Why Facebook’s Internet.org is Stumbling in India | Re/code

"Economic racism" in part because it defaults to Bing?... Also see Facebook Hires Former FCC Chairman Martin for Access Policy (Bloomberg)

"The stink over Internet.org came about after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper in late March that focused on net neutrality and asked for public comment. Following a concerted push from Internet activists, more than a million people responded in support of net neutrality, even though India doesn’t have any laws upholding it.

As a result, services like Facebook’s Internet.org became the focus of public debate and numerous articles condemned the plan. The backlash was strong enough that some Indian tech companies pulled their services from Internet.org altogether."

Why Facebook’s Internet.org is Stumbling in India | Re/code

Who’s Responsible when a Driverless Car Crashes? Tesla’s Got an Idea - WSJ

Shorter answer: not Tesla

"Tesla Motors Inc. is looking at the good old-fashioned turn signal as a potential solution to a liability debate associated with driverless vehicle technology.

The Palo Alto, Calif., electric-car maker soon will begin activating semiautonomous features, including the capability to pass other cars without driver intervention, in its Model S sedans. A driver can trigger the passing function by hitting the turn signal, according to people familiar with the technology. That action not only tells the car it can pass, but also means the driver has given thought to whether the maneuver is safe."

Who’s Responsible when a Driverless Car Crashes? Tesla’s Got an Idea - WSJ

Verizon Takes to the Battlefield - NYTimes.com

This NYT article appears to have been dictated by Verizon corporate communications -- I'm guessing the reporter has never been a Verizon customer; tangentially, see Finding a New Broadband Connection (NYT)

"Verizon’s deal to buy AOL for $4.4 billion barely registers on Verizon’s balance sheet, and in purely financial terms it’s nothing compared with Verizon’s paying $130 billion last year to acquire all of Verizon Wireless.

But its AOL purchase may be a signature transaction for Verizon, the deal that vanquishes lingering perceptions of the company as a stodgy utility. And the acquisition is just the latest and most visible in a series of bold steps that have transformed Verizon into a formidable competitive threat across the ever-converging telecommunications, technology and media industries."

Verizon Takes to the Battlefield - NYTimes.com

Vessel needs a head start against YouTube - Business - The Boston Globe

From an Internet video business reality check

"Americans viewed an average of 5¼ hours of video per day in 2013, according to the market research firm eMarketer. And this year, we’re supposed to break 5½ hours. But not because we’re watching the regularly scheduled kind pumped out by local stations, national networks, and cable channels. We’ve cut back slightly on that.


All the growth is in Internet video, the kind viewed on PCs, smartphones, and tablets. The average Yank spent an hour per day last year watching this stuff, up from 21 minutes in 2011. And it just keeps growing. Thanks to YouTube, we’re all trained to enjoy the occasional brief video break. I’m a sucker for movie trailers and “Three Stooges” shorts, myself.

But is anybody a big enough sucker to pay for this stuff?"

Vessel needs a head start against YouTube - Business - The Boston Globe

At Ignite, Microsoft Delve helps Redmond sidestep SharePoint woes [SearchContentManagement]

Check the source page for a podcast in which I share my SharePoint-related impressions from last week's Microsoft Ignite conference

"Microsoft's emphasis on the cloud has on-premises SharePoint users questioning their fate, but that issue was sidestepped at Ignite by offerings such as Delve."

At Ignite, Microsoft Delve helps Redmond sidestep SharePoint woes

Microsoft Updates Office Apps for iPhone and iPad - Thurrott.com

iCloud Drive support for iOS Office is likely to be popular, and the new add-in model, based on HTML5, JavaScript, and JSON, makes it possible to create a single add-in that works on Win32, Office Online, iPad, and iPhone, with Mac OS, Android, and UWA (Universal Windows App) support to follow; check this Ignite presentation for more on the add-in model

"Microsoft recently updated the Office apps for iPhone and iPad, adding new features to each of the apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Key among the changes: you can use iCloud Drive for documents and Excel for iPad now supports add-ons."

Microsoft Updates Office Apps for iPhone and iPad - Thurrott.com

Microsoft's SharePoint 2016: What's hybrid got to do with it? | ZDNet

Final paragraphs from a Mary Jo Foley SharePoint reality check; also see SharePoint Server 2016 To Rely on Some 'Deprecated' Software (Redmond Magazine)

"Microsoft officials said earlier this year and reiterated at Ignite that SharePoint Server 2016 will not be the last on-premises version of SharePoint. More versions are planned "for the foreseeable future," officials said.

And for those wondering, Microsoft execs say they also won't be dismantling SharePoint Online and replacing it with a bunch of individual, smaller-scoped features in Office 365. The official statement, from a spokesperson: "SharePoint Online will continue to play an important role as the platform underlying a number of Office 365 experiences, including next generation portals like Video, as well as Delve, OneDrive and Team Sites.""

Microsoft's SharePoint 2016: What's hybrid got to do with it? | ZDNet

AOL RIP: Where The Net Was Born for Many | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

Final paragraphs of a big-picture AOL profile

"One question about the Verizon purchase is the future of some AOL properties that really do not seem to fit, especially with an ongoing fight over net neutrality. Huffington Post, a major news publisher with a generally liberal tilt, and two leading tech sites, Engadget and TechCrunch, do not seem to fit well with Verizon. Re/code’s Kara Swisher reported talks were already in progress to sell HuffPo to various buyers, with the leader being Germany’s Axel Springer.
Whatever happens in the end, there appears to be not much left of AOL except ads and some members. The end of AOL is not much of a surprise."

AOL RIP: Where The Net Was Born for Many | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

Pinterest Survey Finds Service Influences Purchasing Decisions - Digits - WSJ

Perhaps not entirely encouraging that the top-line result Pinterest's research discovered is that "About 52% of roughly 1,500 active Pinterest users surveyed agreed that the site helps them find items they want to buy"

"The evidence that users who see items on Pinterest are likely to buy them afterward strengthens the company’s pitch to advertisers. It also raises a question: When will Pinterest follow in the footsteps of Facebook and Twitter by adding a buy button? This feature would have natural appeal on Pinterest because its audience uses the service specifically to find ideas and items.

Investors are banking on just such a proposition. Pinterest is valued at $11 billion, more than double its valuation of $5 billion less than a year ago. That makes it one of the most highly valued startups in the world despite having made little revenue.

Smith says a buy button isn’t in the cards for now. “We don’t have any plans to announce a buy button at this time,” she said."

Also see Pinterest Is Working on a Plan to Introduce a ‘Buy’ Button as Soon as This Year (Re/code, 20150212)

Pinterest Survey Finds Service Influences Purchasing Decisions - Digits - WSJ

Facebook Begins Testing Direct Publication of News Articles - NYTimes.com

A perilous proposition for publishers; also see Introducing Instant Articles (Facebook Media blog); coincidentally, also see Now you can read 'The New York Times' for free on its redesigned iOS app (Macworld)

"For publishers, the Facebook initiative represents the latest in a series of existential balancing acts. The social network, which has more than 1.4 billion active users worldwide, captures more attention of mobile users — and prompts more visits to news sites — than virtually any other service.

Publishers have little choice but to cooperate with Facebook, said Vivian Schiller, a former executive at NBC, The New York Times and Twitter who now advises media companies and brands. “That’s where the audience is,” Ms. Schiller said. “It’s too massive to ignore.”

But Facebook’s role as a powerful distributor of news makes many people in the industry uneasy. The fear is that it could become more of a destination than their own sites for the work they produce, drawing away readers and advertising."

Facebook Begins Testing Direct Publication of News Articles - NYTimes.com

AOL, a Digital Pioneer, With Another Chance to Reshape Itself - NYTimes.com

Final paragraphs of an AOL profile, including a tumultuous timeline; also see What Verizon Buying AOL Is Really About (WSJ -- spoiler alert: video)

"Mr. Armstrong said that both AOL and Verizon were “big investors in content” and that “content is a huge part of the future.”

Asked if Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and an AOL executive, was planning to work for Verizon, Mr. Armstrong said, “Yes, definitely.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Armstrong said that he also would stay on at Verizon and that he had signed a multiyear contract with the company. One friend has said that he aspires to be the Rupert Murdoch of the digital age. Mr. Armstrong said that he was living his dream now.

“If you want to talk about building the next great global media platform,” he said, “the deal accomplished that goal, and that is what I am here to do.”"

AOL, a Digital Pioneer, With Another Chance to Reshape Itself - NYTimes.com

Verizon’s Dumb Pipes Are No Smarter With AOL - NYTimes.com

Lead paragraphs from a Verizon/AOL acquisition reality check

"Verizon’s dumb pipes become no smarter by running AOL through them.

Seeking refuge from a vicious wireless war, the telecommunications carrier is buying AOL, the custodian of The Huffington Post and old Internet dial-up customers, for $4.4 billion. AOL’s video ad tech business may be the ostensible prize, but it faces many threats. This is just another silly deal involving a company best known for its involvement in a catastrophic one."

