Australia’s Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched legal action against Microsoft, alleging the company misled users of its Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans about subscription options involving Copilot integration.



The ACCC claims Microsoft presented users with only two choices—accept a higher-priced plan with Copilot or cancel their subscription—while failing to disclose a third, lower-cost “Classic” plan that retained existing features without Copilot.



The regulator argues this omission denied consumers the ability to make informed decisions and suggests Microsoft concealed the Classic plan until users initiated cancellation. Microsoft responded by stating it prioritises consumer trust and transparency and is reviewing the claims







Welcome to episode 9 of The Crystal Carrier Wave, This past week has seen Southland hit with devastating storm and many are still without power. We are among the fortunate few who had no disruptions to power through out the storm which hit Southland on Thursday afternoon.



PowerNet has made significant progress restoring electricity across Southland and Otago following widespread outages, but thousands of customers remain without power. As of midday on 27 October, approximately 6,250 customers in Southland and 2,500 in Otago were still affected. Chief Executive Paul Blue noted that restoration efforts are becoming more complex due to extensive damage in rural areas, and some properties may remain without power for several more days. Additional crews from across the country are arriving to support local teams, with around 220 field staff expected to be on the ground by Wednesday.



PowerNet is prioritising critical infrastructure, including cell sites and dairy farms, and is working closely with Emergency Management Southland and Otago to deploy generators where needed. The company has urged residents to avoid clearing debris or downed lines themselves due to safety risks, and to report any hazards directly. While some customers may see neighbouring properties restored, individual outages are likely due to property-specific damage, which crews will begin addressing soon. PowerNet continues to ask for patience and community support during the ongoing recovery.



Support the show by becoming an Insider, your support helps keep the lights on and is greatly appreciated.



If you have anything you’d like to share or comment on, email podcast .at. zl4kj .dot. nz, I would love to hear from you. Alternatively you can Send a Voice Message




Australia sues Microsoft for misleading M365 users



OpenAI takes aim at Microsoft 365 Copilot



Introducing Canonical Academy



Intel Reports Third-Quarter 2025 Financial Results



Red Hat Launches Red Hat Developer Lightspeed for AI-Powered Developer Productivity



Policy-based removal of pre-installed Microsoft Store apps



Google promises Pixel 10 owners that more GPU updates are on the way



Nadella’s record pay rise reflects Microsoft’s AI-driven success, but deep job cuts and uncertain returns raise questions about sustainability



Introducing Disappearing Posts on Threads



Sora is showing us how broken deepfake detection is



NordVPN lets you block adult sites from loading, but only on mobile



Experts warn Microsoft Copilot Studio agents are being hijacked to steal OAuth tokens



Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet once again due to a mystery IT issue



Microsoft Excel for iOS is DOA for many after shoddy update



Canonical announces new optimized Ubuntu image for Thundercomm RUBIK Pi 3



Toys R Us Canada customer data swiped, dumped online



Microsoft makes Copilot “human-centered” with a ‘90s-style animated assistant



Mercedes-Benz unveils solar panel paint job on steer-by-wire vehicle



An Entire 3D Printer That Fits in the Palm of Your Hand



Convert a cheap air fryer into a high-performance 3D printer filament dryer



Turning a Raspberry Pi into a (Physical) Virtual Pet



Play, pedagogy, and real-world impact: What we learned from the AI Quests webinars



Wicked Wings – 3 Ways to Spread Your Costume Wings



via Hackaday: How to Make a Simple MOSFET Tester



Ofcom has updated its main guidance document



Amateur Radio Daily Adds Live Solar and HF Band Conditions Powered by DXLook



via Hackaday: 6502 Puts on an SDR Hat



Letter: Without FM, My 2023 Tesla Will Be My Last



New Drone-Mounted Tool Maps RF Field Strength in 3D



Progress made but still many without power in Southland

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