“It’s a new day for search” – Microsoft launches new AI copilot for the web

“It’s a new day for search” – Microsoft launches new AI copilot for the web

Microsoft is announcing the launch of a new Bing search engine and Edge browser powered by new AI tools that leverages ChatGPT technology. Microsoft is calling it AI copilot and chat. It combines Microsoft search and Azure AI supercomputing tech with a more powerful than ChatGPT next-generation OpenAI large language model. The new Bing and Edge will bring together search, browsing, and chat into one experience across the web. Hoping to give you a new conversational experience, a better search with complete answers, and the ability to generate content.

“It’s a new day for search”

– Satya Nadella

AI-powered Bing Search engine

With search, you can ask the new Bing normal and complex questions and expect detailed replies. What happens is that it will look at search results across the web and give you a summarized answer, saving you time to look up various web links. You can also ask follow-up questions in the chat experience. Microsoft says Bing can help you write a poem, or stories or even share ideas for your project.

New Microsoft AI Edge browser

The Edge browser has also been updated with a new look and AI capabilities It comes with two new features; chat and compose located in the Edge sidebar. Microsoft says Edge can understand the webpage you are on and adapt accordingly. The feature allows you to ask for a summary of a lengthy report and use the chat function to ask for a comparison. It also lets you compose content such as LinkedIn posts and tweak it

the new homepage for the Microsoft search engine Bing ai powered via chatgpt

It’s a new day for search” – Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, says speaking at the launch event. He notes “it is an exciting time in tech. … The advances, what’s possible excites us. … Can we use technology to overcome the challenges that people, organizations, and countries face? That really is the pursuit here.”

Microsoft says the new Bing ChatGPT-like experience is available starting today on Bing.com for everyone to try as a limited preview on a desktop. However, the chat mode is only available when you have access to the new Bing. Microsoft plans to scale the preview to millions in the coming weeks and bring it to mobile and other browsers as well. You can join a waitlist to know when it is available to you.

chat mode on the new Bing powered by AI and ChatGPT

The company’s announcement looks to bring new life to its Bing search engine platform through its Open AI partnership and ChatGPT model integration. Its main competitor Google has already announced Bard to rival ChatGPT.

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Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Innovation Conference 2022

Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Innovation Conference 2022

Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Resource Group announces BAM Innovation Conference 2022. The second annual event seeks to bring together tech professionals, students, future Microsoft employees, etc. to learn, share, mentor, and collaborate. Registration for the event is free and it welcomes everyone irrespective of their background to join the virtual event on December 7th.

BAM Innovation Conference 2022 event information details poster Blacks at Microsoft event

BAM Innovation Conference 2022

BAM Innovation Conference 2022 is a platform for black professionals, students, and job seekers in the community to learn, innovate, mentor, and gain exposure to the tech industry. It aims to empower the community with the tools, resources, and network needed to establish and advance a career in tech.

In the end, we seek to build better candidates, enhance diversity and continue to build workplaces that reflect the world we live in.

The event will host a variety of activities including sessions that dive into a wide range of tech topics. A panel session and an opportunity to interact with speakers and attendees. There will be details on how to get training and certification programs across a range of Microsoft apps and services.

As every Black experience in tech is different, we’re bringing a full showcase of different speakers and topics to expand your perspective. The BAM Innovation Conference agenda is stacked with technical and non-technical topics that include cloud, startups, gaming, AI and careers in tech.

Click the link for more details, register, and participate in the Blacks at Microsoft event.

The event will have a session focusing on Microsoft’s footprint on the African Continent titled “Africa 2040: Empowerment, Innovation, Transformation“. Which will look at the story of the Microsoft Africa Development Centre in Kenya and Nigeria. This session will feature Microsoft ADC MDs Catherine Muraga, and Gafar Lawal. Other panelists are Azure Global Emerging Markets Engineering General Manager Bambo Sofola, and Abolade Gbadegesin Developer and Technical Fellow at Microsoft.

BAM effects on Africa

The BAM community has inspired and pushed for a number of initiatives on the African continent. These include organizing the NexTech Africa conference and the Insiders For Good fellowship program. The Africa to Redmond Hack for Africa program and Microsoft African University Recruitment Program for recent graduate engineers. That provides successful candidates with relocation to the USA and Canada. As well as the building of a Microsoft software engineering team in Africa. Birthing the Microsoft Africa Development Centers software engineering offices in Kenya and Nigeria.

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Drop: a new way to send files, notes across mobile and PC devices

Drop: a new way to send files, notes across mobile and PC devices

Drop is a new file and notes sharing feature in the Microsoft Edge browser that lets users send files and notes across their mobile and PC devices. The Drop sharing feature is located in the sidebar widget. It works by synchronizing a shared file across your devices using Edge and OneDrive. A kind of AirDrop feature that lets you share and receive photos, documents, videos, links, and notes or text to another device instead of a person.

The company has been testing and developing this new file-sharing feature since May this year. It has since moved from the Edge Canary Channel for early testers to more stable Edge versions. It appears it is still not generally available as i didn’t see it in the normal Edge browser. However, once it gets to the Dev Edge Channel it is likely to soon show up in the Beta channel and to all.

The Drop file-sharing feature tries to make sending links, text, images, and video from one device to another simple. This feature looks great as it only involves you and not another person or account. So you won’t have to create a fake contact or spam someone’s chat message with things you want to pick up from another device.

It is also another way Microsoft could be testing file sharing across devices as it doesn’t have a definite solution. Currently, it encourages Windows PC users to use the Phone Link app.

microsoft edge drop file sharing feature explained Windows 10 and 11, Mac PC interface
how it looks on a desktop Edge PC browser

How Drop file sharing feature works

First, you need to sign in to your Edge browser on both sending and receiving devices with your Microsoft account.

