Ballmer makes sure Hu knows: 90 percent of Microsoft software in China is pirated

How bad is Chinese piracy of Microsoft software? Reportedly, 90 percent of Microsoft software used in China is pirated.

That's what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said when joining a number of U.S. and Chinese business leaders for a meeting at the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. Although his exact words were not revealed, President Obama used the statistic at a later press conference. He said:

Some of it has to do with intellectual property protection. So we were just in a meeting with business leaders, and Steve Ballmer of Microsoft pointed out that their estimate is that only one customer in every 10 of their products is actually paying for it in China. And so can we get better enforcement, since that is an area where America excels -- intellectual property and high-value added products and services.

And the Chinese government has, to its credit, taken steps to better enforce intellectual property. We’ve got further agreement as a consequence of this state visit. And I think President Hu would acknowledge that more needs to be done.

In addition to hitting Microsoft's bottom line, frequently pirated software is not updated as often, leading to easy targets to be turned into botnets. Although President Hu might acknowledge more must be done, it's unclear what those steps will be.

Microsoft says WP7 phantom data use due to 'third party solution'

Microsoft believes it has solved the phantom data usage issue that has plagued some users. Problem is, they're not telling anyone what the problem really is.

Last week, Microsoft said it was investigating the issue, in which users were seeing multiple megabytes of cellular data used, even when connected to wi-fi (in which case, apps should be using the wi-fi connection).

On January 19th, SeattlePI received a response to a request for an update. The reply was:

We have determined that a third-party solution commonly accessed from Windows Phones is configured in a manner that potentially causes larger than expected data downloads. We are in contact with the third party to assist them in making the necessary fixes, and are also pursuing potential workarounds to address the configuration issue in case those are needed. At this point in our investigation, we believe this is responsible for most of the reported incidents.
We are investigating additional potential root causes for the remainder of the reports.

A small (low single-digit) percentage of Windows Phone customers have reported being affected.

We are continuing to investigate this issue and will update with additional information and guidance as it becomes available.

That is just vague enough to raise more questions. After all, they didn't say third-party application, but third-party solution. That sounds like it might be something integral to the Windows Phone platform, rather than an app that could simply be avoided, or removed.

Obviously since one of the big supporters of WP7 in the U.S. is data-capped AT&T, this problem is a big issue. Microsoft did not further detail the issue.

Microsoft's new tagline, 'Be What's Next,' to debut on 2011 Golden Globe Awards

Microsoft is set to publicize its new "Be What's Next" tagline tonight on the Golden Globe awards. The new slogan takes the place of its previous "Your Potential, Our Passion" tagline.

Both of those seem to point to how up-and-comers can utilize Microsoft products to advance themselves. That seems to be the idea between the two ads set to air on the Golden Globe Awards telecasts.

The ads portray upcoming actors during an "actual audition." At the end, both Windows Phone and Bing "pre-congratulates" the "Golden Globe Winners of Tomorrow."

For some reason, this all reminds us a lot of the "Laptop Hunters ads," in which the first "Hunter" was actually an actress.

As both Windows Phone and Bing continue to struggle against their rivals (Android / iPhone and Google), what we'd really like to see instead of these ads, is a reason for why we should use Windows Phone and Bing. It seems the message is "to help achieve your dreams," but I'm still unclear on how using Microsoft products will do that.

Watch the videos below.

Windows Phone trails Win98's browser presence 2 to 1

Admittedly, Windows Phone is still a nascent smartphone platform, so these numbers should not be considered all "that bad." And really, they're comparing apples to oranges. Still, it makes for a good headline.

Windows Phone 7 is still struggling to catch on. According to a recent report from Chitika, based on numbers coming through sites in its advertising network, is that the platform is currently outnumbered by the obsolete Windows 98. In fact, visits from users running Windows 98 outnumber visits from Windows Phone 7 users by nearly 2 to 1.

It's not all bad news. And in fact, perhaps a better take on the story is that Windows Phone 7 is already halfway to the browser share of all other Microsoft mobile OSes combined. After all, the headline is more attention grabbing, in the negative, than in the positive.

WP7 is showing growth. In fact, in December, Chitika saw WP7 sending about 0.4 percent as much traffic as iPhone and Android (combined). It its latest numbers, that number has rose to 0.44 percent, which is a 10 percent rise, though still tiny.

We're surprised at the Windows 98 numbers, ourselves. Admittedly, not everyone in emerging nations can upgrade their hardware to handle Windows Vista or 7, but XP ran just fine on our Windows 98 box, and was a lot more stable. As much as Microsoft might not want to admit it, there are also plenty of pirated copies of Windows XP around, too.

