Thanks to a rich template library, themes, animations, and eye-catching layouts, we are long past the days of creating a PowerPoint presentation from scratch. As someone who frequently needs to create visually appealing pitches, Im always on the lookout for tools that can speed up the entire process and streamline my workflow. Here is where I came across Copilot and Designer Microsofts AI-powered tools integrated directly into PowerPoint.

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (SB 1047) today. In his veto message, Governor Newsom cited multiple factors in his decision, including the burden the bill would have placed on AI companies, California’s lead in the space, and a critique that the bill may be too broad.“While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data. Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions — so long as a large system deploys it. I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats... Continue reading…

With AMDs latest Zen 5 architecture and Qualcomms improved Snapdragon SoCs, the competition is surely heating up among chip manufacturers to secure a place in Windows ultrabooks. Despite the presence of the Copilot+ capable Ryzen AI 9 lineup and Snapdragon X series processors, Intel continues to be the preferred option for leading manufacturers when it comes to their flagship ultrabooks.

Today, Microsoft Word is one of the most essential tools in any workplace - you've most certainly heard of it. But 41 years ago, a program like Microsoft Word was unheard of until, on September 29, 1983, Microsoft released Word 1.0, which eventually took the world by storm and dominated every office space in the U.S. throughout the late 80s and early 90s. Of course, Microsoft didn't stop there, they've continually updated and optimized the software since then. It grew strides ahead of any competition, and after it was bundled with the first version of Windows OS, it became a staple in both the office and the home.

If youve recently joined the self-hosted community, you may have heard about Nextcloud and CasaOS. The former is primarily a file-sharing and backup tool, while the latter is more of a self-hosting hub thats equal parts a personal cloud, a container management front-end, and a dashboard.

The new Raspberry Pi AI Camera uses Sony’s IMX500 image sensor to handle the AI processing. | Image: Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi and Sony have co-developed a Raspberry Pi AI Camera module that’s launching today for $70. It comes with onboard AI processing that can help Raspberry Pi users develop “edge AI solutions that process visual data” with ease, according to the tiny computer maker.The new camera builds on Raspberry Pi’s plans to offer chips and add-ons for AI developers, having previously released several non-AI camera modules since its first 5-megapixel offering in 2013. “AI-based image processing is becoming an attractive tool for developers around the world,” Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton said in a press release. “We look forward to seeing what our community members are able to achieve using the power of the Raspberry Pi AI Camera.” The AI... Continue reading…

Image: Ford For customers still unsure whether they’re ready to make the switch to an all-electric vehicle, Ford is sweetening the pot. Today, the company launched a new initiative called the “Ford Power Promise,” in which it will provide a suite of benefits to customers who buy or lease a new EV. And chief among them is a complimentary home charger for all new customers, as well as the costs of standard installation. The charger that’s being offered is the company’s Ford Charge Station Pro, a $1,310 Level 2 charger that comes with a standard CCS1 connector. Ford declined to put a monetary value on the installation but said it would cover costs up to 60 amps of power and 80 feet of wire run. Customers who need to upgrade their home electrical... Continue reading…

Photo illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Philip Pacheco, Getty Images Four years after Epic sued Google for running an illegal app store monopoly — a case it won this past December — Epic is suing again. The Fortnite game developer has filed a second antitrust lawsuit against Google, and now additionally Samsung, accusing them of illegally conspiring to undermine third-party app stores.The lawsuit revolves around Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” feature, which now comes turned-on-by-default on new Samsung phones. While it’s turned on, it automatically keeps users from installing apps unless they come from “authorized sources” — namely, Google and Samsung’s app stores. Epic claims there’s no process for any rival store to become “authorized.”When Epic filed its original lawsuits against Google and Apple in... Continue reading…

Photo: John Carl D’Annibale / Albany Times Union via Getty Images You know how Marvel and DC have held joint ownership over trademarks for “Super Hero” for decades? That time is apparently mostly over, as the US Patent and Trademark Office has canceled the companies’ claim to several of their trademarks, reports Reuters.The cancellation comes as the result of a challenge from Superbabies Limited, a small company that produces a series of Superbabies comics about, well, superhero babies. Superbabies creator S.J. Richold decided to challenge the two comic giants’ claim to the trademarks after DC “attempted to block Richold’s efforts to promote The Super Babies,” wrote the law firm that represented Richold in a release.Marvel and DC didn’t respond to the challenge by a July 24th, 2024 due date,... Continue reading…

It was only a few days ago that we heard rumors that the Copilot app for mobile was reportedly about to undergo a revamp, turning it more into a glorified news anchor than an AI assistant. However, it seems the company had another trick up its sleeve that we didn't hear about. Seemingly overnight and with no warning, the web version of Copiklot has undergone a serious overhaul, including four new voices and a daily news feature.

Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac is here, and it's still the best virtualization software for macOS. I thought last year's release was a pretty big update, with support for Touch ID in Windows 11 VMs, but this one looks to be even more exciting. For one, you can now sign in to an Apple Account on a macOS Sequoia virtual machine with Parallels Desktop, which enables a whole bunch of new use cases from Apple Intelligence to iMessage.

If you've picked up the new Pixel Buds Pro 2 in the past few days, you may have noticed that they don't have all of their features unlocked if you used them on a Windows or macOS. The official app that lets you access all of its settings didn't work on them, meaning you could only use them as regular headphones. Fortunately, it seems that Google is changing that, as new documentation reveals instructions for desktops.