At Google’s Search On event this year, the company announced a number of big improvements to Google Lens. These improvements are for iOS, Android, and even on desktop. Google Lens, Google’s AI-powered image recognition service, was rolled out to Android phones back in 2017 as a spiritual successor to Google Goggles. However, until this year, it remained exclusively available on mobile phones. Google Lens also got a Material You update only recently. These three improvements are all pretty big changes to the platform, particularly as Google introduces more and more AI-based enhancements.
Google Lens improvements
Multitask Unified Model (MUM) enhancements
This year, Google announced the Multitask Unified Model, or MUM, at I/O. Google says that MUM can simultaneously understand information across a wide range of formats, like text, images, and video. It can also draw insights from and identify connections between concepts, topics, and ideas about the world around us. The company shared an example of being able to select a pattern on a shirt in a Google search and then trying to find that same pattern on socks. This feature will be launching on Google Lens in the coming months.
Google Lens on Desktop
A few months ago, Lens on Desktop was spotted when right-clicking images. It was a server-side switch that needed to be enabled, and not everyone had it. Now Google is rolling out the feature to everyone over the coming months. Images, video, and text content on a website can be searched with Lens to quickly see search results in the same tab.
Lens Mode on iOS
All images in the Google app on iOS are now also searchable on Lens. Google calls this “Lens Mode”, and it allows you to search shoppable images on websites as you browse in the iOS Google App. This feature is limited to the U.S. currently, and there’s no word of a global release just yet.
Today, Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview build 22468 to the Dev channel. Once again, there’s really nothing of interest in this build. In fact, Microsoft has been pretty clear that we’re going to have to wait a little while before new features show up in prerelease builds.
There are two new features. Firstly, if you’re in your VPN settings and you click on a connection, you’ll now see stats about it. Also, there’s an option to remove recent searches from when you hover over the Search icon that’s in the taskbar. That’s it.
There are a few other notes that the Redmond firm included in its blog post. Older Dev channel builds are set to expire on October 31, so if you’re on the Dev channel, you’ll want to upgrade. The new expiration date is September 15, 2022. Also, the new Paint app is rolling out in the Dev channel, but that’s not exclusive to Windows 11 build 22468, and it was already announced.
And as usual, there are a bunch of fixes and known issues:
Windows 11 Insider Preview build 22468 Fixes
[Taskbar]
Mitigated a rare explorer.exe initialization hang related to loading the network icon.
[Search]
Improved reliability of showing the flyout when hovering over the Search icon in the Taskbar.
If you navigate to the Search icon in the Taskbar using the keyboard, navigating away will now dismiss the recent searches flyout.
The options when right clicking recent files displayed when searching for certain apps like Word should work now when you select them.
[File Explorer]
If you right click files in OneDrive locations in File Explorer, the context menu will no longer unexpectedly dismiss when you hover over entries that open sub-menus, like “Open with.”
Double clicking a network folder to open it will no longer unexpectedly try to pin it to Quick Access instead of opening it.
[Input]
Addressed an underlying font issue that was making the right hand of the shruggie kaomoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ not display in the correct position, as well as apostrophes in certain cases.
[Settings]
Your preferred microphone input format setting (as configured in Sound Settings) should persist upgrade now.
Addressed an issue where certain drives were unexpectedly not displaying in Defragment and Optimize Drives.
[Other]
We’ve resolved the issue preventing MDM enrolled PCs from successfully updating to the previous build. These devices are now unblocked from updating to the latest build.
Fixed an issue that could cause unexpected flickering in certain apps such as Microsoft Edge when using multiple monitors with different refresh rates.
Mitigated a display related issue that was causing some Insiders to experience an increase in bug checks in recent flights.
Did some work to address an issue where the Windows Update icon in the Taskbar might display but suddenly disappear when you hovered over it.
Addressed a rare issue with certain devices after sleep where Wi-Fi would get stuck in an off state and trying to toggle it back on wouldn’t work.
Mitigated an issue for certain devices that could cause the system to freeze in some scenarios.
NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the active development branch may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11 after general availability on October 5th.
Windows 11 Insider Preview build 22468 Known Issues
[General]
Users updating from Builds 22000.xxx, or earlier, to newer Dev Channel builds using the latest Dev Channel ISO, may receive the following warning message:
The build you are trying to install is Flight Signed. To continue installing, enable flight signing.
If you receive this message, press the Enable button, reboot the PC, and retry the update.
Some users may experience their screen and sleep timeouts being reduced. We’re investigating the potential impact that shorter screen and sleep timeouts could have on energy consumption.
