The European cloud saga of Microsoft persists.

A group of 27 European cloud infrastructure providers has issued a harsh ultimatum to Microsoft, claiming that the company must stop what they refer to as "unjustified feature and pricing discriminations against fair competition."

The announcement is an extension of the antitrust lawsuit that the non-profit Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), with headquarters in Brussels, brought against Microsoft in November 2022.

In the case, Microsoft is accused of discriminatory actions by making it more expensive for rivals to operate Microsoft products in their own clouds by giving discounts on its own software when it is combined with Azure cloud services.

The European cloud case against Microsoft is still ongoing.

Reportedly, CISPE and the massive Redmond company have resumed their negotiations, which is why the European organization is putting further pressure on Microsoft by threatening legal action.

CISPE demonstrated cost differences using the Azure Pricing Calculator, claiming that CISPE members pay significantly more to serve the same number of users with Microsoft software, even in cases when hardware costs are lower.

"The unjustified feature and pricing discriminations imposed by Microsoft on its dominant software, Office and Windows, outside of Azure, squeeze the margins of rival cloud infrastructure providers, lock in customers, and raise prices," stated Francisco Mingorance, Secretary General of CISPE, in reference to the nature of the ongoing case.

The EU antitrust regulator and the US FTC are both looking into Microsoft's cloud licensing terms, which is an additional layer of scrutiny on the company's already stringent policies. AWS and Google have expressed worries about Microsoft's tactics, despite being under scrutiny themselves. Google lodged a complaint with the UK's CMA in December 2023.

In an email, a Microsoft representative informed TechRadar Pro:

"This material is out of date, doesn't offer anything fresh, and seems to be more of the same advocacy that Amazon funds in an effort to hold onto market share. We are still committed to helping European cloud providers with their issues."

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Is the goal to maintain team accountability? or to run more effective webinars?

Or is it to relive past meetings that were missed?

Now picture yourself recording a five-hour meeting, but you are unable to locate the file. That must be a very bad situation.

Our staff combed through the myriad solutions available on the market to assist you in avoiding such an awful situation. The top ten video conferencing platforms for your company are now shown to you. 

After going through this list, you'll be able to select the top video call recording app.

The Top 11 Recordable Video Conferencing Apps

• Meet Hour
• Telebu Join
• Zoom
• Skype
• Microsoft Teams
• BlueJeans
• GoToMeeting
• Join. me
• Google Meet
• Dialpad
• Team Viewer

Conference call recordings are justified for two main reasons.  You want to keep a log for future use or you want the employees who aren't there to watch the replay to stay informed. 

In any event, to accomplish this easily, you'll require online meeting recording software.

Meeting recording tools are not all made equal, and there are varying degrees of awesomeness as with anything else in life. 

For example, the majority of meeting software contains time constraints for recording. Others offer recording features at a cost or have file size restrictions.

If you're not sure exactly what you're looking for, things could easily get quite confusing. 

Thus, when selecting an app to record video calls, keep the following questions in mind:

• Do the record settings come with an automatic enabler?
• Who is able to view and use the "Record" button?
• When the recording begins, is everyone present informed?
• What is the method of file storage—local storage or cloud storage?
• To whom are the saved files accessible?
• Are the files accessible in the dashboard of your account and how are they downloaded?
• Which format have the files been stored in?
• Are the files kept for a set amount of time or forever?

You may get a good idea of what you want out of your video conferencing tool's recording capability by answering the questions above. 

Now that you have determined your top priorities, let's get going.

1. Meet Hour

With the dust still settling on the tech giant's debut AR/VR headset, the Apple Vision Pro, one of the biggest announcements in recent years, there are still many unanswered issues. When will the Vision Pro actually be available? What is known about its specifications? And if you wear glasses, how will you use them?

In this compilation of all the information we currently have (so far) on the Apple Vision Pro, we address these queries as well as many others. For a more first-hand account of how the headset feels to wear, see our hands-on Apple Vision Pro review. 

The operating system for the headset, visionOS, is now in the hands of developers, and a clearer image of how this "spatial computer" (as Apple describes it) will function and fit into our lives is beginning to take shape.

