Mar 08

Microsoft to Pay Nokia $1 Bil in Windows Phone Deal – Report

Posted in: Microsoft, nokia, Today's Chili, windows phone 7
Nokia-E7-00.jpg

How much is a Nokia deal worth to the future of Microsoft’s mobile business? Leave it to Redmond to put a very round price tag on the deal. The software giant is reportedly shelling out $1 billion for Nokia to develop and promote handsets based around its slightly stagnant Windows Phone platform.

So, what does Microsoft get out of the deal? Besides the obvious advantages of having the world’s largest handset manufacturer promoting your mobile operating system, you mean? Well, Nokia will also be offsetting the costs by paying Microsoft a fee for each phone that uses a Microsoft OS (not an entirely uncommon practice for third-party hardware developers).
Not everyone’s psyched about the deal between the companies, however. As Bloomberg points out, Nokia shares have actually plummeted 26 percent since the partnership was officially announced.
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Mar 08

Bill Gates Loses Richest Title After Giving Away Money

Posted in: Microsoft, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili
Thumbnail image for bill_melinda_gates.jpg

Bill Gates is no longer the world’s richest man. And really, he’s only got himself to blame. The Microsoft founder slipped from the top spot last year, thanks to the massive sums of money he’s given away by way of his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. In 2010, Gates slipped from the top spot for the second time since 1995, as Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim edged him out, $53.5 billion to $53 billion.

Forbes will release its annual list tomorrow. Slim will likely maintain the top spot, with $60 billion, with Gates in second at $49 billion. Investor Warren Buffet will round out the top three at $47 billion.
Gates and wife Melinda have already donated an impressive $28 billion of their fortune, putting them in second place on the list of “Most Generous Philanthropists” in America behind Buffett. Buffett, for his part, has given $8 billion to the Gates foundation and has promise to donate the majority of his wealth to charity. 
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Mar 08

Microsoft goes on a hiring spree for new Xbox hardware devs, staffing up for next console push?

Posted in: console, gaming, Microsoft, research, Today's Chili, xbox

Before you go leaping to any conclusions, do remember that Microsoft plans on keeping the Xbox 360 going until at least 2015 so we’re not really talking imminent changes here. Nonetheless, the software giant has listed a plethora of new job openings, with the most interesting ones being at its Mountain View research campus, where a team responsible for “defining and delivering next generation console architectures” is looking for fresh blood. A graphics hardware architect is sought to ensure that the next Xbox strikes the optimal balance between the awesome and affordable, while a design verification engineer and a few others will be hired to test and help develop prototypes. This bolstering of numbers seems to indicate Microsoft is starting to ramp up research and development on its next-gen home entertainment linchpin, and while nothing’s likely to emerge from those Mountain View labs in the short term, the mere sound of clanking tools and buzzing electrons is getting us excited already.

Microsoft goes on a hiring spree for new Xbox hardware devs, staffing up for next console push? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 07

Bloomberg: Microsoft to pay Nokia ‘more than $1 billion’ to make Windows Phones

Posted in: deal, Microsoft, nokia, rumor, Today's Chili, windows phone, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7, Wp7

Though neither Nokia nor CEO Stephen Elop ever said there was an exchange of billions of dollars as a part of the company’s tie-up with Microsoft for the Windows Phone platform, Bloomberg is sourcing “two people with knowledge of the terms” in saying that something in excess of $1 billion is flowing from Redmond to Espoo. Though the deal isn’t yet finalized — Elop said as much back at MWC — it’d apparently call for Microsoft to pay out at least some of the cash upfront with Nokia sending cash in the other direction for device licenses. Interestingly, the deal is said to give Microsoft access to parts of Nokia’s expansive patent portfolio — and they’ll have it for quite some time, too: the contract’s apparently going to be good for “more than five years.” That’s more than most marriages, it seems (and roughly as expensive).

Bloomberg: Microsoft to pay Nokia ‘more than $1 billion’ to make Windows Phones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 07

Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 device said to be just an ‘old prototype’

Posted in: Microsoft, prototype, slider, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, windows phone, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7, Wp7
Get your hopes up about that Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 slider that surfaced over the weekend? Well, then we’re afraid we’ve got a bit of bad news. According to Mobile Review’s Eldar Murtazin, it’s just an “old prototype that was canceled last year.” As we mentioned previously, however, that shouldn’t exactly come as a huge surprise, considering that Sony Ericsson has repeatedly stated that a move to Windows Phone 7 is highly unlikely given the company’s commitment to Android, and given the fact that we’ve already heard of a since-scrapped WP7 prototype that sounds suspiciously like the one pictured above.

Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 device said to be just an ‘old prototype’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 07

AT&T Gears Up for iPhone by Hiring 2,000 Extra Employees

Posted in: Apple, Gadgets, iPhone, Microsoft, Screenshots, Today's Chili

This article was written on June 21, 2007 by CyberNet.

IphoneAT&T is gearing up for the big iPhone launch by hiring extra employees – 2,000 of them in fact. Those 2,000 employees have been hired for temporary employment to help handle the new iPhone. That’s a lot of additional people, although, Apple is shipping 3,000,000 iPhones for the launch. Should the iPhone take-off like Apple expects, they will certainly need additional employees to help.  

As you’re probably aware of by now, the device will start selling on June 29th.  AT&T stores will be closing at 4:30 on Friday and then they will reopen at 6 PM to start selling the iPhones until they close at 10 PM. That means that you will have to be patient and wait all day before you’ll be able to purchase one.

AT&T has spent some serious time training their employees to sell the iPhone.  A total of 100,000 hours went into it with around 6 hours of training per employee. I’d hope that their employees will be able to answer any question given that kind of training.  I also wonder how many temp. employees Apple hired because that information hasn’t been disclosed.

