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Microsoft Build 2023 kicked off with an opening keynote from CEO Satya Nadella, followed by two other keynote sessions. Surprising absolutely no one, there was a big focus on AI. While we have coverage of all the big news, if you want to hear the updates straight from the source without watching the entire thing, you can check out our supercut below.

Perhaps the biggest announcement is that Microsoft will soon embed AI deeply into Windows 11. Windows Copilot, which you’ll be able to try a preview of next month, can be used in a similar way to Bing AI. So, you can ask it general questions like you would of the search engine chatbot. However, you can also use text prompts to change Windows settings, summarize documents and carry out a host of other tasks on your desktop.

Also on the Windows 11 front, AI will power live captions for more languages and Microsoft will roll out Bluetooth Low Energy Audio support for compatible devices. Elsewhere, the company will infuse AI into the Microsoft Store and Edge. On top of that, Bing Search will soon be integrated into ChatGPT, while Microsoft plans to help third-party developers build their own AI apps and copilots that are compatible with ChatGPT.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-the-microsoft-build-2023-keynote-in-under-10-minutes-202055599.html?src=rss 

Netflix has been quick to act on its plans to charge for account sharing in the US. The streaming service is notifying American customers that they’ll need to pay $8 per month for viewers outside of the household who want to share the account. As in other countries, you can add one extra member with the Standard plan, and two with the Premium tier. You can convert profiles into paying extra member accounts.

The company rolled out account sharing in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain this February after trialing the change in Latin America. You can still watch outside of your home, but you’ll have to establish the household’s boundaries either manually through a smart TV app (which looks for devices on the same WiFi network) or automatically (based on IP addresses, device IDs and activity). Netflix says it doesn’t know your exact location, but it may ask you to verify a device if you’re travelling or otherwise using a different connection.

Netflix has been direct about the reasoning behind its initiative. The media giant has pinned some of its recent financial troubles on users borrowing passwords to effectively get free service. The sharing theoretically converts some of these people into paying customers, even if it also risks sending them into the arms of competitors like Amazon and Disney.

There have been criticisms of this approach. It could prove a hassle for college students that previously used the family account for in-dorm viewing. And while $8 per month isn’t a high price for a streaming service, there are some viewers who may simply drop Netflix altogether. However, it’s doubtful the company is going back. It said it was “pleased” with the results from the February launch, suggesting that paid sharing is here to stay.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-starts-charging-for-account-sharing-in-the-us-185133792.html?src=rss 

Big changes are coming to the Peloton app. As of today, the software offers three different standalone subscription tiers. To start, there’s a new free option, with no credit card required, that comes with access to more than 50 classes – though live workouts are off the table. It joins Peloton’s existing service, which will be known as App One. For $13 per month, App One grants you access to nine of Peloton’s 16 “modalities,” meaning you can watch the company’s pilates, yoga and outdoor running classes. However, the tier limits you to just three equipment-based cycling, treadmill and rowing classes per month, with scenic and lanebreak variants excluded. For unlimited access to those, you will need to pay for Peloton’s new App+ subscription, which costs $24 per month.

Effectively, the change means those who used the Peloton App to enjoy the company’s cycling and treadmill on their non-Peloton equipment will need to pay more to keep doing that. If you’re a current annual subscriber, you will continue to have access to all of the classes Peloton offers through its app until your membership renews. At that point, you will need to decide if you want to upgrade to the App+. Even with today’s change, it’s worth noting the Peloton App won’t replace the company’s equipment subscription, which will you will still need to access its classes on your Bike, Tread or Row machine.

Separately, Peloton is adding tutorials for strength training. The company says the app’s new “Gym” component features “self-paced, whiteboard-style” classes for those who prefer exercising outside of their home. The service will be available in the coming days, with the new App+ tier launching in the US, Canada, Australia, German and UK.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pelotons-revamped-fitness-app-restricts-most-equipment-workouts-to-new-more-expensive-tier-190522723.html?src=rss 

The White House has made responsible AI development a focus of this administration in recent months, releasing a Blueprint AI Bill of Rights, developing a risk management framework, committing $140 million to found seven new National Academies dedicated to AI research and weighing in on how private enterprises are leveraging the technology. On Tuesday, the executive branch announced its next steps towards that goal including releasing an update to the National AI R&D Strategic Plan for the first time since 2019 as well as issuing a request for public input on critical AI issues. The Department of Education also dropped its hotly-anticipated report on the effects and risks of AI for students.

The OSTP’s National AI R&D Strategic Plan, which guides the federal government’s investments in AI research, hadn’t been updated since the Trump Administration (when he gutted the OSTP staffing levels). The plan seeks to promote responsible innovation in the field that serves the public good without infringing on the public’s rights, safety and democratic values, having done so until this point through eight core strategies. Tuesday’s update adds a ninth, establishing “a principled and coordinated approach to international collaboration in AI research,” per the White House. 

“The federal government plays a critical role in ensuring that technologies like AI are developed responsibly, and to serve the American people,” the OSTP argued in its release. “Federal investments over many decades have facilitated many key discoveries in AI innovations that power industry and society today, and federally funded research has sustained progress in AI throughout the field’s evolution.”

The OSTP also wants to hear the publics thoughts on both its new strategies and the technology’s development in general. As such it is inviting “interested individuals and organizations” to submit their comments to one or more of nearly 30 prompt questions, including “How can AI rapidly identify cyber vulnerabilities in existing critical infrastructure systems and accelerate addressing them?” and “How can Federal agencies use shared pools of resources, expertise, and lessons learned to better leverage AI in government?” through the Federal eRulemaking Portal by 5:00 pm ET on July 7, 2023. Responses should be limited to 10 pages of 11-point font.

The Department of Education also released its report on the promises and pitfalls of AI in schools on Tuesday, focusing on the how it impacts Learning, Teaching, Assessment, and Research. Despite recent media hysteria about generative AIs like ChatGPT fomenting the destruction of higher education by helping students write their essays, the DoE noted that AI “can enable new forms of interaction between educators and students, help educators address variability in learning, increase feedback loops, and support educators.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/white-house-reveals-its-next-steps-towards-responsible-ai-development-190636857.html?src=rss 

The Microsoft Build developer’s conference has been heavily focused on all things AI, per usual, but the company’s making announcements in other spaces, including a particularly useful update for Windows 11 users. The operating system is finally getting native RAR support, ending the tyranny of third-party apps like WinRAR.

This is an open-source solution powered by the multi-format libarchive project. Microsoft says this not only offers a native option to handle RAR files, but additional formats like tar, 7-zip, gz and many others, as reported by The Verge. It also touts “improved functionality” regarding compression when compared to third-party apps.

The company hasn’t announced an official launch date for the feature, but Windows 11 is getting a robust update tomorrow with support for Bluetooth LE and more, so maybe it’ll get tacked onto that. We’ll let you know. It’s always nice to have options when it comes to compressing and unzipping files. Here’s hoping this new tool is easy to use and, most importantly, fast.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-finally-gets-native-rar-support-192034673.html?src=rss