Major retailers have begun taking orders for Kinect, Microsoft Corp's controller-free add-on for its Xbox video game system, at $149.99 -- even though the company has not officially put a price tag on it.
Microsoft Corp will begin selling its Kinect motion-sensing games system on November 4 ahead of the crucial holiday season, hoping to lure new and casual players to the Xbox and steal a march on rivals Nintendo Co Ltd and Sony Corp.
Microsoft Corp has struck a deal with Walt Disney Co's ESPN network to broadcast live sporting events -- for free -- into U.S. living rooms through the Xbox 360 games console, bypassing traditional cable providers.
Free video website Hulu plans to soon begin charging customers and is looking to expand its content to consumer devices like the Xbox and iPad, according to two sources, as the site's media owners experiment with platforms beyond an ad-supported TV model.
Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it was investigating charges that young workers at a factory in China making its mice, cameras and Xbox controllers suffer overlong working hours and harsh treatment.
