Microsoft is making its Copilot AI assistant available as a Mac app. The native macOS app will offer access to the web-based version of the Microsoft tool. It’s rolling out today in the US, the UK and Canada. In practice, the apps functionalities sound pretty much identical to the experience of going to the web version of Copilot. The real distinction is that the Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut for activating the AI assistant with Command + Space and it can be viewed in dark mode.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would make the Copilot features Voice and Think Deeper, which taps into OpenAI’s o1 model, available to any users for free. Both moves seems aimed at broadening the company’s audience for Copilot.
Big tech companies have a rocky history of trying to make their software available on rival hardware. Sometimes, it can take years for a service to be optimized for a different brand’s exact specs. The arrival of a dedicated macOS app for Copilot, which is already out as an iPhone and iPad app, might be about as quick as Microsoft has ever brought a service to the Apple ecosystem.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-launches-native-mac-app-for-copilot-235945829.html?src=rss
Samsung Display has confirmed that it will unveil its latest OLED panels featuring On-Cell Film (OCF) technology at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, taking place from March 3 to March 6.
The key advantage of OCF technology is its ability to achieve an impressive peak brightness of 5,000 nits while reducing overall power consumption. This is made possible by eliminating the traditional polarizer layer, which typically minimizes ambient light reflections.
Instead, the new design employs an advanced multi-layer architecture that blocks external light interference without requiring a separate polarizer. This innovation not only enhances brightness but also makes the display up to 20% thinner while maintaining 3,000 nits in standard mode and reaching up to 5,000 nits in HDR mode.
Thanks to this improvement, OLED panels equipped with OCF technology can deliver the same brightness as conventional OLED screens while consuming 37% less energy. This efficiency is expected to significantly extend battery life in devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Joohyung Lee, Head of the Mobile Display Division at Samsung Display, commented on the advancement, stating: “We are excited to showcase the progress of OCF, which aligns with the principles of L.E.A.D.—low power consumption, sustainability, higher brightness, and lighter design. At MWC 2025, we will demonstrate the value of this technology, which sets a new direction for the display industry.” Samsung Display is expected to introduce multiple OCF-based OLED models at MWC 2025, including foldable and even rollable display concepts, which have been previously mentioned in patents.
Microsoft is making its Copilot AI assistant available as a Mac app. The native macOS app will offer access to the web-based version of the Microsoft tool. It’s rolling out today in the US, the UK and Canada. In practice, the apps functionalities sound pretty much identical to the experience of going to the web version of Copilot. The real distinction is that the Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut for activating the AI assistant with Command + Space and it can be viewed in dark mode.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would make the Copilot features Voice and Think Deeper, which taps into OpenAI’s o1 model, available to any users for free. Both moves seems aimed at broadening the company’s audience for Copilot.
Big tech companies have a rocky history of trying to make their software available on rival hardware. Sometimes, it can take years for a service to be optimized for a different brand’s exact specs. The arrival of a dedicated macOS app for Copilot, which is already out as an iPhone and iPad app, might be about as quick as Microsoft has ever brought a service to the Apple ecosystem.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-launches-native-mac-app-for-copilot-235945829.html?src=rss
Nothing recently unveiled the Phone 3a Pro, sparking mixed reactions due to its unconventional rear camera design. Smartphone camera designs have evolved significantly over the years, with some offering sleek and innovative aesthetics while others have been met with criticism. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has sparked debate due to its unconventional rear camera layout, which some users find visually unappealing.
The standout feature of the Phone 3a Pro is its large circular camera module, which takes up a significant portion of the back panel. The module houses an LED flash at the top, an 8MP ultrawide camera below it, and a 50MP main sensor directly beneath that. To the right of these cameras sits a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, which deviates from the circular design with an oval-shaped sensor. While the individual camera specifications are impressive, the overall arrangement appears asymmetrical, making it a divisive design choice.
