Microsoft Surface event in Shanghai: When is it and what to expect?

Microsoft is holding yet another hardware event this year.

The company recently held an event in New York City, where it revealed products aimed at the education sector. Those included Windows 10 S, a new operating system that only has access to apps from the Windows Store (which has been done to make sure everything runs quickly), and the Surface Laptop, a laptop that will go head-to-head with Apple’s MacBook Air when it launches in June.

• You can watch Microsoft’s 2 May education event here, Surface Laptop and Windows 10 S revealed
• Microsoft unveils the Surface Laptop, a Windows 10 S device looking to take down the MacBook

But education isn’t all Microsoft is focusing on this year it seems, as the company has released a teaser to say there will be another event on 23 May in Shanghai to show off what’s next for Microsoft. But what exactly is next? Microsoft isn’t giving anything away, but we took a few educated guesses as to what the computing giant has up its sleeve. Here’s what you need to know.

Microsoft Surface event in Shanghai: When is it?

MicrosoftEvent will hold its event in Shanghai, China on 23 May beginning at 4 am PST (7 am EST/ 12 pm GMT). The company said you can follow along with updates on its blog here.

Microsoft Surface event in Shanghai: What to expect

VentureBeat

Surface Pro 5

Microsoft’s VP of Devices, Panos Panay, tweeted a teaser from his account that included the hashtag #Surface. Panay credits himself as being the creator of the Surface series of devices, so it would be fair to assume there will be another new Surface device on the way. Considering we’ve just been given the Surface Laptop, it’s unlikely to be another computer, but could instead be the Surface Pro 5 2-in-1.

Although Microsoft firmly denied that there was a Surface Pro 5 in the works, it looks a new Surface Pro is indeed coming, thanks to a new leak. We know what you’re thinking: this looks a lot like the current Surface Pro 4 that launched in 2015. Physically, the update doesn’t look any different to the existing model, but Venture Beat said will simply be called the Surface Pro – losing the number.

That makes sense if you’re from the Apple School of thought (think MacBook Pro), and it’s better than calling it the Pro 4S or Pro 4.5 or something. Reportedly the changes will be under the skin, with Intel’s seventh-generation chips used and presumably some other hardware changes. VentureBeat said that the pen and keyboard to accompany the Surface Pro will be available in a range of colours, too.

There will more than likely be several different variations of the Surface Pro 5 available when it does launch, with different processor speeds and storage. As for price, we can’t be sure, but the starting price will be somewhere between £700 and £1000.

Microsoft

Surface Pro Type Covers

Microsoft is teasing new products ahead of its Surface event.

The company is expected to launch a new Surface Pro device in Shanghai on 23 May, so naturally, a day before the event, Microsoft’s Surface chief has taken to Instagram to publish a teaser. Panos Panay posted an image of what appears to be four Surface keyboards with the following caption: “Working session. 30 hours to go.” These keyboards essentially look like Type Covers in new colours.

They also appear to be wrapped in alcantara, the same fabric also used on Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop.

Surface Phone

Talks of a Surface Phone have been on and off in recent months and years. At one point there were strong rumours to suggest Microsoft would channel its Surface laptop 2-in-1 technology into a powerful phone. But since then the company has sold off its phone patents, implying it won’t be working on a phone itself.

But we’ve then seen images of a possible Surface Phone, although some media outlets thought it was a Windows Phone made by Dell. We haven’t heard much more on the subject since those images surfaced.

However, Alcatel manufactures Microsoft branded phones, and Alcatel is headquartered in Shanghai, the same city where Microsoft’s event is taking place. It could therefore be possible that we’ll either see a new Microsoft phone unveiled, or at the very least get an update on the current state of play.

Of course, until Microsoft officially reveal whatever it’s planning on 23 May, we can only speculate. We’ll be sure to bring you the very latest news and product announcements as and when we hear them.

Dubai hopes to have a human-free police station by 2030

Is robot policing the way of the future? Dubai is well on its way to finding out.

The emirate, one of seven in the UAE, is taking a technological leap of faith this week as it introduces its first robot officer to the Dubai police force. Designed by the Spanish company PAL Robotics, the specialized REEM robot stands 5 feet 6 inches high and looks like a knight in shining white plastic armor, riding in on its wheels (rather than a horse).

This is just the first step for the Dubai police department. The department aims to have 25 percent of its police force composed of robot officers by the year 2030. “We are looking to make everything smart in Dubai Police. By 2030, we will have the first smart police station which won’t require human employees,” Brigadier Khalid Nasserl Al Razouqi, the General Director of Dubai Police’s Smart Services Department, told Gulf News.

