Chris Pratt has the Force behind him in the above video promoting the new Kinect Star Wars game for Xbox 360.

The timing also inspired Pepsi's Brisk Iced Tea branding team to expand its recent Star Wars co-marketing push with a new promotion that gives players an Anakin Skywalker pod-racer as the new Kinect Star Wars game hits 7-Eleven stores this week, priced at $50.

Specially marked 1-liter bottles of Brisk now sport a Microsoft Tag bar code (or M-tag) that can be scanned with the Xbox 360's Kinect motion sensor. The partnership marks the first use of M-tags for a video game promotion, and the first test of the Microsoft mobile technology by a PepsiCo brand.Continue reading...

Moneyball actor Chris Pratt takes on a dream role in this teaser for Microsoft's Xbox 360's upcoming Kinect Star Wars game, where he goes battle with Darth Vader.

PaidContent felt that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer phoned in his CES kick-off last night — the company's last hurrah at the show. While Ballmer's CES Keynote wasn't as lively as the tribute video showing Microsoft's past CES kick-offs above, he did generate buzz with a preview of product developments coming this year.

Check out Microsoft's blog post for more of the highlights from Ballmer's presentation, including Kinect coming to Window, or watch some highlights of Ballmer's CES farewell below, including a Kinect demo with Sesame Street and one of the odder moments of the keynote: a tweet choir.Continue reading...

Microsoft's announcement today that the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas will be its last took the tech world, and particularly tech journalists and bloggers, by surprise.

The kick-off CES keynote addresses by Bill Gates and then Steve Ballmer (who last January talked up Kinect, among other big product launches for the company) were always highly anticipated as agenda-setting events for the global consumer electronics industry, while a massive Microsoft booth typically dominated the show floor.

Starting in 2013, neither will be present.Continue reading...

As if Google+ were not enough turns out there’s a Google X.

According to the New York Times, it’s all very hush-hush — a “clandestine lab where Google is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas.” Widely rumored, as former TechCrunch writer Paris Lemon notes, think of it as an R&D skunkworks where Google is, in short, looking to invent the future.

“Google X has engineers working on everything from helper robots and Internet-enabled refrigerators to dinner plates and even space elevators (a concept popularized by science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke)," as PC Mag weighs in.

It's not to be confused with the short-lived Google X search project, at top, in 2005. The lab is such a highly guarded secret that nobody will go on the record about its activities.

“They’re pretty far out in front right now. But Google’s not an ordinary company, so almost nothing applies,” observed Rodney Brooks, professor at M.I.T.’s computer science and artificial intelligence lab and founder of Heartland Robotics, to the Times.Continue reading...

On Nov. 4, 2010, Microsoft launched Kinect worldwide. A year later, a new Microsoft commercial, above, showcases the 'Kinect Effect,' showing how its motion-controlled gaming device has evolved into a product with much broader potential social impact.  

“We started with a sensor that turned voice and movement into magic. We thought: "This will be fun to play with" and it was. Something amazing was happening, the world was starting to imagine things we hadn't even thought of,” says the V/O from Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker.Continue reading...

American Airlines deemed most hated airline on social media.

AT&T may unload MetroPCS.

BMW takes luxury auto sales crown in US.

Delta expands "economy comfort" brand to entire fleet.

Google aims to make search more social and dynamic.

Google+ to launch brand pages "imminently."

Kodak's bet on printers fails to quell doubters.

MC Hammer is developing his own search engine.Continue reading...

Apple reports China as its second-largest market by sales after US. Apple stores will close for a few hours today for an employees-only memorial webcast celebrating Steve Jobs' life.

Amazon's IMDb sued for disclosing actress' real age, while digital deal with DC Comics irks rivals.

Audi-Ford price gap is widest since 1999.

Bank of America is no longer America's largest bank.

Deezer to launch music streaming service in more than 100 countries.

Diageo triumphs in alcohol brand battle.

Disney battles environmentalists at parks, while fans crash website in search of princess dolls.Continue reading...