[Start]
In some cases, you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. If you experience the issue, press WIN + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, then close it.
[Taskbar]
The Taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.
We’re investigating reports that Notification Center will get in a state in recent builds where it doesn’t launch. If you are impacted by this, restarting explorer.exe may resolve the issue for you.
[Search]
After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
Search panel might appear as black and not display any content below the search box.
[Widgets]
The widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. If you encounter this, you can launch the widgets via touch or WIN + W shortcut on your actual PC display first and then launch on your secondary monitors.
The Dev channel on the Windows Insider Program is designed for builds from the rs_prerelease branch. It’s made for testing out new features; however, those features aren’t tied to a specific release. To test specific feature updates for Windows 11, that’s what the Beta channel is for.
Right now, the Dev channel is coming with additional instability, but no new features. You might want to stay away from it now. After all, you can always enroll in the Dev channel, but switching from Dev back to Beta isn’t as easy, as it requires a factory reset to go to a lower build number.
I’ve never used a standing desk before. When Flexispot reached out and offered to send the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk, I was intrigued. Could I really work while standing up? If I end up sitting 99% of the time, why not just get a regular desk?
Fast forward to about a month and a half later, and I can’t imagine life without a standing desk anymore. When I’m working, I’m more active, more alert, and more productive. I don’t have to finish my coffee before I can pay attention to things anymore. It’s phenomenal.
Like most standing desks, you can adjust the height, and I can’t say I’m standing for the entire workday, although it seems like I’m standing for more and more of it every day. But there are presets, so I can just hit a button, the desk descends, and I can sit down.
Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk: Assembly
I found the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk way easier to put together than I expected. I’ve assembled lots of furniture before, and I usually set aside an hour or two for it. In fact, this desk sat in a box for a good week or so because I thought it was going to take a lot more time than it did.
The desk comes in two packages, one of which contains the parts you see in the image above, and the other which contains the desk part of it. That’s because Flexispot actually offers a lot of different options. If you check out the listing for the product (use the code XDA90 for 10% off), you’ll see that the desk comes in different shapes and sizes. There are also different frames you can choose from.
The parts you see above are for the 3-stage frame, which seems to be what makes it the Kana Pro. That also makes it come with a better control pad, which we’ll get to in a bit.
All of the parts and screws are clearly labeled, and it comes with the Allen key that you need. Being that the frame is designed to be used with different size desks, there are different ways to assemble it, but it’s simple enough.
Installing the desk on the frame was probably the hardest part. There aren’t holes in the bottom of the desk to start off the screws. It’s fine though.
Once everything is assembled, it’s time to connect the power. Each leg plugs into a main power supply, as does the control panel that sits in front of the desk.
Note that this part is where it gets a bit tough when it comes to cable management. It would actually be helpful if the power supply unit had ports on both sides of it, so you don’t get situations where one wire has to go around. For the wires that stuck out, I just taped it to the bottom of the desk. For the power cable, I ended up taping it to the frame. It was actually a pain to try and tie up the power cable with the rest of my PC cables.
This is what the finished product looks like. You can see the one cable that hangs underneath, and the power cable is the one on the left. This was before I made any attempts at cable management.
Flexispot does sell some cable management solutions that you’ll see on the configuration page for the desk. The tough part about it is that the desk is going to go up and down, so those cables do need freedom to move. Like I said, I’m new to the whole standing desk thing. But in the next section, we’re going to talk about actually using the desk, and why I won’t be going back to a regular desk ever again.
Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk: Usage
One thing I really love about this desk is the minimal design. It’s got a white frame, although it also comes in black, and the desk is a bamboo design. Historically, I’ve always owned black desks. I feel like this design brightens up my office a bit.
Above is the control panel that comes with the Pro model. You can use the arrow buttons to move the desk up and down, as you’d probably guess. There are also four presets — one for sitting, one for standing, and two others for whatever you want. You have to set all of those yourself using the memory key that’s next to the arrows, and it’s super easy.
I feel like the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk brightens up my office.
All you have to do is find the height that feels most comfortable when sitting or standing, put the desk to that height, hit the memory key, and then hit the preset key. In other words, you don’t have to overthink where the perfect standing height is, as you can easily adjust the preset later.
It’s also really cool that there are two more presets. At first, you might be wondering why you’d need anything besides standing or sitting, but it’s possible. There are plenty of use cases here.
For example, let’s say you work on Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio. Obviously, there are standing and sitting heights that you’d want to use. But the display of that PC also folds down to where you can draw on it, and you’d need a third height for the desk. That’s just one idea of why you might need a third or fourth height. Another is if a second person works at this desk. Standing height would be different for my wife than it would be for me.
