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Mini review video: Our verdict on the Surface Pro 4 in under a minute
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-385756{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-385756, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-385756{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-385756").style.display="none";}catch(e){}With each generation of the Surface Pro, Microsoft gets closer and closer to fulfilling its promise of a tablet that can replace your laptop. Last year's Surface Pro 3 was certainly powerful enough to take on similarly priced notebooks, but the keyboard wasn't as comfortable, and it wasn't particularly easy to use in your lap either. Fortunately, the new Surface Pro 4 mostly addresses these flaws, with a sturdier keyboard, improved pen and slightly lighter design. Unfortunately, the battery life is about the same as last time, delivering just over seven hours of video playback in our tests. If Microsoft were to extend the runtime and include the keyboard dock in the box, we'd be inclined to give the Surface an even higher score. Even as is, though, we can finally say it's well-rounded enough to replace a laptop.
Xbox One's big backwards compatibility update arrives November 12th
During tonight's Halo 5: Guardians launch festivities, Xbox boss Phil Spencer just announced that the Xbox One will receive its Windows 10-based update on November 12th. That's the one that will put a new UI on the console, as well as give everyone the ability to play certain Xbox 360 games. Some Xbox One owners in the preview program has been beta testing the new OS for a few months, and the experience has occasionally been a bit rough. Hopefully all that testing means the bugs are appropriately squished once this software rolls out wide in a couple of weeks. You can see the announcement in the video embedded after the break, or jump to the live broadcast as the Microsoft folks count down to midnight.
Mini review video: Our verdict on the Surface Book in under a minute
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-241082{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-241082, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-241082{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-241082").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Did you read our Surface Book review? We know quite a few of you did -- this turned out to be one of the most popular reviews Engadget has run all entire year. That said, in case you missed it, here's a quick recap: Despite the fact that this was Microsoft's very first attempt at crafting a proper laptop, it actually got most things right. The device's magnesium case and snake-like "Fulcrum" hinge give the Surface Book a premium but distinctive look. The keyboard and trackpad are both comfortable to use. Performance is fast, with some specs you won't find on most other 13-inch laptops in this weight class. Battery life is insanely long -- up to 14 hours in our tests. What's more, when you detach the 13.5-inch screen, it becomes an impossibly light 1.6-pound tablet, and the included pen works well too.
The Surface Mini is a real tablet that you can't buy
You've heard the rumors: Microsoft axed the launch of a small "Surface Mini" Windows tablet just before the Pro 3 hit stores. Hints of the canceled launch showed up in news articles, Microsoft earnings reports and even the Surface Pro 3's user manual, but now we finally have confirmation that the tablet actually exists -- and it was pretty much ready to ship alongside the Surface Pro 3. So ready that, for a time, Surface VP Panos Panay used one on a daily basis.
Take a tour of Microsoft's new Fifth Avenue flagship store
Microsoft's first flagship retail store is opening its doors tomorrow in New York City, located on Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street, just a few blocks from Apple's iconic cube store. This isn't your typical Microsoft store: It spans five floors in a grand building, and it'll sport a glass facade that offers a direct view inside. You definitely won't miss it while walking down the street. Upon entering the store, it's not hard to feel a sense of deja vu from Apple's retail style. There's plenty of hardware spread out for you to fondle on fashionable tables, including Surface Pro 4s, Surface Books, new Lumia phones and a slew of other hardware from Windows PC makers. And there are several "Answer Desks" located throughout the store, which will offer assistance with any piece of Windows hardware, no matter where you bought it. Check out our walkthrough after the break.
One of Xbox Live's creators has left Microsoft
The man who helped transform Xbox Live from a network of desktop PCs running under its developers' desks to a service connecting some 39 million game-playing folk has left Microsoft. Eric Neustadter has worked at the company for 18-and-a-half years, 14-and-a-half of those dedicated to Xbox where he's most recently served as the platform's director of architecture. He recently returned from a sabbatical, and the co-host of the Major Nelson podcast hasn't yet made any indication of what's he's going to do next. If you'd like some more info on who the man who holds the first-created gamertag ("e") is, you should definitely read this two-part history on building Xbox Live which chronicles the birth of the service and its relaunch with the Xbox 360's 2005 release. They're worth your time -- I promise. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Extensions for Microsoft's Edge browser aren't coming until 2016
When switching web browsers, importing favorites isn't hard, but the thought of losing all your extensions is usually what keeps people where they are. As a result, even if you're on Windows 10 already you might not make use of Microsoft's slick new Edge browser until it too has support for add-ons. Unfortunately, in a statement to Ars Technica Microsoft confirmed rumors that its current plan is to put off the addition of extensions until next year. Its decision is apparently based on the need to make sure its extension model is secure before delivering it in a 2016 Windows update. While browser upgrades are still cooking, all signs indicate a fall update is on the way in November with most of the features currently being beta tested, like an integrated Skype experience, new features for Cortana and an activation process that can accept product keys from earlier versions of Windows. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
Microsoft adds a cheaper Surface Book option with NVIDIA graphics
If you're like most of us, you think Microsoft's Surface Book looks like an incredibly attractive laptop, however adding on all the fixin's (like a powerful NVIDIA GPU embedded in the keyboard) can make it a bit pricey. TechRadar notes that the folks from Redmond have slid one more variant into the store, allowing buyers to essentially choose between upgrading the base ($1,500) model's graphics instead of its hard drive. For $1,700 you can either have a version with a Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB storage and no NVIDIA discrete GPU, or the new version -- a 128GB model with dGPU. If you keep your larger-capacity files in the cloud or an external drive, that cuts $200 off the previous cheapest dGPU-equipped version without losing any power, but we won't blame you if only the $3,200 1TB top-of-the-line powerhouse will suffice.
