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WATCH: NASCAR Fans Boo Michelle Obama

It wasn’t all cheers at Sunday’s NASCAR race. After extending a warm welcome to Srgt. Andrew Barry, a sniper for the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, race fans booed first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill.

The two served as grand marshals for the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to promote their Joining Forces project on behalf of military families.  The two brushed off the somewhat salty embrace and continued on with the show.

Read more at Madame Noire…

Black Churches Face Real Estate Woes

These days churches and other faith-based institutions’ loan requests and requests for adjustments on existing loans are falling on deaf ears because banks are getting out of the real-estate business.

“They are not picking on churches,” said Dr. Richmond McCoy, president and CEO of UrbanAmerica Advisors. “They have just come to realize it is no longer a lucrative business for them anymore.”

The value of real estate has taken a major plunge – especially in the last three years, said McCoy.  And as unemployment rises, giving goes down.

At one point, there was less than a one percent default rate in terms of churches not being able to pay their loans. Now that number is up to 18%, reports McCoy.

Read more at The Grio…

Outfielder Greg Halman Dead at 24

Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death early Monday and his 22-year-old brother was arrested as a suspect, Dutch police said.

The police were called to a home in Rotterdam in the early hours of the morning and found the 24-year-old Dutch player bleeding from a stab wound. Rotterdam Police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels said the officers arrested Halman’s brother, however, declined to give his name, in accordance with Dutch privacy rules.

Read more at The Huffington Post…

Bill Gates to Testify in Lawsuit Against Microsoft

Bill Gates was set to testify Monday in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit accusing Microsoft of duping a competitor prior to its release of Windows 95. Gates will be the first witness in his company’s defense in a month long trial.

Utah-based Novell Inc. sued Microsoft in 2004, claiming it violated U.S. antitrust laws through its arrangements with other computer makers when it launched the operating system.

Novell says it was later forced to sell WordPerfect for a $1.2 billion loss.

Read more at Yahoo! News…

What are your day-to-day duties at Microsoft?

I design and develop the various onscreen interfaces, which include menus, interaction models and onscreen elements. I work with various disciplines including artists and developers during the development process. Part of my job is looking at the overall interaction models and user experience. With the launch of Kinect we focused on removing the barrier of entry for people who don’t play games—something kids could use as well as grandparents. There’s an article where a guy who had an autistic son was able to go through the menus. My job is to interpret the creative vision and ensure the user experience is geared toward our target audience and highlights the benefits of new tech.

How long have you been in the gaming industry?

I’ve been in the game industry for six years and working on Kinect for over a year. My expertise has given me great opportunities to lead implementation wise. I enjoy the problem solving involved in implementing a high level design while remaining within given technical constraints such as memory restrictions.

How do you come up with your designs?

A lot of my design ideas come from my experience playing lots of games, observing user research sections, and observing how others interact with various technologies. My talents for design are largely intuitive but I do like to supplement that gift with various research and experimentations.

How did you gain that knowledge?

[Coming in to the industry] I don’t know if I knew what UI [user interface] design was, but all I wanted to do was make video games—the end product. You don’t know what goes into getting the product on the shelf you just know you want to be a part of it. I go back to a lot of my design sense being very intuitive, the first interface team I got hired on in the games industry was an easy fit for me. The rest of my knowledge came from experience; this is a fast paced industry where you learn a bit everyday.

Have you come across many minorities in your field?

There aren’t many minorities [within the industry]. We are a big part of the consumer group. There are games targeted to us. I don’t know if we don’t know about opportunities in the game industry, but there is a huge need for different point of views in the industry. The only way the industry can continue to grow and reach new audiences is to grow its source of ideas.

How would you suggest other minorities break into the gaming industry?

There are lower barriers to get into the game industry and then you move yourself around. A lot of people get in through engineering positions, but you don’t have to be technical to get in. There are entry-level tests, and management positions. If you want to get in through art, I’d say try learning proprietary art programs and you can always work your way around to other creative positions.

