Microsoft Looking For Its Search Mojo

By Geoff Duncan May 17, 2006

At his annual CEO Summit in Redmond, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates plans to tout new search and information management capabilities built into future versions of Microsoft operating systems and application software, including Windows Live Search, designed to provide a single access point for searching users’ desktops, corporate intranet, and the Internet at large. But how receptive are companies to the idea that their employees waste valuable time simply looking for information? And how many resources do they really want to throw at enterprise-wide solutions?

Microsoft believes that attempting to manage and process overwhelming amounts of data in the workplace is impacting the productivity of information workers. (Of course, others would have you believe it’s because those workers spend too much time on personal online shopping and reading technology Web sites

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Microsoft is already backing down on its most controversial AI feature

The new Surface Pro on a table.

Even before Copilot+ PCs have made it to store shelves, Microsoft is already making changes to its Recall feature. Recall is at the center of Copilot+, taking snapshots of everything you do on your PC and using a local AI model to sift through that information. In response to backlash, Microsoft is making changes to how Recall works, as announced through a Windows blog post.

For starters, Recall is now opt-in instead of opt-out. Previously, Recall would be the default setting on Copilot+ laptops, but Microsoft will now show a screen during the setup process that tells users what Recall does. If you skip past the screen, Recall will remain turned off.

Computing

Is NordVPN safe? A look at its safety and security measures

NordVPN running on a MacBook Pro.

Even if you’re not sure what a virtual private network (VPN) actually is, we bet you’ve heard of a platform called NordVPN. A tried and true player in the ultra-competitive world of VPN services, NordVPN is used by more than 14 million people, and is available for numerous desktop and mobile devices. But even if software is really popular, that doesn’t automatically make it safe.

A rock-solid VPN should protect your user data and web-browsing experience by masking your true IP address and replacing it with one from another corner of the globe. The best VPNs are able to pull this off safely (and legally), but how exactly does NordVPN stack up against other VPN providers when it comes to user security? Let’s find out.
Why use NordVPN

Computing

Fake AI images are showing up in Google search — and it’s a problem

An AI-generated image of a famous Hawaiian singer.

Right now, if you type "Israel Kamakawiwoʻole" into Google search, you don't see one of the singer's famous album covers, or an image of him performing one of his songs on his iconic ukulele. What you see first is an image of a man sitting on a beach with a smile on his face -- but not a photo of the man himself taken with a camera. This is fake photo generated by AI. In fact, when you click on the image, it takes you to the Midjourney subreddit, where the series of images were initially posted.

I saw this first posted by Ethan Mollick on X (formerly known as Twitter), a professor at Wharton who is studying AI.