Microsoft Reveals Wireless ‘Modern Keyboard’ With Hidden Fingerprint ID Sensor

Microsoft has quietly posted two new accessories onto its online storefront, called the “Modern Keyboard” and “Modern Mouse” (via Engadget). Both devices are built to visually match the company’s line of Surface products and connect to Windows PCs, but the Modern Keyboard will also connect to any macOS and iOS device that supports Bluetooth 4.0.

The Modern Keyboard has a low profile with an aluminum frame that Microsoft says is “virtually indestructible,” while still remaining sleek. It can also be used wirelessly through Bluetooth 4.0 or with a wired connection, includes a rechargeable battery that can last up to two months on one charge, and weighs about 14.79 ounces.

Notably, the Modern Keyboard includes a hidden fingerprint sensor located between the Alt and Ctrl keys that lets users unlock their Windows 10 devices with a simple finger press using Windows Hello. Although the keyboard can be used on a Mac, iPhone, and iPad to type, the fingerprint unlocking feature is not compatible with Apple devices.

Microsoft said that its goal was to seamlessly blend the fingerprint sensor into a key on the keyboard, “so it would appear to be any other key.”

Our vision was to blend the Fingerprint reader into a keyboard, so it would appear to be any other key.

We iterated relentlessly to improve each layer, making sure they came together to create a flawless typing experience that felt like any other key.

Microsoft’s new keyboard falls in line with a similar product requested by Mac fans since the debut of Touch ID within the MacBook Pro’s keyboard last year, which would be a Magic Keyboard for Mac with Touch ID included somewhere on the device. Last week, Apple launched a new Magic Keyboard with a number pad, but it lacks a Touch Bar and Touch ID.

The Modern Mouse is made out of similar metal material as the keyboard and includes “premium precision pointing and clicking,” according to Microsoft, but it lacks compatibility with macOS. It also uses AAA batteries with a battery life of around 12 months.

Both devices have a “coming soon” banner on their pages, so it’s unclear when exactly the accessories will launch. When they do, users will be able to buy the Modern Keyboard for $129.99 and Modern Mouse for $49.99.

Tag: Microsoft
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Eating a cookie of the future made with recycled bread

There’s plenty of food to go around, but most of it is left rotting in the back of our cupboards rather than in the hands of those who need it. Imagine the scenes at a bakery at the end of a slow day, its shelves packed high with bread that’s rapidly going stale. It’s a problem that French startup Expliceat is hoping to cure with its plan to turn spare loaves into cookies, muffins and pancakes.

It’s not a new idea, and you can scour Pinterest for hundreds of recipes that recycle bread into cakes using a blender to create breadcrumb flour. What’s novel here is that Expliceat has built a commercial mill that’s just designed to crumb down bread that it rents out to commercial bakeries. In addition, the startup is working with French mega-retailer Carrefour on a small trial of the product that, if successful, will see these cookies sold all over the country.

I’ve tried a few of these recycled food products over the years, including cupcakes from Mexican startup Limmo. In that instance, Limmo powder is made up of leftover fruit residue from a smoothie factory that’s used as a bulking agent. Because of its fruity sources, burger buns made with Limmo’s product are also far healthier than the standard options. If there’s a downside, it’s that you’re always aware that you’re not eating the real thing, although it’d be easy to get used to.

Speaking of taste, I’m told that Expliceat’s cookies will be marketed as a premium product designed to accompany a swanky coffee. I’m sorry to say that you’ll need something alongside the foodstuff because it’s not that pleasant on its own. The crumb is a little bit too big and you need plenty of oil and butter to bind it all together, making the end product far too oily. The bitter chocolate chips don’t help matters, and the recipe needs tweaking to be a little more palatable.

It’s important to remember, however, that climate change is an ever-increasing threat to our crops and food production. By reducing the amount of wastage, it may help to ensure that future generations can get bougie cookies without any guilt.

‘Vampyr’ is more about who you kill than how you do it

Developer Dontnod has taken a sharp turn from its previous games Life is Strange and Remember Me with Vampyr, but there’s more to think about than just another angle on gender politics. We stopped by the booth and got a guided tour throughout a few sections of the game that showed us more about how combat works and what kind of choices your character will have to make. Going beyond mere moody lurking in the shadows, we watched the player’s character Dr. Jonathan Reed struggle between his role as a doctor in Spanish Flu-stricken 1918 London and the reality of being a recently turned vampire who kills humans to survive.