Verizon’s Dumb Pipes Are No Smarter With AOL - NYTimes.com

Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4 Billion - WSJ

Must be about time for Verizon to start throttling Facebook and Twitter mobile video...

"Verizon Communications Inc. is buying AOL Inc. in a $4.4 billion deal aimed at advancing the telecom giant’s growth ambitions in mobile video and advertising.

The all-cash deal values AOL at $50 a share, a 23% premium over the company’s three-month volume-weighted average price. AOL shares rose 18% in premarket trading to $50.27. Verizon shares fell 1.6% to $49.

The acquisition would give Verizon, which has set its sights on entering the crowded online video marketplace, access to advanced technology AOL has developed for selling ads and delivering high-quality Web video."

Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4 Billion - WSJ

Microsoft Edge Browser Jettisoning Older Technologies for Better Security -- Redmondmag.com

Tacitly: "mistakes were made..."

"Microsoft lists what isn't in Edge in this blog post. Highlights of those removed technologies include:

• ActiveX -- HTML 5 takes care of the need for ActiveX controls, according to Microsoft, although Edge will still have built-in Adobe Flash support and PDF support 

• Browser Helper Objects -- these COM objects will go away with Edge's coming HTML and JavaScript-based extension model 

• Document Modes -- Edge will have a single document mode, while IE will still be around for organizations that need the legacy code support 

• VBScript -- Microsoft's view is that JavaScript is "the de facto language of the Web" 

• Vector Markup Language - it's supplanted by Scalable Vector Graphics now, according to Microsoft"

Microsoft Edge Browser Jettisoning Older Technologies for Better Security -- Redmondmag.com

Will Rackspace support Google's or Amazon's clouds? - Fortune

A business model predicated on Amazon and Microsoft offering inadequate cloud support?

"Rackspace, a true cloud computing pioneer, is starting to sound like a company that will focus more on taking care of clouds other than its own.

“Supporting other clouds makes sense and is consistent with our heritage,” CEO Taylor Rhodes said on the company’s first quarter earnings call Monday night. The company is having “good conversations” with potential partners, he added, without providing names."

Will Rackspace support Google's or Amazon's clouds? - Fortune

Database Vendor MarkLogic Joins Billion-Dollar Club With New Funding - Venture Capital Dispatch - WSJ

A big milestone for XML database pioneer MarkLogic

"MarkLogic Corp. has joined the ranks of the world’s most valuable private companies, raising $102 million at a pre-money valuation of more than $1 billion. The company didn’t reveal a post-money valuation.

The round was led by Wellington Management Co. and includes new investor Arrowpoint Partners and all current investors, taking total funding to $173 million. MarkLogic was targeting $70 million and said the round was oversubscribed."

Database Vendor MarkLogic Joins Billion-Dollar Club With New Funding - Venture Capital Dispatch - WSJ

Which 2015 Apple MacBook should you buy? - CNET

Not an easy decision

"That means a lot of MacBook shoppers will still end up looking seriously at the 13-inch Air. While it's not the superstar it once was, it's hard to ignore at $999. Our key takeaways include:

•  The 13-inch MacBook Pro has excellent battery life, a beautiful, higher-res screen, and plenty of ports and connections. 

• The 12-inch MacBook isn't powerful enough for more than casual tasks and web surfing, and you'll be lucky if that battery lasts a full day. 

• The 13-inch MacBook Air still works well enough for most any mainstream workload, and it has the best battery life of any laptop we've ever tested."

Which 2015 Apple MacBook should you buy? - CNET

Walt Mossberg Tests the Apple Watch for a Month | Re/code

Check the full article for more observations and projections

"So, after a month, is it thumbs-up, or thumbs-down? I like the Apple Watch. It’s a gorgeous piece of hardware with a clever and simple user interface and some fine built-in functions. It already has more than 4,000 third party apps. I will probably buy one.

But it’s a fledgling product whose optimal utility lies mostly ahead of it as new watch software is developed. I got the strong feeling that third-party app developers taking their first swing at the thing simply hadn’t yet figured out how best to write software for it — especially since Apple, for now, is requiring that watch apps basically be adjuncts of iPhone apps.

But that will change, and Apple’s own core apps are already rich examples of what the watch can do."

Walt Mossberg Tests the Apple Watch for a Month | Re/code

Coming Soon to Your Smartwatch: Ads Targeting Captive Eyeballs - Bloomberg Business

Something to add to your smartwatch selection criteria -- the ability to control all advertising scenarios

"Smartwatches let advertisers grab consumers’ attention immediately, no matter what they are doing. And it’s not just about screen space. Extra sensors that collect data such as the pulse, movements and even skin temperature could help marketers better target their ads.
“Is this person awake?” said Greg Ratner, head of technology at brand agency Deep Focus in New York. “Is that a good time to interact with that user at all, or should we wait for a different time to engage with them? All that is just additional context to help us connect the brands with the users at the right moment.”"

Coming Soon to Your Smartwatch: Ads Targeting Captive Eyeballs - Bloomberg Business

Google Moves Its Corporate Applications to the Internet - The CIO Report - WSJ

Likely a leading indicator

"Google is currently migrating to the new approach and intends for the entire company to eventually use this model, according to the paper. With the new model access depends solely on the device and user credentials, regardless of the employee’s network location. That means employee access is treated the same whether the user is at a corporate office, at home or in a coffee shop. This setup does away with the conventional virtual private network connection into the corporate network. It also encrypts employee connections to corporate applications, even when an employee is connecting from a Google building.

With this approach, trust is moved from the network level to the device level. Employees can only access corporate applications with a device that is procured and actively managed by the company. In this setup, Google requires a device inventory database that keeps track of computers and mobile devices issued to employees as well as changes made to those devices."

Google Moves Its Corporate Applications to the Internet - The CIO Report - WSJ

Main Street Portfolios Are Investing in Unicorns - NYTimes.com

Unlikely to end well; also see Fidelity in Talks to Invest in Blue Apron at $2 Billion Valuation (Re/code)

"With Uber now reportedly valued at $50 billion, there are justifiable worries that some private start-up technology companies worth $1 billion or more — known as unicorns — are in bubble territory.

But don’t worry, the thinking goes. Main Street investors won’t get hurt as they did after the dot-com collapse of 2000 because the current crop of highfliers are privately held by expert investors like venture capitalists. So most civilians will be fine should things turn south this time.

Here’s an open secret: That’s fiction."

Main Street Portfolios Are Investing in Unicorns - NYTimes.com

Microsoft Surface Hub release date set for 2015 | BGR

Bigger plans for Surface

"According to Geek, Microsoft later this year will launch 55-inch and 84-inch Surface Hub models, which will be sold mainly to businesses. A Surface Hub will run Windows 10, and essentially work just like a Surface Pro tablet. However, these devices are conceived for team work-related purposes at the office, and are supposed to help companies increase productivity.

Each Surface Hub comes with multitouch support for 100 touch points and two styluses. Each pen has its own doc that’ll recharge the device while not in use. Other features include dual camera support, and NFC connectivity, that’ll likely let users easily beam documents from other devices to the Surface Hub."

Microsoft Surface Hub release date set for 2015 | BGR

Apple Phones, Tablets Continue to Dominate Inside Big Businesses | Re/code

Check the full article for some additional enterprise mobile market dynamics

"Good Technology said in a report Monday that iPhones made up 72 percent of all devices in the enterprise, down just a single percentage point from a year ago. Android accounted for just over one fourth of all devices and Windows Phone held steady at 1 percent of the corporate market.
[...]
On the tablet side, the iPad still accounts for four in five slates activated by businesses, but that is down from more than 90 percent a year ago. Android gained 1 percentage point from a year ago, while Windows rose from 1 percent to 4 percent."

Apple Phones, Tablets Continue to Dominate Inside Big Businesses | Re/code

The Return to the Cloud | Perspectives

Excerpt from a timely cloud reality check by Amazon's James Hamilton

"This week more news came available when Robert McMillan of the Wall Street Journal wrote For Zynga, A Journey from Cloud to Home — and Back Again. In this article, Zynga is reported to have spent over $100m on a private cloud infrastructure and yet decided to return to the cloud all in. This decision is partly interesting because the previous move was so well publicized but mostly because Zynga has incredible visibility into both the on premise and public cloud world since they have run both at very high scale for several years.

The article quotes Zynga CEO Mark Pincus during the last investors call “There’s a lot of places that are not strategic for us to have scale and we think not appropriate, like running our own data centers. We’re going to let Amazon do that.” The articles continues by saying “The company Wednesday said it would shut its data centers and shift its computing workload back to Amazon, as part of $100 million in spending reductions.”

This announcement is interesting because Zygna has a very large infrastructure investment just as most large enterprises have. And yet, even with that large infrastructure investment, they still elected to move to fully to the cloud. What was an example that challenged cloud economics at the very high end of the scale, has now become an example of a company with a deep understanding of both cloud and on premise deployments at scale, deciding to fully commit to the cloud."

