Instagram takes another page from Snapchat’s book with Location Stories

Why it matters to you

If you want to find the best Instagram Stories happening in your neck of the woods, Location Stories may help you do just that.

You know how you can search for Stories with particular tags on Snapchat now? Well, you are going to be able to do the same on Instagram, too. As the two photo-sharing social media apps continue to find ways to edge out one another, they’re taking cues for the competition at a clip, with Instagram rolling out Location Stories to its Explore tab just a few weeks after Snapchat introduced a similar feature itself.

TechCrunch first reported that Instagram was testing Location Stories last week. At the time, users could find various Stories tagged with a location sticker (say, Miami Beach), but only by going to that particular location’s Instagram page or by clicking on said sticker from another user’s Story. Now, it’s become far easier to access these images. Instagram has begun to highlight Location Stories in the Explore tab’s Stories section, right at the top of your screen. Some users will see Locations alongside Stories from other popular users, and while this feature is not yet live for everyone, it is likely to roll out to the masses quite soon. (At time of posting, we started noticing the feature popping up in our Explore tab.)

Of course, we’ll now have to wait and see whether or not Instagram will allow you to to search for Stories (as Snapchat does). After all, if it wants to compete, it’s going to have to show that everything Snapchat can do, it can do better (or just as well).

As it stands, it doesn’t look as though you have to volunteer to have your Instagram content appear in a Location Story, as long as it’s tagged with a location sticker and is public. It’s unclear if this policy would hold if a search feature were ultimately implemented.

So get excited, friends. Soon, you may be able to post the same content to Instagram as you do to Snapchat and have it discovered the same way, if you don’t already.

The best graphics card you can buy

Whether you’re upgrading your old rig, or putting together a new one, every gaming PC needs a graphics card.

The trick is, graphics cards are inherently hard to recommend because user needs vary so wildly. Everything from monitor resolution, power and thermal requirements, and even game preference will dictate how much you spend, and what you spend it on.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for GPUs, but we hope this guide will push you in the right direction

Our pick

Why should you buy this: The GTX 1060 3GB strikes the perfect balance between price and performance.

Our Score

The best

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 AMP! Edition

With 3GB of memory and solid performance, the GTX 1060 is a great fit for most PC gamers.

$279.92 from Amazon

$249.99 from Newegg

Who’s it for: Gamers looking to improve their gaming quality without breaking the bank.

How much will it cost: $200-$300

Why we picked the Nvidia GTX 1060:

The GTX 1060 might not be the cheapest card, and it might not be the most powerful, but it offers a solid balance of the two that will appeal to most PC gamers.

It also hits the sweet spot for graphical memory. The GTX 1060’s 3GB of GDDR5 should be just the right amount for 1080p gaming, although higher-resolution textures may push up against that limit. It’s also tied for the least expensive card certified for virtual reality, at least until Oculus’ minimum specification program starts.

The result is a card that has no trouble playing well optimized games like Battlefield 1 or Fallout 4 with the settings cranked. Even at 2,560 x 1,440, we saw average performance of 60 frames per second, or higher. It’s a tough battle between the GTX 1060 and AMD’s similarly priced RX 480, but ultimately we gave the Nvidia option the nod for beating the Radeon in terms of performance at the $200 price point.

That said, it isn’t going to deliver top performance in every game. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is by far the most demanding game we’ve tested, and the GTX 1060 delivered just 37 frames per second on average while running at ultra settings in 1080p. This video card is great in most situations, but at $200 to start and no more than $280 for the fastest incarnations, it’s not the most powerful available. If you want that – read on.

Our full review

The best graphics card for 4K

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why should you buy this: You want to play the latest games at the highest frame rate and resolution.

The best graphics card for 4K

Zotac GeForce GTX 1080Ti AMP

Without dropping over a thousand dollars for a GPU, the GTX 1080 Ti offers the best performance available to PC gamers today.

$479.99 from Sears

$719.89 from Amazon.com

Who’s it for: 4K monitor owners and PC gaming enthusiasts.

