Microsoft Build Day 1: Windows Subsystem For Linux Gets More Linux - AnandTech

Today at Microsoft’s Build developer conference, the Redmond company announced some major changes to the Windows Subsystem for Linux, as well as some improvements to Windows 10 command line with the Windows Terminal. Both expand the already robust ways to develop on Windows, and offer some fantastic features and additions.

Windows Subsystem for Linux has evolved dramatically since it was first introduced as a Bash shell back in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in 2016. Windows Subsystem for Linux, or WSL, offered native support for Linux by translating Linux system calls into Windows APIs that could be executed by Windows itself, and the feature allowed developers that required Linux to install a distro of their choice and access its command line side by side with Windows.

While the translation layer added compatibility and ease of use, one area where it could stumble would be performance, so for Microsoft’s second iteration of WSL, Microsoft is adding a custom Linux kernel to Windows itself to handle to Linux APIs. It is doing this through virtualization, with Linux running in a lightweight Hyper-V Virtual Machine (VM) that is tightly integrated into Windows, which will allow for full system call compatibility because the Linux kernel will be responding to requests, rather than having them translated.

Although this is a VM, there will be no resources to configure, and launching a shell will only take a couple of seconds to get up and running. It’ll still be able to access the Windows file system to retrieve and modify files, just like WSL v1, but also provide the capabilities to run most Linux software, such as X-Server, Docker, and more, right in Windows. As a VM, it’ll have its own network card, although it’ll be set by default to be shared with the physical NIC in the host PC for now, although that may be changed prior to WSL v2 being formally released.

The Linux kernel itself will be a custom-compiled one for Windows based on 4.19, which is the current long-term stable branch, and kernel updates will be handled through Windows Update, so no user involvement will be required to keep the Linux system up to date by the end-user.

In addition to the added compatibility, the new virtualized Linux kernel brings some hefty performance increases for tasks that are heavy on system calls, with Microsoft seeing up to 20 times better performance with WSL v2 compared to v1 when unpacking a zipped tarball, and 2 to 5 tives better performance using git clone and other projects. Plus, you can still access and edit files with Windows utilities as well, and Microsoft has been adding support to the different end of line characters for Linux vs Windows in applications like Notepad.

If you use Windows Subsystem for Linux, these changes should be all good news. There will likely be some teething pains during the transition, but Microsoft is releasing this in June to the Windows Insider Program for feedback. That program hasn’t had a great reputation at finding bugs before release in the past, but it will allow people to get some hands-on time with the changes before they roll into production. Microsoft hasn’t officially stated what release this will be a part of, but it could be as early as this fall depending on how far along the team is and how the feedback goes.

The other major announcement today for the command line on Windows is a new Windows Terminal app, which brings some much-needed attention to the basic command line shells in Windows. Windows Terminal will be delivered via the Windows Store and offers a bevy of features that should make any command line guru excited, even if you never use Linux, although it does tie in nicely to the WSL. Terminal will offer tab support, allowing you to have multiple different shells open at the same time, including Powershell, command line, SSH, and more. You can just launch a new shell and pick when you hit the plus sign for a new tab. It also supports tab ripping, so you can move one tab to a new session or different session if you’d like

Terminal also brings with it GPU accelerated DirectWrite based text rendering, which allows for additional characters to be supported as well as symbols, which means yes, emoji are now supported in the command line. Although this may sound like something no one needs, Microsoft showed a simple test suite which leverages emoji for pass, partial, and fail, and I have to admit that is a smart use for symbols, offering instant color-based recognition for the various results.

Microsoft has also developed a new font just for Terminal which is open-sourced. It’s designed as a monospaced font for programming, so it’ll be nice it develop over time.

Windows Terminal will also allow for theming, as well as extension support, and it’s an open-source project so you can download it yourself right now and compile it if you want to get in early. For those that aren’t interested in compiling it themselves, the team hopes to have it available by summer 2019 through the Windows Store for preview, and winter 2019 as a launch target for Terminal 1.0.

