Google's New York event cancelled due to weather, provides Microsoft some breathing space

By Rich Edmonds
last updated

Google has announced that its Android event, planned to be held this coming Monday in New York, has been cancelled due to severe weather concerns. The move comes just after Microsoft has created buzz with the launch of its Surface family of Windows RT tablets (Windows 8 Pro Surface hardware still on the horizon). 

While we can poke fun at Google all we want for having their event scheduled on the very same day Microsoft aims to reveal the next version of its mobile operating system, a severe weather front cannot be viewed in a humorous light, and we should take a minute to wish everyone safe travels and to remain unharmed through the duration of the storm.

Should you reside in the East Coast, particularly NewYork, then you'll be sure to monitor the coverage of Hurricane Sandy closely. The following email from Google was received by our sister website, Android Central:

"We are canceling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more.Stay safe and dry, The Android Team"

So, how is this relevant with Windows Phone? The cancellation of the Google event provides Microsoft with some room to breathe. It's had positive reaction from consumers with the launch of Windows 8 and Surface, but it also has to get Windows Phone out the door. We're eagerly awaiting what's announced in two days, and now Microsoft can attack the market with a more focused mindset.

Windows Phone Central is preparing itself for a storm of its own with Monday just around the corner. We'll of course be on the floor to bring you the latest news and announcements made by Microsoft, not to mention hands-on with Windows Phone 8 hardware. So be sure to remained tuned to our feed to not miss the action.

Source: Android Central

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

38 Comments
  • Haha karma sucks huh? Wp8 would have wiped the floor with that stupid nexus anyway hurricane sandy just came in to save them the embarassment 
  • You're an idiot. The Nexus program is great. It's pure android. It works. WP8 will be great, but no one has had a chance to give it a full run down yet, so it might not be as good as you think. 
  • The fact that you got so butt-hurt over that comment speaks volumes. The storm is predicted to hit Tuesday, not Monday. So them blaming the cancellation on the storm is pure bullocks.
  • So in your mind people who wish to attend the event from overseas would simply get out the shower in the morning, on the day, and shout "Beam me up, Google!"? You'd be hurled to New York at 500mph in a tin can, full of other people's wind. It makes sense for an event to be cancelled to prevent potential disruption.
  • I assume you've never experienced a large hurricane before.
     
    This is not your incredibly deluded idea of karma. People will have their homes destroyed, others will lose their lives. Please think about what you type in the future. I recommend you stay the heck away from this site, we don't want your kind here.
     
    A hurricane that bad isn't something I'd wish on my worst enemy. Wishing it to a technology company because you have some irrational hatred of their products is just something else.
  • Ha! The storm is predicted to hit Tuesday, not Monday. They just realized that their gustapo tactics were not going to work and were going to get drowned in all the Microsoft hoopla that has hit.
  • Nah, most people fly out a day early. Like I'm leaving tomorrow for SF, even though that event is Monday.  Makes sense for Google to cancel it as many folks would hesitate to fly in because if that storm is bad, airports could be screwed for days. People don't want to be stranded.
  • Daniel two things -  what time is this live feed going live AND please tell me where exactly in London is this launch event?! 
  • Can't resist laughing, that's just too funny :)
  • Ha! Millions of dollars worth of damage! People dead! Hilarious!
     
    Grow up. Get a sense of decorum.
  • He's laughing at the fact that Google had to cancel, not at the effects/potential effects of the storm.
  • oh that's right, that makes it better and more forgivable. the tech is the main headline, the lives and homes of other human beings are totally less important.
     
    slash s
  • I guess Daniel picked a good weekend to be on the Left Coast. Hope his cats survive Frankenstorm.
  • Storm or not..i have a big grin across my face right now.
  • the playground is closed. (for google, not MS)
  • Google has nothing to be scared of... a quaterly loss wouldn't hurt them much...
    Android fanboys probably laugh at our comments since WP is such a small fish in the ocean...
  • Is the MS event open to the public? More info please?
  • Love the 2nd paragraph of this article. I can't believe how wmpoweruser is treating it as a joke, they manage to be a bit more ridiculous everyday and now I'm just done with that website.
  • I agree. This a new low for WMPoweruser.
  • MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  • Not sounding very confident there Rich, are you? :)
  • Do excited happy I got Monday of without having to request off now I cab watch the keynote and podcast if u guys end up having one haha so excited woop woop!
  • Definitely putting safety above anything else. Google will have their event later but at least MS can have their day without Google butting in. Visited the local weather service with my kids today and man that's one nasty looking storm their computers have projected. Safer first, tech gadgets later. :)
  • Safety*
  • You know you can edit comments, right?
  • Safety maybe a part of it. But if you host a party, and nobody is coming, you might as well cancel the party.
  • LOL force close androidShit. Good for you $$$$$$GoogleSpy$$$$$$
  • Sad how Google and Apple are so scared of what Microsoft can and will do. 3 systems is great for the consumer if all of them are of high quality. It will push innovation while still giving us choices.
  • "Playground is closed"
  • The comments on this page sadden me. Because you have an irrational dislike of a technology company, it does not mean that you need to wish death on others.
     
    Sorry Rich, Dan - I know you've tried to talk sense, but it's just not working. Any chance of mass moderation on this one? This kind of thing could really give the whole site a bad rep.
     
    The lack of decorum is sickening.
  • ++
  • As much as I love WP, this is no funny matter people. They cancelled due to weather, good for them. This hurricane will be big and a lot of media guys travel from overseas and won't leave until Tuesday. And if the weather is severe all airports will be closed. So I don't know why everyone is laughing.
  • Agreed. The comments here are filling me with vitriolic anger and sheer repuslion.
  • Wow, the amount of immature comments on this story is over the top.  All this time I've enjoyed a very mature and tame group of people on this website, until this article came along.
    Get a grip, this hurricane is a life changing event for hundreds of thousands of people if not more.  Lives could be lost, homes could be lost, family and friends could be lost.  
    This isn't karma, it's not Google's fault, etc.  It is an unfortunate timing of events (for google) and possibly a good timing of events for MS and the WP8 device.  
    This is a time for the U.S. nation to come together and help those in need weather out the storm or repair/replace what they lose in the storm.
    Keep your playground nonsense to yourselves.  This is not the time and place for it.
     
     
     
  • ++
  • Whoever the moderators are should go about banning the people leaving these ignorant and repulsive comments.  Apple nor Google are remotely afraid of anything Windows Phone has to offer, so get your heads out of your asses.  Google is doing a good thing cancelling and resecheduling their tech announcement, as it is just tech, nothing worth risking the safety of other human beings for.  And I'm a wp7 owner and soon to be l920 owner, and I want nothing more than Microsoft to get some much deserved marketshare, but I don't want anyone to get hurt over it.
     
    It's a disgusting state of affairs when the allegience to a fucking mobile operating system can turn people into such wastes of space.  
  • Fancy starting a thread about it in the forums? This could potentially be very bad publicity for Mobile Nations should Reddit or another influential site get hold of it.
    Deal it with it quickly, moderators.
  • I think it's too soon for levity folks, at least wait until after the storms clears for any "victory cheers" and got those offended by the obvious internet crowd remarks, unfortunately decorum only exists in the physical realm with actual faces attached to them. Sadly manners and decency are all falsehoods... =[