News Byte

DOJ Likely to Clear Rockstar Bidco’s Nortel Patent Purchase

Looks like the Justice Department plans to approve the $4.5 billion sale of Nortel’s wireless technology patents to a consortium led by Microsoft and Apple. Sources familiar with the matter say the DOJ has addressed concerns that the consortium might use the patents to unfairly hamstring competitors. It’s not clear when the DOJ will issue its approval, but when it does some 6,000 wireless patents will be transferred over to Rockstar Bidco, an alliance that also includes Research In Motion, Sony, Ericsson AB and EMC.

Nokia: And Plan C Is We End Up Like RIM

“Plan B is that Plan A must succeed.”
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Newly Public Jive Beats the Street

Jive’s first quarter as a public company comes out pretty good.
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News Byte

Microsoft Releases Its Latest Non-Windows Phone App: OneNote for Android

Microsoft on Tuesday released OneNote for Android, the latest in a string of app releases for non-Microsoft mobile operating systems. OneNote was one of Microsoft’s first iPhone releases, and joins a growing stable of apps in the Android Market and iTunes App Store.

Microsoft Bringing Its CRM App to iPhone, iPad and Android

Redmond is once again cranking out versions of its software for rivals’ mobile platforms, this time bringing its Dynamics CRM product to a bunch of mobile operating systems.
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Windows Phone Developer Exec Leaving for Amazon

Brandon Watson, who had helped lead Microsoft’s efforts to convince developers to create apps for Windows Phone, is taking a post on the Kindle team.
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News Byte

Details on Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Leaked

Windows Phone 8, Microsoft’s next mobile operating system, is expected to include support for multicore processors, microSD card storage and NFC capabilities, Pocketnow.com reports, citing a leaked video hosted by senior vice president and Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore. While the current version features a similar “Metro” user interface as Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS for desktops, it uses a Windows CE core that is quite different from desktop Windows. Windows Phone 8, according to the leaks, will be based on a desktop Windows core. Windows Phone 8 is rumored to be launching sometime in the fourth quarter; Microsoft declined to comment on the reports.

What, Nokia Chairman Worry?

Nokia’s going through a challenging transition, but according to Jorma Ollila, it has laid the foundation it needs to regain smartphone leadership.
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News Byte

Apple Poaches Another Xbox Marketing Vet

Robin Burrowes, former head of Xbox Live marketing in Europe, has a new job. At Apple. The exec, who served as head of product marketing for Xbox Live in Europe for three years — and before that, as marketing manager for Xbox U.K. — is heading to Apple’s European office to oversee App Store marketing. Burrowes is the latest hire in a parade of gaming executives recruited by Apple that includes former Nintendo PR manager Robert Saunders and former Xbox PR manager Nick Grange.

Track Changes on an iPad

Slower Windows Sales Dent Microsoft Earnings