Home What's Brewing? Sound Bytes: News Flashes Heard on the Street and Across the Wire

Sound Bytes: News Flashes Heard on the Street and Across the Wire

In a week inaugurated by a day for presidents like the one our fair state is named for, the news wires have been burning up as if to make up for lost time.  Here’s what’s been breaking in your Northwest corner of cyberspace.

Outlook.com Launches with Millions in Ad Dollars and More than a Million Users On Day 1

Brace yourselves for “the largest ever [advertising] campaign for free email from Microsoft, and probably for all free email,” according to Dharmesh Mehta, a senior director for Outlook at Microsoft.

The company that turned “LIVE” into a trademarked term, has come out of preview mode for the new email platform that officially replaces Hotmail and hooks into hot online MS products like SkyDrive and Office 365. According to Twitter’s #winchat more than 1.5 million users have joined Outlook.com since yesterday’s formal launch.  That figure includes migration from Hotmail.

Boeing Takes to the Web to Clear the Air on 787 Battery Fix

We’ve created this website because we think it’s important that you have a resource for accurate and timely information about Boeing and the current 787 situation,” states Boeing on a new Landing page at  787updates.newairplane.com/  

Clearly, the goal for the grounded 787 fleet  is to get off the Landing page before what pessimists lament could be 2014.  

On Feburary 9, Boeing’s fifth 787 flight test airplane, took flight from Boeing Field at 12:32 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, Jan. 9, with a crew of 13 onboard (Boeing pilots and flight test personnel). During the flight, the crew monitored the performance of the main and APU batteries. Special equipment onboard the ZA005 aircraft, which is currently the only member of the Boeing 787 flight test fleet in service, allowed the crew to observe and record detailed battery performance in normal flight conditions. 

Season Two of “The LeBrons” Coming Exclusively to Xbox 360

You saw him pound the boards in the NBA All-Star Game this weekend. But have you connected with the NBA’s MVP Animated Series?

LeBron James’ breakout animated series, “The LeBrons” is back for season two and will be available this spring exclusively on Microsoft consumer networks, including Xbox LIVE and MSN. “The LeBrons” is a family entertainment show designed to provide positive life messages to today’s young adults and is co-executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Believe Entertainment Group.

The hit show received over 50 million episode views across the web during its inaugural season in 2011 and all Xbox LIVE subscribers in the U.S. will soon be able to watch the second season right from their Xbox 360. Season two jumps off the screen using computer-generated animation to create a more realistic three-dimensional world.

T-Mobile Launches GoSmart Mobile, A Nationwide No-Contract Wireless Service for Budget-Conscious Consumers — Unlimited Plans Starting at $30 per month – Without “DUM” Hidden Fees or Annual Contracts

GoSmart Mobile is the name of the new TMobile brand featuring no annual contract wireless service for budget-conscious consumers, ending the era of DUM™ hidden fees, roaming charges and overly complicated annual contracts. GoSmart, a new brand from T-Mobile USA, offers affordable, no annual contract plans on a reliable nationwide network starting at just $30 per month.

“You don’t need food bigger than your face, and you don’t need mobile phone plans that charge you more than you can afford for services you don’t want or need,” said Doug Chartier, senior vice president of marketing for GoSmart.

“GoSmart is one of the simplest, most budget-friendly options in wireless, with unlimited plans on a reliable nationwide network starting at $30 per month.” GoSmart is available online at www.GoSmartMobile.com and at thousands of dealer stores across the nation.

LinkedIn Co-Founder Konstantin Guericke and Startup Guru Geoff Entress Join WhitePages Board

With over 40 million monthly unique visitors who conduct more than 2 billion people and business searches each year, WhitePages today announced that LinkedIn co-founder Konstantin Guericke and startup guru Geoff Entress have joined its board. Building off of a growing investment in big data technology and content, WhitePages will look to guidance from Konstantin and Geoff as the company continues to leverage its proprietary database to build useful web and mobile applications. [24×7]