The best advice I can give is to network. There are various websites and groups where you can connect with those already in the industry. There are even organizations such as Blacks In Gaming.  Most in the industry are nice and willing to help someone who is looking to break in. Use LinkedIn and if you see someone with your dream job send them a note and ask them how they got in. I did this when I was first looking to get in myself and it was very helpful.

Have you found that there are less women in the gaming industry?

I think there are not a lot of women in the industry. Having a female insight is important. The more perspectives on the team [the better], which is what the game industry needs to do to continue to grow. Sony has a Women in Games scholarship. There are groups and people who are about diversifying the game industry. We’ve come a long way. My current Studio GM is a woman; women are infiltrating and influencing the industry more and more. I want to see more female developers in the future.

As a woman of color in gaming, do you mentor?

I’ve done mentoring for people who send me emails and ask for advice. I have mentors myself. You have to really be passionate and constantly want to improve. It’s a highly sought after industry. It’s right underneath movies. You have to work hard and expect to work harder.

What tips or words of advice would you offer someone trying to break into the industry?

Networking is huge. A lot of the chances and opportunities I’ve gotten have been through networking. Also, stay focused and do what you believe in doing. If you make sure you stay focused you’ll essentially get a chance to act on it. Always ramp up on technical skills, the industry rapidly changes and it’s important to understand the latest technology advances. Lastly, learn about the game engines, development processes and the programs. Learning how to talk to the various disciplines you will encounter in the industry is important. Remember ideas are good and a lot of people have them, the real question will be can you execute them—whether it be with a team or yourself. Continue to look for opportunities to execute on your ideas. Nothing can stop you from getting into the industry these days, the tools and the marketplace is wide open.

Additional reporting by Anslem Samuel

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of Microsoft.

I’m not sharing these first-class gets as a matter of bragging rights. There are two reasons why we consistently obtain such exclusive access. First, we have more than 40 years of journalistic excellence, a crackerjack content development and production team, and an unwavering mission of financially and economically empowering African Americans. The second reason is even more important: It’s you—our audience of 6 million entrepreneurs, executives, professionals, and achievers. We want to expose you to the best and brightest minds. Conversely, those movers and shakers see Black Enterprise as the definitive multiplatform vehicle through which they can share their ideas, triumphs, challenges, concepts, and stories.

This issue is no different. Representatives for Microsoft Foundation co-founder and business icon Bill Gates requested that our Multimedia Editorial Director Alan Hughes interview the richest man in America. Meeting at the recent National Urban League convention in Boston, Hughes spent 30 minutes in a compelling conversation with Gates about his philanthropic efforts to upgrade public schools with the intent of ensuring the long-term innovation and competitiveness of American industry. The Q&A session is part of our series on solving the education crisis.

Hughes, along with Multimedia Special Projects Editor Sonja Mack, also took the lead on developing this issue’s cover package, our list of the “Top 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street.” The last time be produced this roster of top-ranked investment bankers, asset managers, financiers, and deal makers, the Street was in the throes of a different era. Now, these titans have completed more groundbreaking transactions and built even more profitable firms despite dealing with the financial meltdown of 2008, the Great Recession, the ongoing European debt crisis, a U.S. credit rating downgrade, and tumultuous financial markets. Through it all, their power and influence can be felt on Wall Street, Main Street, Capitol Hill, and every major exchange on the globe.

The pages of the magazine and channels on our website are not the only venues where we connect you with the rich and powerful. Led by Senior Director Sherry Herbert, our superb Events team produces some of the nation’s best business conferences and forums, for which they relentlessly acquire A-list speakers. If you haven’t been to one of our confabs, you must check out our Women of Power Summit in February in Orlando, Florida; our Entrepreneurs Conference in May in Chicago; and our Golf & Tennis Challenge next September in Miami. That’s not to mention the 20/20 Jobs Forum we’re producing this month in partnership with Walmart.

