Last month, we sat down with Microsoft for a quick look at the Xbox’s upcoming Dashboard update — it was sleek, searchable, and extremely camera shy. A quick trip to Europe seems to have cured it of its bashful ways, however, and the budding update can now be seen in a slightly blurry piece of French cinema. This leaked video shows a Dashboard with a smidge more polish than the demo we saw in September, and silently plods on without so much as a bleep or bloop. Our mute host briefly peeks at the Xbox Live Marketplace, casually glances at the Bing search page and scrolls leisurely through the new Dash’s very Metro menu. The whole shebang is en français, of course, and the update's snappy voice-control gimmick is sadly absent. Sure, there's not a lot of depth here, but if you want a glimpse of what's coming when the update drops later this Fall, it's definitely worth a look.

[Thanks, John]

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over on Netflix’s official blog, company head Reed Hastings has announced in a surprisingly humble blog post and video (embedded after the break) that it’s splitting the DVD-by-mail business away into a new venture dubbed Qwikster. While the recent price changes already split the cost for each service, when this takes effect in a few weeks it will result in two different websites, two different sets of movie ratings and queues, and two different charges on customer’s bills. He admits two separate sites may make it more difficult to manage a presence on both, but says dropping the need for compatibility between the two will enable new features to balance that out. Another change? Netflix Qwikster (is there anything good about that name?) is getting into video game rentals, available for an extra charge similar to the existing Blu-ray disc option.

While the blog post blames a lack of communication for much of the backlash (and obviously cancellations), it’s about to become very clear that Netflix is “primarily a streaming company.” Also mentioned is “substantial” additional streaming content coming in the next few months. Whatever the company calls itself, charges, or changes on its website, if Netflix wants to talk its way back into subscriber’s good graces, starting with something new to watch is the way to do it.

Continue reading Netflix spins DVD-by-mail service off into Qwikster, says it’s ‘done’ with price changes (video)

Netflix spins DVD-by-mail service off into Qwikster, says it’s ‘done’ with price changes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yeah, we knew it was possible, but knowing and seeing are two very, very different animals. Just before closing the doors at Build 2011, Microsoft’s Avi Ben-Menahem took the time to briefly showcase what would be possible with Xbox Live and Windows 8. It’s obviously in a very early state, but already we’re seeing signs of cross-platform multiplayer game support, and an (unsurprisingly) Metro-style universe supplanting the existing Games for Windows Live. We get the feeling that Microsoft’s thinking this one through; rather than just shoehorning a gaming element in, things like “cloud saves” and dedicated Music / Video panes will be around to enjoy. Moreover, participation in the Xbox Live development program will purportedly be free, and if Ben-Menahem has his way, this will bring “everything you know and love on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live to Windows.” Bold. Peek the pair of videos just after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft shows off Xbox Live on Windows 8 (video)

Microsoft shows off Xbox Live on Windows 8 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you have kids and own a tablet, chances are you’ve passed it to the back seat on occasion, asking your five-year-old to help you navigate to the beach, or to beat an otherwise hopeless level in Angry Birds. Now, you can reward them with a tablet of their own. Available in green and pink, the $100 LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer includes a 5-inch, 480 x 272-pixel (16:9) touchscreen, 2GB of built-in storage, and a durable housing — but your 5-9 year old isn’t going to get caught up on specs. They will take notice to the built-in camera (with video capture), microphone, stylus, and accelerometer, however — all of which enable custom kid-friendly apps and educational games, including Disney Animation Studio, an interactive reader, and compatibility with over 100 downloadable apps and LeapFrog cartridges, which range in price from $5 to $25. There’s no wireless connectivity, so you’ll be tethering with Windows or Mac OS to download additional content, and to share your child’s creations with family and friends.

We’re certainly far outside LeapPad’s target demographic, but we did have a chance to go hands-on with the device earlier today, and felt that the tablet was solidly built, with a well-rounded feature set and sufficient expandability options — for a kids toy, of course. Games and apps took advantage of the Pad’s features, such as Roly Poly Picnic, which uses the accelerometer to navigate through a maze, spelling out simple, three-letter words along the way (like all apps and games, Picnic is adjustable based on your little one’s age and skill level). There’s also a video player (currently limited to 4:3 content), photo, and video capture apps. Shipping August 15th, the device doesn’t have a ton of horsepower under the hood — a 400MHz processor means apps won’t launch with the speed and grace of an iPad 2 — but for a $100 toy, the LeapPad will do just fine. PR and hands-on video are after the break.

Continue reading LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer tablet hands-on (video)

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer tablet hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The folks over at Microsoft Advertising are quite fond of their latest brainchild, so much so that they’re calling the Kinect-enabled advertising platform “irresistibly interactive.” NUAds — which snaked the NU in NUI — feeds off our need for interactivity, allowing advertisers to lure us in by enabling points of gesture and voice control. Think the latest Snuggie spot is super cool? Just say “Xbox, Tweet,” and all your friends will know it. Want to know more about Mariah Carey’s latest fragrance? Say “Xbox, More,” and the info is all yours. Wondering where you can pick up a box of Nad’s edible hair remover? Say “Xbox, Near Me,” and you’ll get a text with the location of the closest Nad’s retailer. Want to vote on the hottest new Bratz doll? Give your girl a thumbs up. So Microsoft may have engaged a host of more respectable partners, namely Adidas, NBC, and Coca Cola, for its demo of the voice and gesture-enabled advertising platform yesterday, and NUAds does indeed serve up promotions in an entirely new way, but will it really change how we view the boob tube for good? Check out the video demo after the break, and weigh in the comments below.

Continue reading Microsoft’s NUAds interactive advertising to harness powers of Kinect, ‘change television as we know it’

Microsoft’s NUAds interactive advertising to harness powers of Kinect, ‘change television as we know it’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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