Posts
Bill Gates Touts Free Developer Kits, Global Progress in Stanford Speech
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Microsoft founder Bill Gates talked about the future of technology and the advent of, as Gates puts it, "the second digital decade" in a talk Tuesday at Stanford University's Memorial Auditorium. The ex-CEO, who plans to leave day-to-day work at Microsoft this year, also highlighted his company's plan to release Microsoft developer kits free to students, in the hope that they will help make "huge breakthroughs" in technological research using the Microsoft platform. 
Not mentioned during the hour-long speech: Yahoo. The name of Microsoft's potential takeover target never escaped the founder's lips, even though the topic has been a constant source of chatter since the Redmond, Washington-based giant announced its intent to go after the internet portal Feb. 1.
Gates, introduced by Stanford president John Hennessey, began his speech by showing a video clip imagining his upcoming last day in office, which elicited laughter from the mostly student crowd. Tech watchers may note that this video was similar to the one shown at this year's CES, but with a few extra guest appearances -- Venture Capitalist John Doerr and Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffet, for example -- as well as an amusing collection of outtakes tacked on to the end of the clip.
Gates' talk was titled "Software, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Giving Back," and it focused on the future of technology and how that technology can affect change in places like the developing world. Stanford students and faculty, but not press, were allowed to ask questions during the 15-minute Q&A session after the talk. The questions stuck to the Gates Foundation side of things, touching on topics like microfinancing and immigration, with more than one student asking about the impact of social justice. None of the students in the engineering-heavy university inquired about Microsoft's free development-tool plans, though Gates did mention it in his speech. "One of the best investments any company makes is in their research groups, and how those research groups hook up with universities," Gates said.
Not mentioned during the hour-long speech: Yahoo. The name of Microsoft's potential takeover target never escaped the founder's lips, even though the topic has been a constant source of chatter since the Redmond, Washington-based giant announced its intent to go after the internet portal Feb. 1.
Gates, introduced by Stanford president John Hennessey, began his speech by showing a video clip imagining his upcoming last day in office, which elicited laughter from the mostly student crowd. Tech watchers may note that this video was similar to the one shown at this year's CES, but with a few extra guest appearances -- Venture Capitalist John Doerr and Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffet, for example -- as well as an amusing collection of outtakes tacked on to the end of the clip.
Gates' talk was titled "Software, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Giving Back," and it focused on the future of technology and how that technology can affect change in places like the developing world. Stanford students and faculty, but not press, were allowed to ask questions during the 15-minute Q&A session after the talk. The questions stuck to the Gates Foundation side of things, touching on topics like microfinancing and immigration, with more than one student asking about the impact of social justice. None of the students in the engineering-heavy university inquired about Microsoft's free development-tool plans, though Gates did mention it in his speech. "One of the best investments any company makes is in their research groups, and how those research groups hook up with universities," Gates said.
Comments :
0 comments to “Bill Gates Touts Free Developer Kits, Global Progress in Stanford Speech”