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Microsoft to lay off thousands in July, but don't worry, AI's getting $80 billion

In context: There's been plenty of talk about machines displacing human workers in the AI Age, mainly focusing on direct replacements – computers taking over tasks like design and programming. Meanwhile, spending on AI infrastructure soars as investment in human skills steadily declines. Bloomberg reports that Microsoft is preparing to lay off thousands of workers next month, with most of the cuts expected to hit the company's sales and customer service divisions. It's a jarring move but not an

In Praise of "Normal" Engineers

This article was originally commissioned by Luca Rossi (paywalled) for refactoring.fm, on February 11th, 2025. Luca edited a version of it that emphasized the importance of building “10x engineering teams” . It was later picked up by IEEE Spectrum (!!!), who scrapped most of the teams content and published a different, shorter piece on March 13th. This is my personal edit. It is not exactly identical to either of the versions that have been publicly released to date. It contains a lot of the so

RIP Microsoft Passwords: Here's How to Set Up a Passkey Before the August Deadline

Risky password habits can have big consequences, and some companies are making it easier to stay secure online by ditching decades-old password methods and implementing passkeys instead. Microsoft intends to do the same starting in August. Whether you have an easy-to-guess password or it's leaked in a company data breach, if hackers get hold of it, it can open the door to identity theft and fraud. A recent CNET survey found that 49% of US adults have risky password habits, like using the same p

Inside Microsoft’s complicated relationship with OpenAI

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Beyond the selfies between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and the friendly conversations between the pair on stage, all is not well with Microsoft’s $13 billion AI investment. Over the past year, multiple reports have painted a picture of a Microsoft and OpenAI relationship that is straining under pressure. As OpenAI battles for access to more compute p

'A Minecraft Movie': Release Date and Time on Max

If you caught some morsels from A Minecraft Movie on social media -- videos of theater audiences going wild over a chicken jockey or Jack Black passionately singing about cooking chicken with lava -- tomorrow you can stream the flick that started it all. The Max streaming service, which will soon take on the title of HBO Max again, previously announced that the video game movie would premiere in June. Now it's shared the exact release date for the PG-rated comedy. A Minecraft Movie stars Black,

How AI can save us from our 'infinite' workdays, according to Microsoft

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty How often do you find yourself working early in the morning, late at night, or even on weekends? Whether you're responding to emails, checking reports, or attending meetings, the workday often seems like it never ends. That's especially true in this age of remote and hybrid workers. Well, at least one major tech giant apparently feels your pain. In a new special report entitled "Breaking down the infinite workday," Microsoft describes how and why the never-ending workd

Posit floating point numbers: thin triangles and other tricks (2019)

WARNING: Some numerical analysis and mathematics will be mentioned in passing. Also the number systems will not be treated like black-boxes. Risk of physical injury, however, is negligible. I like magic tricks. Watching the performer do the show and attempting to catch the “slight-of-hand” that makes the impossible seem possible. It’s fun and makes me believe in magic for a few moments. So I’m going to give a shot at doing some floating point magic tricks. Throughout my performance I’ll use

Microsoft unveils new security defaults for Windows 365 Cloud PCs

Microsoft has announced new Windows 365 security defaults starting in the second half of 2025 and affecting newly provisioned and reprovisioned Cloud PCs. The company said these changes include disabling the clipboard, drive, USB, and printer redirections by default to block users from copying files between Cloud PCs and physical devices through clipboard functions to reduce risks of data theft and block malware attacks. However, while USB redirections will be disabled by default, they only ta

Dell’s 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop Drops to $800 From $3,000, Comes With Tons of Goodies for Early Prime Day

If you’re still working off of a piece of decade old tech, it may be time to start looking for a replacement. The Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop is a worthwhile option that can work for pretty much anyone’s basic needs, be it you’re a student, small business owner, or just someone who wants to use something besides their phone to check Facebook. Dell has its Inspiron touchscreen laptop on sale for 73% off, bringing it down from its listed price of $3,000 to just $800. Now that’s a pretty staggerin

Can't quite log off? Microsoft reveals the bleak reality of work today - and 3 ways AI can help

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty How often do you find yourself working early in the morning, late at night, or even on weekends? Whether you're responding to emails, checking reports, or attending meetings, the workday often seems like it never ends. That's especially true in this age of remote and hybrid workers. Well, at least one major tech giant apparently feels your pain. In a new special report entitled "Breaking down the infinite workday," Microsoft describes how and why the never-ending workd

