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Microsoft announces its smallest and most affordable Surface yet

Portable and affordable

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Image credit: Microsoft

Microsoft has just announced new hardware under its Surface line of devices. As you know, Surface tablets, laptops, and desktops are on the premium side, but the new Surface Go is shifting gears by being the most affordable of the bunch — and also the smallest.

The Surface Go from Microsoft is a full-blown Windows 10 tablet aimed at schools, kids, and even the enterprise market. It’s been three years since the last non-Pro Surface tablet, so the introduction of the Surface Go comes at a bit of a surprise for us.

Image credit: Microsoft

The smallest Surface tablet has a 10-inch PixelSense touch display with a resolution of 1800 x 1200, 3:2 aspect ratio, and pen support. It’s powered by a seventh-generation Intel Pentium Gold processor (haven’t heard about Pentium in a long time) with up to 8GB of memory and up to 256GB of storage.

The tablet itself has a single USB-C port for 4K video out and data, microSD card reader, a proprietary Surface Connect port, and a headphone jack. It also has an 8-megapixel rear shooter and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with support for Windows Hello.

The body of the tablet is still made of magnesium and is designed like other Surface tablets, including the adjustable kickstand. It also has front-facing stereo speakers and Dolby Audio. The tablet’s battery is rated to last for nine hours on a single charge.

The new Surface Go will be available in early August 2018 starting at just US$ 399 for the tablet and US$ 99 for the detachable keyboard. It’s now available for pre-order in North America, Europe, and Australia, while Asia will follow suit in the coming weeks. An LTE model will arrive later this year.

Microsoft’s new tablet practically battles Apple’s newest and cheapest iPad, and it’s definitely more affordable than any of the iPad Pro tablets. Compared to the iPads though, the Surface Go runs a full version of Windows 10 (in S-mode) and not just a mobile operating system.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft Windows April 2018 patch adds Timeline, Focus Assist

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3D printing made accessible: Bambu Lab enters Philippine market

Empowering consumers to create tangible objects

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Photos from Rodneil Quiteles

China-based brand Bambu Lab has officially entered the Philippine market in a bid to reshape how consumers perceive and use 3D printing technology.

Established in Shenzhen, China in 2020, Bambu Lab aims to make 3D printing more accessible, practical, and relevant to daily life through printers and other supplies.

The goal is to support practical home use, creative hobbies, product design, and even specialized tools, while putting emphasis on ease of use.

With such optics, Bambu Lab is trying to make consumers feel that there is less deep technical knowledge required and that they can actually create physical objects with 3D printing.

One of their products is the entry-level Bambu Lab A1 mini, which is compact enough to fit on a small desk.

The brand also has more advanced models which are capable of printing multiple colors and materials on a single run.

To complement the hardware ecosystem, Bambu Lab’s open platform MakerWorld lets users browse, select, and print from an extensive library of shared 3D designs directly from their own desktops.

The platform features a wide variety of objects across multiple categories. There’s household items, DIY tools, children’s toys, props, and educational materials.

In the Philippines, Bambu Lab will open its first concept store at One Ayala, Makati City. The concept corner will give mallgoers the opportunity to see the range of 3D printers and consumables firsthand.

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Samsung teases anti-shoulder surfing privacy feature

A “new layer of privacy” coming to Galaxy phones soon

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Samsung has teased a “new layer of privacy” to shield users’ phones primarily from shoulder surfing.

Although there haven’t been any specifics yet, this “new layer” could be quite literal, as in an added display technology on Samsung devices.

Samsung says users can customize it to raise their guard with specific apps, or when entering access details for more private areas of their phones.

Moreover, there are multiple settings for adjusting visibility. This way, users can limit what others can see based on the level of privacy protection they need.

They can likewise choose to protect specific parts of the experience, such as notification pop-ups. In a way, it’s a tailored approach that lets users fine-tune or switch off entirely, rather than a blanket one.

It also eliminates the need to go through apps one by one and adjust settings, as in the case of notifications.

Samsung adds that the process took five years of engineering, testing, and refining, hence the careful and deliberate roll-out instead of a sudden one.

This process included studying how individuals use their phones, what they consider private, and how security should feel in everyday life.

The result, Samsung says, is a fusion of hardware and software expertly calibrated to protect users while on their phones.

This latest development is part of a series of Galaxy innovations to keep users safe. Samsung has been introducing topnotch mobile protection with Knox Vault, Knox Matrix, and more features.

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Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold reveals US$ 2,899 price tag

It’s still cheaper than the Huawei Mate XT.

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Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

Late last year, Samsung finally revealed the Galaxy Z TriFold, its official entry into the three-paneled market. Even only from its initial announcement, the Galaxy Z TriFold already looks mighty good, more so than its Android-less counterpart from Huawei. But, as with everything, it still depends on the price. How much will Samsung’s trifold phone cost? Now, we have an idea.

Today in the United States, Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Z TriFold will already be available in the country starting this week. From January 30, users can start trying out the phone for themselves in Samsung Experience Stores. They can also grab the device through Samsung.com.

Because the phone is already available, the price tag is out as well. In the United States, the Galaxy Z TriFold will set you back by at least US$ 2,899.

Despite how eye-watering that price is, it’s still a step below the Huawei Mate XT when that launched last year. (For reference, the Android-less Mate XT launched for a miserable EUR 3,499.)

Still, spending almost three thousand dollars on a phone might not be the most appealing decision for a lot of people. This price is also almost a full thousand dollars more than the Galaxy Z Fold7, which starts at US$ 1,999. On the bright side, the Galaxy Z TriFold is taking a big step in “democratizing” the trifold market before it takes over the industry.

If you’re interested in adding this to your cart, the Galaxy Z TriFold has a huge 10-inch screen, a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It also has a 200-megapixel main camera and a 5600mAh battery.

All that in mind, is US$ 2,899 a justifiable price for the Galaxy Z TriFold?

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