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OpenAI Is Building an office productivity suite
10 months ago
- OpenAI is considering launching its own productivity suite with generative AI, directly competing with Microsoft 365.
- The relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI has deteriorated, with both considering 'nuclear options' that could harm each other.
- OpenAI's potential productivity suite may include collaborative document editing, automated meeting transcriptions, and team chat capabilities, integrated with ChatGPT.
- The suite could differentiate itself by focusing on genAI-driven collaboration, potentially changing how documents are created and edited.
- Microsoft's pricing for Microsoft 365 with Copilot is seen as vulnerable, with OpenAI possibly undercutting it to attract enterprises.
- The success of OpenAI's suite is uncertain, but its launch could pressure Microsoft to improve Microsoft 365 Copilot.
A Tour of Microsoft's Mac Lab
9 months ago
- Microsoft's Mac Lab is a 2000 square feet facility dedicated to testing and developing Mac software, including Microsoft Office for Mac.
- The lab houses a vast collection of Apple hardware, from vintage models like the Power Macintosh G3 to modern setups, including a cluster of Mac minis for automated testing.
- Automated testing is a key function, with thousands of tests run daily on multiple builds of Office across different OS versions and languages.
- The lab uses Apple Remote Desktop and KVM switches to manage and control the extensive array of Macs efficiently.
- Backup systems are in place, including offsite backups, though challenges like data loss due to software bugs have been encountered.
- The lab also serves as a resource for other Microsoft teams needing to test software on Mac hardware.
- The MacBU team emphasizes a balance between work and play, with amenities like free drinks, a foosball table, and Xbox consoles for relaxation.
- The post highlights the team's passion for Macs and their commitment to delivering high-quality software for the Mac platform.
Not sovereign: Microsoft cannot guarantee the security of EU data
9 months ago
- Microsoft France's Chief Legal Officer admitted there's no guarantee EU data won't be transferred to the USA.
- Microsoft can only refuse US data requests if they're formally unfounded, but must comply with valid requests.
- US laws like the CLOUD Act and Patriot Act allow the US government to request data from cloud providers.
- Hyperscalers like AWS and Microsoft are creating EU subsidiaries or on-premises solutions to address sovereignty concerns.
- Open-source competitors like Nextcloud are seeing increased demand due to sovereignty issues.
- The hearing highlights broader EU concerns over US cloud services and data sovereignty.
- A workshop on cloud sovereignty is being offered to help companies develop future-proof IT strategies.
10k companies at risk from Microsoft Sharepoint security flaw
9 months ago
- Over 10,000 organizations globally are at risk due to a serious security flaw in Microsoft Sharepoint.
- The vulnerability is actively being exploited, with US federal and state agencies among the affected.
- Security researchers describe the flaw as a 'dream' for hackers, especially ransomware operators.
- Microsoft has issued a patch for SharePoint Subscription Edition and is working on fixes for SharePoint 2016 and 2019.
- Hackers can maintain access through backdoors or modified components even after patches are applied.
- Microsoft has provided precautionary measures, but sensitive documents may need to be temporarily removed from Sharepoint.
Microsoft servers hacked by Chinese groups, firm says
9 months ago
- Chinese 'threat actors' hacked Microsoft's SharePoint servers, targeting business data.
- Groups involved include state-backed Linen Typhoon, Violet Typhoon, and Storm-2603.
- Hackers exploited vulnerabilities in on-premises SharePoint servers, not cloud-based services.
- Microsoft released security updates and urged customers to install them promptly.
- Hackers stole cryptographic material to maintain access to victims' SharePoint data.
- Targets included governments, defense sectors, NGOs, think tanks, and financial institutions.
- Mandiant Consulting confirmed victims across multiple sectors and global regions.
- Linen Typhoon has a 13-year history of stealing intellectual property.
- Violet Typhoon focused on espionage against ex-government and military personnel.
- Storm-2603 is assessed as a China-based threat actor with medium confidence.
I've Had It with Microsoft
9 months ago
- Microsoft is raising prices on existing customers to fund its AI spending.
- Generative AI is criticized as a con with big promises but little utility.
