As reported by BleepingComputer, Microsoft is having a bit of a meltdown; they are investigating an ongoing problem preventing Outlook.com users from running email searches and causing 401 exception errors. Lately, Microsoft also acknowledged the Outlook calendar shortcut widget bug on Android 13.

When users attempt to search, they encounter an error message stating, “Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again later.”

On the service health portal, Microsoft has provided information regarding their initial analysis of Outlook.com server logs and HTTP Archive format (HAR) logs captured during an internal reproduction of the issue. These logs indicate that the 401 errors occur due to an exception when users try to perform searches.

The investigation is still underway, and Microsoft aims to identify the source responsible for generating these exception errors and determine appropriate measures to resolve the impact. The outage began approximately at 12:30 AM UTC. Microsoft will share additional details regarding the situation within the next few hours.

According to user reports, the web version’s search functionality is currently unavailable, while the mobile version seems unaffected. Some users have also encountered problems when contacting Microsoft 365 personal support, experiencing a loop of sign-in prompts and Office 365 service selection.

One of the users tweeted:

@MicrosoftHelps https://t.co/d1vYZQKBBm web cannot perform any search atm. Mobile version search works fine. Also have issue to get help from Microsoft 365 personal support. Dead loop of sign in and choose O365 service.

— Felix (@Fe1iiix) July 6, 2023

The company has not disclosed the regions affected by the ongoing search outage.

On June 27, Microsoft addressed a separate issue that prevented customers in the Americas from accessing their Exchange Online mailbox through Outlook on the web.

In earlier incidents in June, Microsoft confirmed that certain services, including Outlook.com, the Azure Portal, and OneDrive, experienced disruptions due to Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks were claimed by a threat actor known as Anonymous Sudan, believed to have connections to Russia.

What we can make from this story is that technical issues and security threats can occur even with well-established platforms like Microsoft. It’s vital for companies to promptly address and resolve these issues while keeping their users informed about the progress. Such incidents serve as a reminder of the complexities involved in maintaining reliable online services and the need for constant vigilance in safeguarding user data and system stability.

As reported by TowardsAI.net, coding has become a prominent area of development in foundation models. OpenAI introduced models like Codex, later evolving into GPT-4, while Amazon and Salesforce also made significant contributions. Initially, coding models prioritized quantity and size over quality. However, Microsoft Research challenged this approach with their paper “Textbooks is All You Need,” training a compact model solely on high-quality textbook datasets. Their model, phi-1, achieved impressive results, surpassing competing models on benchmarks like HumanEval and MBPP with a pass@1 accuracy of 50.6% and 55.5%, respectively. The significance of high-quality data was highlighted in their training process, combining synthetic data and carefully filtered content.

High-Quality Datasets

Microsoft Research’s research paper highlights the importance of high-quality training data from textbooks in their code language model. They propose a training set resembling a well-structured “textbook” to overcome limitations in existing code datasets. By utilizing filtered code-language data, synthetic textbooks generated by GPT-3.5, and a smaller synthetic dataset of Python exercises, they achieved exceptional performance in code generation, surpassing existing approaches.

Filtered Code-Language Dataset

Microsoft Research utilized a range of datasets and techniques to develop an efficient code-generation model. They curated a reliable filtered dataset by leveraging Python code datasets from The Stack and StackOverflow. Using GPT-4, they assessed the educational value of the samples and annotated them accordingly. A random forest classifier, trained on the annotated data, predicted the quality of each file or sample.

Synthetic Textbook Dataset

Microsoft Research employed GPT-4 sparingly for quality annotations on a subset of The Stack and StackOverflow samples. This reduced the need for labor-intensive human annotation.

Using GPT-3.5, they generated a synthetic textbook dataset with less than 1 billion tokens. The textbooks combined natural language-heavy text with relevant code snippets, targeting specific topics to foster reasoning skills and understanding of algorithms. Constraints were applied during generation to ensure dataset diversity.

This approach proved effective, as exemplified by an example of synthetically generated text for the textbooks.