Microsoft phone sales fell 54 percent because of 'updated strategy'
Despite being an overall strong first quarter for Microsoft, its mobile side is still hurting. Phone sales fell 54 percent over the last few months, "reflecting our updated strategy," the company announced in its earnings report. It's not hard to see why, though: Microsoft basically didn't have much to sell over the past few months. Its flagship Windows 10 phones, the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, were only announced this month, after the quarter ended. All it was left with over the summer was mid-range and low-end phones, which weren't exactly enticing in the face of an onslaught of new smartphones throughout 2015. At least there's nowhere to go but up for Microsoft's phones now (we hope).
Xbox Live gets 28 percent more monthly active users in the first quarter
It was a pretty good first quarter for Microsoft on the gaming front. The company revealed today that monthly active Xbox Live users increased by 28 percent over the last three months, a huge jump that now puts the active user base at 39 million. To be clear: These aren't the total amount of people on Xbox Live (which sits around 49 million), just those who are playing at least once a month. The summer break probably accounted for much of that growth, together with high-profile releases like Metal Gear Solid V and Destiny: The Taken King. Still, the gaming success wasn't enough to help Microsoft's More Personal Computing group -- which includes all of its devices -- still saw revenue fall 17 percent in Q1, mostly due to the 54 percent revenue drop in phones. And that figure isn't too surprising: Microsoft didn't really have many fresh phone offerings over the summer.
Playdate: Giving away the farm with 'Halo 5: Guardians'
Halo 5: Guardians launches next week on Xbox One and we're celebrating the only way we know how on Playdate -- by giving stuff away and playing video games on Twitch. What's the giveaway? A special Xbox One console packing 1TB of storage, Halo 5 stylings and the game itself. And for runners up, a pair of Astro A40 headphones decked out in the sci-fi shooter's livery. Oh, right, we're playing a game too. You can probably guess by now what that'll be, but if not it's Halo 5. Join Sean Buckley, myself and our special guest Richard Lawler as we form a Blue Team of our own and fight through Covenant and Prometheans for two hours starting at 4 PM Eastern / 1PM Pacific. You'll be able to find us in the usual places, too: Here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage and Twitch.tv/joystiq if you'd like to join us in chat.
Watch how Neon Indian used Kinect for its latest concert
The combination of the electronic band Neon Indian and Microsoft's Kinect makes so much sense it seems practically inevitable. During Neon Indian's performance at the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC this month, it used five Kinect sensors to capture the movement of band members, the results of which were projected in a trippy light performance behind them. You can see the Xbox One Kinect sensors set up throughout the stage for its performance of "The Glitzy Hive" from its latest album, VEGA INTL. Night School, in the video below. We've seen plenty of other intriguing uses of Kinect for music performances -- even the Seattle Symphony has experimented with it -- but it's still interesting to see how different artists approach Microsoft's motion-sensing camera. Neon Indian will be using the Kinect setup in select locations throughout its upcoming tour, and you can get a better sense of how it works after the break.
Xbox One Elite controller review: A better gamepad at a steep price
Is a gamepad worth $150? That's the question Microsoft is asking with the Xbox One Elite controller, a revamp of its almost two-year-old paddle that shipped with the Xbox One. The company isn't targeting this as a device for the mainstream, though. Rather, the Elite is instead for highly competitive gamers -- the type that'd mod their controllers with third-party accessories for greater precision. The customization it offers comes at a steep price, costing over twice as much as the standard $60 controller.Why should you care? Because the vanilla Xbox One controller feels like a cheap knock-off of the vaunted Xbox 360 pad that came before it. Microsoft said it spent over $100 million designing it, considering smell-o-vision and even a built-in projector for the gamepad, only to wind up with a mostly inferior clone. It has too many sharp edges, feels incredibly hollow and seems, well, cheap. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons I don't play my Xbox One much as my PlayStation 4 is because I prefer the latter's DualShock 4 controller. Keep all that in mind when you consider the following statement: I've been using the Elite controller for almost a week and I haven't wanted to put it down; this is the Xbox One gamepad we should've had from the outset.
