Satya Nadella | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:03:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Satya Nadella | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 ChatGPT maker ‘OpenAI’ is crumbling and Microsoft is swiftly picking up the pieces https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/chatgpt-maker-openai-is-crumbling-and-microsoft-is-swiftly-picking-up-the-pieces/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/chatgpt-maker-openai-is-crumbling-and-microsoft-is-swiftly-picking-up-the-pieces/#respond Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:55:38 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=638216 There has been quite a bit of drama in the AI space. On Friday, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, fired its CEO, Sam Altman, a move that shocked many within and outside of the company. Up to this point, OpenAI has been hugely successful under Altman, who also helped bring in partnerships with major companies …

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There has been quite a bit of drama in the AI space. On Friday, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, fired its CEO, Sam Altman, a move that shocked many within and outside of the company. Up to this point, OpenAI has been hugely successful under Altman, who also helped bring in partnerships with major companies like Microsoft. 

Immediately after the announcement of Altman's firing, there was a demand for him to be reinstated, with many questioning the decision from the board of directors. Microsoft, a key partner for OpenAI, had just as many questions and it would seem that they didn't like the answers, as Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella swiftly hired Altman at Microsoft and placed him as CEO of a new AI research team. Importantly, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman is also joining Altman at Microsoft.

In the aftermath of this, many OpenAI employees have begun tweeting the phrase “OpenAI is nothing without its people”, as reported by Tom Warren of The Verge. Another journalist, Kara Swisher, reported that the overwhelming majority of employees signed a letter calling on the board of directors to reverse their decision and resign.

In a time when we often hear horror stories about bad bosses and company mismanagement, it is refreshing to see a company seemingly so well run that the overwhelming majority of employees are willing to stick up for their CEO and threaten to leave alongside them. However, with Altman now moving on to Microsoft, the board has likely missed its opportunity to make things right.

Microsoft has reportedly begun letting OpenAI employees know that there is a place for them at their company on Altman's new team should they choose to resign from OpenAI. Given the overwhelming support for Altman and Brockman, it seems likely that OpenAI will lose a large chunk of its workforce and Microsoft will suddenly have all the talent behind ChatGPT without having to make any kind of acquisition.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If employees do indeed leave to join Altman at Microsoft, then this could go down as the biggest bag fumble of all time. OpenAI was at the forefront of AI development and ChatGPT is the most well-known and widely used AI tool available today. Now, the board of directors has potentially handed all of that right over to Microsoft. Beyond that, we still don't really know why Altman was fired in the first place. This is truly a blunder of epic proportions. 

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KitGuru Games: Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition has turned into a political circus https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/kitguru-games-microsofts-activision-blizzard-acquisition-has-turned-into-a-political-circus/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/kitguru-games-microsofts-activision-blizzard-acquisition-has-turned-into-a-political-circus/#respond Wed, 17 May 2023 19:47:37 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=615224 The Microsoft-ABK acquisition has turned into a political circus here in the UK and Microsoft is making sure to throw its weight around, going as far as to hint at the possibility of pulling products out of the UK and investing elsewhere.

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At this point, many countries across the globe have approved Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, including the European Commission, which worked with Microsoft on remedies to ensure continued access to Activision games for cloud gaming providers big and small all across the world, not just in Europe. However, the CMA is standing firm on its decision to block the deal, which is now drawing criticism from UK politicians. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, was recently asked whether the company would consider pulling products from the UK market.

Typically, it would be inconceivable to see a major company like Microsoft withdrawing from the UK and the idea would be shot down immediately. However, against the backdrop of the political landscape and the UK's struggling economy, Microsoft does have an opportunity to throw its weight around a bit here and we've seen the company take that opportunity. After the CMA initially announced its decision to block, based on cloud gaming market concerns, Activision and Microsoft execs claimed that it was a sign that the UK is “closed for business” for tech companies. Now, Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, is dangling the possibility of major changes to its presence in the UK.

In an interview with CNBC, Nadella was asked “Could you ever see an age where you sell the product in the US if it was approved, sell the product in Europe, but not sell it in the UK if they did not approve it?”. Nadella replied with a smile, saying “Let's wait for it all to play out”.

If Microsoft is able to get the deal approved everywhere except for the UK, then Microsoft could theoretically make some major changes. The company currently has a huge presence in the UK, having not just its own offices with thousands of employees, but also a number of UK-based game studios under its wing. Decreasing investment in the UK and moving over to Europe would be a major blow to the UK and hurt the current government's desire to transform the country into a Silicon Valley-style tech hub. The UK has already suffered a blow in this area, as the country's biggest and most relevant chip maker, ARM, rejected offers to list on the London Stock Exchange after its deal to be acquired by Nvidia fell through. Instead, ARM is set to be listed on the US stock exchange.

