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Steve Ballmer at D8: the video highlights (updated)
Steve Ballmer didn't say too much at D8 that we haven't heard him or others at Microsoft say in the past, but he's always an entertaining and interesting interview, and All Things Digital is upping the videos of Walt's session with Steve and Ray Ozzie now. Up first is a clip of Steve talking about how Microsoft is getting back into the mobile game and how RIM and Nokia are still formidable competitors, followed by Ray and Steve riffing on the potential of the cloud and how things can get even better for Microsoft. We'll add more as D's video people get them up -- check back!
Ballmer: Silverlight 'certainly doesn't run on the iPhone!'
Walt: Does Silverlight run on Android or the iPhone? Steve: It certainly doesn't run on the iPhone! My guess is if it did it would be blocked! That's just my guess! Read more of what Ballmer had to say in our D8 liveblog.
Engadget Podcast 198 - 05.29.2010
How many executives does it take to screw in a light bulb? Fewer than you would think! How many screens do you need to coordinate your digital life with the cloud? Less than 3, contrary to popular belief. How many Engadget Podcasteers need be present to convey the week's news to you in a succinct 90-minute audio package? Less than five. How many Foxconn employees should consider suicide to bring you a $99 iPhone? That's right, zero. This week, it's all about reductionism on the Engadget Podcast. Let's go on a trip together - to the clean, compact future. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Bullet With Butterfly Wings Hear the podcast 00:04:15 - WSJ: Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division getting a 'shakeup,' J Allard expected to leave 00:04:35 - Microsoft's Robbie Bach and J Allard leaving as part of broader shakeup; Xbox and Windows Phone teams now reporting directly to Ballmer 00:06:00 - Robbie Bach: Project Natal a 'midlife kicker' for Xbox 360, 'absolutely confident' Courier innovations will appear elsewhere 00:08:32 - Apple and Microsoft now neck and neck in market capitalization 00:08:55 - Ballmer downplays Microsoft's shift in market value, says it's a 'long game' 00:30:23 - Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades 00:32:12 - webOS design mastermind Matias Duarte leaves Palm... and could be headed to Google 00:32:22 - Confirmed: Palm's Matias Duarte joins Google as User Experience Director for Android 00:42:07 - Lenovo kills Skylight OS in favor of Android, U1 Hybrid and Skylight smartbook being shelved 00:51:32 - The next Apple TV revealed: cloud storage and iPhone OS on tap... and a $99 price tag 01:04:00 - Confirmed: Apple's next iPhone will have video chat, feature to be shown in ads directed by Sam Mendes 01:09:53 - Foxconn raising wages, relocating 20 percent of Shenzhen workers closer to home (updated) 00:20:00 - Apple, Dell, and HP comment on suicides as Foxconn CEO shows off the pool 01:29:49 - Introducing Engadget Alt Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Keep the tomatoes at home: Ballmer not coming to WWDC
Just as quickly as the rumors started, they're over: the official Microsoft Twitter account confirms that no, even though it would be hilarious, CEO Steve Ballmer will not be appearing at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. It's too bad -- having Ballmer around would have definitely been entertaining, and maybe it would have been an olive branch between the two companies. Apple is worth more than Microsoft now, after all -- if Steve Jobs called up Ballmer and asked him to appear on stage, you'd think he'd jump to do it. Maybe they could even team up against the evil Google. The tweet also confirms (tongue firmly in cheek, we suppose) that Ballmer will not be appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Which is also too bad -- our guy already did it. What are you, Ballmer, too good to cut a rug on live TV?
Debunk: Steve Ballmer not speaking at WWDC
An analyst named Trip Chowdhry at Global Equities Research set off a firestorm of rumors last night after he claimed that Steve Ballmer would appear onstage with Steve Jobs at WWDC for exactly seven minutes to announce Visual Studio development for the iPhone -- and the maelstrom of crazytalk quickly expanded to include everything from a Bing partnership to Silverlight for the iPhone. Turns out all that chatter was just as insane and untrue as you'd expect, though: Microsoft's official Twitter account just clamped down on the speculation, saying that Ballmer isn't speaking at WWDC, or appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Sorry kids -- looks like we'll have to just hold out hope for next season.
