Gawker
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nerdfight
Google's 'War' With Microsoft is a Shell Game
The tech world is atwitter: Google just announced a new operating system, which will compete with Microsoft Windows. The only problem? It's not a new operating system, and it doesn't compete with Microsoft Windows. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by Thomas Lord: Uh, Dave is kind of full of shit on that one. We'll understand the details of the new Google OS better... 4 Responses | Other threads
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advertising
Should Police Academy Alumni Direct Microsoft Ads? No.
Microsoft has heard your pleas: it's pulled its "Worst Tech Commercial Ever," which tried to use a puking theme to sell Internet Explorer. And you'll never guess who the director was! You will never guess. More »
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Comment by smokee: He should definitely go back to his day job. You know, directing such atrocious bombs as "Chappelle's Show", "The Man... 3 Responses | Other threads
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badvertising
Worst Tech Commercial Ever, Probably
If Harry McCracken, who has been writing about personal computers for 29 years, says this Microsoft spot is the worst technology commercial ever, he's probably right. Warning: It's also gross. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by The Dominant Glee Club: Am I the only person who thinks both of these were awesome? Ineffective, sure, since downloading IE is like inviting... 7 Responses | Other threads
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valleywag
Bing Upholds Microsoft's Tradition of Stealing Whatever Designs Interest It
Think these screenshots of Microsoft's Bing search engine and travel website Kayak look similar? So does Kayak, and an independent software-copyright attorney contacted by GigaOm. Can you tell which is which? More »
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By Ryan TateComment by ninety_nine: If I could see the screenshots, I might be able to respond to that query. 4 Responses | Other threads
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flackery
It's Spy vs. Spy as Microsoft Mounts Whisper Campaign Against Google
It's one thing for little nonprofit groups like Consumer Watchdog to hound Google for how it handles privacy and competitors. Much trickier for the company: A large corporation like Microsoft, can afford to whisper in reporters' ears, individually. More » -
panic
Google's New Paranoia
Former Intel chief Andy Grove famously believed that "only the paranoid survive" in Silicon Valley business. Co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page seem intent to inject this spirit back into fat, dominant Google. They're even worrying about Bing. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by noonecaresowen: What am I missing about Bing? I tried it a few times and was less than impressed. I... 3 Responses | Other threads
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clips
Microsoft's Bing Puts Google and Yahoo on the Defensive
In the tech world, dominance can be lost with mere clicks, which in turn spring from mere thoughts. Perhaps that's why Google and Yahoo's CEOs are so quickly dismissing Microsoft's new search site, Bing. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by TheHonJudgeSmails: I have used it, and it is no better than anything else out there. Mindshare is really all that matters. 3 Responses | Other threads
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videuhoh
Whoops: Microsoft Touts Search Accuracy Using Mistake
How does Microsoft argue its search results are more correct than, say, Google's? With a commercial in which it accidentally claims the Breakfast Club was released a year later than it was. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by jasonelias: I agree with this commercial, the Breakfast Club was in 1986. Here's a few other correct dates. Shampoo was released in... 3 Responses | Other threads
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advertising
Bing Will Annoy You Into Submission
Microsoft's new search-dealie "Bing" is going up against The Google, which is hard! Fortunately, Bing's marketing wizards have devised the world's most annoying ways to promote it. (*Bing* sound)! More »
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Comment by Kid Twist: Microsoft has a history of annoying marketing startegies and devices. Like that goddamn paperclip from a few years ago. 2 Responses | Other threads
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the rich
Inside 'Buffalo' Bill Gates' New Ranch
Bill Gates might be ready to truly retire: The Microsoft founder reportedly acquired Buffalo Bill Cody's old ranch in Wyoming. We've got picutres, and it looks like the perfect place for riding off into the sunset.
