Nicole Kobie
Nicole Kobie first started writing for ITPro in 2007. As a freelance journalist covering technology and business, Nicole's work includes bylines in New Scientist, Wired, PC Pro and many more.
Nicole the author of a book about the history of technology, The Long History of the Future.
Latest articles by Nicole Kobie
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So long, Defender VPN
By Nicole Kobie published
News Defender VPN, Microsoft's free virtual private network, is set for the scrapheap, so you might want to think about alternative services.
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Software security debt is spiraling out of control
By Nicole Kobie published
News Software security flaws are taking longer to fix than ever, with remediation times having grown by 47% in the last five years.
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Microsoft’s EU data boundary project crosses the finish line
By Nicole Kobie published
News Microsoft has finalized its EU data boundary project aimed at allowing customers to store and process data in the region.
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UK data center industry growth faces serious challenges
By Nicole Kobie published
News The UK will be a high-growth area for data centers, but outdated energy grids could complicate growth.
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Microsoft's data center rollback could be bad news for the AI boom
By Nicole Kobie published
News Microsoft has reportedly ended leases for a significant amount of data center capacity, sparking debate over whether the AI boom is starting to falter.
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Tech layoffs have already topped 26,000 in 2025
By Nicole Kobie published
News New analysis shows more than 26,000 tech sector roles have already been cut in 2025 as firms continue to reduce headcount.
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Microsoft is increasing payouts for its Copilot bug bounty program
By Nicole Kobie published
News Microsoft has expanded the bug bounty program for its Copilot lineup, boosting payouts and adding coverage of WhatsApp and Telegram tools.
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai says DeepSeek has done ‘good work’ showcasing AI model efficiency
By Nicole Kobie published
News Google CEO Sundar Pichai hailed the DeepSeek model release as a step in the right direction for AI efficiency and accessibility.
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Microsoft says AI tools such as Copilot or ChatGPT are affecting critical thinking at work
By Nicole Kobie published
News Research from Microsoft suggests that the increased use of AI tools at work could impact critical thinking among employees.
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Elon Musk’s $97 billion flustered OpenAI – now it’s introducing rules to ward off future interest
By Nicole Kobie published
News OpenAI is considering restructuring the board of its non-profit arm to ward off unwanted bids after Elon Musk offered $97.4bn for the company.
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HPE slams DOJ over bid to block Juniper deal
By Nicole Kobie published
News HPE has criticized the US Department of Justice's attempt to block its acquisition of Juniper Networks, claiming it will benefit competitors such as Cisco.
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Sam Altman thinks OpenAI has been on the 'wrong side of history' with open source
By Nicole Kobie published
News OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed the company has been 'on the wrong side of history' regarding the open source debate.
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Turns out AI isn't that popular at work – except for devs
By Nicole Kobie published
News Research from Anthropic shows that while AI adoption is sluggish in most professions, software developers and writers are very keen.
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Sam Altman says ‘no thank you’ to Musk's $97bn bid for OpenAI
By Nicole Kobie published
News OpenAI has rejected a $97.4 billion buyout bid by a consortium led by Elon Musk.
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Salesforce planning more job cuts amid AI hiring push
By Nicole Kobie published
News Salesforce is planning to cut around 1,000 roles, marking the third batch of layoffs in as many years.
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Cyber attack delayed cancer treatment at NHS hospital
By Nicole Kobie published
News A cyber attack at Wirral University Teaching Hospital in 2024 delayed critical cancer treatment for patients, documents show.
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Cisco patches critical flaws in Identity Services Engine
By Nicole Kobie published
News Cisco has issued patches for a pair of critical vulnerabilities affecting its Identity Service Engine (ISE).
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850,000 patients may have been affected in the Globe Life breach after firm revises victim list
By Nicole Kobie published
News US insurer Globe Life has revealed more than 850,000 patients may have been impacted in a data breach after initially believing only around 5,000 were impacted.
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The world's first 'AI software engineer' isn't living up to expectations
By Nicole Kobie published
News Devin, a coding assistant from Cognition AI hailed as the world's 'first AI software engineer', hasn't quite lived up to expectations, according to researchers.
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Microsoft promises more AI spending despite cloud cost stumble
By Nicole Kobie published
News Microsoft recorded revenue and earnings growth in its latest quarterly results, but higher than expected costs in cloud and AI raised investor concerns.
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HPE plans to "vigorously defend" Juniper Networks deal as DoJ files suit to block acquisition
By Nicole Kobie published
News The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a suit against HPE over its proposed acquisition of Juniper Networks, citing competition concerns.
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Hackers are using a new AI chatbot to create malware
By Nicole Kobie published
News Researchers at Abnormal Security have warned about the rise of GhostGPT, a new chatbot used by cyber criminals to create malicious code and malware.
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200 UK firms commit to four-day working week
By Nicole Kobie published
News 200 companies across the UK have adopted the four-day working week as part of a trial scheme.
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