A new feature is coming to Microsoft Word for people using Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365. It will soon allow users to add an AI-generated summary to their documents when sharing them via OneDrive.
Microsoft’s file-hosting service is widely used within businesses and by consumers to allow people to share documents, large files, and presentations straight from the Microsoft 365 software suite. According to MSPowerser, the feature will be exclusively available to users with Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, for which you need a specific paid license (unlike OneDrive itself).
While this might be disappointing for those who wish to try the feature out without having to pay for it, there is some hope that we may see it trickle down to Microsoft’s free Office for Web suite (formerly known as Office Online), which includes Microsoft Word and 5GB of OneDrive storage.
Quick and Easy
It may seem like quite a basic addition to Copilot’s nifty AI-powered skill set, but the new feature can be very helpful. If you work in an industry where you’re bombarded with new documents from different people every day, for different tasks or projects, it can be difficult to not only keep track of but also remember what everything is about!
With that in mind, having a quick automated summary for each document means you can grasp what the document is about at a glance. It also saves time for the person sending you the Word documents as they won’t have to write a summary themselves – Copilot will do it for them. The summary will be part of the notification email you’ll get when the document is shared, so you can immediately get the gist of what you’re looking at before you open the document.
While it’s a bit disappointing to see this feature locked behind the license, it’s not surprising – Microsoft has been building out Copilot’s capabilities gradually, giving professional 365 users the first taste of each new feature. Regardless, it does offer a glimmering look at the future of Microsoft’s steady implementation of AI tools – and we hope to see more that prove to be just as simple and helpful as this one.
In the realm of home entertainment, the quest for the perfect TV often leads us to seek the optimal blend of performance, features, and affordability. With the advancement of technology, 4K TVs have become increasingly popular, offering viewers a stunning visual experience with exceptional clarity and detail. However, finding the best 4K TV in India under Rs 40,000 can be a daunting task, given the plethora of options available in the market. We’ve curated a list of the top contenders in this price range, each promising to elevate your viewing experience without breaking the bank. From renowned brands known for their superior picture quality to innovative features that redefine the way we engage with content, these 4K TVs offer outstanding value for money. Let’s explore the best options available and discover which one suits your needs and preferences.
4K TVs under Rs 40,000
OnePlus 108 cm (43 inches) Y Series 4K Ultra HD Smart Android LED TV 43Y1S Pro (Black): The OnePlus 4K Ultra HD Smart TV boasts a bezel-less design coupled with LED display technology. It offers a plethora of smart functionalities, such as the OnePlus Connect Ecosystem, Google Assistant integration, Chromecast, Miracast, DLNA support, and more. Moreover, it features high-performance speakers delivering crystal-clear, high-definition audio output of up to 24 W. LG 126 cm (50 inches) 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV 50UR7500PSC (Dark Iron Gray): The LG television is driven by the α5 AI Processor 4K Gen6, enhancing its performance. With the Dynamic Tone Mapping feature, the TV intelligently applies the ideal tone curve, resulting in more realistic HDR, improved contrast, and enhanced detail. Furthermore, users can effortlessly access popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Prime Video, and Apple TV+ directly on the TV. LG 108 cm (43 inches) 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV 43UR7500PSC (Dark Iron Gray): The LG 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV featuring HDR10 Pro elevates your viewing experience significantly. Thanks to AI Super Upscaling, even non-4K content appears in breathtaking 4K resolution. Additionally, the AI Sound Pro feature delivers a surround sound effect akin to that of 5.1 speakers, ensuring clarity and precise balance control. Samsung 108 cm (43 Inches) Crystal Vision 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV