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Microsoft has debuted a Copilot Mode for its Edge web browser. When enabled, this experimental feature can search across multiple open browser tabs and analyze the information on each page. An example posted on X by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shows Copilot Mode examining several papers published by the company’s researchers and assessing if they make any similar points.

This feature will also support natural voice navigation and adds a dynamic pane for Copilot to be available wherever you’re browsing. The company is working on more advanced options as well. For instance, if you grant it permission to access your web history and credentials, Copilot Mode will “soon” be able to execute actions such as booking a reservation or suggesting whatever the chatbot deems as relevant information to a query. Copilot Mode will be available for a limited time for users with Edge on Windows or Mac machines to try out. If those people prefer, they can also turn Copilot Mode off in their browser settings.

Many tech companies have set their sights winning the race to have an AI-equipped browser. Perplexity, OpenAI, Opera, and The Browser Company have been pushing to get their products in front of users. Although Microsoft has been putting Copilot in both hardware and software, the business may have a ways to go to become a frontrunner in adoption of its AI tools.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-trials-copilot-mode-in-edge-201851903.html?src=rss 

Microsoft is implementing an age verification system on Xbox accounts to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act, and in a new blog post announcing the move, the company suggests it’ll come to other countries, too. 

Players in the UK who indicate on their account that they’re 18 years or older will now “begin seeing notifications encouraging them to verify their age,” Microsoft says. The process is optional for now, and players will be able to enjoy playing Xbox games until “early 2026,” when verification will become mandatory to “retain full access to social features on Xbox, such as voice or text communication and game invites.” If you don’t verify, you’ll still be able to make purchases, play games and earn achievements, but social features will be limited to your friends.

Microsoft says its hopes to learn from its UK program, and “roll out age verification processes to more regions in the future.” The company cautions that the version it introduces in other regions might look different than the “proof of government-issued ID, age estimation, mobile provider check and credit card check” options it’s offering in the UK, but age verification will be the norm.

The UK’s Online Safety Act was signed in to law in 2023 to ban nonconsensual deepfake porn and create rules preventing children from being exposed to adult content. As regulators have defined ways companies can comply with the law, implementing an age verification system has become the solution most platforms that host adult content have settled on. That’s why Microsoft, Bluesky, Reddit, Discord and others have announced age-verification programs in the last few months.

The problem is, no age verification system is foolproof, and in some cases all they take is a photo to circumvent. The Verge reports you can fool Reddit’s age gate with the photo mode in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, for example. Using a VPN has also proven to be a way to get around age verification tools. If companies take Microsoft’s approach and introduce age verification in more regions, it might get harder to avoid, but widespread adoption has privacy and security implications of its own.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-plans-to-bring-xbox-age-verification-to-countries-outside-of-the-uk-201953614.html?src=rss 

Earlier this summer Engadget covered the news that Warner Bros. Discovery would split into two giant media companies. Today the conglomerate announced the names for the restructured entities.

The company retaining Warner Bros. film, television and game studios, along with New Line Cinema, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, will be called Warner Bros. Meanwhile, the other entity, which holds the original company’s full portfolio of live cable channels, including CNN, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Discovery and TLC, will be called Discovery Global.

These companies have a storied history of creative naming schemes, such as when WarnerMedia merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery. It was also this parent company that brought us the saga of HBO Go being renamed HBO Max, which was then renamed Max, only to revert back to HBO Max this year.

The announcement also confirmed that David Zaslav, the current president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, will serve as president and CEO of the newly formed Warner Bros. Meanwhile, current Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels will serve as president and CEO of Discovery Global.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/the-new-warner-bros-and-discovery-global-would-like-you-to-forget-warner-bros-discovery-183951865.html?src=rss 

Earlier this month, Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey unveiled a peer-to-peer, Bluetooth-based messaging app he put together. Now, anyone with a compatible iPhone, Mac or iPad (or even Apple Vision Pro) can try Bitchat as it’s available on the App Store.

Dorsey created Bitchat under the auspices of “and Other Stuff,” an open-source development collective he has backed financially. Per the free app’s description, it allows users to chat with others who are physically close to them without needing to have their email address or phone number, which could make Bitchat handy for in-person events. Messages are private and encrypted, while the Panic Mode function allows you to delete all your Bitchat data with a triple tap.

Dorsey said he built Bitchat as an experiment in “Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models and a few other things.” The app doesn’t need internet access to function, making it a useful option in situations in which authorities block mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity. Other apps that offer Bluetooth mesh messaging first started appearing over a decade ago.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/jack-dorseys-bluetooth-messaging-app-is-now-on-the-app-store-185000786.html?src=rss 

Sony just dropped some more details about its upcoming wireless fight stick, including the real name. During development, it was known as Project Defiant but it’s officially called the FlexStrike.

This is the very first fight stick controller designed by Sony Interactive and it’s compatible with both PS5 and PC via either a wired or wireless connection. It’s also extremely easy on the eyes, as you can see below.

Fighting games require precise inputs with no lag, and wireless controllers aren’t typically the preferred option. However, FlexStrike capitalizes on the PlayStation Link technology to deliver “ultra-low latency wireless” gameplay. This requires the included PS Link USB adapter, which is compatible with USB-C ports.

The controller features angled surfaces and a non-slip base so it shouldn’t move around during frantic play sessions. It also includes a custom-designed digital stick and mechanical switch buttons. It even features a touchpad, so it boasts just about every input found on a traditional DualSense.

The aforementioned adapter can be used to connect two FlexStrike controllers at once, or to pair a single controller with Sony’s Pulse Elite headset or Pulse Explore earbuds. A standard DualSense can also remain connected to a PS5 at the same time, for menu-diving and the like.

The FlexStrike controller will be available sometime in 2026. We don’t have a price yet, but we do know that it ships with a nifty carrying case.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sonys-wireless-fight-stick-is-now-called-flexstrike-and-it-features-mechanical-switch-buttons-180517208.html?src=rss