Plus the CES news that matters (for PCs)  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â [Windows Intelligence](#)
[Windows Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [The Hustle logo](=)â CES 2023 is winding down, and even though I'm not in Las Vegas this year, I can feel the hype emanating at me through all the tech news. Once again, we're seeing a lot of products announced that will definitely change our lives â for real this time! There is a lot of cool hardware, but I want to focus on what will actually make a difference for your future PCs. And, as always, I want to step away from the tech hype cycle and talk about something no one else is talking about: This week, it's how to make Windows only open the web browser and search engine you actually want to use. No more Microsoft Edge or Bing popping up unless you want it! Scroll down to this week's Things to Try for more. [Chris Hoffman, AUthor] Chris Today's read: â 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes â 3 Things to Try: 2 minutes â Top Thurrott Thoughts: 30 seconds â Just for Fun: 20 seconds â [] [3 Things to Know This Week] â 1. CES 2024 promises fabulous new PC hardware â THE SHORT VERSION: Once again, we learned a lot about the new tech that will be in your future Windows PCs, from new power-efficient chips to "AI laptops" and faster wireless internet with Wi-Fi 7. ð KNOW MORE: The big yearly Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas isn't just about individual cool gadgets â it's about new technologies that will be integrated in all the upcoming tech you get your hands on. - Wi-Fi 7 certification has arrived, and newly released laptops are already featuring this sped-up, improved wireless connection technology.
- Intel's new Meteor Lake Chips (with their "AI-ready" hardware) are already appearing in laptops â like âthe HP Spectre x360 Paul Thurrott just [reviewed]() â but, at CES, Intel announced new CPUs based on an older architecture for some reason.
- NVIDIA and AMD both had a lot of announcements. NVIDIA has some new GPUs that deliver more graphics power at a lower price point, while NVIDIA is launching new desktop chips. Across both NVIDIA and AMD, they're all "AI-ready" â of course. ð READ MORE: Learn more about [Wi-Fi 7](), the [hardware Intel just announced](, those [new NVIDIA GPUs](, or [AMD's offerings](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Microsoft's Copilot AI laptop push is fragmenting â THE SHORT VERSION: You might assume that every new Windows PC comes with the same AI features if it has the required hardware, but it seems that would be wrong. ð KNOW MORE: Microsoft is apparently working on unique Copilot features that will only work when you have a Samsung Galaxy phone and a Samsung Galaxy laptop. - The Samsung Galaxy Book4 series of laptops will let you connect a Galaxy smartphone to your PC, and you can then use Copilot to perform actions like reading and summarizing text messages from your phone â "and tap into other smartphone functions" â on your PC.
- Microsoft and Samsung have already worked together to offer unique features in the "Phone Link" experience that are only available with a Samsung phone, but this looks like the first time you'll also need a Samsung laptop to unlock PC+Galaxy phone integration features.
- The Galaxy Book4 also offers a Copilot key â it's unclear exactly how many laptop manufacturers will jump on board and embrace Microsoft's brand-new keyboard key. ð READ MORE: Here's [what Microsoft is saying about this Galaxy Book4 integration](. Also, I have more thoughts about [what the Copilot key tells us about the future of Windows](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Microsoft is bringing AI to Notepad soon â THE SHORT VERSION: AI is coming to every corner of Windows â including Notepad! Microsoft is working on a new "Cowriter" experience that brings a Copilot-style writing experience straight to Notepad. ð KNOW MORE: Microsoft hasn't announced anything yet, but enthusiasts and testers have found an in-development tool named "Cowriter" for Notepad â similar to how Paint's AI tool is called "Cocreator." - This experience has a "Cowriter" option that appears to have a lot in common with the "Compose" tool in the Microsoft Edge browser's Copilot sidebar.
- It includes menu options for summarizing text, making text longer or shorter, changing the tone of text, and more.