Now, just ahead of its official launch next week, the company has revealed the standard Phone 3a, offering a more familiar aesthetic. The 3a showcases a horizontally stacked rear camera module, resembling the design seen in the Phone 2a series. Unlike the dual-camera setup from previous models, the Phone 3a features a triple-camera array. The device retains Nothing’s signature Glyph lighting and introduces an additional hardware button known as the Essential Key, designed to assist users with AI-powered tasks.
Leaked specifications suggest that the Nothing Phone 3a Series will be equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a 6.77-inch 120Hz OLED display, and a 5,000mAh battery. The devices also reported to feature an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance.
As for its camera system, the phones are expected to include a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto camera (2x optical zoom on the 3a and 3x on the 3a Pro), marking a notable upgrade over its predecessors. With Nothing’s official event scheduled for March 4, consumers won’t have to wait long for full details and confirmation of specifications.
Microsoft is making its Copilot AI assistant available as a Mac app. The native macOS app will offer access to the web-based version of the Microsoft tool. It’s rolling out today in the US, the UK and Canada. In practice, the apps functionalities sound pretty much identical to the experience of going to the web version of Copilot. The real distinction is that the Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut for activating the AI assistant with Command + Space and it can be viewed in dark mode.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would make the Copilot features Voice and Think Deeper, which taps into OpenAI’s o1 model, available to any users for free. Both moves seems aimed at broadening the company’s audience for Copilot.
Big tech companies have a rocky history of trying to make their software available on rival hardware. Sometimes, it can take years for a service to be optimized for a different brand’s exact specs. The arrival of a dedicated macOS app for Copilot, which is already out as an iPhone and iPad app, might be about as quick as Microsoft has ever brought a service to the Apple ecosystem.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-launches-native-mac-app-for-copilot-235945829.html?src=rss
Nothing recently unveiled the Phone 3a Pro, sparking mixed reactions due to its unconventional rear camera design. Smartphone camera designs have evolved significantly over the years, with some offering sleek and innovative aesthetics while others have been met with criticism. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has sparked debate due to its unconventional rear camera layout, which some users find visually unappealing.
The standout feature of the Phone 3a Pro is its large circular camera module, which takes up a significant portion of the back panel. The module houses an LED flash at the top, an 8MP ultrawide camera below it, and a 50MP main sensor directly beneath that. To the right of these cameras sits a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, which deviates from the circular design with an oval-shaped sensor. While the individual camera specifications are impressive, the overall arrangement appears asymmetrical, making it a divisive design choice.
Now, just ahead of its official launch next week, the company has revealed the standard Phone 3a, offering a more familiar aesthetic. The 3a showcases a horizontally stacked rear camera module, resembling the design seen in the Phone 2a series. Unlike the dual-camera setup from previous models, the Phone 3a features a triple-camera array. The device retains Nothing’s signature Glyph lighting and introduces an additional hardware button known as the Essential Key, designed to assist users with AI-powered tasks.
Leaked specifications suggest that the Nothing Phone 3a Series will be equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a 6.77-inch 120Hz OLED display, and a 5,000mAh battery. The devices also reported to feature an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance.
As for its camera system, the phones are expected to include a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto camera (2x optical zoom on the 3a and 3x on the 3a Pro), marking a notable upgrade over its predecessors. With Nothing’s official event scheduled for March 4, consumers won’t have to wait long for full details and confirmation of specifications.
Microsoft is making its Copilot AI assistant available as a Mac app. The native macOS app will offer access to the web-based version of the Microsoft tool. It’s rolling out today in the US, the UK and Canada. In practice, the apps functionalities sound pretty much identical to the experience of going to the web version of Copilot. The real distinction is that the Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut for activating the AI assistant with Command + Space and it can be viewed in dark mode.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would make the Copilot features Voice and Think Deeper, which taps into OpenAI’s o1 model, available to any users for free. Both moves seems aimed at broadening the company’s audience for Copilot.
