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Wednesday, November 20, 2013
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Xbox One: A familyfocused console that
goes beyond gaming
Microsoft’s Xbox One is the clearest
example of the firm’s belief that game
consoles must offer far more than
games to succeed in a digital world.
Even the device’s name, which is
admittedly a bit discordant for the third
model in the Xbox line, hammers that
point home. The “one” hints at the fact
that Microsoft is looking to unify home
entertainment around its console and
make a clean break with old
expectations about what a console
should be.
Read full article >>
The Switch: What will
happen to truck
drivers when selfdriving vehicles take
over?
Google's test vehicles for its self-driving
technology are a Lexus and a Prius.
That suggests that Google sees selfdriving as a technology for passenger
cars. But self-driving technology will
almost certainly affect industry and
commerce first. And through that

2. process, we'll be able to get a first taste
of what the future holds before it
actually hits us.
Read full article >>
On Leadership: For whom the bell curve tolls
The news that a corporation is overhauling the way it does performance reviews
usually only matters to the employees who work there.
But it’s much more than just a trivial H.R. change when that company is Microsoft,
and when the overhaul includes axing a longstanding and controversial tactic. Rather,
this could very well be an obituary for one of the corporate world’s least popular
workplace practices.
Read full article >>
Innovations: Implanting jewelry in your eye:
When being ‘unique’ goes too far.
If the concept of Lasik eye surgery makes you queasy, then you’ll want to stop
reading right now. A New York television station has the story of a woman who had a
heart-shaped piece of platinum embedded in her eye.
Read full article >>
The Switch: Inside Valve’s plan to
revolutionize the world of video games
Just before Halloween, an employee at video game developer and online
distribution giant Valve tweeted that the firm's most popular game, Defense of the
Ancients 2 (Dota 2), would not have the seasonal event "Diretide." The time-limited
game mode with Halloween elements such as virtual candy collection was a big hit
on its first run in 2012. This time, Valve's imaginative fans felt tricked.
Read full article >>
Xbox One: Review roundup
Reviews are in on Microsoft’s Xbox One, and the verdict is that the console is a
strong platform on which to bring gaming into the future. But it’s not without its

3. flaws.
We’ve put our own review up, noting that the Xbox One’s major strength is its nongaming functions, particularly its ability to hook into the television and switch to
streaming video apps. Picking between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 is
largely a matter of philosophy: Sony has gone for a purer take on the console, where
the core focus is on gaming, while Microsoft has planted its flag in this broader
approach.
Read full article >>
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