News: Software News

News: Software Newshttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/page/191/?d=2News: Software NewsenHow to remap Copilot to any key on Windows 11https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/how-to-remap-copilot-to-any-key-on-windows-11-r21898/ Do you want a physical dedicated key to access Copilot? Here's how on Windows 11.

On Windows 11, new computers start shipping with a dedicated button to get quick access to Copilot. However, since this is a physical addition to the keyboard, the existing devices won't have a dedicated physical option to access the chatbot.

Of course, you can use the "Windows key + C" keyboard shortcut or the Taskbar button to open the chatbot interface. Microsoft is even trying to open the Copilot panel automatically on devices with monitors equal to or larger than 27 inches. However, if you want to open Copilot on the desktop with a dedicated key, it's still possible to do this by remapping any key on the keyboard to the Copilot shortcut.

Although you have many ways to do this using different tools, you can also use PowerToys, which includes many useful features to improve your productivity in addition to the remap tool, and it's a more universal solution that will apply to everyone and not only to users with specific keyboards.

In this how-to guide, I'll walk you through the steps to remap Copilot to any key on the keyboard on Windows 11.

How to assign Copilot a specific keyboard key on Windows 11

Windows 11 doesn't include an app for key remapping, but you can use the remap tool available in PowerToys. If you already have the app on your computer, skip the installation and jump to the remapping instructions.

1. Install PowerToys

To install PowerToys on your computer, use these steps:

Open Microsoft Store app.
Search for Microsoft PowerToys and click the top result to open the app page.
Click the Get (or Install) button.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

You can also download the app from the official GitHub page.

2. Remap Copilot key

To remap the Copilot shortcut to a specific key on the keyboard, use these steps:

Open PowerToys
Click on Keyboard Manager.
Turn on the "Enable Keyboard Manager" toggle switch.
Click the "Remap a key" setting under the "Key" section.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

Click the "Add key remapping" button.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

Click the Select button in the "Select" section.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

Press the key to use to open Copilot on Windows 11.
Click the OK button.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

Choose the "Key/Shortcut" option in the "To send" section.
Click the Select button.
Select the Copilot keyboard shortcut (Windows key + C) to record it.
Click the OK button.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)

Click the OK button from the top-right corner.
Click the Continue anyway button.

Once you complete the steps, press the assigned key to open Copilot.

While remapping my keyboard for this guide, I noticed that the action didn't execute right away after I pressed the key, but after a few presses, the mapping started working as expected.

Source

You're welcome.

]]>21898Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:19:22 +0000Windows-as-a-nuisance: How I clean up a “clean install” of Windows 11 and Edgehttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-as-a-nuisance-how-i-clean-up-a-%E2%80%9Cclean-install%E2%80%9D-of-windows-11-and-edge-r21897/ Tips and tricks for making Microsoft leave you alone while you use your PC.

I've written before about my nostalgia for the Windows XP- or Windows 7-era "clean install," when you could substantially improve any given pre-made PC merely by taking an official direct-from-Microsoft Windows install disk and blowing away the factory install, ridding yourself of 60-day antivirus trials, WildTangent games, outdated drivers, and whatever other software your PC maker threw on it to help subsidize its cost.

You can still do that with Windows 11—in fact, it's considerably easier than it was in those '00s versions of Windows, with multiple official Microsoft-sanctioned ways to download and create an install disk, something you used to need to acquire on your own. But the resulting Windows installation is a lot less "clean" than it used to be, given the continual creep of new Microsoft apps and services into more and more parts of the core Windows experience.

I frequently write about Windows, Edge, and other Microsoft-adjacent technologies as part of my day job, and I sign into my daily-use PCs with a Microsoft account, so my usage patterns may be atypical for many Ars Technica readers. But for anyone who uses Windows, Edge, or both, I thought it might be useful to detail what I'm doing to clean up a clean install of Windows, minimizing (if not totally eliminating) the number of annoying notifications, Microsoft services, and unasked-for apps that we have to deal with.

That said, this is not a guide about creating a minimally stripped-down, telemetry-free version of Windows that removes anything other than what Microsoft allows you to remove. There are plenty of experimental hacks dedicated to that sort of thing—NTDev's Tiny11 project is one—but removing built-in Windows components can cause unexpected compatibility and security problems, and Tiny11 has historically had issues with basic table-stakes stuff like "installing security updates."

Avoiding Microsoft account sign-in

The most contentious part of Windows 11's setup process relative to earlier Windows versions is that it mandates Microsoft account sign-in, with none of the readily apparent "limited account" fallbacks that existed in Windows 10. As of Windows 11 22H2, that's true of both the Home and Pro editions.

There are two reasons I can think of not to sign in with a Microsoft account. The first is that you want nothing to do with a Microsoft account, thank you very much. Signing in makes you more of a target for Microsoft 365, OneDrive, or Game Pass subscription upsells since all you need to do is add them to an account that already exists, and Windows setup will offer subscriptions to each if you sign in first.

The second—which is my situation—is that you do use a Microsoft account because it offers some handy benefits like automated encryption of your local drive (having those encryption keys saved to my account has saved me a couple of times) or syncing of browser info and some preferences. But you don't want to sign in at setup, either because you're just testing something or you prefer your user folder to be located at "C:\Users\Andrew" rather than "C:\Users\."

Regardless of your reasoning, if you don't want to bother with sign-in at setup, you have two options (three for Windows 11 Pro users):

During Windows 11 Setup, after selecting a language and keyboard layout but before connecting to a network, hit Shift+F10 to open the command prompt. Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO, hit Enter, and wait for the PC to reboot.

When it comes back, click "I don't have Internet" on the network setup screen, and you'll have recovered the option to use "limited setup" (aka a local account) again, like older versions of Windows 10 and 11 offered.

Windows 11 Pro users, take a journey with me.

Proceed through the Windows 11 setup as you normally would, including connecting to a network and allowing the system to check for updates. Eventually, you'll be asked whether you're setting your PC up for personal use or for "work or school."

Select the work or school option, then sign-in options, at which point you'll finally be asked whether you plan to join the PC to a domain. Tell it you are (even though you aren't), and you'll see the normal workflow for creating a "limited" local account.

This one won't work if you don't want to start your relationship with a new computer by lying to it, but it also doesn't require going to the command line.

Rufus is a venerable open source app for creating bootable USB media for both Windows and Linux. If you find yourself doing a lot of Windows 11 installs and don't want to deal with Microsoft accounts, Rufus lets you tweak the install media itself so that the "limited setup" options always appear, no matter which edition of Windows you're using.

To start, grab Rufus, and then a fresh Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft. You'll also want an 8GB or larger USB drive; I'd recommend a 16GB or larger drive that supports USB 3.0 speeds, both to make things go a little faster and to leave yourself extra room for drivers, app installers, and anything else you might want to set a new PC up for the first time. (I also like this SanDisk drive that has a USB-C connector on one end and a USB-A connector on the other to ensure compatibility with all kinds of PCs.)

Fire up Rufus, select your USB drive and the Windows ISO, and hit Start to copy over all of the Windows files. After you hit Start, you'll be asked if you want to disable some system requirements checks, remove the Microsoft account requirement, or turn off all the data collection settings that Windows asks you about the first time you set it up. What you do here is up to you; all I usually turn off is the sign-in requirement, but disabling the Secure Boot and TPM checks doesn't stop those features from working once Windows is installed and running.

The rest of Windows 11 setup

The main thing I do here, other than declining any and all Microsoft 365 or Game Pass offers, is to turn all the toggles on the privacy settings screen to "no." This covers location services, the Find My Device feature, and four toggles that collectively send a small pile of usage and browsing data to Microsoft that it uses "to enhance your Microsoft experiences." Pro tip: Hit Tab and then hit the spacebar six times each to quickly toggle these without clicking or scrolling.

Of these, I can imagine enabling Find My Device if you're worried about theft or location services if you want Windows and apps to be able to access your location. But I tend not to send any extra telemetry or browsing data other than the basics (the only exception being on machines I enroll in the Windows Insider Preview program for testing since Microsoft requires you to send more detailed usage data from those machines to help it test its beta software). If you want to change any of these settings after setup, they're all in the Settings app under Privacy & Security.

Cleaning up Windows 11

The Start menu and taskbar area, pre-cleanup.

Andrew Cunningham
The Start menu and taskbar area post-cleanup.

Andrew Cunningham

Once all this is done, you'll reboot, and you'll be at the Windows desktop. The first thing to do is to install any drivers you need, plus Windows updates.

When you first connect to the Internet, Windows will also automatically pull down a few extraneous third-party apps and app shortcuts. The first thing I usually do is right-click each of them on the Start menu and remove/uninstall them. Ever since I wrote that piece six months ago, the assortment of apps I don't want has shifted a little, possibly the result of some kind of quiet Facebook-Microsoft breakup. WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger are out; Grammarly, Camo Studio, and Luminar Neo - AI Photo Editor are in. Spotify remains unchanged.

Most of these third-party apps and shortcuts won't show up among your installed apps unless you run them, so removing them directly from the Start menu is the best way to get rid of them.

Right-clicking and uninstalling the unwanted apps that are pinned to the Start menu is the fastest (and, for some, the only) way to get rid of them.

Andrew Cunningham

The other apps and services included in a fresh Windows install generally at least have the excuse of being first-party software, though their usefulness will be highly user-specific: Xbox, the new Outlook app, Clipchamp, and LinkedIn are the ones that stand out, plus the ad-driven free-to-play version of the Solitaire suite that replaced the simple built-in version during the Windows 8 era.