- Like Microsoft Paint's Cocreator, Cowriter uses a "credits" system to ration that server-side AI processing power. It seems likely that Microsoft may one day start selling these credits, but Microsoft hasn't announced anything yet. ð READ MORE: Read [this look at the new Notepad+AI experience](=) for more. SPONSORED MESSAGE Design charts and graphs like a pro ð [Lisa Simpson grabbing a chart and saying, "In fact, I made a graph."](=)â If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many words is a compelling chart effectively communicating your data worth?! The limit does not exist! The [Introduction to Data Visualization course](=) will teach you how to turn raw data into charts, maps, and graphs to tell stories and convey ideas, just like the pros. *No Stats PhD required.* Why you should download this FREE course yesterday: ð§ Simplifies data visualization for anyone â in any career â to use â° Built for busy schedules to be completed at your own pace ð Created by HubSpot (the gurus behind The Hustle, which is read by 3+ million) Ready to WOW your CEO or colleagues and decipher large data sets? â [Kickstart your data visualization skills and download the Introduction to Data Visualization course today!](=)â [âCLAIM YOUR FREE COURSE HERE â](=) â [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Stop Windows from opening Edge (and Bing) Windows often ignores your preferred web browser and search engine. For example, when you search in the Start menu, you're getting Edge and Bing, whether you like it or not. And, when you use the Widgets experience, it's opening links in Edge â Windows 11 is about to start showing more respect for your choices â but only if you live in Europe. For now, a tool named MSEdgeRedirect can redirect all these links to whatever browser you prefer (like Chrome or Firefox) â and whatever search engine you prefer (like Google or DuckDuckGo.) It's a spiritual successor to a tool called EdgeDeflector. â It will take about 8 seconds to set this up. ð» This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 ð Check out [my quick guide to making Windows really respect your default browser and search engine choices](=) for the details. [Searching the Start menu for web search results on Windows 11.]
--------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Install Android apps on your Windows 11 PC Since CES is in full-swing and Lenovo is showing off a Windows laptop that [doubles]( as an Android tablet, now's a good time to focus on the way your current Windows laptop can run Android apps. â If you have a Windows 11 PC, there's a good chance you can run Android apps on your PC â without bolting totally separate Android tablet hardware onto your PC, like Lenovo just did for some reason. â You can set this up in 20 seconds or so. ð» This feature is just for Windows 11. To give it a go, just [install the Amazon Appstore app](=) from the Microsoft Store. Windows will set up the underlying "Windows Subsystem for Android" software, and you can install Android apps from the Amazon Appstore and launch them like other apps from your Start menu. Microsoft has [some documentation on exactly what you need to run the Amazon Appstore](, but if it's compatible with your PC and works in your current region, it will "just work." I'll be honest: It's still not clear to me exactly why you'd like to do this. But "Windows can finally run Android apps!" was a big part of Microsoft's push for Windows 11. [The Amazon Appstore app on Windows 11.] I'm still looking for a solid use for this. Maybe it's convenient if you want mobile games?
--------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Reopen your closed browser tabs One of my favorite web browser features is the ability to reopen a closed browser tab. With so many tabs flying around, I often end up closing a tab and wanting to double-check something. â This quick tip works in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and other browsers. It's particularly convenient if you closed one too many tabs while pressing Ctrl+W. â This will take you 2 seconds. ð» This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, as well as other operating systems. To reopen a closed browser tab, either right-click an empty spot on your web browser's address bar and select "Reopen Closed Tab" or press Ctrl+Shift+T. (Depending on your browser, if you recently closed an entire window, you may see a "Restore Window" option instead.) [The "Reopen closed tab" option in Google Chrome.] â [] [Top Thurrott Thoughts] Some standout links and expert analysis from our friends at Thurrott, who have been covering Windows since 1994: - â[HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) Review: Behold, the AI PC]() - I've always loved the Spectre x360 series.
- â[Nvidia Announces AI Hardware and Software at CES 2024]() - New hardware â and more.
- â[Appleâs Vision Pro Headset Will Launch in the US on February 2]( - The $3500 headset is almost here.
- â[Microsoft Releases January 2024 Patch Tuesday Updates]( - Some bug fixes.
- â[Wi-Fi Alliance Announces Wi-Fi 7 Certification]( - Ready for a new generation of Wi-Fi?
- â[We Need to Discuss OpenAIâs Response to the New York Times (Premium)]() - A smart take on the lawsuit. â [And Just for Funsies...] Were you Born Mobile? In the spirit of CES, I'd like to share my "favorite" CES keynote of all time. I haven't seen a tech keynote this cringe-worthy since. But that's why it sticks in my brain. I kind of wish big corporate press conferences went off the rails like this more often â it's entertaining! â[This Qualcomm press conference from CES 2013](=) still sticks in my mind, and I make jokes about it now and then. It features Steve Ballmer and Windows 8, but the rough parts appear to be 100% Qualcomm. [[video preview]â](=) Boom! My phone is my conference room! See you next week! That's it for CES week 2023 â what a relief! Enjoy your weekend, and we'll talk more soon. ð¤ Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Windows Intelligence, Android Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. ð¤ [An Intelligence Insider membership](=) allows you to support our work and keep this newsletter sustainable!