This month, I’m going to talk a little about some new features that are being added to the Edge browser, Smart Tiles and a Match Solver.
Smart Tiles
First up are two new Smart Tiles, one for Outlook email and the other for Microsoft News. These come as additions to the Quick Links section featured on Edge’s New Tabs page. To add them, click the Add Site (+) button on the right (Lower right if you are using one of the developer builds) and click Outlook (and/or Daily Brief) in the Suggestions at the bottom of the window that appears:
With the new smart tile for Outlook, you can see your three most recent emails and also start a new email or meeting request in Outlook, directly from the new tab page. You’ll need to sign into Microsoft Edge with the same account you use for Outlook to enable this feature, and it will help make your life easier by consolidating your workstreams. The feature appeared on Edge Canary, but it's also available on the stable version of Edge, at least for some people. I have the option on both Edge stable and Edge Dev, but there is a chance that the feature is rolling out gradually, it may take a while to appear.
Math Solver
Microsoft is adding a Math Solver feature to its Edge web browser that provides solutions to math problems with step-by-step instructions. The feature is designed mostly for students - “The impact of Covid-19 has forced students to use more digital learning tools and incorporate their web browser into everyday learning,” a new post to the Microsoft Edge blog reads. “Students rely on the browser to help them find solutions to their studies, including math. To help these students on their learning journey, we are excited to announce that Microsoft Math Solver will be available as a preview feature starting with Microsoft Edge 91 stable.”
Microsoft Math Solver allows a student to take a picture of a math problem, handwritten or printed, and get an instant solution with step-by-step instructions to teach them how to reach the solution on their own. It includes a mathematical keyboard so students can easily type math problems rather than hunting around a traditional keyboard for the necessary characters. It also provides many options to continue learning with additional materials such as quizzes, worksheets, and video tutorials to help students continue to practice and grow their math skills.
Microsoft Math Solver is now available in preview in Microsoft Edge 91 in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels of the Edge Insider Program. To enable it, navigate to Settings and more (“…” or Alt+F) > More Tools > Math Solver.