The Return to the Cloud | Perspectives

The Mind of Marc Andreessen - The New Yorker

From an extensive a16z profile

"Marc Andreessen, the firm’s co-founder, fixed his gaze on Doshi as he disinfected his germless hands with a sanitizing wipe. Andreessen is forty-three years old and six feet five inches tall, with a cranium so large, bald, and oblong that you can’t help but think of words like “jumbo” and “Grade A.” Two decades ago, he was the animating spirit of Netscape, the Web browser that launched the Internet boom. In many respects, he is the quintessential Silicon Valley venture capitalist: an imposing, fortyish, long-celebrated white man. (Forbes’s Midas List of the top hundred V.C.s includes just five women.) But, whereas most V.C.s maintain a casual-Friday vibe, Andreessen seethes with beliefs. He’s an evangelist for the church of technology, afire to reorder life as we know it. He believes that tech products will soon erase such primitive behaviors as paying cash (Bitcoin), eating cooked food (Soylent), and enduring a world unimproved by virtual reality (Oculus VR). He believes that Silicon Valley is mission control for mankind, which is therefore on a steep trajectory toward perfection. And when he so argues, fire-hosing you with syllogisms and data points and pre-refuting every potential rebuttal, he’s very persuasive."

The Mind of Marc Andreessen - The New Yorker

Autonomous truck cleared to drive on US roads for the first time - tech - 08 May 2015 - New Scientist

The road ahead

"The next big thing in autonomous vehicles really is big. At a ceremony at the Hoover Dam last Wednesday, automotive manufacturer Daimler unveiled a self-driving truck – the first to be cleared to drive on US roads.

For the freight industry, the Inspiration Truck holds the promise of a future with fewer accidents, lower fuel costs and well-rested drivers.

Over the past few years, autonomous trucks have drawn the attention of companies that repeatedly use the same routes or encounter few people or other vehicles. Some farms use autonomous grain harvesters or planters. Mining company Rio Tinto has more than 50 self-driving vehicles hauling iron ore at a remote site in Western Australia. In Texas, the US military has been working on trucks that can navigate battle zones."

Autonomous truck cleared to drive on US roads for the first time - tech - 08 May 2015 - New Scientist

Airbnb Grows to a Million Rooms, and Hotel Rivals Are Quiet, for Now - NYTimes.com

Room to grow -- from an Airbnb market snapshot

"By any measure, Airbnb’s growth has been stunning since the company was founded in 2008. It now has more than a million rooms available in homes, apartments and even former barns — more places to sleep than hotel giants like Marriott and Hilton.

Despite this growth, though, the big hotel chains, at least outwardly, have yet to take substantial action to counter the potential threat from the upstart lodging service."

Airbnb Grows to a Million Rooms, and Hotel Rivals Are Quiet, for Now - NYTimes.com

Apple Expands Renewable Energy Goal - Digits - WSJ

Supply different

"Apple has pledged to create enough energy through renewable sources to power its global operations. Now it’s setting a far more ambitious goal to do the same for its manufacturing supply chain.

Apple says it generates renewable energy – from solar, wind, biogas, fuel cells, geothermal and small hydropower plants — equivalent to 87% of the energy used by its facilities worldwide. The company’s goal is to get to 100%.

Including the supply chain, which produces hundreds of millions of its products every year, will be a much tougher task. Apple says the supply chain uses roughly 60 times as much power as Apple’s own facilities."

Apple Expands Renewable Energy Goal - Digits - WSJ

Does Artificial Intelligence Pose a Threat? - WSJ

Also see Rise of the machines (The Economist)

"How realistic are such concerns? And how urgent? We assembled a panel of experts from industry, research and policy-making to consider the dangers—if any—that lie ahead. Taking part in the discussion are Jaan Tallinn, a co-founder of Skype and the think tanks Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and the Future of Life Institute; Guruduth S. Banavar, vice president of cognitive computing at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center; and Francesca Rossi, a professor of computer science at the University of Padua, a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and president of the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence, the main international gathering of researchers in AI."

Does Artificial Intelligence Pose a Threat? - WSJ

What Facebook's 'It's Not Our Fault' Study Really Means | WIRED

A timely Facebook reality check

"Facebook is a private corporation with a terrible public relations problem. It is periodically rated one of the least popular companies in existence. It is currently facing serious government investigations into illegal practices in many countries, some of which stem from the manipulation of its news feed algorithm. In this context, I have to say that it doesn’t seem wise for these Facebook researchers to have spun these data so hard in this direction, which I would summarize as: the algorithm is less selective and less polarizing. Particularly when the research finding in their own study is actually that the Facebook algorithm is modestly more selective and more polarizing than living your life without it."

What Facebook's 'It's Not Our Fault' Study Really Means | WIRED

The Debacle of Google Glass | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

A timely wearable reality check

"That is not to say Google Glass 2.0, rumored to be in the works, or even future products like this could gain consumer traction some day, but it will come at a deep marketing cost and may be well into the future if they get accepted at all. In the mean time, products like Sony’s Morpheus, Facebook’s Oculus and even Microsoft’s HoloLens will take aim at a higher-end gaming audience or those focused on virtual and augmented reality and be priced like vertical market products — well out of reach for the general consumer for a long time.
But even if Google Glass 2.0 comes out or others create glasses similar at cheaper prices, I see them as being dead in the water for consumers. While Google was playing with Glass, Apple brought out the ideal extension of your smartphone in the form of a watch."

The Debacle of Google Glass | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

Why Microsoft is calling Windows 10 'the last version of Windows' | The Verge

WaaS...

"With Windows 10, it's time to start thinking of Windows as something that won't see a big launch or major upgrade every few years anymore. Much like how Google's Chrome browser gets updated regularly with version numbers nobody really pays attention to, Microsoft's approach will likely result in a similar outcome. This is really the idea of Windows as a service, and the notion that Windows 10 could be the last major version of Windows. Microsoft could opt for Windows 11 or Windows 12 in future, but if people upgrade to Windows 10 and the regular updates do the trick then everyone will just settle for just "Windows" without even worrying about the version number."

Why Microsoft is calling Windows 10 'the last version of Windows' | The Verge

Court Backs Snowden, Strikes Secret Laws - Bloomberg View

Coincidentally, see Racing to June 1: The fight to control the Patriot Act (Engadget)

"In a major vindication for Edward Snowden -- and a blow for the national security policy pursued by Republicans and Democrats alike -- the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Thursday that the National Security Agency’s metadata collection program is unlawful.  This is the most serious blow to date for the legacy of the USA Patriot Act and the surveillance overreach that followed 9/11."

Court Backs Snowden, Strikes Secret Laws - Bloomberg View

Tesla May Need to Raise Capital After Losses, Analysts Say - Bloomberg Business

Perhaps the “crazy off the hook” pre-orders for its Powerwall battery system will help

"Analysts are voicing concerns about Tesla Motors Inc.’s cash, saying the maker of electric cars and energy-storage products may need to raise money.
Tesla said it had $1.51 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, down from $1.91 billion three months earlier. Adam Jonas, an analyst with Morgan Stanley, called Tesla’s cash burn “eye watering” in a note early Thursday."

Tesla May Need to Raise Capital After Losses, Analysts Say - Bloomberg Business

Uber Joins the Bidding for Here, Nokia’s Digital Mapping Service - NYTimes.com

Check Here for more details

"More and more, Uber is positioning itself as a logistics company. The goal is to deliver people and things within cities as quickly as possible — relying heavily on Google’s Maps in the process.

That dependency may soon change.

Uber has submitted a bid for Here, the main competitor to Google Maps, for as much as $3 billion, according to three people with knowledge of the offer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Here is owned by Nokia, the Finnish telecom giant, which announced last month that it was considering selling the business."

Uber Joins the Bidding for Here, Nokia’s Digital Mapping Service - NYTimes.com

First Look at the Rift, Shipping Q1 2016 | Oculus Rift - Virtual Reality Headset for 3D Gaming [Oculus blog]

A game (and more) changer

"Since the earliest days of the Oculus Kickstarter, the Rift has been shaped by gamers, backers, developers, and enthusiasts around the world. Today, we’re incredibly excited to announce that the Oculus Rift will be shipping to consumers in Q1 2016, with pre-orders later this year.

The Rift delivers on the dream of consumer VR with compelling content, a full ecosystem, and a fully-integrated hardware/software tech stack designed specifically for virtual reality. It’s a system designed by a team of extremely passionate gamers, developers, and engineers to reimagine what gaming can be."

First Look at the Rift, Shipping Q1 2016 | Oculus Rift - Virtual Reality Headset for 3D Gaming

The Best Deal for Salesforce is No Deal At All | Re/code

Check the full article for speculation about likely bumps in the MSFT/CRM road

"For Microsoft, a deal to buy Salesforce.com makes sense.

