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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Tony Fadell calls Honeywell out on patent claims

James Trew — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:21:00 EST

Smart thermostats might not be the cut-throat world of litigation like, say, mobile phones, but that doesn't mean the odd feather doesn't get ruffled from time to time. Nest CEO, Tony Fadell, is understandably protective of his company's product, so when competitor Honeywell laid a stack of patent infringement claims at his door, unsurprisingly he was none too pleased. How displeased? Well, enough for him to drop this clanger: "Honeywell is worse than a patent troll." Then going on to quantify with "They're trying to strangle us, and we're not going to allow that to happen." We think that makes his feelings on the matter pretty clear. Well, when you've been SVP of Apple's iPod division, it's easy to see how patience with such things might wear thin.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Tony Fadell calls Honeywell out on patent claims originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Stephen Elop says 'Apple created Android,' the conditions necessary for its existence

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:06:00 EST

Nokia's freshman CEO is speaking at the Open Mobile Summit right now. As expected, he's covering the same ol' ground, explaining why Nokia ditched Symbian and MeeGo to build the "third ecosystem" with Microsoft -- you know, after totally dominating the high-end smartphone market just three years ago. He's also being credited with the following quote:

"Apple created Android, or at least created the conditions necessary for Android to come into being"

We're on to you, Mr. Elop. It's a classic diversionary tactic. Get the one and two smartphone / tablet OS vendors squabbling and then execute a flanking maneuver while nobody's watching. Why else would the Nokia CEO make such an emotive claim? Unless it's true?

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Stephen Elop says 'Apple created Android,' the conditions necessary for its existence originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: BMW exec says electric vehicles 'won't work,' but would love to sell you one anyway

Amar Toor — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:27:00 EST

Jim O'Donnell, CEO and chairman of BMW North America, recently sat down with the Detroit News to discuss the ActiveE -- an electric version of BMW's 1 Series coupe, available for lease in the US this fall. Most CEOs would've probably used the opportunity to wax PR poetic about their company's bold, forward-looking ethos, because that's what CEOs do. O'Donnell, however, used the occasion to let us in on a dirty little secret: EVs don't actually work. According to O'Donnell's undoubtedly robust calculations, EVs won't work for "at least 90-percent" of the human population, at current battery ranges. The situation is so dire, in fact, that the US government shouldn't even bother wasting its $7,500 tax credits on frivolous things like innovation, national security and clean air.

"I believe in a free economy. I think we should abolish all tax credits. What they are doing is putting a bet on technology, which is not appropriate. As a taxpayer, I am not sure this is the right way to go."

O'Donnell went on to say he's "far more optimistic" about diesel's chances of increasing BMW's US market share -- because, you know, it's not like the oil industry gets any tax breaks, or anything. And it's not like diverting some money away from oil subsidies and putting it toward EV technology would create the "level playing field" that O'Donnell and his company so desperately need. No siree, the US energy market is just as pure and fair as it's always been -- and it certainly doesn't deserve to be corrupted by an EV tax credit pestilence. That said, O'Donnell would still really appreciate it if we buy the battery-powered i3 when it launches in 2013. Who knows? He may even throw in a free bridge, too.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: BMW exec says electric vehicles 'won't work,' but would love to sell you one anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: NGP will be 'dead on arrival,' says ngmoco boss

Vlad Savov — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:10:00 EST

In all honesty, you would expect the leader of a team concerned exclusively with producing games for smartphone platforms like iOS and Android to be dismissive of a new dedicated handheld console's chances, but it's still jarring to hear such a strident dismissal of the Sony NGP's chances. In an interview at GDC this year -- yes, the same place where we were treated to some very impressive demos of the NGP's performance -- ngmoco CEO Neil Young has expressed his belief that Sony's next PSP will be "dead on arrival." Claiming that the new portable will be incapable of competing with the rich ecosystems and affordable pricing models that smartphones now offer, Young says not even the crazy specs or PS3-like gaming will help the NGP survive. This echoes comments from Satoru Iwata last year saying that Apple, not Sony, is the "enemy of the future" for handheld consoles, though Young does close off on a positive note, saying that he sees brighter prospects for the 3DS thanks to Nintendo's rich collection of own-brand franchises and reserves of fan loyalty. So that's it, folks, better start selling those Sony shares while they're still worth something! Or not, it's up to you.

