This week’s round-up of the latest tech news around the world.
1. RIP Flash: Why HTML5 will finally take over video and the web this year
The HTML5 versus Flash debate has been a hot topic among Web developers for years – and even more so since Steve Jobs published his now infamous 2010 letter touting HTML5 as the future and Flash as “no longer necessary.” But whether you side with Flash or HTML5, there’s no denying that the implications of HTML5 on video and the Web are real.
2. End of an era: Nokia phone division to be renamed Microsoft Mobile
Ahead of the closure of Nokia-Microsoft deal before the end of April, a leaked letter in Finland shows that Nokia Oyj will be soon renamed as Microsoft Mobile Oy.
3. How a Sydney tech startup scored a $266 million venture capital investment
Childhood friends and co-founders David Greiner and Ben Richardson started Campaign Monitor in their final year of university in Wollongong and now the business sends 1 billion emails a month. Last week, the Sydney-based startup secured a US$250 million ($266 million) investment by venture capital firm Insight Venture Partners.
4. Why every tech company needs an English major
It’s an increasingly tired meme that we need more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates. Of course we do. Research shows we need more qualified workers to accommodate an economy that’s increasingly reliant on engineering skills.
But there’s something else we need: English majors. Why? Because as important as the technology is that powers our lives, businesses also depend on humanities-oriented communicators to articulate why the technology matters.
5. Young high octane leader drives Microsoft’s innovation garage
Ask him about hobbies and the 24-year-old will get into his past involvement in theatre and swing choir, and how the hip-hop dance skills he learned came in handy at weddings. But what gets Gilbert most excited is when the talk turns to innovation, problem-solving, startups and new business ideas.
Image credit: Techno Buffalo