Tag: Microsoft

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Microsoft’s Kinect dream lives on thanks to U.K. TV provider Sky

Microsoft’s Kinect dream will live on through U.K. satellite broadcasting company Sky, thanks to its new accessory for its ‘Sky Glass’ TVs.

As detailed by The Verge, Sky’s pitching the add-on camera as a social feature to let people watch TV together even when they’re apart through integrated video chat. There are also gesture capabilities and motion controls for gaming. Plus, Sky partnered with Microsoft to build the watch together feature.

The Sky camera TV is a Kinect in all but name. It offers basically all the same functionality as Microsoft’s Kinect, sans Xbox One. Microsoft had a bold vision for the future of Xbox and TV — it ultimately failed, and the company walked back most of the plan.

Anyway, the Sky Glass TV will also offer voice controls. Interestingly, the TVs are an all-in-one solution, which sounds like an absolute nightmare to me. Imagine having to go to Rogers or Bell to get your TV, cable box and cable package all in one? Oh, and then put a camera on it — no thanks.

On an unrelated note, the Sky Glass TVs are also incredibly thick by typical TV standards.

Although Sky TVs aren’t available to Canadians, it’s an interesting product for a few reasons. One, the whole Kinect-like camera functionality. But also, the Sky Glass could be somewhat representative of the future of cable services here.

The Verge reports that Sky says its TVs are “built on technology borne of the collaboration as part of the Comcast Corporation,” which could mean they use Comcast’s X1 system (or something based on it). Several Canadian TV providers also offer services based on X1 — Shaw, Videotron and Rogers all use it. Rumours point to Comcast launching a TV running X1 — who knows, maybe it’s that start of a larger trend.

Image credit: Sky

Source: Sky Via: The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming is now powered by Xbox Series X hardware

Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming platform (formerly called xCloud) is now powered by Xbox Series X hardware.

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft confirmed the upgrade and says that it should result in better framerates and load times. That said, unfortunately, Xbox Cloud Gaming is still locked to 1080p 60fps streams and hasn’t yet made the leap to 4K.

In the past, Microsoft has outlined plans to release a dedicated streaming stick-like device that can be plugged into a TV or monitor, which could offer further performance and quality upgrades to Xbox Cloud Gaming in the future. A streaming app for smart TVs is also in the works.

Recently, Microsoft started testing Xbox Cloud Gaming through Xbox consoles, though it’s currently only available to Alpha ring Xbox Insider testers. It’s unclear when the tech giant plans to publically roll out Xbox Cloud Gaming on its lineup of Xbox consoles.

Source: The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

iPhone 13/iPad mini reviews and Microsoft’s big Surface event [SyrupCast 247]

On this week’s SyrupCast, Brad Bennett, Jon Lamont and Patrick O’Rourke, once again, talk about Apple’s iPhone 13 and the iPad mini now that both Patrick and Brad have spent time with the respective devices.

Along with the Apple talk, the team also breaks down Microsoft’s Surface event, with Jon offering his thoughts on the Surface Duo 2, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8 and more.

As always, you can listen to/watch the SyrupCast directly in this story, or on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Direct download link

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Here are the best Xbox Series X/S accessories

We’re drawing ever closer to the first anniversary of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S consoles.

In November 2020, Microsoft expanded the Xbox family with two next-generation consoles. The Xbox Series X is a high-end console aimed at consumers looking for the latest and greatest hardware, while the Series S is an entry-level console for players who don’t need 4K graphics. Since their release, Microsoft and their third-party partners have been releasing accessories for the new consoles the gaming experience.

What sets the Xbox Series X/S apart from the PlayStation 5 and Switch is that many accessories and peripherals from the Xbox One generation are compatible with the new consoles. That’s not to say that there aren’t new and improved controllers, headsets, and chargers though. Is it worth spending the money on the latest headset? We’ve made the following list to help you decide.

Here are the best accessories for the Xbox Series X/S.

Xbox Wireless Headset

Xbox headset

Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset is a great entry-level gaming headset for players. The wireless headset features Bluetooth audio with buttons to sync the headset and mute the mic. It also has rotating earcups that adjust the volume as you play.

