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Microsoft reports several bootloader vulnerabilities
a year ago
- Microsoft's main navigation includes products like Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot, Windows, Surface, and Xbox.
- Support and deals are highlighted for small businesses and general users.
- Additional sections cover software, PCs & devices, entertainment options, business solutions, and developer resources.
- Other offerings include Microsoft Rewards, education resources, store locations, and gift cards.
Microsoft redesigns BSOD, drops QR code, frowning face, blue colour
a year ago
- Microsoft is replacing the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with a Black Screen of Death in Windows 11 24H2.
- The new Black Screen of Death lacks the frowning face and detailed technical information found in the original BSOD.
- Windows Insider Program users see a Green Screen of Death, which helps in debugging.
- The new BSOD design resembles the Windows Update screen, potentially causing confusion.
- IT admins may find the new BSOD less helpful due to reduced technical details.
- The updated BSOD is currently rolling out to Windows Insider Program users and will reach non-Insiders soon.
Microsoft 50th Anniversary
a year ago
- Microsoft's main navigation includes products like Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot, Windows, Surface, and Xbox.
- Support and deals are highlighted for small businesses and general users.
- Software offerings include Windows Apps, OneDrive, Outlook, Skype, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Edge.
- PCs & Devices section features computers, Xbox accessories, VR & mixed reality, and phones.
- Entertainment options include Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox games, PC games, and Windows digital games.
- Business solutions include Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Industry, Data platform, and Microsoft Advertising.
- Developer & IT resources include .NET, Visual Studio, Windows Server, and Windows Dev Center.
- Other services include Microsoft Rewards, free downloads & security, education, store locations, and gift cards.
- User-Agent string notice for automated processes with a link to correct if incorrect.
Microsoft employees protest at 50th anniversary party over Israel contract
a year ago
- Microsoft employees protested at the company's 50th anniversary party over its contract with the Israeli military.
- The protest interrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, with employees shouting about Microsoft's involvement in supplying AI technology to the Israeli military.
- One protester, Ibtihal Aboussad, accused Microsoft of powering genocide and threw a keffiyeh scarf on stage before being escorted out.
- A second protester, Vaniya Agrawal, disrupted another part of the event featuring Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella.
- An AP investigation revealed Microsoft and OpenAI's AI models were used by the Israeli military to select bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon.
- Five Microsoft employees were previously ejected from a meeting with Nadella in February for protesting the contracts.
- Microsoft stated it provides avenues for voices to be heard but expects protests not to disrupt business.
- Aboussad and Agrawal lost access to their work accounts after the protest, possibly indicating termination.
BDS calls for boycott of Microsoft and Xbox gaming products
a year ago
- BDS calls for boycott of Microsoft and Xbox products over alleged Israeli military connections.
- Allegations include Microsoft's Azure cloud and AI products being used by the Israeli military in Gaza operations.
- Microsoft reportedly deepened ties with Israel's defense establishment post-October 7, 2023, including $10M in deals.
- Microsoft technology allegedly used for managing Palestinian population registry and airstrike target databases.
- Former Microsoft employees Abdo Mohamed and Hossam Nasr played a role in the BDS boycott call.
- BDS previously protested Microsoft's stake in AnyVision, an Israeli facial recognition startup.
- Microsoft is now a 'priority target' for BDS following January 2025 allegations.
Microsoft turns 50: A look back at everything from the Altair to the Zune
a year ago
- Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who were childhood friends obsessed with computing.
- The company started with the development of Microsoft BASIC for the Altair 8800, marking the beginning of the personal computing revolution.
- Microsoft's big idea was creating software that could work across multiple computer models, a novel concept at the time.
- The introduction of MS-DOS and Windows revolutionized personal computing, making Microsoft software ubiquitous.
- Microsoft faced challenges in hardware competition, notably with the Zune and Windows Phone, but found success with the Xbox.
- Today, Microsoft is focusing on cloud computing and AI, integrating technologies like ChatGPT and Copilot into its products.
Microsoft's Quake 2 AI experiment sparks negative reactions
a year ago
- Microsoft launched a version of Quake 2 powered entirely by generative AI.
- The demo showcases Microsoft's new AI model, Muse, which generates game visuals and controller actions.
- Microsoft acknowledges limitations, such as fuzzy enemy interactions and short context length (0.9 seconds).
- Social media reactions are largely negative, criticizing the AI's inefficiency and disrespect to developers.
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella plans to expand generative AI use in video games, comparing Muse to ChatGPT's impact.
- Generative AI in gaming sparks debate, with concerns over job losses and plagiarism, but some see potential benefits.
- Industry leaders like Take-Two's CEO and Josef Fares offer mixed views on AI's role in game development.
Remembering MS-DOS 5.0
a year ago
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Micro-Soft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this day in 1975.
