Category: Technology

ASUS isn’t sitting out the rush of AI-enhanced Copilot+ PCs, which also includes new models from Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and, of course, Microsoft. The “ultra-thin” ASUS Vivobook S 15 has Windows AI features like memory assistant Recall, the image generator Cocreator, and several ASUS-exclusive AI apps.

One of the more intriguing AI-powered features of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is its use of the AiSense IR camera. ASUS says it can detect your presence and adjust the display accordingly. If you look away, the display will dim, and it will brighten up again when you look back. And if you step away from the computer, it will lock — and unlock when you return. While we can’t vouch for its effectiveness before trying it, the feature sounds super handy for security and privacy if it delivers consistently.

Another baked-in AI feature is StoryCube, an app that ASUS says can automatically organize RAW photos and videos. In addition to the standard Copilot+ features announced on Monday, the laptop also includes Windows Studio Effects, which can automate lighting adjustments and noise removal in video calls. It also supports Microsoft’s Live Captions (real-time, AI-powered subtitles).

On the hardware side, the Vivobook S 15 runs on the Snapdragon X Elite chip with a built-in Qualcomm Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU), which ASUS claims can process 45 TOPS (that’s 45 trillion operations per second). The PC ships with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD and up to 32GB of 8448 MHz LPDDR5X RAM.

The laptop has a 15.6-inch OLED screen with a 2,880 x 1,620 resolution and an 89 percent screen-to-body ratio. It also includes a Harmon Kardon-certified audio system with Dolby Atmos sound. ASUS claims its 70 Wh battery can last up to 18 hours.

One of the Vivobook S 15’s selling points is its thin aluminum body: Its tapered design has a thickness ranging from only 0.58 to 0.63 inches (14.7 mm to 16 mm). The PC weighs a mere 3.13 lbs (1.4 kg), slightly lighter than Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air.

The laptop has a healthy port selection, including two USB4, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, HDMI, an audio combo jack and a microSD slot. Its keyboard has customizable single-zone RGB lighting and a Copilot key for quick access to the ChatGPT-powered assistant.

The ASUS Vivobook S 15 is available for pre-order now through the company’s retail partners, starting at $1,300. The company says additional configurations will launch later this year.

Catch up on all the news from Microsoft’s Copilot AI and Surface event today!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-first-copilot-pc-locks-when-you-walk-away-and-unlocks-when-you-return-195952186.html?src=rss 

We knew more computers were coming that would feature a native version of Microsoft’s AI Copilot toolset, but we didn’t quite know how many were set to be announced. It’s practically an AI avalanche. Companies like Dell, Acer and HP have all just announced computers that have adopted Microsoft’s AI software and NVIDIA’s AI hardware. The age of the AI PC is upon us.

These Copilot+ PCs could really change how we interact with computers, bringing natural language nuance to a bevy of everyday tasks. The PCs all feature a dedicated key to bring up Copilot and are stuffed with Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs, which include powerful onboard neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks. While similar in some ways, each of the following computers bring their own ideas to the AI table. Let’s get to it.

Surface Laptop

The new Surface Laptop was the first Copilot+ PC detailed at Microsoft’s event. The updated PC has all of the AI bells and whistles you would expect, as it’s a first-party device. It’s also got serious specs. The Surface Laptop’s touch display can hit 600 nits of brightness, with availability in 13- and 15-inch options, and there’s a studio camera integrated into the bezel. Microsoft says the laptop is 80 percent faster than the previous generation, with a battery that can get over 22 hours per charge. There’s the Copilot key, of course, but also a haptic touchpad. The Surface Laptop starts at just $1,000, with shipments going out on June 18.

Surface Pro

It looks like Microsoft has dropped the numerical naming convention with Surface hybrid devices. This updated version should be called the Surface Pro 10, but it’s called just the Surface Pro. Microsoft says the latest Surface Pro is a whopping 90 percent faster than the Surface 9, which was already fairly quick. There’s also an OLED version that boasts a “near-infinite” contrast ratio between deep blacks and brighter colors.

