The Verge At Microsoft’s Ignite conference today the software giant is introducing Copilot Actions, a new way for Microsoft 365 Copilot users to automate repetitive tasks. Microsoft is also adding AI agents to SharePoint, allowing PowerPoint to translate entire presentations, and improving how Copilot works in Outlook to find the best time for meetings. Copilot Actions, now in private preview, enables anyone to automate repetitive everyday tasks. That could include automating a summary of meeting actions from Teams meetings, generating weekly reports, or even automating meeting prep. Copilot Actions are designed to be something you set and forget, much like an AI-powered macro that goes off and does its thing based on some fill-in-the-blank... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The CrowdStrike catastrophe that took down 8.5 million Windows PCs and servers in July has left many of Microsoft’s biggest customers looking for answers to make sure that such an event never happens again. Now, Microsoft has some answers in the form of a new Windows Resiliency Initiative that’s designed to improve Windows security and reliability. The Windows Resiliency Initiative includes core changes to Windows that will make it easier for Microsoft’s customers to recover Windows-based machines if there’s ever another CrowdStrike-like incident. There are also some new Windows platform improvements to provider stronger controls over what apps and drivers are allowed to run, and to help allow anti-virus processing outside of kernel... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is planning to launch a new purpose-built miniature PC for its Windows 365 cloud service next year. Windows 365 Link is a $349 device that acts like a thin client PC to connect to the cloud and stream a version of Windows 11. The Link device is designed to be a compact, fanless, and easy to use cloud PC for your local monitors and peripherals. It’s meant to be the ideal companion to Microsoft’s Windows 365 service, which lets businesses transition employees over to virtual machines that exist in the cloud and can be streamed securely to multiple devices. “We want the focus of Link to be the Windows 365 part of it,” explains Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s head of Windows and Surface, in an interview with The Verge. “We want to make... Continue reading…

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge There are all kinds of reasons you might want to record what’s happening on your Android screen, from capturing your gaming exploits to trying to explain to a family member how to fix a problem they’re having with their favorite app. And when you do need this function, you’ll find it built right into Android (as it is on iOS). Since Android 11 launched in 2020, you haven’t needed a third-party app for the job — though you can still use one if you need extra features. Here’s how to get screen recordings on Android, as tested with both a Pixel 8 running Android 15 and a Galaxy Z Fold 5 running Android 14 (One UI 6.1.1). If you need more options, there are a couple of third-party apps mentioned at the end. Screen recording on a Google Pixel... Continue reading…

Image: Google Google is introducing a new feature to Google Lens that aims to give users more information about products when they’re shopping in physical stores. Starting today for Android and iOS users in the US, using the Google app to snap a picture of an item on store shelves will bring up detailed information about the product, customer reviews, stock and price comparisons for online and nearby retailers, and similar products that are available in the same store. Google says the feature was developed thanks to “major advancements in our AI image recognition technology,” and requires users to share their location data with the Google app, as it appears to work out which store the user is in based on proximity. Beauty products, toys, and... Continue reading…

You might do most of your Black Friday and Christmas shopping online, but you'll probably visit plenty of brick-and-mortar retail stores in the coming weeks. You'll be assaulted with deals on all sorts of products on your Christmas lists, yet you won't know if the in-store price is better than the deals you can get online. That's where Google's new AI update for Google Lens comes in. The app will let you take a photo of a product and provide more information. That's a feature already available in Google Lens. With this new update, however, Google Lens will now surface product insights tailored to the store you're visiting. Google Lens will display reviews of similar products that might be in stock at that store and tell you whether the price is competitive. It all happens with a single photo, and it might beat any in-store shopping experience involving online searches that you've tried before. Continue reading... The post Google releases new Lens AI tools for Black Friday shopping appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: 10% off PlayStation, Xbox, & Roblox gift cards, $4.75 Kasa mini smart plugs, more Today’s deals: $369 Apple Watch Series 10, $449 Google Pixel 8, $200 off Narwal Freo Z Ultra, more Today’s deals: $169 AirPods Pro 2, $898 Hisense 75-inch TV, $68 Furbuster, $649 Google Pixel 9, more Today’s deals: $280 Acer Aspire 3 laptop, $23 TP-Link WiFi extender, $199 Shark vacuum, $60 Keurig, more

Forty-five former lawmakers and activists were sentenced to four to 10 years in prison Tuesday in Hong Kong's biggest national security case under a Beijing-imposed law that crushed a once-thriving pro-democracy movement.

The Philippines will remain an important U.S. ally whoever is in the White House, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, offering reassurances to Manila as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.

Despite safety issues and deaths over the past five years, pilots still want to fly Osprey aircraft.

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