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`CNET › Tech Industry › Giant stakes in cable
`
`Giant stakes in cable
`
`Microsoft stands to gain a lot from investments in the cable industry and may be laying the
`groundwork for a foray into the satellite industry as well.
`Earn up to $200 with the
`Open an account.
` Open possibilities.
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`Tech Industry
`
`November 5, 1997
`1:40 PM PST
`
`Microsoft(MSFT) has a long list of things it stands to gain from
`investments in the cable industry, and the software giant may
`be getting ready to lay the groundwork for a hedge bet with
`the satellite industry as well.
`Microsoft has identified cable operators as the most likely
`vehicle for the fast delivery of information to American homes.
`This high-speed delivery, Microsoft's executives believe, will
`lead consumers to adopt a "Web lifestyle," and Microsoft
`wants to be at the forefront of this potentially huge new
`market for software development.
`
`So today's report that Microsoft may be planning a $1 billion
`investment in US West's cable operations comes as no
`surprise, even as previous reports had the Redmond, Washington, company ready
`to make a similar investment in Tele-Communications Incorporated.
`
`An investment in either cable company would build on Microsoft's $1 billion stake in
`Comcast in June and its purchase of WebTV, which delivers Internet access to TVs
`via set-top boxes.
`
`Microsoft also is looking for new platforms for its operating systems, particularly its
`slimmed-down version of Windows, Windows CE. Moreover, the software giant is
`searching for more venues for its broad content offerings, such as MSNBC and
`Slate magazine.
`
`If its recent business deals are any indication, Microsoft apparently is unfazed by
`the fact that the Justice Department is charging the company with antitrust-related
`violations. The software giant continues to look for new markets in which to expand
`its already highly profitable business. (See related coverage)
`
`What Microsoft hopes to gain from spurring the development of broadband cable
`networks is influence over the operating systems these networks will have to
`adopt, analysts said.
`
`But entering the traditionally independent cable operator market has proven more
`difficult than anticipated. Even Brian Roberts, president of Comcast, found himself
`reassuring fellow cable operators after Microsoft invested in his company. "We are
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`neither legally nor morally committed to having only the Microsoft set-top product,"
`he said at a cable industry trade show last month. "We want an open system."
`
`Tom Aust, global telecommunications analyst at Citicorp Securities, believes that
`Microsoft will benefit from electronic commerce once the high-speed connections
`are in place. The software company already has positioned itself on the Internet by
`
`way of its Expedia travel site and CarPoint auto site, as well as its Sidewalk city
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`guides.
`
`But will Microsoft be able to influence the standards for the next-generation set-top
`boxes through its investments in Comcast and possibly US West? Microsoft is
`betting that it can, and the decision to invest in Comcast and US West, rather than
`TCI, may be an indication of the company's confidence.
`
`Comcast was in need of Microsoft's cash and is a small enough company for
`Microsoft to gain real influence in exchange for its $1 billion investment. The cable
`operator also had invested significantly in broadband networks before Microsoft's
`involvement.
`
`TCI, although technologically advanced, is significantly larger, and Microsoft CEO
`Bill Gates would gain much less influence for his $1 billion. "Trying to have influence
`on TCI is more difficult," Aust said. "Its chairman, John Malone, is too determined
`and wily to let Gates in."
`
`On the other hand, US West's cable concern, MediaOne, has developed a modern
`network and a technologically adept management. It also needs the money and is
`small enough for Microsoft to be a significant shareholder.
`
`But if Gates's wagers that the future lies in cable broadband fails, those bets are
`hedged with WebTV. If cable operators don't move forward with high-speed
`networks, Microsoft can pursue WebTV across a number of different platforms,
`according to Aust.
`
`If they do move forward quickly, Microsoft will be able to foist the evolving WebTV
`standards onto cable operators. WebTV will be a platform for influencing the
`outcome, Aust said.
`
`Moreover, if cable turns out to be a bust, digital broadcast
`satellite is another area where Microsoft has done some
`hedging. Last year, the software giant became a digital
`satellite service licensee with DirecTV and Thomson
`Consumer Electronics. At a developers' conference earlier
`this year, DirecTV said it wanted to be the first direct
`broadcast satellite company to deliver video, audio, and data
`via the PC or TV.
`
`Participants at the conference received the tools required to
`develop content for the new platform, which included a
`software development kit for Microsoft's broadcast
`architecture.
`
`Tags: Tech Industry
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`CNET › Gaming › Pokemon Go -- away: Players are ticked off at world's most popular game
`
`Pokemon Go -- away: Players are
`ticked off at world's most popular
`game
`
`An update to Pokemon Go changes the game so much that people are in revolt.
`
`Gaming
`
`August 2, 2016
`5:00 AM PDT
`
`Good news, Leslie
`Jones: The internet
`has found something
`to seethe about other
`by Ian Sherr
`than your role in
`@iansherr
`http://www.cnet.com/news/giant-stakes-in-cable/
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` @iansherr
`
`"Ghostbusters."
`
`And it has nothing to
`do with the
`presidential campaign.