Ballmer downplays Microsoft's shift in market value, says it's a 'long game'
Nothing too shocking here, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made his first public comments on his company's recent slippage in market cap, and he's unsurprisingly downplaying the numbers. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Ballmer said simply that "we are executing very well," and "that's going to lead to great products and great success," later adding that, "I will make more profits and certainly there is no technology company in the planet which is as profitable as we are," and that "stock markets will take care of the rest." What's more, while he seemingly didn't refer to Apple by name, he did say that "it is a long game," and that "we have good competitors ... we too are very good competitors." As you might expect, Ballmer was also asked about the recent shakeup at Microsoft, but he apparently wouldn't say anything more than that he "wouldn't predict any drastic changes" in strategy for the division, and that "we'll have to accelerate plans" -- although it's not exactly clear what will be "accelerated."
Microsoft's Robbie Bach and J Allard leaving as part of broader shakeup; Xbox and Windows Phone teams now reporting directly to Ballmer
Well, it looks like the rumors were true. Not only is Microsoft's J Allard now officially leaving the company, but so is Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, amid what's described as a broader restructuring that will effectively dissolve the division and give CEO Steve Ballmer more direct oversight of Microsoft's consumer initiatives like Xbox and Windows Phone as of July. Contrary to earlier reports, Allard says that he's not leaving due to the cancellation of the Courier, but instead says that after nineteen years with the company, he simply wants to devote more time to his personal interests, "particularly adventure sports." Allard also insists that he won't be moving on to Apple, Google or any other Microsoft rivals -- in fact, he's staying on as an advisor to Steve Ballmer. Robbie Bach's departure is equally curious -- despite being just 48, his move is being described as a "retirement," and he says that the decision was his own and that he wasn't encouraged to leave. He'll also apparently remain with Microsoft through the fall to aid in the transition. When all's said and done, mobile communications VP Andy Lees and interactive entertainment head Don Mattrick will each separately report to Ballmer -- both have headed their divisions for some time now, so we'd assume that things will otherwise proceed as planned. Still, the loss of talent at the top is certainly noticeable -- we'll see how Microsoft responds now that Ballmer is firmly driving its mobile and gaming efforts. We've got Ballmer's full letter to the company and Microsoft's official PR after the break, so take a peek. Update: Mary Jo Foley has J Allard's parting email to his employees.
J Allard leaving Microsoft over Courier axing?
Well, it looks like the Courier's demise could be having some far bigger implications for Microsoft than anyone had suspected. According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft's Chief Experience Officer and CTO for its Entertainment and Devices division, J Allard, has been on sabbatical from the company for the past short while and is "unlikely to return" -- all due to the fate of the Courier. According to Foley's sources, Allard was "the champion" of the Courier, and had reportedly made his feelings about the device and its ultimate demise clear on numerous occasions -- including, of course, directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. According to another of Foley's sources, things eventually got so heated that Ballmer "showed Allard the door" because of their disagreements about the Courier's potential. So, did he jump or was he pushed? Microsoft isn't saying, and Allard is seemingly nowhere to be found.
Ballmer's visage evoked for 'developers, developers, developers' demo app on Windows Phone 7 Series
You could argue that Steve Ballmer's classic "developers, developers, developers" mantra is more important to the success of Windows Phone 7 Series than of any other product in recent Microsoft history, so it comes as no surprise that he's pulled it out of his hat one more time for MIX10 today. Demoing how easy it is to take advantage of the platform's many rapid-development features, the team showed off a gangly Silverlight version of the big guy in lieu of the real deal (apparently he had a scheduling conflict and couldn't be around for the event). Ballmer actually recorded a "developers, developers, developers!" rant just for the app, which the visage chants incessantly; you can adjust voice pitch and throw the doll around with a few flicks of the hand. Scary? Yes, yet somehow, we'd pay $0.99 for it. Follow the break for video.