CEO Satya Nadella has spoken publicly about bolstering Microsoft’s cloud software offerings beyond its Office 365 and Azure services. Adding Salesforce, which it is now believed to be considering, would create an unrivaled portfolio of cloud software assets that include software companies use to track their sales processes, marketing, advertising, customer service and human resources.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, however, should run screaming."

The Best Deal for Salesforce is No Deal At All | Re/code

Microsoft’s Nadella Said to Have Proposed Salesforce Deal Before - Bloomberg Business

Still a cloudy picture

"Microsoft Corp.’s Satya Nadella had previously been interested in acquiring cloud-software rival Salesforce.com Inc. before he was named chief executive officer, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
When Nadella, who became CEO last year, was the head of Microsoft’s server and cloud unit, he brought up the idea during a meeting of the senior leadership team under then-CEO Steve Ballmer, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing a private matter."

Microsoft’s Nadella Said to Have Proposed Salesforce Deal Before - Bloomberg Business

Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar - Bloomberg Business

Perhaps more of a bright vision than a near-term solution?

"Here’s where things get interesting. SolarCity, with Musk as its chairman, has decided not to install the 7kWh Powerwall that’s optimized for daily use. Bass said that battery "doesn't really make financial sense" because of regulations that allow most U.S. solar customers to sell extra electricity back to the grid.1
For customers of SolarCity, the biggest U.S. rooftop installer, the lack of a 7kWh option means that installing a Tesla battery to extend solar power after sunset won't be possible. Want to use Tesla batteries to move completely off the grid? You'll just to have to wait. “Our residential offering is battery backup,” Bass said in an e-mail."

Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar - Bloomberg Business

Microsoft boasts that new tool will control Amazon’s cloud, too | Network World

Embrace and extend, cloud edition

"Microsoft this week launched a tool that initially is best for managing its public and private clouds but that the company says will soon enable enterprises to control hybrid clouds based on Amazon Web Services and VMware clouds, too.

“[The Operations Management Suite] helps simplify management of your datacenter assets wherever they live,” wrote Jeremy Winter, a product manager at Microsoft, in a blog post. “That means any instance in any cloud, including your data center, Azure, AWS, Windows Server, Linux, VMware, and OpenStack.”"

Microsoft boasts that new tool will control Amazon’s cloud, too | Network World

Google senior VP talks about when the company nearly failed | Computerworld

Just getting started as a cloud platform player -- at least on the marketing side...

"Holzle also noted that Google has not picked up the pace of marketing for its cloud business because it wants to focus on the technology before opening the floodgates.

"We have definitely not turned up the marketing faucet as much because we want to convince people by the quality of the product and not the quality of the ad," he said. "We're actually growing very quickly and we're having trouble keeping up with the demand. You don't want to turn on the faucet and have people come to you and be disappointed."

Holzle also said the next five years will bring much greater advances to the cloud than the last five years have."

Google senior VP talks about when the company nearly failed | Computerworld

IBM and Facebook in Marketing Partnership - NYTimes.com

A profile partnership

"The partnership is intended to combine data that marketers have on customers — like purchase behavior, responses to a marketer’s email campaigns and call center inquiries — with Facebook data including likes, comments and complaints.

IBM’s data analytics will then be used to help big brands find and communicate with more finely targeted audiences on Facebook. Mr. Chandlee called this “personalization at scale.” And the insights gleaned from analyzing Facebook and other data should also help companies better target consumers in other marketing channels, such as ads on the web and email programs."

IBM and Facebook in Marketing Partnership - NYTimes.com

Salesforce's Cloud Prowess and High Cost Pose Dilemma for Microsoft - Bloomberg Business

Salesforce speculation continues

"“It will take longer, cost more and have more problems, so for someone to do it there has to be significant synergies,” Moerdler said in an interview. For Moerdler and some Microsoft shareholders, that’s money they’d rather see used to pay for a higher dividend or share repurchase, he said.
The vast majority of Microsoft’s $95 billion in cash and short-term investments is held overseas, so another consideration would be the taxes owed if money were brought onshore to pay for the purchase of a U.S. company."

Salesforce's Cloud Prowess and High Cost Pose Dilemma for Microsoft - Bloomberg Business

Google Software to Power System for Analyzing Financial Markets - Bloomberg Business

Very big data

"SunGard is also using Google Cloud Bigtable technology as the underpinnings of its bid to create what’s known as the consolidated audit trail, an impending Securities and Exchange Commission system meant to help regulators monitor markets. That database is designed to funnel 50 billion daily records into an archive to track every quote, order and trade in the U.S. stock and options markets."

Google Software to Power System for Analyzing Financial Markets - Bloomberg Business

Google Tweaks Cloud to Tackle Data Balkanization - Digits - WSJ

The cloud platform battle expands

"Cloud computing providers typically compete to get as many customers using their data centers as possible. But on Tuesday, Google unveiled a partnership with startup AppScale that lets App Engine apps, which number roughly six million, run on other cloud services or companies’ own data centers and servers without modification.

The change opens up the possibility that Google’s technology will help developers write apps that they will then take to another cloud provider to run. However, Miles Ward, global solutions head for cloud platforms at Google, said the move will help the company retain and attract more cloud customers, especially as so-called cloud balkanization rules limit how apps and Web services can be delivered in some countries."

Google Tweaks Cloud to Tackle Data Balkanization - Digits - WSJ

Your own personal Azure: Microsoft’s new Azure Stack for private clouds | Ars Technica

From a summary of Azure news at the Ignite conference

"Today at Microsoft's Ignite conference in Chicago, the company's executives will make a set of major announcements about the company's server, management, and cloud offerings. At the top of the list is Azure Stack, a cloud infrastructure platform that packages the capabilities of Microsoft's public Azure cloud for use by customers in private data centers and public hosting services. Microsoft also announced Microsoft Operations Management Suite, a set of Azure-based management tools that will help companies manage public and private cloud infrastructure as well as virtual and physical Windows and Linux servers. Lastly, there's a new preview of Windows Server 2016 and the Systems Center 2016 systems management platform. The new Server 2016 preview includes the first release of Nano Server, a minimal Windows Server environment designed for "headless" cloud and virtual server applications that greatly reduces the server operating system footprint."

Your own personal Azure: Microsoft’s new Azure Stack for private clouds | Ars Technica

Microsoft is first to let you flip the middle finger emoji - CNET

A new Windows 10 pointing device

"Somehow, the political correction facilitators behind Android and iOS have singularly failed to include one of humanity's most basic pieces of terminology: the bird flip.

Now Redmond has flown to the rescue with not just one middle finger, but six in various skin tones.

This is surely yet another example of how Microsoft wants to shed its stodge in favor of a little modernist chutzpah."

Microsoft is first to let you flip the middle finger emoji - CNET

Google+ Introduces Collections, a Sharing Feature Similar to Pinterest | Re/code

tbd if this will help Google+ collect more users

"It’s not dead yet. Google+, the search giant’s fledgling social network, is rolling out a new feature, called Collections, that lets users post and package photos, videos and links around particular topics. Followers can see the public posts in the Google+ stream or curate them selectively. Early testers have formed groups around make-up tips, video games and Steampunk.

Oh, and it looks quite a bit like Pinterest."

Google+ Introduces Collections, a Sharing Feature Similar to Pinterest | Re/code

Cisco’s Horseman Rides Off–Sort Of - Digits - WSJ

From a Cisco-in-transition snapshot; also see John Chambers Steps Aside at Cisco as Generational Shift Arrives (NYT)

"It may be hard for many of young Street denizens to believe, but once upon a time, Cisco was the tech giant, and Apple – sporting a market cap around $20 billion – was the chopped liver. Cisco’s market cap crested at $555.4 billion in March 2000, when it passed Microsoft’s market cap of $541 billion to become the most valuable company in the world. Two years earlier, Microsoft had vaulted over General Electric to take the title. Cisco was the very image of the dot-com boom. Then the boom went boom. The mania blew up."

Cisco’s Horseman Rides Off–Sort Of - Digits - WSJ

Google Acquires Timeful to Automate Time Management in Its Apps - Digits - WSJ

ML PIM; also see Google Buys Timeful App, Gets Handful of Machine Learning Talent (Re/code)

"Google is bolstering the machine learning and data crunching in its collection of communication and organizational apps like Gmail and Calendar.

The Internet giant said Monday it acquired the startup Timeful, which developed an app for Apple’s iOS mobile operating system that uses machine learning and data analysis, along with behavioral economic theory, to customize people’s digital calendars."

Google Acquires Timeful to Automate Time Management in Its Apps - Digits - WSJ

Apple TV Remote Expected to Add Touch Pad in Redesign - NYTimes.com

Something to watch

"The redesign for the new remote will be the first big change to the Apple remote since the Apple TV’s introduction in 2007. The Apple TV is essentially a set-top box that connects to a television, allowing people to stream content over an Internet connection. The first Apple TV included a plastic white remote with a few buttons. The following version was metal with minor changes to the buttons.