[Thanks, Dominick]

CE-Oh no he didn't!: NGP will be 'dead on arrival,' says ngmoco boss originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: INQ chief says Android is too geeky for 'pretty girls'

Vlad Savov — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:21:00 EST

Take one dose of improper generalization, mix it in with a heaping of condescension, and then add a pinch of good old sexism. What do you get? This quote, coming from Frank Meehan, CEO of the Android handset-making INQ:

"If you go to a nightclub in any city in the world, the pretty girl has an iPhone or a BlackBerry. She doesn't have an Android phone. She has no emotional attachment to an Android phone. It's too complicated. It's a geek device, it's all wrong."

Now, before you go emailing him photos of the Android tattoo girl, there is undeniably some smidgen of truth to the man's words. Android is a geek's dream ecosystem and it's not necessarily the most accessible platform in the world, but to completely write it off for the nightclub-going lady demographic doesn't strike us -- or Justin Timberlake, or Chad Ochocinco -- as the most astute idea in the world.

[Thanks, AC]

CE-Oh no he didn't!: INQ chief says Android is too geeky for 'pretty girls' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Netgear boss calls 'game over' for Microsoft, Jobs' 'ego' reason iPhone doesn't support Flash (updated)

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:32:00 EST

Can't say that Patrick Lo is a name that immediately rang any bells around here. He's certainly not as recognizable as Netgear, the company that he chairs and rules supreme. But boy did he hit our radar screens this morning. Lo had plenty of criticism to spread around the Microsoft and Apple camps today during a press lunch in Sydney. Oh where to even begin? Let's start with Microsoft, and Lo's claim that, "Microsoft is over -- game over, from my point of view," when comparing Windows Phone 7's chance to compete with Android and the iPhone. Doubtful, not with Redmond's Windows 7 and MS Office cash cows fueling Microsoft's intense desire to execute on its new mobile strategy.

Lo then turned his sights on Apple, having this to say on the topic of Steve Jobs' refusal to support Adobe Flash on Apple's mobile devices: "What's the reason for him to trash Flash? There's no reason other than ego." Funny, we thought it was due to performance, security, and power consumption issues. Lo later added, "Once Steve Jobs goes away, which is probably not far away, then Apple will have to make a strategic decision on whether to open up the platform." Classy. Hit the source link below if you're just dying to hear how "closed" systems are inferior to "open" systems all over again.

Update: We just received an email from Patrick Lo. While he continues to support his opinions expressed on open standards, he is backtracking from some of the comments. Notably, he regrets some of the words chosen, particularly those that seem related to Steve Jobs' health. Full apology after the break.

Continue reading CE-Oh no he didn't!: Netgear boss calls 'game over' for Microsoft, Jobs' 'ego' reason iPhone doesn't support Flash (updated)

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Netgear boss calls 'game over' for Microsoft, Jobs' 'ego' reason iPhone doesn't support Flash (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple on iPad competition: Windows is 'big and heavy,' next-gen Android tablets are still vapor

Vlad Savov — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:55:00 EST

Apple's COO (and current Steve Jobs stand-in) Tim Cook thinks "there's not much" competition to the company's iPad tablet. When queried about Apple's view on what the rest of the market offers, Cook was brutally candid in describing Windows-driven machines as generally being big, heavy and expensive, while current generations of Android-based slates are in his opinion merely "scaled-up smartphones." While we agree that Windows 7 isn't a terribly touch-friendly affair, we don't know that Cook's comments on Android are quite so pertinent now that Google's tablet-savvy Honeycomb iteration has been unveiled. Then again, he has something to say about the next generation of Android tablets as well, noting that the ones announced at CES lack pricing and release schedules, leading him to conclude that "today they're vapor." Ouch. As a parting shot, Tim took a moment to reaffirm Apple's belief that its integrated approach will always trump the fragmented nature of Android and its plurality of app stores. Hear his comments in full after the break.

Continue reading Apple on iPad competition: Windows is 'big and heavy,' next-gen Android tablets are still vapor

Apple on iPad competition: Windows is 'big and heavy,' next-gen Android tablets are still vapor originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE Oh no he didn't!: Time Warner chief likens Netflix threat to Albanian army

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:12:00 EST

Think the relationship between Netflix and cable and content executives is amicable? Not. Even. Close. Certainly not after Netflix CEO Reed Hastings blazed a trail into the living room on the strength of the company's streaming television and movie content originally made possible by a shrewd 2008 deal with Starz. A move that netted streaming access rights to Sony and Disney content for an estimated $25 million -- next to nothing compared to the traditional licensing fees charged to cable operators. That deal is set to expire in 2011 and could cost Netflix as much as $250 million a year to renew. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes thinks that Netflix's days at the top are numbered having been made possible by an era of experimentation that's now ending. "It's a little bit like, is the Albanian army going to take over the world?" said Bewkes, "I don't think so." According to the New York Times, the comments were made last week as UBS sponsored a media conference in New York that it says turned into a "platform for executives to express their grievances and emphasize that they will now aggressively try to tilt the economic balance between Netflix and content creators back toward the media conglomerates." Wow. Don't worry though Netflix subscribers, we're sure that the implied collusion is the good kind.

