Microsoft CEO says mixed reality is the ‘ultimate computer’

Microsoft is set to unveil several new products at its fall event on Wednesday, but that hasn’t stopped CEO Satya Nadella from dropping by Laguna Beach, California this Monday. At a WSJD Live interview with Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker, Nadella delved into topics that concerns the company’s future. Specifically? Augmented reality.

“The ultimate computer for me is the mixed reality world,” he said. “Your field of view becomes an infinite display. You see the world and in the world you see virtual objects and holograms.” He is of course referring to HoloLens, which is Microsoft’s take on augmented reality hardware. A few months ago, the company announced that it’s opening up Windows Holographic so that third-party makers could get in on it too, potentially creating VR headsets in addition to AR ones.

But Nadella was still pretty excited about the use cases of AR, saying that Case Western Reserve University is already using AR in an anatomy class. He also envisions the technology could be useful in home improvement, offering a solution for those endless trips to the store and back. “Imagine if you could see what your home improvement project would look like and then press order,” he said.

Nadella compares the company’s current effort at augmented reality with their attempt at the Surface a few years ago. “Think of what we did,” he said. “Back then, people asked ‘What is a 2-in-1?’ Now, it’s a growing category.”

“Whether it be HoloLens, mixed reality, or Surface, our goal is to invent new computers and new computing,” he added. This also includes investing in artificial intelligence, which is now its own group within the company.

Nadella admitted that for a long time, Microsoft was complacent. “Early success is probably the worst thing that can happen in life,” he said. But now, he wants Microsoft to be more of a “learn-it-all” culture rather than a “know-it-all” culture.

“We clearly missed the mobile boom” he said. “Now we have to make sure we grow new categories.”

Nadella also addressed a few questions about Microsoft’s sketchy history with acquisitions, notably Nokia and Skype. But he also spoke proudly of Minecraft and how it fits into the company’s goal in STEM education, plus how LinkedIn is a good fit because Microsoft is already a compay that works with professionals. Acquisitions, he said, are tricky, because it needs to be a real fit with a sense of identity and purpose.

As for cars, well, Nadella put any rumors about a Microsoft self-driving vehicle to rest. “I am very happy about all the car companies using Azure right now,” he said, referring to Microsoft’s enterprise cloud solution. “We’re a trusted partner who’s not going to compete with them.”

“To me the Microsoft brand has always stood for being the company that has got a bit of a utilitarian bent to it,” Nadella said, adding that he thinks this is a good thing. “We are the company that stands for builders, makers and creators. That’s the brand we want.”

What to expect from Microsoft’s ‘Imagine What You’ll Do’ event

The holiday shopping season is a mere four weeks away, which means that tech companies need to get their products out, stat. We’ve already seen launches from Google and Apple, but now it’s time for Microsoft to unleash the gadgets you’ll be lusting after this December. The rumor mill has already given us clues as to what we might see at the company’s big reveal later this week (and no, a Surface Pro 5 probably isn’t on the menu). We’ve rounded up the likeliest bets here. Have a look, pre-order some popcorn and then prepare to follow along with our liveblog as it unfolds on Wednesday.

Surface

Following a sluggish start, Microsoft’s Surface line of Windows devices has become something of a blockbuster. Sales of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book are now close to making the division a billion-dollar business for the historically software-led company. That’s why it’s no surprise to see hints that Microsoft will add yet another device to its burgeoning hardware lineup.

According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, the company will use the event to showcase a product called “Cardinal” that will operate as an all-in-one PC. It’s not clear how this unit will work in the real world, although Windows Central theorizes it’ll be a large, tablet-like device that can be used as a display or as a desk. Patent drawings (pictured above) suggest an all-in-one PC that’s part iMac, part Wacom Cintiq pen display, and part home theater. That patent, however, relates to a modular device that could be augmented with add-on units, perhaps like Acer’s Revo Build PCs.

