Thurrott Daily: April 18

Tech tidbits from around the web.

4/18/2016 2:03:51 PM

Sonos will not make a Windows 10 UWP app

In its support forums, Sonos confirmed that it will not make a Windows 10 UWP app for its service.

Sonos is not going to build a Windows Phone 8 app nor are we planning to build a Windows 10 “universal” app. We’ll of course continue to support the Windows desktop controller. We’re big fans of the work Microsoft is doing across many areas, including mobile, voice control, AI, VR and of course the Groove music service, available on Sonos.

We know this is super frustrating for Windows Phone owners anxious for more native apps on the platform, but like other companies we’ve had to place our bets. Our focus right now is on Voice and Paid Streaming Services, and we’re exploring quite a few innovative ways to experience and control your music – on your device and off.

So, a couple of points here. First, this mostly impact Windows phone users, since Sonos does have a Windows desktop application. And second, this is pragmatic, as always: Android + iOS is 98+ percent of the mobile market, and I bet Sonos customers skew towards iOS given the cost of these systems.

EA: Microsoft may have sold fewer than 20 million Xbox One consoles

While this sounds suspiciously identical to a previously claimed sales figure which I believe also originated with EA, what the heck. The Guardian reports:

Total sales of the Xbox One haven’t yet hit 20m, if the chief financial officer of EA is to be believed. That’s not a favourable comparison to the PS4, which has sold 35.9m according to Sony.

Blake Jorgensen, EA’s CFO, told investors during the company’s third-quarter earnings call that the combined lifetime sales of the Xbox One and Playstation 4 was about 55m units. Although Jorgensen didn’t break down the split, Sony, which regularly reports sales for the PS4, provides enough information to reverse-engineer the Xbox One figure.

In January, Sony revealed that the PS4 had sold 35.9m, meaning that the sales for the Xbox One – if both EA’s and Sony’s figures are accurate – stand at around 19.1m.

19 million is a solid number. But it’s still only half the PS4 number, hence the hand-wringing.

Microsoft offers a limited Lumia trade-in program

I think I might have mentioned this previously, but the Microsoft Store (online and retail, US only) is offering a Lumia trade-in for those who wish to upgrade to the Lumia 950/950 XL. The bad news? It’s only available for those with a Lumia 920, 925 or 1020. And your phone is worth $150 at most.

Thanks to Gene P. for the tip.

All Windows users should uninstall Apple QuickTime immediately

I mentioned this in Friday’s Short Takes, but it bears repeating: Apple will no longer update its QuickTime software on Windows, and thanks to two new vulnerabilities the firm now advises users to uninstall it to avoid being hacked. Good advice regardless of vulnerabilities, frankly.