NASA canceled our first step toward returning humans to the moon

It’s been awhile since anyone who covers space has excitedly talked about landing humans on Mars. After all, despite the fact that NASA often cites this as one of its goals, it just does not have the budgets to accomplish this lofty goal before 2050. That’s why NASA’s rhetoric has shifted to the moon. Back in December, President Trump signed a directive which orders NASA to return astronauts to the moon and “eventually” send them to Mars. Clearly, the moon is on the administration’s brain.

That’s why NASA’s latest move is so baffling. As The Verge reports, NASA cancelled the Resource Prospector. It’s the only robotic mission that is currently in the works to land on the lunar surface. The Resource Prospector “aims to be the first mining expedition on another world,” according to NASA’s website. The rover was going to land at the lunar poles to examine in-depth the ice that other spacecraft have found there and mine it.

It’s incredibly expensive to launch resources from Earth into space, so if we do set up a moon base, it’s important that we use whatever resources are available on the lunar surface to the best of our ability. That’s why we need to learn more about the characteristics of this moon ice. Many in the space and science communities viewed the Resource Prospector as the first step towards sending humans back to the moon. And now it’s been cancelled.

The cancellation is likely for budgetary reasons, rather than practical ones. As The Verge recounts, thanks to expert Dr. Phil Metzger, the Resource Prospector was originally funded by the program that supports human exploration. It was moved into the science program, but its goals don’t really fit that directorate.

It’s not clear what happens now. Many are calling for the Resource Prospector to be reinstated within the human exploration program. And the new administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, has made clear he intends to land humans on the moon, and he knows that starts with “an aggressive robotic program.” Canceling the only robotic lunar mission NASA currently has on the books just doesn’t make sense.

Source: The Verge

The best food processor

By Christine Cyr Clisset and Michael Sullivan

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After spending 50 hours researching food processors, interviewing experts, and conducting nearly four years of long-term testing, we still think the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor is the best choice for most home cooks. Its simple, pared-down design makes it easier to use and clean than models with more settings or multiple bowls, and we found it to be built more solidly than other processors in this price range. In our tests, the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor tackled a multitude of chopping and shredding tasks exceptionally well.

Who should get this

A food processor is the best tool for quickly performing a variety of chopping, slicing, and shredding tasks—such as chopping nuts, slicing vegetables, and shredding cheese—that would be more tedious and time-consuming by hand. Food processors are also handy for blending wet ingredients (like tomatoes for pasta sauce) or for preparing homemade mayonnaise and vinaigrettes. However, if you want to puree velvety soups or crush ice for smoothies, you’ll need a blender.

How we picked and tested

After testing food processors over the past four years, we still think the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup (pictured fourth from the left) is the best for most people. Photo: Michael Hession

At its most basic, a food processor consists of a work bowl that sits on a motorized driveshaft. The bowl’s lid has a feed tube for inserting food to be chopped, diced, sliced, ground, grated, or even kneaded (in the case of dough). Most food processors come with S-shaped blades and various disks for grating and slicing, but a host of other attachments—such as julienne disks and citrus juicers—are also available. The experts we interviewed all agreed that an 11- to 14-cup processor is most useful for most cooks, though you may also be interested in mini choppers for smaller jobs. These mini food processors have bowls ranging in size from around 1½ cups to 6 cups, but the highest-rated ones hover around 3 cups.

For our 2017 update, we chopped carrots, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and whole almonds in each food processor to gauge evenness of texture. For the processors that came with a disk for grating, we used them to shred soft mozzarella cheese. We tested each full-size processor to see if its motor could withstand the rigors of kneading pizza dough. We also made a 1-cup batch of mayonnaise to see how quickly and evenly the machines could produce a stable emulsification. Finally, we cleaned the bowls, lids, disks, and food pressers of each model by hand eight times.

Our pick: Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor

Photo: Michael Hession

For the fourth year in a row, we think the reasonably priced Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor is best for most people. It excelled at every task we attempted, and does so without any unnecessary extras—it comes with only a stainless steel chopping blade and disks for shredding and slicing that can conveniently stow inside the mixing bowl. Unlike some other models we tested, the Cuisinart Custom’s base remained in place on the counter while running, even when processing double batches of dough.

