Microsoft’s 18-year-old ‘Hover’ game is reborn inside the browser

Microsoft's 18yearold 'Hover' game is reborn inside the browser

You remember Hover, right? If you're one of our many, many readers born after 1995, you probably don't. But that's OK: we're here to educate you, dear millennials. The game, which came installed on Windows 95 in the "Fun Stuff" folder, is making a comeback: Microsoft just came out with a web version that's been optimized for IE11, but will work inside any current desktop browser. As ever, it's a cross between bumper cars and Capture the Flag, with three hovercraft options, and a choice between single- and multi-player modes. What's especially neat is that Microsoft kept all the same levels; it just brought the graphics into the WebGL era. Naturally, too, you can use either shortcuts or touch gestures. If all this sounds dandy, we suggest you hit up the source link below sometime during your lunch hour. And, not to spoil an easter-egg, but be sure to type in "bambi" when you get to the "single player" / "multi-player" page -- someone at Microsoft's got a sense of humor, we'll say that much.%Gallery-slideshow99760%

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: Hover

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 is available now as a Release Preview

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 is available now as a Release Preview

Microsoft announced back at its Build developer conference that it was bringing Internet Explorer 11 to Windows 7, and it's already partially made good on that promise by letting developers get an early look. By now, though, the company's given the browser enough spit and polish that it's ready for public consumption: the Release Preview is now available for anybody to download. As you'd expect, Microsoft claims IE11 is the fastest desktop browser available, and that it's 30 percent quicker than the next-fastest browser (that would be Firefox, or at least that's what Microsoft says). Also, the Release Preview is apparently a bit speedier than the Developer Preview was back in June: Redmond says average SunSpider scores have dropped from 144ms to an even-better 137ms. At any rate, now that the browser's available, you're free to download it and benchmark it yourself, if that's what floats your boat.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Microsoft (1), (2)

Google Paid AdBlock Plus for Whitelisting its Sponsored Ads


The popularity of ad block engine for Firefox and Android pushed Google towards paying a ransom for whitelisting its sponsored ads. According to Horizont, the whitelist program allows ad delivering...

Internet Explorer 10 preview for Windows 7 could be available tomorrow

Internet Explorer 10 preview for Windows 7 could be available tomorrow

Microsoft may well be releasing the preview version of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 tomorrow, if tech blog ifanr has got it right. A Weibo post from the Chinese site claims that Roger Capriotti, Director of Product Marketing for IE, announced the news during a press event in Beijing today. It wouldn't come as that much of a surprise, as it fits nicely with the mid-November slot Microsoft penned in last month. There's still no word on when the final version might be ready, but if you'd like to try a little Metro Windows 8 style browsing on that Windows 7 machine, expect your chance tomorrow.

Filed under: , , , ,

Internet Explorer 10 preview for Windows 7 could be available tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceifanr (Weibo)  | Email this | Comments

Internet Explorer 10 preview coming to Windows 7 semi-Luddites in mid-November

Internet Explorer 10 preview

For all of Microsoft's talk of Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8, we've heard precious little about the Windows 7 version beyond the certainty that it was coming. Eventually. Someday. The company is partly putting that anxiety to bed with word that IE 10 should be available for the Metrophobic in mid-November, but only in a preview version -- a possible sign that Microsoft's Windows 8 RTM deadline prevented the concurrent platform releases we've grown accustomed to in recent years. The team in Redmond is hinging its launch of a finished Windows 7 build on the feedback it gets, so we'd suggest that those willing to experiment with a new browser (but not a new OS) still give IE 10 a shot next month.

Filed under: , ,

Internet Explorer 10 preview coming to Windows 7 semi-Luddites in mid-November originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceInternet Explorer Blog  | Email this | Comments

Xbox 360 Dashboard update hands-on (fall 2012)

DNP  Xbox 360 Dashboard update handson fall 2012

Is it Fall again already? Must be time for another Xbox 360 Dashboard update. Every year Microsoft Drops the console a little bit of code to match the descending leaves, delivering new features, interface tweaks and additional content to hide behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall. Redmond's latest update isn't quite the overhaul it gave the gaming rig last year, but minor changes can have big effects. Join us after the break to see the machine's latest update, and what it means for you.

