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☆ Inside Microsoft's struggles with Copilot
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

In September 2023, Microsoft's famously soft-spoken CEO, Satya Nadella, unveiled the company's flagship AI product, Copilot, with sweeping fanfare. Some of Microsoft's own employees and executives are privately concerned that Copilot won't be able to deliver on its ambitions. Copilot's struggles have created an opening for Microsoft's rivals, some of whom have seized on the opportunity to promote their own agendas. "Now, when Joe Blow logs into an account and kicks off Copilot, they can see everything," said one Microsoft employee familiar with customer complaints. As complaints and questions over Copilot mount, so does the pressure to justify Microsoft's unprecedented level of spending on AI.

Persons: Microsoft's, Satya Nadella, Gartner, Copilot, it'll, Copilot's, Marc Benioff, Benioff, Goldman Sachs, Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz, Ethan Miller, Jared Spataro, Spataro, —, Joe Blow, Joe, Nadella, Gary Marcus, Marcus, Wile, Coyote, Brontë, Judson Althoff, Jason Zander, Zander, We've, OpenAI, Tasos Katopodis, Steve Jobs Organizations: Microsoft, Venture, Getty, Goldman, BI, Fortune, Excel, Lumen Technologies, Honeywell, Gartner, Wall Street, Initiative, Department of Homeland Security, Employees, San Francisco, Software, Apple, Jobs Locations: Microsoft's, Copilot, New York City

☆ Why Microsoft is reportedly mandating its employees in China stop using Android phones for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementMicrosoft has reportedly decided to block employees from using Android devices to access its corporate platforms because Google's mobile services, including its Google Play app store, are unavailable in China. That leaves Apple's app ecosystem as the only place for Microsoft employees in China to download and use the Microsoft Authenticator and Identity Pass apps, according to the report. AdvertisementA Microsoft spokesperson previously told Business Insider that "recent events have demonstrated a need to adopt a new culture of engineering security in our own networks."

Persons: —, Charlie Bell Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Apple, Business, Future Initiative, Google, Android, US, State Department Locations: China

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementWhile this data was limited to fast-food chains, the trend extends to casual-dining burger chains like Chili's and Applebee's. We've already tried the Big Smasher, but we wanted to see how the other burgers on Chili's menu fared in terms of taste and value. Business Insider coordinated with Chili's Grill & Bar to organize this taste test at our local restaurant, but BI paid for the meal, and the chain had no influence on our ranking. AdvertisementHere's every Chili's burger, ranked from worst to best.

Persons: —, Chili's, Kevin Hochman, Big, We've Organizations: Service, Triple, Business, Brinker International, Big Mac, Restaurant Business, Chili's

☆ I doubled my income at Microsoft after starting my career in a factory. I only had enough money for 1 semester of school, but I was determined.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nandita Gupta, an accessibility product manager at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. I'm an accessibility product manager at Microsoft. Since December 2021, I've worked as an accessibility product manager for Accessibility Insights, a suite of products that helps developers code with accessibility in mind. There came a moment in my manufacturing job when I asked myself, "What am I doing? Taking the Microsoft job doubled my earnings from my last job — my annual income was around $75,000 in manufacturing, and the move to Microsoft brought my total compensation to over $170,000.

Persons: —, Nandita Gupta, I've, MasterClass, Lauryn Haas Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Business, Google, Zoo Atlanta, TED, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, TEDx Georgia Tech Locations: Redmond , Washington, lhaas@businessinsider.com

☆ A Microsoft under attack from government and tech rivals after 'preventable' hack ties executive pay to cyberthreats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The decision by Microsoft to link executive compensation to successful cybersecurity performance is another is prompting discussions at other firms. One change the tech giant is making in response: linking executive compensation more closely to cybersecurity. In recent years, many Fortune 500 companies, including Apple, have added bonus pay tied to ESG metrics. The conversations about cybersecurity-linked executive pay have started taking place at other companies since Microsoft made its move, according to Aalap Shah, managing director at executive compensation consultant Pearl Meyer. Madnick's research shows that gaps in corporate culture are often culprits in high-profile hacks, not just the Microsoft example.

