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Microsoft News
Playstationlifestyle
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Xbox Layoffs Partially Blamed on Activision Blizzard Acquisition
- Former Microsoft employees suggest that Xbox layoffs are partially due to the company's purchase of Activision Blizzard.
- The purchase of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion has put increased pressure on Xbox to cut costs and earn back the investment.
- Concerns about Game Pass subscription model have been raised, with claims that games on the service struggle to meet sales goals.
- More Xbox layoffs are expected in the future.
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Gizchina
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Image Credit: Gizchina
Microsoft Windows 11 Copilot now lets you search setting options
- Microsoft's Windows 11 Copilot has added a new feature called "Companions" which aims to revolutionize the way users interact with the OS.
- The company has also enhanced the search functionality in the settings, which is expected to make navigating more intuitive.
- Copilot assists users in navigating and understanding functions within Windows 11, making it simpler for novice users.
- To enable Copilot, users need to install the Windows 11 Build 22635.3420 preview update and follow a detailed guide.
- The AI-powered Copilot assists users in understanding how different system functions operate, empowering them to make the most of the operating system.
- Copilot's evolution showcases Microsoft's commitment to providing a user-friendly and personalized experience for its customers.
- Integration of Copilot has also led to improvements in other areas of Windows 11 such as photo editing, video creation and system security.
- As Copilot evolves, Microsoft must address user privacy and security concerns for users to trust that their data is being handled securely.
- The integration of Copilot in the new windows 11 build preview version will enhance user accessibility and the overall experience.
- With the introduction of dedicated taskbar buttons, users can easily access Copilot whenever they need assistance, enhancing the accessibility of the system.
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Rockpapershotgun
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Image Credit: Rockpapershotgun
Game Pass’s “only (outside) shot” for sustainability is to get GTA 6 or Call of Duty, says former Microsoft senior PR lead
- Brad Hilderbrand, former Microsoft senior PR lead, believes Game Pass may never be sustainable or profitable.
- According to Hilderbrand, Xbox is expected to cut expenses to the bone after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- Game Pass returns are reportedly no longer satisfactory given the recent slow-down in subscriptions and acquisitions.
- While Game Pass was previously growing rapidly, it appears to have now stagnated.
- Hilderbrand believes Microsoft's best chance of making Game Pass profitable is to put all the world's biggest games on the service.
- Call of Duty and GTA 6 appear to be the only viable options to increase interest in Game Pass.
- Xbox's best bet for driving interest in Game Pass subscriptions hasn't done as well as anticipated, according to Hilderbrand.
- Many producer-level individuals and industry comms have shared their thoughts on Hilderbrand's recent post.
- Hilderbrand ultimately believes that smaller studios will fade away due to the $70b hole Xbox has to dig itself out of.
- Despite Hilderbrand's criticism of Game Pass, he still believes it was the right strategy when it was first introduced.
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VoIP
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Microsoft and Biden Unveil Data Center Investment in Wisconsin
- Microsoft and US President Joe Biden announced plans to construct a $3.3 billion data center in Wisconsin.
- The investment aims to enhance technological infrastructure, deploy advanced cloud services, and provide AI training.
- The project includes the establishment of a Data Center Academy and collaboration with Gateway Technical College.
- Expected to generate 2,500 construction jobs, the investment underscores Microsoft's commitment to AI and data center innovation.
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Insider
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The frenemies running Microsoft and Google's AI ops have some serious history
- Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis, childhood friends, co-founded DeepMind in 2010.
- DeepMind was later acquired by Google for over $500 million.
- Hassabis heads Google DeepMind while Suleyman leads Microsoft's AI efforts.
- Their relationship is described as a friendly rivalry, but both are key players in Big Tech's AI race.
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Siliconangle
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Image Credit: Siliconangle
Alphabet HubSpot acquisition talks reportedly progressing, with terms being discussed
- Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, is reportedly progressing in talks to acquire marketing software provider HubSpot Inc.
- The discussions are ongoing and no agreement has been reached yet.
- HubSpot's main offering is the cloud-based platform called Marketing Hub, which allows marketers to create ad campaigns and perform related tasks.
- If the deal goes through, it would be the largest acquisition in Google and Alphabet's history.
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Insider
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Sundar Pichai claps back at Microsoft's CEO after his comments about making Google 'dance'
- Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, responded to Satya Nadella's comments about making Google 'dance' with the 'new Bing'.
- Pichai mentioned that one of the ways you can go wrong is by listening to someone else's music.
- He emphasized that competition is normal in the tech industry and Google has a clear sense of what it needs to do.