Following the EU's approval of the acquisition, Activision confirmed plans to expand its investment across its European studios. In a post-Brexit world, the UK is directly competing with the EU for investment exactly like this and alarm bells have begun ringing in politicians' ears. Recently, UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, posted on LinkedIn directly addressing the CMA, expressing a desire to “steer” the regulator's direction. UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, also told Reuters in an interview this week that he thinks it is “important all our regulators understand their wider responsibilities for economic growth”, directly referring to the ongoing situation with Microsoft and Activision.

It is worth noting for non-UK readers that this comes at a time when the UK economy is struggling and there are many more pressing issues that the government should be spending its time on, such as food shortages, energy prices and inflation. As a Brit myself, I feel that far more citizens care about whether or not they'll be able to cook a roast dinner next Sunday than whether or not this acquisition goes through. The fact of the matter is though, the CMA's decision here could indeed have a negative impact on the economy and its flimsy arguments against it could reflect poorly on the country in enterprising circles.

As analyst Florian Mueller points out, the acquisition has already been approved in 37 countries with a total population count 14 times higher than the UK's and with an aggregate GDP that is far higher than the UK's as well. That's a tough market proposition for Microsoft to give up on.

The CMA isn't the only regulator opposing the deal, the FTC in the US is also suing to block it but the key difference is that in the US, the FTC needs to get a court-ordered injunction and fight to block a case in a court of law. The FTC has lost many cases this way and the general consensus is that Microsoft has a good chance to beat the lawsuit. Here in the UK, the CMA is allowed to make its own decisions as an independent entity without oversight from an actual court.

Microsoft is set to appeal the CMA's ruling, which will go to a tribunal that can then direct the CMA to correct course if a successful argument is made. Given that the CMA made a number of errors in its calculations, such as counting all Game Pass subscribers as XCloud users and significantly overstating Microsoft's market share in cloud gaming, it will be interesting to see how the appeal plays out.

KitGuru Says: When I first heard that Microsoft was acquiring Activision Blizzard, at no point did I think I would be writing articles about the UK economy and high-ranking politicians, yet here we are. Hopefully, this appeal situation and the FTC case can have a quick turnaround, no matter what the outcome is, so we can get back to talking about actual video games once again.

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Microsoft CEO responds to anti-trust claims following Activision Acquisition https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/microsoft-ceo-responds-to-anti-trust-claims-following-activision-acquisition/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/microsoft-ceo-responds-to-anti-trust-claims-following-activision-acquisition/#respond Fri, 04 Feb 2022 16:49:00 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=549140 Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion gives the console manufacturer access to dozens of IPs and hundreds of older titles spanning Activision Blizzard’s  decades-long history. This move has been criticised by some as anti-competitive, though according to Microsoft’s CEO, there is no need for concern. In his first interview following the announcement that …

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Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion gives the console manufacturer access to dozens of IPs and hundreds of older titles spanning Activision Blizzard’s  decades-long history. This move has been criticised by some as anti-competitive, though according to Microsoft’s CEO, there is no need for concern.

In his first interview following the announcement that Microsoft is going to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion, the console manufacturer’s CEO Satya Nadella sat down with the Financial Times to offer his perspective on the acquisition.

Speaking on it, Nadella claimed that “At the end of the day, all the analysis here has to be done through a lens of: ‘what’s the category we’re talking about, and market structure?’. Even post this acquisition, we will be number three with sort of low-teens share [of the video games market] . . . We will be a bit player in what will be a highly fragmented place.”

It is of course worth noting that it's currently in Microsoft’s best interest to downplay the sheer scope and size of this acquisition so as to not raise any eyebrows from regulatory bodies.

Still, regardless of what Microsoft claims, this acquisition is a massive deal, and so it will be interesting to see whether the regulatory bodies approve of the acquisition. It's going to be quite a while before we know for certain what is happening.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you agree with Nadella’s perspective? Do you think the acquisition will go through? What’s your favourite Activision-Blizzard IP? Let us know down below.

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Steve Ballmer calls Microsoft revenue numbers ‘bulls***’ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/steve-ballmer-calls-microsoft-revenue-numbers-bulls/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/steve-ballmer-calls-microsoft-revenue-numbers-bulls/#respond Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:24:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=277076 Ex-CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer and still the company's biggest share-holder, has called the numbers Microsoft revealed as part of its recent annual shareholder meeting, “bulls***.” Although Microsoft released its run rate – extrapolating results from a single point throughout the year – Ballmer wants to see real revenue numbers, specifically with regards to the …

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Ex-CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer and still the company's biggest share-holder, has called the numbers Microsoft revealed as part of its recent annual shareholder meeting, “bulls***.” Although Microsoft released its run rate – extrapolating results from a single point throughout the year – Ballmer wants to see real revenue numbers, specifically with regards to the company's cloud computing division.

