The Daily Crunch 10/26/16

Microsoft as the leader in creative computing? The answer to that and more in The Daily Crunch for October 26, 2016. And if Amazon bounces back from Fire Phone with an Alexa device, don't say I didn't warn you.

1. Microsoft's Surface version of the iMac is a creative powerhouse

The Surface Studio is an all-in-one computer reminiscent of Apple's iMac, but it also features a 28-inch touchscreen display, Surface Pen input, a clever new input mechanism called the Surface Dial and the thinnest touchscreen display this size ever created, according to Microsoft. The machine looks like a beast for creative professionals, and I won't lie – I want one very badly. But it's also got a $2,999 starting price tag, and a GPU designed for notebooks, which might give some people pause. Unless they really like drawing.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book is getting an update with more graphics power and better battery life, and Windows 10 has a slew of new features planned in a Creator's Update, including a new social communication tool called "My People" and a 3D-oriented version of Paint. Lots going on in Microsoft's world.

2. Apple's earnings aren't exciting, but its future looks bright

Apple's earnings for its most recent quarter basically met expectations and didn't result in anything crazypants, but they did present the company's first year-over-year revenue decline in a good long time. Again, though that didn't surprise anyone and that's what counts in Wall Street – plus Apple is guiding for a big return to growth next quarter, which is promising news and might be the result of the Galaxy Note 7's untimely demise.

3. That huge DDoS attack might just have been amateurs

The huge DDoS attack that took down major sites late last week might just have been the work of so-called script kiddies, or amateur hackers, instead of a concerted effort from a state-sponsored organization. If true, that's both good news and scary, since it means we aren't gearing up for an everlasting cyberwar, but we are susceptible to major inconvenience due to the whims of a concerted few.

4. Microsoft's VR push will be done through partners

Microsoft had a small bit of news that might prove among the most significant at its event today: A slew of hardware partners are building VR headsets with full, inside-out tracking that will start at $299. That's very cheap compared to today's options, especially given that inside-out tracking means you won't need any external base stations or light emitters to achieve room-scale VR experiences. We still have to see what these are actually like in real use, but this could be huge for VR's future viability.

5. Alexa comes to Amazon's tablets

Amazon's virtual assistant is stretching its legs a bit – the Alexa software is now available on Fire tablets. That means cost of entry for Alexa is cheap on a visual device, and it prefaces a time when Amazon might venture back into phones on the strength of their voice assistant. Better feature strategy than a weird 3D display, that's for sure.

6. Uber wants developers to build apps for its drivers

Uber has a new API aimed at Drivers, and it's probably going to open up a lot of options for developers looking to create experiences that complement this growing category of addressable users. Launch apps include software for tracking taxes, earning loyalty points via driving and more.

7. Javelin closes a $125 million fourth fund

SF-based early stage investor Javelin Venture Partners has closed its fourth fund at $125 million. The firm doesn't invest in a specific category of product or sector, but instead just looks at opportunity, market size and burn rate to identify potential standouts. Sounds like a solid plan.