Smaller Textbook Dataset

Microsoft Research curated the CodeExercises dataset, comprising less than 180 million tokens of Python exercises and solutions. These exercises involved completing partially coded functions with docstrings, and training the model for function completion tasks. GPT-3.5 generated the dataset with constraints on function names for diversity. Precautions were taken to avoid replicating issues from the HumanEval benchmark during finetuning.

The Architecture

Microsoft Research employed a decoder-only transformer model based on FlashAttention for their code language model. The phi-1 model had 1.3 billion parameters, 24 layers, and 32 attention heads, while the smaller phi-1-small model had 350 million parameters, 20 layers, and 16 attention heads. They used a rotary position embedding and the same tokenizer as codegen-350M-mono. Pretraining used a sequence length of 2048 and included the CodeTextbook dataset. Fine-tuning with the CodeExercises dataset was performed with adjusted hyperparameters.

The Results

Microsoft Research evaluated phi-1 on various benchmarks and demonstrated its superiority over larger models like StarCoder or Replit. Finetuning had a significant impact on phi-1’s performance.

Their work highlights the profound influence of high-quality data in enhancing language models’ proficiency in code-generation tasks. Creating “textbook-quality” data, they trained a model that outperforms most open-source models on coding benchmarks like HumanEval and MBPP. Remarkably, despite being smaller in size, their model exhibited exceptional performance.

Using high-quality data provides clear, self-contained, and instructive examples of coding concepts and skills. This conducive learning environment enables language models to effectively grasp coding principles, resulting in superior code-generation performance.

According to Microsoft Techcommunity, this month, we’ll witness Satya Nadella, the esteemed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, taking the stage to deliver the opening keynote at this year’s Microsoft Inspire. The event is scheduled to take place on July 18-19, online.

Joining Satya Nadella on stage, Microsoft Inspire boasts an impressive lineup of esteemed speakers. Among them are Nicole Dezen, the Chief Partner Officer and Corporate Vice President of Global Partner Solutions at Microsoft; Goldy Aloysious, the Director of Data Architecture at Kyndryl; Duncan Barnes, the Global Director of Alliances at HP; and many other accomplished individuals.

The conference will offer attendees a wide variety of session types to cater to different interests and learning styles. These sessions include On-Demand, Discussion, Featured, Local Connection, and Keynote. Each session type is designed to provide unique experiences and insights.
Furthermore, a wide range of topics will be covered during the sessions. These topics span solution areas, industries, partner business strategies, the Cloud Partner Program, the Commercial Marketplace, inclusive growth initiatives, and many more. Hopefully, there’s something for everyone to learn and explore.

If you’re curious about Microsoft Inspire, let me shed some light. Microsoft Inspire is a yearly conference hosted by Microsoft exclusively for its partner community. This event is a platform for partners to forge connections with fellow partners and Microsoft executives. It fosters an environment that cultivates business opportunities and propels their ventures to new heights. The conference includes networking opportunities, inspiring keynote speeches, informative breakout sessions, and more.

Every year, Microsoft Corporation organizes the highly anticipated event, Microsoft Inspire, exclusively dedicated to its partner community. With a strong focus on equipping partners to achieve success using the best technology platform available, this conference serves as a vital hub for connecting partners and driving their businesses forward collectively. It is a momentous occasion where Microsoft partners unite as a unified community to connect, empower, and celebrate their achievements.

At Microsoft Inspire, partners gain valuable insights into the future as they delve into Microsoft’s roadmap for the upcoming year, discovering upcoming innovations and effective strategies to propel their businesses forward. The conference offers a wealth of opportunities for partners, including networking sessions, knowledge sharing, best practices exchange, hands-on experience with the latest product innovations, and the chance to acquire new skills and techniques. It is a comprehensive platform where partners can learn about Microsoft’s vision and plans, build connections, share their expertise, and stay at the forefront of technological advancements in their respective industries.

The conference’s location changes annually, mostly in the US and twice in Canada, ensuring diverse experiences for attendees. It debuted in 2003 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. However, starting in 2020, the event transitioned to an online format. In 2023, the upcoming conference will continue in the digital realm, allowing participants to connect virtually.

