Microsoft Lays Off Danger Employees
We’re hearing lots of rumors left and right about some lay-offs of Danger employees by Microsoft (who purchased Danger). There is a lot of hearsay and speculation about what this means. While Microsoft did announce a general across-the-board series of layoffs, we can’t help but wonder how much harder the Danger group was hit for a variety of possible reasons. There’s been rumors of Danger employees being moved to the secretive “Pink” project that Microsoft is working on. (Supposedly the Pink project is very similar to Danger’s back-end service) The Sidekick LX 2009 is days from launch and so a lot of employees that were needed for that might have been let go. Or they could have just pulled names out of a hat, who knows. Lay-offs are never an easy thing.
It doesn’t look like it was the entire Danger team, but definitely sounds like more than one or two. We’ve gathered up some posts to Twitter about the lay-offs. The below are either a) from a Danger employee, b) from a previous Danger employee, or c) directed at a Danger employee.
@ceejbot: Oh look, muscled goons walking around the building: layoffs today.
@ceejbot: My officemates all just got laid off. It doesn’t make any sense.
@ian: WTF? Microsoft is laying off awesome people from Danger.
@Perigosa: @jag Ugh. I am so sorry (for everyone else too).
@dangermikeb: Rough day at the office
@ahpook: Condolences to dangersoft peeps affected by layoffs, directly or otherwise.
@dangermikeb: The end of a crappy day at work.
that sucks about the danger layoffs. msft really had no clue what they wanted out of that, i guess. 🙁
@akrasia: Suffocating sadness with a load of cookies.
@tuony: Condolences to Danger peeps who were laid off today. It’s never fun, however you may be considered the lucky ones after all is said and done
To add to this information, there was also an interesting comment conversation posted on an Engadget review of the new Sidekick LX 2009. No idea who “Aenar” is or where he is getting his information from, but he provokes some interesting conversation:
Aenar @ May 6th 2009 12:45PM
Enjoy the last sidekick. MSFT just fired the remaining SK staff with armed guards and only made this thing to avoid a lawsuit with TMobile.
Roz Ho congratukated the staff and then fired the employees for making it. MSFT just wanted the IP for WinMo anyway.
Now you get a seriously debilitated “PINK”device from MSFT as your next “upgrade.” From what I have heard, it’s a joke. No PIM apps and no 3rd party development system. A typical MSFT consumer product. Copy,rush to market and FAIL.
No street cred-get the iPhoneLStrike @ May 6th 2009 2:57PM
So that is the second time in these comments where someone claims this…Where is your source? Or are you the same dude that posted this earlier and just change your name?
aenar @ May 6th 2009 3:29PM
Listen there are 200 employees there-in that old Sidekick division. They are hacked off and they talk smack on every message board,social net and twitter. In public. Microsoft has no intention of making another Sidekick. They wanted the service proxy patents and they want to let the CE product lines plus this wacko fantasy called PINK access the proxy. That way they have an instant message leg up on the iPhone which cannot do service-backed/proxy push notifications.
WINMO was horrified by the Sidekick Acquisition and they barked at Balmer to handcuff the PMX division OR the acquisition was just to kill a competitor to PINK off and snag the IP.
Inside talk is PINK is a barely functioning piece of junk-which is unlike the Sidekick. The Sidekick has a following and just needed some capital and decent management to make it a competitor. They have delivered and sold millions of these things and get a recurring service charge for each. UNLIKE the Microsoft consumer product which is 5 years late and billions short. C’mon- it’s a NETBSD Sidekick. There is no way, except for lawsuits threatened by TMobile, that Microsoft would want to sell a Sidekick. Tmobile needed another Sidekick on the way to transition to Google phone. There’s nothing that says a google phone cannot be a sidekick. That name is owned by TMobile.
LStrike @ May 6th 2009 3:58PM
Everything you are saying is hard to argue with but why don’t you provide a few sources with regards to the last of Danger employees being tossed?
Without sources it just sounds like conspiracy theory. If Microsoft has no intention on moving forward with Sidekick than why did they bother bundling in their own software on the phone (which I am sure they threw together resources to code) and promise Microsoft Exchange Support in the coming months?
