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jeudi 9 septembre 2021

Private Compute Services will securely update AI-powered features in Android 12

One of the new privacy features introduced in Android 12 is Private Compute Core, a secure partition within the operating system that stores and processes machine learning data.

Currently, Private Compute Core in Android 12 holds data for three machine learning features: Live Caption, Now Playing, and Smart Reply. Features inside Private Compute Core don’t have direct access to the Internet, but many machine learning and AI features need to be updated from time to time with new and improved models, and this is where Android’s new Private Compute Services will come into play. Today, Google announced a new suite of services for Private Compute Core that will enable AI-powered features stored in the sandbox to be securely updated.

Private Compute Services will provide a privacy-preserving bridge between the Private Compute Core and the cloud, making it possible to deliver new AI models and other updates to sandboxed machine learning features over a secure path. Google says communication between features and Private Compute Services happens over a set of purposeful open-source APIs, which removes identifying information from data and applies privacy technologies like Federated Learning, Federated Analytics, and Private information retrieval.

Google says they will open source the code for Private Compute Services so that independent security researchers can audit it. However, there’s no timeline on when the code will be publicly released.

Private Compute Core is a secure environment that’s isolated from the rest of the operating system and apps. Data stored and processed within this sandbox isn’t exposed to other apps unless intended by the user. For example, a Smart Reply suggestion will remain hidden from your keyboard and the app you’re typing into until you tap on it.

Apart from the privacy sandbox, Android 12 also adds a Privacy Dashboard that displays a timeline of when apps on your phone accessed sensitive permissions like location, microphone, and camera.

The post Private Compute Services will securely update AI-powered features in Android 12 appeared first on xda-developers.



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Microsoft announces hybrid work features for Teams and Microsoft 365

Microsoft has announced an array of new devices and features for Teams with the goal of making hybrid work easier. If you’ve been following Microsoft recently, you know hybrid work has been a major focus since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The company had already announced a bunch of Teams features for hybrid work, but it’s not done yet.

First off, you may recall that Microsoft announced a feature called “front row” back in June. This is a new layout for Teams meetings in Teams Rooms devices, where virtual meeting participants are shown in a row at the bottom of the screen to keep them at eye level for those attending in person. Today, Microsoft announced new intelligent cameras for hybrid meetings like this. Using AI, these cameras can detect who’s speaking in a meeting room and zoom in on them, capture multiple video streams so each in-person attendee gets their own video feed in a Teams meeting, and facial recognition to identify meeting participants so they can be labeled in their respective video pane.

Teams meeting layout showing a panoramic room view and individual participants in the room

The companion mode in the Teams mobile app is also getting an upgrade. For in-person attendees, it will be possible to easily see the Teams meeting chat, live reactions, and access to Whiteboard. It’s also getting easier to join meetings or share a PowerPoint presentation from the mobile app. This should open up new possibilities for collaboration between remote and in-person participants.

For remote meeting participants, Microsoft is also adding a new feature called lighting corrections in the coming months. As the name suggests, this allows Teams to make up for uneven or poor lighting during a meeting so other participants can see you clearly. And if you’re trying to get in touch with someone while you’re on the road, Teams is getting support for Apple CarPlay this month, too.

Lighting correction in Teams

For workers in the office, there’s also a new hot desking experience for Teams displays. Users can book a space in the office to sign in with Teams, and get access to all their personal Teams data. Once they stop using the space, they’re logged out and all their data is removed. This will debut in the Lenovo ThinkSmart display by the end of the year.

Microsoft is also introducing new hybrid work features that leverage the connection between Teams and PowerPoint. First off, there’s a new feature called Cameo, which integrates your Teams video feed directly into a PowerPoint presentation, letting you choose where your feed appears relative to the slideshow. Microsoft is also bringing PowerPoint’s Presenter coach feature to Teams, and renaming it to Speaker coach. If you don’t already know, Speaker coach is a feature that gives users feedback on how they’re presenting. It listens for things like long breaks, monotone speech, “um” sounds, and more, and it also checks if you’re keeping eye contact with the camera. Both of these features will be available in early 2022.

Cameo in PowerPoint

Rounding out the new Teams features, Microsoft also announced a few apps that now support the new shared stage announced at Build 2021. That means these apps can share content to a meeting as if it was a normal video feed or a screen share. A few supported apps available today include Miro, MURAL, Lucidspark, and Freehand, but more are on the way.

