Latest news with #MICROSOFT
Scottish Sun
31-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Urgent warning to all mobile users as passwords will be DELETED from app used by millions – save them now before closure
It's time to scrap passwords altogether - find out about a secure alternative below PASS OUT Urgent warning to all mobile users as passwords will be DELETED from app used by millions – save them now before closure MICROSOFT is warning users that their passwords will disappear soon from a popular free app. The tech giant is removing the password storage tool within its Microsoft Authenticator app. 1 Access to passwords within the app will be completely blocked by August Credit: Alamy While many use the platform to verify their identity there is also a useful password autofill capability. The feature allows users to securely store all their passwords in one place and summon them from any mobile device or computer you're logged into. But it's being phased out, with the first stage commencing in days. From June, you'll be blocked from saving any new passwords on the app. Then in July, the autofill function that automatically adds your login details onto webpage will stop working. Finally, the entire saved passwords tool will cease in August with any login data stored on the app deleted. Microsoft has ramped up warnings to users, with a banner now appearing in the app. 'Autofill via Authenticator ends in July 2025,' the app says. "You can export your saved info (passwords only) from Authenticator until Autofill ends. "Access your passwords and addresses via Microsoft Edge at any time. Change Gmail and Outlook password using 'phrase rule' right now as experts warn most log-ins can be guessed in an hour "To keep autofilling your info, turn on Edge or other provider." The popular passkeys and two-factor authentication features on Microsoft Authenticator will continue to work as normal. It all comes as tech firms shift away from the dreaded password which are easily hacked, due to common mistakes like re-used passwords or easily guessed terms. By comparison, passkeys can't be guessed and they're impossible to re-use too. A number of tech companies such as Google are shifting people from passwords to passkeys.
The Irish Sun
31-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Urgent warning to all mobile users as passwords will be DELETED from app used by millions – save them now before closure
MICROSOFT is warning users that their passwords will disappear soon from a popular free app. The tech giant is Advertisement 1 Access to passwords within the app will be completely blocked by August Credit: Alamy While many use the platform to verify their identity there is also a useful password autofill capability. The feature allows users to securely store all their But it's being phased out, with the first stage commencing in days. From June, you'll be blocked from saving any new passwords on the app. Advertisement Read more about apps Then in July, the autofill function that automatically adds your login details onto webpage will stop working. Finally, the entire saved passwords tool will cease in August with any login data stored on the app deleted. Microsoft has ramped up warnings to users, with a banner now appearing in the app. 'Autofill via Authenticator ends in July 2025,' the app says. Advertisement Most read in Tech Exclusive "You can export your saved info (passwords only) from Authenticator until Autofill ends. "Access your passwords and addresses via Microsoft Edge at any time. Change Gmail and Outlook password using 'phrase rule' right now as experts warn most log-ins can be guessed in an hour "To keep autofilling your info, turn on Edge or other provider." The popular passkeys and two-factor authentication features on Microsoft Authenticator will continue to work as normal. Advertisement It all comes as tech firms shift away from the dreaded password which are easily hacked, due to common mistakes like re-used passwords or easily guessed terms. By comparison, A number of tech companies such as Google are shifting people from passwords to passkeys. SHOULD I SWITCH TO PASSKEYS? Here's what security expert Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Pixel Privacy, told The Sun... 'Passwords are both hard to remember and in most cases, easy to guess. "I would venture to say that most users (especially older users) will reuse passwords, simply because of all of the websites and apps that require sign-ins. "While password managers do help, they are at best, a stopgap measure and do not offer full-ranging security for your login information. "Passkeys offer the advantage of eliminating the need to enter an email address and password to log in. "This is especially handy when users are logging in on an iPhone or Android device. "Passkeys have multiple advantages over passwords. Passkeys cannot be shared or guessed. "Passkeys are unique to the website or app they are created for, so they cannot be used to login elsewhere like a reused password can. "Plus, passkeys cannot be stolen in a data breach, as the passkeys are not stored on the company's servers. "But are instead are a private key stored only on your device, where biometric authentication (like face ID or Touch ID) is required to use the passkey.' Image credit: Getty
India Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Indian-origin techie gatecrashes Microsoft event over Gaza, yet again
