Category: Technology

If you want a new Surface Pro with 5G, you’ll have to order it through Microsoft’s commercial store for business customers. Today, the company announced that 5G versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Pro (Copilot+) for Business will be available on September 26. Last month, Microsoft also kicked off pre-orders for the Wi-Fi Surface Pro and Surface Laptop for Business, which will both start shipping on September 10th. And before you ask, yes these are pretty much the same devices Microsoft launched for consumers in June. The difference now is that IT workers will be able to buy them in bulk via the company’s enterprise resellers.

Still, the 5G news could be compelling for anyone who wants instant internet access while travelling around the US. And, at the very least, both the 5G-equipped Surface Pros for Business will be far more capable than the ill-fated Surface Pro 9. That machine was powered by a slow Qualcomm chip and also didn’t have the advantage of Microsoft’s recent Windows on Arm upgrades, which includes a faster emulator for older apps. It’s just a shame that, once again, Microsoft is stuck with an older Intel chip — the Surface Pro 10 for Business still runs the first Core Ultra chips, not the newly-announced Core Ultra 200V.

In other Surface news, Microsoft is also launching a new full-sized Surface Keyboard with a Copilot key on October 11. Surely this will make some corporate drone happy.

The Copilot+ Surface Pro for Business system will cost $1,400 with a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus, 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, while the Surface Pro 10 for Business will run you $1,800 with a Core Ultra 135 and the same specs. It’s a good thing those machines have 5G, because you won’t be storing much video on those paltry SSDs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-brings-5g-to-its-latest-surface-pros-for-business-110033856.html?src=rss 

One of the most common criticisms against Snapchat is that it’s not very intuitive and is quite hard navigate as a new user. Personally, I never quite got the hang of it and find TikTok much, much easier to use. Apparently, Snap is aware of the issue, because it’s currently testing a “simplified version of Snapchat.” Snap CEO Evan Spiegel has revealed the existence of an experimental Snapchat app in a lengthy blog post discussing the company’s highs and lows over the past 13 years, as well as its most recent earnings and future plans. 

The simplified app “aims to improve accessibility and usability,” he wrote, adding that it’s been positively received in early tests. In addition, the app could lead to better app performance and faster load times overall. Even so, Spiegel said that the company “will be thoughtful and deliberate about making a change of this magnitude” despite the app’s reception. That most likely means that Snap is still testing the app more thoroughly and that we won’t be seeing it anytime soon. 

In addition to revealing the existence of a simpler Snapchat, Spiegel has also revealed that the company is testing new advertisement formats. One of those formats called Sponsored Snaps will show up as new Snaps in your chat inbox, alongside your friends’ messages. The good news is that you won’t get a notification for those Snap ads, and opening the messages is optional. As The Verge notes, though, the ads could sit above your actual friends’ messages if you never open them. 

The company most likely cooked up the new and potentially more intrusive ad placement as a response to its lagging share performance in the ad market. Spiegel said that the company has managed to reverse two years of declining year-over-year revenue growth, but its advertising business is growing slower than its competitors’. He also said that expanding the company’s digital advertising business is key to its long-term revenue potential and that Snap’s investors are getting concerned that it’s not growing faster. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/snap-is-testing-a-less-confusing-version-of-its-app-113007479.html?src=rss 

One of the great universal annoyances of life is that TV explosions and soundtracks are always mega-loud, while dialogue is quieter than a church mouse. This is especially true of modern action movies and TV shows that seem to have been mixed primarily to make our walls shake while remaining mostly indiscernible.

So we dive into the settings. We adjust soundbar placement. We turn on the subtitles. We do it all. Some of this helps, but never enough. DTS is trying to solve this problem once and for all with some well-placed AI. The company just announced its DTS Clear Dialogue feature, which is an “AI-powered solution designed to enhance the clarity of spoken dialogue on TVs.”

DTS says the AI algorithm identifies and boosts dialogue in audio streams, thus eliminating the aforementioned problems. The system also allows for personalized audio settings, as one person’s “perfect” is another’s “please make it stop.”

This is an on-device toolset, meaning it’ll eventually get adopted by TV manufacturers. DTS hasn’t announced any partnerships yet, but the company’s tech is usually adopted by all of the bigwigs, like Sony, Hisense, Philips, LG and Vizio, among others. We’ll be on the lookout for the first televisions that incorporate this feature. For now, the company’s demoing the service at the IFA tech conference in Berlin.