Rather than tell you what I remove, I'll tell you everything that can be removed from the Installed Apps section of the Settings app (also quickly accessible by right-clicking the Start button in the taskbar). You can make your own decisions here; I generally leave the in-box versions of classic Windows apps like Sound Recorder and Calculator while removing things I don't use, like To Do or Clipchamp. This list should be current for a fresh, fully updated install of Windows 11 23H2, at least in the US, and it doesn't include any apps that might be specific to your hardware, like audio or GPU settings apps.

One of the changes Microsoft made in Windows 11 23H2 was to move almost all of Windows' non-removable apps to a System Components section, where they can be configured but not removed; this is where things like Phone Link, the Microsoft Store, Dev Home, and the Game Bar have ended up. The exception is Edge and its associated updater and WebView components; these are not removable, but they aren't listed as "system components" for some reason, either.

The Search menu, before cleanup.

Andrew Cunningham
The Search menu post-cleanup.

Andrew Cunningham

The next thing to do is to change more Windows settings to minimize the number of annoying upsell notifications and "it's time to finish setting up your PC" messages you see. Again, what you leave on or off is up to you, but generally, these changes should make Windows feel less annoying and intrusive.

Right-click the Taskbar and click Taskbar settings. Turn off the icon for the Copilot preview if you don't want to use it (if you're not using a Microsoft account, you may not see it at all). I also disable Widgets, which are useful if you want to see local weather at a glance in the taskbar, but the Widgets screen itself is generally just a display mechanism for Microsoft's junky Microsoft Start newsfeed. I also shrink the Search button to just an icon so it takes up less space.
Open Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and click General. Even if you disabled all the data collection options at Setup, there are still four things enabled here, all related to data tracking and content suggestions. I switch them all off. The "suggested content in the Settings app" one in particular disables some annoying Microsoft 365 reminders.
Again under Privacy & Security, open Diagnostics & Feedback and set "Feedback frequency" to Never.
Under Privacy & Security, click Search permissions and disable "Show search highlights" under "More settings." This cleans up the Search menu quite a bit, focusing it on searches you've done yourself and locally installed apps.
Still in Settings, navigate to System, and then Notifications, and turn off the "Suggested" notifications. This may not appear if you're not signed in with a Microsoft account.
Still in the notifications settings, scroll all the way down and expand the additional settings. Uncheck all three boxes here, which should get rid of all the "finish setting up your PC" prompts, among other things.

Bonus: Cleaning up Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge and its new tab page before cleanup.

Andrew Cunningham
The new tab page after cleanup. We've changed a lot of other settings here, too.

Andrew Cunningham

I use Edge out of pragmatism rather than love—"the speed, compatibility, extensions ecosystem, and stability of Chrome with all of the Google stuff removed" is still a strong pitch, though it's gotten less so as Microsoft has pushed its own services more and more aggressively. In a vacuum, Firefox aligns better with what I want from a browser, but it just doesn't respond well to my normal tab-monster habits, despite several earnest attempts to switch.

The main problem with Edge on a new install of Windows is that even more than Windows, it exists in a universe where no one would ever switch search engines or shut off any of Microsoft's value adds except by accident. Case in point: Signing in with a Microsoft account will happily sync your bookmarks, extensions, and many kinds of personal data. But settings for search engine changes, or for opting out of Microsoft services, do not sync between systems and require a fresh setup each time.

Here are the Edge settings I change to maximize the browser's usefulness (and usable screen space) while minimizing annoying distractions; it involves turning off most of the stuff Microsoft has added to the Chromium version of Edge since it entered public preview five years ago. Here's a list of things to tweak whether you sign in with a Microsoft account or not.

On the Start page when you first open the browser, hit the Settings gear in the upper-right corner. Change the layout to Focused, turn off sponsored links, and turn off Content to hide the spammy newsfeed. Turn on the image of the day if you want to! Click the "your privacy choices" link at the bottom of the menu and turn off all the suggested ads and third-party data-sharing toggles you see.
Click the Settings gear in the lower-right of the window to open the sidebar settings. I turn the sidebar off, then click Copilot and turn off both Show Copilot and Show Shopping Notifications. If you use Copilot or the sidebar, feel free to keep them, but generally, I find that they take up space I'd rather use for other things.
From there, select Profiles in the left Settings sidebar. Click Microsoft Rewards, and then turn it off.
From here, go to the Privacy, Search, & Services settings. I set tracking prevention to "strict," though if you use some other kind of content blocker, this may be redundant.
Disable the toggle under "Personalization & advertising," if it's on.
I disable everything under the Services header. If you want to switch from Bing, click "Address bar and search" and switch to your preferred engine, whether that's Google, DuckDuckGo, or something else. Then click "Search suggestions and filters" and disable "Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters."
Under Languages, you can disable "use text prediction" to prevent things you type from being sent to Microsoft and switch the spellchecker from Microsoft Editor to Basic if you want. (I don't actually mind Microsoft Editor, but it's worth remembering if you're trying to minimize the amount of data Edge sends back to the company.)

Windows-as-a-nuisance

There have been many good things about the Windows-as-a-service era that kicked off in 2015 with the launch of Windows 10. Support for new hardware has been added at a steadier clip than before. Generally, stepping up from one version of Windows 10 or 11 to the next (from 21H2 to 22H2, et cetera) is less disruptive than it was to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8, making it easier to stay current. And Microsoft has built a robust system for announcing and distributing new test builds that has helped it mostly avoid breaking stuff as it releases updates, unlike some of the early Windows 10 updates.

The problem is when Microsoft uses Windows-as-a-service as an excuse to push all of its other apps and services, which Windows' default settings allow it to do pretty much any time it wants. You can't change what those defaults are or when Microsoft adds or removes new built-in apps or taskbar icons. (I feel like a feature needs to have the "beta" label removed before you add it to the taskbar of every Windows PC on earth, but that's just my opinion).

The settings changes we've recommended here may not fix everything, but they can at least give you some peace, shoving Microsoft into the background and allowing you to do what you want with your PC without a constant hassle.

You're welcome.

]]>21897Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:15:52 +0000Nvidia releases new drivers for unsupported graphics cards and Windows versionshttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/nvidia-releases-new-drivers-for-unsupported-graphics-cards-and-windows-versions-r21896/ Nvidia has pushed a new GPU driver for those still using old graphics cards based on the Kepler architecture. In addition, there is a new release for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users who do not want to upgrade even though the operating system trio no longer receives security updates from Microsoft and other developers.

Despite the "no support" mode, developers sometimes release an update or two to resolve security vulnerabilities that are too important to ignore.

Here is what is new in driver 474.82 for Kepler-based graphics cards (GeForce 600 Series, GeForce 700 Series, and some GeForce 800M models) in systems running Windows 10 and 11:

NVIDIA has released a software security update display driver for desktop Kepler-series GeForce GPUs which are no longer supported by Game Ready Drivers. This update addresses issues that may lead to multiple security impacts.

See Security Bulletin: NVIDIA GPU Display Driver – February 2024, which is posted shortly after the release date of this software on the NVIDIA Product Security page.

And here is what is new in driver 474.89 for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:

NVIDIA has released a software security update display driver for GeForce GPUs to be used with Windows 7/8.x which is no longer supported by Game Ready Drivers. Effective October 2021, Game Ready Driver upgrades, including performance enhancements, new features, and bug fixes, are exclusively available for systems utilizing Windows 10 and Window 11 as their operating system. Critical security updates will be available on systems utilizing Windows 7 through September 2024.

See Security Bulletin: NVIDIA GPU Display Driver – February 2024, which is posted shortly after the release date of this software, and will be posted on the NVIDIA Product Security page.

Note that version 474.89 is non-WHQL certified because Microsoft no longer accepts driver submissions for WHQL certification on Windows 7.

You can download drivers 474.82 and 89 on the official Nvidia website. Full release notes are available here and here (PDF).

You're welcome.

]]>21896Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:10:04 +0000Microsoft fixes a misfired PopCnt block but Windows 11 24H2 requirements may be here to stayhttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-fixes-a-misfired-popcnt-block-but-windows-11-24h2-requirements-may-be-here-to-stay-r21887/ In the last couple of weeks, the internet has been abuzz with a possible upcoming alteration to the Windows 11 24H2 system requirements, wherein Microsoft is seemingly looking to make PopCnt, an SSE 4.2-based instruction, mandatory in the next version of Windows 11, version 24H2. This meant older CPUs were failing to boot Canary build 25905, and bypasses, like the one where a single command trick is used also did not work.

While it was not known at that time, PopCnt was also seemingly the culprit behind broken Microsoft Store apps on Windows 10 such that old processors were not able to launch on those systems often leading to a "File System Error (-2147219196)."

A Microsoft engineer, Mahmoud G Saleh, who is the Principal Software Engineering Manager of MSVC (Microsoft Visual C++), later confirmed that the problem was related to a buggy Visual C++ Libraries (VCLibs) package. They wrote:

Hi, the Visual C++ team has identified the problem as a regression in the vclibs framework package that the Photos app and other apps depend on. The problem affects computers with older hardware (that do not support SSE 4.2 instructions). Microsoft is currently working on validating a solution and it's expected to rollout to affected customers soon.

The credit for raising the issue goes to Masahiro Takegami, who noticed the PopCnt-related bug on their Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 back in November last year. The issue was seemingly introduced with Visual Studio update version 17.8.0.

The latest version of Visual Studio 2022, version 17.9.1, fixes this issue alongside a couple of other bugs. The full changelog is given below:

Summary of What's New in this Release of Visual Studio 2022 version 17.9.1

Updated the 16.11 MSVC toolset to 16.11.34 (14.29.30154.0) for customers who use the 16.11 C++ toolset with VS 17.9.