CE Oh no he didn't!: Time Warner chief likens Netflix threat to Albanian army originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab 'a large phone,' can't wait to show you some real tablets

Vlad Savov — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:57:00 EST

We've literally been waiting for Tegra 2 tablets since CES in January, but that isn't stopping NVIDIA boss Jen-Hsun Huang from extolling their virtues yet again, this time on a roadmap that points to just after next year's CES. In his company's most recent quarterly results call, Huang was bullish about the disruptive potential of tablets, but insisted that they can't simply be built like the Galaxy Tab (or the Folio 100, for that matter), which uses a smartphone OS stretched out to a larger screen. "A tablet is not a large phone," says Huang, and he's of course not alone in expressing frustration with Android's current immaturity for the tablet realm, but once Google's slate-friendly OS update drops, he promises NVIDIA will be ready to capitalize: "Our tablet and phone business is going to ramp. And it's going to ramp hard." We're looking forward to all this ramping, oh yes we are.

Update: Later on the call, Jen-Hsun Huang dropped a bit of knowledge on his listeners, showing Apple's iPad some love. "You can't just put an operating system on a tablet and hope that -- on a piece of glass -- and hope that you can compete against the iPad. The iPad is a wonderful product, and if you're going to give that wonderful product a run for its money, you'd better build something absolutely exquisite." Huzzah!

CE-Oh no he didn't!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab 'a large phone,' can't wait to show you some real tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Anssi Vanjoki says using Android is like peeing in your pants for warmth

Vlad Savov — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:32:00 EST

You've been asking and imploring, so Anssi Vanjoki -- straight shooter, that he is -- now has an answer. Why doesn't Nokia switch to Android? Because Google's software represents only a short-term solution that will lead to bigger quandaries down the line, says he. Anssi was even graceful enough to illustrate this point with a vivid example, saying that mobile manufacturers who go the Android route are doing no better than Finnish boys who "pee in their pants" for warmth in the winter. Yeah. We don't know where to go from here either. To be honest, there's a legitimate point behind this trash talk, as the FT notes some analysts agree with Anssi that relying on Android as the universal OS may lead to "permanently low profitability" with users failing to distinguish among different brands if they all offer the same experience. Then again, tell that to HTC.

[Thanks, Maark]

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Anssi Vanjoki says using Android is like peeing in your pants for warmth originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: IBM's Palmisano says HP 'used to be' an inventive company

Vlad Savov — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:08:00 EST

The finest putdowns are usually the simplest. To wit, check out IBM's Chief Executive Trashtalker, Samuel Palmisano, whose elegant use of the past tense relegates HP's current status to that of a mere has-been innovator. Now, says Sam, HP is forced to acquire new companies just to keep up, thanks in part to Mark Hurd's slashing of investment in research and development. Speaking of Hurd, Palmisano also thinks HP failed its investors by handing him a fat severance package as he promptly jumped ship to Larry Ellison's Oracle loveboat. Another reason why Palmisano isn't worried about HP is that he sees the PC era as already over, describing IBM's sale of its PC business to Lenovo as an act of foresight, and adding that he "couldn't give it away today." Clearly they don't mince their words over at International Business Machines.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: IBM's Palmisano says HP 'used to be' an inventive company originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Acer founder characterizes Apple as a mutant virus

Richard Lai — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:38:00 EST

Wow, a mutant virus? This analogy may sound like a ringing bell for another cat fight on the playground, but Acer founder and retired chairman Stan Shih is actually semi-praising Apple here. Speaking at the launch of an Acer touch-themed design competition, Shih said that while Apple's taking the "revolution" highway to tackle the PC market, Acer's success has always depended on its time-consuming but more pragmatic "evolution" strategy, and it'll keep doing so to lay the ground for the next 30 years or so. Here's how China Times paraphrased Shih:

"Apple is like a mutant virus, escaping from the traditional structure of the PC industry, but the industry will still eventually build up immunity, thus further blocking this trend, and we believe the size of the non-Apple camp will exceed Apple's, because this is how the industry normally evolves."

