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  3. <title>Surfshark study probes data hunger of web browsers – Computerworld</title>
  4. <link>https://www.computerworld.com</link>
  5. <description>Making technology work for business</description>
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  13. <title>Surfshark study probes data hunger of web browsers</title>
  14. <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 21:22:47 +0000</pubDate>
  15. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  16. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
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  20.  
  21.  
  22.  
  23. <p>A new survey by VPN provider Surfshark has found that Chrome collects the most information from users’ phones, while “TOR stands out as the most privacy-centric browser by collecting no data at all.”</p>
  24.  
  25.  
  26.  
  27. <p>The two were among 10 that researchers analyzed, after using <a href="https://appmagic.rocks/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AppMagic</a>, a market intelligence tool, to select the most popular browser apps on Apple phones in the US in 2025, they said in a <a href="https://surfshark.com/research/chart/data-collection-mobile-browsers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a> outlining their findings.</p>
  28.  
  29.  
  30.  
  31. <p>The researchers noted, “Chrome is the most data-hungry, collecting 20 different data types across numerous categories. These include contact info, financial details, location, browsing history, search history, user content, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics, and other types of data. Chrome is the only browser that collects financial information, such as payment methods, card numbers, or bank account details.”</p>
  32.  
  33.  
  34.  
  35. <p>It is also, they stated, the only browser that collects a list of contacts from the user’s phone, address book, or social graph.</p>
  36.  
  37.  
  38.  
  39. <p>The researchers said that the remaining browsers each only collect an average of six data types, with Bing having the second-largest appetite, collecting 12 data types. Apple’s Safari browser collects eight. </p>
  40.  
  41.  
  42.  
  43. <p>Other findings revealed that:</p>
  44.  
  45.  
  46.  
  47. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  48. <li>40% of the analyzed browsers apps collect users’ locations. Safari, Chrome and Opera “collect coarse location, which refers to a user’s or device’s location with less precision than exact latitude and longitude. Bing is the only app that collects precise location data.”<br>The report pointed out that 60% of the apps don’t collect any location information, suggesting that it is not necessary for a browser app to collect user location in order to function. “This raises concerns about why some browsers collect this data and how it is used,” the researchers wrote.</li>
  49.  
  50.  
  51.  
  52. <li>Only Opera, Bing, and Pi Browser ads collect data used for third-party advertising.</li>
  53.  
  54.  
  55.  
  56. <li>Pi Browser, Edge, and Bing collect data that is used to track an individual.</li>
  57.  
  58.  
  59.  
  60. <li>DuckDuckGo and Firefox fall into a moderate category in terms of data collection, the study found; they avoid collecting the most sensitive data. They do gather information such as user contact information, identifiers such as device ID, usage data, and diagnostics.<br> “These browsers may suit users with moderate privacy concerns but still require robust browsing capabilities,” the researchers noted.</li>
  61.  
  62.  
  63.  
  64. <li>In terms of worldwide market share on Apple devices, Chrome and Safari account for 90% of the total.</li>
  65. </ul>
  66.  
  67.  
  68.  
  69. <p>When asked for his reaction to the findings, Forrester Senior Analyst Andrew Cornwall said, “If you’re interested in privacy, a mobile device is not your friend. Both Apple and Google learn a lot about you through your interactions with your phone. Android users expect some level of snooping in return for subsidized hardware and software. Apple users expect more privacy but leave a similar digital trail that Apple can follow.”</p>
  70.  
  71.  
  72.  
  73. <p>Most users, said Cornwall, “are willing to trade some privacy for ease of use. They like not having to enter passwords manually. They may be willing to let Chrome remember their credit card details if it means the browser will fill in the field for them when they’re paying bills online. They use Gmail as their email provider. However, users don’t realize how much information about them is collected.”</p>
  74.  
  75.  
  76.  
  77. <p>Safayat Moahamad, research director at Info-Tech Research Group, said, “mobile browsers are uniquely positioned to observe user behavior. Companies like Google and Microsoft use the data they collect (such as search terms, visited sites, and geolocation) to personalize services, improve features, and more crucially, power targeted advertising.”</p>
  78.  
  79.  
  80.  
  81. <p>The more granular the data, he said, the more valuable it becomes for ad revenue and product stickiness, as well as for inferences about user intent that drive business decisions. </p>
  82.  
  83.  
  84.  
  85. <p>Asked if the current regulatory gaps allow browsers to collect data without adequate oversight, and could new laws change the game, he said that the answer is yes and no: “The recent <a href="https://iapp.org/news/a/4-critical-compliance-areas-companies-should-review-after-cppas-honda-settlement/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Honda–CPPA settlement</a> is a prime example. Regulators found that cookie consent practices lacked symmetry. Users weren’t given equal options to accept or reject tracking.”</p>
  86.  
  87.  
  88.  
  89. <p>This highlights a broader problem, said Moahamad “which is that many browsers enable tracking that circumvents true consent through dark patterns or deceptive settings. Despite laws like GDPR and CCPA setting important guardrails, new laws, like the EU’s Digital Markets Act and enforcement action such as US FTC’s settlement with Honda, aim to close these gaps and give users actionable control.”</p>
  90.  
  91.  
  92.  
  93. <p>What it all means, he said, is that there are “absolutely security risks for the users, and they’re growing. Browsers store session cookies that keep you logged in, and hackers are now stealing those cookies at scale, 17 billion<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/03/19/2fa-code-warning-as-hackers-steal-17-billion-cookies-to-use-in-attacks/"></a> and counting.”</p>
  94.  
  95.  
  96.  
  97. <p>According to Moahamad, “this lets <a href="https://www.varonis.com/blog/cookie-bite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attackers bypass passwords and even MFA</a>, slipping silently into your accounts. Malware, rogue extensions, and phishing links are all entry points. Users may feel safe with <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/563753/two-factor-authentication-2fa-explained.html">2FA</a>, but if your browser is compromised, your defenses fall apart.”</p>
  98.  
  99.  
  100.  
  101. <p>When  it comes to the collection of personal data via browsers, said Cornwall, “there are no technical solutions, only mitigations. Deleting cookies, disabling location, and renewing location/advertising IDs on device can help, but Apple and Google still know your device ID.”</p>
  102.  
  103.  
  104.  
  105. <p>Strong data protection legislation, he said, “has been enacted in some jurisdictions, with financial penalties to enforce user privacy rights. However, that leaves opportunities for multinationals to hide amidst a patchwork of laws.”</p>
  106. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  107. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3982319/surfshark-study-probes-data-hunger-of-web-browsers.html</link>
  108. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3982319</post-id><category>Browsers, Data Privacy</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3982319-0-99275500-1746825809-shutterstock_2190330899.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="8565059" type="image/jpeg" />
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  111. <title>It’s in the national interest for Apple to design its own silicon</title>
  112. <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 10:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
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  118.  
  119.  
  120.  
  121. <p>In a surprise to nobody, Apple is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-08/apple-is-developing-specialized-chips-for-glasses-new-macs-and-ai-servers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">developing</a> even more processors for use in its devices. It makes total sense. In case you hadn’t noticed, silicon is becoming a national and international strategic priority to governments everywhere that have identified, correctly, that computer chips are as essential as energy if you want to enter a new age of AI-driven digital efficiency. </p>
  122.  
  123.  
  124.  
  125. <p>With that in mind, is it any wonder that America’s biggest beleaguered company, Apple (no, that’s not Microsoft anymore), is focusing the skill and power of its silicon development teams on designing and developing all the processors used across its systems?</p>
  126.  
  127.  
  128.  
  129. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Designed by Apple in California and beyond</strong></h2>
  130.  
  131.  
  132.  
  133. <p>Think about it and that’s not so surprising.</p>
  134.  
  135.  
  136.  
  137. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  138. <li>We know Apple’s team develops the A- and M-series processors used inside Apple iPhones, iPads, and Macs. </li>
  139.  
  140.  
  141.  
  142. <li>We also know the company makes the C-series 5G modems it is beginning to put inside devices. </li>
  143.  
  144.  
  145.  
  146. <li>It also makes S-series chips for Apple Watch, R1 chips for use in Vision Pro, T-series System Management chips used inside Intel Macs, W processors as used in wearables, H chips in AirPods, and U inside AirTags. </li>
  147.  
  148.  
  149.  
  150. <li>Apple also makes/has made additional system components from time to time, such as the M-series motion co-processors the company made until about 2017. (The M-series was subsequently applied to Apple’s chips for iPads and Macs.) </li>
  151.  
  152.  
  153.  
  154. <li>The ill-fated AirPower project also leaned into custom-designed chips, but not much is known about those.</li>
  155. </ul>
  156.  
  157.  
  158.  
  159. <p>That’s a lot of design, a lot of iteration, and a lot of silicon already coming out of the company. Making more of it is a no-brainer.</p>
  160.  
  161.  
  162.  
  163. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Made all over the place, really</strong></h2>
  164.  
  165.  
  166.  
  167. <p>Except Apple doesn’t really make anything. Apple doesn’t have its own factories churning out hardware or processors. Instead it gets <a href="https://www.applemust.com/apple-expands-apple-silicon-partnership-with-amkor-in-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">manufacturing partners</a> to make them to its design and on its behalf. </p>
  168.  
  169.  
  170.  
  171. <p>TSMC is the biggest Apple chip manufacturer at this time — Apple accounts for about a quarter of its business and is TSMC’s biggest customer. Those chips have until recently been manufactured at TSMC factories far away, but this is beginning to change as TSMC’s first US chip-making factory <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3547197/apple-amkor-and-tsmc-neath-the-arizona-skies.html#:~:text=Hello%2C%20and%20thanks%20for%20dropping,BlueSky%2CMastodon%2C%20and%20LinkedIn.">begins to churn out chips in Arizona</a>. </p>
  172.  
  173.  
  174.  
  175. <p>That factory was built in response to the first Trump administration’s push to bring manufacturing into the US and is now online popping processors out for Apple’s phones. Discussing that arrangement at the time, <a href="https://www.applemust.com/apple-expands-apple-silicon-partnership-with-amkor-in-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple COO Jeff Williams said</a>: “Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’ll continue to expand our investment here in the United States.” </p>
  176.  
  177.  
  178.  
  179. <p>What drove the US to try to persuade TSMC to do this wasn’t just to feed a desire to create a few hundred specialized jobs and flash a fanciful good news story to voters; instead it reflects the strategic importance of silicon design to the US economy. It’s hard for governments to ignore that the vast majority of chips used in any electronics device are made in the strategically sensitive Asia Pacific region. That’s even before grappling with the challenge of <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1623060/apple-accelerates-use-of-recycled-materials-across-all-its-products.html">obtaining the rare earth</a> and other materials used inside processors, which are — like wealth — unevenly distributed. </p>
  180.  
  181.  
  182.  
  183. <p>Just like the vast majority of people on our planet have little or no money, most nations have little or no access to the rare earths used in silicon design. But designing the chips that make use of those materials is a big part of the story. As is <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1624765/why-you-should-pay-more-attention-to-apples-green-slide.html">recycling</a>: reusing material that is already in the US makes total sense as companies seek to source rare materials elsewhere.</p>
  184.  
  185.  
  186.  
  187. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Advantage, Apple</strong></h2>
  188.  
  189.  
  190.  
  191. <p>Apple arguably has the <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1640114/how-to-think-about-apple-silicon.html">best silicon development team</a> in the world — at least, outside Arm. The chips used in iPhones and Macs lead the industry, generating performance per watt that no one out there can match. It’s a strategic advantage for Apple, which in itself can be seen as an advantage for the US on a national basis. A US company owns those designs, which seals one aspect of digital dominance. </p>
  192.  
  193.  
  194.  
  195. <p>With that in mind, it’s inevitable that Apple will want to maintain its focus on processor design. Doing so gives the company a competitive advantage while also propping up national security, at least to some extent. </p>
  196.  
  197.  
  198.  
  199. <p>If that is the case, then it is interesting that one of the new processors it is making is suitable for use in wearable devices — for Apple, that’s the AR glasses it has <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1714569/what-problems-will-apple-s-ar-glasses-need-to-solve.html">hoped to develop for years</a> as it competes against Meta. Apple is also developing next-generation chips for Macs and iPhones, which is no surprise at all, and processor chips for <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3600953/apple-is-back-in-the-server-business.html">Apple Intelligence servers</a>. To some extent, the only surprise there is that the company is building a new low-power, high-performance processor capable of delivering the tough tasks required for spatial computing in spectacles.</p>
  200.  
  201.  
  202.  
  203. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Furthur</strong></h2>
  204.  
  205.  
  206.  
  207. <p>Of course, once the company has made spatial computing systems that exist in wearable glasses, then the promise of visionOS becomes far greater. Even now we’re seeing visionOS devices <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3833715/apples-vision-pro-enters-industry-4-0-with-dassault-systemes.html">used across a range of enterprises</a>, from medical to law enforcement. Being able to wear a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3975111/hands-on-with-the-new-apple-mac-studio-m4-max.html">real computer</a> (as opposed to a gaming and ads platform) <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1670416/one-day-you-ll-wear-your-mac-like-sunglasses.html">like sunglasses</a> will be of key importance across a range of industries of tomorrow. Surveillance-as-a-service firms <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980198/that-168m-fine-isnt-enough-to-stop-nso-spies.html">will make billions</a>. Which makes wearables strategically significant. </p>
  208.  
  209.  
  210.  
  211. <p>Apple’s purpose in all of this matches an international drive toward <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1489297/apple-s-next-innovation-3d-gesture-based-computing-puts-the-post-in-post-pc.html">discreet computing</a>, or the minimization of computer interfaces. These agendas dovetail with Apple’s need to perpetually plan the <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1642554/does-the-apple-silicon-development-road-map-look-like-this.html">future of its business</a>, and, increasingly, also with US economic and military security. </p>
  212.  
  213.  
  214.  
  215. <p>That’s quite a lot of food for thought in one slice of silicon.</p>
  216.  
  217.  
  218.  
  219. <p><em>You can follow me on social media! Join me on <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jonnyevanssays.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BlueSky</a>,  <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyevans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/@jonnyevans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mastodon</a>.</em></p>
  220. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  221. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3982030/its-in-the-national-interest-for-apple-to-design-its-own-silicon.html</link>
  222. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3982030</post-id><category>Apple, CPUs and Processors, Mobile</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3982030-0-81707500-1746797995-IMG_0099-2.jpeg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="1718383" type="image/jpeg" />
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  225. <title>Perplexity AI’s quiet coup</title>
  226. <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  227. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
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  232.  
  233.  
  234.  
  235. <p>“Just Google it.” That’s how most people found information they were interested in for more than a quarter-century. </p>
  236.  
  237.  
  238.  
  239. <p>All that is changing now. Today, the main reason fewer people are “Googling it” is that users are turning to AI chatbots like <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3609002/study-chat-gpt-is-better-than-doctors-at-diagnosing-illness.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3609002/study-chat-gpt-is-better-than-doctors-at-diagnosing-illness.html?utm=hybrid_search">ChatGPT</a>, <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3963652/anthropics-claude-ai-can-now-search-through-your-gmail-account-for-research.html">Claude</a>, <a href="https://www.jasper.ai" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.jasper.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jasper</a>, <a href="https://chat-sonic.ai" data-type="link" data-id="https://chat-sonic.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chatsonic</a>, <a href="https://huggingface.co/chat/" data-type="link" data-id="https://huggingface.co/chat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HuggingChat</a>, <a href="https://lens.google/#homework" data-type="link" data-id="https://lens.google/#homework" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Socratic</a>, <a href="https://x.ai/grok" data-type="link" data-id="https://x.ai/grok" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grok</a>, <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3815603/deepseek-latest-news-and-insights.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3815603/deepseek-latest-news-and-insights.html?utm=hybrid_search">DeepSeek</a>, <a href="https://www.ibm.com/products/watsonx-assistant" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.ibm.com/products/watsonx-assistant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IBM watsonx Assistant</a>, <a href="https://pi.ai/onboarding" data-type="link" data-id="https://pi.ai/onboarding" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pi</a>, and <a href="https://character.ai" data-type="link" data-id="https://character.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Character AI</a>. </p>
  240.  
  241.  
  242.  
  243. <p>Or even more powerfully, they’re using tools that integrate old-fashioned search results with LLM-powered chatbot information, including Google Search (with Gemini), Microsoft Bing (with Copilot), You.com, and <a href="https://www.perplexity.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Perplexity AI</a>.</p>
  244.  
  245.  
  246.  
  247. <p>Old-school search engines used to give you links to websites that contained the information people were seeking. Nowadays, more and more want the answers directly — even if the tool also provides links.</p>
  248.  
  249.  
  250.  
  251. <p>This just-give-me-the-answer idea is perfect for a future in which people will ask an always-present assistant for the kind of information they used to get from Google. Smart glasses, of course, will be the main interface to arbitrary information, but other wearables, mobile devices, IoT devices and general purpose computers will enable a personal assistant that knows all about the world and knows all about us, individually and personally. </p>
  252.  
  253.  
  254.  
  255. <p>I’ve been living in this future recently, and I can tell you that it will prove irresistible to most people. </p>
  256.  
  257.  
  258.  
  259. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="perplexitys-great-leap-forward">Perplexity’s great leap forward</h2>
  260.  
  261.  
  262.  
  263. <p>Perplexity AI is a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1611871/how-rag-makes-generative-ai-tools-even-better.html?utm=hybrid_search">Retrieval-Augmented Generation</a> (RAG) system launched in 2022 that answers questions directly by searching the web in real time, pulling from news sites, academic journals, and databases, then writing up a summary with accompanied search links. It uses AI models like GPT-4 and Claude 3 to understand your question, find the best information, and explain it in plain English. In February, Perplexity added a feature called “Deep Research,” which reads hundreds of sources, and reasons through the material to produce a very detailed, well-organized report. </p>
  264.  
  265.  
  266.  
  267. <p>Then in April, Perplexity unveiled a <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/perplexity-ask-anything/id1668000334" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new version of the company’s iPhone app</a>, which provides a glimpse into the future of getting information from an always-present assistant. For starters, it became an actual assistant, rather than just being an AI search tool. It can now <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3826143/the-unbearable-lateness-of-apple-intelligence.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3826143/the-unbearable-lateness-of-apple-intelligence.html?utm=hybrid_search">do things even Siri, Apple’s own assistant, can’t do</a> — which is somewhat astonishing, given how closed and Apple-centric the company’s operating systems tend to be. </p>
  268.  
  269.  
  270.  
  271. <p>For example, you can use your voice to ask Perplexity on your iPhone to play a song from Apple Music, open a podcast, set reminders, schedule calendar events, or even book a ride with Uber. It can scan your Apple Calendar and read out your appointments or add a reminder. It can bring up Apple Maps and give you directions or send an email through Apple Mail. </p>
  272.  
  273.  
  274.  
  275. <p>Perplexity also goes beyond what Siri can do by opening third-party apps like OpenTable or YouTube and pre-filling reservation requests or video searches. For example, if you ask it to find a dinner reservation, it’ll fill in the date, time, and number of guests in OpenTable, so all you have to do is tap “Book.” If you want to find a specific moment in a YouTube video, just describe it, and Perplexity will queue it up instantly.</p>
  276.  
  277.  
  278.  
  279. <p>One of the most practical features is that Perplexity saves every conversation as a “Thread” in the app, so you can revisit or continue a previous task anytime. You can even add shortcuts to Perplexity on your home or lock screen for fast access.</p>
  280.  
  281.  
  282.  
  283. <p>Of course, there are limits to what Apple lets Perplexity do. It can’t send text messages directly, set alarms, control core iPhone functions like muting notifications, or access the camera for live object recognition. </p>
  284.  
  285.  
  286.  
  287. <p>At this point, Android users are yawning at the mention of these features. The Android version of Perplexity got many of these capabilities and more back in January. On Android, Perplexity Assistant can write emails, set reminders, book rides, make reservations, play media, and even use your phone’s camera to answer questions about what it sees or what’s on your screen. It acts as a layer on top of your device, integrating with many apps so you don’t have to switch between them, and supports multimodal input and multi-app actions. Some features, like screen sharing and camera access for contextual awareness, are available on Android though not yet on iOS.</p>
  288.  
  289.  
  290.  
  291. <p>But the most futuristic thing Perplexity can do, it can do on iPhone exclusively. </p>
  292.  
  293.  
  294.  
  295. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="the-persistent-assistant">The persistent assistant</h2>
  296.  
  297.  
  298.  
  299. <p>Perplexity AI’s new iPhone app offers something the company calls “persistent listening.” When enabled, the assistant keeps listening for your voice even after you leave the app or switch to something else. You tap the voice icon or use the Action Button to start, and from that point, the assistant keeps the microphone open, so you don’t have to keep pressing anything or reopening the app to continue the conversation. </p>
  300.  
  301.  
  302.  
  303. <p>This continuous listening works as long as the app or its background process is allowed by iOS to run, which means it can keep going for extended periods unless you close the app or revoke microphone access. The assistant is designed to pick up your voice even with background noise (it doesn’t always work). </p>
  304.  
  305.  
  306.  
  307. <p>It doesn’t use a wake word like “Hey Siri,” so it won’t accidentally respond to other conversations; it’s only listening for input after you’ve started a session. If you stop interacting for about a minute or so, or close the session, it stops listening; until that point, it holds onto the context and keeps the channel open, making it feel like a real assistant that doesn’t lose track of what you were talking about.</p>
  308.  
  309.  
  310.  
  311. <p>Lately, I’ve been taking advantage of the continuous listening feature via both my Ray-Ban Meta glasses and my AirPods. And this combination of continuous listening and hearing the answers privately from close-to-the-ears speakers, feels very much like something we’re all going to do all the time in the near future. </p>
  312.  
  313.  
  314.  
  315. <p>Perplexity’s quiet coup is quite a feat. It’s actually got me never using Siri anymore, even to do things like set reminders in Apple’s Reminders app. (I’m also no longer using Meta AI in my <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3496284/the-ai-glasses-market-comes-into-focus.html?utm=hybrid_search">Ray-Ban Meta glasses</a> anymore, at least for arbitrary information.)</p>
  316.  
  317.  
  318.  
  319. <p>The tech industry is currently fighting a brutal, winner-take-all war for the future of personal assistants that do things for us, use our apps for us, get information for us and generally help us out all day, every day, even when we’re walking around, driving or doing the dishes. Once the public gets in the habit of using one specific tool, it could be another quarter-century before that habit can be changed by new technologies. </p>
  320.  
  321.  
  322.  
  323. <p>I’d have to say that — for now — Perplexity AI is winning that war. </p>
  324. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  325. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3977562/perplexity-ais-quiet-coup.html</link>
  326. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3977562</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Chatbots, Emerging Technology, Generative AI, iOS</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3977562-0-37864800-1746784993-iStock-1474963602.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="771929" type="image/jpeg" />
  327. </item>
  328. <item>
  329. <title>Where Apple falls short for enterprise IT</title>
  330. <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  331. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  332. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  333.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  334. <div class="article-column__content">
  335. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  336.  
  337.  
  338.  
  339. <p>Apple now slots well into corporate life because it made a conscious and concerted effort years ago to ensure its products were enterprise friendly. By and large, the effort has been extremely successful. But that doesn’t mean the company always hits the mark — and sometimes it doesn’t even seem to be aiming at the mark. </p>
  340.  
  341.  
  342.  
  343. <p>In its <a href="https://sixcolors.com/post/2025/04/apple-in-the-enterprise-a-2025-report-card/">annual enterprise report card on Apple</a>, Six Colors found that Apple actually slid backwards in IT leader satisfaction for two-thirds of categories surveyed. The worst areas involved software reliability and innovation followed closely by macOS identity management. Opinions about enterprise programs in general — and the future of Apple in the enterprise — were also lower than in 2024, as was service and support, which has emerged as a real pain point. </p>
  344.  
  345.  
  346.  
  347. <p>It wasn’t entirely bad news. In the report card, Apple saw modest gains in hardware reliability and innovation, deployments, and its MDM protocol and infrastructure. The latter underlines the fact that Apple sees at least the core needs of enterprise IT and, with the help of third-party vendors, can meet those needs. </p>
  348.  
  349.  
  350.  
  351. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="documentation-doesnt-cut-it">Documentation doesn’t cut it</h2>
  352.  
  353.  
  354.  
  355. <p>Documentation is an across-the-board failure. Apple does provide a broad range of documentation for enterprise use, but much of it isn’t particularly detailed. Apple also doesn’t provide much in the way of  videos, webinars and other media beyond written guides. </p>
  356.  
  357.  
  358.  
  359. <p>Finding documentation can also be a challenge. There is no single stop where you can find everything neatly organized. Information might be included with developer documentation, on Apple’s training site or designated for enterprise support. In many cases, finding where needed details live (if they exist in a document at all) usually comes from other Apple IT admins or from calls to AppleCare for enterprise. Thankfully, there is a large and welcoming Apple IT/Mac Admin community online, along with additional resources to consult. </p>
  360.  
  361.  
  362.  
  363. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="software-reliability-is-a-victim-of-the-annual-release-cycle">Software reliability is a victim of the annual release cycle</h2>
  364.  
  365.  
  366.  
  367. <p>A problem that affects more than just enterprise users is Apple’s relentless annual release cadence, something that plagues software far more than hardware. Apple Intelligence is one shining example of <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3826143/the-unbearable-lateness-of-apple-intelligence.html?utm=hybrid_search">Apple overreaching and not being able to deliver</a>, as is the climb to make <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1612418/what-is-apple-stage-manager-and-how-is-it-used.html?utm=hybrid_search">Stage Manager</a> truly useful. </p>
  368.  
  369.  
  370.  
  371. <p>While Apple’s seeming rush to release dazzling new features every year impacts software design and reliability for all users, it hits enterprise IT especially hard for a couple of reasons. </p>
  372.  
  373.  
  374.  
  375. <p>First, enterprise tools in many ways could be considered a niche area of software. As a result, enterprise functionality doesn’t get the same attention as more mainstream features. This can be especially obvious when Apple tries to bring consumer features into enterprise use cases — like <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1634040/managed-apple-ids-icloud-and-the-shadow-it-connection.html?utm=hybrid_search">managed Apple Accounts</a> and their intended integration with things like Continuity and iCloud, for example — and things like MDM controls for new features such a Apple Intelligence and low-level enterprise-specific functions like <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1629194/at-wwdc-apple-hones-in-on-device-management.html?utm=hybrid_search">Declarative Device Management</a>.</p>
  376.  
  377.  
  378.  
  379. <p>The second reason is obvious: any piece of software that isn’t ready for prime time — and still makes it into a general release — is a potential support ticket when a business user encounters problems.  </p>
  380.  
  381.  
  382.  
  383. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="security-and-privacy-banner-advantages-that-lead-to-banner-fatigue">Security and privacy — banner advantages that lead to banner fatigue</h2>
  384.  
  385.  
