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Microsoft's phone biz goes from dead to deader (The 3:59, Ep. 51)

We dish on Microsoft's layoffs, AT&T eyeing Yahoo and the Chewbacca mask mom.

Ben Fox Rubin Former senior reporter
Ben Fox Rubin was a senior reporter for CNET News in Manhattan, reporting on Amazon, e-commerce and mobile payments. He previously worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and got his start at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Ben Fox Rubin
Roger Cheng

Microsoft has thrown in the towel on its smartphone business.

Shedding another 1,850 jobs -- on top of the 4,500 cut last week as part of the sale of its basic phone assets -- doesn't instill confidence in Microsoft's ability to make phones. Microsoft left the door open for future phones, including perhaps that rumored Surface device. But we're not holding our breaths for one anytime soon.

We're also chatting about AT&T's surprise move to bid for Yahoo's core Internet access, and why it makes sense. And finally we talk about the mom in the Chewbacca mask and whether Facebook can generate its own YouTube stars.

The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by CNET Executive Editor Roger Cheng, Senior Writer Ben Fox Rubin and Producer Bryan VanGelder.

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