WEATHER ALERT
Microsoft reports quarterly sales up 16% to $65.6 billion as investors ask if AI spending worth it
Read full article: Microsoft reports quarterly sales up 16% to $65.6 billion as investors ask if AI spending worth itMicrosoft on Wednesday reported its quarterly sales grew 16% to $65.6 billion as the company sought to assure investors its huge spending on artificial intelligence is paying off.
Microsoft hits back at Delta after the airline said last month's tech outage cost it $500 million
Read full article: Microsoft hits back at Delta after the airline said last month's tech outage cost it $500 millionMicrosoft is joining cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike in fighting back against criticism from Delta Air Lines.
Microsoft says that a cyberattack triggered the hours-long outage impacting Azure customers
Read full article: Microsoft says that a cyberattack triggered the hours-long outage impacting Azure customersA global Microsoft Azure outage that impacted a range of services for consumers Tuesday — from reports of stalling Outlook emails to trouble ordering on Starbucks’ mobile app — was triggered by distributed denial of service cyberattack, according to the tech giant.
Microsoft delays controversial AI Recall feature on new Windows computers
Read full article: Microsoft delays controversial AI Recall feature on new Windows computersNew laptops equipped with Microsoft Windows start shipping to customers next week but without a flagship feature called Recall that drew concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.
Microsoft will invest $2.2 billion in cloud and AI services in Malaysia
Read full article: Microsoft will invest $2.2 billion in cloud and AI services in MalaysiaMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella says the company will invest $2.2 billion over the next four years in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Malaysia.
Microsoft will invest $1.7 billion in AI and cloud infrastructure in Indonesia
Read full article: Microsoft will invest $1.7 billion in AI and cloud infrastructure in IndonesiaMicrosoft will invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia — the single largest investment in Microsoft’s 29-year history in the country.
Tech CEOs Altman, Nadella, Pichai and others join government AI safety board led by DHS' Mayorkas
Read full article: Tech CEOs Altman, Nadella, Pichai and others join government AI safety board led by DHS' MayorkasThe CEOs of leading U_S_ technology companies are joining a new artificial intelligence safety board to advise the federal government on how to protect the nation’s critical services from “AI-related disruptions.”.
Microsoft's Nadella woos Indian developers to the company's AI tools
Read full article: Microsoft's Nadella woos Indian developers to the company's AI toolsMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella has urged more than a thousand Indian computer code developers to use the company’s artificial intelligence tools being deployed across its products.
FTC opens investigation into Big Tech's partnerships with leading AI startups
Read full article: FTC opens investigation into Big Tech's partnerships with leading AI startupsU.S. antitrust enforcers are opening an investigation into the relationships between leading artificial intelligence startups such as ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic and the tech giants that have invested billions of dollars into them.
AI is the buzz, the big opportunity and the risk to watch among the Davos glitterati
Read full article: AI is the buzz, the big opportunity and the risk to watch among the Davos glitteratiArtificial intelligence is easily the biggest buzzword for world leaders and corporate bosses diving into big ideas at the World Economic Forum’s glitzy annual meeting in Davos.
AI-powered misinformation is the world's biggest short-term threat, Davos report says
Read full article: AI-powered misinformation is the world's biggest short-term threat, Davos report saysThe World Economic Forum says false and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence is the top immediate risk to the global economy.
Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower, with markets in Japan and US closed
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower, with markets in Japan and US closedShares are mostly lower in Asia after a modest advance on Wall Street that kept the market on track for a fourth straight weekly gain.
Company that created ChatGPT is thrown into turmoil after Microsoft hires its ousted CEO
Read full article: Company that created ChatGPT is thrown into turmoil after Microsoft hires its ousted CEOThe company that created ChatGPT is in turmoil after Microsoft hired its ousted CEO and many more employees threatened to follow him in a conflict that centered in part oin part on how to build artificial intelligence that’s smarter than humans.
Corporate, global leaders peer into a future expected to be reshaped by AI, for better or worse
Read full article: Corporate, global leaders peer into a future expected to be reshaped by AI, for better or worsePresident Joe Biden and other global leaders have spent the past few days melding minds with Silicon Valley titans in San Francisco.
