Category: From Our Sites

So you’ve had all the family togetherness, awkward dates, spoiled sports stars and overrated high-brow writing you can take this weekend? We’ve compiled The Favs, some of the best connected entertainment stories from this past week to feed your need for intellectual growth short of going back to work tomorrow morning. Some of it’s original reporting, and some of it is the work of others.  

Windows Phone 8 Concepts

1800PocketPC has a collection of the most delectable conceptual screens for a possible Windows Phone update that we’ve ever seen. Sure, the creator doesn’t work for Microsoft and we’ll probably never get to experience how awesome they would be on devices of our own but, we can look. Windows Phone 8 “Blue” Concepts

Windows Phones in the American Market

AllAboutWindowsPhone delivers some insightful analysis of why it thinks Windows Phone devices are having such a hard time catching on in the American Market. Those who have a hard time understanding why the platform isn’t taken seriously by the nation’s wireless carriers should also take a look. Here’s a hint, it has something to do with subsidies. Why Does Windows Phone and America Not Mix

EA Shuts Down SIMCITY PR

When we’re in need of an explanation on any political technology issue we turn to TechDirt. While were not big PC gamers, there is no denying that most of them are doing so using Windows powered devices. What that in mind and the fact that we’ve come to the brink of buying SIMCITY every week since it’s release, we were very keen on the publication’s assessment of how the PR nightmare of EA’s online-only play requirement suddenly went away. Even if you aren’t interested in the game, read this one -these are the same people who create your favorite console titles.  EA Shuts Down SIMCITY PR

How iTunes Saved a Generation

The current king of the technology long form kingdom, The Verge delivers a terrific celebration of the things iTunes has accomplished in the last 10 years. Sure this is a Microsoft focused site, however let’s not pretend like we don’t owe Zune’s brief existence to iTunes. Let’s also not pretend like we don’t all know that without Zune and the things it spawned, I.E. the Metro Design language, Microsoft would have still been foisting the same tired consumer products at us. iTunes Store at 10

Those looking to experience the fruits of an Xbox LIVE Gold Pass can do so, -for free this weekend only.

Until Monday morning all Xbox LIVE users will be able to experience free streaming content using the various sports streaming applications available on Xbox LIVE including, NBA Game Time for Xbox LIVE, ESPN on Xbox LIVE, MLB.TV, and NHL GameCenter. The availability of ESPN on Xbox depends on your cable network. As of press time that includes Comcast, AT&T. Readers who’ve had specific experiences with the application working on other cable companies should drop us a comment or send us a tip.

UFC will also be unlocked for users, and will hosting access to free fights on April 25th.

Canadians Xbox LIVE users will be able to enjoy live games from the Hockey Night in Canada on Xbox application in their neck of the woods.

Remember, despite their ability to be launched without an Xbox LIVE Free account, NHL GameCenter, MLB.TV, and NBA Game Time will still require an account to those services.

 

Now Xbox 360 users can push themselves to the brink of their calorie intake quota with Pizza Hut on Xbox LIVE.

The app, which became available to Xbox LIVE users inside the United States this past week, allows those with a PizzaHut.com account to place carry out and deliver orders from the Xbox 360 itself.

According to MajorNelson, those who do place orders through the app will have a 15% discount deducted from their order.

As is the case with all applications on Xbox LIVE, Pizza Hut on Xbox LIVE includes voice, and gestures integration as well, so in theory users could work up a sweat swiping from screen to screen before their food even arrives. Of course, users can also simply operate the application with the Xbox 360 controller or Xbox 360 Media Remote.

Introducing Pizza Hut for Xbox LIVE

Now Xbox 360 users can push themselves to the brink of their calorie intake quota with Pizza Hut on Xbox LIVE.

The app, which became available to Xbox LIVE users inside the United States this past week, allows those with a PizzaHut.com account to place carry out and deliver orders from the Xbox 360 itself.

According to MajorNelson, those who do place orders through the app will have a 15% discount deducted from their order.

As is the case with all applications on Xbox LIVE, Pizza Hut on Xbox LIVE includes voice, and gestures integration as well, so in theory users could work up a sweat swiping from screen to screen before their food even arrives. Of course, users can also simply operate the application with the Xbox 360 controller or Xbox 360 Media Remote.

Though not officially a cable network in the traditional sense, Netflix purveyor of a movie and television catalog that reaches into the millions, is reporting that it reached 34 million subscribers in Quarter 2013.