“It’s sort of a key metric — if they talk about it as key to the company, they should report it,” said Ballmer in a chat with Bloomberg.  The problem with reporting a run-rate he said, was that it overlooks to the margin issues experienced by different divisions. While Microsoft makes a killing with its software, hardware and cloud margins are much lower.

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Ballmer would rather Microsoft focus on developers, developers, developers, developers. Source: Wikimedia

Lumping their revenue in with the rest of the company doesn't tell shareholders much, which is why Ballmer is riled up. Unfortunately for him, despite owning shares in the company he's no longer an executive and can't make demands like he once could.

Microsoft's GM for investor relations Chris Shuh issued a statement, sating that Microsoft continued to enjoy “a regular dialogue with Steve [Ballmer] and welcomes his input and feedback, as we do from our other investors.”

Ballmer also criticised new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who brushed off concerns that Microsoft's Windows phone lacked certain important applications, stating that it would push instead for universal apps. Ballmer doesn't see it that way and would rather Microsoft enabled Android apps on its devices to make them much more functional.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: You could easily argue that Ballmer was the one that dropped the ball on mobile though, only putting cursory investment into it and coming to it much too late for Microsoft to be the major player it clearly wants to be. 

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The first iteration of HoloLens won’t be targeted at gamers https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/the-first-iteration-of-hololens-wont-be-targeted-at-gamers/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/the-first-iteration-of-hololens-wont-be-targeted-at-gamers/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:30:15 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=258996 Microsoft announced the HoloLens back in January but despite it being shown off as the next evolution for Minecraft gameplay at events like E3, company CEO, Satya Nadella, says that the first iteration of the hardware won't be primarily targeted at gamers but rather, enterprise users instead. Microsoft's CEO sees more immediate uses for “developers …

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Microsoft announced the HoloLens back in January but despite it being shown off as the next evolution for Minecraft gameplay at events like E3, company CEO, Satya Nadella, says that the first iteration of the hardware won't be primarily targeted at gamers but rather, enterprise users instead.

Microsoft's CEO sees more immediate uses for “developers and enterprise scenarios” in the first purchasable iteration of the augmented reality headset. Satya Nadella expressed his thoughts in an interview with ZDNet: “Gaming will always be a scenario and there will be other entertainment broadly. But, with the V.1 of HoloLens, I want us to push a lot more of the enterprise usage.”

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This makes sense as when the HoloLens was initially revealed, the presentation wasn't purely focussed on gaming, although Minecraft was a brief part of it. The extent of the HoloLens' gaming capabilities weren't really explored until E3 but given that this is new technology, developers need to get their hands on it first.

The interview also explores why Microsoft bought Minecraft, with Nadella going on to explain that he wanted a “hit game for the new medium of mixed reality”, Minecraft has been a top seller on PC, consoles and mobile, which made it a great option for the new HoloLens platform.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft's roots are in enterprise and development, so it makes sense that the company is focussing on those two areas for the first version of its HoloLens. On top of that, the headset currently has a very limited field of view, which limits it a bit on the gaming side. 

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Microsoft is officially acquiring the Wunderlist app https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-officially-acquiring-the-wunderlist-app/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/apps-software/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-officially-acquiring-the-wunderlist-app/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2015 12:00:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252558 Earlier this week, we reported on Microsoft's next potential acquisition, the popular app, Wunderlist. Now it seems that the move is official, with Wunderlist joining the ranks alongside Microsoft's growing selection of other apps and services on multiple platforms. Wunderlist is one of the more successful ‘to-do' apps on smartphones, created by German app maker, …

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Earlier this week, we reported on Microsoft's next potential acquisition, the popular app, Wunderlist. Now it seems that the move is official, with Wunderlist joining the ranks alongside Microsoft's growing selection of other apps and services on multiple platforms.

Wunderlist is one of the more successful ‘to-do' apps on smartphones, created by German app maker, 6Wunderkinder GmbH. This move isn't entirely unprecedented, Microsoft has been acquiring apps recently in an effort to expand its presence on all platforms.

Screen Shot 2015-06-03 at 13.30.37

The acquisition price has not been disclosed and likely never will be but rumours are pointing towards a price of between $100 million and $200 million, which is a huge chunk of cash for a little checklist app.