While the hospital where he works has been declared neutral ground, adversaries in the game will include vampire hunters, as well as “skals,” dangerous creatures that vampires can turn into. The action and combat sections will be fairly familiar to gamers, with special powers that are charged up by Reed’s blood bar, plus the standard health and stamina meters. The combat we saw leaned heavily on the ability to stun enemies, who can bring items like guns or flamethrowers to the battle. Naturally, there are deep skill trees available that will allow a player to customize their character and attack in the way that they want to as the game goes on.

Vampyr

Focus Home Interactive

The real twist, other than the game’s post-World War I atmosphere, is how relationships between each character in the game exist and are affected by Reed’s actions. A section we saw that’s not in the trailer below showed Reed interrogating a man who, as it turned out, was a serial killer with numerous victims. His crimes gave Reed more reason to consider sacrificing him for his blood, however, another option was to kill his adopted mother, who, while innocent of murder, had better quality blood that would give Reed more XP. Another thing to think about is that when you drink someone’s blood, you gain access to their memories, and with many situations to investigate that may come in handy.

The section ended with the same choice shown in the video, with Reed choosing what to do about a fellow vampire who he suspects of attacking a man at the hospital, putting everyone at risk. Of course, choosing who to kill and who to spare will change things for everyone in the world of Vampyr, and may help this tile break out of the action-game pack when it arrives this fall on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Source: Vampyr

Meet the people behind Engadget’s $500,000 immersive art grant

Just over a month ago, I announced the Engadget Alternate Realities grant program, an initiative aimed at funding art projects that embrace new media and immersive technologies. With just two weeks left until our submission deadline (June 30th, 2017), I wanted to give you a little more information about the project and the people who helped shape it.

We’re at a critical moment in the development of new creative platforms. Companies like HTC, Sony, Microsoft and Google are fundamentally altering the way we experience the world through AR, VR and AI. Meanwhile, artists, musicians, filmmakers and developers are pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling, embracing those technologies to explore world’s beyond our own.

Engadget wanted to shed a light on that work, so we reached out to some of the people making that work possible, and, with their input, created the Engadget Alternate Realities grant program. From now until June 30th, we’re accepting submissions for new, existing or altered works that make creative use of new technologies to explore the theme of Alternate Realities. Those projects will debut at The Engadget Experience, a one-day event at the United Artists’ theatre in downtown LA November 16th, 2017.

You can find more information about the event, our grant program and how to apply at the event page here. In the meantime, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to the incredible people helping to shape the event and select the recipients of our first-ever Engadget Alternate Realities grant program.

Stacy Switzer, Fathomers

Stacy Switzer, Fathomers

Stacy Switzer is curator and executive director of Fathomers. Launched in Los Angeles in January 2016, Fathomers is a creative research institute dedicated to producing sites and encounters that challenge us to live and act differently in the world. Fathomers’ first projects include a round-the-world collaboration with artist Michael Jones McKean designed to unfold over the next seven to 70 years, visioning the biological internet with artist and MycoWorks founder Phil Ross, and an exploration of value and ethics with artist Jill Magid. Switzer was artistic director of Grand Arts, a contemporary art project space in Kansas City, Missouri, from 2004 to 2015, and is co-editor of Problems and Provocations: Grand Arts 1995-2015, published by Grand Arts and available from Artbook | D.A.P.

Alison Hearst, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

Alison Hearst, Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth

Alison Hearst is Assistant Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Hearst is the curator of the museum’s FOCUS exhibition series and has presented solo exhibitions of artists including Fred Tomaselli, Joyce Pensato, Glenn Kaino, Thomas Demand, Lorna Simpson and Stanley Whitney, among others.

Hearst was the assistant curator of the major exhibitions “Urban Theater: New York Art in the 1980s” (2014) and “México Inside Out: Themes in Art Since 1990” (2013). She recently organized “Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings” (2016), which was on view at the Lowe Art Museum, Miami, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The exhibition is currently on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., and will travel to the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, and the Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln.

Bryn Mooser, RYOT

Bryn Mooser, RYOT

Bryn Mooser is the CEO and co-founder of RYOT. Recently acquired by AOL, RYOT is the leading immersive- media company specializing in virtual and augmented reality. As a twice-Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Mooser has overseen the production of more than 200 linear and immersive films created by RYOT. Mooser is also pioneering narrative virtual reality storytelling, launching the first-ever virtual reality global news show and comedy series.

