Steve Ballmer
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Yes, Steve Ballmer actually said 'toilets, toilets, toilets'
Former Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer is obsessed with toilets in the Clippers' new stadium — he's almost as excited about them as he was for developers.
It's official: Steve Ballmer is buying the LA Clippers for $2 billion
The papers are signed and the deal is done (pending approval by the NBA's Board of Governors). Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer really is buying the LA Clippers (you can say LA Clippys, once) for $2 billion, now that the NBA, owner Donald Sterling's wife Shelly Sterling and the Sterling Family trust have resolved their dispute. Donald Sterling announced earlier today that he's filing a $1 billion lawsuit against the league for trying to take away his team after racist statements he made leaked out. To cover that, as part of the sale agreement his wife and the family trust have indemnified the league against any lawsuits from others (read: Donald Sterling). So what will Ballmer do with the Clippers? It's not clear, but he's apparently stated that he will not be moving them to Seattle to take the place of the departed Supersonics. [Image credit: Noel Vasquez/GC Images]
LA Times: Steve Ballmer agrees to buy the LA Clippers for $2 billion
So what's Steve Ballmer up to now that Satya Nadella is running things at Microsoft? According to the LA Times, he's just made a tentative agreement to buy the Clippers for about $2 billion. After NBA commish Adam Silver (pictured above, with Ballmer at a Clippers game on May 11th) announced the league will force current owner Donald Sterling to sell the team after racist remarks he made leaked out, a number of potential bidders have appeared. According to the Times report, Ballmer bit out several other bids, including one from a group led by entertainment exec David Geffen for $1.6 billion. The ex-Microsoft CEO has a reported net worth of between $15 - $20 billion, so he can certainly afford it, with change left over to switch the mascot to something more familiar. There's no official announcement of the deal, and according to TMZ, negotiations are still under way with several bidders. Others like Grantland / ESPN's Bill Simmons are hearing the deal is just about done, with caveats that there are several hurdles before it's approved. [Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/GC Images]
Microsoft's next CEO is Satya Nadella
Microsoft announced Satya Nadella as its new CEO this morning. Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992, and is now upgrading from his previously held position as Executive Vice President of the company's Cloud and Enterprise group. The new CEO is credited with bringing Microsoft's various services to the cloud. Additionally, founder Bill Gates will take a new role on the Board of Directors as Founder and Technology Advisor, "supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction." In his stead, John Thompson will take the role of Chairman with the Board. The company's previous longtime CEO, Steve Ballmer, announced that he would retire "within a year" back in August 2013. Prior to the announcement, Ballmer named Julie Larson-Green the head of the Devices and Studios Engineering Group, the division created in the company's organizational shift to include the Xbox brand in it.
How to make a CES keynote
Last night, director Michael Bay made an abrupt stage exit during Samsung's day zero CES press conference. It was awkward, but little more than a square of toilet paper on the bottom of a tennis shoe compared to last year's Qualcomm keynote. A bizarre mix of stilted theatrics, celebrity appearances and product demos, the presentation was like nothing we'd ever seen -- until we took a look back. Qualcomm may have jacked its keynote up on steroids, but many of the tricks it pulled out were already tried-and-true standards. As Sony's Kaz Hirai prepares to kick things off at CES 2014 this morning, we reflect on 20-plus years of innovative speeches, futuristic predictions and just plain strange behavior. This is how you make a CES keynote.
Qualcomm COO reportedly added to Microsoft's list of potential Ballmer successors
There are plenty of high profile names currently being bandied about as potential successors to Steve Ballmer's Redmond throne. Stephen Elop's name has been on the tip of a lot of tongues, thanks in no small part to his past Microsoft experience. And just about a month ago, Reuters noted that Ford CEO Alan Mulally's name had been added to the shortlist. Today Bloomberg's usual stable of "people familiar with the matter" note that Qualcomm's COO Steve Mollenkopf has also joined the elite ranks. Certainly the chipmaker has the sort of mobile expertise Microsoft's board is looking for during this ever-important transitional period. Of course the company isn't talking about whether it's considering asking the exec to leave sunny San Diego.
Ballmer confirms what we all knew: Elop candidate for Microsoft CEO job
File this one in the "Well, yeah," department. Stephen Elop may have stepped down from his CEO gig at Nokia, but Microsoft's former head of its Business Division may still harbor C-level dreams. In an interview with The Seattle Times, Redmond's soon-to-be-former CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed that Elop is in the running for his gig, stating, "Stephen will go from external [candidate] to internal." So the personable mobile exec will be keeping his name badge either way -- time will tell, of course, which washroom he ultimately gets the key for.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer retiring within a year
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will retire from his position at some point during the next 12 months, the company announced this morning. The timing of Ballmer's departure is dependent on the process of finding his replacement, which is currently ongoing. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue his duties as usual. The search for Ballmer's replacement is being helmed by a special committee, which includes Chuck Noski, Stephen Luczo and good ol' Billy Gates. The committee is considering applicants from both inside and outside the company, which means that now is the perfect time to submit your resume. Microsoft's press release didn't give exact requirements for the position, but Ballmer graduated magna cum laude from Harvard so we're going to guess that at least some college is required. It also probably helps if you're familiar with Excel.
