Latest news with #Windows-maker
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
The 90s' browser wars are repeating and Google is bankrolling the battle
A quarter of a century ago, when Microsoft used its dominance of the personal computer market to force people to use Internet Explorer, it famously led to a devastating antitrust lawsuit loss that some believe held the company back for more than a decade. Only now, revitalised by Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella's quick moves in artificial intelligence, is the Windows-maker back on top. As AI rivalries intensify, Google is now trying to put Microsoft through its '90s nightmare again. The search giant is funding the Browser Choice Alliance (BCA), an industry group involving Google and a number of smaller browser makers, such as Opera, Vivaldi and others, set up to put pressure on Microsoft. The complaint, as it was back then, is that Microsoft is once again using its ownership of the Windows operating system to give its own browser an unfair leg up — at a moment that some feel is as pivotal as the emergence of the internet. The Alphabet unit is not the only financial backer of the BCA, said two people familiar with its structure, but it is comfortably the largest. This isn't surprising because it has the most to lose: Longtime rival Microsoft, with its partner OpenAI, sees a window to take on Google's search dominance, and were Microsoft to become the most popular AI browser, it would steal considerable market share. Google would not confirm the size of the company's contribution to BCA. 'We've been open about our concerns with Microsoft's well–documented use of dark patterns that make it harder for Windows users to keep using their preferred browser,' a spokesman said. The new 'Browser War' is brewing thanks to the desktop or laptop computer's position as one of the biggest early battlegrounds in AI. While the smartphone has become people's most frequently used computing platform, the desktop (or laptop) has retained its place for accomplishing real work — the kind of tasks AI makers say they can help with the most. As such, a slew of new or improved browsers has hit the market, with new entrants such as the Browser Company's Dia browser or Perplexity's Comet. OpenAI is said to be working on its own. Winning the browser is seen as critically important as it can help forge new habits. Perplexity, for instance, said that users who installed Comet were making three times more AI queries every day than they had been previously. Following suit, Microsoft recently announced that Edge — the default browser for Windows users — had received a significant AI upgrade. The company's CoPilot assistant is now embedded in the browser and can take control of a user's tabs to carry out tasks such as making a booking, much like a human might (at least in theory). The alliance has been busy assembling a rap sheet of ways it says Microsoft makes it difficult for Windows users to use anything other than Edge. It argues that Windows puts up unwarranted scary security warnings when users try to download an alternative browser. And, when prompted to install a Windows update, BCA contends Microsoft uses 'dark patterns' to coerce users into setting Edge back as the default browser on their machine. 'They're repeating some of the exact same tactics that they used 20, 25 years ago,' said Gene Burrus, a former Microsoft lawyer-turned-competition lawyer, brought in by the BCA to advocate for forcing his old employer to level the playing field. The alliance would not say whether it plans to mount a US legal challenge to Microsoft's conduct, saying that for now it's seeking to raise 'awareness.' In Europe, it has lobbied regulators, arguing that Microsoft is only partially complying with new competition laws. Separately, BCA member Opera has filed a complaint with the competition agency in Brazil. 'Microsoft's tactics are unjustified, frustrating to users, and only getting more severe,' the Oslo-based company said. Microsoft sees things differently. It argues that it's more than a little rich that Google, which commands a 68% share of the global desktop browser market, is complaining about Edge, with its 5%, especially because, thanks to a ruling a just a year ago, Google is a freshly ordained illegal monopolist itself — a row that, as in this case, was about the lucrative benefits of being a default choice that's hard for users to shake off. 'Google, not Microsoft, dominates the browser market,' said a Microsoft spokesman. 'And, as the US DOJ case has established, it uses distribution with its partners like Opera to foreclose search competition.' Be that as it may, competition concerns must look beyond the current status quo and instead recognise where the market is going. Google and the other BCA members are right to be fearful, and regulators would be wise to take note of the control Microsoft has in shaping consumers' new behaviours in the AI era. It was, after all, the 'default' status that helped Google build and maintain its own colossal monopoly in search — that's why it paid upward of $20 billion a year to Apple to make sure it was the search engine of choice on the iPhone. What's good for Google, in this case at least (and maybe at most), is good for healthy competition across the rest of the AI pack. The company, or ideally companies, that win the browser battle will be richly rewarded — and they should get there through merit, not pre-installation or dark patterns. At all times, viable competitors should have a fair crack at knocking market leaders off their perch. Microsoft must keep its most aggressive instincts in check, or it might find history repeating itself.