How much will it cost: $500+

Why we picked the Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti:

Unlike the GTX 1060, there’s nothing budget-friendly about the massive GTX 1080 Ti. Aside from the Nvidia GTX Titan, which is absurdly expensive and not that much faster, the GTX 1080 Ti is the most powerful consumer offering in Nvidia’s arsenal, and it shows in its gaming performance.

This card can hit an average of 60 frames per second in many games, even in 4K. While there were similarly priced cards in the previous generation, such as the AMD R9 Fury series and the GTX 980 Ti, even they couldn’t capably handle 4K gaming on their own.

Without a serious competitor from AMD in this generation, the GTX 1080 Ti is an easy choice for anyone with deep pockets and a need for speed. Basic cards start at $700, and reach over $800 when packed with high-end features like liquid cooling loops and impressive overclocks.

Our full review

The best entry-level graphics card

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why should you buy this: You want to turn a PC without a GPU into a certified gaming rig.

Our Score

The best entry-level graphics card

MSI GeForce GTX 1050 2G OC

Compact and lightweight, the GTX 1050 packs a surprising punch at 1080p, without breaking the bank.

$110.00 from MSI

Who’s it for: Casual and occasional gamers.

How much will it cost: $100+

Why we picked the Nvidia GTX 1050:

If you’re looking to buy a current generation graphics card (and you should) there are only two options at the $100-ish price point: the AMD RX 560 and the GTX 1050. The latter takes home our recommendation for best entry-level card by providing the best performance at that price point. Simple enough.

Like the GTX 950 we reviewed last year, the GTX 1050 pumps out 60 frames per second, or close enough to it, at 1,920 x 1,080, even with the settings turned up. Most models will also feature a shortened PCB and simple cooling, typically without an external power connection. That means the slim card will fit into compact cases, as well as pre-built systems with total power as low as 300 Watts.

Of course, the tradeoff for the GTX 1050’s bargain price means it likely won’t last as long as other GPUs. While that GTX 1080 is still firing on all cylinders a few years down the road, the GTX 1050 might start looking a little sad. At least at $110, your wallet won’t hurt too much having to pick up the tab.

Our full review

What about AMD?

Fans of the red team will not doubt notice we didn’t include any AMD picks in this best-of list.

That’s a problem with best-of lists: they’re about what is the very best, and don’t leave room for second place, even if it’s a very close second. And AMD’s offers are indeed very, very close. The Radeon RX 580 and Radeon RX 570 are highly competitive with the GTX 1060.

Why would you choose them instead of the Nvidia card? FreeSync is one good reason. AMD’s version of adaptive monitor sync is available in a wide selection of affordable monitor. If you’re not familiar with it, read up on the technology here.

The AMD cards also tend to perform better in games built specifically for DirectX 12. There’s not many games like that so far, but if you’re playing such a title — like Ashes of the Singularity — you’re better off with a Radeon.

How we test

When we test graphics cards, we tend to focus on three major factors: feature set, performance, and price.

Feature set is often determined by brand and platform, which we always consider as we review a card. It’s not just about whether it can handle a virtual reality headset, or how many monitors it supports. We check out graphical standard and API support, and special features like Nvidia’s Ansel, or AMD’s WattMan overclocking software.

Of course, performance is key. We run review units through a series of synthetic and real-world benchmarks, even beyond those we report. We keep detailed records of frame rate trends, frame times, and any anomalous activities, like noise, heat, or artifacts.

Ultimately, it all comes down to cash. With so many GPUs, board partners, and differences in clock speed and memory, there’s no shortage of options, and it’s all too easy to overpay. We check the price of each individual card, and even help determine availability at launch.

Updated 5-22-2017 by Jayce Wagner: Added Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti as the best card for 4K. 

Samsung’s stretchable 9.1-inch screen will make its public debut in L.A.

Why it matters to you

Stretchable smartphone screens are almost here and they could be a standard feature among all high-end phones.

Samsung has been developing flexible displays for years, but it is finally ready to take the wraps off a prototype. On Monday, the company announced it would exhibit a bendable, stretchable screen at the upcoming Society for Information Display 2017 conference in Los Angeles.