Microsoft: Steve Ballmer stepping down within a year
One thing's for sure: we'll certainly miss keynote dances and chants of, "Developers! Developers! Developers!" when Steve Ballmer steps down from his job as the head of Microsoft some time within the next 12 months -- no matter who the John Thompson-chaired succession committee picks to fill his shoes. There aren't a ton of details regarding the decision at the moment -- though a press release issued by the company (which you can find in all of PR speak glory below) is certainly positioning the move as voluntary on Ballmer's part, stating that the exec, "has decided to retire." No direct replacement has been lined up, and as such, he'll remain on-board as CEO until the committee finds the right person. Along with Thompson, Bill Gates, Chuck Noski and Steve Luczo will also take part in the search. Gates had some nice things to say about his successor and old pal, "We're fortunate to have Steve in his role until the new CEO assumes these duties." For his part, Ballmer continues to sound bullish when it comes to the company's future, "there is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time. We have embarked on a new strategy with a new organization and we have an amazing Senior Leadership Team. My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company's transformation to a devices and services company. We need a CEO who will be here longer term for this new direction." Update: Well, ask and ye shall receive. Just like that, Microsoft has revealed Ballmer's "internal email" to the staff. We've included that below, just under the aforementioned press release. The opening of the letter is comprised of the same quote Microsoft issued in this morning's release, as well as, interestingly, a link to press release itself. Ballmer goes on to praise current senior leadership and adds that the company has managed to balloon from "$7.5 million to nearly $78 billion," since the 30 staff member days when he first joined up. The note doesn't shed much more additional light on any future plans, though the executive does add that he will "[continue] as one of Microsoft's largest owners." The exit, he explains is "emotional" and "difficult." No doubt there will be much dancing and shouting in the months to come. Update 2: The Seattle Times scored interviews with Ballmer and Thompson, revealing a couple of tidbits. First, Thompson notes that the CEO will, indeed, have some input on choosing his successor. In fully reflective mode, Ballmer (not shockingly, perhaps) admits that Vista was his biggest disappointment during his tenure. He also added that he plans to stay in Seattle post-retirement, so that tropical island paradise will have to wait. Also, as plenty have noted before us, the Wall Street reaction to news has been been initially fairly positive, so read into that what you will.
Report: Ballmer to make Windows chief new head of Xbox division
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is considering Julie Larson-Green, the current Windows chief, to take over hardware engineering for the entire company, including the Xbox division, Bloomberg reports. Currently, Larson-Green is in charge of Windows products at Microsoft: She led the UI design of Office XP, 2003 and 2007, and she managed the launch of Windows 7 in 2009. Larson-Green recently oversaw the Windows 8 launch, which has been trickier than Windows 7. This is part of a company restructuring plan that Ballmer is expected to announce next week, at the earliest. In June, reports indicated Ballmer's changes would focus on making Microsoft a "devices and services" company, along with giving Mattrick a larger role. Obviously that's out of the question now – Mattrick announced his resignation from Microsoft yesterday, and he's poised to take over as CEO of Zynga next week.
Microsoft CEO talks about Office, won't comment on Office for iPad
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talked with Businessweek about the recent Office 2013 launch. Most of the interview focused on the desktop version of the productivity suite, but Ballmer dodged a question right at the end about the development of the iPad version of Office. When asked how the iPad version was coming along, Ballmer declined to comment and said the following: I have nothing to say on that topic. We're very glad with the product, very happy with the product that we're putting in market. It makes sense on the devices like the Mac and the PC. We have a product that we think makes a lot of sense. We do have a way for people always to get to Office through the browser, which is very important. And we'll see what we see in the future. This response doesn't kill off the idea of Office for the iPad, but it does suggest the product is not a high priority for the Microsoft CEO. Office for iPad has been rumored since T3 claimed Microsoft may be working on an iPad version of Office and The Daily broke the story open with screenshots of the app in 2012. A Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge late last year that "Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android."
Ballmer: Windows Phone 8 'still small', but will 'really ramp quickly'
Following its launch event in San Francisco and the appearance of its first devices last week, the folks behind Windows Phone 8 are hoping for big things in the future. Chief exec Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft's work with Nokia, HTC and Samsung offered it the chance to create a "really strong third participant in the smartphone market." He admitted that the company isn't there quite yet and told the audience at a Windows 8 launch event in Israel that Microsoft's mobile OS was "still relatively small", but that he expects "the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly." The company will be lavishing more resources on marketing and advertising for Windows 8, Window Phone 8 and Surface than it has on any previous products -- which sounds good, as its new mobile OS might need the help.
Microsoft posts Build 2012 session videos for eager Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 coders
Not every developer had the luxury of putting a flight to Redmond on the corporate tab so that they could attend Microsoft's Build 2012 conference in person. Much to their delight, they won't have to. The company has posted streaming video for every session addressing Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and beyond, ranging from the two keynotes through to nuts-and-bolts framework talks. Be warned: most programmers will want to know Visual Studio and similar tools like the back of their hand before tackling some of these sessions. If they emerge unscathed, though, they'll be well-equipped to live in Microsoft's Windows Store world.
Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video)
The last time we saw Steve Ballmer star in a commercial for Microsoft, he was extolling the virtues of a 286-based PC running the glory that was Windows 1.0 -- in 1986. You can imagine the surprise we got 26 years later when Microsoft premiered an ad featuring the now-CEO during its Windows Phone 8 event. If you were expecting that same kind of unbridled enthusiasm Crazy Eddie once used to hawk underpriced TVs, you may be either pleased or disappointed. It's a very level-headed and well-spoken Ballmer this time around, with the executive calmly highlighting the advice he gets through his HTC Windows Phone 8X from people like his wife and a certain Billy G. Besides evoking nostalgia, the pitch is an illustration of what Windows Phone's live tiles can do as well as a reflection of Microsoft coming full circle -- as it was two decades ago, Redmond is fighting for market attention at a time when new interface concepts are challenging its main business. We're just glad there's fewer plaid business suits in 2012.
Daily Update for October 29, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Ballmer: Apple has not produced a product that customers use
Someone in Redmond, WA needs to call the folks with the straitjackets, as it appears that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has gone certifiably bonkers. AllThingsD's John Paczkowski notes that in a recent interview with CNBC, Ballmer went on record as saying that "I don't think anybody has done a product that is the product that I see customers wanting. You can go through the products from all those guys ... and none of them has a product that you can really use. Not Apple. Not Google. Not Amazon." Okaayyyyy, Steve. Just put down the Microsoft Surface and sit down, and let's talk about this. What about the 100 million iPads that Apple has sold in a little over two years? How about the Amazon Kindle Fire, which (despite the company refusing to release actual sales figures) is supposedly the best-selling Amazon product ever? Ballmer is maintaining that everyone wants the Surface, which he touts as the product that can be both PC and tablet, at play and at work. Perhaps it's the stress of last week's product launch of Windows 8 and Surface, or maybe the fact that the company is spending an estimated $1.5 billion to launch those products that's causing him to lose sight of reality. Paczkowski ends his post by saying that "Maybe Microsoft will change users' expectations for tablets. But after two and half years and 100 million iPads sold, it's not going to be easy."
Bill Gates already has a Surface and you don't (video)
Being the founder of Microsoft certainly has its advantages, as well as its downsides. Case in point: the video interview Microsoft released this morning, starring none other than Bill Gates himself talking about the world of Windows 8. On the positive side, Gates reveals he's already got his own soon-to-be-released Microsoft Surface RT -- he calls it "an unbelievably great product," unsurprisingly -- with a black keyboard. On the less than positive side, despite being out of the CEO seat at the company, Gates still has to do interviews like the one found after the break. You'd think he could just get Ballmer to put on his old Crazy Eddie's impersonation! We've dropped that notorious video after the break as well, for comparison sake.
Microsoft CEO Ballmer braces us for a 'fundamental shift' in strategy with more Microsoft-designed devices
Microsoft's Surface tablets could already be considered warning shots across the bow, signalling that a change in strategy was underway. For anyone who was in doubt, however, CEO Steve Ballmer has clearly spelled out in a shareholder letter that Microsoft now sees its own devices as crucial to the company as anything else. There's a "fundamental shift" in how the Redmond-based crew works, he says, and investors should expect that Microsoft will periodically make "specific devices for specific purposes" (like Surface or the Xbox) that show off services in the best light possible. Ballmer adds that plans in the long run focus on new device types and learning interfaces. The message is ostensibly a rosy one for the company's future, but there's also a subtext for hardware makers that have complained about competing against their OS partner: get used to it. Ballmer sees Microsoft-designed hardware like Surface as complementary to what third parties do, and his company isn't about to reverse course anytime soon.
HTC's Windows Phone 8 press event now available to watch online (video)
Love you some Windows Phone? Big fan of HTC? Well, then, we imagine this has been a good week for you! If you missed our coverage from New York as it happened, first of all, shame on you. But, we'll forgive you, and as a special treat even point you to a video of the whole event online. Simply head past the break for the goods, and if you don't want to know what happens, don't click on any of the earlier links in this post. Too late for spoilers? Okay, they announce new phones!
Microsoft gifts full-time employees with Surface tablets, Windows 8 phones and PCs
Reprising a Windows Phone 7 giveaway from back in 2010, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer announced at the company's annual event that all 90,000 or so full-time employees are getting a taste of its latest hardware. That's one Surface for Windows RT tablet and Windows Phone 8 phone (we're told that last time around these came with two year contracts) in late December, along with a new touch compatible office computer running Windows 8, presumably arriving sooner. Forbes indicates those PCs can be a desktop, laptop, ultrabook or tablet, and we have a pic of one employee's new Lenovo-built slate running Windows 8 on a Core i7 CPU with 8GB of RAM after the break. Pulling an Oprah, again, isn't just one way to improve employee morale, it also ensures everyone's familiar with the new products as they roll out and are ready to tell people about them. Will that provide the necessary bump to catch up with the competition from Apple and Google? Only time will tell, but if you're wondering what to say when someone asks if every single person wants a Surface then our advice follows after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
