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By TarasBuria · Posted
Microsoft unveils new Surface Laptop with improved trackpad, Snapdragon X2, and more by Taras Buria Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra generated a lot of buzz earlier this month, but in addition to its most powerful laptop with an NVIDIA chip, Microsoft also has a more affordable laptop lineup, which has been waiting for an update for quite a while. Today, Microsoft announced the eighth-generation Surface Laptop. The new Surface Laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X2 Plus and X2 Elite processors. These chips offer faster CPU performance, up to 58% faster graphics, and 80 TOPS Neural Processing Units (NPUs) for on-device AI processing. Like the previous models, these chips retain their great energy efficiency, and Microsoft says that buyers can expect up to 20 hours of work on a single charge. The laptop is available in two sizes: 13.8-inch and 15-inch. You will have a hard time finding visual differences between the new and previous models, as Microsoft is not taking any major design leaps, except for the new Jade color, which may look familiar to Surface Laptop 5 owners. Other colors include Platinum, Black, and Dune. The 15-inch variant got a higher-resolution display. It is a 3,270 x 2,180 resolution screen with a pixel density of 262 ppi (the 13-inch model has a 201 ppi density) and a maximum brightness of 600 nits SDR and HDR. Unlike the Surface Pro 12th-gen, which is available with optional OLED displays, the Surface Laptop sticks with IPS, a 1,300:1 contrast ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 3:2 aspect ratio. Another notable change in the Surface Laptop 8 is its trackpad. It now provides haptic feedback when you perform various actions in apps and the operating system. It is a relatively new feature that Microsoft brought to Windows 11 in recent updates, and it is only available on certain devices, such as the Logitech MX Master 4, Surface Slim Pen 2, the upcoming Surface Laptop Ultra, and now the Surface Laptop 8. The new Surface Laptop with the new Surface Pro Like its tablet-shaped sibling, the new Surface Laptop is notably more expensive. It starts at a $1,599 for a 13.8-inch configuration with a 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. However, in the US, the base model has double the storage while keeping the same price. Available configurations include up to 64GB of memory and up to 2TB SSD (user-removable PCIe Gen4). The Surface Laptop 8 is now available for purchase on the official Microsoft website. -
By TarasBuria · Posted
Microsoft announces 12th-gen Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 processors by Taras Buria So far, 2026 has been rich in Surface announcements. Microsoft started with a fresh lineup of Surface for Business devices powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 300 processors. Then the company revealed the Surface Laptop Ultra, its most powerful laptop with NVIDIA's RTX Spark processor. Now, it is time for new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models with Qualcomm processors. Microsoft's original Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X1 chips debuted in late May 2024. Two years later, Microsoft is finally updating the lineup with new models featuring Snapdragon X2 processors. The 12th-gen Surface Pro continues the well-established formula of Microsoft's flagship tablet, and Microsoft is not even changing colors, as the tablet will be available in three colors: Dune, Black, and Platinum. The most important changes are mostly hidden inside. Microsoft switched from the Snapdragon X1 to the new Snapdragon X2, which promises up to 53% faster graphics performance than the previous generation and up to 15.5 hours of battery life. The built-in NPU is also much more powerful, and it can run at up to 80 TOPS for on-device AI processing. Like before, the new Surface Pro is available with a 13-inch IPS display, and Microsoft is still offering OLED as a separate, more expensive configuration. Speaking of configurations, the Surface Pro will be available with a 10-core Snapdragon X2 Plus or a 12-core Snapdragon X2 Elite. Microsoft expanded the available RAM configurations to 64GB (previously 32GB was the maximum), while storage remains unchanged at 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of user-replaceable PCIe Gen4 SSDs. The new Surface Pro and the Surface Laptop Other specs remain mostly unchanged. The computer has the same 1440p Windows Hello webcam, two USB4 ports for charging, data, and display output, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, dual speakers, and compatibility with Surface Pro Signature and Flex keyboards. With that said, there is one very important aspect of the Surface Pro that changed significantly, and it is the price. While the previous-gen Surface Pro launched at $999 for the base configuration, in 2026, the entry-level Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2, 16GB of memory, and 256GB will set you back an eye-watering $1,499. To sweeten the pill, Microsoft is running a limited-time promotion where Surface Pro buyers can get a free Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard. The promo runs from June 16 through June 30. The new Surface Pro is available now on the official Microsoft Store website. -
By Copernic · Posted
MakeMKV 1.18.4 Beta by Razvan Serea MakeMKV is a format converter, otherwise called "transcoder". It converts the video clips from proprietary (and usually encrypted) disc into a set of MKV files, preserving most information but not changing it in any way. The MKV format can store multiple video/audio tracks with all meta-information and preserve chapters. There are many players that can play MKV files nearly on all platforms, and there are tools to convert MKV files to many formats, including DVD and Blu-ray discs. Additionally MakeMKV can instantly stream decrypted video without intermediate conversion to wide range of players, so you may watch Blu-ray and DVD discs with your favorite player on your favorite OS or on your favorite device. Reads DVD and Blu-ray discs Reads Blu-ray discs protected with latest versions of AACS and BD+ Preserves all video and audio tracks, including HD audio Preserves chapters information Preserves all meta-information (track language, audio type) Fast conversion - converts as fast as your drive can read data. No additional software is required for conversion or decryption. Available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux Functionality to open DVD discs is free and will always stay free. All features (including Blu-ray decryption and processing) are free during BETA. MakeMKV 1.18.4 changelog: Small improvements and bugfixes Notable bug fixes: Fixed linux armhf binary crash on certain architectures Download: MakeMKV 1.18.4 Beta | 15.7 MB (Free, paid upgrade available) Download: MakeMKV for Mac OS X | 41.9 MB Links: MakeMKV Website | MakeMKV for Linux | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware -
By Paul1979UK · Posted
They probably should have it where they can open other formats but only save in the open formats. -
By +TRS-80 · Posted
The next time you apply for a shift at Taco Bell or KFC, you may be interviewed, assessed, and onboarded by three AI agents named Maria, Daniel, and Claire — and those agents will continue scoring your behavior long after you clock in for the first time.................... For workers applying to or already employed at those chains, the implication is concrete: an AI system is assessing their conversational behavior over WhatsApp and phone calls, storing that behavioral data, and using it to inform decisions about whether they are hired, how they are onboarded, and whether they are flagged as a flight risk https://www.techtimes.com/articles/318390/20260615/ai-agents-now-score-taco-bell-kfc-workers-via-whatsapp-day-one.htm
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