tagged w/ Microsoft
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Microsoft is under fire this week over a patent it was granted that’s been dubbed the “avoid ghetto” feature for GPS devices. The new feature is meant to help pedestrians avoid unsafe neighborhoods, bad weather and difficult terrain by taking information from maps, weather reports, crime statistics and demographics, and creating directions that, according to the patent, take “the user through neighborhoods with violent crime statistics below a certain threshold.”
The word “ghetto” doesn’t actually appear anywhere in Microsoft’s “Pedestrian Route Production” patent, but a slew of headlines touting the incendiary “avoid ghetto” nickname have generated outrage. Some say the feature is racist, while others say it’s simply the next step in GPS technology.
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/25/145337346/this-app-was-made-for-walking-but-is-it-racistMicrosoft is under fire this week over a patent it was granted that’s been... more
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KB723
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added this
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19 days ago
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New agreement means Redmond now gets revenue from 70% of all Google-based smartphones sold in the U.S.
By Paul McDougall InformationWeek
January 12, 2012 10:27 AM
Microsoft said Thursday that it has reached a deal with LG under which the South Korean electronics manufacturer will pay license fees in exchange for Microsoft’s pledge not to sue it for using Google’s Android and Chrome OS software in its products.Financial details of the agreement were not revealed. Microsoft has long maintained that certain components of Android and Chrome OS violate its patents, and has struck licensing deals with numerous vendors that use the Google mobile and desktop software in their gadgets.
“We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” said Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez, in a statement.
Microsoft said the deal with LG means that 70% of Android-based smartphones sold in the U.S. are now covered by its licensing program. “We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS,” said Gutierrez.
Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in 2003, and to date has struck more than 1,100 deals. Other companies that are paying Microsoft for the right to use Android or Chrome in their products without fear of a lawsuit from Redmond include HTC, Samsung, and Acer.
Microsoft has also sought licensing deals from vendors whose products run Linux, which the software maker also claims violates its patents.
Critics have charged that the program stifles competition and innovation and raises prices by forcing companies to choose between a licensing deal or the possibility of an expensive, lengthy legal battle with one of the tech industry’s richest companies.
Microsoft does not disclose how much revenue it’s obtaining from Android, Chrome, and Linux licenses, but some analysts believe it may be substantial, to the point where the company is making significant profitsfrom the mobile revolution even though its own offering, Windows Phone, commands a market share of less than 2%, according to Gartner.
Google, for its part, isn’t standing still. The search giant in August said it would pay $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola Mobility, which manufacturers Android-powered handsets, and which Microsoft has sued for patent violations. Beyond giving Google its own smartphone manufacturing capacity, the deal also gives it access to Motorola’s trove of more than 24,000 patents.
Some observers believe that if Microsoft ever sues Google directly, the latter will use those patents as the basis for a countersuit.
InformationWeek is conducting our third annual State of Enterprise Storage survey on data management technologies and strategies. Upon completion, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an Apple iPad 2. Take our Enterprise Storage Survey now. Survey ends Jan. 13.New agreement means Redmond now gets revenue from 70% of all Google-based smartphones... more
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artq8
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added this
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29 days ago
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Mirror, mirror on the wall: what's the weather going to be like today?
Gadget-lovers, there’s a new must-have device for you to covet: an interactive mirror called Reveal.
The mirror was created by the New York Times’ research and development team and allows users to do all the things you’d expect to do with a connected device, using hand gestures and your voice to control it via built-in Microsoft Kinect technology.