If I am being sued into something I don’t want as a company I certainly am not going to make the product stronger no? Just because TMobile strong arms them into creating as you are saying a final product doesn’t force Microsoft to build more functionality.
No?
aenar @ May 6th 2009 7:12PM
There is no Exchange support coming for that particular device and if there was, that’s the internal team getting secure IMAP mail from a secure server. The Sidekick engineers, or any other device engineers, are smart enough to access the LIVE search API without getting too many MSFT employees involved- if any-because the Microsoft engineers are as dumb as the day is long. It’s just bits coming from a Microsoft server and the device application has to render them. Microsoft just opens the door-they didn’t do jack after that.
nolatron @ May 6th 2009 4:16PM
The entire SK team hasn’t been fired. I’m a contract worker for Danger via MS/Volt. Sa couple were let go, but not everyone, during a Microsoft company wide layoff.
aenar @ May 6th 2009 4:47PM
30-40 people were let go. The UI team, media teams, hardware and some associated PMs with the Sidekick. Shocking since Microsoft is mostly Political Project Managers with chips on their shoulders.
The remainder of the SK team that the PINK team needs to write in CE(not java or NetBSD) was moved to PINK or WINMO months ago. So the people who shut the lights off on the Sidekick were thanked in an email by the Roz “Dragon Woman” Ho and fired promptly. Then, to keep employees from going apeshitzz, they had the stormtroopers from Securitas(with arms this time) walk the halls and maintain control. Sort of like the Stazi.
So,
a) No more sidekicks. The people that made them are fired or working on the mirage of PINK,
b) Microsoft tried to weasel out of Danger’s contract with TMobile but were threatened with lawsuit
c) To make schedule, MSFT had to ship the Sidekick as designed at that point which was NetBSD and Java. VP of PMX was said to have cried at that announcement.That’s it. No more Sidekicks.
Naming sources? Do you work for the Dragon Lady-why would I call out these sources. So I can get more people fired? The information is 90% public domain from public feeds anyway.
We don’t want to cause anyone to panic, so we’re not going to make any rash assumptions about the future of the Sidekick. Just wanted to toss the information that’s flying around up for you guys. Feel free to speculate in the comments and if you have any hard and fast info, please email admin@hiptop3.com.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:12 am
“No ‘real’ web-browser”….WTF!?!? Could you please define this?? This makes no sence, the SK has REAL internet web-browsing, not WAP and with javascript. Has had it before the iPhone, can view 90% of all REAL (www. not wap.) websites, so how is to not a “real” web-browser? This is disinformation and dishonest IMO
May 16th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I’s pretty sure Sidekick have a CATALOG that existed before Apple’s “app store”
May 16th, 2009 at 9:25 am
I’m pretty sure Sidekicks have a CATALOG that existed before Apple’s “app store”
May 17th, 2009 at 3:58 am
but it doesnt have flash so it doesnt show flash on pages. so no it doesnt have a real web browser.
May 17th, 2009 at 9:27 am
[ dirtygore said]:
May 17th, 2009 at 3:58 am [ Quote ]
{ Setnakt on May 15, 2009 at 11:12 am said:
“No ‘real’ web-browser”….WTF!?!? Could you please define this?? This makes no sence, the SK has REAL internet web-browsing, not WAP and with javascript. Has had it before the iPhone, can view 90% of all REAL (www. not wap.) websites, so how is to not a “real” web-browser? This is disinformation and dishonest IMO}
but it doesnt have flash so it doesnt show flash on pages. so no it doesnt have a real web browser.
[Setnakt says now]
Lol, your a lunitac, NO smart phone has that. So according to your twisted “logic” NO smart phone has a “real” web browser! As if fash was the “real” internet, lol give me a break. Flash is not the defination of “real internet”, so like I said, you lied.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:00 am
samsung, se and nokia have smart phones that have flash. the n95. n96 and n97 have flash for a start. they also have a lot more than what any sk has to offer. i mean the sk just got youtube. it cant even store full movies on it yet and the video player cant record at 30fps or record in hd. i dont think you know what flash is by reading your reply.