UA43CUE70AKLXL (Titan Gray): The Samsung Crystal Vision 4K UHD TV enhances your viewing pleasure with its advanced features. It delivers vivid, lifelike images, immersive 3D surround sound, and a host of other functionalities. This television offers multiple Voice Assistants, enabling you to easily locate and access your preferred content using voice commands. Thanks to the Crystal Processor 4K, every colour is presented in stunning 4K resolution as it enhances the quality of every visual. Redmi 108 cm (43 inches) 4K Ultra HD Android Smart LED TV X43 | L43R7-7AIN (Black): The Xiaomi TV delivers stunning 4K resolution, ensuring exceptional clarity and breathtaking visuals. Equipped with powerful 30 W speakers, it guarantees an immersive audiovisual experience. Additionally, the TV is outfitted with a range of connectivity options including 3 HDMI 2.1 Ports, 2 USB Ports, Ethernet, AV Input, Optical, and Headphone Jack, along with advanced wireless technologies such as Dual Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. Sony Bravia 108 cm (43 inches) 4K Ultra HD Smart LED Google TV KD-43X74K (Black): Indulge in a smooth and vibrant viewing experience courtesy of the Sony TV, featuring the advanced 4K processor X1. Enhanced by Motionflow XR 100, this television ensures seamless and sharp visuals, even during high-speed action scenes and gaming sessions. With Dolby Audio technology, enjoy immersive sound reproduction that is rich, clear, and true to life. MI 138 cm (55 inches) X 4K Dolby Vision Series Smart Google TV L55M8-A2IN (Black): The X Series Xiaomi TV presents stunning 4K resolution, delivering exceptional clarity and captivating visuals. With robust 30 W speakers, this TV ensures a superior audiovisual experience, guaranteeing clear and immersive sound. Explore a vast selection of over 5000 apps and games directly from the Play Store right on your TV. Vu 139 cm (55 inches) The GloLED Series 4K Smart LED Google TV 55GloLED (Grey): The Vu 55GloLED from the GloLED Series presents a 139 cm (55 inches) display with cutting-edge 4K resolution and Smart LED technology. With the upgraded Google TV interface, navigating content across installed apps is seamless and intuitive. Its elegant, frameless design not only enhances the viewing experience but also adds a touch of sophistication to your living space, making it a stylish addition to any home. VU 126 cm (50 inches) The GloLED Series 4K Smart LED Google TV 50GloLED (Grey): The Vu GloLED TV Panel, combined with the Vu Glo AI processor, collaborates to reproduce a comprehensive colour spectrum and enhance OTT video through advanced AI technology. With its upgraded Google TV interface, browsing content across installed apps is effortless. Moreover, an ambient light sensor embedded in the Vu GloLED TV continuously adjusts the display to harmonise with the content and ambient lighting conditions.
The 2024 Presidents’ Day sales event is exactly three weeks away (February 19, to be exact), and if you’re looking to shop for early deals right now, Amazon has you covered. The retailer has some fantastic bargains, with record-low prices on best-selling TVs, vacuums, Apple devices, kitchen appliances, laptops and more. I’ve sorted through the offers to bring you the 19 best pre-Presidents’ Day deals at Amazon that you can shop right now.
Presidents’ Day sales bring discounts on several items, allowing consumers to grab steep discounts on some of last year’s best-selling tech gadgets and home items. Below, I’ve listed the top sale categories from Amazon, followed by the 19 best pre-Presidents’ Day deals.
See more of today’s best early Presidents’ Day deals from Amazon below, and if you’re looking to shop for more TV bargains, you can see our Super Bowl TV deals roundup for today’s top sales around the web.
Sony has confirmed that a new PlayStation State of Play event is taking place on Wednesday, January 31, and it’s going to be a chunky one.
The first State of Play of the year is set to be 40 minutes long, and in that time, “15+ games” will be covered, so fasten your seatbelts, because it sounds like it’s going to be quite a ride.
While Sony hasn’t given away many of the specifics in advance, it revealed that “extended looks” at Shift Up’s action-adventure Stellar Blade and Team Ninja’s gorgeous role-playing game Rise of the Ronin (both PlayStation 5-exclusive games) will be shown. At the time of writing, Stellar Blade doesn’t currently have a confirmed release window, whereas Rise of the Ronin is set to launch on March 22.
