Recent News

August 13, 2013
Your Skype status, explained

Have you ever wondered why the Skype video call button turns pale green and unclickable? Or what it means when the icon left of a contact’s name is yellow? And what that little orange dot to the right of a contact’s name is? Matthew de Beer explains these and other “status quo” questions on the Skype Tips & Tricks blog.

August 13, 2013
Get a sneak peek at sleek new Xbox One controller

Thanks to Major Nelson, you don’t have to wait for the launch of Xbox One this fall to get a sneak peek at the streamlined new controller. He recently sat down with Zulfi Alam, general manager of the Xbox accessories group, to discuss how he and his team have made the best-in-class Xbox 360 controller even better for Xbox One.

August 12, 2013
Telling the Microsoft story by the numbers

Sometimes numbers are more effective at telling a story than words. Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications Frank X. Shaw introduces the new microsoft.com/bythenumbers site that uses the familiar Windows Tile interface to highlight some of the important (and not-so-important) facts about our business and our company.

August 12, 2013
Get buff and brag about it with Active Fitness on Windows Phone 8

Exclusive to Nokia Lumias running Windows Phone 8, the Active Fitness app turns working out into a competitive sport by making it easy to track your fitness and health activities and share them with friends, family and new acquaintances on a social network of more than 50,000 global users. With NFC, the app supports Tap-to-Friend, so you can also extend your network of competitors by tapping two Windows Phones together.

August 9, 2013
It just makes cents – Xbox Live is going to local currency!

Earlier this year, the Xbox Live team announced that they will bring local currency to Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles – a change that was a direct result of customer feedback. The transition will be made at the next Xbox 360 system update, and this blog post explains how Xbox Live will make it easy for all customers.

August 9, 2013
When is the right time to let your kids go online?

In today’s world of online services, social media and digital devices, many parents grapple with finding the right time to introduce their kids to the online world. The Security Tips & Talk Blog has published a brief survey to help parents “have conversations with young Internet users about staying safer on the ever-changing digital playground.”