Microsoft’s new Windows 11 update adds a button promoting its Bing A.I. Chatbot
aMicrosoft is releasing a major update to Windows 11 today that adds a new AI-powered Bing search to the taskbar. The new Windows 11 update gives you quick access to the new Ping Chat feature as well as new features. Windows 11 comes with improved widgets, improved touch mode, screen recording, notepad tabs and more.
The new Bing integration is a surprising addition that Microsoft hasn't tested with Windows Insiders. You'll see a new Bing icon in the taskbar search box, and Microsoft is highlighting a new chat reply experience in the search pane. Chat replies aren't directly available in the search window, but Windows 11 users can quickly start a Bing chat in Edge from here if they have access to Bing Preview.
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| The AI-powered Bing will appear in Windows search. Image: Microsoft |
"We're rethinking what I think will be an increasingly AI-based Windows in the future," Yusuf Mehdi, head of consumer marketing at Microsoft, told The Verge. "This is a very important feature as over 500 million people are already using the search box regularly."
More than a million people in 169 countries are now testing Bing's new preview: You can ask questions and generate content right from your Windows taskbar, Windows President Panos Panay said in a blog post. That suggests Microsoft plans to significantly expand the new Bing preview.
The Bing Chat extension for the Windows 11 taskbar comes just a week after Microsoft introduced the same mode for mobile and Skype conversations in Bing. Microsoft is also poised to introduce ChatGPT-like artificial intelligence into Office applications. But Bing is not alone in this major new Windows 11 update. Microsoft also released a preview of the Phone Link app for iOS. This means that iPhone users can link their device to Windows. This includes sending and receiving messages (yes, including iMessage), making calls, and accessing notifications. Learn more about Microsoft's new Phone Link app for iOS here.
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| Screen recording in Windows 11. Image: Microsoft |
Microsoft is updating its widget system in Windows 11 to include third-party options for Meta and Spotify. Today, Windows 11's touch screen is even better with a new taskbar optimized for tablets. If you have a device like the Surface Pro, detaching the keyboard collapses the tray and replaces it with a simplified tray designed for touch.
Windows 11 is finally getting an official screen recording tool. While Xbox Game Pass offers the ability to record apps, the Snipping Tool now includes screen recording, which allows you to capture the entire screen or crop out apps.
Elsewhere, Microsoft is improving the built-in group experience, making it easier for users to preview their videos and access conversations more quickly. Quick Assist in Windows 11 has been redesigned to make it easier to help friends and family who need technical help.
If you're a fan of Notepad, you'll be happy to know that flat browsing is part of the Windows 11 update. Microsoft is also adding new braille display support and removing voice access from Preview, as well as new alternatives to improve laptop performance. efficiency.
Users of Windows 11 PCs running version 22H2 can access Bing with smarter features and other additions by opening the Windows Update section of the Settings app and clicking the Check for Updates button. You can access it now. All of these new Windows 11 features are available today if you manually check for new updates in Windows Update. Microsoft says they will be widely deployed in the March 2023 monthly security update on March 14.