Report Wire

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.”