The Verge - Microsoft Postshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52801/VER_Logomark_32x32..png2024-03-18T13:23:31-04:00https://www.theverge.com/microsoft/rss/index.xml2024-03-18T13:23:31-04:002024-03-18T13:23:31-04:00Microsoft to hold a special Windows and Surface AI event in May
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<img alt="The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uARt1mSg1dL006Joh9-QBL5BrOA=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73215632/226393_Microsoft_surface_Pro_9_Intel_AKrales_0086.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="VycjTt">Microsoft is holding an AI event in the morning on Monday, May 20th — right before Build 2024 starts. In an invite emailed to media, Microsoft says CEO Satya Nadella will talk about the company’s “AI vision across hardware and software.”</p>
<p id="eH5zH8">The event won’t be livestreamed and will only be open to journalists who attend the event in person. Microsoft’s special event will focus on upcoming Surface hardware and changes to Windows that are all focused on AI. While the software giant is holding a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093154/microsoft-surface-windows-ai-event-2024">business-focused Surface event later this week</a>, sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell <em>The Verge</em> that the May 20th event will include the consumer versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6.</p>
<p id="ldsLK5">These consumer Surface devices will run on...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/18/24104982/microsoft-ai-event-build-2024-satya-nadella">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/18/24104982/microsoft-ai-event-build-2024-satya-nadellaTom WarrenEmma Roth2024-03-15T12:26:31-04:002024-03-15T12:26:31-04:00Microsoft is stuffing pop-up ads into Google Chrome on Windows again
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<img alt="Screenshot of a Bing pop-up on Windows" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XgfK1JBj_QVULcVQ4gSx7E_CPEI=/0x0:1320x880/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73209773/microsoftbingpopup.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image composite: <a class="ql-link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/antivirus/comments/1beg1bi/is_this_microsoft_bing_popup_malware/" target="_blank">Reddit</a> (TheDyslexicCow) / Tom Warren / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="obIFaN">Microsoft is once again injecting pop-ups into Google’s Chrome browser in a bid to get people to switch to Bing. The software giant first <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/30/23851902/microsoft-bing-popups-windows-11-malware">introduced malware-like pop-up ads</a> last year with a prompt that appeared over the top of other apps and windows. After pausing that notification to address “unintended behavior,” the pop-ups have returned again on Windows 10 and 11.</p>
<p id="mwvdBw">Windows users have reported seeing the new pop-up in recent days, advertising Bing AI and Microsoft’s Bing search engine inside Google Chrome. If you click yes to this prompt, then Microsoft will set Bing as the default search engine for Chrome. These latest prompts look like malware, and once again have <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/antivirus/comments/1beg1bi/is_this_microsoft_bing_popup_malware/">Windows users asking</a> if they are legit or nefarious. Microsoft has...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/15/24101887/microsoft-bing-popups-windows-11-google-chromeTom Warren2024-03-14T14:25:07-04:002024-03-14T14:25:07-04:00Microsoft launches Copilot Pro worldwide with a one-month free trial
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<img alt="A colorful illustration of Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WyfqQJDnTI3si-91cXd9FAJrj98=/150x0:1770x1080/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73207400/1920x1080_Copilot_Blog_Image.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Microsoft</figcaption>
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<p id="xDGt6G">Microsoft is expanding its $20 monthly Copilot Pro subscription to more markets today, after launching the AI-powered assistant <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/15/24038711/microsoft-copilot-pro-office-ai-apps">for consumers in January</a>. The expansion sees Copilot Pro available in 222 countries in total, and Microsoft is launching a free one-month trial to entice consumers to subscribe to its AI vision of the future.</p>
<p id="ww7apb">Copilot Pro includes priority access to the latest OpenAI models, the ability to build your own Copilot GPT, and access to Copilot inside Office apps if you’re already a Microsoft 365 Personal or Home subscriber. Now, Microsoft is also unlocking Copilot Pro inside the Office web apps, so you don’t need a separate Microsoft 365 subscription to use the chatbot inside Word, Outlook, and other free web apps.</p>
<p id="zHsHBf">T...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/14/24100993/microsoft-copilot-pro-launch-free-trial">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/14/24100993/microsoft-copilot-pro-launch-free-trialTom Warren2024-03-14T11:00:00-04:002024-03-14T11:00:00-04:00Intel’s new Core i9-14900KS arrives today for $689 with boosts up to 6.2GHz
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<img alt="Illustration of Intel’s new Core i9-14900KS processor" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PHc_3J6safkIuOFAOCOs5LKhf1w=/267x0:2195x1285/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73206666/14900ks.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Image: Intel</figcaption>
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<p id="HEuPlJ">Intel is launching its flagship Core i9-14900KS processor today, with clock speeds that boost all the way up to 6.2GHz. That’s 200MHz more than the previous Core i9-13900KS that <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/12/23551748/intel-6ghz-processor-core-i9-13900k-release-date-price">launched last year</a> and was the first desktop processor to break the 6GHz barrier at stock speeds.</p>