- Microsoft's deceptive practice involves moving customers to a more expensive plan with AI features without clear communication.
- The author's Office subscription price increased by 46%, with no upfront option to opt out of AI features.
- Only when attempting to cancel did the author discover a cheaper, non-AI plan existed.
- The author expresses disgust at Microsoft's deceptive tactics and plans to leave its ecosystem.
- Criticism extends to Microsoft's broader unethical practices, including aiding Israel's actions against Palestinians.
- The author calls for consequences for Microsoft and similar tech companies deceiving customers.
Microsoft to stop using China-based teams to support Department of Defense
9 months ago
- Microsoft will no longer use China-based engineering teams for Defense Department’s cloud computing systems due to cybersecurity risks.
- Microsoft has also used China-based personnel to maintain cloud systems for other federal departments like Justice, Treasury, and Commerce.
- The Government Community Cloud (GCC) handles sensitive but unclassified information, approved by FedRAMP for 'moderate' impact data.
- Cybersecurity experts warn that foreign support for GCC could enable spying and sabotage, even with unclassified data.
- China is deemed the 'most active and persistent cyber threat' to U.S. networks by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
- Microsoft plans to discontinue China-based support for GCC and will conduct a review for additional security measures.
- Other cloud providers like AWS, Google, and Oracle do not use China-based support for U.S. federal contracts.
- Microsoft’s use of digital escorts for oversight has been criticized for lacking advanced technical expertise to police foreign engineers.
- The revelations have sparked concerns in Washington about national security and Microsoft’s cybersecurity practices.
Microsoft bans LibreOffice developer's account without warning, rejects appeal
9 months ago
- LibreOffice developer Mike Kaganski was banned from Microsoft services, allegedly for violating the Services Agreement.
- Kaganski's account was blocked when he tried to send a technical email via Thunderbird, a routine task.
- Microsoft's automated appeal system failed, asking for a phone number but providing no alternative when it didn't work.
- Kaganski criticized Microsoft's support system, which required signing in to contact support—impossible since his account was blocked.
- He eventually used his wife's account to appeal, but Microsoft marked his ticket as resolved without fixing the issue.
- Kaganski's email, which Microsoft flagged, was successfully sent via Gmail without issues.
- Other users, like Reddit user u/deus03690, have also reported account lockouts with no recovery options, losing access to important data.
You know what: Microsoft became miserably incompetent in IT
9 months ago
- Microsoft blocked the author's account after sending an email to the LibreOffice dev mailing list, citing a violation of their service agreement.
- The appeal process required a phone number, but the automated system failed to resolve the issue, providing no alternative methods.
- Contacting Microsoft Support led to a loop where the support team instructed the author to follow the same ineffective steps, then closed the ticket without resolution.
- The author criticizes Microsoft's incompetence in IT, particularly their reliance on flawed AI and lack of effective customer support.
- Despite the issues, the author continues to use Windows for development to maintain expertise on a platform widely used by their audience.
- The experience has led the author to avoid certain Microsoft services and reconsider the company's technical expertise.
Frozen in transit: Secret Blizzard's AiTM campaign against diplomats
9 months 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, developer resources, and other services like Microsoft Rewards and education.
- The page also provides links to free downloads, security information, store locations, and gift cards.
How to get another free year of updates for your Windows 10 PC
9 months ago
- Microsoft will stop providing security updates for Windows 10 after October 14, 2025.
- Users can get an extra year of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) until October 2026 by enrolling their PCs.
- Enrollment requires a Microsoft account, administrator access, and a PC running eligible Windows 10 versions.
- Workplace PCs joined to domains or managed by MDM are excluded from the consumer ESU program.
- Microsoft charges a nominal $30 fee for ESUs, but there are ways to avoid paying it.
Microsoft is open sourcing Windows 11's UI framework
9 months ago
