X
7 Exercise TipsHow to Stream 'Rabbit Hole'Roblox's AI Efforts9 Household Items You're Not Cleaning EnoughBetter Sound on FaceTime Calls'X-Ray Vision' for AR9 Signs You Need GlassesWhen Your Tax Refund Will Arrive

Can Microsoft build up its cool factor? (The 3:59, Ep. 18)

We dive into Microsoft's upcoming developer conference, as well as the latest wireless spectrum auction and Yahoo's plans to sell itself.

benrubin.jpg
Roger_Cheng.jpg
Ben Fox Rubin Roger Cheng
benrubin.jpg
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.
See full bio
Roger_Cheng.jpg
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.
See full bio
fd-fd-fd-microsoft-surface-book-19.jpg

Microsoft's Surface Book showed the company can make sleek products, but it's still no Apple.

 Sarah Tew/CNET

With Microsoft's Build developer conference kicking off this week, expect the tech giant to keep pushing its new Windows 10 software and HoloLens, its augmented reality headset. We debate whether Microsoft has done enough to make itself a flashier brand, which could help it compete against Apple.

Also on today's podcast, we discuss the latest wireless spectrum auction and how it could affect customers, as well as Yahoo's seemingly unending plans to sell all or part of itself.

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 and Senior Writer Ben Fox Rubin.

Podcast

Subscribe:

iTunes (MP3) | RSS (MP3)