Archives for News

Comcast Bids to Take Over Time Warner

Comcast Bids to Take Over Time Warner

February 15, 2014 | Comments Off on Comcast Bids to Take Over Time Warner

Tim Stevens by 

Few people are truly in love with their cable provider, whether it be due to overpriced channel packages, inconsistent and annoyingly capped internet access, or the general angst caused by a lack of choice. News this week of a Comcast bid for Time Warner isn’t likely to make any of those parties happier. The $42.5 billion deal would see the first and second place cable companies in the United States joining together to create a single entity that would corner 30 percent of the market whilst laughing maniacally and, presumably, swimming in a giant pool filled with gold coins.

Full Story …


Read More

Microsoft appoints Scott Guthrie new Cloud & Enterprise chief

Microsoft appoints Scott Guthrie new Cloud & Enterprise chief

February 10, 2014 | Comments Off on Microsoft appoints Scott Guthrie new Cloud & Enterprise chief

Mary Jo Foley

Who will succeed Satya Nadella as Microsoft’s Cloud & Enterprise chief?

guthrieredshirt

The answer to this question — to which I was asked numerous times today following the announcement that Microsoft’s new CEO will be Satya Nadella, who was head of Cloud & Enterprise — is Scott Guthrie.

Yes. The red-shirted ScottGu is, for now, the “interim” Cloud & Enterprise Executive Vice President at Microsoft. I hear he’s likely to be made the permanent one, as well, though no one is saying that in any official capacity for now.

Microsoft announced internally Guthrie’s promotion on February 4, according to a company spokesperson.

Full Story …


Read More

Eight things CEO Nadella needs to do to jump-start Microsoft

Eight things CEO Nadella needs to do to jump-start Microsoft

February 10, 2014 | Comments Off on Eight things CEO Nadella needs to do to jump-start Microsoft

Roger Cheng
by   February 5, 2014 4:05 AM PST

For Microsoft, new CEO Satya Nadella represents the first opportunity for a fresh start in nearly a decade and a half.

It’s hard to knock a company that last quarter generated $24.5 billion in revenue, but Nadella takes the reins at a time when there are increasing questions about Microsoft’s direction and future source of growth.

Let’s face it: Microsoft has been in a rut. The reception to Windows 8 has been lukewarm at best and has failed to reinvigorate PC sales at a time when consumers are keener to spend their limited dollars on phones and tablets. Windows Phone, meanwhile, has slowly made progress in the mobile world, but remains a speck relative to larger Google and Apple.

Which is where Nadella comes in. CNET’s writers and editors brainstormed some ideas that would reinvigorate Microsoft. Here are eight:

Full Story …


Read More

3 Things New MS CEO Must Do

3 Things New MS CEO Must Do

February 10, 2014 | Comments Off on 3 Things New MS CEO Must Do

Don Reisinger,  February 9, 2014

One of the main challenges for Microsoft’s new CEO won’t be appealing to the enterprise or growing Microsoft’s cloud business; it’ll be finding a way to make people actually care about the company’s high profile Surface tablet.

Satya Nadella wasn’t the favorite for Microsoft’s chief executive spot when Steve Ballmer announced last year that he was planning to retire. But as more and more people fell off the possible list, it became clear that Microsoft wanted someone who understood its company and could lead it from a place of clarity on what it should and should not do in the coming years.

Full Article

…


Read More

Satya Nadella New CEO of Microsoft

Satya Nadella New CEO of Microsoft

February 4, 2014 | Comments Off on Satya Nadella New CEO of Microsoft

BY RYAN NAKASHIMA  AP Business Writer, February 4, 2014 

Satya_NadellaREDMOND, WASH. — Microsoft has named Satya Nadella, an executive in charge of the company’s small, but growing business of delivering software and services over the Internet, as its new CEO. Company founder Bill Gates is leaving the chairman role for a new role as technology adviser.
The software company announced Tuesday that Nadella will replace Steve Ballmer, who said in August that he would leave the company within 12 months. Nadella will become only the third leader in the software giant’s 38-year history, after Gates and Ballmer. Board member John Thompson will serve as Microsoft’s new chairman.
Nadella, who is 46 and has worked at Microsoft for 22 years, has been an executive in some of the company’s fastest-growing and most profitable businesses, including its Office and server and tools business.

