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Microsoft makes it much easier to use ChatGPT-powered Bing – with a catch
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Microsoft’s Bing chatbot is now available to use without signing into a Microsoft account, you’ll doubtless be pleased to hear.

This means that anyone can now jump on and start quizzing the ChatGPT-powered AI on whatever topic is on their mind, but there’s a caveat.

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Windows Central spotted the tweet from Michael Schechter, VP of Search Growth and Distribution (Bing) at Microsoft, announcing that the Bing AI now offers unauthenticated chat access.

However, while you won’t have to sign in to use the AI, you’ll be limited to pretty short conversations – just five queries in a session. Those signed in get 20 queries per conversation.

In other Bing AI news, a further step forward for the chatbot is the addition of a share button and more export options, as well as an improved copy and paste experience, useful little touches (as Neowin flagged up).

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Analysis: Bringing Bing to everyone faster

Remember when Bing AI was first launched? The chatbot got caught up in all sorts of controversial weirdness as a result of going off the rails in long chat sessions, leading Microsoft to impose strict limits on session length to tackle that particular problem.

That limit was five queries per session – exactly what unauthenticated users are getting now. In other words, it’s the bare minimum. (Well, clearly it’s the bare minimum – any lower than five would leave little or no opportunity to explore any topic further).

Still, the absolute minimum is very much better than nothing, so we’re glad to see Microsoft take this route. It makes for a convenient way for those who haven’t tried out the Bing AI yet to do so, and of course, that should mean extra traffic for Microsoft, too.

Doubtless Microsoft hopes that by giving folks a taster of Bing, it’ll impress them enough to sign in for the full lengthier chat experience.

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Windows 11 gets a design revamp that makes it easier to use
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Windows 11 just got a fresh preview build which brings a slew of changes with it, including a new volume mixer, plus some tweaks for better accessibility in the OS.

Preview build 25309 has just been made available via the Dev channel, and it has given the volume mixer an all-new look.

As you may have noticed, there are bits of legacy UI elements in the Windows 11 interface that are outdated and rather jarring when they suddenly appear on-screen. The volume mixer, accessed from the taskbar (system tray on the right), is one of them, but in the new preview build, it now has a nicely modernized appearance.

The mixer allows for adjusting the overall volume, and the volume on a per-app basis, plus there’s a fresh addition here in the form of quick access to spatial audio settings. This lets you turn the feature on and off, or select different types of spatial audio such as Dolby Atmos for example.

Microsoft has also made improvements with the Voice Access feature in build 25309, revamping the help page which shows you all the voice commands that can be used in Windows 11. This now has a cleaner layout and is easier to take in, with a search bar so users can locate the commands they might need when operating Windows via voice.

On top of that, Voice Access is now available in some new English dialects, so as well as US, we now have UK English, along with Australian, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand English.

Oh, and there are also some new voice commands, one of which allows you to select a specific slab of text (from word ‘a’ to word ‘b’).

Windows 11 Voice Access

(Image credit: Microsoft)

A whole lot of tweaking is in evidence elsewhere with the Windows 11 interface, too. We’re talking about updated touch keyboard settings (new options for when to show it), and minor tweaks for the taskbar (so the search box is lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode, such as dark mode).

Widgets are getting theme-aware icons, meaning that their icons will have their contrast ratios adjusted based on dark or light themes to allow them to stand out better and make their relevant details clearer.

There are also changes for snap layouts with build 25309. Microsoft is still experimenting with shorter periods of time for the snap flyout to appear, in order to improve discoverability for this feature.

For the full list of changes and known issues – there’s a lot of other work on the interface present here – as well as bug fixes, check out Microsoft’s blog post.

Analysis: A whole lot of strides forward for the UI

It’s good to see Microsoft keeping up its push for better accessibility, which has been something of a theme in recent times. There’s plenty of laudable work on voice commands in this new preview build, with some useful additional commands to make working with speech to text easier, and that improved help menu, which looks much better now. The changes to deliver better contrast ratios on widget icons will help people with low-vision, too. Good stuff.