Fixed a bug where the libconcrt.lib used when static linking could contain an SSE 4.2 instruction that was illegal on older X64 systems.

Added support for char8_t as a built-in type for C++20 with /clr.

While this should fix the VS Code issue as well as the apps not working issue on older processors, it seems unlikely that older chips will work on Windows 11 24H2. The setup file for the Windows 11 version has apparently started showing a "This PC's processor doesn't support a critical feature (PopCnt)" message when users try to install version 24H2 on such systems. The message suggests Microsoft may consciously be introducing this change.

Source

]]>21887Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:04:55 +0000Brave Browser 1.63 launches with vertical tabs on right support and more AIhttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/brave-browser-163-launches-with-vertical-tabs-on-right-support-and-more-ai-r21885/ Brave Software released a new version of its Brave Browser to the public. Brave Browser 1.63 includes several new features and improvements of existing features.

Highlights include that vertical tabs may now be placed on the right side of the interface, new Brave Leo AI capabilities, and the option to sync tab groups

The browser update is pushed to devices automatically, thanks to the integrated updating functionality. Brave users who do not want to wait for the update to reach their device may speed up the process. Select Menu > Help > About Brave to run a manual check for updates.

brave-browser-1.63.png

Brave should detect the new version at this point. The update is then downloaded and installed automatically. A restart is required to complete the installation.

Brave Browser 1.63: new features

Brave Browser has supported vertical tabs for a long time. This feature moves tabs from the horizontal tab bar at the top to the side of the browser. Vertical tabs was limited to the left side of the browser up until now.

The update to Brave 1.63 changes this. Users may now display vertical tabs on the right side of the interface as well.

Go to Menu > Settings > Appearance > Tabs to configure the functionality. Toggle Vertical Tabs to enable or disable the feature.

The new "show on the right" option is only displayed when vertical tabs are enabled.

Another new feature improves Brave's synchronization functionality. It supports the syncing of created tab groups now. Tab Groups are a killer feature in my opinion. Users who use sync may now sync these groups across their devices, which is certainly helpful.

Brave users who display bookmarks in the side panel of the browser find a new custom sort option there. This option displays bookmarks exactly the way they are set in other parts of the browser, e.g., the bookmarks manager.

Brave Leo

Brave introduced its AI Leo in Brave Browser 1.60 back in November 2023. Based on Meta's Llame2 13b model and with the option to pay to gain access to advanced models, Leo promises to assist users when using the browser.

I reviewed the page summary feature of Brave Leo back then. What I liked was the "suggested questions feature" and the ability to summarize foreign language content. Leo's capabilities, like those of any other AI available at the time, are limited though.

Brave 1.63 introduces several meaningful improvements. First, the ability to interact with PDF content and Google Docs content. This gives Leo access to PDF documents and Google Docs content loaded in the browser. In other words, it can summarize these and answer questions about them that you may have.

Second, an option to hide Leo AI Assistant suggestions in the address bar. If you don't use the AI in Brave, you may disable its suggestions in the Brave address bar.

Closing Words

Brave 1.63 introduces several interesting features and improvements. Vertical tabs users get the option to show the tabs on the right side of the browser, giving them more choice.

Brave Leo users may now use the AI with PDF and Google Docs content, something that they could not do before.

Brave updates include Web3 improvements as well. These are found in the official release notes.

Now You: do you use any of the listed features?

]]>21885Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:02:07 +0000Windows Insiders can check out a new AI-based Generative erase feature for Photos apphttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-insiders-can-check-out-a-new-ai-based-generative-erase-feature-for-photos-app-r21884/ In November, Microsoft released a new version of the Windows Photos app for members of the Insider program that, among other things, let users remove and replace background images. Today, Microsoft released another update for the Photos app that goes even further with a new feature called Generative erase.

This new feature is available now for all members of the Windows Insider Program, including Windows 10 Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. The Photos app should be updated to version 2024.11020.21001.0 or higher.

In a post on the Windows Insider blog, Microsoft stated:

Our well-known Spot fix tool has received a boost with the help of AI and is now known as Generative erase in the app. This feature allows you to fix and remove distractions from your photos, like background objects or miscellaneous visual clutter. Compared to Spot fix, Generative erase creates a more seamless and realistic result after objects are erased from the photo, even when erasing large areas.

The feature is available by tapping or clicking on the Edit Image function. Users can then select the Erase option to begin using Generative erase. Microsoft adds that users can turn off Auto Apply in the app so they can either add or remove masks. This allows the app to remove multiple objects in the photo at once.

1708649761_3_photo_generase_marketingblo

In addition to the new Generative erase feature. Microsoft also revealed that all of the recent AI editing features in Photos, including the ability to blur, remove, and replace backgrounds, are now available for Windows 11 for ARM 64 devices. That also goes for people who are using Windows 10. Finally, the new version of the Photos app has some unnamed "stability fixes and improvements." There's no word on when these new AI editing features will be included outside the Windows Insider Program.

]]>21884Fri, 23 Feb 2024 03:04:34 +0000Microsoft is releasing two servicing builds to Dev Channel Insiders with no new featureshttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-is-releasing-two-servicing-builds-to-dev-channel-insiders-with-no-new-features-r21883/ If you are a member of the Windows Insider Program and get new Windows 11 preview builds under the Dev Channel, you will be getting a new build today. The bad news is that the build is designed as a servicing update and won't have any new additions or bug fixes.

Here's the info from Microsoft's updated blog post for the previous Dev channel update:

We are starting to roll out two servicing updates to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Both these updates do not include anything new and are designed to test our servicing pipeline for Windows 11, version 24H2. Most Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive Cumulative Update Build 26058.1300 (KB5036082). However, Insiders that have Virtualization Based Security (VBS) turned on will receive Build 26058.1400 (KB5036080) and may not experience a restart upon installing the update. Arm64 devices, even with VBS turned on, will only receive Build 26058.1300 (KB5036082).

If you have a PC that gets Insider updates via the Canary Channel, you are getting a full-fledged update today. The 26063 build update adds Windows 11 support for Wi-Fi 7 hardware. It also disables the previous changes that allowed the Copilot icon to be animated, along with the revamped widgets board, along with a list of bug fixes.

Also, Canary Channel users got another, and fairly big, update earlier this week that adds a number of new functions to the Copilot AI assistant. They included being able to ask Copilot about certain PC functions like, "Ask to toggle battery saver" or "Ask for your IP address" along with new ways to asked to use a PC's accessibility features. It also added Power Automate features that, with the supported plugins, allow Canary users to let Copilot access functions related to the Excel app, along with PDF manipulation and file management.

]]>21883Fri, 23 Feb 2024 03:03:01 +0000Microsoft brings Wi-Fi 7 to Windows 11 in the latest Canary build 26063, many bug fixes toohttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-brings-wi-fi-7-to-windows-11-in-the-latest-canary-build-26063-many-bug-fixes-too-r21882/ Microsoft has released the latest Windows 11 update for members of the Insider Program in the Canary Channel. The new build number for this Canary update is 26063. The major headlining feature of the release is the debut of Wi-Fi 7, also called "Extremely High Throughput" or EHT. The build also contains several bug fixes and other improvements.

The full changelog is given below:

What’s new in Build 26063

Wi-Fi 7

Following the announcement by the Wi-Fi Alliance, Windows is adding support for Wi-Fi 7 for consumer access points with the current Insider Preview builds in the Canary and Dev Channels. Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT), is a revolutionary technology that offers unprecedented speed, reliability, and efficiency for your wireless devices.

Next Generation Wi-Fi 7 builds on the innovations of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E to provide enhanced user experiences through upgrades in all aspects of wireless connectivity – throughput, latency, efficiency, reliability, power, etc.

Highlighting some of Wi-Fi 7 new features:

Multi-Link operation (MLO) allows devices to use multiple bands (2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and/or 6GHz) simultaneously to avoid network congestion and maintain connectivity.

320 MHz ultra-wide bandwidth in 6GHz doubles the speed to your devices and enables new possibilities for high bandwidth applications – and scenarios using such as AR/VR.

4096-QAM modulation increases the data transmission by 20% and improves the quality of video streaming, video conferencing, and more.

With Wi-Fi 7, you can enjoy multi-gigabit speeds on your Windows PC and experience up to 4x faster speeds than Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, and close to 6x faster than Wi-Fi 5. You can also enjoy significantly lower latency, which improves the responsiveness and performance of real-time activities like gaming and video conferencing. Please note that performance may vary by manufacturer and hardware device capabilities.

To take advantage of Wi-Fi 7, you will need a Wi-Fi 7 capable consumer access point and PC, which many of our ecosystem partners have launched on the market.

Below is a screenshot from your Windows PC with this build when connected to the Wi-Fi 7 consumer access point.

Wi-Fi settings showing a Windows PC connected to the Wi-Fi 7 access point.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Network and Internet > Connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

Changes and Improvements

[Copilot in Windows*]

You can now ask Copilot in Windows to do 16 new actions, adding to the 13 already live. With Power Automate Desktop, you can also automate tasks. We began rolling these improvements out for Copilot in Windows to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel earlier this week and added the details into last week’s blog post.

The new Copilot in Windows experience we began trying out with Build 26052 where the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help when you copy text has temporarily been disabled. We will bring this back in the future after fixing some bugs. Thank you for all the feedback!

[Widgets]

The widgets board improvements documented with Build 26058 have temporarily been disabled. We will bring this back in the future after fixing some bugs. Thank you for all the feedback.