Persons: Brad Smith, Charlie Bell, Aalap Shah, Pearl Meyer, It's, I've, Shah, —, Stuart Madnick, Madnick, Ryan Kalember, unavoidability, Jen, Kalember, ransomware, Mike Doonan, Doonan Organizations: Microsoft, U.S, Hill, Google, U.S . Department of Homeland, Initiative, Microsoft Security, Team, Companies, Fortune, Apple, MIT, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNBC, Technology, State Department Locations: China, Russia, cybersecurity, U.S

☆ The North Korean refugees sold to Chinese husbands
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

China considers North Korean refugees to be economic migrants, and forcibly deports them back to North Korea – where, as alleged defectors, they face imprisonment, possible torture or worse, activists say. During that period, she also met other North Korean refugees in the same situation – with their status public knowledge in the village, she said. According to the KFI report, the buying of a North Korean wife is “always known to the local community” but rarely reported to authorities. The other North Korean refugees she’d met in town had connections to brokers who could help them escape, while church organizations and non-profit groups discreetly helped raise funds for the journey. Brokers who remain have raised their prices due to increased risks and surveillance, while newcomers to the business are inexperienced, making it a risky gamble for North Korean refugees.

Persons: South Korea CNN — Chae, –, she’s, Yoonjung Seo, She’d, didn’t, “, ”, Chae, ” didn’t, Kim Jeong Ah, Kim, she’d, we’ll, ” Chae, Seo, Unification Ministry –, She’s, – she’s Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, CNN, North Korea –, Korea Future Initiative, KFI, US State Department, Human Rights Watch, Female North, United Nations, Liberty, Korean, Koreans, Unification Ministry, Brokers Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, China, Laos, Thailand, North Korean, Hebei, Beijing, London, Korea, Korean, North, ”, South, South Koreans

☆ South Korea jails former hero pastor for sexually abusing North Korean teenage defectors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A South Korean pastor once hailed as a hero for helping North Korean defectors escape to safety has been jailed for sexually abusing minors. Refugees fleeing North Korea often make the perilous journey across the border into China, before attempting to reach South Korea. China, a close ally of Pyongyang, doesn’t consider North Korean defectors refugees, instead seeing them as illegal economic migrants. Under a border agreement with North Korea, it forcibly deports them. Once returned to North Korea, defectors face possible torture, sexual violence, hard labor, imprisonment in political or re-education camps, or even execution by the state, according to activists.

Persons: Chun Ki, Chun, ”, “, Durihana Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, Seoul Central, Court, ” CNN, Children, doesn’t, Underground Railroad, Korea Future Initiative, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korean, North Korea, China, Pyongyang, China’s, London, Durihana

☆ Microsoft says Russian hackers attacked it to find information about themselves
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft said on Friday that its security systems were breached by a Russian hacking group. Microsoft identified the group as Midnight Blizzard, which was behind the SolarWinds cyberattack. AdvertisementMicrosoft said Friday that its systems were breached by Russian hackers who accessed a "very small percentage" of corporate email accounts. The attack was launched by Midnight Blizzard — the seasoned Russian hacking group behind the massive 2020 attack on US information technology firm SolarWinds, which exposed sensitive information in the US federal government. But federal investigators said they found evidence the hackers accessed Microsoft Office 365.

Persons: — Organizations: Microsoft, Midnight, Service, Midnight Blizzard, Initiative Locations: Russian, China

☆ Amazon cuts more than 180 jobs in gaming division
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon on Monday announced it will cut more than 180 jobs in its Amazon Games division as it refocuses its efforts on Prime Gaming, according to an internal company memo viewed by CNBC. The company will close its Game Growth and Crown Channel initiatives as part of the restructuring. Now, Amazon will focus on upcoming launches such as "Throne and Liberty" and "Blue Protocol," as well as future initiatives such as "Tomb Raider" and "The Lord of the Rings" games, Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games, wrote in the memo to employees. The latest job cuts at Amazon come as CEO Andy Jassy has been in cost-cutting mode over the past year as the company has battled high interest rates and inflation. As a result, Amazon has carried out the largest layoffs in its history, cutting 27,000 jobs since last fall.