Some Windows Phone owners complaining of 'phantom data use'

phantom data usage." The nascent smartphone platform is, according to some accounts, using as much as multiple megabytes per hour of cellular data, and that's even when connected to wi-fi.

Indeed, you read that correctly; even when connected to wi-fi, Windows Phone 7 seems to be defaulting to cellular connectivity when there's a wi-fi network that the users's phone is connected to. In one report, a user stated that his bill showed:

[...] on November 21-24 it sent between 30 and 50 MB of data at 10:41pm each day and Dec 1-4 it sent between 30 and 50 MB of data at 9:41am each day. On December 23rd I turned on airplane mode so my phone could no longer send data. I turned airplane mode off briefly on December 23rd and the phone sent 400 MB of data.

This user saw 2 - 5 MB used per hour. That would be about 1.4GB a month, with the phone just sitting on a table (assuming the 2MB figure).

This is probably a bug that will be fix with Microsoft's first big Windows Phone 7 update that should be coming very soon. Until then, WP7 users are seeing what happens sometimes to early adopters.

Kinect will come to the PC "at the right time": Microsoft CEO

Microsoft's Kinect motion controller has been modified, hacked, whatever you want to call it for many uses already. PrimeSense and Asus are combining to add Kinect-based technology to HTPCs, but in terms of official Microsoft support, nada. It will come, however, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

When asked by the BBC's Spencer Kelly about any Microsoft plans to allow users plug a Kinect unit into a PC in the near future, Ballmer responded by saying

"We'll support that in a formal way, in the right time, and when we've got an announcement to make, we'll make it."

It sounds pretty promising, although "when" was not answered. However, to be truly useful, Kinect will have to be better able to track fine movements. Right now, end users need a fairly large "play space." However, technological improvements, perhaps in the software associated with Kinect, may eventually be able to overcome this.

Microsoft confirms next major version of Windows to support ARM

As expected, at CES Microsoft announced that the next major version of Windows (Windows 8?) will finally support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM-based systems from NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky was present at the press conference, held a few hours before CEO Steve Ballmer's CES keynote.

It's obvious why Microsoft is finally supporting ARM. ARM processors are well-suited for tablets, and tablets are one of the form factors Microsoft plans to target with the next generation of Windows. Indeed, there will also be an ARM version of Office.

Interestingly, Sinofsky explicitly forbade anyone from video taping portions of the demonstration.

You can read the full press release below:

Microsoft Announces Support of System on a Chip Architectures From Intel, AMD, and ARM for Next Version of Windows

LAS VEGAS — Jan. 5, 2011 — Microsoft Corp. today announced at 2011 International CES that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM-based systems from partners NVIDIA Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. On the x86 architecture, Intel Corporation and AMD continue their work on low-power SoC designs that fully support Windows, including support for native x86 applications. SoC architectures will fuel significant innovation across the hardware spectrum when coupled with the depth and breadth of the Windows platform.

At today’s announcement, Microsoft demonstrated the next version of Windows running on new SoC platforms from Intel running on x86 architecture and from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments on ARM architecture. The technology demonstration included Windows client support across a range of scenarios, such as hardware-accelerated graphics and media playback, hardware-accelerated Web browsing with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer, USB device support, printing and other features customers have come to expect from their computing experience. Microsoft Office running natively on ARM was also shown as a demonstration of the potential of Windows platform capabilities on ARM architecture.

Windows will continue its industry-leading support across the widest possible set of devices, delivering the breadth and choice that customers demand. Intel and AMD continue to evolve and improve the x86 platforms, including new low-power systems, and advance new designs such as the recently announced 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor family and AMD’s Fusion accelerated processing units (APUs). NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are joining Microsoft to provide ARM-based designs for the first time.

“With today’s announcement, we’re showing the flexibility and resiliency of Windows through the power of software and a commitment to world-class engineering. We continue to evolve Windows to deliver the functionality customers demand across the widest variety of hardware platforms and form factors,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft.

SoC architectures consolidate the major components of a computing device onto a single package of silicon. This consolidation enables smaller, thinner devices while reducing the amount of power required for the device, increasing battery life and making possible always-on and always-connected functionality. With support of SoC in the next version of the Windows client, Microsoft is enabling industry partners to design and deliver the widest range of hardware ever.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Silicon Partner Quotes

AMD

“We are entering a new era of computing where HD content and 3-D user interfaces are commonplace, from high-end gaming and content creation to video playback and Web browsing. Together, AMD and Microsoft enable these vivid and engaging PC experiences on x86-based devices, ranging from high-resolution, multidisplay desktops to ultrathin notebooks, netbooks and tablets, and we look forward to a new wave of innovation made possible by Windows and AMD Fusion APUs. Windows and AMD Fusion APUs bring to life outstanding Internet experiences, smooth video playback of HD and 3-D content, and acceleration of popular productivity applications.”

