Computing

Holograms performing on stage in lieu of the unavailability of certain personalities isn't unheard of but, given the context, it isn't always considered appropriate either. That doesn't mean, however, that there isn't room for such holograms in the near future. Microsoft seems to have thought of a use case that takes advantage of its various technologies, like HoloLens and Azure, to create an exact replica of a live person, except that it speaks a different language from the original speaker.

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Microsoft was mighty proud of its shift to a "Windows as a Service" strategy almost four years ago. It definitely has reason to boast, considering its history of painfully slow updates that came via the rare Service Pack. Redmond, however, seems to have swung to the other extreme in its desire to portray a company that can quickly respond to problems and feedback. Now it has to slow down and take stock of its obviously broken update process to ensure that what's left of Windows 10 credibility won't go down the drain.

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Apple is known for running a tight ship on iOS but things aren't that clear-cut on macOS. While the company does scrutinize the apps that go through its App Store, it has less control over those that are sourced elsewhere and some do get through the restrictions it places on macOS. One of the most recent high-profile cases involves the popular Zoom video conferencing software. Now Apple itself is taking action by silently removing other software that makes use of the same flawed Zoom technologies on Mac.

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The amount of data we generate and accumulate is sometimes too much for our laptops or even desktops to accommodate. Normal external hard drives are veritably just that, hard drives you plug in as needed. Networked Attached Storage or NAS provide some speed, reliability, and power but at the price of complexity. Enter Direct-Attached Storage or DAS like the new TerraMaster D2 Thunderbolt 3 that offer the reliability of NAS drives without the hassle nor the latency of networks.

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Although Intel is often criticized for failing to scale its chips down to ARM's level of energy efficiency, it still has the edge when it comes to raw processing power when TDP is not much of an issue. That's especially applicable in research fields where the main concern is, to some extent, trying to make computers replicate how the human brain works. It's for that exact purpose that Intel has developed its Loihi "neuromorphic" research chip that it has now put on a specialized system to provide the processing needs of special applications ranging from research to AI to IoT.

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Microsoft has shifted its strategy away from forcing its operating systems on users, including mobile, to a more "services-oriented" tactic that offers apps and platforms for others to build on or use on its competitors' platforms. That seems to be the case even when it has competing products like smart assistants. In fact, in the next Windows 10 update later this year, it will be giving those assistants more control even when the PC is still on its lock screen.

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Qualcomm today announced a new version of the Snapdragon 855, aptly named the Snapdragon 855 Plus. As the name suggests, this is less of a generational upgrade and more of an incremental one, but the improvements that are there could give the incoming slate of fall flagships a decent bump up in power nonetheless. Interestingly enough, Qualcomm seems to positioning this as a good SoC for gaming phones.

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Even before it had a chance to fully roll out, Windows 10 was already lambasted for how it nagged users to upgrade to Microsoft's latest but not so greatest. That may now be in the past but it seems that Redmond has found another way to notify users that the version of Windows 10 they're on will be reaching its end of life. What it doesn't make apparent is that it may automatically update such users to the latest version, whether they like to or not.

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There's a new MacBook Pro in town, and the first teardown has some not-so-great news for those looking to repair or update hardware on their own. The MacBook Pro 13-inch 2019 model (with two Thunderbolt Ports) didn't get a particularly great score from iFixit, but there is at least a silver lining to this raincloud. Where previous MacBooks didn't allow easy access to their touchpads (for removal and repair), this unit keeps it a little more real.

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VAIO has introduced an incredibly slim, lightweight 12.5-inch laptop that, despite its ultrabook design, features just about every port you're likely to need in various usage scenarios. The VAIO SX12 has a full-size keyboard, weighs less than 2lbs, and comes with the promise of 'full performance' despite the slim notebook design.

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Microsoft may have thrown in the towel as far as its own mobile platform goes but it is making up for lost time by connecting Windows 10 more intimately with smartphones. That comes via the Your Phone app which is getting more features at every turn. The latest is the Phone Screen Mirroring function that Microsoft is now rolling out to more Surface devices in the latest Insider Preview for the next version of Windows 10.

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The netbook renaissance is at hand, that is if you ask at least three Chinese manufacturers. GPD, Chuwi, and One Netbook are currently in a race for the 8-inch mini laptop market but GPD is quite happy to stretch its wings even further. It is already known to be working on a slight refresh of its GPD WIN 2 Windows-based gaming handheld but now it's rumored to be smashing those two worlds together into the GPD Win Max.

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