The New York Times hasn’t announced any details about a commercial release of the device, though if the prototype is anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time before we’ve all got one of these hanging up in the hallway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZkdSqueU-IMirror, mirror on the wall: what's the weather going to be like today?... more
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Microsoft on Monday began adding voice search to Xbox Live as it continues to transform
its videogame consoles into hubs for online entertainment in digital age living rooms.
link:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/microsoft-adds-voice-search-to-xbox-live/articleshow/10999849.cmsMicrosoft on Monday began adding voice search to Xbox Live as it continues to... more
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Bill Gates was still CEO at Microsoft in those days, John Doerr was still at Kleiner Perkins, Stewart Alsop was at InfoWorld, Mitch Kapor was at Lotus, Bob Frankston (who co-invented the spreadsheet) was also at Lotus and Bill Joy was at Sun Microsystems.Bill Gates was still CEO at Microsoft in those days, John Doerr was still at Kleiner... more
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The move away from traditional VCs to Angels features strongly in talk about startup investment. So this seemingly contrary view from the very heart of Silicon Valley is intriguingThe move away from traditional VCs to Angels features strongly in talk about startup... more
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A federal court judge taps his gavel and the request for taking down a domain and all sub-domains is approved. This indicates to me that a corporation is taking care of me, a private citizen. It also indicates that the government cannot or will not protect me...
https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/16953-Microsoft-is-Waging-Cyberwar.htmlA federal court judge taps his gavel and the request for taking down a domain and all... more
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The Vatican — Microsoft may have gotten the miracle it needs to get back on top of the personal computer heap. In a recently released encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI named the company’s latest version of Windows as “The Official Operating System of the Catholic Church.”
Titled “Patefacio Fenestra” or “Open the Windows,” the Pope’s pronouncement is thought to be the first time a major religion has mandated the use of a specific commercial product.
“We can all agree that the operating system is the soul of any computer,”...The Vatican — Microsoft may have gotten the miracle it needs to get back on top... more
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First Look Review Screencast Demo of Microsoft Windows 8 Developer Preview 32bit in a Virtual Machine.
By OSGUIShow aka OS GUI OSGUI OSyTim OSyTech OSyGamesFirst Look Review Screencast Demo of Microsoft Windows 8 Developer Preview 32bit in a... more
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It, as they say, is on. Google's Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, made an appearance on the company's official blog today with a post not-so-subtly-titled "When patents attack Android," which directly addresses what he calls a "hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents." Drummond then goes on to cite a number of examples of this "organized campaign" from those trying to "strangle" Android, including Apple and Microsoft teaming up to buy Novell and Nortel's old patents "to make sure Google didn't get them," Microsoft seeking $15 licensing fees for each Android device, and lawsuits against the likes of Barnes & Noble, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung.
According to Drummond, those efforts amount to a "tax" that makes Android devices more expensive for consumers and manufacturers alike, and that "instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation." He further goes on to bemoan the "anti-competitive strategy" that's "escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they're really worth," and closes things out by noting that he's encouraged by Justice Department investigations into the aforementioned Novell and Nortel patent issues. Hit the source link to read the full post yourself.It, as they say, is on. Google's Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer,... more
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What will the video game industry be like in 2016? We write letters to our future selves and the industry to predict, ask, and wonder about our concerns.What will the video game industry be like in 2016? We write letters to our future... more
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On Aug. 2 the studio will fully hand over all administration of Halo to its owner, Microsoft, releasing one last Halo ViDoc entitled "O Brave New Worlds." Then it will begin working on its next project.
Bungie official message to Microsoft saying good bye
"it's nice to know that we'll be counted among such esteemed company. Some might consider the upcoming transition a bittersweet occasion punctuated by a sense of loss and sadness. We feel otherwise. Halo is in great hands … yours."On Aug. 2 the studio will fully hand over all administration of Halo to its owner,... more
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Microsoft's Xbox 360 biggest epic fails
We absolutely love the xbox 360 but nothing is perfect! Microsoft has done a ton right with the xbox 360 but this post is about the epic fails made by Microsoft on the xbox 360. With this info Microsoft could possibly do better going into the future.
5.HDDVD Over BluRay Dual-layer DVDs
4. No Internet Browser
3. Xbox Vision/Video Gaming Flop
2. Additional Hardware Needed
1. High Failure rateMicrosoft's Xbox 360 biggest epic fails
We absolutely love the xbox 360 but... more
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