Microsoft removes 3.5mm headphone jack from Surface 9 Pro laptops

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 13, 2022 | Technology

Tech giant Microsoft has joined the growing list of companies to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from its Surface Pro 9 laptop.

The Surface Pro 8 had the headphone jack but this time, the change has been confirmed on the tech specification page of the device, which does not list a headphone jack among the device connections, reports The Verge.

This appears to be the exact outcome of Microsoft housing the Surface Pro 9’s Intel and Arm versions in the same chassis.

Since the Surface Pro X never included a 3.5mm jack, the Intel hardware now follows that design philosophy, the company said.

Microsoft just launched the Surface Pro 9 which offers HD camera, Omnisonic speakers, directional microphones and custom G6 chip that takes inking to the next level with tactile signals.

“Combined with the new Ink Focus in Microsoft OneNote, or the new GoodNotes app coming in early 2023 to Windows 11, digital ink on the screen feels like writing with pen and paper,” said Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer, Microsoft.

The Surface Pro 9 with 13-inch PixelSense display offers a choice between processors –12th Gen Intel Core processor built on the Intel Evo platform with Thunderbolt 4, or Microsoft SQ3 powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon with 5G connectivity.

–IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Apple started selling refurbished Studio Display models in US: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 13, 2022 | Technology

Apple has started offering refurbished Studio Display models in the US.

According to MacRumors, the Studio Display is available in several variations, including the base model with a tilt-adjustable stand and the model with nano-textured glass.

The base Studio Display is available for $1,359, down from the original price of $1,599. The nano-texture model with a tilt-adjustable stand is available for $1,609.

The 27-inch Studio Display features a 5K resolution, 600 nits brightness, True Tone, Wide colour support, and more. It is equipped with multiple ports and is compatible with modern Macs.

Refurbished items from the tech giant are nearly comparable to new items and go through an extensive functional testing phase as part of Apple’s refurbishment process, the report said.

Refurbished products are eligible for AppleCare+ and have the same 14-day return period as new Apple devices.

Meanwhile, a recent report said that Apple will launch a new 27-inch display with mini LED backlighting in the first quarter of 2023.

The rumours of the pro-level display have circulated since Apple revealed the more “affordable” Studio Display. It lacks HDR, ProMotion, and mini LED backlighting in Apple’s MacBook Pros and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

–IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Google to roll out Passkeys support to Android, Chrome for better safety

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 13, 2022 | Technology

Tech giant Google has announced to roll out Passkey support to both Android and Chrome for better safety.

Passkeys are a safer alternative to passwords and other phishable forms of authentication.

“They cannot be reused, don’t leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks”, the company said in a blog post late on Wednesday.

“Passkeys are built on industry standards and work across different operating systems and browser ecosystems, and can be used for both websites and apps”, it added.

Passkeys follow user experience (UX) patterns and build on the existing experience of password autofill.

To avoid lockouts in the event of device loss, Passkeys on users’ phones and PCs are stored up and synced through the cloud.

Users can also login into apps and websites on other nearby devices using Passkeys stored on their phones.

The key enables two key capabilities — on Android devices, users can generate and utilise Passkeys that are securely synchronised through the Google Password Manager.

Through the ‘WebAuthn API’, developers can add Passkey support to their websites for end users utilising Chrome, Android, and other supported platforms.

Developers can use Chrome Canary and sign up for the Google Play Services beta to test this as of right now. Later this year, both features will be generally accessible via stable channels, said the company.

Apps associated with the same domain will readily accept passkeys generated through the web API and vice versa.

Passkeys work across several systems and browsers, including Windows, macOS and iOS, and ChromeOS, with a consistent user experience because they are based on industry standards, the company said.

–IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Mindful use of smartphones enhances productivity, indicates study

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 13, 2022 | Technology

Contrary to the popular belief that reducing screen time may increase productivity, a new study has indicated that mindful use of smartphones, without minimising screen time, enhances productivity.

The study showed that using existing smartphone applications to monitor cellphone screen time can enhance focused or mindful cellphone usage, leading to higher perceived productivity and user satisfaction.