The new Apple TV is expected to be introduced this June during Apple’s annual conference for software developers, according to the employee briefed on the remote. Apple has held talks with a number of leading television groups to offer an Internet-based TV service this year for its Apple TV, iPhone and iPad, according to people briefed on the company’s plans."

Apple TV Remote Expected to Add Touch Pad in Redesign - NYTimes.com

Periscope the big winner for Mayweather-Pacquiao pay-per-view dodgers - CNET

Another potential intellectual property lawyer full-employment act

"Internet denizens without TVs or the inclination to spend Showtime and HBO's steep $100 pay-per-view price turned to Periscope instead, where they could watch the bout for free on their smartphone, tablet or computer screen.

To do this, anyone with an iPhone or iPad can log into Twitter's Periscope app and start a broadcast, pointing their device camera to the TV, thereby passing along their own view to anyone following the user's live stream."

Periscope the big winner for Mayweather-Pacquiao pay-per-view dodgers - CNET

Apple's 12.9" iPad will feature Bluetooth stylus, Force Touch, NFC & more, source says [AppleInsider]

The latest "iPad Pro" rumors

"Apple is indeed working on a larger iPad which will feature a number of changes, including an all-new Bluetooth stylus accessory with pressure sensitivity, support for Force Touch input, and a USB-C connector, AppleInsider has learned."

Apple's 12.9" iPad will feature Bluetooth stylus, Force Touch, NFC & more, source says

Will Tesla’s Newest Battery Pan Out? - WSJ

Betting on a cleaner future

"A few companies, including Sungevity and Sunrun Inc., plan to offer battery systems for consumers who have solar panels, at prices they say will be competitive with Tesla’s. For bigger users, companies including Sunverge Energy Inc., Stem Inc. and Greencharge Networks offer lithium-ion batteries made by companies like LG Chem and Samsung, with various financing options. Another group of companies sells what are known as flow batteries, which are more common for very large users like utilities.

“So many companies are fighting over a market that’s practically nonexistent right now,” said Haresh Kamath, energy storage expert at the Electric Power Research Center in Palo Alto, Calif. “Tesla is betting they can produce a charismatic product that consumers will want to buy—like what Apple did with the iPhone.”"

Will Tesla’s Newest Battery Pan Out? - WSJ

40 Busy Years Later, Paul Allen, a Microsoft Founder, Considers His Creation - NYTimes.com

Perspectives from Microsoft's other cofounder

"While Microsoft is doing well among corporate customers, Mr. Allen says he believes the most daunting task the company faces is getting momentum in the mobile market, where Apple and Google hold sway over developers.

“It’s possible,” Mr. Allen said. “It’s very challenging to carve back market share.”"

40 Busy Years Later, Paul Allen, a Microsoft Founder, Considers His Creation - NYTimes.com

At Ignite, hybrid SharePoint a key theme [TechTarget/SearchContentManagement]

I had the opportunity to share my perspectives on SharePoint market dynamics, in a podcast accessible at the link below; I hope to follow-up late next week, after I attend the Microsoft Ignite event in Chicago, with perspectives on the Ignite news

"Hybrid SharePoint will be an important theme at the Microsoft Ignite show, where on-premises users may not be ready to go all-in on the cloud."

At Ignite, hybrid SharePoint a key theme

The Age of Drone Vandalism Begins With an Epic NYC Tag | WIRED

Signs of the times

"IN THE EARLY hours of Wednesday morning, the age of robotic graffiti was born. KATSU, a well-known graffiti artist and vandal, used a hacked Phantom drone to paint a giant red scribble across Kendall Jenner’s face on one of New York City’s largest and most viewed billboards. By all accounts, it is the first time that a drone has been deployed for a major act of public vandalism."

The Age of Drone Vandalism Begins With an Epic NYC Tag | WIRED

American Airlines iPad App Glitch Traced to Database Software - Digits - WSJ

So the bug was in the app rather than iOS, and the impact, in terms of flight delays, was minimal; I'll watch for retractions of the "Apple iPads Destroy American Airlines"-style headlines from earlier in the week...

"Tuesday night, the terminal chart app and the database software that feeds it data, both from navigation software maker Jeppesen, went wonky. The database software American Airlines uses to serve flight information to the iPad app had created a duplicate map for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. When the database couldn’t reconcile the duplicate, it forced the iPad app to shut down — but only for pilots who have favorited Reagan in the app, says Jeppesen spokesman Michael Pound. Favoriting maps in the app allows pilots to group and access them more easily. “If a [pilot] has favorited National, it caused [the app] to shut down,” he said."

American Airlines iPad App Glitch Traced to Database Software - Digits - WSJ

At the Heart of Facebook’s Artificial Intelligence, Human Emotions - Digits - WSJ

For more on emotional aspects of AI competition, see Microsoft Awarded Patent for Emotion Detecting Eyeglasses (WSJ)

"Facebook thinks it can do better.

“Siri and Cortana are very scripted,” says Yann LeCun, director of artificial-intelligence research at Facebook, in an interview. “There’s only certain things they can talk about and dialogue about. Their knowledge base is fairly limited, and their ability to dialogue is limited,” he said. “We’re laying the groundwork for how you give common sense to machines.”

Apple and Microsoft declined to comment.

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt recently said the company was making progress in image and speech recognition, but admitted at a conference it was a “sore point” at the company that Siri was getting “all the credit.”"

At the Heart of Facebook’s Artificial Intelligence, Human Emotions - Digits - WSJ

Salesforce’s slow growth may prompt hunt for buyer [Reuters]

More Salesforce sale speculation; also see Oracle co-CEO Safra Catz stifles Salesforce acquisition rumor (SFGate)

"Yet the company’s professed valuation of more than 100 times estimated adjusted earnings for this year looks like a stretch. According to standard accounting principles, Salesforce is bleeding red ink, losing $263 million in 2014 alone. Investors nonetheless seem to have plenty of faith in its ability to grow and eventually rack up a huge profit. The problem is that analysts expect growth to slow to a rate of 21 percent this year, about half the rate of several years ago.

To some degree, that’s a natural result of getting larger. But investors will soon want to see the company start making money, and that’s a lot harder to pull off than revenue growth.

Benioff may be thinking that a sale is a better option. He has already peddled more than $800,000 worth of shares on almost every trading day over the past few months, and a chunky premium could tempt him to get out altogether."

Salesforce’s slow growth may prompt hunt for buyer

Social Media Punished as Results Fall Short - NYTimes.com

An anti-social week on Wall Street; in contrast, see Facebook is about to pass 1.5 billion active users—and 2 billion is within sight (Quartz)

"LinkedIn on Thursday plunged as much as 25 percent in after-hours trading after the professional social networking company forecast second-quarter sales that were weaker than Wall Street estimates.

The drop followed the declines of two other social networking companies. Twitter shares are down around 25 percent this week after the company reported quarterly sales that fell short of expectations, while local reviews site Yelp plummeted 23 percent on Thursday, a day after it too posted sales that disappointed Wall Street."

Social Media Punished as Results Fall Short - NYTimes.com

With New Factory, Tesla Ventures Into Solar Power Storage for Home and Business - NYTimes.com

Not just for homes

"And for businesses, they can help lower demand for electricity from the grid, which in turn can lower costly demand charges.

Amazon Web Services, which manages cloud-based computing systems and has a goal to derive all its energy from renewable sources, is beginning a pilot program with Tesla in Northern California.

“Batteries are important for both data center reliability and as enablers for the efficient application of renewable power,” James Hamilton, distinguished engineer at Amazon Web Services, said through a spokeswoman. “They help bridge the gap between intermittent production, from sources like wind, and the data center’s constant power demands.”"

From Tesla Launches Batteries for Homes, Businesses, Utilities (Bloomberg Business)

“Our goal here is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy,” Musk said at an event Thursday at the company’s design studio in Hawthorne, California. “We’re talking at the terawatt scale. The goal is complete transformation of the entire energy infrastructure of the world.”

Also see Tesla Powerwall Battery Economics: Almost There (Ramez Naam)

With New Factory, Tesla Ventures Into Solar Power Storage for Home and Business - NYTimes.com

Jeff Bezos has a rocket now, too - Quartz

A different kind of Amazon fire

"Its launch vehicle, the New Shepard, powered by a BE-3 engine, reached an altitude of 307,000 feet, where the space capsule separated to float gently back down to earth. The only failure on the day, per Bezos’ post, was that an attempt to land the launch the vehicle for reuse went wrong.
Bezos and Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been in a legal battle over patents on rocket reusability, which would dramatically lower the cost of future launches. While SpaceX is further ahead of Blue Origin in testing reusability, it has yet to land a rocket from a working launch."

