Fabric

Tech Optimizer
June 13, 2025
Microsoft attributed a recent global outage affecting various digital infrastructures to a "CrowdStrike update," which disrupted multiple applications including OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, PowerBI, Microsoft Teams, and others. Users experienced issues such as synchronization failures and access difficulties. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in supply chains that organizations rely on for managing sensitive data, which can be targeted by cyber threats. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a feature within Microsoft Purview designed to protect sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. DLP policies can monitor user activity and take protective actions like alerting users about inappropriate sharing, blocking sharing attempts, or relocating data to secure locations. DLP can be applied across various platforms, including Office 365 applications and Windows endpoints. The DLP lifecycle includes planning and deployment phases, where organizations assess data to be monitored and ensure policies do not disrupt workflows. Monitoring and reporting tools provide insights into policy matches and incidents, helping organizations refine their DLP efforts. However, DLP has limitations, including false positives, user resistance, and challenges in detecting data leakages through new communication channels.
Tech Optimizer
June 12, 2025
The demand for real-time data in artificial intelligence is increasing, but integrating data from legacy systems poses challenges due to traditional ETL pipelines that can introduce latency. Open-source Postgres is favored for operational needs, and Neon offers a new approach to database creation using AI agents. Databricks has launched Lakebase, a managed Postgres database for AI applications, after acquiring Neon. Striim has expanded its Postgres offerings to enable high-throughput data ingestion from Neon into Databricks for real-time analytics and supports rapid data delivery from legacy systems into Neon. Striim's platform allows real-time replication of operational data from various traditional systems to Neon, real-time ingestion into Databricks, and enhances generative AI applications with inline data enrichment. Alok Pareek from Striim highlighted the importance of this expansion for Postgres-native teams to build real-time AI architectures. Striim also supports Databricks Delta Lake and SQL2Fabric-X for real-time SQL Server data access. Striim's platform processes over 100 billion daily events with sub-second latency, aiding proactive decision-making.
AppWizard
June 11, 2025
WhatsApp and Telegram each have over a billion users but face scrutiny for security issues and tracking practices. A new state-controlled messaging app, VladsApp, has been approved by Russian lawmakers as an alternative to these platforms. Sergei Boyarsky, head of the Duma’s Committee on Information Policy, described it as a “secure, multifunctional alternative” aimed at enhancing digital security in Russia. The app will operate on state-controlled infrastructure and is expected to integrate with government services, allowing personal information transfer with user consent. The draft legislation must pass through parliament and receive President Vladimir Putin's signature to become law. There are concerns that the state may restrict access to foreign messaging services to promote VladsApp among users in Russia.
AppWizard
June 9, 2025
AI is increasingly integrated into daily life, with many people preferring chatbot interactions over traditional Google searches due to the nuanced responses provided by AI. ChatGPT from OpenAI has evolved significantly, with a recent Android app update that includes image generation and an interactive audio mode, making interactions feel more conversational. Gemini from Google processes information across various Google applications, offering users control over memory retention from previous interactions, although it may have privacy concerns. Claude from Anthropic has introduced the Claude 4 models in its mobile app, enhancing its coding capabilities and including voice features for all users. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI, offers free access and low-cost options, excelling in web search and deep reasoning, with an open-source version available for private use. PocketPal is a downloadable Android app that operates independently of the cloud, allowing users to access open-source AI models, with smaller models like Qwen3 designed for older devices. The landscape of smartphone AI chatbots is evolving, with major Android manufacturers investing in enhancing device capabilities.
AppWizard
June 9, 2025
Failbetter Games has announced a new rural life simulation game called Mandrake, set in the village of Chandley, where horticulture is forbidden. Players will assume the role of the last horticultural sorcerer returning to their family's abandoned home. The game features typical activities like gardening, fishing, foraging, cooking, and crafting, while also incorporating elements of British history and folklore. Players will interact with a unique cast of villagers and explore various environments. The game includes darker themes, such as trading mundane crops for peculiar seeds and encountering otherworldly beings. A specific release date has not been announced, but the studio plans to conduct playtests and encourages players to wishlist Mandrake on Steam.
AppWizard
May 28, 2025
Publisher OKJOY and developer Team Orca have announced the Metroidvania action-adventure game, Bolt & Wahlington, featuring a Siamese cat protagonist navigating floating ruins. The game will launch on PC via Steam, with a beta test scheduled for June. Players will pilot a mech aboard the mobile fortress Whalington, utilizing unique gameplay mechanics such as transforming into a mouse, exchanging health points for keys, and morphing the mech into different forms. The game encourages exploration in a non-linear world filled with hidden areas and secrets. It features a hand-drawn 2D comic aesthetic and includes cat-centric elements, such as saving progress in cardboard boxes and encountering quirky feline characters.
Winsage
May 21, 2025
Microsoft Dataverse is a secure and scalable platform that integrates enterprise data with agent functionalities, serving as the backbone for organizations to manage business and operational data. It powers Microsoft Copilot Studio, enabling developers to create agents that execute adaptive tasks while ensuring human oversight. Key features include AI-powered search, prompt columns for embedding generative AI, and the Dataverse Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which transforms structured data into interactive knowledge for agents. The MCP server offers capabilities such as querying data, engaging with knowledge sources, creating/updating records, and executing custom prompts. Dataverse knowledge is integrated into Copilot Studio, connecting structured and unstructured data from various sources to create a unified knowledge network. Data in Dataverse is pre-indexed for near-real-time analytics, and integration with Microsoft Fabric allows for easy exploration of this data. Dynamics 365 data is now accessible within Microsoft 365 Copilot, streamlining workflows. New knowledge sources and connectors have been introduced, including Snowflake, SAP, and Confluence, enhancing agent capabilities. The Power Platform connector SDK simplifies the integration of external structured data into Power Apps and Dataverse. A centralized Tools hub in Copilot Studio allows for the management of reusable functionalities across agents. Additionally, three new managed agents are available in preview, designed to automate document workflows, generate executive briefs, and process inbound leads, facilitating quick implementation and scalability for organizations.
Tech Optimizer
May 19, 2025
Databricks has agreed to acquire Neon, a significant player in the serverless Postgres market, to enhance its database capabilities and developer experience. Over 80 percent of databases on Neon are automatically created by AI agents, indicating a shift towards agent-driven workflows. Neon's architecture allows for rapid deployment of Postgres instances in under 500 milliseconds, features a cost structure that scales with usage through the separation of compute and storage, and is fully compatible with the Postgres ecosystem. The acquisition aims to eliminate inefficiencies in database scaling, improve performance for concurrent AI agents, and streamline infrastructure while maintaining security and governance. Following the acquisition, Neon's team will join Databricks to support the development of responsive and reliable AI agent systems.
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