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
An AI Replay of the Browser Wars, Bankrolled by Google
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- A quarter of a century ago, when Microsoft Corp. used its dominance of the personal computer market to force people to use Internet Explorer, it famously led to a devastating antitrust lawsuit loss that some believe held the company back for more than a decade. Only now, revitalized by Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella's quick moves in artificial intelligence, is the Windows-maker back on top. As AI rivalries intensify, Google is now trying to put Microsoft through its '90s nightmare again. The search giant is funding the Browser Choice Alliance, an industry group involving Google and a number of smaller browser makers, such as Opera, Vivaldi and others, set up to put pressure on Microsoft. The complaint, as it was back then, is that Microsoft is once again using its ownership of the Windows operating system to give its own browser an unfair leg up — at a moment that some feel is as pivotal as the emergence of the internet. The Alphabet Inc. unit is not the only financial backer of the BCA, I'm told by two people familiar with its structure, but it is comfortably the largest. This isn't surprising because it has the most to lose: Longtime rival Microsoft, with its partner OpenAI, sees a window to take on Google's search dominance, and were Microsoft's to become the most popular AI browser, it would steal considerable market share. Google would not confirm the size of the company's contribution to the BCA. 'We've been open about our concerns with Microsoft's well–documented use of dark patterns that make it harder for Windows users to keep using their preferred browser,' a spokesman said. The new 'Browser War' is brewing thanks to the desktop or laptop computer's position as one of the biggest early battlegrounds in AI. While the smartphone has become people's most frequently used computing platform, the desktop (or laptop) has retained its place for accomplishing real work — the kind of tasks AI makers say they can help with the most. As such, we're seeing a slew of new or improved browsers hit the market, with new entrants such as the Browser Company's Dia browser or Perplexity's Comet. OpenAI is said to be working on its own. Winning the browser is seen as critically important as it can help forge new habits. Perplexity, for instance, told me that users who installed Comet were making three times more AI queries every day than they had been previously. Following suit, Microsoft recently announced that Edge — the default browser for Windows users — had received a significant AI upgrade. The company's CoPilot assistant is now embedded in the browser and can take control of a user's tabs to carry out tasks such as making a booking, much like a human might (at least in theory). The Browser Choice Alliance has been busy assembling a rap sheet of ways its says Microsoft makes it difficult for Windows users to use anything other than Edge. It argues that Windows puts up unwarranted scary security warnings when users try to download an alternative browser. And, when prompted to install a Windows update, the BCA contends Microsoft uses 'dark patterns' to coerce users into setting Edge back as the default browser on their machine.'They're repeating some of the exact same tactics that they used 20, 25 years ago,' said Gene Burrus, a former Microsoft lawyer-turned-competition lawyer, brought in by the BCA to advocate for forcing his old employer to level the playing field. The alliance would not say whether it plans to mount a US legal challenge to Microsoft's conduct, saying that for now it's seeking to raise 'awareness.' In Europe, it has lobbied regulators, arguing that Microsoft is only partially complying with new competition laws. Separately, BCA member Opera has filed a complaint with the competition agency in Brazil. 'Microsoft's tactics are unjustified, frustrating to users, and only getting more severe,' the Oslo-based company said. Microsoft sees things differently. It argues that it's more than a little rich that Google, which commands a 68% share of the global desktop browser market, is complaining about Edge, with its 5%, especially because, thanks to a ruling a just a year ago, Google is a freshly ordained illegal monopolist itself — a row that, as in this case, was about the lucrative benefits of being a default choice that's hard for users to shake off. 'Google, not Microsoft, dominates the browser market,' a Microsoft spokesman told me. 