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Deel Plays Spy, While Microsoft Plays Nuclear Hide-And-Seek

Plus: Google drops $32B on Wiz, space castaways return after 9 months, and Israeli spyware infiltrates phones via innocent-looking PDFs.

March 25, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Howdy, friends!

It's March 25 – and we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first-ever wiki, which feels like celebrating the birthday of that quiet friend who somehow knows everyone in your social circle.

On this day in 1995, Ward Cunningham installed WikiWikiWeb on a $300 computer (less than what Apple charges for wheels on the Mac Pro) and connected it to the internet via a 14.4-baud dial-up modem – a connection slower than us understanding the offside rule in soccer.

Microsoft Ghosting The Nuclear Energy Party

While Amazon, Meta, and Google are signing pledges to triple nuclear capacity by 2050, Microsoft is pulling a "*new phone, who dis?*" despite its own nuclear ambitions.

The Large Energy Users Pledge, led by the World Nuclear Association, aims to dramatically increase nuclear energy capacity to meet soaring power demands—particularly for AI-driven data centers that consume electricity like broke college students consume ramen cup noodles.

What makes this interesting is that Microsoft's absence comes after they've already signed a deal to purchase energy from the restarted Three Mile Island nuclear plant in 2024. Maybe they're just like our ex and got commitment issues?

Google's Head of Clean Energy, Lucia Tian, enthusiastically endorsed the pledge, stating that "nuclear power will be pivotal in building a reliable, secure, and sustainable energy future." Meanwhile, Amazon emphasized that they've invested more than $1 billion in nuclear energy projects over the last year—which for Jeff Bezos is roughly the equivalent of you buying a Chipotle burrito.

The race is on to power our AI overlords with emission-free energy. Just don't tell Skynet where the power switch is, or we'll all be saying "*Hasta la vista, baby*" sooner than expected.

Exchange Online Outage: Microsoft’s “Something Went Wrong” Moment

Microsoft experienced another Exchange Online outage, impacting Outlook users worldwide for several hours. Thousands of reports flooded DownDetector as users encountered "Something went wrong" errors when attempting to access their mailboxes—a message about as helpful as "PC LOAD LETTER" from Office Space.

In typical fashion, Microsoft identified "a portion of code which is throwing an error" (*duh,* no kidding) and quickly worked to revert a recent code change. It's like when your project manager asks what's wrong with the server and you mumble something about "backend integration issues" while frantically Googling error codes. The outage, tracked as EX1036356, was classified as a "critical service issue" in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center—tech speak for "everyone panic but quietly."

This comes on the heels of other recent Exchange Online issues, including search failures and a week-long outage causing email delays. Microsoft eventually fixed the issue, but not before reminding us all that even trillion-dollar companies have those "have you tried turning it off and on again" moments that would make Roy from IT Crowd slow-clap in appreciation.

Rippling vs Deel: Corporate Espionage or Just Slack Snooping?

HR company Rippling is suing competitor Deel for alleged racketeering, trade secret theft, and probably stealing the last Diet Coke from the office fridge.

The 50-page complaint reads like a rejected Netflix thriller: claiming Deel had a mole who viewed Slack channels about Deel "over 450 times." Rippling even set up a "honeypot" channel (pretty much labeled "SUPER SECRET DEEL STUFF —DON'T LOOK HERE!") and watched as their suspected spy took the bait faster than Cristiano Ronaldo takes his shirt off after scoring.

The true chef's kiss moment was when confronted with a court order to hand over his phone, the alleged spy locked himself in a bathroom where "suspicious flushing" was heard. Yes, a professional adult spy in 2025 potentially thought "poop will repel the authorities!"

Meanwhile, Deel denies all allegations, claiming Rippling is "trying to shift the narrative" following accusations about violating sanctions in Russia.  It's like watching two HR startups cosplaying as MI6 and the KGB, but instead of poison-tipped umbrellas, they're using Slack and bathroom stalls. Modern espionage is so NOT cinematic—less Jason Bourne, more Dwight Schrute putting a coin in the vending machine to spy on Jim.

…But if you're more interested in legitimately managing your IT operations (no spying as far as we know), Deel actually has a resource worth checking out.

Streamline IT management with 'The World at Work 2024: Deel IT

Discover how you can transform your IT operations, enhancing operational efficiency & compliance across borders. Our guide has essential strategies for managing a global workforce.