Jeff Bezos has a rocket now, too - Quartz

Your Windows 10 phone can turn into a full PC | The Verge

Maybe the time is right for the approach attempted by the ill-fated Motorola Atrix; also see Windows 10 just beat Ubuntu to the smartphone-PC convergence punch (PCWorld)

"Everything basically looks like the full version of Windows 10, but the phone is powering everything. "What we're trying to show here today, is our unique vision for phones and enabling them to scale up to a full PC-like experience," said Joe Belfiore. Continuum for Phones won't be something you'll find on existing Windows Phone devices. Belfiore was quick to note that the feature will require new devices capable of driving this dual-screen feature. Microsoft plans to share more on that soon."

Your Windows 10 phone can turn into a full PC | The Verge

Microsoft Announces Azure Data Lake, A Data Repository For Big Data Analytics | TechCrunch

This probably makes investors in Cloudera, Hortonworks, and MapR apprehensive; for an overview of Microsoft data* and other news from the first day of its BUILD conference, see New services for intelligent apps + tools and runtimes for any platform & every device (The Official Microsoft Blog)

"The idea behind Data Lake is — as the name implies — to give developers a single place to store all of their structured and semi-structured data in its native format without having to worry about storage and capacity limitations on individual files.

Data Lake is compatible with the Hadoop File System, so it will play nicely with all of the standard Hadoop big data tools like Spark, Storm and Kafka, as well as services from Hortonworks, Cloudera and Microsoft’s own Azure HDInsight. Indeed, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for its data platform T.K. “Ranga” Rengarajan described this as an “important commitment to the Hadoop ecosystem” when I talked to him about today’s announcements earlier this week."

Microsoft Announces Azure Data Lake, A Data Repository For Big Data Analytics | TechCrunch

Amazon pays $20M-$50M for ClusterK, the startup that can run apps on AWS at 10% of the regular price | VentureBeat | Cloud | by Jordan Novet

Spot on

"ClusterK devised a clever way to rely on Spot Instances — which let you name your price for slices of servers in Amazon Web Services (AWS) — to run applications for 1/10 of the cost of using Amazon’s far more popular on-demand instances.

Note that ClusterK isn’t a competitor to Amazon. It’s just helping customers use a cheaper AWS product in place of a more expensive one.

Amazon made the acquisition yesterday, paying $20-50 million, Marc Parrish, an investor in the startup, told VentureBeat in an interview."

Amazon pays $20M-$50M for ClusterK, the startup that can run apps on AWS at 10% of the regular price | VentureBeat | Cloud | by Jordan Novet

Salesforce Seen as Attractive, If Pricey, Target for Cloud Push - Bloomberg Business

Also see If Salesforce.com Is in Play, Here Are the Possible Suitors (Re/code) and Salesforce as takeover target: Here's a look at the potential buyers (ZDNet)

"Salesforce.com Inc., the software provider that has hired bankers to field takeover offers, would make sense as a partner for a buyer willing to spend a lot to become the leader in cloud computing.
Salesforce jumped 12 percent to close at $74.65 in New York on Wednesday, giving the company a market value of about $49 billion."

Salesforce Seen as Attractive, If Pricey, Target for Cloud Push - Bloomberg Business

Goldman and IDG Put $50 Million to Work in a Bitcoin Company - NYTimes.com

A big milestone for Jeremy Allaire's Circle Internet Financial

"Since first grabbing widespread attention in 2013, Bitcoin has been dented by criminal activity tied to the virtual currency and by flurries of speculative buying and selling. The price of one Bitcoin on Wednesday hovered around $225, far below the high above $1,200 that it hit in late 2013.

Even as public interest has waned, however, major financial institutions have been quietly but seriously examining the opportunities offered by the technology, and particularly the new financial network that hosts the Bitcoin digital tokens and allows them to be sent around the world securely, cheaply and almost instantly."

Goldman and IDG Put $50 Million to Work in a Bitcoin Company - NYTimes.com

20 years later, what’s next for the ’Net? - Business - The Boston Globe

Not a bad start

"Twenty years ago today, somebody flipped a switch and opened the floodgates. On April 30, 1995, the last federally funded portion of the Internet shut down, turning it into a free-enterprise operation.

It was just one major breakthrough of 1995, the year the Internet achieved lift-off. Amazon, eBay, craigslist, and Match.com all went live that year, while Microsoft rolled out its first Internet Explorer browser. In 1995, about 16 million people were online, less than half a percent of the human race. Just five years later, 5 percent of the world had logged on. Today, it’s 3 billion of us — 40 percent of the planet. Probably no other technology has caught on so fast, built so many new businesses, or demolished so many old ones."

20 years later, what’s next for the ’Net? - Business - The Boston Globe

Here's how Microsoft hopes to get Android and iOS phone apps into its Windows 10 Store | ZDNet

I'm guessing there are some busy Apple, Google, and Oracle intellectual property lawyers this afternoon

"On the Android front, Microsoft is adding a layer to its Windows 10 Mobile operating system that will allow Android Open Source Project (AOSP) to run as a subsystem -- similar to the way that it traditionally ran POSIX as a subsystem in Windows. Android developers will be able to submit versions of their apps, written in Java or C++, to the Windows Store in he form of APKs and have those apps work on Windows Phone 10 devices. Android developers should be able to start submitting apps to the Windows 10 Store some time in the next few months.

"Some people might call this emulation," said Operating Systems Group President Terry Myerson, in an interview at Build. "But it's really about subsystems (although) there are aspects of emulation in here."

On the iOS side, Microsoft has developed an Objective-C compiler which will enable iOS developers to recompile their apps so they can work on Windows 10 Mobile devices. That compiler will be available to developers as of today, April 29."

Here's how Microsoft hopes to get Android and iOS phone apps into its Windows 10 Store | ZDNet

Feedback made easy: Add comments on Dropbox files | Dropbox Blog

Check the full post for some ways in which Dropbox is staying feature-competitive with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive

"Whether you’re collaborating on a business proposal or putting together a vacation itinerary, working with multiple people can be difficult. It can involve lots of back and forth conversations, scattered across email threads and chat windows. And in the process, feedback can get lost and it can take ages to get everyone on the same page.

Today we’re simplifying that process. With comments, you can now have conversations around Dropbox files, both on the files you own and the files people share with you. This keeps your conversations organized in one place, and provides a way to gather feedback in just one step. Here are a few ways you can use commenting to make life easier:"

Feedback made easy: Add comments on Dropbox files | Dropbox Blog

An iPad glitch grounded several dozen American Airlines planes - Quartz

Sign of the times -- including many in the press/blogosphere leaving the context ambiguous (i.e., whether it was a custom iPad app that crashed or an iOS problem)

"American Airlines flights experienced significant delays this evening after pilots’ iPads—which the airline uses to distribute flight plans and other information to the crew—abruptly crashed. “Several dozen” flights were affected by the outage, according to a spokesperson for the airline.
“The pilot told us when they were getting ready to take off, the iPad screens went blank, both for the captain and copilot, so they didn’t have the flight plan,” Toni Jacaruso, a passenger on American flight #1654 from Dallas to Austin, told Quartz."

An iPad glitch grounded several dozen American Airlines planes - Quartz

What to expect from Microsoft's most important event of the year | The Verge

Embrace, extend, and emulate? Also see Windows + Android? (Paul Thurrott)

"Myerson will also focus on what might become the biggest news of the day: Microsoft eyeing Android apps for Windows 10. While the software maker has been investigating many methods of bringing Android apps to Windows, it has found a solution. Myerson will unveil a series of ways Microsoft is making it easier for developers to bring their code to Windows universal apps from Android, iOS, or elsewhere. Part of that will include better tools for developers and new ways to closely map the functions of Android to Windows so it’s easier for developers to port their apps with small changes. It might not be the ideal solution, but it could be enough to convince Android developers to list their apps in the Windows Store without a lot of effort."

What to expect from Microsoft's most important event of the year | The Verge

Inside Search: New in the Google app: more Now cards from your Android apps

Notification competition expands

"Here are a few other ways Now cards from your apps can help you out:

• Get breaking news about the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake from ABC News, Circa, or feedly
• Know when your pad thai is about to arrive with reminders from Eat24 that the food you ordered will soon be on your doorstep, or get inspired with the recipe of the day from Allrecipes
• Keep your fitness goals front and center with gentle nudges from Runkeeper, Jawbone, or Adidas
• And if you’re out to dinner, simply tap on a Now card to pay your bill with OpenTable"

Inside Search: New in the Google app: more Now cards from your Android apps

Casting Early Presidential Vote Through Facebook by Clicking ‘Unfollow’ - NYTimes.com

Political cyberpolarization

"With the presidential race heating up, a torrent of politically charged commentary has flooded Facebook, the world’s largest social networking site, with some users deploying their “unfollow” buttons like a television remote to silence distasteful political views. Coupled with the algorithm now powering Facebook’s news feed, the unfollowing is creating a more homogenized political experience of like-minded users, resulting in the kind of polarization more often associated with MSNBC or Fox News. And it may ultimately deflate a central promise of the Internet: Instead of offering people a diverse marketplace of challenging ideas, the web is becoming just another self-perpetuating echo chamber."