  386.  
  387. <p>Apple tends to score well when it comes to security and privacy protection. But sometimes it goes overboard. Anyone who’s set up a new Mac will see alert after alert asking for permissions and warning about potential pitfalls. Yes, that demonstrates Apple is trying to keep everything locked down and secure. But when there’s a pile-up of security messages, IT admins’ eyes glaze and they stop registering what they’re seeing — and what they’re allowing. </p>
  388.  
  389.  
  390.  
  391. <p>In a work environment, users who don’t have the right permissions set could find themselves without access to some part of macOS or its file system. (Given Apple’s identity management on iOS, this tends to be a bigger challenge on Mac.) Permissions issues mean…another support call for IT.</p>
  392.  
  393.  
  394.  
  395. <p>Some of this can be mitigated with proper deployment planning and using management tools like MDM profiles, but there’s a limit to what those approaches can achieve. </p>
  396.  
  397.  
  398.  
  399. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="deployment-is-good-but-needs-more-work">Deployment is good, but needs more work</h2>
  400.  
  401.  
  402.  
  403. <p>Deployment features were one area where Apple generally got high marks— and deservedly so, given how smooth Automated Device Enrollment (ADE), Device Enrollment Program (DEP) and MDM can make things. But there’s room for improvement, Six Colors found in its report. </p>
  404.  
  405.  
  406.  
  407. <p>Among the issues: ADE and patch management reliability dropped for some organizations; documentation of deployment workflows didn’t provide enough information; tools like Apple Configurator still require one device at a time registration (for devices that aren’t able to utilize ADE and DEP); and there aren’t APIs available for automation of <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3633178/so-you-want-to-manage-apple-devices-without-using-mdm-heres-how.html?utm=hybrid_search">Apple Business Manager</a> and related deployment processes. </p>
  408.  
  409.  
  410.  
  411. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="automation-limitations">Automation limitations</h2>
  412.  
  413.  
  414.  
  415. <p>Deployment might be where the lack of automation is clearest, but the issue runs through most aspects of Apple device and user onboarding and management. Apple Business Manager doesn’t offer any APIs that vendors or IT departments can tap into to automate routine tasks. This can be anything from redeploying older devices, onboarding new employees, assigning app licenses or managing user groups and privileges. </p>
  416.  
  417.  
  418.  
  419. <p>Although Apple Business Manager is a great tool and it functions as a nexus for device management and identity management, it still requires more manual lifting than it should.</p>
  420.  
  421.  
  422.  
  423. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="identity-management-has-never-been-apples-strong-suit-and-it-still-isnt">Identity management has never been Apple’s strong suit – and it still isn’t</h2>
  424.  
  425.  
  426.  
  427. <p>The battle to marry network user accounts to managed Apple devices is a long and bloody one that goes back decades with a lot of it centering on the need to bind (join) devices to Active Directory and, now, Microsoft Entra. </p>
  428.  
  429.  
  430.  
  431. <p>Apple has made some strides in recent years by replacing outdated mechanisms with its Platform SSO framework (and with it support for additional identity management providers beyond Microsoft). But the functionality tends to be fragmented and requires a patchwork approach for many IT teams. Apple also relies heavily on identity management providers to integrate its platform SSO, which can limit its usefulness. </p>
  432.  
  433.  
  434.  
  435. <p><a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1634040/managed-apple-ids-icloud-and-the-shadow-it-connection.html">Managed Apple Accounts</a> can also fall victim to identity management issues. While Apple has pushed for their adoption, getting them to function with network identities is not a sure thing.</p>
  436.  
  437.  
  438.  
  439. <p>There are tools for managing identity — they’re just not from Apple. <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3543444/jnuc-2024-jamf-brings-ai-and-more-to-apple-enterprise.html?utm=hybrid_search">Jamf</a> and TwoCanoes both having offerings but they aren’t <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3847110/the-complete-it-toolbox-you-need-to-manage-macs-in-the-enterprise.html?utm=hybrid_search">native tools built into Apple’s OSes</a>. </p>
  440.  
  441.  
  442.  
  443. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="some-mdm-controls-remain-mia">Some MDM controls remain MIA</h2>
  444.  
  445.  
  446.  
  447. <p>Apple’s MDM controls and commands are quite robust, but the company often releases new features without releasing MDM controls for them. It often (but not always) <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3623377/apple-updates-mdm-tools-for-new-apple-intelligence-features.html?utm=hybrid_search">addresses this issue after release</a>, but that still leaves enterprise customers unable to restrict or manage those features for an undefined length of time. </p>
  448.  
  449.  
  450.  
  451. <p>There’s also the problem of granularity. Many MDM controls allow the disabling of feature sets as a whole, but don’t allow IT to configure or manage specific features. </p>
  452.  
  453.  
  454.  
  455. <p>In recent years, as part of its efforts to move to <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1626216/wwdc22-apple-brings-declarative-device-management-to-the-mac.html?utm=hybrid_search">Declarative Device Management</a>(DDM), Apple has deprecated, removed or altered a number of MDM controls and payloads — and not always in a consistent way (or with adequate preparation/documentation). Over the last year, changes in MDM controls for network-related features were one particular pain point for Mac IT admins. </p>
  456.  
  457.  
  458.  
  459. <p>There’s also the challenge of dealing with Apple’s public beta releases and how MDM controls and commands can be applied to them. I’m all for allowing workers to try the preview software each year — it helps IT prepare for the coming final release — but they pose an ongoing challenge. </p>
  460.  
  461.  
  462.  
  463. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="declarative-device-management-needs-more-adoption">Declarative Device Management needs more adoption</h2>
  464.  
  465.  
  466.  
  467. <p>Apple unveiled DDM as a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1615256/how-apple-is-changing-mdm-in-ios-15.html">modernization of the aging MDM protocol in 2021</a>; it allows devices to manage themselves based on set conditions rather than constantly polling an MDM server. That’s good and Apple has made serious investments in DDM over the past four years. But some of those advances are too infrequently trickling down to many organizations. The biggest stumbling block is getting MDM vendors to fully embrace DDM and enable it effectively for their customers. </p>
  468.  
  469.  
  470.  
  471. <p>You can argue that the fault here is less with Apple and more with specific vendors, but Apple is the ultimate authority and could be doing more to prod vendors to embrace its vision in a coherent way. </p>
  472.  
  473.  
  474.  
  475. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="the-lack-of-apple-intelligence-management-tools">The lack of Apple Intelligence management tools</h2>
  476.  
  477.  
  478.  
  479. <p>The rollout of Apple Intelligence has felt like anything but intelligent. While some features have trickled out, the ability to manage them in enterprise environments is lagging. Any new MDM controls released for  Apple Intelligence have not been particularly granular, especially when you consider where Apple Intelligence is going (or supposed to be going). </p>
  480.  
  481.  
  482.  
  483. <p>It’s clear that Apple is going to rely on additional generative AI providers beyond OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It remains to be seen whether  Apple will offer granular controls for each potential AI’s features (or even allow pre-setting or requiring a specific LLM). Apple has invested in privacy with its <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2142244/wwdc-apples-private-cloud-compute-is-what-all-cloud-services-should-be.html?utm=hybrid_search">Private Cloud Compute</a>servers that act as an intermediary between device and LLM. And the company is expected to move more and more AI tasks to its devices. But there’s been no indication yet about whether IT will be able to control how business data is used (allowing only on-device AI or mandating tools run on  Apple’s privacy servers). </p>
  484.  
  485.  
  486.  
  487. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Does Apple even <em>want</em> feedback?</h2>
  488.  
  489.  
  490.  
  491. <p>One of the biggest criticisms Apple gets from IT pros is that it doesn’t seem interested in their needs or concerns. The Feedback Assistant app is a particular sore point: it functions like a black hole — problems, concerns, requests all go into it, never to be seen again. The problem isn’t just with that one feedback channel. Even Apple’s enterprise support teams have limited ability to address issues or shepherd feedback to the company. </p>
  492.  
  493.  
  494.  
  495. <p>It’s easy to think, “Well this <em>is </em>Apple, a company that always thinks it knows what’s best despite what customers think ought to happen.” And that’s true. This is par for the course in Apple’s customer relationship. But while that might fly with consumers, businesses with thousands of Macs, iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices should be a bit of a different story. </p>
  496.  
  497.  
  498.  
  499. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="apple-needs-to-be-clear-about-its-enterprise-commitment">Apple needs to be clear about its enterprise commitment</h2>
  500.  
  501.  
  502.  
  503. <p>One theme that surprised me in the Six Colors report card was that IT leaders continue to question Apple’s commitment to enterprise customers. </p>
  504.  
  505.  
  506.  
  507. <p>I’ve been following Apple’s approach to enterprise and education since the turn of the century. The investments it’s made since 2000 show Apple is serious about this market segment. The launch of MDM in 2010 was the point where Apple really proved it wanted to be a serious enterprise player and could even be a leader in some cases. </p>
  508.  
  509.  
  510.  
  511. <p>But that commitment hasn’t been consistent. Apple has pulled the rug out from under enterprise IT pros by making dramatic changes without warning, deprecating or eliminating features that many large customers depended on and radically changing direction when it comes to specific technologies. The <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1545797/opinion-what-apple-s-xserve-abandonment-really-means.html">fate of the Xserve</a> and <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1624151/rip-macos-server.html">macOS Server</a>, while logical in hindsight due to the explosion of cloud computing, shows how Apple can spend years building enterprise demand for a solution — and then almost casually throw everything out the window. </p>
  512.  
  513.  
  514.  
  515. <p>Consistency is probably the biggest thing Apple needs to work on when it comes to its enterprise customers. It’s made serious strides in the past couple of decades, but often with a step back, or to the side, or even off into a different direction. The path deeper into the heart of the enterprise needs to be straightforward for Apple to succeed.</p>
  516. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  517. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3978812/where-apple-falls-short-for-enterprise-it.html</link>
  518. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3978812</post-id><category>Apple, Enterprise, iOS, MacOS, Mobile Management</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3978812-0-27500300-1746785083-shutterstock_editorial_215339035.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="1301744" type="image/jpeg" />
  519. </item>
  520. <item>
  521. <title>Microsoft OneDrive move may facilitate accidental sensitive file exfiltration</title>
  522. <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 04:19:50 +0000</pubDate>
  523. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  524. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  525.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  526. <div class="article-column__content">
  527. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  528.  
  529.  
  530.  
  531. <p>Microsoft’s upcoming OneDrive sync change will give enterprise users an easy way to sync both their personal and corporate OneDrive accounts on business devices. But cybersecurity officials do not <em>want</em> to make syncing easier, as it can create lots of security and IT headaches.</p>
  532.  
  533.  
  534.  
  535. <p>The rollout was originally scheduled for this weekend (May 11), but sometime late on Thursday, the Microsoft page about the feature was changed to say that it was being pushed out in June. </p>
  536.  
  537.  
  538.  
  539. <p>Microsoft did not immediately explain the delay, but discussions on LinkedIn and other social media platforms expressed serious misgivings from IT and security professionals about the rollout.</p>
  540. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  541. <link>https://www.csoonline.com/article/3981760/microsoft-onedrive-move-may-facilitate-accidental-sensitive-file-exfiltration.html</link>
  542. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3981779</post-id><category>Data Privacy, Microsoft, Security</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3981779-0-94440600-1746764433-shutterstock_editorial_370707185.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="10806408" type="image/jpeg" />
  543. </item>
  544. <item>
  545. <title>OpenAI hires Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to oversee customer-facing apps</title>
  546. <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 01:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
  547. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  548. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  549.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  550. <div class="article-column__content">
  551. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  552.  
  553.  
  554.  
  555. <p>OpenAI was founded a decade ago with a focus on research, but it has since expanded into products and infrastructure. Now it is looking to again broaden its presence into user-facing apps.</p>
  556.  
  557.  
  558.  
  559. <p>The company announced this week that Fidji Simo will join as CEO of applications, a newly-created position.</p>
  560.  
  561.  
  562.  
  563. <p>Simo is the current CEO and chair at grocery delivery company Instacart. She will begin her new role at OpenAI later this year, reporting directly to Sam Altman, who will remain overall CEO and oversee research, compute, and applications.</p>
  564.  
  565.  
  566.  
  567. <p>In creating this new position, OpenAI is signaling its move from a pure research lab to a full-stack company with a deeper focus on building out applications around its models, scaling enterprise offerings, and interacting more closely with end users.</p>
  568.  
  569.  
  570.  
  571. <p>“This helps bring a focus to more specific applications and use cases for OpenAI,” said Jimmie Lee, founder and CEO at JLEE and Associates. “Overall, the shift is now to operationalization, rather than just be a product-led, innovation-led company. Now it can focus more on sales-led growth with a specific roadmap and strategy centered around the user.”</p>
  572.  
  573.  
  574.  
  575. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="moving-from-research-to-more-productized-offerings">Moving from research to more productized offerings</h2>
  576.  
  577.  
  578.  
  579. <p>OpenAI was founded as a non-profit research lab in 2015, but has since evolved into a product company with its growing family of <a href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/3962966/openai-gpt-4-1-models-promise-improved-coding-and-instruction-following.html" target="_blank">ChatGPT models</a>, as well as an infrastructure company, notably with the $500 billion <a href="https://www.networkworld.com/article/3807392/openai-softbank-oracle-lead-500b-project-stargate-to-ramp-up-ai-infra-in-the-us.html" target="_blank">Stargate Project</a> to build out its data centers.</p>
  580.  
  581.  
  582.  
  583. <p>The company’s applications division brings together business and operations teams that turn OpenAI’s research into products used by enterprises worldwide. In her new role, Altman wrote in a <a href="https://openai.com/index/leadership-expansion-with-fidji-simo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blog post</a> this week, Simo will focus on “enabling our ‘traditional’ company functions to scale as we enter a next phase of growth.”</p>
  584.  
  585.  
  586.  
  587. <p>He noted that Simo brings a “rare blend of leadership, product and operational expertise.”</p>
  588.  
  589.  
  590.  
  591. <p>The new CEO of operations has been on OpenAI’s board since March 2024. She was head of Instacart when the company went public in 2023 and was integral to the growth of its advertising business. Previous to Instacart, she was VP at Facebook/Meta overseeing the Facebook App, after leading key Facebook products including Ads, Marketplace and Video.</p>
  592.  
  593.  
  594.  
  595. <p>“Her background at Meta and Instacart shows deep experience in scaling digital platforms, optimizing user engagement, and monetizing at scale,” said Kaveh Vahdat, founder and president of RiseOpp, a fractional CMO and SEO services company.</p>
  596.  
  597.  
  598.  
  599. <p>The hire seems to signal an intent to mature OpenAI’s application strategy beyond ChatGPT into a broader suite of user-facing tools, likely aimed at both consumer and enterprise markets, he noted. “For enterprise buyers, this may indicate that OpenAI’s roadmap will involve more structured, productized offerings rather than raw API access alone.”</p>
  600.  
  601.  
  602.  
  603. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="prioritizing-user-experience">Prioritizing user experience</h2>
  604.  
  605.  
  606.  
  607. <p>OpenAI’s decision to hire a senior executive from a digital-only customer-facing business shows a strategic pivot that prioritizes customer and user experience, said Manish Jain, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group.</p>
  608.  
  609.  
  610.  
  611. <p>“In the competitive genAI landscape, it seems to reflect the realization that customer satisfaction and usability have become a differentiation across channels of its offerings,” he said. “This move may intend to put user needs and preferences at the center of their development roadmap.”</p>
  612.  
  613.  
  614.  
  615. <p>However, he noted, while Simo’s experience at Instacart and Facebook could make her the top person at OpenAI who deeply understands customers and their needs and wants, it is yet to be seen if that can also help foster public trust and deliver products that do public good, a point the non-profit has been driving home recently.</p>
  616.  
  617.  
  618.  
  619. <p>“Even though it is a significant development in the governance of OpenAI, I’d like to wait and see how significant an impact it may have on the direction OpenAI is taking,” said Jain.</p>
  620. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  621. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3981662/openai-hires-instacart-ceo-fidji-simo-to-oversee-customer-facing-apps.html</link>
  622. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3981662</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3981662-0-78522300-1746752440-OpenAI.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="437753" type="image/jpeg" />
  623. </item>
  624. <item>
  625. <title>Google’s AI agent protocol is becoming the language for digital labor</title>
  626. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 15:51:12 +0000</pubDate>
  627. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  628. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  629.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  630. <div class="article-column__content">
  631. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  632.  
  633.  
  634.  
  635. <p>Google’s recently released <a href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/3958032/googles-agent2agent-open-protocol-aims-to-connect-disparate-agents.html" target="_blank">Agent2Agent protocol</a> has emerged as a top contender to facilitate communication and collaboration between AI agents in models and enterprises.</p>
  636.  
  637.  
  638.  
  639. <p>Microsoft this week adopted the A2A protocol in Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry for developers to build shared agents that can interact with each other.</p>
  640.  
  641.  
  642.  
  643. <p><a href="https://developers.googleblog.com/en/a2a-a-new-era-of-agent-interoperability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Introduced</a> last month, Google’ open-source A2A protocol allows networks of agents to structurally set goals, reason, take action, and return results across clouds, enterprises, and data silos, said Yina Arenas, vice president of product for Azure AI Foundry, and Bas Brekelmans, chief technology officer of Copilot Studio, in a joint <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-cloud/blog/2025/05/07/empowering-multi-agent-apps-with-the-open-agent2agent-a2a-protocol/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blog entry</a>.</p>
  644.  
  645.  
  646.  
  647. <p>“As customers scale these systems, interoperability is no longer optional,” the blog authors said.</p>
  648.  
  649.  
  650.  
  651. <h6 class="wp-block-heading">[ <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3843138/agentic-ai-ongoing-coverage-of-its-impact-on-the-enterprise.html">Agentic AI: Ongoing coverage of its impact on the enterprise</a> ]</h6>
  652.  
  653.  
  654.  
  655. <p>Like Microsoft, AI services company Glean, which provides AI-based collaborative tools, is in the process of implementing A2A, Steve Calvert, software engineer at Glean, told <em>Computerworld</em>.</p>
  656.  
  657.  
  658.  
  659. <p>“Many enterprises are still trying to adopt agents, and A2A is really laying the foundation for the next generation of AI-powered collaboration,” Calvert said.</p>
  660.  
  661.  
  662.  
  663. <p>Calvert said the A2A open protocol helps agents communicate and work together, regardless of which vendor or system they’re built on. Today’s agents are designed to handle specific or a class of tasks, but A2A will change that, he said.</p>
  664.  
  665.  
  666.  
  667. <p>“For example, a sales agent supporting prospecting work, or an engineering agent generating postmortems — in the future, customers will want those agents to talk to one another, so they can solve even more complex problems,” Calvert said.</p>
  668.  
  669.  
  670.  
  671. <p>A2A is emerging at a time Anthropic’s MCP (model context protocol), another agent-to-agent protocol, is gaining steam.</p>
  672.  
  673.  
  674.  
  675. <p>A2A enables the orchestration of multiple agents, while MCP gives agents access to tools, Calvert said.</p>
  676.  
  677.  
  678.  
  679. <p>In practice, this means that agents will work with one another using A2A and interact with other systems using MCP, Calvert said.</p>
  680.  
  681.  
  682.  
  683. <p>A2A and MCP don’t compete, as they fill different requirements and “kind of need each other for the agents to work together,” said Bob Parker, senior vice president at IDC.</p>
  684.  
  685.  
  686.  
  687. <p>AI agents need middleware to understand and contextualize data in complex large-scale deployments, which is where MCP fits in. A2A is “more of asynchronous communication between agents themselves” that is emerging as a default protocol in the AI industry, Parker said.</p>
  688.  
  689.  
  690.  
  691. <p>For example, agents within M365 can talk directly within apps or services using A2A, which is a “more immediate mechanism to benefit productivity,” Parker said.</p>
  692.  
  693.  
  694.  
  695. <p>“I think long term, the MCP is going to be perhaps more impactful when you get outside of what you have on your desktop. When you start to talk about enterprise applications… MCP will be important,” Parker said.</p>
  696.  
  697.  
  698.  
  699. <p>Salesforce, which developed the A2A standard with Google, is also moving forward with the technology.</p>
  700.  
  701.  
  702.  
  703. <p>The A2A standard “allows AI agents to work together seamlessly across <a href="https://www.cio.com/article/3518646/salesforce-unveils-agentforce-to-help-create-autonomous-ai-bots.html" target="_blank">Agentforce</a> and other ecosystems to turn disconnected capabilities into orchestrated [implementations],” said Gary Lerhaupt, vice president of product architecture at Salesforce, in an email statement to <em>Computerworld</em>.</p>
  704.  
  705.  
  706.  
  707. <p>The development of A2A is being watched closely by Read.AI, which has products that integrate with productivity and process tools from Salesforce, Atlassian, Google, and Slack. </p>
  708.  
  709.  
  710.  
  711. <p>“There’s a lot of buzz around A2A — and MCP too, for that matter — and like so much of AI, these protocols are going to be transformative and the changes will happen fast,” Elliott Waldron, co-founder and vice president of data science at Read.AI, told <em>Computerworld</em>.</p>
  712.  
  713.  
  714.  
  715. <p>But it’s still early in terms of implementation for the company, Waldron said. “We require a tighter integration of different sources to achieve the highest level of fidelity for our products. So we’re not moving yet, but we are definitely paying close attention,” Waldron said.</p>
  716. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  717. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3981391/googles-ai-agent-protocol-is-becoming-the-language-for-digital-labor.html</link>
  718. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3981391</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3981391-0-41161600-1746731016-happy-robots-chatting-by-juty_jang-via-shutterstock_2594534257.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="2043584" type="image/jpeg" />
  719. </item>
  720. <item>
  721. <title>Tech CEOs warn Senate: Outdated US power grid threatens AI ambitions</title>
  722. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 13:09:28 +0000</pubDate>
  723. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  724. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  725.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  726. <div class="article-column__content">
  727. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  728.  
  729.  
  730.  
  731. <p>In a stark warning to lawmakers, technology leaders from the nation’s biggest AI companies will testify Thursday that the US’ aging infrastructure is unprepared for the massive energy demands of AI, potentially jeopardizing US competitiveness in the rapidly evolving technology race.</p>
  732.  
  733.  
  734.  
  735. <p>US Senator Ted Cruz, who will lead the hearing, in a <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/5/winning-the-ai-race-strengthening-u-s-capabilities-in-computing-and-innovation_2">statement</a>, emphasized the strategic importance of removing barriers to AI development, “Growth and development of new AI technologies will bolster our national security, create new jobs, and stimulate economic growth. This hearing will help us find ways to remove restraints on the AI supply chain and unleash American dominance in machine learning and next-generation computing.”</p>
  736. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  737. <link>https://www.networkworld.com/article/3981216/tech-ceos-warn-senate-outdated-us-power-grid-threatens-ai-ambitions.html</link>
  738. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3981244</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Technology Industry</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3981244-0-25484300-1746709809-shutterstock_2443980471.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="15512121" type="image/jpeg" />
  739. </item>
  740. <item>
  741. <title>Apple plans a life after Google</title>
  742. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 12:59:42 +0000</pubDate>
  743. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  744. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  745.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  746. <div class="article-column__content">
  747. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  748.  
  749.  
  750.  
  751. <p>Google could lose a third of its business if the courts force it to relinquish its default search deal for Apple’s Safari. It could lose the same thing if Apple voluntarily switches to AI-driven search services from other parties, including Apple itself.</p>
  752.  
  753.  
  754.  
  755. <p>There is no doubt that Google will be the <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/alphabet-slides-apple-eyes-google-085930527.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biggest casualty</a> if US courts force it to stop paying Apple roughly $20b a year to be included as the default search engine in Safari. That’s bad news for Apple, but given that Google currently pays Apple <a href="https://www.engadget.com/google-reportedly-pays-apple-36-percent-of-ad-search-revenues-from-safari-191730783.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">36% of search ads revenue</a> generated by searches via the Apple browser, it’s existentially grim news for Google. It’s doubtful a company seeing its revenue savaged in such a way can easily survive — at least, not in its present form. </p>
  756.  
  757.  
  758.  
  759. <p>The outcome for Apple is also grim, though perhaps not quite so existentially challenging. Sure, Apple may find itself short of a hugely damaging $20b it is used to receiving from Google, but it still has options, including the creation of its own search service based on the huge quantity of data it has gathered using its own <a href="https://www.applemust.com/what-is-applebot-and-what-does-it-do/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Applebot</a> across the years. </p>
  760.  
  761.  
  762.  
  763. <p>This search feature <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3267993/apples-siri-the-only-search-engine-youll-need.html">already exists</a> inside Spotlight search. Apple also has its own ad sales business, so it’s not at all beyond imagining that the company could claw back some of the lost revenue using its own resources.</p>
  764.  
  765.  
  766.  
  767. <p>It’s just that it probably wouldn’t be as good. </p>
  768.  
  769.  
  770.  
  771. <p>Which leaves it looking for other options. </p>
  772.  
  773.  
  774.  
  775. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Thinking outside the box</strong></h2>
  776.  
  777.  
  778.  
  779. <p>Apple SVP Eddy Cue threw feral cats among the Google’s plump little pigeons when he told a US court this week that Apple is looking to <a href="https://www.applemust.com/apple-may-add-ai-search-as-an-option-svp-eddy-cue-tells-courts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">add AI search to Safari</a>. The company has already met with third parties who may be able to provide such tools, he said, and while the company didn’t announce anything, he did particularly point to <a href="https://www.perplexity.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Perplexity</a> as a potential running mate.</p>
  780.  
  781.  
  782.  
  783. <p>Cue was trying to persuade the court not to demand that Google put an end to its Apple payments, but the inference was also pretty clear: If Apple isn’t making money with search, don’t expect search to remain the same. Google’s current search competitors won’t be in the running should Apple switch to AI-based search, as they don’t yet produce a search AI worth talking to.</p>
  784.  
  785.  
  786.  
  787. <p>Google almost does. OpenAI already does. And Apple says Perplexity and Anthropic (which may soon <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3977439/apple-taps-anthropics-claude-for-ai-app-development.html">appear within Xcode</a> in some form) seem promising. </p>
  788.  
  789.  
  790.  
  791. <p>Apple will probably find some way to generate a revenue stream from the provision of AI in search, and while the current in that income stream may not match the torrent of dollars the company attracts from Google’s search traffic, it’s still going to mitigate the problem a little. Cue’s bound to have come up with a plan of some kind — he told the court that thinking about the problem has kept him awake at night, and Cue strikes me as the kind of man who likes to pick up stress, toy with it a little, and turn it into planning.</p>
  792.  
  793.  
  794.  
  795. <p>Of course, Apple doesn’t want to lose its Google income — and Google is working to turn its search service into an AI-driven search service, one devasted ad revenue-deprived web publisher at a time.</p>
  796.  
  797.  
