Windows 10X, the operating system Microsoft is working on for dual-screen devices, will be able to download and install an update in less than 90 seconds – according to a lofty promise by the software maker.
Usually, updates in regular Windows 10 can take quite a while to update and install, so if Windows 10X really can download and install an update – and restart the device – in under a minute and a half, then that’s a very impressive improvement.
It seems like Microsoft has achieved this by keeping the Windows 10X operating system separate from other bits of software, such as apps, which will be run in “containers” – essentially running in small emulators that are separate from the OS.
This allows Windows 10X to download and install the update in the background, then switch to the new updated version of the operating system when the device is rebooted.
If Windows 10X manages this, then it will make it a much more convenient operating system than the full-fat Windows 10. Windows 10 has also had a well-publicised run of bad updates recently, so anything that Microsoft can do to make the update process better is welcome in our view.
Container magic
Having apps run in containers brings a number of other benefits, as Microsoft has explained at its Windows 10X developer day, which was held on February 10, 2020, to show off the new operating system to developers.
Because apps will be run in containers, it means they will be kept separate from important system files and operating system data. This will result in a much more secure operating system, as any apps or programs that held malicious code, like viruses, would not be able to infect the main operating system.
It will also allow for greater app compatibility, and should mean that existing apps and programs that run on standard laptop and PC hardware in Windows 10 should be able to be run on Windows 10X devices with the minimum of tweaking.
A presentation by Microsoft shows that there will be three types of containers for Windows 10X: Win32, MSIX and Native (UWP). With the Win32 container, standard applications that run in Windows 10 should be able to run within the container, offering almost the same level of performance as a native app.
Windows 10X is certainly shaping up to be an exciting future version of Windows, and Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Neo will be the first device to run it when it launches later in 2020.
If you can’t wait until then, then Microsoft has released an emulator of Windows 10X that lets you try out an early version of the operating system – though this is aimed primarily at app developers, so it’s not representative of what the final Windows 10X software will be like.
At Samsung’s Unpacked event on February 11th, where it announced the new Galaxy S20 phones and the Z Flip, I wasn’t struck by how good the Galaxy S20 Ultra looks — of course it looks good. Samsung has been making good Galaxy S phones for over a decade now. It’s figured that game out. Samsung’s last foldable phone, though, was a bit of a disaster.
My biggest surprise yesterday was the quality of the Galaxy Z Flip. Samsung seems to have done many of the things I said it needed to do to redeem the folding phone category. The screen is glass, the build quality seems solid, and the specs aren’t underpowered. It’s a good thing Samsung got so much right because if Motorola had to carry the banner for folding phones, we’d be in a much darker place.
My review of the Razr is going up soon, but in the meanwhile, I brought Motorola’s flip phone to Samsung’s big event so I could compare it to the Z Flip directly. As you’ll see in the video above and have no doubt surmised from the headline, it was no contest.
These are just hands-on impressions, so take them with the appropriate grains of salt. But as I looked at the phones next to each other, the difference in quality was stark. Every mistake the Razr makes — and they are myriad — the Z Flip avoids. Samsung’s foldable doesn’t creak, likely has better cameras, has a bigger battery and wireless charging, a faster processor, and a glass screen.
The Razr does have some qualities the Z Flip lacks: the iconic brand and look of the phone, the fact that it folds completely flat, and that it was technically released first (though that release didn’t go so hot, either). It’s also easier to open the Razr one-handed, for what it’s worth.
We’ll go more in depth on both of these phones in their respective reviews, but the main takeaway isn’t likely to change: Samsung is very good at making phones and had something to prove after last year’s Galaxy Fold debacle. It very well might have made the case.
More big names are stepping away from the world’s biggest phone and telecom trade fair, they announced today, prompting the organizers to urgently decide what they wish to do going forward.
Nokia, one of the omnipresent firms at major tech trade conferences, won’t be attending this year’s Mobile World Congress, it said Wednesday citing health and safety concerns over coronavirus outbreak. Electronics giant HMD, which sells smartphones under Nokia brand, cited similar reasoning for its withdrawal, too.
German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, and BT, Britain’s biggest telecommunications group, have also backed out citing coronavirus outbreak, they announced on Wednesday.
MWC attracts over 100,000 attendees, thousands of companies and high-profile executives who use this global platform to broker deals and unveil their upcoming gadgets and innovations to the world.