Samsung’s new display, which measures 9.1 inches diagonally and uses organic light-emitting diode technology to display images, can be flexed, bent, rolled up, and dented up to 12 millimeters without losing its original shape. Samsung sees it being used in wearable displays, Internet of Things products, and car infotainment dashboards.

“While current flexible OLED is able to be transformed in only one side, this stretchable OLED can be transformed — whether curved, bent, or rolled — in both sides, above and below,” a Samsung Display spokesperson said in a statement.

It could be bound for a future phone, too. In April, ET News and the Investor reported that Samsung produced a limited number of Project Valley, a prototypical dual-screen phone with a pair of flexible 5-inch, nearly bezel-less OLED screens joined together by a hinge. Samsung plans to make between 2,000 and 3,000 units in the first half of 2017, ahead of a pilot test with “tens of thousands” of prototypes during the second year.

In addition, Samsung’s reportedly developing a smartphone with a “wraparound” screen that reaches all four edges of the handset’s sides. But the company’s run into problems with its lamination process — wrapping the screen on all four sides of the phone creates a “blind side” on each corner that will not respond to touch.

Meanwhile, the competition isn’t lying in wait.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, the successor to last year’s Mi Mix, boasts a 93 percent screen-to-body ratio and both ZTE’s Nubia Z11 and Oppo’s R9s both have screen-to-body ratios above 74 percent. At an event in June 2016, Lenovo showed off a concept phone that uses a flexible phone that folds into a wristwatch. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, LG Display showed off a prototype 18-inch screen that rolls up like a sheet of paper.

Flexible and curved screens are a burgeoning business. Analysts at London-based research firm IHS estimate that flexible display sales will hit $15.7 billion in 2020, up from $5.3 billion in 2017.

Samsung is showing its flexible display alongside a 5.09-inch, 3D panel that displays three-dimensional objects without the need for glasses (like Nintendo’s 3DS), and a 1.96-inch UHD (3.840 x 1,260 pixels) display intended for augmented reality, virtual reality, and hologram applications.

Samsung’s stretchable 9.1-inch screen will make its public debut in L.A.

Why it matters to you

Stretchable smartphone screens are almost here and they could be a standard feature among all high-end phones.

Samsung has been developing flexible displays for years, but it is finally ready to take the wraps off a prototype. On Monday, the company announced it would exhibit a bendable, stretchable screen at the upcoming Society for Information Display 2017 conference in Los Angeles.

Samsung’s new display, which measures 9.1 inches diagonally and uses organic light-emitting diode technology to display images, can be flexed, bent, rolled up, and dented up to 12 millimeters without losing its original shape. Samsung sees it being used in wearable displays, Internet of Things products, and car infotainment dashboards.

“While current flexible OLED is able to be transformed in only one side, this stretchable OLED can be transformed — whether curved, bent, or rolled — in both sides, above and below,” a Samsung Display spokesperson said in a statement.

It could be bound for a future phone, too. In April, ET News and the Investor reported that Samsung produced a limited number of Project Valley, a prototypical dual-screen phone with a pair of flexible 5-inch, nearly bezel-less OLED screens joined together by a hinge. Samsung plans to make between 2,000 and 3,000 units in the first half of 2017, ahead of a pilot test with “tens of thousands” of prototypes during the second year.

In addition, Samsung’s reportedly developing a smartphone with a “wraparound” screen that reaches all four edges of the handset’s sides. But the company’s run into problems with its lamination process — wrapping the screen on all four sides of the phone creates a “blind side” on each corner that will not respond to touch.

Meanwhile, the competition isn’t lying in wait.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, the successor to last year’s Mi Mix, boasts a 93 percent screen-to-body ratio and both ZTE’s Nubia Z11 and Oppo’s R9s both have screen-to-body ratios above 74 percent. At an event in June 2016, Lenovo showed off a concept phone that uses a flexible phone that folds into a wristwatch. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, LG Display showed off a prototype 18-inch screen that rolls up like a sheet of paper.

