Tag: Tech news

A first look at Microsoft’s upgraded Surface Laptop Studio 2

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2.

We’ve just had a chance to play with Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop Studio 2 after it was announced at a “special event” in New York City. Visually, it doesn’t look a lot different than what came before it, but the trackpad is greatly improved, the specs inside upgraded, and there’s a new AI-focused neural processing unit that’s designed to light up some AI-powered experiences in Windows 11.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 retains the same unique fold-over design as its predecessor but makes the laptop all around more capable. It runs on one of Intel’s 13th Gen i7 H-class processors and can be specced with an Nvidia GPU, including the RTX 4050 and 4060, between 16 and 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. It still has a 14.4-inch touchscreen with a 2400 x 1600 pixel display, but Microsoft has added HDR support — including Dolby Vision.

Bigger changes come from expanded connectivity options. Microsoft has added a USB-A 3.1 port, a microSDXC card reader, and a charger for the Surface Slim Pen 2. That’s all on top of the two USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports and headphone jack on the prior model.

The trackpad also gets a significant upgrade on the Surface Laptop Studio 2, with some impressive accessibility options. You can adjust the haptic feedback and click sensitivity on this trackpad, and you can also turn this into a two-button trackpad for accessibility purposes. Onstage, this was demonstrated by a presenter who was born without fingers on one hand, allowing him to use the trackpad with both hands.

The other big — and not so obvious — addition is an NPU chip inside: an AI coprocessor. It’s built by Intel, which just announced a similar NPU that’s built into its upcoming 14th Gen chips for laptops. Microsoft didn’t demonstrate any new features or ways that this NPU might be leveraged in everyday Windows tasks, but it’s obviously being added in preparation for larger AI features. Some of those might arrive with the rumored Windows 12.

Microsoft has also upgraded the camera on the Surface Laptop Studio 2, with a wider field of view for when you’re on video calls. The RTX 4050 / 4060 options here will also make this more powerful for PC gaming, and we’ll have to see exactly what the performance is like on this laptop during review.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/23883722/microsoft-surface-laptop-studio-2-hands-on-features-photos

Will Musk’s Scrapping of Blocking Feature from ‘X’ Remove it From Apple, Google App Stores | Explained

Elon Musk looks on as he speaks during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair in Paris. (Photo by AFP)

Elon Musk has said the microblogging site X, formerly known as Twitter, will remove a protective feature that lets users block other accounts.

“Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs [direct messages],” Musk said in a post on X, adding later, “It makes no sense.”

The block feature allows an X user to restrict accounts they like from contacting them, seeing their posts or following them on the social media platform.

However, the platform would retain the mute function, which screens a user from seeing specified accounts but, unlike blocking, does not alert the other account to the action.

WHY ELON MUSK’S MOVE CONTROVERSIAL?

Removing blocking feature can reshape the way users connect, communicate and coexist in the microblogging site. There have been renewed concerns over some fraudsters impersonating, abusing, and harassing uses on social media.

Users have been resorting to this block feature as a means of defense against harassment, threats or stalking within the platform.

However, X is trying to convey that there will be “a stronger form of mute” in place of blocking. Currently, the mute function of the platform hides individual accounts that users don’t want to interact to on their timeline.

“We can make mutes stronger, like not allow people you mute to reply or quote you. We can also transfer [your] block list to mute list,” Aqueel Miqdad, a software engineer at X, suggested in a post.

Source: https://www.news18.com/explainers/elon-musk-twitter-x-blocking-feature-apple-google-app-stores-explained-8543238.html

Here’s the iPhone 15 Pro in newly leaked high quality renders

Back in February, we saw the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro in some rough CAD-based renders, and then again in its rumored ‘hero color’, a deep red. Today the same source of the previous renders is back with many more, and these are much more polished, and, dare we say it, high quality. So here’s our best look yet at Apple’s next high-end smartphone, due to launch (most likely) in September.

The iPhone 15 Pro will have a titanium frame, with a rounder-edged design, hopefully putting to rest users’ concerns regarding the current models and their sharp edges.

The size of the individual camera protrusions will grow once more, and the overall bump is thicker. Interestingly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a smaller camera protrusion too, which has been rumored to house a periscope zoom lens. According to past rumors, the cameras in the iPhone 15 Pro will feature “an all-new sensor technology that will capture more light and reduce overexposure or underexposure in certain settings”.

All iPhone 15 models will have USB-C ports, but the fastest charging will be limited to USB-C cables certified by Apple.

The volume and mute buttons will be haptic, not real, and they’ll have two haptic engines dedicated to emulating a button press. The mute toggle will be a haptic button, not a sliding switch anymore.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/heres_the_iphone_15_pro_in_newly_leaked_high_quality_renders-news-58171.php

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