How you can get Microsoft 365 (formerly Office) for free - 3 easy ways

Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images Whether you're a student, a professional, a parent, an entrepreneur, a CEO, a writer, or an artist, chances are pretty good you need an office suite at your fingertips. But what do you do if money is tight? With costs constantly on the rise, everyone is having to pinch pennies on some level, and that doesn't stop with software. You could always adopt a free service, such as Google Docs, LibreOffice, or any number of free alternatives, but if Microsoft Off

Minecraft now has a photo mode with Vibrant Memories

Photo modes are a pretty common feature for video games where players go bounding around an interesting open world. Today, Minecraft joined their ranks, making an in-game camera available in the Minecraft Marketplace as a free add-on called Vibrant Memories. The feature requires a copy of Minecraft's Bedrock Edition on any platform; the Java version doesn't appear to support the camera. As well as capturing the moment as-is and saving particular camera angles to reuse later, Vibrant Memories wi

Taylor Swift once put Apple on blast and prompted big Apple Music change

Apple and Taylor Swift are each bigger successes today than ever before. 10 years ago though, they found themselves on opposite sides of a major issue that could have unraveled the successful launch of Apple Music. Here’s what happened. Apple’s transition to streaming music faced a critical last-minute challenge 10 years ago, Apple was gearing up for its highly anticipated launch of Apple Music. The company had spent $3 billion to acquire Beats, with a major motivator being the buzzy Beats Mu

Keylogger campaign hitting Outlook Web Access on vulnerable Exchange servers goes global

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust Facepalm: Keylogging malware is a particularly dangerous threat, as it is typically designed to capture login credentials or other sensitive data from users. When you add a compromised Exchange server to the mix, it creates an even nastier situation for any organization. Researchers from Positive Technologies recently unveiled a new study on a keylogger-based campaign targeting organizations worldw

iOS 18.6 now available in beta, plus macOS 15.6, more [U: Public betas]

Last week Apple debuted its major new software versions coming this fall, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and more. But it isn’t finished with the current software cycle just yet, as the first betas for iOS 18.6, macOS 15.6, and more have now arrived. Update 6/18/25: Public beta versions are now rolling out too, a couple days after the developer releases arrived. Inside Apple, the vast majority of software engineers’ time has been dedicated, likely for a while now, to preparing iOS 26 and the oth

Topics: 18 apple ios new software

Elon Says He’s Working to ‘Fix’ Grok After AI Disagrees With Him on Right-Wing Violence

Billionaire conspiracy theorist Elon Musk really doesn’t like it when Grok says anything that contradicts his far-right worldview. And that’s exactly what his AI chatbot did late Tuesday when an X user asked whether people on the political right or the political left have been more violent since President Donald Trump was first elected in 2016. Grok said it was people on the right. Musk responded that he was working to fix Grok so it wouldn’t do that again. It all started on Tuesday in a tweet

Topics: grok left like musk right

Keylogger campaign hitting Microsoft Exchange servers goes global

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust Facepalm: Keylogging malware is a particularly dangerous threat, as it is typically designed to capture login credentials or other sensitive data from users. When you add a compromised Exchange server to the mix, it creates an even nastier situation for any organization. Researchers from Positive Technologies recently unveiled a new study on a keylogger-based campaign targeting organizations worldw

The best graphic design software of 2025: Feature-packed, professional tools

Whether you're a student just starting your graphic design journey or you're a seasoned professional, you won't get far without the right tools. We've moved on from the early days of classic Adobe Photoshop and Corel, and while these software suites are now modern and valuable in their own right, there is a multitude of graphic design packages out there for you to choose from. Windows, Mac, tablets, or even smartphones -- no matter the device, there's software out there for you. Some are focus

Xbox’s Best and Only Move Left Is to Become a PC

Your next Xbox device, whether it’s a console, handheld, or some other strange, eldritch device with a glowing green “X”, may be a PC in everything but name. Xbox President Sarah Bond told the world this week that it was working on a sequel to the Xbox Series X console. Hell, there is a whole extended “family” of devices bearing the Xbox name currently in the works. The announcement implied more than just new hardware. Microsoft’s whole brand could shift to being more PC-like with a game-themed

