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microsoft-surface-laptop-go-review:-style-on-a-budget

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go review: Style on a budget

(Pocket-lint) – The Microsoft Surface Laptop has, through all three of its release iterations, proven to be our favourite premium Windows laptop time and again – winning the Pocket-lint Awards in its category in both 2019 and 2020.

So when Microsoft decided to bring out a more affordable version, called the Surface Laptop Go, it did make us wonder what would have to give to cut the price without cutting into a premier experience. So here’s how it all stacks up.

Design & Display

  • 12.4-inch PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio, 1536 x 1024 resolution
  • Dimensions: 278 x 206 x 15.7mm / Weight: 1.1kgs
  • 1x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Proprietary Surface Connect port for power
  • Finishes: Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue
  • Windows 10 S

Upon pulling the Surface Laptop Go from its box it looks a far cry from its budget status, aping many of the premium design traits that you’ll find in the Surface Laptop proper. The use of cool-to-touch metal on the lid and frame being standout, while the finish options – there’s three, this one in the photos is Ice Blue – look great.

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The Go is small and lightweight, yet it’s got a fairly large screen on account of the 3:2 aspect ratio – making the 12.4-inch panel more like an A4 sheet of paper than the more elongated screens that are so typical in laptops.

The screen is plenty bright, too, while its resolution – at 1536 by 1024 – is pretty sharp considering it’s less than Full HD in overall pixel count. That’s not a big problem, it just means you’ll find sharper panels elsewhere in the market. It’s befitting of its budget status, really, which is the whole point of the Go model.

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Ports aren’t especially plentiful: there’s a USB-C and a full-size USB-A port, but other than the 3.5mm headphones jack that’s your lot. Thankfully power is handled by Microsoft’s Surface Connect rather than using up the USB-C port, although we would prefer this proprietary format to be dropped in favour of more ports in the design.

When plugged in we found the Go’s first issue though: it’s noisy. The fan kicks in due to the device heating up when recharging, which is delivered in an irksome whistling fashion. It doesn’t even need to be under load for this to happen, you could have no applications open whatsoever and it’ll whistle away.

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Another major point to mention is the use of Windows 10 S. This version of Windows utilises the Microsoft Store to obtain and download apps – so you’re shielded from EXE file-types and can’t download and install such a variety of apps.

However, to switch out from S to ‘normal’ Windows 10 is easy enough: you can do it for free and we suspect most will do this straight away. We certainly did. That then means the Go has no limitations in what you can obtain and run on it, whether that’s a different browser such as Chrome, or a full-fat app such as Photoshop (albeit running at Intel Core i5 levels).

Keyboard & Trackpad

  • Fingerprint reader power button*
  • Full-size keyboard, no backlight
  • Large precision trackpad

Although the Go’s keyboard looks fairly squashed into its space, it’s actually a full-size one – and that makes for a decent typing experience.

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Well, it does when it’s light. Unfortunately the Go’s keyboard lacks a backlight, with only the Caps Lock key having a corner LED for any kind of illumination. It’s pretty rare that a keyboard isn’t backlit these days. But that’s another area where cost-cutting has happened, ultimately, to help keep the Go a little more budget.

The trackpad is a reasonably large scale, too, with a smooth topped finish that’s responsive to touch. It is plastic rather than glass, which gives it a slightly more ‘tacky’ feel to the fingers, but it works well enough. Some competitors are releasing laptops with even larger over-size trackpads, but there’s not much unused space in the Surface Laptop Go’s real-estate anyway, so we think it’s a sound solution as is.

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Also of note is the fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button, which makes for super-quick Windows 10 sign-in. *Caveat time though: this feature is absent from the entry-level model, so if you’re looking to the Laptop Go for its appealing price point then note that not all models offer the same by feature set.

  • The best Chromebook 2021: Our pick of the top Chrome OS laptops for school, college and more

Performance & Battery

  • 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor (1035G1), Intel UHD Graphics
  • 64GB/128GB/256GB storage options, 4GB/8GB RAM options

As we detailed previously, the Surface Laptop Go ships with Windows 10 S, but you can switch this to Windows 10 instead without incurring a cost. It’s a good job, then, that there’s a proper processor under the hood, capable enough of handling tasks that may typically fall outside of the Windows 10 S remit. Want Photoshop? You got it.

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Whichever Surface Laptop Go you pick – and there are three levels – it’s the same processor, an Intel Core i5 (1035G1). It’s the storage and RAM that differ rather dramatically though: the entry-level model has 64GB and 4GB respectively, which is rather limited; the two other models up the RAM to 8GB; while the only other difference from mid- to top-level is 128GB versus 256GB storage.

