Today in Tech News Digest, Nokia looks set to reveal an Android handset, Microsoft really wants Windows XP to die, Bill Gates reveals all in a Reddit AMA, Mark Zuckerberg is a surprisingly generous philanthropist, Justin.tv becomes Twitch Interactive, Bing has the Oscars covered, and Netflix is good at promotions.
Nokia Goes Android
All these ppl saying 'Nokia should make an Android phone, it'll be amazing'... You're gonna rush out and buy it... Right??
— Matthew Ashworth (@Macca_Chief) February 10, 2014
There have been rumors for a long time that Nokia is developing a handset based on the Android operating system, and according to the Wall Street Journal, those rumors are true. The usual "people familiar with the matter" have stated that Nokia will unveil its Android phone at Mobile World Congress, a trade show kicking off on Feb. 24.
This news wouldn't be all that interesting were it not for the fact that Microsoft has acquired Nokia, paying $7.4 billion for the Finnish company's handset business. The deal hasn't quite gone through, leaving Nokia clear to forge ahead with its Android line. The question is what will Microsoft do once Nokia is in its hands? Because selling an Android handset isn't exactly going to help the cause of Windows Phone.
Microsoft Begs XP Holdouts
Heh, Microsoft wants your friends/family to coax you into giving up Windows XP. http://t.co/7jLV3QYb0p
— Prasoon (@prsng) February 11, 2014
Microsoft is ramping up its efforts to move people off Windows XP and onto a more up-to-date version of Windows before the company ends support for the aging OS on April 8, 2014. The latest call to arms is aimed at friends and family of those people sticking with XP. The tone of the blog post suggests Microsoft thinks only old people and idiots still use XP, but a recent We Ask You discussion clearly showed this isn't the case.
Bill Gates Reveals All
http://youtu.be/ynQ5ZhxYAss
Bill Gates took part in a lengthy Reddit AMA (that could count as one of the best AMAs of all time), revealing several nuggets of interesting information. Subjects discussed include new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Gates' new role consisting of picking "ambitious scenarios," and whether he can still leap over a chair in a single bound (spoiler alert: he can't). Gates even threw in a couple of videos, including the one embedded above. The full AMA is well worth a read.
Mark Zuckerberg Is A Big Donor
Zuckerberg and the Most Generous Philanthropists of 2013 (Infographic) @inc #startup
— Bill Murphy Jr. (@BillMurphyJr) February 11, 2014
A lot of things are said about Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, many of them not exactly pleasant. But Zuckerberg clearly deserves some credit, as he has been named the most generous philanthropist in the United States for 2013. Zuckerberg gave an incredible $992.2 million to the 'Silicon Valley Community Foundation', though all of it came in the form of Facebook stock (18 million shares). Regardless, that's still a lot of money.
Justin.tv Becomes Twitch Interactive
http://youtu.be/zwDByF5vd0o
Justin.tv has changed its name to Twitch Interactive, proving just how popular its video games-focused streaming service has become. Justin.tv will remain as the name of the non-gaming livestreaming service, but the growth of Twitch.tv has persuaded its parent company to adopt the moniker. That growth means 1 million broadcasters now stream themselves playing games every month. And with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both including Twitch.tv functionality, the growth looks set to continue.
Bing Bags All The Oscars
Bing has partnered with The Hollywood Reporter to bring its users all they need to know about the 2014 Academy Awards. The 'Oscars Resource Guide' is hosted at THR and powered by Bing. All of the nominees across the various categories are included, with reviews, bios, photos, and trailers included for film buffs to drool over. The 86th Academy Awards is due to take place on March 2.
Netflix Launches House Of Cards Against Humanity
I can't believe Netflix is using _____ to promote House of Cards. http://t.co/7VdMwt0nKP pic.twitter.com/AOjhcWMOp2
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) February 10, 2014
And finally, Netflix has shown it's rather clever at promoting itself, with an effort to create buzz around the second series of 'House Of Cards' achieving that goal. The very simple but effective gimmick was to release a 'Cards Against Humanity' expansion pack based on the show, and called, rather obviously, 'House Of Cards Against Humanity'. The free printed sets have all already gone, but interested parties can print out their own copies instead.
Tech News Digest… Breaking News Into Bite-Sized Chunks.
Image Credit: Martin Abegglen