Next, the easiest way to use the feature is to open the sidebar widget and click it. On a Windows PC you can press the shortcut, control + shift +forward slash (Ctrl+Shift+/) to get to the side widget. Or Alt+F to open settings, then scroll down and select Show sidebar. Microsoft by default have it added, but if it isn’t you can click on the add (+) sign to add it.

Then click on the Edge Drop feature. The logo looks like a paper airplane. It will open up what looks like a text chat interface on the side. With a “write a note to yourself”, a plus (+) to select a file or photo to send, and a send feature the visible options.

microsoft edge drop file sharing feature explained Android, iOs mobile interface
how it looks on a mobile Edge browser

When you send a file, you will get a “New Drop messages in Edge” notification on the other devices you are signed in to asking you to click to open the file. The sent file then goes to a newly created “MicrosoftEdgeDropFiles” folder on your PC. I did not find any newly created folders on my mobile phone. When you click to open the Edge Drop file on mobile it takes you to the widget in the browser and you see the file and proceed from there.

From my current understanding, the file is also stored in a new folder in your Microsoft OneDrive account. You will notice a “Microsoft Edge Drop Files” folder with all the shared files except links and text as shown in the image below.t also uses your cloud storage and Microsoft doesn’t give any additional storage for this. So if you use it often and with large files, you will have to have a larger OneDrive storage or keep deleting them afterward.

Microsoft Edge Drop Files folder in OneDrive

It will be interesting to see the final feature when Microsoft releases or announces Drop to the public.

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Microsoft hosts Startups Summit in Cape Town

Microsoft hosts Startups Summit in Cape Town

Microsoft South Africa is hosting a Microsoft for Startups Summit – Cape Town meetup targetting founders, entrepreneurs, developers, venture capitals (VCs), accelerators, and their teams. The free event is in-person and will take place on December 1st. At the Innovation City Darter Studio, Longkloof, Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa.

The Microsoft Startups Summit – Cape Town event will offer attendees access to best practices and practical tools to evolve their venture and grow. It will enable networking opportunities and conversations among ecosystem players. As well as help accelerate innovation for first-time founders, serial entrepreneurs, or technical founders.

The invitation reads:

Every founder and startup is unique. Yet, there are common challenges that all founders face at different stages of their business journey, from validating ideas, accelerating the time to market to geo expansion, and gaining access to funding.

We are excited to present the Microsoft for Startups Meet-up Cape Town.

announcement details inviting start founders, developers VC to Microsoft Startups Summit - Cape Town event

This year, Microsoft announced new initiatives to accelerate the growth of 10,000 African startups and fast-track investment in Africa’s startup ecosystem over the next five years. Launching the Startups Founders Hub in Africa and partnering with accelerators and incubators to provide startups with access to markets, technical skills, and funding.

The startup summit agenda includes keynotes, fireside chats, breakout, networking, and cocktails sessions. There will also be a session on the startup journey with Microsoft from Founders Hub to Azure Marketplace. Speakers include Will Green Tech Founder- Grindstone, Ajay Lalu Co-Founder Q-HOP and David Rogers Founder and CEO, BancX.

Click to find out more details about the event and register to participate.

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COP27 – Microsoft announces new Africa AI Innovation Council

COP27 – Microsoft announces new Africa AI Innovation Council

Microsoft is announcing the establishment of the Africa AI Innovation Council to harness the power of data and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost climate resilience and adaptation efforts in Africa. With membership drawn from organizations led by the African Development Bank, African Risk Capacity, and African Climate Foundation.

The company is at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Where world and business leaders are gathered to take action on issues critical to tackling the climate emergency. Participating as a strategic technology partner and a principal sponsor, Microsoft is unveiling action-based new climate-focused initiatives.

The world needs to move faster and COP27 will provide an important forum to move from pledges to progress“, says Microsoft Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith.

In relation to Africa, Microsoft notes there is insufficient reliable climate data. It also lacks data scientists to work with the available data to turn them into insights for decision-making. It is therefore announcing the first global expansion of the AI for Good Lab to Kenya and Egypt. Where data scientists will close the climate data divide and work with local partners to use AI on new climate initiatives.

Microsoft AI Innovation Council cop27

The Africa AI Innovation Council will convene a high-level, multi-sector group of leaders who understand the issues facing the continent. They will inform the work of the new AI for Good Labs coming to Kenya and Egypt. It will also identify opportunities to improve climate resilience through data and AI. As well as facilitate ways to generate additional climate data and drive continued research.

Microsoft is making good on its commitment to move beyond pledges to climate action“, says Wael El Kabbany, General Manager, Africa Regional Cluster.

Given our role as an enabler of a diverse range of digital solutions, Microsoft has a unique responsibility to help governments and organizations to achieve their climate goals through the power of technology. We are committed to accelerating digital transformation in Africa, with a view to helping the continent realize its growing innovation potential in the climate technology space and beyond.”

Wael El Kabbany

Africa-based data scientists will also get access to satellite imagery to address challenges nominated by the Africa AI Innovation Council.

In 2020, Microsoft announced plans to be carbon negative by 2030 and to remove from the environment all the carbon the company emitted since its founding by 2050. The company built on this pledge by adding commitments to be water positive and zero waste by 2030. In opening its ultra-modern Africa offices it factored in solutions that reduce or prevent the emission of carbon. Using self-heating windows, solar plants, and a water treatment facility to recycle and purify water. The eco-friendly office also optimizes space utilization and lighting adjustments.

Microsoft is also announcing technical guidance and skilling initiatives to help people achieve sustainability goals with Azure.

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