Casting Early Presidential Vote Through Facebook by Clicking ‘Unfollow’ - NYTimes.com

Twitter Earnings, Released Early, Disappoint Investors; Shares Plunge - NYTimes.com

Earnings report obtained and published early on ... Twitter; also see Nasdaq Takes Blame for Twitter’s Earnings Leak (WSJ)

"“User growth doesn’t appear to be notably improving, and now monetization is failing to live up to expectations,” said Richard Greenfield, an analyst with BTIG Research. “That’s why the stock is selling off so hard. The question is, How much of this is Twitter’s own missteps versus how much of this is peers such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat eating into their advertising?”

Twitter said that 302 million people used its service at least once a month during the first quarter. That is up from 288 million in December and in line with recent trends. But the figure failed to impress investors, who have been eager to see results from recent changes Twitter has made to help newcomers better understand how to use its service."

Twitter Earnings, Released Early, Disappoint Investors; Shares Plunge - NYTimes.com

Facebook Messenger Launches Free VOIP Video Calls Over Cellular And Wi-Fi | TechCrunch

Check Introducing Video Calling in Messenger (Facebook Newsroom) for more details

"Facebook first introduced desktop video calling in partnership with Skype in 2011, but eventually built its own video call infrastructure. Bringing it to mobile could Messenger a serious competitor to iOS-only FaceTime, clunky Skype, and less-ubiquitous Google Hangouts.

With 600 million Messenger users and 1.44 billion on Facebook, the new VOIP video feature has a massive built-in audience. Mark Zuckerberg said on last week’s Facebook earnings call that Messenger already accounts for 10% of global mobile VOIP calls. He believes free, high audio quality VOIP will displace traditional phone calling, and video calling could accelerate that.

Messenger has no plans to charge for audio or video calling. Instead, it knows more messaging drives lock in with Facebook’s News Feed where it makes tons of money from ads. Facebook Messenger’s Head Of Product Stan Chudnovsky who led the video calling feature tells me, “Whatever’s good for Messenger is good for Facebook as a company.”"

Facebook Messenger Launches Free VOIP Video Calls Over Cellular And Wi-Fi | TechCrunch

Best Buy to Accept Apple Pay | Re/code

A big milestone for Apple Pay

"Best Buy has also started accepting Apple Pay as a payment method in its apps, Apple CEO Tim Cook first announced on an analysts call on Monday after the company issued its earnings report.

The partnership is a big one for Apple, because it’s the first with a member of MCX, a consortium of retailers and food chains that is building a payment app called CurrentC that is expected to be competitive with Apple Pay. A Best Buy spokeswoman said, “We remain invested in MCX,” but would not commit to accepting CurrentC when it launches to the public."

Best Buy to Accept Apple Pay | Re/code

Opinion: If predictive algorithms craft the best e-mails, we're all in big trouble - CSMonitor.com

Perhaps ultimately a personal profile data quality challenge

"If Crystal is just the beginning of a new category of similar apps that rely on algorithms to tell people what to say and how to write, these technologies will not only have a troubling effect on privacy but also begin to strip the character and individuality from communication in favor of banal, machine-generated prose.

Should future versions of profiling technology improve, it will be tempting to use them to save time, minimize mistakes, and feed our curiosity. But if the history of privacy problems has taught us anything, it's that there's more to the good life than efficiency, safety, and voyeurism."

Opinion: If predictive algorithms craft the best e-mails, we're all in big trouble - CSMonitor.com

Amazon Business Aims for $1 Trillion Corporate-Spending Market - Bloomberg Business

Also see Amazon Expands Business-Sales Marketplace After Three Years (WSJ)

"The Web retailer unveiled Amazon Business on Tuesday, a new marketplace offering tractor parts, latex gloves, paper clips and millions of other products needed in factories, hospitals, schools and offices.
Amazon, which has amassed 278 million active shoppers, is now aiming for a chunk of the $1 trillion that U.S. companies spend annually in business-to-business purchases, a market where Costco Wholesale Corp., Staples Inc. and others have long been active. Amazon Business is likely to step up competition with rival marketplace EBay Inc., which will soon be fending for itself as a standalone company once it spins off faster-growing PayPal as part of a planned split."

Amazon Business Aims for $1 Trillion Corporate-Spending Market - Bloomberg Business

Apple’s Earnings Surge, as iPhone Sales Jump and China Business Rises - NYTimes.com

Driving another huge quarter for Apple

"Jan Dawson, an independent technology analyst for Jackdaw Research, said Apple’s performance in China highlighted its advantages against other American technology companies.

“It’s hugely important because it shows that Apple continues to be the only major U.S. tech company that is really succeeding in China, in contrast to Google, Microsoft and Amazon,” Mr. Dawson said."

Apple’s Earnings Surge, as iPhone Sales Jump and China Business Rises - NYTimes.com

Preparing for Warfare in Cyberspace - NYTimes.com

Final paragraphs of a cybersecurity strategy summary

"It is essential that the laws of armed conflict that govern conventional warfare, which call for proportional response and reducing harm to civilians, are followed in any offensive cyberoperations. With so many government agencies involved in cybersecurity — the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the F.B.I. and the Pentagon — the potential for turf fights and duplication is high.

The new strategy is the latest evidence that President Obama, having given up on Congress, is putting together his own response to the challenge. Since this is a global issue, still needed are international understandings about what constitutes cyberaggression and how governments should respond."

Preparing for Warfare in Cyberspace - NYTimes.com

Microsoft hints at impending write-off of Nokia acquisition that could total billions | Computerworld

A different kind of expectation-setting

"Microsoft currently carries $5.46 billion in "goodwill" from the Nokia acquisition on its books, as well as another $4.51 billion in intangible assets. The Redmond, Wash. company had attributed the Nokia goodwill to "increased synergies that are expected to be achieved from the integration of NDS [Nokia Corp.'s Devices and Services business]."

That value may now be greatly overstated, Microsoft acknowledged.

"The valuation of acquired assets and liabilities, including goodwill, resulting from the acquisition of NDS, is reflective of the enterprise value based on the long-term financial forecast for the Phone Hardware business," the firm said in last Thursday's 10-Q. "In this highly competitive and volatile market, it is possible that we may not realize our forecast.""

Microsoft hints at impending write-off of Nokia acquisition that could total billions | Computerworld

Apple Watch and Hands Free Computing | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

Insights after "approximately a month using the Apple Watch"

"For me at least, the hands-free freedom of the Apple Watch is one of the more compelling areas. It is one I think signifies the potential of all wearable screen-type devices. I can set my phone anywhere in the house, and not have the fear of missing out on something important that would compel me to keep it near me at all times. I can play tennis, work in the garden, cook, do the dishes, shave, drive, and a host of other things which require my hands not hold a smartphone and not miss what I have deemed is the important stuff. The value of curated wrist based notifications allow me to interact with the digital world, or maybe even better stated, allow the digital world to interact with me, without having to be captive to a screen in my hands. Of course, you still need to use your hands to operate the watch, but the interactions are designed to be short and quick."

Apple Watch and Hands Free Computing | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

The Sensor-Rich, Data-Scooping Future - NYTimes.com

Perhaps the "big data" meme is fading; it appears only in the article category and tag list, in this case

"G.E., Google and others expect that knowing and manipulating these patterns is the heart of a new era of global efficiency, centered on machines that learn and predict what is likely to happen next.

“The core thing Google is doing is machine learning,” Eric Schmidt, Google’s executive chairman, said at an industry event on Wednesday. Sensor-rich self-driving cars, connected thermostats or wearable computers, he said, are part of Google’s plan “to do things that are likely to be big in five to 10 years. It just seems like automation and artificial intelligence makes people more productive, and smarter.”"

The Sensor-Rich, Data-Scooping Future - NYTimes.com

Nest CEO Tony Fadell on the Future of the Internet - WSJ

Final paragraphs of an Internet forecast

"In many ways, the Internet of the future will feel different from the Internet we know today. Instead of seeking it out, we’ll be surrounded by it. And instead of extracting data from it, we’ll be fed a constant stream of curated, personalized information to help us solve problems and live better—and live better together.

The question will be whether we actually listen and use that information to make better choices. Some things never change."

Nest CEO Tony Fadell on the Future of the Internet - WSJ

Picking apart Google’s Project Fi - Business - The Boston Globe

Fee(Fi) => ho-hum?

"And Project Fi’s prices aren’t necessarily bargains. Google will charge $20 a month for unlimited talk and text messages. For data, the customer pays $10 per gigabyte; if he uses less, the user gets a prorated rebate applied to the next month’s bill.

The average US smartphone user uses about 1.8 gigabytes of data per month, and so would pay around $40 a month for Project Fi. For the same amount, Cricket Wireless provides 2.5 gigs of data and drops the price to $35 for automatic payment plans."