RYOT’s work has earned accolades across the industry, including recognition as an Emmy Awards 2016 finalist for HuffPost RYOT’s “The Crossing” and a Peabody Award finalist. Before starting RYOT, Bryn spent years as a humanitarian, serving in the Peace Corps in Africa and working in Haiti, where he helped build the country’s largest secondary school in Port-au-Prince, which now educates 3,000 Haitian youths per year.

Eugene Chung, Penrose

Eugene Chung, Penrose

Eugene Chung is a film director and the founder of Penrose, a startup focused on augmented and virtual reality. Previously, Eugene was Head of Film & Media at Oculus VR, which was later acquired by Facebook for $2 billion. While at Oculus, Eugene co-created Story Studio, bringing together storytellers and artists from Pixar. Prior to Oculus, he was with New Enterprise Associates and Pixar Animation Studios. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Harvard.

Source: Engadget Alternate Realities

Amazon is buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion

In a surprising turn of events, Amazon and Whole Foods Market announced this morning that they are merging; Amazon will acquire the high-end organic food company for approximately $13.7 billion cash. The deal is expected to close during the second half of this year. Whole Foods is retaining its CEO, cofounder John Mackey, and they will continue to operate their stores independently. The company’s headquarters will remain in Austin, Texas.

Mackey emphasizes that this purchase is a partnership with Amazon, rather than any sort of takeover. “This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, while at the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers,” he said in the press release. It’s Amazon’s largest acquisition, after the company’s purchase of Zappos in 2009 for around $1.2 billion.

Amazon has been contemplating this takeover for some time, as they have been moving more and more into the food sector with services like AmazonFresh. But this move also gives the online retail giant immediate brick-and-mortar access to a certain type of consumer with disposable income. While it’s true that many companies Amazon has acquired have continued to operate independently, it’s hard not to wonder whether we’ll start seeing Kindles and Amazon Echos popping up at Whole Foods.

Source: Amazon

Foxconn Attempts to Ease Concerns Over China Ties as Sale of Toshiba’s Memory Chip Unit Nears End

Foxconn chairman Terry Gou has spoken out about the ongoing sale for Toshiba’s memory chip unit, which has made headlines over the past few weeks as multiple companies have entered the bidding to win the sought-after unit. Previously, Foxconn was perceived as a long shot for winning the bid due to its connections with China, a fact believed to sit unfavorably with Japanese-owned Toshiba.

Now, Gou is presenting points of argument as to why Foxconn’s acquisition of Japanese technology would not hurt Toshiba nor the Japanese government, because he says Foxconn would not seek to import any of Toshiba’s technologies to Foxconn’s China plants (via DigiTimes). Gou argued that Foxconn is simply an enterprise “seeking new markets” in Japan, “and making investments in these markets is very normal.”

With Foxconn’s help, Gou said that Toshiba has the potential to improve its technology so it doesn’t lag behind the advancements of its competitors. Another point of contention for Japanese officials fearful of Foxconn winning the unit centered upon the China-based company leaking secrets behind Toshiba’s best technology, to which Gou said such a practice would never benefit Foxconn or any of its partners.

Gou felt he had to speak out “to clarify many of the false accusations that have been made about Foxconn over the past few weeks.”

Gou said that leaking technology would not benefit Foxconn or any of Foxconn’s partners, and would only hurt Toshiba’s future development. With all the outcomes coming out negatively, there would be no point for Foxconn to leak IP, Gou stated.

Gou noted that Toshiba’s technology R&D will remain and continue to be processed in Japan, a pointed out that a company with leadership in technology development does not need to be afraid of being copied.

Since Foxconn owns its production lines and plants, details of production procedures would be kept within the plants. Foxconn would also apply to patent Toshiba’s technologies to prevent infringement, Gou noted.

Gou finally said that Foxconn is simply “looking to survive” by bidding on the Toshiba memory chip unit, as well as reduce costs and improve its supply chain delivery times. The last we heard about the bidding, Foxconn had rallied U.S. companies Apple and Amazon to chip in funds to help Foxconn win the unit. Foxconn’s first bid was around $27B, and it was never clear if additional funds would be enough to calm Toshiba’s worries about the company’s ties to China.