Registrations are now open.

Xbox Game Pass is really starting to ramp up as July gets into full swing. There are several games headed to the service soon, and we’ve got the lineup for you down below. And heading the list is the surprise return of Grand Theft Auto V. It’s unusual for a game to return for a second round on the service, but here is an exception.

Available on Xbox Game Pass today

• Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud and Console)
• Sword and Fairy: Together Forever (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Coming soon July 6-18

• McPixel 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 6
• Common’hood (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 11
• Insurgency: Sandstorm (PC) – July 11
• Exoprimal (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 14
• Techtonica (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 18
• The Cave (Cloud and Console) – July 18

DLC and game updates available now

• Barbie: The Movie crossover comes to Forza Horizon 5
• Hi-Fi Rush: Arcade Challenge! Update!
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – Battle of Zhongyuan DLC
• Sniper Elite 5: Kraken Awakes DLC (coming July 6)

Leaving Game Pass

And don’t forget that three games will be removed from Xbox Game Pass on July 15 as part of the first round on monthly removals. These games can be purchased for at least 20% off before they are removed, so now is the time to act on these. Check here to see which games will be removed soon.

Featured image via Xbox Wire. 

As reported by Windows Central, Tokyo Game Show organizer CESA (Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association), has recently unveiled the complete lineup of companies attending this year’s event, marking July 4, 2023, as a significant date.

Tokyo Game Show 2023 will feature an impressive display of videogame companies, with notable participants such as Xbox, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Koei Tecmo, Konami, Level 5, HoyoVerse, Square Enix, Sega/Atlus, Arc System Works, Playism, Kemco, Google Play, and many others. It’s like a gamer’s dream come true. 

Kojima Productions will have a presence in the merchandise area of the Tokyo Game Show. At the same time, Sony will solely be present in the indie section. On the other hand, Nintendo will conduct business meetings during the event but has not reserved a public area. So apparently, it seems like there will be something for everyone, hopefully.

According to the CESA, this year’s Tokyo Game Show is expected to be the largest in recent years. The event had been forced to downsize due to the pandemic, with digital-only events in 2020 and a limited opening of the usual Makuhari Messe venue to the public in 2022. However, the 2023 edition aims to reclaim the scale and grandeur of previous years.

For this year’s Tokyo Game Show, the CESA decided to go all out. They said 

Despite these restrictions, the venue was filled with exhibitors and game fans who had been waiting for the show to be held for real, and the excitement and excitement returned to Makuhari Messe. The high evaluation of the exhibition by exhibitors and visitors alike made us realize once again the high demand and importance of holding a real exhibition under any circumstances. This year, for the first time in four years, the entire Makuhari Messe will be used.

The upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2023, scheduled from September 21 to September 24, will utilize the entire Makuhari Messe venue in Chiba, Japan. Age restrictions will be lifted, allowing children under 12 to attend the family-friendly exhibits. Moreover, international visitors will be able to participate as Japan lifts its border restrictions in late 2022. However, strict precautions will be implemented to ensure the safety and prevention of disease infections throughout the event.

The ticketing process for Tokyo Game Show 2023 will commence with the opening of ticket sales for local Japanese residents on July 8, 2023, at noon. On the other hand, international visitors will be able to book their tickets starting July 26, 2023, through the official Tokyo Game Show website.

And since we’re on the topic of gaming, did you know that the latest sale data suggests Xbox Series X|S may be losing steam compared to Xbox 360?

In conclusion, Tokyo Game Show 2023 is a highly anticipated event, returning in full scale at the Makuhari Messe venue. With the lifting of age restrictions and the inclusion of international visitors, the show promises to deliver an exciting experience while prioritizing safety. Expect major announcements and new game reveals from industry leaders like Xbox and SEGA/Atlus, making it a must-attend event for gaming enthusiasts.

As we reach the halfway point of 2023 we thought it would be worth taking a look back at the year in Xbox so far. Admittedly, the platform had a lackluster 2022 when it came to new game releases. Sure, there were plenty of new titles to hit the current-gen Series X|S last year in terms of sheer quantity.