The trade fair also contributes to the bottom line of Barcelona city. This year, the four-day trade show was scheduled to take place from February 27.
Like Samsung, Huawei and Ericsson, Nokia occupies swathes of exhibition space which will now be empty. But also, it's arguably one of the whole reasons for MWC existing in the first place.
“While the health and safety of our employees is our absolute priority, we also recognize that we have a responsibility to the industry and our customers. In view of this, we have taken the necessary time to evaluate a fast-moving situation, engage with the GSMA and other stakeholders, regularly consult external experts and authorities, and plan to manage risks based on a wide range of scenarios. The conclusion of that process is that we believe the prudent decision is to cancel our participation at Mobile World Congress,” Nokia said in a statement.
The high-profile no-shows should put more pressure on GSMA, the body that organizes the event, to cancel this year’s edition of the trade show. GSMA acknowledged the safety risks to attendees in an email on Sunday, but ducked from assuming any liabilities at the trade show. As my colleague Romain Dillet pointed out, the email appeared to have triggered companies to withdraw their participation.
On Tuesday, Spanish publication El Pais reported that the GSMA executives would meet on Friday and consider their next steps, which could include suspending this year’s event. A spokesperson declined comment to TechCrunch.
The GSMA executives have moved to have that talk later today, according to a report.
You can check out the full list of companies that have withdrawn from MWC this year below.
More big names are stepping away from the biggest phone and telecom trade show event this year, they announced today, pushing the organizer to decide what it wishes to moving ahead.
Nokia, one of the omnipresent firms at major tech trade conferences, won’t be attending this year’s Mobile World Congress, it said Wednesday citing health and safety concerns over coronavirus outbreak. Electronics giant HMD, which sells smartphones under Nokia brand, cited similar reasoning for its withdrawal, too.
German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, and BT, Britain’s biggest telecommunications group, have also backed out citing coronavirus outbreak.
MWC attracts more than 100,000 attendees, thousands of companies, and contributes to the bottom line of Barcelona city, where the trade show is held. This year, the four-day trade show was scheduled to take place on February 27.
Like Samsung, Huawei and Ericsson, Nokia occupies swathes of exhibition space which will now be empty. But also, it's arguably one of the whole reasons for MWC existing in the first place.
“While the health and safety of our employees is our absolute priority, we also recognize that we have a responsibility to the industry and our customers. In view of this, we have taken the necessary time to evaluate a fast-moving situation, engage with the GSMA and other stakeholders, regularly consult external experts and authorities, and plan to manage risks based on a wide range of scenarios. The conclusion of that process is that we believe the prudent decision is to cancel our participation at Mobile World Congress,” Nokia said in a statement.
The announcements today should put more pressure on GSMA, the body that organizes the event, to cancel this year’s edition of the trade show. On Tuesday, Spanish publication El Pais reported that the GSMA executives would meet on Friday and consider their next steps, which could include suspending this year’s event. A spokesperson declined comment to TechCrunch.
The GSMA executives have moved to have that talk later today, according to a report.
More to follow…
You can check out the full list of companies that have withdrawn from MWC this year below.
Samsung launched its new Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip smartphones yesterday, but the company also broadened its Microsoft partnership at the same time. Samsung and Microsoft are teaming up on a cloud-based game streaming service, and it’s likely this will involve xCloud appearing on Samsung devices in the future.
“This is just the beginning of our gaming partnership with Xbox,” explained David S. Park, head of Samsung’s US marketing, as he unveiled Microsoft’s Forza Street game for Galaxy devices. “Both Samsung and Xbox share a vision for bringing great gaming experiences to mobile players around the world. With our 5G-enabled portfolios and Microsoft’s rich history in gaming, we are working closely together to create a premium cloud-based game streaming experience. You’ll hear more about it later this year.”
Microsoft confirmed the partnership in a statement to The Verge, but both companies have offered very little details on exactly what this will mean for the future. “Having partners join us on our journey to delivering high-quality game streaming to players is of the utmost importance,” says Kareem Choudhry, Microsoft’s Project xCloud chief, in a statement to The Verge. “We’ve seen positive feedback from Project xCloud preview participants testing a range of Galaxy devices, and it will only get better as we continue to work closely with Samsung on refining the experience. It’s an exciting time to be working on Project xCloud, and we can’t wait to share more about our work with Samsung later this year.”
