Windows 11's Snipping Tool now includes a Bing-powered Visual Search feature, offering a Google Lens-like experience for screen captures, but Google Lens on Windows still outperforms it in accuracy and convenience. The update enhances the tool's functionality with features like live annotation, color picking, and better sharing options, making it a powerful utility for users, despite some limitations compared to Google Lens.
Microsoft is allegedly using deceptive tactics in Bing search results to promote its AI assistant Copilot, including replacing search results for competitors like ChatGPT and Google Gemini with promotional content for Copilot, raising concerns about transparency and honesty in search engine practices.
Microsoft has integrated a free AI video generator called Bing Video Creator into its Bing mobile app, built on OpenAI’s Sora model, allowing users to create short videos from text descriptions, with plans to expand support and formats, aiming to democratize AI-powered video creation.
Microsoft's Bing Wallpaper app for Windows is under scrutiny for allegedly decrypting Chrome cookies and pushing users towards Bing and Edge, raising privacy concerns. Critics liken its behavior to malware, urging users to avoid the app due to its aggressive data practices. Microsoft denies the claims, stating the app only checks Bing cookies to prevent redundant installations.
Microsoft is incentivizing users to switch to Bing and Microsoft Edge through a new sweepstakes program under its Microsoft Rewards initiative. Participants can win up to $1,000,000 by performing simple tasks like using Bing for searches and installing Edge. The sweepstakes are available in select countries, including the US, UK, and Germany. Microsoft is also donating up to $500,000 to charities based on participant entries. The program aims to attract users to Microsoft's ecosystem by offering rewards for engaging with its products and services.
Microsoft's Bing, Copilot, and related services experienced a 24-hour outage affecting users mainly in Asia and Europe. The issue, caused by an internal service-to-service call problem, has been resolved, and services are now fully restored worldwide.
A recent Bing outage highlighted the lack of competition in the search engine market, emphasizing Google's dominance. The incident affected services relying on Bing's API, including ChatGPT and DuckDuckGo. With only Google, Bing, and Yandex maintaining large global indexes, alternatives are limited, raising concerns about dependency and the need for more robust options.
A significant Microsoft outage has disrupted services including Bing, Copilot, ChatGPT, and DuckDuckGo, which relies on the Bing API. Microsoft and OpenAI are working to resolve the issue, but no timeline for full restoration has been provided. Some users report partial functionality, while others continue to experience problems.
A major outage affected Microsoft's Bing.com early Thursday, impacting services like DuckDuckGo, ChatGPT, and Ecosia. Users reported error messages and inability to access search results. Microsoft and DuckDuckGo acknowledged the issue and are working on a fix. The outage, first reported around 2am Eastern Time, led to user frustration and widespread service disruptions.
A major Microsoft outage has disrupted several services, including Bing, Copilot, ChatGPT internet search, and DuckDuckGo, primarily affecting users in Asia and Europe. Bing.com is inaccessible except through a specific URL, while Copilot services are completely offline. DuckDuckGo and ChatGPT are also impacted due to their reliance on the Bing API. Microsoft has yet to issue a statement, though OpenAI has acknowledged the issue.
Multiple Microsoft services including Bing, Copilot, and ChatGPT internet search are down in Europe due to an outage. The issue, which started around 3AM ET, also affects DuckDuckGo as it relies on the Bing API. Microsoft and OpenAI are investigating the cause.
A Microsoft outage disrupted search capabilities for ChatGPT, Copilot, DuckDuckGo, and other platforms relying on Bing's API early Thursday morning. The issue, which began around 3AM ET, was resolved by 11AM ET, with affected services gradually coming back online.
Bing experienced a significant outage in Europe on Thursday, affecting its API and causing disruptions for services like DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT's web search feature. The issue lasted over five hours, highlighting the dependency of various services on Bing's API.
The head of Microsoft's Bing search engine and ad business, Mikhail Parakhin, is reportedly stepping down amid the tech giant's push into consumer artificial intelligence (AI) efforts, with DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman recently appointed to lead Microsoft's AI initiatives. Parakhin's departure comes as Microsoft integrates AI into various projects and invests heavily in AI companies, while also facing competition from Google in the search space. Apple and Google are also making moves in the AI space, with a proposed deal to integrate Google's Gemini AI engine into the iPhone, potentially impacting the future of search and app development.
Microsoft's Bing chief, Mikhail Parakhin, is leaving his role following the hiring of Mustafa Suleyman to lead its AI efforts. Parakhin will report to Microsoft's CTO in the interim, while Pavan Davuluri will head both Microsoft's Windows and Surface teams as part of the leadership reorganization. Suleyman, the cofounder of Inflection AI, will lead Microsoft's consumer AI products and research, including Copilot, Bing, and Edge, with several Inflection AI team members also joining Microsoft. This move reflects Microsoft's continued focus on integrating AI into its products and services.