But when it came to the type of big games that can really excite a fanbase, new AAA titles were hard to come by outside of a couple exceptions like Elden Ring and A Plague Tale: Requiem—both of which were multiplatform. And to be sure, these were exceptions, with Microsoft offering little in the way of major first-party games from Xbox Game Studios.

But 2022 is behind us and, if you can believe it, 2023 is already half over. And what a difference a year makes. 2023 will likely go down as one of the most phenomenal years for groundbreaking video game releases in recent memory. This applies to the whole gaming industry at large, across all platforms—Xbox included. Simply put, Xbox in 2023 has been sensational so far as a quick rundown of recent releases can attest: Planet of Lana, Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV, and others.

And judging by the slate of releases coming in the next six months, the second half of 2023 could be even better with several blockbusters in store including Starfield, Forza Motorsport and more in the pipeline.

With all that out of the way, here is a look back at the first half of the year in Xbox.

Xbox Developer_Direct/Hi-Fi Rush

On January 25 we were treated to a tantalizing showcase of Xbox games coming throughout 2023 and beyond. The Xbox Developer_Direct finished up with a bang with the announcement of Hi-Fi Rush, which released later that same day and has become a surprise hit.

Dead Space Remake

A remake of this 2008 survival horror classic was a good way to get the year started off right. Dead Space Remake released on January 27.

Atomic Heart

This Bioshock-inspired FPS didn’t quite measure up to some player’s expectations when it released in February. Nevertheless, Atomic Heart managed to reach 5 million players in its first three weeks, and for better or worse will likely go down as one of the more memorable games on Xbox this year.

Hogwarts Legacy

An early game of the year contender, Hogwarts Legacy has proven to be a phenomenal success both in terms of critical reception and sales—which have topped $1 billion across all platforms.

Capcom’s hot streak (Resident Evil 4 Remake & Street Fighter 6)

One of the big gaming stories of the first half of 2023 has been Capcom’s hot streak, with the release of Resident Evil 4 and Street Fighter 6. Both titles have been lavished with praise as groundbreaking games in their respective genres.

Redfall 

Without question the biggest Xbox disappointment of the year so far, Redfall somehow managed to fall (pun not intended) far short of everyone’s expectations. The game suffered a disastrous launch, and is unfortunately one of the worst-reviewed Xbox games of 2023 at this point.

Diablo IV

Few doubted that the latest installment of the Blizzard’s action-RPG series would be a smash hit. And few were disappointed. Diablo IV has already become the company’s most successful game ever.

Xbox Games Showcase/Starfield Direct

Much to Xbox fans delight (and relief), Xbox managed to pull off an exceptional games showcase this year. This was followed up by the Starfield Direct—a deep dive into one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. It all brought a renewed level of excitement for the platform going into the second half of 2023 and into 2024.

ABK deal update

Here at the halfway point of 2023, Microsoft is still embattled with regulators over its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It’s most formidable challenge right now comes from the American Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is seeking an injunction to block the deal from proceeding until the August 2 trial begins, as was argued in court just last week. At the time of this writing we are still awaiting word on the outcome, and whether that injunction will be granted.

Will the second half of 2023 be even better for Xbox?

Following a sensational Xbox Games Showcase, Series X|S owners have more reason than ever to be excited for the future of Microsoft’s current-gen console, ABK drama notwithstanding. And with so many games headed to the Xbox platform in the second half of the year—most notably Forza Motorsport and of course Starfield—the will be plenty to play, and talk about, in the months to come.

Rest assured we’ll break down everything coming to Xbox in the second half of 2023 and going into 2024, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

So how do we grade Xbox for the first half of 2023? Let’s be real: 2023 has already blown last year out of the water in terms of exciting AAA game releases. Although Redfall was a huge disappointment, it was only one game among a slew of stellar releases. A solid B grade seems fair, and there’s no reason to expect even better heading forward.

Featured image via @Klobrille/Twitter.