One last Teams-related announcement is the Logi dock, a new dock from Logitech which includes a speakerphone with touch controls. You can use it to take Teams calls and you get quick controls or adjusting volume levels, muting your microphone, or turning off your camera. It also has plenty of ports, including two USB Type-C, two USB Type-A, HDMI, and DisplayPort. It also has Bluetooth so you can connect your phone to stream audio from it. This will launch this winter and cost $399.99.

Finally, one last new piece of news is for Outlook, which is getting new working hours and RSVP experiences for hybrid work. You’ll be able to specify not only what times you’re working, but when you’ll be working remotely or in the office. Similarly, when responding to a meeting request, you can also choose to participate remotely or in person, so organizers can more easily book rooms that can accommodate everyone.

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How to upgrade the RAM and SSD on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is probably the most powerful business laptop you can buy today. Lenovo took the business-style design and features of the ThinkPad laptops and packed beastly specs into it. It comes with up to an 11th-generation Intel Core i9 vPro processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, which is fantastic for a 16 inch laptop under 18mm thin. Not only that, you can still configure it with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage. But those SSD and RAM upgrades for the ThinkPad X1 Extreme can be quite pricey out of the box, so what if you want to upgrade them yourself later?

Thankfully you can, and in this guide, we’re going to show you how. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 has two memory slots and up to two SSD slots. Whether you get one or two SSD slots depends on the graphics card you choose. The second SSD slot is only available if you choose the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti or lower, since the other discrete GPUs require more cooling. Regardless, we’re going to help you upgrade the RAM and SSD on your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme.

Preparing to work inside your laptop

As always, there are some precautions you need to take if you’re planning to mess with the internals of your laptop (or other electronics, for that matter). First off, Lenovo recommends disabling the built-in battery, which you can do through the BIOS. First, disable Fast Startup in Windows by opening the Control Panel and choosing System & Security. From there, click Choose what the power buttons do (under Power options) and then Change settings that are currently unavailable. Then, disable fast startup.

Once that’s done, you can restart the computer and quickly press F1 on the keyboard when you see the logo screen. This will open the BIOS settings. Go to Config, then Power and select Disable built-in battery. Confirm and the computer will shut down. Then unplug the charger and any peripherals from the laptop to avoid any electric charge running through the device.

You’re also going to want to ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface before starting, and occasionally while working to avoid static discharges. Make sure you’re not working on fabric or near pets that can build up more static charges, too.

In terms of tools, you’re going to need a Philips head screwdriver to open up the laptop and also to remove and install the SSD. You may want a spudger or a non-conductive prying tool to open up the base of the laptop.

Finally, you need the parts for the upgrades you’re going to do. With RAM, it’s recommended to get a stick that’s the same speed as the one already in your laptop, and if you can, use both modules from the same brand. You can get a pair of Crucial Ballistix RAM sticks below, with capacities going up to 64GB — the maximum the ThinkPad X1 supports. If you only need a single stick, there’s another Crucial model that’s sold individually.

    Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz RAM
    This pair of Crucial Ballistix RAM sticks offers a great upgrade option for the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, with capacities up to 64GB.

As for the SSD, there are two things to consider. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has both PCIe Gen 4 and Gen 3 slots (or just Gen 4, if it only has one). To get the most speeds out of the Gen 4 slot, you can buy a more expensive PCIe Gen 4 SSD, but that won’t get you any benefits if you install it on the Gen 3 slot. You can save some money by going with a PCIe Gen 3 SSD, which will work the same on either slot. If you want a PCIe Gen 3 SSD, the Samsung 970 EVO Plus is a solid option, while the 980 PRO is the way to go if you want a Gen 4 SSD.

    Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD (PCIe Gen 3)
    The Samsung 970 EVO Plus is a fast PCIe Gen 3 SSD, promising speeds up to 3,500MB/s and coming in capacities up to 2TB.
    Samsung 980 PRO NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 4)
    The Samsung 980 PRO is an incredibly fast SSD capable of read speeds up to 7,000MB/s thanks to support for PCIe 4.0.

