After first announcing its intentions to launch an Android game store earlier this year, Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox app will let users buy and play games through the Xbox app starting in November.
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Microsoft has officially confirmed that the company is launching its Xbox mobile game store on Android and iOS in July, and it will be bringing Candy Crush, Minecraft, and more along with it.
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Microsoft is adding support for touch controls in the Xbox app while using Remote Play from your console.
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Cloud gaming has seen some losses over the past few months, but Microsoft is pushing some new life into the industry. As it continues to push for its Activision-Blizzard deal, Microsoft just reached a major deal with cloud gaming service Boosteroid that will bring Xbox games and Activision-Blizzard titles, including Call of Duty, to the service.
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Microsoft announced today a deal with Nvidia, which will see Xbox games available on GeForce Now in the future.
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Adding your Xbox to the Google Home app and connecting it to Google Assistant has some advantages. To get those, you’ll need to connect it. Here’s how.
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Building on Google Assistant voice command support, Microsoft is rolling out an Xbox update that lets you remote control the console with the Google Home app.
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Journey to the Savage Planet went on a wild ride during Google Stadia’s brief life, and now that the game has escaped Google’s shutdown, the “Employee of the Month Edition” that first debuted on Stadia is headed to Xbox and PS5.
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Update 11/2: YouTube TV for Android TV has arrived on the Play Store. It’s also available on Xbox consoles today.
After adding Google Home and Assistant integration, YouTube TV is now rolling out a dedicated and optimized television experience. Apps for Android TV and Xbox One are launching in the next few days, with Apple TV, LG, Samsung, and Sony following soon.
Microsoft and Google have announced that they’re dropping their long-running smartphone and video game console patent disputes. This announcement brings an end to some 20 lawsuits in the States and in Europe. Neither company revealed the exact financial terms, but did announce that instead of fighting each other over technology, that they envisage a future where the work together for the benefit of their customers…
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Xbox Music changed its name to Groove at the beginning of this month, and today, the rebranding has made its way to the music app on Android’s Play Store. It’s free to download, and is available right now.
Along with the new look and name, the app has had a couple of new features added. More devices can now download tracks for offline listening thanks to newly added compatibility. Music stored in your OneDrive folders will automatically show as music in the new Groove app. What’s more, you won’t need a paid subscription to make use of the app, although you will need one to access the entire streaming catalogue ad-free.
As per the Play Store listing:
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From 9to5Toys.com where we are rounding up all the best Black Friday deals we have two huge headliners on the almost never discounted Nest product line (that Google picked up along with iPod-father Tony Fadell earlier this year):
The Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd generation) for $199 shipped. That’s $50 below list and the best price we’ve ever seen.
You can find it at Amazon, Best Buy, Lowes and Abt for $199 for a limited time.
The Dropcam Wireless HD Video Monitoring Camera can be found for $99.99 with free shipping. That’s $50 below list and the lowest price we have ever seen on this cloud-based camera/recording system.
Available for $$99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.
With a 107° degree field of view and 4x zoom, Dropcam keeps you connected with people, places and pets in sharp 720p HD video.
Head over to 9to5Toys for the Best Black Friday deals on the web. A little more background on Nest:
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Microsoft has updated its Xbox One companion app, SmartGlass, with several new features and improvements. The first of these is a new hub for watching clips you’ve created with the Xbox’s Game DVR feature. The app will also now send push notifications for messages recieved through Microsoft’s Xbox messaging system.
Some improvements have been made to existing features as well. The friends list has a new design and makes it easier to tell which of your Xbox Live friends are available or playing a game. The app now allows you to close apps that have been “snapped” to one side of the screen on your Xbox One console.
SmartGlass is available for free on the Google Play Store.
Microsoft is considering taking Xbox Live cross-platform and allowing developers to integrate the service in iOS and Android games, according to a report from The Verge. The report cites a job listing from the company’s website seeking an engineer to work on “a modern framework that is open-source, lightweight, extensible and scalable across various platforms,” including iOS and Android. The report also cites its own sources reportedly familiar Microsoft’s plans to take Xbox Live cross-platform.
“New Devices and Gaming” is looking for passionate and experienced developers to join us. Your contribution will have direct impact on how we win back our game developers from our competitors. As a member of the newly formed team, you will have the rare opportunity to influence our planning and design from the beginning. We will create a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android. Working on the gaming technologies, you will collaborate with both internal partner teams across the company and external ecosystem partners to enable end-to-end gaming scenarios.