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI hosts its first big tech showcase as the AI startup faces growing competition
Read full article: ChatGPT-maker OpenAI hosts its first big tech showcase as the AI startup faces growing competitionLess than a year into its meteoric rise, the company behind ChatGPT has unveiled the future it has in mind for its artificial intelligence technology.
Microsoft reports higher profits and revenue powered by cloud computing and AI investments
Read full article: Microsoft reports higher profits and revenue powered by cloud computing and AI investmentsMicrosoft has reported a 27% increase in profit for the July-September quarter compared to the same time last year.
What Google’s antitrust trial means for your search habits
Read full article: What Google’s antitrust trial means for your search habitsIf government regulators prevail in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century, it’s likely to unleash drastic changes designed to undermining the dominance of the Google search engine that defines the internet for billions of people.
Microsoft spent two years trying to buy Activision Blizzard. For Xbox CEO, that was the easy part
Read full article: Microsoft spent two years trying to buy Activision Blizzard. For Xbox CEO, that was the easy partAfter two years co-piloting the biggest acquisition in video game history past an onslaught of challenges, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer now moves on to his next quest: making Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard worth the hassle.
Microsoft CEO says unfair practices by Google led to its dominance as a search engine
Read full article: Microsoft CEO says unfair practices by Google led to its dominance as a search engineMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella says unfair tactics used by Google led to its dominance as a search engine, tactics that in turn have thwarted his company’s rival program, Bing.
Microsoft reports $20.1B quarterly profit as it promises to lead 'the new AI platform shift'
Read full article: Microsoft reports $20.1B quarterly profit as it promises to lead 'the new AI platform shift'Microsoft on Tuesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $20.1 billion, or $2.69 per share, beating analyst expectations for $2.55 per share.
Microsoft can move ahead with record $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, judge rules
Read full article: Microsoft can move ahead with record $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, judge rulesA federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard.
Fate of record tech industry tie-up heads to judge as Microsoft defends $69B Activision deal
Read full article: Fate of record tech industry tie-up heads to judge as Microsoft defends $69B Activision dealThe fate of what could be the priciest merger in tech industry history are now in the hands of a federal judge who must decide whether to stop Microsoft from closing its deal to buy video game company Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft CEO Nadella tells a judge his planned Activision takeover is good for gaming
Read full article: Microsoft CEO Nadella tells a judge his planned Activision takeover is good for gamingMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella told a judge Wednesday that his company's proposed $69 billion takeover of video game-maker Activision Blizzard will be good for the gaming industry.
Biden and Modi meet Apple, Google CEOs and other executives as Indian premier wraps state visit
Read full article: Biden and Modi meet Apple, Google CEOs and other executives as Indian premier wraps state visitPresident Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have capped their meetings in Washington by joining top U.S. and Indian executives in talks to increase cooperation on artificial intelligence, semiconductor production and space.
Microsoft, regulators tangle in court over fate of $69 billion deal that could reshape video gaming
Read full article: Microsoft, regulators tangle in court over fate of $69 billion deal that could reshape video gamingFederal regulators on Thursday launched a legal attack on Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion takeover of video game maker Activision Blizzard by depicting it as an anticompetitive weapon while Microsoft hailed the deal as a way to make popular games such as Call of Duty more widely available at cheaper prices.
GOP subpoenas tech CEOs as part of probe into censorship
Read full article: GOP subpoenas tech CEOs as part of probe into censorshipSubpoenas have been sent to the chief executives of the five largest tech companies as congressional Republicans moved to investigate what they assert is widespread corporate censorship of conservative voices House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan issued the subpoenas Wednesday as the latest in a series of escalations by a party that has long promised to investigate Big Tech’s content moderation.
Microsoft bakes ChatGPT-like tech into search engine Bing
Read full article: Microsoft bakes ChatGPT-like tech into search engine BingMicrosoft is fusing ChatGPT-like technology into its search engine Bing, transforming an internet service that now trails far behind Google into a new way of communicating with artificial intelligence.
California state lawyer suing Activision Blizzard is fired
Read full article: California state lawyer suing Activision Blizzard is firedA top California state civil rights lawyer who was pursuing a discrimination case against video game giant Activision Blizzard has been fired, and another has quit in protest.
