Microsoft's developer conference Build 2023 took place this week. For the software giant, this year's event was special because it was held physically for the first time since 2019 (until last year, previous events were held virtually due to covid). Here are five of the most interesting announcements Microsoft made at the event.
Windows Copilot
Microsoft is significantly expanding the branding feature this year Windows Copilot and at its developer conference this year finally announced that it is heading to Windows 11 and brings even more possibilities. Windows Copilot is an AI assistant that works on the same principles as the Bing Chat service, meaning you can ask it the same questions as you would Bing. Windows Whether you need to know what time it is in another country or want an answer to a more complex question, Copilot can help.
Integration into Windows however, it means that it can do much more. For example, it can be used to change system settings. If you ask it to help you focus, it might suggest putting your computer in dark mode. You can also ask it to snap two apps side by side. It can even work with the content in your mailbox, e.g. rewrite copied text, send an image to your contacts, etc.
Bing is coming to ChatGPT
Another big news is that on Bing it becomes the default search engine for the aforementioned chatbot ChatGPT. ChatGPT is probably the most popular conversational AI at the moment, but it suffered somewhat from the absence of a search engine, meaning it couldn't acquire new informace in real time in the same way that Bing can.
This move will surely increase the popularity of the search engine and at the same time provide new opportunities for chatbot users. While it potentially takes away some of the benefits of using Bing for users, such as web searches, it's a big step toward making conversational AI more accessible and useful for everyone. Microsoft and OpenAI (the organization behind the development of ChatGPT) also use a common platform for plugins, so the capabilities of Bing Chat and ChatGPT will increase together.
Redesigned File Explorer
Another new feature is the Redesigned File Explorer in Windows, which Microsoft didn't actually announce or talk about, but only showed a short trailer for it. It follows that the Explorer will have a design language that is even more aligned with the design Windows 11. The address and search bars have a more modern look and are placed directly below the tab bar, while the file and folder actions are moved below it.
The trailer also showed the new look of the navigation panel, which also follows the design language Windows 11. Featured files on the home page and the new Gallery view, which are already being tested in the program, were also seen Windows Insiders.
Improved app recovery (and other Microsoft Store updates)
System Windows never excelled at restoring your apps from your previous device, but that's changing now. Indeed, at its Microsoft developer conference this year, Microsoft revealed some improvements in this area. With a future update, the Microsoft Store will not only be able to restore your apps from your previous device, but also restore pinned apps to the Start menu and taskbar. When you set up a new PC or reset your existing one, this will make your existing Store apps available where they were before.
The software giant's store will get another interesting update, one of which will introduce AI-generated review summaries. The store will be able to read user reviews for that app and generate a summary of overall impressions, so you'll know what you're getting into without having to read all the reviews yourself. Additionally, for developers, the store is expanding ads to new locations to increase their reach, and AI will also be used to create additional labels for the app to make it easier to find.
Other new features Windows 11
These were the 5 "big" news coming up Windows 11, but in addition to them, Microsoft also introduced some smaller ones. One of these is the returning support for taskbar separation, which means that each app instance will be displayed as a separate item on the taskbar, complete with labels for each one. In addition, Microsoft do Windows 11 adds native support for opening additional archive file formats, such as .rar and .7z, so you no longer need a third-party application. Another minor novelty is the Dynamic Lighting page in Settings, which lets you control the RGB lighting of your peripherals in a centralized interface, so you no longer have to use multiple third-party apps for each peripheral. Finally, the company mentioned support for Bluetooth LE Audio technology first for headphones Galaxy Buds2 Pro and later for others, which should bring better sound quality with lower energy consumption.
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All the new features mentioned above are part of the update called Moment 3, which Microsoft has already started to release. On all devices with Windows 11 should arrive by June 13.
