CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES are remarkably adept at saying a lot that ultimately means nothing. One firm describes its products as "magical", and today we see a phone being dubbed "snazzy" by a mobile network.
Calling something magical or snazzy is one thing, but in its latest video Microsoft creates an odd image of someone or something giving birth to billions of mobile devices.
"The birthrate of mobile devices is five times the birthrate of humans", it says, causing us to wonder whether it has played the tablet and smartphone market so badly that it grows its hardware in test tubes.
"For every human that enters the world, five mobile devices are made. And that's just mobile."
Putting aside the fact that we knew this was about mobile, and it had mentioned mobile a couple of times already, we appreciate the clarification.
But what of the other devices in ours lives, Microsoft? How are they coming together to dominate people in what you are calling the Companion Web?
The companion web, we aren't capitalising the term again, is the internet that we carry with us, for example on our phones and tablets. Oh, and it's also Internet Explorer.
The companion web, says the video, opens up a doorway that we thought was already open, to things like games, books, sports, music and TV.
"This is more than second screen," says the somewhat strained video. "It's more than any number of companion devices. This is a revolution for the web, and it all starts with you."
Actually, it sounds like it started a few years ago, but we can't be sure. We're told what Bryan Saftler, senior product manager for Internet Explorer thinks. "We're going to keep spending time in front of our many screens, and the Companion Web emphasizes our ability to engage with the media we're consuming. This is just the beginning," he said in a blog post.
"The Companion Web represents an incredible evolution of the web to work with the way we use our devices. Stay tuned over the coming months for more exciting news about Companion Web experiences
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