May 18th, 2009 at 7:12 am
Flash from a camera?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:46 am
To “dirtyfore” (from last comment): no, it means I never heard of those obscure phones, I know what (internet) flash is (not the camera flash azn). I’m guessing those are Verizon phones since they got all that multi-media crap. Still it doesn’t change the fact Sidekicks DO have REAL internet, which is defined as viewing HTML/www (not WAP) web-pages and runing javascript which is what most internet sites require, most do not require flash. If most web-sites start requireing flash then flash will define “real” internet, not untell. So I was wrong about no phones haveing flash but you were equally wrong about what defines “real” internet. Your just bitching about a internet feature you wish it had, doesn’t mean it’s not “real” internet. What’s next, no Real Time Player means not “real” internet also?!? Come on! This is all like saying if a car doesn’t have fuel injection it’s not a “real” car, give me a break! Everyone is always drooling over the iPhone and everyone says it has “real” internet, does it run flash? Then you go on about the video player which has nothing to do with internet, seems to me your just here to down Sidekicks. Why don’t you just get one of those flash phones and leave Sidekick forums alone. I make no secret I hate iPhone, but you won’t see me on iPhone forums trolling around bitching how iPhone sucks.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:50 am
are you serious. you have never heard of samsung, nokia or sony ericsson phones. there the 3 leading phone makers in the world. the n96 and n97 are the most advanced phones on the market at the moment. at the end of the day the sk is a shit phone. im sorry if you know nothing about phones. i mean come on. the sk has only just got a 3.5mp camera and be able to play youtube. the sk needs more than just a screen that flips and a qwerty keyboard. other phones have a qwerty keyboard thats just as good and there also touchscreen. i suggest you look up some phones from those companys and you will see what im talking about.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Hey Dirtygore, I said those PARTICULAR phones you mentioned you JACKASS`not all samsung nokia etc phones, although only a complete idiot gimp bitch sucker would buy anything from the scam artest, everthing designed to break as fast as possiable hucksters at Sony. I tried to be polite with you but I see now that’s impossiable you asscllown, go fuck your mamma punk. Oh and by the way onlly little bitch-boys want touchscreen TOYS you chump troll
May 19th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
More employees leaving Danger/MSFT. Major engineering people too. Last Sidekick
May 20th, 2009 at 12:04 am
That’s what those LAZY idiots get.They wernt dedicated like you SK lovers to this phone.
If you guys and gals only knew.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Comletely agree with you.If you only could read MOST people get banned for.Boycott poweredbydanger.com for obvious reasons.
May 20th, 2009 at 3:23 am
i thought there might have been a chance to have an intelligent conversation with you but now i see that thats not going to happen. im still laughing that you have never heard of the n95, n96 0r n97. i guess your still living under a rock. its no wonder the sk never seems to advance that much with owners like you. well you just kep enjoying your new phone with 3yo tech.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:04 am
And I’m still laughing at the fact you think “intellegent” means being so damn stupid as to misinturpert every other thing somone else says, yet regardless of how obviously ignorant a troll that shows you to be, you have the gall to call others “ignorant” for not being a loser geek like yourself who studies the most obscure and unhead of phones all day long (no life). News flash to moron; MOST people haven’t heard of that junk you refered to! No one in my entire office has, oh but that’s right I work in a serious business office not at geek squad central. Besides I prefer the r2d5 with hollographic display, the c3pw with virtual reality internet (the only REAL internet) or the Sidekick 3000 Xtreme with star trek phasers and kick to kick matter transporters (loser). Still can’t get over the fact you were WRONG on your origional statement about what is and isn’t “real” internet huh assclown? FAIL AND PATHATIC.
May 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
obscure and unheard of phones? i guess you would know all about that seeing as you do own a sk. those nokia phones are the highest selling phones in the world at the moment.
so you work in an office but you write and insult people like a child.
i think you should grow up and get your head out your ass.
