Neural Processing Units Archives

Winsage

May 23, 2025

Windows 10 Support Is Ending: Flipkart says it’s time to upgrade to a Windows 11 PC

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, meaning users will no longer receive updates, security patches, or new features. Flipkart is offering exclusive exchange discounts for customers trading in old Windows 10 laptops for select Windows 11 models. Windows 11 provides faster performance, longer battery life, and enhanced security features compared to Windows 10. Copilot+ PCs, which run Windows 11, include integrated AI features and improved battery life, catering to designers, students, and professionals.

Winsage

May 7, 2025

Introducing all-new Surface Copilot+ PCs: The Surface Pro, 12-inch and Surface Laptop, 13-inch

Copilot+ PCs are a new category of personal computing devices designed to enhance AI experiences and productivity. Microsoft has introduced the Surface Laptop (13-inch) and Surface Pro (12-inch) as part of this lineup, both featuring Snapdragon X Plus processors with Neural Processing Units (NPU). The Surface Laptop, available from May 20, 2025, starts at 9, is the thinnest and lightest model yet, and offers up to 23 hours of video playback. It has a full HD touchscreen, AI-enhanced camera, and a keyboard with a fingerprint reader. The Surface Pro, also powered by the Snapdragon X Plus, weighs 1.5 pounds and features a detachable keyboard and adjustable kickstand. Both devices incorporate sustainable materials, with the Surface Laptop using 100% recycled cobalt in its battery and the Surface Pro made from 82.9% recycled content. They provide access to AI tools for productivity, including features like Recall and Click to Do. Pre-orders for both devices are available, with the Surface Pro starting at 9 and the Surface Laptop at ,199.

Winsage

April 26, 2025

Consumers make their voices heard as Microsoft’s huge venture flatlines in popularity

In January 2024, Microsoft launched its Copilot assistant, utilizing advanced large language model technology, and introduced various offerings such as Copilot Pro subscription plans and specialized devices. Despite these efforts, Copilot has attracted only 20 million users weekly, which is significantly lower than ChatGPT's 400 million weekly users. This represents just over 1% of the 1.5 billion Windows users globally. Microsoft's Chief Financial Officer, Amy Hood, presented data showing stagnant user engagement for Copilot, raising concerns within the company about the return on its substantial investments in AI technology. Additionally, Microsoft has had to adjust its strategy regarding the Copilot key on keyboards, allowing for customization, and Intel has noted that its AI hardware is not gaining market traction.

Winsage

April 12, 2025

Lilbits: Microsoft Recall, more tariff-related pricing uncertainty, and Samsung’s Ball-shaped robot

Microsoft's Recall software, initially unveiled nearly a year ago as part of Copilot+ PCs, aims to simplify the retrieval of past activities by capturing snapshots for natural language searches. The rollout was postponed due to privacy and security concerns but has since begun with a preview version for select Windows Insiders and is expanding to the Release Preview Channel. Users can opt-in to this feature. DroiX will no longer prepay taxes at checkout for U.S. customers due to fluctuating tariffs. MediaTek has launched the Dimensity 9400+, a flagship processor with improved CPU speeds and AI performance. Motorola is set to release its first laptop, the Moto Book 60, in India on April 17. Samsung plans to launch its Ballie rolling robot in the U.S. and South Korea this summer and is partnering with Google to integrate Gemini AI features.

Winsage

April 11, 2025

The new Windows 11 Beta update makes widgets better than ever before

Microsoft's latest update for Windows 11 Beta introduces the ability to read MSN articles directly from the Widgets feed, allowing users to access full articles, slideshows, and videos without using a browser. Users can customize the visibility of the MSN feed on their Widgets board. The update also enhances Copilot+ PCs with an AI-powered semantic search bar for natural language queries and improves the Narrator feature, which now analyzes screen content to provide descriptions of images and visual elements for visually impaired users.

Winsage

April 11, 2025

Windows 11’s controversial Recall feature could soon arrive for Copilot+ PCs – I just hope Microsoft’s tightening of its privacy is up to scratch

Microsoft is testing its Recall feature for Windows 11 in the Release Preview channel with build version 26100.3902. Recall is designed for Copilot+ PCs with powerful neural processing units (NPUs) and will initially support English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. The feature uses AI to analyze screenshots of user activity, allowing for natural language searches. Microsoft has implemented security measures like Windows Hello sign-in to address privacy concerns. Recall is expected to be available in early 2025 in most markets, but not in Europe during the initial rollout, due to data regulations.

Winsage

April 11, 2025

Microsoft Re-releases Recall for Windows Insiders Alongside New Copilot+ Features

Microsoft has begun rolling out the Recall feature in Insider build version 26100.3902 after addressing previous security vulnerabilities. The Recall feature uses Neural Processing Units (NPUs) in Copilot+ PCs to capture screenshots and convert them into natural language descriptions for improved productivity. The new build also introduces the Click to Do feature for Snapdragon-powered PCs, enhances Phone Link functionality for easier content sharing, and includes the Windows Share feature for quick image edits before sharing. The rollout of these features will be gradual.

Winsage

March 26, 2025

Lilbits: AI-enhanced search for Windows PCs and Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Recent advancements in laptop technology have introduced high-performance neural processing units from manufacturers like Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, enabling on-device artificial intelligence applications. Microsoft initially planned to launch its Recall feature for Copilot+ PCs but delayed it due to privacy concerns. Microsoft is now testing a new AI-enhanced search function that allows users to search for files, settings, or documents by description. Additionally, Microsoft is rolling out Local Semantic Search to Windows Insiders with Intel or AMD-powered Copilot+ PCs, which allows searching by description in File Explorer, Windows Search, or Settings, and can be disabled for certain folders.

Winsage

March 25, 2025

Semantic Search Rolls Out to Windows 11, But You Probably Can’t Use It

Microsoft is rolling out its Semantic Search feature to Windows Insiders Beta in Preview Build 26120.3585 (KB5053644). This feature enhances user experience by enabling intuitive searches across files, settings, and applications, integrated into the Start menu and Settings. Users can conduct contextual searches by typing related keywords, retrieving relevant documents and images easily. Semantic Search also extends to the cloud, allowing searches for matching files in OneDrive. It is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, utilizing advanced Neural Processing Units (NPUs), and supports multiple languages and various file formats.

Winsage

March 4, 2025

Available today: DeepSeek R1 7B & 14B distilled models for Copilot+ PCs via Azure AI Foundry – further expanding AI on the edge

Microsoft is launching the DeepSeek R1 7B and 14B distilled models via Azure AI Foundry, following the introduction of NPU-optimized versions of the DeepSeek-R1 1.5B model for Copilot+ PCs. These models will be available on Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra 200V, and AMD Ryzen processors. The NPUs in these PCs can execute over 40 trillion operations per second and are designed for efficient local AI model execution, minimizing battery and resource consumption. The DeepSeek models utilize 4-bit block-wise quantization and int4 per-channel quantization for enhanced performance. Developers can access all distilled variants of the DeepSeek models through the AI Toolkit VS Code extension, allowing for local deployment and experimentation. Copilot+ PCs combine local computing capabilities with Azure's resources, facilitating a new paradigm of continuous computing for AI applications.