  798.  
  799. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Apple has the options here</strong></h2>
  800.  
  801.  
  802.  
  803. <p>Hey, why do you think the AI companies want to <a href="https://societyofauthors.org/2025/02/25/uk-creative-industries-launch-copyright-fightback-against-global-tech-firms-ai-models/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">erode copyright protection</a>? The future of the creative industries certainly doesn’t seem to rank particularly highly on the AI industry radar.  </p>
  804.  
  805.  
  806.  
  807. <p>Other than unfolding horror as those industries are steadily subsumed and replaced by machine intelligence, Apple is the company with the options here. </p>
  808.  
  809.  
  810.  
  811. <p>Not only does it already have a pile of search data of its own, but it has a strong ecosystem. Even if Eddy Cue can see that we <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3536872/what-if-jony-ive-builds-the-human-interface-for-ai.html">may not have iPhones</a> in a decade, the company has a proven capacity to reinvent itself. If Google finds itself forced to divest itself of part of its business — search, or even Gemini — don’t be too surprised to see Apple take a slice of what’s left behind. It will not relinquish a $20b opportunity without attempting to claw some of that income back.</p>
  812.  
  813.  
  814.  
  815. <p>It’s the latest salvo in the ongoing war between government and Big Tech. Apple and Google face big problems with regulators who seem keen to <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3968555/brussels-fines-apple-and-meta-500-million-and-200-million-euros-respectively-for-non-compliance-with-the-digital-markets-law.html?utm=hybrid_search">make an example</a> of the biggest names in tech, even as Apple complains that in some cases, such as in Europe, regulators seem to have <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/apple-to-appeal-e500m-digital-fine-over-eus-silence-in-compliance-talks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decided on their approach</a> to the company’s guilt with little positive consultation.</p>
  816.  
  817.  
  818.  
  819. <p>That’s the kind of approach to regulation that can make a trillion-dollar company paranoid, and like any other entity, paranoid creatures fight vicious and hard. Whatever the outcome, Apple’s existential struggles are nowhere near complete, but it’s very, very far from being out of options. It’s a little less clear how resilient Google might be, however — and investor sentiment <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/alphabet-slides-apple-eyes-google-085930527.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seems to reflect this</a>.</p>
  820.  
  821.  
  822.  
  823. <p><em>You can follow me on social media! Join me on <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jonnyevanssays.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BlueSky</a>,  <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyevans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/@jonnyevans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mastodon</a>.</em></p>
  824. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  825. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3981155/apple-plans-a-life-after-google.html</link>
  826. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3981155</post-id><category>Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Google, Regulation, Web Search</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3981155-0-04133200-1746709283-safari-recent-searches.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="537244" type="image/jpeg" />
  827. </item>
  828. <item>
  829. <title>20 genuinely useful AI apps for Android</title>
  830. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  831. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  832. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  833.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  834. <div class="article-column__content">
  835. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  836.  
  837.  
  838.  
  839. <p>AI is everywhere right now — but let’s be honest: It’s easy to slap some sort of silly text generation button onto an app and call it “AI.” It’s much more difficult to come up with a truly compelling way this type of technology can <em>actually </em>be helpful.</p>
  840.  
  841.  
  842.  
  843. <p>And once you move away from <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2505365/ai-powered-apps-that-actually-save-time.html">web-based AI utilities</a> and start focusing specifically on Android, the pool of commendable candidates only gets smaller.</p>
  844.  
  845.  
  846.  
  847. <p>Don’t despair, though: There <em>are</em> some standout <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1718291/must-have-android-apps-for-business.html">Android apps</a> that put artificial intelligence to genuinely intelligent use. They range from multipurpose chatbots to tools for smarter note-taking and reminder-making, image analysis and manipulation, and even personal memory enhancement — among other useful tasks.</p>
  848.  
  849.  
  850.  
  851. <p>Just keep in mind that, by its very nature, much of this <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3627484/whats-next-for-generative-ai-in-2025.html">generative AI technology</a> is still woefully <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3952838/how-enterprise-it-can-protect-itself-from-genai-unreliability.html">unreliable and inaccurate</a>. You really have to double-check what it tells you, especially when it comes to more info-oriented uses — and/or you have to think carefully about <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3853747/the-secret-to-using-generative-ai-effectively.html">the best way to interact with it</a> to get the results you need.</p>
  852.  
  853.  
  854.  
  855. <p>But the apps here all have some manner of redeeming value when it comes to professional productivity — particularly if you think carefully about how you’re using them and why. And I’ll try to guide you toward the <em>types </em>of uses that are generally most reliable and beneficial for each specific item.</p>
  856.  
  857.  
  858.  
  859. <p>All of the tools listed here are either free or with a reasonably robust free tier, too, unless otherwise noted.</p>
  860.  
  861.  
  862.  
  863. <p>Shall we?</p>
  864.  
  865.  
  866.  
  867. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a>AI on Android part I: On-demand assistance</h2>
  868.  
  869.  
  870.  
  871. <p>We’ll start with the simplest and most well-known form of AI, in this current incarnation, and that’s the humble and at times hilariously off-kilter chatbot.</p>
  872.  
  873.  
  874.  
  875. <p>Within that arena, the first and most easily accessible option is Google’s own<strong> (1)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.bard&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Gemini</strong></a> Android assistant (which may well be on your device whether you install it or not). Gemini can do all the standard AI chatbot stuff, in terms of answering questions, generating images, and providing general information — with all the standard asterisks, too, that the info it gives you <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3806751/google-amazon-ai.html">may not always be entirely accurate</a> — but where Gemini really shines is in its ability to help control your device and interact with your data from various Google services.</p>
  876.  
  877.  
  878.  
  879. <p>💡 <strong>Try this: </strong></p>
  880.  
  881.  
  882.  
  883. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  884. <li>Ask Gemini to read your notifications out loud</li>
  885.  
  886.  
  887.  
  888. <li>Ask it to summarize your recent emails</li>
  889.  
  890.  
  891.  
  892. <li>Activate the Google Workspace integration (by tapping your profile picture in the upper-right corner and then selecting “Apps”) and then ask Gemini questions about your Docs, Drive, Calendar, Keep, or Tasks activity</li>
  893. </ul>
  894.  
  895.  
  896.  
  897. <p>Of course, Gemini isn’t the only AI chatbot option you’ve got on Android. OpenAI’s <strong>(2)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.openai.chatgpt&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>ChatGPT</strong></a> app gives you access to the interface that arguably kickstarted the current AI revolution. Even on its free level, it can be helpful for summarizing long PDFs or documents (via the plus button in its main prompt area), giving you the high points of articles and other pages online (if you send their links into the app via your browser’s regular sharing function), and finding trends within large sets of data (if you share a spreadsheet into the app or upload it using the plus icon).</p>
  898.  
  899.  
  900. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1024" alt="chatgpt response on android" class="wp-image-3965330" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=300%2C291&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=768%2C745&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=1024%2C994&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=1536%2C1490&quality=50&strip=all 1536w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=2048%2C1987&quality=50&strip=all 2048w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=718%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 718w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=173%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 173w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=87%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 87w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=495%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 495w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=371%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 371w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-01-chatgpt.jpg?resize=258%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 258w" width="1024" height="994" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>The ChatGPT Android app excels as summarizing long documents and identifying trends in large sets of data.</p>
  901. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  902.  
  903.  
  904.  
  905. <p>Beyond that, Microsoft’s <strong>(3) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.copilot&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Copilot</strong></a> puts the same ChatGPT brains into a somewhat friendlier interface that includes seamless integration with Microsoft apps and services; <strong>(4)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.perplexity.app.android&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Perplexity</strong></a> positions itself as more of a smart search companion for both general web-based info and your own uploaded documents, with clear citations and explanations; and Anthropic’s <strong>(5)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anthropic.claude&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Claude</strong></a> is particularly skilled at creating code and weighing out different viewpoints to help you consider a complex topic.</p>
  906.  
  907.  
  908.  
  909. <p>Honestly, in this specific area, all of the options have an awful lot in common — and the trickiest part is just figuring out which one you prefer in general or want to use for any given scenario. That’s where <strong>(6)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kagi.search&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Kagi</strong></a> can come in handy. At its core, Kagi is <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91268933/google-alternatives-kagi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a privacy-centric, quality-focused alternative to Google Search</a>. But beyond basic queries, its <a href="https://kagi.com/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$25-a-month Ultimate plan</a> includes access to something called the Kagi Assistant, which lets you access the underlying intelligence from Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI engines in a single streamlined spot and with the added advantage of complete privacy and custom filtering to help refine the results.</p>
  910.  
  911.  
  912.  
  913. <p>And speaking of privacy, the independent<strong> (7) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pocketpalai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>PocketPal AI</strong></a> app makes it easy to download different AI models directly onto your device for isolated, secure access.</p>
  914.  
  915.  
  916. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1022" alt="pocketpal app models and settings on android" class="wp-image-3965333" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=300%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=768%2C770&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=1022%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 1022w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=1532%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1532w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=2043%2C2048&quality=50&strip=all 2043w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=1240%2C1240&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=695%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 695w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=168%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 168w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=84%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 84w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=479%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 479w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=359%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 359w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-02-pocketpal.jpg?resize=249%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 249w" width="1022" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>PocketPal puts powerful AI models right on your device for fully local and highly customizable interactions.</p>
  917. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  918.  
  919.  
  920.  
  921. <p>💡 <strong>Try this:</strong></p>
  922.  
  923.  
  924.  
  925. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  926. <li>Look in PocketPal’s main three-line menu to find the “Models” section and click the “Download” option to bring a few of the available options onto your device</li>
  927.  
  928.  
  929.  
  930. <li>Create your own custom and completely local “Pal” that’ll take on practically any personality, focus, and style of answering you like</li>
  931.  
  932.  
  933.  
  934. <li>Tap the three-dot menu icon in the app’s upper-right corner while chatting with any model and select the “Generation settings” option to fine-tune all sorts of intricate parameters about how exactly the chatbot works — including how short or long its responses are and how “creative” vs. focused its communication should be</li>
  935. </ul>
  936.  
  937.  
  938.  
  939. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a>AI on Android part II: Smarter notes and reminders</h2>
  940.  
  941.  
  942.  
  943. <p>If you’ve got a Google-made Pixel device, Google’s installed-by-default <strong>(8)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.recorder&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Recorder</strong></a> app is an invaluable AI resource. Recorder is hands-down the easiest and most effective way to record speaking — be it your own rambling thoughts or an important conversation — and then get an instant searchable transcription that’s available both on your phone <em>and</em> <a href="https://recorder.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on the web</a> from any other device where you’re signed in.</p>
  944.  
  945.  
  946.  
  947. <p>For everyone else — or for any Pixel owners who need even more audio-recording oomph — <strong>(9) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aisense.otter&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Otter</strong></a> is an excellent option. Otter similarly records speaking but is designed even more with <em>meetings </em>in mind, thanks to its thoughtful features around summarization, key point highlighting, image integration, and team-wide collaboration. It can also transcribe your own uploaded audio and video files, though that capability and certain other advanced features require <a href="https://otter.ai/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a paid subscription</a> (starting at about $100 per user per year).</p>
  948.  
  949.  
  950.  
  951. <p>An independent-developer creation called <strong>(10) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audiopen.android&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>AudioPen</strong></a>, meanwhile,is less about simply <em>saving </em>your spoken words and more about <em>extracting value </em>out of ’em — basically like a dictation-centric note tool that does all the heavy lifting for you. Just say whatever’s on your mind, and AudioPen will transform your thoughts into clear, concise notes in whatever length and style you like. The service’s free plan is generous and quite usable, though some of the more advanced options do require <a href="https://audiopen.ai/prime" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an annual paid subscription</a>.</p>
  952.  
  953.  
  954. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1022" alt="audiopen app on android" class="wp-image-3965335" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=768%2C770&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=1022%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 1022w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=1532%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1532w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=2043%2C2048&quality=50&strip=all 2043w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=1240%2C1240&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=695%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 695w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=168%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 168w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=84%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 84w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=479%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 479w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=359%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 359w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-03-audiopen.jpg?resize=249%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 249w" width="1022" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>AudioPen leans on AI to clean up and organize your spoken memos.</p>
  955. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  956.  
  957.  
  958.  
  959. <p>💡 <strong>Try this:</strong></p>
  960.  
  961.  
  962.  
  963. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  964. <li>Tap the box with an upward-facing arrow icon while viewing any note — as seen in the lower-right corner in the first screenshot above — to share its entire contents to any other app on your device</li>
  965.  
  966.  
  967.  
  968. <li>Tap the gear-shaped settings icon in the app’s upper-right corner — as seen in the second screenshot above — to configure the exact intensity and style of rewriting you prefer (if you’re using AudioPen’s paid version)</li>
  969.  
  970.  
  971.  
  972. <li>Input specific words — like names — into the “Special words” area of that same settings section to ensure they’re always transcribed and spelled correctly (also available only in the paid version)</li>
  973. </ul>
  974.  
  975.  
  976.  
  977. <p>When it comes to voice <em>phone</em> calls, Google’s Pixel devices are again positioned for success with the fully featured version of the simply named<strong> (11)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.dialer&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Phone by Google</strong></a> app. Among <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1613551/google-pixel-phone-calling-features.html">other useful capabilities</a>, the Phone app packs a supremely useful Call Notes feature that can summarize key points from any call for you as you’re speaking. It’s thus far available only on the newest flagship-level Pixel 9 devices, but it’s built in and ready to roll on those gadgets without any extra costs or caveats.</p>
  978.  
  979.  
  980.  
  981. <p>Samsung’s <strong>(12) </strong><a href="https://galaxystore.samsung.com/prepost/000004312796" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Phone</strong></a> app offers a similar sort of system on the latest Galaxy S25 device. And if you’ve got any other Android phone model, you can emulate the same concept <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3488652/google-pixel-9-call-notes-android.html">with a pinch of creative thinking</a>.</p>
  982.  
  983.  
  984.  
  985. <p>Finally, for the Pixel-palmin’ pals among us, don’t miss out on the<strong> (13)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.pixel.agent&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Pixel Screenshots</strong></a> system built into the latest Pixel 9 flagship phone models. The app’s most prominent feature is its ability to automatically analyze and catalog all of your screenshots, which is fine — but where it <em>really</em> shines is in <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3496909/google-pixel-9-feature.html">the super-simple on-demand reminder system</a> it adds right into Android’s foundation.</p>
  986.  
  987.  
  988.  
  989. <p>Just capture a screenshot, anywhere and anytime (by pressing your phone’s power and volume-down buttons together), then tap the little bell icon in the confirmation dialogue in the corner of your screen — and you’ll be able to set an instant reminder around whatever you were seeing that’ll pop up at any future date and time you desire.</p>
  990.  
  991.  
  992. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1024" alt="setting a reminder in pixel screenshots app on android" class="wp-image-3965332" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=300%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=768%2C767&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=1536%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1536w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=2048%2C2046&quality=50&strip=all 2048w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=1240%2C1240&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=698%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 698w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=168%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 168w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=84%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 84w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=480%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 480w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=360%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 360w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-04-pixel-screenshots.jpg?resize=250%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 250w" width="1024" height="1023" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Pixel Screenshots can analyze and organize your screenshots, but its most useful feature is the simple reminder system it adds onto your device.</p>
  993. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  994.  
  995.  
  996.  
  997. <p>No Pixel? No problem. You can <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3807790/pixel-productivity-upgrade-android.html">emulate the automated screenshot cataloguing piece of the puzzle</a> on <em>any</em> Android device with a clever little creation called <strong>(14)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=aculix.pixelshot.app&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>PixelShot</strong></a>, and you can cook up something vaguely similar to the seamless screenshot reminder system with <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3497607">the right kind of crafty configuring</a>.</p>
  998.  
  999.  
  1000.  
  1001. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a>AI on Android part III: Image analysis and manipulation</h2>
  1002.  
  1003.  
  1004.  
  1005. <p>All this AI obsession may be a relatively recent phenomenon, but the long-standing <strong>(15) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.ar.lens&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Google Lens</strong></a> app has been at it for ages already — and it’s <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1635589/google-lens-android.html">every bit as impressive now</a> as it was when it debuted nearly eight years ago. Lens lets you do everything from analyzing and identifying objects within images to copying text from the real world and then pasting it anywhere you want or even sending it to your computer’s clipboard.</p>
  1006.  
  1007.  
  1008.  
  1009. <p>💡 <strong>Try this:</strong></p>
  1010.  
  1011.  
  1012.  
  1013. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  1014. <li>Open Lens, aim your phone’s camera at something, and tap the big search button to analyze and identify it</li>
  1015.  
  1016.  
  1017.  
  1018. <li>Tap anywhere on the results to select and copy text from inside the image</li>
  1019.  
  1020.  
  1021.  
  1022. <li>Point your camera at a QR code or barcode within Lens to have it instantly read and optionally also to open any associated links</li>
  1023. </ul>
  1024.  
  1025.  
  1026.  
  1027. <p>It may seem obvious, but I’d be remiss not to mention the<strong> (16)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.photos&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Google Photos</strong></a> Android app as a part of this collection. Photos has all sorts of impressive tools for editing and enhancing images, removing elements from photos, and even analyzing images and allowing you to interact with text inside of them via its integration with the aforementioned Lens technology.</p>
  1028.  
  1029.  
  1030. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1018" alt="working with images in google photos and google lens apps on android" class="wp-image-3965337" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=298%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 298w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=768%2C773&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=1018%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 1018w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=1527%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1527w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=2036%2C2048&quality=50&strip=all 2036w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=693%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 693w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=167%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 167w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=83%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 83w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=477%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 477w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=358%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 358w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-05-google-photos.jpg?resize=249%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 249w" width="1018" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Photos is filled with AI-powered editing tools and intelligent image interaction utilities.</p>
  1031. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  1032.  
  1033.  
  1034.  
  1035. <p>And finally, <strong>(17) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.canva.editor&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Canva</strong></a> is a fantastic all-around option for on-the-go graphic design work — be it creating a quick image for web use or social media sharing, whipping up a flyer to send out to colleagues or clients, or editing existing images to get ’em ready for public posting.</p>
  1036.  
  1037.  
  1038.  
  1039. <p>The app’s core features are free, but most of the AI-specific elements — including the ability to add and replace objects, expand existing images, and easily change the style of individual elements — require a $15-a-month or $120-a-year <a href="https://www.canva.com/pro/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pro upgrade</a> (which is also <a href="https://www.canva.com/pricing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">available in team-friendly plans</a>).</p>
  1040.  
  1041.  
  1042.  
  1043. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a>AI on Android part IV: Text and memory enhancers</h2>
  1044.  
  1045.  
  1046.  
  1047. <p>Need a helping hand with your two-thumbed typing? Both <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google’s Gboard keyboard</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.touchtype.swiftkey&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft’s SwiftKey Keyboard</a> now boast built-in rewriting features in their respective toolbars, but <strong>(18)</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grammarly.android.keyboard&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Grammarly</strong></a> takes things up a considerable notch with <a href="https://theintelligence.com/38432/android-text-editing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the most advanced and versatile text-enhancing engine</a> available on Android.</p>
  1048.  
  1049.  
  1050.  
  1051. <p>Grammarly now works with whatever keyboard you’re already using and pops up a little green “G” button on the side of your screen anytime your keyboard is active. It’ll show you editing suggestions as you go, or you can also highlight any text you’ve entered anywhere and then tap that same button to ask for more specific word wrangling assistance — from general improvements to creating more persuasive or even more confident-sounding prose within the context of what you’ve already started.</p>
  1052.  
  1053.  
  1054. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1024" alt="generative ai powered writing suggestions in grammarly android app" class="wp-image-3965331" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=300%2C297&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=768%2C761&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=1024%2C1015&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=1536%2C1522&quality=50&strip=all 1536w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=2048%2C2029&quality=50&strip=all 2048w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=704%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 704w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=170%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 170w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=85%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 85w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=484%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 484w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=363%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 363w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-06-grammarly.jpg?resize=252%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 252w" width="1024" height="1015" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Grammarly shows writing suggestions alongside any Android keyboard and can pull up more ambitious rewriting prompts as you’re typing, too.</p>
  1055. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  1056.  
  1057.  
  1058.  
  1059. <p>If you tend to have trouble recalling specific details of your online activity, a brilliant little AI app called <strong>(19) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.github.mthli.snapseek" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Snapseek</strong></a> is exactly the companion you need. Snapseek works kind of like <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3615775/microsoft-windows-recall-hands-on.html">Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature</a>, only without as many <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2128281/microsoft-windows-recall-privacy.html">privacy worries</a> — as it’s present only if <em>you </em>go out of your way to install it, and it collects activity only within the specific individual apps you authorize. Plus, it stores all data solely on your own device and doesn’t save or share anything with anyone.</p>
  1060.  
  1061.  
  1062.  
  1063. <p>When you first set up Snapseek, you’ll have to grant it a series of permissions that are pertinent to its operation. Then, you’ll be able to select which apps you want it to watch.</p>
  1064.  
  1065.  
  1066.  
  1067. <p>In the app’s free version, you can pick two. If you pay for a one-time $4 in-app upgrade, that limitation is lifted, and you can select as many apps as you want.</p>
  1068.  
  1069.  
  1070.  
  1071. <p>Once that’s done, Snapseek will <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3962080/android-memory.html">automatically collect screenshots of every action you take</a> and every screen you see within your selected apps. You won’t even notice it running in the moment — nor will its screenshots clutter up your standard Photos or Gallery app — but anytime you want to remember something you did on your device, you can open Snapseek up and search through its history.</p>
  1072.  
  1073.  
  1074.  
  1075. <p>The app will show you any screenshots with matching text within ’em for a swift ‘n’ simple recall.</p>
  1076.  
  1077.  
  1078. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1020" alt="choosing which apps to snapshot in snapseek app on android" class="wp-image-3965336" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=300%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=768%2C771&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=1020%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 1020w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=1530%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1530w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=2040%2C2048&quality=50&strip=all 2040w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=1240%2C1240&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=694%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 694w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=167%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 167w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=84%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 84w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=478%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 478w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=359%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 359w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-07-snapseek.jpg?resize=249%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 249w" width="1020" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Snapseek keeps tabs on any apps you want and then helps you search through your activity within those apps to find important info.</p>
  1079. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  1080.  
  1081.  
  1082.  
  1083. <p>💡 <strong>Try this:</strong></p>
  1084.  
  1085.  
  1086.  
  1087. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  1088. <li>Set Snapseek to watch your Android web browser and email or messaging app, then use it to find and reference details about pages you’ve viewed or conversations you’ve had</li>
  1089.  
  1090.  
  1091.  
  1092. <li>Look in the app’s settings (via the three-dot menu icon on its main screen) to make the screenshots it saves higher resolution for even more detail</li>
  1093.  
  1094.  
  1095.  
  1096. <li>Look in that same settings section to configure how long the app should wait before auto-deleting everything it saves for security</li>
  1097. </ul>
  1098.  
  1099.  
  1100.  
  1101. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a>AI on Android part V: Simple visual pleasures</h2>
  1102.  
  1103.  
  1104.  
  1105. <p>Last but not least in our list is an AI-centric Android app that’s more about pleasure than productivity. But hey, putting yourself in a positive brain-space is bound to make it easier to get work done, right?</p>
  1106.  
  1107.  
  1108.  
  1109. <p>The app is called <strong>(20) </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sharpregion.tapet&hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Tapet</strong></a>, and it’s an on-demand AI-based image generator for your device’s wallpapers. A longtime favorite of my <a href="https://theintelligence.com/insider/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intelligence Insider tech enthusiast community</a>, Tapet lets you swipe through all sorts of different patterns and styles of geometric wallpaper designs — all created on the fly as you see ’em.</p>
  1110.  
  1111.  
  1112. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1020" alt="ai-generated wallpapers in tapet app on android" class="wp-image-3965334" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 2160w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=300%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=768%2C771&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=1020%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 1020w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=1530%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 1530w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=2040%2C2048&quality=50&strip=all 2040w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=1240%2C1240&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=694%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 694w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=167%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 167w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=84%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 84w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=478%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 478w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=359%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 359w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/android-ai-apps-08-tapet.jpg?resize=249%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 249w" width="1020" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Tapet serves up an endless array of interesting and original AI-generated wallpaper designs.</p>
  1113. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">JR Raphael / Foundry</p></div>
  1114.  
  1115.  
  1116.  
  1117. <p>It brings some refreshing visual variety to whatever Android device you’re using and makes any phone feel endlessly engaging and ready for serious business.</p>
  1118.  
  1119.  
  1120.  
  1121. <p><strong><em>NEXT: </em></strong><a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1699499/must-have-android-widgets-for-busy-professionals.html"><strong><em>Discover 22 must-have Android widgets for busy professionals</em></strong></a><em> and bring even more added efficiency onto your favorite phone’s home screen!</em></p>
  1122. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  1123. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3965296/genuinely-useful-ai-apps-for-android.html</link>
  1124. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3965296</post-id><category>Android, Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Mobile Apps</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3965296-0-84680200-1746702194-android-ai-apps.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="84524" type="image/jpeg" />
  1125. </item>
  1126. <item>
  1127. <title>Will genAI businesses crash and burn?</title>
  1128. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1129. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  1130. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  1131.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  1132. <div class="article-column__content">
  1133. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  1134.  
  1135.  
  1136.  
  1137. <p>I don’t know about you, but I’m already tired of all the generative AI (genAI) hype. I’ve been using the technology for a while now, and I’ve found ways it can be helpful — primarily as a search engine replacement — but it’s not everything it’s supposed to be. </p>
  1138.  
  1139.  
  1140.  
  1141. <p>This isn’t just cranky, cynical old me. In a recent IBM survey of 2,000 CEOs, Big Blue found that “<a href="https://newsroom.ibm.com/2025-05-06-ibm-study-ceos-double-down-on-ai-while-navigating-enterprise-hurdles" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">only 25% of AI initiatives have delivered expected ROI</a> [Return on Investment] over the last few years.” Further, “just over half (52%) of CEO respondents say their organization is realizing value from generative AI investments beyond cost reduction.”</p>
  1142.  
  1143.  
  1144.  
  1145. <p>Adding insult to injury: “64% of CEOs surveyed acknowledge that the risk of falling behind drives investment in some technologies before they have a clear understanding of the value they bring to the organization, but only 37% say it’s better to be ‘fast and wrong’ than ‘right and slow’ when it comes to technology adoption.” </p>
  1146.  
  1147.  
  1148.  
  1149. <p>Really? Yes, I know about moving fast and breaking things, but are CEOs really paid big bucks to make expensive IT moves <em>based on fear of missing out</em>? I could do that, and I’d be willing to accept less money than the average CEO. Win! Win!</p>
  1150.  
  1151.  
  1152.  
  1153. <p>Seriously, though, some in the industry have been doing the business math — and they’re finding genAI isn’t delivering on its promises. </p>
  1154.  
