BillGates
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Jobs, Gates, and Hawkins: times (in approximate) for tomorrow's festivities
Ok, we've landed and have some rough times you should be ready for things to go off tomorrow. Remember, we've got a Steve Jobs presentation, Jeff Hawkins is showing off whatever Palm's got next, and the icing on the cake is Jobs (again) for a hot legend-on-legend sitdown with Bill Gates. Here are the windows to watch out for, we'll try and blog as much as our battery can hold out for:Wednesday, May 308:00AM - 10:30AM PST windowSteve Ballmer / MicrosoftJeff Hawkins / Palm11:15AM - 1:00PM PST windowSteve Jobs / Apple7:15PM PSTBill Gates & Steve Jobs 2getha 4evaThursday, May 3111:00AM - 12:45PM PST windowEric Schmidt / Google
Open source protestor crashes Bill Gates' speech in China
We've certainly seen a variety of crashings go down on stage, but a determined protester and undeterred advocate for open source software rudely (albeit humorously) interrupted Bill Gates' speech at Peking University in Beijing, China. Gates, who was speaking on the topic of Innovation in China's future and receiving (yet another) honorary manager title, had his after-party all shook up by an off-kilter open source proponent who reportedly darted across the stage, "loudly shouted against Microsoft's monopoly," proudly displayed a sign of "Free software, open source," and was promptly "tackled by security and removed for questioning." It was suggested that the culprit may have been a member of the Linux Professional Institute, and while we're not exactly sure if Michael Dell would've shown any forgiveness, feel free click on through for a closeup of the sign and the unfortunate aftermath.[Via SeattlePI, thanks Ralf]Update: Reader Shawn W sent in a video of the proceedings! Check it out after the break.
Gates to become richest man in space?
With relative paupers taking jaunts into space at a pretty regular clip these days, it certainly would be no financial burden for the world's richest nerd to indulge his astronautical fantasies, and now a Russian cosmonaut aboard the International Space Station claims that Microsoft founder and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Bill Gates may be planning to do just that. In an interview broadcast from the ISS, Fyodor Yurchikhin repeated the assertions of current space tourist and former Gates co-worker Charles Simonyi that Mr. Microsoft himself "is also preparing to visit space," although Space Adventures -- which organizes these indulgent expeditions -- says that it has had no contact with Sir Bill so far. So in the absence of any official word from the Gates camp, we can only look to the man's personality for hints as to whether or not this fantastic voyage will take place -- and seeing how there's already been an iPod in orbit, we're pretty sure that Bill won't sleep soundly until all the world's gadget blogs and magazine covers are plastered with glossy pictures of a space Zune. [Via Slashdot]
Bill Gates the dropout to receive honorary Harvard degree, will finally be able to do something with his life
Bill Gates, a true inspiration to college dropouts the world over, is about to crown his academic career with the ultimate irony by receiving an honorary degree from Harvard, the very school he ditched his Junior year to get Microsoft going. Harvard is handing him the degree to thank him for doing this year's upcoming commencement speaker gig at the school, as they do for all commencement speakers, and won't announce what the degree is for until then. (Hint: probably not Phys Ed). We haven't the foggiest what Bill Gates will have to say to the youngsters, other than to make fun of them for working hard these past four years while he's been busy earning billions of dollars, getting knighted and even being interviewed on the hallowed pages of Engadget.[Thanks, Motoi]
Bill Gates can't play soccer games (or he's a good faker)
During a promotional event celebrating Microsoft's twentieth anniversary in Mexico, Bill Gates lost to professional Mexican soccer player Rafael Marquez 2-1 in a virtual game of soccer on the 360 (FIFA?). The game was played in front of a crowd of Microsoft employees on three jumbo trons. We bet it was thrilling. And in proper fashion, the two exchanged signed product after the match; Gates giving Marquez a 360 with wired controllers, and Marquez giving Gates a Barcelona camiseta. Yet another example of rich/famous people getting more free stuff.