Fixes for known issues

Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to experience an issue where the network icon in the system tray showed they didn’t have an internet connection when connected to some VPNs even though the internet connection was working. Those impact may have also seen some apps think there wasn’t an internet connection when there really was.

The fix for the issue causing Build 26058 to not be listed under Settings > Windows Update > Update history like it should is making its way out. It may take another flight or two for builds to properly show up under Update History.

Fixed a high hitting DWM crash in the last couple flights.

Fixed an underlying issue with plug and play which may have impacted audio device setup in the last 2 builds. If you’re continuing to experience issues with audio not playing after this build, please file feedback under Devices and Drivers > Audio and sound in the Feedback Hub.

Fixed an issue where typing too quickly in the Settings search box could result in the results not loading completely.

Fixed an issue causing the three-finger touchpad gesture for middle mouse click (if you had enabled this in touchpad settings) to not work in some apps.

Fixed an issue where attempted to use the Move option when you pressed ALT + Space was causing a window to resize instead of move.

Fixed an issue for Insiders with multiple monitors, where opening a minimized window might result in the window appearing on the wrong monitor.

Fixed an issue which could cause the clock in the taskbar to stop updating.

Fixed an issue which could cause the taskbar icons to shift around under your mouse as you moved your mouse across the taskbar.

Fixed an issue where the “Notify when apps request location” option in Settings under Privacy & Security > Location was reset after reboot.

Fixed an issue that was causing the Windows Update page in Settings to unexpectedly flash messages sometimes (too quickly to read) in the previous flight.

Known issues

[General]

[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS – UPDATED!] Some popular games may not work correctly and cause a bugcheck (green screen) when launched on the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on these builds.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DEV DRIVE USERS: Insiders on Build 26052+ who have Dev Drives and might need to rollback will need to back up their Dev Drives BEFORE rolling back as rolling back will cause Dev Drives to break and data on them to be lost.

A Display Connection section is incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, will crash Settings. This section will be removed in a future flight.

Using the ISOs for Build 26058 to upgrade instead of doing a clean install may not work if you choose “Keep nothing” in the Windows Setup experience. To upgrade to the latest build in the Canary and Dev Channels, please use Windows Update.

[UPDATED] We’ve made a change to help reduce the number of rollbacks (with error code 0xC1900101) when installing the latest builds and are continuing to investigate reports.

We’re working on the fix for an issue causing the input switcher (WIN + Space) design to revert back to an older style and draw in the wrong location.

In some cases, the File Explorer context menu no longer has the acrylic effect. This will be fixed in a future flight.

[NEW] We’re investigating reports of mouse cursor issues after installing Build 26058, including that the cursor is disappearing in some apps. If you’re experiencing issues, please file feedback describing exactly what you’re seeing under Input and Language > Mouse in the Feedback Hub.

[NEW] When opening the context menu in File Explorer, the icons may appear out of place and overlapping text.

You can view the official blog post on this page on Microsoft's website.

]]>21882Fri, 23 Feb 2024 03:02:12 +0000Maybe these two cool new Microsoft Paint features could help you be the next Picassohttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/maybe-these-two-cool-new-microsoft-paint-features-could-help-you-be-the-next-picasso-r21881/ You can now change the drawing's background color on Microsoft Paint with just a few clicks.

What you need to know

The Microsoft Paint app just got a new update with two new features.
The update brings a new brush slider and a new tile to the Layers panel for a better drawing experience with more customization options.
These features are only available for Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels.

Microsoft Paint received a significant update in November of last year. It shipped with OpenAI's DALL-E 3 technology and a new Cocreator tool that lets users transform ideas into digital art by describing what they'd like to create.

And as it now seems, the company is looking to unpack even more tools and neat features onto the app via a new update, according to a spot by PhantomOfEarth on X (formerly Twitter).

Here's what to expect with the new Microsoft Paint update

osRR8jyrAptLTwdNH98Fve-970-80.jpg.webp

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Right off the bat, Microsoft Paint version 11.2402.20.0 ships with a new brush slider on the left. As you might have guessed, the feature makes the brush strokes wider and dense.

Next, a new tile is added to the Layers panel on the right. The new tile allows you to customize the background of your creation with a wide array of colors.

It's worth noting that these new features are limited to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels. As such, it's possible that Microsoft may or may not ship these features to general availability, as is often the case with most features being tested in the development channels.

Still, it's nice to see Microsoft showing some love for its in-box Windows apps like Sticky Notes and Microsoft Paint, which hadn't received any significant updates for what might have seemed like an eternity.

]]>21881Fri, 23 Feb 2024 03:00:08 +0000Windows Server Preview build 26063 adds Feedback Hub and new desktop wallpapershttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/windows-server-preview-build-26063-adds-feedback-hub-and-new-desktop-wallpapers-r21880/ Microsoft has released the latest Windows Server preview build for members of the Windows Server Insider Program. The new build number is 26063, which is the same as the new Canary Channel preview build for Windows 11. Keep in mind that this and future Windows Server Insider builds now have the Windows Server 2025 branding.

This latest build release has a few new features, including a Feedback Hub and a new wallpaper, both for desktop users. There are also some new known issues with this release. Here is the changelog:

Announcing Windows Server Preview Build 26052

Hello Windows Server Insiders!

Today we are pleased to release a new build of the next Windows Server Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) Preview that contains both the Desktop Experience and Server Core installation options for Datacenter and Standard editions, Annual Channel for Container Host and Azure Edition (for VM evaluation only). Branding has been updated for the upcoming release, Windows Server 2025 in this preview - when reporting issues please refer to Windows Server 2025 preview.

What's New

Windows Server Flighting is here!!

If you signed up for Server Flighting, you should receive this new build automatically later today.

For more information, see Welcome to Windows Insider flighting on Windows Server - Microsoft Community Hub

Join Server Flighting

To set up flighting on Server (build 26010 or later), just navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program to opt in your device. Flighting will only be available for the Canary Channel and flights for Server begin with build 26040. Our intention is to flight the same builds as client (desktop) for Server flights but the schedule in which we release Server flights might differ slightly (for example – Server releases bi-weekly). Flighting for Server applies to the Desktop Experience only.

[NEW] The new Feedback Hub app is now available for Server Desktop users!

The app should automatically update with the latest version, but if it does not, simply Check for updates in the app’s settings tab.

[NEW] Win32-OpenSSH server component is now installed by default.

Starting in Windows Server 2025 the Win32-OpenSSH server side component (SSHD) will ship installed by default. Previously, the Win32-OpenSSH server component shipped as an optional feature that needed to be installed. Additionally, there is a new option in the Server Manager UI to enabled/disable SSHD, as well as a new group, “OpenSSH Users”. To use SSHD, the feature only has to be enabled, not installed. When enabled, SSHD is allowed only on private networks on default port 22.

The following new features are specific to Windows Server with Desktop Experience only. Some of these will require running the OS on physical systems AND having the right drivers on hand.

[NEW] Desktop Wallpaper: Our newly modernized desktop experience now includes an updated desktop wallpaper.

Additions to Accounts: Email & Accounts is now consistent with Windows 11. Please note, domain join will still be necessary for most scenarios.

Call to action: Please try adding Microsoft accounts and/or work accounts along with relevant apps that take advantage of this.

Increased coverage for Bluetooth devices. Many of you want to use BT to connect mice, keyboards, and audio devices at the Edge. Please try out your favorite keyboard, mouse, headphones, or other BT peripheral!

Wi-Fi present by default. Many of you want to connect servers to Wi-Fi networks at the Edge. While Wireless LAN service has been present in Windows Server, it was disabled by default. Wi-Fi support is now currently enabled by default for Edge scenarios. You will need the appropriate hardware and drivers handy. Please verify that your wireless devices work properly. When hardware and the correct drivers are present, see the corresponding Settings and Taskbar experiences. Let us know what you think!

Known Issues

[NEW] Upgrade does not complete: Some users may experience an issue when upgrading where the download process does not progress beyond 0%. If you encounter this issue, please upgrade to this newer build using the ISO media download option. Download Windows Server Insider Preview (microsoft.com)

[NEW] VMs created using ISO media may not boot: Some users may encounter boot issues when creating Gen 2 VMs using this build (26063) and attempting to set the DVD ISO as boot preference. The new VM is unable to boot through the ISO and skips to subsequent boot options. This will be addressed in a future release.

[NEW] Access denied error when using Diskpart --> Clean Image on Winpe.vhdx VMs created using WinPE: Create bootable media | Microsoft Learn. We are working to resolve this issue and expect to have it fixed in the next preview release.

Flighting: The label for this flight may incorrectly reference Windows 11. However, when selected, the package installed is the Windows Server update. Please ignore the label and proceed with installing your flight. This issue will be addressed in a future release.

Setup: Some users may experience overlapping rectangle voids following mouse clicks during "OOBE" setup. This is a graphics rendering issue and will not prevent setup from completing. This issue will be addressed in a future release.

WinPE - Powershell Scripts: Applying the WinPE-Powershell optional component does not properly install Powershell in WinPE. As a result, Powershell cmdlets will fail. Customers who are dependent on Powershell in WinPE should not use this build.

The new Feedback Hub app is not functioning properly in this release due to known issues. These will be addressed in a future release. Please continue to submit feedback as described in the "We value your feedback!" section below.

If you are validating upgrades from Windows Server 2019 or 2022, we do not recommend that you use this build as intermittent upgrade failures have been identified for this build.

This build has an issue where archiving eventlogs with "wevetutil al" command causes the Windows Event Log service to crash, and the archive operation to fail. The service must be restarted by executing "Start-Service EventLog" from an administrative command line prompt.

If you have Secure Launch/DRTM code path enabled, we do not recommend that you install this build.