Assuming the second half of Shih's quote refers to the tablet market share, this certainly echoes the words of his good friend JT Wang. That said, this is also the man who's boldly predicted that all American PC brands will be gone within 20 years, but there's no promise that Apple won't be kicking out a few more revolutions in the coming years. Anyway, doesn't Acer have more to worry about for the mean time?

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Acer founder characterizes Apple as a mutant virus originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Foursquare's Crowley calls Places 'boring,' becomes mayor of Bittersville

Tim Stevens — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:22:00 EST

You don't have to make a physical product to be a snippy CEO, and Foursquare co-founder and chief officer Dennis Crowley is proving that. He's been playing with the recently launched Facebook Places, saying "it's not that great or interesting," and that it offers "barely any incentives for users to keep coming back and telling their friends where they are." We're going to go ahead and figure that's because Facebook isn't in the business of making games, rather in creating APIs that let others create games that capture the minds and the clicks of its teeming masses of users. In other words, don't be surprised if mafiosos start competing to become Dons of this or that Italian joint, virtual farmers rush to plant their crops in the most verdant fields in your neighborhood, and your Feed gets way more annoying than you ever thought possible.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Foursquare's Crowley calls Places 'boring,' becomes mayor of Bittersville originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: LG's Ma promises Optimus tablet 'will be better than the iPad'

Vlad Savov — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:05:00 EST

There's brave talk, there's foolish talk, and then there's the 5nm line that separates the two. While LG's Chang Ma didn't seem to be dabbling in either during yesterday's Wall Street Journal interview, some subsequent revelations from the financial paper do quote him straying into daring new territory. Having already described the upcoming Optimus tablet as something that will surprise us with its productivity and focus on content creation, LG's Marketing VP (we know, not exactly the CEO) has apparently gone the full way and straight up claimed that "our tablet will be better than the iPad." We'll let you judge on which side of the brave/foolish divide that falls, but it's certainly an indication of searing ambition on LG's part, and should, together with the promise that the US will be "a key market" for the tablet, make pleasant reading for Android slate aficionados.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: LG's Ma promises Optimus tablet 'will be better than the iPad' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ReQuest threatens to enable DVD piracy on its media streamers, announces one sans DVD

Sean Hollister — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:09:00 EST

Enjoy copying DVDs onto $5,000 boutique home servers? If you've got the dough, ReQuest has got you covered -- CEO Peter Cholnoky says that even if California courts make the practice illegal, his firm isn't afraid to push back. When CE Pro asked whether he was concerned about the fallout from the Kaleidescape lawsuit, he said, "Nope, should I be?" adding that ReQuest could convert existing equipment to use third-party DVD-copying software "in two seconds" should the courts try to shut him down. Given that the company's new $1,200 MediaPlayer (above) doesn't have the requisite DVD drive for ripping discs anyhow, that sounds an awful lot like braggadocio, but we have to say we love Peter's stick-it-to-the-man tone. Oh, and in case you're wondering, that MediaPlayer is slated to ship in June; you'll find a full spec sheet at our source link.

ReQuest threatens to enable DVD piracy on its media streamers, announces one sans DVD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 19:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Sony's Sir Howard says 'when you beat Apple, you're dominating'

Nilay Patel — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:14:00 EST

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer has always been delightfully direct, and he didn't hold back at Google's I/O conference: talking about Sony Ericsson with Eric Schmidt during the Google TV launch, Sir Howard noted that the Xperia X10 is the best-selling handset in Japan, and that "when you beat Apple, you're dominating -- it's the new definition." Strong words from a gadget titan -- we'll leave it to you to debate their veracity.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Sony's Sir Howard says 'when you beat Apple, you're dominating' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Nokia's Anssi Vanjoki thinks cameraphones are about to make SLRs obsolete

Vlad Savov — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:04:00 EST

From what we know of Anssi Vanjoki, he's a great guy and one that isn't afraid of admitting his company's mistakes. Alas, now we can also add to that dossier the ignominious fact that the fella doesn't seem to know how professional cameras work. Talking about the rapid improvement in cameraphone technology during a speech in Helsinki yesterday, Vanjoki said that very soon "there will be no need to carry around those heavy lenses." He's really enthusiastic about HD video coming to phones, which he predicts will be here within 12 months (if you ask Sony Ericsson, it's here already), but we just can't let that spectacular line about lenses slide. The glass you shoot through is, for a lot of people, the most important piece of photographic equipment and there are genuine reasons why said lenses are heavy, elongated, and typically unfriendly to pockets. Then again, this dude also thought the N-Gage was gonna be a success, so don't start selling off that glass stockpile just yet.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Nokia's Anssi Vanjoki thinks cameraphones are about to make SLRs obsolete originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-oh no he didn't!: Reggie Fils-Aime says the iPhone OS isn't a 'viable profit platform for game development'