There’s some interface work going on in the background too, because as leaker PhantomOfEarth pointed out on Twitter, the (hidden) photo gallery feature in File Explorer (read more about that here) has received a touch of polish in this build. Clearly, there’s a lot going on with the interface right now.

As ever, we can expect bugs with early versions of software (and the Dev channel is the earliest). Indeed, Microsoft specifically notes that the Voice Access help may go awry in places at this stage, and that descriptions and supplementary info for some commands might be inaccurate, so watch out for that.

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Microsoft Teams will finally be a lot easier to use on iPad and iPhone
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Apple users are set to get a welcome productivity boost when it comes to using Microsoft Teams on their mobile or tablet device.

The video conferencing platform has revealed it is working on bringing Picture in Picture mode to iPhone and iPad users, letting them view multiple windows at once on their device.

This could mean users are able to carry out a video call on their device whilst consulting a useful document or presentation at the same time, without the need to switch between apps and potentially drop their call.

Microsoft Teams Picture in Picture for iOS

In the official Microsoft 365 roadmap entry for the update, the company notes that, “the new Picture in Picture mode lets you see your meeting in an adjustable window while using other apps on your mobile device.”

The feature is still listed as being “in development”, but has an expected availability date of December 2022, meaning users shouldn't have too long to wait. When released, it will be available to all iOS users of Microsoft Teams across the globe.

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> Our favorite Microsoft Teams feature is coming to more users

> We've also ranked the best headsets for conference calls

> Microsoft Teams updates are about to become less of a total pain

The launch is the latest in a series of productivity-themed releases from Microsoft Teams as it continues to try and boost the usability and efficiency of its platform.

This includes a number of under-the-hood speed-related upgrades aimed at improving the user experience when navigating around Microsoft Teams, namely an upgraded framework which is now able to render HTML trees faster, run JavaScript and serialize arrays more efficiently. 

The company claims that these changes should contribute to a 30% speed increase when switching between Microsoft Teams chats or channels.

In other multi-tasking news, the company also recently announced that in-app games are coming to Microsoft Teams. 

However, far from just being a distraction, Microsoft claims that interaction through play is designed to tackle some of the greatest challenges of the hybrid workplace, including “struggling to build trust, create connections, and improve team morale.”

It also recently revealed that transcription for 1:1 calls and group calls is now available on the Microsoft Teams app for Android, giving users the chance to review exactly what was said, or if any details were missed. 

Users will also be able to start transcription for meetings on Microsoft Teams for iOS and Android, as well as being able to view the meeting transcripts after their calls have finished.

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Microsoft’s browser rivals aren’t happy after it made switching defaults easier
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Microsoft's rivals have hit back against the company's recent change to its stance on picking a default browser. 

The company that got into so much trouble in the 1990s for trying to squeeze rivals made an interesting change with Windows 11: obscuring the option to change the default browser, limiting it to only technically capable users and the very motivated. 

Anyone using Windows 10 could easily change the default with a single click, something that a lot of people did. But that all changed for anyone updating to Microsoft's latest OS. 

All change

While Edge isn't a bad browser, making it the default and then hiding the settings to change that does kind of stink, a point made loudly by its rivals. 

Microsoft even took it a step further and began funnelling links from its services, including the Start Menu, into Edge as well. 

All of that changed in a recent update, however, when Microsoft reintroduced an easy one-click process for changing the default – but instead of being pleased, some of the biggest names in the browser market have now hit back.

Old grudges, widely held

Speaking to The Register, Microsoft's rivals were still not happy with the company and its attempts to make Edge into a dominant browser.

“It has always been our stance that Microsoft, and others like them, should make it easy for users to choose to use the products that suit them,” said Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner. “This should apply to all users, not just the ones who are technically competent enough to realize that they need to install an optional update, and know how to actually do so. It should be installed for all users.” 

“While they have made an attempt, the fact that it has been done the way it has leads to the assumption that it is only being done to avoid being prosecuted for anticompetitive behavior, not to actually solve the underlying problem.”

READ MORE

>Opera launches Pro tier for its built-in browser VPN

>Google introduces a step-by-step privacy guide for Chrome browser, but is it enough?