Available Downloads

Downloads to certain countries may not be available. See Microsoft suspends new sales in Russia - Microsoft On the Issues

Windows Server Long-Term Servicing Channel Preview in ISO format in 18 languages, and in VHDX format in English only.

Windows Server Datacenter Azure Edition Preview in ISO and VHDX format, English only.

Microsoft Server Languages and Optional Features Preview

Keys: Keys are valid for preview builds only

Server Standard: MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH

Datacenter: 2KNJJ-33Y9H-2GXGX-KMQWH-G6H67

Azure Edition does not accept a key

Symbols: available on the public symbol server – see Using the Microsoft Symbol Server.

Expiration: This Windows Server Preview will expire September 15, 2024.

You can still download the new Windows Server preview from Microsoft's site. You can check out the full blog post here.

]]>21880Fri, 23 Feb 2024 02:58:35 +0000Here are the new Windows Server wallpaper in their full-res gloryhttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/here-are-the-new-windows-server-wallpaper-in-their-full-res-glory-r21879/ A few weeks ago, Microsoft released new Windows 365 wallpapers for those accessing cloud-based Windows computers. Now, Windows Insiders can check out a couple of new images released alongside the latest Windows Server 2025 preview build.

As usual, the new wallpapers in Windows Server 2025 build 26063 include two variants: one for those preferring light mode and one for those on the dark side. Windows 11 still does not support automatic theme switching, but at least we have native wallpapers in dark and light modes.

Although Microsoft has mentioned the new background pictures in release notes for build 26063, there are no full-res images provided by the company. Luckily, Windows enthusiasts have already pulled the new wallpapers out of build 26063 and uploaded them to the internet.

Here is the light variant:

And here is the dark variant:

You can check out other changes in Windows Server 2025 build 26063 in our dedicated article.

Besides Windows Server 2025 build 26063, Microsoft today released build 26063 in the Canary Channel. It includes a number of changes, improvements, and new features, such as Wi-Fi 7 support, better Copilot integration, and more. Check out this article to learn more about the latest Windows Insider preview builds.

]]>21879Fri, 23 Feb 2024 02:54:54 +0000Intel PCs crashing with "out of video memory" BSOD, but AMD and Nvidia apparently innocenthttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/intel-pcs-crashing-with-out-of-video-memory-bsod-but-amd-and-nvidia-apparently-innocent-r21868/ While advancements in technology like Microsoft DirectStorage are helping to significantly reduce I/O-based load times in games, long shader compilation times are something games continue to struggle with. There are ways to reduce this like shader pre-compilation or shader caching in GPUs but in worst-case scenarios, like in the case of The Callisto Protocol, shader compilation and shader loading can lead to a stuttery mess.

Shader compilation is done on the CPU and as you might have noticed, your CPU usage may be up at or close to 100% usage when this happens. Shader compilation can also be done parallelly to help take advantage of multi-core CPUs to help speed it up and reduce load times. However, this might be causing Intel's 13th Gen CPUs to crash in games that are doing this.

Several users online as well as those in the media say they are experiencing crashing issues in games on their Raptor Lake Intel 13th Gen processor. Some of these crashes are going down with an "out of video memory trying to allocate a rendering resource" out of memory (OOM) error and although at first glance it could seem like it is an issue as a consequence of running out of VRAM - looks at Nvidia - apparently the problem may be due to the heavy all-core workload that shader compilation can create.

Some of the users affected by this problem have apparently been able to resolve this by lowering their clock speeds, which consequently led to a more stable system. This workaround was seemingly provided by an Nvidia engineer to a user "TheDucky94" on the Unreal Engine forum.

If you’re getting the out of video memory error when launching The Finals, you more than likely need to downclock your CPU.

Despite the game saying the issue is with your VRAM, if your PC has an i9-13900K (or KF) CPU, then you need to perform a slight downclock to fix the problem. For some reason, Unreal Engine 5 games seem to have some issues with this particular model (and possibly other 13th-generation Intel CPUs).

...

We have identified an issue on some Intel 13th generation CPU’s where upon startup the game will display a message about being out of video memory or the crash reporter will pop up referencing an issue with decompressing a shader. If you experience this problem, you will likely also see it in other DX12 games.

If your CPU is overclocked, try setting it back to the defaults. If you’re not overclocked or that doesn’t work, try installing Intel Extreme Tuning Utility:

[Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel® XTU) 4](https://Intel Extreme Tuning Utility) and lowering your “Performance Core Ratio” from 55x to 54x.”

It is known that Intel has had to resolve to bumping up its CPU frequencies in order to keep up with AMD's Ryzen which is why the power consumption figures have gone sky-high over the last few generations. It was also recently accused, again, of inflating benchmark scores to seem better than its chips really are.

Source

]]>21868Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:56:00 +0000Microsoft fixes the bug causing video playback, record, and capture issues in Windows 11/10https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-fixes-the-bug-causing-video-playback-record-and-capture-issues-in-windows-1110-r21867/ If your Windows 11 PC has a hard time playing, recording, and capturing video (webcam issues could also be present), installing the latest cumulative updates will help. Microsoft has published a new notification in the official documentation about a bug with the WVC1 codec (VC-1) and its resolution.

According to the company, some programs cannot process WVC1 video after installing KB5027303 (released in June 2023). The bug also affects webcams, which use the WVC1 codec by default.

To help resolve the bug quickly, Microsoft used the Known Issue Rollback feature, a temporary damage control measure, which automatically mends affected consumer systems until a permanent fix is ready. Managed systems, however, require special group policies to resolve known bugs.

Fortunately, the bug has now been permanently fixed in KB5034204 (the latest optional non-security update). The resolution is also part of KB5034765, the February 2024 Patch Tuesday update.

WVC1 codec issues have been haunting users with client versions of Windows 11 (22H2 and 21H2) and Windows 10 (22H2).

Microsoft recently fixed another odd bug in Windows 11. There was a problem with desktop icons moving unexpectedly across monitors when using Copilot on multi-monitor systems. The company considered the bug severe enough to block the upgrade path from Windows 11 version 22H2 and Windows 10 to Windows 11 version 23H2.

The software giant resolved the problem with jumping icons on February 8, and now, some of the affected users can upgrade to the latest Windows 11 release. By the way, Microsoft is now force-updating users to Windows 11 23H2. The company thinks its latest update is now ready for prime time, so get ready for a big feature update coming your way if you still use an older release.

You can check out our review of Windows 11 version 23H2 and its features here.

]]>21867Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:54:14 +0000Microsoft is working on more new features for Painthttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-is-working-on-more-new-features-for-paint-r21866/ Microsoft has already released numerous new features for Paint, the default image editor in Windows 10 and 11. After years of no updates, the app received a plethora of new capabilities, such as layers, transparency, dark mode, background removal, image generation, and more. Still, the company is not done. Look out for even more features coming soon to Paint.

Spotted by @PhantomOfEarth on X (Twitter), Paint will soon get a reworked brush adjustment. The current version lets you select one of four brushes from a drop-down menu, which is limited (what if 3px is too small and 5px is too big?) and inconvenient. The upcoming update will place a slider to the left of the canvas, allowing you to adjust the brush size on the fly and select many, many more sizes.

The latest Paint upgrades should be part of version 11.2402.20.0, but it is not yet available for testing in the Windows Insider Program. Brandon Leblanc, Senior Program Manager of the Windows Insider Program, told Neowin that they had not released any updates. Indeed, checking for Paint updates reveals that the latest version is 11.2401.20.0.

In other Windows Insider Program news, Microsoft recently announced new features for Copilot in the Canary Channel, allowing you to manage more settings, including accessibility, Power Automate, and more. Copilot can finally do useful stuff, like checking the battery status, scanning for Wi-Fi networks, getting system information, and more.

]]>21866Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:51:15 +0000Nvidia 551.61 driver brings Nightingale and Nvidia App Beta supporthttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/nvidia-55161-driver-brings-nightingale-and-nvidia-app-beta-support-r21865/ Nvidia has pushed out a brand-new driver for graphics card users from the green team. The GeForce Game Ready 551.61 WHQL-certified driver comes with official support for one newly-released title, as well as Nvidia's new control center app that was just announced.

The early access launch of Nightingale happened on February 20, and this latest driver is a recommend install for anyone jumping into the fantasy world. The co-op survival title features DLSS 3 and Reflex technologies from Nvidia too, making this an important driver to have especially for RTX 40 series owners.

As for the Nvidia App, it's a new software solution that is combining the offerings of Nvidia Control Panel, GeForce Experience, and RTX Experience apps. It's a beta release that is happening today.

1708611177_nvidia-app-key-visual_story.j

"Featuring a unified GPU control center, the NVIDIA app allows fine-tuning of game and driver settings from a single place, while introducing a redesigned in-game overlay for convenient access to powerful gameplay recording tools, performance monitoring overlays, and game enhancing filters, including innovative new AI-powered filters for GeForce RTX users," explains the company.

Head over here to get a full rundown of the Nvidia App's features and how to download the newly-released beta.

There are bug fixes included in this release too:

Fixed Gaming Bugs

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege: Stability issues when running Vulkan API [4460050]

Fixed General Bugs

RTX Video HDR: Tone mapping not working properly with custom HDR brightness values in Windows [4472972]

Chrome/Edge Browsers: Poor black level quality in SDR video playback with Windows HDR setting enabled [4492243]

NVIDIA Freestyle: Filter settings are not saved after quitting game [4472656]

Adobe Substance 3D: Stager unable to initialize the viewport [4403960]

Adobe Substance 3D: Vulkan version of Substance Painter cannot be launched [4425856]

Currently known issues that are still being worked on are these:

[Netflix] Display issues for videos when using Edge browser. Recommend using Windows Netflix application as workaround. [4388454]

GeForce GTX 10/RTX 20 series: PC may randomly freeze when Windows Hardware- Accelerated GPU Scheduling and NVIDIA SLI are both enabled [4009884]

The Nvidia 551.61 Game Ready driver is now available via the GeForce Experience app while standalone download links can be found below. Here are the release notes (PDF).

