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OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search is free for all users
OpenAI has unleashed its AI-powered search engine. ChatGPT Search is ready to take on Google and Microsoft Bing. The service was announced a couple of months ago for users with a ChatGPT subscription. Now, it is available for everyone, including free users.
An OpenAI account is required to use the service. ChatGPT Search is not like a traditional search engine, i.e. it doesn’t list a bunch of links and snippets describing the content from each page. Instead, ChatGPT Search works similar to the company’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT. You can type your queries in it, and the search engine will pull information from the internet in real time, Instead of links, it displays a summary of the content related to your query. This summary will also display images or videos based on the context. It is an interesting way to search the web. Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini already offer similar features, but it is always good to have more competition.
OpenAI has also launched an extension for Chrome, to help users set ChatGPT Search as the default search engine in the browser. Whether the add-on will be released for Firefox remains a mystery.
Windows 11’s system requirements will not be lowered
Microsoft has officially confirmed that it will not lower the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. This may come as a surprise for many users who have an older PC running Windows 10.
The Redmond company plans to retire Windows 10 in October 2025, and users who are on the legacy operating system will be ineligible to receive security updates for their computer. There are millions of PCs which cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 due to its rather strict hardware requirements. The main obstacle is Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM), which is a security chip on a motherboard or processor. Windows 11 requires PCs to support TPM 2.0 for enhanced security like Windows Hello, Secure Boot, etc. TPM has been available for close to a decade now, and most computers from 2016 onwards have a TPM 2.0 compatible chip. There are ways to bypass the requirements, and Microsoft has some instructions on how to install Windows 11 on unsupported systems, but warns users that they will not be able to receive updates in the future.
Some users expected Microsoft to reduce the restrictions, i.e., not require TPM 2.0, to install Windows 11. Microsoft disagrees, the company has confirmed that it will not change the requirements. This will be a problem for those with older computers, who either have to upgrade their PC with a newer processor and/or a motherboard, or buy a new laptop, to protect their data from security vulnerabilities in Windows 10 that could be unearthed in the future. The other option is of course, to discard Windows and switch to Linux, and that has its own set of hurdles.
Auto HDR is causing games to crash on Windows 11 24H2
Windows updates are not always without problems. Many gamers who had upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 are furious because games are crashing or unable to run on their PCs. Microsoft had acknowledged the problem and begun investigating the issues. It had even blocked the update on PCs that had specific games installed, such as the Assassin’s Creed, and Star Wars Outlaw games.
The company now says that Auto HDR could be one of the culprits that are causing these problems. To be more specific, PCs with Auto HDR turned on may crash, freeze, or display colors incorrectly. Disabling Auto HDR from the Windows Settings may solve this problem. Microsoft has confirmed that PCs that have Auto HDR enabled will not receive the Windows 11 24H2 Update.
GitHub Copilot is free for all users
Microsoft has made GitHub Copilot free for all users. The AI-powered programming tool assists users by autocompleting code in various apps, including VS Code aka Visual Studio Code. GitHub Copilot was previously available only via a subscription, which starts at $10, but now everyone can use it for free. There are some limitations in the free version. Free users can access 2,000 autocompletions and 50 chat requests per month, after which they will either have to wait for the next month’s cycle to begin, or upgrade to a premium tier.
This is an interesting strategy, because a freemium model can help attract more users to subscribe to the paid plans that offer more advanced AI models.
You can text and call ChatGPT via WhatsApp
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT for WhatsApp users, to allow them to call the chatbot and converse with it. You can dial 1-800-CHATGPT in the U.S. to call the AI-powered service. Global users can send messages to ChatGPT by texting 1-800-242-8478. The best part is that you do not need an OpenAI account to use ChatGPT via the instant messaging app.
ChatGPT for WhatsApp uses on the company’s GPT-4o mini language model, along with WhatsApp’s API. Users can speak with the bot for 15 minutes per month, and this is on a per phone number basis. OpenAI has already confirmed that it will not use the voice calls to train large language models. On a side note, the ChatGPT app for PC and Mac has been updated with some new features such as improvements to Advanced Voice Mode, and support for Apple Notes, Notion, BBEdit, and Quip
AdGuard launches an email alias service: AdGuard Mail
AdGuard, a company which is known for its namesake content blocking app, has announced a new product called AdGuard Mail. This is an email alias service that is designed to protect the privacy of users who do not wish to disclose their real email address to websites, and is quite similar to how Firefox Relay, SimpleLogin, or AnonAddy. When you sign up for an alias with AdGuard Mail, it gives you a random email address that acts as a temporary email ID. All mails that are received by AdGuard Mail will be forwarded to your real email address’ inbox.
AdGuard Mail is currently available as a free service. Users can access it on the web, or by using the AdGuard Mail app for Windows, iOS and Android.