As you can see, our biggest thrill is using our power to serve you.

Click here to see more on Locke Dotson, an Ultimate Achiever on the rise.

Mubarak Appoints New Cabinet, Protests in Egypt Continue

Hosni Mubarak‘s “out with the old, in with the new” cabinet strategy failed. With protesters continuing to take to the streets of Cairo, the Egyptian president asked his cabinet to resign on Saturday. However, he kept the foreign minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, and the defense minister, General Mohamed Hussein Tantawi in place, while making new appointments, including a deputy prime minister, finance minister and trade minister, as well as naming Mahmoud Wagdi as the country’s new interior minister, and his intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, as his first-ever vice president.

Demonstrators have already taken to Tahir Square, in Central Cairo, in preparation for the big rally, scheduled for tomorrow, (Feb. 1). Protesters say they won’t cease until Mubarak leaves the country. So far, over 102 people are dead and at least 2,000 have been injured.

Martin Luther King III Addresses Possible Dream of Owning the New York Mets

The oldest son of the renowned civil rights activist is scheduled to visit New York this week, but not necessarily to sign a sports ownership deal as rumors would suggest. Martin Luther King III, who runs the King Center in Atlanta, is clearing up the recent Mets rumors. “I was approached about an idea in relationship to joining an ownership group with the New York Mets, and my position was that that’s an idea that needs to be explored,” said King, to the New York Times. later adding, “It’s way too premature to say I want to own a team.”

Rumors began to swirl after Met owners, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, revealed they were looking to sell 20 to 25% interest in the team.

Android Is Now the Leading Smartphone Platform

Last year’s fourth quarter Android phone sales yielded 3.3 million, in comparison to 31 million for Nokia’s Symbian, according to a report from research firm Canalys. Apple trailed in third place with 16.2 million iOS-based smartphones shipped, followed by RIM (14.6 million) and Microsoft (3.1 million).

Michael Vick Scores A National Endorsement Deal

The Philadelphia Eagle‘s quarterback has signed his first endorsement deal since serving time behind bars for his connection to a dog fighting ring. The sports equipment company, Urban Technologies, is making Vick the face of their company after he sported their protective vest all season. Vick did some local endorsement work for Woodbury Nissan and reportedly wasn’t paid.

For more news, read:

• In the News: Mandela Released From Hospital; Will Smith & Jay-Z in Business; Egypt Can’t RT
• In the News: Will.I.Am Inks Tech Deal; Single Mom Jailed; Fired for Football
• In the News: Want to Check Your Refund Check Status? There’s An App For That

The HTC Surround with Windows Phone 7 from AT&T is one of five phones that will debut in U.S. stores this November..

Microsoft unveiled its newest operating system, Windows Phone 7, on Monday. Phones with the OS will be available in stores starting Nov. 8 from AT&T and later in November through T-Mobile. The OS will be supported by four handset makers in the US, including HTC, LG, Samsung, and Dell.

WP7 phones are widely anticipated because Microsoft Office is a standard business tool with a high adoption rate, and Microsoft Windows plays a pivotal role on desktop and laptop computers. Similarly mobile operating systems provide the platform by which users are able to run applications on their smartphones.

Despite Microsoft’s huge market share on the computer realm, the company has struggled to gain a foothold in the mobile arena. Its last two attempt at updating its smartphone OS, Windows Mobile 6.1 and 6.5, were a flop; mistakes that allowed the iPhone and devices using Google’s Android operating systems to take a sizeable lead ahead of Microsoft Mobile.

While overtaking iPhone and Android’s lead’s may be an unrealistic goal in the near future, many reviewers of  WP7, like JKontherun.com, believe that Windows Phone 7 will give Research in Motion’s BlackBerry phones a run for their money among customers hoping for more business application. WP7’s strong integration and syncing capabilities with Microsoft Office 2010 is something that BlackBerry has only in a limited capacity.

