Don't miss this new phone-to-PC photo trick

Plus: Try Copilot Pro — for free!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [The Hustle logo](​ Hey, I'm back! As always, the PC industry and Windows are rocketing forward, with tons of news happening and lots of interesting new tools that would be easy to miss. This week, those easy-to-miss features include a great new Android-to-PC photo feature, a free trial of Microsoft's Copilot Pro, and a useful upgrade to my favorite package of free Microsoft tools. Plus, I've put together some thoughts about what's going on in the PC industry after playing with a lot of modern laptops. After speaking to a variety of PC manufacturers lately, it's clear Microsoft has put the entire industry in a very difficult position. Finally, don't miss a list of my favorite geeky goodies — great gadgets and products I use and recommend. Yes, I really do use a smart coffee cup every day. Check that out down in the Things to Try section. Let's go! [Chris Hoffman, AUthor] Chris Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 2 minutes ⌚ Top Thurrott Thoughts: 30 seconds ⌚ Just for Fun: 30 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] ​ 1. "AI PCs" are being held back — by Microsoft ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: I've been playing with modern laptops and chatting with people from PC manufacturers lately. It's become clear that, while the hardware is here, Microsoft is holding back the "AI laptop": revolution. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Over and over, people from PC manufacturers tell me about what modern hardware can do when it comes to running AI models. They're right — but when I ask them what it actually does do in the real world, they don't have much to say. - Microsoft is investing heavily in cloud-powered AI solutions like Copilot that work equally well on any device — like Chromebooks, MacBooks, Android phones, and iPads — not just Windows PCs. - PC manufacturers are using AI as a hook to market their laptops, but Microsoft hasn't even announced anything that's coming in the future yet. - Apple is now even talking up its MacBooks' "incredible AI performance." You might say that a MacBook doesn't do much with the AI hardware, but neither does a Windows PC. Microsoft better deliver something soon. 📌 READ MORE: Take a look at [my latest column on the danger Microsoft is putting the PC industry in](=), inspired by going hands on with the latest laptops for PCWorld lately. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Microsoft Copilot Pro now has a free trial, is worldwide ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft's Copilot Pro is now available in "222 countries/regions" around the world, according to Microsoft — and you can now get a month-long free trial, too. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Copilot Pro is the premium, paid version of Microsoft's AI service. It offers Copilot AI integration in Office apps like Word and Outlook as well as priority access to Copilot at busy times — and the ability to generate more AI images. - You can get a free month of Copilot Pro by installing the Copilot mobile app for Android or iPhone — a clever way to encourage downloads. The Copilot Pro subscription will work on all your devices. - Copilot Pro previously required a Microsoft 365 subscription as well — if you wanted to use it in Office apps. Now, you can use Copilot Pro in the web-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote even without a separate Microsoft 365 subscription. - Microsoft is now also offering GPT-4 Turbo to free Copilot users. This newer model is trained on data up to April 2023, and it can handle longer inputs — more words at once, in other words. 📌 READ MORE: Learn [about the changes from Microsoft](), or [install the Copilot smartphone app](=) to get a free trial. (Or check out my recent [Copilot Pro review]() for a refresher on what to expect.) --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Windows gets its European compliance update ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Windows 11 and Windows 10 are getting a much-discussed update that brings them into compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Most of these changes are just for people in Europe, but it seems you'll be able to choose a European country during setup to get them anywhere in the world. - You'll be able to uninstall Edge and Bing web search. Windows will no longer bug you to select Edge when you change your default web browser. - Apps included with Windows itself won't automatically sign you in, the Widgets panel will support third-party news feeds, and the Start menu will support other search engines (not just Bing.)​ - These updates are already rolling out, and Microsoft says the rollout will be finished in the European Economic Area "by early April 2024." 📌 READ MORE: Microsoft has [a detailed description of the changes it's made to Windows and LinkedIn](. SPONSORED MESSAGE FREE RESOURCE: 100 ChatGPT prompts for work 💪 [Man jumping excitedly in front of sign for Game Changer game show.](​ ChatGPT has been a total game-changer, eliminating rote work and skyrocketing productivity for savvy professionals. But how can you make the most of this powerful tool? ​​[Download the free guide: How to Use ChatGPT at Work](​, by HubSpot! Created by the same folks who write The Hustle (read by 3+ million professionals), it’s your crash course to effectively leverage ChatGPT in your job: 💡 Understand the what’s, why’s, and how’s of ChatGPT’s capabilities 🙌 Discover practical applications, efficiency hacks, and best practices 🚀 Learn ChatGPT email composition, content generation, data analysis — more ➜ [Ready to work smarter, not harder? Download How to Use ChatGPT at Work today!](​ [​ACCESS 100 INSANELY USEFUL CHATGPT PROMPTS​​​​ ➜]( ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Activate a snappy Android-to-PC photo feature A recent Windows 11 update just delivered a useful Android-phone-to-PC feature for photos and screenshots, but it's disabled by default. ➜ Set this up and, when you take a photo or screenshot on your phone, you'll instantly see a notification on your computer. You can click the notification to instantly access the photo, mark it up, copy text, and share it. 