Tag Archives: msft

EA, Take-Two to benefit from console upgrade ‘sweet spot’

Video game publishers are starting to benefit from the console upgrade cycle hitting the sweet spot and the shift to digital distribution, investment bank Jefferies said Wednesday. Jefferies analyst Brian Pitz said he is broadly positive on the video game sector following the annual E3 trade show last week in Los Angeles. Pitz on Wednesday upgraded his ratings on game publishers Electronic Arts (EA) and Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO) to buy from hold. He also has a buy rating on Activision Blizzard (ATVI). Pitz sees “two powerful, multiyear tailwinds” for the sector: faster-than-expected sales of next-generation consoles and the transition to digital distribution and other digital revenue streams. He expects the installed base of the latest consoles, specifically Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox One, to reach 48 million to 49 million by the end of 2015, two years after they launched. By comparison, it took the previous…

Windows 10 Demand ‘Ridiculously High,’ Poll Shows

Nearly 75% of information technology professionals plan to deploy Microsoft’s (MSFT) upcoming Windows 10 operating system within 2 years, according to a new survey. And 40% of respondents plan to roll out Windows 10 within the first year. The survey by Spiceworks, a professional network for IT professionals, showed pent-up demand for Windows 10, which is set for release on July 29. Spiceworks polled more than 500 IT pros in North America, Europe,

Barack Obama might want to switch fitness bands

U.S. amateur golfer-in-chief Barack Obama might want to switch fitness bands. Obama, who also serves as president of the United States, currently wears a Fitbit (FIT) fitness band. But a rival fitness tracker from Microsoft (MSFT), the Microsoft Band, recently added an app for tracking your golf game. Obama, who has played more than 220 rounds of golf as president, could use some help with his game. Basketball great and trash-talker extraordinaire Michael Jordan called Obama “a sh—y golfer” in an interview last fall. “I’d take him out. He’s a hack,” golf enthusiast Jordan said. At best, Obama is believed to be a 17 handicap. Obama’s Fitbit Surge watch tracks heart rate, steps taken, stairs climbed, calories burned, distance and other fitness metrics. It has eight sensors, including GPS, accelerometer, altimeter and heart-rate monitor. It’s made for tracking exercise and workouts, but doesn’t have a golf-specific app. Meanwhile, Microsoft…