<p id="0s2g5r">This new Core i9-14900KS will be priced at $689, $10 less than the previous 13900KS, and will be available in stores today. The 6.2GHz max turbo frequency is an out-of-the-box boost, so there could be room for overclocking to push these speeds even further. The 14900KS has the same 24 cores found on the 14900K, with eight performance cores and 16 efficiency ones. It does run at a 150-watt base power, though, instead of the 125 watts found on the 14900K.</p>
<p id="izY4O3">Other than...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/14/24099713/intel-core-i9-14900ks-release-date-price-features">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/14/24099713/intel-core-i9-14900ks-release-date-price-featuresTom Warren2024-03-13T13:59:05-04:002024-03-13T13:59:05-04:00Microsoft Teams is finally moving to a single app for personal and work
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<img alt="Microsoft Teams illustration" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H3BbbY3TPsKFPHXGRA-3gmaDrHs=/0x0:2640x1760/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73204499/microsoftteams.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Microsoft</figcaption>
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<p id="ze3cyC">Microsoft is finally creating a single version of Microsoft Teams that will allow you to switch between personal and work accounts easily. The new unified app is currently in testing and will let Microsoft Teams users switch between multiple tenants and personal or work account types.</p>
<p id="waLPtu">This new version of Teams will be rolled out to commercial users <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=nOD%2FrLJHOac&mid=24542&u1=verge&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fmicrosoft-365%2Froadmap%3Ffilters%3D%26searchterms%3D383006" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">in April</a> and will include an account switcher that’s accessible from the profile section. “We received consistent feedback from personal and work users: you prefer a single Teams app that allows you to easily access and switch between personal and work accounts,” says Microsoft <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2024/03/13/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-26080-canary-and-dev-channels/">in a blog post</a>. “This update lets you use one app for all kinds of Teams accounts.”</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/13/24099723/microsoft-teams-unified-app-personal-work-accounts">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/13/24099723/microsoft-teams-unified-app-personal-work-accountsTom Warren2024-03-13T12:59:24-04:002024-03-13T12:59:24-04:00Microsoft’s AI Copilot for Security launches next month with pay-as-you-go pricing
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<img alt="Illustration of Microsoft Copilot for Security" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/faIcaTLBaDRqSeeaxjWbR8kCy7U=/99x0:1161x708/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73204276/copilotsecurity.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Microsoft</figcaption>
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<p id="G3nB5T">Microsoft is <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=nOD%2FrLJHOac&mid=24542&u1=verge&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fsecurity%2Fblog%2F2024%2F03%2F13%2Fmicrosoft-copilot-for-security-is-generally-available-on-april-1-2024-with-new-capabilities%2F" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">launching its Copilot for Security</a> next month, bringing its generative AI chatbot to the cybersecurity space. Copilot for Security is designed for cybersecurity professionals to help them protect against threats, but it won’t be a one-off monthly charge like <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/15/24038726/microsoft-copilot-microsoft-365-business-launch-availability">Copilot for Microsoft 365</a>. Instead, Microsoft will charge businesses $4 per hour of usage as part of a consumption model when Copilot for Security launches on April 1st.</p>
<p id="I1vqXZ">Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Microsoft’s own security-specific model, Copilot for Security is essentially a chatbot where cybersecurity workers can get the latest information on security incidents, summaries of threats, and more. Microsoft <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/28/23659711/microsoft-security-copilot-gpt-4-ai-tool-features">first started testing this chatbot</a> nearly a year ago, and it...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/13/24099670/microsoft-copilot-for-security-pricing-launch-date-features">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/13/24099670/microsoft-copilot-for-security-pricing-launch-date-featuresTom Warren2024-03-08T19:31:05-05:002024-03-08T19:31:05-05:00Activision QA workers form the largest US video game union yet
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<img alt="Vector illustration of the Xbox logo." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4eP_xLoTdVRZM3M-37Bk6UtI87A=/20x0:2021x1334/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73193239/STK048_XBOX_D.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="s5c9hq">Around 600 workers in Activision Publishing’s quality assurance department have formed a union. Assisted by the Communications Workers of America, the employees completed their vote with the results certified on Friday, March 8th. With that, Activision Quality Assurance United – CWA becomes the latest union to arise out of Microsoft’s gaming division and the largest video game union in the United States.</p>
<p id="6BxLhe">In 2022, Microsoft <a href="https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/cwa-microsoft-announce-labor-neutrality-agreement">affirmed a labor neutrality agreement with the CWA</a> which eases the organization process at the company and its subsidiaries including Activision Blizzard.</p>