According to the information it passed on to investors in a summary of it’s earnings, the company added 2.03 million subscribers in the United States. Due to the rise in subscribers the company reached $3 million in profit. By comparison cable service Comcast has 22 million subscribers according to the NCTA.

It can’t be a coincidence that these subscribers come in the same quarter as the company launched a new slate of original programming designed to hook viewers into trying the service. Our favorite of the slate, House of Cards debuted with a plenty of fanfare -we even included it our first edition of Watch This. According to Netflix, of the users who subscribed to just watch the show, only 8,000 of them canceled after they finished watching the series. (You’ll remember Netflix, made all 13 episodes available all at one time.)

Netflix also announced that it would begin offering a new $11.99 monthly plan for users who need up to four simultaneous video streams at a time. Currently, the default $7.99 plan only allows users to watch two streams at a time.

Microsoft announced that it would be creating it’s own content this past year, though it seems to be focusing on interactive experiences, according to studio head, Nancy Tellum. Currently the Netflix is offered on Xbox LIVE, Windows 8, and Windows Phone devices.

Correction Early reports of this story indicated that Netflix was the world’s largest cable company. It is in fact the United State’s largest cable company/premium television content provider.

Looking for some quality video content to tide you over until the beginning of May and save you from an existence dedicated entirely to boredom? Microsoft has just thing the thing, discounted seasons of your favorite television shows in the Xbox Video Store.

For a limited time users can pick up The Good Wife Seasons 1-3, Doctor Who Seasons 1-701, Warehouse 13 Seasons 1-4, Rectify Season 1, Doctor Who Christmas Specials, Key & Peele Seasons 1-2, Kroll Show Season 1, Nathan for You Season One, The Ben Show with Ben Hoffman, and The Jeselnik Offensive for deep discounts. Sale prices start as low as $13 per season.

Interested users should act quickly, The Xbox Video Store doesn’t list an expiration date for any of the deals so they could disappear at any moment. Historically, television promotions last until the following Tuesday.

Now that we’ve got a firm date on when the successor to the Xbox 360 will be announced who’s excited for the next console…

From The Social: Are you excited for the new Xbox?

We now have a set date for when we’ll learn more about Microsoft’s follow up to the Xbox 360, May 21st.

Information will be shared about the next Xbox at event Microsoft is holding on it’s Xbox campus on that day for press. Microsoft will also be streaming the event via the Xbox LIVE Event Player for the current Xbox, Xbox.com, and making the event available to watch on the Spike TV network.

It does appear that this will possibly be an event strictly about the hardware itself, as Director for Programming on Xbox LIVE, Larry Herb says that the company will use it’s press briefing at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo to go into detail about the console’s launch titles. Though we don’t yet know the exact date of the company’s E3 briefing, we do know that the event kicks off on Tuesday, June 11. Historically Microsoft has scheduled it’s press events for the proceeding Monday.

 

New Xbox to be Revealed May 21st

Microsoft’s Surface RT and Surface Pro are on their way to new markets in Europe and Asia.

According to a post on The Microsoft Surface Blog by General Manager Brian Hall, the Surface family of products will make it’s way to a large amount of new localities. The version of Microsoft’s tablet will launch in Malaysia on April 25th, Mexico at the end of May, and Korea and Thailand in June. The new markets, will bring the total number of markets the Surface RT is available in to 29.

The Surface Pro will be making it’s way to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom by the end of May. Currently the Surface Pro is available in China, Canada, and the United States

There are still no definite sales numbers for the Microsoft Surface family of devices. Microsoft first introduced the Surface and Surface Pro at an event this past June.

Big time watchers of the The CW broadcast network, can now find even more TV to talk about without having to turn off their Xbox.

Starting today, The CW on Xbox  is available for users to download. Inside users will find free streaming episodes of their favorite CW content including, Arrow, The Carrie Diaries, The Vampire Diaries, and Beauty & the Beast. All video content inside the app will remain free, though users will have to contend with advertisements.

Users of The CW on Xbox will also find that any device they’re running Xbox SmartGlass -Microsoft’s play at the second screen you may be staring at while watching television or playing video games,on will be treated to biographies, exclusive maps and other details while they watch this Friday’s episode.

According to MajorNelson The CW will also be celebrating the arrival of The CW on Xbox with two giveaways on it’s Facebook page. One will feature a custom Vampire Diaries version of the Xbox 360S while the other will be an exclusive Supernatural version of the console. While users can download the application for free, only Xbox LIVE Gold users have access to the consoles entertainment applications.

 

The CW arrives with Official Xbox LIVE App