When Samsung presented the new Galaxy S24 family, it also revealed that it would include a very interesting function based on artificial intelligence: its name is “Circle to search”, and it is a function developed by Google that debuted in the new Samsung Galaxybut it has already reached the Pixel 8.
Now, Microsoft seems to have in its plans to include an interestingly similar feature in your browser, Edge, with some differences, at least currently. This has been discovered in the latest development version of Edge Canary.
surround to look for Copilot, currently only available on the desktop
Google’s “Circle to search” function is really useful as it allows you to circle any part of the screen on your mobile to, in this way, search for information on Google or ask questions about it of what is wrapped in the circle. Circle to search works even when you are watching a video on YouTube, for example, and you want to know the brand of glasses the protagonist of the video is wearing, or what movie the poster you see on a wall is from.
On the other hand, the operation of Copilot in Edge is quite simple and effective: the browser has a dedicated button to access the virtual assistant that is located at the bottom of the screen on mobile phones, and in the upper right corner of the screen in the desktop version. Once pressed, we can chat with Copilot, ask him things and even ask him to create imagesAmong other functions.
Asking Copilot things is as simple as writing them, dictating them with your voice or placing, for example, an image in the interaction window with the assistant, as context. However, in Windows Report have discovered that a new function has appeared in the settings of the latest version of Edge Canary for the desktop: “Rodea para Copilot”.
By activating this function, circles can be made on any part of the browser screen, which will add that image to the interaction screen with Copilot and we can make queries or requests related to the image (or based on it). In a way, it works as a bookmark or highlighter that adds a part of the screen to the conversation with Copilot.
The feature is called “Rodea for Copilot”, at least during its development (Image: Windows Report)
The function is limited to working in the Edge browser, while the greatest usefulness of the Rodea for Google search is that it can be used on practically any mobile screen. It is even possible to use it, for example, to search for the meaning of words in a WhatsApp conversation.
They are two different approaches to a function similar, and both are supported by artificial intelligence.
It is not yet confirmed that this version will be available in the version of Edge for Android, although if it reaches the final version of Edge for the desktop, it is not risky to think that it will also reach mobile phones.
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