The Cuisinart Custom chopped vegetables and herbs just as skillfully as more expensive models. In our tests, it evenly chopped tomatoes and shredded soft mozzarella cheese. It made a firmer, more stable mayonnaise than other full-size models we tested. It also effortlessly kneaded pizza dough, our most motor-intensive test. The only task the Cuisinart Custom didn’t excel at was chopping nuts, as it left a handful of large pieces.

Great for small batches: KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Mini Food Processor

We were impressed by the KitchenAid 3.5 Mini Food Processor, which proved to be a workhorse in our tests. Photo: Michael Hession

The affordably priced KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Mini Food Processor offers the best value and performance we’ve found in a mini chopper. It evenly chops a range of ingredients, including tough jumbo carrots. In our tests, it even performed better than the mini-bowl attachments that come with some of the full-size processors. Because it’s so compact and doesn’t come with any unnecessary accessories, the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Mini Processor is easy to clean and store. It weighs 2 pounds, just enough to keep it from stuttering around the counter while in use. The Mini Food Processor can’t make bread dough or shred cheese, but it’s great for completing basic tasks quickly.

The KitchenAid produced more even textures than the other mini processors we tested and did so quickly. We found it had no trouble chopping onions, a quartered tomato, parsley, and even carrots. It also excelled at emulsifications, and we thought it was the easiest food processor of any size to use for making mayo. However, the KitchenAid did have some trouble chopping whole almonds.

A larger, more powerful option: Breville Sous Chef

The Breville Sous Chef performed best overall in our tests, but it’s far larger and has more attachments than most people need. Photo: Michael Hession

The pricey Breville Sous Chef was hands down the best performer in our testing. It offers extra power, a bigger blending bowl, more attachments than most people need, and nicer features. It chopped vegetables, kneaded dough, and shredded mozzarella as well as the Cuisinart Custom did, and it excelled at slicing. The Sous Chef powered through an entire russet potato in less than a second—noticeably faster than any of the other models.

It evenly chopped nuts, tomatoes, and onions, and shredded soft mozzarella cheese too. We liked the Sous Chef’s 2½-cup mini bowl better than its competitors’, especially for mincing parsley. However, it made a slightly looser mayonnaise than the other models we tested, and the mini-bowl insert did not chop almonds as evenly as we would have liked.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

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Nintendo’s E3 plans are all about ‘Super Smash Bros.’ for Switch

Nintendo released its plans for the upcoming E3 video game trade show and they’re all about the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game for Switch. Attendees will be able to view a Super Smash Bros. invitational tournament, have a chance to take part in an exhibition play and get a crack at the game itself at Nintendo’s booth.

On June 11th, Nintendo will gear up for E3 with the opening rounds of the Splatoon 2 World Championship tournament where teams from the US/Canada, Japan, Europe and Australia/New Zealand will compete. Finals will take place the next day as will the Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 tournament. Fans who come dressed as a Nintendo character can score a chance to play the game on stage as well during an exhibition play.

Early on June 12th, Nintendo will debut a video featuring the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game as well as others that will be released in 2018. Games scheduled for release after 2018 won’t be featured during E3, Nintendo said in its announcement. Following the presentation of the video, Nintendo will kick off Nintendo Treehouse: Live, which will feature three days of live gameplay, developer appearances and insider looks at upcoming games, including Super Smash Bros. for Switch. The tournaments, video presentation and Nintendo Treehouse: Live will stream on YouTube and Twitch. You can also watch on Nintendo’s E3 2018 site, here.

From June 12th through 14th, E3 attendees can visit Nintendo’s Los Angeles Convention Center booth to play a selection of games including the new Super Smash Bros. Nintendo says some soon-to-be-released third-party games for Switch will also be featured throughout E3.

Nintendo will be releasing more details about E3 and its events in the coming weeks.

Source: Nintendo

NASA and ESA want to bring Mars soil samples back to Earth

This week, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an a letter of intent to collect soil samples from Mars and return them to the Earth. It’s important to note that this robotic mission is very preliminary: This isn’t an agreement to make this sort of mission happen. Instead, it’s just a first step; the next is to study the feasibility of such an endeavor and decide on whether it’s worth pursuing, which will happen in 2019.

