This week the tech world descended on Barcelona, Spain for Mobile World Congress 2024. There we saw everything from concept laptops with transparent screens to devices that will be on store shelves this year. On top of that, some Copilot users spotted the AI tool’s “evil twin” and Intel and Qualcomm made announcements about AI.
Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress ran throughout this week, and while we weren’t all lucky enough to travel to Barcelona, we were fortunate enough to see all the major announcements from the tech conference.
Our friend Michael Fisher, also known as MrMobile, was in Barcelona and shared a video about the event. Our Editor-in-Chief Daneil Rubino was there as well to gain insight, see devices first-hand, and share photos. Here are some highlights from MWC 2024 to help you catch up:
Windows 11
Microsoft started rolling out the latest feature drop of Windows 11 toward the end of the week. Also known as “Moment 5,” the update includes several new features for PCs. Unsurprisingly, many of the features involve AI, which is a trend already and will become increasingly important as tech advances.
Copilot received an update, allowing it to integrate closer with your PC. The AI tool can now turn battery saver on and off, show device information, and perform a variety of other tasks. Copilot can also enable accessibility features, such as Voice Access and Screen Magnifier. These improvements make Copilot feel more like part of Windows rather than a shortcut to a web search.
The latest Windows 11 update makes the operating system DMA compliant. I’d argue this is better for everyday users, since you can now turn off the news feed in the widgets panel, uninstall Bing from Windows Search, and uninstall Microsoft Edge. You can even replace Bing in Windows Search if you’d like.
You can install the latest Windows 11 update now by seeking it in the Windows Settings app. It may take a bit of time to roll out to your PC if you don’t seek the update.
Copilot plugins
The first wave of Copilot plugins launched this week, expanding the capabilities of the AI tool. Copilot supports using up to three plugins with a conversation, such as booking a table through OpenTable in the same conversation as using Kayak to book a flight and a hotel.
When we tested Copilot plugins earlier this week, we had access to Search, Instacart, Kayak, Klarna, OpenTable, and Shop (owned by Shopify).
One of the main benefits of Copilot plugins is that you can interact with them using everyday language. You don’t need to learn a bunch of special commands or code speak to get Copilot to do what you want.
When prompted with “Hello, please find me the cheapest flights from LAX to Auckland New Zealand in the next 3 months. Also, find good restaurants in Auckland and hotels as well as car rental prices,” Copilot found flights and hotels that aligned with the query.
Copilot “evil twin”
It wasn’t all good news on the Copilot front, however. Copilot was spotted generating and sharing fake press statements regarding Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s recent demise that it linked to US President Joseph Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Part of the fake statement read:
“Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, responded to Joe Biden’s statement regarding Aleksei Navalny’s death with a mix of defensiveness and dismissal. In his official address, Putin emphasized that Navalny was a ‘criminal’ who had violated Russian law and was rightfully imprisoned. He accused the West of using Navalny as a political pawn to undermine Russia’s sovereignty and stability. Putin’s tone was firm, and he avoided directly addressing the allegations of responsibility for Navalny’s demise.”
Microsoft investigated the situation and worked to correct the error. While it’s not rare for AI tools to hallucinate, it can be dangerous if they share false information that appears genuine. 2024 is an election year in many countries, so tools like Copilot need protections in place against spreading false information.
False information could be especially dangerous if it was shared with aggression by SupremacyAGI, the “evil twin” of Microsoft Copilot that was spotted by some recently.
Intel vPro
While Copilot had an up-and-down week, AI isn’t going anywhere. In fact, we expect to see several AI PCs launch in 2024, including business-focused machines running Intel processors. Intel unveiled its vPro Core Ultra chips.
Intel vPro is the chipmaker’s business computing platform. Intel vPro PCs have a variety of enterprise features that make systems easier to manage and take care of. While general consumers don’t need much of what Intel vPro PCs have, many of those features are essential for business users and IT managers.
This past week, Intel announced its Intel vPro platform for its new Core Ultra processors. The list of commercial laptops with new Intel processors inside includes devices from Acer, ASUS, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft Surface, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung, and VAIO.
Qualcomm AI Hub
While Intel made a hardware announcement this week about AI PCs, Qualcomm shared its own AI PC news, but it was on the software side of things. Qualcomm AI Hub launched last week, giving developers access to over 75 AI models that are optimized to run on Qualcomm processors.
Phones running Qualcomm chips will benefit from the AI Hub as well, but I’m quite interested to see how it will affect PCs. If developers embrace Windows on ARM ahead of the Snapdragon X Elite launch, it will do a lot for computing on the platform.
Reviews & Editorials
Our experts took a close look at the latest gadgets, games, and devices this past week. From a “nearly flawless” HP from HP to a lap desk for PC gaming on the couch, here are all of our recent reviews.
Deals
In addition to trying out the latest tech, we keep a close eye out for the best deals on laptops, accessories, and more. The following deals are still live, though discounts often change quickly.
