Microsoft Aims to Broaden Xbox Appeal

New set of standards could make email more trustworthy

(NEWSER) - A new anti-phishing effort, backed by the big email service providers as well as banks, PayPal, social networks, and other companies, could dramatically reduce the number of scam emails you get in your inbox. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL are backing the new plan; 15 companies in total have come together to create DMARC.org, which officially launches today and will promote standard technologies to authenticate email. The hoped-for end result? If you get an email that claims to be from paypal.com, you could trust that it is actually from paypal.com. If it works, companies would be able to communicate with customers in new ways, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Bill Gates offered to pay for Arfa Karim's medical care

(NEWSER) - A computer prodigy known as "Pakistan's girl wonder" has died at the age of 16 from complications caused by an epileptic stroke. Arfa Karim was just nine years old when she became the youngest person ever awarded the "Microsoft Certified Professional" title for mastering the company's programs, the Daily Mail reports. She was invited to visit Microsoft's US headquarters, and met execs including Bill Gates. More»

There was more to electronics show than TVs

(NEWSER) - This year's Consumer Electronics Show had the predictable high-tech TVs and other conventional items—but the 3,100 exhibitors also showed off some rather bizarre devices. A few highlights:

• Solowheel. An electric unicycle with no seat and footboards that allow riders to stand and lean in the direction they want to go. The 26-pound, $1,800 machine goes 10mph on its battery-powered motor, and has a 15- to 20-mile range.

It's got some 'just plain great' products, writes Farhad Manjoo

(NEWSER) - Believe it or not, 2012 could be the year of Microsoft. No, really. "I'll say it: I'm bullish on Microsoft in 2012," writes Farhad Manjoo of Slate . "For the first time in forever, Microsoft has a couple major products that are not merely good enough. They're just plain great." He thinks Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 are showstoppers. The former happens to power the sexiest phone at CES, Nokia's Lumia 900, and the latter has a touch-friendly, tablet-ready interface. More»

Microsoft revamping service

(NEWSER) - The latest competition aiming to replace your cable box: Xbox Live. Microsoft is ramping up its online entertainment service starting tomorrow, allowing subscribers to watch a variety of television from their Xbox 360. In addition, rather than the tedious process of using a remote control to search for shows listed on a cable box program guide, Xbox Live users will be able to search with voice commands and hand gestures, if they also have a Kinect. Tomorrow, services that are already available to subscribers—including Netflix and Hulu Plus—will be available via the new retrieval system. More»