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Tag: Microsoft

  • Microsoft Launches New Unified Windows App For MacOS, iOS, Android Devices

    New Delhi: Microsoft has officially launched a new Windows app designed for a variety of platforms, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Windows PCs. This innovative application serves as a central hub for streaming Windows from multiple sources, such as Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Remote Desktop, effectively unifying the experience for users across different devices, according to The Verge.

    After nearly a year of testing, the new app reportedly includes features such as a customizable home screen, multi-monitor support, and USB redirection, allowing users to connect local devices-like webcams, storage devices, and printers-as if they were directly. linked to a cloud PC.

    This functionality enhances the versatility of remote work and streamlines the user experience. However, the app is currently limited to Microsoft work and school accounts, primarily targeting existing users of Remote Desktop clients.

    It reportedly aims to facilitate a smoother transition for these users to the new platform.Microsoft has offered similar remote access applications for years, including the Remote Desktop Connection tool that remains part of Windows 11.

    Despite the app’s robust features, there are currently no indications that Microsoft intends to support consumer accounts, as per The Verge.

    Last year, the company disclosed its long-term vision of transitioning Windows entirely to a cloud-based model to enhance AI-powered services and allow users greater flexibility in their digital experiences.

    The Verge reported that users can download the new Windows app from the Microsoft Store, while macOS, iOS, and iPadOS versions are available via Apple’s App Store. As per reports from The Verge, the Android version is also entering public preview today, broadening access to a wider range of users. (With inputs from ANI)

  • Here’s Why This Country Was Unaffected By Microsoft Outage Triggered By CrowdStrike? ,

    New Delhi: A global outage at Microsoft has affected almost all sectors, including finance (stock market, banks, and NBFCs), public transport, aviation, businesses, media, and hospitality. Many computers crashed with a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error. This outage was mainly due to a problem with CrowdStrike, which caused Microsoft systems to fail to boot correctly.

    However, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, China was mostly unaffected by the outage. The country’s airlines and banks were not impacted by the tech glitch, and operations at Beijing’s airports remained normal, according to Chinese state media.

    Why was China less affected?

    China’s minimal impact from the global outage is largely because of its reduced reliance on foreign service providers for cybersecurity and operations. The country has actively worked to decrease the use of foreign systems and hardware in its sectors. This strategy is the main reason why China experienced much less disruption compared to the United States, Europe, and parts of South Asia.

    Chinese Tech Infrastructure Stays Strong

    Reports indicate that while foreign businesses and hotel chains in China were affected by the outage, most of China’s infrastructure and institutions were not. Airports in neighboring countries like India, Nepal, and Pakistan faced operational issues, but Beijing and Shanghai airports functioned normally. This contrast is notable as advanced airports in the UK and US were significantly impacted by the outage.

    What is CrowdStrike?

    CrowdStrike is a global security software provider, serving numerous Fortune 500 companies, including major banks, healthcare, and energy firms. Affected systems often display the Blue Screen of Death and fail to restart properly. Founded in 2011 and based in Austin, Texas, CrowdStrike operates in over 170 countries and employed more than 7,900 people as of January.

    What is blue screen of death?

    The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) appears when the Windows operating system encounters a critical error and crashes. While the BSOD signifies that Windows has reached an unstable state and can’t continue running safely, it is frequently triggered by relatively minor issues that can be resolved easily.

  • Microsoft Quits OpenAI Board Seat As Antitrust Scrutiny Of Artificial Intelligence Pacts Intensifies |

    Washington: Microsoft has relinquished its seat on the board of OpenAI, saying its participation is no longer needed because the ChatGPT maker has improved its governance since being roiled by boardroom chaos last year.

    In a Tuesday letter, Microsoft confirmed it was resigning, “effective immediately,” from its role as an observer on the artificial intelligence company’s board. “We appreciate the support shown by OpenAI leadership and the OpenAI board as we made this decision,” the letter said.

    The surprise departure comes amid intensifying scrutiny from antitrust regulators of the powerful AI partnership. Microsoft has reportedly invested USD 13 billion in OpenAI.

    European Union regulators said last month that they would take a fresh look at the partnership under the 27-nation bloc’s antitrust rules, while the US Federal Trade Commission and Britain’s competition watchdog have also been examining the pact.

    Microsoft took the board seat following a power struggle in which OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was fired, then quickly reinstated, while the board members behind the ouster were pushed out. “Over the past eight months we have witnessed significant progress by the newly formed board and are confident in the company’s direction,” Microsoft said in its letter. “Given all of this we no longer believe our limited role as an observer is necessary.” With Microsoft’s departure, OpenAI will no longer have observer seats on its board.