Nilay Patel — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:16:00 EST

We can't say we'd expect Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime to lavish praise on iPhone OS gaming and the abilities of the iPad, but we figured everyone had to at least acknowledge the effect of Apple's handhelds on the market and the potential of its tablet, you know? Nope -- ol' Reg just told Kotaku that Apple "is not having an impact on Nintendo when you look at our business, our volume, our hardware, our software," and that "clearly it doesn't look like their platform is a viable profit platform for game development because so many of the games are free versus paid downloads." Snap -- although we'd bet plenty of top-tier iPhone game devs like ngmoco would argue that their "freemium" model is working plenty okay. That's not all, though, as Reggie also had some choice words about depth: "If our games represent a range between snacks of entertainment and full meals depending on the type of game, (Apple's) aren't even a mouthful, in terms of the gaming experience you get." Double snap -- we'll leave it to you to argue that one out.

CE-oh no he didn't!: Reggie Fils-Aime says the iPhone OS isn't a 'viable profit platform for game development' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't!: Katzenberg says 'beautifully styled' 3D glasses won't make you look like a dweeb

Vlad Savov — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:32:00 EST

Another day, another CEO with more lip gloss than brain matter. Jeffrey Katzenberg has been talking to USA Today on what seems to be his favorite topic these days, 3D, and telling us that the glasses ain't no big deal. After all, "many many many people" wear glasses -- that's three lots of many for those keeping count at home -- and the new and improved 3D appendages are so "beautifully styled" that he expects them to start popping up at your local optometrist right next to the sunglasses and designer eyewear isles. In fact, this dude's sipping the corporate firewater so hard, we half-expect him to tell us that 3D offers "very high value" for money or ... wait, he said that too? Alright, we give up.

CE-Oh no he didn't!: Katzenberg says 'beautifully styled' 3D glasses won't make you look like a dweeb originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXVIII: Only Apple and dope smokers claim to know the future of tablets, says Dell VP

Ross Miller — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:27:00 EST

What we'd normally brush off as pretty standard mainstream tech piece became comedy gold thanks to the acerbic wit of Dell's John Thode. The VP of mobile devices was discussing its companies entry into the tablet industry (all the while promoting the Mini 5, of course) and seemed to downplay Apple's iPad momentum. "It's really hard to kind of do the same thing over again twice or three times... [Apple] is going to have more competition here." A rational statement, but here's where it gets interesting: "If anybody tells you they know exactly what's going to happen here, they're either Apple, or they're smoking dope." Don't tell John, but we hear Gartner just hired the entire cast and crew of Dazed and Confused for a special analytics department.

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXVIII: Only Apple and dope smokers claim to know the future of tablets, says Dell VP originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't? Part LXVII: Steve Jobs lashes out at Google, calls Adobe 'lazy'

Joshua Topolsky — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:08:00 EST

According to a report in Wired (and a source whom the publication says "could not be named"), Steve Jobs spoke to an audience of Apple employees at a town hall in Cupertino and... pulled zero punches. If you believe what you read, Jobs tackled a handful of major issues that have been buzzing the company lately, namely its run-ins with Google on a number of topics, and the lack of Flash support in its mobile devices (most notably in the upcoming iPad). On Google, Jobs had this to say: "We did not enter the search business. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won't let them." According to the attendee, another topic was brought up but Steve wouldn't let the Google issue go, stating his thoughts on the company's famous 'Don't be evil' line. In Steve's words? "It's bullshit."

Furthermore Jobs had a handful of choice words for Adobe, calling the company "lazy" and claiming that "Apple does not support Flash because it is so buggy. Whenever a Mac crashes more often than not it's because of Flash. No one will be using Flash. The world is moving to HTML5." Of course, these amazing nuggets of wisdom come from a source which Engadget cannot verify, so it's possible there are misquotes or items taken out of context, though from the sounds of things, this kind of talk falls right in line with what we'd expect from the man who said Microsoft "had no taste" and makes "really third-rate products." We eagerly await Eric Schmidt's response.

