Wednesday 3 October 2018

The Morning After: All Surface everything

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Wednesday, October 03, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to Wednesday! If you like Surface devices, you’ve got a lot of choices now. And maybe you’ll be interested in some Surface Headphones?

(View in browser.)

The new all-black model is sharp.

Surface Laptop 2: An upgrade in speed and style

The Surface Laptop 2 offers some seriously upgraded internals, which the company claims deliver 85 percent improved performance with Intel’s newer eighth-generation Core CPUs. Otherwise, most of the changes here aren't immediately obvious, save for the sharp new color option. There’s still no USB-C, oddly enough, but they’ll start shipping October 16th for $999 and up.

Now with quad-core CPU power, but still no USB-C.

Surface Pro 6: Same looks, but a huge speed bump

Microsoft isn't revolutionizing anything with the Surface Pro 6 -- it has the same basic design as last year's Surface Pro, except there's a black case option. But the hardware upgrades make it even more compelling, especially for demanding users. Microsoft claims it's 67 percent faster than the previous model, mostly thanks to Intel's eighth-generation Core CPUs. You can also stuff in up to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD -- not the sort of specs you'd expect to see in a tablet. Prices start at $899, and it’ll be available as of October 16th.

Windows is mobile.

Your phone is the future of Windows 10

Microsoft is gearing up to bring the benefits of Timeline to your Android and iOS devices with the October Windows 10 update, which is available for direct download today. (It's coming to Windows Update next week.) Integration with smartphones is the broader trend with this release -- Microsoft is also finally debuting the Your Phone app, which lets you transfer files and handle text messages from Android devices on your PC.

It's also updating Microsoft Launcher on Android with some new features, including the long-awaited Timeline support. And, mobile general manager Shilpa Ranganathan previewed a Windows 10 feature that would mirror your Android phone's entire screen on the desktop.

Looking for a new desktop machine?

Surface Studio 2: A graphic designer's dream

On the outside, the updated Surface Studio 2 looks largely similar to the original model, but some hardware upgrades will set it apart. It features NVIDIA's next-generation Pascal graphics, includes a 2TB SSD and Microsoft claims it's the fastest Surface ever. Oh, and the all-in-one features a brilliant touchscreen that should be great for creating masterpieces on. The Surface Studio 2 starts with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $3,500, which should offer plenty of power when it starts shipping on November 15th.

Microsoft's first wireless headphones impress.

Microsoft’s Surface Headphones pack Cortana into some premium cans

Forget the Zune. Please. The biggest surprise during Microsoft's Surface launch event wasn't a PC -- it was a pair of noise-canceling headphones. The Surface Headphones are Microsoft's first entry into premium cans, but they have just about everything you'd want: They're wireless, noise-canceling and have Cortana directly integrated. At $350, they're competing with audio stalwarts like Sony and Bose, but Devindra Hardawar, who tested out the cans, believes Microsoft has got a lot right.

Think of it as Xbox All Access for the productivity crowd.

Microsoft's Surface device subscriptions start at $25 per month

This new subscription model finances your PC while throwing in some of the services you need. On top of the computer itself, you're also getting "accessories," Office 365, dedicated help and Microsoft Store perks.

Is this the Harry Potter game we've been waiting for?

Leaked footage reveals a Harry Potter RPG that’s in the works

Redditor VapeThisBro briefly shared footage of an apparent new RPG set within J.K. Rowling's wizarding world, starring your own custom-built character. The clip was up briefly before it was pulled from YouTube and replaced with a notice that Warner Bros. Entertainment Interactive had filed a copyright claim. Filmed in third-person, the leak showed a wand-waving protagonist battling goblins and sauntering into Hogwarts' famous hall. Details are otherwise scarce, but it seems this game is really happening. Grab your yellow-and-scarlet scarf.

In name at least.

Toys 'R' Us could make a comeback?

After announcing bankruptcy and shuttering most of its stores, Toys 'R' Us’ top lenders -- the billions of dollars in debt is what did the toy store in -- have canceled an auction that would've sold off the Toys 'R' Us name.

Instead they're working to revive the names, which they have ownership over everywhere except Canada. Now Geoffrey LLC will own "trademarks, ecommerce assets and data," so we'll see if it actually turns into a store or if we just end up getting targeted ads based on gifts purchased eight Christmases ago. With the holiday season approaching, many of the 33,000 workers laid off are still fighting to see any severance pay. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that private equity firms Bain and KKR were putting together a fund to pay them.

