January blew by in a blur and we're already several days into February. Over the first week of this month and the tail end of last, we saw some major news stories drop. The biggest report centered around leaked images of a new Bing powered by ChatGPT. We also saw Samsung unveil a new range of laptops and Windows 11 Insiders get some widgets to try out.
ChatGPT and the new Bing
At this point we could probably have a news roundup exclusively about ChatGPT. The AI chatbot reportedly reached 100 million users in January and that number will go up if recent reports turn out to be true. While it's been rumored for some time that Microsoft would integrate ChatGPT with Bing, we got a first glimpse of it through some leaks.
A new Bing powered by ChatGPT briefly went live on Friday, giving us a first look at a major upgrade for the search engine. A chat box now sits where a search bar used to be. Through that box, people can interact with Bing using natural language. Responses from the tool appear as chat bubbles. Bing also shows references for what it used to source its information.
AI transitioned from buzz word to practical tool in the hands of general consumers of the past few months. While artificial intelligence isn't new by any means, it is easier to use now than it's ever been. Microsoft plans to integrate AI into all of its products, and it appears that Bing will be the next one to receive a major update.
If you prefer the old version of Bing, it will still be accessible.
Microsoft may have to add ChatGPT quickly to beat out its rival. Google is suspected to have its own AI tools for search on the way.
Windows 11 widgets
Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 25290 to Insiders in the Dev Channel this week. That update included a handful of features and changes, but the most notable is the arrival of the Spotify and Phone Link widgets. Those new widgets allow you to interact with their respective apps by bringing up the widgets panel (which can be done by pressing WIN + W). Hopefully, we'll see more widgets available in the future.
Galaxy Book3 laptops
Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked event this week. While the biggest news from the day was Samsung's Galaxy S23 lineup, the company also unveiled a range of laptops. The Galaxy Book3 Ultra tops out the new PCs, and it features up to a 13th Gen Core i9 processor and up to NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics. The Galaxy Book3 Pro and Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 were also announced.
All of the new Galaxy Book3 laptops feature a Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display. That screen technology was first used in Samsung Galaxy phones but has now made its way to laptops.
Review roundup
This week our team of experts reviewed high-end accessories, popular games, and more. Make sure to check out our reviews to catch up on the RTX 4080, Razer Leviathan V2 Pro, and Age of Empires 2 for Xbox.
- Review — Age of Empires 2 for Xbox, by some miracle, has truly amazing controls
- Razer Leviathan V2 Pro review: This crazy tech creates cinema-grade sound for your gaming PC
- Zotac's GeForce RTX 4080 AMP Extreme AIRO is a tour de force of 4K gaming
- Razer’s Viper Mini Signature Edition is a batsh*t crazy $279 mouse unlike anything you’ve seen
- Review: Akko MOD 007S v2 is a fabulous gasket-mounted DIY keyboard that costs just $169
- Hi-Fi Rush Xbox review: Riding the musical highs of Microsoft's hit new IP