The company also brags that the front-facing camera is the best it has ever created, with fantastic low-light performance. The rear-facing camera can capture 4K video. The new Flex keyboard design can operate both attached and detached, so you can position things however you want. Other features include a customizable haptic touchpad, Wi-Fi 7 and increased multi-monitor support. The new Surface Pro starts at $1,000, with shipments starting on June 18.

Acer Swift 14 AI

This is Acer’s spin on the company’s line of Swift-branded laptops. The Snapdragon X CPU allows for all manner of AI tomfoolery, with access to both the Recall and Cocreator tools. The AI is also used for game optimization and for improving live video in real time. The tools also allow for real-time translations and speech captions of any live or pre-recorded video, though this is true of many of these Copilot+ PCs.

On the specs side of things, the laptop includes a 14.5-inch touch display, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of solid-state storage. All of this is stuffed into a quite-fetching metal chassis. The Acer Swift 14 AI will be available in July, with a starting price of $1,100.

HP Omnibook X

HP has revived its once-iconic Omnibook line of laptops and updated it for the age of AI. The Omnibook X ships with the uber-powerful Snapdragon X Elite CPU, with up to 12 cores and a top speed of 3.4 GHz. The Qualcomm Hexagon NPU powers all of those AI bells and whistles and the Adreno GPU should be able to handle even the most graphically-demanding games. You can spec out this laptop with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of solid-stage storage. 

The Omnibook X boasts the same Copilot key as the rest of these computers, allowing instantaneous access to Microsoft’s digital assistant. There’s also a multitouch-enabled 14-inch display, complete with Corning Gorilla Glass, dual speakers with HP audio boost technology and integration with Wi-Fi 7. The computer hits store shelves on June 18 with a starting price of $1,200. You can easily tell new HP AI PCs by the addition of a helix-shaped logo.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1q

The Omnibook X wasn’t the only AI PC that HP announced today. The company also unveiled the business-focused EliteBook Ultra G1q. This laptop also uses the Snapdragon X Elite CPU, along with an NPU capable of more than 40 trillion operations per second. That means it should whiz through AI tasks at a rapid clip. The new EliteBook Ultra can do all of the typical chatbot/digital assistant stuff, but the Poly Camera Pro software now runs on the NPU, so you won’t draw power from the CPU when using tools like background blur and virtual backgrounds during video calls.

This PC also includes premium endpoint security to defend against phishing sites and malware attacks at the firmware level. There’s a 14-inch touch display and a battery that charges to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. You’ll be stuck with 16GB of soldered-on RAM, however, and the storage space maxes out at 1TB. The EliteBook Ultra G1q releases on June 18 with a starting price of $1,700.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x features the Snapdragon X Elite chip and some impressive specs. The screen boasts a color gamut that covers 100 percent of DCI-P3 with up to 500 nits of brightness. The bezels are thin, there’s a quad-mic setup and it’s actually lighter than the comparably-sized MacBook Air. Unlike the MBA, however, the Yoga Slim 7x features dedicated fans for cooling. Finally, there’s a robust 70Wh battery that should easily last a full workday and beyond. The Yoga Slim 7x is due out later this year starting at $1,300, with exclusive availability at Best Buy.

The company has another AI PC coming, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. This also features a beefy NPU processor for AI tasks.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge Series

The Galaxy Book series is getting an AI-centric refresh. The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge series comes in a few varieties, with screen sizes ranging from 14-inches to 16-inches. They all feature AMOLED display panels with 3K resolution and Snapdragon X Elite processors. Each version also includes a full-size HDMI output, two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, the 16-inch model boasts a full-size USB-A port, a microSD card reader and a number pad.

There’s a pro version available with the most powerful Snapdragon X Elite variant and more RAM, though only in the 16-inch design. These laptops start at $1,350 and will hit stores on June 18. 

ASUS Vivobook S 15

This ultrathin 15.6-inch laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor and includes a collection of AI-centric apps developed by ASUS. The camera features something called AiSense that detects when someone is in front of the display and dims the screen when they look away to preserve juice. This system is used to automatically lock and unlock the computer. It’s also the first ASUS laptop to feature StoryCube, which is a proprietary AI assistant that helps to “manage all digital assets.”

