Windows Store gift cards are a fantastic way for Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 users to purchase apps, games, and more. Now you can snag a 20% discount on various amount of Windows Store gift cards via Newegg. You can snag a $10 Windows Store gift card for $8, a $20 gift card for $16, a $25 gift card for $20, a $50 gift card for $40, and a $100 gift card for $80.

These gift cards are not applicable for purchases at Microsoft’s online store, rather you can use them to purchase apps, games, and more from the Windows Store or Windows Phone Store, via your Windows or Xbox device. The deal ends March 20th. Enter promo code EMCPGWB87 at checkout for the discount. Head over to the VIA link below to snag the gift cards. Enjoy!

Thanks for sending this in, Anon and James!

Windows XP, an operating system we’ve probably all used at least once in our lives, is old. It was released over 10 years ago now, and Microsoft is finally about to kill support for the OS in favor for its more recent and up to date operating systems. Still, that hasn’t stopped over 29% of the worlds population from using what’s soon going to be a hackers paradise.

On April 8th, Microsoft will kill support for Windows XP as a whole. The operating system will no longer receive security patches and updates, therefore being left out in the cold for any old hacker to write up a quick virus script and set it off on the internet for all Windows XP users to be vulnerable to unless you’re using third party security. This doesn’t seem to be an issue for 29% of the population though, and we’ve heard many people say they WILL not move from Windows XP no matter what.

We want to know why. If you’re a user who uses Windows XP as their daily driver, we want to know why you refuse to upgrade to a more recent version of Windows. Is it because you don’t like change? Perhaps it’s because the hardware you use Windows on is too ancient to run anything newer. Either way, let us know in the comments section below!

Branding is important. It may not be quite as important as a product or service, but if the branding is wrong, the message and experience is diluted. Around nine months ago, Steve Ballmer set out a new vision for Microsoft — One Microsoft — and it could be his greatest legacy. It was heralded as “a far-reaching realignment of the company that will enable us to innovate with greater speed, efficiency and capability in a fast changing world”. It’s a process that is still on-going, but the sharpened focus has already paid off.

The singular vision for Windows 8.x, Xbox One and Windows Phone is hugely versatile and helps to create a sense of family, a sense of belonging that has been missing from Microsoft for some time. It is something that Apple users have enjoyed for years, but the One Microsoft vision sees the company successfully catching up in this field, “delivering a more coherent message and family of product offerings.”

One the face of it, there is the interface convergence between the desktop, mobile and gaming platforms, but it goes further than this. Talking to the New York Times, new CEO Satya Nadella said: “One things we’ve talked a lot about, even in the first leadership meeting, was, what’s the purpose of our leadership team? The framework we came up with is the notion that our purpose is to bring clarity, alignment and intensity. What is it we want to get done? Are we aligned in order to be able to get it done? And are we pursuing that with intensity?  That’s really the job.”

Unity, oneness, circularity, singularity — this is what Microsoft is now about.

The company is more streamlined, but this is something that is only really visible from the inside. For the average Microsoft consumers, it is the products that do the talking. The look of software and platforms is important for creating the family of products that Microsoft is so keen to foster.

The One branding is quite important to this. There is an obvious suggestion of a singular vision in the name, and it kicked off with Xbox One. Being forced into changing the name of SkyDrive ended up being a blessing in disguise. It is a strong naming convention that is very powerful on a subconscious level, and it works very well with the 365 brand.

The Office 365 brand is similarly strong. It conveys a sense of being there whenever needed — it exudes reliability, the perfect partner to One. Would it make sense to extend the One branding to create One Office, One Windows? It’s certainly something that could be argued, but 365 is also very powerful. It not only suggests ‘always’ but also ‘everywhere’, tying in beautifully with the gradual move to the cloud and SaaS (Software as a Service).

It would be good to see the One name extending further into Windows Phone — perhaps this is something we’ll see with the release of Windows Phone 8.1 — as the singular vision is still slightly fragmented at the moment. But with the right focus and drive, Microsoft’s One vision really could be Steve Ballmer’s greatest legacy.