CE-Oh no he didn't? Part LXVII: Steve Jobs lashes out at Google, calls Adobe 'lazy' originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXVI: Acer founder predicts extinction of US PC makers within 20 years

Vlad Savov — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:28:00 EST

Oh, this is as tasty as it is salacious. Acer founder and former chairman (now retired) Stan Shih has come out with the bold prediction that US computer brands are on the way out -- if they do not adjust to the new reality of a PC market focused on low cost. When asked how he foresees Acer and ASUS establishing their brand credentials in the USA when they're engaged in constant price wars, Shih resolutely stated that lowering costs and prices is the way to do it. Drawing an analogy to the fate of US television brands (pow!), Shih pointed out his belief that American vendors aren't capable (slap!) of delivering the sort of affordability that the market is set to permanently demand. As harsh as his words may be, let's not forget Acer recently jumped Dell for the number two spot in volume of global sales, so let's not ignore what may in fact be prophecy rather than mere prattle.

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXVI: Acer founder predicts extinction of US PC makers within 20 years originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLV: Symbian's Lee Williams rips into Android, implies Google is evil (video)

Vlad Savov — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:06:00 EST

Strap yourselves in, folks, we're about to launch the Mudslinger 3000 again and figure out if any of it sticks. Lee Williams of Symbian starts off with a few attack volleys relating to Google's "fragmentation" of UI elements, and the resultant closed APIs being a nightmare to code for. With so many divergent UI elements and styles, he argues, developers would suffer, and the consequence would be a less vibrant app ecosystem. His major gripe with Google's mobile OS, though, has to do with the pervasive "cookie-ing" of customers, which raises the specter of privacy concerns. When asked directly by our buddy Om Malik whether he considers Android "more evil" than Apple's iPhone OS, Williams replied:

"I don't view Apple as evil, they're just greedy... Google, come on! When you have to say in your motto that we're not evil, right away the first question in my mind is, 'why do you have to tell me that?'"

All this must be tempered by the knowledge that Android is set to overtake large swathes of the mobile OS space, and some retaliatory trash talking is probably to be expected from the incumbent smartphone leader. Om does ask another sage question, in querying why Williams thinks companies are making such large investments into Android, and you'll find the answer to that and much more in the video past the break.

[Via MobileTechWorld; Thanks, fido]

Read - Lee Williams interview with GigaOM
Read - New York Times: 'Big Cellphone Makers Shifting to Android System'
Read - PCWorld: 'Android, Symbian Will Own Smartphones in 2012'

Continue reading CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLV: Symbian's Lee Williams rips into Android, implies Google is evil (video)

Filed under: Software, Symbian, Android

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLV: Symbian's Lee Williams rips into Android, implies Google is evil (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLV: Symbian's Lee Williams rips into Android, implies Google is evil (video)

Vlad Savov — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:06:00 EST

"I don't view Apple as evil, they're just greedy... Google, come on! When you have to say in your motto that we're not evil, right away the first question in my mind is, 'why do you have to tell me that?'"

Continue reading CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLV: Symbian's Lee Williams rips into Android, implies Google is evil (video)

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXIV: Microsoft's Greenberg says Xbox will outsell PS3 for 'entire generation'

Donald Melanson — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:21:00 EST

Didn't think Microsoft exec Aaron Greenberg could top himself after saying that Hulu on 360 was like "asking out a really hot chick on a date?" Well, think again, 'cause Greenberg recently sat down with GameInformer for a fairly wide ranging interview, and he took the opportunity to toss a few bombs in Sony's direction. The biggest of those is that he's "confident" that the Xbox 360 will "not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation" -- adding that it's "similar to a game of baseball, it is not about just winning one inning, but instead being able to win the game by consistently delivering across all nine innings." Greenberg also went on to say that Sony's expected good showing in the September sales numbers is merely a "short term bump," and that "it is not a real concern to us." Hit up the link below for the complete interview, which also includes talk of the Zune HD, Xbox Live, and Microsoft's plans for the holiday season.

