Technology

New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) Microsoft has made it official to launch next line-up of Surface laptops on October 12, that are likely to include a new 2-in-1 device called the Surface Pro 9 as well as Surface Laptop 5.

The "Microsoft Fall 2022 Event" plans to "talk about?devices", according to the company.

Microsoft hasn't organised any in-person Surface event since the pandemic and this time, it again looks like an online event.

The company is also organising its flaghsip Ignite event around the same dates.

According to reports, both the Surface laptops are likely to come with 12th Gen Intel CPUs, up to 1 TB storage and up to 16GB of RAM.

Microsoft is planning two new colour variants for Surface Pro 9 - Forest and Sapphire.

The Surface Pro 9 may cost 1,300 euros in the cheapest version (Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD) and Surface Laptop 5 with 13.5-inch display may cost at least 1,200 euros, while the larger 15-inch model may start from 1,500 euros, says German portal WinFuture.

The Surface Pro9 is set to be equipped with the latest Intel processors from the "Alder Lake" family.

"Specifically, our sources cite the Intel Core i5-1235U as the base model platform, while the Intel Core i7-1255U is used in the better equipped and more expensive versions of Microsoft's 2-in-1 tablet," the report claimed.

The top models of the Surface Pro 9 have the Intel Core i7-1255U, which offers an identical number of "P" and "E" cores.

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New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Microsoft is geared up to launch its next line-up of Surface laptops next month, including a new 2-in-1 device called the Surface Pro 9 as well as Surface Laptop 5.

Both the Surface laptops are likely to come with 12th Gen Intel CPUs, up to 1 TB storage and up to 16GB of RAM, reports German portal WinFuture.

"Microsoft is currently preparing the launch of the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5 , which are likely to be presented at a hardware event by the company around mid-October," the report mentioned.

Microsoft is planning two new colour variants for Surface Pro 9 - Forest and Sapphire.

The Surface Pro 9 may cost 1,300 euros in the cheapest version (Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD) and Surface Laptop5 with 13.5-inch display may cost at least 1,200 euros, while the larger 15-inch model may start from 1,500 euros.

The Surface Pro9 is set to be equipped with the latest Intel processors from the "Alder Lake" family.

"Specifically, our sources cite the Intel Core i5-1235U as the base model platform, while the Intel Core i7-1255U is used in the better equipped and more expensive versions of Microsoft's 2-in-1 tablet," the report claimed.

The top models of the Surface Pro 9 have the Intel Core i7-1255U, which offers an identical number of "P" and "E" cores.

Compared to the Core i7-1185G7 from the Surface Pro 8, up to 12 per cent more single-core performance should be possible according to benchmarks, said the report.

The Surface Laptop 5 will have the same CPU variants and offer a similar storage configuration. The Intel Core i5-1235U and the Intel Core i7-1255U from the "Alder Lake" series are expected in this device too.

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San Francisco, Sep 21 (IANS) Tech giant Microsoft has announced that it is now rolling out the latest version of Windows 11 -- Windows 11 2022 update -- in more than 190 countries.

The company said the new update will expand Amazon App Store Preview to international markets, built-in Game Pass for Windows 11, new accessibility features, advanced security updates, and much more.

"Our launch approach to Windows 11 leverages our well-established update systems and processes. The measured and phased rollout will offer the update via Windows Update when data shows that your device is ready, as our objective is to provide a quality update experience," John Cable, Vice President, Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery, said in a blogpost.

"We will initially ramp up the offering availability in the first weeks as we monitor quality signals. If we detect that your device may have an issue, such as an application incompatibility, we may put a safeguard hold in place and not offer the update until that issue is resolved," Cable added.

Eligible users can choose to install the new update by opening Windows Update settings and selecting Check for updates.

The company said it is announcing a new set of experiences including the Tabbed File explorer, considered a component of the 2022 Update for all editions, which will be ready this October.

Microsoft mentioned that it has planned a phased rollout timed with the October optional non-security preview release for these features and then they will be made broadly available in the November 2022 security update release.

