

Windows Phone 8 live event (10 AM PT) - octopus
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/windowsphone/liveevent.aspx

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rbanffy
"Please Install Silverlight to view this content"

They'll never learn.

~~~
quotemstr
> They'll never learn.

I'm with Microsoft. There must be something wrong with the implants: I've been
here for years and still don't understand the culture. I don't understand why
people use "ask" as a noun instead of "request"; I don't understand why almost
every here uses "Microsoft Tag" instead of universal, ubiquitous-in-the-
outside-world QR codes; and I don't understand why we still create websites
using Silverlight instead of moving to Flash or HTML5.

Don't people realize how transparently sycophantic they look when they use a
technology that's dead to the outside world? Depending on the day, I feel like
either 1) some people are so insulated from the outside world that they
believe Silverlight yet lives, 2) they know Silverlight is dead and are
terrified of the wrath of LCA coming down upon from for installing non-
Microsoft software on their work computers, or 3) they're savvy, but trying to
use as much jargon and proprietary stuff as possible in order to project a
false image of group cohesion and loyalty come review time.

~~~
jmspring
Silverlight is dead?

Funny, I believe that is what Netflix uses to stream to the desktop. Also,
given the install base of Windows, I am pretty sure most everyday users have
it installed.

I'm a Mac person myself and only fire up Chrome when I need Flash. I've got
silverlight installed across all browsers -- mainly due to netflix. That said,
I see "web designers" doing more annoying sites with Flash (mmm...embedded
video that auto plays with volume) than I do with Silverlight.

Just a thought.

~~~
stusmall
The install base of silverlight is pretty low, but way higher than I expected.
Its hard to get hard reliable numbers but I've seen from 50% all the way up to
70% or so. Its much higher than I expected, but not high enough to count on. I
don't get the draw when flash has an install base in the higher end of 90%.
Once again its hard to get reliable numbers, but there is no doubt it trounces
silverlight.

Even java plug-in install base beats silverlight's which is pretty bad. I know
netflix and mlb.com use it, but I don't know a lot of others. I'm sure they
are there, but it doesn't scream lively tech to me.

~~~
jlmendezbonini
I realize that Silverlight is not pre-installed with Windows but it I read
that some OEMs (Dell for example) do bundle it for their customers. Anyone can
verify this?

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lini
I wish Google would add time zone conversions to their search. I had to resort
to WA[1] to find out what time is the event in Europe.

[1]<https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=10+am+PT+to+GMT>

~~~
shrikant
I use <http://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/> \- ridiculously convenient.

~~~
yskchu
World Time Buddy is another good one: <http://www.worldtimebuddy.com>

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steverb
Syncing music from iTunes to Windows Phone now. That's a nice way to help
break the iPhone lock in.

~~~
dvdhsu
Palm used to allow syncing through iTunes as well. Every time Apple updated
iTunes, it would lock out the Palm Pre; Palm, then, would issue a software
update that re-enabled the functionality:

> _Since the Palm Pre first became available this summer, Palm has issued
> several updates to its mobile operating system, causing iTunes software to
> recognize the phone as an Apple music player, allowing it to synchronize and
> transfer files between the phone and a personal computer. Apple has
> repeatedly disabled the syncing feature in subsequent software updates to
> iTunes._ [1]

Eventually, "Palm filed a complaint with the USB Implementers Forum", but the
forum "rebuffed" Palm's claims. From then on, the Palm Pre could no longer
sync with iTunes.

I see that Microsoft isn't masquerading their phone as an iPod (or iPhone?)
like Palm did, and is instead releasing a separate app on their own (MacSync,
according to Wired [2]), so it's harder for Apple to stop them. I would guess
that they're directly importing the iTunes files on the disk, but if the idea
is so simple, why didn't Palm do the same thing? Why would they risk going
through iTunes?

The harder it was for Microsoft to implement, the easier it will be for Apple
to disable. I wonder what Apple will do now.

1\. [http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/palm-drops-
itunes-w...](http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/palm-drops-itunes-
workaround-for-now/)

2\. [http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/liveblog-microsoft-
ro...](http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/liveblog-microsoft-rolls-out-
windows-phone-8/)

~~~
mikestew
Palm got rebuffed because they masqueraded as an Apple product. The USB-IF
understandably didn't like that.

It won't be "harder for Apple to stop" Microsoft because Apple is unlikely to
even try to do so. Apple has a documented method for accessing the iTunes
library (RIM and others used it). Even if there were not an approved way to do
it, the database is in XML so it should be relatively easy to work with it.
Why Palm took the route they did mystifies me.

So what will Apple do now, you ask? Nothing, more than likely.

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ssmoot
You'd think a launch would be geared to play to the widest audience.
Disappointing that the presentation requires Silverlight to view. Wasn't
Silverlight EOLed?

~~~
gebe
There's a Flash (another why) stream as well at the bottom of the page:
[http://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/news/presskits/windowsphone/l...](http://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/news/presskits/windowsphone/liveevent2.aspx)

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steverb
I'm surprised they didn't cancel to keep from competing with the hurricane.

On the other hand, there's not much other news than the hurricane, so it might
be a smart move.

~~~
jbigelow76
Be on the lookout for more stealth Zynga layoffs.

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smegel
Am I really watching a Silverlight video in Google Chrome? How the hell is
this working?!

~~~
ygra
NPAPI. You could do the same in Firefox. Or Safari. Even on a Mac.

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malkia
Barely visible choice of white letters on yellow background (at least for me,
it could be that live is better)

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Toshio
They are demoing the phone operating system on an HTC device.

Yay for Nokia locking themselves into this OS and not even getting that small
token of appreciation.

~~~
steverb
I thought they were switching back and forth between the HTC and the Nokia...

I wasn't really paying attention, but I'm sure I saw a big yellow phone at
some point.

~~~
gebe
Yeah, Ballmer is presenting all of the brands at the moment. I noticed that he
even pocketed the Nokia, I wonder if that was part of the deal ;)

~~~
r00fus
Quite symbolic. "Hey Nokia - with Elop, you're in our pocket". How's it fell
in there?

~~~
mc32
I think you're reading a bit much into the symbolism there. I mean, if he
didn't put it in his pocket, one could have just as well said "Hey Nokia, how
does it feel being left out in the cold?"