[Via PC World]

Filed under: Gaming

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXIV: Microsoft's Greenberg says Xbox will outsell PS3 for 'entire generation' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXIII: Bobby Kotick says Guitar Hero going plug-and-play, developers kept in state of 'skepticism, pessimism, and fear'

Tim Stevens — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:32:00 EST

You know those Atari controllers that let you play Atari games without actually having an Atari? That, it seems, is the future of the Guitar Hero franchise, with Activision CEO Bobby Kotick indicating that new titles from the company will be playable "independent of a console." It's perhaps a natural step, as the franchise's developers must surely spend half their time frantically porting games from PS3 to Xbox 360 to Nintendo DS to graphic calculator to... well, you get the picture. Kotick also said some wondrous things that will make those Activision coders slouch even further into their chairs, developers who already were surely fearing for their jobs, indicating that they live within a corporate environment of "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" with the hope of "keeping people focused on the deep depression," and that he wants to take "all the fun out of making video games." So, then, that My Chemical Romance edition of the series should be announced any time now.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXIII: Bobby Kotick says Guitar Hero going plug-and-play, developers kept in state of 'skepticism, pessimism, and fear' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXII: Steve Ballmer publicly ridicules Microsoft employee with iPhone, threatens to smash it

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:08:00 EST

Not every man was born with common sense. And anyone who's ever seen Steve Ballmer take a stage knows that you don't want to get in the way of the emotionally-charged big man when the curtain opens. So we're not terribly surprised to learn that Steve grabbed an iPhone he saw during his big entrance to a private Microsoft company meeting held at Seattle's Safeco Field. Apparently, the hapless employee (allegedly from the Windows group) was trying to snap a photo of his boss when Ballmer grabbed the device and made some "funny comments" met by boos and jeers from Microsoft's employees. Steve then set it on the ground and pretended to stomp on it before walking away -- later teasing the employee during his presentation by noting that he hadn't forgotten him. Good times, we're sure, and nothing rallies the troops like a common enemy... except perhaps the camaraderie that comes in knowing that you've created a game-changing device.

We even have a photograph from the actual iPhone supposedly snapped while Steve Ballmer was brandishing it overhead. We can't say for sure if it's real, in fact, that could be the guy from Lost. See it after the break.

Continue reading CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXII: Steve Ballmer publicly ridicules Microsoft employee with iPhone, threatens to smash it

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXII: Steve Ballmer publicly ridicules Microsoft employee with iPhone, threatens to smash it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LX: NVIDIA calls Intel's single-chip Atom pricing "pretty unfair"

Nilay Patel — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:47:00 EST

Now that Intel's been slapped with a record $1.45b antitrust fine in Europe, it seems like the claws are coming out -- AMD just put up that "Break Free" site, and today we've got NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang calling Chipzilla's Atom pricing "unfair." It seems that Intel sells the standard Atom chip for $45 on its own, but bundles the diminutive CPU into the oh-so-familiar netbook configuration for just $25, meaning NVIDIA's Ion chipset isn't price-competitive. Of course, this is just another twist in the endless argument about Ion, but despite the denials, this isn't the first time we've heard whispers that Intel pretty much forces manufacturers to buy complete Atom chipsets -- the dearth of Ion-powered netbooks in the market is fairly suspicious considering the GeForce 9400M at the heart of the platform is a well-known quantity. On the other hand, we've also heard this is all going to change and change dramatically at Computex next month, so we'll see -- either way, things are bound to get interesting.

[Via TrustedReviews]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LX: NVIDIA calls Intel's single-chip Atom pricing "pretty unfair" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LIX: Elevation's McNamee predicts death to iPhone on June 29

Paul Miller — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:03:00 EST

Roger McNamee, founding partner of the Palm-rescuing investment firm Elevation Partners, has had some interesting things to say about what to expect from the Pre. Now, though, he's really out done himself with what he has to say about the iPhone. In an interview with Bloomberg, McNamee (aka "Chubby Wombat Moonalice" when playing bass) predicted that the Pre will bring the downfall of Apple's wunder-handset, saying:

June 29, 2009, is the two-year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone. Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later. Think about it -- if you bought the first iPhone, you bought it because you wanted the coolest product on the market. Your two-year contract has just expired. Look around. Tell me what they're going to buy.

We don't know the future, but we can sure tell you what we're not buying right now. And besides, we don't know too many early adopter types that could resist the siren call of 3G halfway through their existing iPhone contract, thereby re-upping their contract for another few millenia. That should be plenty enough time for Apple to whip up something new... or at least for Roger to get a haircut.

[Via Daring Fireball]

Filed under: Handsets, Palm, Apple

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LIX: Elevation's McNamee predicts death to iPhone on June 29 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LIX: Elevation's McNamee predicts death to iPhone on June 29

Tim Stevens — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:03:00 EST

June 29, 2009, is the two-year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone. Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later. Think about it -- if you bought the first iPhone, you bought it because you wanted the coolest product on the market. Your two-year contract has just expired. Look around. Tell me what they're going to buy.