Microsoft will likely have some deep integration planned for Wunderlist with its other apps and services later down the line but for now, it looks like the app will operate as normal. The Wunderlist CEO and creator seems to have high hopes for the future thanks to the Microsoft acquisition: “Joining Microsoft gives us access to a massive wealth of expertise, technology and people that a small company like us could only dream of amassing on its own.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft is trying to get people on all platforms using its apps. It also wants those apps to sync back with Windows 10 PCs. We don’t yet know if Microsoft’s change in approach will pay off but it seems likely.

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European Hardware Awards – Winners Announced! https://www.kitguru.net/channel/computex/andrzej/european-hardware-awards-winners-announced/ Tue, 02 Jun 2015 13:00:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252205 After weeks of deliberation and voting, the EHA is proud to announce the winners of the inaugural European Hardware Awards in the Elegance Lounge of the Taipei International Convention Centre on the opening day of Computex 2015. Alongside KitGuru, the founding members of the European Hardware Association include some of the largest independent hardware review …

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After weeks of deliberation and voting, the EHA is proud to announce the winners of the inaugural European Hardware Awards in the Elegance Lounge of the Taipei International Convention Centre on the opening day of Computex 2015.

Alongside KitGuru, the founding members of the European Hardware Association include some of the largest independent hardware review sites from across the continent: Hardware.Info (The Netherlands), Hardwareluxx (Germany), Cowcotland (France), Hardware Upgrade (Italy), Hispazone (Spain), PurePC.pl (Poland) and Lab 501 (Romania).

Combined, the European Hardware Association reaches a vast and unique audience. Here are some of the stats:-

  • Over 20 million hardware enthusiast visitors a month
  • Millions of interactions on Facebook
  • A combined database of more than 100,000 articles
  • Millions of individual, scientific hardware tests, going back man years

From the time we first announced that this event would take place at the largest and most important show for our industry, we have had a huge amount of interest in which companies/products/people would make the short-list and which would win.

Our ‘List of Finalists‘ story increased the interest further – and we are now in position to reveal the roll call of victors.

European-Hardware-Awards-Winners-List-KitGuru
KitGuru Says: The presentation ceremony itself was attended by over 150 of the most senior and influential personalities from the nominated companies – which shows just how highly the industry rates these awards. Special thanks to Gia and the team at the Taiwan Trade Association (TAITRA) who made organising the finals a pleasure.

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Microsoft becomes world’s second most valuable company https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-becomes-worlds-second-most-valuable-company/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-becomes-worlds-second-most-valuable-company/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2014 05:04:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=222183 Microsoft Corp. on Monday became the world’s second most valuable company after Apple since capitalization of Exxon Mobil Corp. dropped as a result of decreasing oil price in the recent months. Microsoft Corp. has not been particularly successful on many markets in the recent years. The company’s mobile platforms – Windows RT and Windows Phone …

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Microsoft Corp. on Monday became the world’s second most valuable company after Apple since capitalization of Exxon Mobil Corp. dropped as a result of decreasing oil price in the recent months.

Microsoft Corp. has not been particularly successful on many markets in the recent years. The company’s mobile platforms – Windows RT and Windows Phone – failed to gain any significant market share and its Windows 8 operating system failed to become popular among end-users. Nonetheless, investors seem to be confident of the company’s plans and the new chief executive officer, which is why market capitalization of Microsoft has been growing this year, reports Bloomberg news-agency.

“Nothing stays the same forever, and the stronger dollar with weaker oil prices has been the catalyst for this,” said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial, which oversees more than $1 trillion. “Larger-cap tech stocks have become a place that investors are going to as a source for dividends and buybacks, and in some cases, safety.”

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Apple is the world’s most valuable public company with $668.53 billion market capitalization. Market cap of Microsoft was $407.69 billion at press time. Exxon Mobil is valued at $402.75 billion. Market capitalization of Google was $363.95 billion at press time.

Microsoft has climbed 33 per cent this year, adding almost $100 billion to its equity value, as its new chief executive officer, Satya Nadella, began his effort to revive the company, reports Bloomberg.

“We’re seeing a precipitous slide in oil, and Exxon has suffered,” said Drew Wilson, an investment analyst with Fenimore Asset Management. “At the same time Microsoft is gaining more credibility than it’s had in the past with a change at the top and some relative successes. The confluence of those things is what’s causing the shake-up.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see whether Microsoft retains its No. 2 position in the coming days and weeks. The value of oil and gas companies is decreasing these days because of dropping prices of oil and gas and they cannot do anything to increase their market capitalization. By contrast, the situation seems to be getting better for Microsoft, who has just started a new chapter in its history with Satya Nadella.

