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Microsoft is closing a popular loophole that allowed users to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account. The change has appeared in recent Insider builds of Windows 11, indicating it is likely to be included in the production version soon. Microsoft refers to these loopholes as "known mechanisms" and is talking about local commands in this instance. You can learn all about these in our piece for getting Windows 11 installed with a local account, but suffice to say start ms-cxh:localonly is no more. "While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical...

The H-1B visa has helped skilled professionals from across the world to advance America's technology sector. Three stalwarts who have made an indelible mark in the US after obtaining an H-1B visa are - Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella. For many Indians, it has symbolised the realisation of the "American Dream", however, on September 21, US President Donald Trump imposed a new $100,000 fee on this visa, pushing it into major controversy. -snip- Satya Nadella Microsoft's chief executive officer had started his career in the 1990s under the H-1B visa program. He has highlighted the program's importance for...

The H-1B visa, introduced by the United States in 1990, has long been a pathway for highly skilled professionals from across the globe to contribute to America’s technology sector. Many of today’s tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella, entered the US through this programme, allowing them to innovate, lead companies, and create global impact. -snip- Sundar Pichai Pichai came to the US as an international student before transitioning to an H-1B visa, which allowed him to join Google in product management roles. Over the years, he rose to become CEO of Alphabet, overseeing key innovations in...

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are scrutinizing major corporations for filing thousands of H-1B skilled labor visa petitions after conducting mass layoffs of American employees. “In evaluating the high unemployment rate for American tech workers, we cannot ignore the massive, ongoing layoffs ordered by you and your peers in Big Tech C-suites over the past few years … At the same time you have been laying off your employees, you have been filing H-1B visa petitions for [thousands of] foreign workers,” Grassley and Durbin wrote in letters to 10 major employers in...

Microsoft hosts ready-to-use political censorship software on its Azure Marketplace in China, further evidence of how the company has aided the development and implementation of the country’s repressive system of political control. An Associated Press investigation revealed American tech companies like Dell, IBM, and Microsoft are increasingly recognized to have played a pivotal role in the construction of the modern Chinese surveillance state over the last two decades by providing critical hardware and software. Less documented is the role some U.S. companies have played in enabling mass censorship. Microsoft in particular aids and abets censorship by the Chinese government far...

Want to play Windows games on your Linux system but not sure where to begin? Heard that some Linux distros are better optimized for gaming but don’t know which ones to pick? Don’t worry, here’s a guide to the five best Linux distros that make running Windows games smooth and hassle-free.The good news is that gaming on Linux has improved dramatically in recent years. Besides the many native Linux titles already available, you can also play a huge selection of Windows-only games using compatibility tools like Proton (built into Steam) and Wine. In fact, nearly 80% of the most popular...

Microsoft has terminated a set of services for the Israeli military after an investigation suggested Israel was using the company’s cloud computing technology for mass surveillance of Palestinians. In a statement posted the company’s blog, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company had “ceased and disabled a set of services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense.” The move comes after an investigation by The Guardian and Israel’s +972 Magazine in early-August reported that Israel’s military intelligence unit, known as 8200, relied on Microsoft Azure to store millions of phone calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and...

For context, Hegseth explained that the DoD is investigating the involvement of Chinese nationals to assess potential code vulnerabilities in vital US systems. He reiterated that it is indispensable for the end of Chinese participation in DoD systems, prioritizing U.S. national security over corporate profits In any case, Hegseth began his comments by explaining how this program came to be. “Last month, the Department of Defense was made aware of an Obama-Biden era legacy program called Digital escorts. For nearly a decade, Microsoft has used Chinese coders remotely supervised by us contractors to support sensitive DoD cloud systems,” he explained....

Microsoft offers free Windows 10 security updates for one year to US and European users before support ends on October 14. European users get free updates by logging in with a Microsoft account, addressing advocacy group concerns about forced upgrades. US users can get free updates by uploading profiles to Microsoft's backup service or using Microsoft Rewards points. SNIP

Next month sees Windows 10 finally reaching the end of (mainstream) support. Microsoft has been pushing people towards Windows 11 for what feels like forever, and it worked – for a while. The latest market figures show that this is changing. The statistics for August 2025 from statcounter Global Stats show a marked drop in Windows 11’s share of the desktop market. Rewinding a little bit through time, June 2025 was a significant month because it marked the point at which Windows 11 finally caught up (well, very nearly) with Windows 10. Windows 11 managed to reach a market share...