A new report claims that the Apple Vision Pro may be lacking some features at launch, including the ability to show multiple Mac desktop screens.

July 7, 2023: you might struggle to get your hands on the Apple Vision Pro as Apple may only be able to manufacture 150,000 of them in 2024.

June 22, 2023: the Apple visionOS beta is now out in the wild with developers, and it's taught us six things about the AR/VR headset.

June 22, 2023: a new report from The Information suggests Apple had planned to include more features in its Vision Pro unveiling, but left five key ones out as they weren't yet ready for primetime.

June 19, 2023: the iPhone 15 is tipped to have a UWB (Ultra Wideband) chip, which could help unlock the Apple Vision Pro's potential.

June 12, 2023: according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman Apple is already working on two Vision Pro successors, including a cheaper one. Though the latter isn't slated to arrive until the end of 2025.

June 8, 2023: some new speculation has hinted at how expensive the Vision Pro's 'vision correction accessories' could be for glasses-wearers. The short answer: you're looking at "$300-600 a pair" for the Zeiss prescription lenses. Ouch.

June 7, 2023: all of the early verdicts on the Apple Vision Pro are in from those lucky enough to try it out at Apple Park (including TechRadar). Our Vision Pro review roundup gives you an early temperature check of everyone's early thoughts.

Vision Pro release date: Sometime "early next year" according to Apple.

Vision Pro headset price: Starts at $3,499 (around £2,800 / AU$5,300).

Vision Pro headset specs: Apple's headset uses two chipsets, an M2 and a new R1 to handle regular software and its XR capabilities respectively. It also has dual 4K displays.

Vision Pro headset design: The Vision Pro has a similar design to other VR headsets, with a front panel that covers your eyes, and an elastic strap. One change from the norm is that it has an outer display to show the wearer's eyes.

Vision Pro headset battery life: It lasts for up to two hours on a full charge using the official external battery pack.

Vision Pro headset controllers: There are no controllers – instead you'll use your eyes, hands, and voice to control its visionOS software.

Apple says the Vision Pro will "start" at $3,499 (that's around £2,800 / AU$5,300). That wording suggests that more expensive options will be available, but right now we don't know what those higher-priced headsets might offer over the standard model.

As for release date for the Vision Pro, Apple has only given a vague “early next year.” That's later than we'd been expecting, with leaks suggesting it would launch in the next few months – perhaps around the same time as the iPhone 15 – but that isn't the case. As 2024 gets closer we expect Apple will give us an update on when we'll be able to strap a Vision Pro onto our heads.

Interestingly, Apple's website only mentions a US release. Apple has yet to confirm if the Vision Pro will launch in regions outside of the US, and when that'll happen. Even if it does launch outside of the US you might struggle to get your hands on one; Apple is reportedly going to make less than 400,000 Vision Pros and maybe even as few as 150,000.

The Phone (2) will include a cutting-edge Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset to provide outstanding performance and Nothing OS 2.0 will already be installed on it.

The Nothing Phone (2) will be released on July 11 in India, but Flipkart has already run out of pre-order codes for the device. Similar to the Nothing Phone (1), the Nothing Phone (2) will be sold through Flipkart in India. Beginning on June 29, the business began to accept reservations for the smartphone, and it has since announced that the phone's passes have all been purchased. The business announced that it is striving to soon make additional pre-order passes available.

"We are incredibly grateful for the incredible response to Nothing Phone (2). We want to reassure our Indian customers that team Nothing in India is working around the clock to increase production to satisfy customer demand, according to a statement from Manu Sharma, vice president and general manager of Nothing India.

The Phone (2) will include a cutting-edge Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU to provide outstanding performance, and Nothing OS 2.0 with a totally revised User Interface will be pre-installed. One of the greenest cellphones, Phone (2) is made of recyclable materials and comes in plastic-free packaging, according to the business.

India will be the location of the Phone (2)'s manufacturing, Nothing has been announced in the meantime. "Our desire to manufacture in India demonstrates our dedication to the needs of the regional market. The production of Phone (2) will take place in India, we are pleased to announce," Sharma stated.

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Google is implementing some significant changes for its Chrome browser, and this update cannot be avoided at all; all three billion Chrome users will be compelled to interact with it.