It has also reduced the download size of feature updates by 450MB for many users.

"We have also reduced download and installation time of the monthly cumulative update, as well as reclaimed hundreds of megabytes of disk footprint to give back to the user. Learn more about these improvements," the company said.

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San Francisco, Sep 21 (IANS) Google has announced a new feature that will allow users to buy train tickets in Search in select countries, which will be available in more countries soon.

The users in Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan can now shop for train tickets directly on Google Search, for travel in and around select countries.

Google said it has embedded sustainability into its travel tools.

"For some trips, taking a train might be the more sustainable option, but finding the prices and schedules to get from A to B can take a few separate searches," said Richard Holden, VP of Travel Products at Google.

"Starting today, you can now shop for train tickets directly on Google Search, for travel in and around select countries - including Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan," he mentioned in a blog post late on Tuesday.

Just query something like "Berlin to Vienna trains" and you'll see a new module in the search results that lets you choose your departure date and compare the available options.

Once you select the train that works best, there's a direct link to complete your booking on the partner's website.

"This feature will expand to more locations as we work with other rail providers. We also plan to begin testing a similar feature for bus tickets in the near future to broaden your choices for intercity travel," said Holden.

Moreover, with new filters for both flights and hotels, it's easier to find more sustainable options on Google Search, he added.

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Montevideo, Sep 21 (IANS) Veteran striker Luis Suarez is in talks about a possible move to the U.S. Major League soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy, according to media reports in Uruguay.

The 35-year-old's contract with Montevideo outfit Nacional is due to expire in November, meaning he would be free to join the Californian side as a free agent the following month.

Media reports said the Galaxy viewed Suarez as an ideal replacement for Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, who is expected to leave the club in December, reports Xinhua.

Nacional president Jose Fuentes confirmed on Tuesday that the former Liverpool and Barcelona player would not extend his existing contract.

"When the (current) championship ends, Luis Suarez will leave Nacional. I am not going to generate false expectations," Fuentes told the Punto Penal television program.

Suarez has scored four goals and provided three assists in 10 matches since rejoining his original club as a free agent in July.

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Seoul, Sep 21 (IANS) South Korean tech giant Samsung is likely to use the Exynos chipset for its upcoming flagship Galaxy S23 series, which is expected to launch in 2023.

According to GizmoChina, Samsung is apparently having internal conflicts about whether to use the in-house Exynos chip or Qualcomm's next-gen SoC in the upcoming Galaxy flagships.

Tipster Ice Universe revealed via Weibo that Samsung's MX (Mobile eXperience) division is not very happy with the performance of the company's Exynos chipset in the Galaxy S22 smartphones and "hopes" the upcoming Galaxy S23 smartphones will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC.

However, Samsung's leadership wants to continue using the Exynos chipset in next year's flagships, the report said.

Several reports suggest Samsung's Exynos 2300 SoC, which is said to be on par with Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, could power the Galaxy S23 series.

A recent report revealed that the S23 lineup will feature no upgrades in terms of display size. However, they may offer better specs, like supporting a higher peak brightness level, lower power consumption, and more.

The S23 series is said to have three models -- Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. The high-end S23 Ultra could feature some serious upgrades.

As per a report, the device will feature a 200MP primary sensor on the back.

All the models in the series are expected to be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 SoC and Exynos chipset and will focus on battery efficiency.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Twitter has rolled out a feature to help blind and visually-impaired people read images embedded with the tweets via its new image description reminder.

The new image description reminder will encourage more people on Twitter to add helpful descriptions to the images they tweet, the company said in a statement.

Alternative text, or alt text, is a written description of what's in an image that can be picked up by screen reader software used by the visually impaired.

Whenever you add a photo to a Tweet, you have the option to describe it using alt text, also known as a digital image description.

"Our new image description reminder is a feature that prompts you to make a good habit of adding alt text to every image you upload and share on Twitter," said the company.

Once enabled, the feature sends you a prompt on web and mobile reminding you to add alt text whenever you're about to Tweet an image.

