Today Microsoft has begun rolling out its Windows 11 2023 update (also know as version 23H2), which adds some minor features on top of Copilot and its other AI-powered apps announced in September. Now, you may be asking yourself, "Didn't Microsoft just release a major Windows 11 update?" And you would be correct. But it turns out that release, which launched on September 26th, was basically just an AI preview meant for last year's Windows 11 22H2 update. Consequently, Copilot didn't actually reach most Windows users over the past few weeks (I eventually got it in a test laptop, but my home desktop is still Copilot-less).

The animated cartoon characters known as Animoji are already available on the iPhone X, and iOS 12 will introduce more of them, as well as adding Memoji--customizable 3D avatars you can design to look like you--to the mix. Both types of avatar will match your facial movements, such as smiles and winks. You can use them instead of your own mug in video chats, or record short clips to share later. Third-party apps can't offer exactly the same tricks, but they do have a few fun substitutes--and unlike Animoji and Memoji, you can use them even without an iPhone X. For example, Snapchat's Bitmoji app introduced the concept of avatars you tweak to look like you.