Microsoft Brings in Cross-Platform Multiplayer Gaming for PC, PS4 and Xbox Users

The console wars might comprise of never ending battles between Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but Microsoft’s recent announcement has made things interesting again. Xbox Live, Microsoft’s Xbox-only online multiplayer and matchmaking service, is now open to all other platforms. The Redmond-based company  just made sure that gamers on all platforms, including PC and consoles such as Xbox One and PS4, will come one step closer to being united with one another, as far as online play is concerned.

Microsoft Announces cross-network play between Xbox One and PS4; competitive gaming sessions to be expected in the future

According to Microsoft’s announcement, Xbox and PC game developers will have the ability to integrate cross-network play in their games based on Xbox Live service. That means Xbox One, PS4 and PC players can clash with Nintendo players in the multiplayer games built to support it. This is definitely the biggest announcement of 2016 for the gaming community as it was being contemplated for a very long period as to when will gamers be able to unite, or draw skirmishes between one another. Apart from a few exceptions, competitive play has never been possible between PC and console players or Xbox and PlayStation players for that matter.

Rocket League is one of the first games to support cross-platform play

According to Xbox Wire, the primary subject being talked about is cross-network play, and Chris Charla, Director of ID@Xbox had this to say:

“First, in addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, we’re enabling developers to support cross-network play as well. This means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks – including other console and PC networks.

Of course, it’s up to game developers to support this feature, and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players. We’re thrilled to confirm that Psyonix’s Rocket League will be one of the first games to take advantage of this new capability by enabling cross-network play between Xbox One and PC players, with an open invitation for other networks to participate as well.”

The message that Charla is evidently trying to give away here is that door is wide open for developers to support such a feature. Rocket League, the popular car soccer game from Psyonix has already been confirmed for cross-network play between Xbox One and PC players and it is expected that PS4 console gamers will join the loop soon enough.

Before you get excited, you have to be reminded that the decision to support cross-network play all comes down to the developer. Platform exclusive gaming titles are extremely common, primarily due to the agreements signed by the developing companies and publishers, but this time, developers will have complete autonomy on either linking the chain that brings gamers together, or breaking it. Developers can push out a title update in the days ahead for their existing games that can take advantage of cross-platform play.

Google Android N Preview - with some cool features

Android N Developer Preview, an early beta of Google’s new mobile operating system that was expected to launch on Google I/O in mid-May, is unexpectedly launching right now.

Android N Developer Preview for the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Pixel C Nexus 9, the Nexus Player and the General Mobile 4G, an Android One device has been made available as an over-the-air update by Google on Wednesday.

So, you can test out Android N Developer Preview on your smartphone and tablet right now from developer.android.com/preview.

The good news is that the Google Android team has brought meaningful features to your smartphone and tablet in just five months.

"As we look to the next release of Android, N, you’ll notice a few big changes aimed at you as developers: it’s earlier than ever, it’s easier to try and we’re expanding the ways for you to give us feedback," Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google's SVP for Android writes. "We hope these changes will ensure that you are heard and reflected – that’s what makes Android stronger."

Here's what I like about the new Android Developer Preview so far.

1. Multi-Window API

Multi-window support is the feature users have long asked for – especially on tablets. The feature allows users to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

So now you can type out a message while viewing a map, check the weather while watching videos, and so on. The screen can be split horizontally or vertically as you prefer.

2. Reply to Messages Directly Without Leaving an App

Among the new changes in Android N are improved notifications. Notifications support "direct reply" feature for app developers who can now allow their users to reply to incoming notifications of WhatsApp, Twitter or SMS messages straight from the notification panel without having to launch the app in question.

Developers can also choose to bundle notification alerts from the same app together, enabling users to see them as a bundle and expand individually if necessary.

3. Better Battery Life

This is the biggest relief for all Android users. With Android Marshmallow, Google introduced a new battery-saving feature called Doze that places an Android device into a deep power-savings mode when it is stationary for a while.

