Well the numbers are pretty plain. Companies like Acer, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, are all leveraging Linux, Android and Ubuntu to reduce overhead and deliver on user expectations. This is hitting Microsoft right where they care the most. A 14% decline in OEM sales.

In 2004 I took a position as the US implementation and configuration manager for a European mobile project on the PocketPC platform. The PocketPC platform was difficult and just plain goofy in places. I had been a bit spoiled by Palm in the 2000-2003 era. So I expected more than Visual Basic and MSSQL Server. In any case, during that project PocketPC magically became WindowsMobile.

There were mostly small changes, and the OS was largely the same, but felt better to use. The reason I mention this now, is that back then, there was a sense of momentum around WindowsMobile. Not only had Microsoft begun to vastly renovate it's flagging WindowsCE/PocketPC platform, but HP had just merged with Compaq and the iPaq was getting the facelift of a lifetime. There were new devices and in each consecutive generation, new features to explore. It was also the same time that SD Cards began to emerge as the standard medium for mobile digital devices. Data began moving easily between Cameras, PDAs and MP3 Players for the first time. There was opportunity and a sense of real development.

Skip ahead 5 years and that feeling is still here, but the new devices, the new apps, the new features and "wow moments" are coming from what 5 years ago was an unfathomable place:

This is absolutely the wrong move. Facebook had a vision of it's own before the really dumb money took the helm.

Facebook ahs been tainted by Microsoft business logic. Logic which says "Compete with your ecosystem".

It's sad to see Facebook taking swings at Twitter. I know it's not Zuckerberg. It's the money. Dark money that spells the end of peace in California. The Beast of Redmond has it's beachhead finally.

In a recent blog post Hulu's CEO Jason Kilar spoke about why he pulled Hulu content from Boxee.
If you didn't know, Boxee.org is the free open source media center that rivals AppleTV and anything Microsoft could muster. It's socially aware (friend lists, twitter, statuses, see what friends are watching, watch it yourself etc) and it has some great content from some great providers. Ask me for an invite to the private alpha.