In another corner of the ongoing bidding for Toshiba’s memory chip unit, Western Digital has continued to go after Toshiba, this week seeking a court injunction that would prevent Toshiba from selling the unit without Western Digital’s consent (via Reuters). Western Digital and Toshiba are partners in the chip manufacturing business, and the new injunction is said to have emerged after the U.S.-based Western Digital discovered it was left out of a new Japanese government-led group formed to come together and bid for the unit.

Although sources close to the sale say that Western Digital’s legal actions threaten to throw the whole auction “into disarray,” Toshiba has said in a statement that it is proceeding with selecting a bidder “by the second half of June,” as has always been planned. A final, definitive winner for the unit is expected to be decided by June 28.

Tags: Foxconn, Toshiba
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Apple Hires Executives From Sony Pictures TV to Lead Push Into Original Programming

Apple today announced that television executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg will be joining the company to help craft its new slate of original video programming. The two will lead Apple’s video programming efforts on a worldwide scale and report to senior vice president of internet software and services, Eddy Cue.

Image via Variety
Erlicht and Van Amburg are joining Apple from Sony Pictures Television, where they were presidents of the company since 2005 and helped produce shows like AMC’s Breaking Bad
and Better Call Saul, Netflix’s The Crown, Amazon’s Sneaky Pete, and more.

Erlicht said that he and Van Amburg will attempt to create content of “unparalleled quality,” matching Apple’s success in its other product categories.

“Jamie and Zack are two of the most talented TV executives in the world and have been instrumental in making this the golden age of television,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We have exciting plans in store for customers and can’t wait for them to bring their expertise to Apple — there is much more to come.”

“It will be an honor to be part of the Apple team,” said Jamie Erlicht. “We want to bring to video what Apple has been so successful with in their other services and consumer products — unparalleled quality.”

“Apple has a relentless focus on delighting customers with their products,” said Zack Van Amburg. “We will bring that same intention to Apple’s programming and we could not be more excited about what lies ahead.”

The hiring announcement today represents Apple’s latest move into establishing its presence in the original TV production space, and comes on the heels of the debut of the company’s first show on Apple Music called Planet of the Apps. Later this summer, Apple Music will also debut Carpool Karaoke: The Series as its next streaming show.

In today’s press release, Apple talked up the pair’s history for creating diverse content — from sitcom The Goldbergs to supernatural action comedy Preacher — but no word was given on the specific kind of television that Erlicht and Van Amburg would be working on for Apple, or when any of the shows they produce might be coming out.
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Maze Alpha: Everything you need to know

Why it matters to you

True bezel-less screens on smartphones are the future, and a new company is about to make its mark by introducing one that costs a lot less than the competition.

Update: Now you can pre-order the Maze Alpha, we’ve updated our story with all the official details

The Xiaomi Mi Mix is one of the most striking smartphones we’ve seen in the last year or so, breaking from design convention and including technology we expect to see more of in the future. However, it’s not the only one looking to make a splash with an edge-to-edge display on a smartphone. Step forward, industry newcomer Maze, which has announced a phone called the Alpha.

Details about the phone have been teased since March, and now, after a short delay from the originally planned April announcement, the Maze Alpha is available to order. The phone is being sold online through Chinese electronics importer GearBest, but Maze is targeting Europe with the phone, and has included 4G LTE connectivity using the most common bands. Unfortunately, U.S. 4G LTE bands aren’t supported by the Alpha, but 3G signals should be fine.

The standout feature of the Maze Alpha is its borderless screen, which in the final photos is revealed to be a slightly different take on the style to other manufacturers. There is a very small bezel at the top of the device, housing the speaker, but none appear visible down the sides. Unusually, a fingerprint sensor sits beneath the screen, rather than on the back like the Mi Mix and the Essential PH-1.

It’s a hefty phone in every way. The metal framed device weighs 225 grams, and measures 8.1mm thick, while the IPS LCD screen measures 6-inches. It has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and a piece of curved 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 over the top, with the end result being an 83 percent screen-to-body ratio and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Flip the phone over and you’ll find a dual-lens camera in the top corner, because what self-respecting phone doesn’t have one in 2017? One lens has 13 megapixels and the other 5 megapixels, but we’re not sure how they will operate yet. Maze says the f/2.2 aperture lenses add more detail and color to pictures, which makes us think they will work like the two lenses on the Xiaomi Mi5S Plus, and may not provide telephoto or bokeh effect features. There’s electronic image stabilization, autofocus, and HDR, plus on the front is a 5 megapixel selfie camera with an 84 degree wide-angle lens.