Get ready for a new State of Play! https://t.co/KDyuY2UvfqTune in on YouTube, Twitch, or TikTok this Wednesday at 2pm PT / 10pm GMT for 40 minutes covering 15+ games, including extended looks at Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, plus more from talented game developers from… pic.twitter.com/MQg76iv8TtJanuary 29, 2024
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Given that we don’t know much of what will be shown, it’ll be particularly interesting to see what Sony has in store for us. A fresh PlayStation Blog post states that viewers will be given “a new look at other titles coming to PS5 and PS VR2 in 2024 and beyond.” Needless to say, it doesn’t sound like everything that’ll be included will definitely be coming out this year, so keep that in mind in the build-up to the event.
Viewers will be able to tune in to the State of Play on Twitch, TikTok or YouTube starting at 5pm ET / 2pm PT / 10pm GMT on January 31, which is the equivalent of February 1 at 9am AEDT. Be sure to set a reminder so that you don’t miss out on the news and announcements as they happen.
If you’re looking for some fantastic games to play in the meantime, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best PS5 games, as well as our roundup of the best PlayStation Portal games for the greatest titles to play on Sony’s handheld remote play device.
Commvault has unveiled a new report highlighting a significant shift in the dynamics between IT Operations and security teams.
The study emphasizes the increasing need for collaboration in the face of rising cyber threats, which damage companies financially and reputationally.
A survey of over 200 C-Suite and senior-level IT execs reveals a promising trend – 99% of respondents acknowledged a strengthened relationship between IT Operations and security teams over the past 12 months.
IT teams are finally working together
Around two-thirds noted that they now share goals for maintaining company security, and seven in 10 said that they had implemented joint processes and procedures for daily operations, marking a positive reduction in silos.
Commvault CISO Javier Dominguez stressed the importance of collaboration in the current threat environment: “Synergies between ITOps, security teams and the C-suite has never been more crucial as cyber criminals are deploying more sophisticated attacks powered by AI.”
Despite more closely aligned teams, the report says that more could be done. For example, while many have shared daily processes and procedures, fewer than half (48%) share processes and procedures to recover from an incident.
Unsurprisingly, the study also sheds some light on the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing cybersecurity efforts, with more than two-thirds (68%) expressing optimism about AI’s ability to identify and respond to threats with accuracy.
Many also see AI playing a role in automating employee training and security awareness (67%) and increasing the efficiency of daily operational processes (66%). Clearly some scepticism remains, because only half (52%) see AI helping to augment compliance monitoring and reporting.
Speaking about security silos, Krista Macomber. Research Director for The Futurum Group, a partnering organization for the study, said: “Utilising a host of fragmented data protection products can drive up costs, create management nightmares, give bad actors more avenues to exploit, and slow down recovery.”
While the report indicates that there’s a lot of work ahead, the outlook is at least positive in that teams are coming together to tackle what is a rising issue.
The first console game based on the hit manga and anime series Spy x Family finally has a worldwide release date, following its Nintendo Switch launch in Japan last December.
Titled SPYxANYA: Operation Memories, the wholesome slice-of-life game puts players into the shoes of Anya Forger – the young, telepathic daughter of spy Loid and assassin Yor Forger. With a mission to create an action-packed photo diary, players will assist Anya in capturing memories on days out, at Eden College and with her family at home. While a simple premise, it all looks very cute, and players on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch will be able to dive into the action from June 28. You can take a look at the new trailer below.
On the weekends, Anya and her family will be able to go on days out to 10 different locations, including an aquarium, beach, and museum, and take pictures to log in Anya’s diary. You can dress everyone up, too, including the family dog Bond, who can be seen in the trailer wearing a very stylish hat and tie.
In addition, there’ll also be over 15 mini-games to play, some based on the anime series itself, and some original to the game. In the trailer, you can spot the names ‘Peanut Bowling’ and ‘Peanut Time,’ the latter of which appears to task Anya with ripping enormous peanuts apart with her bare hands.