If such a mission were to take place, it would happen in no less than three parts. First, Martian soil samples would have to be prepared for collection. Luckily (or more accurately, because of NASA’s foresight and good planning), that part of the mission will be relatively simple because the groundwork is already in place. The agency’s 2020 Mars rover is already equipped to collect samples of Martian soil for later collection. Additionally ESA’s ExoMars rover (set to land on the red planet in 2021) will drill into the Martian surface and collect samples.

The second part of the mission hasn’t been designed yet. It would consist of some sort of rover and lander that could set down near one or both of these rovers. The rover would head out along the Martian surface and collect the samples left behind, bringing them back to the lander. According to the ESA, the lander would have some sort of small ascent vehicle attached which would launch into orbit once all the samples were aboard. This would be the first rocket launch from Mars.

Finally, a spacecraft launched from the Earth would rendezvous with the ascent vehicle in orbit of Mars and collect the samples. The craft would then head back to the Earth; once it landed, it would be placed into quarantine before being analyzed by scientists.

It’s an ambitious plan, to be sure, with a lot of “ifs.” But, considering we probably aren’t getting humans to Mars anytime soon (at least, not through NASA), it’s a great way to explore Mars without having to send humans to the red planet. It will be interesting to see what the ESA and NASA say about the feasibility of the plan over the next year.

Via: CNET

Source: ESA

Facebook’s original video strategy: Cats + weddings = profit

If you think that the internet is really just a repository for cat videos, well. You’re not really wrong. Facebook announced today that Nala the Cat, who has 3.5 million followers at @nala_cat on Instagram, will be the star of “The Nala Show” on Facebook’s Watch tab. According to Variety, the show’s first episode will be posted today, April 27th, at 1 PM ET. New episodes will be released every Friday.

Variety also reports that Facebook will air a reality TV wedding show from Tamera Mowry-Housley called “Help Us Get Married!” The 12-episode show will focus on three different engaged couples and difficult decisions they have to make along the way. Viewers can vote on what the couples should do and the poll results will be revealed the next day. The show will premiere on Thursday, May 3rd.

Facebook has been pouring money into its Watch tab over the last few months. While the metrics for how many people are watching aren’t publicly available, it’s clear that Facebook will continue to prioritize securing original entertainment of all kinds for its website.

Source: Variety

Satechi Launches New USB-C Pro Hub With Ethernet Port

Satechi today added to its USB-C hub lineup with the launch of the Aluminum Type-C Pro Hub with Ethernet.

Designed for 2016 and 2017 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, the new Pro Hub with Ethernet comes equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a USB-C Power Delivery port that supports 87W of power, two type-A USB 3.0 ports, and a micro SD card slot.

Like other Satechi USB-C hubs, the Pro Hub with Ethernet comes in a brushed aluminum that’s available in either silver or Space Gray to match Apple’s notebooks.

The Pro Hub with Ethernet’s integrated Gigabit Ethernet port is invaluable in a situation where Wi-Fi is either unavailable or unreliable. It supports 10/100/1000Mb/s.

In addition to an Ethernet connection, the Pro Hub supports a 4K monitor through the HDMI port and the USB-C port allows for power delivery. The microSD card slot can be used for importing images and files, while the two USB 3.0 ports allow for data transfer from USB-A accessories.

Satechi’s new Aluminum Type-C Pro Hub with Ethernet can be purchased today from the Satechi website or from Amazon for $99.99.

Tag: Satechi
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Deals: Best Buy Discounts HomePod to $330, HiRise Duet Code Expiring, and More

As part of its ongoing spring sale event, Best Buy today has discounted Apple’s HomePod by $20, bringing the cost of the smart speaker to $329.99, down from $349.99. The speaker is available in both White and Space Gray. While not a massive discount, this is one of the first straight price drops on HomePod since its launch earlier this year, outside of sitewide promo codes on eBay.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Best Buy is also discounting a collection of refurbished Apple Watch devices today only. The 20 percent off Deal of the Day savings include limited stock of the 42mm Space Gray Aluminum Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) for $287.20 and the 38mm version for $263.20, as well as some GPS + Cellular options. The Geek Squad certified refurbished Apple Watch models are restored to a like-new state, verified to work properly, and include all parts and accessories. Best Buy also upholds its regular return and exchange policies for refurbished devices.