>Browser wars: Microsoft Edge just steamed past a major rival

Mozilla, which actually found a way around the changes, was similarly critical.

“People should have the ability to simply and easily set defaults and all operating systems should offer official developer support for default status,” the company said.

“In practice, we'd like to also see progress on reducing the number of steps required to set a new browser as default, and on opening and making APIs available for apps to set default that other Microsoft applications use.”

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Microsoft’s browser rivals aren’t happy after it made switching defaults easier
  • No Comments

Microsoft's rivals have hit back against the company's recent change to its stance on picking a default browser. 

The company that got into so much trouble in the 1990s for trying to squeeze rivals made an interesting change with Windows 11: obscuring the option to change the default browser, limiting it to only technically capable users and the very motivated. 

Anyone using Windows 10 could easily change the default with a single click, something that a lot of people did. But that all changed for anyone updating to Microsoft's latest OS. 

All change

While Edge isn't a bad browser, making it the default and then hiding the settings to change that does kind of stink, a point made loudly by its rivals. 

Microsoft even took it a step further and began funnelling links from its services, including the Start Menu, into Edge as well. 

All of that changed in a recent update, however, when Microsoft reintroduced an easy one-click process for changing the default – but instead of being pleased, some of the biggest names in the browser market have now hit back.

Old grudges, widely held

Speaking to The Register, Microsoft's rivals were still not happy with the company and its attempts to make Edge into a dominant browser.

“It has always been our stance that Microsoft, and others like them, should make it easy for users to choose to use the products that suit them,” said Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner. “This should apply to all users, not just the ones who are technically competent enough to realize that they need to install an optional update, and know how to actually do so. It should be installed for all users.” 

“While they have made an attempt, the fact that it has been done the way it has leads to the assumption that it is only being done to avoid being prosecuted for anticompetitive behavior, not to actually solve the underlying problem.”

READ MORE

>Opera launches Pro tier for its built-in browser VPN

>Google introduces a step-by-step privacy guide for Chrome browser, but is it enough?

>Browser wars: Microsoft Edge just steamed past a major rival

Mozilla, which actually found a way around the changes, was similarly critical.

“People should have the ability to simply and easily set defaults and all operating systems should offer official developer support for default status,” the company said.

“In practice, we'd like to also see progress on reducing the number of steps required to set a new browser as default, and on opening and making APIs available for apps to set default that other Microsoft applications use.”

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Next Google Maps update will make traveling to new places way easier
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Your next trip to an unfamiliar destination could be made much smoother thanks to upcoming Google Maps updates.

The app will soon be able to give you more in-depth details about where you’re traveling, both before you set off and while you’re on the move, according to a Google blog post. 

We’re most excited about Google Maps finally being able to estimate the cost of toll roads you might want to use on your journey. Thanks to the feature you’ll be better able to weigh up the pros and cons of choosing to ‘Avoid Toll Roads’ on your route.

Right now the feature is restricted to around 2,000 toll roads across the US, India, Japan, and Indonesia, but over time new roads and regions will be added. We’ve reached out to Google to find out when countries like the UK and Australia will get this feature.

Another update will add new details to the digital map, including upcoming traffic lights, stop signs, and details about buildings you’re passing, which should help you get a better feel for a location you’re visiting for the first time.

Stop signs and traffic lights in Google Maps

(Image credit: Google )

Improved iOS support coming soon

Last but not least, Google is bringing several improvements to Maps on its Android OS rival in the coming weeks and months.

iPhone users will soon be able to take advantage of new widgets offering quick access to the most important details of your upcoming trip. In addition, if you wear an Apple Watch you’ll be able to start navigation using the Google Maps app without needing to pull your phone out – a new ‘Take me home’ complication will also enable you to quickly open directions home.

Google Maps will also be integrated with Siri, Spotlight, and the Shortcuts apps directly on iOS. Once the update has been rolled out, installed, and set up, you’ll be able to ask Siri for directions using your voice. Google says this feature will start to appear “in the coming months”, with enhanced Siri search functionality being added after the initial rollout. 