"We're rolling out our new image description reminder globally, and most people on Twitter have access to it already (those who don't will have it very soon)," Twitter announced.

The descriptions are useful not only to people using screen readers, but to those in low-bandwidth areas, those with web phones, and anyone who wants to learn more about an image.

"Image descriptions help describe the image to people who aren't able to view it, so it's important to keep the text focused: capture what's important, be succinct, and be objective," informed Twitter.

Photos with descriptions will appear with an ALT badge in the lower left corner, making it clear that additional descriptive text is available for the image.

Twitter recently added an ALT badge, a Closed Captions toggle button, and captions for audio conversations on Spaces and Voice Tweets.

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San Francisco, Sep 20 (IANS) After several iPhone 14 Pro users complained that it is producing blurry and shaking footage, tech giant Apple has confirmed that a fix is set to arrive next week for this issue.

The tech giant is aware of a bug that is causing the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max cameras to shake and vibrate, according to an Apple spokesperson that spoke to MacRumors.

Recently, several users discovered that the camera module was shaking when in use in apps, including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

The issue was causing video recorded using the camera within the apps to be unpublishable, due to the constant erratic movement.

Posts on social media, including Reddit claim there to be a lot of jitters, believed to be a shaking of the optical image stabilisation (OIS) system.

In the case of the iPhone 14 Pro, the 48MP Main camera has Apple's second-generation Sensor-Shift OIS, which physically moves the sensor, while the other uses an older and more conventional OIS system.

Some users claimed that they could see and hear the shaking and mechanical movement when they used the third-party app's camera features.

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Ramallah, Sep 20 (IANS) Some 150 Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem have closed down to protest against attempts of the Israeli government to censor textbooks and impose the Israeli curriculum.

About 100,000 students on mOnday refrained from going to their schools in compliance with the strike, a warning step after the Israeli government began taking punitive measures against schools to force them to "drop the Palestinian narrative from the curricula they teach and to include the Israeli narrative only", official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Ziad al-Shamali, head of the Union of Parents in East Jerusalem, said that if Israel's efforts succeed, it "will have control over the education of 90 percent of our students in Jerusalem", reports Xinhua news agency citing WAFA

Some 115,000 students from kindergarten to grade 12 attend more than 280 Palestinian schools in Jerusalem, according to al-Shamali.

On Sunday night, videos went viral on social media platforms, in which residents of East Jerusalem hung up posters reading "general strike, yes to the Palestinian curriculum, no to the distorted curriculum".

In late July, Israel revoked the permanent licenses of six Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem, citing that their textbooks contain content deemed as "incitement" against Israel and its military.

For decades, disputes over the textbooks used by Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem have existed between the two sides.

The Palestinians slam Israel for interfering in their choice of textbooks and hindering them from receiving financial assistance for education from international organisations and Western countries.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, both claimed by the Palestinians, in the 1967 Middle East war, and has controlled them ever since.

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San Francisco, Sep 20 (IANS) Google-owned streaming platform YouTube is rolling out a new video page that tweaks several elements and, most notably, unifies the design across Android, iOS, and the web.

According to 9To5Google, the highlight of this redesign is the use of pill-shaped buttons for key elements. For example, instead of being two distinct buttons, thumbs up/down and the like count are housed in one container.

Share, Create (Shorts), Download, and other things users frequently interact with get the same treatment, the report said.

Meanwhile, that carousel (on mobile) is now underneath channel details, with that information coming after the video title, view count, publish date, and hashtags.

This new design might also coincide with "Ambient Mode" that allows the bottom of a video to bleed into the description section and system status bar for a more immersive experience.

However, this can be optionally enabled/disabled from the overflow menu.

Another key change with this revamps places the top comment in a more prominent container that stands out on the screen. This technique might ultimately prove successful in getting people to engage more.

Things are slightly different on the desktop, with the video description getting the visual call out, something that Creators should benefit from, as per the report.

This revamp has been slowly appearing for more users in recent weeks but is not yet widely rolled out.

--IANS
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