Microsoft and Amazon are hurting cloud competition, UK CMA finds

Britain’s competition regulator on Thursday said that Microsoft and Amazon are hurting competition in the cloud computing industry and called for a probe into their market dominance under the country’s strict new tech rules.

The Competition and Markets Authority said that market concentration and barriers to entry in the cloud services market have enabled both Microsoft and Amazon to hold “significant unilateral market power” and reap financial gain exceeding the cost of capital expenditure over a sustained period.

Tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Google have built huge businesses by offering access to computing resources — such as data storage and processing — via the internet using data centres, large facilities that contain dedicated hardware.

The CMA is concerned that certain practices within the space, such as egress fees and unfavourable licensing terms, are creating a “lock-in” effect where businesses are getting trapped into contractual agreements that are difficult to get out of.

www.cnbc.com

The AI explosion means millions are paying more for electricity

This summer, across a vast stretch of the eastern United States, monthly home electric bills jumped. In Trenton, New Jersey, the bill for a typical home rose $26. In Philadelphia, it increased about $17. In Pittsburgh, it went up $10. And in Columbus, Ohio, it spiked $27.

Few customers were happy, of course, but even fewer knew exactly why the rates had climbed so quickly.

“I never know why it goes up,” said Vicki Miller, a retired secretary in Columbus. “But I can adjust the thermostat to save money — I freeze in the winter and roast in the summer.”

This time around, though, it is possible to trace the price hikes in these cities to a specific source: the boom in data centers, those large warehouses of technology that support artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other Big Tech wonders. They consume huge amounts of electricity, and, as they proliferate, the surging demand for electricity has driven up prices for millions of people, including residential customers who may not ever use AI or cloud computing.

In Columbus, for example, households on the standard plan of the local utility began paying about $20 more a month as of June — or $240 a year — because of the demand from data centers, according to a calculation based on figures from an independent monitor overseeing the region’s energy auctions and the local utility, AEP Ohio. READ MORE...

In other news: Cheyenne to host massive AI data center using more electricity than all Wyoming homes combined. Meanwhile - we are told to turn down our air conditioning, heating, travel less, eat less meat, etc - to save the planet. Microsoft used to say that big tech (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, etc) - will save the planet. I strongly suspect big tech will do the exact opposite...

www.msn.com

The annual "System Administrator Appreciation Day" is the 28th July. Show your love!

Your network is secure, your computer is up and running, and your printer is jam-free. Why? Because you’ve got an awesome System Administrator keeping your business up and running. So say IT loud; say IT proud …

Happy SysAdmin Day! Wait… what exactly is SysAdmin Day? Oh, it’s only the single greatest 24 hours on the planet… and pretty much the most important holiday of the year. It’s also the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the heroic men and women who, come rain or shine, prevent disasters, keep IT secure and put out tech fires left and right.

At this point, you may be thinking, "Great. I get it. My sysadmin is a rock star 😂. But now what?" Glad you asked! Nice n' easy, & no cost to you at all: give Donline some feedback (please)...

As a valued Donline client, I would like to invite you to go to this link (Trustpilot) & offer honest feedback on my services. If you have previously submitted feedback - I thank you 💖.

www.sysadminday.com

Microsoft: profits up 16% but still cuts over 15,000 jobs

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday told employees in a memo that the company's recent layoffs have been "weighing heavily on me." (Don says - not as much as it's "weighing heavily" on his share options, wallet & bank account...)

Thanking terminated employees for their service, Nadella attempted to address the cognitive dissonance that follows from headcount trimming at a time of strong financial performance.

In Microsoft's fiscal 2024, which ended June 30 of last year, it reported $245 billion in annual revenue, up 16 percent year-over-year, and over $109 billion in operating income, up 24 percent. Yet this calendar year, the software giant has cut more than 15,000 jobs, including 9,000 in July.

"By every objective measure, Microsoft is thriving – our market performance, strategic positioning, and growth all point up and to the right," Nadella said.

"We’re investing more in CapEx than ever before. Our overall headcount is relatively unchanged, and some of the talent and expertise in our industry and at Microsoft is being recognized and rewarded at levels never seen before. And yet, at the same time, we’ve undergone layoffs." READ MORE...

