Microsoft To Offer Band Refunds, Announces End of Apps and Services (theverge.com) 41
Microsoft is officially killing off its Microsoft Band and Microsoft Health Dashboard apps and services on May 31st. "The software giant already discontinued its wrist-worn Band fitness tracker more than two years ago, but the company has kept the Band apps running to support existing users," reports The Verge. "That will now change on May 31st, with the backend services ending and the apps being removed from the Microsoft Store, Google Play, and Apple's App Store." From the report: Existing Band users will be able to export their data before the end of May, and services powered by the cloud will cease to function in June. Band users should still be able to record daily steps, heart rate, and workouts, alongside activity data, sleep tracking, and alarm functionality. If a Band user resets a device then it will be "impossible to set up the device again" according to Microsoft.
Some Microsoft Band users will be eligible for a refund from the software giant, though. Microsoft is letting active users who have synced data from a Band to the Health Dashboard between December 1st 2018 and March 1st 2019 apply for a refund on their hardware. Surprisingly, Microsoft is offering $79.99 for Band 1 owners, and $175 for Band 2 devices. If your Microsoft Band is also covered under warranty, the same refund values will be available.
Some Microsoft Band users will be eligible for a refund from the software giant, though. Microsoft is letting active users who have synced data from a Band to the Health Dashboard between December 1st 2018 and March 1st 2019 apply for a refund on their hardware. Surprisingly, Microsoft is offering $79.99 for Band 1 owners, and $175 for Band 2 devices. If your Microsoft Band is also covered under warranty, the same refund values will be available.
Fad (Score:1)
These tech companies have no clue what to do with all their cash. What a waste. At least give it back as dividends.
Re: (Score:1)
Half the problem is nobody knows what fad will take off and which will flop. Many thought the iPhone was a fad, saying people want "real keyboards".
The other half is that MS is usually a step behind real competitors in the consumer market.
Re:Fad (Score:4, Insightful)
Why the fuck would anybody buy in goods as services when corporations routinely abandon them. Come on, they offer this shit and I guess most people like me look that the goods as a service and the first consideration, will it last, is it a shitty investment, in cost, time and learning (apparently wasting your time learning the product, well, HA HA sucker).
So yeah goods as a service, straight away a big no, because they routinely cancel them. Why waste my time and money. Either it entirely runs locally or I simply refuse to buy it. Goods as a service either free of simply go away, not interested because corporations routinely lie about the quality and longevity of a product and not just a little but a whole damn lot especially American corporations (the seppo name is not without reason).
Re: (Score:2)
+I still want a real keyboard but manufacturers don't want to make them.
hell I just want real buttons, a scrollwheel or something or at least the home and back buttons as real buttons but noo.. that's too expensive component to put in a phone costing 500$+.
I hope they'll make a comeback as sales slow down and they figure out they can't just pump out the same model with cheaper assembly every year.
Re: (Score:2)
If it's such a big consideration, perhaps you could spend, say, 5 minutes looking for them? Best phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard [androidauthority.com], which shows three phones with an 'old fashioned keyboard' (two blackberries, one motorolla) and notes that the Samsung S8 has a keyboard case option made by the manufacturer. Also there are plenty of small bluetooth keyboards and third party case options, yet I've never seen one 'in the wild'.
Whenever this topic is broached there is always someone who complains about th
Oh boy (Score:1)
All 7 users will be really pissed.
Re: (Score:1)
Okay, make that 9 then.
Does Microsoft do anything but copy? (Score:2, Funny)
A Zune by any other name...
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair, Apple copies also. Apple didn't invent touch-screens; they just knew where to put it and how to organize the UI around it. And they swiped GUI's from Xerox (per Mac/Lisa), but made it more practical and cheaper than Xerox knew how.
The trick is knowing what to copy, how to coordinate copied components together, and what to skip.
Not true. (Score:2)
Apple bought Xerox tech and hired some of their people. They didn't steal a thing except in a metaphorical sense because Xerox was too stupid to know what they had. Xerox got a bunch of Apple stock which naturally they sold sooner than they should have... again, not thinking long term.
As far as touch screens; they did a tiny bit-- a lot of the major UI was done at universities already if you were following the demos and papers back before Apple made a thing. A huge amount of so-called innovation comes from
Re: (Score:2)
Taking something that exists (particularly if that something is a component, like a touchscreen) and making it better, is not copying.
Apple does copy, but your examples are terrible.
Re: (Score:1)
There seems to be disagreements over what exactly "copying" means.
Both MS and Apple aggregate various existing technologies for their "new" products. The difference is Apple is smarter about how it puts them together and also about what not to copy. Therefore, "copying" itself is not the difference maker.
Apple merges the Mona Lisa with a Rembrandt, while MS merges Dogs-Playing-Poker with Velvet Elvis. An exaggeration, but you get the idea.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
why not? Apple does the same, copying is a very successful business model.
There is a big difference between "copying" and just producing technology in a form that people want.
It's like no one was allowed to produce rubber tires, because someone invented wooden wheels a long time ago, and rubber wheels are just copying the real invention.
A law to forbid hardware to become a brick needed (Score:2)
It's unbelievable how many hardware are becoming bricks because the company don't want to support it anymore...
A law should force companies to publish at least the server-side code so people could still use their hardware!
Re: (Score:2)
Possible first step:requiring disclosure (Score:3)
An easy-to-implement first step would be to require the prominent disclosure of such limitations, on the box and any advertisements, online sales pages, etc..
Something like this (depending on the device):
Locked device
Using (and resetting) this device requires service from the manufacturer.
Such service may be discontinued at any time, at the discretion of the manufacturer,
after which you will no longer be able to use or reinitialise this device
Re: (Score:2)
We have laws mandating appliance and car manufacturers supply spare parts for X years after the product is discontinued. Why not have the same for digital stuff that relies on servers?
Not just fitness gadgets, online games, online music/video libraries, anything that requires any external service to work. Either they keep it going for X years, they offer a way to operate without it that doesn't reduce functionality, or they pay out.
Re: (Score:2)
In a way, they may have made it better:
services powered by the cloud will cease to function in June. Band users should still be able to record daily steps, heart rate, and workouts, alongside activity data, sleep tracking, and alarm functionality
Of course, maybe they'll still track you but just not give you the benefit of accessing that data.
I have a different brand of "fitness tracker" and all I want to do is track steps, heart rate and sleep.
Band on the run (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I had that 45 when I was a kid... flip side was "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five".
(/me hears a million Slashdotters ask "what's a 45?")
Re: (Score:2)
Landifll (Score:2)
A one trick pony (Score:2)
How do I get the refund? (Score:2)