- Pichai's response came after Microsoft announced the revamped Bing search engine made with OpenAI.
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Geek Wire
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Microsoft is launching a mobile game store, taking on Apple and Google
- Microsoft plans to launch a mobile gaming store later this year.
- The store will launch in July on web browsers, offering games like Candy Crush Saga.
- Microsoft's entry into the mobile gaming market sets up competition with Google and Apple.
- Mobile gaming is a lucrative market, making nearly as much money as PC and console sectors combined.
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Digitaltrends
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Image Credit: Digitaltrends
Windows 11 may bring Live Tiles back from the dead — sort of
- The latest Windows 11 Canary build introduces "Start Menu Companions", similar to the now-defunct Live Tiles feature.
- Start Menu Companions are small widget-like apps that offer at-a-glance information such as weather updates and stock prices.
- Developers can create applications using adaptive cards to offer widget-like content.
- Start Menu Companions bring back some familiarity of the Windows 10 Start Menu.
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Towards Data Science
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Image Credit: Towards Data Science
Phi-3 and the Beginning of Highly Performant iPhone Models
- Microsoft researchers published their findings on a highly capable language model that can run on your mobile phone – the Phi-3 – which utilizes grouped-query attention (GQA).
- New models within the Phi-3 family contain decoder-only models, each with different hyperparameters and correlations
- Microsoft’s research team invested in quality data to improve the Phi-3 model, to train it on acquiring specific skills and reasoning through various domains.
- Microsoft used supervised fine-tuning and direct preference optimization on their Phi-3 models to further improve them. The authors used DPO for chat optimization to guide responses towards preferred outcomes.
- Phi-3 has a smaller amount of information storage available compared to larger models, meaning it is not as efficient when carrying out tasks that require wide scopes of knowledge.
- While training the new models still relies on high performance hardware, remotely accessing the technology is increasingly becoming more accessible, making the mobile landscape exciting.
- Models that are capable of running locally can protect the privacy of users and make them feel more at ease sharing data they may not be comfortable sending over the internet.
- Focusing on high quality data will be paramount in driving and advancing this technology, therefore the race to generate this must continue.
- In terms of hardware this technology will push mobile hardware to be even more efficient, with more SoCs on high-end mobiles.
- Microsoft suggests that by pairing Phi-3 with a search engine the model’s abilities will significantly improve. Retrieval Augmented Generation is likely to become a critical part of smaller models performing as well as their larger counterparts.
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Windows
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Image Credit: Windows
Snipping Tool and Paint updates begin rolling out to Windows Insiders
- Updates to Snipping Tool and Paint are being rolled out to Windows Insiders.
- Snipping Tool update (version 11.2404.35.0) includes emoji and QR code support.
- Emoji feature allows users to add emojis to screenshots.
- QR code detection enables easy access to links on PC.
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Cgmagonline
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Xbox Game Pass May Have Big Call of Duty Titles Sooner Than Later
- Microsoft recently closed popular game studios Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin.
- Rumors suggest that Microsoft is considering adding Call of Duty titles to Xbox Game Pass.
- The closure of studios and the potential addition of Call of Duty to Game Pass resulted in debates within Microsoft.
- No official announcement has been made regarding the release of Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass.
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Killerstartups
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Image Credit: Killerstartups
Meta launches AI tools for enhanced business advertising
- Meta introduced AI tools for enhanced business advertising.
- The AI tools transform product images into promotional images with different backgrounds and dimensions.
- Meta is developing text creation features to aid in composing ad headlines and copy.
- Meta's investment in AI tools demonstrates its commitment to technological advancement.
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Metaoption
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Image Credit: Metaoption
Win More Bids: Streamline Government Contracts Proposals with Business Central
- Government contracts offer a wealth of opportunity, but the bidding process can be complex and time-consuming.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central can streamline the proposal process and increase win rates for government contractors.
- Business Central helps in strategic selection, streamlining proposal creation, ensuring compliance, and improving win rates.
- By leveraging Business Central, government contractors can reduce proposal costs, shorten bid cycles, and increase win rates.
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Kotaku
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Image Credit: Kotaku
Meet The Guy Who Just Nuked Xbox Boss Phil Spencer In Fallout 76
- Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer's campsite in Fallout 76 was nuked by another player.
- The nuke attack on Spencer's campsite was a personal goal for the player and was weeks in the making.
- Spencer's reputation has taken a hit due to recent controversies like studio closures and bringing first-party exclusives to PlayStation 5.
- The player clarified that the attack was not a statement against Xbox or the layoffs, but rather a role-playing objective in the game.
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