Facing a pair of related lawsuits, Amazon and Microsoft both acknowledge that people working on their respective facial-recognition technologies downloaded IBM’s “Diversity in Faces” photo database — compiled from 1… Read More
Brad Smith, like many in tech and the broader world, thought 2022 might bring a bit of a break. Halfway through, the reality has been anything but. “This has been… Read More
Microsoft is launching a new research initiative aimed at fighting climate change, the company announced Wednesday. The Microsoft Climate Research Initiative (MCRI) aims to harness the tech giant’s research and… Read More
Sony released its revamped PlayStation Plus subscription service on Monday, which places its service in indirect competition with Microsoft’s Game Pass. I went ahead and signed up for Plus on… Read More
Eight years ago, Seattle-area entrepreneur Peter Polson decided to pursue what he perceived as a gap in the personal finance software market, inspired by his growing family’s increasingly complex needs… Read More
Microsoft and Amazon are joining a growing pool of companies conducting civil rights audits in the wake of the racial reckoning that began in 2020 with a series of police… Read More
There are lots of sources for global data on economic indicators, population sizes, infectious diseases, sustainability — the list goes on. But missing in the lineup has been a comprehensive,… Read More
The Communications Workers of America announced Monday that it entered into a labor neutrality agreement with Microsoft that will apply at Activision Blizzard two months after Microsoft’s planned acquisition of… Read More
Microsoft’s Teams communications and collaboration platform is getting some AI-powered improvements aimed at boosting audio and video quality on calls. Among the new features announced Monday include: Echo cancellation, which… Read More
Microsoft’s gaming division and its partner studios released a 90-minute pre-recorded presentation on Sunday, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, that announced many of the games coming to the Xbox… Read More
Microsoft’s decision to stop using and enforcing non-compete clauses for all employees except senior leaders is another blow against the use of the restrictions in Washington state’s tech industry, longtime… Read More
Ahead of a joint press conference with Bethesda Softworks on Sunday, Microsoft provided an early look at some of its upcoming plans for its Xbox gaming division, including a newly-revealed… Read More
Bending to employee sentiment and legislative mandate, Microsoft announced a series of reforms Wednesday that will curtail or end some of its most controversial workplace policies and practices. The company… Read More
Microsoft is backing further out of Russia as the country’s invasion of Ukraine continues. Bloomberg first reported Wednesday that the Seattle-area tech giant is laying off more than 400 employees… Read More
Microsoft is splitting its HoloLens mixed reality group and parting ways with Alex Kipman, the leader of the group who was the subject of a recent Insider story that cited… Read More
“Reinventing Cybersecurity” is a new anthology written entirely by women and non-binary leaders in cybersecurity that aims to educate, inspire, and help spark more diversity in the industry. We recently… Read More
Marcus Courtney was a Microsoft software tester who led a multi-year effort to unionize his fellow contract workers starting in the late 1990s. That history gives him a unique perspective… Read More
Conceding that the rise of labor unions in tech may ultimately reach its own business, Microsoft released a new set of principles acknowledging the rights of its employees to organize,… Read More
Microsoft shares fell by 2% this morning before partially recovering after the company reduced its revenue guidance for the current quarter, citing unfavorable foreign exchange rates. It’s the latest example… Read More
Microsoft is rebranding its identity and access products under the name “Entra,” and rolling out a decentralized system to verify online identities, confirm permissions and grant user access. The company… Read More
Microsoft will get more cautious about hiring in its Windows and Office divisions, including its Microsoft Teams group, in the latest sign of companies reassessing their growth plans in response… Read More
Here’s a chance to really test your flying skills in “Microsoft Flight Simulator.” The company released a long-awaited “Top Gun: Maverick” expansion on Thursday that will have users conducting fighter… Read More
Microsoft will offer a new remote collaboration technology to let users interact with apps simultaneously during Microsoft Teams meetings. The technology, dubbed Live Share, was shown to software developers for… Read More
The quality-assurance department at Wisconsin-based Call of Duty developer Raven Software has voted to unionize, which could significantly impact its parent company, Activision Blizzard, with potential ripple effects for Microsoft’s… Read More
Microsoft responded to criticism of its cloud licensing policies in Europe with a series of promises to change its licensing practices and overall principles to level the playing field for… Read More
Microsoft’s plan to significantly boost merit-based raises and stock-based compensation for its employees and middle managers shows just how challenging it has become to keep a tech workforce intact given… Read More
Microsoft plans to nearly double its global budget for merit-based salary increases, and increase its range for annual stock-based compensation by at least 25% for employees at the senior director… Read More
In the early days of Microsoft, Bill Gates and Paul Allen were so focused on getting their software company up and running, the notion of stopping to eat a proper… Read More
Microsoft joined a growing list of companies that have said they will assist with expenses if employees have to travel for abortions or gender-affirming health care. The Redmond, Wash.-based tech… Read More
Microsoft is diving deeper into cybersecurity with three new managed services to help companies with their security needs. Microsoft Security Experts “combines expert-trained technology with human-led services to help organizations… Read More