Google Bard’s upcoming extensions could make it my new travel buddy

Google Bard has finally found its legs after an incredibly rocky start and a long game of catch-up with other chatbots like ChatGPT and Microsofts’ Bing Chat. Luckily for Google, Bard has picked up the slack and introduced a whole lot of new features since its launch. Now, extensions may soon be coming to Bard and be the final push it needs to meet and maybe surpass ChatGPT.

During Google I/O 2023, the company mentioned developing extension support for Bard, and while the tech giant has delivered on many of the other features – including image-generation capabilities, maps integration, and better logical understanding – we haven’t had any updates about extension support.

But that could be about to change. Dylan Roussel from 9to5google has uncovered an early preview of what the extensions could look like within the Bard web app. While the UI is available, from the preview it doesn’t seem like any of the extensions actually work – yet. 

Screenshot of potentially UI

(Image credit: 9to5Google )

Let's go to the beach!

These extensions include Google Flights, Hotels, and Maps, as well as Youtube and even Zillow. It’s interesting to see the selection of services offered, as all the extensions combined look a lot like travel planning essentials

This could suggest Google is planning to push Bard as a planning assistant, which in all honesty is a really good idea to begin solidifying Bard into our everyday endeavors. Rather than unleash the chatbot on a ‘blank user template’ so to speak, Google’s plan to align Bard with basic travel planning could mean more people will be inclined to get acquainted with the chatbot and its new extensions.

In any case, these extensions will essentially bring Bard up to par with ChatGPT, and give the quirky bot a leg up in the race for AI supremacy.

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Microsoft Build 2022 could virtually share the upcoming Windows roadmap

Microsoft has set the date for its Build 2022 developer conference, May 24-26, and decided, for the third year in a row, to make it all-virtual.

While Microsoft's desktop operating system, Windows, is often the star of the show, Microsoft Build is the Redmond, Washington-based company's chance to unveil updates across a wide array of software products, services, and development tools.

There's also usually a theme. At Microsoft Build 2021, it was about Tech Transformation and the responsibility technology has in shaping the future. Aside from “Designed for development” and “What's next in tech,” the Microsoft Build site offers no hints about what to expect.

It does outline, though, one change: market-specific experiences for France, Germany, Latin America, and the UK. The FAQ goes into a tiny bit more detail, explaining:

“New for this year, experience market-specific content and connection opportunities for France, Germany, Japan, Latin America, and the UK in Regional Spotlights. Microsoft Build Regional Spotlights will include but will not be limited to: Keynote analysis, trending news, and topics for specific regions to help break down what’s new and what it means to you.”

What about Windows 12?

For consumers, this might be their first chance to learn about the next version of some of their favorite Microsoft products, including Windows, Office, and the Edge Browser. Developers will get updates on C++, C#, Azure, and Visual Studio. Microsoft sometimes blends in forward-looking panels on bleeding edge technologies like the HoloLens (version 3?) and digital twins.

As for what we might expect from Windows, there is some speculation that we could get our first glimpse of Windows 12. We know, Windows 11 isn't even a year old, but Microsoft's platform update cadence may be quickening. Plus, whatever Microsoft shows us now will likely be no more than a glimpse, with the full Windows 12 launch easily more than a year away.

Even if we don't see that, the multi-day event will be packed with Windows 11 innovations and future feature promises.

Registration, which is free, opens up in late April, and TechRadar will feature wall-to-wall coverage in May.

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Microsoft Build 2022 could virtually share the upcoming Windows roadmap

Microsoft has set the date for its Build 2022 developer conference, May 24-26, and decided, for the third year in a row, to make it all-virtual.

While Microsoft's desktop operating system, Windows, is often the star of the show, Microsoft Build is the Redmond, Washington-based company's chance to unveil updates across a wide array of software products, services, and development tools.

There's also usually a theme. At Microsoft Build 2021, it was about Tech Transformation and the responsibility technology has in shaping the future. Aside from “Designed for development” and “What's next in tech,” the Microsoft Build site offers no hints about what to expect.

It does outline, though, one change: market-specific experiences for France, Germany, Latin America, and the UK. The FAQ goes into a tiny bit more detail, explaining:

“New for this year, experience market-specific content and connection opportunities for France, Germany, Japan, Latin America, and the UK in Regional Spotlights. Microsoft Build Regional Spotlights will include but will not be limited to: Keynote analysis, trending news, and topics for specific regions to help break down what’s new and what it means to you.”

