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With Major League Baseball in full swing and the season’s hottest TV shows ramping up, it’s time to hook up your Xbox 360 and take advantage of the interactive entertainment experience you’ve been waiting for. Xbox 360 is introducing three major entertainment apps ready for Xbox LIVE Gold members: MLB.TV, Comcast Xfinity TV and HBO GO, which also come equipped with Kinect integration.
Baseball fans can now plug into MLB.TV and become the ultimate spectator. With the MLB.TV app, you can watch live and on-demand games in HD on your Xbox 360. If you can’t decide which game to watch, direct the app to watch two games at once with the Spilt Screen feature. And if you need to see the play again, Kinect allows you to pause and rewind live games – just with your voice or the wave of your hand.
Not sure what’s on tonight? Just tell your Xbox 360 what you want to watch. Xbox LIVE Gold members can access Comcast Xfinity TV on-demand services. Voice recognition allows you to search through a massive entertainment library, including the new Streampix library, a service where members enjoy unlimited streaming of past episodes from top-rated shows and movies.
Bummed that you missed the first episode of Game of Thrones? With HBO GO on Xbox 360, the entire catalogue of live and on-demand content - yes, every episode of every show - is now available. Using Kinect’s voice search you can watch missed episodes or check out the HBO catalogue reminisce with your old friends Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, or branch out and make a few new friends!
So, whether you are following your favorite teams, streaming your must-see shows or revisiting classic programs, Xbox LIVE helps you stay connected. To learn more about these offerings, visit Xbox LIVE.
Just like ABC’s hit-show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Microsoft, HP and Intel are bringing big changes to lucky contestants of their Small-Business Tech Makeover Video Contest.
Ending April 30, the contest calls for Microsoft partners to submit a video on behalf of one of their small business customers, showcasing how a technology makeover could grow and impact their business.
Two winning entries will be awarded products and solutions worth more than $7,000. The reward includes software, hardware and set-up of Windows 7 Professional, Windows Small Business Server 2011, Office Professional 2010, Office 365, HP Folio 13 Notebook PC, and HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite All-in-One PC, HP LaserJet Pro Printer, Windows 7 Phone, and HP ProLiant MicrosoServer.
So get ready, Microsoft partners: “It’s time to move that bus!”
To enter one of your small business customers, please visit: https://www.smbtechmakeover.com/Main/Enter
Imagine a three-day road trip with the family, but without the kids getting impatient and irritable. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it’s possible with the new customized technology of the Ford Mustang.
Microsoft teamed up with Ryan Friedlinghaus, an award-winning automotive designer and star of Discovery Channel's reality TV series "Inside West Coast Customs," to create a dream machine resembling a 1967 Mustang.
Titled "Project Detroit,” this vehicle is equipped with a wireless network, an Xbox 360 with Kinect and a rear-windshield projector screen. The Xbox 360 is fitted to the passenger side, and a heads-up display is added on the windshield. The rear windshield serves as an alternative display to stream videos, play video games, and show pictures and messages viewable from outside the car (a mild warning for instance: “Hey Biker, don’t forget your reflectors at night next time”). The software is controlled via the Windows Azure platform.
The driver is guided with Kinect cameras displaying a live feed of people and objects in front of and behind the car, external speakers, customizable car-horn "ringtones" and the ability to remotely find, unlock and start the car using Windows Phone apps. The windscreen is fitted with a fighter-jet-style, heads-up display that shows such information as map directions, powered by Bing.
This “car of the future” shows Microsoft’s investment in advanced technology for the future and contributions of ingenuity, creativity and technology in applied scenarios. Project Detroit’s open-sourced code is now available to developers, enlarging the possibilities for building futuristic consumer experiences. For more information, please visit the Microsoft News Center.
Orlando Estrada, 77, experienced so much pain and loss of balance after his two knee-replacement surgeries that he needed a wheelchair to get around. Taking the bus was an ordeal, and he got so little exercise that his blood pressure was heading toward the danger zone. Today, Estrada is not only walking again, he’s dancing, and his blood pressure is back to normal.
