Editorials

Last year when Microsoft handed Nokia a very large check to help them promote Windows Phone, we joked about it wondering if Steve Ballmer really expected to see any of that money back. It was the type of moment when you can almost see the writing on the wall (that Nokia was in trouble). Nokia at the time was having financial problems and had even been blocked from transporting some of their gear out of one country they still owed money to. Microsoft saw this as an opportunity to get in with a phone company on the ground and partner with them directly. Nokia was not in any direct legal battles with Apple so there was not any worry that Apple could directly affect imports or sales of the products. Things were looking good.

As I was wandering the internet today and looking for something interesting to write about I stumbled upon an article that made me laugh a little. The article was talking about the Flame virus and how the methods used to crack open Microsoft’s certificates (called a collision) is a big issue. Now do not get me wrong, the entire Flame malware was a big deal and not just the ability to spoof Microsoft’s certificates to make the code seem legitimate.

Steve Wozniak is back in the news again and talking about Apple’s products this time he is complaining about Siri. It seems that he feels Apple messed up the service when they purchased it and tried to make it their own. In an interview Wozniak is actually quoted as saying “A lot of people say Siri. I say poo-poo”

Wow… I can remember rather vividly trying to get out of trouble for doing something as a kid with the rather flimsy excuse of “but everyone is doing it”. To make a long story short here, that did not work and I had to face my consequences over my misdeed. So if that excuse does not work with my parents (and believe me it does not work with a traffic cop either). How is it that corporations can get away with it?