Microsoft readying to lay off 7,800 workers from mobile phone unit

The reign of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been punctuated by massive change in management and massive layoffs - Photo from Microsoft

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

More change is afoot at Microsoft which has seen various departures in management due to recent restructuring, the ripple effect of these changes and compressions is the loss of jobs. Microsoft announced today that it will lay off 7,800 workers, majority of these coming from the declining smartphone unit, which it acquired from an already weakend Nokia just last year for US $7.2 billion. Microsoft is the third largest player in mobile behind Apple and Google, but it holds a tiny 2.5 per cent market share, with no indication of moving up.

These layoffs are separate and in addition to the expected 18,000 employees that Microsoft announced would be laid off a year ago as part of the larger restructuring plan. It must be remembered that Microsoft inherited 25,000 employees as a result of the Nokia acquistion last year. This latest development questions what the future of Windows on Mobile Phone will be. Microsoft also relayed it is writing off $7.6 billion related to its acquisition of Nokia and resulting restructuring costs which comes off as a loss for the company.

Click to read more ...

Instagram on Android promised to get better quality photos

Since last week, Instagram has been upping the image quality of the pictures it stores and shows to a higher 1,080 x 1,080 resolution for both Android and iOS. Now, it seems Android might be getting improved image compression so photo upload quality should also improve. According to Mike Krieger, Instagram’s co-founder, they are adding a “bunch of improvements to the image pipeline” to provide “better upload quality” for Android users.

It hasn’t exactly been explained why Android users suffer from lower quality uploads than iOS counterparts. Instagram developers have previously admitted that it’s a challenge to develop for Android with its wide variety of screen sizes. But they have never really explicitly said if that affected quality. But we’re all for better uploads, and if Instagram has that, we hope to see it soon.

Source: The Verge

Rdio debuts more curated stations, launches these in more countries

Rdio’s hoping to keep up with its bigger competitions (i.e. Spotify and Apple Music) with its new batch of curated music stations. These new stations, as well as the old ones, are available to all Rdio users (whether they use free, select, or unlimited). Some of the new “influencer” stations include A.V. Club, Alt Sounds, Refinery29, and, strangely enough, Yelp. Meanwhile, new labels creating their own stations include XL, Blue Note, and Glassnote Records.

Aside from being offered here in Canada, in the US, and the UK, Rdio is bringing these curated stations to Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

Source: Rdio | Via: The Verge

‘Simpsons’ voice actor Mr. Burns isn’t going anywhere

Harry Shearer, the voice actor of one of the biggest The Simpsons characters, left the show earlier this spring following a contract dispute. The production and Shearer seems to have reached an agreement and is back on the show. He now has the same contract deal as his fellow cast members, which include a two-year deal with a two year option following that.

Showrunner Al Jean had said they intended to recast the parts Shearer played. But if you’ve voiced the likes of Mr. Burns, Kent Brockman, and Ned Flanders, it’s going to be a bit hard to fill in those roles. The Simpsons will be coming back for its 27^th season this fall with Shearer back in the cast.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter | Via: The Verge