Upgrade the RAM on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

With all the preparations made, we’re ready to upgrade the RAM and SSD on the ThinkPad X1 Extreme. We’ll start with the RAM, and for the sake of clarity with the instructions, let’s assume you’re working with the hinge of the laptop facing away from you.

  • With the lid closed, flip the laptop over and remove the eight screws holding the base cover in place.
  • Lift the base cover from the finger and remove it. A spudger or prying tool may help with this.
  • The SODIMM (RAM) slots are near the middle of the motherboard, between the battery and the cooling pipes.

ThinkPad X1 Extreme SODIMM slot location

  • Lift the flap covering the slot you want to upgrade. To remove the RAM stick already installed, carefully pull apart the metal brackets on the side of the stick until it pops out. Then slide the RAM stick out.
  • To install a new RAM stick, align the notch on the contact pins of the RAM stick with the tab on the SODIMM slot. Slide the RAM stick into the slot at a slight angle.
  • Push down the RAM stick until it clicks into place, held by the metal brackets.
  • Repeat the process for the other RAM stick if you have two.

You should now have some extra RAM in your laptop, and you have saved quite a bit by upgrading it yourself instead of paying for a higher tier upfront.

Upgrade the storage on the ThinkPad X1 Extreme

To upgrade the storage, there are slightly different steps depending on which SSD you want to upgrade. If your model has two SSD slots, one will be next to the RAM slots on the right, and the other will be on the opposite side of the laptop covered by a metal shield. This second one is actually considered the first SSD slot, and it’s the one with PCIe Gen 4 speeds.

Before replacing an SSD, make sure you have backed up your data, or copied the entirety of your drive to the new one. Your SSD will contain the operating system, which you need to use the computer. To upgrade the SSD slot on the left side of the laptop, follow these steps:

  • Remove the two screws holding the metal shield in place. Lift up the metal shield and set it aside.
  • Remove the screw at the end of the SSD stick holding it down. The stick will pop up slightly.
  • Carefully lift and slide the SSD out of the slot.
  • Take your new SSD and aligns the notch on the contact pins with the tab on the SSD slot. Slide the SSD in.
  • Tighten the screw to hold the SSD in place. Be careful not to overtighten to avoid damage to the SSD or the motherboard.
  • Place the metal shield over the SSD again and align the screw holes with the ones on the motherboard. Tighten the screws without overtightening to prevent damage.

If you want to upgrade the SSD on the right side of the laptop, the process is a bit simpler. There’s no metal shield, so you can ignore the steps related to that. Otherwise, the process is the same.


That’s all you need to know about upgrading the RAM and storage on your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. Once all the upgrades are done, be sure to re-enable the built-in battery so you can actually use the laptop when you unplug it. This kind of homemade upgrade can be a bit risky if you don’t know what you’re doing, but if you follow these steps carefully, you’ll be just fine. You can save a lot of money by going this route instead of buying the maxed-out configurations from Lenovo right off the bat.

If you want to buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, you can do so below. The laptop has plenty of configuration options available, including high-end Intel processors, NVIDIA graphics, RAM, and storage if you don’t feel like upgrading later. You can also get this laptop with up to an Ultra HD+ display with HDR support, which is fantastic for tasks like video editing.

    Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4
    With up to an Intel Core i9 vPro CPU, GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, and tons of configuration options, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is one of the most powerful business laptops you can find anywhere.

The post How to upgrade the RAM and SSD on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme appeared first on xda-developers.



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These are the Best 5G Phones you can buy in September: Samsung, Apple, Google, and more!

5G rollout continues to happen around the world, so if you’re buying a new phone, it might be worth picking one up that supports this fifth-generation network. Most of the phones in our Best Phones and Best Android phones list already support 5G – but you don’t have to spend flagship money to get that high-speed connectivity now. Here’s XDA’s guide to the best phone with 5G support.

Navigate this article:

Best Foldable 5G phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Phantom Black half open back view

If you want the most capable and coolest 5G phone, it’s got to be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 right now. A mini tablet that can fold in half to become a pocketable form factor, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the most cutting-edge smartphone in the world right now.

This year Samsung added more durable build material and IPX8 water resistance, as well as improved screen brightness and S-Pen support, making it a very capable productivity machine.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
    The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the newest top dog phone in Android, so of course it has 5G support! You’ll want that high speed connection too because this is one capable multi-tasking beast of a machine.