An Indian-American software engineer, Vaniya Agrawal, who hit the headlines in April this year by disrupting Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebrations protesting the company's "ties with Israel", has once again interrupted a major event of the tech giant in the US' the recent incident, Agrawal, along with another former Microsoft employee, Hossam Nasr, interrupted the tech giant's ongoing annual Build 2025 developer Agrawal and Nasr confronted Neta Haiby, the company's Head of AI Security, and shouted during her appearance on the stage. Haiby was leading a Build session on AI security practices along with Sarah Bird, Microsoft's Head of Responsible AI, when the two former employees interrupted the were protesting Microsoft's cloud agreements with the Israeli demonstration marked the third straight day of disruptions at the event. Earlier, on May 19, a Microsoft employee interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's keynote address, protesting against the company's ties to Israel. A day later, a Palestinian tech professional also disrupted Jay Parikh's Azure AI session, urging the company to "cut ties" with Israel. Jay Parikh serves as Executive Vice President of Microsoft disruption by Vaniya Agrawal is not the first time she has disrupted a Microsoft PREVIOUSLY CONFRONTED MICROSOFT LEADERSHIP OVER WAR IN GAZAadvertisementVaniya Agrawal, who previously worked as an engineer in Microsoft's AI division, had publicly accused the company's leadership -- including Bill Gates and Satya Nadella -- of being complicit in civilian casualties in April, Vaniya confronted Microsoft's current and past CEOs -- Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates -- at Microsoft's headquarters in Washington, accusing them of using the company's technology to aid "genocide in the Gaza Strip".Following the confrontation in April, she submitted a strongly worded resignation letter. In the letter she announced that her final day at Microsoft would be April 11, a few days after she penned the same. She wrote that she could no longer work for a company that, in her view, supported "oppressors" rather than standing with the denounced Microsoft's alleged $133 million deal with Israel's Ministry of Defence, claiming the company's AI and Azure cloud services were actively supporting military operations against Palestinian people."Microsoft cloud and AI enable the Israeli military to be more lethal and destructive in Gaza," she wrote in a company-wide email shortly after confronting the CEO who joined Microsoft in September 2023 after more than three years at Amazon, had been working in its AI Microsoft dismissed two employees, including Vaniya, who interrupted its 50th anniversary event in described the actions as "hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate".
The Journal
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Microsoft cutting almost 3% of global workforce
TECH GIANT MICROSOFT has started to lay off almost 3% of its global workforce today. The company has not disclosed the total number of job cuts, but it will amount to approximately 6,000 people. Advertisement US-owned Microsoft said the layoffs will be across all levels and locations, but will focus on reducing the number of managers, Press Association reports. The job cuts are also expected to hit all parts of the business, including Xbox and LinkedIn. A spokesperson told The Journal : 'We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.' Microsoft – which employs a total of 6,000 people on the island of Ireland across its offices in Dublin and Belfast and its LinkedIn EU headquarters in Dublin – has not detailed how many jobs are at risk here. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Price of Xbox consoles including Series X to RISE with games also increasing in cost, Microsoft confirms
MICROSOFT has officially confirmed that prices for Xbox consoles, including the popular Series X, are set to rise globally. Alongside the hardware hikes, the cost of some new Xbox games will also increase, marking a major shift for players just as the holiday season approaches. 4 4 Starting this week, Xbox consoles will see price increases across the UK, Europe, the US, and Australia. In the UK, the Series X will now set buyers back £499.99, up £20, while the smaller Series S jumps by £50 to £299.99. For those eyeing the high-end 2TB Series X, expect to pay £589.99 — a £40 rise. In Europe, the same consoles are climbing by €50, with the Series X priced at €599.99. In the US, the hikes are even steeper. The Series X goes up by $100 to $599.99, the 512GB Series S rises by $80 to $379.99, and the top-end 2TB Series X is now $729.99, a $130 jump that makes it more expensive than Sony's $699 PS5 Pro. It's not just consoles feeling the squeeze. Microsoft says that starting this holiday season, some new first-party Xbox games will cost $79.99, up from the current $69.99. UK prices haven't been confirmed yet, but similar increases are expected. Physical and digital editions will both be affected. Accessories like wireless controllers and US headsets are also set to rise slightly in price, though the Xbox Game Pass subscription will stay the same, at least for now. Why is there a price surge? Microsoft points to rising development costs and tough market conditions. But there's a bigger backdrop here: global tech prices are being hit hard by ongoing US tariffs, introduced under former President Donald Trump. These tariffs, aimed at imports from China and other manufacturing hubs, have disrupted global supply chains and raised costs for electronics companies everywhere. Which has resulted in consumers worldwide paying more, not just in the UK or US, but also across Europe, Australia, and other regions. This latest price rise follows Sony's similar move earlier this year to increase PlayStation console prices across multiple markets. With both major gaming giants now raising costs, it's clear the global gaming market is grappling with inflation, supply issues, and trade pressures that go well beyond individual company decisions. Despite falling Xbox hardware sales reported in its latest earnings, Microsoft's overall gaming division is still growing, thanks largely to blockbuster titles like Call of Duty and Minecraft, as well as strong Xbox Game Pass subscription numbers. But the company admits these price changes are 'challenging' for players, even as it promises more value across devices and platforms going forward. For gamers, the question now is whether to buy in before prices climb even higher or wait to see if discounts or bundles soften the blow during sales seasons. 4