Flexible and curved screens are a burgeoning business. Analysts at London-based research firm IHS estimate that flexible display sales will hit $15.7 billion in 2020, up from $5.3 billion in 2017.

Samsung is showing its flexible display alongside a 5.09-inch, 3D panel that displays three-dimensional objects without the need for glasses (like Nintendo’s 3DS), and a 1.96-inch UHD (3.840 x 1,260 pixels) display intended for augmented reality, virtual reality, and hologram applications.

Juiced, an affordable electric longboard, is made for commuting on a budget

Why it matters to you

Commuting is usually the least interesting part of someone’s day. This electric longboard should change that.

For people who work in the city, the commute to work usually involves bumper-to-bumper traffic or public transportation packed like a can of sardines. Bicycle skateboards are faster than walking, but they leave people sweaty before they even get to work. The answer is Juiced, an affordable, electric longboard built for city commutes.

A variety of settings makes Juiced one of the most accessible boards available for riders both old and new. Acceleration, top speed, and braking all adjust to the riders’ comfort.

Each board features high-quality deck materials like maple and bamboo but maintains its affordability by trimming the fat.  “An affordable, elegant and powerful electric skateboard simply didn’t exist,” says founder and CEO of Juiced Boards, Matti Deacon. “Other boards on the market may have more tech features such as apps, or lights, etc. Ours is designed clean and simple. On purpose.”

However, this doesn’t mean the board is cheap and lacks features. To keep the design sleek, the powerful motors have been tucked away inside each wheel hub. As an added benefit, this keeps the Juiced board weatherproof from any dust or water. The motors are strong enough to keep going strong uphill and operate via a small remote control.

One small, but very important perk is that the Juiced board becomes a traditional longboard if the battery runs dry. This means that commuters can still get where they are going even if they forgot to charge it. Additionally, while most boards can recharge themselves going downhill, the Juiced board won’t come with the resistance found on others.

The Juiced electric longboard’s design focuses on the most important aspects of any board. “The combination of powerful hub motors, quality design and accessible price point will position the Juiced board as the go-to for electric skateboards,” says Deacon.

The Juiced has officially launched its IndieGoGo campaign as of Tuesday. Boards are available starting at $399 with shipments going out as early as July.

Close to the Metal Ep. 44: New 2-in-1s breach the surface, but are any winners?

There’s been a bit of a dry spell for new 2-in-1 systems, particularly after going so long without a Surface Pro update. This morning, that all changed, as three new Windows-powered convertibles came to light, the Samsung Galaxy Book, the Huawei Matebook X, and of course, the Microsoft Surface Pro.

As we’ve learned all too well, building a 2-in-1 is really tricky business, and even one wrong move can render a system near-unusable, and far from earning a recommendation for us. Microsoft has managed to refine the pattern over several generations and different products, and at this point, we’re confident in its ability to put together a minor update to the Surface Pro line.

Huawei and Samsung, on the other hand, have more to prove. Samsung’s last effort at the 2-in-1 game left us unimpressed, with an overly ambitious OLED display that brought some tinting issues with it, and an overall chintzy design. Huawei made a decent effort with the previous Matebook, but it was marred by a flimsy design and expensive peripherals.

So which one is the right 2-in-1 for you, if any of them? Join us on today’s episode of Close to the Metal as we break down each device, and try to decide on a winner for the category.

Close to the Metal is a podcast from Digital Trends that takes a deep dive into computing and PC gaming topics. Each show, we’ll focus in on one topic, and leave no stone unturned as we show off the latest in hardware and software. Whether it’s the latest GPU, supercomputers, or which 2-in-1 you should buy,  we break down the complicated jargon and talk about how user experience is affected in the real world. Please subscribe, share, and send your questions to podcast@digitaltrends.com. We broadcast the show live on YouTube every Tuesday at 1pm EST/10am PST.

Zotac GeForce GTX 1080Ti AMP! review

Research Center:
Zotac GeForce GTX 1080Ti AMP

While AMD focuses on fleshing out the budget-friendly GPU category, Nvidia continues to push top-end performance to new levels. The GTX 1080 Ti, starting at $680, packs in a whopping 11GB of memory, 3,584 CUDA cores, and a massive 250-watt power draw.