There is nothing concerning, so calm down. In actuality, the modifications could be highly advantageous and are intended to enhance user privacy and data security. It represents the beginning of Google's 'Privacy Sandbox' initiative for Chrome, which also calls for the elimination of third-party cookies in the browser.

This doesn't mean that Chrome will overnight stop serving tailored advertisements, but rather that it will give users more control over the ads they see and the way their data is collected. As a result, Google is creating a set available to all Chrome users (and, more crucially, developers) are six new APIs that enable targeted advertising without the use of external cookies that invade users' privacy.

Ad Topics, Site-suggested Ads, and Ad Measurement are the three categories where you can make changes. The first option, possibly the most significant, allows you to choose particular areas of interest for the advertisements you receive, whereas the default option builds an interest profile based on the websites you frequent. Your browser history won't be shared with Google or any other advertising, though; it will only be saved to your device.

You will have much more control over how your data is gathered and processed if you opt to modify the Privacy Sandbox settings. Changes are essential Chrome will lock you out until you accept the updated settings in order to make sure that Google continues to comply with the EU's General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Microsoft's GDPR compliance initiatives for the Edge browser include the capability to partially or entirely disable third-party cookies. Edge hasn't completely phased out these cookies yet, despite Google's promises, so perhaps this will be the next front in the struggle between Chrome and Edge.

It appears that Apple has secretly added Bluetooth 5.3 capability to the new 13-inch MacBook Air models, bringing them up to par with the features of the just-released 15-inch MacBook Air.

When the most recent 13-inch MacBook Air model was introduced last year, it enabled Bluetooth 5.0; nevertheless, some keen-eyed web users have noticed that the 13-inch model's specifications page now lists Bluetooth 5.3 (as noted by MacRumors).

Since Bluetooth 5.3 is the most recent version of wireless technology and delivers faster communication and higher energy efficiency, connected Bluetooth devices should operate better and last longer, this is good news for those considering purchasing the smaller MacBook Air have longer battery lives if they can connect to Bluetooth 5.3.

It's encouraging to see the 13-inch MacBook Air join the list of high-end Apple products that support Bluetooth 5.3, which includes the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) and new Apple Watch models. Although Apple has been hesitant to incorporate Bluetooth Low Energy (also known as BLE) or employ LC3 (Low Complexity Communication Codec) for music, the most recent AirPods Pro headphones do support Bluetooth 5.3. This implies that you won't fully benefit from Bluetooth 5.3 even if you pair the AirPods Pro to the MacBook Air, which is irritating.

Since the Bluetooth 5.3 hardware update is also a compatibility update, it appears that only new MacBook Airs will receive it You won't get this upgrade if you purchased a 13-inch MacBook Air with Bluetooth 5.0 capability last year.

Don't worry if you already own a MacBook Air because Bluetooth 5.0, despite being a few years old, is still suitable for most users. However, for those seeking to purchase a new one, this is a wonderful update that is provided for free to one of the best laptops money can buy.

There is no patch, thus the only option is to replace the TBK DVRs that are infected.

Researchers have warned that a vulnerability that has been present in some digital video recording (DVR) devices for half a decade has unexpectedly resurfaced as an attractive target for threat actors. 

A rise in attacks on TBK DVRs using a publicly accessible proof-of-concept to exploit the CVE-2018-9995 vulnerability has been seen by Fortinet's FortiGuard Labs. Due to a vulnerability that was first identified in 2018, remote attackers are now able to access the target network by avoiding authentication. 

Threat actors would create a malicious HTTP cookie to take advantage of the vulnerability, forcing the endpoint to respond with JSON data including admin credentials. 

"A remote attacker may be able to exploit this flaw to bypass authentication and obtain administrative privileges, eventually leading to access to camera video feeds," Fortinet warns.

According to the researchers, over 50,000 attempts to hack into susceptible devices will have been made by April 2023. 

The researchers stated that the fact that there are tens of thousands of TBK DVRs accessible under various brands, publicly available PoC code, and an easy-to-exploit make this vulnerability an easy target for attackers. The recent increase in IPS detections demonstrates that attackers continue to favour network camera equipment as a target.