Steve Ballmer teases new Xbox 360 form factors, price points and options
Turns out Steve Ballmer's talk up at the University of Washington delivered even more saucy info than we were initially led to believe. In a transcript of the subsequent Q&A session, Steve is shown to have delivered the following statement on the topic of large-screen televisions and Microsoft's related hardware strategy: For that big screen device ... there's no diversity. You get exactly the Xboxes that we build for you. We may have more form factors in the future that are designed for various price points and options, but we think it's going to [be] important. It's safe to assume new form factors point to a smaller rather than larger 360 chassis, though the price points and further options he mentions are wide open for speculation. It wouldn't be unreasonable to forecast Microsoft pushing out its own slimmed-down console to match up with Sony's PS3 Slim, but we also shouldn't discount the idea of an Xbox 360 with Project Natal hardware integrated into its shell. In other words, we really don't know what Steve has going on under that shiny dome of his, we just hope it's as exciting as he makes it sound.
Steve Ballmer emphasizes importance of the cloud, Google pretty much does likewise
Microsoft has had its run-ins with the cloud before, but if CEO Steve Ballmer is being serious (and we're guessing he is), the company is about to get even more connected. Speaking with computer science students this week at the University of Washington, Ballmer was quoted as saying that "a year from now... 90 percent [of Microsoft employees would be working in the cloud]." He went on to say that the cloud base "is the bet, if you will, for our company," and he noted that it'll "create opportunities for all the folks in [the] room to do important research and build important projects." It's not like any of this is an epiphany, though; we've already seen a shift to Google Documents given the ability to access it from any web-connected computer, and with the proliferation of broadband on the up and up, it's only a matter of time before it's more convenient to open a web app than to wait for your taskbar to stop bouncing. In related news, Google Europe boss John Herlihy has essentially mirrored those thoughts, calling the desktop an item that will be "irrelevant" in three years. Why? Largely because most everything you'll need a tower for will be available via a mobile or the web, but we all know that sect of hardcore gamers will keep the beige boxes rolling for at least another score.
Live from Microsoft's Windows Phone press event at MWC 2010
We're in our seats and the show is about to begin. Hang tight! Everything is set to go at these times: 04:00AM - Hawaii 06:00AM - Pacific 07:00AM - Mountain 08:00AM - Central 09:00AM - Eastern 02:00PM - London 03:00PM - Paris 11:00PM - Tokyo
Steve Ballmer's shocking autograph of MacBook Pro caught on video
It's likely that if you were told to describe what you think would happen if someone asked Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to autograph a MacBook Pro, it would go something like this: Steve would fly into a blind fury, grabbing the laptop and smashing it against a far wall with the force of ten men, laughing as the computer shattered and sparked out of existence. He would then leap towards the young man who'd made the request and pin him to the floor, pulling out a Bowie knife while whispering that he would like to "Gut [him] like the pathetic animal he is." Next Ballmer would dash out of the room only to return with a canister of gasoline, some hairspray, and one of those long lighters, all while shouting that he would "Show the world what [he's] really made of." Ballmer would escape from this scene of utter destruction in a helicopter, but not before circling the college campus (or wherever this took place) and dumping toxic waste on hundreds of students. But, no. He pretty much just signs the laptop. See it all happen after the break.