But that’s just the beginning of what the GTX 1080 Ti can offer. Nvidia’s hardware partners produce their own takes on the GPU, such as Zotac’s GTX 1080 Ti AMP! Edition. Its price generally hover around $720, though it can dip as low as $700, depending on the retailer and any applicable sales. It includes a full backplate, decent overclock, and an open-air cooler with a double set of large fans. It competes directly with the likes of the MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti we previously reviewed, which generally sells for $700 – along with a dozen other cards from various manufacturers.

Most users simply don’t need that sort of roof-shattering performance, but for those who do, a GTX 1080 Ti is the only option. Does Zotac’s GTX 1080 Ti AMP! Edition stand out from the crowd, or are there better offerings in the GTX 1080 Ti family?

Big Body

This wasn’t the first chance we’ve had to spend time with Nvidia’s highest-end offering. The MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti we reviewed previously set the bar high for performance, and kept quiet doing it, but its cooler provided less coverage, which didn’t do the oversized PCB any favors. Be sure to swing over to our review for that card for more information on the GTX 1080 Ti in general, as well as its place within the larger Nvidia ecosystem.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Zotac sets the AMP! edition card apart with several special features. The cooler is Zotac’s own Ice Storm open fan design, with two generously sized fans fitted into a shapely, dark grey and black housing, not unlike MSI’s GTX 1080 Ti. It’s an attractive option that looks right at home alongside similarly high-end components. It’s on the large side, which we also saw with MSI’s GTX 1080 Ti, extending well past the standard PCB bracket — an increasingly common trend for non-reference cards. That’s not the only thing Zotac has seen fit to add to the GTX 1080 Ti, as it also has an attractive metal backplate spanning the length of the card.

Under the hood, the GTX 1080 Ti has been pushed far outside of the Founders Edition’s already-lofty numbers. Zotac bumped the base clock from 1,480MHz to 1,569MHz and the boost clock from 1,582MHz to 1,683MHz, a healthy overclock that’s even higher than the $720 MSI Armor GTX 1080 Ti. For video outputs, Zotac includes three DisplayPort, one HDMI, and a lone DVI-D, a standard set of connections for any modern GPU.

Churning along

That’s enough ogling the card. It’s time to get into performance specifics. We tested the GTX 1080 AMP! in our high-end test right, with an Intel Core i7-6950X, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel 600 Series SSD. It’s no slouch, and should be a fitting, if slightly overkill setup for the powerful GTX 1080 Ti.

We ran it through a set of 3DMark synthetic benchmarks, as well as real-world gaming tests at 1080p and 1440p, where most users are still playing. While we’d love to test at 4K, the number of cards capable of anything near smooth gameplay, combined with a lack of gamers playing at the resolution, makes it a bit unfeasible.

The two GTX 1080 Ti’s tested with just a one point difference between them, which is surprising considering the Zotac’s higher base and boost clock. Still, the card produces one of the best single-card scores yet, and should perform accordingly in real gaming tests.

While the two GTX 1080 Ti renditions trade blows across our test, the Zotac AMP! edition generally wins out, if only by a few frames per second on average. We didn’t expect a world of difference between two versions of the same card, and the narrow performance boost we do see helps the Zotac’s case, considering its cheaper price point.

Both cards completely thrash the previous generation’s 980 Ti and Radeon Fury X, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the standard GTX 1080’s performance level. With framerates well over 100 in a number of modern games, the GTX 1080 Ti is more than powerful enough for high-refresh 1080p and even 1440p panels.

Warranty information

Our Zotac GTX 1080 Ti AMP! comes with a two-year warranty against manufacturer defects. This tends to vary by brand, but MSI’s Armor only carried a one year warranty, while the Asus Strix RX 580 had a full three-year warranty. Two years is more generous than most, and there’s a third year extension available.

