At the SXSW event, Microsoft released its much awaited new browser, Internet Explorer 9.
Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) is a radical shift for Microsoft, with a new focus on standards compliance and performance and built to handle the developing web standard HTML5, something that has put it at odds with certain Microsoft in-house technologies, such as Silverlight.
The mobile version of Internet Explorer 9 is expected to launch for Windows Phone 7 later this year.
After years of trying to keep up with Apple’s iPod line, Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft will stop introducing new versions of the Zune music and video player because of tepid demand, letting the company shift its focus to other devices.
Zune, introduced in 2006, never managed to break the iPod’s grip on the music-player industry and became the brunt of late- night talk-show jokes. Apple’s iPod led the market with 77 % of unit sales last year, while the Zune failed to crack the top five, according to NPD Group Inc.
According to the guys at the Guinness World Records, Microsoft’s Kinect sold on average 133,333 units per day over a 60 day period. That totals a mind-blowing 8 million units in two months.
Gaz Deaves, Editor of Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer’s Edition, said:
The sales figures here speak for themselves. We can confirm that no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector.
These numbers mean MS shifted more Kinects than Apple sold iPads or iPhones during their first 60 days of being on sale.
Labeled as a fad by many, Kinect took the world by storm with its futuristic approach to gaming, though a lack of titles since launch has left existing Kinect owners with shiny new kit but few games to use it with. It’s early days though, and few can argue with the hardware’s promise.
The commercial is entitled “Everything a smartphone should be†and uses quotes from ordinary users and sites to demonstrate SMS, Live Tiles, Outlook, Calendar, Office, Zune, Xbox LIVE integration and a few choice applications like Netflix and Amazon’s Kindle. The commercial features AT&T’s Samsung Focus device.