Ballmer reveals some 'slate' PCs, but does not thrill
There was quite a bit of anticipation that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would upstage Apple with an exciting new tablet design at his CES keynote last night, but it pretty much turned out to be a dud. After more than an hour of bobbing and weaving through several topics, and quickly skipping over Windows Mobile, Ballmer showed a prototype tablet from Hewlett-Packard and two other suppliers. They were running Windows 7 and looked a lot like other touchscreen prototypes we've seen, but none of them seemed to do anything special. You can see the tablet presentation over on YouTube. What we really saw was Ballmer trying a pre-emptive strike against the probable appearance of an Apple tablet later this month. He even referred to 'slate' PCs, a bit of a swipe against the oft-reported Apple-owned iSlate name. I suppose this is better than Ballmer's 2007 interview where he dissed the iPhone when it launched. He's trying to get ahead of the curve, but his keynote got pretty ho-hum reviews and Microsoft really didn't show anything of interest. There was a buzz that Microsoft might show the Courier device it hinted at in September, but it didn't appear yesterday. We don't know if Apple will reveal a tablet, although it seems pretty likely. Do you think Apple can trump Microsoft with a tablet and dominate the market as they have with the iPhone against Windows Mobile phones? Or has Microsoft learned their lessons by trying to be a little more pre-emptive with a tablet release?
Engadget Podcast 176: CES 2010 Day 2 - 01.07.2010
You may have soaked up every tiny little bit of CES news on http://engadget.com yesterday, but one thing you HAVEN'T done is listened to some of the world's preeminent technology journalists chat about what they REALLY thought of the day under the influence of three XXL trays of eggs and bacon that went bad 8 hours before they ate them (unless you caught the podcast live on Ustream in the wee hours of this morning). You know what to do.Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerProducer: Trent WolbeSong: Dinotrax - PaparazziHear the podcast01:40 - Live from Steve Ballmer's CES 2010 keynote04:00 - Microsoft CES keynote PR leaks early: HP slate device is just a PC, Natal in holiday 201005:19 - The HP Slate11:50 - AT&T finally goes Android, confirms Dell, HTC and Motorola on board12:25 - Motorola Backflip hands-on12:40 - Motorola Backflip now official, Cliq promised Android 2.1 and Droid Flash 10.112:52 - Dell Mini 3 headed to AT&T running Android15:59 - Ralph de la Vega: AT&T launching two webOS devices!20:15 - Sprint Overdrive hands-on24:50 - Live from LG's CES press event25:08 - Live from Panasonic's CES press event28:10 - Live from Samsung's CES 2010 press conference29:30 - Live from Toshiba's CES press event31:45 - Live from Sony's CES 2010 press event34:25 - Sony announces line of SD memory cards -- no, really34:50 - Sony Dash gets down with Chumby and Bravia Internet video (hands-on)38:00 - MSI dualscreen e-reader hands-on (update: video!)40:00 - LG GW990 phone busted running Moorestown with heaps of want43:35 - Lenovo announces LePhone Android device for China (update: hands-on video!) Subscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Court orders Microsoft to stop selling Office 2007 by January 11th
Update: A statement from Microsoft's director of public affairs, Kevin Kutz, clarifies the affected versions. Note that Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac was not cited as an infringing product, so this ruling is not applicable to Mac versions of Office. We have just learned that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has denied our appeal in the i4i case. We are moving quickly to comply with the injunction, which takes effect on January 11, 2010. This injunction applies only to copies of Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Office 2007 sold in the U.S. on or after the injunction date of January 11, 2010. Copies of these products sold before this date are not affected. With respect to Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Office 2007, we have been preparing for this possibility since the District Court issued its injunction in August 2009 and have put the wheels in motion to remove this little-used feature from these products. Therefore, we expect to have copies of Microsoft Word 2007 and Office 2007, with this feature removed, available for U.S. sale and distribution by the injunction date. In addition, the beta versions of Microsoft Word 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010, which are available now for downloading, do not contain the technology covered by the injunction. While we are moving quickly to address the injunction issue, we are also considering our legal options, which could include a request for a rehearing by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals en banc or a request for a writ of certiorari from the U.S. Supreme Court. Whoa. A judge for the The U.S. Court of Appeals has just upheld an earlier verdict forbidding Microsoft from selling both Office and Word after January 11th, 2010. This suit, which was filed by i4i, a creator of a XML plugin for Microsoft Office, alleged that Microsoft's Open XML format, which uses the DOCX and XLSX extensions that have been a part of Office on the Mac since Office 2007, violated i4i's patented XML handling algorithms. The court ruled in favor of i4i back in May, and Microsoft today lost their appeal, with the judge telling them that they don't have the right to sell the software as-is. Microsoft now either has to attempt to appeal the ruling again, or settle with i4i (read as: "Ballmer has to write a big honking check"), and is currently considering further legal options. The company is also working to remove these features from Microsoft Office (possibly in time to release new versions of the old software on January 11th), and this ruling doesn't affect the upcoming Office 2010 for Windows. We'll keep you posted if anything further develops.