The Xbox Wireless Headset supports Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone: X. Additionally, the headset will keep you gaming thanks to its 15-hour battery life.

Recently, Microsoft released the Xbox Stereo Headset, a cheaper, wired counterpart to the Xbox Wireless Headset if wireless functionality isn’t a must-have feature. For more on the Xbox Wireless headset, check out our story about the accessory from earlier this year.

Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset — $129

Xbox Wireless Controller

Xbox Series X controller

The new Xbox Wireless Controller is an iterative redesign of the Xbox One controller that was developed for release alongside the Xbox Series X/S. It features minor design upgrades like textured grips, textured triggers, and a new D-Pad.

On top of that, the Xbox Wireless Controller features a new Share button to easily take screenshots and record gameplay. And the controller can also be used on your mobile device and tablet thanks to the included Bluetooth.

Xbox Wireless Controller – Carbon Black for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 Devices — $75

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Xbox Elite Controller 2

It’s hard to talk about Xbox controllers without bringing up the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Our very own Patrick O’Rourke called it the best gamepad he’s ever used. This high-end version of the Xbox controller is designed for players who want more customization options when they play.

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 supports Bluetooth and can be paired to Xbox consoles, mobile devices, and PC. The controller also comes with interchangeable thumbsticks, D-Pad options, and rear paddles. Additionally, players can remap their buttons and create three “profiles” to use depending on the games or genres they’re playing.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Xbox One Elite 2 Controller Edition — $249

Seagate Storage Expansion Card – 1 TB

As of now, the Xbox Series X is available with 1TB SSD memory and the Xbox Series S supports 512GB. However, in both cases, nearly 200GB is taken up by system files. To get more SSD space, Microsoft has partnered with Seagate for a 1TB expansion card.

Using this SSD expansion, you’ll be able to retain those fast loading speeds the internal SSD offers while taking advantage of key features like Xbox Velocity Architecture, which improves the performance of games played via backwards compatibility.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S 1TB Solid State Drive – NVMe Expansion SSD for Xbox Series X|S — $289

Razer Kishi Mobile Game Controller

Razer Kishi

Along with updating its consoles, Microsoft has also been expanding its Xbox Cloud Gaming initiative. With cloud gaming now accessible on iOS and Android via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, bringing the tactile controller experience to mobile has become essential.

Razer’s Kishi Mobile Game Controller mirror’s the Xbox controller. You’ll find the same button layout and asymmetrical thumbsticks. And when it’s not in use, the Kishi controller is collapsible, making it a great travel companion.

Razer Kishi Mobile Game Controller/Gamepad for iPhone iOS — $98

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Headset

Turtle Beach Headset

For Xbox users looking for an alternative to Microsoft’s first-party offering, Turtle Beach has released their own high-end headset. The Stealth 700 Gen 2 headset is the company’s premium offering for Bluetooth audio. It’s comfortable for long gaming sessions thanks to the Aerofit cooling-gel infused ear cushions, even when wearing glasses.

The headset has 50mm Nanoclear speakers for crisp audio, and you’ll find independent on-ear controls for game and chat volume alongside syncing functionality. The headset also features a flip-to-mute mic that nestles into the headset’s design.

Turtle Beach Earforce Stealth 700X GEN 2 Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox One and Xbox Series X — $199

Thrustmaster TMX Racing Wheel

Thrustmaster racing wheel

One staple of Xbox’s games catalogue is the Forza franchise. Between Forza Motorsport and the open-world Forza Horizon series, racing games are an important part of Xbox game lineup. With Forza Horizon 5 nearing its release, it’s a great time to invest in a racing wheel.

The Thrustmaster TMX Racing Wheel is designed for Xbox consoles and PC. The layout is designed with ergonomics in mind, splitting the buttons between both sides of the wheel. Thrustmaster also includes a pedal set that features a wide footrest, adjustable pedals, and a brake pedal.

Thrustmaster TMX Racing Wheel for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One/PC — $269

PowerA Dual Charging Station

Xbox controller Power A charging station

PowerA has a compact, easy-to-use charging station for Xbox players. The charger includes two 1100mAh rechargeable batteries to insert into the Xbox controllers, replacing the need for AA batteries.