If you opt for the top-end model, however, the price is significantly higher – by almost 40 per cent over the base model, and closing in on the four-figures mark. That’s rather a lot to pay for doubling the RAM and delivering a usable storage amount. The middle spec model is probably the best balanced of the lot, remaining at an attractive price point with just about enough storage on board.

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In terms of battery life the Surface Laptop Go quotes an up-to-13-hour life per charge, but that’s over-reaching compared to its real-world figure. We were able to stream a Full HD YouTube video (well, the source was Full HD, the screen downscales that given the resolution available) for just under seven hours before it was game-over time. That’s reasonable enough innings, on par with the Surface Laptop 3, and long enough to cater for a varied day of work/study/mucking about on the internet.

Verdict

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a compelling affordable laptop. It pulls on much of the design and quality of Microsoft’s established Surface range, without cutting features to the bone.

There are some quirks – such as a noisy fan, a limited numbers of ports, and limited storage in the entry-level model – but given the balance of features and performance we think Microsoft has got a success on its hands here. The mid-priced model is the one to go for.

Also consider

Pocket-lint

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7

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It’s got more ports, better battery life, and is well designed – albeit not quite as refined as the Microsoft product. If the mid-spec Surface Laptop Go seems appealing then consider comparing it to this Yoga before making that final decision.

  • Apple macOS 11 Big Sur: All the key new Mac features explored
  • Read our review

Writing by Mike Lowe.

indian-government-asks-whatsapp-to-withdraw-new-privacy-policy

Indian government asks WhatsApp to withdraw new Privacy Policy

WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Facebook, started pushing a new Privacy Policy earlier this month. It stated that some user data will be shared with other Facebook companies but due to the backlash, the changes were postponed from February 18 to May 15, and now the company is facing legal challenges.

One of them comes from India, where the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a strongly worded letter, as some Indian outlets put it, saying “unilateral changes are not fair and acceptable”.

The Indian government reminded that the South-Asian country has the largest user base globally and the new Privacy Policy “raises grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens”. According to the ministry, the new ToS are not respecting properly Indian citizens, whatever that means.

The letter comes a day after the Delhi High Court said users are not bound to use the app and they can uninstall it – using it is a voluntary action that does not require court interference. The court even went further and said “even Google Maps captures all your data and stores it”.

WhatsApp and Facebook representatives also stated that the actual lawsuit did not have any foundation. Private chat messages between family and friends would remain encrypted and are not stored by WhatsApp, and this position is not changing under the new Privacy Policy.

Via

bit-rauschen,-the-processor-podcast-from-c't:-the-cpu-innovations-2021-from-ces

Bit-Rauschen, the processor podcast from c't: The CPU innovations 2021 from CES

In the first podcast for the c’t column bit noise we talk about new processors from AMD, Intel & Co. that were announced at CES.

The bi-weekly processor podcast from c’t is available …

In the first edition 2021 / 01 of “Bit-Rauschen: The processor podcast from c’t”, Christof Windeck talks to Christian Hirsch about new processors for the year 2021. At the consumer electronics trade fair CES, which traditionally opens the round of annual IT events in early January, AMD, Intel and others have announced new chips. We classify the importance of the new processors for upcoming notebooks, PCs and tablets. There is also a new Intel boss, whom some c’t readers already know: Pat Gelsinger.

Episode 2021/1:

Issue column on the podcast: Intel under pressure, AMD on the move and ARM successes

c’t 3 / 2021 is available at the kiosk, in the browser and in the c’t app for iOS and Android

All episodes of our podcast along with the associated columns are available at www.ct.de/Bit-Rauschen

(ciw)

storytelling-incubator-wattpad-is-getting-bought-for-over-half-a-billion-dollars

Storytelling incubator Wattpad is getting bought for over half a billion dollars

Last week, we told you how Wattpad has become a place where budding authors can sometimes turn their work into Hollywood film and TV, with Hulu, Netflix and others adapting Wattpad writers’ labors into titles like The Kissing Booth, Light as a Feather and After We Collided. But it looks like Wattpad may no longer be trying to become an entertainment tastemaker all on its own — South Korean web company Naver is buying Wattpad for over $600 million, the companies announced today.

While details are scarce, it seems like Naver already sees Wattpad as a natural pairing with one of its other brands — Webtoon, an online webtoon publishing portal that similarly allows artists to upload their own work and similarly spawns TV and anime adaptations.(Here’s a handy list of those adaptations from Wikipedia.)

Wattpad’s press release explicitly mentions Webtoon, and Webtoon was the one to issue a press release on behalf of its parent company Naver as well. Here’s how Webtoon describes the buyout:

With the backing of Korean technology giant, NAVER, WEBTOON and Wattpad will collaborate to create a stronger and connected ecosystem across visual and textual storytelling content, with a combined reader base of over 160 million monthly users globally. WEBTOON’s innovative monetization model and Wattpad’s massive library of diverse stories will provide each prospective affiliate with new levers for growth, creating a stronger foundation to fund an aspiring generation of young, creative talent.

