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Microsoft XBox (Games) Software

Xbox One Summer Update Adds Cortana, Music and More (mashable.com) 40

The Xbox One is finally getting the anticipated Summer update. The update brings Cortana voice assistant to all Xbox One systems in the United States and UK. "With Cortana, gamers can expect more from voice commands on Xbox," the company wrote in a blog post. In addition, the update is also adding the ability to play background music while you're playing a game. Also, users will be able to set whatever language they want, no matter what country they are in. Mashable reports: Other summer update changes tweak the usability of the console's dashboard and sharing features. There are also a number of invisible changes that prepare the console for the Windows 10 Anniversary update. Launching on Aug. 2, the Anniversary Update carries a number of benefits for gamers, chief among them the launch of Microsoft's Xbox Play Anywhere program. Play Anywhere is Microsoft's version of cross-play, allowing Xbox One users to download and play the PC version of supported games on Windows 10 machines. The list of initially supported games is rather small and it only works if you bought the game digitally, but it's a significant step toward Microsoft's goal of joining the Xbox and Windows platforms under one development umbrella.
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Xbox One Summer Update Adds Cortana, Music and More

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  • I've heard about Play Anywhere a few years ago. It lasted 6 months last time.
  • So now you'll have a box that analyzes and sends home (for "personalization" and "quality" purposes) everything you say, is always on ("just so you can activate it by voice") and is hooked to your telescreen. Yay!

    • So dont turn it on. I dont understand what your issue is.
      • So dont turn it on. I dont understand what your issue is.

        The problem is that only a colossal idiot would believe that they can turn it off.

        • by Xest ( 935314 ) on Tuesday August 02, 2016 @07:32AM (#52627435)

          Except you can. In fact, you can't even use the feature without explicitly consenting for this information to be collected and sent to Microsoft, and even if you do this you can later disable it at any point, and then on top of that once it's disabled you can actually delete all collected data to date.

          Of course, you could (and probably will) theorise they do it anyway, but given the amount of times they explicitly give the users choice and require consent they'd be slaughtered by the likes of the EU if they did that because they'd be explicitly lying to customers and breaking data protection law as a result. It just isn't worth billions of dollars of fines.

          So yeah, unfortunately this isn't a good story to throw out the old Microsoft hatred in, because they've actually done a pretty good honest job of data collection in terms of this feature. If anything this is an example of good practice, requiring explicit opt-in, allowing any-time opt-out, and allowing subsequent deletion of stored data to date.

        • by AK Marc ( 707885 )
          There are two configurable offs, and you can de-power it with a power-strip switch or at the wall (if outside the US).
    • So now you'll have a box that analyzes and sends home (for "personalization" and "quality" purposes) everything you say, is always on ("just so you can activate it by voice") and is hooked to your telescreen. Yay!

      My xbone didn't even come with a Kinect. The only way it has audio input is if I plug a headset in, which I won't be doing very often.

  • by kamapuaa ( 555446 ) on Monday August 01, 2016 @09:39PM (#52625767) Homepage

    I'll never be happy until the XBox One lets you install Steam.

    I know it won't happen so I plan on a life of unhappiness :(...

    • I'll never be happy until my toaster lets me make milkshakes.

      Why not just buy the right device for the job instead?

      • by tepples ( 727027 )

        Because a separate device for each job is e-wasteful.

        • And what does the Xbone do that steam can't?
          • by tepples ( 727027 )

            And what does the Xbone do that steam can't?

            I count three differences that some may perceive as advantages for Xbox One:

            Different set of exclusives
            Xbox One plays Xbox One-exclusive games. I'll grant that preference for Steam-exclusive games or Xbox One-exclusive games is a matter of taste.
            Smaller case
            Xbox One, even the larger current (pre-S) model, is smaller than a typical tower PC and may fit in better next to your TV.
            Lower price
            Good luck building a gaming PC, including the Windows license to let you run Windows-exclusive Steam games, for the price
            • by segin ( 883667 )
              For the same cost of an Xbox One, I can get a PC that performs just as well as an Xbox One. Don't delude yourself, kid.
              • by tepples ( 727027 )

                For the same cost of an Xbox One, I can get a PC that performs just as well as an Xbox One.

                Games that aren't ported to X11/Linux and don't work in Wine require a Windows license, which costs $119. After Microsoft's price cut [theverge.com], this leaves you with $130 for the hardware. I'd be interested to read your $130 build.

  • Hey Microsoft, I know "Summer Update", "Anniversary Update", and "Windows 8.1 Update" sound nice and friendly, but they're useless if you're trying to have an unambiguous discussion about the update status of a machine.

    Tech Support: "Have you installed the Windows 8.1 Update?"
    User: "My computer installed updates last night"
    Tech Support: "But have you installed THE Update?"
    User: "Which one?"
    Tech Support: "..."

    Back on the helpline, that was always fun to walk people through. Whatever happened to Service

Stellar rays prove fibbing never pays. Embezzlement is another matter.

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