I hate to belabor the issues facing Microsoft – but this is a pivotal time in the company’s history. This article does a great job discussing the strategic problem faced by Microsoft – they can’t financially design a way from a Windows strategy.
Tablets coming to the enterprise
The start of the ‘Post PC’ era for big business is coming – and Microsoft has decided to adapt? My prediction: Microsoft focuses on Enterprise software – Look for Ballmer in the next 6 months to a year to spend his pile of cash on some Large Enterprise software corporation. Maybe Adobe? F5 Networks? He will spend it on something as his last big gamble.
The end of Zune
So rumor has it the Zune is to be discontinued, likely merged with the windows phone.
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/03/14/r-i-p-microsoft-zune-2006-2011/
Assuming the Zune will just merge into the Windows phone, that gives Microsoft a conundrum as to what to name such a new machine. What name would market better – ‘Windows Phone’ – which conjures up an image of a phone with bloated software, or the Zune Phone, images of a failed platform that couldnt compete with the iPod.
Side note – I am a very satisified owner of a Zune – The software is great for managing podcasts – probably the easiest Microsoft software to use. Sad to see its demise.
The next terminator
Check out some of the latest in human looking robots:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/03/04/is-this-uncanny-valley-scaling-robot-a-hoax/
More realistic than Arnold Schwartzenegger?
Cyber warfare gets a new weapon
A great article on the history of Stuxnet.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/04/stuxnet-201104
‘Stuxnet is the Hiroshima of cyber-war.’ – Something I think is greatly underreported.