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By Ryan TateComment by daveyjonesisdead: When you're retreat has a retreat, you've gone too far. 4 Responses | Other threads
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branding
Microsoft Wants You To 'Verb Up' And 'Bing It'
On Thursday Microsoft unveiled Bing, its new search engine thingie. They're hoping that before long you'll forget how to "Google it" and will instead "Bing it." Unfortunately we think the name reminds us mostly of Sopranos strippers and the guy who knocked up Elizabeth Hurley. Microsoft FAIL! More »
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Comment by nathanst: All I can think of is Chandler from friends. I'm betting Matthew Perry could use a paying role right now. *contemplates the... 5 Responses | Other threads
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the future
Microsoft's Silly Holographic Meeting Tech Has Perfect Customer
Microsoft's applied for a patent on facilitating meetings via hologram. Yes, this is ridiculous. But perhaps salable! More »
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By Ryan TateComment by uncivily obedient: Maybe when they invented color tv people also said "this is ridiculous". Maybe when they invented Twitter people said "this is... 2 Responses | Other threads
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rumormonger
Could Apple Buy Twitter?
Facebook tried to buy Twitter. Google and Microsoft have been giving the red-hot Internet-messaging startup the eye. But we hear it's Apple that's closest to sealing a deal, possibly for as much as $700 million.
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By Owen ThomasComment by babyjesus: mission hipsters build websites? i thought they were all chillin in smoke shops waiting for the 1st and the 15th... 4 Responses | Other threads
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antitrust
Uh Oh, Google's in More Antitrust Trouble!
Google's G1 is the biggest enemy of Apple's iPhone. And Apple is making a big push into the Web. So it's totally hunky-dory that Google and Apple share board members, right? Wrong, say antitrust cops. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by dontmindme: I absolutely have no pity, nor compassion, for any of those companies: Microsoft, Apple, or Google. May their... more » | Other threads
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flackery
How Apple's Pet Reporter Stole His Talking Points
Jim Goldman, the shameless Apple parrot and CNBC correspondent, did his best for the computer company in an on-air price comparison the other day. But he had to lift his argument wholesale. More »
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By Ryan TateComment by badasscat: Wait, what?? Macs do not come with anti-virus, Photoshop, *or* a Geek squad visit. And wtf is "multimedia software"? ... 3 Responses | Other threads
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flackery
Microsoft's Secret Campaign Against Google Includes CEO's Ex-Girlfriend
Marcy Simon, the former mistress of Google CEO Eric Schmidt, has landed a PR gig at Mark Penn's Burson-Marsteller. We hear her new job is stirring up antitrust trouble for Google at Microsoft's behest. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Paul.B.Dodd: Why do all PR people look like that? Either young tarts or over-tanned cougars? 2 Responses | Other threads
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advertising
Microsoft's Cute-Girl Ad Only Clever Until the Next Price War
With Apple's market share steadily growing, thanks to ads which compare cool Mac kids to schlubby PC people, Microsoft is finally wising up: What it needs to advertise are PCs, not Windows. And cute girls! More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Almostbanned: Sorry, but Microsoft is absolutely right, and smart to point all this out. Mac's are absurdly overpriced for what they... 23 Responses | Other threads
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twitterati
Sweetbread Piccata iPhone App Makes the Twitterati Go Chris Brown
Why isn't there, like, an iPhone app that does all your actual work so you can spend your day chatting with friends on Twitter? Touré, Courtney Hazlett, and Kurt Andersen puzzled over similar questions: More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by l'analogie: When I read the headline, I read "Sweetbread Picatta" as an exclamation, e.g. "cool" or "awesome", and it amused me... 1 Responses | Other threads
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online advertising
After Promising It Wouldn't, Twitter Dips an Adorable Toe into Advertising
When is an advertisement not an advertisement? When Twitter says it's an "interesting topical experience." That's what cofounder Biz Stone, who once promised Twitter's website would never carry ads, is calling Microsoft's ExecTweets. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by kitkatsplash: Can Guy Kawaski and others start paying for their spam tweets, then? Seriously. I had to attend a... 4 Responses | Other threads
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geeks gone wild
