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Ars technica: While car companies worry about how best to convince consumers about that extended warranty and consumers are trying to figure out which vehicle is fuel-efficient but doesn’t look like a toy, Microsoft has decided that the next best thing for your automobile is… search.

The software giant has announced it will be expanding its Automotive Business Unit (ABU) to include services in addition to software. Adding services to existing software solutions is part of a recent and much broader Microsoft effort, but that’s mostly been focused on Windows and Windows Live. The first automotive service is Microsoft Live Search for Devices (LS4D), which allows partners to develop web search applications for in-vehicle use.

LS4D can be added to Microsoft’s existing entertainment and information (infotainment) technology. Carmakers can choose choose among voice commands, an in-car screen, or both, to give drivers access to the Live Search engine in cars and other vehicles. Microsoft did not disclose which automakers have already jumped on LS4D, but those already on board with Microsoft include Fiat in Europe, Ford in North America, and Hyundai-Kia in Asian markets.

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Electronista: Microsoft has held its first concrete meetings to design a Zune-branded cellphone, according to an unconfirmed but allegedly credible leak from jkOnTheRun.

The device is well away from completion but is intended to use multi-touch input and would use a variant of Windows Mobile 7, Microsoft’s first major overhaul to its smartphone platform since 2005. Windows Live services will be a major focus along with the Zune’s emphasis on media playback.

Little else is known about the device, although Microsoft has made multi-touch a focus of Windows 7 on the desktop and is believed to be doing the same for Windows Mobile 7 along with a revamped interface and support for motion sensing.

The software is tentatively scheduled to arrive in the second half of 2009 and would line up with Microsoft’s historical tendency to develop Zune devices over the course of one year.

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Telegraph: Games giant Microsoft outlined its plans to win over casual gamers by announcing new videogames designed to appeal to families.

Don Mattrick, senior vice president of interactive media at Microsoft, stressed the importance of appealing to a wide audience of all ages and interests. “Today, our industry belongs to everyone,” he said.

Lips, a game in which players use wireless microphones to sing along in time with the music, will appeal to a young, mostly female user base.

There will be more than 40 songs to choose from when the game is launched this Christmas, and players will be able to plug their MP3 player into their Xbox and sing along to their own music collection.

Microsoft also overhauled the look and feel of its online Xbox user experience, introducing avatars – customisable, cartoon-like representations of individual players – similar to those found on the Nintendo Wii, as well as new “social” elements to the platform.

These include an online mode in which up to eight people can share photos or chat live over the internet.

And Microsoft announced a deal with Netflix, the US movie rental service, to allow Xbox 360 users to download videos over the internet. These films could then be watched on individual consoles, or viewed simultaneously online by a group of friends in a virtual “cinema”.

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SlipperyBrick: Microsoft has confirmed a couple of rumors we had heard last week about a new 60GB Xbox 360 and a price cut for the 20GB model.

The company now made an official announcement of the release of a new Xbox 360 with a 60GB hard drive coming in early August to take advantage of the increasing number and size of games, video and music for the game console.

In the same announcement Microsoft announced that the 20GB Xbox 360 model is on its way out with a price drop to $299 while supplies last, which is $50 less than before. The Arcade version and the Elite will remain at their price level.

The new 60GB Xbox coming in August will be priced at the exact original price of the 20GB model before the price drop.

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Rockgamer: It’s been a long time coming, but Microsoft has made some progress in updating the ownership rights issues concerning downloadable content (DLC) purchased via its Xbox 360 consoles.  Anyone who has gotten the Red Rings of Death (RRoD) knows full well the difficulty in getting previously purchased DLC to work on your new console, unless you’re always signed into Xbox LIVE.  If you’ve bought a new console recently or are having issues with transers, Rockgamer.com has the skinny on the new and improved transfer process choices. 

WIth the previous process, when your console has gotten the RROD and was sent back to Microsoft, your previously purchased DLC would only work on a different console if you were signed into Xbox LIVE.  What if your internet goes down?  Can’t use your DLC.  What if you upgrade from an Arcade/Pro 360 to an Elite?  Gotta be signed in to LIVE to use your DLC.  What if Microsoft sends you back a different console, instead of the actual one you sent in?  Gotta be signed in to LIVE to use your DLC.

With the new updated process it’s much easier on consumers who have either had to send in their consoles for repair/replacement, or chosen to purchase new systems.  Basically it’ll come down to one of these two choices to decide how you’ll start the process to transfer your DLC licenses to your current console.

1.  If you send your console to Microsoft for repair/replacement, they will transfer the license rights for you. 

2.  If you obtain a new/different console through any means other than Microsoft directly, you’ll need a few things before you begin.  You’ll need a PC with internet access, and your new 360 console hooked up and powered on.  You’ll need to navigate to www.xbox.com/drm. 

