Thurrott Daily: March 13

A few tidbits from around the web.

3/13/2016 1:27:06 PM

“Is Microsoft Surface Phone for you? Here’s how to find out”

First, are you into fantasy role playing games?

“3 Reasons Why Microsoft’s Xbox Two Project Might Be Cancelled”

You only need one: There is no such thing as Xbox Two.

Edge extensions appear in Windows 10 Store

WindowsBlogItalia reports that the first Edge extension has appeared in the Windows Store, a clue that Brad’s recent report is correct. Translated from Italian:

Just on the Windows Store , in fact, it appeared the first traces of the extensions. As you understand, you will be distributed in the form of applications and can be pinned on the Start screen and opened directly from there, as well as the browser, via a dedicated button on the Command bar at the top.

With the current build Insider, the extension is installed correctly but does not work. Interestingly, the latter is already well supported by processors ARM , suggesting the compatibility for Windows Mobile 10 – in the future.

I bet we see the first Windows 10 build for PCs that supports Edge extensions this week.

“Here’s how to turn your computer into a Chromebook”

The theory being that getting a lobotomy actually makes sense at a certain age? Actually, there could be some truth to that.

How Google became the most valuable business in the world

Mashable has an interesting look at Google’s rise above Apple from a market cap perspective.

Google set in motion a more “mature” management strategy that helped it move faster, eventually influenced its move to create a new holding company called Alphabet and arguably propelled it (however briefly) to overtake Apple this year as the most valuable business in the world.

After a “dozen” or so frustrating decision-making roadblocks, Pichette says Google’s management team recognized “there’s something broken.”

The fix was announced several months later, at the very beginning of 2011.

Google shocked the technology world by revealing that Page would take over as Google’s CEO, bumping Schmidt to the sometimes ceremonial position of executive chairman. Brin would remain “cofounder.”

Their roles became more clearly defined as a result: Page would oversee key technology and business-related decisions. Brin would focus on “new products” like Google Glass and the self-driving car.

Schmidt, in turn, would function as an advisor to both with more of a focus on “broader business relationships, government outreach and technology thought leadership.”

[Then] Page groomed a quasi-successor, Sundar Pichai, to assume more operational roles inside Google, while simultaneously empowering executives of other key divisions, freeing him up to focus more on the big picture.

Interesting read.

Oracle is ready to reveal ‘bombshell’ details about Google’s Android business

This is about as salacious as things get in the tech industry:

The next round of Oracle’s copyright lawsuit against Google over Android will begin on May 9, and we can expect to be treated to a lot of “bombshells” about Google’s Android business, sources close to the situation have told Business Insider.

a new jury will decide whether Google had the right to use [Oracle-owned Java] code for free. If they decide the answer is “no,” then they will have to figure out how much Google owes Oracle. Oracle originally sued Google for $6 billion in 2011, claiming that Android illegally copied part of Java, but the judge rejected the amount as being ridiculously too high.

The irony is that Oracle didn’t own Java when Google created Android in 2008 — Sun Microsystems did.

That’s not ironic at all, actually.