    “We are grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the Board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership,” OpenAI said in a statement.

    It’s not hard to conclude that Microsoft’s decision to ditch the board seat was heavily influenced by rising scrutiny of big technology companies and their links with AI startups, said Alex Haffner, a competition partner at UK law firm Fladgate.

    “It is clear that regulators are very much focused on the complex web of inter-relationships that Big Tech has created with AI providers, hence the need for Microsoft and others to carefully consider how they structure these arrangements going forward,” he said.

    OpenAI said it would take a new approach to “informing and engaging key strategic partners” such as Microsoft and Apple and investors such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures, with regular meetings to update stakeholders on progress and ensure stronger collaboration on safety and security.

  • Microsoft Faces Complaints in EU Over Violating Children’s Data Privacy |

    London: Privacy rights organisation NOYB on Tuesday lodged two complaints with Austria’s data protection authority against tech giant Microsoft for allegedly violating children’s data protection rights.

    The non-profit organisation said that Microsoft’s ‘365 Education’ services violate children’s data protection rights. When pupils wanted to exercise their General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rights, Microsoft said schools were the “controller” for their data.

    “However, the schools have no control over the systems,” said Noyb. Microsoft, alleged the complaint, is trying to contractually dump most of its legal responsibilities under the GDPR on schools that provide Microsoft 365 Education services to their pupils or students.

    “This means, for example, that access requests to Microsoft go unanswered – while schools have no realistic way of complying with such requests because they don’t hold the necessary data,” the non-profit mentioned.

    Maartje de Graaf, data protection lawyer at noyb, said that this take-it-or-leave-it approach by software vendors such as Microsoft is shifting all GDPR responsibilities to schools. “Microsoft holds all the key information about data processing in its software but is pointing the finger at schools when it comes to exercising rights. Schools have no way of complying with the transparency and information obligations,” de Graaf said.

    Microsoft provides such “vague information” that even a qualified lawyer can’t fully understand how the company processes personal data in Microsoft 365 Education. “It is almost impossible for children or their parents to uncover the extent of Microsoft’s data collection,” said de Graaf.

  • OpenAI, Meta And Other Tech Giants Sign Effort To Fight AI Election Interference |

    New Delhi: A group of 20 tech companies announced on Friday they have agreed to work together to prevent deceptive artificial-intelligence content from interfering with elections across the globe this year.

    The rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can create text, images and video in seconds in response to prompts, has heightened fears that the new technology could be used to sway major elections this year, as more than half of the world’s The population is set to head to the polls. (Also Read: OpenAI Can’t Register GPT As Trademark, Rules US Patent Office)

    Signatories of the tech accord, which was announced at the Munich Security Conference, include companies that are building generative AI models used to create content, including OpenAI, Microsoft and Adobe. Other signatories include social media platforms that will face the challenge of keeping harmful content off their sites, such as Meta Platforms, TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter. (Also Read: You Can Now Remix YouTube Music Videos In Shorts – Here’s How!)

    The agreement includes commitments to collaborate on developing tools for detecting misleading AI-generated images, video and audio, creating public awareness campaigns to educate voters on deceptive content and taking action on such content on their services.

    Technology to identify AI-generated content or certify its origin could include watermarking or embedding metadata, the companies said. The accord did not specify a timeline for meeting the commitments or how each company would implement them.

    “I think the utility of this (accord) is the breadth of the companies signing up to it,” said Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta Platforms. “It’s all good and well if individual platforms develop new policies of detection, provenance, labeling, watermarking and so on, but unless there is a wider commitment to do so in a shared interoperable way, we’re going to be stuck with a hodgepodge. of different commitments,” Clegg said.

    Generative AI is already being used to influence politics and even convince people not to vote. In January, a robocall using fake audio of US President Joe Biden circulated to New Hampshire voters, urging them to stay home during the state’s presidential primary election.

    Despite the popularity of text-generation tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the tech companies will focus on preventing harmful effects of AI photos, videos and audio, partly because people tend to have more skepticism with text, said Dana Rao, Adobe’s chief trust officer, in an interview.

    “There’s an emotional connection to audio, video and images,” he said. “Your brain is wired to believe that kind of media.”

  • Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 Update with AI-Powered Copilot, new options

    Microsoft is rolling out a brand new Windows 11 replace that includes the AI-powered assistant, Copilot which the corporate claims will speed up duties, scale back friction, present customized solutions, and save person’s time.

    With over 150 new options, the subsequent Windows 11 replace is one among its most formidable but, bringing the facility of Copilot and new AI-powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp and extra proper to your Windows PC, the software program big stated.

