Google has reached a deal to buy game livestreaming firm Twitch for $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. Citing unnamed sources, Variety said back in May that Google had made an all cash offer and that the deal could be announced soon. If confirmed, the deal will underscore the value of live Internet streaming and the rise of competitive gaming as a spectator sport — something that draws millions of viewers, can offer prize pools that surpass pro golfs marquee events,...

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Is Microsoft buiding a single version of Windows that will run on phones, tablets, PCs and gaming consoles? Nope. Here a refresher as to what really is happening. Follow @maryjofoley Thanks to a passing comment by CEO Satya Nadella during the July 22Microsoft Q4 fiscal 2014 earnings call, the struggle is continuing. We will streamline the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one single converged operating system for screens of all sizes, Nadella told press and...

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isnt the first game to straddle two generations of gaming hardware, but its one of the few currently in play that was built from the ground up with that in mind. With its latest title, Bungie took on the Herculean task of building a game for four systems: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. With the foundations now laid and the all important beta just around the corner, we spoke with Bungie engineer Roger Wolfson to find out more about the challenges of building a game that...

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Confirming rumors that date back to last year, Microsoft this week said that it is killing off its successful TechEd trade show series. But it not really going away: Instead, Microsoft will consolidate TechEd and several other IT and enterprise focused tradeshows into a single, unified tech conference, the first rendition of which is now scheduled for Chicago in May 2015. I am thrilled to announce we will be hosting an inaugural, unified Microsoft commercial technology conference the week of May...

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and most people will think immediately of its hiccups—the sort of hysterical, impossible errors one finds collected on sites like Damn You Autocorrect. But despite the inadvertent hilarity, the real marvel of our mobile text correction systems is how astoundingly good they are. It not too much of an exaggeration to call autocorrect the overlooked underwriter of our era of mobile prolixity. Without it, we wouldnt be able to compose windy love letters from stadium bleachers, write novels on...

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Remember the Surface Mini, a device that got axed at the last minute? Microsoft gave it a shout out in its earnings report today. The company noted in its hardware section that its [c]urrent year cost of revenue included Surface inventory adjustments resulting from our transition to newer generation devices and a decision to not ship a new form factor. Ding. The Mini was yanked from the Surface Pro 3 event at what Ive heard was the very last minute possible. The Mini, so hastily squirreled away,...

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Revenue from the ads helps us feed the over worked hamsters so we can keep bringing you the latest news! You can also donate to keep us going. A Microsoft Store offers an assortment of products and services, including Windows 8.1 PCs, tablets, Windows Phones, Xbox One, Office 365, and much more. Customers can also receive support and services from staff members who can make recommendations and more. A kiosk style specialty store is a smaller store that features the best of what Microsoft has to...

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Microsoft had been touting its hire of former CBS executive Nancy Tellem and its plans to develop custom content as core to its Xbox expansion plans. But recently, Microsoft officials have signaled they are bringing their Xbox focus back on gaming and gaming content experiences. Xbox Entertainment Studios will be closing within months. There no word so far from Microsoft how many job cuts this involves. Here an excerpt from Xbox chief Phil Spencer July 17 e mail to employees about the closing:

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