As for standard specs, it has a 15.6-inch OLED display, a Harman Kardon-certified audio system with multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos sound and a 70Wh battery that gets 18 hours of use per charge. Preorders are available now and you can outfit these laptops with up to 1TB of internal storage and up to 32GB of RAM. It’s surprising the company didn’t have a Zenbook ready to go here, given last year’s model went pretty hard for AI.

A Whole Bunch of Dell PCs

Dell is diving in head-first here, announcing five laptops with built-in AI, all powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X line. There’s an AI-centric refresh of the iconic XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite chip. This laptop includes a sleek, minimalist design with a machined aluminum exterior and plenty of ultra-durable Gorilla Glass. There’s a touch function row and an option for a 3K touch display. The updated XPS 13 starts at $1,300 and preorders are open now, though shipments don’t begin until later in the year.

The company has also refreshed its Inspiron line of laptops. The Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 14 Plus both feature Snapdragon X Plus processors and instant access to Microsoft Copilot. The Inspiron Plus looks to be a bit more powerful on the CPU side of things, with 10 cores and speeds up to 3.4GHz. The Plus starts at $1,100, with models shipping out later this year. Dell will release pricing and availability information regarding the standard Inspiron 14 in the coming months.

For enterprise customers, Dell will have the Latitude 5455 and the Latitude 7455, which are offshoots of the current Latitude 5450 and 7450 notebooks. The big change here is that both new models will be powered by Snapdragon X Plus chips, with the 7455 offering an option for the flagship Snapdragon X Elite. The 7450 features a 360-degree 2-in-1 design and is being advertised as the “thinnest Latitude laptop ever.” We’ll get pricing and availability informaton on these later this year.

What about other PC companies?

These are all of the big announcements from the Microsoft Surface event, but that doesn’t mean they will be the only available laptops with Snapdragon X processors and Copilot integration. Rumors swirl that many other manufacturers are prepping their own computers for release in the near future. This is, after all, the decade of AI… so they say. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/here-are-all-of-the-just-announced-copilot-pcs-with-snapdragon-x-chips-184825090.html?src=rss 

At its event today, Microsoft gave the redesigned Surface Pro‘s keyboard a makeover, adding improved stability, better haptics and even a bold font option for added readability. However, starting at $350, it won’t come cheap. 

Available for pre-order today alongside Microsoft’s revamped convertible tablet, the Surface Pro Flex keyboard features a familiar design but with a number of tweaks to make it more adaptable and accessible than before. Inside, carbon fiber supports deliver increased stability, which is an important change as the Flex can now be used when it’s completely detached from a Surface. This means you can position it in all sorts of ways such as typing on your lap while the tablet sits on a nearby desk or table. There’s also a new retractable riser on the bottom, so you can adjust the keyboard’s angle when using it by itself. 

The Flex’s touchpad is also 14 percent larger than before and features Microsoft’s Precision Haptics to provide more detailed feedback and assist people with limited hand movement. Meanwhile, to support people with low vision, the keyboard will also be available with an optional bold key font. Finally, as we’ve seen on Microsoft’s previous convertible keyboards, the Flex has a built-in magnetic charging slot for the Surface Slim Pen.

That said, it’s important to point out that the Surface Pro Flex keyboard’s $350 base price doesn’t include the pen, so if you want one, that’ll bring your total up to $450. Thankfully, the Flex is backward compatible with the Surface Pro 8 and Pro 9, so you don’t necessarily need to buy a whole new tablet if all you want is a fancy new keyboard.

The Surface Pro Flex keyboard is available for pre-order today in two colors (black and bright sapphire), with official sales starting on June 18. 

Catch up on all the news from Microsoft’s Copilot AI and Surface event today!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-surface-pro-flex-is-microsofts-revamped-keyboard-for-2-in-1s-185156350.html?src=rss 

Today, Microsoft is making a major push into AI with the launch of its Copilot+ PC classification. So to get in on the action, Dell is releasing one of the biggest portfolios of compatible laptops with a total of five devices. However, unlike other notebook manufacturers, all of Dell’s new Copilot+ PCs are revamps of existing models instead of all-new systems, so here’s a rundown of what the company has to offer.