Why Microsoft’s next Xbox should just run Windows already

Yesterday, Microsoft confirmed that it's not abandoning the home console market just yet. In a short video teaser, Xbox President Sarah Bond highlighted a "strategic multi-year partnership with AMD" that will include "our next-generation Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands." But while we know that the "in your hands" part will include devices like the Windows-powered ROG Xbox Ally, there are still few specifics about what exactly Microsoft has planned for its future living room c

Microsoft 365 to block file access via legacy auth protocols by default

Microsoft has announced that it will start updating security defaults for all Microsoft 365 tenants in July to block access to SharePoint, OneDrive, and Office files via legacy authentication protocols. These changes will also address application access permissions that can expose organizations to unnecessary security risks. The rollout is set to begin in mid-July 2025, with an estimated completion date by August 2025. Microsoft will enable them by default for all Microsoft 365 tenants, across

Watch as the Star of ‘Murderbot’ Finally, Begrudgingly Learns How to Speak Human

As Murderbot fans have realized by now, the titular SecUnit robot would much, much rather check the perimeter or binge-watch trashy soap operas than interact with the humans in its care. Do not expect eye contact! But as we’re in the second half of the season, the self-aware AI and its team have bonded a bit as they’ve endured some major danger together—and it’s not over yet. In episode six, we saw Murderbot abruptly eliminate the “hostile” who was only pretending to be the sole survivor of a m

Paddle settles for $5 million over facilitating tech support scams

Paddle.com and its U.S. subsidiary will pay $5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations that the company facilitated deceptive tech-support schemes that harmed many U.S. consumers, including older adults. Paddle, a UK-based payment processor, offers payments, tax handling, compliance, and checkout infrastructure for software and digital product sellers by acting as a "merchant of record." According to the FTC, Paddle failed to perform adequate screening and fraud prevention

Next-gen Xbox to support Steam, Epic, and more – consoles will run on AMD chips

Something to look forward to: Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed that Microsoft's next game console will support titles from multiple digital storefronts and maintain backward compatibility. Additionally, a newly announced agreement with AMD suggests that an official Xbox handheld is still in development. All of Microsoft's upcoming consoles (whatever they are) are expected to be AMD powered. Microsoft's hardware-agnostic video game business model and its responses to Valve's Steam Deck ha

Cybersecurity takes a big hit in new Trump executive order

Cybersecurity practitioners are voicing concerns over a recent executive order issued by the White House that guts requirements for: securing software the government uses, punishing people who compromise sensitive networks, preparing new encryption schemes that will withstand attacks from quantum computers, and other existing controls. The executive order (EO), issued on June 6, reverses several key cybersecurity orders put in place by President Joe Biden, some as recently as a few days before

OpenAI’s $200M DoD contract could squeeze frenemy Microsoft

OpenAI said Monday the U.S. Department of Defense granted it a contract for up to $200 million to help the agency identify and build prototype systems that use its frontier models for administrative tasks and more. OpenAI provides a few examples of possible tasking, such as helping service members get healthcare, streamlining data on various programs, and “supporting proactive cyber defense.” The company also said that “All use cases must be consistent with OpenAI’s usage policies and guideline

There's Explosive Drama Between OpenAI and Microsoft

The partnership that ushered in our age of AI is showing some major cracks. As the Wall Street Journal reports, OpenAI wants its longtime patron Microsoft to loosen its control on its AI products, while also seeking Microsoft's approval to let it become a for-profit company, which OpenAI has been planning for a while now. But the negotiations have turned ugly. And OpenAI is so frustrated with its benefactor that behind the scenes, executives are considering the "nuclear option": going to court

Xbox's AMD partnership sheds light on the future of the division's ecosystem

Microsoft has no plans to get out of the console business anytime soon. The company has been reiterating for a while that it's going to make at least one more generation of Xbox consoles. It's now been confirmed that AMD will power the upcoming hardware, as it did with the Xbox Series X/S. Xbox president Sarah Bond made the announcement in a short video. Under the multi-year partnership, Xbox and AMD are "advancing the state of art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics in

OpenAI weighs "nuclear option" of antitrust complaint against Microsoft

OpenAI executives have discussed filing an antitrust complaint with US regulators against Microsoft, the company's largest investor, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two long-term AI partners. OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, has reportedly considered seeking a federal regulatory review of the terms of its contract with Microsoft for potential antitrust law violations, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential antitr