Axios

Microsoft president Brad Smith will testify before Congress next month on the company's recent nation-state cyberattacks and new internal security strategy.

Why it matters: It's been years since a Microsoft executive has faced a congressional committee over the company's cybersecurity strategies — despite a duo of high-profile attacks in the last year.

Google has published new security recommendations and a detailed white paper scrutinizing Microsoft's cybersecurity practices after a pair of nation-state attacks in the last year.

Why it matters: Google is trying to poach some of Microsoft's coveted government customers.

Google is warning nonprofit newsrooms that passage of a new California bill would jeopardize the firm's future investments in the U.S. news industry, sources told Axios.

Why it matters: This is the second time this year Google has threatened to pull investment in news in response to a regulatory threat in California — but this time, hundreds of publishers outside of California would also feel the impact.

There were three big things that made yesterday's Microsoft event different from past PC launches — and I've been covering the company since the days of Windows XP.

1. Intel on the outside. All of the Copilot+ machines introduced and all of those on display were running Qualcomm chips.

• Microsoft has launched the occasional Qualcomm-based Surface laptop in the past, but they have always shared a stage with Intel-based machines.

2. No cords. Microsoft's confidence in the battery life provided by the Qualcomm chips was evident in the fact that the laptops in the demo area were running only on battery power, even as the event stretched on for several hours.

While I was in Seattle, I got a blast from the past at a vintage store: packaged copies of both Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia and Microsoft Dinosaurs.

Sonos' first-ever headphones, the Sonos Ace, will go on sale June 5, the high-end electronics company said Tuesday.

Why it matters: The product has been widely awaited by audiophiles and Sonos investors alike, in a crowded category already dominated by major players like Apple, Sony and Bose.

• Meanwhile, potential customers have been eager for a device that provides lossless audio and a seamless way to transition between sound sources, including any Sonos speakers they may already own.

San Jose, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., are America's freelance capitals, finds a new Fiverr report, with the highest annual earnings per freelancer among the 30 biggest U.S. metros in 2023.

The big picture: Freelancers account for 4.1% of the U.S. labor force, per the report — and many seem to be finding success, with 43% reporting a revenue bump last year.

Microsoft yesterday unveiled Copilot+ PCs, a new class of personal computers with novel AI-powered features.

Why it matters: The software giant is hoping to use the excitement around AI to drive a new hardware buying cycle.

Large U.S. cities are grappling with too many underpopulated public schools, forcing districts to make difficult decisions on closures.

Why it matters: Losing students can result in funding cuts for classes, extracurriculars or sports.

UC San Diego surfers are catching glowing waves near La Jolla lately thanks to a bloom of bioluminescent plankton that are putting on a nighttime light show.

North Korean IT workers are posing as Americans to score coveted remote jobs and use the salaries to pay for their country's missile program.

Why it matters: Remote hiring practices have made it dangerously easy for North Korean IT workers to dupe hiring managers who historically had relied on in-person interviews to detect imposters.

Microsoft's opening pitch for the AI era of the PC is simple: Your new Windows machine can find that thing you saw once on screen, even if you don't remember where you saw it.

Why it matters: Microsoft is convinced that AI will reshape computing in ways we can barely fathom, but first it needs a few tangible examples to prove that potential.

Many people think one of OpenAI's voices for ChatGPT sounds awfully like Scarlett Johansson in the AI romance movie "Her." It turns out she does, too — and she has lawyered up.

The big picture: OpenAI announced Monday it was putting a "pause" on offering a voice for ChatGPT known as "Sky" that users have often noted sounds like the AI assistant Johansson played in the 2013 film.