The control panel also has a USB port on the side, which is good for power. It’s a nice easy way to charge my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 throughout the day.
There’s one big, glaring issue though. During the time I was using this, I actually lost power one day, and there’s no manual way to adjust the desk. I feel like I spend more and more of my workday standing, but at some point, maybe right after lunchtime, I just want to sit for a bit. When the power goes out, you’re stuck with whatever position the desk is in.
Conclusion
I really like the Kona Pro Bamboo Standing Desk, but to be perfectly clear like I said in the beginning, it’s my first standing desk. It’s not my first desk though, and I have to say, I really do love the minimal design. It’s a nice look that’s different from the standard black that’s so easy to pick for people like me, who really don’t have a sense of interior design.
Obviously, standing is better for your body than sitting. But if that’s not enough, Flexispot sells a bunch of other cool accessories. For example, you can get an under-desk bike, some of which look like an office chair that’s attached to an exercise bike. The company even sells an under-desk treadmill.
I didn’t get to try out any of that extra stuff, but it’s really cool. As someone that’s put on some weight over the course of the pandemic, I’m always trying to be more fitness-minded, and sitting down for the entire workday always feels counterintuitive.
Personally, I think the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk is a great product, and it’s way better than a regular desk.
You can use the code XDA90 at the link below for 10% off.
In February, Google Fiber started testing an upgraded TV experience for Fiber TV subscribers in an attempt to ditch its traditional TV offering. At the time, the online TV experience was only available in Huntsville, Alabama. However, In June, the company rolled out service in every city where Google Fiber was available. Now, Google has officially announced it will completely shut down its conventional TV offering altogether.
In an official blog post on Tuesday (via 9to5Google), Google Fiber said it “will ultimately retire Fiber TV in all our markets.” Google says current subscribers will get a 90-day notice before their plans change. As part of the migration, Google will replace the dedicated Fiber TV Box sitting in customers’ living rooms with a Chromecast with Google TV stick. In addition, Google will also upgrade old routers with Google WiFi for free.
“Traditional TV is expensive and outdated, so we’re working to upgrade our customers to streaming options, and will ultimately retire Fiber TV in all our markets,” said Liz Hsu, Director of Product Strategy, Google, in a blog post.
Google says it has already upgraded all legacy Fiber TV subscribers in Nashville, Huntsville, Salt Lake City, and Provo. Meanwhile, customers in Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, and Irvine will be migrated to the new TV experience by the end of September. While Google doesn’t have a timeline for Kansas City just yet, it’s advising customers to make the switch at the earliest as it plans to shutter the service in all markets.
With the Chromecast with Google TV stick, Google Fiber customers will enjoy a richer TV experience complete with a wider selection of streaming services. In February, Google Fiber teamed up with Fubo TV, a streaming provider that primarily focuses on live sports. With this partnership, new customers can now sign for FuboTV (in addition to YouTube TV) when they subscribe to Google Fiber.
Featured image: A photo of a Google Fiber Network Box. Photo credits: Paul Sableman on Flickr licensed under CC 2.0.
The iPhone 13 released only a few days ago, and Verizon had some pretty great deals. It seems, however, that some of those shiny new phones are having issues connecting to the carrier’s faster 5G network.
Multiple reports acrossReddit indicate there’s some sort of issue with the 5G connection on the new iPhone 13 series. It could be any of a few possible issues.
First, and most likely, it could be your SIM card. Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network — or 5G UW for short — is the carrier’s branding for its faster but shorter range millimeter wave 5G network. It requires a newer 5G-compatible SIM card to connect to, and if your new iPhone 13 came with one, you should go online or call in to activate it, then use it with your new device. If you didn’t get a new SIM, stop by a store to get one or call to have one shipped. Alternatively, you can activate the internal eSIM on the device. T-Mobile previously had a similar issue, however your SIM would have needed to be much older in that case to require a new one, and it only affected 5G Standalone access.
Another possibility is a bug with Verizon’s line features. Some users on this Reddit thread say that having Verizon remove and re-add all the features to their plan, including the 5G UW feature, fixed the issue.
Finally, it could be a bug in Verizon’s approved devices database. Verizon has a database of compatible devices, and if your new iPhone managed to slip by without being added, it could be the issue. This is the most unlikely reason for having 5G UW connection issues, but it is still possible. To find out, use this online tool to check your IMEI. If it’s not there, call Verizon and have them fix it.
5G compatibility is still pretty new, so there’s bound to be some growing pains. That being said, missing out on the top-speed UW on your brand-new iPhone 13 is pretty frustrating.