- Microsoft is working on making WinUI more open-source but cannot flip a switch due to its complexity and proprietary connections.
- The company plans to open WinUI's GitHub repository in phases, starting with increased transparency and ending with GitHub as the primary development hub.
- Developers can currently contribute by providing feedback, filing issues, and upvoting existing feedback while waiting for full open-sourcing.
Helion begins work on Washington nuclear fusion plant
9 months ago
- Helion, a Microsoft-backed nuclear fusion company, is building its first fusion power plant in Washington state.
- The Orion plant aims to supply power to Microsoft data centers by 2028, pending development progress.
- Microsoft signed the first power purchase agreement (PPA) for nuclear fusion in May 2023, planning to use up to 50 MW after a ramp-up period.
- Helion's project is ahead of typical commercial fusion power timelines, targeting operational status sooner than expected.
- The plant will connect to Washington's power grid, supporting Microsoft's goal to be carbon negative by 2030.
- Helion's seventh-generation prototype, Polaris, aims to demonstrate the first electricity from fusion, following achievements with the Trenta prototype.
- Helion has raised over $1 billion, with a valuation of $5.4 billion, including a recent $425 million Series F round.
- OpenAI founder Sam Altman backs Helion, and OpenAI has reportedly discussed purchasing large amounts of power from the company.
- Google recently signed a 200 MW PPA with rival fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems, targeting early 2030s for power delivery.
- Fusion energy, unlike fission, merges light nuclei, offering a potential long-term, nearly unlimited energy source if commercialized.
Microsoft tops $4T in valuation: Great news for MSFT, not so great for workers
9 months ago
- Microsoft reaches a $4 trillion valuation with strong financial performance, driven by cloud and AI businesses.
- Despite financial success, Microsoft laid off approximately 25,000 employees in 2025, including 9,100 in July alone.
- CEO Satya Nadella acknowledges the paradox of thriving financially while reducing workforce, attributing it to industry demands for change.
- Other tech giants like IBM, Meta, Amazon, and TCS are also cutting jobs, replacing roles with AI solutions.
- AI's effectiveness in replacing skilled jobs is questioned, with developers reporting low trust in AI tools due to frequent errors.
- The tech job market is shrinking, with job postings down 36% from early 2020 levels, raising concerns about AI's long-term viability in replacing human workers.
Israel relying on Microsoft cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians
9 months ago
- Microsoft's Azure cloud platform was used by Israel's Unit 8200 to store and analyze millions of Palestinian phone calls for mass surveillance.
- The system, operational since 2022, facilitated deadly airstrikes and military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Microsoft claims it was unaware of the surveillance use, but leaked documents and sources indicate close collaboration with Unit 8200.
- The cloud-based system stores calls for about a month, allowing retrieval of conversations of individuals who later become of interest.
- Unit 8200's commander, Yossi Sariel, prioritized the project, leveraging Microsoft's Azure for expansive data storage and AI-driven analysis.
- The system failed to prevent the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, leading to Sariel's resignation.
- Microsoft faced internal and external criticism for its ties to Israel's military and the role of its technology in the Gaza conflict.
Windows Subsystem for Linux "WSL" Updated for a Security Vulnerability
9 months ago
- Microsoft released an updated version of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to address a yet-to-be-public security vulnerability.
- The update, WSL 2.5.10, was released in advance of the public disclosure of the vulnerability, which is scheduled for August 12 (Patch Tuesday).
- The commit for WSL 2.5.10 includes changes to how WSLg handles VM ID, removing reliance on an environment variable and other code optimizations.
- This marks the first time Microsoft has released a WSL update before publicly disclosing the associated CVE details.
Israel is reportedly storing Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft servers
9 months ago
- Israel has been recording and storing millions of Palestinian phone calls since 2022 as part of a surveillance effort.
- The recordings are stored on Microsoft Azure servers, with a segregated area reportedly approved by CEO Satya Nadella.
