Search results for: “microsoft”

  • Microsoft unveils simple Copilot app for Mac users

    Microsoft unveils simple Copilot app for Mac users

    Microsoft has rolled out a fresh Copilot app made just for Mac computers. This means people who use Copilot can now enjoy it through a smooth, Mac-friendly program. Copilot is Microsoft’s smart AI tool, powered by OpenAI tech. It works a lot like ChatGPT, helping users with all sorts of tasks. You can ask it questions, get coding tips, upload pictures for extra details, create text or images, sum up info, dig into research, open shortcuts, and more.

    Now, Mac users can have this handy AI helper right on their screens. The app lets you upload photos, make images and text, use quick shortcuts, switch to dark mode, and explore a feature called Think Deeper. Microsoft Copilot is like a daily sidekick—chatting with it feels natural and boosts learning, growth, and confidence thanks to OpenAI and Microsoft’s AI brains.

    The app itself is free with no extra costs inside, but Copilot offers both free and paid options. For those wanting the newest AI features, Copilot Pro costs $20 per month per person.
    You can grab the Microsoft Copilot app from the Mac App Store at no charge. It works on any Mac with an Apple silicon chip running macOS 14 or newer. [Direct Link]

  • Microsoft Defender VPN for Mac and iPhone to end service soon

    Microsoft Defender VPN for Mac and iPhone to end service soon

    If you’re a Mac or iPhone user with a Microsoft 365 subscription, there’s some news you should know. Microsoft has announced that the Defender VPN service will stop working at the end of February 2025. According to a support document from Microsoft, they haven’t given a clear reason, but it looks like not many people were using this feature.

    The document states, “The privacy protection (VPN) feature within Defender will no longer be available after February 28, 2025. We regularly check how our features are used and how well they work. We’ve decided to stop this feature to focus on new areas that will better meet what our customers need.” This change was first noticed by the site Windows Latest.

    For those who don’t know, Microsoft Defender VPN was not widely known because it was only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and some US territories. It didn’t expand to other countries.

    Although it provided some privacy protection, it wasn’t helpful for those wanting to access content from different countries, like watching videos not available in their region. This is because, unlike other VPNs like NordVPN, you couldn’t pick which server to connect to; it automatically chose one near your location.

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  • Siri’s new leader starts making changes behind the scenes

    Siri’s new leader starts making changes behind the scenes

    Apple recently gave Siri a new leader, and he’s already starting to shake things up inside the company, according to a new report. The new head of Siri, behind Apple’s AI efforts, is likely working to speed up progress in the race for better AI tools.

    The report from The New York Times says that Apple replaced the former head of Siri, Bill Stasior, with a new executive named Giannandrea. Since taking over, he has started making internal changes, especially around how Siri works and how the team builds it.

    Even though Apple hasn’t officially shared many details, it’s clear the company is focusing more on AI now. The changes inside the Siri team are part of a bigger plan to catch up with other tech companies that are leading the AI space, like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft.

    Apple is expected to show off some of its new AI features at WWDC 2025 in June. These updates could bring major improvements to Siri, making it smarter and more useful.

    With the growing importance of AI, Apple’s new Siri leader seems to be preparing the company for a stronger future in this space. Fans and developers alike are hoping to see big upgrades soon.

  • Apple’s new AI ad highlights how it helps clean up your digital mess

    Apple’s new AI ad highlights how it helps clean up your digital mess

    Apple has shared a new ad focusing on how its AI features can help users stay organized. The video, called “Clean Up,” is part of the company’s new “Apple Intelligence” campaign and shows how artificial intelligence can help tidy up your digital life.

    In the ad, a man walks down a street filled with flying papers, tangled wires, noisy alarms, and other chaotic digital clutter, like too many unread emails, constant calendar reminders, and messy photos. Apple uses this scene to show how overwhelming digital life can feel.

    As the man taps on his iPhone, all the mess around him disappears. This moment is meant to show how Apple’s AI features can quickly clean things up and make your life easier. These smart tools can manage notifications, organize apps, sort emails, and even help edit photos.

    Apple has been putting more focus on AI lately, especially as other tech companies like Google and Microsoft continue to expand their own AI tools. The “Apple Intelligence” branding shows Apple’s push to keep its products smart and user-friendly.

    This ad gives a quick and creative look at how AI can help reduce stress and keep your digital world in order, just by using your iPhone.

  • Apple makes storage info clear again in macOS 15.4 and fixes iCloud Mail trouble with iOS 18.3.2

    Apple makes storage info clear again in macOS 15.4 and fixes iCloud Mail trouble with iOS 18.3.2

    Apple recently updated macOS 15.4, and in its second beta version released this month, they hid how much space Apple Intelligence uses on a Mac. This change happened in the System Settings, making it tough for users to see the details.