“We theorised that individuals who tracked their cellphone usage and set goals surrounding that usage tended to have enhanced productivity and contentment with their productivity as they met their stated objectives,” said researcher Kaveh Abhari from the San Diego State University.

“Previous research has shown that goal setting tends to raise performance expectations, and we wanted to see if this theory held true for smartphone screen time as well,” Abhari added.

For the study, published in the journal AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction (THCI), the researchers surveyed 469 participating university undergraduate students in California, New York, and Hawaii.

The three-week survey required all participants to complete four questionnaires and about half of them were required to download a screen-monitoring application to their phones.

This app allowed users to monitor and set limits or goals with their cellphone screen time.

When the results were analysed, researchers measured the perceived productivity of screen time reported by those surveyed, the amount of screen time and the fatigue associated with self-monitoring.

They also reviewed participants’ contentment with their productivity achieved through cellphone screen time.

“Self-monitoring appears necessary to encourage the optimized use of smartphones,” Abhari said.

“The results suggest that optimizing but not minimizing screen time is more likely to increase user productivity.”

–IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd-generation) with 2.5K OLED screen launched in India

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 13, 2022 | Technology

Expanding its tablet line-up in India, Chinese electronics maker Lenovo on Thursday launched the second-generation model of its premium Tab P11 Pro. Priced at Rs 39,999, the tablet will be available in 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage configuration on Lenovo’s official website, Amazon India, and Lenovo exclusive stores from October 17. It will come bundled with Lenovo Precision Pen 3.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd-generation): Specifications

Powered by MediaTek Kompanio 1300T processor, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro sports an 11.2-inch 2.5K resolution OLED screen of 120Hz refresh rate and 600 nits peak brightness level. The screen is HDR certified and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats. It is TUV Rheinland low-blue-light certified to filter out the blue light.

It comes in 8GB RAM and 256GB internal on-board storage, expandable up to 1TB through microSD. The tablet sports a 13-megapixel camera on the back and an 8MP camera on the front. It has a four-speaker from JBL, supported by Dolby Atmos. It is powered by a 8,200 mAh battery, supported by a 10V/2.0A charger.

The tablet comes with a Lenovo Precision Pen 3, which can be magnetically attached to the device for wireless charging and storage. The pen is Bluetooth enabled, thus, auto-pairs with the tablet. It can be used to remotely control on-screen documents, music, images, and recordings using the customisable side button. The tablet comes with Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 for wireless connectivity. It boots Android 12 operating system.

The tablet comes in storm grey colour with a dual-tone glass finish. It supports Google Kids Space, a dedicated hub for kids to discover, create, and grow.

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Signal to remove support for SMS messages on Android to improve security

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 13, 2022 | Technology

With an aim to prioritise security and privacy, encrypted messaging app Signal has announced that it will soon stop supporting SMS messages on Android.

The platform said it has “now reached the point where SMS support no longer makes sense”.

“In order to enable a more streamlined Signal experience, we are starting to phase out SMS support from the Android app,” the company said in a blogpost.

“You will have several months to transition away from SMS in Signal, to export your SMS messages to another app, and to let the people you talk to know that they might want to switch to Signal, or find another channel if not,” it added.

The change will only affect users who use Signal as their default SMS app on Android.

“If you do use Signal as your default SMS app on Android, you will need to select a new default SMS app on your phone. If you want to keep them, you will also need to export your SMS messages from Signal into that new app,” the company said.

According to Signal, it is removing SMS support for the Android app to prioritise security and privacy, ensuring people aren’t hit with unexpected messaging bills, and creating a clear and intelligible user experience for anyone sending messages on Signal.

“The most important reason for us to remove SMS support from Android is that plaintext SMS messages are inherently insecure. They leak sensitive metadata and place your data in the hands of telecommunications companies,” the messaging app said.

“With privacy and security at the heart of what we do, letting a deeply insecure messaging protocol have a place in the Signal interface is inconsistent with our values and with what people expect when they open Signal,” it added.

–IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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