In Abilene, Texas—in the heart of what locals call the Big Country, long defined by ranching, farming, shale oil exploration, and now dotted with wind turbines—OpenAI and Oracle staged a carefully crafted media showcase on Tuesday to talk about the latest boom underway... In Abilene alone, a crew of 6,400 workers have already moved massive amounts of soil to flatten the hills, and laid down enough fiber optic cable to wrap the Earth 16 times.... The five new Stargate projects—in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and in an undisclosed Midwest location—will bring Stargate’s current pipeline to nearly 7 gigawatts and more...

AI PCs are equipped with powerful processors and AI accelerators designed to increase productivity and creativity. With our round-up of the latest news, learn how AI PCs are poised to shape the future of computing. Virtually every aspect of technology has been affected, and potentially improved, by artificial intelligence (AI). PCs are no exception. While the meaning of “AI PC” is still evolving, it generally refers to a computer specifically designed to excel at AI-powered tasks. These beefed-up computers typically feature: High-end CPUs and GPUs to handle the demanding computational requirements of AI applications such as AI assistants that automate...

The State Department on Thursday said it was monitoring social media accounts of foreign nationals "praising, rationalizing, or making light" of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting. Kirk, 31, was killed Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. His killer remains at large. "In light of yesterday's horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country," Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X. "I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of...

Defense Secretary Hegseth slammed Microsoft for using Chinese engineers on Pentagon data, ending the program and warning that Big Tech’s ties to Beijing put U.S. security at risk.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week that the military would cease using a Microsoft program that relied on Chinese engineers. This obviously presented a major security issue, which Hegseth noted.“If you’re thinking ‘America first’ and common sense, this doesn’t pass either of those tests,” Hegseth said of the program. “The use of Chinese nationals to service Department of Defense cloud environments? It’s over.”He also declared that the DOD had delivered a formal...

It has been fully recognized since the November election that the Democratic Party has been hobbled more than a three-legged gelding, but things refuse to improve for that lot. Throughout this year, the party has seen its prospects withering across the board, whether it is in internal operations, public approval, voting efforts, fundraising, or media outreach. And much like the condition of the national media industry, there is no desire exhibited by them to change what is not working. And this week it became even worse. It was announced that the Bill Gates Foundation was suspending its monetary involvement with...

"Microsoft is using engineers in China to help maintain the Defense Department’s computer systems — with minimal supervision by U.S. personnel — leaving some of the nation’s most sensitive data vulnerable to hacking from its leading cyber adversary, a ProPublica investigation has found.The arrangement, which was critical to Microsoft winning the federal government’s cloud computing business a decade ago, relies on U.S. citizens with security clearances to oversee the work and serve as a barrier against espionage and sabotage. (snip) “If I were an operative, I would look at that as an avenue for extremely valuable access. We need to...

1/ Meet Gaurav Trivedi, an Indian scammer who impersonates Microsoft support and then rips off innocent vulnerable people. He tried to scam me......but instead of paying him money, I hacked into his laptop and turned on his live webcam feed. 2/ Gaurav runs a classic Microsoft tech support scam out of his apartment complex in Raebareli, India. It starts with a fake popup that locks your screen, blares a loud warning sound, and tells you to call “Microsoft” immediately or risk losing all your data.

What we know: The Redmond Police Department was dispatched to the Microsoft courtyard at approximately 12:15 p.m. in response to a large gathering of protesters. According to the police, officers first attempted to issue trespass orders to the protesters, but they became "aggressive" and resisted. Protesters reportedly poured paint on the Microsoft sign and on the ground. Other demonstrators blocked a pedestrian bridge, creating a barrier with stolen tables and chairs from vendors. No injuries were reported. Those arrested face multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. The police department's investigation is ongoing. The Washington State Patrol,...

Dozens of anti-Israel Microsoft employees, many wearing face masks and keffiyes, swarmed the company’s headquarters in Washington state to protest the Big Tech giant’s ties to Israel’s military. The protesters set up tents in a “liberated zone” on the Redmond campus, renaming it the “Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza” — and toted signs that urged co-workers to “Join the worker intifada: no labor for genocide.” Other placards said “stop starving Gaza.” A group calling itself “No Azure For Apartheid” organized Tuesday’s sit-in after The Guardian reported that an Israeli military intelligence agency was using Microsoft’s Azure software to amass recordings of...

A Microsoft Exit strategy isn’t just a good idea, it’s vital. It must go a long way beyond a farewell to RedmondOpinion One of the dangers of stories based on big cash numbers is distraction. The numbers get all the attention, the bigger story behind them gets missed. The fact that at the current rate the UK state is likely on the hook for nigh on £9 billion over five years in Microsoft licenses is a sterling example. How we got here, and where we're going if we don't start planning a Microsoft Exit, is much more than a $12...