Estrada, a former design engineer at Hewlett Packard, attributes his remarkable recovery to his participation in the Exergamers Wellness Club, a public-private partnership among Microsoft, the Los Angeles Department of Aging, Partners in Care Foundation and St. Barnabas Senior Services, a non-profit organization that operates a popular senior center in one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Details of the program were unveiled at an event today in Los Angeles, kicked off with a flashmob of seniors, ages 60 to 80, erupting into dance at St. Barnabas Senior Center.
The Exergamers Wellness Club is based on a comprehensive health-and-wellness program developed by the Partners in Care Foundation. For the Exergamers Club, Partners in Care modified the core program with the addition of two Microsoft products—Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 and Microsoft HealthVault. The program and these tools enhance the lives of older adults, helping them get fit, increase social interaction, and manage their personal health information online.
Exergaming, the practice of using interactive video games for exercise, is a growing fitness trend for people of all ages. In addition to St Barnabas, the partners plan to expand the program to the other 15 senior centers in the Los Angeles Department of Aging service area. Microsoft plans to donate a Kinect, a selection of games and a one-year Xbox LIVE Gold Membership to the centers.
We can’t wait to see how additional aging populations get fit with innovative initiatives. To learn more about the programs that Microsoft is funding in the Los Angeles community, please check out Microsoft Citizenship.
Are you a Star Wars fan? Unleash your inner Jedi, dress up as your favorite Star Wars character and head to the Microsoft store in the Century City Mall in LA on Monday, April 2, from 10:00 p.m. to midnight for the release of “KinectTM Star WarsTM” for Kinect for Xbox 360.
In addition to battling it out in a costume contest, attendees will get to play the much-anticipated game before its midnight release, using The Force, participating in Galactic Dance-Offs and competing in Duels of Fate – no controllers required.
Come early to the Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo or Westfield Century City stores for your chance to win raffle prizes and compete in the costume contest. The customer with the best costume will take home a $50 Microsoft Store gift card.
For more information on the event, visit the Microsoft Store Facebook page or visit Microsoft Store.com. “Kinect Star Wars” game assets and more information can be found on the Xbox Press Center.
May the Force be with you.
Just in this year alone, more than 13 million kids in the U.S. reported being bullied and each month 3 million-plus students have intentionally missed school because they felt unsafe. The shocking truth is bullying affects millions of kids every single day.
These startling statistics are the reason Lee Hirsch and The Weinstein Company created “Bully,” a documentary focused on getting parents, students, educators and advocates involved in the fight against bullying.
And Microsoft is getting involved in this initiative. Bing recently announced its partnership with The Weinstein Company to help promote the documentary and raise awareness of the serious implications of bullying, as well as encourage more Americans to stand up to the harassment that kids are facing. Together, the companies will launch a multi-million dollar, multi-media campaign to promote “Bully,” with the rallying cry "stop bullying."
Bully hits theaters in Los Angeles this Friday, March 30. Be sure to buy your tickets and support the Bully project by donating to the film’s social action campaign.
Also, check out how Bing has joined the “Bully” movement to help drive change.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ve probably heard of the Hunger Games, one of the most anticipated movies of 2012. Based on the best-selling novel, the sci-fi flick takes place in the future and hits theaters on Friday, March 23. The movie’s stars, including Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson and others made appearances this month, at Microsoft stores throughout the country, including the Westfield Century City Mall in L.A. They met with press and fans, signed autographs at the store, as well as participated in a Q&A event where fans had the chance to ask questions of their favorite cast members. Check out some photos from the event below and visit Microsoft Store’s Facebook page for more photos.
Fans also participated in fun giveaways, including a chance to win the limited-edition Hunger Games HP Folio PC. The HP Folio is an incredibly thin and light ultrabook that delivers not only loads of style but also hard-working substance and more than 9 hours of batterylife. This limited-edition ultrabook has The Hunger Games movie logo, along with the District 12 logo (the community where main character Katniss Everdeen comes from) laser engraved on the ultrabook's case.
Check out the laptop for yourself in person at your local Microsoft store.
Community service is one of Microsoft’s defining values. Through donations of products, services and time, Microsoft gives back to the communities in which its employees work and live.
