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We’re amazed at how well Windows 11 runs with 176MB of RAM – but don’t try this at home
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Windows 11 running with a tiny amount of system RAM is something we’ve seen before, but this is a new low for the OS (in a good way).

NTDEV, the developer responsible for the stripped-back version of Windows 11 called Tiny11, has got Microsoft’s operating system functioning in a PC with only 176MB of system memory.

How is this possible? By removing pretty much everything the dev could, and using an “extensive trial and error” process to see which services and drivers Windows 11 required to boot (then getting rid of everything else).

Tiny11 has previously been run in as little as 196MB of RAM, the catch with that being that the OS was incredibly slow. You could do things, just about, but at glacial speeds.

With NTDEV’s successful attempt at firing up Windows 11 in just 176MB, the system runs relatively responsively, and for example Task Manager is brought up in just a few seconds. (No, that isn’t snappy, but compare it to the 15-minute wait for Task Manager to appear with the 196MB demonstration).

It’s an eye-opening difference, for sure, but there’s a big catch here, which we’ll discuss next.

Analysis: An impressive feat with a twist of a cheat

The cheat NTDEV has used to do this is that they’ve trimmed Tiny11 down even further and removed a major element – File Explorer – allowing Windows 11 to run faster because it doesn’t have to bring up the desktop.

That’s right, as you can see in the video clip above, there is no desktop, with the system booting to a command line. You then have to type manual commands (in text) to run different apps and functions, which is hardly ideal. Indeed, it’s a very clunky way of operating, but it does allow for the OS to be much faster.

To put this achievement in perspective, normally Window 11 requires 4GB of RAM to run, which is 4096MB. That’s 23x the amount the OS is seen running in here.

What’s the point of this? Well, it’s a fun exercise and nothing more, as nobody sane would want to operate Windows 11 in this manner. Much like huge overclocks on GPUs and CPUs that are completely impractical – and happen for seconds, only thanks to exotic cooling with say, liquid nitrogen – these are feats undertaken just to prove it can be done. Although in this case, the goal isn’t big numbers, but small ones – as tiny as possible.

Is 176MB a world-record low for running Windows 11 (functionally)? We think it could be, but then, technically, are you running Windows if there’s no desktop? There are still windows, of course – brought up via the command line – but without a desktop and icons, the core graphical interface, this isn’t really Windows, is it?

Still, hats off to NTDEV for what remains an impressive achievement.

Via Tom's Hardware

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Want to hook up your iPhone with Windows 11? Well now you can
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Windows 11 users who have an iPhone will be pleased to know that they can now benefit from Phone Link for iOS, as the feature has finished rolling out to the entire user base.

Microsoft began the rollout a few weeks back, noting that it would take some time, but the company has just updated the announcement blog post to let us know that it’s now out for everyone who wants a piece of the action.

Microsoft said: “We are pleased to announce that Phone Link for iOS is now available to all Windows 11 customers.”

If you want to install Phone Link for iOS, just search for the app (in the Windows 11 taskbar, search box), and fire it up – you’ll then see the option to install it for iPhone (as well as Android, of course).

Analysis: Bang on time

Phone Link has long been available for Android, and it has been a very long wait for iPhone owners to get their own take on the app. Still, it’s here now, and fully rolled out on schedule.

Bang on Microsoft’s intended schedule, actually. Back when Phone Link for iOS started rolling out in April, we were promised the process would be finished by mid-May, and that has come to pass as predicted.

That’s good news, as it seems Microsoft hasn’t run into any major bugs with the feature to hold things up. That’s always a possibility with any new piece of functionality, of course, but Microsoft specifically said it was taking a conservative and slow approach to the rollout here, which hinted at a degree of trepidation. There was no need to worry, though, it seems.

It is worth noting that Phone Link for iOS is more limited than its Android sibling. With the iPhone version, you only get the basics of receiving calls and messages through to the desktop, as well as notifications. But there is also iMessage support, too, which is a major boon, albeit that experience is limited too (there’s no message history, for example).

Even so, when you’re working at your PC and don’t want to keep looking at your iPhone, Phone Link represents a really convenient way of fielding all the basics and engaging somewhat with iMessage.

Via Neowin

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Microsoft claims ChatGPT 4 will be able to make videos, and this won’t end well
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ChatGPT 4 is coming as early as next week and will likely go with a new and potentially dreadful feature: video. 

Currently, ChatGPT and Microsoft’s updated Bing search engine are powered by ChatGPT 3.5 large language models, which allows them to respond to questions in a human-like way. But both AI implementations have had their fair share of problems so far, so what can we expect, or at least hope to see, with a new version on the horizon? 

