Logitech Craft keyboard borrows heavily from Microsoft's Surface Dial
The latest device to be announced by Logitech is the Logitech Craft keyboard -- a wireless keyboard with a dial that's remarkably similar to the Surface Dial. It's so similar, in fact, that it's hard to imagine that Microsoft's lawyers aren't stroking their chins and wondering what to do.
Logitech refers to the new hardware as an "advanced keyboard with creative input dial," and the main target audience is people working with Photoshop or other design ventures. Of course, the company wants to appeal to as many people as possible, and points out that the dial -- known as the Crown -- is also useful in the likes of Word and Excel.
Microsoft and Panos Panay 'stand behind Surface'
Earlier today, Consumer Reports caused a huge controversy by pulling its "recommended" status from all Microsoft Surface laptops and tablets. While I personally swear by the consumer-focused organization for its coverage of vehicles and appliances, I take its computer coverage with a grain of salt. After all, it infamously panned the 2016 MacBook Pro for poor battery life, even going so far as to say Chrome provided longer usage than Safari -- totally wrong, by the way. It turns out Consumer Reports's testing of the MacBook Pro was flawed and it later reversed course, recommending the Apple laptop after all.
With all of that said, I was obviously a bit dubious of its criticism of some Surface machines. In my experience, the Surface hardware is extremely well made and owners are generally satisfied with the computers. That's not to say they are perfect -- quite the contrary. Actually, they have been prone to bugs that were later fixed (mostly) with firmware and driver updates. Despite those issues, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any Surface product. Obviously Microsoft and Panos Panay -- father of Surface -- would share my disagreement with Consumer Reports. To solidify that, Panay has now penned a response titled "We stand behind Surface."
Poor reliability means Consumer Reports no longer recommends Microsoft Surface -- or any other Microsoft laptop or tablet
Influential reviewer Consumer Reports says that it no longer recommends Microsoft Surface tablets and laptops. The consumer group says that poor predicted reliability for the Surface range means that it is pulling its "recommended" tag.
More than this, Consumer Reports goes on to say that it "cannot recommend any other Microsoft laptops or tablets." Recent studies suggest that a quarter of laptops and tablets from Microsoft will present problems for users within two years of ownership.
Google Play now promotes apps that crash less and offer better battery life
There are many metrics by which to measure how good an app is, and Google is starting to use a few more when it ranks Android apps and games in the Play Store. The latest app-ranking algorithm now takes into account app stability, performance and battery usage.
As well as improving the relevance of listings for people downloading apps, Google is also using this change to push developers to improve their apps.
LibreOffice 5.4 adds more new features, improves Office file format compatibility
The Document Foundation has unveiled LibreOffice 5.4 64-bit and LibreOffice 5.4 32-bit. Again, it’s on time, arriving six months after the release of LibreOffice 5.3.
LibreOffice 5.4 is "the last major release of the LibreOffice 5.x family", and like other point releases is a major one, adding features across all components and incrementally improving compatibility with Microsoft Office document formats.
AI-based platform improves security teams' response
With risks showing no signs of declining, and security skills in short supply, companies are increasingly looking at machine-driven solutions to protect their networks.
AI security company JASK is launching a new platform called JASK Trident which uses AI to facilitate machine driven alert triage, malicious behavior detection, and investigations into those behaviors.
Satechi unveils R1 Aluminum Foldable Stand for Switch, Surface, iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and more
In 2017, it is not uncommon for people to own many mobile devices. Using myself as an example, I regularly use an iPhone, iPad, and Nintendo Switch. Let's not forget my portable MacBook Pro too.
If you own a bunch of mobile devices like me, such as a smartphone, tablet, and slim laptop, Satechi has a really cool new product for you. Called "R1 Aluminum Foldable Stand," it aims to provide an optimal viewing experience for all of your devices -- including Nintendo's popular Switch gaming console. When you aren't using it, it can fold up to go into a drawer, laptop bag, or luggage.
Most Windows 10 users still haven't been offered the Creators Update -- even owners of Surface devices
Microsoft says that in order for Windows 10 users to remain secure, "your device should be updated to the latest feature update."
The problem with this is that not everyone has been offered the latest feature update. Two months after it launched, the Creators Update continues to roll out at a glacial pace, meaning the majority of people running Windows 10 are still on the Anniversary Update, and that includes users of Microsoft’s own Surface range of devices.
