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Microsoft confirms hackers stole partial source code for Bing, Cortana

Microsoft confirmed that hacking group ‘Lapsus$’ compromised a “single account” and accessed partial source code for Bing and Cortana.

The company confirmed the breach in a blog post and detailed what Lapsus$ — or ‘DEV-0537’ as Microsoft calls the group — got from the breach. According to Microsoft, no customer code or data was involved. The company says that Lapsus$ only compromised one account, and Microsoft’s security teams responded quickly to remediate the account and prevent further activity.

Moreover, Microsoft said that it doesn’t rely on the secrecy of source code as a security tool. In other words, Microsoft assumes attackers will access source code, and so relies on other tools to protect itself. The company made a similar remark following the massive Solarwinds breach in 2020.

Lapsus$ claimed it got access to around 45 percent of the code for Bing and Cortana, as well as some 90 percent of code for Bing Maps.

The Verge notes that the Lapsus$ group claimed to be behind several recent security attacks and said it stole data from Okta, Samsung, Ubisoft, and Nvidia. While some of the companies have admitted data was stolen, Okta refuted the group’s claims and said its service hadn’t been breached.

Microsoft wrapped up its blog post by outlining steps organizations can take to improve security, especially in regard to Lapsus$. The company described the Lapsus$ attack pattern as gaining “access through stolen credentials that enable data theft and destructive attacks against a targeted organization, often resulting in extortion.”

With that in mind, Microsoft suggests organizations require employees to use multi-factor authentication, or MFA (also called two-factor authentication, or 2FA). MFA involves using multiple methods of authenticating users, such as passwords combined with a one-time passcode (OTP) sent via email, SMS, or through an authentication app. Of the three, Microsoft recommends using a dedicated authentication app to avoid vulnerabilities with email or SMS OTP codes, such as SIM swap attacks commonly used to intercept these codes.

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft adds new constant reminder that Windows 11 doesn’t support your PC

Windows 11 will soon get a new desktop watermark that will display in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen on PCs that don’t meet the operating system’s strict hardware requirements.

As spotted by Ars Technica, the change is currently live in the Windows Insider Release Preview channel that serves up release-candidate builds a few days or weeks ahead of official deployment. Build 22000.588 adds the warning message, which reads:

“System requirements not met. Go to Settings to learn more”

The message presumably appears on PCs that don’t meet one or more of the system requirements of Windows 11 — requirements that stirred up significant debate back when Microsoft announced the OS.

Windows 11 watermark | Image credit: Ars Technica

A short, simple summary is that Microsoft added various system requirements to Windows 11 to improve the baseline security of Windows. Unfortunately, many of those requirements resulted in dropped support for a wide range of devices from pre-2018. Requirements include support for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, as well as running certain up-to-date CPUs.

Part of the controversy around Windows 11 hinged on TPM 2.0 support — something that many PCs had, but was turned off by default. In other words, many people had PCs (often custom-built ones) that could meet the requirements if they enabled TPM 2.0, although it often wasn’t clear how to do that. By now, though, most people will hopefully have figured this out.

Still, that leaves tons of perfectly fine, albeit old, Windows machines out there that can’t run Windows 11 because Big Daddy Gates said so (obviously this is a joke and Bill Gates likely had no impact on this since he stopped handling day-to-day operations at Microsoft in 2008). For example, Ars noted that it saw the message on a PC that supports TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, but runs an unsupported 6th Gen Intel Core CPU.

Moreover, although Microsoft added all these system requirements, it also allowed users to work around them and install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs. That said, the company warns people about doing that during the install process and the company has threatened to withhold updates from unsupported systems (but hasn’t done so yet).

All this means is that people with unsupported PCs on Windows 11 will start seeing the watermark reminding them that their PC is unsupported soon, assuming they keep on top of updating their PC. At this time, it doesn’t appear that the update impacts functionality at all, besides adding the watermark. So, if some text on your screen doesn’t bug you, there’s not much to worry about (and if it does bug you, there might be a way to remove it if you’re tech-savvy).

Perhaps the most worrisome part is that the addition of the watermark could herald future changes that further separate supported and unsupported Windows 11 PCs.

Source: Ars Technica

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Mobile Syrup

Valve’s Steam Deck now supports Xbox Cloud Gaming through Edge

Valve’s handheld Steam Deck can now run Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly called xCloud) platform through Edge.