The worst aspect is that there isn't a patch available to fix the problem. The only way to be safe is to switch to a more recent, actively maintained system. 

Banks, government agencies, and other similar businesses frequently employ these sorts of DVRs as a component of their security surveillance(opens in new tab) solution.

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Furthermore, it is built for AI tasks.

Although IBM's response to the affordable supercomputer has been operational for some time, it has only lately made any concrete disclosures about its so-called Vela project.

Looking to its blog(opens in new tab) for more information, IBM disclosed that the study, which was written by five company employees, addresses issues with earlier supercomputers and their unpreparedness for AI tasks.

The business clarifies the choices it made regarding the use of low-cost but powerful hardware in order to adapt the supercomputer model for this future type of workload.

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Although it's obvious that these supercomputers can handle demanding AI workloads, including the one built for OpenAI, the company behind the well-known ChatGPT live chat software, a lack of optimization has left traditional supercomputers at risk of lacking valuable power and having an excess in other areas, which results in an unnecessary expenditure.

Although it is well known that bare metal nodes are the best for AI, IBM wished to investigate making these available inside of a virtual machine (VM). Big Blue claims that the outcome is significant efficiency improvements.

We developed a method to expose all of the node's capabilities (GPUs, CPUs, networking, and storage) into the VM so that the virtualization overhead is less than 5%, which is the lowest overhead in the industry that we are aware of, after conducting a substantial amount of research and discovery.

Vela has four 3.2TB NVMe storage drives, 1.5TB of DRAM, and 80GB of GPU memory in terms of node architecture.

According to The Next Platform's estimation, if IBM wished to include its supercomputer in the Top 500 rankings, it would produce approximately 27.9 petaflops of performance, putting it in 15th place as of November 2022.

Although existing supercomputers are capable of handling workloads related to artificial intelligence, the rapid advancements in this field and the pressing need for cost-effectiveness highlight the need for such a machine.

For fans of Apple, good tidings

The Linux operating system has been updated to version 6.2, and while those hoping for significant feature additions may be let down, one modification will likely catch the attention of many users.

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux and its chief developer, explained in a brief blog post(opens in new tab) that there had been a few minor fixes prior to the release, adding, "I wasn't going to apply any last-minute patches that weren't aggressively pushed by maintainers."

Nothing stuck out as warranting delaying the release of 6.2, according to Torvalds, so any finishing touches "will have to show up for stable."

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This may downplay the fact that Asahi Linux's developers' work has enabled Linux-based operating systems to be supported on a variety of Apple's proprietary silicon, including the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra processors.

Apple's M-series chips have been excellent news for ardent macOS users, bringing notable performance improvements to all aspects of processing and efficiency, but they have created a barrier for other hardware apps.

The mainstream Linux support joins the recently announced availability of Windows 11 on Macs with M1 and M2 processors using Parallels 18.

Although this is encouraging news, it's unclear what it might imply for the future of the Linux roadmap. Although it lacks the massive financial support of Windows and macOS, its committed team of coders is likely to keep pushing for greater compatibility in upcoming releases.

The most recent Microsoft product to receive ChatGPT is Viva.

Microsoft's sales-focused software is expected to significantly benefit from the company's developing relationship with OpenAI, the organization behind the incredibly popular ChatGPT.

Microsoft Viva Sales will be the first to use GPT-3.5, which will, in the words of the firm, "enable sellers to remain on top of customer communications and spend a fraction of the time doing it."

Microsoft wants to make the experience better for the clients who will really use the tool, not for the customers of its clients. It predicts an increase in productivity and a better user experience.

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Sellers can enter a prompt, and ChatGPT will provide a suggested response that can be modified as they go. In a product announcement(opens in new tab), Dynamics 365 Customer Experience Platform corporate VP Lori Lamkin stated that it will be able to manage a variety of emails, from inquiries to bids.

According to Microsoft, who conducted a research study that revealed salespeople were spending two-thirds (66%) of their days monitoring emails, end customers are expected to benefit significantly from this inclusion.

With its current offerings including natural language technology that can generate call summaries, detect questions, calculate conversational KPIs, and extract action items, Microsoft has been increasing its use of AI in recent months. This is just the newest addition to what is likely to be a whole flurry.