Terminal will allow users to create profiles for each shell if they’d like to, allowing them to customize the experience depending on what tool they are leveraging. You can change the theme, font, blur, transparency, and more, making each shell unique so you know exactly what shell you are in at any time.

As someone who uses the Windows command line quite a bit, Windows Terminal looks like a breath of fresh air, and catapults the command line years ahead of where it is now. Microsoft has updated it with some nice features over the last couple of releases, such as resizable windows, easier copy and paste, and more, but they were running into issues where additional changes may break existing scripts, so rather than continue down that path, they’ve started fresh. The existing console will still be available for backwards compatibility.

If you are a developer, a system admin, or just someone who wants to tinker with Linux or various shells, today’s announcements are very exciting. It’ll be fun to give these changes a spin when released.

Source: Microsoft Blog

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https://www.anandtech.com/show/14301/microsoft-build-day-1-windows-subsystem-for-linux-gets-more-linux

2019-05-07 16:00:00Z
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Here Are All The Announcements From Google I/O 2019 - BuzzFeed News

Later this morning, Google CEO Sundar Pichai will give us a glimpse of what's new and what's next for the tech giant at today's annual I/O developer's conference. It's where the company reveals product updates for Android, Assistant, Gmail and a slew of other services; We'll be on the ground in Mountain View, CA covering the latest, live from the keynote.

The focus of Google I/O has typically been the company's developments in artificial intelligence and software, but multiple leaks showing off the the Pixel 3a, Google's new low-cost phone, point to what will likely be a hardware announcement at the conference.

At the very least, expect to hear Google leadership extol the new features coming to Android Q, the latest version of its operating system. Google has also started adding more privacy-focused controls for its users' data, like the ability to automatically scrub your location data and web history and turning off Google Assistant voice recordings by default. We'll likely see more of that. It's possible that we'll also get a launch date for the new streaming gaming service Stadia.

At last year's event, Pichai unveiled the Duplex assistant, a voice bot that's creepily good at making hair appointments and restaurant reservations, and its new suite of digital wellbeing tools, aimed at helping people limit their screen time. Since then, the company has faced brewing internal turmoil. In August, employees organized to protest a project named Dragonfly, a controversial censored search app for the Chinese market. Then, in November, employees staged a massive walkout, protesting the company's handling of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Stay tuned for the latest developments as we cover them here, and watch along starting at 10am PT on the Google Developers YouTube channel.

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https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/here-is-everything-google-announced-at-its-io-conference

2019-05-07 14:03:00Z
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Samsung doesn't know when its $2,000 folding phone will be fixed, and will automatically cancel orders - CNBC

Samsung's Galaxy Fold screen is broken after just two days of use. This phone costs $2,000.

TodD Haselton | CNBC

Samsung does not yet have a confirmed shipping date for the $2,000 Galaxy Fold, its new folding phone that has been delayed after review units, including one tested by CNBC, broke before the phone was set to launch.

According to Reuters, Samsung said in an email to customers who pre-ordered the device that it it will automatically cancel all orders if it can't ship the device by May 31 and a customer does not confirm their continued interest.

"If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31, your order will be canceled automatically," the email said, according to Reuters. A Samsung spokesperson told CNBC the cancellations are due to U.S. regulation requirements.

Samsung's Galaxy Fold was provided to early reviewers in April ahead of an expected April 26 launch date. CNBC's unit broke after two days. Other reviewers from Bloomberg, The Verge and The Wall Street Journal peeled off a special film that looked like a screen protector, causing damage.

The company asked for all review units back and delayed the release on April 22. Samsung said the phone needs "further improvements" before it's released to customers, including better guidance to let consumers not to remove the protective film on top of the screen.

Anyone who pre-ordered the device will not be charged until it ships. Samsung says it is working to "strengthen the display protection" and has not yet provided an expected release date.

