Tag Archives: Microsoft

Microsoft Files An Amicus Brief Supporting The Epic Games App Store

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A year ago Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed that Microsoft was planning to launch a new Xbox mobile web store in July 2024. That never happened. The Verge  reported. 

Microsoft filed an amicus brief late Tuesday, in support of Epic Games’ ongoing fight with Apple’s control over the App Store. The brief takes issue with Apple’s attempt to overturn the injunction that allows Epic and other developers to freely advise alternative payment methods in their apps, and not have to pay Apple additional fees for purchases made outside of apps.

It’s a key ruling that has already allowed Fortnite to return to the App Store in the US, complete with the ability for Epic Games to link out to its own payment system inside the game. Microsoft has wanted to offer a similar experience for its Xbox mobile store prior to the ruling, but it says the solution “has been stymied by Apple.” 

The court ruling makes it possible for Microsoft to now launch Xbox mobile store, but its clear that the software giant also wants to ensure Apple’s appeal against the ruling isn’t successful. If Microsoft did launch its Xbox mobile store and then Apple won a temporary stay, it may have to pull that store pending the appeal process.

Engadget reported: According to The Verge, Microsoft said Apple’s App Store rules are to blame for the continued delay of the Xbox mobile app store it announced last summer. The store would have allowed users to buy Microsoft mobile games through the Xbox web store on iOS. 

In an amicus brief filed this week, Microsoft expressed support for Epic Games in the company’s long-running bout against Apple. The company also expressed concern that Apple could succeed in overturning the injunction that has opened the floodgates for payments outside of apps that circumvent Apple’s 30 percent fee.

Apple filed an appeal against the injunction earlier this month, and just a few days later it asked the Ninth Circuit to halt enforcement of the original ruling while it works through its appeal.

Microsoft, for is part, is urging the court to enforce the injunction while the courts handle the appeal. The company points out that Apple itself has said that the policy changes it made in response to the injunction “can be undone,” raising concern that without firm enforcement by the courts, Apple could pull the rug at any given moment. 

CNET reported: Now that Fortnite is back on iOS with Apple’s approval of the game, Microsoft is jumping in to try to extend its ability to sell games on the platform through its Xbox app.

Microsoft on Tuesday filed an amicus brief in district court in support of Fortnite publisher Epic Games saying that apply has “stymied” its efforts to sell games through its mobile Xbox app on iOS.

Microsoft announced in April that it would offer the option to buy games and Game Passes through its app, but apparently those changes have not gone smoothly. Apple was rebuked for not following a 2021 injunction, which led to a class-action lawsuit from developers filed this month.

 

Microsoft Is About To Launch Recall For Real This Time

Microsoft

Microsoft is starting to gradually roll out a full release of Recall, its feature that captures screenshots of what you do on Copilot Plus PC to find again later, to Windows insiders in the Release Preview channel, according to a blog post published Thursday, The Verge reported.

This new rollout indicates that Microsoft is finally getting close to launching Recall more widely, as Release Preview is the final hurdle before updates are rolled out more broadly to Window’s 11.

Microsoft originally intended to launch Recall alongside Copilot Plus PCs last June, but the feature was delayed following concerns raised by security experts. The company then planned to launch it in October, but that got pushed as well so that the company could deliver “a secure and trusted experience.”

The company did release a preview of Recall in November to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel for Qualcomm Copilot Plus PCs and made a preview available to Intel-and AMD-powered Copilot Plus PC shortly after. And after a couple of weeks of testing, Tom Warren said that Recall is “creepy, clever, and compelling.”

BBC reported: Microsoft has begun the rollout of an AI-powered tool which takes snapshots of users’ screens every few seconds.

The Copilot+ Recall feature is available in preview mode to some people with Microsoft’s AI PCs and laptops. It is the relaunch of a feature which was dubbed a “privacy nightmare” when it was first announce last year.

Microsoft paused the rollout in 2024, and after trialing the tech with a small number of users, it has begun expanding access to those signed up to its Windows Insider software testing programme.

Microsoft says Recall will be rolled out worldwide, but those based in the EU will have to wait until later in 2025.Uses will opt in to the feature and Microsoft says they “can pause saving snapshots at any time.”

The purpose of Recall is to allow PC users to easily search through their past activity including files, photos, emails and browsing history.

