Sunday, 14 December 2014
Xbox and Windows users can now add money to their accounts with
Bitcoin, the mysterious cryptocurrency that has made waves in the last
few years for presenting the first, arguably viable, decentralized
currency to compete with government-backed systems. The option to buy
Xbox credit with Bitcoin was noticed and posted to Reddit by user shafnitz and subsequently confirmed by a help page on Microsoft’s commerce site.The move makes Microsoft one of the largest tech companies yet to embrace Bitcoin, following Dell and Newegg’s lead from earlier in 2014. Microsoft began to quietly support the currency in recent months by adding a Bitcoin converter to its search engine, Bing.
According to Microsoft’s help page, Bitcoin cannot be used to purchase products directly at this time, but rather must first be used to add funds to a Microsoft account, which can then be spent on games, music, and videos from the Xbox, Windows, and Windows Phone stores (though not yet on physical merchandise). Bitcoin transactions are non-refundable and currently only supported in the United States. No word has been given about plans to roll the feature out in other countries.
While supporters of Bitcoin are generally thrilled about the announcement, Oxford economic sociologist Dr.Vili Lehdonvirta, speaking to TechRadar, cautioned against overestimating the announcement’s impact on the currency overall:
“Microsoft is the latest in a string of progressively larger firms to start engaging with Bitcoin. However, like many of the earlier adopters, my understanding is that Microsoft is not actually receiving Bitcoins itself, as it uses a partner that converts customers’ Bitcoin payments into dollars. This means that Microsoft itself will not be accumulating and thus spending Bitcoins, which somewhat limits the significance of this announcement. Microsoft is not entering the Bitcoin economy as such.”
Microsoft's September unveiling of Windows 10 was geared largely
towards power users, but the company is finally ready to give consumers
an idea of what to expect from the new operating system. Microsoft is hosting a Windows 10 event on Jan. 21, 2015 at its home base of
Redmond, where we'll learn more about the software, how it will look and
feel for everyday users.The invite for Microsoft's upcoming event is scarce on details about Windows 10, though it's worth mentioning that Xbox head Phil Spencer will be joining execs Satya Nadella, Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore. Microsoft's Windows 10 reveal event hinted at an app marketplace that would span various Windows and Microsoft devices, and perhaps we'll learn how the new operating system will work with Xbox One.
We already know that Windows 10 will herald the long-awaited return of a Windows 7-style Start menu, as well as new multitasking features like Snap Assist and Task View. The software's Continuum feature allows touch-based hybrid devices, such as the Surface Pro 3, to behave differently based on whether or not a keyboard is attached.
Microsoft will probably show off an enhanced version of its Cortana personal assistant, which is reportedly making a move from Windows Phones to the desktop. We're not sure what other specific Windows 10 consumer features will be revealed come January, but Microsoft has previously announced that its cross-platform Universal Apps will be saved for its Build conference in April 2015.
Microsoft will provide a livestream of the event at 9 a.m Pacific Time on Jan. 21, with a technical preview of the new software available now. Windows 10 is currently slated to release sometime in 2015.
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