It’s clear this is related to xCloud somehow, rather than the type of partnership we saw Sony embark on with Microsoft for fundamental access to the company’s Azure cloud-based architecture. Microsoft and Samsung partnered last year to bridge Android and Windows closer together with tighter integration of apps like OneDrive and Your Phone into Samsung’s devices. Microsoft and Samsung designers are also working in the same rooms on part of this project, as both companies look to benefit from better software integration.
Right now all we have is a promise of more details later this year, which is when we’re expecting Microsoft to fully launch its xCloud game streaming service. Microsoft has promised an xCloud launch in 2020, complete with PC streaming and PS4 controller support. Currently, xCloud is in open beta and Microsoft has regularly been improving the number of games available on the service to more than 50 as it looks to move beyond just the US, UK, and Korea.
Any glass that tops a foldable phone has to be thin enough to bend without breaking, but strong enough to protect the electronic display underneath. Ultrathin glass that measures as thick as a strand of human hair is likely to be the first to come to market, with other possibilities down the line, like a foldable glass made of diamond crystal.
This render imagines how the Galaxy Z Flip phone's hinge might look with the foldable phone opened up.
Lets Go Digital
With this smaller, and likely cheaper, flip model, Samsung has another chance to hook people who are interested in foldable phones. It also gives the brand an opportunity to prove that it can make a successful foldable phone.
The Galaxy Flip is expected to be smaller than Samsung's Galaxy Fold from 2019 and rival the Motorola Razr flip phone, which went on sale Feb. 6 and failed CNET's folding test. The Galaxy Z Flip could unfold into a 6.7-inch screen, unlike the Galaxy Fold, which has a 7.3-inch screen that bends in half to open like a book.
After only three significant devices in 2019, foldable phones still teeter on the edge of futuristic fancy and reality. Done right, they could double your usable screen space while still closing into a small enough rectangle to carry around. Done poorly, these expensive science experiments could confirm that ever-larger phones are the right way to make a phone.
Read on for everything we know and don't know about Samsung's next foldable phone.
Now playing:Watch this:
Details about Samsung's next foldable phone pop up everywhere
4:03
Latest rumored specs
These speculated features are gathered from a variety of sources, including WinFuture, Max Weinbach of XDA Developers, Twitter leaker Evan Blass and LetsGoDigital.
6.7-inch vertically folding display, possibly with bendable ultrathin glass and 2,636x1,080-pixel screen resolution
1.06-inch external display with 300x116-pixel resolution
Two 12-megapixel rear cameras (one main, one ultrawide)10-megapixel front-facing camera with auto-focus
Two batteries, one with 900-mAh capacity (other unknown)
"Hideaway Hinge" that could help keep our dust and crumbs
Android 10 with Samsung One UI 2Colors: Black, purple
Could the Galaxy Z Flip stand up at a 90-degree angle?
WinFuture
It could be an AT&T exclusive in the US
The Galaxy Z Flip is said to go on sale Feb. 14 for $1,400, according to Weinbach. In the US, it might sell exclusively through AT&T, at least for a limited period of time. The foldable flip phone will also sell unlocked.
An AT&T exclusive or limited-time exclusive would give both Samsung and the carrier ammunition against the Motorola Razr, which sells exclusively with Verizon's service in the US.
In addition, Samsung is rumored to partner with New York-based fashion designer Thom Browne to release a special edition Z Flip, according to leaked ad images. The ad shows a red, white and blue striped design along with other accessories like earbuds and a smartwatch band.
Just head from a new source: Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip will likely launch on February 14th. It retails at $1400. It's possible it is an AT&T exclusive again, but this time it might be a timed exclusive. It will also be available unlocked.
The Z Flip would be long and tall when fully opened.
WinFuture
Galaxy Z Flip price: $1,400 makes sense
If the Galaxy Z Flip sells for $1,400 (about 1,500 euros), Samsung will have effectively undercut the Motorola Razr's $1,499 retail price with a phone that delivers a more comprehensive bundle of specs.
Industry watchers agree that going with a clamshell style is one of the best ways to make these foldable phones cheaper, and therefore more likely for regular people to buy, not just those with $2,000 laying around.
