Microsoft reveals AI-powered Recall feature to transform Windows 11s searchability, while confirming hardware requirements

Date:
Tue, 21 May 2024 13:35:29 +0000

Description:
Microsoft has revealed Recall at Build 2024, an AI feature for Windows 11 PCs that could be revolutionary.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Microsoft s annual developer conference, Build , has only just kicked off
but weve already learned lots of exciting things, including the company showing off a new AI-powered Recall feature to be integrated into Copilot+
PCs with Windows 11 .

Copilot+ is a new software platform that was introduced yesterday, aiming to infuse Windows 11 with new AI features, ushering in a raft of new devices
with more advanced AI functionality.

Youve doubtless already heard of AI PCs, but the new breed of portables,
which are powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon X chips with an integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) , were officially debuted yesterday. Windows 11 Recall will be exclusive to PCs that have Snapdragon X processors as the current generation of Intel and AMD mobile CPUs dont have a powerful enough NPU to deal with the feature. (It needs an NPU capable of 40 TOPS , or trillions of operations per second).

This isnt the only hardware requirement that the Recall feature will necessitate, with the full spec requirements being as follows: Snapdragon X Elite or X Plus processor NPU capable of 40 TOPs 225GB storage 16GB RAM

While these new Qualcomm chips are the only mobile silicon that can drive the Recall feature (and other AI capabilities in Copilot+ PCs) right now, future generations of Intel and AMD processors will be on board (Intels Lunar Lake for example, or AMDs Strix Point chips).

Windows Latest notes that the above hardware requirements are not only
needed to ensure a quality experience - with enough performance to drive snappy responses with these AI features such as Recall - but also for data security reasons. (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) So, how does Recall work?

In the past weve seen reports of a rumored feature , often referred to as AI Explorer, that would enable you to search through your past activity on your PC. It looks like this has manifested as the Recall feature, and itll be
privy to all the activity on your PC including what apps you use, how you use those apps, and what you do in them (for example, conversations in WhatsApp
). Recall will record all of this activity going forward, saving snapshots of it in your PCs local storage.

Additionally, the Settings app will have a dedicated update history section for Recall, and a toggle for new Privacy and Security settings. Youll be able to update Recall for Windows 11 and other AI features besides using the Windows Update app.

If youre feeling wary about allowing Recall to access everything, and concerned about having control over what it records and stores, Windows
Latest reports that youll be able to delete snapshots manually from Recalls storage, and set Recall to exclude certain apps and websites from its recording activity. In your devices Settings, youll also be able to adjust
the time ranges over which Recall stores snapshots, or indeed pause Recall altogether by clicking on its icon in your Taskbar.

In practice, Recall is designed to help you go back in time and find elements of your past activity. So for example, if you previously had a conversation with a colleague on a certain topic, but couldnt remember the details, you could ask Recall to go and find it within Windows 11. Recall would then comb over your past conversations with the colleague, searching across all of your apps, open tabs within apps, and more besides.

Recall will also be able to help you find files youve lost, and to search
your browser history, and so forth. Youll be able to ask for Recalls assistance using natural language, the way we converse with one another in real life, instead of having to use precise commands.

All of this will run natively on your PC and wont have to tap the cloud for computing power, meaning your data will be more secure, as everything can be kept locally, and nothing is sent to an external data center. Its all happening right there on your Copilot+ PC with the help of that powerful NPU. (Image credit: Microsoft) When can you try Recall for yourself?

The hubbub and excitement of Recall is just one of many things that have been revealed at Microsoft Build 2024 already, but youll have to wait until the Windows 11 24H2 update to try the feature (and dont forget, youll need a PC that meets the hardware requirements). The 24H2 update is expected to arrive in September or October, or thereabouts.

If Recall and other AI features, deliver on all thats promised (or even most of it), we think many people will be impressed and it could convince them to try to adapt to the new way of computing that Microsoft is trying to usher
in.

Right now, Copilot isnt regarded as particularly impressive, but in some
ways, thats due to the hardware needed to facilitate Microsofts plans for its AI assistant not being available - until now. Were excited to get our hands
on all these new AI features, as were one of those people that floods our PC with media - and wed imagine Recall could be very handy for us indeed. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE... Microsoft Surface and AI event liveblog: everything about Microsoft's Copilot + PC plans Microsoft makes big promises with new AI PCs that will come with AI Explorer Windows 11 is getting a new look according to a leak - but it might be exclusive to AI-powered PCs



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-reveals-ai-powered-recal l-feature-to-transform-windows-11s-searchability-while-confirming-hardware-req uirements


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)