What can the robot police officer do? The prototype unveiled last year at GITEX, an annual Dubai-based electronics trade show, was basically a glorified kiosk, complete with a touch screen interface. Using an integrated tablet on the robot’s midsection, people could report crimes, submit paperwork, and pay fines for traffic violations. It’s unclear how or if the robot has been upgraded since then, though Dubai police were working with Watson, IBM’s AI system, on voice command recognition. Eventually, the department plans on using the robots as full-fledged police officers.

But does “smart,” the term the Dubai Police Department uses to describe their new robot initiative, mean better? It isn’t clear how the public will react to a robot police officer. Will people trust a robot more implicitly, assuming it won’t have the same biases human officers have? It’s also possible people might feel uncomfortable approaching a robot to report a crime, leading to underreporting.

While there are questions surrounding Dubai’s implementation of its robot officer, it’s clear that other countries will be watching Dubai’s experiment closely as they weigh the pros and cons of their own robotic police force.

Via: Newsweek

Source: CNN, Gulf News

Nevada would allow in-stadium mobile bets at Raiders games

When the Raiders start playing football in Las Vegas, their stadium lease will officially ban the team from offering bets or other forms of gambling in the building. Don’t tell that to the Nevada Gaming Commission, though. Its officials understand that there’s nothing in the lease precluding the use of mobile betting apps on the facility’s grounds, even if you’re already in your seat. The NFL tells ESPN that the Raiders will have to “abide by League rules,” but the Commission says it hasn’t been asked to make any policy decisions so far.

We’ve asked the NFL to elaborate, but it’s not making any commitments at this point. “It’s an item we will look into over the next few years,” a spokesperson says.

Most daily fantasy sports services like DraftKings and FanDuel don’t operate in the state, since they’d need a gambling license. However, the terms would permit straightforward bets.

There’s certainly time for the NFL to change its mind between now and the time the Raiders first play in the stadium, which is likely to be sometime in 2020. It wouldn’t take much to require geofencing that blocks betting apps and websites whenever you’re nearby, and the league has a history of cracking down on bets even for games in the UK, where betting is legal. For now, though, the lack of a clear ban creates an unusual situation: the NFL may have to contend with Raiders crowds who are at least as interested in making a profit as they are watching the game.

Source: ESPN

Tesla makes Autopilot ‘smooth as silk’ for current models

Just because your Tesla can periodically drive itself doesn’t mean you’ll always like it. Elon Musk himself acknowledges that the sometimes rough Autopilot driving can be “unpleasant.” You won’t be jolted quite so frequently in the near future, though. Musk has teased that a June update will give recent Model S and Model X variants (that is, any vehicle made in October 2016 or later) Autopilot control that’s “smooth as silk.” It should be “safer,” too, suggesting that Tesla is determined to avoid even the slightest chance that it’s responsible for a crash.

Musk hasn’t discussed many of the specifics of the upgrade, but he is hoping that the new software will also enable hands-free perpendicular parking and rain sensors. We’ve reached out to Tesla to see if it can elaborate. As the company founder points out, though, many of the updates to newer cars are focused on catching up to previous-generation features, not the new tricks possible only with post-October hardware. If there’s more, the focus will likely be on parity.

The months-long wait likely hasn’t made you happy if you’re a recent buyer — you’ve had to look on with envy as Tesla owners with older cars can pull off many of these tricks. The company hasn’t had much choice, though. The split with Mobileye (blamed either on safety or a fight over chips, depending on who you ask) effectively forced Tesla to develop its own Autopilot sensors and software if it wanted its plans to remain on track. And it appears to largely be on course — Musk still expects to see a demo of fully autonomous coast-to-coast driving by the end of 2017.

Excited about the Tesla Autopilot software release rolling out next month. New control algorithm feels as smooth as silk.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 22, 2017

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter 1), (2), (3)

Viacom is working on a low-cost, sports-free TV package

The cable industry continues to struggle mightily against being neutered by a generation of cord cutters. In that effort, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish announced on Monday that his company is working to develop a low-cost “entertainment pack” for its customers that forgoes high-fee sports and broadcast stations.

This so-called “skinny package” would only cost subscribers $10 to $20 and is designed to entice younger viewers back into the bosom of broadcast television. Bakish blamed the high price of sports channel programming, caused by licensing agreements with their respective leagues, for inhibiting the legacy communication technology’s uptake among what he called “cord-never millennials.” It would effectively drop ESPN and broadcast staples like ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, at for a significant cost savings — essentially becoming the anti-YouTube TV.