It was previously possible to play Xbox Cloud Gaming titles through Chrome but handheld controls didn’t work, forcing players to use an external controller with the portable. Now a new beta Linux version of Microsoft Edge designed specifically for the Steam Deck includes full support for the potable’s built-in controls.

In a recent Reddit post, Miss Quarry, a community manager at Microsoft Edge, explained that Edge’s development team worked closely with Valve to bring full Xbox Cloud Gaming support to the Steam Deck through Edge.

“We’re particularly excited about this ourselves as we feel it can open new opportunities in the Linux gaming community,” said Quarry. Microsoft’s Catherine Gluckstein, the company’s head of product and strategy, also tweeted about the new Linux version of Edge designed for the Steam Deck.

This opens up the Steam Deck to the wide variety of Xbox Cloud Gaming titles, including Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft Dungeons, The Outer Worlds and more. Microsoft has also released a detailed guide to creating a simple link to Xbox Cloud gaming on the Steam Deck to make it easier to access from the handheld. I’ve yet to try out Xbox Game Streaming with the Steam Deck, but I imagine the performance would be similar to playing a title through Edge on an iPhone or iPad.

It’s worth noting that several Xbox Game Studios titles are already compatible with the Steam Deck directly through Valve’s SteamOS, including Prey, Psychonauts 2, Forza Horizon 5 and more.

In other Steam Deck-related news, the device is now capable of running Windows, though the experience is far from perfect.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes Xbox Cloud Gaming, costs $16.99 per month. I’ll have a review of Valve’s Steam Deck on MobileSyrup in the coming days.

Source: Reddit (Miss Quarry), @CJGluckstein Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Rogers to serve as Microsoft’s Canadian partner on new Teams feature

Rogers and Microsoft have entered a five-year partnership to help businesses enhance their digital experience.

Rogers is using Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure, in combination with its 5G network  to fuel innovation, new customer experiences, and encourage employee collaboration. It’s also the first to offer Operator Connect Mobile in Canada.

The new feature allows a single SIM number to function across Microsoft Teams, which Azure powers. The number can be used to make calls on mobile or desktop. Users can seamlessly move calls between the two without any disruptions.

Rogers says the solution will allow companies to reduce the cost of voice services and enhance customer and employee experience.

“Landlines and legacy voice services are rapidly being replaced by mobile — the workplace is shifting, and our customers have embraced new ways of working,” Ron McKenzie, President of Rogers Business, said in a statement. “Together, we are bringing Operator Connect Mobile to Canada, which will help businesses save up to 50 percent in costs by upgrading outdated, expensive legacy voice infrastructure.”

Rogers is the only Canadian company where Operator Connect Mobile is available. BT, Swisscom, Telia, and Verizon are the other companies Microsoft is working with.

Source: Rogers

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft is testing banner ads for File Explorer in Windows 11

Microsoft says that ads appearing in Windows 11’s File Explorer were a mistake and “not intended to be published externally” after a Windows Insider tweeted about them.

Insider MVP Florian Beaubois shared a picture of a banner ad in File Explorer on Twitter, noting — aptly — that “people will go mad” if Microsoft adds ads to File Explorer.

In a statement to The Verge, senior program manager for Windows Brandon LeBlanc explained the ad was “an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off.”

Unfortunately, saying “we didn’t mean for this to happen” doesn’t mean Microsoft will never put ads in File Explorer. Plus, it’s clear now that Microsoft can run ads in File Explorer if it wanted to.

Which, it does. The company has a track record of putting ads into Windows, although typically for its own services (an ad is an ad, however). The Verge points out that Microsoft experimented with a banner ad in the Windows 10 File Explorer for promoting OneDrive back in 2017.

The company also put ads into the Windows 10 lock screen, the Start menu, and has added all kinds of pop-ups and other intrusive, ad-like things to push its Edge browser on users.

All this is to say, while Microsoft may not be putting ads into File Explorer right now, it can and probably will.

Source: Florian Beaubois (Twitter) Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft’s new AI-powered Smart Camera costs more than $1,000 in Canada

Microsoft has a new camera suped-up with artificial intelligence to help make its Surface Hub 2 better for meetings.

The AI-powered ‘Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera‘ will support automatic reframing, a wide field of view, and image correction features, according to The Verge. The camera sports a 12-megapixel sensor with a 136° field of view, as well as one teraflop of computing power (which is apparently more than the original Xbox 360).