India's Republic Day parade curtailed amid COVID-19
Read full article: India's Republic Day parade curtailed amid COVID-19Thousands of people braved a morning chill on a ceremonial boulevard in India's capital to watch a display of the country's military power and cultural diversity, but the colorful annual Republic Day spectacle was curtailed amid COVID-19.
EXPLAINER: Microsoft's Activision buy could shake up gaming
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Microsoft's Activision buy could shake up gamingMicrosoft stunned the gaming industry when it announced this week it would buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, a deal that would immediately make it a larger video-game company than Nintendo.
New Twitter CEO steps from behind the scenes to high profile
Read full article: New Twitter CEO steps from behind the scenes to high profileNewly named Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (PUH-rag AH-gur-wahl) has emerged from behind the scenes to take over one of Silicon Valley’s highest-profile and politically volatile jobs.
Bill Gates' leadership roles stay intact despite allegations
Read full article: Bill Gates' leadership roles stay intact despite allegationsDespite damaging allegations suggesting Bill Gates pursued women who worked for him, don’t expect changes to his roles at the two iconic institutions he co-founded, Microsoft and his namesake philanthropic foundation, raising accountability concerns from critics.
Microsoft backs Australian plan to make Google pay for news
Read full article: Microsoft backs Australian plan to make Google pay for newsMicrosoft says it supports Australia's plans to make the biggest digital platforms pay for news and would help small businesses transfer their advertising to Bing if Google quits the country. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)CANBERRA – Microsoft said on Wednesday it supports Australia’s plans to make the biggest digital platforms pay for news and would help small businesses transfer their advertising to Bing if Google quits the country. Morrison this week confirmed he had spoken to Nadella about Bing replacing Google in Australia. There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out. AdBut Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay.
Australian prime minister says Bing could replace Google
Read full article: Australian prime minister says Bing could replace Google(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)CANBERRA – Australia's prime minister said on Monday that Microsoft is confident it can fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine, Bing, filling the space. AdAlthough Bing is Australia’s second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6% market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. AdThe mandatory code of conduct proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites. But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay.
Microsoft keeps chugging as pandemic continues
Read full article: Microsoft keeps chugging as pandemic continuesThe logo of Microsoft is displayed outside the headquarters in Paris, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting Microsoft to earn $1.64 per share on revenue of $40.2 billion for the fiscal quarter. The coronavirus pandemic sparked a massive shift to the cloud and to Microsoft that won't likely be reversed once the crisis is over, said Daniel Elman, an analyst at Nucleus Research. “So many people are already familiar with the Microsoft user interface that it’s a comfortable option," Elman said. Its cloud computing business segment grew 23% to $14.6 billion.
‘More people may die’: Biden urges Trump to aid transition
Read full article: ‘More people may die’: Biden urges Trump to aid transition“More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden told reporters during a news conference Monday in Wilmington, Delaware. The Trump administration is working on its own distribution plan, while Biden’s chief of staff indicated his transition team will proceed with their own planning separately because of the obstruction. Last week, a larger group of Republicans in Congress called on the Trump administration to allow Biden to begin receiving national security briefings. Since defeating Trump, Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear masks and embrace social distancing measures. But on whether Biden should receive coronavirus briefings, many of Trump's allies on Capitol Hill remained dug in.
'More people may die': Biden urges Trump to aid transition
Read full article: 'More people may die': Biden urges Trump to aid transition“More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden told reporters during a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware. The Trump administration is working on its own distribution plan, while Biden’s chief of staff indicated his transition team will proceed with their own planning separately because of the obstruction. Last week, a larger group of Republicans in Congress called on the Trump administration to allow Biden to begin receiving national security briefings. Since defeating Trump, Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear masks and embrace social distancing measures. But on whether Biden should receive coronavirus briefings, many of Trump's allies on Capitol Hill remained dug in.
Trump administration targets diversity hiring by contractors
Read full article: Trump administration targets diversity hiring by contractorsTrump’s Labor Department is using a 55-year-old presidential order spurred by the Civil Rights Movement to scrutinize companies like Microsoft and Wells Fargo over their public commitments to diversity. The agency has oversight over the hiring practices of thousands of federal contractors that employ roughly a quarter of all American workers. But he said it’s more likely the Trump administration is using the move as a political tactic ahead of the presidential election. “It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.”The latest actions affecting contractors align with a broader Trump administration trend on matters of race. At least one university, the University of Iowa, suspended its diversity efforts in response the order.
