Like Wii Music before it, Nintendo’s upcoming Wii Xbox 360 takes something that once required skill to be good at and lowers the bar for entry. Finally, your mom can kick ass at Call of Duty!
Written by me, directed and edited by Craig Rowin, makeup by Annamarie Tendler, starring Noah Plener, John Ward, Matt Fisher and myself, voiceover by Sam Reich.
After yesterday’s launch cancellation, Ares I-X—the biggest US rocket since the Saturn V—has launched successfully. In case you missed it, here is the video of the whole launch, including the separation of its upper stage. Godspeed, Ares I-X!
Oh wait, you just died—as planned. Oh my, the fact that you were alive just seconds ago.
David Smith believes he has build the world’s smallest working train, and based on the images and video I wouldn’t doubt that claim. Apparently, it is 35,000 times smaller than the real deal.
Of course, it would have been more legit as a model train if it ran on its own mini engine instead of a rotating external motor, but since nano machines of that caliber are not readily available, I will have to call this build impressive nonetheless. Probably could use a little moisturizer on those hands though. [James River Branch via Engadget]
As you know, I sat down with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to chat about all of his projects this year. Windows 7 was obviously the biggie, so we talked about it and its less beloved predecessor.
But unlike Bill Gates, who seemed like he wanted to admit Vista sucked, Ballmer sticks to his guns, calling it “very popular.” He says:
It’s much discussed but much used. Hundreds of millions of people are using Windows Vista…[Vista] has improved between service packs, compatibility upgrades that application vendors have done. Actually, the market environment for Vista is not anything like it was when it launched.
He contends that (poor) PC sales are “far more a function of the economy, right now” than any product, and uses that to express his continued caution about being too bullish on the Windows 7 launch.
Try as I might—and you can probably tell I was trying pretty hard—I could not get Ballmer to say or even hint that Vista sucked. It’s cool, though. To his point, although Windows 7 smokes it, Vista did get better. We are currently running Vista on a pair of totally stripped, brand-new Acer Timelines, and they’re actually doing fine (knock on wood). That had certainly not been the case when I interviewed Bill.
Stay tuned, because tomorrow we plan to run the full uncut interview video for your journalistically voyeuristic pleasure. Video by Mike Short
Steve Ballmer Exclusive Interview Series:
Part 1: Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming
Part 2: Ballmer on the Smartphone Race: “It Doesn’t Matter What the Critics Say”
Part 3: Ballmer on Zune: Sometimes You Get It Right The Third Time?
Part 4: Ballmer on Those Crazy Ballmer YouTube Videos
I tried to have a Windows 7 Launch Party, I really did. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to convince people to come to a party centered around an operating system and the installation of said operating system. It…didn’t go well.
Did you have a party that went better? We’re looking for your pics and videos, so send em over to me at contests@gizmodo.com with Windows 7 Party Pics in the subject line.
This is the one you’ve waited for, where I get Steve to talk about his animalistic YouTube persona. But how do you ask calm collected Steve about crazy sweaty Steve? Very carefully.
As you can see in the video, he’s not going to stop being himself, just because Bill Gates is officially out of the picture and the public finally sees Ballmer as the big man up top.
I’m me. And sometimes I’m very ebullient, sometimes I’m less. I think the most important thing is that I need to convey my belief, my optimism, also my views of how we need to improve, to our folks. And I try to do the best job I can and I do it my own way.
Does that mean more YouTube excitement? If it does, you’ll surely see it here.
Stay tuned for more exciting Ballmer moments (and facial expressions), and then the full uncut interview video on Friday.
Steve Ballmer Exclusive Interview Series:
Part 1: Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming
Part 2: Ballmer on the Smartphone Race: “It Doesn’t Matter What the Critics Say”
Part 3: Ballmer on Zune: Sometimes You Get It Right The Third Time?
And in the rare case you hadn’t seen the video I’m referring to:
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer defended notorious products like Windows Vista and Windows Mobile throughout our interview, but when it came to Zune, he did seem to admit that Zune HD nailed what previous Zunes simply couldn’t.
When I asked if he gave an order to make Zune better, he replied:
Sometimes you get it the first time you cook the soup, sometimes it takes till the second time you cook the soup…You get better every time.