Microsoft further demonstrated this community commitment by participating in this month’s Channel@Work project in Los Angeles, an annual community relations event held by United Business Media’s XChange conference. At this year’s event, more than 70 volunteers -- all XChange attendees including several Microsoft employees -- arrived to tackle a massive to-do list for the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, which provides living space for up to 75 families while their children are undergoing critical care at a nearby hospital. We were incredibly proud to have supported this amazing organization in these ways:
It’s especially rewarding when our employees have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a community effort like Channel@Work and actively make a difference. We are proud to be associated with Channel@Work and will continue to dedicate our resources to other local projects and organizations that similarly hold promise to change our communities for the better.
Conquering productivity can be a challenge, especially in instances of inclement weather keeping you from driving or tending to a sick child home from school. Each year, extreme weather alone brings life to a grinding halt for millions of people. But with new technologies from Microsoft, nothing will stop you from accomplishing your task list.
No one has a busier work schedule than Today Show’s host, Al Roker. As a weatherman, actor and author, how does he manage to stay productive? Check out his tips on how he works from anywhere at any time with the help of Microsoft Office:
Are you equipped with the right technology to work where you please? Here’s your chance to win a copy of Microsoft Office 2010, a Windows Phone and an Xbox 360 with Kinect. How? Follow Office (@Office) on Twitter and simply retweet any tweets containing the hashtag #snowductivity now through March 31. New winners will be chosen each week. Good luck!
For more tips on how to stay connected from anywhere using the power of Microsoft, visit the Office blog here.
This post is authored by General Manager Enterprise and Partners Group, Southwest District, Tyler Bryson.
While businesses in L.A. are well aware of the cost savings that cloud computing can bring, it may be surprising to learn that the cloud also is creating substantial new revenues for local companies and is expected to create tens of thousands of new jobs across the Southland.
Of course, some companies here are reducing their IT expenses by shifting their information technology infrastructure and applications to cloud-based services. Instead of spending IT dollars on buying more servers, constantly upgrading software and handling other routine chores, we can rely on the cloud to keep all our backroom technology in good shape and up to date for us.
A new study from Microsoft, however, reveals that the top line of our financial statements is growing as well. The study, conducted by IDC research, finds that freeing IT people from day-to-day manual upkeep gives them a lot more time to work on innovative projects that help the entire company run more efficiently. This innovation in turn leads to the generation of more revenues. In fact, the study reports that this growing opportunity for innovation enabled by the cloud is likely to produce revenue increases totaling $1.1 trillion annually by 2015 for businesses around the world. Furthermore, the study predicts that businesses will use this new revenue to create new jobs—nearly 14 million of them globally through 2015.
In the Los Angeles area, the study predicts that the cloud will be responsible for having created more than 31,700 local jobs by the end of this year and 53,000 cumulative new jobs by the end of 2015. That’s enough Angelenos to nearly fill Dodger Stadium. Instead of creating traffic jams, these new employees will be creating innovations, with their jobs expected to be split evenly between large enterprises and smaller businesses, both globally and here in L.A. Our region is especially well positioned for big job gains from the cloud because of our highly diverse economy, reaching across aerospace, entertainment, tourism, finance and international trade.
We might have thought that with the cloud tending so much of our technology we’d see a dip in employment in our IT departments; it turns out that one of the cloud’s most important contributions to our business operations is giving creative, efficiency-focused minds the time they need to work innovatively. In this way, the cloud becomes a foundation for helping to grow the entire organization.
As a result, new cloud-generated jobs are being distributed all across the enterprise. Companies that spend the dollars that become available from cloud-computing efficiencies are hiring people in sales, finance, production, marketing, and other units. These departments become more innovative with support from the cloud and sustain the generations of additional revenue.
To learn more about Microsoft’s predictions for the cloud’s impact on jobs, check out the full study and additional resources on the Microsoft News Center. The cloud clearly is helping to restore our economic health here in L.A. and all over the world.
People have a wide variety of outlets at their disposal when they want in on the hottest conversations taking place throughout the world. Unfortunately whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter or BreakingNews.com, news is fragmented throughout the Web, and it’s not always easy to stay on top of it. MSN is changing that, and for the first time ever, people can get their news at one, up-to-the-minute, easy stop: msnNOW.
msnNOW looks at breaking social trends all over the Web, including Facebook, Twitter, BreakingNews.com, and Bing, providing a quick and edgy look at the latest online news– all in one place. Through its exclusive technology that analyzes the most current trends and social conversations, msnNOW identifies the trends and topics that are heating up on the Web, continuously updating the site with fresh content so you don’t miss a thing.