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Xbox Entertainment Studios has officially shut down https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/matthew-wilson/xbox-entertainment-studios-has-officially-shut-down/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/matthew-wilson/xbox-entertainment-studios-has-officially-shut-down/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:00:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=219340 The Xbox division's in-house made entertainment ambitions were short lived. It was announced earlier this year that Xbox Entertainment Studios, responsible for the Halo TV series and mini series, the upcoming Quantum Break series and several documentaries would be closing down and now it has fully disbanded, leaving an uncertain future for many high profile …

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The Xbox division's in-house made entertainment ambitions were short lived. It was announced earlier this year that Xbox Entertainment Studios, responsible for the Halo TV series and mini series, the upcoming Quantum Break series and several documentaries would be closing down and now it has fully disbanded, leaving an uncertain future for many high profile projects.

Xbox made TV content was part of Microsoft's strategy to make the Xbox One the center of your living room but Satya Nadella, the new CEO, had other ideas and made some sweeping changes not just to Xbox but to the entire company. According to Variety, around 3000 Xbox employees have been hit with lay offs, including the leadership team for Xbox Entertainment Studios.

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Image Source: XPGS

While the Xbox studio was due to shut down, two employees, Nancy Tellem and Jordan Levin, were expected to stay through the end of the year in order to finish up and salvage what was left of existing projects. It's no longer known if we will ever see the Steven Spielberg Halo TV series, the Quantum Break TV series or any of the other outstanding projects the studio was working on.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: There was quite a bit of hype surrounding the Halo TV series, directed by Steven Spielberg and now it looks like we may never see it. Microsoft likely had many other ideas for series in the works too. What do you guys think of this? Was Microsoft right to close down its entertainment studio? Could it have turned in to something great? 

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Microsoft officially announces Windows 10 for 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/microsoft-officially-announces-windows-10-for-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/microsoft-officially-announces-windows-10-for-2015/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2014 17:48:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=214372 Microsoft has officially announced its next version of Windows, it's called Windows 10 and has been “built from the ground up for a mobile first, cloud world”, according to Terry Myerson, Windows Chief. The new operating system will “unlock new experiences to allow customers to work, play and connect”, it will also run on the …

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Microsoft has officially announced its next version of Windows, it's called Windows 10 and has been “built from the ground up for a mobile first, cloud world”, according to Terry Myerson, Windows Chief.

The new operating system will “unlock new experiences to allow customers to work, play and connect”, it will also run on the “broadest types of devices ever” as a one application platform for one product family, unifying Windows on mobile, tablets and the desktop.

The focus of Microsoft's announcement then shifted to Enterprise users, stating that Windows 10 will be “familiar for these companies”, and that business users will be compatible with all traditional management systems used today. The company also touted that “Windows 10 is going to be our greatest enterprise platform, ever.”

Windows 10

The start menu is officially back for desktop users, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said that the company is “looking to find the balance, so that all Windows 7 users get a familiar experience on the devices they already have,” the new start menu is exactly the same as in the leaks, with traditional application icons on one half and metro style pins on the other, combining both Windows 7 and Windows 8 styles. The Metro portion of the start menu is also customizable.

The search bar on the start menu has seen some improvements and will even bring up web results. Metro style apps can now be windowed and will work better with a mouse and keyboard. Users will be able to access both classic and universal apps. Belfiore said that “we don't want the duality, we want users on PCs with mice and keyboards to have their familiar UI,”

Windows 10 will also feature better multitasking capabilities, allowing users to open up virtual desktop windows and switch between them, much like the ‘expose' feature on Mac OS X.

The Windows Charm bar is still around and hasn't been removed, like earlier rumors suggested, although Belfiore admits that he expects aspects of the charms bar to change before the final release.

For those of you that own a two-in-one laptop/tablet, Windows 10 will contain a feature called ‘Continuum', which will allow you to switch between the traditional mouse and keyboard input method and a newly improved touch UI.

Microsoft is allowing enthusiasts to try out the Technical Preview of Windows 10, starting from tomorrow. This will be a part of the ‘Windows Insider Program', the consumer version will be talked about a bit more at Microsoft's build conference next April, the company is currently aiming for a mid 2015 final release.

There is currently no announcements to be made regarding pricing or upgrade deals.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft has re-calibrated its approach to the desktop to address the concerns of Windows 7 users. The technical preview will launch tomorrow and Microsoft is open to sharing it with everyone, will you be checking it out?

Via: The Verge Live Blog

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Windows 9 to feature virtual desktops and notification centre https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-9-to-feature-virtual-desktops-and-notification-centre/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-9-to-feature-virtual-desktops-and-notification-centre/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:30:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=211606 We are gearing up towards the rumoured Windows 9 unveiling date so as you would expect- the leaks are starting to ramp up. Recent leaks have shown off multiple virtual desktop windows in action, a feature that many will recognise from Mac OS X and Linux. We've also got a quick look at a new …

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We are gearing up towards the rumoured Windows 9 unveiling date so as you would expect- the leaks are starting to ramp up. Recent leaks have shown off multiple virtual desktop windows in action, a feature that many will recognise from Mac OS X and Linux. We've also got a quick look at a new notification centre.