For example, Microsoft says a person who saw a dress online a few days ago would be able to use the feature to easily locate where they saw it.

Engadget reported: Microsoft is gradually rolling out new preview features to Window’s Insiders, including Recall, which has been the target of critics’ security and privacy concerns since it was announced.

It was originally supposed to be a preview experience that’s broadly available to all Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs when the first batch of AI-assisted devices hit the market in June last year. But Microsoft pushed back its release to ensure the feature was truly secure. It delayed the tools rollout yet again in October 2024 to “refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders.

Due to the privacy and security concerns around Recall, Microsoft made it an opt-in feature. You’ll have to explicitly enable it, and you’ll have to verify your identity with a Windows Hello authentication method before you can access your snapshots. 

Xbox Cloud Streaming Expands Beyond Game Pass To Games You Own

Gaming, Microsoft

Microsoft is starting to open up Xbox Cloud Gaming to existing Xbox game libraries today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now stream 50 games that they already own, including Balatro, Balder’s Gate 3, a variety of Final Fantasy titles, and Hogwarts Legacy, The Verge reported.

The expansion to 50 or more games is just the beginning of opening up the Xbox game library to cloud streaming. “Our library of cloud-playable titles will continue to grow, as we work with our parterres around the world to bring you a diverse and expansive selection of great games across devices,” says Ashley McKissick, corporate vice president of Xbox Experiences and platforms engineering.

The 60 additional games will be available through TVs, smartphones, tablets, and PCs through a web browser. Microsoft is also planning to bring Xbox library streaming to Xbox consoles and the Xbox app on Windows next year.

The original Project xCloud was supposed to launch with game library streaming in 2020, but it never did, and Microsoft then announced it would support game libraries on Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2022. That never happened either.

While thousands of games will eventually be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming, some publisher will hold certain games back due to licensing requirements.

Microsoft and Xbox reported: “Stream Your Own Game With Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)

We are happy to announce that over 50 great games are now available for streaming. Our library of cloud-playable titles will continue to grow, as we work with our partners around the world to bring you a diverse and expansive selection of great games across devices. You can stream any version of these games below that you own, for example Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – complete Edition.

Game Pass Ultimate members can stream select cloud-playable games you own, even if they’re not included with Game Pass Ultimate, directly on various devices. This includes Samsung Smart TV’s Amazon Fire TV devices, Meta Quest headsets as well as other browser supported devices like PC’s smart phones, and tablets. 

Engadget reported Microsoft has announced a long-anticipate feature for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting today, you’ll be able to stream select games that you own on TVs and Meta Quest VR headsets, as well as supported browsers on phones, tablets and PCs in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available. 

Microsoft plans to expand the feature to Xbox consoles and the Windows Xbox app next year.

You’ll still need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member to use this feature, but it means that you’re no longer limited to streaming only the games that are on that service. The “stream your own game” option include support for 50 titles at the outset, with more to be added later.

In my opinion, as a gamer, I think Microsoft and Xbox will provide a lot more gaming content than ever before.

Microsoft Says About 8.5 Million Of Its Devices Affected By CrowdStrike

Microsoft,

A global tech outage that was related to a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected nearly 8.5 million Microsoft devices, Microsoft said in a blog post on Saturday, Reuters reported.

“We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines,” It said in the blog.

A software update by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, one of the largest operators in the industry, triggered systems problems that grounded flights, forced broadcasters off the air and left customers without access to services like healthcare or banking. 

According to Reuters, CrowdStrike has helped develop a solution that will help Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure accelerate a fix, Microsoft said, adding that it was working with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, sharing information about the effects Microsoft was seeing across the industry.

Microsoft posed on their Official Microsoft Blog – “Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage”

Steps taken have included:

  • Engaging with CrowdStrike to automate their work on a developing solution. CrowdStrike has recommended a workaround to address the issue and has also issued a public statement. Instructions to remedy the situation on Windows endpoints were posted on the Windows Message Center.
  • Deploying hundreds of Microsoft engineers and experts to work directly with customers to restore services
  • Collaborating with other cloud providers and stakeholders, including Google Cloud Platform (CGP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), to share awareness on the state of impact we are each seeing across the industry and inform ongoing conversations with CrowdStrike and customers.
  • Quickly posting manual remediation documentation and scripts found here
  • Keeping customers informed of the latest stats on the incident through the Azure Status Dashboard here 

NPR reported disruptions caused by Friday’s global tech outage continued into Saturday, as employees of airlines, banks, hospitals and other crucial businesses worked to catch up from the backlog caused by the historic technological meltdown that affected 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide.