As a reminder, our exclusive discount code for Twelve South’s HiRise Duet stand expires tomorrow, April 28. If you’re interested and haven’t used the code yet, head over to Amazon, add the HiRise Duet to your cart, then enter the code 30DUET at checkout to get $30 off the accessory, marking it down to $89.99 from $119.99. Twelve South’s HiRise Duet provides a dual-charging solution for iPhone and Apple Watch, with a Lightning connector and Apple Watch charging puck embedded in the device.

Additionally, DirecTV Now is still offering a 32GB Apple TV 4K at no cost when pre-paying for three months of the streaming TV service. With the deal, you can get a brand new Apple TV for $105, and cancel DirecTV Now before the three months ends if you don’t wish to keep paying for the service. For those looking at new internet plans, AT&T also has an online only deal that nets you a $50 Visa reward card when you purchase AT&T Internet at $40/month for 12 months of service, or up to a $250 reward card when bundling DirecTV and AT&T Internet.

To check out more of the latest sales and offers happening this week, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Nintendo Reveals New Action RPG ‘Dragalia Lost’ Coming to Smartphones Later This Year

Nintendo this week revealed a new smartphone game coming to iOS and Android devices this summer, called “Dragalia Lost.” The game was created through a partnership with Japanese mobile developer Cygames and is described as an all-new “original action RPG” for smartphones. Nintendo co-developed Dragalia Lost and will “jointly operate” the app with Cygames once it launches (via TouchArcade).

For now, not much is known about the game’s story or gameplay mechanics. The Japanese website includes a trailer, which shows off a few of the game’s characters and glimpses of the RPG gameplay. The game is also up for pre-registration for users in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The payment structure of the game is also unknown, but previous apps by Cygames have been reliant upon Japan’s popular “gacha” system, which encourages players to spend real money on in-game currency that they can use to unlock random items. In terms of payment, most of Nintendo’s other smartphone games so far have been reliant upon a free-to-play system, which helped turn Fire Emblem Heroes into Nintendo’s “most successful mobile game to date.”

Nintendo’s new partnership with Cygames confirms a previous rumor that the company is seeking additional game developers to add to its slate after its partnership with DeNA fell behind schedule. DeNA helped Nintendo launch Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The next smartphone game inspired by a Nintendo property will be Mario Kart Tour, expected to launch by March 2019.

Draglia Lost will launch first in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau this summer, and then afterwards debut in North America and Europe. Nintendo also noted that it has obtained an approximate 5 percent stake in Cygames “for the purpose of facilitating the partnership.”

Tag: Nintendo
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Review: Schlage Sense Remains a Top Option Among HomeKit-Enabled Smart Locks

Following my review of the Yale Assure Lock SL deadbolt with HomeKit support last month, a number of readers highlighted the Schlage Sense as another satisfactory HomeKit option worth considering. As it turns out, I’ve been using the Schlage Sense on my front door for quite some time, so it’s worth taking a look at how Schlage’s offering has held up over time.

The Schlage Sense deadbolt was one of the first HomeKit-enabled smart locks, launching over two years ago, yet it remains one of the most popular smart locks on the market among Apple users. In fact, Apple continues to feature the Schlage Sense in its online and retail stores, although it is currently listed as unavailable for both online orders and in-store pickup even though it remains on the shelves at some Apple retail stores.

Unlike the Assure Lock SL that comes in only a single design (albeit with a few color options), the Schlage Sense comes in two different styles that fit in with many of Schlage’s other hardware products: a classic Camelot style and a more modern Century style, with Matte Black, Satin Nickel, and Aged Bronze finishes available depending on style.

I’ve been using a Camelot-style Schlage Sense on my front door, paired with a matching non-locking Camelot doorknob to ensure I can’t be accidentally locked out of my house due to a locked doorknob. The pairing looks good together, with the Camelot style offering a hint of elegance even with a prominent keypad.

