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Bill Gates is launching a multibillion-dollar clean energy fund
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is set to reveal a massive clean energy project on Monday, during the first day of the United Nations climate change summit in Paris. According to Reuters, which originally reported the news, the French government has confirmed that the ex-CEO-turned-philanthropist will launch the Clean Tech Initiative, a push to commit countries to double their budgets on clean energy tech research and developments by 2020. But Gates won't be working on this multibillion dollar fund alone: The US, Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Norway, Saudi Arabia and South Korea will all be backing the plan, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Bill Gates weighs in on the new Microsoft, philanthropy and leaping over chairs
Bill Gates plays bridge, washes dishes each night and prefers In-N-Out to McDonald's and Burger King (as any sane person would). The Gates Foundation chairman offered up those tidbits and more in another Reddit AMA today, an hour-long dialogue that unearthed a few gems. Let's consider the Microsoft situation. We already knew Gates would play a more prominent role in the company now that Satya Nadella is running the show, and he confirmed that he's going to spend about one-third of his time on "product work" for the company. Pretty vague stuff, but he clarified just a bit: "I make sure we pick ambitious scenarios and that we have a strong architecture to deliver on them. I encourage good work (hopefully)."
Bill Gates sympathizes with your Windows NT login woes, admits three-button start 'was a mistake'
While most of the world associates the classic control-alt-delete keyboard command with soft reboots and frozen applications, a small portion of the population battles with the bizarre concept of the command as a login as well. Windows NT users, specifically, recall using the command as a means to turn on their desktops -- something that Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is finally calling "a mistake." In a wide-ranging interview on-stage at Harvard University, Gates regaled current students of his alma mater with tales of his time at the school. But apparently Harvard Campaign co-chair David Rubenstein couldn't forego his chance to get an answer -- or at least an apology -- from Gates on the bizarre login procedure. Gates admitted, "It could've had a single button, but the guy who did the IBM keyboard design didn't wanna give us our single button. It was...it was a mistake." Of course, Gates laughs it off, having moved beyond guilt over software released 20 years ago. Head below for the full video, and jump to the 17-minute mark should you wish to see the exchange over Windows NT first.
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.
Jobs was interested in the phone industry as early as the 80's
Former Apple CEO John Sculley spoke recently during Young Turks Conclave 2013 and shared his thoughts on Steve Jobs, Apple's future and India's entrepreneurs. His conversation was reprinted by YourStory.in, a website dedicated to India's startup scene. Speaking about Steve Jobs, Sculley shared that He and Jobs were working on Mac phones as early as 1984. "I remember we were working on Mac phones back in late 1984. Steve was thinking about those kinds of products back then. He used to say, the most important things are not the things you build but also the things you don't build. He was rigorous in the discipline of simplifying." As noted by The Mac Observer, these phones likely were not mobile phones like the iPhone, but a Mac-based landline phones. It probably was an idea hatched by engineers at Apple and eventually killed by Jobs Many of Jobs' visions for Apple continue today under the leadership of Tim Cook. Cook, Sculley believes, will lead Apple into the next game-changing product, which will likely involve televisions or wearable technology. "Apple is like BMW, and BMW doesn't compete with the lowest price brands. I think Apple will do just fine. Tim Cook has done a terrific job of setting up the stage for some exciting products next year. I don't think there would be a creative leap in the smartphone industry, and the industry is maturing and is stabilizing right now. But I am sure we will see a creative leap from Apple maybe a TV or a wearable." Sculley also shares some anecdotal stories about the friendly, yet competitive relationship between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Sculley's comments on YourStory.in are worth a read for those interested in Apple history. [Via The Mac Observer]
Satellite startup Kymeta announces $50 million in funding from Bill Gates and other backers
It's been nearly a year since Intellectual Ventures announced its satellite communications spinoff Kymeta, but a recent round of funding from heavyweight backers is about to give the company some serious momentum. In a press release today, Kymeta announced $50 million in Series C financing from Bill Gates, Liberty Global and Lux Capital, among other high-profile investors. The company, which is developing a portable satellite broadband receiver under the mTenna brand, currently counts Gates among its board members. Though its products have yet to hit the market, Kymeta's A-list backing has generated significant interest in its tech, which utilizes metamaterials to deliver stronger broadband signals in a more affordable, energy-efficient package. The company is already in talks with several service providers, and this latest influx of cash should only help expedite development agreements and a commercial launch.