Engadget Podcast 168 - 10.25.2009: The Engadget Show 002 with Steve Ballmer
For this week's installment of the Engadget Podcast, we present the audio stream from our recent Engadget Show, featuring a one-on-one with Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer! We encourage you to go and check out the actual show if you haven't seen it, but for those of you on the move who can't be looking at a screen, here's the next best thing. Of course, Josh, Paul, and Nilay still tear through the week in news (and what a week!), and as a bonus, you get to hear some tunes from the ever so talented Bit Shifter. So what are you waiting for? Sit back, crank the PMP, and prepare to enter nerd heaven. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Special guest: Steve Ballmer Produced by: Chad Mumm Directed by: Michael Slavens Music by: Bit Shifter Hear the podcast 00:01:22 - Steve Ballmer hasn't seen the Courier video, promises Zune integration in next WinMo release 00:38:40 - Bit Shifter 00:41:37 - Windows 7 Launches 00:46:45 - Apple's Magic Mouse: one button, multitouch gestures, Bluetooth, four-month battery life 00:47:50 - Unibody MacBook (late 2009) review 00:52:50 - iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model 00:52:48 - Barnes & Noble Nook dual-screen reader officially announced... for real 00:59:00 - Spring Design Alex: dual-screen Android-based e-reader (Update: not for Barnes & Noble) 01:00:05 - Motorola Droid Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
The Engadget Show - 002: Steve Ballmer, Droid, Nook, and new Macs
Do we really need to tell you what this is all about? Steve Ballmer. Windows 7 launch day. Pure magic. Sit back and enjoy a spirited conversation with the CEO of Microsoft -- then stick around to watch Josh, Paul, and Nilay get into it over the week's news! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Special guest: Steve Ballmer Produced by: Chad Mumm Directed by: Michael Slavens Music by: Bit Shifter Visuals by: Paris and outpt Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 002 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 002 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
The Engadget Show, live with Steve Ballmer!
Keep your eyes tuned to this post -- because at around 2:30PM ET (give or take), we'll be starting The Engadget Show live, with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as our guest! You don't want to miss it! Update: And that's a wrap! Thanks to everyone who watched the stream, we'll have the full recording available tomorrow.
Reminder: The Engadget Show with Steve Ballmer tapes tomorrow -- here's how to attend (or livestream it)!
If you've heard that the next Engadget Show will be featuring a live, one-on-one interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (on the Windows 7 launch day, no less) -- you've heard correctly. Additionally, our good friend Bit Shifter will be there providing chiptune jams, and Paris and Outpt will be on hand for some brain searing visual art. And of course, the editors of the site will sit down for a roundtable discussion of the week in news. If you'd like to join us for the live taping, you can -- just check out the info below. If you can't make it in the flesh, don't worry. We'll be livestreaming on the day-of, and we'll also have a full, edited version of the Show available just a few days later for download via the site, iTunes, or the Zune Marketplace. The Show will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues. Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 12:30PM on Thursday, October 22nd, and the show begins at 2:30PM You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. If you can't make it to the live event, we'll have a stream here on Engadget (provided by USTREAM) which coincides with the taping. Just tune your browser to Engadget at 2PM on the 22nd to catch it. You can also hit our USTREAM page. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