Installation

Installation of the Schlage Sense is straightforward, and Schlage includes step-by-step directions to walk you through the process. As long as you’re replacing an existing deadbolt and everything is lined up properly, installation takes just a few minutes and only requires a screwdriver. Just slide the deadbolt assembly into the edge of the door and sandwich it with the interior and exterior portions while connecting the two sides with a cable. A few screws pull everything together, and once you insert the batteries you should be ready to configure the lock.

As is common with smart deadbolts, the interior portion of the Schlage Sense is quite large, which is a rather unfortunate visual look. But with space required for the lock cylinder, electronics, and four AA batteries, there’s only so much that can be done to reduce the size.

Setup and App

Programming and setup are handled through the Schlage Sense app [App Store], which walks you through the process of pairing the lock with your phone over Bluetooth and configuring your lock options such whether the lock beeps as you press the keypad, automatic relocking, and one-touch locking where you don’t have to enter a code. The lock also has an optional alarm mode which can beep when the door is opened or closed or sound an alarm when forced entry is detected.

You can register for a Schlage account and add the Sense or just go straight to HomeKit, allowing the deadbolt to integrate with other HomeKit accessories. The HomeKit setup process is dead simple, requiring just a few steps. With an Apple TV, iPad, or HomePod around the house, you can use HomeKit to view the lock status and lock or unlock from anywhere, but if you don’t want to use HomeKit, Schlage offers a $70 Wi-Fi adapter to provide remote access.

The app also lets you set up multiple user codes to limit access to your home. When adding a code, you’ll have the option of specifying certain days and times when the code will work, which is handy for pet-sitters and others who need only temporary access to your home.

The main screen of the app gives you quick access to lock status, and a simple tap anywhere on the large lock graphic locks or unlocks the deadbolt. Of course, with HomeKit integration, you can use the Home app or Siri to perform the same functions.

The app also lets you see a history of lock events, showing what days and times the deadbolt was locked and unlocked, with details such as whether it was locked or unlocked via the exterior touchscreen or interior thumb turn, as well as which user code was used for an exterior unlock.

The app won’t win any design awards and there’s a little layout issue on iPhone X, but it doesn’t interfere with any of the app’s functions.

General Operation

The Schlage Sense operates smoothly, with a satisfying heft to the thumb turn on the interior and simple keypad operation on the outside. Entering a user code on the keypad requires pressing the “Schlage” button at the top of the pad, which lights up the keypad, and then entering the four-digit code that unlocks the door. The same process locks the door from the outside unless you’ve turned on one-touch locking, which immediately locks the door when you press the Schlage button without the need to enter a user code.

While unlocking and locking, the Schlage Sense can utilize two different power levels to assist with moving the motorized deadbolt. The lock will first attempt to extend or retract the deadbolt at a lower power level, but if it is unsuccessful due to alignment being off or pressure being placed on the door that provides more resistance, the lock will increase power and try again. The motor is fairly noisy at both power levels.

The higher power undoubtedly burns through batteries more quickly (how much I’m not sure), but if your installation has everything lined up properly the higher power should rarely be needed. About the only time I’ve had the high-power mode activate is when trying to lock and I didn’t quite get the door closed all the way. I’ve also triggered it a few times when I failed to wait for unlocking to complete before trying to push the door open and the pressure of pushing the deadbolt against the door jamb prevented the bolt from retracting under the low-power mode.

HomeKit

Adding the Schlage Sense to your HomeKit home is a simple process of scanning the HomeKit code during the setup process. Once it’s part of your home, you can view and control the lock via the Home app on iOS or through Siri. You can also add it to automation routines with rooms, scenes, and triggers such as a “Good Night” scene to secure your house at bedtime.

Schlage Sense also works with Amazon Alexa and should be receiving an update soon to offer support for Google Assistant.

Bugs

I did have an issue related to the release of iOS 10.2 where I became unable to apply firmware updates to my Schlage Sense. At the time, Schlage customer service told me it was a known issue with some users and that I would be notified when an app update was released to address the issue. Over time, I also began getting less and less life out of each set of batteries, and I was never able to get firmware updates working again on the lock. After a couple months of waiting for a fix that never came and my battery life running down to just a week per set rather than the 6–12 months I should have been seeing, I contacted support again and they quickly sent out a free replacement.