Maze has chosen a MediaTek Helio P25 processor for the Alpha, and paired it with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on whether you buy the 64GB or 128GB storage version. There’s a MicroSD card slot to give either number a boost. The Helio P25 started arriving in phones at the beginning of 2017. The good news is the Maze Alpha runs Android 7.0 Nougat, and apparently doesn’t deviate far from Google’s OS, which bodes well. Other features include a big 4,000mAh battery, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C with fast charging capability.

How much for all this? It’s a very competitive $180, or about 145 British pounds, a price set for the duration of the pre-sale which runs between now and June 30. This is for the 4GB/64GB model, and the 6GB/128GB version is expected to arrive in August. Maze is a newcomer, but there’s considerable muscle behind the project. It’s part of a larger corporation based in Shenzhen, China, with more than 850 employees, an 80-person-strong research and development team, and partnerships with everyone from Qualcomm and Samsung (which supplies the rear camera technology) to Japan Display and MediaTek.

We like what we see so far, but hope the Alpha ends up being less of a slippery little devil than the Mi Mix.

HTC U11 outselling HTC 10, M9

Early demand makes the U11 the most sought-after HTC phone since the M8.

After years of decline in the smartphone market, HTC needed the U11 to be a success, and it looks like the new flagship phone is off to a promising start. According to Focus Taiwan, HTC smartphone division head Chia-lin Chang told shareholders and local journalists that in its first month of availability, the U11 was outselling the previous two flagships, the HTC 10 and One M9.

An additional uptick in demand for the U11 is expected in early July, Chang reportedly told the shareholder meeting. The comparison with the HTC 10 and M9 is significant in light of the U11’s narrower carrier availability in some key markets like the U.S.

HTC will reportedly cut its phone lineup to just three or four models per year.

Chang said HTC faced additional challenges in the run up to the rollout of 5G connectivity, adding that in the current smartphone market increased sales don’t necessarily translate into increased profits. HTC will continue to trim down operating costs, while cutting the number of individual phone models launched each year down to just three or four. (That number likely doesn’t include any Pixel phones that HTC would manufacture for Google as an ODM, or original device manufacturer.)

The slimmed-down lineup of HTC phones would likely see HTC doubling down on key price points, like the premium segment — with the U series — and the mid-range space, where the repurposed HTC One brand has been deployed. A focus on fewer, better phones would also allow HTC to be more nimble with its design, marketing and engineering resources, which would help its (currently precarious) balance sheet.

Looking further ahead, Chang said HTC would focus its R&D efforts on 5G in anticipation of faster mobile services launching in 2020.

In the short term though, HTC will be hoping the U11’s early momentum doesn’t fizzle later in the year, as the phone faces further competition from OnePlus, Huawei, Samsung and Apple.

HTC U11

• HTC U11 review
• HTC U11 specs
• Manufacturing the U11: Behind the scenes
• Join our U11 forums
• HTC U11 vs Galaxy S8
• HTC U11 vs LG G6

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Moto C Plus will be exclusive to Flipkart in India, launch set for June 19

The Moto C Plus will target the entry-level segment in India.

Another week, another Motorola phone. The company has just announced that it will launch the Moto C Plus in India on June 19, with the phone set to be offered exclusively on Flipkart. The handset will likely be sold in the country for under ₹10,000.

The phone comes with a 5-inch 720p display, MediaTek MT6737 SoC with four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz, variants with 1GB or 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, microSD slot, 8MP camera, 2MP front shooter, Bluetooth 4.2, and a massive 4000mAh battery. The phone is available in four color options — Metallic Cherry, Pearl White, Fine Gold and Starry Black — and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

We should know more about the pricing on Monday, but the Moto C Plus is going to face tough competition from the likes of the recently-launched Nokia 3 and the bevy of Chinese devices already available in the country. The Nokia 3 costs the same amount of money as the Moto C Plus, has similar hardware, and will be available from over 80,000 retail stores in the country.

When you look at the online space, players like Xiaomi continue to dominate with the Redmi 4A and Redmi 4, offering much better hardware at a lesser cost.