$1,400 is a far cry from an earlier report by The Korea Herald that Samsung's foldable flipper could cost $850, according to its sources. But it would still be well under the Galaxy Fold's $1,980 price. If you're looking to spend more (because why not), a Russian jeweler is releasing a special-edition case for the Z Flip that costs $5,000.
The Z Flip could have two cameras on the back and one on the front.
Giuseppe Spinelli/LetsGoDigital
Feb. 11 launch date likely, same as the Galaxy S20
In addition to unveiling the Galaxy S20, industry watchers also believe Samsung will use its spotlight to unveil this second foldable phone, which makes sense for two simple reasons. The first is that the unveiling would follow Samsung's pattern from last year, where it introduced the Galaxy Fold alongside the Galaxy S10.
The second reason we think we'll see it Feb. 11 and not, say, at Mobile World Congress (MWC) two weeks later, is because it's cheaper and easier to plan one big announcement event than two. It's possible, however, that Samsung will go over the basics at Unpacked and save the details for MWC, the world's largest mobile devices show.
Name: Galaxy Z Flip, not Galaxy Bloom after all
Speculation is settling on the Galaxy Z Flip as a more likely name for the new foldable phone than the Galaxy Bloom and especially the Galaxy Fold 2. Here's one good reason to expect that Fold 2 isn't in the works: The Korea Herald reports that there will be a Galaxy Fold successor (the Fold 2?) in August.
Even without those rumors, it's clear that Samsung wouldn't want to make a foldable flip phone part of the Fold family -- not when the Galaxy Fold represents a luxury device with an enormous screen. This foldable clamshell phone will have a much narrower display.
During its annual developer conference in October, Samsung discussed two ways a phone could fold.
James Martin/CNET
It's suggested that the Galaxy Z Flip will unfold into a tall, slim 6.7-inch display, larger than the Motorola Razr's 6.2-inch screen. Remember that screen dimensions are measured at the diagonal, but they don't tell the whole story. The Razr's usable screen space feels a lot smaller than the Galaxy Fold, and minute compared with the 8-inch Huawei Mate X.
Can the Galaxy Z Flip avoid the Galaxy Fold's fatal screen flaws?
One thing that isn't clear in the leaked photos is what kind of design enhancements Samsung has made to sidestep the Fold's design flaws.
For its second attempt at the Galaxy Fold (the design that eventually went on sale), Samsung used plastic end caps to shrink a gap that could let in dust and debris. It also reinforced internal support for the delicate plastic display, among a few other fixes.
We'll still need to keep a close eye on this unnamed foldable phone's screen and hinge to see if there are any potential gaps.
Two cameras on the back and one inside
The Galaxy Fold has a total of six cameras: There are two on the outer "cover" display, one on the inside for video chats and selfies and three on the back. The Galaxy Z Flip could cut the total camera share in half, following a supposed leak from frequent phone leaker Ice Universe (originally from Chinese social media platform Weibo).
Along with some pixelated images, we have seen a more recent video posted by YouTuber and serial leaker Ben Geskin that shows the phone with a clear central hole-punch camera. Photos and the video also show two cameras on the front cover. These would take selfies when the phone is closed, and also serve as your main camera when it's open.
A smaller screen crease could help fix one Galaxy Fold annoyance
Before all its screen damage overtook headlines, the biggest concern lobbed at the Galaxy Fold was about the center crease where the phone folds in half. Would it ruin the experience, how bad would it look, would it worsen over time?
One of the advantages of a vertical fold like the Motorola Razr is that the part where the screen creases is much smaller than on the Fold. There's just less screen width to bend with this design.
Support for 8K video capture
8K video capture is a rumor that applies to both the Galaxy S20/Galaxy S11 and the new foldable phone. That's a potential resolution of 7,680x4,320 pixels for a total of 33,177,600 pixels, or 16 times the number of pixels in a 1080p resolution. There's good reason to believe this one, too.
In December, we saw how Qualcomm's new Snapdragon processors can support 8K video, and how 5G data can help you edit these massive videos online. We're seeing 8K TVs out now, but the videos to watch on them are more limited. 8K phones, 8K YouTube streaming and 8K screens could converge to help make these superhigh-resolution videos more prevalent.
Now playing:Watch this:
Motorola Razr vs. Galaxy Fold: Foldable phone specs compared
11:13
Can the Galaxy Z Flip avoid the Galaxy Fold's fatal screen flaws?
