The Microsoft Windows 11 Update Puts AI Front and Center

Microsoft is putting AI at the forefront with an expansive update for Windows 11 today, bringing Bing's AI-powered search directly to your taskbar in a pill-shaped search bar, among other improvements.

Microsoft is also adding improved touch mode, screen recording capability, tabs in Notepad and more to their preview version of Windows 8. Furthermore, they plan on expanding support for Braille displays as well as bringing voice access out of preview mode.

Widgets

Microsoft's Windows 11 update brings AI into the forefront with Widgets, customizable feeds that slide out from a panel on the taskbar to display news, weather, a glance at your calendar and to-do list, as well as recent photos. These features are similar to news and interests which were introduced in an earlier update of Windows 10.

These widgets offer quick access to important information like news, weather, stocks, sports scores and more. Not only are they quick and easy to summon but you can customize what topics appear within each one by choosing which ones you want displayed.

You can add a Bing search bar to the widgets menu, opening results in a new window when clicked. Furthermore, you have the ability to alter the language of content displayed within your widget board.

One major improvement to Windows 11 widgets is their new ability to automatically grab your attention by displaying announcements and notifications. According to Microsoft, this can help keep you focused and minimize distractions while working.

Although widgets can be useful, they can also present issues. If left running in the background, widgets can drain your battery quickly; therefore, only keep them for essential information.

You can always check if your widgets are functioning by clicking the Widgets icon on the taskbar and looking at the panel that slides out from there. If they're not, you may need to restart File Explorer or disable graphics driver on your PC.

Once installed, you can try signing in to your Microsoft account by pressing Windows + I or going to Settings > Accounts and selecting "Sign in with a Microsoft account instead" and following the on-screen instructions.

With the latest build of Windows 11, users can enjoy a new Focus session which automatically switches on Do Not Disturb mode to minimize distractions and enhances the Clock app with timers for reminders to take breaks. Narrator, the built-in screen reader, now boasts more natural voices for text-to-speech conversion. Finally, an enhanced Quick Assist app offers faster tech support requests.

Bing

Microsoft's latest update to Windows puts AI at the forefront. According to Microsoft, this new feature makes it simpler to locate what you need quickly.

For some time now, the company has been investing in artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, they've made several notable strides in this arena. Their solutions range from muting background noise during video calls to automating accessibility features for those with disabilities.

Microsoft recently unveiled chatbot technology integrated into Bing's search bar, a preview of which will be available as part of the next major Windows 11 update. To power this feature, Microsoft relies on OpenAI's artificial intelligence capabilities which have been met with positive response from users.

However, Microsoft has also encountered issues that have drawn criticism. Last month, Microsoft said they were working to control the bot's responses after users complained about them being inaccurate and emotionally charged.

But it's far from finished, as Microsoft continues to learn from user feedback and enhance the experience for its users. On Tuesday, it announced an update for Windows which should make accessing its new chatbot even simpler.

Microsoft is also introducing a search option that tailors recommendations to users' individual needs. For instance, if you need to get lots done quickly but are unsure what should come first, this feature will suggest relevant actions for you to try.

Another AI-driven feature included in this update is a "complete answer" feature that leverages Bing's web crawling and algorithms to provide the most appropriate answers to your questions. These answers will include links to related content such as images and videos, along with citations of the sources from which it was derived.

Bing is an integral part of the search engine ecosystem and a great choice for anyone wanting to take advantage of AI-powered features on their device. Although it has a smaller share of searches than Google, it's becoming more prevalent in certain parts of the world.

Smart App Control

Smart App Control is a security measure designed to block potentially hazardous applications from running on your PC. It's part of Windows 11 version 22H2, also referred to as the 2022 Update.

Smart app control has been around for some time, but it was officially added to Windows Security in Windows 11. When enabled, this feature scans every app you run and attempts to determine whether they are malicious or not.

When your computer detects a potentially hazardous application, Norton Smart Security will automatically block it and provide you with a warning about its presence. This is an effective way to safeguard your computer against unwanted programs.

This feature works similarly to Microsoft's reputation-based protection that it has been using for years. But Smart app control goes further by using AI technology to check if an app has been reported for malicious activity and checks its signature to confirm it's from a reputable publisher.

Smart app control not only checks the signature of a malicious app, but it also blocks certain file types used by threat actors to infect users with malware during phishing attempts. For instance, IMG and lnk files with the mark of the web will be blocked from infiltration.

Microsoft's cloud AI security profiler scans thousands of apps daily to detect which ones are safe and which ones aren't. With this data, it helps users determine which applications are secure enough to download and utilize.

Enabling Smart app control in Windows Security is done by turning it on or off in the settings section. Note that this feature is only available on clean installations of Windows 11 (opens in a new tab), or if you have performed a reset of your system.

Once enabled, it will take some time to fully assess your usage of the feature. During this learning phase, it will monitor how often you utilize it and how it impacts your daily computer usage and performance.

Once the evaluation period has ended, you have the option to turn on or off this feature according to your personal preferences or needs. Please bear in mind that once turned off, it will remain permanently disabled and cannot be turned back on without reinstalling Windows.

Search

Microsoft's latest update for Windows puts artificial intelligence (AI) at the forefront of the taskbar. This decision makes perfect sense, considering how many people use the Windows search bar monthly.

Bing's updated search engine already utilizes OpenAI's generative AI capabilities in its Edge browser and Skype app, but now they are making the technology a focal point of Windows 11 desktop updates. Furthermore, Microsoft has added more voice control options as well as an iPhone interaction service called Phone Link in preview form.

There's no denying search has grown more powerful over time, yet it still falls short when answering complex queries or providing comprehensive outcomes. That's where Microsoft's new Bing comes into play with an LLM modified by OpenAI to give users more complete answers to their inquiries.

This approach has several advantages over traditional search engines, such as less processing load on the machine and quicker results. Unfortunately, it also necessitates more post-processing to generate web pages that will appear as top results - adding another level of complexity to what should otherwise be a straightforward task: creating an array of keywords.

One of my favorite features about Microsoft's search capabilities is how it dynamically updates a user's query based on their context. Additionally, it helps users locate relevant apps, documents, and websites.

According to The Information, Microsoft is adding more AI features to its Office suite of applications. ChatGPT, an AI tool that generates texts based on prompts, will now be included as a feature in both Word and Excel.

Microsoft is taking measures to make Windows 11 more energy-efficient. For instance, they've enhanced their Energy Recommendations tab with greater detail so users can better optimize how and when they consume power. Furthermore, Microsoft is prioritizing foreground priority over background processing, which allocates some CPU and memory resources to apps currently active and using them in order to speed up the overall experience.