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Nintendo is out, Microsoft is moving in
We all thought Nintendo was going to pack up and move on out of Redmond, Washington. Then we found out it was only a handful of divisions that would be relocating. Now, word comes that the small plot of land (27 acres) is up for auction and one of Nintendo's biggest rivals, Microsoft, is trying to move in to the space. Of course, such a move makes sense for Microsoft, what with them being all over Redmond.
Nintendo staying put in Redmond, some divisions move
Remember that rumor last week about Nintendo of America deciding to leave Redmond, Washington for that of sunny San Francisco or New York? Turns out, the company is not moving after all, instead deciding to have some of its divisions relocate. NoA's sales, marketing and ads divisions are all leaving the mother nest, like birds of age, flying off to that of New York or San Francisco. Nintendo was reluctant to reveal which city would be the lucky recipient of these divisions, which are comprised of roughly 80 people.Place your bets! San Francisco or New York city?
Nintendo stays in Redmond; sales, ad, and marketing moving to SF or NYC
Partially confirming last week's rumor, the Seattle Times is reporting that the sales, advertising and marketing divisions for Nintendo of America, totaling about 80 people, will be moved to either New York City or San Francisco. Meanwhile, the rest of NoA headquarters will remain in Redmond.The decision is being seen as a replacement for earlier plans to expand its Redmond, WA offices an additional 550,000 square feet. According to Jim Roberts, deputy planning director for the city of Redmond speaking to the Seattle Times, though NoA had the proposal ready to go before the city council for approval, executives said that they needed final approval from the company's Japanese headquarters. "For one reason or another, it's been well over a year that we've been waiting for them to proceed," he said.Nintendo is reportedly looking to sell the aforementioned 550,000 square feet of property; one real estate broker suggested that adjacent company Microsoft might consider purchasing the land. Now wouldn't that make for an interesting change of hands?
Rumor: Nintendo of America moving; SF and NYC are options
This town ain't big enough for the both of them!Redmond, WA that is. Home to Microsoft, Nintendo of America, and 46K innocent bystanders, the sleepy burg just outside Seattle is also home to a showdown. Well, not so much a showdown -- we don't think Microsoft has any intention of packing up -- but Nintendo's American operation is considering just that, according to Game Informer Online. Reportedly, the sales and marketing teams currently coordinated in Redmond were told yesterday that they had until June 1st to decide whether to relocate or accept a severance package. Possible locations for the new offices -- which could be open as soon as this Fall -- include Lincoln, Nebraska and Juneau, Alaska ...... this just in: they're now considering San Francisco or New York City. Sorry Lincoln and Juneau. But what of the rest of Nintendo's Remond work force, which includes the Treehouse localization team, Nintendo Power, customer service, HR, and more? [Via GameDaily BIZ]
Microsoft corroborates Windows Vista OEM hacks
At least Redmond can't say that no one told them so, as the folks at Microsoft are finally holding up a hesitantly-raised white flag and admitting that Windows Vista is indeed far from crack-proof. After depressing the mental "Allow" button, Microsoft Senior Product Manager Alex Kochis has come to grips with the Vista hacks that are currently floating around (and apparently functioning). Interestingly, he insinuates that the company will be looking at ways to "disrupt the business model of organized counterfeiters and protect users from becoming unknowing victims," but also mentioned that it wouldn't be rushing out in a likely futile attempt to nab every "mad scientist" (saywha?) on a mission to hack Windows. Hmm, wonder if that has anything to do with the barren efforts it exhausted trying to one-up FairUse4WM?
Microsoft developing virtual headphone algorithm
Considering that Vista isn't exactly getting perfectly positive praise, it looks like Microsoft is looking into other ways to bring cashflow to Redmond. While we already know the firm is diving head first into the VoIP handset market, it looks like it'll also be involved with a new virtual headphone. In an effort to allow VoIP / computer-based communications to be handled without tethering yourself to your PC and also allow you to hear ambient conversations around the office, researchers at Microsoft have "developed an algorithm that adjusts the timing of sound waves emitted from each speaker in an array, creating a focused beam of sound that acts as virtual headphones." Essentially, the speakers would create a "sweet spot" so that computer users could hear the audio perfectly, while individuals just inches away from the sound zone wouldn't hear much more than a peep. Furthermore, the focused wave technology could even bleed over into the tracking realm, which could actually allow the tones to follow one around as they move. Ideally, the creators want to conjure up a beamforming system that is easy to configure and relatively inexpensive, but we're hearing (ahem) that it'll be at least three years before these aural luxuries break into the corporate sphere.