A new video has been released, showing off the Windows virtual desktop feature, which is accessible through the task bar. Interestingly enough, Microsoft isn't fighting these leaks or attempting to cover them up as this YouTube video has been left up for a couple of days now:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF4Eva_4UNE']

Windows-9

Windows 8 launched with a new notification feature, allowing apps to generate brief alerts but the OS was missing a centre to display them all. Microsoft is looking to fix this in the next iteration of Windows, as another video has been released, showing off the new feature in action:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hG_0pLq49s']

The new notification centre will collect alerts from traditional Windows apps, such as Skype and other Windows 8 applications. This feature will likely be included in the upcoming Windows 9 technical preview, which is due to come out later this year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Windows 9 is on the way and will likely bring many changes in an effort to win back desktop users. What do you think of what we've seen so far? I'm looking forward to the virtual desktop feature, since it is something I use regularly on OS X. However, there's no guarantee that every feature tested in these early OS builds will come to the final product next year. 

Sources: The Verge: One, Two

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Windows 9 could be revealed September 30th https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-9-could-be-revealed-september-30th/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/windows-9-could-be-revealed-september-30th/#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2014 17:36:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=208345 New reports are suggesting that we could see Windows 9 revealed at the end of September, the OS is supposedly codenamed ‘Threshold' and will hopefully have a smoother launch than Windows 8, which many PC users still refuse to upgrade to, despite the improvements it brings. This news came from The Verge, citing sources familiar with …

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New reports are suggesting that we could see Windows 9 revealed at the end of September, the OS is supposedly codenamed ‘Threshold' and will hopefully have a smoother launch than Windows 8, which many PC users still refuse to upgrade to, despite the improvements it brings.

This news came from The Verge, citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. Coincidentally, this lines up well with other rumours we've heard over the last few weeks. For example, ZDnet recently reported that Microsoft will be releasing a Windows 9 preview at the end of next month, a rumour that now looks much more likely. The preview should give us an early look at the return of the start menu, which is said to feature live tiles in addition to traditional icons.

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Aside from the return of the start menu, we may see the ‘Charms bar' go away in Windows 9. Current builds of Threshold contain an early version of Cortana, the Windows Phone assistant- it is possible that Microsoft might be thinking about bringing the feature to desktops, much like Apple is rumoured to be doing with Siri at the moment.

At the press event on the 30th of September, Microsoft will go over the Operating System's new key features, it might also talk more about upcoming changes to Windows RT and Windows Phone.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It looks like Windows 9 might be just around the corner. If Microsoft improves its UI and focusses more on the desktop experience, will you upgrade? Which version of Windows are you running at the moment?

Source: The Verge

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Microsoft set to cut 18,000 jobs by March 31st 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsoft-set-to-cut-18000-jobs-by-march-31st-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsoft-set-to-cut-18000-jobs-by-march-31st-2015/#respond Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:05:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=203492 Microsoft has officially announced its plan to cut 18,000 jobs by the 31st of March next year. However, it's the company's recently acquired Nokia device and services division that will be hit the hardest, receiving around 12,500 of the overall job cuts. The mass job cuts were announced by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, in a …

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Microsoft has officially announced its plan to cut 18,000 jobs by the 31st of March next year. However, it's the company's recently acquired Nokia device and services division that will be hit the hardest, receiving around 12,500 of the overall job cuts.

The mass job cuts were announced by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, in a letter that he sent to all current company employees, stating that he wants to “realign” the company's massive workforce. Microsoft currently employs around 127,104 people around the world.

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Nadella said that staff affected by these cuts will be notified within the next six months:

It's important to note that while we are eliminating roles in some areas, we are adding roles in certain other strategic areas,” he said. “My promise to you is that we will go through this process in the most thoughtful and transparent way possible. We will offer severance to all employees impacted by these changes, as well as job transition help in many locations, and everyone can expect to be treated with the respect they deserve for their contributions to this company.”

The CEO hopes that this move will lead to “fewer layers of management” in order to accelerate work flow and decision making. “The overall result of these changes will be more productive, impactful teams across Microsoft.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: That's a lot of job losses, hopefully Microsoft will stay true to its word and help affected employees transition in to new jobs. What do you guys make of this?