Airlines were playing the biggest catchup game, after carriers were forced to cancel thousands of flights on Friday, leaving planes and crews stuck in the wrong locations. As of Saturday afternoon, with nearly 1,500 flights across the U.S. had been canceled for the day, with another 4,600 delayed, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.

Stranded travelers, meanwhile, expressed frustration.

Hospitals, too, were hit with a backlog after being forced to cancel appointments, including elective surgeries. 

Massachusetts General Brigham, a Boston-based hospital, said it was back to being operational on Saturday after canceling all non-urgent surgeries and other appointments on Friday because of the outage.

In my opinion, I can see why stranded travelers, who had their flight canceled, would be upset about this situation. Nobody wants to be stranded in an airport.

 

Microsoft And Apple Drop OpenAI Seats Amid Antitrust Scrutiny

Microsoft, ,

Microsoft has given up its seat as an observer on the board of OpenAI while Apple will not take up a similar position, amid growing scrutiny by global regulators of Big Tech’s investments in AI start-ups, Financial Times reported.

Microsoft, which has invested $13bn in the maker of the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT, said in a letter to OpenAI that its withdrawal from its board role would be “effective immediately”.

Apple had also been expected to take an observer role on OpenAI’s board as part of a deal to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone maker’s devices, but would not do so, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Apple declined to comment.

OpenAI would instead host regular meetings with partners such as Microsoft and Apple and investors Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures — part of “a new approach to informing and engaging key strategic partners” under Sarah Friar, the former Nextdoor boss who was hired as its first chief financial officer last month, an OpenAI spokesperson said.

The move comes as antitrust authorities in the EU and US examine the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI as part of broader concerns about competition in the rapidly growing sector.

CNBC reported Microsoft said it would give up its observer seat on the OpenAI board amid regulatory scrutiny into generative artificial intelligence in Europe and the U.S. 

Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, Keith Tolliver, wrote a letter to OpenAI late Tuesday, saying that the position had provided insights into the board’s activities without compromising its independence.

But the letter, seen by CNBC, added that the seat was no longer needed as Microsoft had “witnessed significant progress from the newly formed board.” CNBC reached out to Microsoft and OpenAI for comment.

The European Commission previously said Microsoft could face an antitrust investigation, as it looked at the markets for virtual words and generative artificial intelligence.

The commission, which is the executive arm of EU, said in January that it is “looking into some of the agreements that have been concluded between large digital market players and generative AI developers and providers” and singled out the Microsoft-OpenAI tie-up as a particular deal that it will be studying.

9To5Mac reported: Just eight days after it was revealed that Apple Fellow Phil Schiller would join the OpenAI board as an observer, it’s now being reported that this won’t happen.

Instead, OpenAI will simply commit to regular meetings with Schiller and other partners and investors…

The change of plan appears to relate to antitrust concerns. Regulators in both the U.S. and Europe are already investigating Microsoft’s investment OpenAI, and it was possible that Apple could have opened itself up to a similar investigation by taking a seat on the board, even without voting powers.

In my opinion, OpenAI needs to rethink if they really want a board of people from larger corporations involved in what OpenAI does. Microsoft and Apple seem to not want to have a seat on the board.

Microsoft Is Hiking The Price Of Xbox Games Pass Ultimate

Microsoft,

Microsoft is planning to hike its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing again in September, alongside launching a new “standard” subscription that doesn’t include day-one access to first-party Xbox games.

The Xbox maker has started emailing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers of a price increase to $19.99 a month that starts on September 12, a $3 increase over the $16.99 a month pricing, The Verge reported.

PC Game Pass subscribers will also see a price hike in September, with the service moving from $9.99 to $11.99 per month and maintaining access to day-one titles.

The price increases come just before Microsoft plans to add Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and other big first-party Xbox games to its Game Pass service later this year. The price increases will largely affect Ultimate subscribers who make up the vast majority of Game Pass subscribers and come just over a year after the last Game Pass price hikes raised rates by $1-$2 per month.

