Even SQL Azure gets the Metro UI.
Posted Friday, December 9, 2011 at 8:48 am by Jason Cartwright
Those logging into SQL Azure today will get a prompt to update to Silverlight 5. Why the need for the latest developer version of Silverlight? It turns out even Microsoft developers are now being moved over to the new Metro UI we’ve seen on WP7, Windows 8, Xbox and now Microsoft’s cloud database service SQL Azure. Where will it stop?
Update
It seems the Metro UI rollout was much broader than first expected. The entire Windows Azure website has now had the new UI design applied.
Check it out for yourself at https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us
Xbox 360 Dashboard update, adds Metro Aussie voice control
Posted Monday, December 5, 2011 at 10:52 pm by Jason Cartwright
Update 3
Well it seems those last minute gremlins are now sorted out, the new Dashboard has now started rolling out. Reactions online are mixed, some loving it, some hating, which always happens when your product is in the hands of millions.
Tip: To force the Dashboard Update, try running the network connection test to Xbox Live.
Update2
Microsoft have delayed the release of the Dashboard update without explanation. It’s likely a few last minute bugs were discovered that stopped the update from rolling out.
Update
@majornelson now says everyone in Australia should have the Xbox Dashboard update at 2AM tomorrow morning (Sydney timezone)
Go turn on your Xbox 360, there may be a major update waiting for you. The new Xbox 360 Dashboard is being rolled out today, the update adds a number of important new features including voice controls and applications, as well as a new Metro-style UI. Australian voice control has been missing since the launch of Kinect but is finally delivered in this update.
An increasing number titles are being released with voice capabilities exacerbating the delayed launch of Xbox voice controls in Australia. Strangely voice has been active in Kinect Labs and has worked well for months. The December 2011 Dashboard update bring Xbox-wide voice controls, meaning you can search for content by using commands like “Xbox Bing {movie title}”. The voice system is initiated by saying the word “Xbox” a list of possible commands is then displayed on each tile on the screen as well as common system functions at the bottom.
When you consider the challenges for Kinect, room acoustics, environmental noises and background conversations, it’s impressive how accurate it is. There’s also no training time like you may be used to with desktop voice systems like that of Dragon Dictate or even Microsoft’s own Windows 7 voice support. By limiting the list of possible commands, Kinect has a much easier task than attempting to interpret any words spoken in the room.
Metro-style UI
By now most of us are familiar with Microsoft’s current design philosophy Metro. It’s used on Windows Phone 7, Windows 8 and now the Xbox 360. This Dashboard update continues that theme with clean crisp text, minimal content per screen and large tiles. The use of Kinect gestures to move around the UI has also been improved from what was on offer in the Zune Marketplace. Gone are the days of having to find a ridiculously precise location to the left or right of the screen. Swipes gestures now work with a much larger region, achieving a much more natural experience.
If you don’t have a Kinect connected to your Xbox 360, don’t stress, it will continue to work just fine using normal controller operations.
Profile sync
With millions of Xbox sold around the world, it’s unsurprising that many of us find ourselves at someone else’s house, only for our profile stuck at home. With the new Dashboard update, you’re profile can now live in the cloud. This means that you can log into your account on any Xbox and have your achievements, game progress, friends list all come with you. About time right? If you’re thinking that this already existing with profile pull, it didn’t. Previously you’re account could only ever live on one console, now it can live anywhere you want with a simple sign in. This is progress.
Beacons
Setting up beacons on the Xbox, allows you to keep up to date with your best gaming buddies. While you’re contact list may have grown to dozens or more, there’s likely a few select ones that you always want to know about. Beacons also work with games. Set a beacon for Forza 4 and you’ll be alerted when one of your mates is playing that game. This information was previously only available when you started a game, it would say ‘4 friends playing this game’. Beacons will notify you Xbox-wide, so no matter what app you’re currently using, you’ll be up to date.
Gallery
Xbox as the future of TV
This afternoon, Microsoft confirmed they were bringing a number of key local applications to the Xbox 360. The following apps will be available in December.
- ABC iView
- SBS ON DEMAND
- YouTube
- Daily Motion
- Crackle
- Ninemsn – Nine News, Today, Wide World of Sports, CelebrityFIX TV
While Channel 7’s catch-up service is an omission this is actually a really impressive list, just remember they won’t be available today. Until now, 3rd party apps had been limited to Facebook, Twitter and Foxtel on Xbox 360. This announcement sets the scene for future applications to be delivered to the console.
