Microsoft announces a new super-powered Xbox console: Project Scorpio

Microsoft and Oculus announced a close partnership at last year’s E3, but we haven’t seen much out of it just yet. That’s changing today, as Microsoft just announced a new version of the Xbox console — one that’s optimized to work with 4K visuals and high-quality VR out of the box. Project Scorpio will launch at the Holiday season in 2017, but most notable is the fact that all games and all accessories will work across the Xbox One, the Xbox One S and Project Scorpio. Microsoft showed off a video in which a number of developers touted the console’s massive power — it’ll feature “true” 4K resolution, 6 teraflops of GPU power and will run at 60Hz. It’ll of course be VR-ready, and Bethesda noted it’ll run Fallout 4 in VR, as announced last night. While Microsoft didn’t mention Oculus by name, the two companies have a partnership that was announced at last year’s E3 . So it seems highly likely that the Rift will be the headset of choice for Project Scorpio. Phil Spencer alluded to such a development earlier this year , saying that he envisioned a future in which your game library stayed with you and in which consoles were upgraded faster in a more PC-like fashion. Naturally, there’s no word on price yet, and we’re guessing Project Scorpio won’t be the console’s launch name. But Microsoft’s biggest fans clearly have a lot to look forward to in the coming year or so — the big question for those who don’t own an Xbox will be whether to buy a Xbox One S, or wait until next year for Project Scorpio. But at least if you buy the One S, all your games will work if you upgrade to Scorpio. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here !

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Microsoft announces a new super-powered Xbox console: Project Scorpio

Some Guy Found a Huge Chunk of 2,000-Year-Old Butter in a Bog and It’s Still Edible

A 2, 000-year-old orb of butter weighing 22-pounds was recently discovered in Co Meath, Ireland. Ancient butter experts believe that it was once offering to the gods. It’s also “theoretically… still edible” according to Andy Halpin, one of the Irish National Museums’ assistant keepers. Not a chance, Andy! Read more…

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Some Guy Found a Huge Chunk of 2,000-Year-Old Butter in a Bog and It’s Still Edible

Hacker Puts 51 Million iMesh Accounts For Sale On Dark Web

An anonymous reader shares a ZDNet report: User accounts for iMesh, a now-defunct file sharing service, are for sale on the dark web. The New York-based music and video sharing company was a peer-to-peer service, which rose to fame in the file sharing era of the early-2000s, riding the waves of the aftermath of the “dotcom” boom. LeakedSource, a breach notification site that allows users to see if their details have been leaked, has obtained the database. The group’s analysis of the database shows it contains a little over 51 million accounts. The database, of which a portion was shared with ZDNet for verification, contains user information that dates back to late-2005 when the site launched, including email addresses, passwords (which were hashed and salted with MD5, an algorithm that nowadays is easy to crack), usernames, a user’s location and IP address, registration date, and other information — such as if the account is disabled, or if the account has inbox messages. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Hacker Puts 51 Million iMesh Accounts For Sale On Dark Web

This is the Xbox One S

Do you have your best shocked face ready? Microsoft just announced a slimmer Xbox One, the Xbox One S. Okay, so the surprise was kinda ruined by a month of leaks, culminating in a picture of the thing finding its way into the wild yesterday morning. But at least now that it’s official, we know exactly why Microsoft thinks you should buy a new Xbox. The big-ticket item is 4K support. That doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to play games in crazy high-res, but if you have a fancy TV it’ll provide plenty of options to watch content at 4K. In addition to supporting 4K versions of Netflix and Amazon Video content, there’s also 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray support. It’s not clear if that drive will be as standard, or an optional upgrade. The new console also supports HDR sets, and Gear of War 4 will be the first to support the wider color range. The Xbox One, as attractive or unattractive as you think it is, is undoubtedly a large machine, especially compared with its main rival, the PlayStation 4. The Xbox One S is 40-percent smaller and can be safely used vertically with an official stand. Elsewhere there’s an integrated power supply, meaning no more brick, and the option to include a more capacious 2TB hard drive. It’s also mostly white — a colorway Microsoft debuted for the original Xbox One. Other changes include a USB port in the front for easy access and the dropping of the Kinect port — there’ll be a USB adapter if you want to plug in Microsoft’s unloved camera accessory to the new machine. Oh, and there’s a new controller that’ll be bundled with the S, which has textured grips, improved range and Bluetooth. The Xbox One S launches this August at $299 for the 500GB version. No word on the price for the 2GB version yet. Source: Engadget Live Blog

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This is the Xbox One S

Xbox Play Anywhere: buy the game once, play on Xbox One and PC (multiplayer too)