- The surveillance data has allegedly been used to prepare airstrikes and shape military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Microsoft faces scrutiny for its role in Israel's military actions, with employees protesting and refusing to work on related Azure contracts.
- An external review commissioned by Microsoft found no evidence of Azure being used to harm people, but reports suggest otherwise.
- Google has also been accused of assisting Israel by expanding access to AI tools for military use.
The Windows 10 emoji picker has been broken for a month
9 months ago
- Windows 10 emoji picker search functionality broken by update KB5062554 on July 8th.
- Microsoft acknowledged the issue six days later, only after media reports.
- Fix released in preview update KB5062649 on July 22nd, expected in August 12th Patch Tuesday.
- Windows update schedule follows Patch Tuesday, with out-of-band releases for critical fixes only.
- Microsoft's Known Issue Rollback mechanism allows reverting non-security bugfixes, but most patches are security-related.
- Windows-as-a-service model introduced in 2015 did not significantly change the update schedule.
- Security patches cannot be rolled out gradually due to 'Exploit Wednesday' risks.
- Microsoft relies heavily on beta testers and telemetry for bug identification, lacking robust regression testing.
- Windows 10 end-of-life is October 14, 2025, with potential quality concerns in final updates.
- Author reflects on the complexities of software engineering and the challenges faced by Microsoft.
Microsoft Office Lens getting the axe
9 months ago
- Microsoft Lens, a simple and effective mobile document scanner, is being discontinued.
- The app will be retired from iOS and Android starting September 15, 2025, and removed from app stores by November 15, 2025.
- Users can continue scanning until December 15, 2025, after which only access to prior scans remains.
- Originally launched in 2015 as Office Lens, it was known for its no-subscription model and versatile scanning features.
- Microsoft is directing users to its Copilot AI app, which lacks many of Lens's functionalities like direct saving to OneNote or Word.
- Lens remains popular, with over 322,000 downloads in the last 30 days and 92.3 million downloads since January 2017.
- Microsoft has not commented on the decision to shut down Lens.
Abusing Entra OAuth for fun and access to internal Microsoft applications
9 months ago
- The author discovered access to over 22 internal Microsoft services due to misconfigurations in multi-tenant applications.
- Initial access was gained through aka.ms and eng.ms domains, leading to unauthorized entry into Microsoft's Engineering Hub.
- The vulnerability stemmed from misconfigured Entra ID authentication, allowing login via personal Microsoft accounts.
- A subdomain enumeration revealed 1,406 applications using Entra ID, with 176 misconfigured as multi-tenant.
- Exploiting these misconfigurations provided access to sensitive internal tools like the Security Intelligence Platform and Media Creation service.
- The research highlights shared responsibility risks in application deployment and authentication checks.
- A PowerShell script was developed to identify vulnerable multi-tenant applications in Entra environments.
- The author reported findings to MSRC, earning significant bug bounties and third place on the Q1 leaderboard.
- A final exploit in the 'Rewards Support Tool' demonstrated potential for financial gain, humorously termed an 'infinite money glitch'.

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#microsoft

OpenAI Is Building an office productivity suite

A Tour of Microsoft's Mac Lab

Not sovereign: Microsoft cannot guarantee the security of EU data

10k companies at risk from Microsoft Sharepoint security flaw

Microsoft servers hacked by Chinese groups, firm says

I've Had It with Microsoft

Microsoft to stop using China-based teams to support Department of Defense

Microsoft bans LibreOffice developer's account without warning, rejects appeal

You know what: Microsoft became miserably incompetent in IT

Frozen in transit: Secret Blizzard's AiTM campaign against diplomats

How to get another free year of updates for your Windows 10 PC

Microsoft is open sourcing Windows 11's UI framework

Helion begins work on Washington nuclear fusion plant

Microsoft tops $4T in valuation: Great news for MSFT, not so great for workers

Israel relying on Microsoft cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians

Windows Subsystem for Linux "WSL" Updated for a Security Vulnerability

Israel is reportedly storing Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft servers

The Windows 10 emoji picker has been broken for a month

Microsoft Office Lens getting the axe

Abusing Entra OAuth for fun and access to internal Microsoft applications