  1155.  
  1156.  
  1157. <p>For example, Microsoft’s been making <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1629974/m365-copilot-microsofts-generative-ai-tool-explained.html">Copilot the center of its end-user plans</a>. There’s a teeny-weeny problem with that: users aren’t adopting Copilot. Period. As reported in <a href="https://www.newcomer.co/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Newcomer</a>,  “At Microsoft’s annual executive huddle last month, the company’s chief financial officer, Amy Hood, put up a slide that charted the number of users for its Copilot consumer AI tool over the past year. It was essentially <a href="https://www.newcomer.co/p/microsofts-big-ai-hire-cant-match" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a flat line, showing around 20 million weekly users</a>.”</p>
  1158.  
  1159.  
  1160.  
  1161. <p>Flatlining, as anyone who’s ever watched a medical show knows, is a bad thing. </p>
  1162.  
  1163.  
  1164.  
  1165. <p>Even Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella realizes that some things are fundamentally wrong with AI.  He recently acknowledged there’s <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/26/microsofts_nadella_wants_to_see/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">no killer app for AI</a>. And he said this, may I remind you, after pouring more than $10 billion into genAI. Here’s some free advice for you, Satya: Simply adding Copilot features to every last program in the Microsoft portfolio is clearly not the way to profitability. </p>
  1166.  
  1167.  
  1168.  
  1169. <p>Even as businesses look to reshape themselves using the technology, they’re grappling with significant hurdles in turning innovation into sustainable profits. Despite soaring investments and rapid revenue growth in some sectors, many genAI businesses struggle with high operational costs and uncertain paths to long-term financial success.</p>
  1170.  
  1171.  
  1172.  
  1173. <p>One of the most glaring challenges is the staggering cost of running genAI operations. OpenAI, the leading generative AI company, reportedly spent $9 billion in 2024 to generate about $4 billion in revenue, with the bulk of expenses tied to compute power for training and running AI models. This means, as Ed Zitron, well-known tech maven and cynic, said that <a href="https://www.wheresyoured.at/wheres-the-money/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI loses money on every paying customer</a>, burning billions annually despite rising subscription numbers.</p>
  1174.  
  1175.  
  1176.  
  1177. <p>But what they lose on each one, they’ll make up on volume, right?</p>
  1178.  
  1179.  
  1180.  
  1181. <p>OpenAI, by the way, is the most successful genAI startup to date. I wonder what the balance sheets of the lesser firms look like. </p>
  1182.  
  1183.  
  1184.  
  1185. <p>True, some smaller genAI companies such as <a href="https://www.tempus.com/?srsltid=AfmBOop75Lvym2nUUjyzn9xwF8yLxH2Z_RFtClVRO86EDuVSSAPGHa7r" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tempus AI</a>, which applies the technology in precision medicine, <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250506572067/en/Tempus-Reports-First-Quarter-2025-Results" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">show promising financial momentum</a>. It reported a 75% revenue increase year-over-year. Most of the others are still light years from profitability. </p>
  1186.  
  1187.  
  1188.  
  1189. <p>What’s the difference? Rather than some vague idea that genAI will magically make everything better, Tempus focuses on a particular business case in which it could improve. There’s a lesson here for anyone who wants to use genAI tools successfully. </p>
  1190.  
  1191.  
  1192.  
  1193. <p>Sure, Nvidia is doing great guns, but it’s not selling to businesses or consumers that use genAI. It sells to the companies that want to sell you AI services — there’s a big difference. </p>
  1194.  
  1195.  
  1196.  
  1197. <p>So long as startups such as OpenAI and Anthropic raise tens of billions of dollars, Nvidia will be fine. If venture capitalists ever start to wonder whether there’s a profit at the end of the business rainbow (rather than just eternal growth with no discernible business benefit), it will be another story.  </p>
  1198.  
  1199.  
  1200.  
  1201. <p>Remember the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s? I do. I see the genAI bubble getting bigger and bigger, and every bubble eventually pops. </p>
  1202. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  1203. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980239/will-genai-businesses-crash-and-burn.html</link>
  1204. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3980239</post-id><category>Generative AI, Technology Industry</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3980239-0-24499600-1746698604-biplane_flying_plane_crash_pilot2-100746822-orig.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="72284" type="image/jpeg" />
  1205. </item>
  1206. <item>
  1207. <title>Microsoft 365: A guide to the updates</title>
  1208. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 06:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1209. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  1210. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  1211.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  1212. <div class="article-column__content">
  1213. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  1214.  
  1215.  
  1216.  
  1217. <p><a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1614302/office-to-be-rebranded-microsoft-365.html">Microsoft 365</a> (and Office 365) subscribers get more frequent software updates than those who have purchased Office without a subscription, which means subscribers have access to the latest features, security patches, and bug fixes. But it can be hard to keep track of the changes in each update and know when they’re available. We’re doing this for you, so you don’t have to.</p>
  1218.  
  1219.  
  1220.  
  1221. <p>Following are summaries of the updates to <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1691110/microsoft-365-explained.html">Microsoft 365/Office 365</a> for Windows over the past year, with the latest releases shown first. We’ll add info about new updates as they’re rolled out.</p>
  1222.  
  1223.  
  1224.  
  1225. <p><em>Note: This story covers updates released to the Current Channel for Microsoft 365/Office 365 subscriptions. If you’re a member of Microsoft’s Office Insider preview program or want to get a sneak peek at upcoming features, see the <a href="https://insider.microsoft365.com/en-us/blog" data-type="link" data-id="https://insider.microsoft365.com/en-us/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft 365 Insider blog</a>.</em></p>
  1226.  
  1227.  
  1228.  
  1229. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2504-build-18730-20142">Version 2504 (Build 18730.20142)</h3>
  1230.  
  1231.  
  1232.  
  1233. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>May 6,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1234.  
  1235.  
  1236.  
  1237. <p>This build includes various bug and performance fixes.</p>
  1238.  
  1239.  
  1240.  
  1241. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2504-may-06" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2504 (Build 18730.20142)</a>.</p>
  1242.  
  1243.  
  1244.  
  1245. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2504-build-18730-20122">Version 2504 (Build 18730.20122)</h3>
  1246.  
  1247.  
  1248.  
  1249. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>April 29,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1250.  
  1251.  
  1252.  
  1253. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which PowerPoint was unable to open a file from a network mapped drive from File Explore, another in which Word closed unexpectedly when opening .doc files, and another for the entire Office suite in which large 3D files couldn’t be inserted.</p>
  1254.  
  1255.  
  1256.  
  1257. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2504-april-29" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2504 (Build 18730.20122)</a>.</p>
  1258.  
  1259.  
  1260.  
  1261. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2503-build-18623-20208">Version 2503 (Build 18623.20208)</h3>
  1262.  
  1263.  
  1264.  
  1265. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>April 17,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1266.  
  1267.  
  1268.  
  1269. <p>This build fixes a bug that could cause Excel to stop responding.</p>
  1270.  
  1271.  
  1272.  
  1273. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2503-april-17" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2503 (Build 18623.20208)</a>.</p>
  1274.  
  1275.  
  1276.  
  1277. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2503-build-18623-20178">Version 2503 (Build 18623.20178)</h3>
  1278.  
  1279.  
  1280.  
  1281. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>April 8,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1282.  
  1283.  
  1284.  
  1285. <p>This build fixes a single bug in Word in which users may have encountered an issue with saving, seeing the message “saving…” in the title bar. It  also includes a variety of security updates. Go <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#march-11-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here for details</a>.</p>
  1286.  
  1287.  
  1288.  
  1289. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1290.  
  1291.  
  1292.  
  1293. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2503-april-08" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2503 (Build 18623.20178)</a>.</p>
  1294.  
  1295.  
  1296.  
  1297. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2503-build-18623-20156">Version 2503 (Build 18623.20156)</h3>
  1298.  
  1299.  
  1300.  
  1301. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>April 2,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1302.  
  1303.  
  1304.  
  1305. <p>This build lets you use Dark Mode in Excel, which darkens your entire sheet, including cells, and may reduce eye strain. It also fixes several bugs, including one in Word in which opening specific files that contain many tracked changes and comments resulted in poor performance, and one in PowerPoint in which the app was not displaying the icon for an inserted PDF object.</p>
  1306.  
  1307.  
  1308.  
  1309. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2503-april-02" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2503 (Build 18623.20156)</a>.</p>
  1310.  
  1311.  
  1312.  
  1313. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2502-build-18526-20168">Version 2502 (Build 18526.20168)</h3>
  1314.  
  1315.  
  1316.  
  1317. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>March 11,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1318.  
  1319.  
  1320.  
  1321. <p>This build fixes several bugs, including one in which some Word files with numerous tracked changes and comments were slow. It also includes a variety of security updates: <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#march-11-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">see details</a>.</p>
  1322.  
  1323.  
  1324.  
  1325. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1326.  
  1327.  
  1328.  
  1329. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2502-march-11" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2502 (Build 18526.20168)</a>.</p>
  1330.  
  1331.  
  1332.  
  1333. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2502-build-18526-20144">Version 2502 (Build 18526.20144)</h3>
  1334.  
  1335.  
  1336.  
  1337. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>March 5,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1338.  
  1339.  
  1340.  
  1341. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Word in which the default font size may not be 12pt as expected, and another in which PowerPoint automatically closed when the system went into hibernate or sleep mode.</p>
  1342.  
  1343.  
  1344.  
  1345. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2502-march-05" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2502 (Build 18526.20144)</a>.</p>
  1346.  
  1347.  
  1348.  
  1349. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2501-build-18429-20158">Version 2501 (Build 18429.20158)</h3>
  1350.  
  1351.  
  1352.  
  1353. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>February 11,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1354.  
  1355.  
  1356.  
  1357. <p>This build removes the option to display Track Changes balloons in left margin in Word. It also includes a variety of security updates. See “<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#february-11-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>” for details.</p>
  1358.  
  1359.  
  1360.  
  1361. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1362.  
  1363.  
  1364.  
  1365. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2501-february-11" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2501 (Build 18429.20158)</a>.</p>
  1366.  
  1367.  
  1368.  
  1369. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2501-build-18429-20132">Version 2501 (Build 18429.20132)</h3>
  1370.  
  1371.  
  1372.  
  1373. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 30,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1374.  
  1375.  
  1376.  
  1377. <p>In this build, the advanced Track Changes option to set the margin for balloons in Word has been removed.</p>
  1378.  
  1379.  
  1380.  
  1381. <p>A wide variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in which ActiveX controls used an excessive amount of GDI handles in PowerPoint, and another for the entire Office suite in which images couldn’t be pasted from SharePoint.</p>
  1382.  
  1383.  
  1384.  
  1385. <p> Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2501-january-30" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2501 (Build 18429.20132)</a>.</p>
  1386.  
  1387.  
  1388.  
  1389. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2412-build-18324-20194">Version 2412 (Build 18324.20194)</h3>
  1390.  
  1391.  
  1392.  
  1393. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 16,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1394.  
  1395.  
  1396.  
  1397. <p>This build fixes one bug, in which apps would exit unexpectedly when running on Windows Server 2016.</p>
  1398.  
  1399.  
  1400.  
  1401. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2412-january-16" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2412 (Build 18324.20194)</a>.</p>
  1402.  
  1403.  
  1404.  
  1405. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2412-build-18324-20190">Version 2412 (Build 18324.20190)</h3>
  1406.  
  1407.  
  1408.  
  1409. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 14,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1410.  
  1411.  
  1412.  
  1413. <p>This build fixes a bug in Word in which the layout of tables were changed unexpectedly. It also includes a variety of security updates. See <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#january-14-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a> for details.</p>
  1414.  
  1415.  
  1416.  
  1417. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1418.  
  1419.  
  1420.  
  1421. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2412-january-14" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2412 (Build 18324.20190)</a>.</p>
  1422.  
  1423.  
  1424.  
  1425. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2412-build-18324-20168">Version 2412 (Build 18324.20168)</h3>
  1426.  
  1427.  
  1428.  
  1429. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 7,<strong> </strong>2025</p>
  1430.  
  1431.  
  1432.  
  1433. <p>This build makes tables in Outlook more accessible for screen readers. It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Word in which a document saved to a network shared folder and set to “Always Open Read-Only” would open in “Editing” mode, and another for the entire Office suite in which application didn’t render the grid properly after switching from page break preview to normal view.</p>
  1434.  
  1435.  
  1436.  
  1437. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2412-january-07" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2412 (Build 18324.20168)</a>.</p>
  1438.  
  1439.  
  1440.  
  1441. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2411-build-18227-20162">Version 2411 (Build 18227.20162)</h3>
  1442.  
  1443.  
  1444.  
  1445. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>December 10,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1446.  
  1447.  
  1448.  
  1449. <p>This build fixes a bug in Word and Outlook where characters didn’t render correctly when using <em>Save Selection to Text Box Gallery</em>. It also includes a variety of security updates. See <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a> for details.</p>
  1450.  
  1451.  
  1452.  
  1453. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1454.  
  1455.  
  1456.  
  1457. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2411-december-10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2411 (Build 18227.20162)</a>.</p>
  1458.  
  1459.  
  1460.  
  1461. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2411-build-18227-20152">Version 2411 (Build 18227.20152)</h3>
  1462.  
  1463.  
  1464.  
  1465. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>December 5,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1466.  
  1467.  
  1468.  
  1469. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which some cells might not be rendered properly upon scrolling in a worksheet using freeze panes, one in Word which prevented emails with linked SVG content from saving or sending, and one in which some PowerPoint presentations created by third-party tools didn’t open correctly and some content was removed.</p>
  1470.  
  1471.  
  1472.  
  1473. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2411-december-05" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2411 (Build 18227.20152)</a>.</p>
  1474.  
  1475.  
  1476.  
  1477. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2410-build-18129-20158">Version 2410 (Build 18129.20158)</h3>
  1478.  
  1479.  
  1480.  
  1481. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>November 12,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1482.  
  1483.  
  1484.  
  1485. <p>This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Word in which all characters didn’t appear correctly when creating an Outlook task from OneNote, and one in PowerPoint in which embedded BMP images in the PowerPoint slide were not opening.</p>
  1486.  
  1487.  
  1488.  
  1489. <p>This build also includes a variety of security updates. See <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a> for details.</p>
  1490.  
  1491.  
  1492.  
  1493. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1494.  
  1495.  
  1496.  
  1497. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2410-november-12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2410 (Build 18129.20158)</a>.</p>
  1498.  
  1499.  
  1500.  
  1501. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2410-build-18129-20116">Version 2410 (Build 18129.20116)</h3>
  1502.  
  1503.  
  1504.  
  1505. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>October 28,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1506.  
  1507.  
  1508.  
  1509. <p>This build enables filtering capabilities for the comment pane in Excel and fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Word in which the title bar no longer showed a “Saved” status for locally saved files, and one in PowerPoint in which a graphics-related issue caused the app to close unexpectedly at times.</p>
  1510.  
  1511.  
  1512.  
  1513. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2410-october-28" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2410 (Build 18129.20116)</a>.</p>
  1514.  
  1515.  
  1516.  
  1517. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2409-build-18025-20160">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20160)</h3>
  1518.  
  1519.  
  1520.  
  1521. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>October 15,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1522.  
  1523.  
  1524.  
  1525. <p>This build fixes a single bug in Word, in which emails with linked SVG content couldn’t be saved or sent.</p>
  1526.  
  1527.  
  1528.  
  1529. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2409-october-15" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2409 (Build 18025.20160)</a>.</p>
  1530.  
  1531.  
  1532.  
  1533. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2409-build-18025-20140">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20140)</h3>
  1534.  
  1535.  
  1536.  
  1537. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>October 8,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1538.  
  1539.  
  1540.  
  1541. <p>This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Word in which text wasn’t clearly visible in High Contrast Mode when using “Draft with Copilot” and referencing a meeting under “Reference your content.”</p>
  1542.  
  1543.  
  1544.  
  1545. <p>This build also includes multiple security updates. See <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#october-08-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a> for details.</p>
  1546.  
  1547.  
  1548.  
  1549. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1550.  
  1551.  
  1552.  
  1553. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2409-october-08" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20140)</a>.</p>
  1554.  
  1555.  
  1556.  
  1557. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2409-build-18025-20104">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20104)</h3>
  1558.  
  1559.  
  1560.  
  1561. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>September 25,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1562.  
  1563.  
  1564.  
  1565. <p>This build fixes a single bug, in which when you saved a file in Word, the save status was missing from the Title bar.</p>
  1566.  
  1567.  
  1568.  
  1569. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2409-september-25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20104)</a>.</p>
  1570.  
  1571.  
  1572.  
  1573. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2409-build-18025-20096">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20096)</h3>
  1574.  
  1575.  
  1576.  
  1577. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>September 23,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1578.  
  1579.  
  1580.  
  1581. <p>This build improves the user experience for selecting which users should have which permissions when a sensitivity label configured for user-defined permissions is applied to a file or when configuring standalone Information Rights Management through the Restrict Access feature. This change affects Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.</p>
  1582.  
  1583.  
  1584.  
  1585. <p>The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Word in which Document Mode would switch from “editing” to “viewing” if user enabled “Track Changes” and set “For Everyone.”</p>
  1586.  
  1587.  
  1588.  
  1589. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2409-september-23" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2409 (Build 18025.20096)</a>.</p>
  1590.  
  1591.  
  1592.  
  1593. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2408-build-17928-20156">Version 2408 (Build 17928.20156)</h3>
  1594.  
  1595.  
  1596.  
  1597. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>September 10,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1598.  
  1599.  
  1600.  
  1601. <p>This update will remove Flip video support when the service goes offline on October 1, 2024. The build also includes a variety of security updates. Go <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here for details</a>.</p>
  1602.  
  1603.  
  1604.  
  1605. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1606.  
  1607.  
  1608.  
  1609. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2408-september-10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2408 (Build 17928.20156)</a>.</p>
  1610.  
  1611.  
  1612.  
  1613. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2408-build-17928-20114">Version 2408 (Build 17928.20114)</h3>
  1614.  
  1615.  
  1616.  
  1617. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>August 26,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1618.  
  1619.  
  1620.  
  1621. <p>This build allows you to disable connected experiences for privacy concerns without impacting data security policies, such as sensitivity labels. Services associated with Microsoft Purview (e.g., sensitivity labels and rights management) are no longer controlled by policy settings to manage privacy controls for Microsoft 365 Apps. Instead, these services will rely on their existing security admin controls in Purview portals.</p>
  1622.  
  1623.  
  1624.  
  1625. <p>The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in Outlook that caused default SMIME labels to fail to apply when a user replied to or forwarded an unlabeled message, and one for the entire suite in which people couldn’t install Microsoft 365 apps on an enrolled device.</p>
  1626.  
  1627.  
  1628.  
  1629. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2408-august-26" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2408 (Build 17928.20114)</a>.</p>
  1630.  
  1631.  
  1632.  
  1633. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2407-build-17830-20166">Version 2407 (Build 17830.20166)</h3>
  1634.  
  1635.  
  1636.  
  1637. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>August 13,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1638.  
  1639.  
  1640.  
  1641. <p>This build includes a variety of security updates for Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Visio, and the entire Office suite. See Microsoft’s <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#august-13-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Office security updates</a> for details.</p>
  1642.  
  1643.  
  1644.  
  1645. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1646.  
  1647.  
  1648.  
  1649. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2407-august-13" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2407 (Build 17830.20166)</a>.</p>
  1650.  
  1651.  
  1652.  
  1653. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2407-build-17830-20138">Version 2407 (Build 17830.20138)</h3>
  1654.  
  1655.  
  1656.  
  1657. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>August 1,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1658.  
  1659.  
  1660.  
  1661. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which coauthoring on text boxes in Excel sometimes gave unexpected results, another in PowerPoint in which line widths were not preserved when exporting arrow shapes to PDF, and another in Word in which revisions were sometimes skipped when reviewing using VBA.</p>
  1662.  
  1663.  
  1664.  
  1665. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2407-august-01" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2407 (Build 17830.20138)</a>.</p>
  1666.  
  1667.  
  1668.  
  1669. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2406-build-17726-20160">Version 2406 (Build 17726.20160)</h3>
  1670.  
  1671.  
  1672.  
  1673. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>July 9,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1674.  
  1675.  
  1676.  
  1677. <p>This build fixes several bugs, including one in Word and Excel in which characters don’t appear correctly in Text Box Gallery. It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1678.  
  1679.  
  1680.  
  1681. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1682.  
  1683.  
  1684.  
  1685. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2406-july-09" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2406 (Build 17726.20160)</a>.</p>
  1686.  
  1687.  
  1688.  
  1689. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2406-build-17726-20126">Version 2406 (Build 17726.20126)</h3>
  1690.  
  1691.  
  1692.  
  1693. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>June 26,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1694.  
  1695.  
  1696.  
  1697. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which Excel documents might be unexpectedly edited when a mandatory sensitivity label has not been applied, one that caused Outlook to exit unexpectedly shortly after launch for some users, and one in which pasting data from Word or Excel to an Outlook template as a link would cause an error message to appear.</p>
  1698.  
  1699.  
  1700.  
  1701. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2406-june-26" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2406 (Build 17726.20126)</a>.</p>
  1702.  
  1703.  
  1704.  
  1705. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2405-build-17628-20164">Version 2405 (Build 17628.20164)</h3>
  1706.  
  1707.  
  1708.  
  1709. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>June 19,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1710.  
  1711.  
  1712.  
  1713. <p>This build includes a variety of unspecified bug and performance fixes.</p>
  1714.  
  1715.  
  1716.  
  1717. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2405-june-19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2405 (Build 17628.20164)</a>.</p>
  1718.  
  1719.  
  1720.  
  1721. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2405-build-17628-20144">Version 2405 (Build 17628.20144)</h3>
  1722.  
  1723.  
  1724.  
  1725. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>June 11,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1726.  
  1727.  
  1728.  
  1729. <p>This build fixes one bug, which prevented users from sending mail for a few hours after updating add-ins with on-send events. It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1730.  
  1731.  
  1732.  
  1733. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1734.  
  1735.  
  1736.  
  1737. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2405-june-11" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2405 (Build 17628.20144)</a>.</p>
  1738.  
  1739.  
  1740.  
  1741. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2405-build-17628-20110">Version 2405 (Build 17628.20110)</h3>
  1742.  
  1743.  
  1744.  
  1745. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>May 30,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1746.  
  1747.  
  1748.  
  1749. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which an embedded workbook in .xls format might not have closed properly, one that that caused Outlook to close when using Copilot Summarize, one in Word in which content controls may have been removed when coauthoring, and one for the entire Office suite in which the Organization Chart Add-In for Microsoft programs was not loading properly.</p>
  1750.  
  1751.  
  1752.  
  1753. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2405-may-30" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2405 (Build 17628.20110)</a>.</p>
  1754.  
  1755.  
  1756.  
  1757. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2404-build-17531-20152">Version 2404 (Build 17531.20152)</h3>
  1758.  
  1759.  
  1760.  
  1761. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>May 14,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1762.  
  1763.  
  1764.  
  1765. <p>This build fixes a number of bugs, including one in Word where content controls might be removed when coauthoring, and one that caused Sovereign users to be unable to create ToDo tasks from Outlook.</p>
  1766.  
  1767.  
  1768.  
  1769. <p>It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1770.  
  1771.  
  1772.  
  1773. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1774.  
  1775.  
  1776.  
  1777. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2404-may-14" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2404 (Build 17531.20152)</a>.</p>
  1778.  
  1779.  
  1780.  
  1781. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2404-build-17531-20140">Version 2404 (Build 17531.20140)</h3>
  1782.  
  1783.  
  1784.  
  1785. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>May 7,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1786.  
  1787.  
  1788.  
  1789. <p>This build fixes two bugs in Outlook, one in which it closed unexpectedly using the Scheduling Assistant when creating a new meeting or viewing an existing meeting, and another that caused add-in developers to hit timeouts when retrieving notifications from an Outlook client context.</p>
  1790.  
  1791.  
  1792.  
  1793. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2404-may-07" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2404 (Build 17531.20140) </a>.</p>
  1794.  
  1795.  
  1796.  
  1797. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2404-build-17531-20120">Version 2404 (Build 17531.20120)</h3>
  1798.  
  1799.  
  1800.  
  1801. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>April 29, 2024</p>
  1802.  
  1803.  
  1804.  
  1805. <p>This build reduces workbook size bloat from unnecessary cell formatting with a new “Check Performance” task pane. In addition, it fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which the default font could not be set; one in Outlook in which custom forms from MAPI form servers stopped responding; one in PowerPoint in which online videos did not play in some cases; one in which when opening certain Word documents would cause the error, “Word experienced an error trying to open the file”; and one in which the Office update installer appeared to be unresponsive.</p>
  1806.  
  1807.  
  1808.  
  1809. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2404-april-29" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Version 2404 (Build 17531.20120) </a>.</p>
  1810.  
  1811.  
  1812.  
  1813. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2403-build-17425-20176">Version 2403 (Build 17425.20176)</h3>
  1814.  
  1815.  
  1816.  
  1817. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>April 9,<strong> </strong>2024</p>
  1818.  
  1819.  
  1820.  
  1821. <p>This build fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1822.  
  1823.  
  1824.  
  1825. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1826.  
  1827.  
  1828.  
  1829. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2403-april-09" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Version 2403 (Build 17425.20176)</a>.</p>
  1830.  
  1831.  
  1832.  
  1833. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2402-build-17328-20184">Version 2402 (Build 17328.20184)</h3>
  1834.  
  1835.  
  1836.  
  1837. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>March 12, 2024</p>
  1838.  
  1839.  
  1840.  
  1841. <p>This build fixes three bugs: one in which Access closed unexpectedly, one in which Excel closed unexpectedly when opening files with pivot tables and table design in macro-enabled files, and one in which Word closed unexpectedly when the undo function was used.</p>
  1842.  
  1843.  
  1844.  
  1845. <p>This build also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1846.  
  1847.  
  1848.  
  1849. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1850.  
  1851.  
  1852.  
  1853. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2402-march-12" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Version 2402 (Build 17328.20184)</a>.</p>
  1854.  
  1855.  
  1856.  
  1857. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2402-build-17328-20162">Version 2402 (Build 17328.20162)</h3>
  1858.  
  1859.  
  1860.  
  1861. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>March 4, 2024</p>
  1862.  
  1863.  
  1864.  
  1865. <p>This build fixes several bugs, including one that crashed Outlook when a link was clicked on, and another for the entire Office suite in which opened Office apps didn’t automatically start when a laptop was reopened, and an error message appeared after manual relaunch.</p>
  1866.  
  1867.  
  1868.  
  1869. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2402-march-04" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Version 2402 (Build 17328.20162)</a>.</p>
  1870.  
  1871.  
  1872.  
  1873. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2402-build-17328-20142">Version 2402 (Build 17328.20142)</h3>
  1874.  