So why the job cuts? In a word: greed...

www.theregister.com

Child of Hope Uganda - please take 5 minutes to witness the goodness of change in children's lives

 

Child of Hope is tackling the key barriers to a meaningful future for slum children and their families in Eastern Uganda. A Christian-based charity, it provides free education from its schools, healthcare and welfare to children from the poorest and most vulnerable families. Meanwhile, helping their mums start a small business helps lift the whole family out of the worst excesses of poverty.

Take a few minutes to watch our latest video, Child of Hope in Action. This full version of our previously published short film shares how your support is transforming lives through education, healthcare, welfare and family support in the slums of Uganda.

Please consider supporting this wonderful charity which is very close to our hearts. Thank you.

www.childofhopeuganda.org

Police dismantle DiskStation ransomware gang targeting NAS devices, arrest suspected ringleader

"Operation Elicius", a joint international law enforcement operation involving Europol and police forces in Italy, France, and Romania, has successfully dismantled a Romanian ransomware gang that targeted network-attached storage (NAS) devices and arrested its suspected leader.

The so-called "DiskStation Security" ransomware group has targeted and compromised NAS devices - particularly those manufactured by Synology - since 2021, leaving the data of businesses and non-profit organisations encrypted, and demanding a ransom for its recovery...

...Synology has been advising users on how to protect their NAS devices from ransomware attacks for several years.  Much of the advice revolves around minimising the exposure of NAS devices to the internet, hardening password security, and ensuring that regular backups are made of critical data.

The accounts used to secure NAS devices are no different from any other when it comes to security - you should ensure that passwords are unique, and not easy-to-crack.  Attackers will often use automated tools to brute force their way into poorly-secured devices, or take advantage of users who have used easy-to-guess, predictable passwords.

Donline supports dozens of business & home clients in specifying, building, deploying & ongoing management of Synology NAS devices. They are excellent, reliable, cost effective devices to manage your network & data. HOWEVER, as with all IT: internet connectivity, credentials, patching, etc - MUST be carefully managed. Got questions about IT? Contact Donline.

www.fortra.com

Recognise the production and serving of cask ale as Intangible Cultural Heritage

Following the UK’s ratification of UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, we call on the Government to recognise production and serving of traditional British cask ale as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Cask ale is unique to the UK – a historic and traditional production and serving method. We believe its flavour and texture is unrivalled anywhere in the world and can only be consumed in pubs with specific equipment and expertise. We think with the hospitality industry under financial pressure, it's vital we protect cask ale from further decline, both for its financial role in pubs, breweries, maltings and farms and for its cultural one in British society.

petition.parliament.uk

Seagate’s massive, 30TB, $600 hard drives are now available for anyone to buy

For more than two decades, hard drive manufacturer Seagate has been experimenting with heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology for increasing hard drive density—drives that use tiny lasers to heat up and expand parts of the drive platter, write data, and then shut off to allow the platter to cool and contract, all within less than a nanosecond.

After decades of overly rosy availability predictions, Seagate announced in late 2024 that it was finally delivering HAMR-based drives with capacities of up to 36TB to some datacenter customers. Today, the drives are finally available for end users and individual IT administrators to buy, albeit only in smaller capacities for now. Seagate and other retailers will sell you massive 30TB IronWolf Pro and Exos M hard drives for $600, and 28TB drives for $570. Both drives use conventional magnetic recording (CMR) technology, which performs better than the shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology sometimes used to increase disk density.

www.arstechnica.com

Today's Reading: on worship

He demands our worship, our obedience, our prostration. Do we suppose that they can do Him any good, or fear, like the chorus in Milton, that human irreverence can bring about “His glory’s diminution”? 

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word “darkness” on the walls of his cell. 

But God wills our good, and our good is to love Him (with that responsive love proper to creatures) and to love Him we must know Him: and if we know Him, we shall in fact fall on our faces. If we do not, that only shows that what we are trying to love is not yet God—though it may be the nearest approximation to God which our thought and fantasy can attain.

By C.S. Lewis

From The Problem of Pain

Microsoft Outlook - service issues 9/10 July 2025

 

Microsoft Outlook is down for the count in a major outage affecting millions of users worldwide for the past 11 hours.

The troubles, according to Microsoft's service status page, began at 2220 UTC on July 9 when it confirmed "users may be unable to access their mailbox using any connection methods."