The line-up of entertainment partners internationally makes out list look sadly depressing, but at this point we’ll take what we can get. It’s clear Microsoft is now committed to working with partners to deliver 3rd party apps. These apps will fundamentally change the way users think and use the Xbox 360. While predominantly a gaming console, Microsoft continue to push the device and an entertainment hub for the living room.
With each application that enables IPTV delivery to the big screen without switching inputs, take consumers one step closer to the ideal set-top-box. Unfortunately that ideal STB isn’t likely to arrive until the Xbox 720 (or whatever the next one’s called), when it could include tuners and DVR functionality. Searching the content on your Xbox is available now, how long do you think it’ll be before the Xbox adds search for the web and competes with GoogleTV?
A history of Dashboard updates
Which one is your favourite?
Metro-style UI
XNE Update
Original blade UI
More information @ Xbox Live
Microsoft The Big Picture Experience: Not thrilled, but still good
Posted Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 11:28 am by Jack Cola
On Wednesday 23rd November, I attended Microsoft’s The Big Picture Experience, and to honestly say, I expected more from the event. For those who are not aware of the expo, it was essentially to showcase Microsoft’s latest and greatest technology in action that was targeted towards the home, improving business productivity, customer experience, and data analytics.
This was my first time to a tech-related expo so I didn’t really know what to expect, and being Microsoft, I expected a whole lot more than what it actually was. I spent the entire day there and I thought the place would be packed with so many people that you wouldn’t be able to get your hands on anything, but I was incredibly surprised that I could walk around without bumping into anyone.
The customer to staff ratio felt like 3 customers to one staff member. Although they were very helpful, full of information and friendly, I was only approached by one person to give a demonstration of their stand. Just because I’m not wearing a suit and tie, and I don’t look like a business man, it doesn’t mean you can ignore me. The only way I was given a demonstration was to listen in on someone else’s.
It Was Only A Sales Pitch That I Didn’t Buy
The main tools that were predominantly promoted at the expo was SharePoint 2010, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 with Web Apps/Office 365 and Lync. Since I just finished a project working on SharePoint and Dynamics CRM, I’ve had a lot of hands on, technical experience with the tools. I sat down with one of the staff members to give me a demonstration, just to see Microsoft’s perspective of SharePoint. She gave me a run through of how easy it is to use in an organisation, the benefits it has, and how easy it is to edit documents online. When I got to the demonstration of Office 365, she said a number of times that when editing documents online, and in Microsoft Word 2011, the formatting stays the same. However, every time I have used the consumer version of Office 365, Web Apps (Office.com) with SkyDrive, I’ve never been able to have the formatting while editing online and offline the exact same.
Here is a screenshot of my Maths assignment I did in high school displayed in Microsoft Word 2007.
Here is how it appears in Office Web Apps on Sky Drive after a normal file upload.
Ah yes, I can see editing documents online keep the exact same formatting. The response to this I got was “I’m not sure why this happens”.
My next question to her was about my experience with Data Loss using Office Web Apps. In a nutshell, I lost an entire PowerPoint Presentation using Office Web Apps. Her response, “I’m not sure about that either, why don’t I get my colleague to help you out. Oh there he is, getting a coffee. You can talk to him about your problems as he works on the consumer side of things”. Nevertheless, he wanted his coffee, did a wave and never came to us. Unless he was ordering a coffee for another prospective attendee, I actually found that quite rude of him not to come over.
I also asked another technical question about SharePoint, and yet, the response I got was “I don’t have the knowledge to answer that”. Most of the staff there seemed to be sales people. Then again, the whole event just seemed to be one Sales pitch demonstrating the latest Microsoft products, but not actually selling anything or signing anyone up to the service.
Microsoft Tellme is NOT the same as Siri [video]
Posted Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 7:45 pm by Jason Cartwright
Over the past 24hours there have been a lot of posts about Microsoft’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Craig Mundie, claiming that “Microsoft has had a similar capability in Windows Phone for more than a year… All that is already there, fully functionality for years.”
With Siri, Apple managed to humanise the synthesized voice with comedic responses. With more functionality like setting alarms and geo-fenced reminders, scheduling meetings and more, Tellme is really not the same thing. WP7 voice functionality still feels like last generation voice commands, regardless of how Microsoft try and sell it.
The problem isn’t with marketing as the video suggests, but rather the lack of a response to Siri. Tellme was probably on-par with Apple’s voice controls like “Play Artist xyz” in iOS4, but with Siri, Apple takes it to the next level. Microsoft needs to respond by releasing an update and not only match the functionality of Siri, but surpass it to draw attention and be a point of difference for potential smart phone buyers.