Searching for a Gay Old Time
The founders of Powerset, a search startup sold for more than $100 million to Microsoft, seem to have time on their hands. Barney Pell gropes dolphins and other mammals. What about cofounder Lorenzo Thione? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by get the buttah: I don't get the point of this one. Looks like a blast to me! Good for them! 9 Responses | Other threads
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geek love
Failed CEO Dick Hardt Takes His Name Too Literally
Our old friend Dick Hardt, the Vancouver-based entrepreneur whose last startup flamed out and drew a lawsuit by investors, has resurfaced at Microsoft. And, according to photos he just posted, he has nothing to hide. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Dick Hardt: These photos were shared only to my friends on Facebook. They were NOT public (at least that was the setting... 12 Responses | Other threads
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clips
Google's Marissa Mayer Pities Yahoo
Why is Marissa Mayer, Google's athletically inept cupcake princess, going on such a publicity tour of late? She was in the Times Sunday. Last night, she hit Charlie Rose to make excuses for not innovating. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by LorraineSquirrel: Amazing how much excoriation this smart, attractive young woman is receiving. Is jealousy at play here? Or are people in... 2 Responses | Other threads
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trendwatch
How Facebook, Google, and Yahoo Are Making Ads Part of Your Life
The Valley's biggest players are all racing to be the center of your online life, collecting your photos, blog posts, Twitter messages, and comments into one stream — and then dosing it with real-time ads. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Greg Lenz: Why do Facebook's expenses groww with every user it adds? 5 Responses | Other threads
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nerdfight
Bill Gates's Wife Outruns Marissa Mayer
Google executive Marissa Mayer, best known for her ballgowns, cupcakes, and whimsical designs, feels that the media has ignored her athletic achievements. But how does she compare to rivals like Mrs. Bill Gates? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Wrapitup: First person to make a catfight joke is a douche. Also, Owen, how is Mrs Gates a rival to Marissa Mayer?... 7 Responses | Other threads
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confessions
Even Microsoft Executive Can't Handle PowerPoint
Pamela Passman, a lawyer who's been with Microsoft for 13 years and oversees the company's feel-good efforts, is launching a new program to educate technologically illiterate Americans. She could start with herself! More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by sample032: I thought knowing powerpoint was the only requirement of being an executive. 5 Responses | Other threads
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microsoft
"My Phone" rhymes with "iPhone"? Microsoft executive claims cluelessness.
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schadenfreude
Facebook's Value: $3.7 Billion and Dropping
What's Facebook really worth? The fast-growing social network is adding to its 150 million users effortlessly. But revenues aren't growing as easily. And that has Mark Zuckerberg's company tied up in legal and financial knots. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Tamar Weinberg: This may belong in the previous day's post, but given that we're still focused on the recent ConnectU disclosure, I'm... 5 Responses | Other threads
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wtf
Bill Gates Unleashes Mosquito Swarm
TED, the annual gathering of the most pretentious people from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design, just got punk'd. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates released a swarm of mosquitos into the crowd. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Niall Lynch: Well, anyone who uses M. Gates' products already knows he has no shortage of bugs to spread around. 8 Responses | Other threads
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recessionomics
The Shirts Off of Microsoft's Back
Microsoft's first-ever mass layoffs bore unusual fruit for Microsoft obsessive Todd Bishop, who spent the weekend in Seattle-area thrift shops. He discovered more discarded Microsoft logowear than ever. Some of his finds: More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by matthewharding: "Freedom to Innovate" When is the last time Microsoft innovated any technology? 3 Responses | Other threads
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layoffs
Microsoft's Self-Destructing Email Pink Slips
Fired employees often say impolite things. But only at Microsoft are their pink slips unprintable. The software giant fired 1,400 people this week — some with specially encoded, read-only email. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Perhaps Not: Folksy Sex Troll: I hate to sound like a violent jerk, but upon receiving this email I can't imagine doing anything except going... 7 Responses | Other threads