`
`Enlarge Image
`
`Pokemon Go may be a certified
`hit, but can it keep players happy?
`Josh Miller/CNET
`
`Instead, people are in
`a snit about a change
`made to Pokemon Go, the hottest mobile game since -- ever.
`
`To recap: Pokemon Go, released July 6 in the US, encourages you to walk around
`in the real world with your phone and find mythical creatures called Pokemon.
`When you do, they leap onto your screen, where they appear to be sitting on a
`stoop or standing in the middle of the street in the real world. Just swipe on the
`screen to throw a ball to "catch" and collect them all.
`
`How much do people love playing Pokemon Go? Well, in less than a month,
`Pokemon Go has shattered download records, been used more than Twitter or
`Facebook and been pegged as the next techie trend. Pokemon Go has become a
`hit on a scale not seen since FarmVille, Candy Crush Saga or Angry Birds.
`
`It's now been released in other places including Japan, England, Hong Kong and
`Australia, making it official that Pokemon Go fever has spread across the globe.
`
`But then last weekend and with no warning, Pokemon Go developer Niantic
`removed a key feature that helps you track how close Pokemon are to your
`location. As if that wasn't enough of a burn to people who liked getting the help,
`Niantic reportedly told other app makers to shut down apps designed to help
`people identify Pokemon in their neighborhood. (Niantic was staying mum on
`whether it did this). That's apps like Poke Radar, which help you more easily find
`special monsters hanging out near you in your quest to "catch 'em all."
`
`To say people are ticked off is an understatement.
`
`Yang
`@YangCLiu
`http://www.cnet.com/news/giant-stakes-in-cable/
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` Follow
`
`5/13
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`Giant stakes in cable - CNET
`
`@YangCLiu
`
`You don't invent Marco Polo, get 80M players to join, then
`remove the Polo part and expect people to keep playing.
`11:32 PM - 30 Jul 2016
`
` 5,017
` 7,158
`
`TmarTn
`@TmarTn
`
` Follow
`
`Hey guys, @NianticLabs changed the logo for #PokemonGO!
`1:29 PM - 31 Jul 2016 · Orlando, FL, United States
`
` 1,717
` 5,011
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`Josh Stein
`@steinekin
`
` Follow
`
`My #PokemonGO hunting since the update...
`3:45 PM - 31 Jul 2016 · Redmond, WA, United States
`
` 227
` 389
`
`It's an odd turn of events for one of the most successful mobile games in history. As
`fast as Pokemon Go has climbed the charts, it's now pissing off players even faster.
`People left more than 9,000 negative reviews in just the last day on Apple's App
`Store. That's more than 85 percent of all the reviews for the game so far.
`
`Some people, let's call them the polite ones,
`say the decision to shut out the location
`apps is "inexcusable." Other people claim
`they're giving up on the game altogether.
`Many more are just plain furious.
`
`In Japan, Pokemon Go has dropped to
`second place among free apps in the App
`Store, according to App Annie. For now, it's
`still at the top on the App Store in the US.
`
`To be successful, Niantic needs to keep
`people coming back to the game. In the
`course of playing, some people choose to
`pay money for extra in-game items to help
`them collect more Pokemon. That's how
`Niantic makes money off its otherwise free
`app.
`
`Enlarge Image
`
`This is the change: The feet in the
`old version used to indicate how
`close or far away a Pokemon was.
`Jason Parker/CNET
`
`To convince people to keep coming back, Niantic must ensure that the game works
`flawlessly. This means making it easy to access at any time, which isn't happening.
`This also means fine-tuning gameplay so it's easy and fun enough to keep you
`going but still a challenge to master, another aspect Pokemon Go been criticized
`
`for. In video game parlance, this is known as Bushnell's Law, named after the father
`of modern video games, Nolan Bushnell.
`
`Pokemon Go hasn't mastered any of these core tenets, said Michael Pachter, a
`longtime games analyst at Wedbush Securities. "Every day since this game
`launched, there's been something wrong," he said.
`
`GOTTA READ 'EM ALL
`
`Silence is killing Pokemon Go
`
`Everything you wanted to know
`about Pokemon Go
`
`Is Pokemon Go down? Find out with
`these sites
`
`Pokemon No: All the ways you
`shouldn't play the latest app craze
`
`In the beginning, players couldn't actually use the game -- the
`company couldn't keep up with demand. That's a sign Niantic
`wasn't prepared for its popularity. The company has also
`missed key launch dates in new countries, and now there's
`angst among players over changes to the game.
`
`"Anything you do to encourage people to leave is bad and
`anything you do to keep people coming back is good,"
`Pachter said. "To have staying power, they have to execute
`flawlessly."
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`Exacerbating it all has been Niantic's response -- or rather its
`lack of response. The company's Pokemon Go Twitter
`account, followed by more than 1.5 million people, has so far been silent about the
`criticism. A Niantic representative declined to comment. Then several hours later,
`the company put out a statement on Facebook explaining the changes and saying
`it's listening to players' requests.
`
`Those players aren't happy.
