By Chris Scott Barr

How many times have you gotten a new gadget and had to squint to decipher the little diagram that tells you which way to insert the batteries? Sure, sometimes it’s pretty obvious which end is negative thanks to a little spring coil, but not everything has one. While this is only the most minor of inconveniences, it could actually be a thing of the past next to Microsoft.

Microsoft isn’t the first company that comes to mind when I think about AA batteries. However, they have developed a new technology called InstaLoad that will allow you to insert these (and CR123, AAA, C and D) batteries in either direction.  You might not find this to be terribly important for yourself, but those with poor vision and fine motor skills will no doubt find this invaluable. Microsoft is currently working with a number of companies, including Durcell, to get this technology into various consumer electronic products.

[ Microsoft ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Ian Chiu

MS Arc Keyboard seems to have something for everyone. Whether you need a miniature wireless input device for your HTPC or an easy-to-carry laptop keyboard replacement, the Arc looks like it can serve these roles just well enough to get by. The keyboard itself has a familiar layout for touch typists, and has acceptably low latency to satisfy casual gamers. Though, the D-pad is a pain to deal with during text selections. There’s also no built-in mouse controls which may not be particularly important in a home theater PC environment.

The lightweight Arc keyboard measures just 12″ x 6″, making it extremely portable especially with the bundled nylon pouch. A tiny USB receiver can be quickly stowed into an open compartment on the underside of the keyboard. It’s a shame however that the keyboard and the Arc mouse couldn’t share the same nano USB dongle, unlike Logitech’s Unifying receiver. As the Arc is primarily made to save precious desktop space and to minimize carry weight for road warriors, the miniature keyboard with a slight curvature lacks a lot of advanced features found on similarly priced alternatives yet it should fit nicely in various environments.

[Everything USB - MS Arc Keyboard Review]

By Chris Scott Barr

In case you hadn’t heard the big news, starting April 6th Xbox 360 owners will have a new way to add storage to their favorite console. They will be able to insert any USB drive, (be it a flash drive or hard drive) format it, and use it to store games and save files. The only downside is that they are limiting the usable space to 16GB. You can have larger drives, you just won’t be able to use more than 16GB on your 360.

Naturally, with the release of this new feature, Microsoft has decided to start selling their own branded flash drives. Of course from a company that sells 512MB memory cards for $30 and 250GB hard drives for $130, do you really expect them to be reasonably priced? Of course not.

According to a page on GameStop (which has been pulled at the time of writing, though sources say the pricing is correct) the official Xbox 360 8GB flash drive is going to cost $40. That’s over twice the cost of a similarly-sized stick over on Newegg. For once though, it really doesn’t bother me that Microsoft is marking up the prices of their storage. Why? Because for the first time you can actually purchase and use the cheaper alternatives with their blessing. Hallelujah!

[ Gamestop ] (page removed) VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If Apple learned nothing else after releasing the first two versions of their iPhone software, it was that users wanted copy and paste functionality. It seems like everyone and their brother myself (and my brother) voiced their frustration at Apple’s apparent disregard for a feature that everyone clearly wanted. Thankfully, such a stink was raised that Apple, along with every other mobile OS provider, now knows better than to leave it out from future software.

Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t get that memo. It has been confirmed that Windows Phone 7 Series will not allow users to copy and paste. It is their firm belief that most users don’t really need clipboard functionality. You’re right, I don’t need clipboard functionality; then again I don’t need a smartphone. I do, however, want a phone that has a touchscreen, can run variety of software, play music, and let me copy and paste.

VIA [ Engadget ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you’re still rocking an original Xbox, you might want to take note. Starting April 15th, Microsoft will be discontinuing support for all original Xbox games. Yes, that also means that your old copies of Halo 2 won’t work on Live, even if played in your shiny new 360. You’ll need to have a good old-fashioned LAN party if you want to play those titles with a significant amount of players.

So why the lack of love for Microsoft’s original console? It seems that the company is working on some updates that wouldn’t be possible to implement with the current limitations of these titles. They’re fairly mum on what these new features will be, though it likely has something to do with the Project Natal which is supposed to drop later this year.

