New Xbox Announcements Due Soon!

[KERZO]

Xbox Surface? More rumors ahead of today's reveal

Alleged spec sheets mentioning a new Xbox controller have surfaced, just ahead of a 'big' mystery Microsoft announcement in Los Angeles.



Microsoft's newly announced SmartGlass may have a role to play in today's announcement.

Yes, I said I was done guessing what Microsoft might announce today in Los Angeles. But I can't resist, given a couple more rumors that have surfaced on various sites.

One leak claims Microsoft is making a 7-inch Surface tablet controller along with a stationary Xbox, a combination that could be labeled the "Xbox Surface." Neowin.net surfaced that rumor, based on information from the Shifted2U site. LiveSide.net posted an additional alleged spec sheet for the Xbox Surface.

According to the rumored specs, the Surface controller would include an ARM processor from Texas Instruments for "Kinect workloads," as well as custom IBM engine for "scale out." It would have up to seven-hour battery life and support a maximum resolution of 1280x720.

(Rick Gutierrez -- the guy mentioned as the contact on these Xbox Surface spec sheets? He works for Microsoft Research. He has done work on Kinect for Windows software development kit. He also has worked on the Windows Embedded Compact team. His bio notes that his "primary duties with the Advanced Development team is to Test Projects by Microsoft Researchers.")

So which part of the combination -- the Xbox or the controller -- is the "Surface"? Microsoft's Surface, which first debuted in the form of a big table and which now is a somewhat smaller and thinner device made by Samsung -- is a multitouch computing surface.
Microsoft researchers have said that they have been hoping to get the Surface down to the size of a tablet. (Microsoft user interface researcher Bill Buxton is even on record as saying that could happen by 2013.)

Remember just before the E3 show there were rumors that Microsoft was unveiling some kind of SmartGlass tablet? That didn't pan out. Instead, company officials showed off a coming software application dubbed SmartGlass which is the successor to the current Xbox Companion app. The SmartGlass software is what will provide users with additional information about a TV show, game, or other Xbox content on a second screen, like a tablet or smartphone. Also: As Geekwire's Todd Bishop discovered when he looked into the trademark for SmartGlass, SmartGlass referred to both software and hardware. Maybe that just meant Xbox ... or maybe it meant a controller... like an Xbox Surface.

What would be the best way for Microsoft to try to one-up Apple's Retina Display technology? Maybe to provide a cool surface of their own.
Oh and about those guesses -- and "sourced reports" of Barnes & Noble being involved in today's Microsoft announcement. B&N is now officially denying it figures in any way in whatever Microsoft is announcing.

Look forward to seeing what microsoft have in store. I'll be working so I'll have to peep it afterwards...

[SKAMPOE]

We,ll see

[KERZO]

After last week's secret announcement card inviting tech bloggers and developers to a big unveil, the excitement has been building about Microsoft. For the Redmond company to be on the excitement radar is very atypical; we usually crane our necks back and forth for the alternating tennis match of feature releases between Twitter, Facebook, Apple, Google and others.
At 4:00 p.m. PST today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage in Los Angeles, and got quickly to it, first touting the number of machines around the world running Windows. Ballmer quickly moved to why everyone was there, to either quell or fulfill the rumors that Microsoft had a tablet to share...
"With Windows 8, we did not want to leave any seam uncovered," said Ballmer, talking to a packed and excited house. "We wanted to give (Windows 8) its own companion innovation." We wanted to provide "something new, something different, a whole new family of computing devices..."
Devices.
With that important word thrown out there, Ballmer brought forth a gleaming, new black tablet PC, as the word Surface appeared on the screen. Surface is "a tool to surface your passion, your creativity," said Ballmer to the excited crowd.
Windows Live and Windows Division President Steven Sinofsky took the stage shortly after Ballmer, demonstrating the new device. Details immediately out the gate? Surface comes in two models, one running Windows RT (a somewhat toned-down version of Windows 8) and an upscale model running Windows 8 Professional.
Additional image slideshow courtesy PC World Surface has a 10.6 inch display (with HD on the Pro version), weighs in at 1.5 lbs for RT and 1.9 lbs for Pro, with thicknesses ranging from 9.3 -13.5 mm. The slick looking case is a vapor-magnesium, fused into a scratch-resistant alloy mix during the melting process.
Surface has an NVidia ARM processor for RT and a far more powerful Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor for the Pro version. The USB port (2.0 for RT and 3.0 for Pro) was shown to be capable of transferring a 1 GB file in 5 seconds - nothing to scoff at, either.