Naver is a popular search engine in South Korea, and competes with the likes of Google and Facebook in other ways too. The most notable is probably Line, a messaging app whose associated services have helped make it the dominant social media company in Japan.

vrbo-is-blocking-new-washington,-dc-reservations-during-inauguration-week

Vrbo is blocking new Washington, DC reservations during inauguration week

Vrbo has changed its stance on people making reservations in the Washington, DC area during the week of the inauguration. The company announced on January 19th, the day before the event, that it will block any new reservations through Friday, January 22nd. Vrbo previously stated it was evaluating new bookings and that it would “take appropriate action in coordination with law enforcement” if necessary.

The news was tweeted by Expedia Group (which owns Vrbo) and from the official Vrbo Twitter account. It comes in light of DC officials encouraging people to stay home and participate in the inauguration virtually.

Based on updated guidance provided by government officials regarding security threats, and as part of ongoing efforts to protect the safety of travelers, partners and communities, all new Vrbo reservations will be blocked in and around Washington, D.C. through Friday, 1/22.

— Vrbo (@vrbo) January 19, 2021

The company has slowly been changing its policies around inauguration rentals, after Buzzfeed News reported that residents are concerned about extremists using the service to stay in DC. But while Vrbo stated that it was “encouraging hosts to cancel bookings,” it’s not blanket-canceling reservations. When asked if this was still the case after today’s block, the company responded that it would indeed not cancel all existing reservations, but it is “re-vetting [them], to help ensure public safety.”

In comparison, Airbnb not only blocked new reservations, but it canceled existing ones as well. On January 6th, Vrbo stated that all new reservations would be subject to increased scrutiny and security, but it seems like we’ll just have to trust that those measures were effective, as the new ban seems like it’ll only affect people who are booking last minute.

The home-sharing apps are not the only ones trying to avoid more violence in the nation’s capital ahead of tomorrow’s inauguration: Facebook has shut down events near the White House, and Apple, Google, and Amazon have all worked to remove the distribution of Parler, an app that failed to moderate rioters during the attack on the Capitol building earlier this month.

samsung-galaxy-buds-pro-hands-on

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro hands-on

It’s sort of a tradition for Samsung to announce new TWS earphones alongside its latest Galaxy S-flagships and this year we get the Galaxy Buds Pro. We got to spend some time with a pair of Galaxy Buds Pro earlier today and we did some quick tests to get a feel of what Samsung’s latest premium earbuds bring to the table. These are our initial impressions, but we will be doing a detailed review when we’ve spent enough time with them.

Fit

As with all in-ear headphones, you’ll have to find the right tip size for your ears to ensure a snug fit. This is rather important since the passive noise cancellation depends on having a tight seal around your ear canal. Provided you’ve attached the right rubber tips, the Galaxy Buds Pro offer superb fit and stay in your ears at all times.

Each earbud weighs just 6.3 grams which is on par with the Galaxy Buds+ and a smidge more than the Buds Live (5.6 grams each) though you really won’t be able to tell the difference when you put them on. After a few hours of wear, you forget you even have them on. Our unit comes in the Phantom Black colorway which features a glossy (and reflective) outward shell while the rest of the construction is matte. The earbuds are IPX7 water-resistant and feature assuringly solid construction.

Sound

The Buds Pro pack a dual driver setup with 11mm woofers and 6.5mm tweeters in each earbud. Upon first inspection, sound quality is quite balanced with decent levels of bass and satisfying highs and lows. We’ll make sure to offer more details in the full review of course but so far we can say the Buds Pro sound seems to befit their name.

The active noise cancellation from the Buds Live (aka Beans) is back on the Buds Pro and this time around and it’s noticeably more potent. While in an office environment the Buds Pro managed to filter all the lows and mids perfectly though we’ll have to test them out in other environments for the full review. This is also when we’ll get the chance to compare them to the likes of Apple AirPods Pro.

The ANC has low and high levels which adjusts how much of the outside sound is blocked out – this seems a little excessive as we can’t envision a scenario where you’d want just a little of the outside noise blocked.

You can of course listen to the Buds Pro without noise cancellation or have them in Ambient Sound mode which amplifies external sounds. The Buds Pro also have the new Voice Detect feature, which works quite well, toggling from noise cancellation or normal mode to Ambient Sound almost instantly when it detects you’re talking. Once the conversation is over, the Buds Pro revert to their original state. The only issue is that if someone else starts talking you’ll still miss the first sentence toward you until you reply and the earphones detect that.