READ: Making the Best of Your Wireless Options

If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, here are a few of the WP7’s pros and cons based on tech reviews across the internet.

Pros

•    The scaled-back, tile-based interface organized around six hubs will make it easy for users to find what they need with one glance, according to Endgadget. Each hub is organized around People (contacts, including Facebook integration), Music and Video (movies, TV shows, Zune), Pictures & Camera, Games (featuring Xbox LIVE), Office, and its Zune Marketplace (or app store).
•    It provides the only mobile version of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Plus the addition of One Note Mobile allows you to compile grocery lists, memos, voice clips, and pictures that will sync wirelessly to the web. Plus, the WP7 OS has the Bing search engine and Internet Explorer built in for web browsing and integrates with XBox Live to extend gaming beyond the console or computer.
•    You can store data in the cloud. Microsoft’s SharePoint Workspace Mobile makes it easy to collaborate with coworkers when you’re out of the office. With SharePoint you can open, edit, and save Microsoft Office documents that are on a SharePoint 2010 site (a website that lets you and others share and collaborate on documents, projects, schedules, and ideas).
•    The phones will come preloaded with AT&T’s U-verse, which will enable AT&T customers to wirelessly stream music, video and pictures from the WP7 phone to TV’s Stereos and Windows 7 PCs.

READ: Tech Insider: 4 Things to Consider Before Buying a Smartphone

Cons:

•    It lacks support for HTML5. Without HTML the users will need to download third party browser plug-ins such as Adobe Flash or Microsoft Silverlight to open pdf’s or watch videos.
•    It also doesn’t let users Multi-task, a function that will, for example allow a user to listen to music while simultaneously downloading music.
•    The Zune Marketplace has s everal hundred apps, possibly 350, according to gizmodo.com. But compared to the tens of thousands on iPhone and Android, 350 is small potatoes.
•    Applications written for Windows Mobile 6.5 will not run on WP7. Nor is it possible to update older phones from WP6.5 to WP7.

Note: Twitter rumors from @MS_Nerd, someone who leaks information from Microsoft, suggest that some of these functions will be added in an update sometime in January 2011.

SEE ALSO: PHOTO GALLERY: DROID X vs. IPHONE 4

Ford Motors Co. is among the manufacturers offering the latest embedded automotive technology.

If you spend a lot of your time doing business from your car or truck, then you need to stay aware of new advances in mobile technology for automobiles. Microsoft is moving ahead of the pack with new in-vehicle operating systems that can be used for both entertainment and business.

Microsoft Auto 4.1 is the newest generation of embedded operating systems from Microsoft and it is featured in Ford, Fiat, Kia, and Ferrari vehicles among others. In some vehicles it includes an embedded in-dash computer with full high-speed Internet access and navigation, allowing drivers to print invoices, check inventories, and access documents from their home or office computers, right on the job site. Some of the new features in Auto 4.1 include hands free Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), calendar downloads from your mobile phone, and speech recognition software. If you’re looking to invest in a new car this year, here are three features of Microsoft Auto 4.1 that could help you build a better business on the road.

Fiat eco:Drive – Trying to green your company or simply save money on gas? Consider purchasing a car with eco:Drive. Eco:Drive collects all necessary data relating to vehicle efficiency and transmits it into a normal USB key. When the driver plugs this key into a PC, the eco:Drive system presents the driver with detailed environmental performance of the car including the CO2 emission level for each trip. It analyses the driver’s style and then provides tips and recommendations on how to modify ones driving style or trips to achieve CO2 reductions – and save money on fuel. Eco:Drive can be found in Fiat automobiles that are enabled with a Blue&Me USB port, which is a part of Microsoft Auto’s joint development with Fiat.