As most if not all of you know, Windows XP is set to reach its end of support on April 8th. That’s just a few short weeks away. Microsoft’s Services team has put together a cool new infographic showcasing details on why you should ditch Windows XP for a more modern operating system.

In the infographic, you are given reasons as to why Windows XP’s end of support is crucial, meaning there will be more more patches, no more updates, and no more service packs. In fact, Microsoft highlights the operating system infection rate and showcases how Windows XP has a high infection rate, compared to Windows 8, which has the lowest.

“Organizations that continue to retain a Windows XP environment not only are leaving themselves exposed to security risks and support challenges, but also are wasting budget dollars that would be better used in modernizing their IT investiments,” the infographic states.

This infographic is perfect to print out and hand over to your IT department or boss, if your organization still utilizes Windows XP. Hit the download link below to snag the infographic.

It’s likely that even casual gamers are aware of Titanfall, and the fact it will be released tonight for both the Xbox One and PC. The event, held by Microsoft, will take place at the Austin, Texas SXSW festival — a convergence of music and tech, with a bit film thrown in for good measure.

The festivities kick off at 11pm ET, 8pm PT, and Microsoft has planned a show from its Austin studio, including guests from Respawn, and everything set to be hosted by Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson. The game goes on sale at midnight, spreading across local time zones, and will roll out to other, non-US, regions in the next few days. If you don’t wish to go stand in line, and those are already forming, then pre-orders are already available for most major retailers.

If you aren’t going to be at the big event tonight, you can watch the video of all the festivities from the Lone Star State right here on WinBeta. The feed is up and ready, though the event will not kick off until later. Check back with us to see the below video go live later tonight.

Titanfall launches at midnight tonight in North America, while those in Europe will see the game on March 14th.

St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away — it’s 17th March in case you forgot to mark your calendar — and to help get you in the mood, Microsoft has released a new batch of themes for Windows including one with an Irish leaning. For anyone yearning for the lush green pastures of Ireland, the suitably named “Ireland” theme — complete with Celtic music — is on hand, but there are several others to choose from as well.

Of course it is not just Ireland that has beautiful scenery to offer, and in other themes you’ll find German coastal scenes as well as an interesting mix of fantasy and nature in the cryptically named “GTGraphics 3” theme. For fans of more traditional nature imagery, “Colors of Nature” is a theme that is sure to appeal.

Head over to the Windows Experience Blog where you’ll find links to each of the themes as well as a collection of new wallpapers. There’s sure to be something that takes your fancy, so get browsing and grab a download to give your desktop a new look.

The highly anticipated Titanfall game recently hit Gold and now the official gameplay launch trailer is available for your viewing pleasure. We’ve embedded the video below for your viewing pleasure. Titanfall, which is being developed by Respawn Entertainment and will be published by Electronic Arts, is one of the most highly anticipated games, features giant robots and lots of shooting. Titanfall launches on March 14th in the UK, while those in North America will see the launch on March 11th. The game is set to launch on the PC, Xbox 360, and the Xbox One.

Support for Windows XP is set to expire on April 8th, though Microsoft will continue to update Security Essentials for the operating system for an additional year. However, users should certainly not consider this license to keep using the aging platform — it still won’t be safe. 

Now Microsoft is making a final push to get customers out of what will soon be a dangerous environment. To do this, today the company made a pair of announcements aimed at keeping users safe.

First of all, the company will begin warning customers about the impending end-of-support. “On March 8th, 2014, Windows XP customers using the Home or Professional editions who have elected to receive updates via Windows Update will receive an official notification on their desktop screen via Windows Update informing them that support for Windows XP will end on April 8th, 2014”, states Brandon LeBlanc. Hopefully those still using the OS have at least enabled Windows Update.

The company went further, also releasing a tool to facilitate an easier move from Windows XP to a modern version of the operating system. PC Mover Express will copy files and settings, allowing both to be installed on a new computer, or at least a clean install of Windows. “This tool will copy your files, music, videos, email and user profiles and settings from your old PC to your new device, transferring across your home or work network, and even enables Windows XP users to customize exactly what they want to bring over to their new device”, LeBlanc explains. You can grab this by visiting WindowsXP.com, and there are versions for English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish and, later this month, Korean, Chinese, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese will be added.