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Next Google Maps update will make traveling to new places way easier
  • No Comments

Your next trip to an unfamiliar destination could be made much smoother thanks to upcoming Google Maps updates.

The app will soon be able to give you more in-depth details about where you’re traveling, both before you set off and while you’re on the move, according to a Google blog post. 

We’re most excited about Google Maps finally being able to estimate the cost of toll roads you might want to use on your journey. Thanks to the feature you’ll be better able to weigh up the pros and cons of choosing to ‘Avoid Toll Roads’ on your route.

Right now the feature is restricted to around 2,000 toll roads across the US, India, Japan, and Indonesia, but over time new roads and regions will be added. We’ve reached out to Google to find out when countries like the UK and Australia will get this feature.

Another update will add new details to the digital map, including upcoming traffic lights, stop signs, and details about buildings you’re passing, which should help you get a better feel for a location you’re visiting for the first time.

Stop signs and traffic lights in Google Maps

(Image credit: Google )

Improved iOS support coming soon

Last but not least, Google is bringing several improvements to Maps on its Android OS rival in the coming weeks and months.

iPhone users will soon be able to take advantage of new widgets offering quick access to the most important details of your upcoming trip. In addition, if you wear an Apple Watch you’ll be able to start navigation using the Google Maps app without needing to pull your phone out – a new ‘Take me home’ complication will also enable you to quickly open directions home.

Google Maps will also be integrated with Siri, Spotlight, and the Shortcuts apps directly on iOS. Once the update has been rolled out, installed, and set up, you’ll be able to ask Siri for directions using your voice. Google says this feature will start to appear “in the coming months”, with enhanced Siri search functionality being added after the initial rollout. 

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1Password Developer Tools want to make it easier to set password guidance
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The business password management company 1Password has launched a new set of features called Developer Tools in order to help developers better secure and share their secrets.

With Developer Tools, developers can securely generate, manage and access secrets within their development workflows beginning with Git. 1Password's new offering also helps simplify complex processes and improves security practices to ensure data is protected without slowing down the development pipeline. At the same time, Developer Tools provides developers with secure access to the secrets they need wherever they are and on any device they happen to be using.

Chief product officer and GM of emerging solutions at 1Password, Akshay Bhargava explained in a press release how Developer Tools can make security more convenient for developers, saying:

“Developers encounter a lot of complexity when building and deploying secure software, and it can often seem like security and convenience are irreconcilable. 1Password Developer Tools aims to make their lives easier by making complex security processes more convenient, and making doing the secure thing, the easy thing.”

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Managing secrets

According to 1Password's recent Hiding in Plain Sight report, a quarter of employees at IT and DevOps companies have secrets in ten or more different locations and have shared them with colleagues using email, Slack and other insecure channels. Over half (61%) of projects are also delayed due to poor secret management and one in three (36%) developers have shared secrets over insecure channels to increase their productivity.

In addition to protecting personal passwords and information, Developer Tools can enhance productivity by enabling quick generation of SSH keys, seamless access to data via a command line interface (CLI) using biometric authentication and secure secrets management in one app.

Read More

> 1Password ups maximum bug bounty

> 1Password wants to help organizations protect their secrets

> 1Password expands protection to Linux devices

Once SSH keys have been generated with just a few clicks, 1Password for the browser will autofill public keys into popular sites including GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket and Digital Ocean. Then by using Developer Tools' built-in SSH agent, developers can push code to GitHub and authenticate other SSH workflows in a terminal by simply scanning their fingerprint.

Developers can also use the new set of features to store secrets in encrypted vaults as one of several default item types including API credential, AWS account, database, server or SSH key to help prevent breaches caused by leaked secrets.

Organizations and developers interested in storing their secrets using 1Password can check out the company's Developer Documentation portal for more information on Developer Tools.

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Windows 11 update finally makes opening files in other apps easier
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Microsoft is redesigning how you can open files in a different app for Windows 11, finally removing the confusion that the message box has been showing since Windows 8.

There's usually a time where you need to open a photo in another app that's not Adobe Photoshop, or a music file in an editing app, instead of Windows Media Player. This is where the 'Open With' feature comes in, to allow a different app to open a file.

