Microsoft PowerToys is set to enhance its functionality with the introduction of on-device support for Phi Silica, a small language model (SLM) that Microsoft has dubbed “small but mighty.” This new feature is now available for Advanced Paste in the latest PowerToys preview, allowing users to experience a more robust utility for clipboard management.
Advanced Paste and Its Capabilities
Advanced Paste is a versatile tool within PowerToys that formats clipboard content across various formats, including plain text, markdown, and JSON. In addition to these capabilities, it can extract text from images using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and transcode audio and video files. Initially requiring an OpenAI API key, PowerToys has since expanded its compatibility to include other models such as Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Gemini, and Mistral, alongside local options like Foundry Local and Ollama.
Phi Silica is now integrated as a local AI processing option in this latest preview. While it may not be a household name, its influence is felt in tools that many users rely on daily, particularly those utilizing a Copilot+ PC. Features such as Click to Do and on-device rewriting in applications like Word and Outlook are powered by Phi Silica.
PowerToys v0.101.2211.0 Highlights
The PowerToys GitHub page details the latest changes in the preview version. Here are some of the notable highlights:
- Advanced Paste: Introduced an on-device Phi Silica provider and enhanced per-action AI customization options.
- Command Palette: Improved handling of dialogs, icon loading, memory cleanup, theme behavior, and dock performance monitoring.
- Window Management: Enhanced shutdown behavior across FancyZones, Grab And Move, and Always On Top, with solid rendering of Always On Top borders at full opacity.
- Keyboard Manager: Resolved issues with the elevated Run Program browse flow in the new editor.
- Mouse Jump: Transitioned to the newer WinUI app architecture, packaging new binaries into signed release builds.
- Settings: Added an update channel selector and a guided Bug Report flow, complete with progress tracking and a GitHub shortcut.
- Quick Accent: Improved press-and-hold activation for cleaner cancellation, ensuring the picker appears only when intended.
- Preview Releases: Implemented dedicated preview-release versioning and update-channel support, allowing independent publication and testing of preview builds apart from stable releases.
The latest preview of PowerToys showcases a growing library of utilities, offering enhancements even for those less interested in AI. The Command Palette’s improved performance and the refinements in Window management across various features reflect Microsoft’s commitment to user experience. Additionally, the migration of Mouse Jump to WinUI aligns with the company’s broader strategy to modernize Windows through the adoption of WinUI 3, the native framework for the operating system.
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