Guide for installing Vista in Boot Camp
As reluctant as we might be to admit it, we have our reasons for tinkering with Windows Vista behind closed TUAW office doors. Parallels has pretty decent support for it (3D hardware is still a work in progress), though we've been having to search across the vast interwebs for some help on how to get Micrsoft's latest... 'achievement' to play nice with Apple's Boot Camp. Fortunately, someone we only know as Nja247 has posted this walkthrough at a Geocities page that guides Mac users through every step in getting a 32-bit version of Windows Vista running on a Mac. The walkthrough delves into nearly every essential step, including stripping the necessary drivers off the CD that Boot Camp creates because Apple's auto-installer for Windows breaks in Vista.Don't get the wrong idea though: we still agree with the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in saying no to Vista. Per our duties as card-carrying Mac users and bloggers, however, we still need to tinker with a few things to make sure we're staying on top of what Redmond is up to. Kinda like Ze Frank says: we're testing Vista, so you don't have to.
Pete Wright: "My Microsoft career is now officially over"
Coming to the rescue once again, digg's users have highlighted a fairly prominent Windows coder's testimony of a switch to Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux. Pete Wright, a (former) Windows developer who made Microsoft's 'influencer' lists by working for such clients as American Express and Enron, has said goodbye to Redmond. "Today, I've resigned to leave that world behind forever, and I couldn't be happier," Pete exclaimed in a fairly lengthy blog post back in September. Pete cites Microsoft's inability to innovate and Vista's aura of 'Service Pack 3-ness', as well as "buggy, overpriced and stress inducing" software for the switch (amongst other things), but I have a sneaking suspicion his new work environment of t-shirts, sandals and nerf guns had *some* influence. Still, chalk this up as another prominent switch to Mac OS X by a developer fairly high on the Windows totem pole. One can only guess as to how desirable Mac OS X Leopard will be, once Mr. J and company lay all their cards on the table at Macworld 9 days from now.[via MacDailyNews]
Belkin and Microsoft make nice, settle U2 lawsuit
No, we're not talking Apples and Apples here, nor does this have anything to do with Bono (nor the Edge, actually); rather, Belkin and Microsoft have finally made nice regarding Belkin's consistent use of Microsoft's "U2 technology," which allows keyboard and mice to detect what type of connection (USB or PS/2) is needed. While other accessory makers, namely Targus and Fellowes, have been paying Gates and Co. royalties for years to borrow said technology, Belkin has been resisting the pressure "for more than two years." Eventually the misalignment between companies came to blows, creating a lawsuit that suggested Belkin pay fees for using the detection technology in its third-party peripherals. The decision was settled when Belkin finally agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to the Redmond giant to continue using its patented U2 goodness, and both sides actually went so far as to say they were "pleased" with the outcome. C'mon folks, can't we just learn from this and all strive to get along?
Dead Rising creator fends off fans at mall
You could say a lot of things about Capcom's Keiji Inafune ("he looks youthful"), but you can't say he's without a sense of humor. Why else would the creator of a video game about a man trapped in a shopping mall fending off swarms of brain-hungry zombies trap himself in a shopping mall to fend off swarms of autograph-hungry fans? Despite the veiled insult, fans lined up for a chance to get some of Inafune's brain droppings scribbled on various things. Fans like Joystiq VIP Philip Palermo, creator of the super limited-edition Joystiq-zilla tee. Philip managed to make it out alive, but not before taking some great snaps of the mayhem, Frank West-style, and sending us in his observations of the event.
EU hits Microsoft with $357 million fine
Even though we've resigned ourselves to the fact that Windows Vista isn't coming out until it's good and ready, EU regulators aren't as forgiving as us when it comes to Microsoft playing the delay game, and have hit the software giant with a $357 million fine based on that 2004 anti-competition ruling. What's more, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes has decided to slap the company with a three million euro-per-day fine starting on July 31st if the document disclosure stipulation of the original decision -- which requires Microsoft to make the Windows source code more accessible to rivals provide technical information to makers of competing server software -- has not been fulfilled. Redmond, for its part, claims that it has been fully cooperating with regulators; general counsel Brad Smith argues that the commission's original demand was too vague, and therefore the issue is not one of compliance but clarity. In the end, Microsoft can complain all day and night about unfair rulings and unclear requirements, but if it wants to continue having unfettered access to the lucrative European market, it seems the company has little choice but to toe the line on this one.