Picking apart Google’s Project Fi - Business - The Boston Globe

Featured On Tim Cook’s Keynote – What It Takes | Monday Note

Check the full post for a peek behind the curtain

"At last October’s introduction of the new iPad Air, the creators of a clever iOS app named Replay were invited on stage. To get there, they went through a selection process that illustrates Apple’s perfectionism — and hidden application sophistication."

Featured On Tim Cook’s Keynote – What It Takes | Monday Note

Dropbox’s Collaborative Note-Taking Service, Dropbox Notes, Heads Into Beta Testing | TechCrunch

A cloud collaboration contender

"Essentially, Dropbox’s Notes service is a lot like what was previously offered by the Y Combinator startup HackPad, which had grown to be a well-liked app for taking quick notes at conferences, events, and in the classroom. As it has now become the basis for Notes, it’s clear that Dropbox is not aiming to compete directly with Microsoft Office by offering its own robust, online document creation service in the cloud, like Google did with Google Drive (Docs), but is instead focused on making it easier to create simple notes as a part of Dropbox user’s daily workflow.

The new addition will also make Dropbox more usable on mobile devices, where people need a way to jot down quick ideas."

Dropbox’s Collaborative Note-Taking Service, Dropbox Notes, Heads Into Beta Testing | TechCrunch

Defense Secretary Tries To Thaw Relations With Silicon Valley, Opens New ‘Defense Innovation Unit X’ | TechCrunch

Also see Pentagon Announces New Strategy for Cyberwarfare (NYT)

"He announced a new effort called “Defense Innovation Unit X,” which will be a point of partnership based in Silicon Valley and which will be staffed by a mix of active-duty and civilian personnel. They are expected to scout for new technologies and try to find ways for startups to work with the Department of Defense.

The move comes at a time when areas traditionally relegated to heavyweight defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing like satellite and drone development are being increasingly being handled by privately-held, venture-backed startups or by Google and Facebook, which are trying expand Internet access in the developing world."

Defense Secretary Tries To Thaw Relations With Silicon Valley, Opens New ‘Defense Innovation Unit X’ | TechCrunch

How Amazon’s Cloud Business Is Growing | Re/code

Another attempt at an apples-to-apples cloud comparison

"Compare that to IBM, for example, which likes to boast of its $7.7 billion cloud business (2014 revenues), but that includes its business of selling cloud-based applications or software-as-a-service, something Amazon doesn’t offer. The part of Big Blue’s cloud business that is most directly comparable to AWS is the “as a service” portion, which is made up mostly of its SoftLayer unit. It posted revenue of about $3.8 billion.

It’s a similar case for Microsoft, which today disclosed that its cloud business is on a run rate to deliver $6.3 billion in revenue this year, but that includes applications too, including Office 365 and Dynamics. The size of its infrastructure portion isn’t known.

Then there’s Google, which still reports its cloud operations in much the same way that Amazon used to: In an “other” category that includes everything that’s not advertising. That’s on a run rate to about $7 billion, but its impossible to know how much of that comes from the Google Cloud."

How Amazon’s Cloud Business Is Growing | Re/code

Amazon Swings to Small Loss While Revenue Jumps 15% - NYTimes.com

Yesterday was a big day for earnings announcements; also see At $17.3 Billion, Google’s Quarterly Revenue Rose 12 Percent and Microsoft Profits Slip Less Than Projected, With Revenue Up 6% (both NYT)

"Amazon resumed its money-losing ways in the first quarter, even though it sold a lot of things.

The retailer lost 12 cents a share for a net loss of $57 million, as revenue rose 15 percent — a little more steeply than expected, especially in light of the company’s size — to $22.72 billion.

Analysts had projected a loss of 13 cents a share on revenue of $22.39 billion, according to Thomson Financial. Last year, Amazon had a profit of 23 cents a share in the first quarter."

Amazon Swings to Small Loss While Revenue Jumps 15% - NYTimes.com

Once Comcast’s Deal Shifted to a Focus on Broadband, Its Ambitions Were Sunk - NYTimes.com

Preserving the existing oligopoly, for now...

"The government’s verdict on the merger and its stance on net neutrality were separate issues, but they were very much intertwined. At the end of the day, the government’s commitment to maintaining a free and open Internet did not square with the prospect of a single company controlling as much as 40 percent of the public’s access to it. All the more so given the accelerating shift in viewing habits, with increasing numbers of consumers choosing streaming services like Netflix over traditional TV. In this sense, it didn’t really matter if Comcast and Time Warner’s cable markets overlapped. The real issue was broadband.

“The simple way to think about the problem with the Comcast merger is that once they get that big, they’re pretty much too big to regulate,” said Marvin Ammori, a lawyer who helped lead the campaign for net neutrality."

Once Comcast’s Deal Shifted to a Focus on Broadband, Its Ambitions Were Sunk - NYTimes.com

With Amazon Atop the Cloud, Big Tech Rivals Are Giving Chase - NYTimes.com

Excerpt from a cloud market dynamics snapshot

"Microsoft ranks a distant No. 2 in cloud computing. It is hard to precisely compare the two businesses because of how Microsoft reports its cloud results. Microsoft said on Thursday that its annual revenue from its commercial cloud business would be $6.3 billion based on its recent performance, while Amazon said the comparable annual figure for AWS was $5.16 billion.

Microsoft, though, also includes revenue from different online applications into that figure. Its revenue from a cloud business called Azure, which is more directly comparable to Amazon’s cloud services, was recently estimated by Deutsche Bank to be as little as one-tenth of that from AWS."

With Amazon Atop the Cloud, Big Tech Rivals Are Giving Chase - NYTimes.com

Google Project Fi: an attempt to control the stack | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

Check the full post for some insightful Project Fi analysis

"An Apple-like level of control over this stack is appealing, because it allows the company to manage the experience its customers have to a far greater extent. Part of Google’s challenge is carriers embraced it in the early years precisely because they saw it as something that could be molded to fit their needs and they’ve largely used it in that way. Whether to fight off the iPhone, to offer lower-cost smartphones, or to push their own apps and services. All this goes against Google’s real mission for Android, which is to put in consumers’ hands a Google ecosystem, which takes us back to Sundar Pichai’s remarks. Android was created as an ecosystem, but it largely exists within OEM and carrier ecosystems and its appeal and effectiveness as an ecosystem is limited by their involvement. What Google Fi does for Google is to free it from these encumbrances and allow the user to have an all-Google experience on their smartphone. It’s interesting to put this in the context of the various efforts by companies to control elements of the smartphone stack:"

Google Project Fi: an attempt to control the stack | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis

Airmail via Drones Is Vexing for Prisons - NYTimes.com

Signs of the drone times

"DJI, the company that manufactured the drone that crashed at the White House, announced in March that its new geofencing software would make its devices inoperable within roughly 16 miles of the White House. The company said it was working to create similar no-fly zones for “sensitive institutions and national borders.”

An organization called No Fly Zone has introduced a website where individuals, business owners and others who do not want drones overhead can enter their addresses into a database. Those addresses will be provided to drone manufacturers who have agreed to program their devices not to fly over those locations."

Airmail via Drones Is Vexing for Prisons - NYTimes.com

Box Opens Tools for Developers, Suggesting the Future of Business Software - NYTimes.com

Excerpt from an overview of the latest Box plan to morph into a cloud platform

"“It’s hard to duplicate what AWS has, impossible. We’ll get beat on price all day, every day,” said Chris Yeh, the senior vice president for products at Box. “But Amazon also feels like it has a lot of complexities to work with. The things we do around content, like giving you ways to search for things, encrypt content with easy management, or make it possible for readers to view all kinds of things, is what gives us leverage.”

The developers that Box wants will also be, the company hopes, a means by which some yet-unknown great new software will be developed."

Box Opens Tools for Developers, Suggesting the Future of Business Software - NYTimes.com

Facebook’s Hello Android App Adds Social Data to Incoming Calls - Digits - WSJ

See Introducing Hello (Facebook Newsroom) for details

"The app can also be configured so it “automatically blocks calls from commonly blocked numbers,” according to the blog post. And users can treat the app like a phone book, searching for people and businesses on Facebook and calling them “with just one tap.”

Facebook is using its vast “social graph” of user information to become a part of actual phone use, rather than just part of a mobile browsing experience. In an example from the blog, the company says “if a friend tells you about a new restaurant in your neighborhood, you can use Hello to find their hours, make a reservation and get directions, all without leaving the app.”"

Facebook’s Hello Android App Adds Social Data to Incoming Calls - Digits - WSJ

Facebook’s Growth Slows Slightly, but Mobile Shift Intensifies - NYTimes.com

Upwardly mobile

"The world’s largest social network reported on Wednesday that almost three-quarters of its advertising revenue and most of its 1.44 billion users came from cellphones and other mobile devices in the first quarter of the year.

And Facebook is beginning to make a similar transition from text to video, with its users already watching four billion videos a day, an average of four per person (although the view may be more like a glance, since Facebook considers three seconds long enough to count)."

Facebook’s Growth Slows Slightly, but Mobile Shift Intensifies - NYTimes.com