We had a strong (okay, really strong) hunch that the iPad was a contributing factor in Microsoft’s waning Windows revenue in Q2 , but there’s nothing like a little confirmation from Redmond. During the earnings call, Microsoft CFO Peter Klein was asked if tablets were cannibalizing PCs, to which he responded: I think that as Bill [Koefoed] talked a little bit in his comments about netbooks and how netbooks were, they hit their peak last year in Q2, and I think what we’ve seen is over the course of this year in the consumer space, some of that volume being replaced with newer devices like ultra-portables and tablets. And largely, these are second devices, not primary devices. And that’s caused a little bit of a drag on the consumer side. That seems like an admission that people aren’t buying Windows 7 tablets , but either way, it’s now crystal clear that Microsoft suffered during the back-to-school and holiday season because consumers who may have previously picked up a Windows 7 Starter netbook went for a glossy new iPad (or maybe a Galaxy Tab in the later part of the quarter) or a more powerful ULV ultraportable. Obviously, the shift to tablets is to be expected, but the latter bit about ultraportables is quite telling as well — it seems to further confirm that people are seeking more power than Intel’s Atom, although we don’t really see how increased ultraportable sales would be a “drag on the consumer side” of Microsoft’s business considering ultraportables run Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional. Sadly, Klein made no mention of Microsoft’s future tablet plans, but stated that netbooks were past their prime. We’re pretty sure that ” next version of Windows ” or whatever tablet OS Microsoft is planning couldn’t come soon enough for everyone. Or hey, could we suggest reviving the Courier ? Microsoft: tablets affected Q4 earnings, netbooks past their peak originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …In Rare Glimmer of Sanity, MSNBC Shelves Ed Schultz’s Aptly Named ‘Psycho Talk’
January 28, 2011 No CommentNot to worry, Ed Schultz told his radio listeners on Jan. 11 — the bellicose “Psycho Talk” segment of his MSNBC program would remain on the show. Here's a clip of Schultz claiming that in the wake of the Tucson shooting, with liberals blaming an amorphous “climate of hate” for triggering the bloodshed, “Psycho Talk” would endure ( audio ) — Let me just start it right out today, I am not toning it down. Because according to the conservatives, what Sarah Palin did and what Michele Bachmann says, that didn't have anything to do with what happened on Saturday, right? You know, this may be the biggest lie that Fox News has ever told. Roger Ailes says the network will tone down fiery rhetoric. And they defend Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin's now the victim, did you know that? Well, isn't her silence deafening? Why is Sarah Palin so silent? Is she feeling guilty these days? Why is it that she kept those crosshairs up there for months on end until the shooting? No guilt there at all, is there? Folks, let me tell you something, I'm making this announcement right away. We are not changing “The Ed Show” on MSNBC. As long as they open their mouths over there on the right, we will continue to have the segment called “Psycho Talk,” because that's exactly what it is. And as soon as they say that they're not going to vote to repeal health care, then I'll make some changes.
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Former ’90210′ star Luke Perry talks about his Hallmark Movie Channel film premiering Saturday and working with the director, former cast mate Jason Priestly. (Jan. 27)
Continue reading …Snatching Defeat From Jaws Of Victory, Reid/McConnell Agree To Squelch Filibuster Reform
January 28, 2011 No CommentLucy swiped that #$@#ing ball away from us again : So Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell have reached a deal under which both have vowed never to pass any rules reforms via the “Constitutional option,” which only requires a simple majority vote. The idea is that if one side rams through reforms this way, the other will retaliate when it gains the majority. Take this option off the table, and future reforms will only pass with bipartisan support. Reportedly, Reid could not keep his caucus together, with several vulnerable senators worried that this would be used against them in ads by Republican challengers and fearful of retribution if they lost the majority in 2012, although Tom Udall (D-NM) did his damndest to keep filibuster reform on the table: Udall’s argument: If Democrats hadn’t threatened to pass filibuster reforms via a simple majority, the issue would have been a non-starter from the very beginning. If the reforms being championed by Udall, Tom Harkin and Jeff Merkley could only pass with 67 votes, everyone could have safely ignored them and the issue would have received no attention. As Udall put it, the current discussion wouldn’t have happened at all “if we hadn’t utilized our rights under the Constitution, if we hadn’t pushed this very hard and said we are trying to round up 51 senators that will stand up with us and say we want change in this institution.” By agreeing to take this option off the table, of course, Reid and McConnell have effectively ensured that this leverage won’t be available in the future. As Ezra Klein explains, this ensures that “the minority is not on notice that further abuse of the filibuster (and associated stalling tactics) could lead to more significant reforms.” But hey, “secret holds” are no longer okay…sort of. Which means with no leverage and no teeth, the Senate will be exactly the same dysfunctional legislative body it was last year.
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Illinois’ highest court put President Barack Obama’s former White House chief of staff back in the race for Chicago mayor Thursday, three days after a lower court threw the name off the ballot because he hadn’t lived in the city for a full year. (Jan. 27)
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enlarge In today’s climate there’s a tendency to view things through the lens of the people versus corporations, where all the corporations are allied and aligned against people. But there’s another layer, far more interesting, surrounding Jeffrey Immelt and his cordial relationship with the White House. It reveals a corporation vs. corporation rivalry fought via the current political culture wars. Via AlterNet : FreedomWorks and the NCPPR , another free-market think tank, have launched a campaign to “dethrone” Immelt from GE , calling him the “king of crony capitalism”, and are running ads attacking Immelt’s conflicts of interest as a blatant sign of corruption. “It’s time to break up the unethical romance between government and big business,” said FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe in a statement. “For too long, corporate elites have lobbied to profit from the size and growth of government at the expense of hard-working Americans.” Oh, this is rich, coming from the organization funded by corporate elites who not only lobbied to profit from government but also hoodwinked ordinary people in order to profit from them. And of course, it’s simply a smokescreen for a corporate proxy war between Koch-allied corporations and GE-allied corporations. Before anything else, GE and Koch Industries are direct competitors in the energy arena. I’m sure the bailout of GE Capital contributed to the rage the Kochs felt about bailouts in general (ideology aside), since a weakened GE would have meant a stronger Koch Industries, but alas. It didn’t quite work out that way. In addition to being in direct competition, GE has positioned itself as a “green energy” company, integrating climate change into their business model. This runs exactly counter to Koch, who continues to not only deny climate change, but fight for the right to keep the country enslaved to oil for generations to come. I’m still not happy about Immelt’s prominence and access to the president, but I do admit to a small “har-har” moment over FreedomWorks and the Koch family going to such lengths to “dethrone” Jeffrey Immelt. Plus, it distracts them for now.
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Continue reading the main story Related stories Fighting for survival What an extraordinary year! Key Points: Irish austerity plan Ireland’s lower house of parliament, or Dail, has passed a finance bill seen as crucial to the country’s ability to honour its commitments to an 85bn euro EU/IMF rescue plan agreed last year. The fifth stage of the bill passed by 81 votes to 76 and now goes to…
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David Kato, a 43-year-old gay rights activist in Uganda, was murdered in his home near Kampala on Wednesday, less than four months after his picture was published in a Ugandan tabloid under the words “Hang Them” for a story about gays “recruiting” local schoolchildren.
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