    After some people thought Apple was trying to keep the storage size of Apple Intelligence a secret, the company quickly fixed it. With the fourth beta of macOS 15.4 out now, Apple brought back an easy way to check this info. You can find it by going to System Settings > General > Storage, then clicking the info button next to the macOS entry. A little window pops up showing the macOS version and how much space Apple Intelligence takes. This is the same setup as in the current macOS Sequoia 15.3.2.

    Some think the missing storage info in the earlier beta was just a mistake. Users who turned off System Integrity Protection (SIP)—a security feature that stops unsafe code from running—could still see the details. SIP is usually on for most people and can only be switched off in Recovery Mode, something developers do more often. Since Apple brought the info back for everyone, it might’ve been an accident, but we’re not sure.

    Apple says Apple Intelligence can use up to 7GB of space on a Mac, though some users notice it takes even more in macOS Sequoia 15.4. It needs this space to store special files that let it work on your device without always needing the internet. If you don’t want it using space, you can turn off Apple Intelligence.

    Meanwhile, the iOS 18.3.2 update from last week has caused problems for some iCloud Mail users. People on Reddit and forums like MacRumors say new emails aren’t showing up on their iPhones automatically after the update. Even with the right settings, they have to refresh the Mail app manually to see new messages. One Reddit user shared, “Since updating to iOS 18.3.2, my iCloud emails don’t come through on their own. I have to refresh, even though it worked fine before on 18.3.1.”

    Normally, iCloud Mail uses Push to send emails to your phone instantly. If that’s not working, it should switch to Fetch, checking for new mail every so often. But for some, neither option is doing the job. Other email services like Microsoft seem fine, so this glitch is just with iCloud Mail. Apple likely knows about it, and a fix should come soon.

  • Apple’s Mac growth outpaces top PC brands, leads in AI technology

    Apple’s Mac growth outpaces top PC brands, leads in AI technology

    A recent report shows that Apple’s Macs grew faster than the top three PC brands in the last three months of 2024. Not only that, Apple is also way ahead in computers built for artificial intelligence (AI), holding a 45% share compared to just 15% for its closest Windows rival.

    Mac’s Place in the PC World

    Apple sits in fourth place overall, with a 10% slice of the PC market. It trails behind Lenovo, HP, and Dell, but it saw the biggest jump in sales during late 2024. Experts at Canalys believe Apple is set to keep growing, especially with businesses. They point to a new partner program launching soon that will make it easier for companies to use Macs. This could help Apple win over more business customers by showing how well Macs work in big workplaces—something that’s held them back before.

    Here’s how the overall PC market looks:

    Lenovo: 25%
    HP: 20%
    Dell: 15%
    Apple: 10%
    Asus: 7%
    Acer: 6%
    Huawei: 2%
    Microsoft: 0.4%
    Others: 15%

    Apple Shines in AI Computers

    When it comes to PCs with special AI chips, Apple is the clear leader. In 2024, 17% of all shipped PCs were AI-ready. Apple grabbed 45% of that market, while Lenovo and HP each took 12%. (Note: One part of the report says 54%, but most data sticks with 45%—we’re checking on that.) Experts say AI features aren’t the main reason people buy PCs yet, but they’re growing in importance. Better AI could soon mean smarter, more personal devices, which might keep customers loyal to brands like Apple.

    Trump’s Tariffs Could Slow Things Down

    The PC market is doing well overall, thanks to companies upgrading old machines after Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10. But there’s a catch: a new 10% tax on goods from China, introduced by the Trump administration, could hurt. Since most laptops come from China, this could raise prices and slow down sales, especially for everyday buyers and businesses planning upgrades.

  • New feature in Outlook for Mac: Undo Your Sent Emails

    New feature in Outlook for Mac: Undo Your Sent Emails

    Microsoft is now adding a handy feature to Outlook for Mac that lets you take back emails you’ve sent, similar to a great feature Apple introduced for Mail. This update makes sure that the Mac version of Outlook matches up with what’s available on Windows and online. This new feature is called “Recall” – not to be confused with another Microsoft product of the same name. It works much like Apple’s “Undo Send” option, which was added to Mail back in 2022.

    The concept is simple: you’ve sent an email and then you spot a typo, or maybe you’ve said something you wish you hadn’t. You want to stop that email from being read. Apple’s method is pretty basic. It gives you a small window of time, a few seconds before the email leaves your outbox.

