Geek News

In addition to a new Surface Pro, Surface Laptop and Surface headphones (whew!), Microsoft also had an updated version of its Studio all-in-one to unveil at its New York event today . The new Surface Studio 2 crams a huge 2TB SSD for faster performance, while delivering a screen that Microsoft said is 38 percent brighter than before. It also features 2 2 percent more contrast, and 13.5 million pixels, all of which is to say this is a brilliant screen that should be great for creating masterpieces on. From what I can see so far at the crowded hands-on venue, the claim holds up. Now, I'm no photography expert, but there were a few of them here at the event, no doubt invited by Microsoft to sing praises of the new Surfaces. James Ritson, from European photo and graphics software company Serif, patiently showed me how he used the Studio 2 for his work. Indeed, there...

Banks and other financial firms have disclosed three times as many breaches so far this year than they did in 2016, Bitglass says. via Dark Reading: https://ift.tt/2IA08SL If New feed item from http://www.darkreading.com/rss/all.xml , then send Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

After years of good hybrid machines Microsoft finally built a regular laptop in 2017, scoring a home run on the first swing. We were excited by the design, screen and battery life , but less thrilled about the limited port selection. Over a year later the sequel is here and looks like it'll continue that string of excellence — though the connection options haven't improved. If you're still on the fence about your next machine, we've lined some of the more outstanding models for your benefit so you can see which one might suit you best as you gear up for the fall. Surface Laptop 2 MacBook Pro 13-inch Dell XPS 13 HP Spectre 13 Price $999 / $1,299 / $1,599 / $2,199 / $2,699 $1,299 / $1,499 / $1,799 / $1,999 $850 / $1,150 / $1,360 / $1,830 $1100 Dimension...

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 8th generation Core CPUs. You can also stuff in up to 16GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD -- not the sort of specs you'd expect to see in a tablet. Developing... Follow all the latest news from Microsoft's Surface event here! via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2y5Qv9C If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml , then send me ...

At its Surface event in New York today, Microsoft unveiled a slew of new Surface devices, including an updated version of its Laptop. The new Surface Laptop 2 offers performance upgrades, with the company claiming 85 percent improved performance. Most of the changes here aren't immediately obvious, save for the sharp new color option. I have to admit, the all-black Laptop 2 is really quite attractive. Aside from its pretty new exterior, the Surface Laptop 6 also features quieter keys than before, which should be good news for you if for some reason you found your keyboard noisy in the past. Maybe people are just more considerate of their neighbors' needs than I am. It's really hard to tell how much quieter these buttons are in the hideously noisy hands-on area we're in, but they're just as comfortable as before. This story is developing, please...

The Facebook hack compromised 50 million users, but the damage might not be as extensive as some expected. In a statement to Reuters , company security VP Guy Rosen revealed that investigators "found no evidence" of the intruders accessing third- party apps with its Facebook Login feature. Some sites using the single sign-on also confirmed that there was no indication of a data breach on their end, although they're not necessarily taking chances. Uber, for instance, had closed active sharing sessions from Facebook-based sign-ins while it looked into the case. TaskRabbit and travel site SkyScanner, meanwhile, were still determining the possible damage to their users. The update isn't going to be very comforting if you're one of the 50 million affected users. However, it does indicate that the consequences of the hack won't permeate ...

Technology Apple explained how they collected the data to create the novel feature. The Apple Watch Series 4 can detect if you fall. Here's how the feature works, and how Apple collected real-world data to build it. via Popular Science "https://ift.tt/2Rku5dy"

It can take many years to make a wild plant easy to farm, but gene editing could make that happen for one fruit in record time. Scientists have used genomics and CRISPR gene editing to develop a technique that could domesticate the groundcherry, a wild fruit that's tasty and drought-resistant but difficult to grow in significant volumes. After sequencing the groundcherry's genome, the team both tweaked CRISPR to work with the plant and pinpointed the genes that led to its less-than-pleasant traits, such as its small size and not-so-plentiful flowering. From there, they just had to 'fix' the fruit with gene edits that promoted the qualities they wanted. The improvements have only just started, and the work will still require some conventional plant breeding to produce a viable crop. The researchers are already planning more edits, though, such as c...

One of Microsoft's focal points at its Surface event Tuesday was on helping you move seamlessly between devices. As part of that effort, it's updating Microsoft Launcher on Android with some new features, including long-awaited Timeline support. The updated user interface switches up the Your Feed page. It displays information at the top about the weather, calendar events and your Microsoft Rewards points. Your Feed is divided into three sections -- Glance, News and Timeline. Support for the latter, a relatively recent Windows 10 feature, was announced earlier this year, and it could help you keep your activity synced across your devices and continue where you left off. You can customize the News tab to focus on your favorite topics and nix those you're not so interested in. Pick up where you left off, no matter when you left off. See how Timeline...

Science Ricin is one of the most poisonous substances on Earth and it's scarily easy to make. Yesterday, an envelope addressed to Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, was found to contain a white granular substance that was identified as ricin. Today, a… Ricin is one of the most poisonous substances on Earth—and it's scarily easy to make. via Popular Science "https://ift.tt/2RqmJW2"

Microsoft's Surface devices tend to be costly , but the company might have a way of making them more palatable. It's launching a Surface All Access subscription model that 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. Think of it as Xbox All Access for the productivity crowd. Surface All Access will be available through American Microsoft Stores on October 16th alongside new hardware like the Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6 . We don't have full pricing yet, but it'll start at a fairly reasonable $25 a month. This makes the most sense if you were already inclined to get Office 365, but it could be helpful if you find the up-front price too much to swallow -- it spreads the cost out while throw...

Black Hat is bringing its highly-regarded Trainings to Chicago next month, October 22 and 23.Don't miss this opportunity to develop your skills in some of the most technical, hands-on security courses available. via Dark Reading: https://ift.tt/2y7IBN6 If New feed item from http://www.darkreading.com/rss/all.xml , then send Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.