Tag: Microsoft

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Microsoft’s Surface Go 3 now available in Matte Black colour option

Microsoft officially announced a new colour option for its Surface Go 3 2-in-1.

Customers can now pick between the standard ‘Platinum’ and the (in my opinion) much nicer ‘Matte Black.’ It’s not clear why Microsoft didn’t make both options available at launch. Regardless, those waiting for a better colour option can now spring for a Surface Go 3.

Additionally, Microsoft made the LTE versions of the Surface Go 3 available to buy, as well as the LTE Surface Pro 8 for businesses, today.

Aside from the new colour, there are no other changes to the Surface Go 3. Customers can still pick between the Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or Intel Core i3-1011Y processors, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of SSD storage.

Unsurprisingly, the new LTE variant is a fair bit more expensive — if you want LTE with your Go 3, you’ll need to buy the highest-end model of the mini-tablet. Typically, that costs $819.99 for the Core i3, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, but the LTE variant bumps the price up to $939.99.

Interestingly, the LTE version isn’t available in Matte Black in Canada. It’s not clear if that option will come at a later date, or if the LTE Matte Black model is reserved for specific regions.

Regardless, the Surface Go 3 is quite expensive, especially when you consider the practically necessary TypeCover accessory, which starts at $129.99 in Canada. As I mentioned in my Surface Go 3 review, when you compare the cost of the Surface Go 3 to other, significantly more powerful devices (such as Apple’s iPads), it’s hard to justify when Intel’s Core i3 is so disappointing.

Still, the main benefit of the Surface Go 3 over a comparable iPad or Android tablet is that it runs Windows, a full-fat desktop OS, making it much better for productivity (even if it’s significantly less powerful).

You can check out the Matte Black Surface Go 3 here.

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge

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Microsoft is reportedly testing Age of Empires IV on Xbox consoles

It looks like Age of Empires IV (Age IV) could make its way to Xbox consoles in the future.

According to the Twitter account @ALumia_Italia, a Twitter account that often digs through the Microsoft Insider Hub for product code names, ‘XIP_CAR_JANUARY_2022’ recently appeared in the Xbox version of the app.

According to Video Games Chronicle (VGC), “CAR’ is the internal code name at Microsoft for Age of Empires IV. While an Xbox version of the real-time strategy game has never officially been confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Age IV make its way to console.

Prior to Age IV’s release, I spoke to Michael Mann, the executive producer at World’s Edge, about the possibility of the title releasing on Xbox consoles. To my surprise, Mann didn’t outright deny the possibility and instead emphasized that the team was, at the time, focused on getting the PC version of the title ready for release.

“Our focus right now is the PC and we want to make sure the game is good. We have eight diverse civilizations, the graphics; we want to make sure that we deliver to a spectrum of PC machines and hardware first and land that this year,” said Mann.

Of course, Age of Empires IV would likely need a gamepad-focused control scheme to work well on Xbox, which could prove difficult. That said, Halo Wars 2 was able to pull it off quite well. It’s also worth mentioning that Xbox consoles also support mouse and keyboard controls.

As someone who at one point considered buying a new gaming PC specifically to be able to play Age of Empires IV on max settings, this is good news. The prospect of playing the game in glorious 4K on my Xbox Series X with mouse and keyboard definitely appeals to me.

For more on Age IV, check out my story about the game from back in October.

Source: @ALumia_Italia

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft says original Surface Duo Android 11 update coming in a ‘few weeks’

After Microsoft failed to meet its promise to roll out the Android 11 update to the original Surface Duo by the end of 2021, the company now says the update will arrive “in the next few weeks.”

In a statement to Windows Central, Microsoft confirmed it’s “finalizing” the update and plans to start rolling it out soon, starting with unlocked phones:

“We’re finalizing the validation and certification for Android 11. We originally planned to deploy Android 11 as an update for Surface Duo in December, but we needed a few more weeks to ensure a great experience for Surface Duo customers. We expect to begin Android 11 rollout in the next few weeks, beginning with unlocked devices.”

While it’s good to see that the update will arrive soon, it’s certainly been a long time coming. The Duo launched with Android 10 and hasn’t seen a major upgrade since, even after the Duo 2 launched with Android 11.

Windows Central adds that its sources claim the update has been ready for weeks but was delayed in part due to the holiday break. Additionally, the update still needs validation and certification from partners including Google and U.S. carrier AT&T.

Moreover, the publication notes that Microsft plans to skip Android 12 and go straight to the Android 12L upgrade for the Duo line. Assuming Microsoft can work faster on the 12L update, that should be good news for Duo owners — Google’s work on Android 12L should make the mobile OS play nicer on foldables and dual-screen devices.

Source: Windows Central

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Mobile Syrup

Qualcomm, Microsoft partner to develop custom chips for AR glasses

Qualcomm and Microsoft announced at CES 2022 that they would go beyond working on PC chips and partner on a series of augmented reality (AR) initiatives. That includes developing custom chips for AR glasses.