In Android N, Google is taking this feature a step further by allowing Doze to work whenever the screen is OFF, not just when the device is stationary. So your smartphone's battery will now last even longer when it's in standby mode.

4. Data Saver

Moreover, Google continues to work on making its Android OS less memory-hungry and making apps running in the background work more efficiently.

When turned ON, the Data Saver feature restricts the apps from using data connection as well as prevent pulling in embedded videos and images on web pages. You can also pick selected apps that may be allowed to use the data connection even when the feature is ON.

However, the Data Saver feature in Android N will be particularly helpful for those who are on prepaid or pay-on-the-go connections for data.

5. Picture-in-Picture Mode

Now you can view a YouTube video while reading through a report in Word on your Android device, thanks to Picture-in-picture feature in Android N.

"Picture-in-picture (PIP) mode lets apps run a video activity in the pinned window while another activity continues in the background. The PIP window lets users multitask while using your app, which helps users be more productive." Google describes.

The feature will be more useful for those with tablets or larger phones.

6. No Need to Flash Your Device (Direct Boot)

Yes, the most brilliant part is that you do not need to flash or tether your device to a PC in order to download and install the new Android N Developer Preview, as it can be downloaded straight to your device.

These are the things that are now known to us about the all new Android N Developer Preview, but one thing we definitely don’t know yet that what the ‘N’ will stand for. For me it’s Nutella.

What do you think the "N" will stand for? Hit the comments below and let us know.

Microsoft Quietly Stops Accepting Bitcoins in Windows store

Microsoft reckoned Bitcoin was the future of payment system and added it as a payment option for Windows store at the end of 2014, but the company has silently pulled support for Bitcoin in the Windows 10 Store.

In November 2014, Microsoft struck a deal with third-party bitcoin payment processor 'Bitpay' that allowed people to use Bitcoin to purchase Microsoft’s products and services from Windows Stores.

However, Microsoft quietly updated the Windows Store FAQ that popped up "Microsoft Store doesn't accept Bitcoin."

The end of support for Bitcoin payments only applies to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile stores. 

"Microsoft Store doesn't accept Bitcoin. You can no longer redeem Bitcoin into your Microsoft account," the update reads. "Existing balances in your account will still be available for purchases from Microsoft Store, but can't be refunded."

In short, you can make use of an existing balance in your account to buy your choice of apps from Windows store, but you can not add more Bitcoins or get a refund of your remaining balance.

So, you like it or not, from now on, you will have to use conventional money when buying apps or products from Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile stores.

Microsoft has not explained the sudden change in its policy. Bitpay is still operating, which indicates that there is no sour relationship between the company and Bitpay.

Microsoft's change of mind could be due to less number of people buying with virtual cash that gave the company no reason to continue keeping Bitcoin as a supported digital currency.

An official statement from Microsoft is not yet available, so let us wait what the company says about this sudden change.

Microsoft is Bringing SQL Server to Linux

SQL Server, Microsoft’s flagship relational database product, is now available on Linux in the form of an early private preview, with a full launch planned for mid-2017.

Until now, SQL Server was strictly a Windows product, but as Scott Guthrie, Microsoft’s executive vice president of its cloud and enterprise group, writes today, the company has decided that it’s time to bring it to Linux as well.

“SQL Server on Linux will provide customers with even more flexibility in their data solution,” Guthrie writes. “One with mission-critical performance, industry-leading TCO, best-in-class security, and hybrid cloud innovations — like Stretch Database which lets customers access their data on-premises and in the cloud whenever they want at low cost — all built in.”

Microsoft says it plans to open up access to SQL Server on Linux as it gets closer to general availability.

Today’s announcement comes three days ahead of Microsoft’s planned SQL Server 2016 event in New York. Guthrie says Microsoft plans to announce a number of new features around SQL Server 2016, including better in-memory database, R, and data warehousing support, as well as new mobile apps for business intelligence.