Desktop GPUs:

GeForce Game Ready Driver Download: Windows 11, 10 – DCH [US version]

Notebook GPUs:

GeForce Game Ready Driver Download: Windows 11, 10 – DCH [US version]

]]>21865Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:48:00 +0000The Nvidia app launches in beta form that will merge several of the company's GPU appshttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/the-nvidia-app-launches-in-beta-form-that-will-merge-several-of-the-companys-gpu-apps-r21864/

Owners of PCs with Nvidia GPUs have had to access a number of apps to get the info they need. Today, the company announced it is merging most of the features in three of those apps into one, and its named, appropriately enough, as simply the "Nvidia app."

In a blog post, the company announced that a beta version of the Nvidia app is now available to download. Once the full version is available it will take the place of the Nvidia Control Panel, GeForce Experience, and RTX Experience apps.

1708611560_nvidia-app-graphics-and-setti

The beta version already mashes up the GeForce Experience app's Optimal Game Settings and the Nvidia Control Panel. Users will be able to adjust their graphics driver's settings with this new app, either for specific apps, or for all of the apps and games on your PC. The Nvidia app will also have more info on what's been added and what has been fixed for new GPU driver updates.

Other changes for the new Nvidia app include improvements in the In-Game Overlay UI, and support for new AI-powered visual filters. One of them is RTX HDR, which will add High Dynamic Range support to PC games that were not developed with that kind of visual upgrade. During the beta period, Nvidia has a roadmap that will include adding features like "AV1 support for Shadowplay, additional DLSS controls, extra overclocking options, and more."

In the future, more features from the Nvidia Control Panel, including Display and Video settings, will be added to the Nvidia app. More features from the GeForce Experience and RTX Experience app, including GPU overclocking, will be added as well.

However, other features from those apps including Broadcast to Twitch and YouTube, Share Images and Video to Facebook and YouTube, and Photo Mode 360 and Stereo captures, will be discontinued when the Nvidia app officially launches. Nvidia claims this streamlining will lead to "a 50% more responsive UI, and occupy 17% less disk space than GeForce Experience."

]]>21864Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:41:05 +0000How to enable Tab Previews in Firefoxhttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/how-to-enable-tab-previews-in-firefox-r21861/ Mozilla released Firefox 123 a few days ago, and it comes with a new feature. The browser now supports Tab Previews, but you can't access it directly from the Settings.

The feature is quite similar to Tab Preview that is available in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, and Brave Browser. When you hover the mouse over a tab, the browser displays a thumbnail of the web page. This can be useful if you want to view a tab's contents without actually switching between tabs.

Mozilla introduced the feature in the nightly version of Firefox earlier this month, before adding support for it in the stable version. Though Tab Previews are available in the latest version of Firefox, the feature is not enabled by default, likely because some bugs are being sorted out. There is no option that you can toggle from the browser's settings. Instead, you will need to make a change in the advanced configuration. Here's how you can do it.

How to enable Tab Previews in Firefox

1. Open about:config.

2. Click on Accept the Risk and Continue.

How-to-turn-on-Tab-Previews-in-Firefox.j

3. Paste the following text in the search bar.

browser.tabs.cardPreview.enabled

4. The flag is set to false by default.

5. Double-click on it to change it to true.

How-to-manually-enable-Tab-Previews-in-F

Note: browser.tabs.cardPreview.showThumbnails must also be set to true.

That's it. You don't even have to restart the browser after making the changes. Time to test if it works. Open a couple of tabs, and mouse over them, and Firefox will display the Tab Preview. It is worth mentioning that the feature only works with active tabs, i.e. tabs that are currently loaded. So tabs that are unloaded (upon browser restart) or those that have been snoozed by extensions like Auto Tab Discard will not display a Tab Preview, you will need to click on them to make them active.

Now, if you feel that the Tab Previews are displayed slowly, there is another setting that you can change. Look for the following setting: browser.tabs.cardPreview.delayMs

How-to-change-the-speed-of-Tab-Preview-i

It is set to 1000ms (1 second) by default, so the Tab Previews are displayed 1 second after you move the cursor over a tab. Set the value to 500ms or lower to reduce the delay. You can set it to 200ms to make the previews appear instantly.

Firefox 123 also ships with a new Web Compatibility Reporting Tool. It is also a hidden setting. Follow the same steps given above, and search for extensions.webcompat-reporter.enabled. Set its value to True, to activate it. To use the tool, visit any website, and click on Firefox's Menu > Help, and you should see an option that says "Report site issue".

Want to view thumbnails of multiple tabs at once? You can use the Panorama Tab Groups extension to see the previews, and also to organize your tabs in groups. That said, native support for Tab Preview is a welcome move, it's always better than using an add-on that could become outdated and might eventually end up unsupported or broken.

Hopefully, Mozilla will add support for Tab Groups and Vertical Tabs to Firefox, which users have been requesting for a long time.

Do you like Firefox's Tab Preview feature?

]]>21861Thu, 22 Feb 2024 07:43:50 +0000The Google One AI Premium plan now adds Gemini Advanced access for Gmail, Docs and morehttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/the-google-one-ai-premium-plan-now-adds-gemini-advanced-access-for-gmail-docs-and-more-r21860/ A few weeks ago, Google revealed Gemini Advanced, a new generative AI model that was available via a new Google One subscription called Google One AI Premium. It costs $19.99 a month and included access to 2TB of cloud storage. Today, Google announced new features for the new plan, including adding the use of Gemini Advanced to its suite of productivity software.

In a blog post, Google said that Gemini AI will be able to be accessed directly in Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets and Meet with the purchase of the Google One AI Premium plan. That means Gmail users can ask Gemini to help write a specific message or ask Docs to create a draft for an outline. Gemini can also be used to help generate a family budget in Sheets, or to draft a presentation in Slides.

Aside from access to Gemini in those apps, Google One AI Premium still offers 2TB of cloud storage, along with a VPN, extra editing features in Google Photos, a way to monitor the dark web, and more advanced Google Workspace features. You will be able to share all of these features with up to five other people.

While this new plan normally costs $19.99 a month, Google is letting anyone who is not already signed up for a Google One plan a way to use Google One AI Premium free for two months. It's rolling out now in 150 countries, but it only supports English for now.

Google also announced today that its Duel AI would now be renamed Gemini for Workplace. It also revealed it is launching Gemini Business, a new plan for companies and organizations who are smaller but still want to access Gemini for Workplace. The price for the new plan is $30 a month per user, which is the same price for Copilot for Microsoft 365.

]]>21860Thu, 22 Feb 2024 02:49:34 +0000Meet the new Google sign-in pagehttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/meet-the-new-google-sign-in-page-r21859/ It’s a little more horizontal than it used to be, but it’s still Google.

If you’ve logged in to your Google account recently, you might have seen a message that “a new look is coming soon,” and now, Google is showing off the “more modern look and feel” of its new sign-in page.

Of course, if that screenshot feels incredibly familiar, that’s because it’s mostly the same as the old one. The sign-in steps are all the same, except it has a light Material Design makeover that’s now aligned horizontally to work better across many screen types, including large and wide screens, like the ones found inside a Pixel Fold or on a Pixel Tablet.

Images of the old and new sign-in pages.

Image: Google

It’s also still ready to prompt users for their passwords, passkeys, or other authentication, just like the old one — Google isn’t going fully passwordless just yet.

Overall, this change should be less controversial than other Google changes we’ve seen, like all of the products it’s given up on or the redesigned Gmail interface. But like it or not — there’s no choice about this one, as explained on the FAQ page. Both Workspace admins and users with personal Google accounts will have no control over the “gradual” rollout, which starts today, February 21st, and is scheduled for completion on March 4th, 2024. The only way you might see the old login page after that is if you’re using an older browser.

Source

]]>21859Thu, 22 Feb 2024 02:48:30 +0000This Windows 11 update may actually make Copilot usefulhttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/this-windows-11-update-may-actually-make-copilot-useful-r21852/ Copilot for Windows could see a wave of new capabilities thanks to Power Automate Desktop and an update.

What you need to know

Microsoft is testing several new capabilities for Copilot on Windows.
These new options are made possible by Power Automate Desktop working through Copilot.
Microsoft is testing the new capabilities among Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel running Windows 11 Build 26058, which ship last week.

Copilot for Windows is about to become much more capable. Microsoft is working on quite a few new features for the AI tool and how those new options work could pave the way for Copilot to become much more useful for everyday users.

Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26058 to the Canary Channel last week. Since then, the company has updated its blog post about the build to include several new Copilot capabilities in testing. The new features come courtesy of Power Automate Desktop working through Copilot plus some general Windows settings now working with Copilot.

Power Automate Desktop is a tool from Microsoft that can be used to automate repetitive tasks. It's a powerful tool that can record steps and create flows to simplify tasks you do frequently. It works with both Microsoft-made apps, third-party services, and the web, so playing nice with Copilot could lead to major advancements of the AI tool.