May 20th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I talk to children losers like you like the vermin scum they/you are. And what you never heard of the Sorney Erica Christiansen r2d5? Or the Son-of-Samsung cp3w? The Pinokia Sidekick 3000 Xreme? Damn, you are a loser. And again the topic what is real internet, on that: MASSIVE EPIC FAIL on your part. Changing the topic doesn’t work with me troll. If this is the best you got…, well that’s pretty damn sad shit, lol.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
wow you really are a child. oh and if you really do want to get back on topic then no the sk does not have a real web browser. there are sites on the net that i cant fully see on a sk. yet i can see them on a n96. because that does have a real web browser. if you dont know what a real web browser is then go compare the sk browser to a browser on a desktop or laptop. then come back and try and tell me that a sk has a real browser. you ignorant child.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hey Dumbshit”gore”, the definition of a child is exactly what you have displayed here is enough volume to make it beyond doubt. #1 you can never admit when you are wrong, even when others can and even when it’s in absolutely no dispute (the SK DOES have real internet numb nuts~keep saying it doesn’t like a 3 year-old changes nothing, only proves you are a total fool). #2, your too damn stupid to know basic things like what real internet actually is ( I guess “real” cars all must have MP3 players by your “logic”. #3 your too immature to stay on topic. #4 your too much a child to take a joke. #5 you too dumb to know when to shut your monkey-ass up and go home, it’s over (you lost). And #6 your a childish troll on the wrong list. That’s SIX strikes, your OUT (TWICE). More FAIL. Please keep it up and keep showing us all what a moron you are. I’m done, case closed/my point long proven, I’m tired of your DUMBass. Go play with your own demographic (the other punk kids). Your nothing but a broken record repeat of a bad movie.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
i think i have proven you wrong. in no way have you proven that the sk has a real web browser. a real web browser can access all web site with no problems. plus it cant show flash on any sites. maybe you need to go look up the definition of what a real web browser is.
i think you need to crawl back under your rock because this argument is over and i have in fact won.
if you do reply to this then you have proven everything i have said to be correct and your just clutching at straws
now go play in traffic like a good little child.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Dude, who do you think your fooling?
May 20th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
I like how your like “I think I’ve proven you wrong” and shit, ROTFLMFAO! Why cause you say so? I’ve been cracking up watching this, and got to say you’ve only proven like Setnakt said, your a child. Flash isn’t what real internet is you tool! This is getting old, why don’t you go play in another sandbox freak. “dirtygore” WTF is that supposed to mean anyways, LOL!
May 20th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
did i say that flash was what made a real web browser. ohhh. let me guess. your a friend of hers or the same person coming on here to make it look like im wrong. well like ive said already. go look up what a real web browser is and then get back to me.
wow you people are idiots and im going to keep being right.
now if you will excuse me. im going to go use a real web browser while you keep using your toy.
May 20th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
real internet is what most people say it is and what most websites actually use. Most people say the iphone has real internet, it has no flash. And most website don’t use flash ether. So obviously real internet isn’t flash. Can we move on now? Is that ok Mr proven nothin but acting like a baby??
May 20th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Wow you are a baby and a troll! If anyone disagrees with you straight to flames and crazy conspiracy crap! Everyone is wrong but you, whatever! I’m not playing your game, I’m unsubbing this thread you can have it like a good little troll. Isn’t anyone else tired of this troll loser?
May 21st, 2009 at 12:29 am
yeah but the iphone is shit but its browser is better than the 1 on the sk. im not saying that real internet just uses flash. there are loads of sites the sk can not access because of the web browser on it. its obvious that im just arguing with sk fanboys and girls that think that the sk is the best phone on the market. im just saying that the web browser on it isnt real internet like you would use on a desktop or laptop. where as phones like the n96 and n97 do use a real internet browser. and for your information. most internet sites do use flash in some way. oh and if im acting like a baby then the others must be acting like a fetus.
no offence but are you people american
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
i try to access my bank account on my sk and guess what. i cant do it. i thought i was told that it had a REAL web browser. i tried to watch a show on justin.tv on it but guess what, i couldnt. thought it had a real browser on it. so many sites i cant access because of the browser. lucky i have a real phone as well (n96)
enjoy your toy kids.
oh and as far as calling me a troll. i think you have proven to me how old you really are with childish pathetic comments like that.