But wait, there's more...

1. FDA seizes marketing documents from e-cig maker Juul

2. Volkswagen terminates the contract of embattled Audi CEO

3. Amazon increases its minimum wage to $15

4. Tesla hits Model 3 production goals for Q3

5. Neil Gaiman signs exclusive deal with Amazon Studios

6. Microsoft's Surface event by the numbers

7. Facebook: Hackers didn't access third-party sites with our sign-in

8. Yahoo Japan is shutting down the last remnants of GeoCities

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Tuesday 2 October 2018

Editor's Pick: Software Security Best Practices Are Changing, Finds New Report

Software Security Best Practices Are Changing, Finds New Report

Jack M.Germain Oct 2, 2018 6:05 AM PT
	Independent software vendors, along with Internet of Things and cloud vendors, are involved in a market transformation that is making them look more alike. The similarities are evident in the way they approach software security initiatives, according to a report from Synopsys. Synopsys has released its ninth annual Building Security in Maturity Model, or BSIMM9. [More...]

More Picks:

How AI Could Fix What Seems Unfixable
I watched last week's Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, and I was struck by the fact that they seemed to be more about the Democrats fighting with Republicans to see which party could corrupt the Supreme Court more effectively than they were about senators doing their jobs. What bothers me most about that is if you corrupt the highest court in the land you effectively destroy the country. [More...]

At Long Last, Apple Delivers iPhone Batterygate Fix - and Much More
For those of you who have been suffering due to the iPhone's batterygate problem over the last year, I have great news. Apple finally fixed this nagging annoyance. Batterygate was a self-inflicted wound for Apple, caused by a flaw in last year's iOS release, used by tens of millions of people. The flaw did not affect everyone, but it was a major problem for many of those who were impacted. [More...]

Dreamforce 2018
Salesforce has been very good at skating to where the puck will be, to paraphrase the great Wayne Gretzky. As a result, the company has a long line of firsts, beginning with its initial disruption and continuing through its early adoption of social media and analytics. So it's no surprise that it is pursuing some very different issues now than it did almost 20 years ago -- or even five. [More...]

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E-Commerce Minute

E-Commerce Minute: Tuesday -- October 2, 2018

The E-Commerce Times -- E-Business Means Business
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
At Long Last, Apple Delivers iPhone Batterygate Fix - and Much More
The Best of Both Worlds: Converging Online and Offline Shopping
The New Brick-and-Mortar: Shopping's Blended Future
The Crypto-Criminal Bar Brawl
Silo Buster: Salesforce Attacks the Data Sprawl Problem

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Today's Story Highlights

At Long Last, Apple Delivers iPhone Batterygate Fix - and Much More

For those of you who have been suffering due to the iPhone's batterygate
problem over the last year, I have great news. Apple finally fixed this
nagging annoyance. Batterygate was a self-inflicted wound for Apple,
caused by a flaw in last year's iOS release, used by tens of millions of
people. The flaw did not affect everyone, but it was a major problem for
many of those who were impacted.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85599.html

The Best of Both Worlds: Converging Online and Offline Shopping

Online and offline shopping businesses have to work together to improve
customer engagement and retention. Although some brick-and-mortar stores
are suffering revenue loss to online retailers, there is still an
important space for them in the shopping experience. By joining forces,
brick-and-mortar and online stores can meet the emerging needs of
today's customers.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85592.html

The New Brick-and-Mortar: Shopping's Blended Future

With the advent of digital technologies and the radical growth of online
shopping, it might seem that brick-and-mortar stores are on the way out,
but that's not so. Physical stores are likely to remain far into the
foreseeable future. However, the nature of those stores will be
fundamentally transformed. Only those that become capable omnichannel
retailers are likely to survive.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85591.html

The Crypto-Criminal Bar Brawl

As if e-commerce companies didn't have enough problems with transacting
securely and defending against things like fraud, another avalanche of
security problems -- like cryptojacking, the act of illegally mining
cryptocurrency on your end servers -- has begun. We've also seen a rise
in digital credit card skimming attacks against popular e-commerce
software such as Magento.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85587.html

Silo Buster: Salesforce Attacks the Data Sprawl Problem

I have never been a big fan of the term "360-degree view of the
customer," mostly because you never can have a complete view of your
customers. It's simply impossible. Things happen that you don't capture
in the data, as CRM guru Paul Greenberg has pointed out. They get
divorced, their dog dies, they get a really nice birthday gift. Those
things can affect customers' buying behavior.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85586.html

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