  1875.  
  1876.  
  1877. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>February 28, 2024</p>
  1878.  
  1879.  
  1880.  
  1881. <p>This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused Outlook to exit unexpectedly when expanding a conversation in the search results from a search of “All Mailboxes,” and another in which users were not able to create a bullet list with hyphens in PowerPoint.</p>
  1882.  
  1883.  
  1884.  
  1885. <p>Get more info about<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2402-february-28" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Version 2402 (Build 17328.20142)</a>.</p>
  1886.  
  1887.  
  1888.  
  1889. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2401-build-17231-20236">Version 2401 (Build 17231.20236)</h3>
  1890.  
  1891.  
  1892.  
  1893. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>February 13, 2024</p>
  1894.  
  1895.  
  1896.  
  1897. <p>This build fixes several bugs, including one in which macros were being corrupted when saving Excel files and another that affected the entire Office suite in which add-ins would not load after <em>Click trust for content add-in</em> was selected.</p>
  1898.  
  1899.  
  1900.  
  1901. <p>This build also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1902.  
  1903.  
  1904.  
  1905. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1906.  
  1907.  
  1908.  
  1909. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2401-february-13" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2401 (Build 17231.20236)</a>.</p>
  1910.  
  1911.  
  1912.  
  1913. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2401-build-17231-20194">Version 2401 (Build 17231.20194)</h3>
  1914.  
  1915.  
  1916.  
  1917. <p><strong>Release date:</strong> February 1, 2024</p>
  1918.  
  1919.  
  1920.  
  1921. <p>This build fixes a single bug in which expanded groups in the message list collapsed when users changed which column they were arranged by.</p>
  1922.  
  1923.  
  1924.  
  1925. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2401-february-01" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2401 (Build 17231.20194)</a>.</p>
  1926.  
  1927.  
  1928.  
  1929. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2401-build-17231-20182">Version 2401 (Build 17231.20182)</h3>
  1930.  
  1931.  
  1932.  
  1933. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 30, 2024</p>
  1934.  
  1935.  
  1936.  
  1937. <p>This build fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in which Excel would stop responding when saving changes, one in PowerPoint in which Notes and Slide layout would open with incorrect proportions when a file was opened from a protected view, and one in Word in which comment cards appeared too wide and cut off text when changing or switching the screen in use.</p>
  1938.  
  1939.  
  1940.  
  1941. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2401-january-30" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2401 (Build 17231.20182)</a>.</p>
  1942.  
  1943.  
  1944.  
  1945. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2312-build-17126-20132">Version 2312 (Build 17126.20132)</h3>
  1946.  
  1947.  
  1948.  
  1949. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 9, 2024</p>
  1950.  
  1951.  
  1952.  
  1953. <p>This build fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1954.  
  1955.  
  1956.  
  1957. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  1958.  
  1959.  
  1960.  
  1961. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2312-january-09" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2312 (Build 17126.20132)</a>.</p>
  1962.  
  1963.  
  1964.  
  1965. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2312-build-17126-20126">Version 2312 (Build 17126.20126)</h3>
  1966.  
  1967.  
  1968.  
  1969. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>January 4, 2023</p>
  1970.  
  1971.  
  1972.  
  1973. <p>This build introduces a new sensitivity toolbar in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that helps users understand the security policies that apply to their documents. It’s available when users are creating copies of their documents in File / Save As. In addition, Office now had a new default theme, which Microsoft says is “more modern and accessible.”</p>
  1974.  
  1975.  
  1976.  
  1977. <p>It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which Custom Menu text was truncated when right-clicking in a cell, one in PowerPoint in which restoring a previous version of a presentation was not working as expected when using Version History, and one in Word in which the content control end tag was marked at the end of the document automatically if the document was edited in Word Online and then opened in Word desktop.</p>
  1978.  
  1979.  
  1980.  
  1981. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2312-january-04" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Version 2312 (Build 17126.20126)</a>.</p>
  1982.  
  1983.  
  1984.  
  1985. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2311-build-17029-20108">Version 2311 (Build 17029.20108)</h3>
  1986.  
  1987.  
  1988.  
  1989. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>December 12, 2023</p>
  1990.  
  1991.  
  1992.  
  1993. <p>This build fixes one bug in Outlook, in which the message list was blank when switching between the “Focused” and “Other” views.</p>
  1994.  
  1995.  
  1996.  
  1997. <p>It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#december-12-2023" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  1998.  
  1999.  
  2000.  
  2001. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  2002.  
  2003.  
  2004.  
  2005. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2311-december-12" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2311 (Build 17029.20108)</a>.</p>
  2006.  
  2007.  
  2008.  
  2009. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2311-build-17029-20068">Version 2311 (Build 17029.20068)</h3>
  2010.  
  2011.  
  2012.  
  2013. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>November 29, 2023</p>
  2014.  
  2015.  
  2016.  
  2017. <p>This build automatically inserts image captioning for Excel’s images. When you insert an image into a spreadsheet, accessibility image captioning is automatically generated for you.</p>
  2018.  
  2019.  
  2020.  
  2021. <p>It also fixes a wide variety of bugs, including one in Excel in which list box controls would not respond to mouse clicks after scrolling using the mouse wheel, and one in Word in which the language of a presentation was not retained when saving or exporting the presentation to a PDF file.</p>
  2022.  
  2023.  
  2024.  
  2025. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2311-november-29" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Version 2311 (Build 17029.20068)</a>.</p>
  2026.  
  2027.  
  2028.  
  2029. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2310-build-16924-20150">Version 2310 (Build 16924.20150)</h3>
  2030.  
  2031.  
  2032.  
  2033. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>November 14, 2023</p>
  2034.  
  2035.  
  2036.  
  2037. <p>This build fixes several bugs, including one in which Outlook failed to comply with the default browser settings for some users, and another in which new lines were added to an Outlook signature when pressing Enter in the body of the email.</p>
  2038.  
  2039.  
  2040.  
  2041. <p>It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates#november-14-2023" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  2042.  
  2043.  
  2044.  
  2045. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  2046.  
  2047.  
  2048.  
  2049. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2310-november-14" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2310 (Build 16924.20150)</a>.</p>
  2050.  
  2051.  
  2052.  
  2053. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2310-build-16924-20124">Version 2310 (Build 16924.20124)</h3>
  2054.  
  2055.  
  2056.  
  2057. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>Oct. 31, 2023</p>
  2058.  
  2059.  
  2060.  
  2061. <p>This build fixes a bug that caused Outlook to exit unexpectedly when clicking the <em>More</em> link in the Search results list.</p>
  2062.  
  2063.  
  2064.  
  2065. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2310-october-31" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2310 (Build 16924.20124)</a>.</p>
  2066.  
  2067.  
  2068.  
  2069. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2310-build-16924-20106">Version 2310 (Build 16924.20106)</h3>
  2070.  
  2071.  
  2072.  
  2073. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>Oct. 25, 2023</p>
  2074.  
  2075.  
  2076.  
  2077. <p>In this build, the Teams Meeting App works in Outlook, too. With it, you’ll be able to configure a meeting app while scheduling an invite in Outlook. The meeting app will be ready to use when you chat or join the meeting on Teams.</p>
  2078.  
  2079.  
  2080.  
  2081. <p>A wide variety of bugs have also been fixed, including one in Excel where certain Pivot Tables would load slowly; one in which OneNote would close unexpectedly when rapidly navigating from one .PDF file to another .PDF file between different sections, or when performing an undo operation on a .PDF printout insertion; and one in the entire Office suite that caused unexpected black borders to appear around screen captures added with the Insert Screenshot functionality.</p>
  2082.  
  2083.  
  2084.  
  2085. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2310-october-25" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2310 (Build 16924.20106)</a>.</p>
  2086.  
  2087.  
  2088.  
  2089. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2309-build-16827-20166">Version 2309 (Build 16827.20166)</h3>
  2090.  
  2091.  
  2092.  
  2093. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>October 10, 2023</p>
  2094.  
  2095.  
  2096.  
  2097. <p>This build fixes two bugs, one in which users were missing their Outlook add-ins, and another in Word in which subheading numbering with a custom Style would disappear if the file was saved and reopened. It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  2098.  
  2099.  
  2100.  
  2101. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  2102.  
  2103.  
  2104.  
  2105. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2309-october-10" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2309 (Build 16827.20166)</a>.</p>
  2106.  
  2107.  
  2108.  
  2109. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2309-build-16827-20130">Version 2309 (Build 16827.20130)</h3>
  2110.  
  2111.  
  2112.  
  2113. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>September 28, 2023</p>
  2114.  
  2115.  
  2116.  
  2117. <p>This build introduces two new features, including <a href="https://insider.office.com/blog/control-data-conversions-in-excel" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the ability to disable specific types of automatic data conversions in Excel</a> and support for the “Present in Teams” button to present local files in PowerPoint Live in Microsoft Teams.</p>
  2118.  
  2119.  
  2120.  
  2121. <p>Several bugs have also been fixed, including one in which the setting to control how Outlook opens previous items at start-up was missing from the Options window, and another in Word in which the Add-ins tab was not visible when using custom toolbar information.</p>
  2122.  
  2123.  
  2124.  
  2125. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2309-september-28" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2309 (Build 16827.20130)</a>.</p>
  2126.  
  2127.  
  2128.  
  2129. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="version-2308-build-16731-20234">Version 2308 (Build 16731.20234)</h3>
  2130.  
  2131.  
  2132.  
  2133. <p><strong>Release date: </strong>September 12, 2023</p>
  2134.  
  2135.  
  2136.  
  2137. <p>This build fixes several bugs, including one that caused Outlook to close unexpectedly when viewing an email, and another in PowerPoint in which the presenter view slide section zoomed in and out when zooming in the notes section.</p>
  2138.  
  2139.  
  2140.  
  2141. <p>It also fixes a number of security holes. For details, see <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/microsoft365-apps-security-updates" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Release notes for Microsoft Office security updates</a>.</p>
  2142.  
  2143.  
  2144.  
  2145. <p><strong>What IT needs to know:</strong> Because this is a security update, it should be applied relatively soon. Over the next few weeks, check for reports about problematic issues, and if all seems well, apply the update.</p>
  2146.  
  2147.  
  2148.  
  2149. <p>Get more info about <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2308-september-12" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Version 2308 (Build 16731.20234)</a>.</p>
  2150. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  2151. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/1710697/office-365-a-guide-to-the-updates.html</link>
  2152. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1710697</post-id><category>Enterprise Applications, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office, Office Suites</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1710697-0-04940400-1746716589-shutterstock_editorial_1823800211.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="13606364" type="image/jpeg" />
  2153. </item>
  2154. <item>
  2155. <title>OpenAI offers help promoting AI outside the US, but analysts question why countries would accept</title>
  2156. <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 00:26:36 +0000</pubDate>
  2157. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  2158. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  2159.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  2160. <div class="article-column__content">
  2161. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  2162.  
  2163.  
  2164.  
  2165. <p>OpenAI, acting as part of the US government-led Stargate AI project, on Wednesday rolled out a program called OpenAI for Countries. The idea is for Stargate to help other countries create their own genAI environments, including data centers and genAI models.</p>
  2166.  
  2167.  
  2168.  
  2169. <p>But analysts argue that other countries might be hesitant to join a US government-led effort, given the sensitive issues of data privacy and business intellectual property.</p>
  2170.  
  2171.  
  2172.  
  2173. <p>Alvin Nguyen, a senior analyst with Forrester, said that this might not be the ideal time to champion the United States as the technology beacon to emulate.</p>
  2174.  
  2175.  
  2176.  
  2177. <p>“If it is tied to the US government, there will be questions in terms of what gets shared to move the models forward. That is going to be important,” Nguyen said. OpenAI “may not be able to fully separate itself from Stargate.”</p>
  2178.  
  2179.  
  2180.  
  2181. <p>Nguyen said that various governments might want to explore alternative approaches to partnering with a US government-led effort. “I don’t know if that is in their interest right now, <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3975408/microsoft-tries-to-reassure-europe-that-it-can-resist-the-us-government-europe-has-doubts.html/amp/" target="_blank">given the state of geopolitics</a>.”</p>
  2182.  
  2183.  
  2184.  
  2185. <p>Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran agreed. </p>
  2186.  
  2187.  
  2188.  
  2189. <p>“Several countries already have parallel sovereign AI efforts, and whether they choose to partner with OpenAI is yet to be seen,” Chandrasekaran said. “Countries are striving to create a vibrant AI ecosystem that isn’t dependent on a single provider – which is an undercurrent that OpenAI and its partners need to navigate.”</p>
  2190.  
  2191.  
  2192.  
  2193. <p>Chandrasekaran added, “there is not a compelling reason that this would resonate [with other countries]. OpenAI has a very steep chasm to cross in terms of convincing these customers about the data sovereignty aspect. This is not going to be an easy thing to pull off.”</p>
  2194.  
  2195.  
  2196.  
  2197. <p>The <a href="https://openai.com/global-affairs/openai-for-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement issued </a>by OpenAI was not clear whether the effort is solely from OpenAI or from the <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3809779/trumps-move-to-lift-biden-era-ai-rules-sparks-debate-over-fast-tracked-advances-and-potential-risks.html?utm=hybrid_search" target="_blank">US government-led coalition for AI called Stargate</a>, which has as charter members OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank. It appeared to be introduced by OpenAI, but with OpenAI acting as a key member of Stargate and not on its own as an AI vendor. </p>
  2198.  
  2199.  
  2200.  
  2201. <p>The statement said that the initiative is in response to requests from foreign governments.</p>
  2202.  
  2203.  
  2204.  
  2205. <p>“We’ve heard from many countries asking for help in building out similar AI infrastructure—that they want their own Stargates and similar projects,” it said. “It’s clear to everyone now that this kind of infrastructure is going to be the backbone of future economic growth and national development.”</p>
  2206.  
  2207.  
  2208.  
  2209. <p>The statement did not identify any of these countries, and OpenAI did not respond to a Computerworld request for an interview.</p>
  2210.  
  2211.  
  2212.  
  2213. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="statement-phrasing-could-prove-unhelpful">Statement phrasing ‘could prove unhelpful’</h2>
  2214.  
  2215.  
  2216.  
  2217. <p>Analysts and other industry observers said that the language OpenAI used in the statement might itself cause hesitation among potential government partners, especially in Europe.</p>
  2218.  
  2219.  
  2220.  
  2221. <p>“We want to help these countries, and in the process, spread democratic AI, which means the development, use and deployment of AI that protects and incorporates long-standing democratic principles,” the statement said. “We believe that partnering closely with the US government is the best way to advance democratic AI” and “provide a clear alternative to <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3965056/will-politicization-of-security-clearances-make-us-cybersecurity-firms-radioactive.html" target="_blank">authoritarian</a> versions of AI that would deploy it to consolidate power.”</p>
  2222.  
  2223.  
  2224.  
  2225. <p>Forrester’s Nguyen said the phrasing might prove unhelpful to OpenAI’s sales efforts. “Saying ‘US led’ and ‘Democratic AI,’ that may not be universally desired by every government, every country out there,” Nguyen said.</p>
  2226.  
  2227.  
  2228.  
  2229. <p>The OpenAI for Countries effort includes several elements, including helping to build “in-country data center capacity,” delivering “customized ChatGPT,” and to “raise and deploy a national start-up fund.” </p>
  2230.  
  2231.  
  2232.  
  2233. <p>In exchange, the statement said, “partner countries also would invest in expanding the global Stargate Project—and thus in continued US-led AI leadership and a global, growing network effect for democratic AI.”</p>
  2234.  
  2235.  
  2236.  
  2237. <p>The statement said that the group’s goal “is to pursue 10 projects with individual countries or regions as the first phase of this initiative and expand from there.” </p>
  2238.  
  2239.  
  2240.  
  2241. <p>Another benefit to OpenAI in this effort would be the opportunity to gather as much non-English data as possible to train future model versions. The <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3810687/cios-grapple-with-subpar-global-genai-models.html" target="_blank">lack of non-English training data</a> has weakened the effectiveness of the genAI models from just about all of the major model makers. </p>
  2242.  
  2243.  
  2244.  
  2245. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="data-protection-crucial">Data protection crucial</h2>
  2246.  
  2247.  
  2248.  
  2249. <p>Christian Khoury is the CEO of a Toronto-based AI company called Easy Audit, which sells compliance automation platforms. </p>
  2250.  
  2251.  
  2252.  
  2253. <p>“Most genAI models outside English are half-baked at best. I’ve seen firsthand how broken these tools get when applied to anything multilingual or local,” Khoury said. “OpenAI acknowledging that and putting serious resources into solving it is a big deal.”</p>
  2254.  
  2255.  
  2256.  
  2257. <p>Khoury argued that data protections are going to be critical if OpenAI’s global efforts have a chance of working.</p>
  2258.  
  2259.  
  2260.  
  2261. <p>“The countries that are going to be implementing and installing OpenAI models need real data sovereignty with enforceable contracts,” Khoury said, acknowledging that it can be challenging to enforce legal contracts across national borders.</p>
  2262.  
  2263.  
  2264.  
  2265. <p>“There’s a fine line between infrastructure support and digital colonization. If these partnerships are just democracy-washed ways to expand US AI dominance, countries will catch on fast,” Khoury added. “To make this work, OpenAI has to treat local data, languages, and governance as assets and not just variables to plug into a US-built model. Sovereign AI means local control, not just local hosting.”</p>
  2266.  
  2267.  
  2268.  
  2269. <p>He also said that he is “watching how this plays with their safety commitments. ‘Democratic AI’ sounds great, but the hard part is making sure it can’t be quietly flipped to authoritarian ends down the line. Infrastructure is easy. Guardrails are hard. The world doesn’t need another digital <a href="https://www.cfr.org/china-digital-silk-road/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Belt and Road</a>.”</p>
  2270.  
  2271.  
  2272.  
  2273. <p>To make it work, Khoury said, “third-party audits need to happen and I need to choose my own third-party auditors to have red teams to stress test the models for bias and manipulation. We are trying to avoid US intelligence tampering with the model.”</p>
  2274.  
  2275.  
  2276.  
  2277. <p>Khoury stressed that data protections must not only be strict, but must be transparent. </p>
  2278.  
  2279.  
  2280.  
  2281. <p>“Who gets to keep what data? And how are you protecting those things? What measures are being put in place to safeguard each country’s intellectual property?” Khoury asked. “How do you install a fence around that data to ensure that it doesn’t get out?”</p>
  2282.  
  2283.  
  2284.  
  2285. <p>Brian Jackson, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group, also questioned how foreign governments would view OpenAI’s take on data sovereignty.</p>
  2286.  
  2287.  
  2288.  
  2289. <p>“OpenAI says it would help countries build sovereign data center capacity. But would a data center built with a foreign partner truly be trusted as sovereign?” he asked. “And OpenAI says it will raise and deploy a national start-up fund that includes its own capital. But would we really expect that fund to be supportive of local AI efforts to compete with OpenAI offerings? The conflicts of interest are apparent and problematic.”</p>
  2290.  
  2291.  
  2292.  
  2293. <p>Victor Tabaac, the chief revenue officer at AI consulting firm All In Data, agreed that data controls are where this OpenAI effort will go. </p>
  2294.  
  2295.  
  2296.  
  2297. <p><strong>“</strong>Governments will demand control over data and outputs, potentially creating conflicts with OpenAI’s principles. There’s also a risk of vendor lock-in, as countries may prefer open-source alternatives,” Tabaac said. “Partnering with governments isn’t just about better data—it’s a geopolitical minefield. Countries will demand control over how models are trained and used. Will they allow Saudi Arabia to censor outputs on religion? Or let the EU retroactively edit models under GDPR? Transparency will make or break trust here.”</p>
  2298.  
  2299.  
  2300.  
  2301. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="potential-conflict-of-interest">Potential conflict of interest</h2>
  2302.  
  2303.  
  2304.  
  2305. <p>Jackson pointed out that there are plenty of potential conflicts of interest in what OpenAI said it was trying to do.</p>
  2306.  
  2307.  
  2308.  
  2309. <p>“OpenAI is saying that it can help govern AI or evolve ‘security and safety controls.’ However, clearly, as a company that stands to profit from AI adoption, there could be a conflict of interest here. If this partnership program is successful, it continues a trend that we’re seeing away from public sector-supported frameworks to govern technology and toward private-sector best practices,” he said. “We should also consider how seriously other countries will take OpenAI’s claim that it will be an ally in providing democratic AI, something it hasn’t even clearly defined. It makes it clear that its primary partner is the US government. What are other countries that have recently entered into trade disputes or even more serious conflicts with the US to make of that association?”</p>
  2310.  
  2311.  
  2312.  
  2313. <p>Jackson felt particularly strongly about where the current AI trends may lead if OpenAI delivers on its stated goals.</p>
  2314.  
  2315.  
  2316.  
  2317. <p>“Let’s look at it from the perspective of the services that OpenAI is offering to bring to citizens through partnering with governments. There’s a concept called disintermediation, which examines how technology companies are usurping the relationships that democratic governments have with their citizens by providing the key information and services that citizens historically depended on the state for. What OpenAI is proposing would without a doubt represent a power shift from the state to a private company for a pretty considerable range of informational interactions,” he said. “For example, OpenAI suggests it could provide ‘customized ChatGPT to citizens,’ which would localize language and imbue cultural considerations into the service. The implication is that the partner government would then use this platform to deliver some set of services to those citizens. However, instead of [the government] owning the relationship with citizens, OpenAI captures that.”</p>
  2318. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  2319. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980440/openai-offers-help-promoting-ai-outside-the-us-but-analysts-question-why-countries-would-accept.html</link>
  2320. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3980440</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3980440-0-28979900-1746664033-OpenAI.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="437753" type="image/jpeg" />
  2321. </item>
  2322. <item>
  2323. <title>Microsoft makes it official, kills Skype</title>
  2324. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 18:59:13 +0000</pubDate>
  2325. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  2326. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  2327.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  2328. <div class="article-column__content">
  2329. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  2330.  
  2331.  
  2332.  
  2333. <p>After <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3835962/r-i-p-skype-2003-2025.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3835962/r-i-p-skype-2003-2025.html?utm=hybrid_search">announcing in February that Skype would be discontinued</a>, Microsoft has officially killed off the once-popular communications platform. Users accessing <a href="https://www.skype.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">any of Skype’s services </a>will now be encouraged to use Microsoft Teams instead.</p>
  2334.  
  2335.  
  2336.  
  2337. <p>Microsoft originally <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1446662/microsoft-agrees-to-buy-skype-for-8-5-billion.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1446662/microsoft-agrees-to-buy-skype-for-8-5-billion.html?utm=hybrid_search">bought Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011</a> to replace its own Windows Live Messenger platform. Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Danish Janus Friis.</p>
  2338.  
  2339.  
  2340.  
  2341. <p>Skype quickly became known as the communications platform that popularized video calls. But after Microsoft’s purchase, the software slowly but surely lost users as video calls became increasingly available on more platforms.</p>
  2342.  
  2343.  
  2344.  
  2345. <p>Microsoft started to merge Skype with Teams in 2017, and the focus on Teams further accelerated when remote working became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
  2346. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  2347. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980341/rest-in-peace-microsoft-has-now-shut-down-skype.html</link>
  2348. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3980341</post-id><category>Collaboration Software, Microsoft, Microsoft Teams</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3980341-0-03094300-1746644404-skype-100709102-orig.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="90322" type="image/jpeg" />
  2349. </item>
  2350. <item>
  2351. <title>That $168M fine isn’t enough to stop NSO spies</title>
  2352. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 15:58:22 +0000</pubDate>
  2353. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
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  2357. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  2358.  
  2359.  
  2360.  
  2361. <p>Should Apple have abandoned its <a href="https://www.applemust.com/apple-fights-back-against-state-surveillance-sues-nso-group/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lawsuit against Israeli mercenary spyware vendor NSO Group</a> — the company <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1616128/apple-pulls-no-punches-in-lawsuit-against-amoral-nso-group.html">it once described</a> as, “21st century mercenaries who have created highly sophisticated cyber-surveillance machinery that invites routine and flagrant abuse.” Perhaps not, but it’s still heart-warming to learn NSO has been <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980115/meta-wins-168m-judgment-against-spyware-seller-nso-group.html">slammed with a huge $168 million fine</a> for spying on WhatsApp.</p>
  2362.  
  2363.  
  2364.  
  2365. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mercenaries in your machine</strong></h2>
  2366.  
  2367.  
  2368.  
  2369. <p>The NSO is one of the most renowned of a multitude of <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1623259/nso-group-returns-with-triple-ios-1516-zero-click-spyware-attack.html">surveillance-as-a-service companies</a> exploiting complex and expensive hacks to break into people’s digital devices and spy on them, frequently for oppressive governments.</p>
  2370.  
  2371.  
  2372.  
  2373. <p>That the spyware sector is thriving is a grim reflection of our deeply amoral age. Its existence should encourage everyone to invest in more security, rather than demand less, even at the <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3830376/apple-terminates-uk-data-protection-after-government-overreach.html">encryption-eroding UK Home Office</a>. But, I digress.</p>
  2374.  
  2375.  
  2376.  
  2377. <p>NSO Group broke into the mainstream in 2019 when reports emerged showing the extent to which its Pegasus spyware had been used against 1,400 WhatsApp messages in addition to attacks against iPhones. </p>
  2378.  
  2379.  
  2380.  
  2381. <p>Pegasus was an insidious attack that, once installed, granted total access to compromised devices. It turned people’s phone records, emails, messages, video content, and location data into open books, and could even be used to activate cameras and microphones to engage in remote surveillance.</p>
  2382.  
  2383.  
  2384.  
  2385. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Litigation potentially raised the risk</strong></h2>
  2386.  
  2387.  
  2388.  
  2389. <p>Both Apple and Facebook began litigation against NSO Group, but Apple withdrew its attempt last year, arguing that continuing in the claim could undermine the systems it has built to secure its ecosystem. “While Apple continues to believe in the merits of its claims, it has also determined that proceeding further with this case has the potential to put vital security information at risk,” it told the court.</p>
  2390.  
  2391.  
  2392.  
  2393. <p>WhatsApp continued its case, which it has now won, winning what sounds like a lot: $168 million in compensation. </p>
  2394.  
  2395.  
  2396.  
  2397. <p>Since then, NSO Group and others like it have been embroiled in numerous attacks against a huge range of targets, including human rights protectors, opposition parties, dissidents, journalists and others on behalf of a range of governments, including those with very poor human rights records. </p>
  2398.  
  2399.  
  2400.  
  2401. <p>That’s not how the company sees itself, of course. “We firmly believe that our technology plays a critical role in preventing serious crime and terrorism and is deployed responsibly by authorized government agencies,” said NSO spokesman Gil Lainer via email. </p>
  2402.  
  2403.  
  2404.  