Full Article …


Read More

Review: AT&T – Nokia Double Play

Review: AT&T – Nokia Double Play

January 27, 2014 | Comments Off on Review: AT&T – Nokia Double Play

 

 

ATT LogoNokia

AT&T Value Package Nokia 2520 Tablet and 1020 Phone

Foster Braun, Internet Advisor Jan. 25, 2014

Just in time for Christmas AT&T put the bow on a nice package of Nokia devices: the Nokia 2520 tablet and Nokia Lumia Win Phone 8 models including the outstanding 1020.  Thanks to new friends at the super telco, I was able to obtain a review copy of both the 2520 tablet and 1020 phone with full access to AT&T’s super fast 4G LTE network.

The New Mobile Paradigm
Remember when phones were just for calling people? If  you do, you may also vividly remember Ronald Reagan’s presidency.  The new reality is that a fast growing segment of we cellphone users who carry smartphones are carting around supercomputers in our pockets and purses.  We have discovered, however,  that their relatively small footprint does not give us the kind of viewing space and manipulation that we are being invited to enjoy by increasing numbers apps and  streaming sources.  Hence the rise of the tablets and hybrids to bridge the gap. The combination of smartphone and tablet have become a new Mobile Paradigm.

AT&T Double Play

AT&T has been the biggest proponent of Windows …


Read More

Supreme Court Kills Net Neutrality but FCC is Clear Winner

Supreme Court Kills Net Neutrality but FCC is Clear Winner

January 25, 2014 | Comments Off on Supreme Court Kills Net Neutrality but FCC is Clear Winner

The FCC may have lost its battle in federal court last week to enforce its Net neutrality rules, but the ruling actually gave the agency what some are calling unlimited authority to regulate almost every aspect of the Internet.

The decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia was initially deemed a blow to the principles of an open Internet and to attempts by the Federal Communications Commission to enforce them. But the simple truth is that last week’s decision marked a big victory for the FCC.

MORE

…


Read More

Snowden Says Not All Spying is Bad

Snowden Says Not All Spying is Bad

January 25, 2014 | Comments Off on Snowden Says Not All Spying is Bad

During a live Web chat, NSA whistle-blower/leaker Edward Snowden emphasizes the need for the rule of law. He also strikes, at one point, a tone you might take as conciliatory.

MORE …


Read More

Macintosh Turns 30

Macintosh Turns 30

January 25, 2014 | Comments Off on Macintosh Turns 30

Dan Farber CNet  Jan. 21, 2014

The date was set for January 24, 1984, two days after the Ridley Scott-directed TV commercial introducing the idea of the Macintosh would appear during the Super Bowl between the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Raiders. Steve Jobs would unveil what he came to call Apple’s “insanely great” personal computer “for the rest of us.”

The day couldn’t come fast enough. While its flagship Apple II was selling well, the Apple III had flopped. What’s more, few businesses were willing to pay $10,000 for Apple’s Lisa, which debuted in June 1983.

MORE …


Read More

Keeping New Year's Resolutions: Microsoft

Keeping New Year's Resolutions: Microsoft

January 19, 2014 | Comments Off on Keeping New Year's Resolutions: Microsoft

 THE TOOLS WE NEED TO KEEP OUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

The New Year is here! While many, many people plan to use this landmark time to eat healthy, lose weight, get better organized, save more money – the problem with these goals is that they are difficult to maintain. Most people want to see progress within a few weeks. Unfortunately, keeping resolutions can be complicated.
That’s why this year, technology may be the best way to reach your goals…. The creative minds at Microsoft have come up with a number of great tools – apps – to set attainable goals and keep them for more than just a few weeks.

For Getting Fit:
·         Bing Health & Fitness –  Bing Health & Fitness app is a personal companion for everyday living. This app offers trackers for diet, health and exercise that sync with Microsoft’s HealthVault to bring in data from personal medical records and other tracking tools.
For Saving Money:
·         Mint – Get your finances in order with Mint, now available on Windows and Windows Phone! Mint offers a simple and organized way to set budgets, track accounts, set helpful financial reminders, track when bills are due, and do …


Read More