SPYxANYA: Operation Memories is planned to be released on Steam at some point this year, too, although it’s still not been confirmed when this will be. DLC for the console version has already been revealed, consisting of two packs of different outfits (including ‘punk’ and ‘denim’ sets) as well as in-game items. Both DLC packs will be included in the Digital Deluxe version of the game.
There’s been plenty of chatter on the tech grapevine involving Intel‘s next-gen Battlemage graphics card since back in 2021, but now we have even more information on the upcoming card thanks to several leaks.
According to the latest video from Tom of Moore’s Law is Dead, the Battlemage may only be a discrete graphics card with no mobile version for laptops. The report also asserts some leaked specs, including a TSMC’s 5nm process node and up to 512 Execution Units (EUs). The flagship will have that much EU and 16GB of VRAM (either GDDR6 or GDDR6X) on a 256-bit memory bus.
The second SKU might feature 448 EUs and the same 16GB of VRAM on a 256-bit memory bus, and there’s even a reference to a 384 EU variant, though Tom isn’t sure if it will launch publically. However, there might be lower-end versions that would be more budget-minded cards: a 320 EU model with 12GB of RAM and two 256 EU models – one with 10GB of VRAM and the other with 8GB of VRAM.
Finally, the leaks state allege that Battlemage should be 30% faster, twice as fast as the Arc Alchemist line. This also means that Battlemage would be roughly equal to Nvidia’s recently released RTX 4070 Super graphic card. It’s important to consider that most likely by the time Intel’s Battlemage releases, Nvidia will have its Blackwell graphics card out, and AMD will have the RDNA 4 cards.
Battlemage could be a real force
It’s interesting to see Intel develop its graphics card line and, judging from these reports and rumors, Intel could have another line of winners. Its Arc Alchemist series balances performance and affordability and this Battlemage series could take things even further depending on its pricing.
If the rumors are true, Battlemage is already matching Nvidia’s 4070 Super, a major achievement itself. And even if Team Green’s next graphics card line ends up being superior, Team Blue could easily undercut them by offering far more budget-priced offerings. As we’re already seeing in this current market, buyers overwhelmingly value cost efficiency over pure performance.
Now, if only Intel promotes and launches this line of graphics cards much better than it did the Arc Alchemist release, it might have a real hit on its hands.
As of today, January 29, 2024, Amazon‘s Prime Video subscription offering will become inundated with ads unless you pay an extra $2.99 in the US and £2.99 in the UK a month to get rid of them – subscribers in Australia will also see a similar price rise (we don’t yet know how much) but that won’t be rolled out until later this year.
If you’re infuriated by the news, you’re not alone. As one of the few holdouts among the best streaming services to not increase its subscription tiers last year, we had hoped that Prime Video might skip the subscription ad shakeup that Netflix, Max and Disney had jumped on last year, especially given it has a free ad-supported TV service called Freevee, but it appears financial pressures have taken hold.
The increase in price brings Prime Video’s subscription costs in line with the best streaming services. Its ad-free plan now costs the same as Disney Plus, so it’s not the most expensive to subscribe to when compared to the likes of Netflix – although Max is slightly pricier still.
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Row 0 – Cell 0
Ad-supported plan
Standard without ads
Prime Video
$8.99 / £8.99 / AU$9.99
$10.99 / £10.99
Disney Plus
$7.99 / £4.99 a month
$10.99 / £7.99 / AU$13.99 a month
Netflix
$6.99 / £4.99 / AU$6.99 a month
$15.49 / £10.99 / AU$16.99 a month
Max
$9.99
$15.99
The news is a real drag for anyone who had been looking forward to streaming the best Prime Video series or best Prime Video movies, especially given that it has one of the larger content libraries out of the big streamers with loads of new Prime Video movies always being added to the service.