With access to msnNOW via PC, mobile, tablets, Facebook and Twitter, you can join in the conversation anytime from virtually anywhere.
Check it out at http://now.msn.com.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, there are a multitude of possible gift ideas for your significant other. Every year, people wait until the last minute to figure out a thoughtful and well-received present. Often times, jewelry, chocolates, or flowers, are the go-to gift ideas, but this year Microsoft has some fun tech gifts that anyone would love to receive.
Starting now through February 14, the Microsoft Stores in Los Angeles are offering some great deals on gift ideas, including a $200 voucher for accessories when you purchase a Windows 7 PC. From fun Valentine’s Day-themed skin for the new laptop to Jambox wireless speaker to Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones, and Skullcandy Ink’d Mic’d Earbuds, you’re sure to find something your valentine will love.
All of these options have various prices ranges to fit your budget during this season of love. To learn more, visit the Microsoft Store nearest you: locations in Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, and Westfield Century City.
When it comes to natural disasters, it has been quite a year, hasn’t it? In the first 10 months of 2011, President Obama declared 89 major disasters. People and businesses everywhere have struggled to rebound from many of these catastrophes, leaving those of us who weren’t personally impacted by these events wondering if we’d be able to make it through the worst ourselves.
Unfortunately, we’re all at risk of facing disaster, whether natural or even virtual, given that technology now plays such a dominant role in our lives. Cybercrime and other technical failures can cause great harm, and recovering from instances of virtual disaster often requires significant amounts of time and money.
The good news is that taking steps to prepare your household and/or business for disaster can help you withstand catastrophes. Here are some pointers related to your technology assets that will come in handy as you plan for the unexpected:
For additional advice on preparing for disaster, head over to www.microsoftbusinesshub.com. From there you can download a free e-guide and quiz from Microsoft on the essentials of disaster preparedness.
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), otherwise known as the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, has officially kicked off in Las Vegas!
Last night, CEO Steve Ballmer took to the CES stage for Microsoft’s final keynote presentation. And you may have noticed Microsoft did things a little differently this year – involving a surprise host, Ryan Seacrest, a musical interlude and product demonstrations.
Seacrest interviewed Ballmer, who announced continued momentum for Microsoft consumer products and demonstrations of Xbox 360 with Kinect and Windows Phone. The conversation highlighted the past year’s accomplishments and alluded to what’s ahead in 2012. Some of the past year’s milestones included:
Additionally, several new devices took center stage at CES, as Microsoft OEM partners revealed hot new products that showed off the latest hardware constructed for Windows. New devices included entries from Acer, as they unveiled the world’s thinnest ultramobile PC with the Asprie S5, measuring only 15 mm at the maximal point. To see other major breakthroughs from ASUS, Samsung and Sony involving Windows phones and Windows 7-based PCs, take a look here.
See highlights from Microsoft’s 2012 keynote here and stayed updated with the latest CES news located at the CES News Room.
It’s always interesting to look back at the end of each year and see all of the amazing accomplishments made in the past 12 months. Microsoft has had an incredible year! As we begin the next one, we take a look back at some of the stories that have made big news in 2011.
Xbox LIVE
Microsoft rolled out an update for Xbox LIVE that lets people control their Xbox using voice or hand gestures, in December. At the same time we introduced the first group of new, custom applications from leading TV and entertainment content providers. The update was released with rave reviews; James McQuivey from Forrester Research said that the new entertainment experiences on Xbox LIVE served as the benchmark against which all other living-room initiatives should be compared.
Windows Phone 7.5
In October, Microsoft announced the availability of the new Windows Phone 7.5, with features and design based on a “people first” mentality. The update release used integrated social networking and conversational threads, to make it easier to connect with the people in our lives. In November, Microsoft celebrated the availability of new Windows Phones by building a six-story phone in New York City demonstrating how the new devices put people back at the center of the smartphone experience.
Imagine Cup 2011
Students from all across the world submitted projects to this year’s Imagine Cup. The Worldwide Finals took place in New York City in July, with 124 teams from 70 different countries competing to make the world a better place. Congratulations to our 2011 winners!
Office 365
In June, Microsoft announced the global availability of Office 365, the next generation of productivity service, at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles. Office 365 made updates to Microsoft Exchange Online, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint and Microsoft Lync Online.
