In these dire economic times any bit of good news is as welcome as Publishers Clearinghouse at your front door. Microsoft may not be Ed McMahon, but it does have some bright money news.
As it does seemingly every quarter, Microsoft sales and profits are up (for some dang reasons this good news never lifts the stock).
The company pulled in more than $14 billion in revenue this past quarter -- up 7 percent from the quarter last year.
Microsoft is so big and diversified that it can absorb huge losses in some areas because it pulls in huge profits in others. That's the case this quarter.
Microsoft online lost almost as much as it pulled in. The losses were $494 million (yeah, that is just for one quarter) on sales of $625 million. The only bright spot was revenues which were up 16 percent.
Critics love to say Microsoft doesn't innovate. Try telling that to the Entertainment and Devices Division which pulled in nearly $2 billion (yeah, that is just for one quarter). Can you say Xbox and Kinect? I thought you could.
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/21/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
Readers judge whether Verizon's new privacy issue is going too far:
Just read your article and want to add a point of clarification. It appears Verizon's data-harvesting plan does not apply to business accounts. I used the toll-free number provided by Verizon to exclude my cell number. Its automated system told me my line is automatically excluded because it is on a business account. Clearly, this is good for businesses that provide phones to their employees. I agree it sucks for those that are affected.
-George
Will folks using the Verizon cellular network through a discount reseller such as Page Plus be subject to the same Verizon spying?
And, if so, will "opting out" be an easy option for them?
-Fred
This does cross the line but read the fine print and just about everyone does this.
The PROBLEM is that Congress routinely passes legislation which permits any vendor to change the rules and then requires you to OPT-OUT. Your failure to OPT-OUT is treated as 'implied consent.' Instead, OPT-IN should be required for all changes in terms of service. But then again, Congress (no matter which party is in power) is less interested in consumer protection than it is in protecting the money lobbyists add to the re-election campaigns.
-Marc
Personally, I have begun to feel like some sort of cranky technophobe (and I have worked in information technology for years). Just because I don't think it is wrong for Verizon to do this doesn't make me or anyone else paranoid.
I don't think that vendors should have any tracking or data gathering as part of their core systems. Makes people doubt the integrity of the vendor. Likewise, if people are willing to participate in such data gathering for say, some small discount on their bill, then they can download an extra application to do all of the reporting and whatever. The application should or at least could provide the user to turn off certain bits as they see fit.
It is time to turn the mentality back to 'The customer is always right' and away from the current 'Milk the customer cow for all they are worth.' True capitalism only works when the customer is first.
-Steven
If you dig into iOS 5's installation you will see a similar sneaky project. When you upgrade you'll notice it has a new hidden option called 'iADs,' which is essentially targeted advertising. All these companies need to make profits, but the question is at what expense? I see a huge class actions coming soon since many users aren't technical enough to know what to disable on their phones. They eventually will exceed their data caps as a result. Might make a good article...
As for the Verizon's mess, I suggest you write an article informing users they now have an option to drop Verizon at no cost. The TOS change allows the phone user to drop any existing contract at no cost since Verizon initiated the contractual change.
This might make Verizon think twice!
-Robert
Share your thoughts with the editors of this newsletter! Write to [email protected]. Letters printed in this newsletter may be edited for length and clarity, and will be credited by first name only (we do NOT print last names or e-mail addresses).
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/21/2011 at 1:18 PM1 comments
Under Windows chief Steven Sinofsky there is a basic blackout on Windows 8 information. No one except a chosen few (he and Steve Ballmer, for instance) are allowed to utter a word on the OS. This is despite the fact that at the recent Build Conference hours of presentations and hundreds of PowerPoint slides were devoted to the topic. And it gave away thousands of Samsung tablets loaded with a Windows 8 preview.
Another who is allowed to speak is Chaitanya Sareen, a program manager who is dribbling out information on his blog -- Â though, truth be told, he is more about analysis and philosophy than disclosing fresh details.