In-car voice commands cost you 27 seconds of safety
We all know that taking your eyes off the road is a bad idea, but now researchers have added another paper to confirm that using voice commands is just as unwise. A team from the University of Utah, in partnership with the American Automobile Association, believes that the mental effort of driving and talking on your phone is still dangerous. According to the research, it takes a full 27 seconds after completing a distracting task — queuing up a song even with your voice alone — before your brain is fully able to concentrate on the art of driving.
Surface Book review: The ultimate laptop, even if it isn't perfect
For years, Microsoft has been telling us that the future of PCs was actually the tablet. The Surface Pro in particular is powerful enough that it could truly keep pace with your laptop, and Microsoft hasn't been shy about comparing it to the MacBook Air. The message seemed clear: The Surface Pro was like a notebook, only better. And yet, immediately after unveiling the Surface Pro 4 at a keynote earlier this month, Microsoft unleashed one last surprise: the Surface Book. At first glance, it's a traditional 13-inch notebook, with a premium design, long battery life and the sort of performance you'll find in only a handful of other laptops, like the MacBook Pro. Unlike a Mac, though, you can remove the screen, turning it into a shockingly light, 1.6-pound tablet -- one that happens to pack a notebook-grade Intel Core processor. This, according to Microsoft, is the "ultimate laptop."
Surface Pro 4 review: Yes, it can really replace your laptop
With the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft's surprising hybrid tablet journey finally makes sense. It's as if Microsoft was laser-focused on fixing the issues we had with the Surface Pro 3. We liked that device quite a bit, but its Type Cover was endlessly frustrating, with a sloppy keyboard and wonky trackpad. The new keyboard, on the other hand, is far sturdier and more laptop-like, and its trackpad is no longer a thing of nightmares. It's taken a while, but the Surface Pro 4 shows Microsoft has finally accomplished everything it set out to do when it unveiled its crazy hybrid tablet concept three years ago (which makes the announcement of the Surface Book even more curious). Aside from improving the battery life and bundling in the Type Cover (just do it, already), it's hard to imagine how much better the Surface Pro line can get.
Google lures your workplace away from Office by covering app costs
Google really, really wants your company to jump from Microsoft Office to Docs. So much so, in fact, that it's willing to pay a lot to make sure that happens. It just launched a promo that will cover your firm's Docs costs so long as it's stuck in an enterprise agreement with someone else -- your workplace only starts paying when the old contract runs out. That's no small offer when Docs costs at least $50 per person per year, which could add up to tens of thousands of dollars at an outfit with hundreds of employees.
Google will provide some of Yahoo's search results
Yahoo clearly isn't wasting time now that it's free to partner with search firms besides Microsoft. The internet pioneer has revealed a partnership that will have Google providing some search results (including images) and search-based ads. It's not certain just how many queries the crew in Mountain View will handle, but the deal is "non-exclusive." If it wants, Yahoo can draw on Microsoft's Bing or any other provider. The pact lasts until the end of 2018, too, so the company isn't committed on the same level as it was when it struck the Bing deal in 2009.
Wireless Xbox One controller adapter for Windows ships today
You won't have to wait much longer to use your Xbox One gamepad wirelessly with your PC. Microsoft announced today that its handy peripheral, revealed earlier this year, is now shipping to "most" retail stores around the world. If you're in the US, though, it looks like the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows will be available starting today for $25. There's also a bundle kitted with an Xbox One controller, which is $55 extra -- or $80 total, to be specific. The USB-powered add-on is going to be useful for Windows 10 users who want to use it to play PC games, as well as with Xbox One titles being streamed to a nearby desktop, laptop or hybrid tablet.
'Minecraft' with a story isn't as weird as you'd think
A story-driven game about Minecraft, the block-building phenomenon adored by children and adults alike, might sound a tad contradictory. By design, Minecraft has little in the way of plot or characters -- the world is randomly generated and the best "stories" occur naturally based on what you decide to build and explore. The game's open nature is what makes it special, and it's also the reason why Minecraft: Story Mode, a spin-off title with a carefully crafted plot, has been met with so much skepticism. Minecraft works because it doesn't have a story -- is it possible, or right, for another developer to give it one?