  2405. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Is that right?</strong></h2>
  2406.  
  2407.  
  2408.  
  2409. <p>Meta claims NSO repeatedly targeted people involved in its case against the company, which undermines the claim to be on the right side of history. The legal defenses it put up in court were equally evasive.</p>
  2410.  
  2411.  
  2412.  
  2413. <p>The company delivers attacks that are complex, sophisticated, and cost a lot of money to mount, which means most people don’t need to worry about being attacked this way, while those that do should be using <a href="https://www.applemust.com/how-to-use-lockdown-mode-on-your-iphone-ipad-and-mac/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple’s Lockdown Mode</a>. These attacks often require no user input whatsoever and can begin with a missed call or an unrequested message. </p>
  2414.  
  2415.  
  2416.  
  2417. <p>With many thousands of people seemingly affected by these attacks, and with OS providers shouldering the additional cost of mitigating against such attacks, it’s pretty clear NSO Group will likely see the fine as a small tax on earnings. </p>
  2418.  
  2419.  
  2420.  
  2421. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>This fine is small change</strong></h2>
  2422.  
  2423.  
  2424.  
  2425. <p>The thing is, $168 million may well be peanuts to NSO Group. Six years ago, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/us/politics/government-hackers-nso-darkmatter.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The New York Times</a> reported that the market for digital espionage systems of this kind had already reached past $12 billion. Just last year, it was reported the company charged a “standard price” of $7 million for simultaneous access to hack 15 devices. </p>
  2426.  
  2427.  
  2428.  
  2429. <p>Targeting individuals outside of national borders cost people $1 million or $2 million dollars a pop. (These exploits were <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1623562/security-researchers-uncover-nso-group-iphone-attacks-in-europe.html">widely used internationally</a> — even the CIA and FBI used the software, paying more than $7 million for the privilege, before its use was banned.) </p>
  2430.  
  2431.  
  2432.  
  2433. <p>But the company wasn’t just generating plenty of money in exchange for undermining digital security for one or two individuals, it’s been implicated in smashing the digital windows belonging to thousands of people. </p>
  2434.  
  2435.  
  2436.  
  2437. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>No one is safe until everyone is safe</strong></h2>
  2438.  
  2439.  
  2440.  
  2441. <p>For enterprise users, the implications are stark. It means that if you or your business is involved in some way with national security or possesses unique business secrets, you can no longer assume your data is at all safe. For as long as companies such as NSO Group exist, your data is just waiting for a competitor to pick up the phone, cough up the cash, and get some mercenary spyware company to break it out. This seems a very sub-optimal reality in digital transformation.</p>
  2442.  
  2443.  
  2444.  
  2445. <p>Rather than stopping the company in its tracks, the fine could just cause NSO to raise prices a little, I imagine. The risk remains and is real. And these attacks will trickle down.</p>
  2446.  
  2447.  
  2448.  
  2449. <p><em>You can follow me on social media! Join me on <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jonnyevanssays.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BlueSky</a>,  <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyevans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net/@jonnyevans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mastodon</a>.</em></p>
  2450. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  2451. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980198/that-168m-fine-isnt-enough-to-stop-nso-spies.html</link>
  2452. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3980198</post-id><category>Apple, iOS, Security</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3980198-0-12990200-1746633552-apple-lockdown-mode-update-2022-protections-100929904-orig.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="385670" type="image/jpeg" />
  2453. </item>
  2454. <item>
  2455. <title>Meta wins $168M judgment against spyware seller NSO Group</title>
  2456. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 13:33:54 +0000</pubDate>
  2457. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  2458. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  2459.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  2460. <div class="article-column__content">
  2461. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  2462.  
  2463.  
  2464.  
  2465. <p>Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group must pay almost $168 million in damages for exploiting WhatsApp to deploy its notorious <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/2154092/pegasus-can-target-government-and-military-officials.html">Pegasus spyware</a> against users worldwide, the jury in a US court said Tuesday.</p>
  2466.  
  2467.  
  2468.  
  2469. <p>An eight-person jury granted Meta $444,719 in compensatory damages to cover the costs of addressing the breach, plus an additional $167.25 million in punitive damages intended to discourage similar future actions by NSO, <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/16395340/736/whatsapp-inc-v-nso-group-technologies-limited/">according to a court filing</a> with the US District Court for the Northn District of California.</p>
  2470.  
  2471.  
  2472.  
  2473. <p>The jury’s verdict, delivered after less than two days of deliberation, caps a six-year legal battle that has unveiled rare insights into the shadowy world of cyber mercenaries and their government clients.</p>
  2474.  
  2475.  
  2476.  
  2477. <p>The case stemmed from NSO Group’s exploitation of a critical vulnerability in WhatsApp’s infrastructure. In May 2019, WhatsApp engineers <a href="https://faq.whatsapp.com/1831251587214580">discovered</a> that NSO had developed a <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/572727/zero-click-attacks-explained-and-why-they-are-so-dangerous.html">zero-click</a>, zero-day attack that could silently install Pegasus spyware through a simple phone call, requiring no action from targets beyond having their devices powered on.</p>
  2478.  
  2479.  
  2480.  
  2481. <p>The attack compromised approximately 1,400 WhatsApp accounts before engineers patched the vulnerability.</p>
  2482.  
  2483.  
  2484.  
  2485. <p>“Today’s verdict in WhatsApp’s case is an important step forward for privacy and security as the first victory against the development and use of illegal spyware that threatens the safety and privacy of everyone,” <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2025/05/winning-the-fight-against-spyware-merchant-nso/">Meta said in a statement</a>.</p>
  2486.  
  2487.  
  2488.  
  2489. <p>NSO spokesman Gil Lainer said the company will appeal the verdict, and said the court had ignored the good that spyware can do.</p>
  2490.  
  2491.  
  2492.  
  2493. <p>“We firmly believe that our technology plays a critical role in preventing serious crime and terrorism and is deployed responsibly by authorized government agencies. This perspective, validated by extensive real-world evidence and numerous security operations that have saved many lives, including American lives, was excluded from the jury’s consideration in this case,” he said via email. “We will carefully examine the verdict’s details and pursue appropriate legal remedies, including further proceedings and an appeal.”</p>
  2494.  
  2495.  
  2496.  
  2497. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="inside-the-surveillance-business-model">Inside the surveillance business model</h2>
  2498.  
  2499.  
  2500.  
  2501. <p>Meta shared a transcript of court proceedings along with its statement, revealing details of NSO Group’s operations and pricing structure. Between 2018 and 2020, the company charged European government customers a “standard price” of $7 million for simultaneous access to hack 15 devices. Customers paid premium fees of $1 million to $2 million to target phones outside their national borders.</p>
  2502.  
  2503.  
  2504.  
  2505. <p>“It is a highly sophisticated product,” Meta lawyer Antonio Perez said during the trial, “And it carries a hefty price tag.”</p>
  2506.  
  2507.  
  2508.  
  2509. <p>Once installed, Pegasus granted complete access to compromised devices, including phone records, emails, messages, video content, and location data. The spyware could even remotely activate cameras and microphones for clandestine surveillance.</p>
  2510.  
  2511.  
  2512.  
  2513. <p>The trial also exposed unexpected connections between NSO and American intelligence. Court records showed that the CIA and FBI collectively paid NSO $7.6 million, with reports suggesting the CIA had financed Djibouti’s purchase of the spyware while the FBI acquired it for testing purposes.</p>
  2514.  
  2515.  
  2516.  
  2517. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="a-persistent-threat-despite-legal-consequences">A persistent threat despite legal consequences</h2>
  2518.  
  2519.  
  2520.  
  2521. <p>In its post-verdict statement, Meta warned that the threat continues despite their legal victory: “While we stopped the attack vector that exploited our calling system in 2019, Pegasus has had many other spyware installation methods to exploit other companies’ technologies to manipulate people’s devices into downloading malicious code and compromising their phones.”</p>
  2522.  
  2523.  
  2524.  
  2525. <p>Most concerning for enterprise security teams was Meta’s revelation in recent court filings that NSO “repeatedly targeted Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs’ servers, and Plaintiffs’ mobile client even after this litigation was filed.” This persistent behavior prompted Meta to seek a permanent injunction against the company.</p>
  2526.  
  2527.  
  2528.  
  2529. <p>NSO Group’s legal defense strategy illustrated the evasive tactics often employed by surveillance vendors. The company initially defaulted by failing to appear in court, claiming its accuser hadn’t properly delivered legal documents. It then accused the company of hypocrisy, alleging executives had approached NSO to use the technology for spying on its own customers.</p>
  2530.  
  2531.  
  2532.  
  2533. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="enterprise-security-implications">Enterprise security implications</h2>
  2534.  
  2535.  
  2536.  
  2537. <p>For enterprise security leaders, the case highlights the sophisticated threats organizations face from state-sponsored and commercial surveillance tools. Zero-click vulnerabilities like those exploited by NSO can bypass traditional security awareness measures, as they require no phishing links, malicious downloads, or user interaction of any kind.</p>
  2538.  
  2539.  
  2540.  
  2541. <p>“The most notorious mercenary spyware currently available is NSO Group’s Pegasus,” John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at Citizen Lab, which assisted in investigating Pegasus, had <a href="https://citizenlab.ca/2022/07/john-scott-railton-delivers-testimony-to-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence/">said</a> during his testimony to House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in 2022. “This kind of mercenary spyware is highly sophisticated, invasive, and difficult to detect at scale, even by well-resourced governments.”</p>
  2542.  
  2543.  
  2544.  
  2545. <p>The case underscores how heavily used communication platforms can become vectors for highly targeted attacks, even when encrypted. Organizations with sensitive operations or communications should evaluate their security frameworks with these advanced persistent threats in mind.</p>
  2546. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  2547. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3980115/meta-wins-168m-judgment-against-spyware-seller-nso-group.html</link>
  2548. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3980115</post-id><category>Malware, Messaging Security, Surveillance</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3980115-0-05046200-1746642436-shutterstock_editorial_2303237423.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="4024373" type="image/jpeg" />
  2549. </item>
  2550. <item>
  2551. <title>From prompts to production: AI will soon write most code, reshape developer roles</title>
  2552. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2553. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  2554. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  2555.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  2556. <div class="article-column__content">
  2557. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  2558.  
  2559.  
  2560.  
  2561. <p>At Meta’s first <a href="https://www.llama.com/events/llamacon/2025/?linkId=100000362755559" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LlamaCon AI event</a> last week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI now writes up to 30% of the company’s code — and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that his company is developing an AI model to create future programs for its AI systems.</p>
  2562.  
  2563.  
  2564.  
  2565. <p>“Our bet is sort of that in the next year probably…, maybe half the development is going to be done by AI, as opposed to people, and then that will just kind of increase from there,” Zuckerberg said.</p>
  2566.  
  2567.  
  2568.  
  2569. <p>AI-augmented coding tools are set to revolutionize software development by creating source code, generating tests automatically, and freeing up developer time for innovation instead of debugging code. Some industry forecasts <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predict a 30% productivity boost from AI tools</a>, potentially adding more than $1.5 trillion to global GDP.</p>
  2570.  
  2571.  
  2572.  
  2573. <p>One of the most popular AI-assisted coding methods now is known as “vibe coding,” or using natural language prompts (NLP) in a conversational way. Generative AI (genAI) tools are  capable of offering contextual ideas and generating code based on the conversation.</p>
  2574.  
  2575.  
  2576.  
  2577. <p>By 2028, 75% of professional developers will be using vibe coding and other genAI-powered coding tools, up from less than 10% in September 2023, <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-11-gartner-says-75-percent-of-enterprise-software-engineers-will-use-ai-code-assistants-by-2028" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Gartner Research</a>. And within three years, 80% of enterprises will have integrated AI-augmented testing tools into their software engineering toolchain — a significant increase from approximately 15% early last year, Gartner said.</p>
  2578.  
  2579.  
  2580.  
  2581. <p>A <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/94-of-business-leaders-are-using-generative-a%5B%E2%80%A6%5Dt-technology-review-insights-research-report-302279201.html" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/94-of-business-leaders-are-using-generative-a[…]t-technology-review-insights-research-report-302279201.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report from MIT Technology Review Insights</a> found that 94% of business leaders now use genAI in software development, with 82% applying it in multiple stages — and 26% in four or more.</p>
  2582.  
  2583.  
  2584.  
  2585. <p>Some industry experts place genAI’s use in creating code much higher. “What we are finding is that we’re three to six months from a world where AI is writing 90% of the code. And then in 12 months, we may be in a world where AI is writing essentially all of the code,” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in <a href="https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/work-productivity/anthropic-ceo-dario-amodei-says-ai-will-write-90-percent-of-code-in-6-months" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a recent report</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F27gYnB8LTg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video interview</a>.</p>
  2586.  
  2587.  
  2588.  
  2589. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="a-real-shift-in-software-creation">A real shift in software creation</h2>
  2590.  
  2591.  
  2592.  
  2593. <p>While that timeline might sound bold, it points to a real shift in how software is built, with trends like vibe coding already taking off. Diego Lo Giudice, a vice president analyst at Forrester Research, said even senior developers are starting to leverage vibe as an additional tool. But he believes vibe coding and other AI-assisted development methods are currently aimed at “low hanging fruit” that frees up devs and engineers for more important and creative tasks.</p>
  2594.  
  2595.  
  2596.  
  2597. <p>A survey of more than 2,300 developers earlier this year found that 42% are already using what Forrester terms “<a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/generative-ai-turingbots-win-again-in-forrester-top-10-emerging-technologies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TuringBots</a>,” or AI-based code generators. “The opportunity is too big to ignore,” Guidice wrote in <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/the-architects-guide-to-turingbots-2025/RES180787" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an April report</a>, “The Architect’s Guide to TuringBots.”</p>
  2598.  
  2599.  
  2600.  
  2601. <p>“As TuringBots become smarter and more autonomous and enterprises leverage their capabilities beyond just code generation, teams will automate more concatenated software development lifecycle (SDLC) tasks and build end-to-end apps that today take weeks or months to deliver in near real time,” the report states.</p>
  2602.  
  2603.  
  2604.  
  2605. <p>AI assistants like GPT-4 Turbo (ChatGPT), GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Replit Ghostwriter, Codeium and Amazon Q Developer all support vibe coding by enabling intuitive, conversational development.</p>
  2606.  
  2607.  
  2608.  
  2609. <p>Augmented coding tools can help brainstorm, prototype, build full features, and check code for errors or security holes using natural language processing — whether through real-time suggestions (Copilot), interactive code editing (Cursor), or full-stack guidance (ChatGPT). The tools streamline coding, making them ideal for solo developers, fast prototyping, or collaborative workflows, according to Gartner.</p>
  2610.  
  2611.  
  2612.  
  2613. <p>GenAI tools include prompt-to-application tools such as StackBlitz Bolt.new, Github Spark, and Lovable, as well as AI-augmented testing tools such as BlinqIO, Diffblue, IDERA, QualityKiosk Technologies and Qyrus.</p>
  2614.  
  2615.  
  2616.  
  2617. <p>Apple is <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3977439/apple-taps-anthropics-claude-for-ai-app-development.html">reportedly working with Anthropic</a> to bring AI coding tools to <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1630080/apple-wants-xcode-to-make-you-smarter.html">Xcode</a>, using the Claude Sonnet model to support AI-generated code writing and testing. The tools are being tested internally, with no confirmed plans for public release, and Apple is unlikely to comment before <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/03/apples-worldwide-developers-conference-returns-the-week-of-june-9/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">next month’s WWDC</a>.</p>
  2618.  
  2619.  
  2620.  
  2621. <p>After a prewview In 2023, AWS launched Q Developer in April 2024. Developers use Amazon Q Developer to vibe code in the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/devops/introducing-the-enhanced-command-line-interface-in-amazon-q-developer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">command line interface</a> (CLI), and last week, AWS expanded this agentic experience to the integrated development environments (IDE) for Visual Studio Code so developers can now also <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-q-developer-elevates-the-ide-experience-with-new-agentic-coding-experience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vibe code in the IDE</a>.</p>
  2622.  
  2623.  
  2624.  
  2625. <p>Srini Iragavarapu, director of GenAI Applications and Experiences at AWS, pictures developers with mood lighting and music having a conversation with AWS’s AI tools to create new products and fix code in existing code base. Iragavarapu compared AI-assisted coding to conventional “pair programming,” where two developers work together on the same project.</p>
  2626.  
  2627.  
  2628.  
  2629. <p>“It’s a very fluid interaction with the AI systems. Now the paired programmer…is the AI assistant,” he said. “These agents are task based. They are goal seeking, similar to how the programmer sitting next to you is goal seeking in that they would want to finish a task at the end of the day.”</p>
  2630.  
  2631.  
  2632.  
  2633. <p>Internally, Amazon developers all have access to the Q Developer tool set. Recently, the company <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andy-jassy-8b1615_one-of-the-most-tedious-but-critical-tasks-activity-7232374162185461760-AdSz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">used Q Developer</a> to help it update 30,000 applications from an older version of Java to a newer version. AWS believes it saved 4,500 years in software engineering time that it would have otherwise have taken a team of engineers to complete the upgrade, as well as $260 million in annualized efficiency gains, Iragavarapu said.</p>
  2634.  
  2635.  
  2636.  
  2637. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A foundational change in the Software Development Life Cycle</strong></h2>
  2638.  
  2639.  
  2640.  
  2641. <p>Gartner Research, in a survey published last month, found that 35% of IT leaders expect genAI to fundamentally change their organization, with 52% expecting their organization to  use the technology to build software. More than two-thirds of the execs surveyed also believe genAI benefits outweigh the technology’s risks.</p>
  2642.  
  2643.  
  2644.  
  2645. <p>Using genAI in software engineering leads to an increased focus on team productivity due to the widespread perception that the key benefit from the technology will be cost reduction, Gartner said</p>
  2646.  
  2647.  
  2648.  
  2649. <p>Armando Franco, director of Technology Modernization at IT consultancy TEKsystems Global Services, agreed most businesses have jumped on the AI train; and, while development jobs will still exist, they will be completely different. </p>
  2650.  
  2651.  
  2652.  
  2653. <p>Overall, Franco argued, genAI tools will not be able to generate 90% of the application technology stack; more accurately, that figure could be around 60% to 70% of the application code base. That breaks down into several key areas, such as:</p>
  2654.  
  2655.  
  2656.  
  2657. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  2658. <li>Simple App Code: 60-90%</li>
  2659.  
  2660.  
  2661.  
  2662. <li>API & Middleware: 50%</li>
  2663.  
  2664.  
  2665.  
  2666. <li>Data Layer: 40%</li>
  2667.  
  2668.  
  2669.  
  2670. <li>IaC: 80%</li>
  2671.  
  2672.  
  2673.  
  2674. <li>Networking: 25%</li>
  2675.  
  2676.  
  2677.  
  2678. <li>Security & Policy: 25%</li>
  2679.  
  2680.  
  2681.  
  2682. <li>Operations and Observability: 50%</li>
  2683. </ul>
  2684.  
  2685.  
  2686.  
  2687. <p>Franco based his numbers on the current capabilities of available genAI tools and what he’s seen through internal development, “and it changes daily and can be very expensive depending on the models used,” he said.</p>
  2688.  
  2689.  
  2690.  
  2691. <p>“This will evolve,” Franco said. “For now, genAI can generate most of the basic, common, repeatable patterns. For advanced or complex scenarios, human-guided code development is required. As the platforms evolve, genAI will provide a platform for developers to guide genAI on how to develop more complex features.”</p>
  2692.  
  2693.  
  2694.  
  2695. <p>The same holds true for AI agents; developers can use genAI to develop complex agents that can then be deployed and trained on the same platform, he said.</p>
  2696.  
  2697.  
  2698.  
  2699. <p>Current AI tools, while powerful, are often costly to use and they change rapidly, Franco said. He described an evolution in software engineering, where engineers become specialized AI-powered architects who design and maintain complex systems with rapid, user-driven updates. Prompt engineering skills will be essential, too, as guiding AI effectively becomes a core skill. </p>
  2700.  
  2701.  
  2702.  
  2703. <p>Rather than competing with the technology, engineers will work alongside it in  smaller, expert teams that build faster, higher-quality applications and drive innovation across industries, he said.</p>
  2704.  
  2705.  
  2706.  
  2707. <p>Developers find genAI tools most useful for tasks like boilerplate generation, code understanding, testing, documentation, and refactoring. But they also create risks around code quality, IP, bias, and the effort needed to guide and verify outputs, Gartner said in a report last month.</p>
  2708.  
  2709.  
  2710.  
  2711. <p>“Software engineers should assess the potential benefits and update fundamental processes to ensure the successful adoption of genAI-augmented development tools,” Matt Brasier, a Gartner vice president analyst, wrote in the report.</p>
  2712.  
  2713.  
  2714.  
  2715. <p>Even as developers increasingly rely on AI-augmentation tools, “humans must stay in the loop to understand what code is being deployed and how,” said AWS’s Iragavarapu. “Writing the code and building the application is [just] a lot easier. And in fact, as you’re deploying and debugging…understanding the logic of what it is doing and how it is doing [it] still are very relevant and prevalent.”</p>
  2716. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  2717. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3975705/from-prompts-to-production-ai-will-soon-write-most-code-reshape-developer-roles.html</link>
  2718. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3975705</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Careers, Developer, Generative AI, IT Skills</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3975705-0-62769400-1746724279-shutterstock_2471042165.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="6145405" type="image/jpeg" />
  2719. </item>
  2720. <item>
  2721. <title>Microsoft OneNote cheat sheet</title>
  2722. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 10:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2723. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  2724. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  2725.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  2726. <div class="article-column__content">
  2727. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  2728.  
  2729.  
  2730.  
  2731. <p class="toc">A note-taking app can be helpful, especially if it enables you and your co-workers to collaborate on ideas. <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onenote/digital-note-taking-app" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft OneNote</a> is an excellent tool for the job. It’s pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11 and is included with a Microsoft 365 subscription. But anyone can download the app and use it for free.</p>
  2732.  
  2733.  
  2734.  
  2735. <p>This guide walks you through the basics of using OneNote in Windows, from creating and managing notes to collaborating on them with colleagues. There’s lots more you can do in OneNote with <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot-onenote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Copilot</a>, Microsoft’s generative AI tool, but it requires a paid subscription: a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1691110/microsoft-365-explained.html">Microsoft 365</a> Personal or Family plan, a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1629974/m365-copilot-microsofts-generative-ai-tool-explained.html">Microsoft 365 Copilot</a> plan for business, or a <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1612034/microsoft-copilot-pro-review-office-joins-the-genai-revolution.html">Copilot Pro</a> plan. We’ll cover using Copilot in OneNote in a separate article.</p>
  2736.  
  2737.  
  2738.  
  2739. <p>Note that there are two different versions of OneNote for Windows users. OneNote for Windows 10 comes preinstalled on that OS, but this legacy app will reach end of support in October 2025; Microsoft recommends that all users move to the version called simply <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-the-difference-between-the-onenote-versions-a624e692-b78b-4c09-b07f-46181958118f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OneNote</a>, which integrates with Microsoft 365 apps, runs on Windows 10 and 11, and is <a href="https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xpffzhvgqwwlhb?hl=en-us&gl=US" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">available for free</a> from the Microsoft Store.</p>
  2740.  
  2741.  
  2742.  
  2743. <p><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-the-difference-between-the-onenote-versions-a624e692-b78b-4c09-b07f-46181958118f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Other available versions</a> include apps for the web, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. These may look or act a little differently than described here, but the basic functionality is similar. This guide will describe notable differences in the features and interfaces of the mobile apps.</p>
  2744.  
  2745.  
  2746.  
  2747. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><strong>Get started with OneNote</strong></h2>
  2748.  
  2749.  
  2750.  
  2751. <p>OneNote uses <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1717094/microsoft-onedrive-cheat-sheet-backup-sync-share-files.html">Microsoft OneDrive</a> (or OneDrive for Business) to sync the notes you create to the cloud, so your notes are always up to date across all your devices. Thus, the app requires that you sign in with a Microsoft user account. If your company uses Outlook or you have a free webmail account on Outlook.com, for example, you already have a Microsoft user account. If not, you can <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/how-to-create-a-new-microsoft-account-a84675c3-3e9e-17cf-2911-3d56b15c0aaf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sign up for one</a> for free.</p>
  2752.  
  2753.  
  2754.  
  2755. <p>To understand how to work in OneNote, it’s helpful to first know its organizational structure:</p>
  2756.  
  2757.  
  2758.  
  2759. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  2760. <li>A Microsoft user account can contain multiple notebooks.</li>
  2761.  
  2762.  
  2763.  
  2764. <li>Each notebook can contain multiple sections.</li>
  2765.  
  2766.  
  2767.  
  2768. <li>Each section can contain multiple pages. (OneNote refers to an individual note as a “page.”)</li>
  2769. </ul>
  2770.  
  2771.  
  2772.  
  2773. <p>This organizational structure is reflected in how an opened notebook is presented in OneNote, and how you interact with it:</p>
  2774.  
  2775.  
  2776.  
  2777. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  2778. <li>Along the left is a sidebar that lists one or more notebooks. When you double-click a notebook’s name, this opens or closes a listing of the sections that are in this notebook. (If you don’t see this sidebar, click the three-line icon to open it.)</li>
  2779.  
  2780.  
  2781.  
  2782. <li>When you click on one of these sections, it opens a column to the right listing the pages that are in this section.</li>
  2783.  
  2784.  
  2785.  
  2786. <li>When you click on one of these pages, it opens the page in the main window of the OneNote app. You can view the page’s contents, scroll through it, and edit it.</li>
  2787. </ul>
  2788.  
  2789.  
  2790. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?w=1024" alt="onenote overall interface in windows showing notebooks sections pages and a page open in main window" class="wp-image-3976559" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1366w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=300%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=768%2C431&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=1024%2C575&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=1240%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=150%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=854%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=640%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-01-overall-interface-windows.png?resize=444%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="575" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>OneNote shows notebooks, sections, and pages in the left columns, with the current page showing in the main window area.</p>
  2791. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2792.  
  2793.  
  2794.  
  2795. <p>Along the top of the OneNote app is a simple version of the Ribbon toolbar found in Microsoft 365 apps like <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1663592/word-for-office-365-cheat-sheet.html">Word</a> and <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1656594/excel-for-office-365-cheat-sheet.html">Excel</a>. Click the tab names on top of the toolbar, and the toolbar will change to show related commands. For example, clicking <em>View</em> will show buttons for other ways to view a page, such as zooming in or out of it (click the magnifying glass with a + or – in it) or launching the page in a new window (click <em>Full Page View</em>).</p>
  2796.  
  2797.  
  2798.  
  2799. <p><a></a><a></a><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app:</strong> To see the list of notebooks in your account, tap the <em>Notebooks</em> tab, then tap a notebook to open it. The screen will switch to another screen that lists the sections in the notebook.</p>
  2800.  
