... Read on »
Microsoft Office 2010 beta build leaks
Microsoft's highly anticipated Office 2010 beta suite has leaked this week on peer-to-peer file sharing networks.
The build, numbered version 14.0.4514.1009, is tagged with the "beta 2" naming. The leak reportedly requires keys to install but accepts Office 2010 Technical Preview keys. Michael Aulia of Craving Tech posted some screen shots and his initial impressions after Microsoft sent him the beta directly.
From the screen shots posted it's clear the UI has been refined in the Office 2010 beta and the program icons have been updated. It's widely expected that a public beta build of Office 2010 will be available next week. Microsoft has kept quiet on the reports but has hinted on the official Office twitter account "MS Office team has some exiting news to tell at PDC. This is a must attend event. Stay tuned!" and a follow up post hints at possible social networking features in Outlook, "would you like your inbox to talk to your social networks? Useful integration or distraction?". Stay tuned for all the PDC 2009 information as Neowin will be live in Los Angeles next week.
All images courtesy of Craving Tech:
Microsoft Word:
Microsoft Outlook:
Icons:
... Read on »
Microsoft investigating zero-day Windows 7 hole
Microsoft confirmed to Cnet News that it is looking into a report of a vulnerability in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 that could be used by a malicious attacker to remotely crash PCs.
The software giant is looking into claims of a "possible denial-of-service vulnerability in Windows Server Message Block (SMB)," a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed. Security researcher Laurent Graffie published proof of concept code in a blog posting proclaiming "This bug is a real proof that SDL #FAIL". Laurent also added "the bug is so noob, it should have been spotted 2 years ago by the SDL if the SDL had ever existed."
The flaw kicks off an endless loop on the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol used for sharing files in Windows. The vulnerability report came a day after Microsoft's patch Tuesday for November. The software company released six patches to fix 15 vulnerabilities across different versions of Windows and Office.
Thanks to Jonathan Yaniv for the news tip... Read on »
Bing launches in the UK
Today a new search engine for the UK has been thrown into the mix. Microsoft's Bing UK, following a period of trial and continued in-depth analysis of consumer usage and behaviour, has been put through its paces and Bing is now shedding its beta tag.
During the previous five months of beta testing, the Bing team have been focused on developing a UK-centric search destination based on feedback, trends in searching habits and user requirements. Bing's new search features organise results in a user friendly way and diminish Internet overload and clutter, helping UK consumers get to the information that matters most to them quicker, making decisions faster.
According to the press release, Microsoft have made some changes to streamline the search experience for UK users. These include:
• A localised UK homepage, with unique imagery and ‘hotspots' - click through information boxes provide users with a wealth of information. A tool for discovery and inspiration.
• Visual Search, helps users search (maybe for a new purchase) using visual images and meta data without having to type in keywords.
• More Instant Answers, created to give users a quick response options to a search question, such as how is Liverpool doing in the premiership or which tourist attraction should I take my in-laws to at the weekend
• See who or what is being chatted about with global live Twitter feed searching, pulling up Tweets in Bing searches in real-time.
• Looking for the best deals? - an integrated shopping experience with Ciao UK searches the Internet to find the best prices, reviews and local availability. Bing supports making the best shopping decisions based on community feedback - not just advertising.
• Not sure how to get there? Bing Maps is based on insights from our Multimap users. Bing Maps now offers new map styles, imagery and transit integration as well as draggable routes.
• Bing has been built for the UK to help consumers get to key local sites and services in fewer links by including popular links, search boxes and suggestions within best match.
Microsoft seem to be focused in providing a search experience for the ways in which users in the UK, specifically, choose to search on the internet. As a result, the new search engine is built to recognise that search is about information and discovery. According to Microsoft, people want to see, hear, experience, share and be guided by search results, not just read them.
"Bing in Britain is a response to the fact that the search market has not benefitted from technological advances in user experience. As a consequence consumer behaviour and understanding has not evolved much over the past ten years."
Microsoft research shows users process visual information 28 per cent faster than text. As a result The introduction of Bing's Visual Search in the UK, promises to allow users to browse through images representing websites in a number of categories, such as people, product and places.
View: Bing UK
... Read on »
Microsoft Bans 1 Million Xbox Live Accounts
It's being reported today the Microsoft has banned up to 1 Million Xbox Live Accounts. Fresh on the heels of the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 release Microsoft has stepped up their attack on piracy by banning a mass of Xbox Live users. According to a report in InformationWeek, Microsoft has banned as many as a million players from Xbox Live for altering or modifying their consoles in order to play pirated versions of Xbox video games.
Activision's new Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was released earlier this week, and InformationWeek has speculated that because pirated versions of the game appeared on multiple file sharing websites in before the games public release date, Activision may have put pressure on Microsoft which resulted in the Xbox Live account bans.
Microsoft said its "commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of the Xbox Live community remains a top priority. All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live. We can assure you that if an Xbox Live member follows the Xbox Live terms of use, purchased a retail copy of Modern Warfare 2 and played the game on an unmodified Xbox 360, no action will be taken."
Over at the Xbox support page, Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry Hryb, also known as Major Nelson, has addressed some of the circumstances that could lead to a player's Xbox Live account being banned.
"Players who find their Gamertags banned from Xbox Live have wound up in that situation due to violations of the Xbox Live Terms of Use," Major Nelson wrote.
"The Xbox Live team monitors players for not just cheating, but also for things like threats, racism, profanity, and just being an all around poor sport and ruining the game for others.
"When a Gamertag comes up as violating our policies for online behavior, the person who owns that Gamertag is punished by being banned from the service. Keep in mind, this isn't just a ban on a particular game. This is a ban on the Xbox Live service as a whole, so you won't be able to go online at all during your ban. Initially, you may be banned for a day, a week, or depending on severity, permanently! Kiss that $50 goodbye."
While Microsoft has always thwarted attempts at Xbox piracy by banning Xbox Live accounts this latest round of bans is a 5% reduction of the estimated 20,000,000 players who utilize the Microsoft services to compete with other players online. Even with the Xbox Live bans players will still be able to play games on their Xbox consoles, albeit without the ability to take their games online.... Read on »