The biggest change hitting Windows 8 is the Metro interface, which is only one one option for interface -- the old-style Win 7 look will also still be available. Apparently even though the classic look still looks classic, it will no longer have the Start Button. Instead, apps are launched from the taskbar.
Sareen explains that few even use the Start Button anymore (I guess he hasn't been keystroke logging my computer!). Microsoft also argues that the folder-based approach of the Start Menu makes items hard to find -- so long Start Menu!
Metro goes a step further and does away with the taskbar. Instead, it will surface apps in tiles in the middle of the screen.
While Microsoft is in lock-down as far as discussing new features, expect further drum pointing around Metro.
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/21/2011 at 1:18 PM6 comments
Readers cast their votes for their favorite smartphones:
Just wanted to chime in on your iPhone vs. the others post. I own a Windows Phone 7. I went into it pretty blindly after some good reviews. I wanted to try it, as it was drastic enough of a change from the previous Windows Mobile 6.
Previously I used and loved an Android phone. It was a low end model that I put a custom ROM on. It was still a very great phone. It just wasn't as responsive as I'd like. I almost upgraded to a newer Android powered phone, but I kept on with WP7. My wife owns an iPhone. I don't mind it at all. It works. It just isn't as 'friendly' as the WP7 is. It's a great phone, but it just doesn't have the personal touch like the Windows Phone 7 has.
Before my Android phone, I used the older Windows Mobile powered MotoQ. HATED it. I was very leery of jumping back onto the Windows phone bandwagon. But, I did. And I am very happy that I did. The other two phone operating systems aren't bad by any means. In fact, I wouldn't be one bit upset had I chosen an Android phone over the WP7. The only downside to the WP7 phone is the lack of quality apps (and finding apps is difficult -- but that's another story). Android has tons, iPhone has even more. WP7 just passed 30,000 apps. The WP7 can't be rooted to run custom ROMs or 'jailbroken' like the Android and iPhone can be. But, I get a very good experience with absolutely ZERO freezing or rebooting. My Android phone couldn't do that. Neither can my wife's iPhone.
Microsoft pulled an ace with the new Windows Phone 7 (and even better with 7.5 OS). I'm just hoping it gains consumer trust and can penetrate the market and make an impact so it doesn't pull the plug, AKA: Kin.
-Dustin
I have a 17-year-old daughter who was bugging me to upgrade her phone (old Alias) because it just turned two years old (very, very old for a mobile phone). We went back and forth on what model to choose by viewing Verizon Wireless' Web site. I was trying to push her toward an Android for many reasons, including initial cost of phone. She insisted on getting a Windows Phone 7 (HTC Trophy). She is always been very independent and she doesn't like mainstream things. So, I guess, Windows Phone 7 is considered going against the tide??
She uses the Wi-Fi feature to keep her Web browsing minutes low and she said tiles are really easy to use. Unlike a lot of kids, she doesn't see it as a status symbol but an easy to use mobile phone.
-Joe
I have looked at WP7, Android, BlackBerry and iPhone. I own a WP7, an Android and a BlackBerry. They all have their pluses and minuses. First, from a development perspective the WP7 wins. From a user perspective, the WP7 wins most of the battles, with Android only winning with Flash in the browser. The Bing voice search and the Social Media tiles in WP7 are real standouts. In one tile I can see Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live, LinkedIn, etc. I can also post to all of them with one post. In terms of devices, there are plenty of both WP7 and Android. Android does win on having 4G.
The iPhone has one model and I don't like iTunes. I have a Zune Pass and it is great. If you choose to pirate music, then I guess the iPhone would be OK, but buying the recent songs with the iPhone would get very expensive.
Anyway, the iPhone isn't a bad phone but the Windows Phone and Android are both better. If they get the Nook app on the Windows Phone, I can drop my Android all together.
-Michael
Share your thoughts with the editors of this newsletter! Write to [email protected]. Letters printed in this newsletter may be edited for length and clarity, and will be credited by first name only (we do NOT print last names or e-mail addresses).
