Technologies

Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot AI Now Can Help You Beat That Tough Boss on PC

Gaming Copilot won’t play the game for you but it will give you advice.

Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot, a beta AI assistant meant to help gamers, is out now on PC and will come to the Xbox mobile app next month, the company said in a blog post on Monday. Microsoft says Gaming Copilot will launch on PC gaming handhelds, like the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox consoles in the near future.

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Gaming Copilot is still in beta and is available to users 18 and older and in all regions except China. Players can ask Copilot questions using the AI assistant’s voice mode for recommendations, help and other insights.

PC players will now see Gaming Copilot in the Game Bar, an on-screen overlay that you can call up during a gaming session. Gaming Copilot launches next month on the Xbox app for iOS and Android.

With voice mode, you can have a conversation with Copilot about your gaming, asking for tips and guidance on quests or boss battles. There’s a push-to-talk feature that lets you assign a key to quickly bring up Gaming Copilot. It’ll also be possible to pin a Gaming Copilot widget on-screen, which Microsoft calls Mini Mode, to interact with the AI assistant.

«When you ask Copilot a question, it combines this understanding with your player activity on Xbox and public sources of information from the Bing search engine for its response,» a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. «We are also working on a way for creators to contribute and curate the information that Gaming Copilot shares for their games.»

It’s uncertain if Gaming Copilot is pulling information from game guides found online, on sites such as CNET’s sister site IGN, Polygon or The Gamer. Writing game guides is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. These sites gain a substantial amount of traffic through guides, however, often via search engines. AI giving users answers directly could eat away at this significant traffic driver.

With Microsoft investing heavily in AI, throwing $13 billion into ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, the company is finding ways to put the technology in everything from Windows to Notepad. AI is also helping Microsoft’s Google Search competitor, Bing.

Microsoft’s continued AI investments, along with its strong cloud support and dominance in enterprise, led Wall Street to shower the company with support. AI hype, along with other factors, helped propel Microsoft to a $3 trillion valuation last year.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Microsoft Research also showed off a new AI model, Muse, that could generate gameplay visuals, mainly for video game ideation.

How to use Gaming Copilot on PC

Install the Xbox app on PC.
Press Windows + G to open Game Bar.
Click on the Copilot icon.
Log in to your Microsoft account for full functionality.

How to use Gaming Copilot on mobile

Install the Xbox app.
Tap on the Copilot icon.
Begin conversing with Copilot. It should sync with the game you’re playing on PC.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.

Technologies

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 8, #1032

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 8, No. 1032.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The purple category is a fun one, once you see the connection. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: In the group.

Green group hint: Appearance details.

Blue group hint: Often found in gyms.

Purple group hint: They help you see.