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I know exactly what your talking about.The most basic,easy thing is this.I can’t reply are make a thread on a specific forum(catfish1.com).Now that I have a REAL web browser(actually 3 steel,opera and the standard wed browser).I can reply to threads and even post pics.Couldn’t do that with my lx on THAT website.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 am
So far I’m very satisfied with my SK LX 2009. The only other SK I owned was the SK II, which until now was the best phone I ever owned and is the main reason I decided to get this new SK. Previously I had owned the LG Voyager Titanium and that phone absolutely sucks on so many levels that would take up too much space to post here…my SK II was a far superior phone in many ways. Based on my experience with SK II the SK LX 2009 works as expected and better…my only disappointment so far is the lack of apps in the DL catalog…my SK II had far more…I would’ve assumed that they would all have the same apps. IMO the only phones that top the SK all around (at least in the USA) are the iPhone and the G1…I’m talking all around such as features combined with ease of use combined with form factor and personalized settings, etc…not just feature vs. feature (which a lot of phones may top the SK) but when you put everything together the SK is an awesome device.
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:12 am
If you can surf the web with it then it is a “real” browser even if it can’t do everything some other browsers can doesn’t make it any less “real”. That’s like saying a baby isn’t a real baby because it was born without a nose. By your logic old versions of so-called “real” browsers are no longer “real” because they can not render some web elements. Maybe you should say it’s not as good as a full Explorer/Firefox/Chrome/whatever browser that you can download on your desktop/laptop and some mobile devices. I understand what is meant by saying it is “not real”, I get that but you are arguing semantics and semantically it is “real” whether it’s “real” in the slang sense or not. Even a “fake” rapper is still a real rapper…just not a very good one.
May 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
finally someone with some brains.
what others where trying to argue was that the sk’s web browser was like a browser on a desktop. what i was trying to get into there thick heads that it was a basic browser.
May 23rd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
basic browser is real browser.
don’t feed the troll.
Dirtygore has an ego.
May 24th, 2009 at 12:42 am
like you said its a “real’ browser but its a very basc browser that doesnt access most sites very well, if not at all. and its lacking in a lot of things to make it a REAL browser. do you understand what im saying or do i have to dumb it down a bit more.
May 28th, 2009 at 7:16 am
maybe microsoft is planning to break the sidekick exclusivetivity away from t-mobile and offer it to verizon and at&t customers. i mean at&t and verizon make up about 70% of cell users in the US. if anything did kill sidekick it was its dependancy on tmbile for access.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
There are rumors going around that ms are planning on re-releasing the zune or something along those lines so maybe that may have something to do with it. and with the release of the nokia n97 (check out this video on that phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-6YcXoRDG0 ) you will see that it does everything the sk does and a whole lot more. maybe ms realize that the sk has some major competition now ad just doesnt cut it anymore.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
The big flaw with the sk is that it is a phenomenal phone for people who want to do a lot of texting, pic messaging, and emailing but at the same time they have made it server exclusive for data so even though it can be unlocked to work for at&t u can only make/recieve calls and sms. I use the lx on at&t and love the phones keyboard more then any phone at&t has out. Also the trackball light is a godsend to let u know if u missed a call or text when ur sleeping. I just think ms should upgrade it to a true smartphone with windows mobile and give it a battery that will last more then it does now. I hate to see it go because there is so much potential for it. It basically built t-mobile up as far as young people going to it and many older people who just make calls and do sms texting love it too.
June 8th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Microsoft just took away my developer SIM. They are taking all SIMs away from engineering staff. There you have it-the SK won;t even get an OS upgrade! Assholes
October 8th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
You all are fools to think that this so called “crises of sidekicks being exterminated” is true, The basic information is that this is a upgrade for connectivity and solutions for other problems with sidekicks, also another pitiful thing I can say is all these comments are gossip and have nothing to do with the conflict that is going on, so for those who want to argue against what I say I suggest you just let it go and wait for further information