Thurrott Daily: October 10, 2015

Here’s what’s happening today.

10/10/2015 10:55:43 AM

Nope.

10/10/2015 10:05:00 AM

Google Docs outage: When bad things happen to good services

I don’t use Google Docs, so this doesn’t impact me directly, but Google’s productivity services were apparently down for a good portion of yesterday. It’s back up now. “Our preliminary diagnosis is that this was caused by a code push which behaved differently in widespread use than it had during testing,” a Google statement explains. But what really caught my eye was the online whining about the outage, which you’ll be happy to note is as personal and shitty on the Google side as what we see here in Microsoft Land. Here’s a good example:

I assume the spell-checker in Google Docs would have caught the misspelling of “cannot.” 🙂

10/10/2015 9:57:48 AM

Microsoft confirms price of Continuum dock for phones

Microsoft has confirmed that its Display Dock for Windows 10 Mobile will ship in November for just $99. This device lets you connect a Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL—and, presumably, any other suitably-equipped high-end Windows 10 Mobile handset—to an external display (up to 1080p), USB devices like keyboards and mice, and power.

Multiplayer is free this weekend for all Xbox 360 users

Major Nelson—who I finally met during this past week’s Microsoft devices event—announces on his blog that this is a Free Multiplayer Weekend. “[This] provides Xbox 360 players the chance to experience one of the major benefits of Xbox Live Gold – playing their favorite Xbox 360 games online competitively or cooperatively with friends and Xbox Live Gold members around the world. Enjoy fighting side-by-side with friends and allies, and take your game to the next level,” he explains. It’s available in all regions from October 9 to 11.

Netflix raises prices

The price of Netflix’s most popular streaming service is going up in price from $8.99 per month to $9.99 per month, with a 12-month grace period for existing subscribers. This is for the Standard subscription, which provides access to 2 screens at a time.

10/10/2015 9:35:16 AM

Good morning.

Microsoft Band 1 is now just $99 at the Microsoft Store

That’s half the normal price and a full $150 less than a Microsoft Band 2. The differences? It’s bulkier, though Band 2 is pretty bulky too, and it lacks a few features like a barometer and always-on UV. And the screen can be scratched more easily, and you might experience some paint chipping on the body. But most of the stuff is there and it works great. And it’s less than half the price of a Band 2. If you’re thinking about getting into Microsoft’s wearable health/fitness platform, this is a much less expensive way of doing so. And if you love it, just get whatever the new one is a year later (or whenever it dies).

Find out more at the Microsoft Store. While supplies last, etc.

OnePlus 2 will be available for anyone to buy … for one hour. On one day

Please don’t get me started on the silliness of how OnePlus sells their admittedly interesting handsets. But if you were shut out of the early access to the new OnePlus 2, your moment will arrive on Monday, October 12:

“On Monday, October 12, we are holding the first-ever OnePlus 2 open sales for one hour in three different time zones. This way, more fans around the world will get the best time possible to purchase the OnePlus 2 invite-free. We’re setting up the schedule as follows: October 12 at 12:00 HKT | 12:00 CET | 12:00 pm PT.”

You can find out more here.