A spokesperson for Verizon told us that the company is aware of this problem and are actively working on a fix.
Today, a lot of us have started working remotely, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But even after the pandemic eventually ends, many companies will stick to remote work. As a result, we’re depending more on our computers. Microsoft and Apple both offer high-end devices, and the competition is only getting intenser. This is the Surface Laptop Studio vs the MacBook Pro M1, two portable yet exceptionally powerful devices, head-to-head.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio vs. Apple MacBook Pro M1: Specifications
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Apple MacBook Pro M1
CPU
Quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core H35 i5-11300H
Quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core H35 i7-11370H
Apple M1 chip
Graphics
Intel Core i5 models: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Intel Core i7 models: NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 Ti laptop GPU with 4GB GDDR6 GPU memory
8-core GPU
Body
323.28×228.32×18.94 mm
304.1×212.4×15.6 mm
Display
Screen: 14.4″ PixelSense Flow Display
Refresh rate: up to 120Hz
Resolution: 2400 x 1600 (201 PPI)
Aspect ratio: 3:2
Contrast ratio: 1500:1
Touch: 10-point multi-touch
Dolby Vision support
13.3″ LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Resolution: 2560 x 1600 (227 PPI) with support for millions of colors
500 nits brightness
Wide color (P3)
True Tone technology
Ports
2 x USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 technologies support
3.5mm headphone jack
1 x Surface Connect port
2 x USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 technologies support
3.5mm headphone jack
Storage
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
RAM
16GB
32GB
8GB
16GB
Battery
Intel Core i5: Up to 19 hours of typical device usage
Intel Core i7: Up to 18 hours of typical device usage
Built‐in rechargeable lithium‑polymer battery
Up to 17 hours wireless web
Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Audio
Dual far-field Studio Mics
Quad Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos
Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
Wide stereo sound
Support for Dolby Atmos playback
Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
Camera
Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
1080p resolution front facing camera.
720p FaceTime HD camera
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Color
Platinum
Silver
Space Gray
Price
Starting at $1,599
Starting at $1,299
Design: The Laptop Studio stars this show!
Body
The MacBook Pro M1 has had the same design for a few years now. It’s one of the slimmest and lightest Pro laptops out there, and it never fails to impress. When it comes to comparing the bodies of the Surface and the MacBook, the former has an obvious advantage — a body that folds in so many different ways.
While the MacBook Pro M1 is cheaper than the Surface Laptop Studio, it isn’t a versatile device that can switch modes accordingly. The Surface can be used as a tablet, a laptop, or a Studio. So whatever you’re working on, it can adapt to your workflow.
From an almost objective point of view, the Surface doesn’t look anywhere as good as the MacBook Pro. The former simply doesn’t look as minimalistic and is 3 mm thicker. But the Surface surely offers more functionality and packs a bigger punch.
Ports
Apple has become infamous for ditching ports on iDevices. This sacrifice comes in the name of minimalism. We agree, portless devices do look sleek, but they break functionality. Dongles don’t look good attached to any device, but average users are slowly shifting to alternative solutions. Depending on the cloud and going wireless is one way to do it, even though most power users would probably disagree.
The Surface offers two USB C ports, in addition to the fans’ favorite — a 3.5 mm headphone jack — and a Surface Connect port. The MacBook Pro also offers the same two USB C ports and a 3.5 mm headphone jack — surprisingly.
Conclusion
In this round, Apples loses to Microsoft. Both offer the same main, versatile ports, but the MacBook Pro has a body that loses to the Surface Laptop Studio. It’s worth mentioning that the MacBook Pro includes a Touch Bar, but that’s not nearly as powerful or useful as the Surface’s folding build.
Display: The Surface touches our hearts, in 10 different places!
The MacBook Air M1 offers a 13.3″ LED-backlit display with a 2560 x 1600 at 227 pixels per inch (ppi). On the other hand, the Surface has a 14.4″ PixelSense Flow display with a 2400 x 1600 resolution at 201 ppi. The difference in display sizes is very noticeable, and the Surface has a 10-point multi-touch screen, not only the bigger display. Its display not only supports touch input, but also the Slim Pen 2.
Apple’s MacBook Pro, on the other hand, doesn’t support Apple Pencil. These are major advantages to Microsoft, however the MacBook Pro M1 has the higher resolution.
Accessories: The Pen is mightier than the sword Apple Pencil!
When it comes to accessories, the MacBook Pro doesn’t support the Apple Pencil. On the contrary, the Surface Laptop Studio supports the Slim Pen 2. Both devices have a keyboard and a trackpad built-in, so keyboard accessories aren’t required for proper use. This round clearly goes to Microsoft because the MacBook Pro has no stylus support.