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VNUNet.com: Microsoft has teamed up with embedded speech and text-to-voice provider Svox to develop speech technology for use in cars.

A new generation of in-vehicle speech options will be designed to meet the automotive industry’s growing demand for complex, multi-lingual and high quality text-to-speech platforms, according to Microsoft.

The companies argue that, working together, they will be able to turn around projects much faster than the typical automotive industry’s product development cycle.

Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft’s Automotive Business Unit, said: “Svox text-to-speech enhances the user experience of automotive infotainment systems”.

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The Inquirer: It seems that earlier rumours of an Xbox 360 price drop at E3 are ringing true.

Certain outlets have been printing new sales literature based around the price-drop, which sets the Xbox 360 Premium at $299.99 (190 Euro) for our US cousins.

Not only is Microsoft looking to drop the price of its flagship console, it seems the company may even allow other manufacturers to utilise its hardware within Xbox 360-compatible devices, according to EGM, via Xbox-scene.com.

We can only hope other manufacturers take more time and care on product design than Microsoft.

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EETimes: When Microsoft announced a mammoth global recall of its Xbox 360 a year ago, the software giant never disclosed the exact source of the game console’s heat problem that led to the fiasco.

Now, Bryan Lewis, research vice president and chief analyst at Gartner, disclosed that the problem started in a graphic chip.

The Xbox 360 recall a year ago happened because “Microsoft wanted to avoid an ASIC vendor,” said Lewis. Microsoft designed the graphic chip on its own, cut a traditional ASIC vendor out of the process and went straight to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, he explained.

But in the end, by going cheap–hoping to save tens of millions of dollars in ASIC design costs, Microsoft ended up paying more than $1 billion for its Xbox 360 recall.

To fix the problem, Microsoft went back to an unnamed ASIC vendor based in the United States and redesigned the chip, Lewis added.

Microsoft did not respond to requests to comment on this story.

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GameFocus: After the rumor spread around the web, Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division boss Robbie Bach has once again shut down the Xbox 360 Blu-Ray Edtion system yesterday.

Bach reiterated the company’s stance on the technology in an interview with SF Gate, emphasizing Microsoft’s focus on delivering content over Xbox Live.

“You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player,” he added, “The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, “I am not going to pay extra for that.”

Last March, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer hinted Microsoft’s future support of the Blu-ray media format, admitting that Microsoft was already working on software support for the technology. This announcement was later rejected by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg saying that the corporation would instead to invest in digital distribution via the Xbox Live service.

Then in May, another report confirmed that Pegatron Technology – an Asus subsidiary – had secured a deal from Microsoft to assemble Xbox 360 systems with a built-in Lite-On Blu-ray disc drive. The report claimed that these new systems would begin shipping in the third quarter of 2008.

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VNUNet.com: Microsoft has unveiled a limited edition version of its Zune digital media player to commemorate the DVD release of the documentary Joy Division.

The Zune devices have failed to make any significant impact on the market dominance enjoyed by Apple’s iPod, but Redmond is pressing ahead with a Zune player designed by record cover artist Peter Saville.

The film will come pre-loaded on a custom black Zune 80 player etched with an adaptation of Saville’s artwork from Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album.

Five hundred limited edition players will be available for purchase on 17 June through online Zune stores.

“Joy Division chronicles the story of the seminal post-punk band via first-hand accounts from surviving band members and those who worked closely with them during their brief but highly influential existence,” said Tom Atencio, the film’s co-producer.

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Engadget: Sounds like that rumor about a new, smaller Xbox 360 coming next year might have a shorter life than a red-ringing console. Specifying the release of “slimmed down SKU in 2009″, Microsoft representative let us know today that “While we don’t normally comment on rumors like this, we can tell you that we have no plans to release a new console in 2009″. Yep, rumor assassinated, just like that.

Of course, there still exists the possibility that Microsoft’s just playing coy to prevent a little bit of Osborne effect from creeping in during their heated battle with the PS3 — but they did go out of their way to directly comment on the rumor, so take it as you will.

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EEtimes: The massive earthquake that devastated parts of China’s Sichuan region on Monday halted activities at several high-tech manufacturing facilities in the area although reports indicate that the damages were limited and production should soon resume.Technology companies affected in the region include Microsoft Corp., Motorola Inc., Semiconductor Manufacturing International and Intel Corp., the world’s biggest semiconductor supplier, which has a test and assembly plant in Chengdu, one of the areas affected by the earthquake.

Analysts speculate that production at the affected Intel plant should restart relatively shortly and possibly within the next week or so.

“Intel may take a few days to a week to resume production, lower than some initial expectations of around 2 weeks of disruption,” said Tim Luke, an analyst with Lehman Brothers Inc., in a research report.

“The equipment in the facilities in China have earthquake protection mechanism installed, which stops production to limit damage when there is a earthquake,” he added. (…)
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