Qualcomm detailed the partnership in a blog post (via Engadget), although it didn’t share much about the chips or the end products. All we got was a promise of “lightweight” and energy-efficient glasses.

Aside from developing chips, there was also a focus on software. The collaboration will use Microsoft’s ‘Mesh‘ virtual collaboration tool and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Spaces XR development platform. The companies didn’t specify which platforms they would support, but chances are the support will include Windows and likely Android.

The Microsoft-Qualcomm team-up shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The two companies have partnered on things like ARM chips for PCs (although rumour has it that deal may end soon) and Microsoft uses custom Qualcomm chips in its Surface Pro X devices. Plus, Microsoft already has its HoloLens AR tech, and it has wanted to make that more accessible for a while.

Couple that with the ongoing hype about the metaverse and the push to AR technology to fuel meetings, and it seems like the right time for Microsoft and Qualcomm to partner on AR tech.

You can check out more news from CES 2022 here.

Source: Qualcomm Via: Engadget

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Apple is now the most valuable company in the world

Barcelona, Spain – June 7, 2018: Logo of Apple Inc. on a Apple store. Apple is the multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California and sells consumer electronics products.

Apple started the year right with a stock market high on the first day of trading for 2022.

According to Reuters, the stock market value for Apple hit $3 trillion USD (roughly $3.8 trillion CAD), making it the first company to ever do so.

Shares hit a high of $182.88 USD (roughly $232 CAD). The $3 trillion milestone didn’t last long, as shares dropped to $182.01 (roughly $231 CAD) and the company closed the day with $2.99 trillion USD.

The article notes the company’s shares have risen 5,800 percent since Steve Jobs revealed the first iPhone in 2007. Investors are speculating Apple’s value will continue growing, as the company launches new products, and perhaps even enter new markets, such as automated vehicles.

Prior to reaching the new milestone, Apple was only one of two companies that had a value of $2 trillion USD. The other was Microsoft, which now has a value of $2.5 trillion.

Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Amazon, and Tesla are valued at more than $1 trillion USD.

Image source: ShutterStock

Source: Reuters

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Mobile Syrup

Kensington details new accessories designed for Surface, Apple devices at CES

Kensington, which makes a variety of tech accessories from laptop stands to docking stations, detailed several new products for Microsoft Surface, Apple devices and more at CES 2022.

For Surface, Kensington announced it collaborated with Microsoft on a series of ‘Designed for Surface‘ (DFS) products that “maximize the potential” of Surface devices. Kensington’s DFS products include a new ‘BlackBelt‘ rugged case for the Surface Pro 8 with military-grade drop protection, a Surface Laptop Riser compatible with the Laptop Go and Surface Book and several new docking stations. The BlackBelt case also comes in a variant with a built-in smart card reader.

Other DFS products include a new ‘MagPro Elite’ privacy screen for the Surface Pro 8 and a variety of Surface locks for securing devices.

On the Apple side, Kensington announced new versions of its StudioDock iPad docking station that support the iPad Pro (2021), iPad Air (2020) and other versions of Apple’s popular tablet. There’s also the new ‘StudioCaddy,’ a versatile docking solution that can hold and charge multiple Apple devices at the same time, including an iPhone, AirPods, iPad and MacBook (pictured up top). Finally, Kensington introduced versions of its MagPro Elite privacy screens that work with the new 2021 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

Rounding out the company’s CES 2022 announcements were a few new Thunderbolt 4 docking stations, the SD5700T and the SD5750T (DFS).

Those interested can check out all of Kensington’s products on the company’s website. The Designed for Surface items can be found here and Apple-specific products can be found here.

Images credit: Kensington

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft patent details three-screen Surface smartphone concept

Microsoft may still be struggling to get its dual-screen Surface Duo smartphone right, but the company’s new patent for a triple-screen phone suggests it could be looking forward to the inevitable Surface Trio (that name’s on the house, Microsoft).

Spotted by Patently Apple (via Gizmodo), the Microsoft patent shows a phone with three screens and two hinges. Gizmodo describes it as a trifold wallet or ‘triptych,’ but the patent concept is basically just a Surface Duo with an extra hinge and panel.

While the patent illustration looks quite sleek, given how thick current foldables are, there’s no way that a three-screen device like this wouldn’t be massive. It’d also likely be quite heavy with all that extra material. Microsoft has so far done an impressive job of making the individual panels of its Surface Duo devices thin, but when you fold the device (thus stacking the panels), it becomes much thicker. And of course, one of the two sets of hinges would need to be much larger to accommodate folding over an extra panel.

It’s also worth noting that Microsoft isn’t the only company considering a triple-screen device. LetsGoDigital reported on a Samsung patent filed in mid-June describing a similar device — you can check out a concept model in the video below. TCL has a trifold concept as well.

