Microsoft makes Copilot in Windows 11 more useful with new capabilities and plugins
Continuing to go all-in on artificial intelligence, Microsoft has announced a series of new features for its Windows 11 AI assistant. The company has announced the capabilities for Copilot as well as introducing new plugins for even more options.
The arrival of new plugins from the like of OpenTable, Shopify and Kayak helps to transform Copilot into something even more useful than it has been so far. It means that the assistant can be used to book restaurant tables as well as suggesting menus for home dining. On top of these plugin-driven additions, Copilot is also gaining new features so it can display system information on demand, and be used to control accessibility features.
Microsoft Build 2024 confirmed for May, with 'AI, Copilots, and more' for developers
Microsoft has confirmed the dates and location of this year's Build conference for developers. The event will be held from May 21 to 23 in the Seattle Convention Center's Summit building, and it may be a chance for everyone to learn more about not only the future of Windows 11, but also the upcoming Windows 12.
Like last year, Microsoft Build 2024 is an in-person event, although online attendance is also possible. So far, Microsoft is promising "AI, Copilots, and more for Developers" and while there are no firm details of precisely what to expect, it is possible to sign up to be notified when registration opens.
Windows 11: Even Notepad gets AI support
If you thought that Microsoft was done adding AI to its products then you are mistaken. It appears that the company is just getting started. The latest program to get AI support is the plain text editor Notepad.
Microsoft has improved Notepad significantly since the release of Windows 11. Recent updates introduced automatic saving of text, word counts, and tabs to the plain text editor. All of these features were welcome by Notepad users, as they improved the text editor.
Microsoft quietly fixes Windows 11 Copilot bug that caused desktop icons to move around
While there has been much excitement and interest in Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant has not been without problems. For some time now, for instance, there has been an issue with desktop icons moving around on systems with multiple monitors.
Now, three months since first acknowledging the problem, Microsoft has announced that the issue has been resolved. Interestingly, the fix was applied without the need for an update to be issued.
Get Copilot Pro says Microsoft in latest Windows 11 ads push
Many Windows users have access to Microsoft Copilot, a built-in AI tool. This tool is free to use. Microsoft created Copilot Pro as an optional subscription-based service. Available for $20 per user and month, Copilot Pro promises "priority access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo during peak times". A subscription delivers answers, content, and generated AI images faster, according to Microsoft's description of the service.
Subscribers get two additional benefits. Designer, which allows users to use AI to generate images, gets 100 boosts per day. Boosts prioritize requests so that results are returned faster. Designer still works without boosts, but it may take longer to generate and return image creations to the user.
Microsoft is finally updating Sticky Notes for Windows 11 -- expect an AI upgrade
Sticky notes, both virtual and physical, remain incredibly popular. Since Windows 10, Microsoft has had its own app called, funnily enough, Sticky Notes -- an app that had not been updated in years.
But this is about to change; Microsoft has issued a notice that users should "stay tuned for some of our biggest announcements yet". The company is yet to provide details of just when we can expect to see the updates, and has said outright what it NOT going to be -- but we can take a decent guess at what might be.
Microsoft's next big release will be Windows 11 24H2; Windows 12 may not launch until 2025
Anyone holding out buying a new PC because they're waiting for Windows 12 should probably just bite the bullet. While many were hoping -- even expecting -- Microsoft to release Windows 12 in 2024, the latest rumors suggest that it's more likely to be in 2025.
But that's not to say 2024 is a write-off; far from it. Microsoft still has a lot in store for Windows 11 users, and the next big update -- codenamed Hudson Valley -- is thought to be dropping in September. Also known as Windows 11 24H2 ad the Windows 11 2024 Update, this is a major release which will Microsoft continuing to inject AI into the operating system.
Microsoft Copilot is pushing up base configurations so Windows AI PCs will need at least 16GB of RAM
2024 looks set to be another year dominated by artificial intelligence, and we are now entering the era of the AI PC. This is something that Microsoft is at the forefront of, and the company's Copilot assistant is playing a major role in shaping the future.
A new report from TrendForce reveals something that many people had suspected for some time -- minimum system specifications will be increasing to herald the new computing age. The research company shares the news that "Microsoft has set the baseline for DRAM in AI PCs at 16 GB". But there is more.
Microsoft launches Copilot Pro subscription for people willing to pay to supercharge their AI experience
Microsoft continues to throw everything at artificial intelligence, in particular its AI companion Copilot. The company's latest move sees it launching Copilot Pro, a subscription service which gives anyone -- not just businesses and organizations -- access to a more up-to-date and advanced version of the chatbot, including OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo model.
Designed with "power users, creators and anyone looking to take their Copilot experience to the next level" in mind, Copilot Pro is a $20-per-month attempt by Microsoft to squeeze some money out of AI. The company has also expanded the availability of Copilot for Microsoft 365 to more commercial customers.
Microsoft rushes to calm fears about Copilot running automatically in Windows 11
Love it or hate it -- and it is something that has proved incredibly polarizing -- AI is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Microsoft is just one of a stream of tech firm investing heavily in the technology, and this includes the introduction of its AI-power assistant Copilot in both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Copilot has already shown itself to be controversial and divisive, but a recent announcement by Microsoft caused such ripples that the company has been forced to go on the defensive. Plans to have Copilot launch automatically in Windows 11 elicited a vocal response from some corners of the internet, compelling Microsoft to issue an additional statement.
Microsoft releases KB5033375 update for Windows 11 fixing Copilot problems and more
With the release of the KB5033375 update, Microsoft has delivered not only a series of security patches to Windows 11, but also an important upgrade to Copilot.
The AI-powered digital assistant has proved problematic for many users, and now Microsoft has taken steps to fix things. There are also fixes for lots of non-Copilot related issues, and a power consumption reducing update for Dynamic Lighting.
Microsoft releases mandatory KB5033372 update, pushing Copilot on Windows 10 users
The time of the month for Microsoft to release its security updates for Windows has rolled around again. The company has released the KB5033372 update for Windows 10, bringing not only security fixes, but other improvements and new features -- including Copilot.
As the KB5033372 update includes security fixes, it is rolling out to all Windows 10 users automatically. This means that everyone will be given access to a preview version of Microsoft's AI-powered digital assistant.
Watch Windows 12 (2024) being installed
There's been a lot of talk about Windows 12, Microsoft's inevitable successor to Windows 11. Most recently, my colleague Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson reported that Microsoft plans to release the new operating system in June 2024, to ride the AI PC wave.
Two months ago, Intel let slip about Microsoft’s 'Windows refresh' plans, believed to refer to Windows 12. If you’re wondering what the new OS might look like, we have an idea.
Microsoft releases KB5032288 update for Windows to fix Copilot issues and more
This is the time of the month when Microsoft releases preview versions of Patch Tuesday updates, and the company has unleashed the KB5032288 update for Windows 11 in keeping with this.
While the KB5032288 update addresses a number of issues in Windows 11, it is primarily concerned with fixing problems in the recently added Copilot. With Copilot being described as being "in preview" and the update being a preview version, we're in the interesting position of seeing the release of a preview version of an update for preview software. Let's dive in.
KB5032278 update brings Copilot to Windows 10 and improves 'news and interests'
Microsoft has released the KB5032278 update for Windows 10 22H2, bringing a number of changes and improvements including the arrival of Copilot.
This is an optional update because it is a preview of next month's patch, and because it is a preview it is a non-security update. In addition to bringing Copilot to anyone outside of the EU, the KB5032278 update also includes numerous other changes, additions and fixes.
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