- The company, later renamed Microsoft, would transform personal computing over the next five decades.
- The author recalls their first Microsoft product being MS-DOS 5.0, used on an outdated, generic PC clone.
- The PC had an Intel 8088, two 5.25-inch floppy drives, and no hard drive, relying on diskettes for storage.
Microsoft fixes 124 flaws, including one under active exploitation
a year ago
- Microsoft released 124 security fixes in its latest Patch Tuesday update.
- One vulnerability (CVE-2025-29824) is under active exploitation, affecting Windows Common Log File System.
- The exploited flaw has a CVSS score of 7.8 and was used by the Storm-2460 group to deploy ransomware.
- 11 vulnerabilities were marked as 'Critical,' with others affecting Office and Excel.
- Experts warn that lower-severity flaws can be chained for system takeovers.
- The Patch Tuesday update may trigger additional exploit attempts ('Exploit Wednesday').
- Affected sectors include IT, real estate (U.S.), finance (Venezuela), software (Spain), and retail (Saudi Arabia).
- Security researchers emphasize the risks of combining exploits with social engineering attacks.
Non-coders and managers face potential layoffs as Microsoft considers job cuts
a year ago
- Microsoft is considering job cuts as soon as May to improve metrics like 'span of control' and 'PM ratio.'
- Cuts may target middle managers and aim to increase the ratio of coders to non-coders.
- Microsoft's security boss, Charlie Bell, aims for a 10-to-1 engineer-to-PM ratio, up from 5.5-to-1.
- Earlier this year, Microsoft let go of 2,000 employees deemed low performers.
- Potential cuts may also target employees with 'Impact 80' or lower performance scores for two consecutive years.
- Microsoft evaluates employees on a 'ManageRewards slider' from 0 to 200, influencing stock awards and bonuses.
Microsoft Prepares for New Round of Layoffs in May 2025
a year ago
- Microsoft plans layoffs starting May 2025 to streamline its organizational structure.
- Focus on reducing middle management and non-technical roles to improve efficiency.
- Aims to increase the engineer-to-non-engineer ratio in project teams.
- Seeks to reduce bureaucratic layers and enhance managers' 'span of control'.
- Adjusting the 'PM ratio' to prioritize engineers over managers in product development.
- Inspired by Amazon's 'Builder Ratio' emphasizing more engineers than non-builders.
- Similar restructuring efforts seen at Google and Amazon, reducing managerial levels.
- Middle management and non-technical roles most affected by layoffs.
- Exact number of jobs at risk not confirmed but could significantly impact certain teams.
- Employees with consecutive low performance ratings may also face scrutiny.
- Layoffs are more focused on restructuring rather than performance-based cuts.
- Strategic effort to optimize workforce and enhance operational efficiency.
- Prioritizing technical talent to maintain competitiveness in the tech landscape.
Important open source projects should not use GitHub (2020)
a year ago
- Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub and npm raises concerns about control over open source projects.
- Historical context: Microsoft was once an adversary of open source, employing tactics against Linux.
- Current situation: Many important open source projects still rely on GitHub despite Microsoft's ownership.
- Risks: Centralizing code repositories on GitHub gives Microsoft significant influence over the open source community.
- Alternatives: Projects like Codeberg and sourcehut offer privacy-focused, independent hosting options.
- Call to action: Large open source projects should self-host to maintain independence from corporate control.
Microsoft researchers developed a hyper-efficient AI model that can run on CPUs
a year ago
- Microsoft researchers developed BitNet b1.58 2B4T, the largest-scale 1-bit AI model to date.
- BitNet b1.58 2B4T is openly available under an MIT license and can run on CPUs, including Apple’s M2.
- Bitnets quantize weights into three values (-1, 0, 1), making them memory- and computing-efficient.
- BitNet b1.58 2B4T has 2 billion parameters and was trained on 4 trillion tokens (~33 million books).
- The model outperforms similar-sized models like Meta’s Llama 3.2 1B, Google’s Gemma 3 1B, and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 1.5B on benchmarks.
- BitNet b1.58 2B4T is faster and uses less memory than other models of its size.
- Performance requires Microsoft’s custom framework, bitnet.cpp, which currently lacks GPU support.
- Bitnets show promise for resource-constrained devices but face compatibility challenges.
Microsoft Copilot can now 'see' what's on your screen in Edge
a year ago
- Copilot Vision, Microsoft’s AI assistant feature, is now free to use within the Edge browser.
- The feature allows users to interact with Copilot by speaking and receiving responses.
- Copilot Vision can 'see' what’s on your screen, helping with tasks like following recipes or preparing for job interviews.
- The feature highlights portions of the screen but does not interact with links or perform actions.
- Broader system-wide Copilot Vision features are still limited to Copilot Pro subscribers.
- To use Copilot Vision, users must opt-in via Microsoft’s website in the Edge browser.
- Some users may experience delays or issues when trying to activate the feature.
- Microsoft logs Copilot’s responses but does not collect user inputs, images, or page content during sessions.
Microsoft C/C++ Extension appears no longer support unofficial forks of VS Code
a year ago
- Microsoft's C/C++ extension (v1.24.5) now blocks usage on non-Microsoft products.
- Error message restricts use to Microsoft products like Visual Studio, VS Code, Azure DevOps, etc.
- Issue reported in VSCodium after extension update on April 4, 2025.
- User downgraded to v1.23.6 and disabled Auto Update as a temporary fix.
