Kalakshar US

Microsoft is finally making good on a promise it made back in April, with the company announcing that it will finally unbundle Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365 productivity suites across the European Union. The move follows a three-year saga that began when Slack filed an antitrust complaint against its competitor, claiming that including Teams in these bundles was illegal and that Microsoft was blocking some people from getting rid of the program. 

The tech giant finally agreed to separate Teams from its productivity suites earlier this year but said it was “unclear” how it would happen. Then, in July, the European Commission appeared to get tired of waiting and launched a probe into whether bundling Teams into productivity suites was in defiance of EU competition rules. 

Now, it seems Microsoft is trying to play nice and get the European Commission off its back. “We recognize our responsibility as a major technology provider to support a healthy competitive environment. We appreciate the clarity that has emerged on several of the concerns from extensive and constructive discussions with the European Commission,” Microsoft’s vice president of European Government Affairs, Nanna-Louise Linde, said in the blog post announcing the decision. “With the benefit of this clarity, we believe it is important that we start to take meaningful steps to address those concerns. We do this not with the sense that this will necessarily resolve all concerns, whether from the Commission or our competitors, but we believe this is a constructive step that can start to lead to immediate and meaningful changes in the market.”

Well, now there’s a when and a how. Starting October 1st, Microsoft 365 and Office 365 should each be available for €2 less per month or €24 across the whole year for customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. Teams should also be available on its own for €5 per month or €60 for the year. Anyone who previously bought a productivity suite can keep paying for the entire bundle or remove Teams switch plans. However, Microsoft claims that any frontline workers or small business owners in the region will still have the option to include Teams in their purchase. 

Microsoft also says it will create additional support resources to direct developers to public APIs and address questions from users, such as how their data is being transferred from Teams. Plus, Microsoft “will develop a new method” for using its programs in competing apps. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-to-unbundle-teams-in-europe-in-bid-to-avoid-eu-antitrust-fine-090825495.html?src=rss 

At least two government agencies are looking into Tesla’s secret glass house project dubbed “Project 42,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Back in July, the publication reported that the automaker’s board launched an investigation over concerns that its CEO, Elon Musk, was using company funds for the project. Now, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has reportedly asked for information on how much Tesla spent on the project and on personal benefits Musk enjoys. Likewise, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also opened a civil probe, the Journal said, and has sought the same information.

The plans for Project 42 involved building a glass structure that appeared to be a living space with bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen near Tesla’s facilities in Austin, Texas. A couple of concepts envisioned it as a “twisted hexagon” or a glass cube similar to Apple’s 5th Avenue store. The Journal previously said that the board launched an investigation after employees raised concerns regarding the special glass ordered for the project, which they believe would cost the company millions of dollars. It’s unclear if that investigation is finished and if the company’s order for the special glass pushed through.

As the publication notes, SEC requires transactions over $120,000 when an executive has a material interest in them. Any personal benefits paid to executives that amount to over $10,000 must also be disclosed to investors. Authorities have only just started looking into the initiative, however, and these probes might not lead to any formal charges. 

In addition to investigations regarding Project 42, Tesla is also reportedly facing inquiries from federal prosecutors over the driving range of its vehicles. The company is being questioned after Reuters reported last month that its EVs frequently don’t meet their range estimates and that the company set up a team specifically to cancel service appointments related to driving range complaints. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-reportedly-faces-investigation-over-its-mysterious-glass-house-project-051518583.html?src=rss 

JLab’s extremely affordable earbuds already strike a solid balance of value and performance, but the company set out to “drastically” reduce size and weight with its latest model. First announced back in December, the JBuds Mini is a set of insanely tiny wireless earbuds with a charging case smaller than a car key fob. While the $40 earbuds lack more advanced features like active noise cancellation (ANC), JLab didn’t cut corners on the basics. Those items include customizable touch controls, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth and solid battery life.

The company explains that the JBuds Mini are 30 percent smaller than its already svelte Go Air Pop earbuds. It also shaved 50 percent off the size of the new case as compared to the one that came with that previous model. Inside the earbuds, 6mm dynamic drivers handle the audio while noise-canceling microphones are onboard for calls. The Mini’s Bluetooth multipoint feature allows you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously and easily switch between them when needed. 

Touch controls cover actions like play/pause, adjusting volume, answering calls, activating Be Aware (transparency mode), cycling through EQ presets and summoning a voice assistant. You can further customize those gestures inside the JLab App, which also allows you to change the EQ settings. JLab says you can expect over five and a half hours of battery life on the earbuds themselves with over 20 hours of total playtime when you factor in the charging case. The JBuds Mini are also IP55 rated, so they offer some protection from dust and moisture. Lastly, Google Fast Pair is on the spec sheet, making the connection process quick and easy with compatible devices. 

The JBuds Mini will be available September 1st in mint, sage, pink, aqua and black color options. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jlabs-insanely-tiny-wireless-earbuds-cover-the-basics-for-40-040141921.html?src=rss 

Google has been working to marry its new-found focus on generative AI with its existing expertise in search since mid-May, as part of Search Lab’s Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) project. On Wednesday, the company announced that the SGE program is expanding beyond America’s digital borders and into both the Japanese and Indian marketplaces.

SGE is Google’s answer to Microsoft’s Bing AI and is designed to provide summarized and curated answers to input prompts rather than a list of webpages. Google’s system differs from Microsoft’s in that it incorporates its AI directly into the existing search bar rather than run it as a separate chatbot assistant. The company began expanding access to the SGE program in late May for US users and, this week, rolled out Search Labs to users in India and Japan.

The AI-enhanced search feature will be available in Japanese in Japan and in both English and Hindi for users in India, reads a Wednesday Google Search blog. “We’re also launching with voice input, so users can simply speak their query instead of typing it and listen to the responses,” the blog continues. “Search ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page.” 

Google also claimed that “people are having a positive experience,” using SGE “for help with more complex queries and entirely new types of questions.” In fact, the company notes that SGE’s highest satisfaction scores came from 18-24 year olds, though did not offer data to back up those assertions.

Following the meteoric rise in popularity of generative AI systems with the release of ChatGPT last November, the technology’s luster is already beginning to fade as the seemingly inevitable misuse of its capabilities ramps up. The tech is already being used in online scams and has attracted the attention of both federal regulators and Congress itself, seeking to crack down on such shenanigans.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-pushing-its-ai-powered-search-on-india-and-japan-next-003057376.html?src=rss