However, considering that Amazon recently laid off “several hundred'” employees from its streaming division, it appears the streamer is having to make some serious cost cutting decisions. Whether this will translate into a reduced production and acquisition slate is still up in the air.
An unwanted Amazon delivery
The rollout of a more expensive subscription tier comes off the back of Netflix confirming that it will ditch its cheapest ad-free plan globally, following the successful release of its ad-supported tier in November 2023, which attracted more than eight million new signups in just two months. That means that Netflix with ads now accounts for 10% of its total subscribers.
Amazon is hoping that it will see similar success with Prime Video. In fact, analysts have already been speculating what type of return this could bring with Lloyd Walmsely, an industry analyst at UBS, estimating that it could net as much as $6 billion every year for new signups to its plan without ads.
While that’s great news for Amazon, there’s no certainty about what this will mean for subscribers. Perhaps it’s time to start subscription hopping, which one of our writers found cut their streaming bills by 75%, or switching to Amazon’s free streaming service, Freevee, which saw more than 100 Prime Video originals added to it last year.
Otherwise, the only other two options Prime Video subscribers have if they don’t want to watch commercials is either to increase their bills or cancel – here’s how to cancel your Amazon Prime membership if you think you’ll go down the latter route.
Microsoft finally gives its iconic WordPad app the chop as a new Windows 11 Canary build reveals that the long-time word processing app’s time is up. The Canary channel is one of four release channels in the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft’s community that gives testers, developers, and enthusiasts access to try out new versions of Windows and new features to gather feedback and improve them before releasing them to the wider user base.
In WordPad’s place, Microsoft is directing users to use Microsoft Word to work with rich text files, which feels a little cheeky (more about that in a moment).
We found out that WordPad was being deprecated a little while back, and now Microsoft is making good on its promises. The company elaborated that no new WordPad developments were being worked on at the time of the announcement, and that future Windows 11 releases wouldn’t include it – which is what has happened with the latest WordPad-less Canary build.
Microsoft also revealed that the WordPad and People apps won’t be included by default upon a clean install of Windows 11, and you’ll no longer be able to reinstall WordPad at a later date.
(Image credit: Chase Chappell/Unsplash)
Users react
This development comes with a tinge of melancholy for many Windows fans because it has been one of Microsoft’s flagship programs for a long time. For many users, it was their preferred choice for a basic and straightforward simple rich text editor, being included in nearly every version of Windows starting with Windows 95.
Microsoft recommends “Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt” for users who would like to know what to use instead.
Of course, the full version of Microsoft Word is part of the Microsoft Office suite, which isn’t free, so recommending a paid-for alternative to a free app they’ve just cut probably won’t go down too well. A much better alternative is LibreOffice Writer, which is part of the free, open-source LibreOffice suite – although I can imagine why Microsoft would be hesitant to send people to a free rival app.
The newest preview build, Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26020, also saw a move that was long expected from Microsoft – giving Cortana the chop. If you’ve already forgotten what Cortana is (or, rather, was), Cortana is Microsoft’s previous effort in its mission to create a personal productivity assistant.
Now, it’s leaving Cortana in the past and trucking forward with Windows Copilot, its newer and fresher take on the all-purpose digital assistant that’s powered by AI. According to Tom’s Hardware, Microsoft is so keen to make Copilot a hit (unlike the rather unpopular Cortana), it is now requiring partner keyboard manufacturers to have a dedicated Copilot key.
A final bow for WordPad – or is it?
To some, this move reminds them of when Microsoft wanted to ax Windows Paint. Many users were incensed, which is understandable, in my opinion, as I think Paint is one of the best apps ever made. In the case of Paint, Microsoft actually listened to users’ outcry and made the app available for download from the Microsoft Store. Since then, it’s been developed and upgraded for Windows 11, and even getting its own AI assistant named Cocreator.
It’s speculated that if there’s enough uproar about WordPad’s departure, Microsoft might consider doing something similar for WordPad. WordPad is a quality, solid app that’s simple and straightforward, installed by default, quick to load and get going, and offers more features than NotePad for simple text editing.