'And, as the US DOJ case has established, it uses distribution with its partners like Opera to foreclose search competition.' Be that as it may, competition concerns must look beyond the current status quo and instead recognize where the market is going. Google and the other BCA members are right to be fearful, and regulators would be wise to take note, of the control Microsoft has in shaping consumers' new behaviors in the AI era. It was, after all, the 'default' status that helped Google build and maintain its own colossal monopoly in search — that's why it paid upward of $20 billion a year to Apple Inc. to make sure it was the search engine of choice on the iPhone. The fact hypocrisy is thick in the air does not make Google's current complaint less valid. What's good for Google, in this case at least (and maybe at most), is good for healthy competition across the rest of the AI pack. The company, or ideally companies, that win the browser battle will be richly rewarded — and they should get there through merit, not pre-installation or dark patterns. At all times, viable competitors should have a fair crack at knocking market leaders off their perch. Microsoft must keep its most aggressive instincts in check, or it might find history repeating itself. More From Bloomberg Opinion: This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Dave Lee is Bloomberg Opinion's US technology columnist. He was previously a correspondent for the Financial Times and BBC News. More stories like this are available on
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Microsoft layoffs: Xbox executive suggests laid-off workers ask ChatGPT for career advice
Amid sweeping layoffs at Microsoft's gaming studios, an Xbox executive has urged employees affected by the job cuts to seek advice and emotional support from AI chatbots. 'No Al tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience. But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity,' Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Games Studio, wrote in a LinkedIn post that has now been deleted. Stating that he would be 'remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances', Turnbull said, 'I've been experimenting with ways to use LLM AI tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.' While more people are turning to ChatGPT for low-cost therapy and advice, experts have raised concerns about the safety and reliability of such AI tools. Even ChatGPT's own terms of service state that its output may not always be accurate. 'You should not rely on Output from our Services as a sole source of truth or factual information, or as a substitute for professional advice,' the Terms of Use page reads. Acknowledging that people have 'strong feelings' about AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot, Turnbull suggested that those who are feeling overwhelmed could use them to get advice about creating resumes, career planning, and applying for new roles. 'These are really challenging times, and if you're navigating a layoff or even quietly preparing for one, you're not alone and you don't have to go it alone,' he added. His remarks come days after Microsoft said that it is laying off as many as 9,100 employees, or about 4 percent of its workforce, in yet another round of cuts this year. Two months ago, the Windows-maker had announced it was cutting more than 6,000 employees, followed by an additional 305 reductions in early June. The company's Xbox division has reportedly been hit hardest by the layoffs with Microsoft cancelling several new video game launches and other services. It has also closed its office in Pakistan after 25 years, according to a report by TechRadar. While big tech companies are spending billions of dollars to build AI infrastructure, layoffs continue. For instance, Microsoft has announced plans to invest $80 billion in AI infrastructure this year. On the other hand, more than 62,114 tech workers have been laid off from both large and small tech firms so far this year, according to the independent tracker
Forbes
04-05-2025
- Forbes
Do Not Open This PDF On A Microsoft Windows PC
Do not open this PDF—delete on sight. A few weeks on from Microsoft warning Windows users that PDF attachments are increasingly being used in attacks, there's another warning and a new lure. While the Windows-maker's alert for PC users came ahead of tax day in the U.S., the new attack is less time critical and has a nasty trick in how it masks its malicious intent. Microsoft's tax day warning called out 'PDF attachments with an embedded DoubleClick URL that redirected users to a Rebrandly URL shortening link. That link in turn redirected the browser to a landing site that displayed a fake DocuSign page hosted on a domain masquerading as DocuSign.' When users clicked to download, 'the outcome depended on whether their system and IP address were allowed to access the next stage based on filtering rules set up by the threat actor.' This was a clever form of obfuscation to make it more difficult for security researchers to replicate the attack and craft a fix. Now, the team at TrustWave SpiderLabs warn 'we've spotted a campaign delivering RemcosRAT, using a fake payment SWIFT copy to lure victims. The attached PDF links to an obfuscated JavaScript file that uses ActiveXObject to fetch a second-stage script. This script invokes PowerShell to download and decode an image hosted on which appears harmless but conceals the Remcos payload using steganography.' Again, obfuscation here is