Speaking at the recent J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Bakish remarked that this package “would be a very exciting development in the marketplace and that’s a very positive development for Viacom because when you look at our services, we still today have the largest share of viewing on pay TV on every demographic that we serve.” Despite those metrics, Viacom has struggled recently to have its programming added to many popular streaming services.

Bakish blames that, in part, on the $40 price point that Viacom has been aiming for. Bakish described a conversation with one of his distributors who pointed out that they were losing $6 on every one of those subscriptions. “It’s unclear how long that can sustain,” he said.

However, by cutting out those high-fee stations, Bakish hopes that his company can offer “a new entry segment at a much lower price point designed to be a path to bring someone in that wants high-quality entertainment at a low price.” The new package is expected to be available to subscribers within this calendar year.

Via: Variety

Source: Broadcasting Cable

Amazon’s Echo Look app is ready for your fashionable selfies

Amazon still hasn’t said when it plans to ship its new Echo Look camera, but it appears that will be happening very soon. The company has started rolling out companion iOS and Android apps for the device, which costs $200 and is only available via invite to Prime customers — at least for the time being. To refresh your mind, Echo Look is an Alexa-powered camera for people who want to take pictures or videos of their daily outfits, enhanced by an artificial intelligence algorithm that’ll learn your habits and make clothes recommendations based on that.

The iOS and Android apps are going to bring all of that together, putting your very own lookbook in your pocket. Naturally, you’ll be able to share your pictures with friends, family or other loved ones — if you’re into that sort of thing. You can download the Echo Look application from the App Store and Google Play right now, though there’s not much you can do without the device itself.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: App Store, Google Play

Caltrain will finally go electric thanks to FTA funding

The future of California’s high-speed rail project relies in part on an initiative to migrate Silicon Valley’s Caltrain corridor from a fleet of outdated diesel engines to a more modern electric system. That electrification project was put in jeopardy earlier this year when state Republicans asked Trump’s Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to block a $650 million federal grant, claiming it should be shut down due to cost overruns. Now, in response to Caltrain’s petition, the Federal Transit Administration has announced it will approve the funds and the upgrade can finally move forward after decades of delays.

The project is not only expected to bring faster, cleaner and more reliable train service to the 51-mile Caltrain system that connects San Francisco to Silicon Valley and San Jose, but according to the San Jose Mercury News, the project is expected to create 10,000 jobs in California and around the country. Beyond Silicon Valley, the electrification project is intertwined with the plan to build a bullet train between the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The commitment from the FTA comes at the last possible moment. As recently as last week, Secretary Chao had said that she couldn’t approve the grant because her department didn’t have the funds to spare and if the funds hadn’t been approved by June 2nd, Caltrain would have lost key contracts for the work. The announcement means the project will get $100 to start, but the remaining $550 in federal funding is still subject to future approval by Congress. The rest of the project’s $2 billion budget will come from state and local sources.

“I did not predict this,” San Jose Mayor told the Mercury News. “I’m thrilled to witness the triumph of sound policy over senseless politics. There’s not a project in the United States that’s more shovel-ready than this one.”

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Tronsmart’s Element T2 is an affordable waterproof Bluetooth speaker with spunk

Let’s get this out of the way – Tronsmart’s Element T2 is not a sexy piece of hardware. It’s a basic Bluetooh speaker that offers solid performance, rugged durability, and lets you answer phone calls without having to pick up your phone. That being said, it’s well worth the $24 it costs on Amazon. Now that you’re properly warned of the perks and drawbacks of owning this little piece, let’s dive into what actually makes it tick.

Features

For not having any gimmicky features that are so prevalent in Bluetooth speakers these days, the Element T2 has surprisingly solid specs all around. Let’s start with the basics – Bluetooth 4.2 – while not the state-of-the-art Bluetooth 5 that’s coming into vogue, Bluetooth 4.2 still presents a number of excellent qualities of the more common 4.1 – most notably, a significantly reduced power consumption. A 1900mAh, 12-hour battery means you’ll probably not have to charge it for about a week unless you’re listening to music for hours and hours on end.

Hardware

The Element T2 is hefty, for only being the size of a soda can. It feels solid, and the rubberized buttons, outer rim, and accessory compartment feel nice and durable. A small clip is built into the frame, allowing you to attach the included carabiner and carry it around with your with ease. Two small high-friction plastic “feet” are set into the bottom, ensuring that it won’t slip around easily.

A built-in microphone ensures that you won’t have to switch between your phone and the speaker when getting a call – especially handy if you’re in an environment where you’d be at risk of dropping your phone in water. And speaking of which, the Element T2 is Ingress Protection rated IP56 – meaning that it can handles heavy sprays of water (but not immersion) and is protected against dust and sand – making it a great choice for the beach.  A MicroSD slot, Aux port, and MicroUSB port are hidden under a rubberized flap on the side – do not, under any circumstances, forget to close that flap before taking this thing out in the wild.