Zotac GeForce GTX 1080Ti AMP Compared To

Asus Strix Radeon RX 570 OC 4G

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G OC

MSI GeForce GTX 1050 2G OC

AMD Radeon RX 480

AMD Radeon R9 380X

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950

Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X

Nvidia GeForce GTX 980

AMD Radeon R9 295X2

NVIDIA DualTV MCE

ATI All-In-Wonder X1900

MSI RX800 XT

MSI GeForce FX5700-VT2DR256

ATI Radeon 9800 XT 256MB

ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 9800 Pro

Our Take

Nvidia’s GTX 1080 Ti is the most powerful consumer GPU ever, and Zotac’s AMP! edition refines that edge with premium features and solid overclocking, all for $720 (or less) at most retailers. It’s easily the best equipped card at the price, which makes it a strong contender for those seeking the absolute best performance possible.

Is there a better alternative?

That doesn’t mean the case is closed, and Zotac’s offering is far from alone. Nvidia’ reference GTX 1080 Ti typically sells for $680, which gives it a minor price savings over the Zotac’s AMP! Edition. However, the Zotac model has an overclocking and a solid cooler, so we think it’s worth the extra cash.

Of course, most buyers will be comparing the Zotac GTX 1080 Ti AMP! Edition to other customized models – and it still holds up well. Zotac’s overclock is competitive with other cards in its price bracket. And while it’s very large, the Zotac model is as gargantuan as some models from Gigabyte (though, to be fair, Zotac does offer a massive top-end AMP Extreme model).

We do recommend the Zotac over MSI’s Armor edition. While we liked that card well enough, its design was uninspired, and it was barely overclocked over stock. Zotac’s take offers more.

EVGA’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC Black Edition is probably the Zotac’s fiercest competition. EVGA has a strong reputation, in that card is priced almost identically. However, the Zotac AMP! Edition does offer a marginally faster overclock. We have not tested EVGA’s option, but we think choosing between it and the Zotac will likely come down to which is on sale at the time you make your purchase.

How long will it last?

By spending as much as possible on a GPU, users are essentially ensuring that this graphics solution will stand the test of time. The performance is more than enough for most modern, high-refresh rate monitors, which leaves plenty of room to go as game demands do the same. Zotac also covers all its graphics solutions for two years, which is better than most cards, and only falls short of offerings from more expensive board partners.

Should you buy it?

Yes. Zotac’s AMP! series cards have always presented a great balance of performance, high-end features, and modest overclocking, and the GTX 1080 Ti rendition is no different. It does so well under the price of competing cards, and there isn’t much else you could ask for when it comes to selecting a GPU.

Google’s AlphaGo beats world’s best ‘Go’ player in the first of three matches

Why it matters to you

Although AI continues to best the world’s greatest game players, they are keeping the fight alive by using the AI’s own moves against them.

Although it is widely accepted that artificial intelligence will one day be able to beat humans at just about any game, that does not mean we have stopped trying. In the first of three planned games, the best Go player in the world tried to use Google’s AlphaGo AI’s own moves against it, but to no avail. In this latest series of games, the AI is winning 1-0.

It’s been two decades since supercomputers were used to beat the world’s best chess players, which is why over the past few years Go, the far more complex game, has been the subject of much research by AI developers and game players alike. But despite humanity’s greatest efforts, they have been toppled time and again, leading some to resort to some interesting tactics.

The latest attempt saw arguably the world’s greatest Go player, 19-year-old Ke Jie, adopt strategies shown by the AlphaGo system during earlier games. He was previously been defeated by the AI in January but like any great player, he learned from it and brought some of the ideas AlphaGo developed to the table this time around. While it did not help him win, according to DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis, it did lead to some exciting gameplay.

However, the match was hard-fought. Jie eventually lost by just half a point, the closest margin possible in a game of Go. While ArsTechnica does point out that AlphaGo is programmed to aim for victory alone rather than trying to dominate the opposition, the feat is still impressive and suggests that while AI may have the advantage in Go play, the best human minds can still give it a run for its money.