Microsoft says it currently uses the SQL Server 2016 codebase to power more than 1.4 million SQL databases in its Azure cloud. SQL Server 2016, which is currently available as a public preview, will become generally available later this year.

Not too long ago, today’s announcement would have been unthinkable. Over the last few years, though, and especially under its new CEO Satya Nadella, the company has started to open up more of its services and put a stronger emphasis on open source.

Today’s announcement also fits into Microsoft’s overall emphasis on hybrid deployments. Microsoft already runs Linux in its cloud and recently announced a major partnership with Red Hat, for example. If it wants SQL Server to remain relevant, it needs to bring it to more platforms — including those that it previously regarded as competitors. On Linux, after all, products like MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL are also vying for a very similar slice of the market.

Enflux, a smart body-tracking workout outfit, launches on kickstarter

There’s a new body-tracking workout outfit that looks to compete with the likes of Athos and other workout-tracking sensors that’s launching on Kickstarter today.

Enflux, a Y Combinator-backed company, is starting a Kickstarter today for its sensor-laden workout outfit (that can even go in a washing machine). And it’s basically all thanks to a series of running injuries CEO Doug Hoang suffered in the months following his work on sensors for racing cars.

“it was really talking with [my co-founders] at the same time, they have extensive experience in exercise,” Hoang said. “‘You can do this,’ they said, so I had these motion sensors we developed, I could strap them to my legs that measure yaw, pitch and roll. I didn’t even have a car back then so it was a little misalignment of the problem, but when I started training for triathlons it was like, ‘this is the next big thing.'”

Enflux’s equipment consists of a shirt and pants that are loaded with sensors that track your form as you work out. The goal is to help people get the right form down and serve as a sort of personal trainer that works on your smartphone. There’s an avatar on your phone that lets you review your exercises, as well as a series of stats that help you understand whether or not you’re getting the exercise right.

There’s going to be a big challenge for Enflux: the tech is about a year out from shipping, including getting the full sign-off on its patents. That could open the door for other competitors to beat the company to the market with similar — and potentially superior — products. But Hoang, with a background in engine design, says the approach of each company is a little different.

Originally the equipment consisted of a bunch of strap-on sensors that sit on your body, but now those sensors are being placed into an actual shirt and pants. They sit pretty tight on the body, and Hoang says the equipment has around a two-week battery life. There are ten sensors in total that sit around the body to translate movement to a smartphone app that then records all that.

The company is working with around 500 personal trainers to help establish a baseline of the right form and style of workouts, and the company continues to add new exercises with the help of those personal trainers and experts. Over time, it’ll also collect data on how people exercise and tweak the process to better tailor exercises to people with different styles and body types.

All this is designed to be focused on your form and give you feedback in an attempt to prevent injury and help people progress in their training. Many runners can probably relate to Hoang and find this useful: knee injuries are among one of the most annoying problems that can keep you off the trail, and it can sometimes be prevented by other exercises and fixing running form, Hoang says.

The other goal is that the company wants to begin partnering with other services — ones like, potentially, MyFitnessPal — to better integrate with the whole fitness and health experience. Right now Enflux doesn’t have any specific plans, but hopes to “play nice” with other services, Hoang said.

Enflux is going up against some serious competition — especially for a product that’s still a year from launch. Athos, another smart apparel company, has raised $51 million, most recently in a round led by Social+Capital. And there are other trackers looking to work as wearables like Atlas.  Atlas, too, ran a successful campaign on Indiegogo where the project raised more than $600,000.

One interesting note is that Hoang will be moving to Taiwan in order to better manage the complicated relationship that hardware companies often have with manufacturers. For example, the first shipment of sensors that they received weren’t working because they just weren’t getting the spec exactly right in production. Hoang will be a mobile CEO, which may be challenging for the company, but likely necessary in order to ensure that the process goes smoothly.

“It’s always gonna be like that, because we’ve failed often and they know the tech well,” Hoang said. “That’s why we’re putting this a year out is a year out of making small tests of every process we go through before we do the full order.”