Another thing to keep in mind is that AT&T hasn’t said what kind of services fees iPhone customers will be charged.  All we know for sure is that the phone will either be $499 or $599 depending on whether you want the 4GB or the 8GB model.

For Apple and AT&T’s sake, I hope that the iPhone is as big of a success as they have planned for.  That’s a lot of dollars to put into training, and a lot of extra employees to bring on if it turns out to be a phone only the rich will be willing to buy.

Source: Reuters [via Yahoo]

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Mar 07

iPhone as a SideShow Competitor? I Think So!

Posted in: Apple, Gadgets, Microsoft, Today's Chili, Windows Vista

This article was written on January 23, 2008 by CyberNet.

iphone sideshow Earlier today I was over at jkOnTheRun and read something that really caught my attention. It was an observation that the iPhone could potentially turn out to be a Vista SideShow Competitor. Now, before we get into the details of how the iPhone could work great as a Vista SideShow competitor, I thought we’d review exactly what it was first. On Microsoft’s website, they explain it as the following:

Windows SideShow is a new technology in Windows Vista that supports a secondary screen on your mobile PC. With this additional display you can view important information whether your laptop is on, off, or in sleep mode. Windows SideShow is available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

Thanks to gadgets and programs, information from your computer is extended to other devices using Vista SideShow.  So where does the iPhone come into play? Well, once Apple releases the SDK, someone could come up with an app that will utilize the iPhone as a secondary display, just like sideshow does. I hadn’t ever thought of this before, but I could really see it. I think Kevin’s observation over at jkOnTheRun just might be right.

Oh, and one last thought. I wonder what would happen if Apple got the same idea themselves, to use the iPhone or the iPod Touch as a secondary display? Maybe users would be able to control iTunes on their computer from the iPhone? What do you think? The possibilities could be endless…

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Mar 07

Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘mango’ update to miss 2011 target? (updated)

Posted in: mango, Microsoft, nokia, rumor, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Today's Chili, twitter, windows phone, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7
Paul Thurrott has been a trusted insider on all things Microsoft for as long as we can remember. As such, it’s worth paying attention to a recent article he published on Windows IT Pro that calls for Microsoft’s first “NoDo” Windows Phone 7 feature update to hit as early as this week. Of course, Steve Ballmer said it was coming in “early March” so that’s not much of a prediction. What really caught our attention are Paul’s comments about “Mango” — the big WP7 feature update that Microsoft says will bring multitasking, IE9, and Twitter integration to Windows Phone handsets later in 2011. According to Thurott’s sources, Mango won’t be finalized until the end of the year making a release to consumers in 2011 a “near impossibility.” Ouch. How this might affect Nokia’s Windows Phone 2011 launch plans hopes — rumored to be waiting for Mango — remains to be seen.

Update: Mary Jo Foley, who’s got a few Microsofties in her own back pocket, says that she’s hearing that Microsoft recently promised OEMs and carriers Mango by “early fall at the latest” — just in time for a holiday consumer launch. It’s real life he-said she-said rumor flagellation folks!

Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘mango’ update to miss 2011 target? (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 07

Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing and services business to Digia

Posted in: developers, meego, Microsoft, nokia, Software, symbian, Today's Chili, windows phone, WindowsPhone


Now that Nokia has shifted to a Windows Phone-centric smartphone strategy, it’s only natural for the company to divest itself of responsibility with regard to the Qt framework at the heart of Symbian and MeeGo development — a platform Nokia acquired from Trolltech back in January of 2008. We just got word that Digia will acquire the Qt commercial licensing and services business from Nokia, including the transfer of some 3,500 desktop and embedded customers actively using Qt today. Sebastian Nyström, Nokia Vice President, Application and Service Frameworks, had this to say about the agreement:

“Nokia will continue to invest in developing Qt as a cross-platform framework for mobile, desktop and embedded segments, focusing on open source development and expansion, we wanted a partner who can drive the commercial licensing and services business around Qt. Digia has proven, in-depth Qt expertise, operational excellence and a keen interest in growing and improving the overall Qt community and so well positioned to expand the Qt Commercial licensing and services business.”

So, if you’re interested in developing in Qt commercially, Digia will be your contact just as soon as the transaction completes sometime later this month.

[Thanks, Nisse]

Continue reading Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing and services business to Digia

Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing and services business to Digia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 06

Switched On: Padded Windows

Posted in: Apple, column, ios, Mac, Microsoft, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, os x, OsX, PC, switched on, SwitchedOn, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, tablets, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, windows phone 7, Windows8, WindowsPhone7

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

At the launch of the new iPad – superior for video chat, group presentations, and cutting cake — Apple didn’t miss a few opportunities to rub salt in the open air vents of Microsoft’s tablet efforts. Apple noted that sales of the iPad have exceeded those of every other tablet PC ever sold, and that Microsoft (along with other competitors) were chasing doomed strategies that extended outmoded models.

Microsoft has been clear that it will continue to use its “desktop” operating system – Windows – rather than its mobile operating system – the device-specifying Windows Phone 7 – as its operating system for tablets. Considering the critical importance of an intuitive touchscreen UI on tablet — where Windows Phone 7 excels and desktop Windows has struggled — this seems risky on its face. But it is important to remember from Microsoft’s perspective that the question is not whether Windows is the best choice for tablets but whether it is a better choice for Microsoft than Windows Phone. While the company faces an uphill battle regardless of which OS it chooses, its flagship could be the better answer for several reasons.

Continue reading Switched On: Padded Windows

Switched On: Padded Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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