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/19/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
These days it seems that every computer vendor, service provider and Web site spies on us. Verizon apparently doesn't want to be left out of this little party. Recently it disclosed a new policy where it harvests data from wireless customers and then uses it to sell targeted ads.
If you use Verizon like I do, what programs you use and the sites you frequent are all for sale.
This is not an opt-in deal. Rather, you have to tell Verizon you don't want your every move tracked. The good news is the data sold is not directly connected to individuals.
Still, the opt-out policy bugs me. And with more and more of our phones tracking our locations, it is a bit of a privacy double whammy.
The real rub? The notice begins with the following: "Your privacy is an important priority at Verizon Wireless."
Am I being paranoid or is Verizon crossing the line? You tell me at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/19/2011 at 1:18 PM14 comments
You just can't keep a good computer down -- at least that's the feeling of the folks who recently relaunched Commodore. In May the company shipped pre-production versions of the Commodore 64. I honestly have no clue as to why it would bring back such a long defunct computer.
 It also has the intellectual property rights to the Amiga, which it might work on bringing back if the hardware and software are thoroughly modernized. Here's the problem with that: The Amiga essentially died because it lacked mainstream software like Word and Lotus 1-2-3. A reborn Amiga will face the same challenge.
This is about the third time someone has tried to bring back the Amiga. Maybe this one is the charm?
The confusing part is that there's a different company called Amiga that sells Amiga products such as the Amiga operating system and tablet.
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/19/2011 at 1:18 PM4 comments
This is clearly an awkward subject to bring up, but with the obscene prevalence of cancer it is important we talk about it. A debate has arisen as to whether Steve Jobs has to die when he did.
It all started with a 2008 article in Fortune magazine stating that Steve Jobs spent the first nine months after diagnosis with a pancreatic tumor and used alternative methods to treat it. Later he had surgery but reportedly eschewed chemo and radiation.
Some see the Fortune piece as speculation, but I worked at the magazine as a college senior and the fact checking is incredibly rigorous.
Ramzi Amri, a Harvard cancer researcher, believes Jobs would still be alive if he focused from the start on what has been proven to work, and that he suffered from a less serious form of pancreatic cancer. In fact, it wasn't truly pancreatic cancer, it just happened to originate in that organ.
"While Mr. Jobs was trying all sorts of alternative mumbo-jumbo I won't even bother to go through as their failure is now sadly irrefutably proven, his tumor grew, and grew, and grew...," said Amri.
On the other hand, an alternative medicine advocate claims it was western medicine that killed Jobs and he would have lived several more decades without traditional treatments. That's according to Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, who calls heself "PhD, Metaphysician -- Certified Hypnosis Practitioner, Author and Speaker." Busy Gal.
She further argues that emotional stresses such as being adopted, building the first PC and being fired from Apple in 1985 may have sown the seeds for his cancer.
Is it fair for Amri to speculate? Does Neddermeyer see something most of us don't or is she just a nut job?
Let the sparks fly at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/18/2011 at 1:18 PM5 comments
Readers share their thoughts on the Microsoft media player that is no more:
I might be one of the few, but I mourn the death of Zune. I don't want to have to pick and choose what music to bring with me every time I leave the house, so I need a device that holds at least the 40 GB I've got. And streaming doesn't interest me at anything like today's mobile broadband rates. I guess I could get an iPod, with the added benefit that it integrates with my car stereo, but I find the Zune software infinitely superior to iTunes.
-Dave
I love my Zune 120 -- the hard disk recently died a clicky death but I replaced it. I can't stand Apple products, and the Zune software is far superior. I don't want a single device for everything --if I want to make videos, listen to music and make phone calls, the battery won't last too long, will it? And if my one device breaks, I lose everything? No, not ready for convergence yet. Plus, as others have said, the Zune has radio -- a huge advantage. I think this is a mistake, Microsoft. You shouldn't give up in the face of competition.
- Cam
My Zune HD is awesome. I am disappointed in the decision. I use my phone as a phone -- that's it. I don't want to use it as a music player, etc. Besides, there aren't any phones around that I know of that also have an HD radio receiver in them like the Zune HD.