(credit: Microsoft) When announcing  Gears of War 4 at its E3 event today, Microsoft unveiled a new gaming feature called Xbox Play Anywhere. Essentially, this initiative allows a gamer to purchase a title once but still have the option to play on console  and  PC. As perhaps the headlining feature of Xbox Play Anywhere, multiplayer across platform will become a reality. With  Gears of War 4 , for instance, the co-op modes will support this crossplay between Windows 10 and Xbox One users. Progress and achievements will be shared on Xbox Live across these platforms at no additional cost. In addition to Gears of War 4,  Microsoft announced that  Forza Horizons 3  will be another upcoming Xbox Play Anywhere title. Additionally, the game will allow for four player campaign co-op for the first time. And this version of the game will feature “the largest car roster ever seen in Horizon ,” according to Ralph Fulton from Playground Games. Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Xbox Play Anywhere: buy the game once, play on Xbox One and PC (multiplayer too)

Microsoft Is Buying LinkedIn for $26 Billion in Cash

Microsoft is buying LinkedIn in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion (at $196 per share). It will continue to operate independently and will retain its brand after the acquisition. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner will report to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and the deal is expected to be finalized by the end of this year. Read more…

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Microsoft Is Buying LinkedIn for $26 Billion in Cash

‘Quake’ is coming back to the PC with a modern twist or two

Bethesda kicked off its big E3 2016 showcase with a old favorite: Quake . Big guns, team battles, gore. Quake Champions is coming — at the moment to PCs and will be arena-style shooter “designed for people at all skill levels”. The most impressive technical part? The team is promising 120Hz with unlocked framerates. That’s seriously smooth — and sounds so very ready for VR. Of course, it’s also perfectly timed in a current = boom in competitive shooters, especially with the mention of “characters with unique abilities” — like this thing . Gaze at the trailer below, but be warned it’s a bit graphic in that Quake kinda way.

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‘Quake’ is coming back to the PC with a modern twist or two

‘Skyrim Special Edition’ is the remaster you asked for

The rumors are true : We’re getting a prettier version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Developer Bethesda ported the original game to this round of modern consoles as part of the development process for last year’s wildly popular Fallout 4 , so it was just a matter of time before we actually saw it. And guess what? Mods are coming with it, thanks to Bethesda’s framework that allows players to use fan-made customizations on consoles. This new version of the game looks really well-improved in the visual department too and you can check it out in the trailer embedded below. Does mod support mean that we’ll see the game’s dragons replaced with My Little Ponies ? It certainly sounds like it. Let’s hope that Bethesda has that pesky piracy situation under control soon. Time to get those vocal cords ready for all the shouting (FUS RO DAH) you’ll be doing come October 28th when it launches for new-gen consoles. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here !

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‘Skyrim Special Edition’ is the remaster you asked for

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ promises to be bigger and more beautiful

Andromeda is still delayed , but when you’re a big budget EA franchise, you can’t just show nothing at the world’s biggest gameshow . BioWare at least had a new fanciful trailer, showing what its “new galaxy” will look like. According to the teaser trailer: “Distant star systems with remote and hostile planets ripe for discovery.” So perhaps a little bit like No Man’s Sky , but with extra political intrigue and sci-fi powers? The originals are starting to show their age now, so it’s not surprise that Asarians and the citadel looking all the prettier on new gaming hardware. The teaser is peppered with creatures, locations, species and monsters from the Mass Effect trilogy, even if it’s hard to pin down any spoilers or tangible facts about this new universe — and when we’ll actually get to explore it. Best just hit replay on the teaser again.

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‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ promises to be bigger and more beautiful

Apple Is Fighting A Secret War To Keep You From Repairing Your Phone

It’s no secret that Apple makes a ton of money by charging ‘astronomical’ fee for replacing and fixing display and other components of iPhone and iPad (as well as Mac line). For instance, the company charges $599 for replacing the display on the iPad Pro tablet. Which sounds insane when you realize that you can almost certainly purchase a new iPad Pro under $700. And this is what most people do. A Huffington Post article notes that this behavior has contributed significantly in “generating heaps of e-waste.” Citing many advocates, the publication claims that Apple has “opposed legislation that could help curb it.” From the report: The Huffington Post spoke with politicians in two states who support such legislation, and confirmed through government filings that Apple has lobbied on the issue. Four states — Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts and New York — have considered adopting “right to repair” amendments, which would update existing laws regarding the sale of electronic equipment. Amending these laws would make it easier to fix your devices and would help reduce “e-waste, ” a catch-all term for any electronic detritus. The New York State Senate and Assembly could approve one of these amendments next week. This would help unofficial repair shops get the information they need to fix your iPad, ideally driving down repair costs and encouraging you to squeeze more life out of your old devices — thus cutting down on the e-waste generated by our voracious appetites for new gadgets. Apple asserts that it helps recycle millions of pounds of electronics equipment every year. But it won’t support right to repair amendments.One would ask what is preventing a user from getting their device repaired by unofficial service person? In addition to the security implication, you also run a risk of getting your device bricked by Apple. To recall, the iPhone maker was found bricking the handsets that had been repaired by third-party vendors earlier this year. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple Is Fighting A Secret War To Keep You From Repairing Your Phone