    Announcing the brand new AI-powered characteristic to Windows 11, Microsoft wrote, “Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the online, your work information and what you’re doing within the second in your PC to supply higher help – together with your privateness and safety on the forefront. It can be a easy and seamless expertise, accessible in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and in our internet browser with Edge and Bing.”

    New features coming with Windows 11 Copilot update: 

    Paint Revamp: The old Paint app is getting a generative AI powered upgrade with the Windows 11 Copilot and the Redmond-based company is promising features like AI for drawing and digital creation, background remover and more.

    Moreover, Microsoft has also announced that Paint Cocreator preview will start rolling out to Windows Insiders users from today while it will be available to general public in the coming days. Cocreator will help users generate unique images by entering a text prompt and selecting a style. 

    “You can then use the array of other tools in Paint to further refine your creation, whether it’s adding layers or drawing on top.” Microsoft famous.

    AI options in Snipping Tool: 

    Snipping Tool will now have the power to seize sounds whereas making a display screen recording. Users can begin a display screen recording on Windows by urgent Windows + Shift + R or Print Screen button. 

    Interestingly, the software program will now include options like extracting particular textual content from a picture and defending delicate data with textual content redaction.

    Upgrades to Photos App: 

    Microsoft has additionally upgraded the Photos app with new AI-enabled options like Background Blur and improved search outcomes. Background Blur will permit customers to make the topic of their picture stand out by mechanically discovering and blurring the background. Users will even have the power to vary the depth of blur and make adjustments to the areas that they need to be blurred. 

    No extra passwords: 

    Microsoft is bringing the brand new Passkeys characteristic creates a singular, unguessable credential permitting customers to not use their passwords and as an alternative use their face, fingerprint or system PIN to log into their accounts. 

    “Passkeys can be utilized with out the necessity for different sign-in challenges, making the authentication course of sooner, safe, and extra handy… Passkeys present a safer and handy methodology to logging into web sites and functions in comparison with passwords.” Microsoft noted in a release. 

    File Explorer 

    Microsoft is giving a new modernized look to the File Explorer with the new Windows 11 update. The new File Explorer address bar and search box are designed in a way to help users easily access important and relevant information. 

    Moreover, a new Gallery feature is also being added to File Explorer in order to make it easier for users to access their photo collection. File Explorer will now also be able to open archival formats like RAR and 7-Zip.

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    Updated: 27 Sep 2023, 10:44 AM IST

  • Microsoft: Windows 11 to get Copilot on Sept 26; 365 Copilot for enterprises on Nov 1

    Software large Microsoft Corp. Thursday mentioned the corporate will begin rolling out AI assistant Copilot for Windows from September 26 and Microsoft 365 Copilot for enterprise clients from November 1, 2023, together with Microsoft 365 Chat.

    Copilot-branded AI assistants will present a unified expertise throughout working techniques, functions and units, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioned.

    “We’ve seen that essentially the most magical and empowering moments folks have skilled with AI is when it’s knowledgeable with the context that extends means past what’s in entrance of them,” Nadella said. “This requires that what we think of today as separate categories — search, productivity, operating systems devices — all come together and evolve,” he added.

    “Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the online, your work knowledge and what you’re doing within the second in your PC to offer higher help – along with your privateness and safety on the forefront. It will likely be a easy and seamless expertise, accessible in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and in our net browser with Edge and Bing. It will work as an app or reveal itself if you want it with a proper click on”, the corporate mentioned in a weblog put up.

    With over 150 new options, the following Windows 11 replace is one in all its most bold but, bringing the ability of Copilot and new AI powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp and extra proper to your Windows PC, the software program large mentioned.

    Bing will add help for the most recent DALL.E 3 mannequin from OpenAI and ship extra personalised solutions primarily based in your search historical past, a brand new AI-powered purchasing expertise, and updates to Bing Chat Enterprise, making it extra cellular and visible.

    The Redmond primarily based software program maker mentioned it has additionally launched highly effective new Surface units that convey all these AI experiences to life, and they’re accessible for pre-order starting immediately.

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    Updated: 21 Sep 2023, 10:13 PM IST

  • How will new EU guidelines have an effect on tech giants like Apple, Meta, Amazon? Explained

    European Commission on Wednesday will reveal the names of companies which can be sufficiently big to fall below the brand new rules below the Digital Markets Act. The DMA will come into impact from March subsequent 12 months, imposing a inflexible system of dos and don’ts for tech firms with a purpose to create a fairer market.

    After the fee’s announcement in the present day, the listed firms may have six months with a purpose to align their companies with the brand new guidelines or take authorized recourse towards the designation as ‘gatekeepers’.