  2801.  
  2802. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"> srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?quality=50&strip=all 720w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=135%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 135w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=461%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 461w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=691%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 691w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=314%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 314w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=76%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 76w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=38%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 38w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=216%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 216w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=162%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 162w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-02-android-notebook-sections-list.png?resize=113%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 113w" width="461" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>The OneNote Android app shows a notebook’s sections.</p>
  2803. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2804.  
  2805.  
  2806.  
  2807. <p>Tap a section to open it. The screen will switch to another screen that lists the pages that are under it. Tap a page to open it. You can view the page’s contents, scroll through it, and edit it.</p>
  2808.  
  2809.  
  2810.  
  2811. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><strong>Create notebooks, sections, and pages</strong></h2>
  2812.  
  2813.  
  2814.  
  2815. <p>When you launch OneNote, you’ll create a new notebook or load a pre-existing one. (Note that there’s no Save command in OneNote. Everything you do is saved automatically.)</p>
  2816.  
  2817.  
  2818.  
  2819. <p><strong>Create a new notebook:</strong> Toward the upper left of the OneNote app, click <em>File</em>. The app will switch to a new screen with three columns. In the first column, click <em>New</em>. In the second column, select to store your new notebook in your OneDrive account or on your PC. In the third column, type in a name for your new notebook and click <em>Create Notebook</em>.</p>
  2820.  
  2821.  
  2822. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?w=1024" alt="new notebook screen in onenote windows app" class="wp-image-3976563" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1366w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=300%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=768%2C431&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=1024%2C575&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=1240%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=150%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=854%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=640%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-03-create-new-notebook-windows.png?resize=444%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="575" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Creating a new notebook in OneNote.</p>
  2823. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2824.  
  2825.  
  2826.  
  2827. <p><strong>Create a new section:</strong> In the left sidebar on the main OneNote screen, below the name of the notebook that you want to add a new section to, click <em>+ New Section</em>.</p>
  2828.  
  2829.  
  2830.  
  2831. <p><strong>Create a new page:</strong> In the sidebar, select a section that you want to add a new page to. Then at the top of the second column, click <em>Add Page</em>.</p>
  2832.  
  2833.  
  2834.  
  2835. <p><strong>Open a notebook:</strong> Toward the upper left of the OneNote app, click <em>File</em>. The app will switch to a new screen with three columns. In the first, click <em>Open</em>. In the second column, you can select another notebook file from various sources, such as from a list of notebooks that you’ve most recently opened, from your OneDrive, or from your PC. As you open notebooks, they will be added to the sidebar in the main screen of the OneNote app.</p>
  2836.  
  2837.  
  2838.  
  2839. <p><strong>Switch to another notebook:</strong> In the sidebar, simply double-click  another notebook on the list to navigate to it, and to open or close the list of sections that are in it.</p>
  2840.  
  2841.  
  2842.  
  2843. <p><strong>Close a notebook:</strong> In the sidebar, right-click a notebook and select <em>Close This Notebook</em>. The notebook will be removed from the sidebar.</p>
  2844.  
  2845.  
  2846.  
  2847. <p><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app: </strong>To create a new notebook, section, or page, go to the screen that lists your notebooks, sections, or pages. In Android, tap <em>+ Notebook</em>, <em>+ Section</em> or <em>+ Page</em> on the lower left. In iOS, tap the <em>+</em> icon to the right.  Enter a name for the new notebook, section, or page by tapping the text entry line that’s above the current date.</p>
  2848.  
  2849.  
  2850. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"> srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?quality=50&strip=all 720w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=135%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 135w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=461%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 461w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=691%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 691w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=314%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 314w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=76%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 76w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=38%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 38w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=216%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 216w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=162%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 162w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-04-android-pages-list.png?resize=113%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 113w" width="461" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>In the Android app, click the <em>+ Page</em> icon at lower left to create a new page.</p>
  2851. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2852.  
  2853.  
  2854.  
  2855. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Work with frames on a page</strong></h2>
  2856.  
  2857.  
  2858.  
  2859. <p>When you start typing anywhere in the body of a page, a frame appears around it. The more lines of text you enter, the taller this frame becomes. You can adjust the width of the frame by dragging its right border line. You can move the frame to another spot on the page by clicking, holding, and dragging its top border line.</p>
  2860.  
  2861.  
  2862. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png" alt="a page in the onenote windows app showing text with a frame around it" class="wp-image-3976561" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 848w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png?resize=300%2C149&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png?resize=768%2C382&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png?resize=150%2C75&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png?resize=640%2C318&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-05-text-in-frame-windows.png?resize=444%2C221&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="848" height="422" sizes="(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>A frame appears around text you type on a note.</p>
  2863. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2864.  
  2865.  
  2866.  
  2867. <p>When you click on another area of the page, the frame around the text disappears, leaving behind the text inside it. When you click on the text again, the frame around it reappears.</p>
  2868.  
  2869.  
  2870.  
  2871. <p>This framing interface lets you create blocks of text that you can move around on a page. You can even move one text block over another text block — the one on top will become transparent over the second.</p>
  2872.  
  2873.  
  2874. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png" alt="two text frames on a page in onenote windows app" class="wp-image-3976562" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 848w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=300%2C215&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=768%2C552&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=234%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 234w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=117%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 117w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=668%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 668w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=501%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 501w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-06-two-text-frames-on-page-windows.png?resize=348%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 348w" width="848" height="609" sizes="(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>You can move each block of text in its frame.</p><br></figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2875.  
  2876.  
  2877.  
  2878. <p>Images, tables, and other elements you add to a page (covered later in this guide) are also placed inside frames, making all page elements easy to arrange and manipulate. This gives OneNote pages more flexibility than you get with the typical left-to-right, top-to-bottom approach of many note-taking and word-processing apps.</p>
  2879.  
  2880.  
  2881.  
  2882. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><a></a><strong>Add text by dictating</strong></h2>
  2883.  
  2884.  
  2885.  
  2886. <p>If you have a Microsoft 365 account, you can also enter text on a page by speaking. About a dozen languages are <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/dictate-your-notes-in-onenote-2f5d1549-afe1-4abd-95ff-829a839e3d00" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">currently supported</a>, with 30+ more in preview testing.</p>
  2887.  
  2888.  
  2889.  
  2890. <p>On the top toolbar, click <em>Home</em> and then click the <em>Dictate</em> (microphone) button. The first time you use the dictation feature, you may need to give it permission to use your PC’s microphone. Wait for the microphone icon to appear in a mini-toolbar over the page, and then start speaking.</p>
  2891.  
  2892.  
  2893.  
  2894. <p>Your words will appear on the page inside a frame, just like text that you type in. To stop recording, click the microphone icon in the mini-toolbar.</p>
  2895.  
  2896.  
  2897. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-07-dictation-windows.png" alt="dictated text on a page with dictation toolbar in windows onenote app" class="wp-image-3976554" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-07-dictation-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 744w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-07-dictation-windows.png?resize=300%2C160&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-07-dictation-windows.png?resize=150%2C80&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-07-dictation-windows.png?resize=640%2C342&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-07-dictation-windows.png?resize=444%2C237&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="744" height="397" sizes="(max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>You can add text to a page via dictation.</p><br></figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2898.  
  2899.  
  2900.  
  2901. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Format and tag text</strong></h2>
  2902.  
  2903.  
  2904.  
  2905. <p>You can change several aspects of text on a page.</p>
  2906.  
  2907.  
  2908.  
  2909. <p><strong>Change text formatting:</strong> Highlight text that’s inside a frame on a page. A toolbar will open by the highlighted text that lets you select a formatting function, such as font name, size, highlight color, or text color. (You can also right-click to open this toolbar.) Alternatively, you can click <em>Home</em> on the top toolbar to see these same text formatting functions in the toolbar.</p>
  2910.  
  2911.  
  2912.  
  2913. <p>You can also format lines of text as a bulleted or numbered list. A bullet icon or number will be added to the left of the first line of text you type. Thereafter when you press the <em>Enter</em> key, the next line will also be preceded with a bullet or the next sequential number.</p>
  2914.  
  2915.  
  2916. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?w=1024" alt="selected text formatted as numbered list on a page in onenote for windows" class="wp-image-3976558" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1029w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=300%2C141&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=768%2C361&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=1024%2C482&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=150%2C71&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=854%2C402&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=640%2C301&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-08-format-text-windows.png?resize=444%2C209&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="482" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Formatting text as a numbered list.</p>
  2917. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2918.  
  2919.  
  2920.  
  2921. <p><strong>Tag text:</strong> Highlight text or put the cursor in a line of text. On the formatting toolbar that opens near the text, or on the Home toolbar above, click the <em>Tags</em> button (an icon of a checkmark inside a box with a star). From the dropdown menu that opens, select the tag that you want applied to this line of text.</p>
  2922.  
  2923.  
  2924.  
  2925. <p>This puts an icon to the left of the line that the text is on, such as a checkbox for “To Do” or a star icon for “Important.” You can also create a new tag name and select an icon for it.</p>
  2926.  
  2927.  
  2928. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png" alt="list of tags and other formatting to add to text in onenote in windows" class="wp-image-3976557" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 809w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=300%2C243&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=768%2C622&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=207%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 207w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=104%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 104w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=593%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 593w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=445%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 445w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-09-format-with-tags-windows.png?resize=309%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 309w" width="809" height="655" sizes="(max-width: 809px) 100vw, 809px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>You can enhance text with interactive checkboxes or other icons.</p>
  2929. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2930.  
  2931.  
  2932.  
  2933. <p>The checkbox that designates a line of text as a To Do item is interactive. Clicking the small box will mark it with a check.</p>
  2934.  
  2935.  
  2936.  
  2937. <p><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app:</strong> To add text to a new page, tap below the current date. Or if the page already has text or other elements on it, tap a spot on the page where you want to add additional text.</p>
  2938.  
  2939.  
  2940.  
  2941. <p>The on-screen keyboard of your phone or tablet will open with a toolbar along the top of the keyboard. Icons on this toolbar let you insert To Do, bulleted, or numbered lists, or format text in various ways.</p>
  2942.  
  2943.  
  2944. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"> srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?quality=50&strip=all 720w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=135%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 135w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=461%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 461w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=691%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 691w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=314%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 314w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=76%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 76w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=38%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 38w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=216%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 216w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=162%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 162w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-10-format-text-android.png?resize=113%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 113w" width="461" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Formatting text in a note in the OneNote Android app.</p>
  2945. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2946.  
  2947.  
  2948.  
  2949. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Add images, media, and other elements</strong></h2>
  2950.  
  2951.  
  2952.  
  2953. <p>Set the cursor on the page where you want the element to appear. Click <em>Insert</em> above your notebook. <a></a><a></a>The Insert toolbar that opens lets you insert tables, files, images, video, and other elements to the page. Not all the options are visible on the toolbar; click the three-dot icon at the far right to see all the functions available.</p>
  2954.  
  2955.  
  2956.  
  2957. <p>These are the most notable elements to insert:</p>
  2958.  
  2959.  
  2960.  
  2961. <p><strong>Table:</strong> Clicking this button opens a panel where you can drag your pointer to select the number of columns and rows you want for a new table.</p>
  2962.  
  2963.  
  2964. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png" alt="adding a table to a page in windows onenote app" class="wp-image-3976606" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 916w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=300%2C181&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=768%2C463&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=279%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 279w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=139%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 139w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=797%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 797w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=597%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 597w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-11-add-table-windows.png?resize=415%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 415w" width="916" height="552" sizes="(max-width: 916px) 100vw, 916px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Adding a table to a note.</p>
  2965. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2966.  
  2967.  
  2968.  
  2969. <p>When you’ve made your table size selection, click once, and the table will be inserted on the page inside a frame. You can adjust the width of a table by clicking on and dragging the right side of its frame. You can move the table itself to another area on the page by clicking on and dragging the top side of its frame. To adjust the sizing of the columns, click on and drag the vertical lines inside the table.</p>
  2970.  
  2971.  
  2972.  
  2973. <p>Inside each cell of the table, you can type text or numbers, and even add a picture, as described later.</p>
  2974.  
  2975.  
  2976. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?w=1024" alt="a table containing text and an image on a page in onenote windows app" class="wp-image-3976607" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1366w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=300%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=768%2C431&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=1024%2C575&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=1240%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=150%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=854%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=640%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-12-table-on-page-windows.png?resize=444%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="575" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>A table can contain text, images, and more.</p>
  2977. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  2978.  
  2979.  
  2980.  
  2981. <p><strong>File Attachment:</strong> This button opens File Explorer. You can select a file on your PC’s drive or OneDrive.</p>
  2982.  
  2983.  
  2984.  
  2985. <p>When you insert a file, it appears as a shortcut on the page. If it’s a shortcut to an .EXE file, clicking it will run the program on your PC. Otherwise, clicking the shortcut will load it inside a corresponding app. For example, if it’s a .DOCX or .DOC file, the document will launch inside Microsoft Word. Clicking a shortcut to an audio or video file will launch your PC’s default media player.</p>
  2986.  
  2987.  
  2988.  
  2989. <p><strong>File Printout:</strong> This also opens File Explorer. You select a PDF on your PC’s drive or OneDrive. All of the PDF’s pages will be added to the page as a series of images. When you click any of these images, eight dots appear at its sides and corners. You can click on and drag these dots to resize the image.</p>
  2990.  
  2991.  
  2992.  
  2993. <p><strong>Spreadsheet:</strong> Like File Printout, this option lets you embed an Excel spreadsheet on the page, and you can resize it in the same way. It opens File Explorer so that you can select an Excel spreadsheet on your PC’s drive or OneDrive — or you can embed a new, blank spreadsheet.</p>
  2994.  
  2995.  
  2996.  
  2997. <p>The embedded spreadsheet is basically a large image; you can’t edit it directly on the OneNote page. To edit the spreadsheet, select it on the page and click <em>Edit</em> in the upper left of the spreadsheet. This will open the spreadsheet in the Excel desktop app, if you have it installed on your PC. Otherwise, it will open in the Excel web app in your default web browser.</p>
  2998.  
  2999.  
  3000.  
  3001. <p>Changes you make to the spreadsheet in Excel will (eventually) appear on the embedded version in OneNote. This is dependent on OneDrive working to sync your activity between OneNote and Excel. In my experience, the updating doesn’t happen instantly — expect a delay.</p>
  3002.  
  3003.  
  3004.  
  3005. <p><strong>Pictures:</strong> This presents you with three ways to add a picture to a page:</p>
  3006.  
  3007.  
  3008.  
  3009. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  3010. <li><em>From File</em>: You select an image file on your PC’s drive or OneDrive.</li>
  3011.  
  3012.  
  3013.  
  3014. <li><em>From Camera</em>: You snap a photo using your PC’s webcam.</li>
  3015.  
  3016.  
  3017.  
  3018. <li><em>From Online</em>: You add an image that you find via Microsoft’s Bing search engine.</li>
  3019. </ul>
  3020.  
  3021.  
  3022.  
  3023. <p><a></a><a></a>Remember that the image will appear wherever your cursor is on the page when you click the <em>Pictures</em> button. That means you can click inside a text frame or table cell to have the image appear there.</p>
  3024.  
  3025.  
  3026.  
  3027. <p>When you click any image that’s been added to a page, eight dots appear at its sides and corners. You can click on and drag these dots to resize the image.</p>
  3028.  
  3029.  
  3030.  
  3031. <p><strong>Page Templates:</strong> Click this to open a sidebar along the right of the screen. On it, you can select from a large variety of page templates, which are preformatted for specific uses, such as meeting notes or project to-dos. When you make a selection, a new page is created and the template is inserted onto it.</p>
  3032.  
  3033.  
  3034.  
  3035. <p><strong>Link:</strong> You can apply a clickable web link to one or more words on the page. First, copy the web link to your Windows clipboard. Next, highlight the word or phrase on the page, then click <em>Link</em>. On the panel that opens, paste in the web link.</p>
  3036.  
  3037.  
  3038.  
  3039. <p><strong>Record Audio and Record Video</strong>: A simple audio or video recording tool will appear along the top. You can record an audio or video clip if your PC has a microphone or camera. The recording will appear on the page as a shortcut to its audio or video file. Clicking it will launch playback through the appropriate media player.</p>
  3040.  
  3041.  
  3042.  
  3043. <p><strong>Online Video:</strong> This lets you paste in a link to an online video on a site such as Giphy, Vimeo, or YouTube. A thumbnail of the video will be added to the page. When you click the thumbnail, the video will play. You can resize this thumbnail like any other image, as described above.</p>
  3044.  
  3045.  
  3046.  
  3047. <p><strong>Loop Components:</strong> If you have a Microsoft 365 business, enterprise, or education account, you can embed one or more Loop components on a page. These are interactive content snippets that you and others in your organization can collaborate on. See “<a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/1621861/how-to-use-microsoft-loop-in-outlook-and-teams.html">How to use Loop components in Microsoft 365 apps</a>” for an in-depth guide.</p>
  3048.  
  3049.  
  3050.  
  3051. <p><em>In some versions of OneNote, the following element is included on the Insert toolbar. In the current OneNote app for Windows, you’ll find it on the Home toolbar.</em></p>
  3052.  
  3053.  
  3054.  
  3055. <p><strong>Meeting Details:</strong> This button opens a sidebar along the right of the screen. On it, you can select a date from your Outlook calendar that has a meeting or other event scheduled on it. Its details, such as time, date, place, and attendees, will be inserted onto the page.</p>
  3056.  
  3057.  
  3058. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?w=1024" alt="adding meeting details from outlook to a note in windows onenote app" class="wp-image-3976603" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1366w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=300%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=768%2C431&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=1024%2C575&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=1240%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=150%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=854%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=640%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-13-meeting-details-windows.png?resize=444%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="575" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Inserting meeting details from Outlook into a note.</p>
  3059. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3060.  
  3061.  
  3062.  
  3063. <p><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app:</strong> To add images or other elements to a page, tap the spot on the page where you want to put the item. The on-screen keyboard of your phone or tablet will open with a toolbar along the top of the keyboard.</p>
  3064.  
  3065.  
  3066.  
  3067. <p>In Android, tap + on the left of this toolbar to insert elements such as images, files, audio recordings, tables, and links.</p>
  3068.  
  3069.  
  3070.  
  3071. <p>In both Android and iOS, you can tap the camera icon to insert a photo taken with your device’s camera or insert one that’s already stored on it. Tap the microphone icon to record a voice clip using your device’s microphone.<a></a></p>
  3072.  
  3073.  
  3074.  
  3075. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><strong>Add drawings and change the page background</strong></h2>
  3076.  
  3077.  
  3078.  
  3079. <p>You can enhance your note by drawing on it or changing its design.</p>
  3080.  
  3081.  
  3082.  
  3083. <p><strong>Add a drawing:</strong> Click <em>Draw</em> on the toolbar above the page. This opens a toolbar that lets you draw on the page, choosing from a range of colors and line thicknesses, or insert shapes such as ovals, rectangles, and triangles. You can also use these tools to draw on top of images that you’ve added to a page.</p>
  3084.  
  3085.  
  3086. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?w=1024" alt="drawing tools and options in onenote windows app" class="wp-image-3976609" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1366w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=300%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=768%2C431&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=1024%2C575&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=1240%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=150%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=854%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=640%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-14-drawing-windows.png?resize=444%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="575" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>The drawing tool lets you add quick sketches or diagrams to a note.</p>
  3087. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3088.  
  3089.  
  3090.  
  3091. <p><strong>Change the page background:</strong> Click <em>View</em> on the toolbar above the page. To add horizontal or grid lines to the background, click <em>Rule Lines</em> and make a selection. To change the page’s background color, click <em>Page Color</em>. On the panel that opens, select a color.</p>
  3092.  
  3093.  
  3094.  
  3095. <p><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app:</strong> To add a drawing to a page on iOS, tap the pen tip icon at the upper right of the screen. In Android, tap anywhere on the page to call up your on-screen keyboard. Tap the + on the left of the toolbar at the top of the keyboard. On the panel that opens, tap the pen tip icon.</p>
  3096.  
  3097.  
  3098.  
  3099. <p>In both OSes, a basic drawing toolbar that includes different markers, an eraser, and a cut-out tool will open above the page. In Android, you can tap and hold a marker until a panel opens that lets you change the color or thickness of the marker.</p>
  3100.  
  3101.  
  3102. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"> srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?quality=50&strip=all 719w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=268%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 268w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=623%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 623w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=150%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=75%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 75w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=429%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 429w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=322%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 322w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-15-drawing-toolbar-android.png?resize=224%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 224w" width="719" height="804" sizes="(max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>The drawing toolbar in Android.</p>
  3103. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3104.  
  3105.  
  3106.  
  3107. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><a></a><strong>Organize your notes</strong></h2>
  3108.  
  3109.  
  3110.  
  3111. <p>To access your notes more efficiently, it’s worthwhile to think about how you want to organize them. You can create multiple sections within a single notebook for different projects, or create separate notebooks for different purposes.</p>
  3112.  
  3113.  
  3114.  
  3115. <p><strong>Move a section or page to a different spot in its column:</strong> Click-and-hold the name of the section or page, then drag it up or down the list to where you want to move it.</p>
  3116.  
  3117.  
  3118.  
  3119. <p><strong>Move or copy a page to another section:</strong> Right-click the name of the page and select <em>Move or Copy</em>. On the panel that opens, select the section that you want to move or copy the page to, and then click the <em>Move</em> or <em>Copy</em> button.</p>
  3120.  
  3121.  
  3122.  
  3123. <p><strong>Move or copy a section to another notebook:</strong> Right-click the name of the section and select <em>Move or Copy</em>. On the panel that opens, select the notebook that you want to move or copy the section to, and then click the <em>Move</em> or <em>Copy</em> button.</p>
  3124.  
  3125.  
  3126.  
  3127. <p><strong>Delete or rename a section or page:</strong> Right-click the name of a section or page and choose <em>Delete </em>or <em>Rename</em>.</p>
  3128.  
  3129.  
  3130. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png" alt="context menu with section managementn options in windows onenote app" class="wp-image-3976605" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 639w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png?resize=300%2C221&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png?resize=228%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 228w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png?resize=114%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 114w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png?resize=488%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 488w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-16-manage-sections-context-menu-windows.png?resize=339%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 339w" width="639" height="471" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>The right-click menu for a section of a notebook.</p>
  3131. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3132.  
  3133.  
  3134.  
  3135. <p><strong>Move a notebook:</strong> In the first column, click-and-hold the name of a notebook and drag it up or down the list. Let it go in the new place where you want it to be on the list.</p>
  3136.  
  3137.  
  3138.  
  3139. <p><strong>Rename a notebook:</strong> In the first column, right-click the name of the notebook and select <em>Properties</em>. On the panel that opens, type a new name into the box by “Display name.”</p>
  3140.  
  3141.  
  3142.  
  3143. <p><strong>Delete a notebook:</strong> Oddly enough, you cannot delete a notebook directly from the OneNote desktop app. If you created your notebook in OneDrive, its file will be in the Documents folder in your OneDrive; you can delete it using the mobile app or web version of OneDrive. (But you can’t use File Explorer to access your OneDrive to delete a OneNote notebook file — it doesn’t appear in File Explorer.)</p>
  3144.  
  3145.  
  3146.  
  3147. <p>However, if you created the notebook in a folder on your PC’s storage drive, it appears in Explorer in a folder with the name of your notebook. You can delete this folder to delete your notebook.</p>
  3148.  
  3149.  
  3150.  
  3151. <p><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app:</strong></p>
  3152.  
  3153.  
  3154.  
  3155. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  3156. <li>To move a section or page elsewhere in the list, tap and hold the name of the section or page, then drag it up or down in the list.</li>
  3157.  
  3158.  
  3159.  
  3160. <li>To copy or move a page to another section or a section to another notebook, tap and hold on the name of the page or section to select it. Then tap the icon of a page with an arrow over it — in Android it’s at the upper right, on iOS it’s at the bottom of the screen. In Android, select the section or notebook to move the page or section to, and also select <em>Create a copy</em> if you want to keep a copy in its current section. In iOS, choose either <em>Move</em> or <em>Copy</em>, then select the location to move the item to.</li>
  3161. </ul>
  3162.  
  3163.  
  3164. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"> srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?quality=50&strip=all 720w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=135%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 135w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=461%2C1024&quality=50&strip=all 461w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=691%2C1536&quality=50&strip=all 691w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=314%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 314w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=76%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 76w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=38%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 38w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=216%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 216w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=162%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 162w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-17-move-page-android.png?resize=113%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 113w" width="461" height="1024" sizes="(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Moving a page to another section in Android.</p>
  3165. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3166.  
  3167.  
  3168.  
  3169. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  3170. <li>To delete a section or page, tap and hold the name of the section or page to select it, then tap the trash can icon.</li>
  3171.  
  3172.  
  3173.  
  3174. <li>To rename a section, tap and hold on the name of the section to select it. Then tap the cursor icon — in Android it’s at the upper right, in iOS at the bottom of the screen — and type in the new name.</li>
  3175.  
  3176.  
  3177.  
  3178. <li>To rename a page, tap to open the page. Next, tap the first line of text at the top of the page. Delete this text and enter a new name for the page.</li>
  3179. </ul>
  3180.  
  3181.  
  3182.  
  3183. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><strong>Search your notes</strong></h2>
  3184.  
  3185.  
  3186.  
  3187. <p>Toward the upper right of the OneNote app, click inside the box that has a magnifying glass icon and the words <em>Search Notebooks</em>. This will open the search pane. Type words or phrases into the search box to find pages that contain this text.</p>
  3188.  
  3189.  
  3190.  
  3191. <p>Search results appear on this pane. Click a result to open the page in the main window.</p>
  3192.  
  3193.  
  3194. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png" alt="search results in onenote windows app" class="wp-image-3976620" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?quality=50&strip=all 868w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=300%2C207&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=768%2C531&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=243%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 243w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=122%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 122w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=694%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 694w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=521%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 521w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-18-search-notes-windows-crop.png?resize=362%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 362w" width="868" height="600" sizes="(max-width: 868px) 100vw, 868px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Searching in OneNote.</p>
  3195. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3196.  
  3197.  
  3198.  
  3199. <p>Click the down arrow at the right of the search box to open a dropdown where you can broaden or narrow the search range: You can search for text through all your notebooks, the current notebook, the current section, or the current page.</p>
  3200.  
  3201.  
  3202.  
  3203. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><strong>Share and collaborate</strong></h2>
  3204.  
  3205.  
  3206.  
  3207. <p>There are two ways that you can share and collaborate with others on your notes.</p>
  3208.  
  3209.  
  3210.  
  3211. <p><strong>Share a web link:</strong> Right-click the name of a notebook, section, or page, and select <em>Copy Link to Notebook</em> (or <em>…Section</em> or <em>…Page</em>). This generates a link to the item, copying it to the Windows clipboard. As with any ordinary web link, you can paste it in an email, instant message, document, etc.</p>
  3212.  