"Samsung Electronics America is committed to keeping our customers informed on the status of their Galaxy Fold preorder," a company spokesperson told CNBC. "While we continue to make progress in enhancing the Galaxy Fold, a new release date has not yet been announced. Because of this, we have recently contacted our preorder customers to provide them information on their options as we move forward."

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/07/samsung-galaxy-fold-orders-to-be-cancelled-by-may-31.html

2019-05-07 13:39:14Z
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Google and OnePlus are embracing the junior flagship trend - The Verge

Google is releasing its thoroughly leaked Pixel 3A and 3A XL this week, while OnePlus will follow up a few days later with a split of its single flagship into a basic and a Pro model. Starting from divergent positions, the two companies are ending up at the same destination, with one premium variant and a more distilled and simplified sub-flagship. Google’s Pixel lineup started in the premium range and is now trickling down the glories of the Pixel camera to a more widely affordable price point, while OnePlus is taking on the harder task of trying to climb its way into higher price brackets after starting as a budget-tier performance monster.

Once upon a time, there was only one iPhone. It was the iPhone, even if Apple doesn’t like the definite article. There also used to be just one Samsung Galaxy flagship phone, but you can now have it in a medium or large, with or without 5G, or in a budget- and pocket-friendly E version. Apple’s got the iPhone XS and XR, Huawei has its Pro and non-Pro flagships, and the entire mobile industry is seemingly moving to a multitiered flagship strategy. Before this month is through, that transition of senior to junior flagships will be complete.

The two companies about to launch new phones are both special cases in the Android ecosystem. Google is the author of Android, and it’s still coming to grips with the responsibilities and competencies of a serious hardware manufacturer. OnePlus is a boutique outfit under the umbrella of a giant conglomerate that also includes the Oppo and Vivo brands. It has survived as a small, lower-cost player for as long as it has because it’s had access to resources far beyond those of the typical budget device purveyor. But every business venture has to be able to sustain itself eventually, and both Google’s hardware division and OnePlus are reaching a level of maturity where they can no longer be the niche alternative. They have to take on the likes of Samsung directly, and that demands a bit of benign fragmentation.

For Google, the Pixel 3A is an admission that just selling premium-priced devices isn’t a long-term strategy. There’s no shame in owning up to that fact when even Apple, the company that’s made the most profit out of designing and selling phones in history, makes a slightly-less-premium edition of its flagship. Most people aren’t buying a super flagship every single year, as illustrated by the leading US carriers recently noting that they’ve had the lowest rate of smartphone upgrades ever. So to tempt people into buying yet another phone, Google has to sweeten the deal, and there’s no better way to do that than slashing the cost of entry. The 3A will apparently retain all or most of the Pixel camera’s class-leading strengths, which, combined with a much lower price, could seriously tempt some people to buy it even as a second device. Would it be too wild to buy a Pixel 3A as essentially your Instagram device, to be used alongside your regular phone? Not really. It’s indulgent but justifiable, especially for owners of older iPhones who want a camera upgrade and are curious about how the other half of the world lives.

For OnePlus, the pro OnePlus 7 makes sense because the company has continuously been thought of and presents itself as a top-tier smartphone maker. It needs top-tier pricing if it’s going to keep up with the flashy features that define those super flagships. CEO Pete Lau told me that he’s spending three times as much on the OnePlus 7 Pro display as he is on the basic version. Like Nokia with its five-camera system on the Nokia 9, Huawei and Oppo with their periscope-style telephoto zoom lenses, or LG using the phone’s chamber and screen to generate sound, OnePlus is looking for a unique hardware feature to make it stand out. Those cost money. But OnePlus can’t afford to abandon its traditional user base, either, and that’s why the vanilla OnePlus 7 will play the junior flagship role.

It’s somewhat strange to watch the smartphone industry, long one of the most fruitfully competitive markets in the world, repeatedly coalescing around certain trends. We’ve witnessed the aluminum unibody hype, the notch mania, the headphone jack massacre, and the escalating war of which company can fit the most cameras on the back of their phone. There’s something magnetic that seems to keep all of these competitors closely bunched together.