The charging station supports two controllers at once to ensure you always have a controller for your next play session. The base itself is designed to with minimalism in mind, so it won’t stand out on beside your console or display.

PowerA Dual Charging Station for Xbox – Black, Wireless Controller Charging, Charge, Rechargeable Battery, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One – Xbox Series X – $29

There are plenty of options available for Xbox players looking to expand their accessory lineup. With everything from entry-level headsets to high-end devices for expanding your storage, Microsoft and its partners have accessories for every type of player.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships and publishes sponsored posts. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Microsoft says the Duo 2 is coming to Canada as some report cancelled pre-orders

As some Canadians report issues with Surface Duo 2 pre-orders, Microsoft insists the phone is still coming to Canada.

“The Surface Duo 2 is coming to Canada,” a Microsoft spokesperson told MobileSyrup in response to questions about the status of Duo 2 pre-orders.

Those questions came after some readers shared on Twitter that Microsoft cancelled their Duo 2 pre-orders after changing the Surface Duo 2 to ‘Coming soon’ on its website.

Further, that change came just hours after the company announced the Surface Duo 2 at its September Surface event. The company previously confirmed to MobileSyrup that the Duo 2 would come to Canada, with pre-orders opening on September 22nd. Further, the phone would be available to purchase at a pricey $1,899 starting October 21st, in line with the U.S. availability.

I wrote a post about how this was a great move following the original Surface Duo’s late arrival in Canada — it all went downhill after that. Shortly after publishing that post, Microsoft’s website stopped letting people pre-order the phone.

A week later, and Microsoft’s website still lists the Surface Duo 2 as ‘Coming soon.’ For now, it looks like Canadians interested in getting the Duo 2 only have the assurance of Microsoft’s continued insistence that Duo 2 will come to Canada at some point.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Microsoft starts testing xCloud integration on Xbox consoles

Microsoft has started testing Xbox Cloud Gaming, also called xCloud, integration with Xbox consoles.

Some Xbox Insiders in the ‘Alpha Skip-Ahead’ and ‘Alpha’ rings will gain access to xCloud starting September 28th. xCloud allows paying subscribers to stream games over the internet to their Xbox console (it also works on mobile devices and computers).

More than just game streaming, xCloud integration could allow Xbox owners to ‘try before they buy’ without needing to download a full game or a demo. Plus, cloud-based gaming could bring other benefits, such as letting players jump straight into a game with a friend just from an invite.

Over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles will be available as part of the initial xCloud test. Xbox Insiders will be able to tell which games support xCloud by looking for a cloud icon on the game art (it should appear in the bottom-right corner opposite the ‘Game Pass’ logo).

Like other platforms, Xbox consoles will support streams up to 1080p at 60fps, and the company appears to be pushing it more as a feature for trying games rather than as a replacement for console gaming.

Microsoft says xCloud integration will appear on all Xbox consoles by the end of the year. In other words, Xbox One owners will eventually be able to stream Xbox Series X and S exclusives — that could go a long way towards making it a proper game demo feature and help push users towards upgrading their console to get access to fancy new games.

Source: Microsoft

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Microsoft resurrecting Skype with new features and a design refresh

After a year that saw Skype blowing its several-year headstart to the likes of Zoom and Google Meet, Microsoft is finally giving the video chat platform a much-needed redesign.

Microsoft has revealed plans for an “improved, faster, reliable, and super modern-looking Skype,” curated thanks to feedback from the OG video conferencing platform’s users.

Skype intends to improve the ‘call stage,’ which it considers the most essential part of the platform. The app will soon feature new themes and layouts and changes to how Skype displays a grid of video feeds. Further, the grid that appears during calls will include everyone on the call, whether or not they have enabled their video. This places all participants side by side in the main interface, including your own video.

Moving forward, the app will also offer a custom backdrop to those who join without video, and the custom backdrop will be the same virtual background that the user would have previously selected, allowing for consistency and familiarization.

Skype will also enhance chat headers, add fluent icons, and offer additional colour possibilities to customizable themes along with customizable notification sounds.

Apart from visual changes, Microsoft is also focusing on increasing performance in critical scenarios by 30 percent on desktops and over 2,000 percent on Android devices, along with support for all browsers.  “We would like to make sure that no matter which device, platform, or browser you’re using, Skype will always give you a great experience,” reads Skype’s blog.