Maybe it’s not the same as saying the first Zunes sucked, but however you interpret that, it’s the closest Ballmer comes to conceding that product improvement was needed, that it wasn’t just revision for the sake of the sales cycle.
Stay tuned for more exciting Ballmer moments (and facial expressions) over the next day, and then the full uncut interview video on Friday. Video by Mike Short
Steve Ballmer Exclusive Interview Series:
Part 1: Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming
Part 2: Ballmer on the Smartphone Race: “It Doesn’t Matter What the Critics Say”
In this segment of my exclusive interview series with Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer, I brought up the sore subject of Windows Mobile 6.5. After defending it, he cited another product that did well but suffers mounting criticism: Nokia smartphones.
As you can see in the video, Ballmer acknowledges that Windows Mobile 6.5 is receiving negative reviews, but I never get him to actually admit that the platform still needs work. He says, “reviews aside,” he’s happy with what Windows Phones (running 6.5) can do now.
And faced with competition of iPhone, BlackBerry and others, he contends it’s currently “kind of a horse race.” The only clear leader, market-share wise, is Nokia, and they’re losing ground. When I said that Nokia was another developer currently lambasted by reviewers, Ballmer replied:
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what the critics say, it matters what the customers say.
Perhaps given the power of advertising (still mighty, even if it’s on the decline), there may still be a way for a product to get positive sales despite negative reviews. But the internet has changed that landscape, and the lines between critic and customer blur more every day. We all share knowledge in order to make better choices. So who, in the end, is this customer, who is so different from the critic? Not anyone who reads Gizmodo, that’s for sure.
Stay tuned for more exciting Ballmer moments (and facial expressions) over the next day, and then the full uncut interview video on Friday. Video by Mike Short
Steve Ballmer Exclusive Interview Series:
Part 1: Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming
Part 2: Ballmer on the Smartphone Race: “It Doesn’t Matter What the Critics Say”
Part 3: Ballmer on Zune: Sometimes You Get It Right The Third Time?
In the first segment of our exclusive Steve Ballmer interview series, the Microsoft CEO and I talk about Natal, the blurring of console generations, and the surprising assertion that “you’ll be able to get” Blu-ray add-on drives for Xbox 360.
When I asked Ballmer about adding Blu-ray to the Xbox, he said:
Well I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there—you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.
Though he says it with certitude, the timing of any kind of Blu-ray accessory is unclear. Could he have mispoken? Certainly. However, when I asked Xbox spokespeople about Ballmer’s revelation, they responded:
Our immediate solution for Blu-ray-quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we’re not ready to comment.
Microsoft PR is good — we trust them to say no if they’re not making one, and in this case, the best strategy is a “no comment”. Which turns out to be a comment.
Of course, his Blu-ray comment may not mean that Microsoft is coming out with an external drive—he may have just been shooting down the idea that the Xbox 360 will ever have an internal Blu-ray drive, by saying that any Blu-ray the Xbox gets would have to be external. On the other hand he did actually say, “You’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.”
As you can see in our back-and-forth, Ballmer plays his cards close to the chest, but in my sit-down interview with him, he shared a lot. Prior to the Blu-ray business, Ballmer and I talked about Natal, and the excitement that Matt and Mark experienced when they stepped into the chamber back at E3. When I asked him if Natal was Microsoft’s attempt to do away with concept of game console generations (thereby prolonging the life of a given platform indefinitely), Ballmer smiled knowingly and said “We’ll see.”
Stay tuned for more exciting Ballmer moments (and facial expressions) over the next day, and then the full uncut interview video on Friday. Video by Mike Short
Steve Ballmer Exclusive Interview Series:
Part 1: Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming
Part 2: Ballmer on the Smartphone Race: “It Doesn’t Matter What the Critics Say”
Part 3: Ballmer on Zune: Sometimes You Get It Right The Third Time?
For the last sixteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds I’ve been watching this video in absolute awe. It’s the story of John Kanzius who designed, built, and tested a machine (on himself), all in hopes of curing his leukemia.
Good God, I’m happy that this story is finally coming out, but it’s so heart wrenching to see Kanzius’ struggle, desperation, and utter drive to find a way to zap leukemia despite doctors’ cautions to the very end. [CBS via Make]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
