Why Microsoft's Bet On a HoloLens Metaverse Isn't Paying Off

Microsoft debuted its HoloLens augmented-reality headset seven years ago. But despite that head start,it has struggled to succeed in the market for the metaverse. 

WSJ tech reporter Aaron Tilley joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why, and what it can teach other companies making a play for the new digital realm.

U.S. vs. China: A Metaverse Divided Over Design and Rules

The metaverse race is heating up in China. Just like Meta and Microsoft in the U.S., Chinese firms such as Baidu and Tencent are investing in the nascent industry, but strict tech regulations mean China’s virtual worlds are set to offer very different user experiences.

Why Microsoft keeps beating Apple and Google with Windows

 

Microsoft Windows debuted in 1985 and for the past two decades it has been the dominant PC operating system worldwide. In 2020, Windows had almost 83% market share by unit shipments, while Google Chrome OS had 10% and Apple’s Mac OS had 7%, according to Gartner. 

From solitaire to its iconic start button and start up sounds, productivity apps, gaming and corporate computing, Windows changed the way we use computers. The legendary Windows 95 helped propel the company to dominate the market in personal computing. Microsoft has introduced many versions of Windows since its inception with some more memorable than others. It’s competed with IBM, Apple, and Google for market space. According to Microsoft, there are more than 1.3 billion devices running Windows 10 worldwide on a monthly basis. Today, Windows only makes up 14% of Microsoft’s business but remains a critical part of it. The company just announced the latest version Windows 11. 

CNBC spoke with former Microsoft employees including Terry Myerson, Michael Cherry, Brad Silverberg and Tandy Trower to get a look back at over three decades of Windows.

How to deal with big tech - The Economist

Senator Amy Klobuchar is leading a crusade against big-tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook and Google. These companies dominate the S&P 500 and wield a huge amount of influence. Should they be broken up?

Microsoft might be teaming up with one of Apple's biggest smartphone rivals in China

From Business Insider –

“Buried in the announcement that Microsoft will be releasing Windows 10 to the world this summer was an interesting tidbit — Microsoft and Chinese smartphone manufacturing giant Xiaomi are offering a program for power users to install an early version of Windows 10 on Xiaomi's Mi 4 smartphone, which runs Android.”

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Financial Regulators Should Listen to Bill Gates on Mobile Money

From American Banker

“People around the world are holding an instrument for economic empowerment in the palm of their hands-but some of those who could benefit most from mobile money are facing a lock screen.

Mobile payments have emerged as a key tool in the fight against global poverty. People in poor and rural areas of countries like Kenya and India are already using cell phones to send and receive funds and pay bills. Microsoft founder Bill Gates highlighted a broad range of possibilities at the Sibos banking conference in Boston early this month, describing how mobile payment applications can help people in developing countries receive vital aid, set aside money to buy fertilizer for next year's crops, save for tuition fees and build credit scores that give them to access to affordable loans.”

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Internet Explorer Bug: Steps to Take

From Bank Info Security

“Faced with a vulnerability that exposes Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser to a zero-day exploit involved in recent targeted attacks, CISOs need to take prompt action, security specialists say. That includes communicating the vulnerability to end users, using alternate Web browsers and developing an incident management strategy.

Meanwhile, organizations must be prepared to deal with other online vulnerabilities as they emerge, warns Alan Brill, senior managing director at security advisory firm Kroll Solutions. "Organizations that don't recognize that - and treat each incident as a separate crisis - are likely to expend more effort going through the incidents than those that develop an incident management strategy," he says.”

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ATM operators eye Linux as alternative to Windows XP

From Computerworld

“Some financial services companies are looking to migrate their ATM fleets from Windows to Linux in a bid to have better control over hardware and software upgrade cycles.

Pushing them in that direction apparently is Microsoft's decision to end support for Windows XP on April 8, said David Tente, executive director, USA, of the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA).

"There is some heartburn in the industry" over Microsoft's end-of-support decision, Tente said.

ATM operators would like to be able to synchronize their hardware and software upgrade cycles. But that's hard to do with Microsoft dictating the software upgrade timetable. As a result, "some are looking at the possibility of using a non-Microsoft operating system to synch up their hardware and software upgrades," Tente said.’ "

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Banks to be hit with Microsoft costs for running outdated ATMs

From Yahoo Finance

“Banks around the world, consumed with meeting more stringent capital regulations, will miss a deadline to upgrade outdated software for automated teller machines (ATMs) and face additional costs to Microsoft to keep them secure.

The U.S. software company first warned that it was planning to end support for Windows XP in 2007, but only one-third of the world's 2.2 million ATMs which use the system will have been upgraded to a new platform, such as Windows 7 by the April deadline, according to NCR, one of the biggest ATM makers.

To ensure the machines are protected against viruses and hackers many banks have agreed deals with Microsoft to continue supporting their ATMs until they are upgraded, extra costs and negotiations that were avoidable but are now likely to be a distraction for bank executives.”

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