Functionality

I gotta be honest, here – this is easily one of the easiest-to-use speakers I’ve had the pleasure of using. Setup is ridiculously simple – powering the thing on immediately launches it into pairing mode, meaning you can power on and pair in about fifteen seconds flat. There are five buttons on the device; Power, Bluetooth, Play/Pause, +, and -.  The first three are pretty obvious, but the last two have a clever dual functionality; short-pressing each one individually raises or lowers the volume, while long-pressing either performs the Skip functionality.  Long-pressing the Bluetooth button allows you to pair a second Tronsmart speaker using TWS – True Wireless Stereo. 

Sound

Sound on the Element T2 is loud and booming, with a bass that can be felt from a full inch from the speaker grill. The volume is considerable for such a little package – it surprised the crap out of me, honestly. This is where things get a little weird; while both sides of the speaker are identical and symmetrical, there is clearly a front and back to the thing. One side plays considerably louder and clearer than the other – presumably because the little subwoofer is partially blocking the other side. It’s not so bad that it affects the quality of sound coming from the speaker, but it is noticeable.

When it comes down to it, Tronsmart’s Element T2  is what it is – a solid, if unspectacular, sequel to the T1. It’s reliable, weathers the elements well, and doles out big sound in a small package. Get it on GeekBuying for $35 or on Amazon for $25.

App Highlight: Tempest – Pirate Action RPG

The App

Developed by HeroCraft Ltd who is tagged as a top developer on the Google Play Store, Tempest Pirate Action RPG is a new app with only 1000-5000 installs. Having been updated on April 21, 2017, the developer is constantly fixing various bugs and introducing performance enhancements. The game allows you to become a pirate, assemble your crew, and battle and defeat other pirates and monsters such as the Kraken, the Leviathan, and others.

What it does

You’ll be placed in an open world with an arsenal of cannons, mortars, flame throwers, and a lot of other various weapons to overcome a number of quests across dozens of islands in three regions. You can share the huge world of Tempest with two friends and it is up to you if you decide to become companions or wage war against each other. You’ll need to buy and upgrade your ships by robbing galleons, sinking warships, and destroying forts.

Why we like it

I always like a good pirate game and this one is one of the best. It’s one of the most immersive I’ve ever played. The instructions on how to play could do with a little work and prompting as to what each thing does. There is a question mark that will give hints but I think this could be improved and made part of an overall tutorial. With great graphics and lots of quests, this is a great game that you need to check out.

How to get it

Tempest: Pirate Action RPG is available for $7.99 from the Google Play Store. You can download it right here.

Netflix is making the internet’s Rihanna/Lupita buddy movie

According to Entertainment Weekly, a movie dreamed up on social media based on nothing more than a picture of Lupita Nyong’o and Rihanna is actually going to happen. The two were captured sitting next to each other during Paris Fashion Week 2014 when a writer named Roxy posted this caption on Tumblr “They look like they’re in a heist movie with Rihanna as the tough-as-nails leader/master thief and Lupita as the genius computer hacker.” The idea resurfaced as a tweet this past April and quickly became a viral meme “Black Twitter” and beyond, with fans tagging both stars and tossing in more suggestions for the flick they’d like to see.

Both Rihanna and Lupita tweeted that they’d be up for it, and based on EW sources, Netflix outbid several others for the rights to a buddy movie starring the two that will be directed by Ava Duvernay (Selma, 13th), with Issa Rae (Insecure, Awkward Black Girl) in talks to write it. There hasn’t been an official announcement, but Duvernay tweeted “We deserve nice things. ✌🏾️” with a link to the story.

My post from 2015 https://t.co/iicF60TNIK

— roxy (@elizabtchtaylor) April 24, 2017

Rihanna looks like she scams rich white men and lupita is the computer smart best friend that helps plan the scans https://t.co/PhWs1xd3nj

— WHOOPHERASSKOURTNI (@1800SADGAL) April 18, 2017

I’m down if you are @rihanna https://t.co/vwHBWeCbFZ

— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) April 21, 2017

I’m in Pit’z https://t.co/Kz0o3lBEmL

— Rihanna (@rihanna) April 23, 2017

@MikelleStreet @rihanna Lights set. Camera’s up. Ready to call action for these #queens. 👑 pic.twitter.com/NVgqpFeTnu

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 24, 2017

@dvrrxll @rihanna pic.twitter.com/XG2WMribGJ

— Issa Rae (@IssaRae) April 23, 2017

Source: Entertainment Weekly