(Credit:
Engadget)
A few days ago, we reported on a rumor going around that there would be a new, upgraded Xbox 360 in 2010 that would incorporate Microsoft's Project Natal technology. Well, we didn't expect Microsoft to come right out and tell us a new one was coming--and a few Microsoft execs did indeed deny that a new 360 was in the works. But a few blogs are reporting that CEO Steve Ballmer let word of new Xbox 360 slip out in a speech he gave Tuesday at the Executives' Club of Chicago.
TG Daily was the source for the original story, and I have to say the quote sounds pretty dubious.
"Rumors can be confirmed," the article declares, "as Ballmer stated openly during a speech on the recession to those in attendance at the Executives' Club in Chicago, a new Xbox 360 will hit the store shelves in 2010."
The only problem is the quote that follows this quote is rather ambiguous.
"The new device will be equipped with technology that is 'really, really close' to an actuality. The console, which was described as having a 'natural interface,' will have a built-in camera with the ability to recognize movement and voice."
Read it a couple of times and it's really pretty unclear whether Ballmer was talking about a new console or just the concept of Project Natal. We're betting he was talking more about the new technology coming to fruition in 2010 and not necessarily a whole new Xbox 360.
But that didn't stop both CrunchGear and Gizmodo from posting entries with the headline, "Ballmer confirms Project Natal Xbox 360."
Now, there's nothing wrong with a good, attention-grabbing headline (I'm a sucker for them). But we're going to proceed a little more cautiously with this one and await word on whether Ballmer really let it slip--or whether something got jumbled in the translation.
Comments?
(Source: TG Daily)
Update: While Microsoft reps are still trying to figure out just what Steve Ballmer said (they've requested a transcript of the event), Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, said there would be no new XBox 360 for 2010 and he reiterated that Project Natal would be compatible with all existing XBox consoles (no new hardware except the camera will be required). However, that doesn't mean Microsoft won't continue making tweaks to the XBox 360's components, upgrading chips and other parts as it's already done.
Microsoft passed on this statement to me regarding this post:
"As the Xbox team stated at E3 two weeks ago, we are not even halfway through the current console generation lifecycle and believe Xbox 360 will be the entertainment center in the home for long into the next decade. Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time."
CARLSBAD, Calif.--In an interesting but perhaps unsurprising move, Microsoft plans to add multitouch interface to Windows 7, CNET News.com has learned. The interface will be shown in just a few minutes as part of Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates' keynote at the D6 event here.
Update: Ballmer says it will come in late 2009. Corporate VP Julie Larson-Green demonstrated the multitouch technology, painting with several fingers at the same time to show how it can process not just touch, but multiple simultaneous input.
"It's much faster to do certain tasks than using a mouse," Larson-Green said. She also showed rotating photos by pinching and rotating, much like Microsoft's surface or Apple's iPhone.
Microsoft had previously hinted that the touch gestures would find their way into Windows. In an interesting twist though, the new technology will work with existing touch screens, Microsoft said. They showed it running on an existing Dell laptop.
A Microsoft blog with a demo can be found here and I've added in Microsoft's video as well at the end of the post.
Analysis and context: I took three major things away from the multitouch demo.
1. Multitouch is going to be ubiquitous. And by this I don't just mean on every Windows machine. I also expect Apple to have a similar feature on its computers, and quite possibly ahead of Windows 7 final ship date.
2. We're going to see touch on a lot more machines ahead of Windows 7. I expect this will help convince PC makers to include touch screens even in Vista machines so they can be "7-proof." Touch can come in many forms. We've already seen that the laptop's touch pad can prove to be a cost-effective spot for gesture sensitive touch, and I think we will see other interesting gesture recognition approaches beyond just making the full screen touch sensitive.
3. User interfaces are a key selling point in Microsoft's No. 1 longterm Windows goal--making the OS matter. Windows is not just under attack from Apple. It's also under attack from forces that threaten to make the OS less relevant, whether it's browser-based applications or (pardon the phrase, boss) Web operating systems.
Two such efforts are going to be on display here at D: G.ho.st (which presents Wednesday) and Glide, which presents on Thursday.
I spoke with CEO Donald Leka, who talked about how Glide allows documents to be shared across devices, such as a Mac user trying to share a QuickTime file with a mobile phone user that happens to have RealPlayer or Windows Media on their device. The company's support for the iPhone, in particular, has been a boon, Leka said.
"The iPhone is probably the best thing that ever happened," he said.
As is often the case, things were a little less compelling when it comes to the business model and the drivers that will push someone to one of these efforts over another. Leka said the company can make money off commerce and by selling premium subscriptions on top of the 5GB of free storage Glide provides.
Video: Multi-Touch in Windows 7
Click here for full coverage of the D: All Things Digital conference.
The more Microsoft events CNET sends me to around New York (the Windows Vista launch weekend, Halo 3's raucous little debutante ball), the more I realize one thing: No matter how much Gates, Ballmer, & Co. seem to always have issues (like that "Zune" debacle), that company knows how to throw one hell of a party. I'm not kidding. It even has its own wine now.
Created by South African winery Stormhoek especially for Microsoft, the "Blue Monster Reserve" sauvignon blanc is accompanied by the tagline "change the world or go home." It's only available to Microsoft employees, members of a "Friends of Blue Monster" Facebook group, or Stormhoek insiders. The cute little logo was designed by Stormhoek marketing strategist Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid.com.
This, for the record, furthers my speculation that Microsoft is actually the Dharma Initative.
But, that said, this really isn't that big of a surprise. I speculate that Google has a half dozen tasty custom microbrews on tap in the Googleplex at all times. I've also heard this rumor that Steve Jobs has commissioned a wheatgrass-infused organic sake that was uncorked shortly after the iPhone launch. Don't even get me started on the juicy gossip about Mark Zuckerberg's plans to make Facebook-branded Smirnoff Ice as iconic a part of his image as those Adidas sandals.
And here at CNET, you might not know that we have our own private-label scotch! It has been absolutely instrumental recently as Craver-in-chief Mike Yamamoto attempts to deal with Tim Moynihan's robo-hellraising.
(Via PSFK)
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