Microsoft now accepts Bitcoin for Software, Apps, Xbox, Games, Music and Movies

Microsoft uses bitcoin paymentsMicrosoft is now accepting Bitcoin. According to Microsoft's payments site, the digital currency can be used to purchase software, apps, games, movies, TV shows, music and other digital content from the Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox Games, Xbox Music, or Xbox Video stores. Microsoft is the world's largest software company.

$250,000-a-day Minecraft strikes indie game gold

The famous Minecraft chicken duckUPDATED: Sales of one man indie game hit, Minecraft, have now reached $350,000 in a single day.

According to data provided by developer, Mojang, one copy of the €9.95 ($13) game is currently being purchased every 3 seconds, representing sales of $15,000 per hour.

Microsoft hands out free Windows 7 keys after servers fail

cracked windows seven logoMicrosoft has begun handing out unlimited free license keys for the Windows 7 beta, after its license servers were unable to handle a huge surge in applications.

EA's Spore hit by DRM backlash

Spore, the hotly-anticipated new game from Electronic Arts is facing fierce criticism from consumers over its apparent use of unusually restrictive digital rights management (DRM) technology.

“I basically put down my hard-earned money and get punished for buying the game legally. The gaming industry needs to be sent a message that this is no way to treat their customers”, said one buyer who posted a review at Amazon.com

Exploding battery video shocks laptop users and hurts LG

Dramatic video of a notebook PC exploding in flames has shocked consumers and battered its manufacturer's share price. The explosion of the LG notebook's battery earlier this week was caught in video footage (seen here), which has now been broadcast on Korean television.

“People do need to be aware that there's a risk of very serious injury. If there's any sign that a laptop battery is overheating badly, stay well away from it”, said one doctor interviewed on Korean TV.

40GB PS3 sells 50,000 in first day in Japan

Updated: Sales of Sony's PS3 video games console surged 300 per cent after the company released a cheaper model in Japan last week, according to leaked survey data.

Sony Japan introduced the new PS3 model with a 40GB hard disk drive on November 11. One day later, local PS3 weekly sales figures had soared from an average of 16,000 to almost 66,000.

DoS attack cripples $1 billion virtual games trade - blackmailers blamed

A massive denial of service attack has disabled some of the world's largest virtual goods trading sites. The Korea-based sites hit by the attack are responsible for a substantial portion of the country's estimated $1bn trade in virtual gold, weapons and other items for games like World of Warcraft.

Scientists make a foldable oven out of cloth

A folding oven woven out of soft cloth could be on sale as early as next year predict scientists who demonstrated a prototype today. Despite weighing only a few hundred grams, the lightweight electrical oven can be made hot enough to roast chicken, according to the researchers who developed it.

Thin and flexible conductive elements are woven into the oven's highly heat-resistant fabric, said the researchers, who demonstrated the folding kitchen appliance to reporters at a restaurant in Taiwan today.

Jobs hints at iTunes Beatles deal

Without announcing a deal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs today dropped broad hints that an agreement could be imminent to distribute the songs of the Beatles on his company's iTunes music download service.

Ebay's market share plummets in China

eBay logo modifiedEbay has lost half its market share in China in only three months as the online auction giant struggles to get to grips with local competition in the world's largest market. News of the shocking reversal comes less than a month after eBay CEO, Meg Whitman, claimed Chinese operations were 'going well'.

The top 40 Android issues that users want Google to fix now

Android Image - GoogleAccording to Android users, these are the issues that they most want Google to fix with the wildly popular mobile operating system.

Notebook PC explosion: battery manufacturer dropped safety tests

laptop battery bursts and catches fireThe manufacturer of a notebook PC battery that was seen exploding in dramatic TV footage apparently skipped safety tests when it tested newer battery models.

Video of the notebook PC exploding in flames shocked viewers and drove down the share prices of its manufacturer, LG Electronics, and battery maker, LG Chem.

Eidos kills journalist firing discussions

kane and lynch concept art from eidos and io interactive Games publisher Eidos has deleted hundreds of user complaints from its forums following claims that a journalist was fired for his negative review of its new game, Kane and Lynch. “There will be no further discussion”, an Eidos forum administrator bluntly warned visitors, describing the complaints, some of which were abusive, as “ugly spam”.

Microsoft SideShow 'PDA' will cost only $80

Handheld Windows SideShow prototype menu screen.Prices for PDA-style Windows SideShow devices will start from about $80, according to a developer that demonstrated prototypes to Texyt.com today. The touchscreen handheld gadgets share many of the features of PDAs, smartphones, and media players like Apple's iPod, but they connect wirelessly to a PC to send or receive data.

Apple invents iPod hearing protection technology

Apple iPod hearing impactApple acknowledges that portable media players, a class of products which includes the iPod, can cause hearing damage, according to a newly published patent application filed by the company. The application describes a method of reducing the risk of hearing loss. The document, which does not mention the iPod by name, was originally filed one month before a class action lawsuit which alleges the iPod series' design may exacerbate hearing loss.