This is Microsoft's cancelled Surface Mini
Microsoft came very close to launching a smaller version of its Surface slate three years ago. The Surface Mini, as it was rumored to be called, was expected to see the light of day alongside the Surface Pro 3, but mysteriously there was no sign of it at the software giant’s launch event in New York.
During the company's earnings report a few months after the launch event, Microsoft admitted it had been working on the diminutive device, but had decided "to not ship a new form factor" after all, although it didn’t give a reason. Due to the late cancellation, we never got to see what a Surface Mini would have looked like, but today details and images of it have finally surfaced (pun intended).
RÖK protects your Apple, Samsung, or Google phone with a case made from real stone [Review]
Although I love the look of my Jet Black iPhone 7, I can be a bit clumsy at times, so I’ll always protect it with a case. There are plenty of phone case choices out there, but my new favorites -- by some margin -- are those from the RÖK collection.
The latest cases from WÜD are made with real stone harvested from a slate quarry. The pieces are sliced thinly, so they don’t add a lot of weight to your device (around 1.2oz/34 grams), and each one is handcrafted and unique. The cases aren’t exclusive to the iPhone either -- you can buy them for numerous Samsung models, Google Pixel phones, and the LG V20.
Cloud developer platform launches free firewall protection
DigitalOcean, the cloud platform for software developers is launching a free Cloud Firewalls service to reduce the potential attack surface.
Developers can deploy the service quickly without installing or configuring any software, and are able to define what ports are visible on their cloud servers -- known as Droplets -- to minimize risk.
Microsoft Surface devices are immune to Intel AMT security vulnerability
Intel revealed in early-May that there is a critical security vulnerability in its Active Management Technology, which can be exploited to gain remote access to PCs. The feature is designed to help system administrators manage devices, so, due to its nature, it is more likely to affect enterprise users than consumers.
However, since the Surface line is popular with businesses, Microsoft wants to let its enterprise users know that no Surface devices are affected by the AMT vulnerability, despite it being offered in some of the processors available with its tablets and laptops.
Microsoft Surface Hub is a huge success, finally gets Windows 10 Creators Update
Whether or not the Surface Hub is a success has been a big question mark. After all, Microsoft hasn't shared exact sales figures. Obviously, the company doesn't have to sell a ton of them to be considered successful, since it has a narrow focus and large price tag. While we still do not have exact sales figures, today we can confidently call the product a success. Why? Well, Microsoft announces something very impressive -- 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies have purchased at least one of them. Keep in mind, this is in addition to companies outside of that group.
True, that could be a total of only 50 Surface Hubs, but the number isn't so important. The truly impressive aspect is that these are high-quality companies that are often seen as trendsetters. In other words, this is exactly what Microsoft should want to be seeing from a fairly niche product. Today, the product gets even more attractive for two reasons. For one, the Windows 10 Creators Update is now available for it. Secondly, Microsoft introduces a new 5-year extended hardware service plan.
Microsoft to make big Surface announcement in Shanghai on May 23
Earlier this week, Microsoft made huge news by announcing both a new operating system (Windows 10 S) and computer (Surface Laptop) for education. Next week, the company will hold its annual Build 2017 developer conference. Surely the company will relax a bit for the rest of the month, right?
Nope. Today, Microsoft shocks the technology community by unveiling yet another event for the month of May. Not only is the timing a surprise, but so too is the location. You see, the company will be making a big Surface announcement in Shanghai! Microsoft says it will "show the world what's next."
Microsoft's all-new Surface Arc Mouse looks pretty darn good
Historically, I haven't been a huge fan of Microsoft's "Arc" mice. With that said, I have still used them often. Why? They are insanely compact, making them easy to throw into a bag when on the go. The coolest aspect is that bending it into position turns it on, and folding it flat turns it off -- there is no power button needed. While not the best pointing experience, the pros have largely outweighed the cons. My biggest complaint has been the deficient touch scrolling strip -- it is not accurate and can sometimes be maddening to use.
Luckily, it seems Microsoft has finally addressed the scrolling complaints with an all-new product -- the Surface Arc Mouse. You see, the entire clickable part of the mouse is essentially a trackpad that lets the user scroll both vertically and horizontally. Gone is the thin vertical-only strip found on the predecessor -- thank goodness. Quite frankly, it is very attractive too -- it looks pretty darn good.
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