- Related discussions and issues referenced, including getcursor/cursor#2976 and VSCodium Discussion #2286.
- VSCodium version: 1.96.4.25017, Platform: Windows 10 (22H2, 19045.5608).
Microsoft continues efforts to convince Win10 users to upgrade to TPM 2.0 PCs
a year ago
- Microsoft's main navigation includes products like Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot, Windows, Surface, Xbox, and more.
- Support and deals are highlighted for small businesses and general users.
- Software offerings include Windows Apps, OneDrive, Outlook, Skype, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Edge.
- PCs & Devices section covers computers, Xbox accessories, VR & mixed reality, and phones.
- Entertainment options include Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox games, PC games, and Windows digital games.
- Business solutions feature Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Industry, Data platform, and Microsoft Advertising.
- Developer & IT resources include .NET, Visual Studio, Windows Server, Windows Dev Center, and Docs.
- Other sections include Microsoft Rewards, free downloads & security, education, store locations, and gift cards.
- The page includes a sitemap link and a search function for Microsoft.com.
Windows 11 Recall–and what Microsoft has (and hasn't) fixed
a year ago
- Microsoft is reintroducing Recall to Windows 11, limited to Copilot+ PCs.
- Recall was controversial for creating an extensive database of user activities, including text and screenshots.
- Initial version had major security flaws, recording everything by default with minimal safeguards.
- It lacked automatic exclusion of sensitive data like bank details and credit card numbers.
- The feature was rushed, bypassing normal Windows Insider preview and testing processes.
- Microsoft has since made changes: Recall is now off by default and can be removed entirely.
- Data is encrypted at rest, with automated filters for sensitive information and Windows Hello reauthentication required.
- Recall is being rolled out to the Windows Insider Release Preview channel after extensive testing.
Internal MS email to managers details new policies to cull low performers
a year ago
- Microsoft introduces new policies to enhance performance management and address underperformers.
- Underperformers face a two-year rehire ban and are ineligible for internal transfers.
- Tech industry trends show a shift towards stricter performance expectations and efficiency.
- Meta has similar policies, including block lists for former underperforming employees.
- Microsoft's performance review process now includes a 0-200 scale affecting stock awards and bonuses.
- New tools and initiatives aim to foster accountability and high performance among employees.
- Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) offer employees a choice to improve or leave with a separation agreement.
- Managers will receive scenario-based, AI-supported tools for handling performance conversations.
Windows File Manager (WinFile) repository archived on March 1, 2025
a year ago
- Project maintenance is discontinued due to lack of expertise and resources.
- Users can continue with private forks but should be cautious about security risks.
- Windows File Manager is revived as a native app for x86, x64, and arm64 on all supported Windows versions, including Windows 11.
- Two primary versions of the source code exist: 'original_plus' (minimal changes from Windows NT4) and 'current master' (actively developed with enhancements).
- Bug fixes and minor changes to the master branch are welcome via pull requests or issues.
- Pre-compiled versions of WinFile are available for download, including via Winget.
- The Windows File Manager was originally released with Windows 3.0 in the early 1990s.
- Contributions require agreeing to a Contributor License Agreement (CLA).
- The project follows the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct.
- Copyright and licensing under the MIT License.
MS's patch for symlink vulnerability introduces another symlink vulnerability
a year ago
- Microsoft patched CVE-2025–21204, a symlink privilege escalation vulnerability.
- The fix involves precreating the c:\inetpub folder on all Windows systems starting April 2025 updates.
- This fix introduces a new denial of service vulnerability in the Windows servicing stack.
- Non-admin users can create a junction point from c:\inetpub to c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe.
- This action prevents future Windows security updates from installing, causing systems to remain unpatched.
- The issue was reported to MSRC two weeks ago with no response yet.

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#microsoft

Microsoft reports several bootloader vulnerabilities

Microsoft redesigns BSOD, drops QR code, frowning face, blue colour

Microsoft 50th Anniversary

Microsoft employees protest at 50th anniversary party over Israel contract

BDS calls for boycott of Microsoft and Xbox gaming products

Microsoft turns 50: A look back at everything from the Altair to the Zune

Microsoft's Quake 2 AI experiment sparks negative reactions

Remembering MS-DOS 5.0

Microsoft fixes 124 flaws, including one under active exploitation

Non-coders and managers face potential layoffs as Microsoft considers job cuts

Microsoft Prepares for New Round of Layoffs in May 2025

Important open source projects should not use GitHub (2020)

Microsoft researchers developed a hyper-efficient AI model that can run on CPUs

Microsoft Copilot can now 'see' what's on your screen in Edge

Microsoft C/C++ Extension appears no longer support unofficial forks of VS Code

Microsoft continues efforts to convince Win10 users to upgrade to TPM 2.0 PCs

Windows 11 Recall–and what Microsoft has (and hasn't) fixed

Internal MS email to managers details new policies to cull low performers

Windows File Manager (WinFile) repository archived on March 1, 2025

MS's patch for symlink vulnerability introduces another symlink vulnerability