Capability: Apple blows away Microsoft on a macro level!
Performance
The entry model of the Surface offers 16GB of RAM, while the MacBook Pro M1 offers 8GB. But when it comes to the processors, the Apple M1 chip outperforms the Intel chips. The MacBook is more capable and energy-efficient than the Surface. However, the MacBook Pro can be upgraded to a maximum of 16GB of RAM, while the Laptop Studio is configurable to 32GB. Though, to lay out all of the details, the MacBook Pro and the Laptop Studio both can have up to 2TB of storage.
Software
Comparing two desktop operating systems can be very subjective, especially when Windows and macOS have both matured. At this point it’s mostly a matter of taste of what you go for. If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, buying a MacBook would definitely make more sense, for example.
Personally, I prefer macOS, not only because I use other Apple devices, but because I love how quickly developers adopt new APIs. Apple pressures developers into keeping their apps functional and up to date. And whenever a new major feature is made available on macOS, such as dark mode, most teams behind popular apps implement it into their app as soon as possible.
With the redesign Big Sur brought, I feel like macOS is complete and almost perfect for me. The new “childish” UI that’s inspired by iOS only makes the system look more familiar and less (unnecessarily) complicated. Not to mention the ability to run iOS/iPadOS apps without using any third-party software.
Conclusion
The MacBook Pro objectively outperforms the Surface. As for the operating system, it really depends on your taste and what you’re looking for. As a result, Apple wins this round!
Finishes: Apple colors its way into victory!
This round is short, particularly because the Surface offers one color option, while the MacBook Pro goes for two.
MacBook Pro M1:
Silver
Space Gray
Surface Laptop Studio:
Platinum
Both companies offer relatively similar colors, so the finish shouldn’t be a major factor when you’re making your purchase decision. And you could always put on a case, cover, or skin if you’re into more “fun” and lively colors. However, Apple gets this round merely because it offers more color options.
Bottom Line
The Surface Laptop Studio and MacBook Pro M1 are two very different devices made for different kinds of people. Despite their relatively similar software (both run a desktop OS), they each offer different features, capabilities, and builds. Which one is right for you is up to you personally. The Surface clearly takes what a laptop could be to the next level, while Apple sticks to the traditional form. We have only made it easier for you to weigh the pros and cons before you go ahead and buy your shiny new powerhouse!
Over the past few weeks, Microsoft has slowly been showing off and releasing new apps designed for Windows 11. From the Snipping Tool to Paint – which was rolled out to Insiders in the Dev channel just yesterday – many Windows apps have been refreshed for Windows 11. Microsoft seems to have accidentally shown off another one in yesterday’s Windows Insider webcast, which has since been taken offline. Spotted by Windows Latest, there seems to be a new Windows 11 app simply called Media Player.
The app was shown off during the webcast playing a video, suggesting this may be a replacement for the Movies & TV app we currently have in Windows 10. However, it might also be more than that. In the screenshot grabbed by Windows Latest, we see the option to shuffle the current playlist or skip tracks, options that aren’t used all that frequently for video. And with the more generic Media Player name, this could indicate that Microsoft is unifying the video and music player apps in Windows 11.
Image credit: Windows Latest
The app also features new UI elements that align with Windows 11. The play/pause button is large and uses a gradient color, and other elements like icons and the seek bar use the Windows 11 design language, too. Some controls that were previously in the bottom left corner were also moved to the right side of the app window.
It’s also interesting to note the use of the name Media Player, seeing as Windows Media Player used to be the go-to solution for playing video and audio on Windows. In fact, it’s still included with Windows 11, but it hasn’t received any notable updates since Windows 7. Xbox Music and Xbox Video were the default media apps in Windows 8, and then both were replaced with Groove Music and Movies & TV, respectively.
It’s particularly interesting because we’ve seen Microsoft embrace more of its legacy apps and modernize them for Windows 11, instead of trying to create wholly new brands and experiences. The new Snipping Tool replaces the Snip & Sketch app from Windows 10, and Paint is getting a facelift after Microsoft tried to popularize Paint 3D. Bringing back the Media Player name seems to make perfect sense given Microsoft’s current approach to Windows 11 apps.
We’ve seen very little of this new Media Player app for Windows 11, and with Microsoft seemingly trying to hide it by taking down the Windows Insider webcast video, it’s likely that a “grander” reveal is planned for the near future. Almost all the big new apps we’ve seen in Windows 11 were initially teased by Panos Panay on Twitter, so we may get a similar glimpse at it before it rolls out.