The idea, according to the report, is that Xbox Live would act as a cross-platform alternative to Apple’s Game Center and similar services, allowing users to earn achievements, manage friends and more through a single service across Xbox and mobile platforms. No details on specific features or when we might expect to see more.
Microsoft released a brand-new Xbox Music app for Android this evening. The app features ad-free streaming from Microsoft’s massive song catalog, with custom stations built around specific artists, songs, or albums. These playlists can be synced to your other Xbox Music-capable devices, such as an Xbox 360.
The app requires an Xbox Music Pass to work, which comes in both free or paid varieties. The app description doesn’t state that a paid subscription is needed, but free accounts are limited to only ten hours per month after the first six months of use. Microsoft also notes that offline listening is coming in a future update.
The Android app is available now for free on Google Play.
A full list of features in the app via Google Play below:
Xbox Music brings you all the music you love, every way you want it. Now you can access your Xbox Music Pass on your Android phone, Xbox, Windows 8 PC or tablet, and the web.
Xbox Music Pass on Android features:
• Stream ad-free music from a catalog of tens of millions of songs
• Add songs, albums, and playlists to your Xbox Music collection and access them from other device
• Create playlists that sync across your phone, Xbox 360, PC, tablet, and the web
• Listen to music while using your Android phone
• Enjoy a rich visual experience for searching, viewing, and playing back music
According to a report from Nikkei (via Reuters), Microsoft has signed up Japan-based game developer Klab Inc to bring some of its console and PC games to the iPhone and Android devices. There aren’t many other details, but the report claims Microsoft’s next title to arrive on smartphones will be a free-to-play version of Age of the Empires:
Microsoft’s “Age of the Empires” will be available as a free-to-play game worldwide on smartphones by the end of the fiscal year 2013 and other titles will follow, the report said.
KLab is behind a few titles already on the App Store and Google Play, including Arcadia, Gigabot Wars, Eternal Uprising, and Lord of the Dragons.
It actually wouldn’t be the first game that Microsoft has published for smartphones as it recently brought its previously Windows Phone only title “Tentacles: Enter the Dolphin” to the App Store for both iPhone and iPad.
An FCC filing spotted by Dutch site TabletGuide.nl (via Engadget) suggests that Google may be working on a new streaming media player to replace the Nexus Q, the device Google announced, shipped to pre-order customers free of charge and then withdrew from the market.
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Earlier today, during Sony’s PS4 reveal keynote, one of the game developers Evolution Studios promised its new driving game Drive Club will have a “second screen” option for Android tablets. Users would be able to play games and socialize with other players all from their tablet. It was uncertain whether the feature would expand to other games and mobile platforms or if it was just a Drive Club exclusive. Just a mere four hours after today’s keynote, Sony hopes to mitigate the exclusivity rumors with the announcement of “Playstation App”. Explained in the press release below, the Playstation app will allow iPhones, iPads, Android tablets, and phones to become a “second screen” controller. Users will also be able to download games to their PS4 on the go, so they’ll be ready to play once they arrive home.
It’s currently unknown at the moment whether the app will be similar to Microsofts Xbox app that allows users to view other friends’ stats and manage and edit your profile or if it will solely be used as a second screen to games like the Wii U. There’s no released date pegged for the app, but expect it to launch sometime around this holiday season (the same time the PS4 is expected to launch).
Image via <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/15/3504532/xbox-music-pricing-availability-microsoft-xbox-360-windows-phone-8-windows-8" target="_blank">The Verge</a>
Microsoft announced this evening its new music service, called “Xbox Music”, that aims to compete with iTunes, Spotify and RDIO. The service is set to launch tomorrow for the Xbox 360 and Oct. 26 for Windows 8 (coming pre-installed) and Windows Phone 8 devices. GigaOm noted the service will also launch as an Android app shortly after:
But the biggest story to me is that Xbox Music will embrace Android and iOS. Jerry Johnson, general manager of Xbox Music, wasn’t able to tell me exactly when the apps for those two platforms are going to come out, but the sense that I took away from the briefing was that his team is working on making it happen sooner rather than later. Xbox Music on Android and iOS will look very much like Xbox Music on Windows Phone 8, which itself in many ways follows the style formerly known as Metro.
There is no word on what pricing Android users will see, but Microsoft said it will offer a free ad-support version for Windows 8 device owners and a $10 ad-free plan for those wanting an ad-free experience.
