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Microsoft is the latest to ban Russian state media from its platforms
Microsoft is banning Russian state media platforms RT and Sputnik from many of its platforms in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Microsoft cuts dozens of staff as it shifts to AI for MSN news stories
Microsoft is getting rid of contractors as it shifts some of its news production to AI.
Hackers in Microsoft's webmail breach could read some users' messages
For some users, that Microsoft webmail breach was worse than first thought. Microsoft has confirmed a Motherboard source's claims that the hackers had access to a portion of the email content, not just email addresses and subject lines. About 6 of the affected users had their messages exposed, according to a spokesperson. It's not clear if the intruders read the email before Microsoft blocked access, but the company told the The Verge in a statement that the subset received "additional guidance and support."
Microsoft webmail breach exposed email addresses and subject lines
You'll want to keep an eye out for suspicious activity if you use Microsoft's webmail services. The company has confirmed to TechCrunch that "cybercriminals" compromised a "limited number" of its web-based email accounts between January 1st and March 28th by using a customer support rep's credentials. The breach didn't expose sign-in details or message contents, but it did offer access to email addresses (including names of addresses in conversations), subject lines and custom folder names.
Microsoft killing its Photosynth 3D panorama apps
For better or worse, tech companies have to do a bit of product housekeeping every now and then. Today's Microsoft's turn to do exactly that. Most notably, the Redmond company announced it will be retiring its mobile apps for Photosynth, the platform it created to let people capture and view the world in 3D. While the applications, which had been available on Windows Phone 8 and iOS, are expected to continue to work for existing downloads, they won't be officially supported moving forward.
Microsoft everywhere: MSN apps head to iOS and Android, company buys app service
Microsoft's got a weird history when it comes to strategy: popular software like Office has always been best on Microsoft's own operating system, Windows. In recent years, that's begun to shift -- Office is now everywhere, including Apple and Google's tablets, and the company's apparently taking a similar approach with other parts of its app library. The MSN suite of apps (News, Sports, Health & Fitness, Food & Drink and Money) is now available on iOS and Android; MSN Weather is out on Android, with an IOS release in the coming weeks. The mobile apps are just getting revamped after a relaunch of the MSN website earlier this year. Moreover, those apps are probably pretty okay on Microsoft's competitor's platforms: Redmond just acquired mobile app testing company HockeyApp. Wait, before you write off that name forever as incredibly silly (it is, you're right), know that it's just the moniker for a company that offers crash analytics and a test environment for mobile apps (from iOS to Android and even Microsoft's mobile Windows platform). Yes, it is a pretty unexciting sounding acquisition, but what it means for the big picture is more important: if, say, Google were to buy the platform, Microsoft could lose a strategic part of the mobile puzzle. And Microsoft isn't in a position to lose any ground when it comes to mobile -- the company's beyond a distant third place spot when it comes to mainstream adoption.
MSN's simpler, mobile-savvy homepage is rolling out to everyone
Well, that was quick -- after just a few weeks in preview mode, the revamped MSN homepage is rolling out to everyone. You should see Microsoft's simple, desktop-like web portal in your browser sometime within the next three days. If you're using Windows devices, you'll also see updated Bing and MSN apps that draw on the site's many services; the Food & Drink app will keep track of your recipes, for instance. Windows Phone users get a few perks on their lock screens in the process. The Health and Fitness app will show pedometer stats if you're using a Lumia 630, 635 or 1520, while Weather will show your local forecast. You'll still have to wait for MSN apps on Android and iOS, but all the other pieces of Microsoft's grand vision are otherwise in place.
MSN homepage reborn as a blend of news portal and online desktop
Visit the MSN portal right now and you'll get a straightforward news site. It's informative, but it's busy, inflexible and doesn't give you easy access to Microsoft services -- a bit odd when it's frequently your initial homepage on a shiny new Windows PC. Thankfully, Microsoft is aware that it needs to shake things up a bit if it wants to keep you coming back. It just launched a preview of a redesigned MSN that it hopes will not only be easier to browse, but should serve as a kind of web-based desktop that lets you accomplish many of your daily tasks. Read on to see what I mean.
MSN Messenger will finally, definitely be dead in October
Microsoft's 15-year-old MSN Messaging service will soon be a part of computer lore. It has been shut down in most places for over a year, but Microsoft kept it running in China where it was still quite popular. However, with the advent of Tencent's QQ, Line and other services, Redmond recently emailed Chinese users (on their Hotmail accounts, naturally) that the service would ride into the sunset on October 31st. To give you an idea of how old it is, the service was created in 1999 by Microsoft to compete against AOL's AIM chat service (disclaimer: AOL is Engadget's parent company). However, we doubt too many users will get misty-eyed about its demise -- the only nostalgia we have is how difficult it was to get rid of.