-Kevin
I have one of the older Zunes. I originally bought it because the iPod did not have a radio tuner at the time and the Zune was $50 cheaper. I still use it every day because I can let it play on my desk without worrying about sucking up the battery on my phone.
-Michele
Share your thoughts with the editors of this newsletter! Write to [email protected]. Letters printed in this newsletter may be edited for length and clarity, and will be credited by first name only (we do NOT print last names or e-mail addresses).
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/17/2011 at 1:18 PM1 comments
With the passing of Steve Jobs, many worried about the future of Apple. Apparently the company will be in good stead for the next four or so years. That's because Jobs spent his last year setting up roadmaps for all his biggest products, including iCloud.
Four years in the technology world is a long time. But with Apple being so secretive, few really know what Jobs' remarkable brain cooked up. Could there be groundbreaking new products akin to the iPad? One can only hope!
What ideas do you think Steve Jobs left behind? Speculate freely at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/17/2011 at 1:18 PM0 comments
Steve Jobs' private memorial service was yesterday, and former President Bill Clinton and U2's Bono were the star attractions. California even proclaimed it Steve Jobs Day. I agree with all the accolades -- the guy made a huge difference. But somehow when someone passes, flaws are forgotten.
One brave Gawker writer, Ryan Tate, wasn't afraid to discuss the less than flattering side of Jobs. Many Apple products are made in less than ideal conditions -- low pay, long hours and lax environment controls. Also, there are the times that Apple went after reporters simply because they were breaking news about the company -- tactics as aggressive as I've ever seen.
Jobs also controlled what one can see and do with iPhones and iPads.
And, of course, there was his famous temper. That may be the sign of a driven, passionate man -- but is it really a fair way to treat loyal and presumably highly-intelligent employees?
For the record, Tate has a history with Jobs. He wrote Mr. Jobs an e-mail complaining that the iPad blocks porn -- a restriction on freedom of speech. This turned into a massive and well-publicized flame war. Clearly Tate has an axe to grind, but the points he made in his recent piece, to my knowledge, are entirely accurate.
I feel uncomfortable mentioning all this given Jobs' recent passing, but lionizing someone just because their gone isn't totally honest.
What is your take? Do his flaws matter at this point? Be honest with me at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/17/2011 at 1:18 PM7 comments
There is a lot of hype about the iPhone 4S. In fact, Steve Wozniak was first in line at his local Apple store to snap this puppy up.
So does everyone love the new iPhone? Not on your life. The head of Microsoft phone group Andy Lees is positively negative on it. One issue? A lack of models. Lees also argues that the iPhone, as well as the Android devices, are "cluttered and confused."
Microsoft's strategy, on the other hand, Â is coherent, "people-centric" and results in a "delightful experience."
I think Lees is going a bit overboard. The real battle is when Windows Phone 8 comes out, and that is so far out we may well have a new president.
Have you looked at both Android and iPhone and still opted for Windows? Tell us why at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/17/2011 at 1:18 PM15 comments
I was traveling half the week and decided to leave my laptop at home. My only form of communication was a BlackBerry.
I was in meetings most of the time, and wasn't glued to CNN on the tube or Drudge Report on screen, keeping me out of the news loop.
That's why I was so surprised to learn that RIM experienced massive BlackBerry outages on Monday -- which spilled over into Tuesday and beyond.
I was lucky. I got all my e-mail. Millions of others weren't. While some enjoyed being untethered, that should really be a personal choice and not thrust upon you by a RIM network hardware failure.
I'm of two minds here. My first reaction is anger that RIM let this happen and took so long to fix it. Then I wonder if we don't expect too much. I went for years without portable communications. I even typed out my college thesis and retyped the whole darn thing to make corrections. Cut and paste back then was literally me cutting and pasting an 80-page document back together then cranking it all back out on a manual Remington.
I'm no UniBomber, but sometimes I think that maybe I don't need all this technology after all. Maybe it is a convenience, not a necessity.
Which side are you on? Share at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/14/2011 at 1:18 PM2 comments