Good news for Microsoft's Surface Pro fans who can't afford it. The software giant is discounting the device by US$100 (R1000) for the month of August. First spotted by Tom Warren over at The Verge, the price reduction affects the 64GB and 128GB Pros. Just a few weeks ago the Redmond-based company announced plans to cut the price of its Surface RT product which, according to AllThingsD, "seems to have driven a massive US$900-million write-down on unsold inventory". During the announcement ...

Reputation is key. When you're online, you're vulnerable to the socially awkward, the psychos, the cheaters and jerks. Xbox Live wants to shun these haters on the Xbox One. Like a tough street corner in the hood, you'll be forever marked by your actions, whether they're fair or foul, Microsoft's new HAL-algorithm will know. In this effort to make Xbox Live an "even more kick-ass" community, Microsoft designed an algorithm. As is the usual case with algorithms, they're complicated. "The ...

Your flesh is weak to smartwatch rumours, so give in and drink the juice Microsoft is pouring for you. Today, there's a sweet cup of Windows 8-loving smartwatch to ingest as The Verge reports on new developments from camp Microsoft. Could you handle a smartwatch running Surface on it? Microsoft thinks you can. According to the rumour-mill, the prototype smartwatch has been shifted over to team Surface. This is a step in a positive direction as previous smartwatch rumours pointed to ...

Microsoft’s doing the smart thing and cutting the price of its (fairly dreadful) Window Surface RT tablets by as much as US$150 (R1 500) says The Verge. From 14 July, US-based store, Staples will begin to sell the cut-price RT tablets. Here’s the new price, in print. It’s a brave move, and a needed one. The sales for Windows RT tablets have been dire (1-million during Q1 2013) and analysts have said that poor sales can be attributed to two things: ...

Windows 8.1 will be ready to be loaded onto PCs by late August, says Microsoft on its official Windows blog. "This means OEMs will be able to get the RTM bits and begin preparing devices with Windows 8.1 just in time for the holidays!” the blog excitingly continues. The blog recounts Microsoft executives Tami Reller and Jensen Harris who took to the stage at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference earlier  today to explain how Windows 8.1 will integrate with OEM devices. Onstage, features ...

A group of Microsoft researchers have created a stereo-vision 3-D monitor on a robot arm to augment touchscreen interactions. Their aim, they say, is to do "for the sense of touch what computer graphics does for vision.” Basically it's an LCD flat panel that's attached to a robotic arm that pushes, retracts and moves the screen when touched. The screen uses sensors to recognize the objects on the screen and when touched, uses light force to create the illusion of the ...

Bloomberg is reporting that former Microsoft executive Don Mattrick has jumped ship and joined social-gaming developer Zynga as new CEO. This became more apparent as company emails and posts started swirling around the web. Whatever this really means, we hope it's not a sign of up a coming graphic intensive Farmville gaming culture. Don Mattrick is generally known for his role in bringing about the Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Live. He also played a massive part in successful franchises ...

Xbox Music web version is here. While it was widely expected to launch earlier this week according to The Verge, but it’s live right now and new or registered Xbox users can sign up for a paid or free 30-day trial. Xbox Music web shares the Windows 8-look of the Xbox 360’s interface, has an adaptive interface and requires an Xbox Live Gold membership (US$5/pm) on top of the monthly Xbox Music Pass (US$9.99). The trial period automatically upgrades to the ...

Guess what? Windows 8.1 Preview is here. If you still care about Windows 8, you should attempt a download. As of right now though, Microsoft is saying that the ISO files needed to install it will only be available “within the next day”. But that’s what we’re here for, to show you why and if Windows 8.1 Preview is worth a download, or not. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7BN0W7CONpw Windows! It’s “more you” now Look, the video above was fine but all we noticed out of the “more ...

There was a time, when your choice in console wasn’t scrutinised at every turn. There was a time, when it was more about the games than the platform. There was a time, when a gamer’s first question to another gamer wasn’t, “Playstation or Xbox?” Those days are past it seems, and the Great War, which began almost a decade ago, still has the world in its iron grip. And now a new era has begun, more in line with the Cold War, a ...