`
`"Their 'response' has been no response at all," wrote iTunes
`user HowDisappointedAmI. Another, named Hakureiken,
`summed it up this way: "How could Niantic screw up this
`badly?"
`
`Update at 8:29 a.m. PT: To include comment from Niantic,
`posted on Facebook several hours after the company
`declined to comment.
`
`Tags: Gaming, Tech Culture, Mobile Apps, Pokemon Go, Nintendo
`
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`Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Ready for the
`rumble of the jumbos
`
`Samsung helped blaze the trail for supersized phones. Now it hopes
`its latest phone will help it fend off Apple's iPhone Plus line.
`
`Sarah TeTT w/CNET
`
`CNET › Mobile › Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Ready for the rumble of the jumbos
`
`Mobile
`
`August 2, 2016
`8:00 AM PDT
`
`by Roger Cheng
` @RogerWCheng
`
`"Size matters" jokes
`aside, the importance
`of the jumbo phone is
`no laughing matter.
`
`Korean tech giant
`Samsung, after all, was
`the first major player
`to wager on
`supersized handsets,
`unveiling the original
`Galaxy Note five years
`
`Enlarge Image
`
`The Galaxy Note 7 offers new
`features like an iris scanner. It's
`also waterproof, like the Galaxy
`S7.
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`ago. At the time, critics
`ridiculed its 5.3-inch
`display as technology
`run amok.
`
`Giant stakes in cable - CNET
`
`Sarah Tew/CNET
`
`But a funny thing happened. You started staring at your screen a lot more. And it
`wasn't just for surfing the web. You streamed videos, looked at Instagram photos
`and played games. As the years passed, Samsung's phones kept getting bigger
`and the number of skeptics kept getting smaller.
`
`You can quibble over how innovative Samsung is (Apple fans certainly would) but
`there's no question it turned the phablet -- a hybrid of a phone and tablet -- into a
`no-kidding phenomenon. Thanks to Samsung, you or someone you know is
`carrying a phone that can barely fit in their pocket.
`
`Looking to supersize your phone? Every company has an option. Even Apple.
`
`Now Samsung is back to reclaim its phablet crown, stolen by the iPhone over the
`holidays last year. To do that, the company on Tuesday took the wraps off the
`Galaxy Note 7, a phone with a 5.7-inch display and packed with standard features
`like its S-Pen stylus, as well as additions such as an iris scanner for another layer of
`security. The Note 7 even has a bigger screen than the iPhone, but houses it in a
`smaller body.
`
`Samsung's Galaxy Note line is critical to Samsung's success because of the
`growing consumer interest in phablets. An estimated 630 million phablets will be
`sold this year, up 12 percent from a year ago and outpacing the broader market of
`phones, according to Strategy Analytics.
`
`Galaxy Note customers are its "most loyal base of customers," said Justin Denison,
`senior vice president of product planning and marketing for Samsung's US
`business.
`
`"They have an innate need for their device to keep pace with the way they live," he
`said. And the ridiculously large screen, he said, helps them do that.
`
`You know what they say about large phones...
`
`The Galaxy Note 7 is packed with many of the same features as February's Galaxy
`S7, but comes with updated software and new features like an iris scanner for
`enhanced security and a faster USB-Type C port. The Note's marquee feature, the
`S-Pen -- a stylus that lets you "draw" and interact with the Note -- is more accurate
`
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`and has more bells and whistles like the ability to translate foreign text.
`
`Again, you may quibble about the sanity of including a stylus in this, the
`smartphone era touched off by Apple's Steve Jobs, who famously said "Yuck,
`nobody wants a stylus." But it turns out some people actually do.
`
`"What I like the most is that Samsung turned what could have been a gimmick into
`a tool that end users can see themselves using," said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at
`IDC.
`
`spiralbinder-2016-2017-026.jpg
`
`The Galaxy Note 7's new S-Pen is also waterproof.
`Josh Miller/CNET
`
`The only thing Samsung won't say about the Note is its price, other than to admit
`it'll cost more than the Galaxy S7 Edge, which sells for nearly $800 without a
`contract. That price makes it more costly than many popular laptops, driving some
`people away. (Don't cry for Samsung. It offers cheaper phones too.)
`
`That's especially true at a time when cheaper -- and even bigger -- phones offer a
`competent experience, according to Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen.
`
`Still, Samsung should be feeling good about its prospects.
`Last week, it posted its best quarterly profit in two years
`thanks to its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones. It was the more
`expensive S7 Edge that was the most popular Android phone
`in the first half, according to Strategy Analytics.
`
`The Note 7 could also lure iPhone 6S Plus users, given its
`larger display but smaller body. Samsung didn't hesitate to
`make the comparison.
`
`"They won't have to compromise between a big screen and a
`big device," Denison said.
`
`Tags: Mobile, Samsung
`
`(cid:99)D
`
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`MORE INFORMATION
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`Samsung Galaxy Note 7
`The latest Note refresh improves last year's Note 5 with a sweet new design
`and tricks. / READ EDITORS' TAKE
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