<p id="uWviLk">In an interview with <em>The Verge</em>, Tom Shelley, a technical requirements specialist and one of Activision Quality Assurance United’s organizers, said the labor...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094602/activision-blizzard-qa-workers-unionizing-microsoftAsh Parrish2024-03-08T09:43:28-05:002024-03-08T09:43:28-05:00Microsoft says Russian hackers stole source code after spying on its executives
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<img alt="Microsoft logo" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y9yyeHzmAwfWU_CF8qXzUK0nR2E=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73191488/STK095_Microsoft_04.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Illustration: The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="taVRaY">Microsoft <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/19/24044561/microsoft-senior-leadership-emails-hack-russian-security-attack">revealed earlier this year</a> that Russian state-sponsored hackers had been spying on the email accounts of some members of its senior leadership team. Now, Microsoft is disclosing that the attack, from the same group behind the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/13/22173035/hackers-russia-breached-us-government-agencies-email-cozy-bear">SolarWinds attack</a>, has also led to some source code being stolen in what Microsoft describes as an ongoing attack.</p>
<p id="SebPnn">“In recent weeks, we have seen evidence that Midnight Blizzard [Nobelium] is using information initially exfiltrated from our corporate email systems to gain, or attempt to gain, unauthorized access,” explains Microsoft in a <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2024/03/update-on-microsoft-actions-following-attack-by-nation-state-actor-midnight-blizzard/">blog post</a>. “This has included access to some of the company’s source code repositories and internal systems. To date we have found no evidence that Microsoft-hosted...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094287/microsoft-hack-russian-security-attack-stolen-source-code">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094287/microsoft-hack-russian-security-attack-stolen-source-codeTom Warren2024-03-07T07:13:26-05:002024-03-07T07:13:26-05:00Microsoft confirms Surface and Windows AI event for March 21st
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<img alt="The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 open on an office table. The screen displays a green ribbon." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JUekKKCzVTOhAffyliyp_MMAvJs=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73188493/226368_Surface_Laptop_5_AKrales_0005.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge</figcaption>
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<p id="Q30sDo">Microsoft has quietly announced a “digital event” for Surface, Windows, and Copilot later this month. The March 21st <a href="https://modernworkannounce.event.microsoft.com/?ranMID=24542">“new era of work” event</a> is targeted at Microsoft’s business customers and will feature <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/5/24091211/microsoft-surface-pro-10-surface-laptop-6-release-date-specs">new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 devices for businesses</a>, as we reported earlier this week, with a focus on Microsoft’s upcoming AI improvements to Windows 11.</p>
<p id="HUYfUF">The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 commercial versions will be minor spec bumps, according to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans. Microsoft will also offer an OLED display on the Surface Pro 10 for consumers, which the company is expected to reveal later this spring.</p>
<div class="c-float-left c-float-hang"><aside id="8BbTB2"><q>The Surface Laptop 6 may include a new design</q></aside></div>
<p id="1oIGv8">The new Surface Laptop 6 could be the most...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093154/microsoft-surface-windows-ai-event-2024">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093154/microsoft-surface-windows-ai-event-2024Tom Warren2024-03-06T17:27:48-05:002024-03-06T17:27:48-05:00LinkedIn was down
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<img alt="A pedestrian walks by a sign at a LinkedIn office on July 26, 2023 in San Francisco, California. LinkedIn announced plans to cut nearly 200 jobs at offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. The cuts follow 700 layoffs earlier in the year." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3LBNSSG8NdctWAcYrhG1JovTRp0=/13x0:3501x2325/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73187397/1572709127.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="IWfWLv">Just one day after <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/5/24091207/meta-outage-facebook-instagram-threads-down-signed-out">Meta’s network went offline for a while</a>, LinkedIn was inaccessible around the world, cutting off job listings, resumes, and even influencers. <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/linkedin/">DownDetector</a> started noting reports of problems after 3:45PM ET.</p>
<p id="276sVy">Both the apps and website went offline temporarily, while <a href="https://www.linkedin-status.com/">LinkedIn’s status page confirmed the issues</a> with a message posted at 4:04PM ET saying, “Some members may be experiencing issues on LinkedIn. We’re actively working on this and will provide updates as we have them. Thanks for your patience!” As of 5:05PM ET, the most recent message says, “This has now been resolved and we’re back up and running. Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thanks for your patience!”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sorry about the interruption. We're back up...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/6/24092667/linkedin-outage-down-errorRichard Lawler