📲 This is just for Android users, but if you have an iPhone, remember that you can [add your iCloud Photo library]() to the Windows Photos app for easy access to photos on your PC. ⌚ Setting this up will take you 20 seconds. 💻 This new feature is just for Windows 11. 📌 Check out [my latest quick guide]( to learn how to activate this cool new feature in just a few clicks. ​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Create keyboard shortcuts to open apps and websites Microsoft's free PowerToys package just got another useful update, adding especially useful features to the Keyboard Manager. ➜ You can now easily create keyboard shortcuts that open applications or websites on your computer. ⌚ You can do this in about 15 seconds, if PowerToys is installed. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. To get started, you'll need PowerToys installed — you can [download it from Microsoft](. If you already have it installed, launch PowerToys from your Start menu and click over to the "General" category, where you can check for and install any available updates. Now, click the "Keyboard Manager" option in the left side of the PowerToys window. Click "Remap a shortcut" at the bottom of the right pane. Then, you can select a shortcut and an action. It's pretty flexible — lots of options here — but it's easy to specify a shortcut on the left, select "Run a Program" on the right, and then choose the path to the program's EXE file on your computer. In the example below, I configured Google Chrome to open when I pressed Alt+C. You can also choose "Open URI" and enter another path, like the address to a website. PowerToys is packed with useful options, and there's a lot more you can do with the Keyboard Manager itself — never mind everything else in PowerToys! --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Check out my favorite geeky goodies I write about tech constantly. Like JR over at Android Intelligence, I'm always getting questions about my favorite gadgets and what I would personally recommend. So I put together a guide to some of my favorite tech products — from computers and computer accessories to useful smart home products, unusual-but-useful home office devices, and inexpensive tech upgrades. ➜ These are the tech gadgets I would truly recommend. I hope it's interesting at least as a snapshot of what I like and use — and potentially as a gift guide for yourself or the techie in your life. (Yes, I really do use a smart coffee cup every day!) ⌚ It shouldn't take you more than two or three minutes to take a quick look through it. (And I plan to keep updating this page, too.) 📌 Take a look at [my favorite geeky goodies]( — and, if you're looking for something else, let me know what you'd like me to add in the future! ​ [] [Top Thurrott Thoughts] Some standout links and expert analysis from our friends at Thurrott, who have been covering Windows since 1994: - ​[Microsoft Will Support Classic Outlook for Windows Until at Least 2029]() - "The new Outlook" is coming. - ​[Microsoft Releases March 2024 Patch Tuesday Updates](=) - Some new features this month. - ​[Some Thoughts About Copilot Pro Custom GPT Builder and the Future (Premium)]( - Paul Thurrott ran into some limitations. - ​[Skype Doubles Down on News Content With New Channels Feature]() - Google's not the only company with too many chat apps. - ​[Apple Will Let iOS Users in the EU to Download Apps Directly From Websites](=) - Some big gotchas in this announcement. ​ [And Just for Funsies...] Let's talk about Clippy, everybody's (least) favorite paperclip. The Wall Street Journal covered "[the revenge of Clippy](" early this month, noting how the paperclip is just refusing to go away. We all seem to keep talking about it. Here's an excerpt: For a character whose whole purpose is to help, Clippy has endured a lot of controversy. ...Microsoft’s software developers found him condescending and unhelpful, Atteberry said. “They all seemed to have this huge disdain for Clippy.” Internally, Microsoft developers referred to him as TFC: That F—Clown. In product materials, he was given a name almost nobody used: Clippit. Back in 2001, Microsoft released [an animated advertisement for Office XP focusing on the removal of Clippy](=) — it was a big selling point! [[video preview]​](=) In the ad, Microsoft used the voice of comedian Gilbert Gottfried — who passed away in 2022 — for the voice of Clippy. It's an interesting historical artifact — and its hostility makes a lot more sense considering how annoying everyone found Clippy in Office at the time. Now that Clippy isn't bugging us everyday, we can look back on him more fondly. Until next week That's all for this week! Enjoy the weekend, and happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 🤚 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. 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