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bill gates
The Man Behind Microsoft's Overdue Layoffs
Microsoft is shedding 5,000 jobs from its 95,000-person workforce, the company's first-ever mass layoff. It's about time. And let's put the blame where it belongs: Bill Gates. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Moff: So...Microsoft expanded on its success in one area by branching out into other areas. Which is what, like, every company... 7 Responses | Other threads
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predictions
The Next Gadget Gods
This past year, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs began to focus on priorities other than tech. Who will fill their winged sandals and become the new Gadget Gods? [Gizmodo] -
failure
Microsoft Preparing to Put Zune Out of Its Misery
When political candidates concede a campaign, they praise the "long journey" and talk about how much they've "learned." In the same mode, Microsoft's CEO has all but said he's given up on the Zune. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by mimigoliath: Aww, I have the 80GB Zune and I love it. 8 Responses | Other threads
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sue decker
Yahoo's Depressing Backup Plan
No one wants to buy Yahoo. And the only person who wants to run Yahoo is an insider who helped sink it. Is there any hope left for the beleaguered Web giant? More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Beautiful Stranger: Yahoo's impending demise raises an interesting issue which I am sure will delight us all (or at least those of... 7 Responses | Other threads
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Kumo
Microsoft's quest for meaninglessness
Bill Gates has been trying to own the Internet for 13 years. He couldn't beat Google. He couldn't buy Yahoo. So now he wants to start with a clean slate. Enter "Kumo"! More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by TedEx: Xbox sounds much cooler than Microsoft Gaming System. 2 Responses | Other threads
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search
Why Pamela Anderson can't beat Google
Remember AltaVista? The search engine, long swallowed up by Yahoo, once hired professional trashy babe Pamela Anderson to win our affections. What that terrible TV ad tells us: TV ads don't build Web brands.
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By Owen ThomasComment by incrediblehelp: The best ones were the Hot Bot commercials: [www.jaankanellis.com] more » | Other threads
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rumormonger
Zune-phone rumor refuses to die
The Inquirer is convinced that Microsoft will launch a Microsoft-branded Zune phone in February. Not some other brand's phone running Windows, but an actually iPhone-wannabe Microsoft Zune phone. The Inq cites a geek detail to make it real: The phone will use Nvidia's Tegra mobile CPU chip, not unlike this Nvidia prototype CNET handled. In theory, that means it can do most of what a desktop PC can do. In practice, that means it'll probably be hated on as just much as Vista.
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By Paul BoutinComment by Pragmatic: No they will not. What will happen though is they will feature prominently the Windows Mobile 6.5 with Zune play... 2 Responses | Other threads
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spamhaus
Microsoft now 5th worst ISP for spam
"Spammers and scam artists are abusing Microsoft's live.com and livefilestore.com properties to redirect visitors to sites that peddle fake pharmacy products, porn and Nigerian 419 scams." That's how WaPo security blogger Brian Krebs explains Microsoft's appearance on the list of Top 10 Worst Spam Service ISPs maintained by the non-profit Spamhaus Project. Krebs got a non-denial denial from Microsoft that overlooks the fact that many of the scams have been high-profile examples for months. As Krebs points out, even the directionless dweebs at Yahoo (I'm paraphrasing) fixed this problem on their own sites.
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By Paul BoutinComment by deluxe2000plus: Directionless dweebs at Yahoo rock ! more » | Other threads
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antitrust
A taste of their own medicine
Microsoft, harried by regulators in the 1990s, once lobbied Congress to cut spending on antitrust enforcement. Now, it's profiting from their efforts. The software giant's lobbying budget nearly doubled from 2006 to 2008, helping it sink Yahoo's deal to have Google sell ads for its search pages. The failure of that deal helped speed Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang out the door, and could set Microsoft up to win Yahoo's search business. CNET News]
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By Owen ThomasComment by sample032: Which reminds me: Apple is overdue for a visit from the antitrust fairy over not letting 3rd parties create fairplay... more » | Other threads
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Thu Jul 9
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