One of the best things about search engines is the fact you can increasingly search for a term without needing specific keywords. Microsoft is applying the same concept to the history function within the Edge browser built into Windows. Microsoft’s notes on the current release beta for Edge, as noticed by The Verge, indicate that the company is using what it calls an “AI-powered History search.” If you turn this feature on, you’ll be able to search your history of sites stored in Edge without ensuring that your search query is typed just so: Edge will accommodate “synonyms, phrases, or typos,” Microsoft says. Interestingly, this improved search is one of the functions that Microsoft is using local AI for. “An on-device model is trained using your data, which never leaves your device and is never sent to Microsoft,” Microsoft notes. Microsoft isn’t saying what local model will be used, but it seems fairly likely that it will be the Phi Silica model Microsoft began talking about last year. Whether this means that you’ll need a Copilot+ PC to enable this isn’t clear, either. You do need Copilot+ hardware to take advantage of Recall, the tool that snapshots your PC periodically to improve search. (Recall is protected via encryption and Windows Hello, though I still think Recall is too risky in the current political environment.) Microsoft also says that it will be adding a media control center to Edge, though I think that feature is already here as part of the stable version. Loading our post-show Computex coverage, for example, brings up a small “music note” icon next to the URL bar inside Edge. Clicking it brings up media controls (though a volume control or mute button would be nice, too.) This is what the media controls within Edge look like on my PC. Edge is also adding a Copilot chat summarization option to the context menu which will allow users to ask questions of the current page. If Edge slows down unexpectedly — say, with dozens of open tabs — you may see a notification in the Edge settings, too. These are what Microsoft calls “controlled feature” rollouts, so they may not be available to everyone. Note that you may not see these features if you’re not part of the Microsoft Edge beta program. Chances are, however, that they’ll be pushed to the stable version of Edge before long. Read...

The Environment Court has ruled the Queenstown Lakes District Council must fix issues with its troubled Shotover wastewater treatment plant. Read...

The US Army unit behind the Decisive Action Training Environment said it helped army forces `out-think and outmanoeuvre adversaries`. Read...

There was a `pervasive fraud environment` at Unite the Union, a report obtained by the BBC has concluded. Read...

I like Borderlands. It’s a great turn-your-brain-off-and-blast-things kind of game. But at this point, I have to say the original looter shooter has come a long way down from its height, which was Borderlands 2 waaaay back in 2012. If you don’t have it yet, somehow, you can get it for free on Steam this weekend. Borderlands 2 is a big leap forward versus the original game, with far better graphics, more interesting abilities, better multiplayer support, and a much, much better story and more vibrant world to putter around in. If you’ve remained unfamiliar with it: Borderlands is basically a blend of Halo and Mad Max, with a focus on finding the best randomly generated guns among a ridiculous variety of bang-sticks. Borderlands‘ humor might be its most divisive element. There was a bit of irreverence and sarcasm in the original, but Borderlands 2 is where things really started to ramp up. Your tolerance for the writing might depend on how much time you spent on certain websites in the 2000s and 2010s, saving and reposting memes and GIFs. But on the other hand, the actual story of the game is more fleshed out and interesting. It brings back characters from the original and makes them, well, characters, as well as introducing new faces and a truly excellent villain. It’s good, is what I’m saying! I’ve tried all of the subsequent Borderlands games but haven’t finished any of them because they just couldn’t hit that same sweet spot of gameplay, environment, and story. I should also mention that the game is currently getting review-bombed, with an “overwhelmingly negative” rating on the recent reviews. Players seem to be upset at a recent change in Take-Two’s user license agreement. Or maybe they’re just lashing out at Gearbox’s CEO, who tends to make really dumb public statements on a regular basis. Borderlands 2 is free until June 8th at 10 AM Pacific time, and the rest of the games in the series (along with tons of DLC) are heavily discounted ahead of the Borderlands 4 launch in September. It will not be free. Read...

After nine years of debate and legal challenges, the region’s major planning document has finally made it over the line ? well, most of it. Read...

Come October 14th, Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows 10. That means no more new features or improvements, no more security fixes, and the gradual loss of apps as they also stop supporting Windows 10. Microsoft wants you to upgrade to Windows 11—and if your PC doesn’t meet the requirements, then Microsoft wants you to trade it in or recycle it and get a brand-new Windows 11 machine. But maybe you don’t have the money for that. Or maybe you’re repelled by Windows 11. Or maybe you just don’t want to waste a perfectly good PC that still works fine. In that case, you might be interested in KDE’s latest campaign that encourages Windows 10 holdouts to try switching to Linux with the user-friendly Plasma Desktop (spotted by Windows Latest). The campaign is called KDE for Windows 10 Exiles, which highlights the fact that while many older PCs can’t be upgraded to Windows 11, there’s no need to create unnecessary e-waste. The smarter and more eco-friendly move is to switch to Linux—and KDE is, of course, flying the flag for its own Plasma solution. Plasma Desktop is a free, simple, and easy-to-use desktop environment that’s meant to be an accessible Windows alternative. It includes an app launcher, system tray, notifications, and software repositories, plus lots of customization options to make it as comfortable as you like. Plasma isn’t itself a Linux distribution. It’s a user interface for the OS that works with most popular KDE-compatible Linux distributions, including OpenSUSE, Fedora, Manjaro, and Kubuntu. If you don’t want to give up your machine and want to try switching to Linux, consider installing OpenSUSE with Plasma. The OpenSUSE Installation Quick Start Guide walks you through the process. Otherwise, learn more about how to save your Windows 10 PC after end of life. Read...

They have been honoured for their contributions in the field of medicine, sport, law, the environment, music and the community. Read...

TL;DR: Get the MS Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle for $49.97 (reg. $1,999). The internet is full of coding promises, but most of them come with a steep monthly fee or time commitment. That’s why this deal is different—in a good way. You get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022, a professional-grade development environment used by seasoned devs and rising tech stars alike, plus a bundle of 15 premium coding courses, all for $49.97 for a limited time. First up: Visual Studio Professional 2022. This is Microsoft’s flagship 64-bit IDE. That means it’s built to handle massive projects and heavy workloads without slowing to a crawl. It supports cross-platform app development with .NET MAUI, lets you build sleek UIs with Blazor, and even allows debugging for Linux apps. Oh, and it has hot reload, real-time collaboration, and IntelliCode. Now, pair that with the Learn to Code Certification Bundle, and you’ve got a full tech bootcamp’s worth of material at your fingertips. Python, C++, SQL, ChatGPT integrations—you name it, it’s covered. With lifetime access, there’s no pressure to cram or rush. Don’t miss getting the Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle while it’s just $49.97 (reg. $1,999). Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The Premium Learn to Code Certification BundleSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

The unique challenges of building in the sub-alpine environment has meant everything including the kitchen sink - four times over - has had to be helicoptered into the Pouakai Hut rebuild site. Read...