Also its worth keeping in mind that Siri is still in beta. While we are yet to see an update, when it arrives, it’s likely to add even more voice controlled functionality. Make no mistake, the race is on to be the first to deliver an OS-wide voice command API that 3rd party applications can integrate with. When that happens, it will be a game changer.
The video below graphically demonstrates the difference between the two voice systems, you be the judge.
Update
More than 500,000 people have now watched this video, you’re an opinionated lot. Below is a video responding to some of the comments.
New Kinect hardware confirmed for Kinect for Windows
Posted Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 4:39 pm by Nanopunk
Microsoft announced today that new “fully supported” Kinect hardware will be released for the Kinect for Windows commercial program – announced earlier this month – that will roll out early in the new year.
The new hardware is based on the current Xbox 360 model and features a number of improvements and adjustments to the hardware to improve PC compatibility.
“We have optimized certain hardware components and made firmware adjustments which better enable PC-centric scenarios. Coupled with the numerous upgrades and improvements our team is making to the Software Development Kit (SDK) and runtime , the new hardware delivers features and functionality that Windows developers and Microsoft customers have been asking for.”
A few changes include:
- Shorter USB cable for better suitability across a range of different computers.
- Addition of a small dongle for compab with other USB peripherals.
- “Near Mode” via new firmware, the depth camera will be able to accurately and precisely track objects as close as 50 centimeters. Graceful degradation down to 40 centimeters. Microsoft believes that the new mode will enable a new field of “close up” applications.
Because of Microsoft’s “deep commitment” to Natural User Interface”, the corporation is adamant that licenced customers participating in Kinect for Windows will receive full and ongoing support. Customers will receive speech and human tracking updates, and other general support.
Microsoft recently announced an incubation project “Kinect Accelerator” headed by Microsoft BizSpark . Kinect Accelerator is open to developers and start-ups who have an idea to leverage the Kinect’s (Windows or Xbox) functionality. Ten developers will be chosen and flown up to Seattle, Washington, to participate n the incubation program, running from March to April. Applications close January 25th, 2012 and the project is open to all countries.
As listed on the Microsoft blog, criteria for participation includes:
- Any Kinect-enabled application on Windows or Xbox that can be a commercial business
- Manufacturing to retail, education to healthcare, art installations to gaming, social to interactive play
- Can be cloud-hosted, on any platform, but needs to be an application
- Could be one view of an application that may also have a web UI, mobile UI, etc
- Kinect-controlled applications, like what you have on your phone, but on a big screen or a computer screen
- Content you might expect to consume in your living room or in an operating room
- Your company does not necessarily need experience developing with Kinect, but the business concept does need to leverage Kinect capabilities as part of the final offering.
- Your team must also be willing to develop the technical skills required to bring your solution to a functioning prototype.
Note: This post comes from Techromp.com
Zune Music Pass now available in Australia
Posted Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 12:48 pm by Jason Cartwright
Originally scheduled for release tomorrow (16th November 2011), it seems Microsoft have pulled the trigger early. Users can now signup for a Zune Music Pass. The three options available are 14-day free trial, 12-month subscription for $119.90 and 1 month for $11.99.
The music can be played back on the web, desktop Zune client, WP7 and soon Xbox 360. With access to over 11 million tracks, $12 seems like a pretty good deal. The biggest issue facing Zune is the lack of iPhone and Android support. Naturally Microsoft want Zune Music to drive sales of Windows Phones, but there’s likely to be plenty of people happy with their smart phones that would love to use Zune Pass.
For Windows Phone 7 users, this is the music solution that has been missing from the platform in Australia. Until now, users were forced to obtain music from other services and sync to their device. Zune Pass now makes WP7 a viable solution for music and media lovers.
Update
Looks like you’ll only be able to stream Zune music on one device at a time. It also looks like the free trial turns into $12 per month subscription after 14 days unless you opt out.
Update 2
While Zune Pass is available through the web, Zune desktop software and Xbox, it is still yet to reach Windows Phone devices.
Update 3
Zune just added a special Australian tile in the Zune desktop software to welcome Australians to the social. This confirms what we told you 6 hours ago, Zune Music is now available in Australia.
Update 4
This morning things got official, with the update of the front page at Zune.net/en-au (by the way Microsoft, please register zune.net.au). It seems Microsoft found an extra couple of million tracks in their catalogue, now number 13 million.
More info @ Zune.net/en-au