Ford Work Solutions Tool Link from DeWalt – Do you have a problem keeping track of your tools? Always leaving behind expensive equipment at a worksite? Tool Link, just might solve your problem. Tool Link, which is also a part of the Windows embedded automotive platform, uses radio frequency identification (RFID)-based tags to track which tools are on your vehicle and which ones aren’t. You can attach a tag to each tool or piece of equipment that you carry out of your office, then scan and identify the tags using the Tool Link system on your truck or vehicle. Once the inventory is complete, the system can track the items you tagged whenever they are in the truck, and alert you if they are missing. With a simple touch on the Tool Link screen, your automobile will make sure you have the tools you need before you leave for the job or at the end of a job to make sure your gear is accounted for. Perhaps you get confused about which equipment should go on certain jobs; you can even use tool link to create job-specific inventories. Tool Link can be found on Ford F-150, Super Duty, E-Series and Transit connect trucks and vans.

Ford Hohm – Ford and Microsoft have teamed up again to implement the Microsoft Hohm energy management application for the 2011 Ford Focus, one of the four electric vehicles Ford offers. The addition of an electric vehicle to a household or business could double energy consumption while the vehicle is charging. Hohm is an Internet-based service designed to help drivers determine the best time to charge their vehicle so that they can better manage their home or businesses’ energy use. Smart recharging habits will help drivers save money on electric bills and help utility companies understand and better manage the increased demands placed upon the electrical grid because of electrified vehicles.

Visit Tech Insider every Wednesday for news, reviews, tips and advice for professionals and small businesses.

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The world’s largest auto manufacturers trotted out their latest and most innovative creations at the New York International Auto Show, Wednesday. Among the numerous unveilings, Ford announced its partnership with Microsoft as the U.S. automaker rolls out its effort in developing smart-grid technology for its line of vehicles.

The Hohm, a home energy management service, was first launched by Microsoft last year. Ford will integrate the system into its vehicle line starting with the Focus Electric next year and two other unnamed hybrids by 2012 and 2013. They system will help owners determine the most efficiently and affordable time to recharge the vehicle, which can be a cost incentive for consumers.

“Ford and Microsoft both share a strong commitment to contributing to a better world. Today, we begin the next major step in our working together and leading the way for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability,” said Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Co. president and CEO. “For Ford, this is a needed step in the development of the infrastructure that will make electric vehicles viable.”

Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer said as the electric vehicle market expands it will have a significant impact on home energy consumption and demand for smart grid technology. With the launch of Hohm, consumers will have more control over managing the their electricity usage.

According to Microsoft, “If you add an electric vehicle to a household, it becomes the single largest consumer of electricity in the home.” The venture seeks to address the challenge of how the demand for energy is managed in “a smart and affordable way.”

What do you think Ford’s integration of Microsoft’s Hohm technology? Is this latest development an extra incentive to purchase a hybrid vehicle? Which automaker is ahead of the pack when it comes to eco-friendly vehicles?

Check out our slideshow of vehicles at the auto show, which runs April 2-11 at the Jacob Javits Center.

Renita Burns is a staff writer at Black Enterprise.

Click here for more BEing Green articles on African Americans, energy and the environment.

Microsoft is offering free technology training via it's Elevate America program.

Elevate America (www.micro soft.com/ElevateAmerica) will also provide 1 million training vouchers and feature a range of e-learning courses, from the basics (how to use e-mail, for example) to Microsoft certification. Vouchers are available at state workforce development and employment agencies in those states that have signed up for the program. Microsoft has also partnered with organizations such as AARP, the National Urban League, and the United Negro College Fund to provide training programs across the U.S. through the Microsoft Unlimited Potential program, an extension of Elevate America.

“A significant portion of the minority population is getting adversely impacted by this economic crisis,” says Akhtar Badshah, Microsoft’s senior director of community affairs. According to Badshah, 77% of all jobs in the next decade will require some technology skills. “We decided to offer our courses online and certification at no cost, to get people access to training around basic, intermediate, and advanced skills.”

This article originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.