It’s safe to say many users are lamenting WordPad’s exit and are hoping it’ll be made available as an optional download. I guess we’ll have to see if Microsoft is actually interested in continuing to give users the option to work more simply and without unwanted AI features, or if it really is committed to dropping popular basic apps in pursuit of its vision of an AI-powered future.
Imagine a tool that could completely automate the negotiation of a contract – no lengthy reviews, no manual redlining, and no tedious back-and-forth with counterparties. It certainly sounds like something that could benefit the 80% of in-house lawyers who find that manual work detracts from time spent working towards wider business goals. Time is a rare luxury for lawyers, but AI could be the key to reclaiming the countless hours currently drained by day-to-day legal work.
In the past few years, AI has reached a level of sophistication that enables it to act as a “co-pilot” during the negotiation process, learning from a business’ previous agreements to flag areas of risk in a contract. The ability of AI to work alongside human professionals is something that’s being reflected across all industries, with Rishi Sunak commenting at the recent AI Safety Summit that he envisions society coming to see AI as a ‘co-pilot’ in many jobs.
And today AI has advanced to take the legal co-pilot model one step further, making the contract negotiation process entirely autonomous by pitting one AI against another to remove the human element on both sides. In short, AI can also be used on “autopilot”.
Jaeger Glucina
MD and Chief of Staff at Luminance.
An AI autopilot in flight
To show how AI can ease the burden of relatively routine tasks, Luminance recently used its ‘legal-grade’ AI to demonstrate the world’s first automation of a contract negotiation without human involvement.
In the demo, two instances of the platform were set up between two companies. Using the information gleaned from each business’ previously agreed contracts, an AI on each side of the negotiating table automatically reviewed and amended a Non-Disclosure Agreement, with both seeking to bring language in line with their respective company’s standards. After several rounds of back-and-forth, the NDA became gradually more mutually acceptable and was eventually passed into DocuSign for its General Counsel to sign.
Generalist v specialist
The above example is not work a general-purpose AI model can fulfil – but it is a role that a specialist AI can step into. Part of the challenge within the industry is not just that language like ‘co-pilot’ is being used speculatively, but that the tools being highlighted are generalist in their nature. These platforms tend to be framed as being broadly capable, but it is not uncommon for experts to test such systems on highly particular or industry-specific tasks and find them wanting in their accuracy or usefulness.
In industries with strict requirements about how work is performed and what standards need to be met, like law and healthcare, specialist AI platforms can deliver on promises around productivity and efficiency where generalist tools cannot. For instance, it takes a contract professional an average of more than two hours to find a specific piece of language in a specific contract – a task that more than two-thirds are faced with at least once a week. In enterprises generating many thousands of contracts a year, that’s an enormous drain on resources.
While a task like this is ripe for automation, any automation needs to be powered by a fine-tuned AI model that understands the specific language of contract law, how even minor changes in that language may affect a whole agreement, and the outcomes that the right (or wrong) decisions may lead to.
The process that human legal teams would need to undertake to achieve the mutual negotiation enacted by Luminance’s AI is too long to list in full here, but needless to say it would require many hours of searching, checking, consultation, reviewing, and verification. The outcome, meanwhile, would not be a creative or value-adding one: the nature of the task is about normalization, not innovation.
Valuable work for human experts
For a large enterprise, specialist AI will free legal professionals up to invest time in more creative and valuable work, like exploring M&A opportunities. For smaller businesses, it could mean achieving more favorable contracts across the board in ways that they wouldn’t otherwise have the resources to achieve.
When preparing for an AI-enabled future, the key task for business leaders and professionals alike is not in applying generalist AI tools to their businesses at large. Rather, it will be to identify the workflows that represent significant cost centers or inefficiencies in their business, and to invest in tools that truly target these pain-points. That’s a vision for a co-piloted future that delivers a real competitive advantage.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