Kinect for Xbox 360
Following its introduction in 2010, this year Kinect became the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history according to Guinness World Records. The device opened the door to new experiences with technology. 2011 brought continued advancements for Kinect, specifically in educational experiences for children, enabling learning to be fun and interactive.
Bing on the Homepage
Bing consistently gained query share in 2011, with the development of several industry-leading improvements to the service, including the introduction of a video homepage for those using HTML-5 enabled browsers. Bing also further established itself as a strategic asset that makes many products and services across Microsoft stronger.
Microsoft Named One of the Best Places to Work
Microsoft is committed to hiring the best people and providing them with the best tools and the best environment, so that they can do amazing work that brings the transformative power of technology to billions of people around the world. On October 27, at an event in New York City, the Great Places to Work Institute honored Microsoft as the number one Global Workplace. We’re proud of this recognition, and we’ll continue to rely on the input from our employees to make Microsoft as an even greater place to work and change the world.
We are excited to see what 2012 will bring to Los Angeles and the world. Thanks for such a great year!
As we enter the thick of holiday season, family “to do” lists grow in length – coordinating dinners, celebrations, travel, and gift giving can seem never ending. Microsoft Windows and Southwest Airlines have joined together to help alleviate one part of your checklist, in the form of free holiday photos. Picture Perfect Holiday is now available at 21 airport and shopping locations across the country, including Century City shopping center in Los Angeles, offering the chance for you and your loved ones to snap photos with Santa or a holiday background.
If you are taking your own holiday photo, we know that with multiple children and pets, taking a coordinated family photo can often turn into a debacle (but makes for hilarious jokes later on in life). With the free Windows Live photo-editing tools, you can edit, share and print copies of your pictures – which can also be done right from the kiosks in your local area! If you are looking for additional tools to help you get that great shot with the family, Photo Fuse in Windows Live Photo Gallery offers the perfect solution this holiday season.
If that wasn’t great news, there are also prizes available! Enter the Windows and Southwest Airlines Holiday Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Windows 7 PC every day, one of 10 Epson Artisan 730 printers or the grand prize of free flights for a year on Southwest Airlines.
In the past few Los Angeles municipal elections, voter turnout has been at an all-time low. Local elections are simply not eliciting the type of involvement needed from LA’s diverse constituents.
At Microsoft, we know that an engaged electorate is the cornerstone of effective governance, and finding opportunities to improve LA’s voter participation needs to be a priority. We know that access to technology increases access to information. We believe that with this knowledge, the voters of LA will better understand the impact their civic participation can have on their city, state, country and the world. This is precisely the goal of a new series of which we are proud to be a part, called Talking About Los Angeles (TALA).
TALA, which was announced this week, is a project created by a coalition of business, labor, education, nonprofit, civic and political leaders. Launching in February 2012, TALA is a series of conversations with the 2013 mayoral candidates. Lead by the Southwest Voters Registration Education Project and Cerrell Associates, this project is a unique opportunity for voters to engage with the mayoral candidates in an open and honest dialogue. TALA will allow each candidate to voice his or her position on the most pressing issues facing LA, including transportation and infrastructure, the environment, quality of life, the economy, education, etc. Each conversation will be moderated by a subject matter expert and will feature a mix of moderated and audience questions.
Hosted at college campuses throughout the Los Angeles-basin, TALA will engage young people and communities not typically involved in municipal elections. In addition to the events themselves, TALA’s website, www.talkingaboutla.com will be an innovative information center about the mayor’s race that will encourage Los Angeles voters to weigh-in on the issues. Site visitors also will have access to the latest news, information and videos of the conversations.
The 2013 Los Angeles mayoral election will define how LA can get back on track to attract businesses, create jobs and provide quality education for our students. Microsoft and the rest of the TALA project team is confident that our effort will lead to well-informed and engaged citizens who will pick the next leader of our city.
This week, Bing announced its 2011 End-of-Year Search Results, which includes the most searched people, news stories and items by Bing users during the past year. In terms of searches for tops consumer electronics, Xbox and Kinect took first place. Justin Bieber wins honors as the most searched celebrity for 2011, while the Casey Anthony Trial proved to be the most searched news story throughout the year.