Lastly, Microsoft is working on a new Skype feature dubbed TwinCam, which would allow users to add a smartphone to a video call for a different camera angle.

Microsoft didn’t share a precise timeframe for Skype’s new features or app improvements. However, the blog post indicates that the changes will be implemented sometime later this year.

Image credit: Skype

Source: Skype

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Surface Duo 2 will get three years of OS, security updates

Microsoft will offer three years of Android and security updates for the Surface Duo 2.

A company representative confirmed the update promise to Android Authority following the unveiling of its newest Surface smartphone.

“We are committed to providing three years of OS and security updates,” the representative said.

It should come as good news to anyway planning to pick up a Surface Duo 2, although it’s disappointing Microsoft isn’t planning to offer longer support for such an expensive device. Three years is starting to become the minimum expectation as other smartphone makers like Samsung push to four years of security updates and Apple goes much further (the company’s iOS 15 upgrade supports 2015’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus).

It’s also worth noting that Microsoft’s update promise matches the one it made about the original Surface Duo. Unfortunately, update speed is something the company will need to work on — it only just announced the Duo would get Android 11 by the end of 2021. Android 12 is expected to launch in October.

Ultimately, my concern is that this indicates software may continue to be an issue for the Duo 2. It was undoubtedly a problem for the Duo. Microsoft seems to have fixed many of the Duo’s hardware problems with the Duo 2 (at least, they have on paper), but if it can’t get software in order, the Duo 2 may be a really tough sell at $1,899.

Source: Android Authority

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Microsoft promises Surface Duo will get Android 11 by end of year

Although a lot of attention has been on the shiny new Surface Duo 2 Microsoft announced this week, some came out of the announcement wondering about the original Duo.

Namely, will it ever get Android 11? It kind of seems like a no-brainer — Microsoft is launching Android 11 on the Duo 2, so it shouldn’t be hard to bring it to the O.G. Duo too. Right?

Well, the good news is that the Surface Duo will get Android 11 (yay!). The bad news? There’s no official date for it, although Microsoft did tell The Verge it would be before the end of the year:

“We remain committed to providing updates to Surface Duo, and we’re working to bring Android 11 to existing customers before the end of this year.”

While it’s good to know that Android 11 is coming, a few questions still remain unanswered. For one, we’re not sure what features and improvements Android 11 will bring to the Surface Duo. That said, Android 11 does have native support for dual-screen devices, so that alone may significantly improve parts of the software experience.

The Verge also notes that during its hands-on time with the Surface Duo 2, the multitasking system seemed largely unchanged with only some minor tweaks. It’s not clear how much of that will come to the Duo, or whether it will fix the bugginess that has plagued the device since launch.

There’s also a concern about how long it took Microsoft to bring Android 11 to the original Duo. It’s not uncommon for Android phone makers to roll out a major update roughly a year behind Google’s annual upgrade cadence, but when you’re paying the amount of money Microsoft charges for the Duo or Duo 2, that shouldn’t be the case. Hopefully the Surface Duo update process isn’t indicative of the Duo 2.

Source: The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Are you interested in Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2?

Microsoft just unveiled the Surface Duo 2, a dual-screen smartphone that aims to improve on last year’s Duo smartphone.

This year’s handset features a slightly larger 8.3-inch display with a 2688 x 1892 pixel resolution, and both screens by themselves measure in at 5.8-inch. This time around, the displays also sport a 90Hz refresh rate.

Battery-wise, the device features a 4,449mAh battery split across two cells, which is a lot better than the original’s 3,577mAh battery.

Additionally, this model sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 5G connectivity. Further, there’s a triple camera setup with a 12-megapixel primary, telephoto and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide. On the front, the device features a 12-megapixel selfie sensor.

Moreover, the device comes in two colours, including ‘Glasier’ like the original Duo, and ‘Obsidian.’

The Surface Duo costs $1,899 and for some reason, isn’t available to pre-order on Microsoft’s Canadian website anymore (we’re not sure why). However, the handset releases on October 21st.

Are you interested in the Surface Duo 2? Let us know in the comments below.