Best 5G phone between $1,000 and $1,500: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

the Galaxy S21 Ultra is 5G ready

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is arguably the best slab phone in the world right now, so it naturally takes this spot here too. In addition to top-notch connections, you’re getting the best screen possible on a mobile device right now, a Samsung AMOLED screen with an adaptive refresh rate that can max out at 120Hz, with the punchiest colors and 1,500 nits of maximum brightness. Throw in the Snapdragon 888 and a legit 10x optical zoom, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra is not just the best 5G phone right now, but the best non-foldable phone ever.

    Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
    The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate overkill in the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC, a premium build, a great display, and an amazing camera setup, as well as all the extras expected on a premium flagship.

Best 5G phone between $800 and $999: Apple iPhone 12

iPhone 12 in blue

Apple released four new iPhones last year but the best one overall for most people is the standard iPhone 12. Starting at $799 at carriers and $829 unlocked, the iPhone 12 is objectively one of the better flagship values on the market, considering it packs a premium build quality, the best-in-class 5nm A14 Bionic SoC, and a very capable camera system.

It’s also one of the few phones to have support for every global 5G band, so you know you’re going to be well connected no matter which part of the world you’re in.

    Apple iPhone 12
    The iPhone 12 is Apple's first 5G device and it's a highly polished and powerful handset that should satisfy every need -- although XDA readers used to Android may find iOS a bit annoying to use.

Between $700 and $800: OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9 packs specs almost as powerful as the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s — it’s got a Snapdragon 888, 120Hz OLED screen, a very good 48MP main camera, and premium glass and aluminum design. However, it lacks mmWave 5G bands so in the US it only supports T-Mobile and Verizon’s 5G Nationwide, but not AT&T’s.

    OnePlus 9
    The OnePlus 9 is a $729 phone that punches above its weight class and can hold its own against $1,000 phones. It supports 5G networks from Verizon and T-Mobile, but not AT&T, however.

Best 5G phone between $500 and $699: Apple iPhone 12 Mini

I can grip my entire hand around the iPhone 12 Mini

The iPhone 12 Mini is about as good a value as an iPhone can get right now: you’re getting a 5nm SoC that’s more powerful than any chip from Qualcomm right now, a strong dual-camera system consisting of a 12MP main and ultra-wide, and all the usual iOS goodies that Apple fans swear by, like AirDrop, iCloud, instant connectivity with Apple’s ecosystem of products, etc. Even when considering that most XDA readers prefer Android, the iPhone 12 Mini is too good to leave off this list at its $699 price.

    Apple iPhone 12 Mini
    The iPhone 12 Mini is an Apple flagship, but in a petite size and a petite price. It supports 5G and comes in a really one-hand friendly package.

Best 5G phone under $500: Google Pixel 5a

Google Pixel 5a with grassy background

The brand new Google Pixel 5a takes everything great about the Pixel 5 and improves it even more (larger battery, larger screen) while shaving a couple of hundred dollars off the price. So expect one of the best cameras around and clean, smooth software as Google intended.

However, the Pixel 5a in its current form can only support low band 5G from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. It doesn’t support higher-frequency mmWave, but for a phone at this price range, it’s not a major issue. The Pixel 5a at this price with its camera and software performance is worth it.

    Google Pixel 5a
    The Google Pixel 5a is basically the Pixel 5 with a larger battery and lower price. While it doesn’t have the full range of 5G band support, it shouldn’t be a major issue for most. It’s still a 5G phone.
    Google Pixel 4a 5G
    Want the purest version of Android with the best of Google's camera tech? The Pixel 4a 5G is the phone for you. The main version of Pixel 4a 5G supports low-and mid-band, while a Verizon-exclusive covers the full spectrum -- at a cost.

Best 5G phone under $450: Moto One 5G

Moto One 5G

Motorola re-entered the flagship phone scene in 2020 with the Motorola Edge+, but it isn’t leaving the mid-range affordable scene behind. The Moto One 5G is the cheapest 5G-ready phone sold in the U.S, and it’s got quite an impressive list of specs. You’re getting a 90Hz LCD with a dual hole-punch cutout for two selfie cameras, a large 5,000 mAh battery, 48MP main camera, and a Snapdragon 765G.

The cheaper AT&T model, just like the Velvet, doesn’t support high-band mmWave, but the Verizon model does, but it will almost certainly cost a bit more.