Pairing, other features

We tested out the Buds Pro with a Galaxy Z Fold2 and the pairing was as seamless as it gets. As soon as we opened the case the Buds Pro were recognized and instantly paired to the phone with a single click. Of course, this instantaneous connectivity won’t be available to non-Samsung devices. However, you can get the Galaxy Wearable app on any phone and take advantage of its customization options and controls including programing the touch-sensitive sides of the earphones, find my earbuds and gaming mode.


Galaxy Wearable customization options for Buds Pro

Gaming mode also reduces latency by a noticeable amount. We tested the feature on a game called Athletics Mania, which simulates track and field events. The 100m sprint game requires you to tap immediately after the starting pistol is fired and with the Buds Pro we managed good to very good starts while the exact same test with the Galaxy Buds+ rendered poor results on most tries. Not quite what was possible with a wired headset, but certainly a major step forward.

Upon first testing, the Galaxy Buds Pro are a step in the right direction for Samsung’s TWS lineup and offer tangible improvements over their predecessors. Make sure to tune back when the full review is published as we delve deeper into the Galaxy Buds Pro’s sound and features.

dc-is-relaunching-its-mobile-app-to-focus-on-comics

DC is relaunching its mobile app to focus on comics

DC is shaking up its comics app on January 21st and relaunching it as DC Universe Infinite. The original DC Universe featured television shows and comics, but now that DC shows have moved to HBO Max, the company has decided to refocus the app on comics and the “fan community,” while keeping the same $7.99-a-month price.

DC Universe Infinite will have DC’s catalog and early access to comics six months after they’re released physically in stores. Additionally, DC says the comic reader in its app has been improved, and users will have more options to curate custom lists of titles. The app will also have a customizable icon and a widget for iOS 14 so you can get back into whatever you were reading faster.

In terms of features, DC Universe Infinite is most similar to Marvel Unlimited, which is Marvel’s $9.99-a-month take on an exclusive comics service. Infinite undercuts Marvel by keeping its cost at $7.99 a month (or $74.99 a year), and it might help to make it popular as WarnerMedia rolls out its plans for the DC universe(s) in film and TV.

As extended universes expand, comic apps are as much for comic book fans as they are for anyone trying to appreciate all of the lore that’s layered into each new superhero outing. Now that HBO Max is the home for DC superheroes in film and TV, and DC Universe Infinite for comics, WarnerMedia’s plans are starting to make more sense. Whether fans will be willing to pay a combined $22 a month for both services will be the real test.

vlc-updated-for-apple-m1,-now-works-natively-on-apple-silicon

VLC updated for Apple M1, now works natively on Apple Silicon

The famous media player has been updated on macOS introducing native support for Apple Silicon processors, and therefore also for Apple M1

of Nino Grasso published on , at 19: 41 in the Apple channel

VLC Apple macOS

The answer from part of the developers on the arrival of the first systems with Apple M1 was amazing. One of the first doubts about the processors made in Cupertino for notebooks and desktops was related to compatibility, but the situation is improving day by day with the arrival of new “universal” apps , so think both for architectures x 86, and for the new Apple M1 with ARM architecture. The latest arrival with Apple Silicon support is VLC , the popular cross-platform media player.

Apple M1 is the first chip of the Apple Silicon series, already available on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro from 13 “and Mac mini, and requires the Big Sur version of macOS to work Native support for ARM instructions is not essential for an app to work with Apple’s new SoCs, since apps x 86 can be translated through a conversion layer called Rosetta 2 and can also be performed with the new Apple chips. But there are big advantages with native apps.

proved effective in the first tests, Rosetta 2 imposes a loss in performance and – above all – in energy efficiency compared to running an app natively compiled for ARM architectures. Especially on an app like VLC, especially if used for r the reproduction of content in high resolution (4K or even 8K), the landing of the native version can bring with it decisive advantages in the viewing experience and in battery life .

Native VLC on Apple Silicon, here’s how to install it

The version of VLC to be considered, therefore, for those who own an Apple device with Apple M1 (and possibly all future Apple Silicon) is 3.0. 12 . In reality, VLC is not yet offered in a universal version, but there are two packages: one for models with Intel CPUs, the other for Macs with Apple Silicon. Those who belong to the latter category must therefore install VLC 3.0. 12 , and then search again for new updates to get the VLC 3.0 package. 12. 1 , which is compiled for ARM architecture and works without any translation layer on M1 Macs.

We remind you that VLC is free software and can be downloaded on the official VideoLAN website. Furthermore, among the novelties of the new version, we have better compatibility with macOS Big Sur, fixes on audio management and with adaptive resolution streaming, and security fixes.

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