After Google and OnePlus get their launches done this month, this is what the smartphone companies with the most mindshare will have to offer:

• Samsung: Galaxy S, Galaxy S with 5G, or Galaxy S with a smaller screen and price
• Apple: iPhone or cheaper iPhone with an LCD and fewer cameras
• Huawei: P series flagship or the cheaper version with simpler screen and cameras
• Google: Pixel or cheaper Pixel with a more basic processor, display, and materials
• OnePlus: Pro model or the cheaper original without the “breakthrough” display

The basic definition of the junior flagship is that it maintains the name and basic advantages of the top model, but it strips away some of the niceties and luxuries. It’s different from merely having a flagship, a midrange, and an entry-level device. Phone shoppers have grown too savvy, and maybe even jaded, to buy a phone that doesn’t carry the flagship branding and allure. We demand the same name and fundamental qualities that companies advertise in their glitziest and priciest marketing, but at a price that’s humanly attainable. That’s why everyone must now have a junior flagship in their lineup. Xiaomi, Honor, Motorola, Sony, Vivo, Oppo, and all the rest are now fully in line with this basic strategy.

The junior flagship is a natural and sensible reaction to the trend over recent years of phone companies pushing their absolute top model toward ever more stratospheric prices in order to secure unique whizbang hardware features. People’s budgets haven’t been growing as fast as super flagship prices, so OnePlus is doing the logical thing of staying in the chase while still having a flagship-tier device at a reasonable price. Google is finally admitting that it needs one of those, too.

With OnePlus stepping out of its value-for-money comfort zone and Google stepping into it, the competition and choice across the Android phone market will improve for consumers. So, even while everyone seems to be pursuing the same basic strategy, the upshot for phone buyers will be a greater variety of choice and greater pressure on every company to put out the best possible device. The tech world’s most competitive market is only growing more so.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18529989/google-pixel-3a-oneplus-7-pro-junior-flaghship-io-2019

2019-05-07 12:30:00Z
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How Google and Microsoft ended up working together on the Chromium-based Edge browser - Android Police

Google and Microsoft have been in a bitter war over their ecosystems for a long time, but recently, the two have been making steps toward each other. Ever since Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft, he started making it more open for collaboration and, well, Open Source software, most notably through its acquisition of Github and the inclusion of Linux in Windows. Google, on the other hand, has always been at the forefront of collaborative software development, with Android and Chrome being based on Open Source software. Now, The Verge published an interview with Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore, talking about the company's journey to a Chromium-based Edge browser and how it started working together with Google more closely through this decision.

Back when Microsoft released the first public version of Edge in 2015, the company quickly noticed that the product didn't take off as expected. Microsoft's inherently bad reputation concerning browsers plus Google's de facto monopoly in that area turned many users away from the pre-installed Windows software. Consequently, Edge's market share couldn't quite grow on Android and iOS, either.

Satya Nadella was very aware of the situation and asked his developers to find a solution. Thus, a paper was created that weighed the problems and strengths of Edge, and someone in the team created a Chromium-based rough test version of it. The company carefully evaluated the implications of moving away from its own rendering engine and found that it would bring more benefit than harm – web developers would have to test against one less browser, Microsoft wouldn't constantly have to fight incompatibilities, and it could further improve Chromium to make Chrome itself run better on Windows.

You see, over the years, Microsoft's premise changed from "We want to provide the best browsing experience and all other browsers are competition" to "We want to help make browsing the web on Windows better on any browser to improve user experience with our OS." Thus, the decision to switch to Chromium was reached in September 2018 and publicized in December the same year.

The move was widely praised by the tech industry, with only a few speaking out against it, the loudest among them Firefox developer Mozilla. It stated that Microsoft's decision would make for a duller web and encourage developers to break standards as long as their websites work on Chromium-based browsers.

