Microsoft to offer discounted hardware, software to students from low-income families

You don't need a PhD in economics to realize that times are pretty tough right now -- especially for those at the lower end of the income ladder. Fortunately, though, Microsoft has announced a new initiative aimed at providing one million students from low-income families with discounted hardware, software and broadband service. This three-year digital inclusion program is an extension of Redmond's Shape the Future campaign, which, over the course of five years, has already put computers in the hands of more than 10 million underprivileged children around the globe. Under this public-private partnership, Microsoft will work with a variety of nonprofit, corporate and governmental organizations to provide low-cost PCs, educational software, job skills training and high-speed internet to those who need it most. The ultimate goal, of course, is to bridge the achievement gap dividing students with at-home internet from their less digitally-equipped peers. According to the Federal Reserve, children who don't have online access at home graduate high school at a rate that's six to eight percentage points lower than those who do. Inflating national poverty rates and widening income gaps probably won't do much to remedy that discrepancy, but we're certainly hoping that Microsoft can make a difference. Find out more in the full PR after the break, or at the source link below.Continue reading Microsoft to offer discounted hardware, software to students from low-income familiesMicrosoft to offer discounted hardware, software to students from low-income families originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Microsoft  | Email this | Comments

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Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS

Here's one for our knowledgeable commenters: I recently bought my girlfriend an iPad. I, on the other hand, own an Android device. And now we're looking for games we can play using both devices.

There's no dearth of multiplayer games either for Android or for iOS. But finding multiplayer games that can cross the platform boundary is an entirely different matter.

Jay recently posted Words with Friends which is one such game. It's actually an ideal example, because it's turn-based so you don't necessarily both have to be next to your device at the same time (great for long-distance gaming).

But what other examples are there? What multiplayer games are there that let iOS users play with Android users?

[Why am I now humming 'Ebony and Ivory'? -Ed]Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Flickr adds to sharing options, now easier to share photos across the Web

It sure is nice to see some new developer action over at Flickr. The relatively slow-moving photo-sharing service has just announced a new sharing update, which consists of several new and easy ways to embed or link to your photos:


Share from Photo page: There's a new sharing option on each and every photo page. When logged off, the button shows only Facebook and Twitter options. But once you log on, you get Tumblr and Blogger too, and can configure other sharing venues as well.

Share non-public content on Facebook: This doesn't sound like a great idea, but you now can share private photos on Facebook if you're so inclined (and if you trust your privacy settings).

That's the gist of the update; it makes it easier to show off your pretty pictures in a plethora of places.Flickr adds to sharing options, now easier to share photos across the Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Polyamorous Google Wallet adds Visa to its arsenal

To the delight of shopaholics everywhere, Visa has announced that it's jumped on the Google Wallet bandwagon -- giving card users access to the snazzy, new NFC payment system. Much like MasterCard's announcement last week, the licensing agreement will allow Visa users to link their credit, debit and prepaid cards to Google's offering for fast mobile payments in places that accept the service. The credit card company has dabbled in mobile payments before through payWave, but with plans to integrate into GW, we'll surely be seeing more of it in the near future. As momentum over the NFC-powered mobile phones grows, it will be interesting to see if the Real Housewives can part with their phones long enough for their assistants to pay for those Manolos. Check out the full PR after the break.Continue reading Polyamorous Google Wallet adds Visa to its arsenalPolyamorous Google Wallet adds Visa to its arsenal originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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Hulu may not sell after all, bidding drama continues

Hulu has been dressed in its Sunday best for some time now hoping to attract potential buyers -- but according to Reuters, a slew of speed bumps have slowed down the process and may even kill all hopes of selling the service. According to sources, the first bump in the road can be attributed to Hulu's owners -- News Corp., Disney, NBC Universal and Providence Equity Partners -- who may not all be on the same page when it comes to selling the service. Without a unified front, it's been hard for the company to find an acceptable offer from the likes of Google, Amazon, DirecTV and Dish Network, who have all talked about bidding between $500 million to $2 billion. As the service awaits a new round of bids next week, it's been said that the major players involved have (unsurprisingly) agreed to reject any lowball offers. Despite a growing numbers of subscribers, it's entirely uncertain whether anyone will step in to clean up the company's hot mess -- we're sure the drama would make for a perfect Hulu Plus exclusive, though.Hulu may not sell after all, bidding drama continues originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Reuters  | Email this | Comments

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AT&T Talks Asset Sales With Rivals In Time For First Hearing

It should come as no surprise that AT&T may have to make a few sacrifices to settle their pending T-Mobile deal, but a new report today reveals who exactly AT&T has been starting conversations with.

In order to help grease the wheels, AT&T is reportedly in talks with MetroPCS and Leap Wireless (parent company of insectoid bargain carrier Cricket) regarding the sale of spectrum access and subscribers.

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Windows Home Server 2011 released to manufacturers

Just a little under two months after its release candidate went live, Windows Home Server (WHS) 2011 has been finalized and released into the wild. The new version of Microsoft's slick, do-it-all server OS is a big step forward from its predecessor.

Built on the Windows Server 2008 R2 base, Home Server 2011 features a simpler dashboard, a better backup solution, dead simple remote access to your home computers, and Silverlight-powered remote media streaming. For a more detailed look at what's new in Windows Home Server 2011, you check out Microsoft's official breakdown.

Drive Extender, of course, didn't resurface for the final release of WHS 2011 and that's something a lot of power users are still pretty irked about. Even without Extender, Windows Home Server offers a boatload of useful functionality and might be a good fit for your home network. Manufacturers have already begun building hardware, so you should be able to pick up a device in the very near future.

An evaluation download for Windows Home Server 2011 will be made available in April -- we'll let you know when the links are ready.Windows Home Server 2011 released to manufacturers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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