AdAge asks Gates about Hodgman to ill effect
Don't people know any better by now than to taunt Billy G. with Apple's indubitably (and unintentionally) lovable John Hodgman PC character? Check out this exchange from a recent interview of Gatesy by Advertising Age's Bob Garfield:AdAge: I want to ask you one more thing: Those Mac ads -- how do you feel about the John Hodgman character? Gates: I can't comment on someone else's ad. AdAge: OK ... but he's you. Gates: Yeah, I'm not gonna comment on someone else's ad. AdAge: OK, well, Bill Gates, thank you so much for joining us. (Silence) AdAge: Can I just have a clean goodbye? (Silence) AdAge: OK, can you just say goodbye? Thank you or goodbye or something like that? Gates: Goodbye. [Oh, and it was curt alright.]Damn son. We might recommend just pretending you're Justin Long (aka Mac) next time, and see what happens.[Via digg]
The quest for Autumn: Windows XP's elusive backdrop
It's no secret that people have been fascinated, or at least intrigued, by wallpapers and screensavers since the desktop first graced their eyes, and judging by the sheer multitude of websites and man-hours devoted to perfecting the screen that you so rarely see once you launch that first app, it's also no shock to hear a tale of such obsession. Although Autumn may not be most people's default background in Windows XP, it's still well regarded, and for one Vanity Fair writer, it sparked a worldwide quest to find its origin. Expecting the task to be one of relative ease in the age of email, meta tags, and digital archives, he began by questioning the usual suspects about its humble beginnings, but to his dismay, was turned down time and time again by rights protectors who wouldn't divulge the author nor location of such a highly prized stock photograph. Eventually, his entire team was onboard in a furious (albeit seemingly futile) search to discover precisely where this image was shot, once leading to thoughts of permanent relocation if the locale was finally unearthed. After what seemed like months of running into brick walls, an email to Bill Gates himself resulted in an apparently automated response that belted out nothing more but the snapshot's place of origin, which incited fits of jovial celebration office-wide. To Campbellville, Ontario, Canada they headed, in desperate need to visit the orangey area so burned into their memories, and thanks to the purportedly mysterious workings of a co-worker, they even landed the shooter's name. Eventually, the journey led them to a rarely traveled path in the city of Burlington, where the old Harris Homestead quietly sat behind a vigilant row of bare trees surrounded by glistening white snow. It truly was Winter, at last for the adventurous crew, but it certainly gives us pause when deciding whether or not to seek out the origin of Ascent and Azul in our spare time.
Bill Gates clamps down on daughter's internet time
Sure, we've seen individuals getting their hand slapped (or worse) for browsing the internet a bit too often, but you'd assume that having a dad who envisioned the Redmond powerhouse and pays the bills by way of computing would be the perfect father figure for the computer-addicted. Apparently, that's not exactly so, as a recent Reuters report tells of Bill Gates himself clamping down on his 10-year old daughter's internet and gaming time. According to Bill, his oldest gal wasn't even into the 'net until this school year, where tablet PCs became a necessary tool, but now that she's found access to a never-ending supply of information, her habits have suddenly changed. She latched onto Viva Piñata, purportedly playing for "two to three hours per day," after which her health started deteriorating and her chore accomplishments plummeted. Although we mention those last bits in jest, Mr. Gates slapped down a "45-minutes per day" law for non-school related computing tasks on the weekdays, and added just 15 minutes for weekends, probably garnering quite the evil eye and stirring up early thoughts of rebellion in his youngster. Seriously Bill, if you're that worried about daddy's little girl stumbling upon some form of cyber predator, there's always the parent-approved IM-Me, but throwing time restrictions on your own products is just a tad illogical, no?[Via BloggingStocks, thanks Randall]
Russia drops piracy case against teacher
Remember that Russian schoolteacher from a few days back, the one charged with piracy, and the one for whom Bill Gates and Microsoft declined to intervene? Well it turns out that Alexander Ponosov didn't need any help from Gates -- or Mikael Gorbachev, for that matter -- as the Perm-based court tasked with trying the case has dismissed all charges and labeled the incident as "trivial." As you probably recall, Ponosov is the teacher / principal of a small, 380-student school in the Urals village of Sepych which purchased 12 computers that Ponosov claimed had already been pre-loaded with pirated copies of Microsoft software. Amusingly, in its public rebuff of Gorbachev's request, Redmond argued that it was "sure that the Russian courts will make a fair decision" because of the "government's position on the importance of protecting intellectual property rights" -- and although most observers would probably agree that this is the fairest outcome, we doubt it's the one that Microsoft had in mind. When informed of the court's decision, Ponosov stated that "of course, it was trivial," and went on to inform the press that "we're off to drink champagne now" -- and with all that money he saved on software, there's definitely gonna be some Cristal in the house tonight.
