microsoft

It appears that the National Security Agency and at least some Silicon Valley-based companies are tighter than both have contended.

Several unidentified Silicon Valley companies have at times established secret teams of employees charged with making their customers' data more accessible to the NSA, The New York Times is reporting on Thursday, citing both current and former "industry officials." The companies say that they're establishing the teams so they can control how data is transferred to the NSA, but the government agency is also applying pressure to make it easier for its employees to access data.

The … Read more

Microsoft says its decision to reverse its stance on Internet-connection requirements and used-games limitations was held up by last week's E3 gaming expo.

Speaking to All Things Digital in an interview published Thursday, Microsoft Xbox Chief Product Officer Mark Whitten said the company's E3 presentation was "the first time we had a chance to really lay out our program," adding that Microsoft believed it could explain the "complete story" at E3 and get to see what consumers "liked and what they didn't like."

In other words, Microsoft wanted to use its … Read more

Reports that Windows RT is headed for the dustbin of failed Microsoft operating systems has become a month -- if not weekly -- ritual for Asia-based sources.

This time Digitimes has gone so far to compare RT to the fate of Hewlett-Packard's failed WebOS.

"Microsoft's Windows RT operating system may fall to the same fate as Hewlett-Packard's (HP) WebOS as most brand vendors have already stopped developing related products," Digitimes wrote on Wednesday, citing sources at hardware suppliers.

The last high-profile put-down of RT came from Acer's chairman earlier this month when he wondered … Read more

Microsoft may have just backtracked on its derided policy that had restricted game sharing in its Xbox One console that goes on sale later this year -- but don't count on the company to revisit other unpopular features of the upcoming console.

In an interview with CNET, Marc Whitten, the chief product officer for Xbox, said the company has "no plans" to lower the $499 price tag for the console, even though Sony's rival PlayStation 4 will debut at $399. He echoed previous statements from the company that the Xbox One will offer features not found … Read more

Microsoft changed its controversial stance on always-on connectivity and game DRM on Wednesday, a reversal that comes after more than a week of harsh criticism from consumers, press and especially competitors.

The move comes just a few months before the console is set to hit store shelves, and is widely-viewed as reactionary. Rival Sony, which priced and further detailed its PlayStation 4 console at E3 last week, made waves for not having DRM on its games, as well as coming in $100 less than Microsoft's $499 Xbox One.

Of course, it's not the first reversal by Microsoft following … Read more

We've still got about five months before the new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch in North America, and already blood has been spilled.

From Microsoft gathering an arguably more impressive stable of exclusive games, to Sony revealing the lack of restrictions on PS4 games and a $100 lower price -- to Microsoft now doing a complete 180 on its DRM policies, this next console launch may be one of the most exciting and brutal yet.

And I can't wait to comfortably watch from the sidelines, praising Thor I'm not in either of their shoes.… Read more

Relief, disbelief, and some leftover bitterness surround Microsoft pulling a 180 on its Xbox One "always-on" policy.

Gamers have taken to forums, comment threads, and social media to express how they feel about the tech giant flip-flopping on the series of rules and restrictions that would have required Xbox One gamers to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day to prevent game piracy.

Microsoft announced Wednesday that it was backtracking on this much-derided policy, causing a flood of user reaction.

On Xbox's Facebook and Twitter accounts, tens of thousands of users have commented on the … Read more

Unless you've recently taken up residence under suitably large slab of earth, you're likely already aware of Microsoft's new Xbox One console. If not, buckle up, because there's an endless supply of details coming your way -- now.

The Xbox One will have a $499 starting price when it hits stores this November, and with a price that high, it's clear Microsoft is targeting the well-to-do consumer with the new device -- at least at launch. By comparison, the Sony PlayStation 4 will cost $399 -- although its optional PlayStation Eye camera and motion detector … Read more

Microsoft backtracked Wednesday on its much-derided policy that would have required Xbox One gamers to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day to prevent game piracy.

Microsoft faced a huge backlash when it announced the policy, just before the E3 video game conference earlier this month. Then, the company said it would allow gamers to play offline for up to 24 hours on a primary console, or 1 hour if they were logged onto a separate console accessing their library of titles. At that point, offline gaming would have been disabled until players re-establish a Web connection.

"… Read more