For enterprise customers, Dell will have the Latitude 5455 and the Latitude 7455, which are offshoots of the current Latitude 5450 and 7450 notebooks. Just like their x86-based siblings, the 5455 is a 14-inch clamshell while the 7455 features a 360-degree 2-in-1 design. The big change is that both new models will be powered by Snapdragon X Plus chips, with only the 7455 capable of moving up to Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon X Elite processor.

The Latitude 7455 will be one of Dell’s first enterprise-focused Copilot+ PCs.

As for consumer devices, Dell will have new versions of both the Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 14 Plus featuring Qualcomm’s new Arm-based silicon. Similar to the company’s business models, the Inspiron 14 will only be available with a Snapdragon X Plus while Inspiron 14 Plus buyers will have the option of upgrading to an X Elite. However, the real jewel of Dell’s Copilot+ offerings is the XPS 13 9345, which features the same super sleek design as its Intel counterpart but with a Snapdragon X Elite chip instead.

It’s important to note that both the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite chips feature NPUs that deliver up to 45 TOPS of performance, so regardless of which one you choose, there shouldn’t be a major difference in AI performance, which includes Microsoft’s new Copilot+ features. The differences between the two chips are more in terms of general computing power. The X Elite’s CPU has 12 cores instead of 10 with clock speeds of up to 3.8GHz (instead of 3.4GHz for X Plus) and a slightly higher-specced Adreno GPU with up to 4.6 TFLOPs of performance (versus 3.8 TFLOPs for the X Plus).

The Inspiron 14 Plus, Inspiron 14 and XPS 13 9345 (pictured up top) will be Dell’s first three consumer Copilot+ PCs. 

Unfortunately, Dell has yet to share full info regarding each model’s exact specs and configurations. But we should learn more later this month on May 20 when the XPS 13 9345 and Inpsiron 14 Plus become available for pre-order starting at $1,299 and $1,099, respectively. Meanwhile, all we know about availability for the Inspiron 14, Latitude 5455 and Latitude 7455 is that they will go on sale sometime later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/here-are-dells-five-new-copilot-pcs-180016375.html?src=rss 

Acer just announced a new laptop that takes full advantage of Microsoft’s Copilot AI technology, the Swift 14 AI. This is one of the first PCs with Copilot built directly into the system, so you can expect some serious AI bells and whistles.

To that end, there are plenty of new system-wide tools that could radically change how we interact with personal computers. The Recall tool is an amplified search function that lets users find missing files via natural conversation. It’s sort of like an AI Sherlock Holmes, only for misplaced Word documents and the like. You describe any clues you remember about the file and Recall starts sleuthing. That certainly beats typing in the first letter and hoping autocorrect does the rest.

That isn’t the only new way to find stuff. The Swift 14 AI features an explorable timeline, allowing users to scroll through time to get back to apps, documents and messages they previously used. The computer’s built-in AI also allows for real-time translations and speech captions of any live or pre-recorded video. As for the translations, it can turn 44 languages into English.

Being an AI computer, the Acer Swift 14 AI features a built-in way to generate images and text via written prompt. This Cocreator service should be much faster than current methods, as the query won’t have to go to the cloud and back.

All of that stuff is well and good, but built-in AI really shines when it comes to optimization. This computer includes a feature called Auto Super Resolution that automatically upscales graphics resolution and frame refresh rates of games all “without taking a hit on performance.” The Windows Studio Effects toolset uses AI to improve lighting conditions and cancel out unwanted noise during video calls. Finally, there’s a dedicated Copilot key for accessing a myriad of other AI-adjacent features.

Of course, this isn’t just a larger version of Humane’s beleaguered AI pin. It’s an actual laptop with the specs to prove it. The Acer Swift 14 AI ships in a light metal chassis and boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, an integrated NPU that promises up to 45 trillion operations per second and a 14.5-inch WQXGA touch display. Acer also promises all-day battery life, despite the added power. 

The laptop will be available in July, with a starting price of $1,100. You can spec it out with up to 32GB of RAM and and up to 1TB of solid-state storage. It joins a bevy of other Acer laptop models announced or released this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acer-joins-microsoft-dell-and-others-in-announcing-a-copilot-pc-180031939.html?src=rss