    Moto One 5G
    Motorola's latest brings 5G connectivity and high-refresh screen for under $500, making it the best value 5G phone in the US.

Best 5G phone under $300: OnePlus Nord N10

The OnePlus Nord N10 standing straight in an American backyard.

With a Snapdragon 690 and a plasticky body, no one’s going to confuse the OnePlus Nord N10 as a flagship phone; but it’s got the required modem for connectivity to 5G and still sports a rather lively 6.5 inch, 90Hz AMOLED display. And despite the older SoC, the phone still performs at a satisfactory level thanks to the super clean and smooth OxygenOS software.

For optics, the 64MP main camera gets the job done, but the 8MP ultra-wide camera can be hit or miss. But that 4,300 mAh battery can power the phone all day with ease.

    OnePlus Nord N10 5G
    The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is a budget 5G handset that offers long battery life and a good screen.

Also great at under $300: Samsung Galaxy A22 5G

Galaxy A22 (back)

The newest release on this list is also the most affordable 5G phone, at a starting price of €229 (around $277) in Europe. No availability has been announced outside of Europe yet, but it could hit stateside, and even if not, there’s always the importing option.

The Galaxy A22 5G offers a 6.6-inch screen with a 90Hz refresh rate — although this is the rare Samsung phone with an LCD panel instead of OLED; handling processing and connectivity is the MediaTek Dimensity 700, and you have a camera system that covers the wide and ultra-wide focal lengths (along with the usual depth and macro sensors).

    Galaxy A22 5G
    Samsung's Galaxy A22 5G offers a large battery and 5G connectivity at an affordable price.

Ultimately, if money is no object, my pick of the best 5G phones right now is a two-way tie between the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy S21 Ultra — but I understand the price makes either a no-go for many people. For most people, I think the iPhone 12 or OnePlus 9 are excellent purchases; you’re getting basically as good a smartphone as last year’s technology allows, at a reasonable price under four digits. Of course, if you’re on a tighter budget, then the Google Pixel 5a is a good choice as well.

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How to use YouTube in Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode on iOS with YouTube Premium

YouTube Picture-in-Picture (PiP) has been available on Android phones for years, from back when YouTube Premium was branded as YouTube Red. However, Google had been denying iOS users this feature, stating that Apple doesn’t allow developers to put features that use iOS APIs behind paywalls. Thus YouTube couldn’t support this feature on iOS without making it free for all, since PiP is one of those APIs.

While it’s not clear how and why exactly Google has now been able to add this Premium-exclusive feature to iOS, subscribers will be able to try it out for the very first time on the iPhone app. Safari workarounds to use PiP have been around, but YouTube tends to patch them every once in a while, making it tougher for iOS users to watch YouTube videos while navigating through their phones.

How to enable Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode on the iOS YouTube app

Follow the steps below to enable the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode feature on your iPhone:

  • Make sure your YouTube app is up to date.
  • Subscribe to YouTube Premium if you aren’t already subscribed (psst, it’s cheaper on YouTube.com/Premium, compared to the price tag in the iOS app).
  • Launch the app and head to its settings, accessible through clicking your account’s profile photo in the top right corner.
  • Go to the Try New Features section and scroll down to find Picture-in-picture on iOS.
  • Click Turn On and force-quit the YouTube app.
  • Relaunch the YouTube app and head back to its settings.
  • Go to the General section and toggle Picture-in-picture.
  • Voila, you’re done! If you don’t see the PiP toggle under General settings right away, force-quit the app a few times and give it some time.
  • If the toggle shows in YouTube’s general settings but the feature doesn’t work, make sure you have PiP enabled in the iOS Settings app under Settings > General > Picture in Picture.
Screenshot of experimental features on the iOS YouTube app Screenshot of the Picture-in-picture toggle in the YouTube iOS app settings

YouTube describes the feature as follows:

“If you exit YouTube, videos continue in a miniplayer on top of other apps. “Start PiP Automatically” must also be turned on in device settings.”

It’s worth mentioning YouTube has also been testing a translation button in the comments section. It helps understand comments typed in a foreign language. However, you may only try one experimental feature at a time, so it’s either PiP or the comment translations. Experimental Features are exclusively available through YouTube Premium, priced at $11.99/month for the individual plan in the US (price may vary by region).