    Microsoft’s Recall, however, goes a bit further but with some restrictions. Here’s how it operates:

    • The recall only activates after you hit “Send”.
    • It only works if both you and the person you’re emailing use Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange accounts within the same company.
    • If you’re sending to or from personal email services like Hotmail, Gmail, or live.com, you won’t be able to use this feature.

    This means you can retract an email well beyond the initial send buffer, but only if everyone involved uses Microsoft professional accounts within the same organization. It’s perfect for workplace communications where you might need to correct a message. Currently, Recall for Outlook on Mac is in its testing phase but will soon be available to all users.

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  • Apple’s new ‘Party Planner’ feature in Calendar app

    Apple’s new ‘Party Planner’ feature in Calendar app

    Apple is gearing up to introduce a new tool called ‘Party Planner’ with the upcoming iOS 18.3 update for the Calendar app. Here’s how it might stand out from other apps:

    What is ‘Party Planner’?

    This weekend, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg hinted that Apple could release ‘Party Planner’ very soon. He explained:

    The name suggests it’s a fun way to invite friends to hangouts, parties, and work meetings. Apple has wanted to freshen up its calendar app for a while, and this might just be the start of something big. Filipe Espósito, another writer, first spotted this feature in the iOS 18.3 code, hinting at an ‘Invites’ app. It seems Apple is almost ready to launch this new service, which will blend into the Calendar app and might even work with iMessage.

    Three Ways ‘Party Planner’ Could Be Better

    • No Cost, No Ads: Over the years, I’ve tried many scheduling tools, but none were both free and without ads. It makes sense because companies need to make money. For example, Fantastical has cool features, but you pay for them. Doodle is free, but has ads. Since Apple earns most of its money from selling devices, offering ‘Party Planner’ for free is a smart move.
      Easy Calendar Management: ‘Party Planner’ will work with the Calendar app’s ability to handle different calendars all in one place – like Google, Microsoft, or iCloud. This means you can use multiple calendars without switching apps, making life easier for anyone juggling various scheduling systems.
      Photo Sharing Made Simple: After events, sharing photos can be a hassle. People might use AirDrop or set up shared albums, but there’s no easy standard. ‘Party Planner’ could solve this by integrating with the Photos app, allowing event attendees to share pictures directly from the event in the calendar. Maybe there could even be reminders to share photos the day after an event.

    Wrapping Up

    Apple’s Calendar app has been pretty basic for a long time, but with ‘Party Planner’, things are looking up. This feature, combined with new looks and smart features in iOS 18, could make organizing events on your iPhone easier and more fun.

  • Apple named world’s most admired company again

    Apple named world’s most admired company again

    For the 18th year in a row, Apple has been named the World’s Most Admired Company by Fortune magazine.

    Apple Logo

    The Fortune survey involves 3,380 business leaders from various sectors. They rate companies on nine different aspects such as innovation, how good they are for investors, how responsible they are towards society, and how well they attract new employees. Apple came out on top, with Microsoft and Amazon right behind, continuing their tradition of being among the best.

    This year’s 2025 rankings show that tech companies are still leading the pack. Nvidia has climbed to fourth place, a first for them, thanks to their big role in the world of artificial intelligence and making graphics processing units. Nvidia’s chips are key in the AI models created by companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.

    However, it’s not just tech; other types of companies are also doing well. Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, and JPMorgan Chase are also in the top seven. New entries this year in the top 50 include ServiceNow, Taiwan Semiconductor, and Novo Nordisk. An interesting point from this year’s list is that all ten of the highest-ranked companies are from the United States, showing a strong American presence at the top for the second year running.

  • Connect your iPhone to Windows 11 Start Menu

    Connect your iPhone to Windows 11 Start Menu

    Microsoft has made a new update for Windows 11 that now lets iPhone users connect their phones right from the Start menu. This update brings similar features that were previously only available for Android phones.

    With this update, you can check your iPhone’s battery level, see if it’s connected to the internet, and look at your recent activities all from your Windows computer. You can also manage your messages and calls, plus share files, without switching between devices.

    Getting started is easy. Just click on the Start menu, find the “iPhone” option on the side, and follow the simple steps on your screen to link your iPhone with your PC.

    This feature is currently being introduced to users in the Windows Insider program, specifically those in the Dev and Beta testing groups. To use these new tools, you’ll need to have Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 4805 or higher if you’re in the Beta group, or Build 26120.3000 or higher if you’re in the Dev group. Make sure your Phone Link app is updated to version 1.24121.30.0 or later, and your PC supports Bluetooth Low Energy.

    However, not everyone can use this feature right away. It’s not available if you’re using the Education or Pro Education versions of Windows 11. Microsoft is rolling this out gradually, so keep an eye out for when it comes to your system.

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