Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has delivered a rapid transformation under CEO Satya Nadella. After his first few weeks as CEO, Nadella described a Mobile First, Cloud First vision on which strategic and organizational decisions would be evaluated. He has stuck to that vision ever since and the results are dramatic. No longer is "mobile" defined by a device as was the case previously. Mobile now means mobile or computing on whatever platform a consumer chooses, wherever she wants. Cloud doesn't really mean just cloud.

Masaya Nakamura, founder of Namco and frequently referred to as the father of Pac-Man, died on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 91. What we know today as developer and publisher Bandai Namco began as a Japanese company that made children's rides for department stores, called Nakamura Manufacturing, founded by Nakamura in 1955. The Namco name is an acronym that was eventually derived from the 1958 reorganization as Nakamura Amusement Machine Manufacturing Company. In 1974, the company acquired Atari's struggling Japanese division, a move that would see the launch of several iconic arcade games in the 70s and 80s, though the companies would eventually part ways in 1987. Nakamura is recognized as a pioneer in the golden age of arcade video games, which includes the major commercial success of Pac-Man in 1980.

Increased investor interest in AI startups – from around 10 deals in Q1'11 to over 120 in Q2'16 – can be attributed to recent advances in machine learning algorithms, particularly "deep learning" technology, a souped up version of AI. Just this week, Google integrated deep learning into its Google Translate tool; Baidu announced the launch of DeepBench, an "open source benchmarking tool for evaluating deep learning performance across different hardware platforms"; and NVIDIA introduced Xavier, a deep learning-based supercomputer for driverless cars. In the private market, Google put deep learning in the spotlight back in 2014 when it acquired 4 startups focused on this AI tech in quick succession: DeepMind, Vision Factory, Dark Blue Labs, and DNNresearch. Apple, which joined the race in 2015, most recently acquired Turi, which has developed a deep learning toolkit, among other AI-based solutions. Not to be outdone, Intel has acquired around 5 AI startups since January 2015, including deep learning startup Nervana Systems and, more recently, Movidius.

Microsoft will increase its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to improve the company's products, chief executive Satya Nadella said when revealing the tech giant's latest financial results. The company behind the Windows PC software reported revenue of 24.1 billion US dollars (£19.1bn) in the three months to December 31, up on the 23.8 billion dollars (£18.9bn) it generated in the same period last year, an increase driven by the firm's cloud-based products, Nadella said. Since taking over as chief executive in 2014, Nadella has shifted Microsoft's focus to its cloud business and software and away from hardware including smartphones. "Our customers are seeing greater value and opportunity as we partner with them through their digital transformation," he said of the latest figures, which also included 5.2 billion dollars (£4.1bn) in net income. "Accelerating advancements in AI across our platforms and services will provide further opportunity to drive growth in the Microsoft Cloud."

If you care about money, the economy and corporate America, earnings season matters. Google parent Alphabet reported fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday. SAN FRANCISCO -- Google parent Alphabet topped analyst estimates with ongoing strength in mobile search and video advertising, but missed on earnings, sending shares down after hours. Alphabet reported fourth-quarter revenue of $26 billion, up 22% year over year, led by YouTube and mobile search, chief financial officer Ruth Porat said in a statement. But Alphabet missed on the bottom line, with net income of $5.33 billion, or $7.56 a share.

Google parent Alphabet reports fourth-quarter earnings after the close on Thursday. SAN FRANCISCO -- Google parent Alphabet is scheduled to announce third-quarter earnings after the market closes Thursday. REVENUE FORECAST: Analysts expect revenue of $25.18 billion, excluding payments to advertising partners, up 18% from the year-ago period. EARNINGS FORECAST: Earnings, excluding some items, are expected to increase to $9.61 a share. MADE BY GOOGLE: Google is not new to hardware but in the fourth quarter it launched a major line-up of devices including the Pixel phone and Google Home, the home speaker.

Legendary game designer Hideo Kojima says games, novels and films will "merge into one type of entertainment". Described as the Spielberg of gaming, he was speaking to Radio 1 Newsbeat during an exclusive tour of his new studio in Tokyo. "We want to be there when that time comes, to help show people a new kind of experience. The man behind the iconic Metal Gear series is looking to the future after a couple years dominated by a controversial break-up from his former employers Konami. He doesn't go into detail but tells Newsbeat: "I worked for 30 years at my previous company.

Earlier in the series, we discussed Microsoft's recent acquisition of Simplygon in the AR space. To move ahead in the AI space, Microsoft (MSFT) announced that it plans to acquire Maluuba, an AI (artificial intelligence) startup. AI is an umbrella term that encompasses natural language processing, machine learning, and robotics. AI enables sensing, prediction, analysis, and solutions for various IT (information technology) issues. Research and algorithm development for machine learning is Maluuba's strength.

This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com A philanthropic organization set up by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan has signed a deal to acquire Toronto tech company Meta. Financial terms of the deal, announced by venture capital firm iGan Partners, an early Meta backer, were not immediately available. Zuckerberg and Chan set up the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2015. Meta uses artificial intelligence to help researchers keep on top of the latest scientific papers.

Artificial intelligence (AI) on its own isn't enough to compete – companies need industry-specific solutions to business problems. So said Martin Schroeter, IBM's senior vice-president and chief financial officer, on the company's quarterly earnings call. Cognitive computing technology (IBM's term for AI) is just "table stakes," said Schroeter, claiming that his company is going the extra mile. IBM is building datasets for Watson to serve specific industries, including healthcare and finance. "You need more than public data or algorithms to solve real-world problems," Schroeter said.