For those not sure about the operating system they are running, a site titled AmIRunningXp has been set up, though hopefully that won’t be necessary for the vast majority of users out there.

Microsoft has been working on a new app for those of you on Windows 8.1 and Windows RT – called Microsoft Jigsaw. This app made its debut to the Windows Store late last night, only to be pulled immediately. Perhaps the app was prematurely given the green light to go live? Either way, lets explore this app and see what its about.

“Introducing the all new Microsoft Jigsaw – the perfect fit for your Windows 8 device! Play hundreds of puzzles in three exciting game modes: Classic Jigsaw, Jigsaw Jam, and Daily Challenges. Intuitive controls make Microsoft Jigsaw great on your mouse & keyboard and excellent on a touchscreen,” the app description reads. Hmm sounds like a fun puzzle game. The game features multiple game modes, downloadable puzzle packs, and the ability to create your own custom puzzles to keep you entertained for hours.

The app also ties into your Xbox Live account, so you can earn achievements, compete with friends, submit scores to leaderboards, and even track your personal gameplay stats. Microsoft Jigsaw features the following modes:

• Classic Jigsaw Mode – Play a wide variety of traditional jigsaw puzzles in Classic Jigsaw mode. Microsoft Jigsaw includes tons of themes and puzzle images to choose from, and you can select the number of pieces in the puzzle to make it easier or more difficult. You can zoom, automatically arrange pieces, and use special in-game trays to help sort pieces. If you enjoy real jigsaw puzzles, Microsoft Jigsaw is the best PC and tablet classic jigsaw experience you’ll find!
• Jigsaw Jam – A fun upbeat new game mode that’s excellent for beginners and experts alike! Place pieces one at a time while the timer ticks away – find the right fit for each piece quickly to earn bonus multipliers and get a high score! Jigsaw Jam is very easy to play, but will be challenging to master.
• Custom Puzzles – Why not turn your favorite memory or funniest photo into a jigsaw puzzle? With Microsoft Jigsaw, you can import your own photos from your device or camera to use in your puzzles! You can even export your custom puzzles and share them with your family and friends.
• Daily Challenges – The same Daily Challenge experience you know and love from our other Microsoft games on Windows 8 comes to Microsoft Jigsaw! Players receive a set of challenges each day, including fresh Jigsaw variants and new game modes. Complete enough Daily Challenges in a month to earn badges and compete with your friends.

Too bad the app is not available yet, but it sure does sound like a fun and entertaining creation from the devices and services giant. Perhaps the app wasn’t intended to go live just yet and we may hear about it in the coming days. We’ll keep you updated on when a download link becomes available.

The month of February 2014 has come to a close and its now time to take a look at the browser market share to see which browser reigns supreme. According to new data from NetApplications, Internet Explorer 8 is still the top browser with a 21.73% market share, while Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft latest browser version, climbs to 12.80%.

Internet Explorer 11 has seen a decent increase in market share since its release on both Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. Microsoft has been touting Internet Explorer 11 as the perfect browser for touch, along with the browser’s touch capabilities. Compared to the month of January, Internet Explorer 11 saw a share increase from 11.51% to 12.80%. 

Google’s Chrome 32 browser currently rests in third place behind Internet Explorer 11, and second place behind Internet Explorer in general. Chrome currently holds a 9.86% share, which is up from the previous month’s 6.79% figure. Mozilla’s Firefox 27 browser currently holds a 7.90% share, and sits firmly in third place beneath Chrome and Internet Explorer.

Which browser and what version of it do you use?

Twitter user WalkingCat has posted a rather interesting blurb, stating “MSFT creating ‘a modern (game dev) framework that is open source.. and across platforms including W8/WP/iOS/Android.’” A link is included, pointing to a post on the company website which advertises for a software development engineer. The job description supports the claim. In fact, the quote in the tweet is lifted from that page, which also states “your contribution will have [a] direct impact on how we win back our game developers from our competitors.” What exactly the framework is, however, is not mentioned, so things remain just a bit vague. The requirements include experience with C++, C#, Java and shipping a public API. It is an intriguing proposal, though, given that hiring is just beginning, it’s likely something we won’t know much about for sometime.