Source: Microsoft

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Satya Nadella vows to ’innovate and delight gamers with Xbox’ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/anton-shilov/satya-nadella-vows-to-innovate-and-delight-gamers-with-xbox/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/anton-shilov/satya-nadella-vows-to-innovate-and-delight-gamers-with-xbox/#respond Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:58:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=202541 Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., on Thursday wrote an open letter to the company’s employees revealing some of his thoughts about the future of the company and the world we are heading to. Among other things the CEO of the world’s largest software developer said that the Xbox video game division is …

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Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., on Thursday wrote an open letter to the company’s employees revealing some of his thoughts about the future of the company and the world we are heading to. Among other things the CEO of the world’s largest software developer said that the Xbox video game division is a critical asset for Microsoft that will evolve in different directions, including mobile gaming.

“I want to share some additional thoughts on Xbox and its importance to Microsoft,” wrote Mr. Nadella. “The single biggest digital life category, measured in both time and money spent, in a mobile-first world is gaming. We are fortunate to have Xbox in our family to go after this opportunity with unique and bold innovation.”

microsoft_satya_nadella

Earlier this year the head of Microsoft already quashed rumours that the company might spin-off or even sell its Xbox video game division. Back then Satya Nadella said that the Xbox was a part of the Windows ecosystem in general and thus is a major competitive advantage. This time Mr. Nadella also noted that many technologies originally developed for games are then used elsewhere. As a result, Microsoft will just continue to innovate the Xbox.

“Microsoft will continue to vigorously innovate and delight gamers with Xbox,” said the head of Microsoft. “We also benefit from many technologies flowing from our gaming efforts into our productivity efforts – core graphics and NUI in Windows, speech recognition in Skype, camera technology in Kinect for Windows, Azure cloud enhancements for GPU simulation and many more. Bottom line, we will continue to innovate and grow our fan base with Xbox while also creating additive business value for Microsoft.”

microsoft_xbox_music

Microsoft Xbox Music platform is a good example of the future of the Xbox platform. The Xbox Music is everywhere, not only on the Xbox console. Going forward something similar should happen to other Xbox services.

While it is pretty hard to figure out Microsoft’s exact plans concerning the future of Xbox in particular and video games in general from things like open letters or public statements, it is obvious that Microsoft takes this business very seriously and understands its importance.

One of the obvious strategies that Microsoft will use going forward will be cross-platform games for Xbox One, PC and mobile devices. Microsoft’s DirectX 12 application programming interface will be compatible with all three types of platforms and therefore games developed using DX12 will potentially work on various devices. But while the new API is an important element of the future, it is certainly one of many elements. The other elements are still largely unknown.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft’s vision regarding video games is very logical and many strategic goals have probably been set already. What remains to be seen is tactics and specifics. While the Xbox One platform is doing okay, it is behind its main rival, Sony’s PlayStation 4. Windows Phone and Windows RT operating systems still cannot capture a significant market share, whereas sales of Wind0ws-powered PCs are declining. While Microsoft will have a big ecosystem for games going forward, this ecosystem may just not be really successful…

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Bill Gates to help Satya Nadella to shape new Microsoft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/bill-gates-to-help-satya-nadella-to-shape-new-microsoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/bill-gates-to-help-satya-nadella-to-shape-new-microsoft/#comments Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:30:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=175958 In addition to appointing Satya Nadella on the position of the chief executive officer of Microsoft, the company announced that Bill Gates will resign from his position of the chairman of the board. At the same time, the co-founder of Microsoft will assume a new position at the company to help Satya Nadella, the new …

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In addition to appointing Satya Nadella on the position of the chief executive officer of Microsoft, the company announced that Bill Gates will resign from his position of the chairman of the board. At the same time, the co-founder of Microsoft will assume a new position at the company to help Satya Nadella, the new CEO of Microsoft, to create new roadmap for the software giant.

Bill Gates will step down from the chairman position, but will assume a new role on the board as the founder and technology advisor, and will devote more time to the company, supporting Satya Nadella in shaping technology and product direction. Keeping in mind that Satya Nadella is an engineer, not a business executive like his predecessor, it is likely that Microsoft’s current roadmap will face some changes. However, at present only Bill Gates and Satya Nadella have ideas what exactly is going to be altered.

John Thompson, lead independent director for the board of directors, will assume the role of chairman of the board of directors and remain an independent director on the board.

microsoft_bill_gates_6

It is generally expected that in the coming years Microsoft will introduce new graphics user interface for its operating systems, unify its OSes for smartphones and tablets and unveil a cloud-based OS for client personal computers. Exact Microsoft roadmap remains a top secret of the software company.

KitGuru Says: It is a little sad to see Bill Gates stepping down from the chairman position of Microsoft, the company he co-founded nearly forty years ago. At the same time, it is good that Mr. Gates, a well-known visionary, will help the new chief executive officer of Microsoft to shape its future.