The first wave of new capabilities includes tasks such as emptying the recycle bin, turning on live captions, or toggling Bluetooth on or off. Here's what you can now do with Copilot if you're running the latest Canary build of Windows 11, as shared by Microsoft:

Ask for available wireless networks.
Ask for system or device information.
Ask for battery information.
Ask to clean storage.
Ask to empty recycle bin.
Ask to toggle battery saver.
Ask to show startup apps.
Ask for your IP address.
Ask for system, device, or storage information.
Ask to turn on narrator.
Ask to open voice access.
Ask to turn on magnifier.
Ask to change text size.
Ask to start live captions.
Ask to turn on high-contrast.
Ask to start voice typing.
Ask to toggle dark/light theme.
Ask to toggle Bluetooth.
Ask to toggle do not disturb.
Ask to add a device.
Ask to take a screenshot.
Ask to cast your screen to another monitor.
Ask to change your background image.
Ask to set volume, change volume, or mute/unmute volume.
Ask to launch an application.
State that certain parts of your PC aren’t working: Audio, Windows Update, Camera, Bluetooth, Printer, Network, others.
Ask to snap a window.
Ask to start a focus session.

Copilot on Windows 11

JtCgjFrRT6JwEGWp4X2FNS-970-80.jpg.webp

(Image credit: Windows Central)

Copilot is still in its infancy, so it's understandable that it's quite limited. But with Google Gemini being able to perform Google Assistant commands, I can't help but look across the platform aisle and be jealous of more capable tools.

When Microsoft first launched Copilot on Windows 11 the tool was basically just a shortcut to Bing Chat (which has since been rebranded to Copilot). The tool had a few integrations with Windows 11, such as being able to adjust the volume of your computer or take a screenshot.

Things have improved over time for Copilot, which is to be expected with such a new product. We now have a guide on "12 things Microsoft Copilot can do on Windows 11 that you REALLY should know about." We'll have to update that piece once Copilot's new capabilities make their way through testing and become generally available.

Source

]]>21852Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:16:06 +0000WhatsApp adds new text formatting options to improve messaginghttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/whatsapp-adds-new-text-formatting-options-to-improve-messaging-r21851/ You can finally highlight and split your WhatsApp messages into things like shopping lists and step-by-step instructions.

Four new text formatting options have been added to WhatsApp to help users communicate more effectively. Available starting today, WhatsApp users can now use bulleted and numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code to highlight and organize their messages, making it easier to break down large sections of text into something easier to read.

These new formatting options have been in development for a while, but now they’re available on WhatsApp for Android, iOS, Web, and Mac, alongside support for Channels. They join the existing bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace formats that were already available to all WhatsApp users.

English_WhatsApp_Text_Formatting_Static.

Here’s a handy visual guide for all the text formatting shortcuts in WhatsApp.

Image: WhatsApp / Meta

Here’s how you can use the markdown-style syntax for these new formats directly within a message:

Bulleted lists: Exactly what it sounds like — you can now finally add bullet points to your messages to break information into things like shopping lists. Just place a “-” symbol at the start of your text, followed by a space.

Numbered lists: Another listing format, only with numbers, should you need to write something down in a specific order, like instructions. To use this format, add one or two digits, followed by a period and a full space — like, for example, “1. ”

Block quotes: Users can block quote text to highlight it and make it stand out in longer messages. Type the “>” symbol followed by a space before the text you wish to highlight to use this format.

Inline code: A useful format for coders but also a good way of highlighting specific information in your text. Users need to wrap their text with the “`” symbol to use this format — `like this.`

]]>21851Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:12:13 +0000Microsoft to force-update your Windows 11 22H2/21H2 PC to 23H2 as it keeps training its MLhttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-to-force-update-your-windows-11-22h221h2-pc-to-23h2-as-it-keeps-training-its-ml-r21847/ A message on the Windows Health Dashboard website has confirmed that Microsoft is now beginning to roll out Windows 11 version 23H2 to devices with 21H2 and 22H2.

Microsoft says it will automatically update such PCs gradually as they have reached the end of servicing - in the case of Windows 11 21H2 - or are soon going to reach the end of servicing, like in the case of Windows 11 22H2, that reaches the end of servicing in October later this year.

The company has also added that the process is based on its machine learning (ML) training that will assist in the "safe" phased rollout of version 23H2 (2023 update).

Microsoft writes:

Windows 11, version 23H2, also known as the Windows 11 2023 Update, is now entering a new rollout phase. We are starting to update eligible Windows 11 devices automatically to version 23H2.

This automatic update targets Windows 11 devices that have reached or are approaching end of servicing and it follows the machine learning-based (ML) training we have utilized so far. We will continue to train our intelligent ML model to safely roll out this new Windows version in phases to deliver a smooth update experience.

If you have an eligible Home or Pro consumer device, you can update to version 23H2 by opening Settings > Windows Update, turning on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available,” and selecting Check for updates. Once the update is available for your device, you will see the option to Download and install.

This news comes a week after the company reminded users about the impending end of optional preview updates on Windows 11 22H2.

If you are wondering whether your PC is supported by Windows 11 23H2, you shouldn't worry since Microsoft has not updated the system requirements since the previous Windows 11 versions.

]]>21847Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:16:37 +0000Microsoft adds Windows 11 version 24H2 to Flight Hub, calls it "2024 Update"https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-adds-windows-11-version-24h2-to-flight-hub-calls-it-2024-update-r21845/ A few weeks ago, Microsoft officially acknowledged Windows 11 version 24H2 as this year's big feature update for its operating system coming in the second half of the current year. "24H2" is a technical moniker, and Microsoft will most likely use a different name for marketing purposes. It seems that now we know what that name will be.

Microsoft has updated Flight Hub (via @XenoPanther), its official page for tracking Windows Insider Preview builds for each major Windows release all the way up from the Windows 10 Anniversary Update to Windows 11 version 24H2. And just like the previous two major releases for Windows 11, this year's will most likely get a no-nonsense name. Later this year, look out for the release of Windows 11 2024 Update.

Although "Windows 11 2024 Update" does not sound as easy and simple as, say, Windows 11.3, it is still a somewhat fitting name considering that the operating system nowadays gets one major feature update every year. Microsoft also releases "moment" updates, but they are usually smaller than the yearly version upgrades.

Still, Microsoft's naming scheme remains confusing. Try finding a single reference to "Windows 11 2023 Update" across Windows 11 version 23H2. The Settings app, winver, and other parts of the operating system mention version 23H2 instead of its marketing name, Windows 11 2023 Update, not to mention stuff like "Moment" updates.

"2024 Update" may not be the best marketing name, but it is still not as bad as the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

The Windows 11 2024 Update is expected somewhere this fall with a big focus on artificial intelligence and new features for PCs powered by processors with dedicated neural processing units. Before that, Microsoft will release a small feature drop for Windows 11 called "Moment 5." Look out for it later this month.

]]>21845Wed, 21 Feb 2024 02:14:25 +0000Microsoft adds new Copilot functions and features for Windows 11 Canary Channel usershttps://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/microsoft-adds-new-copilot-functions-and-features-for-windows-11-canary-channel-users-r21844/ In a surprise move, Microsoft has announced it is rolling out new Copilot updates for Windows 11 for people signed up for the Windows Insider Program on the Canary Channel. Microsoft has updated the Insider blog post that it created last week with info about these Copilot improvements.

Here is the added information from the update blog post about these Copilot updates for Canary Channel Insiders:

[ADDED 2/20] Improvements for Copilot in Windows

We’re trying out a new runtime for Copilot in Windows that allows you to manage more settings via Copilot, including accessibility-focused settings, and use Power Automate Desktop through Copilot!

More built-in capabilities via Copilot in Windows

Try asking Copilot to turn on Narrator or Live Captions, turn on battery saver, show you available networks, even empty your recycle bin or clean up your storage. Here’s the full list of things you can ask Copilot to do!

New with this update:

Ask for available wireless networks.

Ask for system or device information.

Ask for battery information.

Ask to clean storage.

Ask to empty recycle bin.

Ask to toggle battery saver.

Ask to show startup apps.

Ask for your IP address.

Ask for system, device, or storage information.

Try accessibility features:

Ask to turn on narrator.

Ask to open voice access.

Ask to turn on magnifier.

Ask to change text size.

Ask to start live captions.

Ask to turn on high-contrast.

Ask to start voice typing.

Already live, now on the new runtime:

Ask to toggle dark/light theme.

Ask to toggle Bluetooth.

Ask to toggle do not disturb.

Ask to add a device.

Ask to take a screenshot.

Ask to cast your screen to another monitor.

Ask to change your background image.

Ask to set volume, change volume, or mute/unmute volume.

Ask to launch an application.

State that certain parts of your PC aren’t working: Audio, Windows Update, Camera, Bluetooth, Printer, Network, others.

Ask to snap a window.

Ask to start a focus session.

Introducing Power Automate via Copilot in Windows

Power Automate is a low-code automation solution that is part of the Power Platform. We’re excited to introduce the Power Automate plugin in Copilot in Windows. This first release of the plugin offers automation features for Excel, PDF manipulation and file management.

To use the plugin, download or update Power Automate Desktop to the latest version from the Microsoft Store. Currently plugins are only accessible if you are signed in to Copilot in Windows with a Microsoft account.

After you have Power Automate installed and you activate the plugin in the plugins section in Copilot in Windows, you can ask for tasks such as:

Write an email to my team wishing everyone a happy weekend.

List the top 5 highest mountains in the world in an Excel file.

Rename all PDF files in a folder to add the word final at the end.

Move all word documents to another folder.

I need to split a PDF by the first page. Can you help?

Do you want to share your feedback on the Power Automate plugin or do you have other automation scenarios that you would like us to support? Feel free to contact us: powerautomate-ai@microsoft.com.