Persons: Christoph Hartmann, Hartmann, Andy Jassy, Jassy, —, Annie Palmer Organizations: Amazon Games, Prime Gaming, CNBC, Crown, Amazon, CNBC PRO

But that outburst of direct democracy has been limited to just half the states. About 167 million people live in 25 other states where such direct democracy is not currently an option. The number of ballot measures seeking to restrict the initiative and referendum process dipped in 2016 and has since risen. Measures seeking to restrict direct democracy peaked from 1995 to 2004 but significantly outpaced those seeking to expand direct democracy throughout the entire period of 1960 through 2022. Californians have considered 391 ballot initiatives — approving 137 of them — following campaigns that in recent years have cost tens of millions of dollars.

Persons: ”, John Matsusaka, Daniel Smith, Todd Donovan, that's, it's, Matsusaka, Michael Smith, ” Donovan, It's, it’s, ” Matsusaka Organizations: Initiative, University of Southern, South, University of Florida, Western Washington University, REPUBLICAN PUSHBACK Republican, Republican, Democratic, BIG, Oregon, Voters, Emporia State University, Referendum Locations: Maine, Ohio, University of Southern California, South Dakota, Mississippi, Alaska, Wyoming, Illinois, Florida, Arizona , Arkansas , Ohio, Arizona, Oregon, California, Kansas

The Hamas attack left at least 250 dead and 1,500 wounded in Israel. The attack only adds new complications as the Biden administration and Iran are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program. Biden administration officials have also been working on brokering a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state. Biden administration officials pushed back against the argument. Administration officials roundly rejected this, saying their efforts to help Palestinian civilians in Gaza and elsewhere do not involve money that Hamas can use or divert.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ unconscionable ”, ”, ” Biden, Obama, —, won’t, ” Netanyahu, Israel, Jonathan Schanzer, “, Netanyahu, Schanzer, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Matthew Miller, State Victoria Nuland, Barbara Leaf, Seung Min Kim, Jill Colvin, Thomas Beaumont Organizations: WASHINGTON, GOP, Hamas, Hezbollah, Biden, European, Middle East, White, Trump White, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Israel ., Israel . Florida Gov, Department, Foreign Relations, Islamic, State Victoria, Republicans, Administration, Associated Press Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, Gaza, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Egypt, Syria, Washington, Israel . Florida, Carolina, U.S, Islamic Republic, Lebanon, New York, Waterloo , Iowa

☆ As Mexico cracks down on migrants, AMLO gains leverage with Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And right now that leverage is around migration,” said Andrew Selee, the president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. Members of the Mexican National Guard stand on the border between Mexico and Guatemala to prevent the crossing of migrant caravans on October 21, 2022. “The Mexico southern border pretty much was the US southern border,” Meyer said. “What we are looking for is to reach an agreement to confront the migration phenomenon by addressing the causes,” López Obrador said at a news conference. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to Mexico this week along with other cabinet secretaries and meet with López Obrador.

Persons: Biden, ”, Andrew Selee, Stringer, George W, Bush, Vicente Fox, Maureen Meyer, ” Meyer, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Donald Trump, López Obrador, Alicia Bárcena, Bárcena, ” López Obrador, Elizabeth Sherwood, Randall, Antony Blinken, ” Selee, Lopez Obrador, “ López, Arturo Sarukhán, López Obrador’s, Critics, Ned Price, Blinken, ” Price, ” Sarukhán, “, ‘ Organizations: Mexico City CNN, Ciudad, Mexican, Institute, Mexican National Guard, Getty, Washington Office, US, Washington, CNN, Bloomberg, United Nations, Refugees, Mexican Supreme, State Department, White Locations: Mexico, Washington, Guatemala, AFP, Central America, Caribbean, America, United States, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, El Paso , Texas, Nicaragua, Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexican

☆ Amazon employees slam its Clubhouse-competing app in internal meeting following abrupt leadership change: 'This place is becoming a circus'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Eugene Kim | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A sudden leadership change at Amazon's Amp live radio division this week has drawn a rancorous response and trenchant questions from employees, reflecting the mounting hostility within the failing business. Shortly after the announcement, employees submitted a long list of questions for leadership at an internal town hall meeting scheduled for Wednesday. 'Failing to lead Amp to success'Many questions submitted by employees asked about the general direction of the Amp business. Another person noted the Amp team has missed some of its key performance goals, such as monthly active users. Employees expressed a strong distrust of the leadership team, too.

Persons: Matt Sandler, John Ciancutti, Alok Verma, didn't, Nicki Minaj, Sandler, John, Eugene Kim, Katherine Long Organizations: Amazon, Amazon Music's, Amazon Care, Employees

☆ Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan CEOs tip U.S. economy for recession as labor tightness keeps Fed aggressive
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon both expect a U.S. recession as a tight labor market keeps the Federal Reserve on an aggressive monetary policy tightening trajectory. "But if they don't see real changes — labor is still very, very tight, they are obviously just playing with the demand side by tightening — but if they don't see real changes in behavior, my guess is they will go further," he said. "And I think generally when you find yourself in an economic scenario like this where inflation is embedded, it is very hard to get out of it without a real economic slowdown." The Fed funds rate is currently targeted between 3%-3.25%, but Federal Open Market Committee policymakers have signaled that further hikes will be needed, with U.S. inflation still running at an annual 8.2% in September. Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said last week that the central bank's policy tightening to date had resulted in a "frankly disappointing lack of progress on curtailing inflation," projecting that rates would need to rise "well above 4%" by the end of the year.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were up 35 cents to $93.61 a barrel by 12:59 p.m. EDT (1659 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose by 71 cents to $85.29. The U.S. dollar index fell during afternoon trade, making dollar-denominated oil less expensive for other currency holders and helping to push prices higher. Further support came from comments by Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, that energy stocks were being used as a mechanism to manipulate markets. U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to rise this week, which could limit price gains. Analysts polled by Reuters estimated on average that crude inventories rose by 200,000 barrels in the week to Oct. 21.

SummarySummary Companies Saudi minister says emergency stocks used to manipulate marketsSays kingdom remains most reliable and stable oil supplierSays we are for Saudi Arabia, not with or against anyone elseRIYADH, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday some countries were using their emergency stocks to manipulate markets when their purpose should be to mitigate any shortages of supply. The comment appeared to be a criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to sell oil from the nation's emergency oil reserve as he tries to lower gasoline prices ahead of mid-term elections on Nov. 8. "It is my profound duty to make clear to the world that losing (releasing) emergency stocks may be painful in the months to come," the Saudi minister told the Future Initiative Investment (FII) conference in Riyadh. The prince said Saudi Arabia had chosen to be "the maturer" party when asked about how to get the energy relationship with the U.S. back on track. Is there any room for we are for Saudi Arabia and the people of Saudi Arabia," he said.

☆ PPP SMALL BUSINESS LOANS: How $525 billion in coronavirus-linked loans were spread across banks lenders
▼ + stars: | 2021-02-03 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This is an update to our May and July PPP Small Business Loans reports. Its average loan size of $104,760 is just over the program's overall average of $101,000—this is particularly impressive when compared with its average loan size of $515,304 in the PPP's first tranche. It approved $6.55 billion in loans with an average loan size of $32,960, making it the bank with the lowest average loan size among top lenders. Best PPP LendersIn PPP Small Business Loans—the final of three updates—Insider Intelligence looks at how different lenders fared at implementing the PPP. Looks into PPP loan sizes and total fees gained by lenders, and examines total funded loans and average loan amounts for the top PPP lenders.

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