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Samsung announces business editions of its Galaxy Book Pro laptops

Samsung today is announcing business editions of its Galaxy Book and Galaxy Book Pro laptops. Just as with Microsoft’s Surface for Business program, these new laptops are just like the ones consumers can buy, except they come with Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro. Naturally, that means you get better security, manageability, and more.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is the company’s flagship Windows laptop right now, packing Intel’s 11th-generation processors and being Intel Evo certified. That’s not the headline for these devices though. In fact, there are two key features.

One is that it weighs under two points, and it’s what Samsung called “smartphone-thin”, which in the case of the 13.3-inch Galaxy Book Pro is 11.2mm. The 15-inch model is a little bit thicker and heavier, but it’s still among the thinnest and lightest on the market.

The other key feature that makes the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro for business stand out is that it has a Super AMOLED display. Both the 13.3- and 15.6-inch models are FHD with a 16:9 aspect ratio, so with the lower resolution, you should actually get better battery life than you would with a competitor’s UHD laptop.

Samsung Galaxy family

“Businesses of all sizes have to be incredibly adaptable in today’s fast-changing economy, and they need technology that helps them reclaim their productivity,” said Hamshy Raveendran, Head of Mobile B2B Product and Go-to-Market, Samsung Electronics America. “In developing the Galaxy Book lineup, we took a fresh look at what businesses really need from a PC. Drawing on our innovation in the mobile space, we wanted to create a new notebook PC that would boost productivity, make collaboration easier, and be ready to go wherever work takes you. The Galaxy Book Pro for business is designed to do all that, with an ultra-light design, powerful multitasking capabilities, and seamless connection to the entire Galaxy ecosystem.”

As far as pricing goes, there are some different configurations here. For the base model of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 13 for business, it’s $100 more than the consumer model, which is pretty standard. The base 15-inch model is actually $100 less, because the business model starts with a Core i5 and 8GB RAM, while the consumer model only comes with a Core i7 and 16GB RAM. In fact, weirdly, the business model of the 15-inch variant only comes in Core i5 / 8GB / 512GB and Core i7 / 16GB / 256GB combinations.

You can order them now from the link below, or you can learn more at Samsung’s business website. Interestingly, the website doesn’t have a spot on it for Windows laptops just yet. You can find categories for phones, TVs, tablets, wearables, monitors, interactive displays, rugged devices, SSDs, and even Chromebooks. It would seem that today’s announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro for business its the firm’s entry into the commercial Windows laptop space.

    Samsung Galaxy Book Pro for business
    The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is ultra thin and light, has a Super AMOLED display, and is now made for business.

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PPT Controller for the Galaxy Watch 4 lets you control slideshows from your smartwatch

After launching the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic early last month, Samsung has released a couple of software updates for the smartwatches with a few new features. The updates have introduced a few new features to the smartwatches and enabled some features previously available on older Tizen models. To further enhance the experience, Samsung has now started updating some of its old wearable apps to support the new Galaxy Watch 4 duo.

According to a recent TizenHelp report, Samsung has released an updated version of its PPT Controller app on the Play Store, which is compatible with the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. For the unaware, Samsung initially released the PPT Controller app for older Tizen models in 2017. The app essentially lets you control a PowerPoint presentation with your smartwatch, making it quite useful for both students and professionals.

Samsung PPT Controller app screenshots Galaxy Watch 4 Samsung PPT Controller app screenshots Galaxy Watch 4 Samsung PPT Controller app screenshots Galaxy Watch 4

If you recently got yourself a Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and you wish to try the PPT Controller app, you can download it by following the Play Store link below. As mentioned in the app’s Play Store listing, it will let you switch to the next or previous slide with your smartwatch and stop the presentation. It also lets you use the physical bezel on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic or the digital bezel on the regular Watch 4 to control the slides. Furthermore, the app shows the remaining presentation time on your wrist and lets you add a vibration alert to notify you when the presentation ends.

It’s worth noting that you’ll need to connect your Galaxy Watch 4 with a computer to use the PPT Controller app. To do so, head over to the Bluetooth settings on your Windows PC, search for nearby Bluetooth devices and select your Galaxy Watch 4.

Samsung PPT Controller (Free, Google Play) →

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