[We are beginning to roll out these Copilot for Windows improvements to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.]

FEEDBACK: Because of an issue with our feedback pipeline, please do not use the in-line feedback form that opens from thumbs up/down for these actions right now, and instead file feedback about using these in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Copilot in Windows.

You can check out the updated blog post here.

]]>21844Wed, 21 Feb 2024 02:09:59 +0000Just how are people using Microsoft Copilot, and is AI really changing the world?https://nsaneforums.com/news/software-news/just-how-are-people-using-microsoft-copilot-and-is-ai-really-changing-the-world-r21830/ I spoke with two people using Copilot daily to enhance their personal and professional lives.

Microsoft Copilot just recently celebrated its first anniversary, launching in preview for the first time as Bing Chat last February. It's been a super busy 12 months for Microsoft since bringing its AI Copilot to almost every product the company makes, and the trend is set to continue this year as Microsoft brings even more AI capabilities to Windows, Office, Teams, and more.

But have people actually been using Copilot since it launched? It's understandable that many people likely tried the technology when it first became available, but has it found a place in people's daily lives? It certainly has for some, and I wanted to find out just how these people are using it to aid their personal or professional lives.

Copilot for assisted research and discovery

(Image credit: Liam Shotwell on X)

Liam Shotwell, a freelance software-as-a-service content writer, has been using Copilot since the early days of Bing Chat. He says he's found uses for the AI assistant in both personal and professional workflows.

"I use Copilot pretty often, I probably use it at least once or twice a day. However, if I'm working on a personal or professional project I use it for longer sessions. I had eight separate sessions yesterday, but a few days ago I had eighteen sessions ... I find Copilot extremely helpful for discovery, troubleshooting, and learning how to install and do stuff. I launched a new website recently and I needed to ask a lot of questions with steps to fix problems in WordPress, get things working in Docker, and set up various other things like reverse proxy configurations. I tend to avoid it for tasks like image generation unless I'm just trying to come up with ideas due to ethical concerns."

I was curious about how Copilot has improved Liam's day-to-day workflow and whether the AI can output content that he's willing to use in published content.

"I use Copilot primarily as a tool to enhance my writing, research, and learning, but I never use it to replace my work entirely. There's a saying I found recently by Harvard Business School Professor Karim Lakhani, "AI is not going to replace humans, but humans with AI are going to replace humans without AI." That has really struck home with me. A lot of people think AI is going to replace humans, and it's true that Copilot can do some tasks far better and more efficiently than humans can. However, there are just some things humans are always going to be better at, like connecting with other humans. Copilot streamlines my research process significantly, especially for more complex questions. However, I'm rarely ever using its direct output in my work."

Liam opts to use Copilot more as an assistant, researching information alongside him rather than doing the work for him. Fact-checking it along the way is also an important step.

"I'll use it more like a search engine and its text output more like a suggestion. I always say that I put Copilot and other generative AI tools under a microscope because they'll often be confidently incorrect. The page summaries feature integrates well with Edge and makes my life a lot easier."

(Image credit: Liam Shotwell on X)

I was also interested in understanding what Liam's workflow actually looks like when Copilot is assisting him. He says he prefers a left-to-right layout, which means the built-in Copilot tools in Windows and Edge are in the wrong place for him. Thus, he opts to use the Copilot website to snap it to the left of his screen.

"My main productivity workflow involves throwing a browser window with Copilot and other research tabs docked to the left side of my screen, then the content I'm working on lives on the right. Because I like my left to right workflow, I dislike the Windows Copilot preview because you are stuck having it docked on the right-hand side of the screen. "

While Copilot may be changing the game for many people regarding research and content generation, Liam warns that the AI assistant is far from perfect.

"Copilot is not a good writer out of the box. You can make it a little better with some prompting, like asking it to write more like a human with 'burstiness' and 'perplexity'. It can be impressive, but I really don't recommend it. There are some jobs that humans are always going to be better at than AI and vice versa. Creativity and empathy are always going to human strengths, while data analysis and repetitive tasks are AI strengths. That's why it's important not to see Copilot as a human replacement but a tool to augment abilities you already have ... Recently, Copilot has a terrible habit of repeating itself throughout conversations. If you ask follow-up questions related to your topic, before it answers your question it will completely reiterate everything it had previously said. It slows down the process."

"I will say that the quality of Copilot has decreased significantly since they began making big changes to avoid its more unruly outbursts, hallucinations and temper tantrums from the early days. Although I think what we have today is probably better from a business and ethical standpoint, I think the less moderated and more unhinged Bing chat from last year was certainly more interesting and useful than what we have today."

Copilot for creative artistic use

(Image credit: Future)

Kenneth E Moody, a video and sound editor for a Christian broadcast television network and aspiring filmmaker, has been using Copilot since day one and specifically uses Copilot's image creator feature for professional use.

"I used Bing Image Creator to depict ideas in the bible [and] illustrate them in ways that just wasn't possible before, there are not a lot of good or cool artwork depicting biblical scenes or concepts. So I started using it right away. We are an African American church and network, so depicting more accurate representation of historical biblical figures, like Abraham, Jesus, etc. wasn't possible until Copilot. It made it accessible and powerful."

Kenneth highlights that Copilot's Image Creation feature can help him represent his community in ways previously not achievable in his day-to-day role.

"I was able to depict Joseph with brown skin, whereas before he is always depicted with very light skin. The image I was generating was just so much more powerful and dynamic, and they were unique to our situation, no one else had them. Being able to generate custom gorgeous art changes people's ability to connect with the word of God, when they can see themselves in it."

Kenneth says that he isn't a huge fan of some of the guard rails that Microsoft has put on the Copilot image creator, as it limits his ability to create images that he views as not controversial or offensive:

"For example, if I say create an image of Jesus bleeding on the cross, it often rejects it, because of the word blood or depicting violence. If you're using this thing to tell stories, then there are legitimate reasons to depict violence. So there needs to be a director or creator tier that just gives the user pure control."

(Image credit: Windows Central)

The recent Taylor Swift AI controversy has been a hot topic in the AI space, with recent explicit images that were reportedly generated using Microsoft's AI tools. Kenneth can't see how that's possible and condemns the use of AI in this way.

"I don't understand how it could have been Microsoft image generator at all. It's so guard railed that there's no real way a person with paid or regular access should have been able to do that. I can't even depict the crucifixion of Christ without getting a warning for potential images that violate the terms of service. Revenge porn or fake porn should be prosecutable, I don't care if you're famous or not, someone should go to jail for that ... Sexually explicit stuff should be off limits in terms using another person's persona or image without their permission. I do think Satire should be allowed, but not outright denegation. It was bad, really bad."

Of course, the use of generative AI in professional settings is a controversial topic, as almost all AI-generated art is trained on real art from real artists, and those artists aren't being paid for that usage of their artwork. Kenneth doesn't see it that way, however.

"My honest thoughts is that it's hogwash, because all humans are trained on what came before it, it's the literal foundation of learning. To make the argument that someone is owed a royalty or commission because you can now compete with them is a bit much to ask for ... I get the human impact will be tumultuous, but every technological shift does this. We reorder and reorientate ourselves. In order to achieve growth, these companies are going to have to increase efficiency, but there is no way to do that without losing real people and replacing them with AI. It's a bit of real conundrum, it seems heartless and a bit cruel ... I think we have to just embrace it than resist it, things aren't going back. AI is going to shift the balance of power significantly. From the mundane to the profound. Disruption is here, and you can get stronger and live through this change or resist and survive through the change."

Does Copilot Pro change the value proposition?

(Image credit: Microsoft)

With the recent launch of Copilot Pro, I wanted to know whether or not the paid $20 subscription is something either Liam or Kenneth were interested in. For Kenneth, Copilot Pro appears to be a no-brainer, given its extra capabilities in image generation.

"For me, I signed up right away for landscape [images] and priority [access] alone, because the square aspect ratio forces me to go into Photoshop's generative fill feature, which usually isn't as good as the Bing image creator detail wise. $20 is steep if you don't use it often, but if image creator is integral to your workflow, it's worth it."

On the flip side, Liam is enjoying the performance improvements but isn't so sure they're worth $20 a month.

"So far the only thing that I've really appreciated that much with Copilot Pro has been the increased response speed (which I've only noticed on desktop personally). The 365 app integration is interesting but it's just not really as valuable as I thought it would be ... Extra image generation tokens: I don't use them. AI image generation is only useful to me to get ideas once in a blue moon. I don't have much other use for stolen art. I think I might take a break next month from Copilot Pro to see if my patience can go back to normal with the free version's output speed. I might resubscribe if they add calendar support to Outlook. I'll probably be very excited by it and then quickly realize it's still not worth $20."

Opposite ends of the spectrum

(Image credit: Windows Central)

It's particularly interesting just how varied different people's use cases are and, even more so, how their views on AI differ. Both Liam and Kenneth are avid Copilot users and love the technology but have very different views on how it should be used.

Kenneth believes AI tech will replace jobs and that this is a fact of life. New industries and technology always come along, making older, outdated industries and technology irrelevant. While not wrong, it is a particularly touchy subject right now in the creative sector. Will AI really make creative roles redundant over time?

Liam doesn't think so and believes strongly that AI-generated content should only be used as inspiration, not as a replacement for human output. His use cases for AI are much more conservative, using the technology to assist himself with research and discovery.

It's clear that the next handful of years will be very interesting as AI becomes more ubiquitous. Will the fascination with AI-generated content die off, or will it only become more commonplace as we progress into the future? Only time will tell, but for now, Copilot really is changing the game for some people who have spent the time to learn it.

]]>21830Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:41:46 +0000