⚙️ Tool Time

We recommend Revo Uninstaller.

Need to get rid of that stubborn software that clings to your system, like Brett Favre did to playing time despite his age? Well, Revo is your MVP!

This powerhouse utility doesn't just run the standard uninstaller that comes with your software—it goes full John Wick on leftover files, folders, and registry entries that would otherwise lurk in your system like digital ghosts. "People keep asking if Revo's back. Yeah, I'm thinking Revo's back!"

Here’s just some of their killer key features:

  • Forced Uninstall: Obliterate programs even when their built-in uninstallers are broken or missing entirely

  • Multi-level Backup System: Clean with confidence knowing you can restore anything important if something goes wrong

  • Hunter Mode: Simply drag a target icon onto any program window or shortcut to unleash uninstallation fury

  • Junk Files Cleaner: Remove unnecessary files that accumulate like dust bunnies in your system

  • Real-Time Installation Monitor: Tracks all changes made during program installations for more thorough removal later

For both casual users tired of mysterious slowdowns and IT pros managing multiple systems, Revo Uninstaller is kind of just like that scene in Breaking Bad where Walter White methodically dismantles everything without leaving a trace. It doesn't just remove programs—it makes them disappear as if they never existed in the first place.

Thanks to ByteSize reader Nuchim for recommending Revo Uninstaller!

👨‍💻 Job Opportunities

The Tom Cruise of satellite communications needed to lead a team of tech-savvy Mission Impossible agents in translating complex military satellite technology into solutions that would make even Q from 007 jealous. Must have top-secret clearance and the ability to explain how things work without making everyone's eyes glaze over like they're watching the 4th quarter of a pre-season NFL game.

NVIDIA wants a chip whisperer who can build methodologies that make their circuit simulators perform like the Kansas City Chiefs offense in the red zone. You'll be qualifying simulators and developing workflows that will help power the AI revolution, all while earning enough to finally afford those Yankees season tickets you've been eyeing since Judge broke the home run record.

This role is perfect for the Tom Brady of machine learning who can quarterback AWS GovCloud and Databricks environments with the precision of Messi dribbling the field. You'll be building MLOps architectures that deploy AI models to production faster than McConaughey can say "alright, alright, alright" while juggling federal compliance requirements like Peaky Blinders' Thomas Shelby juggles illicit business ventures.

This leading food service provider is on the hunt for a digital chef who can cook up Microsoft systems solutions as perfectly as Gordon Ramsay prepares steak. You'll be maintaining the tech infrastructure that keeps dining services running smoothly for schools across North America, ensuring students can focus on their studies rather than why the cafeteria payment system is displaying the blue screen of death again.

🛩 Industry Moves

  • Dataminr secured $85M in funding while approaching $200M in annual revenue—the same company previously linked to BLM protest surveillance is now expanding internationally. It's the Eye of Sauron getting VC funding and a slick rebrand as a "visibility solutions provider."

  • Remember those NASA astronauts we mentioned last week who were stuck in space longer than most Netflix shows run? Well, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returned to Earth after nine months on the ISS. What began as a two-week Boeing test flight ended with a SpaceX rescue and 4,576 orbits—longer than most Succession plotlines take to resolve.

  • Google dropped $32B on cloud security firm Wiz, plus $1B in retention bonuses averaging $588K per employee. The deal won't close until 2026, making this the tech version of Manchester City buying a player just to keep them from Liverpool.

  • WhatsApp patched a zero-day vulnerability exploited to install Paragon's Graphite spyware without users even clicking anything. The attack added targets to WhatsApp groups before sending PDFs that automatically loaded spyware—like getting invited to a party that turns out to be “the Red Wedding” from Game of Thrones, but for your phone.

💽 Data Upload

Our EE community has been tackling some interesting challenges lately:

Well, there you have it—another week in tech where we've seen everything from corporate espionage conducted via Slack to astronauts finally returning home after an extended space vacation. As Microsoft struggles with their Exchange service, at least we can all agree that the digital world never has a dull moment… It's like the final season of The Office—chaotic, sometimes frustrating, but never boring.

Got news to share or topics you'd like us to cover? Send ‘em our way. We can’t wait to hear from you. Really.

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