02/26/2021 1:13 PM
Clarín.com
Technology
Updated 02/26/2021 1:13 PM
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates joined the hype around the Clubhouse social network and during a talk he answered all kinds of questions about the coronavirus pandemic and the technology industry;
although others directly pointed to personal issues.
The virtual chat was held on Wednesday to promote the new book
"How to avoid a climate disaster
.
"
There, journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin tried to embarrass Gates by asking him about his favorite mobile operating system between Android (from Google) or iOS (Apple).
"I use an Android phone
,
"
Gates clarified.
"Since I want to keep track of everything, I often play with iPhones, but the cell phone that I carry with me is Android," he continued.
Many probably think that the reason Bill Gates doesn't use an iPhone as his primary phone is the long-standing rivalry between Microsoft, the company he co-founded, and Apple, his nemesis Steve Jobs.
However, it has nothing to do with it.
"Some of the manufacturers that work with Android pre-install Microsoft software in a way that makes things easier for me," Gates said.
"
They're more flexible about how the software connects to the operating system
. So that's what I got used to," he explained.
Android, the most popular operating system.
Photo: Shutterstock
One of the companies that Bill Gates is probably referring to is Samsung, which pre-installs different Microsoft apps on its phones.
The South Korean company is also working closely with those in Redmond to offer the best possible integration between its products and Windows 10 computers.
The answer probably would have been different if Windows Phone, the operating system that the Redmond company wanted to compete with Android and iOS, had achieved the necessary traction.
The American company tried for several years to do so - and even bought Nokia's telephony division with that goal in mind.
However, the results were not as expected and,
in 2017, it confirmed the death of the platform
.
Although the conversation took place at the Clubhouse, the full interview can also be heard on YouTube.
Bill Gates and Android, a relationship of years
The romance between Bill Gates and Android has been going on for several years.
In 2017, during an interview with Fox News, the former CEO of Microsoft acknowledged that his favorite phone had an Android operating system.
Although at that time he did not give details about the model, Gates clarified that his smartphone had "a lot of Microsoft software", which means that it was the
special edition of the Samsung Galaxy S8 phone
, also known as "Microsoft Edition" .
The Redmond-based company marketed that special edition Samsung Galaxy S8 at its stores in early 2017.
The main attraction of this particular Android were the pre-installed Microsoft applications:
Office, OneDrive, the intelligent assistant Cortana and the Outlook email service
, the same ones that can be found on computers.
While any Android phone supported these apps as well, the detail of that custom Galaxy S8 from Microsoft suggested that the company was going to continue to offer this for other similar devices in the future.
Climate change and bitcoin
On the other hand, Sorkin asked Gates for his opinion on the "climate argument" around cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, which requires a large amount of computational power and electricity consumption to "mine".
“Bitcoin uses more electricity per transaction than any other method known to mankind.
So it's not a big weather thing
, ”Gates said.
“If it's green electricity and it doesn't displace other uses, eventually maybe that's okay.
I don't see the topics as deeply related, even though I might label myself a Bitcoin skeptic, that is, I have not chosen to invest money.
I buy malaria vaccines.
I buy vaccines against measles.
I invest in companies that make products.
It's not a, 'Hey, someone's going to buy this for more money than I paid.'
But if other people find their fortune that way, I applaud them, "he replied.
To wrap up his idea, Bill Gates added that
there are "other ways of making digital currency" other than secret transactions
, and that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing in making those services available to help India's poorest. and Africa.
SL
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