The full Top 10 lists for these categories includes the following:
Top Consumer Electronics:
Most Searched Celebrity:
Most Searched News Story:
For more information on all the 2011 search data including Top 10 lists for the most searched TV Shows, Movies, Musicians, Athletes, Fashion and more, in addition for predictions for 2012, be sure to check out the full press release as well as www.bingtrends.com.
Software piracy dwells in the shadows of the legitimate IT industry, so it might surprise some to learn what a glaring impact it has on consumers, businesses and economies. Because software pirates’ ability to sell non-genuine products is largely dependent upon secrecy, awareness is power in fighting this widespread problem.
Today, Microsoft is flipping the light switch on. It’s Play Fair Day, a day dedicated to equipping consumers with information about the risks of using non-genuine software, most often unknowingly, and the far-reaching benefits of using legitimate software. We want the public to understand that criminals selling non-genuine software create an unfair marketplace, where principled businesses cannot effectively compete and consumers and economies suffer.
The illegal trade and sale of non-genuine software means that a portion of consumer dollars for software are spent with illegitimate vendors, causing local tax revenues and jobs to disappear. In addition consumers and businesses that buy or use software illegally are subject to other serious risks and disadvantages like:
Despite how threatening the risks are, we would like the public to be motivated by the many advantages of using genuine software, and the peace of mind that comes with simply doing the right thing. There are numerous benefits to using genuine, fully-licensed Microsoft software including:
Let’s all use Play Fair Day to renew our commitment to fighting the spread of counterfeit and illegal software trade and use. Shine the light on the issue for those you know and conduct business with by encouraging them to visit www.microsoft.com/piracy/ for more information about brighter futures through piracy protection and legal software use.
Have you ever seen a six-story phone? We have. This week, Microsoft celebrated the availability of the new Windows Phone 7.5, formerly code-named “Mango,” by putting real people inside a giant six-story phone in New York City’s Herald Square. Why? Microsoft designed Windows Phone around one single concept: people are at the center of the phone experience.
To demonstrate the very meaning of the phone being “people-centric,” the six-story phone included a life-size “Plants vs. Zombies” battle highlighting the phone’s rich Xbox LIVE gaming experience, while Far East Movement brought the Music + Video Hub to life with a live lunchtime concert for fans. The theme of the day – connecting people – was underscored when a New York man proposed to his girlfriend from inside the Me Tile of the giant phone.
The new Windows Phone is helping to change the way people look at smartphones by presenting the things, and the people, that are most important to the user. To learn more about how you can get your hands on a new phone, visit the Microsoft News Center or a Microsoft Store nearest you: locations in Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo and Westfield Century City.
Halloween is just around the corner and costume planning is in full force. What are you dressing as this year? Perhaps a “Jersey Shore” cast member or the latest celebrity?
According to a recent Bing-commissioned survey of Americans, nearly 40 percent of respondents indicated that they are abandoning store-bought costumes for a do-it-yourself (DIY) costume. Forty three percent of respondents stated that they believed that purchasing a Halloween costume to wear for one night is too expensive (nearly a fourfold increase over last year’s 12 percent).
Designing your own costume can be a tough task to accomplish, so Bing is here to help with time-and money-saving tips from styling experts. Bing Shopping has partnered with celebrity stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn, who have created costumes for Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, and more, to offer guidance on how to easily create a look that fits your budget, fashion sense and DIY skill level.
For additional tips and tricks to inspire you this Halloween, visit http://www.BingHalloween.com. Check out the Bing Shopping site, which offers an all-in-one online shopping experience that will help you make better, faster, more confident shopping decisions, so you can spend less money and time planning and more time having fun!
Remember when you were a kid, and you wished that you could actually play with the characters on television? It is now possible with Xbox 360. Last week, Microsoft revealed how its “playful learning” experiences are revolutionizing interactive television, allowing children and their families to engage, interact and learn in an entirely new way – all through the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360.
Working in partnership with experts from Sesame Workshop and National Geographic, play and television experiences have blended to evolve children’s traditional watching habits and promote active and dynamic on-screen engagements. For example, Microsoft’s motion-sensing camera will let children interact through voice and gesture with Sesame Street characters who will respond based on the child’s actions. If Cookie Monster says “stand up and clap your hands with me,” he’ll recognize whether the child is playing along and interact accordingly. Or if Grover asks a child to throw a coconut, he’ll look to where the child “threw” it based on how hard they heave.