Alongside the Ultimate and PC Game Pass price hikes, Microsoft will also offer a new option of an Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription, without day-one titles that will be priced at $14.99 per month for new users of the service. 

The existing Xbox Game Pass for console subscription will continue for existing subscribers, but new Game Pass subscribers won’t be able to select the console option starting July 10th until the new Game Pass Standard subscription is available. Microsoft says Xbox Game Pass Standards “will be available in the coming months.”

Xbox posed: Game Pass updates announced July 2024

Starting July 10, 2024, the following updates to Xbox Game Pass will take effect:

  • Price changes will go into effect for new members for Xbox Games Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass Core, and PC Game Pass.
  • Game Pass Console will no longer be available for new members.
  • Members who are already subscribed to Game Pass for Console and have automatic payment renewal enabled will be able to enjoy their membership

Also, a new Game Pass option, Xbox Game Pass Standards, will become available in the coming months. These changes will enable us to bring members more value and more great games to Game Pass.

Microsoft is making some big changes to Xbox Game Pass, including raising the price on some tiers while discounting others and adding whole new options, turning the once easy-to-understand service — and arguably the best deal in gaming — into a confusing and pricy mess, Kotaku reported.

On July 9, people began sharing emails from Xbox seemingly referencing an upcoming price increase for Game Pass Subscribers in September. Shortly after that, Windows Central confirmed that a price increase for Game Pass Ultimate was happening, along with a host of other changes.

One of the biggest is the news that Xbox is introducing a new plan that will replace the Game Pass console tier. This new plan, which will be known as Standard, will no longer include day-one game releases.

In my opinion, it is good that Xbox is allowing U.S. users, who are currently subscribed to the Xbox Game Pass for Console, to be allowed to stay on that plan with no changes. It is a good way to keep their customers from bailing out and considering a different console.

Microsoft Will Make Recall An Opt-In Feature

Microsoft

Microsoft says it’s making its new Recall feature in Windows 11 that screenshots everything you do on your PC an opt-in feature and addressing various security concerns, The Verge reported.

The software giant first unveiled the Recall feature as part of its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, but since then, privacy advocates and security experts have been warning that Recall could be a “disaster” for cybersecurity without changes.

Thankfully, Microsoft has listened to the complaints and is making a number of changes before Copilot Plus PCs launch on June 18th. Microsoft had originally planned to turn on Recall by default, but the company now says it will offer the ability to disable the controversial AI-powered feature during the setup process of new Copilot Plus PCs.

“If you don’t proactively choose to turn it on, it will be off by default” says Windows chief Pavan Davuluri.

According to The Verge, Microsoft’s changes to the way the database is stored and accessed come after cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont discovered that Microsoft’s AI-powered feature currently stores data in a database in plain text. That could have made it easy for malware authors to create tools that extract the database and its contents. Several tools have appeared in recent days, promising to exfiltrate Recall data.

Microsoft posted an “Update on the Recall preview feature for Copilot+ PCs”

Today, we are sharing an update on the Recall (preview) feature for Copilot+ PCs, including more information on the set-up experience, privacy controls, and additional details on our approach to security…

Listening to and acting on customer feedback

Even before making Recall available to customers, we have heard a clear signal that we can make it easier for people to choose to enable Recall on their Copilot+ PC and improve privacy and security safeguards. With that in mind, we are announcing updates that will go into effect before Recall (preview) ships to customers on June 18.

* First, we are updating the set-up experience of Copilot+ PCs to give people a clearer choice to opt-in to saving snapshots using Recall. If you don’t proactively choose to turn it on, it will be off by default.

* Second, Windows Hello enrollment is required to enable Recall. In addition, proof of presence is also required to view your timeline and search in Recall.

* Third, we are adding additional layers of data protection including “just in time” decryption protected by Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-In Security (ESS) so Recall snapshots will only be decrypted and accessible when the user authenticates. In addition, we encrypted the search index database.

CNBC reported Microsoft has been trying to balance competing interests of late as it moves to incorporate new generative AI tools into its products and to keep up with the competition.
Microsoft is adding security protections to Recall in addition to requiring people to manually turn it on once Copilot+ PCs become available on June 18. The search index database will be encrypted, Microsoft said.

In my opinion, I am really happy that I don’t use a PC. Copilot+ appears to be really unpopular with a lot of people, especially when it comes to security.