I’m looking forward to trying a wild three-screen concept like what Microsoft has patented, although I’m already confident I’ll hate it. Having tested both the Surface Duo and Duo 2, I found that I liked the idea of multi-screen phones, but not the execution. Plus, I had a hard enough time finding two apps I wanted to run side-by-side — how will I ever come up with three to run on a triple-screen device?

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Via: Patently Apple, Gizmodo

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Microsoft withdraws itself from attending CES 2022

CES 2022 is due to be held between January 5th through to January 8th and the show’s biggest partners continue to drop out. As COVID-19 Omicron variant numbers continue to rise, Microsoft is the latest to withdraw itself from having a presence on the show floor.

In a statement the company shared with The Verge, Microsoft will no longer be attending the upcoming event in person. “After reviewing the latest data on the rapidly evolving COVID environment, Microsoft has decided not to participate in-person at CES 2022,” a company spokesperson said.

Rather than have a presence on the CES 2022 show floor, Microsoft will be migrating its efforts to hosting itself digitally for the Microsoft Partner Innovation Experience and the Automotive Press Kit.

Microsoft is the latest exhibitor to drop out as the landscape of an in-person show continues to become worrisome. Large companies such as Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Meta have all withdrawn their presence. Each of them has taken notice of the rise in Omicron cases and decided against sending staff members to the show.

Other companies that have chosen to withdraw include Intel, Lenovo, Hisense,

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Earlier this week, CES organizers confirmed that the Las Vegas, Nevada show will indeed be held early on in the new year. In a statement posted on Twitter, the organizers stated that “focus remains on convening the tech industry and giving those who cannot attend in person the ability to experience the magic of CES digitally.”

CES 2022 will see many COVID-19 health measures in place. All attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination. Additionally, masks are to be worn while inside the event space. Rapid tests will also be provided to attendees.

Source: The Verge

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TikTok overtakes Google as most visited website of 2021

TikTok has become a titan within social and viral content in 2021. So much so that the ByteDance-owned platform has overtaken Google as the most visited website of 2021.

CloudFlare, a security company, released this year’s annual rankings. It was discovered that Google has finally been usurped as the number one most visited website by users around the world. Google now sits as number two, opening up the top spot for TikTok.

The top 10 most popular domains of 2021 are as followed:

  1. 1. TikTok.com
  2. 2. Google.com
  3. 3. Facebook.com
  4. 4. Microsoft.com
  5. 5. Apple.com
  6. 6. Amazon.com
  7. 7. Netflix.com
  8. 8. YouTube.com
  9. 9. Twitter.com
  10. 10. WhatsApp.com

In comparison, TikTok ranked number seven in 2020’s rankings. While still largely popular, TikTok sat behind websites such as Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, and Amazon in the seventh spot. However, over a mere 12 months, the popularity of TikTok escalated to the point where it was able to overtake each aforementioned website.

CloudFlare’s data does not specify if it includes traffic from Douyin, TikTok’s sister app, available in China. Additionally, the use of TikTok has been banned in India, which was once the app’s top global market.

According to the data, the first day TikTok held the number one spot was February 17th, 2021. It then fluctuated between March and May gaining that spot once more a few days during that period. However, come August 10th, 2021, TikTok managed to hold that spot for the majority of the year, including Thanksgiving in the US and Black Friday.

It’s an impressive feat by TikTok in 2021. Though, it is slightly scary considering how popular and accessible Google is as a website. Google is a ubiquitous website that for all intents and purposes is the internet to many. Though, I suppose that can not compete with TikTok’s apparent 1 billion monthly active users.

Source: Cloudflare

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Mobile Syrup

Former Microsoft CEO reportedly wanted Cortana to be named ‘Bingo’

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had wanted the company’s AI to be called “Bingo,” according to former Microsoft product manager Sandeep Paruchuri.

Speaking to WhatsApp’s Alice Newton Rex for Big Bets, Parachuri said Ballmer, who served as Microsoft CEO from 2000 to 2014, had intended for the AI to be called Bingo so it would be more in line with the branding for Microsoft’s “Bing” search engine.

“Ballmer had poor product taste,” Parachuri told Big Bets. However, Ballmer’s successor, Satya Nadella, ultimately agreed with Parachuri’s team that “Cortana” was a more appropriate name.

Of course, the AI would eventually be called “Cortana,” based on the eponymous blue AI from Microsoft’s iconic Halo video game franchise. Given that Halo is continuing to go strong 20 years after its debut, while Bing is not many people’s go-to search engine, the decision to name the AI after the former arguably seems to have panned out better.

Overall, Parachuri’s interview with Big Bets is quite an interesting read, going behind-the-scenes on the making of Microsoft’s AI. You can read it in full here.

Image credit: Xbox

Source: Big Bets