PS4 Sales Hit 5.3 Million While Xbox One Sits Pretty at 3.6 Million

Sony, after declaring that its PlayStation 4 was out-selling the Xbox One almost two-to-one in January, has confirmed that it has sold more than 5.3 million PS4s between its launch on November 15 and February 8. 

The Xbox One, by comparison, had sold 3 million units by the end of 2013. This is before the PS4 launches in its home country of Japan, too; once that occurs on February 22 we can expect the PS4 to surge even further ahead of the Xbox One.

See Also: Your Voice Will Drive the Xbox One Dashboard

The most interesting data only appears once we tally up both the raw sales figures and the two-to-one tidbit, however. We don’t have an updated sales figure from Microsoft — so, at the end of 2013, Sony had sold 4.2 million PS4s, and Microsoft had sold 3 million Xbox Ones. 

Then, in January, the PS4 “nearly doubled” the sales of the Xbox One, ending up at 5.3 million units by February 8. If we work backwards, this means that the Xbox One only sold around 600,000 units between January 1 and February 8, while the PS4 sold 1.1 million units.

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http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/176816-ps4-sales-hit-5-3-million-ahead-of-japan-launch-while-xbox-one-sits-pretty-at-3-6-million

Microsoft Testing Eyewear To Rival Google Glass

According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is apparently jumping on the bandwagon and they are testing prototypes for optical wear similar to Google Glass. This could potentially push the company into that market. A source familiar with the project said the company has asked several component makers in Asia to supply cameras and other key components for prototypes. The person has cautioned, however, the device may not reach mass production.

Tests show Microsoft is keeping close tabs on the emerging market for wearable technology, which includes wristwatches that replicate some features of smartphones and more bizarre ideas, such as tattoos to log people onto their computers. Market-research firm ABI Research is expecting annual sales of wearable devices will reach 485 million units by the year 2018. Microsoft is “determined to take the lead in hardware manufacturing to make sure the company won’t miss out on the opportunities in the wearable gadget market,” the source said.

These tests show that Microsoft’s efforts to transform itself from mainly a software company into one that produces the gadgets on which their software will run. Smartphones and other hardware devices have helped transform consumer technology and have established the likes of rival Apple as a tech giant. By contrast, Microsoft has largely been sidelined in the consumer hardware market. 

Microsoft’s determination to become a bigger player in consumer tech gear was underscored by its $7 billion acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone business. The company last year also started making its own tablet device; Surface and apparently the company is currently testing its own Web-connected watch.

In wearable computing, Google has been the prototype leader in the wearable tech field with the company’s Google Glass device. It has a postage-stamp-sized computer screen just above the right eye which coupled with internal components and software, allows the user to take photos with voice commands and get digital directions without looking at a smartphone. Some say companies making gadgets that duplicate features of mobile phones could undercut smartphone sales. 

As competition drives down prices of most technology, wearable tech also could provide an opening for higher-cost gear. “The wearable trend has the potential to boost the currently thin margins of consumer technology products by allowing tech brands to price their products at the kind of premiums normally reserved for fashion accessories,” said HSBC analyst Jenny Lai.

Samsung recently introduced a web-connected watch and back in May. Interestingly, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said wearable computers will be a “key branch” in technology, though he said he didn't believe eye-wear like gear would have mainstream appeal.

As of Oct. 10, Microsoft has 78 U.S. patents related to head-mounted displays and other wearable technologies and 94 published pending applications, according to intellectual property firm Envision IP. Google had 59 such U.S. patents, Envision said.

Microsoft takes on Google with antitrust complaint

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 31, 2011 (New Delhi)

Microsoft has filed a formal complaint with the EU Commission, which announced a formal investigation into Google in November, over what it sees as anti-competitive tactics used by Internet giant Google.

It is the first time Microsoft has gone public with submissions to European Union inspectors probing the online search giant.

The move heightens the intensity of the probe against Google launched by EU regulators end November, amid accusations it rigged the search market for consumers.

Until now most of complaints against Google have come from small Internet companies saying that Google’s search engine unfairly promotes its own products, like Google Product Search, a price comparison site, over rival offerings.

The US technology firm’s complaint with European Union regulators also assumes significance as Google is already under increased scrutiny back in the US — from the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and among state attorneys general.

In its complaint, Microsoft had about a half dozen concerns, including anticompetitive practices by Google in search, online advertising, and smartphone software. It says Google unfairly hinders the ability of search competitors from examining and indexing information that Google controls, like YouTube.

Microsoft says such restraints undermine competition and in turn prevents consumers from wider choice and better prices for online advertisers.

In a blog post, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith outlined the following:

Google is “walling off” access to content and data that competitors need.

Google has about 95 percent of the search market in Europe.

Google is restricting the indexing of YouTube for rival search results.

Google blocked Windows Phones from operating properly with YouTube by restricting data.

Google allows Android and Apple phones to access data for rating, favorites and categories.

The search giant is blocking access to content owned by book publishers.

Google is making it more expensive to run campaigns on competitive search tools.

Google is even restricting its customers’—namely, advertisers’—access to their own data.