A tale of two execs- Microsoft's Sinofsky and Apple's Forstall

A tale of two execs: Microsoft's Sinofsky and Apple's Forstall
The company's legendary co-founder was his mentor, and in many ways he embodied what's good and bad about his employer. He had a habit of picking political fights with fellow executives, many of whom say he zealously promoted his group's work at the expense of the rest of the company.Am I talking about Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky, the Windows chief who was onstage last week for the launch of Windows 8, or Apple's Scott Forstall, the iOS software chief who is being shown the door after the disappointment of Apple maps (and perhaps making too many enemies inside the company)?Related stories:Steven Sinofsky: Microsoft's controversial Mr. Windows 8Aggressively innovative Windows 8 forces a steep learning curveFinally, the iPhone we've always wantedOf course, I'm talking about both. Bloomberg's Peter Burrows and Adam Satariano craft a great behind-the-scenes look at what may have led to Forstall's planned departure and the increased roles of Apple design guru Jony Ive and iTunes chief Eddy Cue. I worked with Burrows for five years, and I saw firsthand how he's one of the most deeply sourced Apple beat writers out there. When Peter describes what happened, you can believe him. In a nutshell, when Forstall refused to sign Apple's apology note for the problems with the new Apple maps, his days were numbered.Making matters worse, despite his admirable track record running software development for the iPhone and iPad, he could be -- much like his mentor, Steve Jobs -- difficult to work with. So much so that Ive and he rarely sat in the same meetings. When Jobs was still running Apple, he was able to keep the tension under control. But without Jobs playing mediator, it became difficult to manage. The Bloomberg story continued:Supporters admire Forstall's ability to manage massive technical complexity while pushing his team to innovate. Critics said he was overly concerned with empire building and pushing through favored features while blocking other teams' ideas.As I read that paragraph, it occurred to me: They could just as well be talking about Sinofsky, the controversial executive who was the driving force in the development of Windows 8. Last week, CNET's Jay Greene had an in-depth look at Sinofsky, a longtime Microsoft exec who was once Bill Gates' technical assistant and, like Gates, brings significant technical prowess to the job. And like Forstall, Sinofsky has a way of ticking off his fellow executives with turf fights and an unwillingness to accommodate other groups inside Microsoft. The nut of our story comes down to this passage:But Sinofsky's critics say he's elevated those battles to a new level, thriving by marginalizing rivals while running the company's most profitable businesses, Windows and Office. Along the way, he's created a rigid product development process that puts more control in his hands and, those critics say, diminish the ability to innovate at Microsoft.There's one big difference, of course: Forstall had years of success, but some aspects of the last two iPhone releases were disappointments. The Siri voice-recognition service failed to live up to its billing (personally, I still find it to be more of a neat proof-of-concept than a useful tool) and the Apple maps gaffe was, well, a head-scratcher. Sinofsky has had no such mishaps...at least not yet. He gained a reputation for metronome-like consistency while running the development of the Office suite, and he resuscitated Microsoft's reputation when he took over Windows development after the Vista disaster. Windows 7 wasn't a blockbuster, but it eased fears that Microsoft's quality control had gone off the rails.Scott Forstall at an Apple iPhone event.Josh Lowensohn/CNETWhile the jury is still out on the success of Windows 8, early returns have been positive. Microsoft, for the first time in years, appears to have thathard-to-define "buzz" among consumers again. Whether that translates into sales is another matter. But it's a lot better than customers fleeing, as they did after the release of Windows Vista.If there's a lesson to be learned, I suppose it's that personality doesn't matter all that much in the executive ranks. The youthful Bill Gates had a reputation for being every bit as incorrigible as Sinofsky. And Jobs, well, he was called many things, but "swell guy" was rarely one of them. Success doesn't justify unpleasant behavior, but it often excuses it.That is, until something goes wrong. That's when the knives come out, as Forstall finally learned.Could he have benefited from some well-timed humility and signed that apology note? Perhaps. But humility and playing nice isn't exactly what made him a success in the first place. Same with Sinofsky.But he'd better not screw up.