Foley understands that Cardinal will be sold in a variety of different screen sizes, ranging from 21 inches all the way up to 27. Alternatively, the device could be marketed as a scaled-down version of the company”s Surface Hub, with a giant touch display for museums and businesses that want more than just a whiteboard. Given how the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Hub allow for precise input, that Cintiq comparison might be quite relevant.

Fans of existing Surface devices may be disappointed on Wednesday, as rumors suggest there will be no Surface Pro 5 or second-generation Surface Book at this week’s event. Instead, those two devices will get their own flashy launch party in early 2017, in time for a spring or summer ship date. That said, the company may incorporate a spec bump into the existing models to accommodate Intel’s latest Kaby Lake seventh-generation Core processors.

It would be a massive surprise if Microsoft also used this event to trot out the long-rumored Surface Phone. The company seems to have all but given up on mobile at this point. Indeed, that rumored Lumia follow-up has reportedly been pushed back to 2018, if it’s ever released at all. Given how the smartphone world is currently atrophying, it seems like the company should stop wasting time and money on a device that stands little chance of stealing market share from Android and iOS.

Windows 10

Windows 10 is expected to be the focal point of Wednesday’s event — it is, after all, the glue holding together the company’s hardware lineup. That said, it looks as if Microsoft won’t have anything too earth-shattering to show off. Windows Central and ZDNet believe that the bulk of the conversation will center on the so-called Redstone 2 update to Windows 10, which is due early next year. The update mostly provides minor improvements to the OS, including enhancements to the camera app and better drawing support for Windows Ink. But those may become headline features if the Surface all-in-one is geared toward creative professionals, like graphic designers.

The company may also want to use the event to remind customers that it’s cleared the way for legacy Windows apps to come to Windows 10. As VentureBeat reported back in September, Win32 apps and games are slowly filtering into the store now that the company’s Desktop App Converter is available. That tool can pull older Win32 programs and repackage them for the firm’s newfangled Windows Universal Platform.

One thing we’re certain we won’t hear is any serious discussion of Microsoft Office, mostly because Microsoft is planning to put on a separate keynote dedicated solely to its productivity suite. The week after this consumer-focused shindig, the company will host a media event in Manhattan exploring how Office can “empower every team to achieve more.”

Other devices

Windows Central believes that the company is working on a competitor of some form to go up against Amazon’s Echo and Google Home. The device is reportedly called Home Hub and would work with smart appliances, control your calendar and answer search queries. The evidence here is admittedly thin, but unveiling a product to take on Amazon and Google would indeed make sense for Microsoft.

After all, voice-based interfaces are all the rage right now, and the Echo has been out for months now. Then there’s the fact that the company has recently spent a lot of time and money developing a speech recognition engine that claims to listen as well as a human being.

Unless the company completely reverses course, we can rule out any mention of wearables at the show. Microsoft killed off its fitness-tracking Band at the start of October and though the Band 3 showed up in leaks, it’s apparently on ice. There’s been no substantive talk of a follow-up device either, and so it looks as if Microsoft is making a hasty retreat from people’s wrists — at least at the moment.

We’re also not expecting to hear too much about the company’s plans for the Xbox and HoloLens. While there should be plenty of talk about the potential of these two platforms, there’s no suggestion that new hardware is coming. Think: third-party tie-ins, commercial partnerships and perhaps yet another trailer for Infinite Warfare.

Other companies

Last year, Microsoft’s late-fall event was a showcase for all the things that Microsoft itself was working on, from tablets to HoloLens, to wearables and phones. Though it now produces hardware itself, the company still has hundreds of device partners it relies upon to spread the gospel of Windows. Mary Jo Foley believes that, as a subtle mea culpa, Microsoft will cede some of the event time to its frenemies in the hardware world.

Microsoft to raise some UK prices by up to 22 percent over Brexit

Like it or not, the outcome of the Brexit vote has caused a lot of financial uncertainty in the UK. The government has yet to decide which course to take when it invokes Article 50, effectively triggering an exit from the European Union, but some major tech companies have already moved to reduce the impact of the falling pound. In a recent blog post, Microsoft shared that it too will soon amend prices, confirming that from January 1st, 2017, business software pricing will rise by 13 percent and cloud services will see a 22 percent increase.

