I think this article is about the 365 suite.

It’s a big, unsolvable mess that will forever prevent them from competing with legacy-free, capable startups.

They should delete all their public facing websites and start over.

Access to their IP, and 20% of revenue (not profit).

(& small typo, “Proclarity” = *Perplexity)

https://i.imgur.com/toLzwCk.png

ffmpeg -i movie.mov -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 -c:a aac -b:a 128k movie.mp4

BUT, I have this in my copilot-instructions.md file:

    # Always follow these steps when responding to any request
    1. Please do a round of thinking in <thinking></thinking> tags
    2. Then a round of self-critique in <critique></critique> tags
    3. Then a final round of <thinking>, before responding.
    4. If you need more information, ask for it.

~> ollama run gemma3:12b-it-qat >>> ffmpeg command to convert movie.mov into a reasonably sized mp4

Here's a good ffmpeg command to convert `movie.mov` to a reasonably sized MP4, along with explanations to help you adjust it:

```bash ffmpeg -i movie.mov -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -c:a aac -b:a 128k movie.mp4 ```

*Explanation of the command and the options:*

Copilot with outlook.com

Copilot base one that comes with M365,

And the add-on one for 30$/mo.

Copilot in VS code

All produce: ffmpeg -i movie.mov -vcodec libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -acodec aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

Which is not surprising because its just an Open AI 4o call... so how are you getting this?

  ffmpeg command to convert movie.mov into a reasonably sized mp4

  ffmpeg -i movie.mov -vcodec libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -acodec aac -b:a 128k movie_converted.mp4

  Here’s the breakdown:
  - -vcodec libx264: Uses the H.264 video codec, great for compression and compatibility.
  - -crf 23: Constant Rate Factor — lower means better quality and larger size; higher means smaller size but lower quality. 23 is a nice middle ground.
  - -preset medium: Controls encoding speed vs. compression efficiency. You can try slow or faster depending on your needs.
  - -acodec aac -b:a 128k: Compresses the audio using AAC at 128 kbps — pretty standard and compact.
  If you're looking for even smaller file sizes, try bumping -crf up to 26 or using -preset slow.
  Want to bake in scaling, remove metadata, or trim the video too? Happy to tailor the command further.

ffmpeg -i movie.mov -vcodec libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -acodec aac -b:a 128k movie_converted.mp4

Along with a pretty detailed and decently sounding reasoning as to why it picked these options.

Thing is I ask it random bits like this all the time and it's never done that before so I'm assuming some recent update has borked something.

It’s also a website like ChatGPT apparently? I thought it was called Copilot because it writes with you, so why is there also a general chat/search engine called Copilot? Jesus.

The new chat, or new conversation buttons seem to do nothing.

From a one line question it made me a relevant document of 45 pages examining the issue from all different sides, many of which I hadn't even thought of. It spent 30 mins working. I've never seen Perplexity spend more than 5.

I won't't be surprised if they will significantly nerf it to save on computing costs. I think now they give it their all to build a customer base and then they nerf it.

But, it’s mostly a RAG tool, “grounded in web” as they say. When you give Copilot a query, it uses the model to reword your query into an optimal Bing search query, fetches the results, and then crafts output using the model.

I commend their attempt to use Bing as a source of data to keep up to date and reduce hallucinations, especially in an enterprise setting where users may be more sensitive to false information, however as a result some of the answers it gives can only be as good as the Bing search results.

Also if anyone from OpenAI or any of its competitors wants to talk my email is on my HN profile ;-)

If you look at this in isolation, yes. If you look at this historically, it's totally on-brand for Microsoft. Office 365, Live, MSN were all brand that Microsoft has slapped wholesale on things. Microsoft has always been reactive when it comes to branding, rather than proactive.

1. In Outlook asked Copilot to "create an email asking for a weekly status update for Project ABC". Iterating a bit, I asked it to be more casual and shorter. Here's what I got:

  Hey Team,

  Hope you're all doing great. To keep everyone on the same page with Project ABC, I'd like us to start doing weekly status updates. Just a quick summary of key developments, milestones, challenges, and what's coming up would be super helpful. This way, we can coordinate better and tackle any issues right away.

  Thanks for your cooperation and hard work. Looking forward to your updates!

2. I provided Copilot with this prompt:

"I am upgrading the electrical service at my house from 100a to 200a service. Create a project plan in Planner for this project."

Here's the response I got:

  Nice! Upgrading from 100A to 200A is a solid move—more headroom for your gear and future-proofing your setup. Here's a breakdown of how you could structure this as a project in Microsoft Planner, with buckets and tasks to keep it organized:

  ---

  ### **Bucket 1: Planning & Permitting**
  - **Assess current electrical load and future needs**
  - **Consult with a licensed electrician**
  - **Request utility service requirements**
  - **Obtain local permits for electrical service upgrade**
  - **Review NEC and local code requirements**

  ---

  ### **Bucket 2: Materials & Scheduling**
  - **Select upgraded panel (200A rated) and breakers**
  - **Order required materials (panel, feeder wires, conduit, ground rods, etc.)**
  - **Coordinate shutdown and install time with utility provider**
  - **Schedule rough-in inspection with local authority**

  ---

  ### **Bucket 3: Installation**
  - **Shut off power at the main disconnect (coordinate with utility)**
  - **Remove existing 100A panel and components**
  - **Install 200A panel and connect feeders**
  - **Upgrade grounding/bonding system as required**
  - **Replace meter socket if required**

  ---

  ### **Bucket 4: Inspections & Finalization**
  - **Schedule and pass electrical inspection**
  - **Have utility restore permanent power**
  - **Label circuits clearly in new panel**
  - **Update homeowner insurance with new electrical capacity**

  ---

  ### **Bucket 5: Post-Project Wrap-Up**
  - **Document panel layout and upgrades**
  - **Evaluate energy use and plan for future expansion (EV charger, generator, etc.)**
  - **Close out permits with inspection authority**

  ---

  You can assign these tasks to yourself or any contractors involved, and add due dates to align with your timelines. Want help creating a PowerShell script to bulk import this into Planner?

3. I provided Copilot with this prompt:

  book a meeting with <name> for August 1 entitled "Test Meeting"

  I can't directly book meetings or access your calendar, but I can help you set it up! Here's an example of what to enter in Outlook or your preferred calendar app:

  **Title:** Test Meeting  
  **Date:** August 1  
  **Attendees:** Bryan Herbst  
  **Time:** [Insert your preferred time]  
  **Location:** [Optional]  
  **Description:** [Add any notes or agenda items]

  If you're using PowerShell or a script to automate calendar events—especially within Microsoft 365—I can help you write that too. Want to go that route?

This reminds me of IBM Watson back in the day

ChatGPT. Perplexity. Google AI Mode. All let you get a message off.

… WAIT! copilot dot microsoft dot com lets you just send a message without logging in.

—

heh, the second result on DuckDuckGo is an MS article: “What is Copilot, and how can you use it?”

Products mentioned in the article, they say:

| Copilot | Copilot app | Copilot for individuals |

And a link for each one. Does Satya squirm when he sees that, but doesn’t have the power to change it?

Also the word “individuals” (allegedly previously mentioned) appears only once on the page.