Arts & Life Why Microsoft is diving into the metaverse... And what the metaverse even is Microsoft's acquisition of videogame publisher Activision Blizzard is not quite a done deal, but we've got lots of questions about what this massive purchase could mean for one of our region's largest employers -- and our favorite games. Libby Denkmann Sarah Leibovitz Alec Cowan
Technology Microsoft set to acquire the gaming company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard is behind huge games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. But the company has faced reports of a workplace culture rife with sexual harassment. Andrew Limbong
Business The Russian hacker group behind the SolarWinds attack is at it again, Microsoft says According to Microsoft, the group is targeting technology companies that resell and provide cloud services and has been using phishing and password spray to gain entry to targeted networks. Joe Hernandez
Technology You Can Scrap The Password For Your Microsoft Account And Sign In With An App Microsoft users will be able to access their accounts using an app or a code sent to their phone or email. Company officials say it will make logging on both easier and safer. Joe Hernandez
Politics Pentagon Scraps $10 Billion Contract With Microsoft, Bitterly Contested By Amazon The Defense Department canceled its $10 billion cloud contract called JEDI, planning instead to hire multiple vendors. Amazon sued after its loss to Microsoft, seeking to depose Donald Trump. Alina Selyukh
National Microsoft, Facebook, Uber Plan To Reopen Offices All three companies say they intend to abide by local health protocols and safety guidelines as limited numbers of employees will be allowed to return to headquarters. Vanessa Romo
National Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies Most of the Microsoft customers hit by the hack were in the U.S., but the rest were elsewhere in North America, and in Europe and the Middle East. Jaclyn Diaz
Technology There's Rich, And Then There's Jeff Bezos Rich: Meet The World's Centibillionaires The Amazon CEO and four other billionaires are part of the world's most exclusive club in the midst of the pandemic: those whose fortunes exceed $100 billion. Jim Zarroli
Technology Microsoft To Buy Bethesda In $7.5 Billion Deal, Acquiring Fallout, The Elder Scrolls The deal is set to be one of the largest ever acquisitions in the video game industry. Once the deal is finalized, Microsoft will own popular franchises such as Wolfenstein, Quake, and DOOM. Reese Oxner
National Walmart Joins Microsoft In A Bid To Buy TikTok Walmart cited a potential boost from TikTok to its online presence, including the giant retailer's efforts to grow online advertising and a marketplace for third-party sellers. Alina Selyukh
