Why Windows 11's Snap Layouts Is Better Than Window Tiling in macOS Sequoia
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It Uses Generative AI to Retouch Photos
It Helps in Modifying the Background
It Can Enhance Low Quality Photos
For a while now, Microsoft has been progressively improving its "boring" Photos app, the default media viewer on Windows 11. Now, with the infusion of some AI-powered features, high-quality photo editing is also accessible to everyone.
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1 It Uses Generative AI to Retouch Photos
The Erase feature in the Photos app helps in eliminating distractions -- unwanted people or objects in the background as well as imperfections or blemishes in the subject.
This feature uses AI to infill the removed area and processes the image to intelligently blend the background. It uses advanced machine learning to estimate what the pixels would look like without the object in place.
Then, based on the surrounding environment, it generates content that looks natural and undetectable. The process is done locally on your device, and Microsoft assures that your data never leaves your device.
Here's how to use the Erase feature to remove an object from your photo:
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Open a photo in the Photos app and select the Edit option. Choose Erase from the suite of tools available. Adjust the Brush size and highlight the object or area to be removed. Generative erase will apply the effect as you make brush strokes. To apply the feature manually, set Auto apply to Off, and then use the brush tool to select the object or area you wish to remove. Next, use Add mask to select where you want to apply it and Remove mask to deselect areas you don't want it applied. When you are done, click Erase, and generative erase will apply the effect to the selected area.
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The Erase feature is a generative AI-fied evolution of the older Spot fix tool -- the former creates a more seamless and realistic result. It provides a straightforward way to make your photos look higher quality without using advanced photo editing software.
2 It Helps in Modifying the Background
You can also add a professional touch to your images effortlessly using the app's myriad of background editing capabilities.
The app initially offered a Background Blur feature that could enhance your photos by isolating the subject from the background. This applied a similar effect to using the portrait mode in smartphone photography. However, the Photos app now lets you easily remove that isolated background or replace it with a different color.
Follow these steps to separate a subject from the background in a photo and then either apply a blur effect on the background, replace it, or completely remove it:
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Open a photo in the Photos app and select the Edit option. Select Background. The image background will be automatically identified and highlighted. You can also turn On the Background brush tool to adjust the Brush size and Brush softness. Use Add mask to add more areas as part of the background or Remove mask to remove parts of the selection. Once the background has been correctly identified, select Blur, Remove, or Replace. Select the Blur option, then use the slider to adjust the Blur intensity. Select the Remove option to remove the image background. Select the Replace option, and then use the color palette to select the background color. Alternatively, you can specify the hex color code or RGB values for the desired color as well.
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As with the Erase feature, the process is completely locally, and your data never leaves your device.
3 It Can Enhance Low Quality Photos
Super resolution is a handy feature to enhance and enlarge low-resolution and low-quality photos to improve old, distorted pictures or to get large prints.
Super resolution uses AI to upscale images up to 8x the original image size. Essentially, it increases the number of pixels in the image, transforming it from a lower resolution to a higher resolution.
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This makes the image larger and suitable for printing or viewing on larger displays. Super resolution can also be used to enhance the quality of an image, making the photo look sharper and more defined. However, the results are hit or miss.
Upscale and enhance photos in the Photos app with Super resolution using these steps:
Open a photo in the Photos app and select the Edit option. Select Super resolution from the available editing options. With the Scale slider, choose the desired level of enhancement. Once the image is enhanced, you'll see a before (original image) and after (enhanced image) preview for a visual comparison.
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Mind you, Super resolution in Photos is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs. It leverages the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) on your Copilot+ PC to enhance the photos efficiently -- locally on your PC, that is.
Super resolution in Photos, along with a slew of new AI experiences for Copilot+ PCs, is part of the Windows 11 2024 Update (also referred to as Windows 11, version 24H2) and subsequent app updates from the Microsoft Store.
A preview of the feature for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs was made available to Windows Insiders on Windows 11. While the update is now officially available, there will be phased rollout to select devices and markets beginning November 1.
The recent improvements to the Photos app on Windows 11 and the integration of iCloud and OneDrive have transformed it into a handy photo-editing tool. Most casual users don't need a third-party app for basic photo editing. That's especially true now that Microsoft has baked these AI-powered features into Windows for free.
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