Now kids will be able to have adventures with their Sesame Street friends and be a part of the journey in a way that’s never been possible before. This two-way conversation is essential to science and psychology findings that reveal that play is a fundamental form of learning and important to a child’s development.
“We know that the most effective learning environments for children are those that are engaging and exciting, and that foster collaboration and a positive attitude toward learning,” said Alex Games, Ph.D. curriculum and learning sciences expert and educational design director for Microsoft.
To learn more about Xbox 360, please click here. To learn more about how Kinect is making learning playful and redefining interactive television, click here and here. Interested in Kinect for Xbox 360 for your children? Come visit us at a Microsoft Store nearest you: locations in Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo or the Westfield Century City store.
It happens to all of us: we get busy with work, stuck in routines and don’t make the time to stay in shape. LA Fitness, a privately owned health club chain, was in a similar situation albeit with its business. With more than 20,000 employees at 370 clubs across the county, the company had gotten out of shape with its internal processes and it was affecting the company’s overall image. LA Fitness needed a unified communications system that helped the organization drive consistency, staff training, employee communication and customer service.
LA Fitness researched several enterprise-level VoIP solutions before determining that Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 was more cost-effective compared with solutions from other vendors. After the initial deployment produced tremendous positive responses from employees, LA Fitness chose to expand deployment across the entire company. Several months later, when Microsoft Lync replaced Office Communications Server 2007 R2, the company upgraded immediately.
“Taking a step forward with a new solution is always a big risk, and this was no exception,” said George Bedar, chief information officer at LA Fitness. “But the move to Lync has been extremely well received by executive leadership because, for the first time, our entire company is on the same unified communications solution. This has significantly lowered our costs and made them very predictable and helped drive consistency in our processes, staff training and member experience.”
With Lync, LA Fitness has been able to implement consistency in culture, attitude and behavior in its clubs across the country. As a result, the company has saved more than $650,000 annually. To learn more about Lync, please click here.
You are on your computer and browsing the internet, clicking on various links, when suddenly an alert pops up that you are under attack from the latest virus. It’s a familiar situation, one that many computer users experience on a daily basis. This week, Microsoft released the 11th Security Intelligence Report to provide in-depth insight on software vulnerabilities and exploits, malicious code threats, and potentially unwanted software in Microsoft and third-party software. The report analyzes trends found in more than 100 countries and 600 million systems around the world and offers ways to manage risks to computers, software, organizations, and individual users.
Findings from the report reveal that 99 percent of attempted attacks impacted vulnerabilities for which an update was available. Top threats and exploits continue to be delivered to computers through the web, the most common form of infiltration. Because of this, improving security and obtaining new products with better protection is more important than ever. A modern browser, like Internet Explorer 9, is the first line of defense from online threats, helping businesses and consumers alike.
Cloud computing is highly recommended as an extremely effective and low cost resource to manage security updates in a timely manner. Above all, Microsoft advocates education to keep systems up-to-date. To learn more about how to remain safe online, click here.
This week, an estimated 5,000 attendees will gather in Anaheim, Calif., for the Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2011, the most comprehensive event on SharePoint and related technology. More than 240 sessions are scheduled to focus on how customers can use the product as a platform for critical business applications, collaboration, content management, search, and enterprise social networking.
For businesses today, the need to find a way to share information across multiple offices and time zones is a top priority. In order to provide great customer service, employees need access to the right people and information, at all times. For many businesses, Microsoft SharePoint 2010 offers the technology to enable collaboration, easier and faster.
SharePoint changes the way people work, from social networking to connecting with colleagues. For example, United Airlines recently implemented the SharePoint platform during its merger with Continental Airlines. With thousands of employees working from 397 offices around the world, United relied on the platform to give employees access to important flight information on-demand, regardless of time zone. SharePoint became one of the most important tools during and after the merger because it allowed the airlines to communicate with each other and customers.
SharePoint continues to evolve as a business application, helping worldwide employees do their jobs better and faster. The application is also available as a cloud service through Microsoft Office 365, further enabling companies of all sizes to benefit from new ways of sharing information. To learn more, click here.