key. The latest trickery in malicious PDFs is to hide links behind QR codes or to compile PDFs without the usual URL tag, making it harder to a security scan to pick up the treat. Steganography takes this to a new level, hiding the link in an image, and making it all but impossible for a user to detect. As Kaspersky explains, 'steganography is the practice of concealing information within another message or physical object to avoid detection. Steganography can be used to hide virtually any type of digital content, including text, image, video, or audio content. That hidden data is then extracted at its destination. Content concealed through steganography is sometimes encrypted before being hidden within another file format. If it isn't encrypted, then it may be processed in some way to make it harder to detect.' According to Cybersecurity News, the new attack 'begins with a phishing email that attaches a PDF file contains a malicious link, specifically pointing to malicious webpage: luring victims into a multi-stage infection process designed to deliver RemcosRAT, a malware known for its ability to remotely control infected systems.' RemcosRAT is a nasty trojan you don't want anywhere near your PC. But the warning is not really that specific. PDFs are highlighted as a new favorite for cyber attacks, given user wariness as regards Office documents. The feeling amongst users seems to be that PDFs are more benign and therefore safer. Unfortunately, that's not the case. As for what to look for here. An email headed 'SWIFT Copy' that purports to confirm a bank transfer with an attacked receipt. While for most this lure is typical of the raft of latest threats, these campaigns are hitting plenty of marks. That's why they proliferate. Delete on sight.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apple shares fall 5% as buyback cuts, tariff fears fan investor jitters
Apple shares fell 5% on Friday after the company trimmed its stock buyback program and CEO Tim Cook flagged a $900 million tariff-related hit to costs this quarter amid a raging Sino-U.S. trade war. U.S. President Donald Trump 's tariff flip-flops have thrown corporate plans into disarray, even for Apple, which along with Microsoft, has been juggling the title of the world's most valuable company. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Undo The company has been stocking up to cushion the blow from potential supply-chain snarls and rising U.S. import costs. But with consumer confidence sliding, some analysts said Apple may face weakening iPhone demand in its home market. Its decision to lower its buyback authorization by $10 billion also marked a rare pullback that signaled a desire to preserve cash in the face of uncertainty. Typically it has either maintained or increased its repurchase levels. "The $100 billion buyback announced is below the $110 billion announced a year ago, which we found as a bit of a head-scratcher, as Apple historically either holds its buyback or increases it authorization," said Angelo Zino, equity analyst at CFRA Research. Live Events Analysts have warned U.S. tariffs on China could drive up iPhone prices, if Apple chose to pass on the added costs to consumers. But, Cook said most of the devices sold in the U.S. this quarter would be manufactured outside China. A last-minute exemption for consumer electronics has also offered temporary relief, even as the White House continues to weigh further trade actions. Cook said on Thursday Apple is ramping up efforts to shift its supply chain away from China, with most U.S.-bound iPhones now set to be assembled in India. Apple reported quarterly sales of $95.36 billion and earnings of $1.65 per share, narrowly beating market expectations. The company forecast low-to-mid single-digit revenue growth, in line with muted expectations. In China, Apple posted $16 billion in revenue, slightly above forecasts, though competition from Huawei and slower AI rollout continue to pressure market share. If losses hold, Apple is on track to shed more than $150 billion in market value, while a bullish outlook from Microsoft earlier this week has helped the Windows-maker become the world's most valuable company. SHIFTING SUPPLY CHAIN Cook said Apple's shift away from manufacturing in China would include sourcing more chips from the U.S. and expanding its footprint in key states like Texas, Arizona, and Oregon, but acknowledged the transition comes at a cost. "Having everything in one location had too much risk," he told analysts, referring to Apple's historical dependence on Chinese manufacturing. Apple's move to import iPhones from India marks a further shift in its production strategy, aimed at sidestepping future tariffs while expanding its presence in a fast-growing emerging market. "Part of their long-term vision is a big portion of the supply chain being in India," said Joe Tigay, portfolio manager at Catalyst Funds, which owns Apple shares. "I think just kind of having that base there would also do well for their relations or their prestige in the country."