DTS has partnerships in place with content providers, bringing theater-grade audio to home releases. It’s recently teamed up with Disney to enhance the sound of MCU movies and to provide an IMAX-like experience. Boy, could those MCU flicks use a bit of that AI-enhanced dialogue magic the company’s promising.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/dts-built-an-ai-powered-system-to-make-dialog-sound-clearer-080032541.html?src=rss 

DraftKings and White Hat Gaming must pay the state of Connecticut a total of $22,500 in fines after its online slot machine failed to issue players a win for a whole week. NBC News reported that the state’s Department of Consumer Protection uncovered the non-paying slot machine and issued the fines.

The sports betting and gambling website received a $19,000 fine and White Hat Gaming received a $3,500 fine. The website promised its players that its Deal or No Deal Banker’s Bonanza online slot machine would pay out 95 cents for every dollar it took from players. However, a Department of Consumer Protections report found that the slot machine didn’t pay out one red cent from August 15-21 last year. A total of 522 players put almost $24,000 into the machine for more than 20,569 spins during the period the machine refused to pay out any winnings.

An improperly loaded file caused the machine to glitch and refuse to let players win the advertised amount. Once the faulty file was located and identified as the cause of the glitch, DraftKings and White Hat Gaming relaunched the game on August 22, 2023.

The report also found that DraftKings and White Hat Gaming did not disclose the faulty machine to state officials until the Consumer Protections department requested the information last year. One player told the gaming website that they played “a couple hundred spins” at 20 cents per spin and the machine never paid out a “single winning spin or partial win,” according to the report. DraftKings officials responded to several complaints with messages like “I understand it can be frustrating to have a bit of a cold streak, but I can assure you there is nothing wrong with the game itself.”

The slot machine continued to withhold its winnings for another week until White Hat Gaming identified the glitch and repaired the software a second time. White Hat also says in the state’s report that all customers received refunds “without any notification from DraftKings,” according to the report.

A spokesperson for the Department of Consumer Protection also told NBC News that White Hat Gaming “responded swiftly” to investigators’ inquiries. However, DraftKings’ response “was not satisfactory” hence the higher fine.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/draftkings-gets-slapped-with-fine-for-online-slots-that-paid-zilch-222651632.html?src=rss 

Google is expanding Android Earthquake Alerts to the entire US and six territories. The feature first launched in 2020, using the United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert system to send warnings in California, Washington, and Oregon. The expansion will use built-in accelerometers — a tool that senses vibrations — in Android phones to issue early alerts.

The Android Earthquake Alerts System will then look at crowdsourced data to determine if it’s an earthquake. If the earthquake registers at a magnitude of 4.5 or higher, you will get either a “Be Aware” or “Take Action” alert. The first warns you that there’s light shaking but that stronger shaking could come. Take Action is a call to immediately find protection, as moderate or extreme shaking is expected. The system will also provide information on how to proceed once the earthquake ends.

Google teamed up with leading experts in the earthquake field to improve its Android Earthquake Alerts System. “Earthquake alerts on your device reduce milling and the verification pause that often occurs during crises, when people lose valuable time seeking confirmation from unreliable sources,” said Dr. Jeannette Sutton, a professor at the University at Albany specializing in disasters, risk and public alerts. “Expanding this system enhances public safety during earthquakes by providing crucial information to even more users.”

Google is releasing a series of new features alongside the Earthquake Alerts, including offline Maps on your Wear OS smartwatch. The update allows you to access maps you’ve downloaded on your phone right on your watch. You can also use Circle to Search to identify music playing on social media or speakers near you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/androids-earthquake-alert-system-expands-to-the-entire-us-180030553.html?src=rss 

We’re used to hearing about new Android versions during Google Pixel smartphone launch events, but Android 15’s source code is finally out at the Android Open Source Project. It was strangely missing from the Google Pixel launch event last month, but it’s better late than never. Check out the go-live link from the developers here.

Android 15 will be available on select Pixel models soon. Some devices from Samsung, Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, vivo and Xiaomi will receive support in the coming months. Some of the more interesting features are smart volume adjustment and dynamic range compression for apps with AAC audio content containing loudness metadata. Besides improved split-screen app access, there’s also edge-to-edge app display if the app targets SDK 35.

The developers are also starting a series called Spotlight Weeks to explore Android-related technical topics. They’ll start by covering what’s new on Android 15.

Ever since Android 10, Google has stopped naming its latest releases after desserts. Ending the tradition with Android 9 Pie, Google is now focusing on more conventional branding and regular feature releases. While these may be a sign of a mature OS, some of us miss the wilder days filled with anticipation. Take us back, maybe?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/android-15-is-now-here-a-month-later-than-expected-180045026.html?src=rss