More details are at TechCrunch.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IYvQu00t75w]
Microsoft just wrapped up its presentation at this year’s E3 event. While we did not hear anything about iOS support for its new cross-platform Xbox Music service, the company did confirm Xbox SmartGlass would come to both Android and Apple devices. SmartGlass incorporates at least some of Apple’s AirPlay-like features that enable users to send video from their mobile devices to Xbox Live and Windows 8. It would also allow phones and tablets to be used as a second screen for providing content related to video or games on Xbox.
Microsoft demoed the feature with Madden on Xbox. It allowed players to use their tablet’s touchscreen to draw plays. Unfortunately, Microsoft only mentioned support for Windows 8 mobile devices for the Xbox gaming features:
Microsoft announced ahead of the E3 conference a new software application called “SmartGlass,” which can be downloaded on Windows phones and Windows 8 tablets, as well as devices powered by rivals such as Apple Inc’s iOS and Google Inc’s Android operating systems… For TV, someone watching “Game of Thrones” on the “HBO GO” streaming service via Xbox could simultaneously browse websites about the show’s cast.
Image <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&biw=1443&bih=1024&tbm=isch&tbnid=3642QYSvxzGrcM:&imgrefurl=http://softsupplier.com/motorola-could-ban-xbox-and-windows-7-in-germany-116254/&docid=qRX9o3-WG3oxWM&imgurl=http://softsupplier.com/wp-content/plugins/jobber-import-articles/photos/135951-motorola-could-ban-xbox-and-windows-7-in-germany-2.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=KF68T_20B-3G6AGOpIw9&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=712&vpy=557&dur=4896&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=166&ty=137&sig=110833262350628042404&page=2&tbnh=159&tbnw=217&start=28&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:28,i:144" target="_blank">via</a> Phandroid
An administrative law judge for the United States International Trade Commission has recommended a ban on Xbox gaming consoles from importing stateside.
According to the recommendation (PDF), which publicly released yesterday, the U.S. ban of 4 GB and 250 GB consoles would essentially penalize Xbox’s manufacturer, Microsoft, for allegedly infringing on Motorola’s patents. ArsTechnica noted the patents under dispute concern video transmission and compression on the Xbox and between controllers.
“[…] It is recommended that the Commission enter a limited exclusion order against infringing Microsoft products. It is further recommended that the Commission issue a cease and desist order. Additionally, it is recommended that Microsoft be required to post a bond for importation of accused products during the Presidential review period,” stated Administrative Law Judge David P. Shaw in the public recommendation.
Courthouse News emphasized that the bond sum suggested by the judge would equal to 7 percent of Xbox’s unsold inventory value already present in the country.
According to a report from Reuters, a judge in Mannheim ruled against Microsoft today in an ongoing patent dispute with Motorola Mobility by ordering the company to remove its Xbox 360 and Windows 7 products from German retailers. In response, Microsoft claimed that Motorola is unable to enforce the court’s decision due to a prior ruling granting Microsoft a preliminary injunction in a U.S. court:
“Motorola is prohibited from acting on today’s decision, and our business in Germany will continue as usual while we appeal this decision and pursue the fundamental issue of Motorola’s broken promise.”
Today’s ruling means Judge Holger Kircher has decided Microsoft broke contracts by using video-compression software covered in Motorola patents in its Xbox and Windows products. As noted by Reuters, the ITC last week ruled that Microsoft infringed on different Motorola patents covering both video compression and wireless technologies. European Union regulators have apparently started several investigations on how much Motorola charges competitors to license its patents because of the court’s decision and previous complaints from Apple, Microsoft, and others.
Microsoft requested European Union antitrust regulators to probe Motorola Mobility on claims that the United States phone manufacturer is blocking sales of Windows and Xbox products.
“Earlier today, Microsoft filed a formal competition law complaint with the European Commission (EC) against Motorola Mobility and Google,” wrote Microsoft’s Vice President and Deputy General Counsel David Heiner in a blog post this morning. “We have taken this step because Motorola is attempting to block sales of Windows PCs, our Xbox game console and other products.”
Microsoft’s post, “Google: Please Don’t Kill Video on the Web,” lambasted Motorola Mobility for not making industry standard patents available on reasonable and fair terms, and for using those patents to block competitors from shipping products.
The industry apparently agreed many years ago to define common technical standards for everyone to use and build compatible Wi-Fi and video products. However, Heiner contended, Motorola is backtracking on its word and attempting to use standard patents for “killing video on the Web.”
More information is available below.