Google, on the other hand, welcomed Microsoft to its engine with open arms. Chromium developers were happy to see that the Redmond company quickly fixed bugs and tackled features that the team left hanging for years, such as better touch support and smoother scrolling 0n Windows.

However, we quickly saw Google returning to old ways concerning competition. Google Meet suddenly stopped working on Chromium Edge, and Google Docs received a banner warning users that they're accessing the service through an unsupported browser. Google explains that the changes aren't malicious, but coupled with the company seemingly accidentally breaking Firefox over and over, we have to take this with a grain of salt.

Personally, I'm looking at Microsoft's move with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's good to see some long needed improvements for Google Chrome on Windows. On the other hand, I already enjoy using Edge on my Windows machine because it feels snappier and more optimized than Chrome, and I fear that the new version will probably take a long time to catch up to that speed, if it does at all. Also, I'm right with Mozilla and its concern for the future of the open web.

Meanwhile, Edge for Android has been using Chromium since its inception, so if you'd like to give Microsoft's future vision a try right now, you can do so by downloading the app through the widget below.

Price: Free

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/05/07/how-google-and-microsoft-ended-up-working-together-on-the-chromium-based-edge-browser/

2019-05-07 11:49:00Z
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Samsung cancelling Galaxy Fold orders later this month unless customers say otherwise - 9to5Google

Samsung is cancelling Galaxy Fold orders unless customers confirm that they still wish to proceed despite the screen failures seen in review units.

The company has emailed customers who ordered the device, acknowledging the issues experienced by reviewers, and stating that it will automatically cancel orders unless purchasers confirm that they still wish to go ahead …

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For those who do still want to chance it, Samsung says (via TizenHelp) that it can’t say when Galaxy Fold orders will ship.

We are making progress in enhancing the Galaxy Fold to make sure it measures up to the high standards we know you expect from us. This means that we cannot confirm the anticipated ship date yet.

It says customers can cancel their order at any time before the device ships, but if it hasn’t done so by the end of the month, it will cancel orders unless the customer clicks a link to proceed.

If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically. If you do not want your order automatically cancelled on May 31st you may request that we keep your order and fulfil it later.

There is a ‘Yes, I would like to keep my order’ link within the email.

Samsung told Reuters that the terms offered in the email are a legal requirement in the US due to the delay, but the report doesn’t explain the basis for this statement.

The device was first shown off in February, with Galaxy Fold orders originally due to ship on April 26. Durability concerns surfaced shortly afterwards, the company initially aiming to reassure via a stress test video simulating more than five years of regular use.

Initial reaction was positive, the company stating that pre-orders sold out in a day, but it wasn’t long before the first problems with review units were reported. As more screen failure reports followed, Samsung delayed the launch by ‘at least’ a month, and took back review units.

iFixit seemingly figured out why the screen failures occurred, but subsequently agreed to take down its teardown after pressure from Samsung.

With an apparent fatal design flaw, default cancellation of pre-orders and no delivery date on offer, we have to wonder whether the Galaxy Fold will ever ship.

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Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

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https://9to5google.com/2019/05/07/cancelling-galaxy-fold-orders/

2019-05-07 11:09:00Z
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Samsung will cancel unconfirmed Galaxy Fold orders if it doesn’t ship this month - The Verge

Samsung says it will cancel all orders for the Galaxy Fold if it has not shipped the device by May 31st and if it has not heard otherwise from existing preorder customers, reports Reuters. Samsung postponed the original April 26th release date indefinitely after early tech reviewers damaged their devices during ordinary usage. The company is yet to confirm a revised release date for its foldable smartphone.

“If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically,” reads the email sent to Galaxy Fold pre-order customers on Monday.

When it announced the delay, Samsung said it was taking measures to “strengthen the display” in light of the reported issues. An email from AT&T appeared to suggest that the phone would be released in June, but Samsung’s latest announcement indicates that this is far from certain.

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https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/5/7/18535075/samsung-galaxy-fold-cancel-orders-may-31-indefinite-delay-preorders

2019-05-07 08:54:09Z
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