MichiganLabs was recently interviewed by Michael Rogers from the Michigan Business Network in Lansing. The six part radio interview ranged in topics from tech trends to Apple’s new CarPlay.

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Below were some of the interesting items of discussion.

Radio Interview Discussion Topics:

• If $50 won’t do it, what about $100? Microsoft sweetens trade-in deals for XP holdouts
  • Microsoft is trying to make is clear the days of Windows XP are ending on April 8. It is very costly for them to continue to support and they are offering $100 to try and entice a few over to Windows 8.
  • If you are still on XP after April 8 it will still work but you should consider switching as soon as possible.
• Microsoft announces Office for iPad, extending productivity to all iOS devices
  • Microsoft Word for iPad, Excel for iPad, and PowerPoint for iPad will all be free to download from the iTunes App Store, executives said. However, users will be only able to view existing documents. Microsoft will ask users to sign up for an Office 365 subscription—$9.99 per month for Office 365 Home Premium and $6.99 per month for the upcoming Personal plan—to actually create or edit documents.
  • Microsoft’s new chief executive, Satya Nadella, has made it clear that connecting users to Microsoft’s cloud services, regardless of platform, has been the company’s priority. His “mobile first, cloud first” mantra seems reflected in the Office push onto the iPad.
• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at a Microsoft event in San Francisco on Thursday. REUTERS
  • Microsoft long has pursued a Windows-first policy, especially with Office—a bundle of word processing, spreadsheets and other applications—to bolster the prevalence of Windows, historically the biggest contributor to its profits.
  • There are more than 1 billion users of Office world-wide. In a survey a year ago, 30% of respondents who owned or planned to buy a tablet considered support for “productivity” applications including Microsoft Office an important feature. Office also has generally produced higher profits than Windows, accounting for roughly 60% of Microsoft’s total operating profit for the year ended June 30.
• Tech Trends proclaims 10 predictions
  • Google glass may not be the future but rather smart contacts.
• Apple aims at reimaging vehicle owner’s manuals
  • New technology would identify all parts and part numbers in a car and beam to that person’s iPhone or iPad. With GPS you could also identify the nearest dealership or repair shop with the exact part you need. Apple may also provide video instructions on how to fix issues and possibly use Siri for a walk-through.
• Big Bang disruptions
  • Great article. Good point from Steve Denning from Forbes on “big bang disruption is a symptom of an even broader management challenge that corporations are no longer the center of the economic universe.
  • Technology empowers customers and as a result we see power shifting from seller to buyer.
  • Great app out there called TrueCar. See the bottom line price of dealerships. Never overpay for your next car.