Microsoft has provided some new details and trends about the Windows Store, currently home to 146,395 apps worldwide. These details are based on recent trends in the Windows Store across categories, markets, and much more.

According to Microsoft, in-app purchases account for the main revenue source for monetizing apps, especially games. In fact, Games was the top category with over 40% of downloads during the month of January.

“In January, in-app purchase was the main revenue source for monetizing games, and drove more than 30% of the revenue in Entertainment, Lifestyle, News and Weather, Photos and Productivity apps. Some categories where in-app purchase is used less frequently, for example Tools, Social and Health Fitness, might benefit from in-app purchase opportunities to potentially increase revenue,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.

As you can see from the image above, the majority of in-app purchases were from paid games. The Government category provided the least amount of revenue for app developers, while the Entertainment and Lifestyle categories were among the top three. If you want to have the most downloads possible, Microsoft recommends the Social, Photos, Games, and Productivity categories, which offer the highest opportunity for downloads.

Microsoft also showcased the 25 top-grossing Windows Store markets for January and factored in the percentage of revenue generated from in-app purchase in these markets. These 25 markets that offer the best revenue opportunity via in-app purchases are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The Windows Store may be available in over 200 markets, but these are the markets you want to target if you want the most revenue from in-app purchases.

“In January, the top Windows Store markets were the United States and Canada, Germany, France, UK, followed by Western Europe and Latin America. That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t consider other markets. Your specific app may have characteristics that make it perform differently in these markets,” Microsoft explained.

As you can see in the image above, paid apps and apps that offer advertising account for 70% of the 2013 revenue, and in-app purchase was the fastest growing revenue model. Why? Because it reached 30% of all store revenue in the year and is growing so quickly, that it surpassed paid apps revenue in January of 2014.

For all you app developers out there, which revenue model do you utilize? If you utilize in-app purchase, how do you like it? Sound off in the comments below.

There are very few completely altruistic organizations out there — just about every company that exists is out to make money. There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s just part of the capitalist world we find ourselves in (well, it could be argued that there’s something wrong with this, but this is neither the time nor the place!). Microsoft is no different. The Redmond company did not come into being for the good of anyone’s health. It was money that drive Microsoft, money that keeps the company going, and money that is its aim for the future.

But as Mary Jo Foley points out it is interesting to think about just where this money is going to be coming from. Just like Google, Yahoo and countless other tech companies, Microsoft makes numerous tools and services available completely free of charge — think Outlook.com, OneDrive and Bing to name but three.

In a bid to stop people wandering off to Macs and Chromebooks, Microsoft is slashing Windows 8.1 license costs and more recent reports suggest that Windows Phone could be made available to OEMS completely free of charge. It does make you start to wonder just where the money to keep development going is meant to come from.

Of course there is still money to be made. The likes of Office generate a substantial income stream, and there is also scope for encouraging users into making upgrades to free products — such as a few extra gigabytes of OneDrive storage. But as Mary Jo suggests, users have become accustomed to the idea of getting things for free. No one pays to search online, the spread of the internet has killed out titles such as Encarta and money is generally pretty tight globally — but Microsoft still needs to keep the cash rolling in.

One possible source of income may have been revealed by one of the recent leaks from WZor. A Windows 8.1 build known as Windows 8.1 with Bing is simultaneously revealing and mysterious. It opens up the possibility of sponsored content, or perhaps an ad-driven version of Windows. Online ads are easy to block or just ignore, but if they are built directly into the operating system things are a little different — and it’s something that advertisers would undoubtedly be willing to pay handsomely for.

But the need for money could also mean that while some prices are cut, others may go up. Could we see a hike in pricing for Office and other software, or will service upgrades jump in price.

Where do you think the future income stream lies for Microsoft? Would you be resistant to the idea of ads in Windows if it meant keeping things free?