How to unleash your networking skills with Highlight

How to unleash your networking skills with Highlight
Every year, there's always one app that takes the crown at South by Southwest. By no official decree, one smartphone application grows rampant during the event, as it gains traction with nerdfestSXSW attendees and later spreads to early adopters. Like you. And me.This year, about a dozen apps attracted some buzz (you can view them all here), but the one that garnered the most attention and activity was Highlight (iTunes link).Pin ItThe free, location-based app alerts you of people in your vicinity with similar interests and mutual friends. Not aimed at romantic pursuits, Highlight moderates the connection of potential friends, networking contacts, and colleagues, allowing you to bookmark those you find interesting.Naturally, SXSW is a perfect event to launch such an app, but Highlight is also useful to us observing the conference from afar. Meetings, parties, and networking events are ideal places to put the app to use, as it's less official than connecting with someone on LinkedIn or Facebook, but more useful than simply following them on Twitter.Once you download Highlight, get started with these tips:Adjust your privacy settingsOnce you log in with Facebook (that's the only way to use Highlight right now), tap the menu button (upper left) and select Settings. Tap Manage privacy and decide if you want to make yourself discoverable and visible by everyone or just friends of friends. If you choose the second option, you'll limit your visibility and only friends of your Facebook friends will be able to find and highlight you.Edit your blurb and profileYour blurb is the short status message others on Highlight will see when they're in your vicinity. Some users will choose to be clever and witty ("Ask me why the chicken really crossed the road.), while others might offer a slightly more practical message. For example, you might offer a little snapshot of why you're at that networking dinner or party.If you ask a question or make an engaging statement in your blurb, expect answers. Next to every user's blurb is a + sign that allows users to leave comments. On Highlighting peopleUnlike LinkedIn or Facebook, you don't "connect" with others, or "friend" them--you Highlight them. This passive, one-way interaction (a la Twitter) makes Highlight quite compelling for those who might feel uncomfortable connecting with people they haven't met. Screenshot by Sharon Vaknin/CNETAs you scroll through the Activity stream and tap on people you are interested in (should be read in the most unromantic way possible), tap highlight to bookmark them for later. Two things will happen. First, they'll be notified that you highlighted them (and if they're interested maybe they'll highlight you back.) Then, the highlight will be made public. Anyone will be able to see that you've highlighted that person by visiting your profile.Save battery by pausingHighlight's developers will be the first to admit it: the app will suck the life out of your battery, as it constantly polls your location. Each iteration will be more efficient and less battery-consuming, they promise, but until then use the pause feature to keep Highlight from using Location Services when you're not actively using the app.Head to the navigation pane and tap Pause Highlight. You'll be hidden (not discoverable), but the next time you launch Highlight, it will automatically un-pause.For a complete walkthrough of Highlight, check out Daniel Terdiman's hands-on account.

Android Atlas Weekly Ep. 88- Google plays, Apple pays, Android listens (Podcast)

Android Atlas Weekly Ep. 88: Google plays, Apple pays, Android listens (Podcast)
Google plays, Apple pays, and Android listens, all that and more on this week's episode of Android Atlas Weekly for March 8th, 2012.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayListen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360)EPISODE 88NEWS:-Goodbye Android Market, hello Google Play-Google Play offers apps, albums, more for a quarter-Google planning Siri rival for later this year?-New Android voice assistant, Robin, rides shotgun-Key Lime Pie, after Jelly Bean?-Sprint promises 10 Google Wallet devices this year-More than just mobile payments. Quick mention-Verizon officially dishing out ICS to more than 12 devices-Apple offers Samsung and Motorola licensing deals of $5 to $15 per unit to settle litigationAPP OF THE WEEK:-Draw Something is the new hotness-Draw Something Video on CNET TVEMAIL:Hey Android Atlas I found your input engine you know in love from back in the day with your palmOS trios and what not…There’s also a free version with ad support.Check out “”Graffiti Pro for Android”"-Graffiti Proâ€"â€"I’m sitting here playing the android game Burning Sands 3 on my ASUS Prime well watching your show, and find myself utterly puzzled with your statement that there are a lack of tablet apps for android tablets. ALL android apps work on tablets. There’s 300,000 tablet apps to choose from. Maybe you need to put down your beloved iPad and spend a little more time researching android.â€" Maxâ€"â€"Hi guys you said you thought there was a difference between tablet & phone graphics but that is not entirely true. When you make an Android app you create a high, a middle, and a low definition image. so a 10″” tablet will use the same image as a phone with a high res screen like the Galaxy Nexus. However in many cases you will want to make a separate UI for a tablet but this is still fairly easy in that UI is done by click & drag and XML.Keep up the good work, love the show. â€" Daneâ€"â€"I’m a fan of the google play branding, except for the market.I’m going to be calling it the market as long as I use android regardless, but that’s beside the point.My question is “”why?”"I was reading an interview from cnet with Jamie Rosenberg where she said“”Google Play will become a single experience for users.This creates a more powerful experience around Android and also increases opportunities for content partners to interact with more of Google’s offerings.Did google change the privacy policy again, only this time slipping it in under a rebranding?With the news for Assistant coming out now, google’s moves to change privacy to share content between more sources only makes sense in the effor to build something a step above siri.Anyway, it makes sense to me, but I’m also the only place I’ve heard this from, so I wanted to hear your opinion.Missed having a show this week, otherwise keep up the good work!- Stephen Colbertâ€"â€"SHOW DETAILS:BLOGcnet.com/android-atlasSTREAMcnet.com/live/TIMEWednesdays @ 10am PTEMAIL androidatlas@cnet.comTWITTER@androidatlasJAYMAR@jaymarcabebeJUSTIN @notmyrealnamePHONE866-344-CNET (2638)