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Microsoft bundles Office 365, Xbox and Skype subscriptions for $199
You may want to write this down so you can remember it later on, in case you really can't think of a better gift for someone in your life who depends on several Microsoft services. The company has just released a limited edition Work & Play bundle, which contains one-year subscriptions each to Office 365 Home (comes with unlimited OneDrive storage), Xbox Live, Xbox Music Pass and Skype Unlimited World and WiFi for a total of $199. We've listed down the price of each service for you, so you can figure out if the bundle's worth buying: Office 365 Home: $9.99/month or $99.99/year Xbox Live 12-month Gold Membership: $59.99/year 12-Month Xbox Music Pass: $99.90/year Skype Unlimited World: €10.49 ($13.05)/month or $156.60/year if the numbers you're calling are mostly located in the US
Microsoft axing Zune Marketplace rentals and sales, recommends Xbox Video and Music
Coinciding with the impending abandonment of Microsoft Points, the ability to rent and purchase media from Zune Marketplace will also be hitting retirement come August 22nd. A recently-posted FAQ on the Xbox website details the changes, directing current users to hurry up and use their remaining points as they'll be worthless come that EOL date. For future service Microsoft is unsurprisingly pointing users to Xbox Music and Video, noting that the latter will also be accessible on Xbox One, Windows Phone 8 and browsers "later this year." Unlimited streaming will be accessible through the Xbox Music Pass as you'd expect, and your existing media will continue to function as normal. Better yet, OG Zune Music Pass subscribers will still be able to stream tunes and obtain their 10 free downloads per month. Consider it another inevitable nail in the Zune brand's coffin, while it lives on through Xbox.
US pricing leaks for incoming Xbox Music service
Following those British-based leaks yesterday, a second mole has now offered us a glimpse at Xbox Music pricing across the Atlantic. It looks like the Zune successor will offer a longer 30-day free trial, alongside $10 per-month and $100 annual subscriptions. Surprise -- looks like Americans are getting a better deal.
Dashboard beta leaks new Xbox Music Pass: Cloud playlists and early pricing revealed
Appearing soon after Zune's end, we've been sent these images of what Microsoft's likely to offer in Xbox Music. Matching those early rumors, it looks like some cloud-linked features will make an appearance in the form of synchronized playlists, while the service will offer a free half-month trial alongside paid subscriptions. Prices are currently set at £8.99 ($15) for a month, while £89.90 ($146) will offer a year's unlimited access to "millions" of tracks, to stream and download across Xbox, Windows, and Windows Phone. The system's UI seems to borrow its looks from Windows' Metro tile-based style, with a very similar keyboard that appears to be navigable from your Xbox controller. Take a tour of the gallery below and expect to hear more specifics ahead of the big Windows 8 launch next month. [Thanks Anonymous]