Microsoft’s changes come as part of a periodic assessment of its local pricing “to ensure there is reasonable alignment across the region.” The fall in the value of the pound resulted in Apple hiking hardware prices in September, although the Redmond company says that consumer software like Office 365 and cloud services will not be impacted. However, because Microsoft doesn’t set the pricing offered by resellers, partners could still decide to implement their own increases.

For customers with existing agreements, they’ll likely be protected from Microsoft’s price hikes until they renew their subscription. “Customers with Enterprise Agreements have price protection on previously ordered enterprise software and cloud services, and will not experience a price change during the term of their agreement,” the company says. “Similarly, business customers with cloud commitment subscriptions such as Office 365 also receive price protection during their subscription term, which is normally twelve months from the start of paid subscription.”

Via: Telegraph

Source: Microsoft

Lynk & Co’s EV is the first car with its own app store

As a rule, automakers see software in a car as a means to an end. Even Tesla, as cutting edge as it may be, is only willing to give its code so much attention. However, China’s Geely wants to see what happens when you put code at the forefront. It’s launching a new Lynk & Co brand whose inaugural electric vehicle, the 01 compact SUV, is supposedly the most connected car to date. The centerpiece is an open software platform (built with help from Alibaba and Microsoft) that lets developers sink their teeth in — it even has the first dedicated app store for cars. Lynk & Co doesn’t provide examples, but it’s easy to see a streaming music service offering an app just for your 01, or custom navigation apps that go beyond the usual in-car GPS.

This is also one of the first vehicles built with sharing in mind, and we don’t just mean paid services like Zipcar. You can create digital locks that let specific people drive the 01 for a set amount of time. While you can run a car-sharing business if you like, Lynk & Co sees this more as a way of reducing the need for every family to have their own ride. You could share an 01 with others in your apartment building, or let a friend borrow it without having to give them a set of physical keys they could lose. You’ll only need tangible keys as a backup, the company says.

While there aren’t many specifics about the car beyond its software, the Lynk team says it’ll use the Compact Modular Architecture from its sister brand Volvo. In other words, it’ll have a safety-focused underpinning that can adapt to different vehicle shapes. You can also expect a flurry of driver assists, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and pedestrian detection.

For some, the biggest deal may be how you buy Lynk & Co’s cars. Much like Tesla, most sales won’t take place in person at all: you’ll typically buy the 01 online (at a fixed price) and have it delivered to your home. While there will be a handful of stores, the brand is hoping that cutting out dealers will significantly lower the cost. There’s even talk of getting the vehicle through a subscription model in addition to more conventional financing options. The main catch? You’ll have to wait. The first Lynk & Co vehicles reach China first in 2017, with Europe and the US coming later. It could be a while before you find out whether or not the 01 lives up to its early fanfare, let alone get a chance to buy it.

Source: Lynk & Co

Russian arrested over giant LinkedIn password hack

You might not be happy that a hacker swiped millions of LinkedIn passwords back in 2012, but it sounds like you might soon get some justice. Czech police acting on behalf of the FBI and Interpol say they have arrested a Russian citizen suspected of compromising both LinkedIn and other US targets. Officials quietly caught the unnamed man in Prague on October 5th, but are only confirming the bust now for “tactical reasons.” A court will decide whether or not the alleged hacker faces extradition to the US.

Russia, not surprisingly, is demanding that officials send the accused back to his homeland. It might have a tough time making that happen, however. Prague is considered a staging point for Russian activities in Europe, and it’s no secret that the US is more determined than ever to hold Russian hackers accountable (the arrested man isn’t connected to the spate of hacks targeting the Democratic party). If the FBI gets its wish, this man could serve as a warning to hackers hoping that geography will keep American police at bay.

Via: New York Times, Mashable

Source: Czech Republic Police (translated)