Microsoft Buys Canesta

Microsoft is currently trying to close a deal in which it will acquire chip maker Canesta. Canesta manufactures computer chips that allow natural user interaction with machines. This move will greatly help Microsoft's goal of creating more natural user interfaces. In the deal Microsoft would own rights to Canesta's products, technology, intellectual property, customer contracts and other resources. Two of Canesta's customers are Honda and Hitachi.

Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, recently said that natural user interfaces will be one of the next big revolutions in technology. He said that while a mouse use to feel natural, now we feel that talking and gesturing to machines seems more natural. Canesta's 44 patents should help Microsoft in pursing its goal of developing a new way to interact with machines. The deal will hopefully close by the end of the year, although the terms of the deal are not disclosed.

ABC, NBC, and CBS block their programs from Google TV

Google recently launched their new line of television and blue-ray players with the hope of merging television and internet. The idea was that owners would be able to search the web for shows and then streamline the shows on their televisions. The televisions can also run Android apps such as Pandora and Netflix.

However, ABC, NBC, and CBS have joined Hulu in not allowing content from their websites to be displayed on Google televisions. Viacom and News Corp. have not blocked their programs for Google televisions, but they may do so in the near future. It is not yet clear why ABC, CBS, and NBC decided to have their progamming blocked, but it is speculated that if successful Google television would disrupt the current business models for broadcast TV, including advertising and distribution deals. It is still unclear if the ban will be effective though. Many internet users know of sites that streamline pirated content, including content from ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Google is currently in talks with the televisions networks to have the ban released. However, it will be interesting to see if Google's televisions are as successsful as Google hopes. The numbers of hours of streamline content is constantly increasing with the average US internet user watching 9.8 hours of video content for the month of Septemeber.


http://www.cio.com/article/628632/ABC_NBC_CBS_Block_Google_TV_Declare_War?page=2&taxonomyId=3055

Microsoft Sues Motorola

Microsoft has filed a law suit saying that Motorola and it's Android phones have infringed on nine of Microsoft's patents. The patents are related to e-mail, battery life, signal strength, and calendar. Google licenses Microsoft's ActiveSync for use in Android Microsoft may plan to argue that handset makers that add their own technologies to Android also need a license for ActiveSync. However, there is also speculation that Microsoft is using the suit to put pressure on Motorola into building phones using Windows Phone 7. This would add hundreds of millions of dollars in sales to Microsoft.


The suit may also be a motive for slowing down Android. Android is projected to be the second largest smartphone platform by 2012. Microsoft is planning the launch of it's Windows Phone later this month and needs all the help it can get in catching up in the smartphone market.