Found Footage: Gates vs. Jobs
This PG-13 cartoon (there is just a tad of saucy language, you have been warned) depicts an epic battle between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in iWorld. Definitely worth a watch, if only for the Finder's song.[via Buzz Patrol]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XXIII - Gates: "security guys break the Mac every single day"
Wow, um, Bill, old buddy, old pal. We're sorry to skewer you on this one and all but seriously, what the hell were you thinking telling Newsweek that "Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine."? We understand the few questions preceding interviewer Steven Levy's query about Vista's security compared to OS X's may have gotten you a bit riled up, but let's be honest for a second. We follow this stuff fairly closely and we haven't seen or heard about any globe-trotting worms or prominent security threats to Apple's operating system in quite some time; one of the highest risk threats we've heard about in recent memory turned out to be a hoax (although, as many readers have pointed out, there's always the MOAB). We're glad Vista is enhancing Windows security (and usability), we really are, but we really think you and Jobs (and Hodgman) should go have a few drinks and just enjoy your filthy richness or something.Love, Engadget
Bill Gates on Mac ads: "I don't even get it"
So, we didn't get our wish of a Gates vs. Hodgman showdown on the Daily Show this week -- too bad -- but that doesn't mean Bill has been totally mum on the topic. "I don't think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say they are," said Gates. "And I don't know why [Apple is] acting like it's superior. I don't even get it. What are they trying to say?" He continued, "Does honesty matter in these things, or if you're really cool, that means you get to be a lying person whenever you feel like it? There's not even the slightest shred of truth to it." Perhaps it's good there wasn't any Gates / Hodgman interaction after all, things could've gotten a bit testy. Gates was also asked straight up if Microsoft would have a new OS in 2010-2011, to which he responded, "Absolutely." Which seems to put to rest some of those will-they-won't-they rumorings. He also had plenty more to say about the future of Windows, calling it "more user-centric" in a portability of data sort of sense (read: Windows Live). Bill also promised even more handwriting recognition and speech improvements, claiming "Students won't need textbooks, they can just use these tablet devices." Gee, we've never heard that line before.
Bill Gates: "security guys break the Mac every single day"
I'm all for competition in the marketplace. I'm even for friendly puns between rival competitors and the camps that follow them, especially since you have to have a sense of humor about them in the first place. But don't we also need a sense of reality?In a Vista-pimping interview with Newsweek yesterday, Bill Gates appears to be taking off the gloves with an all-out attack on the Mac. When questioned about accusations of copying Mac OS X features, Bill began accusing Apple of the exact opposite, and he also postulated that "maybe we shouldn't have showed so publicly the stuff we were doing." While he is of course referring to the 2003 demonstration of Longhorn, this isn't even the half of it. Bill also tried to turn their reputation for swiss-cheese security around on Apple, claiming: "Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." I'm sorry: "Total exploit?" Did anyone else see something from the rear end of a bull just fly over their shoulder? I'm no security fanboy for the Mac, but perhaps Bill got the wrong impression of how (not so) widespread the exploits from MOAB - the Month of Apple Bugs - actually became. Or perhaps he forgot that it's Microsoft who has had to set up regular patch release schedules to help throttle the damage. All things considered, however, I can understand if Bill lost track; regularity can sometimes numb the pain, breeding forgetfulness in the process.Check out the rest of the, uh... 'interesting' interview for some other great zingers from the big G-man. If you ask me, he sure is shaping up to retire with a bang in 2008.