    EU has been engaged on constructing more durable regulation of massive tech with a purpose to shield European customers on-line and encourage competitors in US giants dominated trade. 

    EU trade commissioner Thierry Breton has mentioned that the group is discussing compliance with the businesses however famous that “if the solutions they propose are not good enough, we will not hesitate to take strong action”.

    According to AFP, EU had named seven firms who had self-declared income and person figures to be declared as ‘gatekeepers’. These firms embody Google mother or father Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, TikTok proprietor ByteDance, Facebook proprietor Meta, Microsoft and Samsung. 

    The ‘gatekeeper’ standing is relevant when a service has over 45 million month-to-month lively customers and over 10,000 yearly lively enterprise customers within the EU. 

    How will tech firms like Apple, Google be affected below the brand new guidelines? 

    The DMA will make it unlawful for firms to favour their very own companies over these of their rivals. For instance, Microsoft has already introduced that it’ll respect customers’ alternative of default browser.

    In addition, firms is not going to be allowed to mix private knowledge throughout their completely different companies or use knowledge collected by third events to compete with them. Companies may even have to permit customers to obtain functions from competing platforms.

    Another goal of the DMA is to stop massive firms from stifling the progress of their smaller rivals by eliminating them via acquisitions. Under the brand new guidelines, all acquisitions, no matter dimension, must be notified to the Commission.

    (With inputs from AFP, Bloomberg)

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    Updated: 06 Sep 2023, 09:35 AM IST

  • UK initiates new investigation into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition

    The UK has initiated a brand new investigation into Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., following a considerable alteration to the proposed merger by the tech big. This transfer, as reported by Bloomberg successfully resets the acquisition course of to its preliminary levels, as introduced by the nation’s antitrust watchdog on Tuesday.

    In an unusual growth, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) declared that it was reevaluating Microsoft’s supply after the corporate indicated its intention to promote the rights of all current and future Activision video games for the subsequent 15 years to Ubisoft Entertainment SA. It’s vital to notice that this divestment excludes the European Economic Area, as clarified by the CMA.

    Such a reconsideration of a merger choice by the CMA at this juncture is extremely uncommon and comes after a collection of serious twists and turns within the world regulatory battles surrounding the deal. The acquisition, which had beforehand appeared stagnant, acquired sudden momentum after the UK agreed to evaluate new proof. Furthermore, Microsoft overcame the Federal Trade Commission’s authorized problem to the deal within the United States. In May, the European Union authorized the cope with particular behavioral treatments.

    Sarah Cardell, the pinnacle of the CMA, emphasised that this growth doesn’t represent a inexperienced gentle for the acquisition. She said, “This is not a green light. We will carefully and objectively assess the details of the restructured deal and its impact on competition, including in light of third-party comments.”

    Consequently, the part one investigation will recommence, with the CMA setting a statutory deadline of 18 October to finish its evaluation.

    (With inputs from Bloomberg)

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    Updated: 22 Aug 2023, 01:43 PM IST

  • Microsoft brings new ‘Strikes’ system for Xbox to verify on-line toxicity

    Microsoft is introducing a brand new punitive framework for Xbox gadgets to deal with on-line toxicity amongst gamers. This novel system is hinged on a ‘Strikes’ mechanism, which encompasses various levels of severity primarily based on the misconduct. Each occasion of inappropriate conduct will result in a strike, with the potential for cumulative accumulation in circumstances of recurring violations.

    Commencing instantly, all gamers will start with a clear slate, albeit prior sanctions should nonetheless be served. The strikes might be tiered progressively, leading to extra prolonged penalties and bans for individuals who repeatedly commit offenses.

    All strikes will stay lively on customers’ accounts for a period of six months from their preliminary prevalence.

    The spectrum of offenses ranges from profanity, counting as a single strike, to hate speech, which might set off as much as three strikes. Individuals who imagine they have been unjustly banned can attraction the choice; if the attraction is profitable, the strike might be expunged from their document.

    A solitary strike might translate right into a suspension of as much as 24 hours, whereas accumulating eight strikes may result in suspensions spanning as much as a 12 months.

    Microsoft elaborated on this strategy, likening it to the demerit strike system in place for driver’s licenses in numerous nations. For occasion, a participant accruing two strikes would face a one-day suspension from the platform, whereas somebody amassing 4 strikes would expertise a seven-day suspension.

    “Players have a total of eight strikes and, once reached, will be suspended from Xbox’s social features like messaging, parties and party chat, multiplayer and others for one year from the enforcement date,” the corporate mentioned in a weblog submit.

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    Updated: 18 Aug 2023, 06:25 PM IST