According to Microsoft Germany’s CTO, Andreas Braun (as reported by Neowin), the company “will introduce GPT 4 next week, where we will have multimodal models that will offer completely different possibilities – for example, videos.” Braun made the comments during an event titled ‘AI in Focus – Digital Kickoff’. 

Essentially, AI is definitely not going away anytime soon. In its current state, we can interact with OpenAI's chatbot strictly through text, providing inputs and controls and getting conversational, mostly helpful, answers.

So the idea of having ChatGPT-powered chatbots, like the one in Bing, being able to reply in other mediums other than plain text is certainly exciting – but it also fills me with a bit of dread.

As I mentioned earlier, ChatGPT’s early days were marked with some strange and controversial responses that the chatbots gave to users. The one in Bing, for example, not only gave out incorrect information, but it then argued with the user who pointed out its mistakes, causing Microsoft to hastily intervene and limit the amount of responses it can provide in a single chat (and which Microsoft is only now slowly increasing again).

If we start seeing a similar streak of weirdness with videos, there could be even more concerning repercussions.

Ethics of AI

In a world where AI-generated ‘deepfake’ videos are an increasing concern for many people, especially those who unwittingly find themselves starring in those movies, the idea of ChatGPT dipping its toes into video creation is a bit worrying.

If people could ask ChatGPT to create a video starring a famous person, that celebrity would likely feel violated. While I’m sure many companies using ChatGPT 4, such as Microsoft, will try to limit or ban pornographic or violent requests, the fact that the ChatGPT code is easily available could mean more unscrupulous users could still abuse it.

There’s also the matter of copyright infringement. AI generated art has come under close scrutiny over where it is taking its samples from, and this will likely be the case with videos as well. Content creators, directors and streamers will likely take a dim view of their works being used in AI generated videos, especially if those videos are controversial or harmful.

AI, especially ChatGPT, which only launched a few months ago, is still in its infancy, and while its potential has yet to be fully realised, so too have the moral implications of what it can achieve. So, while Microsoft’s boasts about video coming soon to ChatGPT is impressive and exciting, the company also needs to be careful and make sure both users and original content creators are looked after.

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PS5 games reveal live blog: we’ll be reporting live on Sony’s The Future of Gaming event
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The PS5 games reveal is imminent, and we're running a live blog throughout today's event, which Sony is calling The Future of Gaming. Starting at 1PM PDT / 9PM BST / 4PM EDT, we'll get our first look at PS5 games coming to the console at launch and likely beyond. Here's how to watch the PS5 games reveal live stream, so you can follow along. 

During this event, we expect to see an array of new game announcements and reveals, with PS5 exclusives debuted for the first time, among other games from third-party publishers and developers. The Future of Gaming will run slightly longer than an hour, Sony has confirmed. 

What's being revealed is still a total mystery. Even with a week's delay from the original intended date of June 4, seemingly nothing has leaked from what we're going to see today. We don't expect to see the console itself today, or to learn the PS5 price, but for the focus to instead be on games.

Below, we'll be live blogging the PS5 games reveal event all day, up until the end of the live stream. 

PS5 games reveal live blog

All times in Pacific Daylight time (PDT).

09.00 – Which games will be revealed today? In terms of Sony's own developers, logic points towards Horizon Zero Dawn 2, since the first game is more than three years old, it sold a bucketload of copies and has theoretically had enough time for a sequel to be made. Guerrilla has a reputation for being a developer that showcases PlayStation technology at its best. We think it's still slightly too early for God of War 2 and Spider-Man 2, but we're willing to be surprised. A new Gran Turismo is rumored based on a recent trademark filing. 

A Demon's Souls remake from port specialists BluePoint Games is also expected. Other, wilder rumors point towards a new Silent Hill game, and possibly Resident Evil 8, too.

08.33 – For context, the PS4 was greeted with game reveals from both Sony and third-party publishers and developers when the console was unveiled in 2013. They included games like Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack and Driveclub, and key titles from other publishers like Destiny and Watch Dogs. 

It's likely we'll see a similar mix here, as publishers use this platform to get people excited about what they have planned for these new consoles. 

07.55 – Hello there! Today is the day of the PS5 games reveal. The Future of Gaming is a 'digital showcase' that Sony has said "will run for a bit more than an hour". While the livestream today will be broadcast in 1080p 30fps to ease the production process for Sony's staff, a lot of whom are still working from home, it's pointed out the games will look far superior on 4K TVs.

This is arguably the most exciting reveal in the next-gen console wars, and we're hoping that Sony doesn't pull any punches with revealing its biggest upcoming projects. Microsoft, of course, did its first gameplay reveal last month, and it was a little too lean for some of those watching at home, with bigger Xbox Series X games being saved for a separate reveal in July.

We predict Sony will counter-program that, and bring a lot of big guns to the fore, both from its own developers and publishers it's partnered up with.

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