  3213.  
  3214.  
  3215. <p>Anyone who has a link to one of your notebooks can view all the sections in it and all the pages under each section. If it’s a link to a section, they can view only the pages under that section. A link to a single page allows them to view only that page.</p>
  3216.  
  3217.  
  3218.  
  3219. <p><strong>Share your entire notebook:</strong> You can invite specific people to view and edit the notebook that’s currently open in the OneNote app. Click the <em>Shar</em>e button at the upper-right corner of the OneNote app and select <em>Share Entire Notebook</em>.</p>
  3220.  
  3221.  
  3222.  
  3223. <p>On the “Send link” panel that opens, there’s an area at the top where you can invite specific people to your notebook, and an area toward the bottom where you can copy a link to your notebook that you can send to others.</p>
  3224.  
  3225.  
  3226. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?w=1024" alt="send link and link settings panes for sharing a notebook in onenote windows app" class="wp-image-3976602" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1285w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=300%2C147&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=768%2C377&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=1024%2C502&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=1240%2C608&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=150%2C74&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=854%2C419&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=640%2C314&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-19-sharing-screens-windows.png?resize=444%2C218&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="502" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>Adjusting sharing permissions for a notebook.</p>
  3227. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3228.  
  3229.  
  3230.  
  3231. <p>If you’re using OneNote under a work or school Microsoft account, sharing is governed by your organization’s rules. For instance, some organizations may not let you share notebooks to anyone outside your organization.</p>
  3232.  
  3233.  
  3234.  
  3235. <p>If you’re using OneNote with a personal Microsoft account, the default permissions allow anyone who clicks the link to edit your notebook, not just people you’ve invited specifically. That means the people you’re sharing the link with — and anyone <em>they</em> share the link with — can change anything about your notebook, including any sections and pages within it. Their changes will be synced to your copy of the notebook on your OneDrive or PC drive.</p>
  3236.  
  3237.  
  3238.  
  3239. <p>Instead, we advise one of these safer options:</p>
  3240.  
  3241.  
  3242.  
  3243. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  3244. <li><strong>To invite specific people to edit or view your notebook:</strong> Click <em>Anyone with the link can edit</em> at the top of the “Send link” panel. On the “Link settings” panel that appears, click <em>Specific people</em> and then click <em>Apply</em>. You’ll be taken back to the “Send link” panel. Enter the email addresses or names of those you want to invite and optionally type a message to them. If you want your recipients to be able to view the notebook (including its sections and pages) but not alter it, click the pencil icon and select <em>Can view</em>. Finally, click <em>Send</em>. They’ll receive an email containing a link that can be opened only by them.</li>
  3245.  
  3246.  
  3247.  
  3248. <li><strong>To allow anyone with the link to <em>view</em> the notebook but not edit it:</strong> On the “Send link” panel, click <em>Anyone with the link can edit</em> at the bottom (below “Copy link”). The same “Link settings” panel described above will open: Under “More settings,” click <em>Can edit</em> and select <em>Can view</em>. Then click <em>Apply</em>, which will return to the “Send link” panel. You can copy and safely send the link to your notebook for others to view and share.</li>
  3249. </ul>
  3250.  
  3251.  
  3252.  
  3253. <p><strong>Manage your notebook’s sharing permissions:</strong> After you’ve shared a notebook, you can stop sharing it or change anyone’s access permissions at any time. Click the <em>Share</em> button and select <em>Manage Access</em>.</p>
  3254.  
  3255.  
  3256.  
  3257. <p>On the Manage Access panel that opens: Click <em>People</em> to see a list of people that your notebook is being shared with. You can change each person’s access (between <em>Can edit</em> and <em>Can view</em>) or remove their access entirely. Click <em>Groups/family</em> to be able to do the same to groups of people that your notebook is being shared with. Click <em>Links</em> to change the access to your notebook’s public link (<em>Can edit</em> or <em>Can view</em>), or you can take down the link.</p>
  3258.  
  3259.  
  3260.  
  3261. <p><a></a><strong>In the OneNote mobile app:</strong> To share your notebook in Android, tap <em>Notebooks</em>  at the upper-left corner of the OneNote app. Tap-and-hold the notebook that you want to share. Then tap the <em>Share</em> icon at the upper right (it’s to the left of the three-dot icon). In iOS, open the notebook, then click the three-dot icon at the upper right and select <em>Share Notebook</em>.</p>
  3262.  
  3263.  
  3264.  
  3265. <p>On the screen that appears in either OS version, you can choose either to invite specific people to your notebook or to copy a link to it that you can send to others via email, instant message, text, etc. The interface varies somewhat depending on which OS you’re using and whether you’re using a personal or work/school account, but overall the sharing functions and selections in the mobile app are very similar to those of the OneNote app for Windows.</p>
  3266.  
  3267.  
  3268.  
  3269. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a><strong>Restore an older version of a page</strong></h2>
  3270.  
  3271.  
  3272.  
  3273. <p>If you’re not happy with recent changes to a page, you can go back and restore an older version of it.</p>
  3274.  
  3275.  
  3276.  
  3277. <p>Open the page in the main window of OneNote. Along the top of the OneNote app, click the <em>History</em> tab. On the History toolbar, click <em>Page Versions</em>. (In the OneNote web app, you’ll find <em>Page Versions</em> on the toolbar’s <em>View</em> tab.)</p>
  3278.  
  3279.  
  3280.  
  3281. <p><strong>To view an older version:</strong> In the second column, listed directly below the name of the page, you’ll see one or more dates that represent older versions of it. Click the date of an older version to open it.</p>
  3282.  
  3283.  
  3284.  
  3285. <p><strong>To restore an older version:</strong> Right-click the date of an older version of the page, then select <em>Restore Version</em> from the pop-up menu. This will replace the page with the older version. What was the current version will then be moved down in the versions list to become the most recent older version.</p>
  3286.  
  3287.  
  3288. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?w=1024" alt="older version of onenote page with context menu for restoring this version in windows onenote app" class="wp-image-3976601" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?quality=50&strip=all 1066w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=300%2C165&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=768%2C422&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=1024%2C563&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=150%2C82&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=854%2C469&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=640%2C352&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/onenote-20-version-history-windows.png?resize=444%2C244&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="563" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><p>You can choose an earlier version of a page to go back to.</p>
  3289. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Howard Wen / Foundry</p></div>
  3290.  
  3291.  
  3292.  
  3293. <p class="toc"><em>This story was originally published in July 2019 and most recently updated in May 2025.</em></p>
  3294. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  3295. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/1670215/microsoft-onenote-cheat-sheet.html</link>
  3296. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1670215</post-id><category>Collaboration Software, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office, Productivity Software, Small and Medium Business, Windows</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1670215-0-99459700-1746615490-cw_microsoft_office_365_onenote-100787150-orig.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="17022" type="image/jpeg" />
  3297. </item>
  3298. <item>
  3299. <title>Stop squinting! 10 ways to make Windows easier on the eyes</title>
  3300. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 10:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3301. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  3302. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  3303.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  3304. <div class="article-column__content">
  3305. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  3306.  
  3307.  
  3308.  
  3309. <p>A modern Windows PC works great with a high-resolution display — <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3972819/windows-multiple-monitors.html">or with multiple displays</a>. But even so, it’s easy to find yourself squinting at small elements on your screen while you’re working.</p>
  3310.  
  3311.  
  3312.  
  3313. <p>You don’t <em>have </em>to put up with that, though. Windows has a whole slew of settings that can enhance your experience, enlarging elements to make them more readable and generally just making everything on your screen easier to see.</p>
  3314.  
  3315.  
  3316.  
  3317. <p>The tips we’re about to go over work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. They’re pretty easy to adjust — but some are well-hidden.</p>
  3318.  
  3319.  
  3320.  
  3321. <p><em>Want more Windows PC tips? </em><a href="https://theintelligence.com/windows-cw/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter</em></a><em>. I’ll send you free Windows Field Guides as a special welcome bonus!</em></p>
  3322.  
  3323.  
  3324.  
  3325. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="the-most-important-trick-tweak-display-scaling">The most important trick: Tweak display scaling</h2>
  3326.  
  3327.  
  3328.  
  3329. <p>Display scaling is the first and most consequential setting to adjust. Modern displays are often <em>so </em>high resolution that displaying elements one-to-one would result in everything being tiny. That’s why Windows will set a display scaling setting that changes the size of basically everything on your display. It’s set to 150% on many displays by default.</p>
  3330.  
  3331.  
  3332.  
  3333. <p>But the power is ultimately in <em>your </em>hands. You can increase this setting to make everything larger. Or, you can <em>decrease</em> it to make everything smaller, letting you see more elements on screen at one time.</p>
  3334.  
  3335.  
  3336.  
  3337. <p>This is also a per-display setting — so if you have multiple displays connected to your PC or if you have a laptop with an external monitor, you can set a different scaling percentage for each display.</p>
  3338.  
  3339.  
  3340.  
  3341. <p>To change this, head to Settings > System > Display on your PC. On Windows 11, change the “Scale” setting. (Windows will recommend one specific setting for your display, but you can choose another.) On Windows 10, use the “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” box.</p>
  3342.  
  3343.  
  3344. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?w=1024" alt="Windows Display settings" class="wp-image-3978712" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?quality=50&strip=all 1332w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=300%2C176&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=768%2C450&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=1024%2C600&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=1189%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1189w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=287%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 287w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=143%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 143w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=819%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 819w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=614%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 614w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-Settings-System-Display.png?resize=426%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 426w" width="1024" height="600" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">If you ever want things larger or smaller, start with the Scale option.</figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Chris Hoffman, Foundry</p></div>
  3345.  
  3346.  
  3347.  
  3348. <p>You can even click “Scale” and enter a custom percentage if you really want to get nuanced, but Windows recommends sticking with one of the default options. (On Windows 10, click “Advanced scaling settings” to take total control.)</p>
  3349.  
  3350.  
  3351.  
  3352. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="increase-text-size">Increase text size</h2>
  3353.  
  3354.  
  3355.  
  3356. <p>Windows will also let you change the <em>text </em>size, specifically, throughout the entire operating system. Text size does get larger as you increase the display scaling percentage, but so does everything else. The text size slider lets you make <em>just </em>text larger <em>without </em>affecting anything else.</p>
  3357.  
  3358.  
  3359.  
  3360. <p>To change this on Windows 11, head to Settings > Accessibility > Text size. Drag the slider to choose a new size.</p>
  3361.  
  3362.  
  3363.  
  3364. <p>On Windows 10, head to Settings > Ease of Access > Display. Use the “Make text bigger” slider at the top of the window.</p>
  3365.  
  3366.  
  3367. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?w=1024" alt="Windows text size settings" class="wp-image-3978713" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?quality=50&strip=all 1334w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=300%2C176&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=768%2C451&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=1024%2C601&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=1187%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1187w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=286%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 286w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=143%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 143w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=818%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 818w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=613%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 613w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2-Settings-Accessibility-Text-Size.png?resize=426%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 426w" width="1024" height="601" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">First, change display scaling. Then, tweak text size if you still want text larger.</figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Chris Hoffman, Foundry</p></div>
  3368.  
  3369.  
  3370.  
  3371. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="zoom-in-on-web-pages-and-documents">Zoom in on web pages and documents</h2>
  3372.  
  3373.  
  3374.  
  3375. <p>Aside from making those universal adjustments, you can easily zoom in on any web page in a browser like Google Chrome or in a document in applications like Microsoft Word.</p>
  3376.  
  3377.  
  3378.  
  3379. <p>To quickly zoom in, either hold down the <strong>Ctrl</strong> key and rotate your mouse wheel up or press <strong>Ctrl</strong> and the <strong>+</strong> key. You can also use the <strong>–</strong> key to zoom out or press <strong>Ctrl+0 </strong>to revert to the default zoom level.</p>
  3380.  
  3381.  
  3382.  
  3383. <p>Chrome and other modern web browsers will automatically remember this setting for each website you adjust. So, if you find a certain web page always has text that’s too small to read comfortably, you can zoom in once — and your browser should retain that specific zoom setting every time you load that same site in the future.</p>
  3384.  
  3385.  
  3386.  
  3387. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="enhance-your-mouse-pointer-and-text-cursor">Enhance your mouse pointer and text cursor</h2>
  3388.  
  3389.  
  3390.  
  3391. <p>On a larger display, it can sometimes be hard to see the mouse pointer and the text cursor. You can make both more visible at a glance by choosing a custom color and size.</p>
  3392.  
  3393.  
  3394.  
  3395. <p>To customize your mouse pointer on Windows 11, go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. On Windows 10, head to Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse pointer. The options within either area will let you choose a colorful mouse pointer with any color you like and increase its size, too.</p>
  3396.  
  3397.  
  3398.  
  3399. <p>To customize the text cursor on Windows 11, go to Settings > Accessibility > Text cursor for a similar set of options. On Windows 10, head to Settings > Ease of Access > Text cursor.</p>
  3400.  
  3401.  
  3402. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?w=1024" alt="Windows mouse pointer settings" class="wp-image-3978714" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?quality=50&strip=all 1334w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=300%2C209&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=768%2C536&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=1024%2C715&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=999%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 999w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=241%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 241w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=120%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 120w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=688%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 688w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=516%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 516w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3-Settings-Accessibility-Mouse-Pointer.png?resize=358%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 358w" width="1024" height="715" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A larger, more colorful mouse pointer is a big help on a large display (or multiple displays).</figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Chris Hoffman, Foundry</p></div>
  3403.  
  3404.  
  3405.  
  3406. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="widen-scrollbars-and-stop-them-from-hiding">Widen scrollbars (and stop them from hiding)</h2>
  3407.  
  3408.  
  3409.  
  3410. <p>Windows lets you customize the size of classic scrollbars in traditional desktop apps like Google Chrome. You can’t customize the size of scrollbars in more “modern” Windows apps, although you <em>can </em>stop Windows from automatically hiding them.</p>
  3411.  
  3412.  
  3413.  
  3414. <p>This tweak takes a registry hack, but it’s fast and easy to manage. To get wider scrollbars in Google Chrome and other apps, check out <a href="https://theintelligence.com/38846/how-to-make-scrollbars-wider-on-windows-and-stop-windows-from-hiding-them/">my guide to enlarging scrollbars</a>. (It’ll tell you how to stop Windows from automatically hiding those scrollbars, too.)</p>
  3415.  
  3416.  
  3417.  
  3418. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="increase-your-taskbar-size">Increase your taskbar size</h2>
  3419.  
  3420.  
  3421.  
  3422. <p>On Windows 10, you can easily get a taller taskbar. To do so, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar and uncheck “Lock the taskbar” if it’s checked. Then, hover your mouse cursor over the top edge of the taskbar. When you see it change to a draggable cursor style, click and drag it upwards. You can then lock the taskbar again.</p>
  3423.  
  3424.  
  3425.  
  3426. <p>Unfortunately, this is one of many taskbar options Microsoft abandoned in its move to Windows 11. Recent Insider builds show Microsoft might be bringing a similar option back in the future. Until then, you’ll find options for enlarging the taskbar in third-party tools like <a href="https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/">Start11</a> ($10 and polished) and <a href="https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ExplorerPatcher</a> (free but less polished).</p>
  3427.  
  3428.  
  3429.  
  3430. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="make-file-explorers-icons-bigger">Make File Explorer’s icons bigger</h2>
  3431.  
  3432.  
  3433.  
  3434. <p>To make File Explorer easier to navigate on a larger display, try using larger icons. You can enlarge them just like you can scroll a web page: Hold down the Ctrl key and scroll up with the mouse wheel. As a bonus, this even works on the Windows desktop, giving you larger desktop icons.</p>
  3435.  
  3436.  
  3437.  
  3438. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="bump-your-displays-refresh-rate">Bump your display’s refresh rate</h2>
  3439.  
  3440.  
  3441.  
  3442. <p>While a higher refresh rate isn’t going to make any on-screen elements larger, it <em>will</em> offer a smoother desktop experience that’ll feel much nicer to use. This is critical — and something that’s easy to miss. Even if you have a buttery smooth high-refresh rate display, Windows often starts it at a bog-standard 60Hz refresh rate when you first plug it in unless you go out of your way to tweak it.</p>
  3443.  
  3444.  
  3445.  
  3446. <p>To do so, head to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display and <a href="https://www.pcworld.com/article/394663/how-to-change-your-monitors-refresh-rate-and-why-gamers-should-check-pronto.html" target="_blank">choose the refresh rate</a> you want your display to use. (On Windows 10, scroll down to the bottom of the Display pane to find the “Advanced display settings” link.)</p>
  3447.  
  3448.  
  3449. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?w=1024" alt="Windows advanced display settings" class="wp-image-3978716" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?quality=50&strip=all 1214w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=300%2C181&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=768%2C464&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=1024%2C618&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=1154%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 1154w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=278%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 278w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=139%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 139w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=795%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 795w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=596%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 596w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/4-Settings-Display-Advanced-display.png?resize=414%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 414w" width="1024" height="618" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">For a better desktop experience, use the highest refresh rate you can with your display hardware.</figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Chris Hoffman, Foundry</p></div>
  3450.  
  3451.  
  3452.  
  3453. <p>If your display supports a higher refresh rate, it’ll be nicer when running at that high refresh rate. The downside? On a laptop, a higher refresh rate could chew through battery power faster. Also, a higher refresh rate signal requires more data, and it may be an issue if you have an older cable or a dock that can’t push enough data fast enough. That’s why Windows always seems to choose a safe (and slow) default.</p>
  3454.  
  3455.  
  3456.  
  3457. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="zoom-in-on-everything-with-the-magnifier">Zoom in on everything with the Magnifier</h2>
  3458.  
  3459.  
  3460.  
  3461. <p>For a less eye-straining reading experience, you can also always turn to the built-in Windows Magnifier tool. To launch it, press the Windows key and the + (plus sign) key. Then, hold the <strong>Windows</strong> key and tap the <strong>+</strong> and <strong>–</strong> keys to zoom in and out. You can move the visible part of the screen around with your mouse. To escape magnification mode, press <strong>Windows+Esc</strong>. </p>
  3462.  
  3463.  
  3464. <div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png" alt="Windows Magnifier" class="wp-image-3978715" srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png?quality=50&strip=all 840w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png?resize=300%2C97&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png?resize=768%2C249&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png?resize=150%2C49&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png?resize=640%2C207&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5-Magnifier.png?resize=444%2C144&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="840" height="272" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Magnifier tool is quick to summon with just a single keypress.</figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Chris Hoffman, Foundry</p></div>
  3465.  
  3466.  
  3467.  
  3468. <p>It’s that simple. There’s also Microsoft’s ZoomIt application, which some people prefer — but you’ll have to go out of your way to get that yourself. You can <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/zoomit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">download it from Microsoft’s website</a> or get it as part of the <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2517756/microsoft-windows-powertoys.html">Microsoft PowerToys package</a>. </p>
  3469.  
  3470.  
  3471.  
  3472. <p>Here’s <a href="https://theintelligence.com/31886/an-excellent-zoom-tool-for-giving-presentations-from-your-pc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how to use ZoomIt</a>, once you have it.</p>
  3473.  
  3474.  
  3475.  
  3476. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="tweak-broken-apps-if-they-look-blurry-or-small">Tweak broken apps if they look blurry or small</h2>
  3477.  
  3478.  
  3479.  
  3480. <p>At this point, Windows applications have had many years to adapt to high refresh rate displays. Nearly every Windows application you might use should work fine with modern display scaling settings.</p>
  3481.  
  3482.  
  3483.  
  3484. <p>However, some applications — particularly older ones that haven’t been updated in many years but still run on modern versions of Windows — might not look great with modern display scaling options. They might even look blurry and hard to read.</p>
  3485.  
  3486.  
  3487.  
  3488. <p>In such cases, you have some options for tweaking each app from its Properties window. To find these options, right-click an application’s shortcut. You can do this from the taskbar on Windows 11 by right-clicking an application’s taskbar icon, right-clicking its name in the menu that pops up, and then selecting “Properties.”</p>
  3489.  
  3490.  
  3491.  
  3492. <p>Click over to the “Compatibility” tab and then click the “Change high DPI settings” button.</p>
  3493.  
  3494.  
  3495.  
  3496. <p>Remember: You only need to change these settings if a rare application looks blurry or if it doesn’t appear to be scaling like other apps do.</p>
  3497.  
  3498.  
  3499.  
  3500. <p>There are a few other settings worth reviewing here, too: First, “Program DPI” will let you force an app to use the DPI setting of the monitor you launch it on if it has trouble adapting on the fly when multiple displays are in use.</p>
  3501.  
  3502.  
  3503.  
  3504. <p>Second, “High DPI scaling override” will give you three options for how exactly the scaling is handled. Here’s what they mean:</p>
  3505.  
  3506.  
  3507.  
  3508. <ul class="wp-block-list">
  3509. <li><strong>Application</strong>: The application itself performs the scaling. This is the modern default option that works best — assuming the application was designed with modern display-scaling options in mind.</li>
  3510.  
  3511.  
  3512.  
  3513. <li><strong>System (Enhanced)</strong>: Windows will take over and scale the application itself. For very old applications, this is your best bet.</li>
  3514.  
  3515.  
  3516.  
  3517. <li><strong>System</strong>: If the Enhanced option doesn’t work properly with a particularly old application, this option will result in a blurrier image but may be the only solution that works for some applications.</li>
  3518. </ul>
  3519.  
  3520.  
  3521.  
  3522. <p>The good news is most people won’t have to fuss with those compatibility options anymore. Modern applications are rarely “broken” like they used to be. Still, the default Windows scaling settings might not always work for everyone. That’s why, like everything else in this list, it’s important to adjust them until <em>you’re </em>comfortable.</p>
  3523.  
  3524.  
  3525.  
  3526. <p><em>Want more Windows PC advice? I’ll email you personally! </em><a href="https://theintelligence.com/windows-cw/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter</em></a><em> today. I’ll send you three new things to try each Friday.</em></p>
  3527. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  3528. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3977749/make-windows-easier-on-the-eyes.html</link>
  3529. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3977749</post-id><category>Microsoft, Operating Systems, Productivity Software, Windows, Windows 10, Windows 11</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3977749-0-10494900-1746614882-microsoft-windows-viewing-enhancements.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="109151" type="image/jpeg" />
  3530. </item>
  3531. <item>
  3532. <title>Asana’s Workflow Gallery now offers AI-automated templates — and agents</title>
  3533. <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  3534. <description><![CDATA[<div id="remove_no_follow">
  3535. <div class="grid grid--cols-10@md grid--cols-8@lg article-column">
  3536.  <div class="col-12 col-10@md col-6@lg col-start-3@lg">
  3537. <div class="article-column__content">
  3538. <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section>
  3539.  
  3540.  
  3541.  
  3542. <p>The shift to AI is leading Asana to come up with innovative ways to present apps that can automate the most annoying chores in a business process.</p>
  3543.  
  3544.  
  3545.  
  3546. <p>The Smart workflow gallery, part of the company’s AI Studio, includes AI-automated templates to handle corporate processes that typically require human involvement. It was <a href="https://asana.com/inside-asana/smart-workflow-gallery" data-type="link" data-id="https://asana.com/inside-asana/smart-workflow-gallery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced by the company on Tuesday</a>.</p>
  3547.  
  3548.  
  3549.  
  3550. <p>Workflows are repeatable processes of very common steps, which could include IT operations, project management, marketing, and people management, said Victoria Chin, senior director of product strategy for AI at Asana. “When we say smart workflow, we’re saying that we now embed AI agents at different stages of the workflow,” she said. “Instead of having a human do the triage and prioritization, in the early intake phase, AI can do that for you.”</p>
  3551.  
  3552.  
  3553.  
  3554. <p>The Workflow Gallery has pre-built templates for multiple use cases. All options have <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3617392/what-are-ai-agents-and-why-are-they-now-so-pervasive.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3617392/what-are-ai-agents-and-why-are-they-now-so-pervasive.html?utm=hybrid_search">AI agents</a> to complete tasks at different levels. </p>
  3555.  
  3556.  
  3557.  
  3558. <p>Chin offered as an example creative production, which includes the planning phase, asset intake and work execution phase to complete a job. It might also include reporting requirements.</p>
  3559.  
  3560.  
  3561.  
  3562. <p>The AI tools in a workflow can triage incoming requests, suggest resources, generate emails and translate content into different languages. They can also point to existing assets that can be repurposed.</p>
  3563.  
  3564.  
  3565.  
  3566. <p>“There are many other users when you look at a prompt window and you’re not sure what to do. We want to make it easy for people, based on what they’re trying to use or whatever problem they’re trying to solve,” Chin said.</p>
  3567.  
  3568.  
  3569.  
  3570. <p>Vendors are pushing <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3846150/how-ai-agents-work.html?utm=hybrid_search" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3846150/how-ai-agents-work.html?utm=hybrid_search">AI agents</a> further down business processes to automate work. Asana and its competitors Atlassian, ServiceNow, Salesforce are all offering AI agents to cover various tasks.</p>
  3571.  
  3572.  
  3573.  
  3574. <p>Asana’s AI Studio supports top-line models from OpenAI and Anthropic. </p>
  3575.  
  3576.  
  3577.  
  3578. <p>The tools can be integrated into products from Salesforce and ServiceNow, both of which focus heavily on specific sectors that include sales and IT management, while Asana brings in a crossover appeal across processes. “We find that our customers are using Asana for the initiatives that require cross-functional coordination,” Chin said.</p>
  3579.  
  3580.  
  3581.  
  3582. <p>Companies of all sizes and verticals are looking at using generative AI (genAI) and agentic AI not just to be more productive, but to redefine work, said Wayne Kurtzman, research vice president for social, communities and collaboration at IDC.</p>
  3583.  
  3584.  
  3585.  
  3586. <p>He cited an IDC study that found when it comes to IT’s top 3 priorities, 46% of global companies want to create a developer and general workforce that uses AI assistants, advisors, and agents to boost business success. More than 92% of companies are already using some form of AI in their daily work, according to the IDC Annual Collaboration Study 2024 that looked at the US and Western Europe markets.</p>
  3587.  
  3588.  
  3589.  
  3590. <p>“This is surpassed only by creating the needed IT infrastructure,” Kurtzman said.</p>
  3591. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
  3592. <link>https://www.computerworld.com/article/3978904/asanas-workflow-gallery-now-offers-ai-automated-templates-and-agents.html</link>
  3593. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3978904</post-id><category>Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Productivity Software</category><enclosure url="https://www.computerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/3978904-0-32192800-1746612168-PR-AI26-Smart-Workflow-Gallery-en_us.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all" length="241934" type="image/jpeg" />
  3594. </item>
  3595. </channel>
  3596. </rss>
  3597.  

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