Government probes Microsoft's effort to boost diversity
Read full article: Government probes Microsoft's effort to boost diversityMicrosoft says the U.S. Labor Department is scrutinizing its efforts to boost Black employment and leadership at the tech company. The Labor Department did not respond to a question about whether it has started similar inquiries into other companies with federal contracts. The Trump administration’s move contrasts with a flurry of efforts by private companies and institutions to increase racial diversity in the wake of the Black Lives Matters protests. The Labor Department said its Microsoft inquiry follows a 1965 order signed by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson banning discriminatory hiring among federal contractors. It sets up a hotline for the Labor Department to investigate workplace training session complaints.
Microsoft back in the smartphone business with its new Duo
Read full article: Microsoft back in the smartphone business with its new DuoMicrosoft is back to selling smartphones for the first time since it abandoned its mobile business more than four years ago. The company began taking orders Wednesday for the Surface Duo, a new dual-screen Android device that costs $1,399 and begins shipping in September. Microsoft is pitching the Duo as a more useful tool than a conventional smartphone, since it enables users to multitask with two separate apps or web pages at a time. Adding a mobile device to its Surface line of computers is a reversal for Microsoft after its short-lived ownership of smartphone-maker Nokia and its difficulties in transitioning its Windows operating system to the mobile era. Apple and Google's Android long ago cornered the market on phone operating systems, but Microsoft's rare partnership with Google means Duo comes with a suite of Android apps.
Asian shares extend rally after S&P 500 nears record
Read full article: Asian shares extend rally after S&P 500 nears recordSydney's S&P ASX 200 jumped 2.1% to 6,049.60 and the Kospi in Seoul picked up 1.1% to 2,276.79. Overnight, the S&P 500 added another 0.7% onto its four-month winning streak, closing within 3% of the record high it set in February, at 3,294.61. Big Tech led the way higher again, and Microsoft and Apple alone accounted for most of the S&P 500s gain. The rally followed reports showing that manufacturing has improved across much of the world, including in China, Europe and the United States. Roughly two-thirds of the way into earnings season, 84% of S&P 500 companies have reported stronger results than expected, according to FactSet.
Tech giants are embracing remote work. Others may follow
Read full article: Tech giants are embracing remote work. Others may followHis other company, Square, which like Twitter is based in San Francisco, is doing the same. It's too early to know whether remote work options will mean an exodus of highly-paid tech workers from San Francisco and Silicon Valley, where they've contributed to skyrocketing rents and housing prices. For companies that have built their empires on letting people communicate with far-flung friends and colleagues, moving toward remote work is not too hard of a sell. At Facebook, the CEO said employees will have to meet certain criteria to be considered for permanent remote work. This includes a level of seniority, strong performance and, naturally, being part of a team that supports remote work.
How every company could become a 'tech' company
Read full article: How every company could become a 'tech' company(CNN) - These days nearly every company is, or is in the process of becoming, a technology company. "One of the things I think a lot about is: If we use this term that every company is a digital company, every company is a software company, what does it mean?" Nadella said he thinks of it like a math formula: "Tech adoption" times "tech capability," multiplied "to the power of trust." "This is what I feel every company needs to do to become a software company," he said. "That's what led me all the way back to the origin of the company," Nadella said.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gets 66% raise
Read full article: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gets 66% raiseREDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella got a 66% raise in the company's latest fiscal year. Nadella received $42.9 million in total compensation up from $25.8 million the year prior. Nadella took over as CEO in 2014 and under his leadership, Microsoft has become a major force in cloud computing. (In 2014, Nadella received a headline-making $84 million compensation package.) Google CEO Sundar Pichai received $1.9 million in overall compensation.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gets 66% raise
Read full article: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gets 66% raiseREDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella got a 66% raise in the company's latest fiscal year. Nadella received $42.9 million in total compensation up from $25.8 million the year prior. Nadella took over as CEO in 2014 and under his leadership, Microsoft has become a major force in cloud computing. (In 2014, Nadella received a headline-making $84 million compensation package.) Google CEO Sundar Pichai received $1.9 million in overall compensation.