Microsoft will use the power in conjunction with an algorithm it developed to automatically compensate for distortions, tilt, and wide-angle corrections to ensure the camera doesn’t distort people or objects.

Additionally, the camera can detect people in a room and adjust to make sure everyone stays visible during meetings.

The Smart Camera can attach to the Surface Hub 2 with a magnet and a USB-C mount.

It costs $1,025 in Canada (or $799.99 in the U.S.) and will be sold separately from the Surface Hub 2 starting March 16th in all markets where Microsoft sells the Surface Hub 2. While it sounds like a lot of money, it’s worth keeping in mind that the camera is aimed at businesses (and, particularly, ones that have already forked out the money for Surface Hub 2 devices).

You can learn more about the Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera here.

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft brings DirectStorage to PC, boosts load times on supported games

Microsoft is finally bringing its DirectStorage API to Windows 10 and 11, which should (eventually) boost loading speeds for PC gamers.

The Redmond, Washington-based company first announced DirectStorage would make the leap from its Xbox Series X and S consoles to PC in September 2020, and later reiterated that DirectStorage would come to Windows 11 when it unveiled the new OS in 2021. In a new blog post published March 14th, Microsoft says Windows games can ship with DirectStorage “starting today.”

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll actually be able to play them today.

All right, let’s break this thing down starting with what DirectStorage is and how it works, followed by availability, and finally why you won’t be able to try it right away.

What is DirectStorage and how does it work?

How DirectStorage works | Image credit: Microsoft

The DirectStorage API is a public software development kit (SDK) that allows graphics processing units (GPUs) to communicate directly with fast NVMe solid-state drives (SSDs) rather than relying on the CPU to decompress data coming out of storage.

Typically, when games load content — such as the world or level you’re playing in — that data needs to be pulled off of a drive, decompressed by the CPU and fed into memory where the GPU can then use it to render what players see on screen.

DirectStorage works around this by feeding the compressed data straight to the GPU, benefitting from several speed boosts. First, it delivers the smaller compressed data to the GPU, benefitting from the faster transfer speeds of the SSD and smaller file size. Then it benefits from the GPU’s higher decompression bandwidths for better load time scenarios.

In short, it should mean much faster load times for players, which is great news. One of the main benefits of the Xbox Series X/S consoles was their faster load times, which is partially thanks to DirectStorage (the consoles make use of custom NVMe SSDs, hardware-accelerated decompression blocks, and Sampler Feedback Streaming to boost load times as well). It’ll be interesting to see how PC load times compare once DirectStorage is widely available.

DirectStorage availability

The good news about DirectStorage is it will be available to both Windows 10 and 11 PCs, although Microsoft recommends Windows 11 because it “has the latest storage optimizations built in and is [Microsoft’s] recommended path for gaming.”

Moreover, Microsoft suggests in the blog post that DirectStorage may benefit storage types other than NVMe SSDs, but Microsoft recommends using them to get the most out of DirectStorage.

As for the bad news, well, not many games support DirectStorage at the moment. Upcoming game Forspoken will be one of the first to showcase the tech, but it just got delayed and won’t arrive until October 11th, 2022.

And, as The Verge points out, PC gamers still use a variety of storage tech for games. Many haven’t upgraded to faster NVMe SSD storage, while with new devices like Valve’s Steam Deck, developers may need to target potentially much slower storage mediums like UHS-I microSD cards.

Most people I know — including myself — have a hodgepodge of storage including SSDs and hard drives. I went this route with my PC due to the higher costs of SSD storage — I started with a small SSD for Windows and apps, plus a cheap 1TB hard drive for large storage needs like games and media. Over the years, I’ve added another hard drive and an SSD that I use specifically for multiplayer games I play regularly so I can get faster load times — I still use my hard drives to store single-player games where I’m more willing to wait.

If DirectStorage brings a significant boost to load times, it may spur more PC gamers to upgrade to NVMe SSD storage to maximize the benefit. However, with ongoing supply shortages and skyrocketing prices, I imagine many more users will end up priced out of faster load times.

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Developers got Windows 11 running on the original Surface Duo

They did it. They finally went and put Windows 11 on the original Surface Duo — and you can too.

Engineering student Gustave Monce and developer Simone Franco have put out a guide explaining how to install Windows 11 on a Surface Duo. But, it’s probably not something you want to do for a variety of reasons.