One thing that isn't clear in the leaked photos is what kind of design enhancements Samsung has made to sidestep the Fold's design flaws.
For its second attempt at the Galaxy Fold (the design that eventually went on sale), Samsung used plastic end caps to shrink a gap that could let in dust and debris. It also reinforced internal support for the delicate plastic display, among a few other fixes.
We'll still need to keep a close eye on this unnamed foldable phone's screen and hinge to see if there are any potential gaps.
No headphone jack is likely, so are Android 10 and One UI 2
Samsung officially ditched the headphone jack. The Note 10 phones didn't have them at all, and neither does the Galaxy Fold. There is, however, a USB-C charger port. It's also all but guaranteed to work with Android 10 and Samsung's One UI 2 software layer that rides on top of the Android OS.
Adobe has just unveiled its “February Photography Releases” for both versions of Lightroom across all devices—a slew of workflow and performance updates that include more support for GPU acceleration, better secondary display support, support for .PSB files, and more.
As with most of the major updates Adobe has released for Lightroom since moving to the subscription based CC model, the “February Photography Releases” is a collection of minor and major updates for both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic.
Lightroom Classic
Most important for traditional photographers are the improvements to Lightroom Classic: improved raw default settings, .PSB file support, GPU-specific performance improvements, secondary display selection, and improvements to the Auto-Sync feature.
Improved RAW Default Settings
Lightroom Classic now gives you more control over the default develop settings of your raw images. Instead of automatically importing with “Adobe Color,” you can select either Camera Settings, Adobe Color, or a preset of your choice.
Additionally, those options can be applied to all images as the “Master” setting, or individually by camera model. Adobe says you can even do it by serial number, in case you want to apply different presets to the two identical camera bodies that you used to, say, shoot a wedding or event.
.PSB support
Mostly relevant to panorama shooters, Lighroom Classic has now added support for the Large Document Format (.psb) file type.
“Many landscape photographers may stitch multi-gigabyte panoramas within Photoshop and export as a PSB file to maintain the highest quality and resolution,” says Adobe. “Whether to edit or simply catalog your finished panoramas with the rest of your collections, you can now do so with this new release.”
You are still limited, however, to 65,000 pixels on the long edge or a total of 512 megapixels.
Performance Improvements
Don’t get too excited, but Adobe has made some performance improvements to Lightroom Classic this time around. First and foremost, the Lens Correction and Transform adjustments now get full “GPU Acceleration” support. Secondly, for Mac users, the Enhance Details function now supports external GPUs on macOS Catalina.
It’s not much, but we’ll take what we can get.
Secondary Display Support
When using multiple monitors, you can now designate which one Lightroom should use when you open up a secondary window. That means Lightroom can choose the right display for color-critical work by default, rather than you fiddling around with windows.
In Adobe’s own words:
Opening a second window will now automatically appear in the designated monitor that may have better resolution, color calibration, etc. for your workflow needs.
Improvements to Auto-Sync
A very-nice-to-have, Adobe has made the Auto Sync button more prominent and added Auto-Sync “notifications”. The first will let you know when Auto-Sync is enabled, while the second tells you what batch edits have been applied.
This is mean “to prevent unintentional batch edits that may set you back on your work,” and it can be turned off in settings.
Lightroom CC
The remainder of today’s updates apply to Lightroom CC (non-Classic) for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and ChromeOS. Some are substantial, like the ability to export as DNGs from Lightroom CC on Windows and Mac; others are less of a big deal, like improvements to “learn and discover content” in Lightroom for iOS and Android.
In addition to DNG exports, other notable updates include the ability to skip the dialog box when doing Panorama Merge (Ctrl + Shift + M) or HDR Merge (Ctrl + Shift + H) by using a keyboard shortcut, the ability to import edit presets and profiles directly into Lightroom on Android, and the ability to drag-and-drop import images straight to an album in Lightroom for Mac and Windows.
Finally, a sort-of-big-deal for some users: you can now use Lightroom in Split-Screen view on the iPad.
All of these updates and more are live as of this morning. If you’re a CC subscriber, you just have to make sure you’re using the latest versions of Lightroom and Lightroom Classic.
To read the full blog post that details all of these updates, click here. And if you want to dive deeper on each feature individually, more details available on the What’s New pages for Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.
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