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Microsoft names Satya Nadella new chief executive officer https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-names-satya-nadella-new-chief-executive-officer/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-names-satya-nadella-new-chief-executive-officer/#respond Tue, 04 Feb 2014 14:16:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=175943 Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday appointed Satya Nadella on the position of the chief executive officer effective immediately. Satya Nadella is a server and cloud specialist who has been serving Microsoft for 22 years. The new chief executive officer strongly believes in Microsoft's innovations. The new head of Microsoft promises to speed up transformations at the …

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Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday appointed Satya Nadella on the position of the chief executive officer effective immediately. Satya Nadella is a server and cloud specialist who has been serving Microsoft for 22 years. The new chief executive officer strongly believes in Microsoft's innovations. The new head of Microsoft promises to speed up transformations at the software giant as well as to accelerate its roadmap.

“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates, Microsoft’s founder and member of the board of directors. “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.”

Since joining the company in 1992, Mr. Nadella has spearheaded major strategy and technical shifts across the company’s portfolio of products and services, most notably the company’s move to the cloud and the development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world supporting Bing, Xbox, Office and other services. During his tenure overseeing Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, the division outperformed the market and took share from competitors.

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“Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company,” said Mr. Nadella. “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”

It is noteworthy that Satya Nadella is originally an engineer, not a business executive like Steve Ballmer, the outgoing CEO who served on the position. With him at the reigns, Microsoft may change significantly.

Prior to becoming the new chief executive of the world’s largest software developer, Satya Nadella was responsible for building and running the company’s computing platforms, developer tools and cloud services. Mr. Nadella and his team deliver the “Cloud OS”, Microsoft’s next generation backend platform, which is designed for modern application needs. The Cloud OS is a platform that spans public, private and service provider clouds. Previously, Mr. Nadella was president of Microsoft’s $19 billion Server and Tools Business and led the transformation of the business and technology from client-server software to cloud infrastructure and services.

Mr. Nadella is not only a Microsoft veteran with a good track record, but he is the person who is shaping the future of the software in general at the moment. He may have a lot of emotional ties to Microsoft’s products and initiatives, but he clearly knows where the software and the IT world are heading.

KitGuru Says: At present it is hard to predict how successful will Mr. Nadella be on the position of the chief executive officer. Microsoft recently outlined plans to concentrate not only on software and services, but also on own hardware. Satya Nadella has hardly has a lot of experience with client hardware (e.g., Microsoft Surface tablets and Nokia Lumia smartphones). Still, his vast experience with software, servers and the cloud should make him a successful “engineer” chief executive. 

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Microsoft board to name Satya Nadella as new chief executive https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-board-to-name-satya-nadella-as-new-chief-executive/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-board-to-name-satya-nadella-as-new-chief-executive/#comments Thu, 30 Jan 2014 23:37:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=175296 Microsoft Corp.’s board of directors is preparing to appoint Satya Nadella on the position of the chief executive officer of the company, according to a news-agency report on Thursday. In addition, the company plans to replace chairman of the board, Bill Gates, with an independent director. The candidate to succeed Steve Ballmer as the next …

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Microsoft Corp.’s board of directors is preparing to appoint Satya Nadella on the position of the chief executive officer of the company, according to a news-agency report on Thursday. In addition, the company plans to replace chairman of the board, Bill Gates, with an independent director.

The candidate to succeed Steve Ballmer as the next CEO of Microsoft is Satya Nadella, the executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, reports Bloomberg news-agency. In addition, the board of directors is mulling to replace chairman Bill Gates with the lead independent director John Thompson, the agency claims.

At present Satya Nadella is responsible for building and running the company’s computing platforms, developer tools and cloud services. Mr. Nadella and his team deliver the “Cloud OS”, Microsoft’s next generation backend platform, which is designed for modern application needs. The Cloud OS is a platform that spans public, private and service provider clouds. Previously, Mr. Nadella was president of Microsoft’s $19 billion Server and Tools Business and led the transformation of the business and technology from client-server software to cloud infrastructure and services.

microsoft_satya_nadella_2

Satya Nadella, who joined Microsoft in 1992, has been considered as the most likely internal candidate for the CEO position for several months now. Since no likely external candidates have transpired on the radar, it looks like Mr. Nadella will almost certainly become the head of the world’s largest software developer.

Mr. Nadella is not only a Microsoft veteran with a good track record, but he is the person who is shaping the future of the software in general at the moment. He may have a lot of emotional ties to Microsoft’s products and initiatives, but he clearly knows where the software and the IT world are heading.

Microsoft did not comment on the news-story.

Kit Guru Says: It will be interesting to see how a software executive who has been primarily in the server business throughout his whole career will manage Microsoft’s own-brand hardware direction.

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