Magnetic areas are built-into the case, so that Microsoft's specialized custom cover can snap on and off.
The very interesting cover doubles as a full, micro-thin keyboard - a feature that drew applause from the attending audience. The new and very cool cover is called Touch Cover, with another upscale version sporting a built-in trackpad, called the Type Cover.
Surface's cases were shown in a variety of initial colors, including white, black, blue, red and very bright pink. The cover's keyboard lights up when connected, to let you know everything is ready for use, and it also knows when it's folded back, due to its own built-in accelerometer. These are details that will not go missed by those who finally get a chance to test the Surface.
Also shown was a built-in viewing stand that comes with Surface, allowing it to be used, out of the box, as a laptop-type tool or multimedia device. "Putting a kickstand in the produce flies in the face of a seamless design, but we knew if we couldn't make it work, the device wouldn't work."
It would seem that the coupling of the kickstand and the Touch Cover, Microsoft is trying as best it can to steer people away from purchasing cases for the device, in order to make it more accessible. The Gorilla Glass display should help with this regard as well. Microsoft is definitely trying hard to make this your next laptop — as long as you get the Pro version (and who wouldn't!)
Netflix was briefly shown to the crowd, demonstrating a "semantic zoom" feature. Unfortunately, the first tablet shown by Ballmer crashed, so he had to obtain a second from the table on the stage — not a good sign, especially for those of us old enough to remember the many crashes of XP and pre-XP operating system days.
Observers stated some dismay that Microsoft didn't spend more time showing a variety of multimedia and tools being displayed or used on Surface for the crowd during the keynote address. We'll have to wait for future hands-on reports with this regard (hint, hint - Microsoft,


Senior VP of Product Marketing Phil Schiller then took the stage, revealing that Surface uses "perimeter" or ambient cooling to keep the device cool. Schiller also brought out a digital ink stylus, and wrote on the device with 600 dpi clarity. "Feels like writing exactly on the page," said Schiller of the stylus, adding that Surface contains two digitizers within, one for finger touch transactions, and one for digital ink input via the stylus, so the two input mediums can be used together without confusing the tablet device.
After a how-it-was-made video was presented, it was obvious Microsoft is extremely proud of its Touch and Type Cover system, demonstrating it even further, stating how many layers (7) were squeezed together in its manufacture. Apparently, you can even rest your hands on the keyboard without activating any keys inadvertently.
The price and availability? Surface is to be provided in 32 GB and 64 GB versions, with a Pro version up to 128 GB; however, no price information was revealed, other than Ballmer taking the stage again and telling the audience Surface would be "priced to compete". This was a bit of a let-down, because one of the major competitive points that will set off Surface from iPad would've been how much. Priced to compete can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. As to delivery, expect the RT version sometime this Fall, with the Pro version hopefully before the Holiday season. Fingers crossed...
"Because of Windows 8, the Surface is a PC. The Surface is a tablet." Said Ballmer, wrapping up the keynote for Microsoft's big event. "The Surface is something new."
With Surface Microsoft appears to have found its own voice in the explosive tablet market. I hope Microsoft learns at least one lesson from Apple's success, and delivers on a price point ASAP, as well as a firm delivery time frame.
Lastly, I hope this device gets into the hands of techies and bloggers soon, as this is Microsoft's chance to stand behind the device, warts and all. For now, let's just wait and see just how new-fangled Surface is.


^ Damn I was expecting something better, Is there really a market for super-dumbed down tech? I guess that makes em more cash than a niche uber-tech market,

[soul controller]

you'll get something better, after they have fleeced all the money they can from this shitty product, then in a years time (maybe 10months) you can all fork out more money for a better version, and there you have it. (not to mention coltan and other elements they need to build this tech, that are taken by force, ie hiring rebels/militia to commit genocide on the people that live in those areas that has the materials they want..)

listen to music that shows you the ills of the world, but keep supporting those tech companies.. lol

listen to last dayz, and play x box

oxymoron

keep supporting, and shelling out cash..

not the right image.. but im sure you get the drift