Romanian prez to Gates: Windows piracy built this country
Many of us have a reason to give thanks to Bill Gates, whether it be for the PowerPoint presentation that got us our last promotion, the Word spell checker that helped us avoid an embarrassing double entendre in our thesis paper, or the ol' Xbox 360 that has drained our productivity, consumed all of our free time, and driven our sweethearts into the arms of other men. But Romanian president Traian Basescu has a bigger reason than most to owe the Microsoft founder a debt of gratitude: he claims that rampant software piracy in the Eastern European nation was the single biggest factor in developing a healthy IT industry. Yes, believe it or not, a head-of-state actually stood up in public -- at a press conference to celebrate the launch of a Microsoft global technical center -- and told Gates face-to-face how illegal copies of Windows "helped the young generation discover computers...set off the development of the IT industry...[and] helped Romanians improve their creative capacity..." Indeed, nearly 70% of all software used in Romania today is pirated, according to some experts (pirates even peddle their wares to legitimate businesses, reportedly), despite the anti-piracy legislation passed some ten years ago. Amusingly, Basescu justified his countrymen's ridiculous levels of IP theft by claiming that "it was an investment in Romania's friendship with Microsoft and Bill Gates." Being the experienced political that he is, Gates chose to keep his mouth shut instead of using the president's provocative comments to launch into an anti-piracy tirade -- though we're sure that the world's richest man had to practically bite off his own tongue to do so. Still, after the press shindig -- while the two men were in private enjoying some traditional placenta pie pl??cint?? -- Gates reportedly dropped the Mr. Niceguy facade, stared Basescu coldly in the eyes, and uttered a single word: "Viodentia?"[Via The Inquirer]
Found Footage: CNN asks Bill Gates about copying Mac OS X
Who's copying who in terms of OS design is quite the topic for a long session of coffee talk, but CNN recently put Mr. Gates on the hot seat by tossing him an on-air zinger. Currently, Bill is on a media blitz to help promote this month's release of Windows Vista. He was on the Daily Show Monday night (check out the re-dux Bill Gates Crash they did for a laugh too), and in this embedded clip, CNN seems to surprise Bill with a question about Vista's resemblance of Mac OS X. While Mr. G did offer some good points in his rebuttal, this seems like it might have been an unexpected curve ball during what I'm sure Microsoft was hoping to be a routine promo interview.[via digg]
Live at the Windows Vista launch event
Alright, so we're reporting to you live from the big Windows Vista launch; you might not stand in the freezing cold for Vista, but we did for the big launch event here in NYC. It's bones-cold, but we're hoping they're gonna let us all in shortly to see Bill give another speech about the real awesome power of Windows, so stay tuned! 4:13PM EST - Defective by Design people are here protesting the DRM of it all, god love 'em! Ok, we're in!
"I'm a PC." "And I'm also a PC.": Gates vs. Hodgman on Daily Show tomorrow?
Turns out our old friend Bill Gates is going to be making an appearance on the Daily Show tomorrow evening to promote the launch of Windows Vista, an event which is interesting in and of itself, but which also raises the tantalizing prospect of him finally coming face to face with John Hodgman (AKA "PC" from those "Mac vs. PC" ads). As far as we know Bill's only there for a straightforward sit down with Jon Stewart, but nevertheless we'll be filling the next 35 hours or so with plenty of geek fantasies about what could potentially be some hot PC vs. PC action.
Bill Gates headed for Daily Show on Monday
Just in time for the launch of Microsoft's new game enabled operating system, Windows Vista, Bill Gates will be on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Monday. We imagine Billy boy will take a little time to tout the success of the Xbox 360 as well. Who knows, if we're lucky, we might even get to hear a little corporate mudslinging. That's always fun. We have to wonder if Bill will have a few choice words for John Hodgman though.Check out the show (or set your TiVo) Monday 11:00/10:00 Central on Comedy Central.[Via Digg]
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Limited Numbered Signature Edition (seriously)
You have to be seriously freaking into Vista if you're even thinking about the Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Limited Numbered Signature Edition (seriously, we didn't even think Microsoft was capable of a title like that), but at least the price is on target for the upgrade ($259) and they claim it's signed by the man himself, Billy G. Something tells us it's just an embossed signature print or something along those lines, but either way it's down to you and 19,999 others prepared to get their fanboy on with the latest, greatest version of Windows.[Thanks, ZRX]
Gates: If you want to play online, get an Xbox
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Gates_If_you_want_to_play_online_get_an_Xbox'; In the first part of an informative interview conducted by Mercury News' Dean Takahashi, Bill Gates responds to the suggestion that Nintendo's Wii may come out on top thanks to its unique controller and cheaper price tag. "Look at the graphics," he says. "Look at Nintendo's execution in terms of online capability. We have this thing that nobody has ever seen before. When you say to your friend, hey let's play online, you say then you have to buy an Xbox. That's what 10 million people say."When peer pressure isn't selling Xbox Live, Gates points out that endeavours like cross-platform Vista gaming and IPTV are pushing the online service forward. However, he also believes that "Nintendo did some things right," going on to mention Microsoft's acquisition of Rare and the "huge success" that was Viva Piñata. Though many critics believe the game is a return to prominence for Rare, its lacklustre sales may lead others to agree with Gates for the wrong reason -- "Nintendo did some things right" by selling the developer when they did.Be sure to check out the rest of the interview for some interesting tidbits on the Xbox 360's IPTV, the continued absence of a larger hard drive and how Sony "didn't know what they were doing" with the Cell processor.
