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from the perhaps-they-should-have-asked-Cortana dept.
The job cuts were revealed in paperwork filed on Thursday with US financial watchdog the SEC. The doomed staff will leave the business by the end of next June. They all work in Microsoft's sales teams and its Windows Phone hardware division. [...] We understand 900 people in the global sales unit have already learned of their fate.
As for the latest redundancies, here's the relevant sections of Microsoft's annual 10-K report to the SEC:
In addition to the elimination of 1,850 positions that were announced in May 2016, approximately 2,850 roles globally will be reduced during the year as an extension of the earlier plan, and these actions are expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2017.
As of June 30, 2016, we employed approximately 114,000 people on a full-time basis, 63,000 in the U.S. and 51,000 internationally. Of the total employed people, 38,000 were in operations, including manufacturing, distribution, product support, and consulting services; 37,000 in product research and development; 29,000 in sales and marketing; and 10,000 in general and administration.
While the layoffs affect just 2.5 per cent of Microsoft's workforce, they are very precise and telling cuts: Windows-powered mobiles managed to seize just three per cent of the global smartphone market, and now Redmond is dismantling that failed operation.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Saturday July 30 2016, @10:00PM
I would assume that, like every other manufacturer, Microsoft uses a lithium polymer batteries. I've never seen such a battery leak, if that's what you're describing. Why manufacturers always package the battery separately from the phone, rather than pre-installing it, I don't know. I assume it's to minimise discharge of the battery prior to purchase.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 31 2016, @05:55AM
Apparently, the phones are made to where they never really completely shut off so they can still receive commands from "headquarters".
My phone's battery dies even if I have the phone OFF. So this is just my conjecture of what would produce what I observe.
I speculate the commands would be listening in to the microphone, relaying back images from the onboard camera, my GPS location, or my contact list? Or maybe a program to route my calls for special observation. While I thought my phone was OFF?
Seems the only way to be sure its off is to remove the battery and wrap the phone in a tinfoil bag in case it has a backup battery inside it.
( In this case, the tinfoil hat is not for me - rather, its for my phone!)
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Sunday July 31 2016, @08:51AM
It could be that, or there could be more prosaic reasons such as self-discharge of the battery, or power needed to operate the power button.