Bill Gates regains title of world's richest person as Microsoft stock hits five-year high
Bill Gates may be more philanthropic than ever since leaving the top job at Microsoft, but he still owns a ton of stock in the company, which today just so happened to close at a five-year high. As Bloomberg reports, that shift was finally enough to push Gates' net worth back above that of telecom mogul Carlos Slim, who took the title of "world's richest person" away from Gates way back in 2007. As things stand now, Gates has some $72.7 billion to his name, while Slim stands at $72.1 billion. A situation that offers no material for puns whatsoever.
The Daily Roundup for 05.13.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Bill Gates talks about the last time he saw Steve Jobs
Last night Bill Gates was interviewed by Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes. Though the interview covered many subjects, it inevitably turned to Gates' relationship with Steve Jobs. In the part of the interviewed that aired, Gates understandably teared up when he talked about the last time he saw Jobs, at his home in May of 2011. When Rose asked Gates what they talked about, Gates replied, "...what we'd learned, families... anything." Gates also elaborated on their relationship over the years in unaired footage of the interview that is available to watch online.
Charlie Rose interviews 'Bill Gates 2.0' on 60 Minutes: the man after Microsoft
Last night's 60 Minutes gave a solid block of screen time to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with a focus on his efforts to tackle preventable diseases through the Gates Foundation. The show looked at how the Foundation is using the ethos of a technology company to meet humanitarian challenges, such as its recent plumbing-free toilet competition to improve sanitation around the world, and the development of a thermos that can keep 200 vaccines cool for 50 days using a single block of ice. Separately, Gates also spoke about the late Steve Jobs and how the two men effectively "grew up together" as rivals. 60 Minutes interviewer Charlie Rose noted that Gates will "long be remembered" for his philanthropy, whereas Jobs "did not have time to do that." There are two excerpts from the show after the break, but we can't guarantee how well they'll work on mobile devices so you may want to go straight to the source links below.
Bill Gates: iPad users are frustrated because they "can't type, can't create documents"
A long-time champion of tablet computing, one has to wonder how former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates feels given that Apple seemingly swooped in out of nowhere and quickly claimed the tablet market as its own in 2010. Indeed, the latest data from IDC indicates that the iPad amassed a 39.6 percent market share during the first quarter of 2013. In contrast, tablets from Microsoft accounted for just a 1.8 percent share. While Apple views the tablet and PC markets as two separate entities, Microsoft takes the opposing view. During a CNBC interview this morning, Gates continued to toe the party line insofar as he praised the benefits of Microsoft's tablets and Windows 8 while explaining that iPad users are frustrated because they have trouble typing and creating documents. With Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to gain share in what has been dominated by the iPad-type device. But a lot of those users are frustrated, they can't type, they can't create documents. They don't have Office there. So we're providing them something with the benefits they've seen that have made that a big category, but without giving up what they expect in a PC. As for frustration with respect to creating documents and the lack of Office, booming iPad and iPad mini sales suggest that most folks find the iPad feature set to be perfectly fine. In fact, Apple's Pages is the top paid iPad app of all time while Keynote and Numbers check in at number 10 and 11 respectively. Clearly, many consumers are, in fact, typing and creating documents on the iPad, just outside the familiar confines of Microsoft Office. As for any chance Apple may one day merge its tablet and laptop offerings, I think Tim Cook has been rather clear about where Apple stands on that. During an earnings conference call from last April, the Apple CEO quipped, "You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those aren't going to be pleasing to the user."
ATD: Gates, Ballmer and Sean Parker join Zuckerberg's FWD.us lobby group
Mark Zuckerberg showed he's more than just a social butterfly earlier this month, forming the tech-focused political lobby group FWD.us alongside some other big names in the industry. Now, according to AllThingsD, a few more heavy-hitters have signed up to offer their expertise, including Sean Parker (Napster co-founder) and Microsoft's Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and Brad Smith. Not a bad crew to have on your side when technology issues are up for discussion, especially Ballmer -- he's notoriously good at getting his point across. Update: This post has been corrected to reflect that the Brad Smith involved is General Counsel and EVP at Microsoft, and not Intuit CEO Brad Smith.