Filed under: Cellphones

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LIX: Elevation's McNamee predicts death to iPhone on June 29 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVIII: NVIDIA CEO doesn't know what Larrabee is, doesn't care

Richard Lawler — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:22:00 EST

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang just can't resist throwing more jabs at Intel, distracting the inaugural NVISION crowd from Battlestar Galactica star Tricia Helfer with the claim that "Larrabee hasn't shipped so you don't know what it is and I don't know what it is." The fact that we do know what it is -- a next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU -- shouldn't be a concern according to Huang, because "By the time it does ship, Nvidia's technology will be so far advanced it won't matter." Besides stuffing Usain Bolt-type speed into a GPU the company will keep busy working on its WinMo smartphone hardware, and software for the not-exactly-Atom-killing VIA Nano, but forget about that rumored x86-compatible hardware 'cuz, as Jen-Hsun reminds us, "the Internet doesn't run on x86." For a company that lacks innovation, is "a joke," and at least four years behind, Intel must be doing something right, because the competition can't keep its name out of their mouths.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVIII: NVIDIA CEO doesn't know what Larrabee is, doesn't care originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVII: Howard Stringer says the Wii is not 'a competitor'

Joshua Topolsky — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:54:00 EST

Further confirming his utter disconnect from reality, Sony head Howard Stringer referred to Nintendo's market-dominating Wii as an "expensive niche game device." Previous to making that statement, Stringer bafflingly said, "I've played a Nintendo Wii, I don't see it as a competitor." Now look -- we're not saying you're in some kind of CEO super-denial, but all signs point to the possibility that you should probably consider the Wii a competitor (since it is... well... a competing system and platform), and perhaps recognize that "niche" is typically not synonymous with "best selling." Of course, you're the guy running Sony, we're just watching the crackup from the sidelines.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Filed under: Gaming

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVII: Howard Stringer says the Wii is not 'a competitor' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVI: Dell states, for the record, he could take Jobs in a fight

Ryan Block — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:38:00 EST

Michael Dell's been up on stage here at D for a solid 45 minutes and has yet to say anything particularly interesting (unless you consider rattling off numbers about unit growth, margins, etc. fascinating), but the man got his chance during the audience Q&A. Someone asked if he could take Steve Jobs in a fight, and Dell flatly replied, "Yeah, I could take him." Now there's a fight we'd pay good money to see.

[Thanks Seenew for Jobs' Mii]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVI: Dell states, for the record, he could take Jobs in a fight originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 May 2008 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LV: NVIDIA boss says "We're going to open a can of whoop-ass" on Intel

Nilay Patel — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:09:00 EST

Looks like Intel's plans to enter the graphics space in a big way with its Nehalem and Larrabee lines strike NVIDIA CEO Jen Hsun-Huang as being rather foolish -- in a conference call with analysts today, Huang said Intel's integrated graphics offerings were "a joke," and that even a tenfold increase in performance would put them behind NVIDIA's current products. Huang didn't stop there, saying that NVIDIA was "going to open a can of whoop-ass," and that while Intel's graphics chips were fine for running Office, they would never cut it for gamers and other demanding users. Huang kept going, responding to questions about all those driver-related Vista crashes by saying that NVIDIA had to support new games weekly while Intel's chips aren't ever put to the test. Actually, that's toning it down a bit -- what Huang actually said was "You already have the right machine to run Excel. You bought it four years ago... How much faster can you render the blue screen of death?" Yeah, them's fightin' words -- you going to sit there and take it, Intel?

[Thanks, Mike A.]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LV: NVIDIA boss says "We're going to open a can of whoop-ass" on Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLVII: NBC Universal chief says Apple "destroyed" music pricing

Nilay Patel — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:26:00 EST

NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker clearly did not get enough raisins in his cereal this morning, because dude was not holding anything back during that speech he gave at Syracuse's Newhouse School of Communications -- in addition to saying NBC had made only $15M in iTunes video sales despite being the number one producer of content, he flat-out said that Apple and iTunes had "destroyed the music business" in terms of pricing and that video was next unless "we take control." Of course, seeing as consumers can access Universal's entire music catalog with various subscription services for under $10 a month ($36 a year, in the case of Yahoo Music) and entire NBC shows for free on the web, but still choose to buy songs and shows straight-up on iTunes anyway, it might be fair to say that NBC Universal is still figuring out how to monetize its content effectively, but really, where's the fun in that? Round 7, fight!

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLVII: NBC Universal chief says Apple "destroyed" music pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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