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Rumor: Microsoft preparing set-top box version of next Xbox, to be revealed pre-holiday 2013
Microsoft may be preparing a lite version of its next-generation console specifically made for set-top box purposes. The Verge says the device -- dubbed "Xbox TV" -- will be part of Microsoft's next-gen console strategy, offering a low-cost alternative to the still unannounced, "Durango" with "access to core entertainment services;" it's also said to be an "always on" device. The report also posits that both Microsoft's next system and this alternate device will be revealed and released ahead of holiday 2013. It's unclear exactly what the rumored set-top box's "core entertainment services" might be, but it's not hard to imagine it comprising the recently revamped Xbox Video / Music services, as well as the myriad other multimedia services available through the current-gen Xbox 360. The company is also allegedly exploring Xbox TV as a service, licensed out to various television manufacturers and integrated on a software level -- none of this sounds especially far-fetched considering Microsoft's new strategy of marketing the Xbox brand as its entertainment wing, as well as pitching its latest version of Windows as a scalable, multi-device OS. For Redmond's part, the company's only issuing the following boilerplate statement: "Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend the console lifecycle by introducing controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention." We expect to hear many more rumblings on the next-gen front after the coming holiday season.
AMD exec behind Wii and Xbox 360 graphics jumps the fence to NVIDIA
AMD has been suffering a conspicuous brain drain, with executives like ATI veteran Rick Bergman and CTO Eric Demers crossing over to tangentially or directly competitive companies like NVIDIA and Qualcomm. Chalk up another one for the list -- strategic development VP Bob Feldstein has bounded towards NVIDIA's (literally) greener pastures. The blow cuts deeper than usual through Feldstein's responsibility for graphics in most of the consoles from the past few years: he headed up work behind the Xenos chip in earlier Xbox 360s and the Hollywood core in the Wii, and he likely had some say in the Wii U's video hardware as well. While the staff shuffle won't directly affect AMD's Fusion processors or Radeon cards, it's hard to see much of a positive for AMD's future in video gaming, even in the light of rumors that the next PlayStation and Xbox might use some of Feldstein's work.
Rumor: Microsoft considered OnLive acquisition, thinks the next PlayStation will be a GoogleTV box
Details continue to spew forth from the supposed leaked 52-page "Xbox 720" presentation that came to light a few hours ago. Buried deep within the bowels of the slideshow's fifth seventh slide, an examination of the next Xbox's potential competition potentially reveals some interesting tidbits about Microsoft's thinking back in 2010 (the slideshow dates back to August 2010).Most notably, the document not only lists OnLive's MicroConsole as competition (along with the AppleTV and GoogleTV platforms, among others), but it also notes OnLive itself as a "potential acquisition target" – which makes sense considering frequent mentions of cloud gaming in the rest of the document.The presentation also makes several assumptions about the Wii U (dubbed "Wii2" in the piece, showing its age) and Sony's eventual next console, specifically claiming that the Wii U will cost around $249, and that the "PS4" will be some kind of GoogleTV device, on top of being a Sony console.
Rumor: 'Xbox 720' doc spills details on Kinect 2, 2013 launch, AR glasses
A lengthy business document purportedly sourced back to Microsoft showed up on Scribd yesterday. In it, alleged details about an "Xbox 720." For starters, the 56-page document claims the next-generation Xbox will launch in 2013 for $299, alongside the "Kinect V2." The doc also claims it'll come packed with Blu-ray functionality and be able to play game that are "4x - 6x" better looking than Xbox 360. If only it could promise the game themselves would be 4x - 6x better!Beyond the stuff you'd expect, the document also claims Microsoft has Augmented Reality glasses in the works named "Fortaleza" (presumably built at Brazil-based Innovation Center Fortaleza) – the document says we won't see through MS' AR until some time in 2014, post-console launch. Additionally, it claims the "Xbox 720" will have some form of "always on" functionality, as well as the ability to run apps at the same time (read: multitasking).Now before you go getting all excited, you should probably know that this document surfaced in some form back in early May on Nukezilla. Moreover, even if it's totally legit, the document itself appears to be rather old – dating back to August 2010 at least. That said, some of the info detailed in the document has since been announced by Microsoft (most notably Smart Glass). We've seen some pretty thorough fakes in our time, but this would be the most thorough if it were.We've reached out to Microsoft for comment, but, well, you know.Update: The document was removed from Scribd due to copyright infringement, at the request of a law firm named Covington and Burling. The firm worked with Microsoft as recently as this past April, when it advised Microsoft in its patent settlement case with Facebook. Microsoft still hasn't responded to request for comment.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Pivothead review: video recording eyewear for (reasonably) discreet POV clips
We won't mince words -- the Pivothead Durango have a decidedly "sporty" style that probably won't win it too many fans. But, if you're in the market for some POV video action, chances are style isn't particularly high on your list of must-have features. They have the appearance of low-key, but bulky Oakley knockoffs. But again, if you're hurtling yourself down a hill on a snowboard, how cool your specs look is probably secondary to recording high-quality video and absorbing a beating. So, we promise, this is the last you'll hear about how unsightly these things are. (And they are just that -- ugly.) Once you head past the break we'll have video samples, photo samples and field tests, but nary a word about how embarrassing it is to walk around in public with these on. Promise. So, join us below as we put Pivothead's video sunglasses through their paces.
Pivothead video glasses offer impressive quality, we go hands-on (sample video)
There's a new adventure video capture company in town, and both Zeyez and GoPro would have good reason to be afraid. You may not have heard of Pivothead -- the company has had a remarkably quiet push to market over the last few months -- but the video recording eyewear startup could very well become a household name after its first products hit the market this April for $349. Aurora, Durango, Moab and Recon may offer distinct exterior designs, but they're virtually identical under the hood. Each model includes an eight-megapixel Sony sensor (that reportedly captures higher quality images than the iPhone 4S cam), a four-element glass lens, 8GB of built-in storage, a 440mAh battery (with about an hour of shooting time) and three video modes: 1080/30p, 720/60p and 720/30p. We had a chance to go hands-on with Pivothead earlier today, and took the glasses for a spin on the streets of New York City. You'll find that sample video, along with our impressions, just past the break.