Gates, Zuck and crew entice kids into programming through a short film
Kids in many parts of the world are growing up surrounded with technology, some from a very tender age. Many schools aren't teaching much if any programming, though, which has led Code.org to make a short film spurring young techies into action. We have a hunch that it might work -- the video has quite possibly the most star-studded collection of men and women explaining how they got into coding and why they like it, including Bill Gates, Gabe Newell and Mark Zuckerberg. There's even endorsements from unexpected sources, such as Miami Heat player Chris Bosh. It's true that most of them have a vested interest in creating future employees, but they collectively raise the real concern that there's a deficit of software and web developers. Catch the full feature after the break if you're looking to persuade a curious child.
'80s throwback photo of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates (Updated)
You don't see too many photos of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates together, and you definitely won't see many more like this. This photo was posted a few years ago by Minimal Mac and is a classic that I've never noticed before. I absolutely love that '80s Breakfast Club-inspired cut on Jobs and the always-present nerdiness of Gates. Other than a credit to Croatian designer Alexander Pieri, background details surrounding the photo are not known. Update: Thanks to All About Steve Jobs which pointed out that the photo is from the August 1991 edition of Fortune that celebrates 10 years of the PC. The article has a great conversation with the two personal computing giants.
PSA: Bill Gates accepting questions now in Reddit AMA (video)
Ever wonder who made the call to not pursue the Courier? Or, why did Microsoft kill off the Kin so quickly? Maybe looking for someone who can tell you whether the post-PC era is really a thing? Here's your chance. Bill Gates is currently doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit, which, as the name implies, gives you the chance to get your questions answered. Get your best inquiry prepared and hit up the source link -- but don't get too excited. In just 45 minutes Gates' post has already received 4,400 responses, meaning you might have a bit of a wait before he gets to that most important question: yours. Update: Video of Bill answering the first few questions added after the break.
Bill Gates to chat education on PBS in first TED Talk made for TV
Word comes by way of The Wrap that PBS is slated to air the very first TED Talk produced for TV on April 16th, and it'll feature Bill Gates, to boot. The special sets its sights on discussing education and will include the likes of educators Geoffrey Canada and Sir Ken Robinson alongside Microsoft's co-founder. In advance of the broadcast, the program will be taped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Harvey Theater on April 4th. There's no word on whether tickets are up for grabs to attend the event, but we'd start searching for friends who know Gates if you'd prefer the live experience. [Image credit: World Economic Forum, Flickr]
Daily Update for December 31, 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
Gates' children won't own Apple products
Telegraph reports that Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft's former boss Bill Gates, noted that her kids are still forbidden from owning Apple products in a recent Radio 4 broadcast. It's been known for some time that the Gates children were not allowed to purchase Apple gear such as the iPod, but since Microsoft's own Zune has bit the dust, we thought that might have changed a bit. Not so, according to the latest update. Not that it's rough to be a child of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Being the offspring of one of the most wealthy individuals in the world isn't exactly a bad hand to be dealt. But to be born into the tech world and yet forbidden to own gadgets like the iPad and iPhone can't be an easy thing to explain to friends. Of course, if last year's rumors that young Jennifer Gates uses an iPhone are true, it looks like the sacred seal may already be broken.
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.
Gates Foundation collaborates with Manchester University to develop potable toilet water
It's an unsettling thought, having to drink water from that bowl in your bathroom, but if the need ever arose, wouldn't you be glad to know it was clean and safe? Dr. Sarah Haigh, a researcher into the properties of nanomaterials at Manchester University, is currently pursuing this goal with a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. With the help of nanomaterials and bacteria, Haigh believes that hydrogen can be easily extracted from not only the water, but human waste itself, which could then be processed into clean water. Should the system work effectively, Haigh stands to receive an additional $1,000,000 grant to further her research and develop inexpensive purification systems for use in nations without modern infrastructure. And you thought nothing worthwhile would come from purchasing Microsoft Office.