Since that time, the only issue I’ve run into is an occasional bug where the deadbolt has been unlocked but still thinks it’s locked. It’s a very rare issue that I only notice when I try to one-touch lock the door from the keypad and nothing happens because it’s waiting for me to enter an unlock code.

Other than these two issues, the Schlage Sense has been reliable throughout the time I’ve owned it, and I’ve never found myself unable to gain access to my house. I do have smart locks and keypads on all of the entrances of my house to help provide peace of mind should any of them fail, and as a result I haven’t carried house keys on me when leaving the house in years.

Wrap-up

Over two years after its launch, the Schlage Sense remains one of the most popular HomeKit-enabled smart locks, and it’s easy to see why. It comes from a trusted brand that has helped it gain visibility in Home Depot, Lowe’s and other retailers where homeowners shop for their door hardware, and the exterior keypad has a nice look that’s not too bulky while still able to accept a traditional key. The two different styles give you options to fit in with different looks, and when I had an issue with the lock Schlage was quick to send out a replacement.

The Schlage Sense is available in Camelot and Century styles, with the Camelot available in Satin Nickel or Aged Bronze and the Century available in Satin Nickel or Matte Black. The list price is $229, but some retailers such as Amazon typically have prices closer to $200, with third-party retailers through Amazon sometimes going even lower.

Note: Schlage/Allegion provided the Schlage Sense to MacRumors free of charge for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

Tags: HomeKit, Schlage, Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt
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Microsoft confirms new Surface products will arrive later this year

New Surface hardware will likely arrive soon according to comments made by Microsoft executives during the company’s fiscal third quarter results conference call on Thursday. Microsoft said its Surface business grew 32 percent year over year, and the company expects that number to grow even higher in its fiscal fourth quarter and into fiscal 2019 starting July 1 due to an updated Surface hardware portfolio. 

“We expect Surface revenue growth in the high teens as we continue to transition to the latest products in our portfolio,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Microsoft. She added that the company also saw better than expected performance from its latest Surface Book. 

Microsoft experienced tremendous growth across the board in its fiscal third quarter, with its Azure-branded cloud platform leading the pack with a 93 percent year-over-year growth. Following behind Azure is Dynamics 365 with a 65-percent growth, Office 365 commercial with a 42 percent growth, and LinkedIn with a 37 percent growth. Microsoft’s entire gaming division grew 18 percent year-over-year while its Xbox software and services alone grew 24 percent. 

“Our results this quarter reflect the trust people and organizations are placing in the Microsoft Cloud,” Nadella said in a press release. “We are innovating across key growth categories of infrastructure, AI, productivity, and business applications to deliver differentiated value to customers.” 

According to Microsoft, LinkedIn sessions grew 30 percent in the third fiscal quarter, leading to a 37 percent increase in revenue compared to the same quarter in fiscal 2017. Meanwhile, subscriptions to Office 365 in the mainstream market reached 30.6 million, a 12 percent increase in revenue. Office 365 in the commercial sector jumped 42 percent, which helped the overall commercial products and cloud services revenue to increase 14 percent year-over-year.  

The hint about new Surface hardware in the next several months should come as no surprise. Microsoft’s BUILD developer conference begins May 7, 2018 and could serve as a launch platform for new Surface devices.  Microsoft is due to refresh its Surface Studio, Surface Laptop, Surface Book, and Surface Pro hardware. There’s also some kind of a Surface Notepad or Surface Phone supposedly in the works as well. 

Other interesting tidbits pulled from the conference call include an increase in Windows OEM revenue of four percent, and an increase in search revenue of 16 percent. It’s Enterprise Services revenue jumped eight percent while its server products and cloud services increased 20 percent. Overall, its Intelligent Cloud revenue hit $7.9 billion, up 17 percent. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review
• New code in Windows 10 preview hints at a Surface Phone arrival
• New Microsoft patent hints at potential design of Surface Phone
• Five years on, Microsoft’s Surface has made your PC better
• Most Windows 10 devices across the globe now have Fall Creators Update