Microsoft will soon roll out a new version of Phone Link allowing users to choose and copy text from Android-synced photos. The functionality is currently available in Release Preview Insider releases.
Phone Link, also known as Link to Windows for Android smartphones, syncs calls, texts, alerts, and photos, as well as casts the phone screen to Windows. The software lets iOS devices sync alerts, texts and calls over Bluetooth.
The Phone Link app now allows text extraction, according to The Verge. Phone Link 1.24051.91.0 features text extraction in Insider Preview Build 22635.3646 (Beta Channel). According to a report on a test of the new function, the optical character recognition (OCR) performance is acceptable, although it made more errors than Samsung and Apple's equivalent capabilities with the identical book page shot. Copying and pasting text from the phone to the PC may be more efficient for longer paragraphs.
This version makes it easier to use Phone Link on Windows desktops to interact with text from synchronized photos.
Take Note of These Windows 11 2024 Features
The announcement of the upcoming Microsoft Phone Link update follows the preview of the anticipated Windows 11 24H2. To fully benefit from the latest Windows features, Build 26100.712 requires an unreleased Windows Copilot+ PC.
As previously reported by TechTimes, Windows 11 24H2 has the following key features:
- Official Wi-Fi 7 supports quicker and more consistent connections.
- HDR Backgrounds Enhance visual quality with high-dynamic-range rendering.
- AI-enhanced noise reduction improves calls and recordings.
- On Windows, developers can use the "sudo" command to run tasks with greater privileges.
Microsoft users must also take note of these additional improvements:
- 7-ZIP and TAR compression are supported.
- Scrollable fast settings flyout for convenience.
- The Bluetooth low-energy connection has increased.
There are also AI-Powered Features to boost productivity:
- Recall: AI-powered smart search for missing details.
- Microsoft Paint Creator for AI picture editing and creation.
- Auto Super Resolution: AI-enhanced images.
AI powered Windows Studio Effects has automatic framing, removes background noise, tunes the background blur to your surroundings, helps your lighting appear natural, and so much more. #CopilotPCs pic.twitter.com/Rj58zQJFjo
— Windows (@Windows) May 24, 2024
Notably, these Windows 11 AI functions require a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which only Copilot+ PCs with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite CPU will ship on June 18.
Microsoft also announced that it will soon move Copilot to the Windows desktop as a separate software, beginning in the European Economic Area.
Microsoft Partners with Khan Academy for AI Tools in Schools
In a separate update, Microsoft and Khan Academy announced a collaboration at Microsoft Build to give millions of instructors sophisticated AI tools. Microsoft is contributing AI-optimized infrastructure to Khan Academy, allowing all US K-12 educators to freely use the Khanmigo for Teachers trial, powered by the Azure OpenAI Service.
The alliance will also improve math tutoring AI capabilities using a new edition of Microsoft's Phi-3 family of tiny language models. These technologies offer inexpensive, scalable, and flexible math instruction options.
Khanmigo for Teachers, an AI-powered teaching aid, is now free for US educators. The application simplifies lesson preparation and gives teachers more time with pupils. Khanmigo uses Khan Academy material to simplify AI integration in the classroom by developing compelling lecture hooks, providing student performance analytics, proposing tasks, and helping teachers refresh their knowledge.