Manju Hegde
Corporate Vice President, Fusion Experience Program
AMD (NYSE: AMD)

ARM Holdings plc

“We are excited by today’s announcement, which marks a significant milestone for ARM and the ARM Partnership, and we look forward to working with Microsoft on the next generation of Windows. Windows combined with the scalability of the low-power ARM architecture, the market expertise of ARM silicon partners and the extensive SoC talent within the broad ARM ecosystem will enable innovative platforms to realize the future of computing, ultimately creating new market opportunities and delivering compelling products to consumers.”

Warren East
CEO
ARM

Intel Corporation

“Even conservative predictions show billions of devices coming online in the next few years. One need only look at the creation and rapid growth of the netbook category to grasp what an Intel and Microsoft combination can deliver. While still in the future, what is so exciting is how our two companies will be able to match a tailored, low-powered Windows operating system with future generations of our popular Intel® Atom™ processors to deliver unique, PC-like experiences that offer the best battery life, performance and security around.”

Douglas L. Davis
Vice President, General Manager, Netbook and Tablet Group
Intel

NVIDIA Corp.

“Windows on ARM represents a seismic shift for the computing industry. ARM is already the largest and fastest-growing CPU architecture in the world, and today’s major news of Windows will only accelerate its adoption. We look forward to working with Microsoft to create amazing new computing devices with Windows.”

Jen-Hsun Huang
President and Chief Executive Officer
NVIDIA

Qualcomm Inc.

“Today signals a significant step forward for the future of computing. We at Qualcomm are excited about continuing our relationship with Microsoft to extend the reach of Windows to more Snapdragon-powered devices, offering high-performance mobile solutions with always-on connectivity.”

Rob Chandhok
President, Qualcomm Internet Services
President, Qualcomm Innovation Center Inc.

Texas Instruments (TI)

“Texas Instruments (TI) is pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to make Windows on mobile devices a reality. TI has long believed that low power is the fundamental of fundamentals when it comes to mobility, and we look forward to taking our popular OMAP™ platform, with the ideal balance of high performance and low power, into exciting new mobile computing devices.”

Remi El-Ouazzane
Vice President and General Manager, OMAP Platform Business Unit
TI

'Microsoft TV' to be intro'ed during Ballmer's CES keynote: report

Google TV and Apple TV may need to begin looking over their shoulders. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer always gives the CES keynote, and one of the announcements he may aim to give involves what may end up being called "Microsoft TV."

The actual CES show starts Thursday, but Ballmer has the Wednesday night keynote. While we might expect to see the firm to speak more about Windows Phone, Kinect, and tablets, Microsoft has something planned for the living room, too:

Microsoft's going to make a splash in this market with a stripped-down version of Windows tailored for set-top boxes and connected TVs. The software is a version of its embedded device software, overlaid with the Windows Media Center interface, with media streaming and remote-control capabilities. [...]

The boxes are expected to cost around $200 and go on sale later this year. They'll pose a serious challenge to the new Apple and Google TV devices, largely because the Windows boxes have a polished and familiar TV-program guide that makes it easy to blend and navigate both online and broadcast content.

Microsoft's tried to enter the living room before, but hasn't been successful. Meanwhile, Apple won't be at CES, but its Apple TV has been a success, and Google has told some of its vendors to hold off on Google TV announcements at CES until software modifications have been made (Vizio is one of the exceptions).

PrimeSense, Asus, to bring Kinect technology to HTPCs

Microsoft's Kinect motion-sensing controller, originally aimed at the Xbox, has seen its Xbox-only hacked into submission. Knowing a golden opportunity when it sees one, PrimeSense, whose 3-D camera is a core part of Kinect, and ASUS have announced a team-up that will produce a similar device designed specifically for HTPCs.

The controller is dubbed the "WAVI Xtion," which regrettably doesn't flow off the lips as well as Kinect does. The focus on HTPCs is because, PrimeSense said, the focus of the WAVI Xtion will be on multimedia control, as opposed to the gaming focus of the Kinect.

In addition to the device, the two companies intend to create a dedicated online store for selling compatible apps.

There is definitely a market for this type of device, based on the number of hacks that have already turned the Kinect into an ASL teaching tool or a WoW controller. Because of that, restricting it to a particular purpose seems to be a strange, limiting decision.

A development platform, the "Xtion Pro," will arrive in February. The consumer version of the WAVI Xtion system is targeted for the spring; it will reach different countries in "phases."