This has been around since Windows 8, but its language was confusing when choosing an app; users weren't sure if selecting another app would make that the new default app to open from now on, or if the file was to be opened by the new app just that one time.

Fortunately, with an upcoming update to Windows 11, or Insider build 22563 and above – which allows you to sign up to features in testing that are not ready for a final release, not only is the appearance improving to the 'Open With' feature but the options as well.

Analysis: A long time coming for new files

Open With old in Windows 11

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Refreshing the look of apps and menus across Windows 11 is thanks to two new design features – Fluent Design and WinUI. These are why you're seeing modern updates of Paint, Windows Media Player, and different menus across Windows 11. But alongside this, Microsoft is making sure that the new look efforts don't apply to only the apps and menus you use every day.

This is why it's a big finally that the 'Open With' feature is getting the same attention. It's never been clear as to whether the file you selected this feature with, would open with the same app in the future until you tested it a second time.

There's a checkbox and an 'OK' option, but while there's a prompt to open the file with another app, sometimes it would not work as intended.

It's a design that appeared in Windows 8, barely changed in Windows 10, and when Windows 11 was released in October 2021, it stayed the same. But with an upcoming update, we're finally going to see a clearer language for this box, with two options – 'Just Once' and 'Always'.

It's something that's going to help creatives and users who just want to open files in a different app that one time, without being confused by what the 'Open With' feature is trying to offer.

We may see this redesign arrive in Sun Valley 2, the first major update to Windows 11, which is scheduled to release in the second half of 2022. But for Windows Insider testers, you can reap the benefits of this now, as long as you're running build 22563.

Via WindowsLatest

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Migrating your data to Google Workspace is about to get a whole lot easier
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Getting your data moved over to Google Workspace should soon be a much smoother process thanks to a new release from the company.

Google says the Workspace Migrate tool offers an easier way for admins to assess and plan migration projects, and “confidently migrate their users and large amounts of critical content directly into Google Workspace.”

Previously announced in beta way back in 2019, the tool is now generally available to admins across the world for select Google Workspace Editions.

Google Workspace Migrate

In a blog post announcing the news, Google noted that its new tool should be particularly useful for those admins looking to move a large amount of enterprise data, offering a secure and effective way to migrate information and set up on-premises infrastructure.

This includes the ability to migrate data from a wide range of sources, including Microsoft Exchange (covering Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, and Microsoft 365), Microsoft SharePoint (including SharePoint 2010, 2013, 2016, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business), Microsoft OneDrive, file shares, and Box migrations.

Google Workspace Migrate tool

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

It will also support legacy G Suite Business and Google Workspace environments, enabling admins to selectively migrate Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more data between Google Workspace environments. 

Alternatively, the tool will allow admins to migrate all users from one environment to another, or move specific user data (such as organizational units, users, or subsets of data) between Google Workspace environments.

The tool will also allow admins to easily identify project progress and status through frequently updated and detailed logs, as well as being able to quickly scan source environments to help accurately plan for key project milestones and watch points.

Google Workspace Migrate is available now for users on Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus, and legacy G Suite Business – however not for Google Workspace Essentials or legacy G Suite Basic users just yet.

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> Google Workspace Individual offers all you need to start and run a small business

> Google takes aim at Microsoft 365 with small but important update

> Google is closing one of its least-loved Workspace apps

The news comes soon after Google revealed it would be cutting down on users accessing Google Workspace for free.

The company announced that all G Suite legacy free edition users would soon be shifted over to a paid version of Google Workspace from July 1 in order to ensure they kept access to tools such as Gmail, Meet and Docs.

Google Workplace plans start at $ 6/user/month for its Business Starter option, with Business Standard ($ 12/user/month) and Business Plus ($ 18 /user/month) also on offer, providing an increasing level of services with the amount paid.

Google plans to automatically move free users from May 1 to “an upgraded Google Workspace paid subscription”, based on its analysis of the customer's usage and the features it thinks you'll need. The company is also offering businesses who don't want to pay or upgrade the chance to export their data at no extra cost.

Via 9to5Google

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