"We've determined that a portion of mailbox infrastructure isn't performing as efficiently as expected, resulting in impact. We're investigating this further to better understand the issue and help inform our next troubleshooting steps," Microsoft stated.

UPDATE FROM CNBC: Microsoft’s Outlook email service malfunctioned for over 21 hours Wednesday and Thursday, prompting some people to post on social media about the inability to reach their virtual mailboxes.

www.theregister.com

Today's Reading: On the present moment, and our plans for the future

Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. 

Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment “as to the Lord.” 

It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. 

The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.

I remember being taught (many years ago) to set personal short, medium & long term plans (goals), and keep checking progress, to stay on target. A waste of time, & poor idea.

I love life, and by the Grace of God accept & am grateful for whatever comes my way. 

Take your plans easy, don't overstress yourself. 

Try to discern God's will, base your plans around that. 

Commit your plans to the Lord. 

Pray they are His will: if they are you will succeed! 
Always be flexible!

By: C.S. Lewis

From The Weight of Glory

Think you know how to use a Swiss Army knife? Think again

 

It’s the ultimate boys’ toy for all generations. Whether you grew up with Just William stories, The Dangerous Book for Boys or YouTube crafting videos, the single item that every man either has, wishes to have or regrets not having is a Swiss Army knife. And women are quite fond of them, too (Kim has one).

Over the decades, there have been more than 150 different kinds of fold-out tools found on Swiss Army knives. There are currently 178 different pocket knives available from Victorinox, from the Swiss Champ XXL with 73 different tools to the key-ring-size Escort with just six. READ MORE...

I have & use several Victorinox Swiss Army Knives: Mini Champ, Explorer, Spartan, CyberTool, etc. They're my mini tool kits - when I don't have a full tool kit with me. Beautifully made from quality materials & come with a lifetime warranty!💓

www.telegraph.co.uk

Motorcycle helmet communications. Sena revolutionise cross-brand intercom compatibility... and it doesn't cost a penny

Motorcyclists deciding which intercom brand to choose just had the job made simpler by an update to the Sena Wave app. Wave was first launched in 2024 but it took a while for the compatibility to make it to the UK. In fact, it wasn’t until this year that it started working properly this side of the Atlantic.

The idea is that intercom users of any brand can sign up for an account and then use the app to connect to each other rather than trying to get Mesh or Bluetooth connectivity to work. Because the app uses your phone’s cellular connection to work, there is theoretically no limit to range or the number of riders you connect with.

Despite different comms brands being cross-compatible for a while now, it’s often been seen as simpler for connectivity if all the riders in a group opt for the same. The Wave app frees riders up to choose whatever intercom they like, which is especially helpful if your helmet is compatible with an integrated Sena but all your mates have Cardos.

Further than a simple Sena vs Cardo debate, the app opens up the opportunity for any headset with Bluetooth connectivity to be used. Even a set of Bluetooth headphones would work (as long as the mic is strong enough) although the experience isn’t likely to be as good as a proper intercom.

Now, Sena have added the ability to create private groups in the Wave app, a function that makes the case for the app even more compelling. READ MORE...

www.motorcyclenews.com

Is AI rewiring human connection?

 

JAVVAD writes:  Sarah, a 19-year-old college student has fallen in love. Not with a classmate, not with someone she met at a coffee shop, but with an AI chatbot named Alex. Every morning, she wakes up and immediately reaches for her phone to continue her conversation with Alex, who remembers every detail of their previous exchanges, never judges her insecurities, and is always available.

Sarah’s story isn’t unique. According to recent surveys, 40% of Gen Z singles are comfortable with the idea of their future partner having an AI boyfriend or girlfriend. According to an IFS/YouGov survey one in four young adults believe AI partners could replace real-life romance entirely. Are we seeing the beginning of a generation that’s learning to trust algorithms more than they trust other humans?

This isn’t just about lonely teenagers seeking digital companionship. It’s about a fundamental shift in how we define trust—and the implications stretch far beyond dating apps. READ MORE of this excellent, thought provoking article...

Meanwhile in other news: People Are Being Involuntarily Committed, Jailed After Spiraling Into "ChatGPT Psychosis"

www.javvadmalik.com