New Technology Reviews!.: shifts

Microsoft shifts 1 million Kinects in 10 days

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/images/kinfinal-200-200.jpg"> Microsoft has sold a million Kinect motion control kits for the Xbox 360 after only ten days on sale. The game console and computing giant announced the milestone on its <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/nov10/11-15NineMillionPR.mspx">own website this week.</A> Target of 5 million The plan is to sell a whopping 5 million units by the end of 2010, with Kinect looking set to be the 'must-have' toy for both hardcore and casual gamers this coming Christmas. Microsoft recently announced that the next Star Wars and Forza games due for release later in 2011 will both be fully Kinect-compatible, giving hope to the legions of hardcore gamers who have to date been unimpressed with the launch line-up of games for the new motion-control tech. Microsoft's head of interactive entertainment, Don Mattrick, has this to say about the Kinect sales to date: "We are appreciative of the response we have seen from consumers that has culminated in sales of more than 1m units in the first 10 days on the market for Kinect for Xbox 360. "This is a great start to the holiday season, and we will continue to work with our retailer partners to keep pace with high demand and deliver against our plan to sell more than 5m Kinect sensors worldwide by the end of this year." Kinect is available now at a standalone price of £130.

Microsoft shifts 1 million Kinects in 10 days

Microsoft has sold a million Kinect motion control kits for the Xbox 360 after only ten days on sale. The game console and computing giant a...

We7 shifts focus to 'Internet Radio Plus'

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/internet-and-broadband/images/we7-200-200.jpg"> Online music service We7, backed by Peter Gabriel, Eden Venture and Spark Ventures, has changed its strategy this month away from on-demand streaming (a la Spotify) and towards the provision of 'Internet Radio Plus'. <a href="http://www.we7.com/">We7</A> began its life as a free music download service before developing into an on-demand browser-based offering and, most recently, offering a premium paid-for (and advertising-free) service. Pandora plus for Europe? We7's latest strategy shift reflects the company's idea that European music fans have a need for better Internet radio services such as Pandora in the US. We7 is calling its new offering "Internet Radio Plus" which it has been quietly developing for the best part of the last year. We7 CEO Steve Purdham, commenting on the growing shift to online radio listening, noted: "This is a massive hint on how people want to listen to music." We7's new Internet Radio Plus strategy will start with a service called 'Loved Radio', where users select 'love' on an artist, song, album or playlist they particularly like, which will then affect what is played in the future. Users can share 'loved' station with friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. The company is also hoping to develop Internet Radio Plus to eventually allow users to include personalised news alerts in the stream. We7's press release notes: "What defines an individual's music tastes is not their CD or download library but the metadata about the music they like and when they listen to it." "Becoming the Pandora plus of the UK and Europe would be a great aspiration to have," said Purdham.

We7 shifts focus to 'Internet Radio Plus'

Online music service We7, backed by Peter Gabriel, Eden Venture and Spark Ventures, has changed its strategy this month away from on-demand ...