Microsoft reportedly looking to revive 'Heroes' TV show on MSN/Xbox
It may not be remembered quite as well as Arrested Development, but it looks like Microsoft is aiming to bring back another big network TV show on a service that's decidedly outside the bounds of traditional TV. According to TV Line, that show is Heroes, which was cancelled by NBC in 2010 after a four-year run, and the video service is MSN (itself part of Microsoft's broader push into original programming for Xbox). While the talks for Heroes are still said to be preliminary, the revived show would apparently focus on new characters and stories, with some of the original cast only making cameos in the new series. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Heroes found its way onto an Xbox 360: the show was one of the few series to be released on HD DVD, and briefly found its way into some bundles with Microsoft's HD DVD player add-on for the console.
Editorial: FTC and Google -- why the right decision feels so wrong to so many people
The Federal Trade Commission's absolution of Google after a lengthy investigation into alleged abuse of market power induced expected reactions from the principle players. Microsoft was infuriated. Google was triumphant and exuberantly overstated the FTC's exit. ("Google's services are good for users and good for competition.") Lawyers and lobbyists bunched on both sides of the fence to issue scathing or praiseful statements. The court of common opinion is now divided between nodding approval and eviscerating censure. The comment hate being hurled at Google is partly derived from general monopoly-busting sentiment, but there is also a stuck-in-the-past misunderstanding of what Google has become.
Microsoft set to get back in the news business with relaunched MSN
Microsoft isn't exactly a stranger to the news business. It founded Slate Magazine way back in 1996 as part of its then still-nascent MSN website, and it partnered with NBC that same year on the MSNBC cable news network. While it's since sold off both Slate and its stake in MSNBC, it looks like the company is now taking another big swing at producing its own news operation. As Reuters reports, Microsoft is making "big, multi-million dollar investment" to create what is being described as a "decent-sized media operation," one that will be a part of the new-look MSN that the company has also announced today. Details remain light beyond that, but Reuters says the new MSN will still "chiefly aggregate news" from traditional sources like Reuters and the AP in addition to producing its own content. As for that new MSN itself, it's unsurprisingly built with tablets (and Windows 8, specifically) in mind, with a design that's tailored for full-screen use and touch input. Its launch wil coincide with Windows 8's debut on October 26th, but you can get an early look at the link below and in the video after the break.
It's official: Comcast buys out Microsoft's share of MSNBC
Breaking up is hard to do, and it took Microsoft and NBC a few more days to hammer out all the details and make it official. NBC is buying the software maker's half of the MSNBC website for a reporter $300 million, which will be renamed NBC News -- a change which has already taken place if you try to hit up the old site. Its HQ will also move across from Microsoft's hub in Redmond to New York. Following the split, Microsoft is apparently readying its own news service for launch later this year, aiming to hire around the same number of people that were put to work on the previous site -- and looking to improve on its recent online fortunes.
Yahoo confirms server breach, over 400k accounts compromised
Online account security breaches are seemingly commonplace these days -- just ask LinkedIn or Sony -- and now we can add Yahoo's name to the list of hacking victims. The company's confirmed that it had the usernames and passwords of over 400,000 accounts stolen from its servers earlier this week and the data was briefly posted online. The credentials have since been pulled from the web, but it turns out they weren't just for Yahoo accounts, as Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, Comcast, MSN, SBC Global, Verizon, BellSouth and Live.com login info was also pilfered and placed on display. The good news? Those responsible for the breach said that the deed was done to simply show Yahoo the weaknesses in its software security. To wit: We hope that the parties responsible for managing the security of this subdomain will take this as a wake-up call, and not as a threat. There have been many security holes exploited in Web servers belonging to Yahoo Inc. that have caused far greater damage than our disclosure. Please do not take them lightly. The subdomain and vulnerable parameters have not been posted to avoid further damage. In response, Yahoo's saying that a fix for the vulnerability is in the works, but the investigation is ongoing and its system has yet to be fully secured. In the meantime, the company apologized for the breach and is advising users to change their passwords accordingly. You can read the official party line below. At Yahoo! we take security very seriously and invest heavily in protective measures to ensure the security of our users and their data across all our products. We confirm that an older file from Yahoo! Contributor Network (previously Associated Content) containing approximately 400,000 Yahoo! and other company users names and passwords was stolen yesterday, July 11. Of these, less than 5% of the Yahoo! accounts had valid passwords. We are fixing the vulnerability that led to the disclosure of this data, changing the passwords of the affected Yahoo! users and notifying the companies whose users accounts may have been compromised. We apologize to affected users. We encourage users to change their passwords on a regular basis and also familiarize themselves with our online safety tips at security.yahoo.com.
