Windows 365, announced today at the Microsoft Inspire conference, is a version of the OS that lives in the cloud. It's an easy-to-use virtual machine that lets you hop into your own Windows 10 (and eventually Windows 11) installation on any device, whether that’s a Mac, iPad, Linux device or Android tablet.
This isn’t an entirely new premise for Microsoft, with its Azure efforts offering virtual machines for businesses for a while. This, however, should make the entire process of managing a Windows installation on a far-off server far simpler. You just need to head to Windows365.com when it launches on August 2nd (it isn't yet live), choose a virtual machine configuration and you'll be up and running. That is, of course, once we know what it costs. Final pricing will be revealed the day before the service launches.
— Mat Smith
Apple gives the people what they want: their old Safari tab design back
The latest macOS and iOS betas address a common complaint about the new Safari.
The third developer betas for iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey started rolling out today, and key among the changes is a set of updates to Apple's browser. One of the changes in the macOS Monterey beta we didn't like was the removal of the tabs bar, which made sorting through your tabs messy and tedious. With today's beta release, though, Apple's brought back the standalone tab bar, which will be enabled by default. Continue reading.
The Vive Focus 3 is the best standalone VR headset
But no, you shouldn't buy it.
While Oculus has played to mainstream consumers, especially with last year’s Quest 2, HTC’s Vive targeted businesses and the tech-savvy. That strategy hasn't always worked in Vive's favor — see the disappointing Cosmos headset.
So here’s a $1,300 standalone headset that's really only meant for businesses. Because it costs $1,000 more than the Oculus Quest 2, the Focus 3 unsurprisingly offers better, well, almost everything. Apart from software. The Focus 3 has a far more limited software library than the Oculus Quest. While Oculus has pushed for high-profile exclusives and popular games, like Vader Immortal and Beat Saber, the HTC VivePort store feels rather empty and uninspired. It's almost as if it's not made for you. Continue reading.
LG's rollable OLED R TV costs $100,000 in the US
The price, at least, does not disappoint.
It’s been a long time coming, but finally, LG has priced its fantastical rollable OLED for the US, and it hits six figures: $100,000 according to the company’s US website. In case you forgot — it was announced years ago — the set uses advanced OLED technology to roll itself up into a self-contained box. But hey, at least it makes LG’s very capable static OLEDs look affordable by comparison. The company’s 2021 lineup starts at a much more approachable $1,299. Continue reading.
The best accessories for your new iPad
Make your iPad work harder for you.
Ready to up your iPad game? Or at least save that fancy Retina screen from scratches and disaster? Valentina Palladino walks through all the options, testing out keyboards, styli, cases and more. Continue reading.
Twitter removed far more abusive content in the second half of 2020 than ever before
The company says it's due to policy changes it made throughout last year.
Twitter says it’s getting better at moderating its platform. That’s one of the main takeaways from the company’s most recent transparency report, which it shared on Wednesday. Between July 1st and December 31st, 2020, Twitter says it took action against 964,459 accounts for abusive behavior. Compared to the first six months of 2020, that’s a 142 percent increase.
The company’s increased action is apparently due to policy changes enacted last year. Specifically, it says it began taking action on "content that incites fear and/or fearful stereotypes about protected categories." Continue reading.
But wait, there’s more...
Amazon has acquired Facebook's satellite internet team
WhatsApp is testing multi-device sync that doesn't require a phone
'Loki' will return for a second season on Disney+
Delta pilot sues the airline for allegedly stealing an app he designed
Netflix will reportedly offer video games within the next year
Boss's latest guitar has a built-in synth and Bluetooth pedal control