Monday, November 19, 2012

WPD Bits: Xbox Live turns 10, Andy Lees shifts around, and Steve Wozniak praises Microsoft


Welcome to the latest edition of WPD Bits, the weekly roundup of all the smaller bits of news from the world of Microsoft.

This go-around we've got just three stories to cover, but they are quite the meaty servings: Xbox Live is now older than the millions of kids it serves today; the former Windows Phone President has been shifted into a new role at the company; and Apple's co-founder is worried his former employer is no longer the technology industry's torchbearer of innovation.

Read up on all of the bits after the jump!

Xbox Live is now 10 years old



Remember when you first played Halo: Combat Evolved?online??Yeah, that was more than 10 years ago?folks. Microsoft celebrated this week's huge milestone of the online service that redefined modern multiplayer gaming. Let's take a look at the rough timeline: the original Xbox in 2001; to Xbox Live Arcade in 2004; achievements and gamerscore in 2005; the Xbox 360 launch in 2005; Avatars in 2008; Windows Phone in 2010; Kinect and the Metro interface in 2011; and finally Windows 8, SmartGlass and Xbox Music in 2012. Microsoft has been very?busy creating the leading entertainment ecosystem in the world, and it doesn't look like they're slowing down. [ Source: Microsoft ]

Former Windows Phone boss gets a new role at Microsoft (again)



For the newcomers to Windows Phone, we'll fill you in. Andy Lees was the man who originally led the Windows Phone division from the 2010 launch through Mango's release in 2011. Shortly after that, Lees was ousted?by Ballmer and reassigned to a more peculiar role and Terry Myerson has now been the leader of the division for a little less than a year. There was much speculation about what happened to Lees, like working on the Surface project as well as the Nook partnership. Fast forward to this week when Bloomberg?learned that Lees had to move to a new position once again, although this time around it looks like a promotion as the company's new head of corporate development and strategy. That title is as vague as a corporate title can get, so your guess is as good as ours on what Lees is really up to. [ Source:?Bloomberg Businessweek ]

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he is worried that Microsoft is now the industry's innovation leader



Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak sat down with TechCrunch?for an interview, and among other things the famous software engineer talked about Microsoft's newfound spark in consumer technology. Here's one of the choice quotes paraphrased from the video:?"[Microsoft] might've been [researching innovative technology] for three years while Apple was just used to cranking out the newest iPhone and falling a little behind, and that worries me greatly." Wozniak isn't alone in recognizing this sudden change in leadership roles, with many tech pundits quietly admitting Microsoft is truly onto something with their latest crop of products, hardware and software alike. The fact that someone as prominent in the Apple community as Wozniak would address this in such an open manner, we have to imagine the company is growing concerned about how long they can stay ahead of the competition. [ Source:?TechCrunch ]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/windowsphonedaily/DnwK/~3/LxzYshhDK4I/wpd-bits-xbox-live-turns-10-andy-lees.html

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