Continue reading Xbox 360 Dashboard update hands-on (fall 2012)

Filed under: , ,

Xbox 360 Dashboard update hands-on (fall 2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

‘Contre Jour’ is now playable in the browser, one third of the levels require IE 10

'Contre Jour' is now playable in the browser, one third of the levels require IE 10

Say it with us: Developers! Developers! Developers! That's Steve Ballmer's mantra and indeed, it says a lot about the way Microsoft has gone about promoting Internet Explorer. In addition to a series of prime-time ads (maybe you've seen 'em), the company has been using certain HTML 5 apps to show devs what they can do using IE 10's deep multitouch support. Now the outfit's back, this time with a game: Contre Jour is coming to the web, and while it runs in any modern browser, you'll need IE 10 and a Windows 8 machine to play a third of the levels (it shouldn't make a difference if you have a touchscreen or a multitouch trackpad). That's because in some parts of the game, you'll be required to use as many as three fingers at once to pull off certain maneuvers. In IE 10 you can do this, so you get access to all 30 levels; if you're using a different browser that doesn't support these gestures, the levels will remain locked. Hit up the source link to play the game for free, and if a game based on "The Little Prince" doesn't do much for you, at least check out the Behind the Scenes section -- coding geeks should appreciate the deeper explanation as to how the web app was built.

Continue reading 'Contre Jour' is now playable in the browser, one third of the levels require IE 10

Filed under: , ,

'Contre Jour' is now playable in the browser, one third of the levels require IE 10 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceContre Jour for Internet Explorer  | Email this | Comments

Pulse Reader launches browser-based app, you’ll need IE10 for certain gestures

DNP Pulse Reader launches browserbased application, app works in any browser but you'll need IE10 for certain touch gestures

Until now, if you've wanted to use the Pulse reader app for browsing Engadget your favorite blogs you had to own an Android or iOS device. Now, though, the startup is launching a browser-based version of the service, making it accessible on desktops and mobile platforms for which there's no standalone Pulse app. The site will run in any browser, including mobile ones, but there are certain gestures you'll only be able to pull off in IE10, like using two fingers to expose the reading pane. For that reason, Microsoft is promoting this announcement almost as enthusiastically as Pulse (see the source link below if you don't believe us). As for the new website, we could go on about the slick UI and brisk performance, but it's probably easier if you just check out the screenshots below and then peek the quickie demo video after the break.

Continue reading Pulse Reader launches browser-based app, you'll need IE10 for certain gestures

Filed under: ,

Pulse Reader launches browser-based app, you'll need IE10 for certain gestures originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePulse, Microsoft  | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 RTM will include ‘do not track’ by default for Internet Explorer 10

Windows 8 RTM will include 'do not track' by default for Internet Explorer 10

Many advertisers weren't thrilled when Microsoft proclaimed that 'do not track' would be the default for Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8, but that reaction hasn't made the folks in Redmond flinch. Brendon Lynch, the company's Chief Privacy Officer, announced that the 'do not track' default is already baked into the code of the October-bound operating system that has been released to manufacturers. Upon booting Windows 8 for the first time, users will be greeted with a choice between "Express Settings" or "Customize," the former of which has "do not track" enabled. IE 10 on Windows 7 will receive a similar treatment, with a "prominent notice" about the setting being switched on appearing alongside a link to additional information. Despite Microsoft's efforts, it's possible that advertisers could ignore the web browser setting if they feel their negotiations have been for naught. Considering the response to Microsoft's initial default announcement, we suspect this won't be the last development in the saga.

[Image credit: Tomas Fano, Flickr]

Filed under:

Windows 8 RTM will include 'do not track' by default for Internet Explorer 10 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 
  • Via:Ars Technica
  •  | 
  • Source:Microsoft on the Issues
  •  | Email this | Comments