Daily Roundup: Amazon Fire TV, Microsoft announces Windows Phone 8.1 and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Amazon's Fire TV promises a premium set-top experience
What you're looking at is Amazon's new Fire TV set-top box. Above all, this tiny, $99 media streamer is lightning fast thanks to its "ASAP" technology, which preloads content based upon your location in the UI. But this little black box isn't just for TV, it plays games too.
Windows Phone 8.1 and Cortana officially revealed at Build 2014
Windows Phone 8.1 has finally arrived! Today at Build 2014, Microsoft unveiled the latest version of its mobile OS, featuring a brand new notification center ("Action Center") and the anticipated Cortana digital assistant.
Microsoft unveils Cortana, its answer to Siri and Google Now
Earlier today, Microsoft announced Cortana, its new, Bing-powered digital assistant for Windows Phone 8.1. The search tool currently exists as a beta, but 8.1 users can access it via its own special Live Tile. What's more, Microsoft opened the API to select developers like Hulu and Facebook.
Fire TV 'isn't trying' to be a game console, but is Amazon's first real investment in gaming
Is the Fire TV simply a gaming-capable media streamer, or vice versa? Well, we spoke with Amazon VP Pete Larsen and he assured us that the Fire TV "isn't trying to be a game console." Regardless of the company's "create-a-market" approach with The set-top box, Amazon has indeed invested in the world of video games.
