Brief Summary
This video discusses the latest tech news, including Microsoft's new Surface devices and Windows features, Android's desktop mode, Apple's AI search concerns, and various product releases. It also touches on the challenges of finding accurate product information online and highlights career opportunities in addressing global issues like AI safety.
- Microsoft is releasing new Surface devices and Windows features.
- Android is developing a desktop mode to compete with Samsung DeX.
- Apple is concerned about the impact of AI on its search business.
- Several new products are being released, including fitness bands, gaming keyboards, and a tactical tablet for the US Department of Defense.
- The video highlights the importance of addressing global issues like AI safety and provides resources for finding meaningful career paths.
New Windows, new Surface
Microsoft has announced a new generation of Windows experiences with features like natural language search in settings and the ability to toggle settings directly from there. Copilot will be able to create bullet point summaries from long texts and provide tips on improving images in apps like Photoshop. Third-party apps like Gigapixel AI, Cap Cut, DJ Pro, and Da Vinci Resolve will be optimized for the NPU on these machines. In hardware news, there's a new and cheaper Surface Pro 12 2-in-1 and a new and cheaper Surface Laptop 13. Both come with an 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256 or 512GB of storage. The Surface Pro has a 90Hz screen, Windows Hello face recognition, and a pen that attaches on the back, starting at $799 plus $150 for a revamped keyboard. The laptop has a fan and a 60Hz screen, priced at $899. Both devices have removed the Surface Connect port. Microsoft has discontinued the base models of the Surface Pro 11 and Laptop 7, raising the high-end Surface prices.
Android Desktop & Samsung DeX
Google is building its own desktop mode for Android, similar to Samsung DeX. This feature will include a taskbar with pinned and recent apps, the ability to launch multiple apps and floating windows simultaneously, and other features expected from a desktop mode. It may launch in a later quarter release or with Android 17. This could be a backup plan if Google loses Chrome OS. A new version of Samsung DeX is also in development, with changes to better align with the upcoming Android desktop mode. These changes are mostly cosmetic.
Apple AI search in Safari
Apple's Eddie Cue stated in court that Apple wants to add AI search partners to Safari because searches in Safari have dropped due to users turning to AI. This is the first time this has happened in 22 years. Google released a statement saying that they continue to see overall query growth in search from Apple, but their stock fell almost 10% on the news.
Release Monitor
Boop has released three new bands for fitness enthusiasts, featuring updated hardware, longer battery life, and better integration of menstrual cycle data. Razer has announced the Joro gaming keyboard, designed to be slim and portable while maintaining RGB lighting. Samsung is launching the new Galaxy Tab Active 5 Tactical Edition, developed with the US Department of Defense. It features a 5G band locking mode, stealth mode, and covert lock mode.
Rant
The speaker expresses frustration with finding accurate product links for new releases, particularly on Amazon.co.uk. The product pages are often misleading, and the prices don't make sense. For example, the older laptop 13.8-inch and the newer laptop 13-inch are both listed, but clicking on the 13-inch opens the page of the 13.8-inch instead. The prices are also inconsistent, with the supposedly more expensive 13.8-inch laptop being cheaper than the newer 13-inch laptop.
The Brief
Fairphone teased an upcoming phone in a comment under a video. Realme showed off a prototype phone with a massive 10,000 milliamp battery that is neither thicker nor heavier than conventional flagships. Samsung confirmed that the launch date of their super slim Galaxy S25 Edge device will be on the 12th or 13th of May. Sony has announced that they're launching their flagship Xperia 1 Mark 7 on the same day. The starting price for their fancy headphones, the WH100XM6, will be $450. An Xbox-branded Asus RG Li 2 has leaked and is rumored to launch as early as the 19th of May at Computex. Google leaked its next version of Material Design called Material 3 Expressive. Skype is now officially dead, and Microsoft wants users to migrate to Teams. The European Union is planning to force phonemakers to include detailed standardized energy labels on their devices, while Trump looks to be cutting the US's own Energy Star program. Spotify announced that you can now snooze songs, and Apple Music had the idea for a viral playlist that shows you which songs people are trying to identify using Shazam. An updated version of Gemini 2.0 Pro was announced as Google's most intelligent model yet, and Mistral announced their efficiency-focused Medium 3 model. The video is sponsored by 80,000 hours, which researches and writes about issues like AI safety and provides resources for finding meaningful career paths.