Bing Fund taking shape to help Microsoft search for the next big thing in online services
Microsoft's Online Services Division (OSD) hasn't exactly had a lot of good news to share lately, most painful being the recent $6.2 billion write-down thanks to the aQuantive acquisition, so it's turning to a higher power for its next bet. The company appears to be creating an angel incubator called the Bing Fund, which would foster startups that could "bring a wave of innovation to OSD" -- which currently includes MSN, adCenter and, of course, Bing. While the company is being slightly coy about the details of Bing Fund, hosting only the tangerine teaser shown above at BingFund.com, some digging by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley has revealed that Rahul Sood will be the chief cherub of this angel fund, stepping away from the Entertainment and Devices Division (aka the Xbox Division). Who better, we say, than the open-minded Voodoo PC founder who famously cut his chocolate birthday cake with a MacBook Air and later said: "Every executive in the PC industry should use an Apple notebook."
MSN Direct goes dark, SPOT watches to suffer no more
When the noble SPOT watch was discontinued back in 2008, Microsoft promised the FM service that kept them informed would soldier on. A year later that service too had its days numbered, and now, today, the counter clicks over to zero. MSN Direct, which also pushed content to navigation devices and digital baristas, is dead for good, meaning those devices will never again receive wireless updates. They will, however, still be eligible for customer support -- but only through the end of the month. Better set yourself a reminder on something a bit more modern. [Thanks, zbwrsncf]
Warpia to show ConnectHD device at CES, let you couch-Skype on your HDTV
Warpia will be showcasing its latest media multitasker, the ConnectHD, at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show. The ConnectHD comes with a wide-angle wireless HD video camera and a multi-directional microphone, allowing users to make 720p video calls au naturel or otherwise from the living room via apps like Skype or MSN Messenger. It can also be used for playing PC webcam games and streaming media from your PC to an HDTV in 1080p. Although the ConnectHD won't come with extra appendages to help you do all that stuff at once, it does come with a wireless USB PC adapter, a wireless USB TV adapter, a HDMI cable and, naturally, the requisite software for the device. Pricing is pegged at a piggy bank-busting $199.99, placing it right alongside Biscotti's TV Phone.
The Guild Season 5 now available for everyone
While Season 5 of The Guild was released for Zune and the Xbox 360 earlier this week, it hasn't been easily available on the web for everyone. Well, that's changed today. For your viewing pleasure, the online smash hit The Guild season 5 has officially hit the 'net! Episode 1, Road Trip, has our online heroes traveling to the Megagame-o-Ramacon, the aptly named convention of all things gaming. The Knights of Good will have their work cut out for them, as the fruits of road trips -- and the actual destination -- never come easily. Felicia Day, the show's creator, and the rest of The Guild were at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, where fans saw a preview of this episode. If you've missed a handful of episodes, catch up over on MSN Video or watch them all on Hulu. You can also catch up over on the Xbox Live Zune marketplace, too.
The Guild ends the year with DVD release and new comic
The Guild, the award-winning web series by Felicia Day, has a couple of new offerings for this holiday season. Season 4 of the popular web series is now available on DVD through Amazon.com as well as iTunes. The DVD version of the release is packed with extras, including the Game On music video, recaps of earlier seasons, featurettes involving Cheesybeards and Zaboo's mom as well, as audio commentary with the cast and gag reels. The iTunes release is available in both standard and HD versions. An iTunes exclusive bonus feature, The Making of the Team Cawkes Painting, is included when you purchase the entire season. The Season 4 DVD is $10.99 on Amazon; the iTunes version is only $9.99 for HD, or $5.99 for standard edition. And if you happen to be looking for something to read rather than something to watch, The Guild has also released a new one-shot comic titled Vork. Written by Day and actor Jeff Lewis, who plays Vork in the series, this comic centers around Vork and his role within both the game world and real life. As with all Guild comics, the story takes place before the events in Season 1 of The Guild. The comic's only $3.50 from Dark Horse, and you can choose one of two variant covers: Darick Robinson's gladiatorial version of Vork, or the more simplistic, real-life Vork styling of Gilbert Hernandez. For more on The Guild, you can check out the entire series on MSN.
The Guild season 4, episode 10
Video: Season 4 - Episode 10 - Festival of the Sea Codex gets a little help from her friends to fill up Cheesybeards this week on The Guild, Felicia Day's awesome web series that you've all been keeping up with, I'm sure. I've been loving this season, especially the whole Vork/Zaboo's mom relationship, which takes a fun turn in this episode. Wil Wheaton, as usual, still kills me every time he shows up. Season 4 has been ramping up really well, and I'm sad that there are just two episodes remaining. Looking for more on The Guild? We've previously interviewed Felicia Day at BlizzCon 2009, and Michele Boyd gave us an interview for 15 Minutes of Fame. And of course, the cast of The Guild was also kind enough to stop by our BlizzCon reader meetup last year and say hello to everyone.