Indeed, Jie is not done yet. He still has two more games to play, the first on Thursday, followed by a final game on Saturday. AlphaGo is also set to try its luck against a team of five pro players as part of an exhibition game on Friday. Perhaps the combined might of high-tier players will be enough to topple what is arguably the greatest Go mind ever created, even if it is an artificial one.

New Surface Pen overhauls and expands inking for Office 365

Why it matters to you

Office 365 is looking to facilitate hand-drawn collaboration on documents with its new inking features, encouraging users to pick up a brand-new Surface Pen.

Microsoft’s new Surface Pro might be as unfixed as it was unbroken in its previous incarnations, but there are quite a few exciting changes coming with it. Updates to inking in Office 365 go hand in hand with a brand-new and far more sensitive Surface Pen, and the Microsoft Whiteboard app should now be more collaborative than ever.

Along with the option for a fanless design, one of the features highlighted in our look at the new Surface Pro was its upgraded Surface Pen. With more than 4,000 pressure points for added sensitivity, the new pen can take advantage of a variety of new functions when inking Office documents. Tilt functions and low-latency support are now available in all Office 365 applications.

This means that you can adjust the thickness and texture of your ink depending on the angle of the pen. With almost no latency, drawing more complex shapes and an improved fluidity to the experience should be possible for all users.

Other new features include additional ink effects and textures, letting you draw more complicated images in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Although not as fully featured as bespoke artistic applications, it should be possible to create some quite pretty images by hand even within those typically more office-orientated apps.

Some of those features are available already, though they are limited to Fast Ring Windows Insiders. Microsoft claims that the new ink effects will become more widely available for Office 365 users in June.

Once they do arrive, you’ll be able to take them across various apps as you go, with a personalized “pencil case,” of artistic tools. Microsoft’s update will see the apps offer a gallery between apps that showcases your favorite pens, pencils, and highlighters, giving you quick and easy access no matter which app you’re using.

But Microsoft doesn’t want you to keep your Surface Pen skills to yourself. In an update for the Whiteboard app for Windows 10, Microsoft has introduced collaborative inking so that friends and colleagues can annotate together with all of their favorite digital pens and pencils.

Although the app isn’t a widespread one at the moment, Microsoft is looking to change that in the future and that includes bringing it to the new Surface Pro. Office 365 subscribers will have exclusive abilities within the app, though all users will have access to additional new features like geometry recognition, table conversion, and automatic table shading.

Scrolling mobile web pages in Safari is about to get a whole lot smoother

Why it matters to you

Scrolling across iOS and Safari should be much more uniform in the future, but not everyone is happy with Google’s hand in it.

Apple is making changes to the way the Safari mobile browser operates in order to make scrolling smoother, regardless of the website being viewed. As it stands, certain sites can scroll a little differently depending on whether they use Google’s accelerated mobile pages (AMP) system.

Although Google’s AMP system is supposed to speed up page navigation and scrolling, it’s not something everyone is happy with. Daring Fireball’s Jon Gruber bashed the system on a Hacker News post. This lead to a member of the AMP team commenting about the scrolling disparity in Safari. They claimed to be aware of the issue and that they had actually spoken to Apple about it. Better yet, the Cupertino, California-based company listened.

Instead of taking the AMP team’s suggestion that it make scrolling on AMP sites the same as those on regular sites, it’s pledged to do the opposite. As Engadget explains, the reason is that Google’s AMP scrolling in Safari is actually far closer to how scrolling works in other aspects of iOS, due to a deliberate design decision in Safari made some time ago.

That decision is no longer relevant, so Apple is now looking to make scrolling faster and smoother across all websites, regardless of their AMP implementation.

This is likely to be a mixed bag of an announcement for iOS users. While a unified scrolling experience is much less confusing for the average user and AMP has its fans, there are others who don’t like the way it operates. AMP currently breaks a few features on Safari, such as auto-scrolling at certain taps and automatically hiding top and bottom bars.

Certain developers don’t like the way that Google has control of such an important part of the iOS ecosystem either, but with Apple planning to make AMP-like changes to Safari, they may have to accept that moving forward.

Apple is expected to implement the new, AMP-like scrolling officially in the next Safari mobile release.