What about Windows 12?

For consumers, this might be their first chance to learn about the next version of some of their favorite Microsoft products, including Windows, Office, and the Edge Browser. Developers will get updates on C++, C#, Azure, and Visual Studio. Microsoft sometimes blends in forward-looking panels on bleeding edge technologies like the HoloLens (version 3?) and digital twins.

As for what we might expect from Windows, there is some speculation that we could get our first glimpse of Windows 12. We know, Windows 11 isn't even a year old, but Microsoft's platform update cadence may be quickening. Plus, whatever Microsoft shows us now will likely be no more than a glimpse, with the full Windows 12 launch easily more than a year away.

Even if we don't see that, the multi-day event will be packed with Windows 11 innovations and future feature promises.

Registration, which is free, opens up in late April, and TechRadar will feature wall-to-wall coverage in May.

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Upcoming Windows 11 update could improve how you copy and paste

Windows 11 looks like it could offer some smart new tricks with copying and pasting in the future, including intelligently determining what you’re cutting or copying, then offering to open a relevant app to paste into.

Windows Latest uncovered clues pertaining to a Smart Clipboard and Smart Actions after digging around in the latest preview builds of Windows 11 and finding a number of experimental flags for these features.

Those flags refer to a ‘Smart Clipboard UX’ and ‘Smart Install App Recommendation’ among other bits of functionality, with Windows Latest theorizing that this Smart Clipboard would have a different keyboard shortcut – and be separate to the current Clipboard – and would allow users to directly transfer rich content straight into apps.

As an example, say you copied an email address. In this case, Smart Clipboard would immediately suggest to directly paste this into Outlook (opening the app, and placing the copied address in a blank message).

Depending on what you’re cutting or copying, different apps could be recommended as a destination, and the whole system would be powered by AI, meaning that Windows 11 should learn the tasks you commonly perform, and become more accurate with its suggestions as time goes on.


Analysis: Revamping even the most basic computing tasks

Cutting or copying and pasting is such a basic task, it’s something that’s doubtless pretty much hardwired into your daily computing activities – an action you perform without even thinking about it.

And while you wouldn’t imagine there’s much you can do with such a basic piece of functionality, it’s good to see that Microsoft is thinking about innovating in these kinds of spaces – the core nuts-and-bolts of the Windows 11 experience.

Machine learning-powered suggested apps for whatever you’re cutting or copying could be a neat addition to make working within Microsoft’s OS that bit more streamlined. And if you don’t want them, then you don’t have to use the new function; at least if it works the way Windows Latest is describing.

That said of course, all of this is just speculation based on some nuggets of info hidden away in Windows 11, and we don’t know if Microsoft has any firm plans to develop such a Smart Clipboard. It could remain experimental tweaking that never sees the light of day, for all we know. Or we might just see this Clipboard revamp later this year when the big 22H2 update rolls out, and if that’s the case, the feature should hit testing before too long.

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Motorola’s upcoming flagship phone may come with its own stylus

Rumors of a flagship Motorola phone are gathering pace – and a newly leaked picture potentially showing off the handset suggests that the flagship is going to come with its own integrated stylus.

That's as per a tweet from well-known tipster Evan Blass, who has also previously suggested Motorola Edge Plus as a possible name for whatever is in the pipeline.

There's certainly room for a flagship phone at the top of the Motorola range. The Lenovo-owned brand has focused on budget models in recent years, including handsets like the Motorola One Zoom.

This new upcoming phone could change all that – details are thin on the ground at the moment, but we have been hearing talk of a premium Motorola phone for several months now.

Motorola Edge Plus

The only tidbit of information that's leaked out so far, besides the image you see above, is that the phone is going to be available on Verizon in the US. That leaves a lot of gaps still to be filled in.

For the time being Motorola is concentrating on getting its revamped Motorola Razr handset out of the door, with preorders set to be shipped in the first week of February. The folding clamshell certainly has high-end looks, but not high-end specs.

The Moto Z2 Force launched in 2017 is the most recent Motorola phone that could claim to have flagship-level specs, but since then the Moto lines haven't been going head-to-head with the top iPhones, Galaxy phones, and Pixels.

That could soon change – and a stylus is one way of getting a premium phone to stand out. Aside from the Galaxy Note line, very few phones offer a built-in stylus, so it would be another selling point for whatever Motorola is planning next.

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