First, you’ll need at least a 128GB Surface Duo since you’ll have to dual-boot Windows 11 and Android — that gives you 64GB for both operating systems. Moreover, you’ll need a PC to actually boot Windows on the Duo. Otherwise, it just boots Android as usual.

Second, you’ll need to boot Windows 11 on ARM. If you’ve followed the Windows on ARM saga at all, you’ll know that it’s extremely limited, at least compared to x86 Windows.

Oh, and nothing works. Like, at all.

According to Neowin and The Verge, Windows 11 will boot on the Surface Duo, but touch controls, networking, cellular data, and the cameras all don’t function.

Finally, it’s worth noting that installing Windows 11 on a Surface Duo will likely void your warranty and could brick the device. In other words, don’t do it unless you know what you’re doing (and even if you do, proceed at your own risk).

Ultimately, seeing Windows 11 run on the Surface Duo amounts to a cool experiment more than anything. It’s both reminiscent of Microsoft’s old Windows mobile operating systems and dredges up memories of the Surface Neo, Microsoft’s Duo-like tablet that will likely never launch.

You can check out the guide to installing Windows 11 on the Surface Duo here.

Source: GitHub Via: Neowin, The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

These Xbox Game Studios titles will run on Steam Deck (Halo isn’t one of them)

Microsoft detailed an official list of Xbox Game Studios (XGS) titles that will (and won’t) run on Valve’s Steam Deck.

Let’s get the big ones out of the way first: no, you won’t be nabbing frags in Halo Infinite on Valve’s handheld gaming PC anytime soon. Infinite, along with Gears 5Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Microsoft Flight Simulator X are all unsupported titles. Microsoft says the games are unsupported due to anti-cheat.

Interestingly, it’s worth pointing out that Flight Simulator X was released in 2006 and shouldn’t be confused with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator released in 2020 (which isn’t even included on this list).

Beyond the titles marked as unsupported, Microsoft lists eight games that are “Verified” and six that are “Playable.” The difference is that Playable titles may show a warning or make players type something with a virtual keyboard. In other words, it may not be as smooth an experience, but you can still play the game. The list of titles can be found below:

  • Verified
    • Deathloop
    • Psychonauts 2
    • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
    • The Evil Within
    • Fallout Shelter
    • Prey
    • Battletoads
    • Max: The Curse of Brotherhood
  • Playable
    • Sea of Thieves
    • Fallout 4
    • Forza Horizon 5
    • Forza Horizon 4
    • Quantum Break
    • State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition

It’s worth noting that Microsoft’s list only covers Xbox Game Studios games that are currently available on Steam, although not all of them (looking at you, 2020 Flight Simulator). That said, the Steam Deck recently got access to Windows drivers, so some users can make the leap from Steam OS to Windows if they want to.

Valve CEO Gabe Newell also previously said the company was open to working with Microsoft to bring its Game Pass subscription service to the platform, which could open the door to having Game Pass on Steam Deck (without needing Windows).

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge

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Microsoft says Xbox products will be 100 percent recyclable in 38 countries by 2030

Microsoft has provided an update on its Xbox-specific sustainability efforts.

To start, the company says its Xbox products, accessories and packaging will all be 100 percent recyclable by 2030 in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Thirty-eight countries are members of OECD, including Canada and the U.S. The company says Xbox Series X/S consoles were recently deemed to be 97 percent recyclable in OECD nations based on the UL 2789 Environmental Claim Validation (ECV) Procedure, a standardized metric for measuring electronic product recyclability.

With respect to its ongoing cloud gaming efforts, Xbox says it will shift its Azure data centres to 100 percent supply of renewable energy. Xbox Cloud Gaming, the company’s Game Pass feature that lets more than one hundred games be streamed to mobile, PC and consoles, leverages these Azure networks.

Additionally, the company says it’s expanded the functionality of its Energy Saver mode feature, which consumes 20 times less power than Standby mode when the console isn’t in use or receiving updates. Now, system and game updates can be downloaded during Energy Saver mode for a more eco-friendly process.

Other changes include shifting to cardboard for prepaid Xbox gift cards (which it says reduces over 500,000 kg of plastic annually), making the Xbox Series S its first console to use a minimum of 28 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin for mechanical components and showcasing electric vehicles in last year’s Forza Horizon 5.

Source: Xbox