[ Microsoft ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

When Microsoft entered the console gaming market, it was a great day for gamers here in the US. Now I don’t have anything against Nintendo or Sony, I love their consoles. What I don’t love is all of the exclusive hardware that Japan gets from these companies, since they are located in the region. Well since Microsoft is located here in the US of A, the tables are turned. Take this new 250GB hard drive that has been announced for the 360. Guess where it’s being launched first. Wait, Japan?

What’s even more strange is that despite a confirmed March 11 launch in Japan, there is no plan for a US release. Does Microsoft not think that we download enough? Or maybe they know that we’re in a recession, and aren’t going to pay $170 for a 250GB hard drive. I’ve ranted about this before and it still infuriating, you can buy a 2.5-inch hard drive (which is what’s used for the 360) for 1/3 of the price they are selling it. That’s one heck of a markup. They should take a cue from Sony and let us use our own drives to upgrade.

[ Microsoft ] VIA [ PCWorld ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Whenever you purchase a new PC, one tends to notice all of the extra software that comes with it. If you ask the manufacturer, they’ll tell you that they’ve done you a favor by providing lots of “useful” trial applications for you. Of course any tech-savvy person with half a brain immediately goes through and systematically removes every bit of it. Well if you want a computer without all of these “extras”, apparently you’ll be able to get one at the Microsoft Store.

That’s right, Microsoft’s new retail stores are going to carry computers without any additional 3rd-party software. That’s of course nothing to say for first-party software, as they will be installing all of the optional Microsoft software that you would otherwise have to download. This includes Windows Live Essentials, Bing 3D Maps, Security Essentials and the Zune client. Sure, it’s not a completely crapware-free computer, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

[ Method of Failed ] VIA [ Electronista ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I used to work in retail for several years selling computers and such. One of the things that always seemed to surprise customers was just how much Microsoft Office really cost. They would usually get frustrated with me, since I was in charge of Microsoft’s prices. Usually a lot of them qualified for a Student and Teacher edition, which saved them a good bit of cash. Of course once OpenOffice came out, I would generally recommend that they download it, and not pay a dime. About half of them would, and since I didn’t make commission, we would both be happy.

I’ve been using OpenOffice for a long while now, and have few complaints. There is really very little that makes me want to turn back to Microsoft’s offerings. I mean you can’t beat free, right? As it turns out, they’ve been thinking along the same lines and will be offering a free version of their suite dubbed ‘Office Starter 2010′.

As you would imagine, this is not a free as in beer version. This particular edition will be given to OEMs to install (at their discretion, so not all will necessarily have it) on new computers. The programs will be ad-supported, though we don’t know exactly what that will entail.

Users will have access to full versions of all the Office programs, minus Outlook and PowerPoint. I’d imagine PowerPoint was left off to entice students and office workers to pony up the cash for it. If you do end up wanting to purchase the full Office suite and get rid of the ads, you can go to your local retailer and purchase an activation code which will unlock it.

I’ll definitely have to commend Microsoft on this decision. In a world where Google Docs and OpenOffice are making real headway, they needed to do something. People love free stuff, and as long as the ads aren’t too obtrusive, people will have little reason to turn to other alternatives. Either way, customers win.

[ Microsoft ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

The modern mouse hasn’t exactly seen a ton of technological improvements in the last couple of decades. Sure, we’ve added buttons, made them a little more ergonomic and substituted that ball for an optical sensor. However, when you strip it all away, it’s still the same basic concept.

With all of the advancements in multitouch technologies, Microsoft is convinced that the next big breakthrough in mousing is along that path. Like any company with an idea of the future, they have been hard at work trying to develop the next big thing. In a rare move for the software giant, Microsoft has decided to show off some of their prototypes which are currently in development. I’d go into detail about each, however the above video seems to do them justice. If you’re itching for more info, you can find it on Microsoft’s website.

Bear in mind that these are nothing more than prototypes. They are simply using these to explore the possibilities that these technologies can lead to. Don’t expect to see anything from Microsoft using these ideas anytime soon. When you do finally see this stuff on store shelves, it won’t look anything like what they’re showing off now.

[ Microsoft ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By David Ponce

All that was needed to reveal the hidden sexual innuendos in last week’s article about MS’ Launch Party Instructional Video was a few well placed bleeps. It’s really sort of creepy. Just watch the above video and you’ll understand.

And for those of you dense enough to need things spelled out, yes, this is a joke.

VIA [ BoingBoing Gadgets ]