Big tech companies have a rocky history of trying to make their software available on rival hardware. Sometimes, it can take years for a service to be optimized for a different brand’s exact specs. The arrival of a dedicated macOS app for Copilot, which is already out as an iPhone and iPad app, might be about as quick as Microsoft has ever brought a service to the Apple ecosystem.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-launches-native-mac-app-for-copilot-235945829.html?src=rss
Nothing recently unveiled the Phone 3a Pro, sparking mixed reactions due to its unconventional rear camera design. Smartphone camera designs have evolved significantly over the years, with some offering sleek and innovative aesthetics while others have been met with criticism. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has sparked debate due to its unconventional rear camera layout, which some users find visually unappealing.
The standout feature of the Phone 3a Pro is its large circular camera module, which takes up a significant portion of the back panel. The module houses an LED flash at the top, an 8MP ultrawide camera below it, and a 50MP main sensor directly beneath that. To the right of these cameras sits a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, which deviates from the circular design with an oval-shaped sensor. While the individual camera specifications are impressive, the overall arrangement appears asymmetrical, making it a divisive design choice.
Now, just ahead of its official launch next week, the company has revealed the standard Phone 3a, offering a more familiar aesthetic. The 3a showcases a horizontally stacked rear camera module, resembling the design seen in the Phone 2a series. Unlike the dual-camera setup from previous models, the Phone 3a features a triple-camera array. The device retains Nothing’s signature Glyph lighting and introduces an additional hardware button known as the Essential Key, designed to assist users with AI-powered tasks.
Leaked specifications suggest that the Nothing Phone 3a Series will be equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a 6.77-inch 120Hz OLED display, and a 5,000mAh battery. The devices also reported to feature an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance.
As for its camera system, the phones are expected to include a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto camera (2x optical zoom on the 3a and 3x on the 3a Pro), marking a notable upgrade over its predecessors. With Nothing’s official event scheduled for March 4, consumers won’t have to wait long for full details and confirmation of specifications.
Gaming accessory maker CRKD and Gibson have teamed up to revive the guitar controller in the form of two Gibson Les Paul-shaped controllers that will let you play your way through Fortnite Festival, Clone Hero, and even Rock Band 4.
The Gibson Les Paul Black Tribal Encore Edition Guitar Controller and Gibson Les Paul Blueberry Burst Pro Edition Guitar Controller featured the whammy bar and colored frets from older gaming guitars, updated to work with modern platforms. CRKD is making both multi-platform and Xbox specific versions of the guitars, and depending on whether you pick the Encore or Pro Edition model, you’ll get a slightly different set of features.
CRKD
The Pro Edition includes frets that have been “engineered for unmatched precision and responsiveness,” along with a Hall-Effect whammy bar and a Hall-Effect Strum Bar with haptic feedback. The Encore Edition only has traditional mechanical frets and a normal strum bar, but CRKD says both guitars are designed to be modular, so you can purchase and swap in new components down the road if you want.
Both guitars have built-in analog sticks and a d-pad for navigating in-game menus, and offer three different methods of connecting the controller to your console, mobile device or PC: wired via a USB cable, wirelessly via a 2.4GHz wireless dongle or Bluetooth. The Xbox versions of the guitar controllers work across Xbox, PC and Android, while the multi-platform version works on PC, Switch, Android and PS3. Notably, if you’re looking to play Guitar Hero instead of Rock Band, you’ll want the multi-platform guitar controller, because it offers greater compatibility with Guitar Hero games.
CRKD
Guitar controllers fell to the wayside as the companies largely responsibly for making Guitar Hero and Rock Band games either moved on or where shutdown. The bright spots in the slow decline of the music rhythm game genre has been third-party PC games like Clone Hero and YARG, and Harmonix’s Fortnite Festival, which brought Rock Band-style gameplay to Epic’s battle royale game in 2023.
The Gibson Les Paul Black Tribal Encore Edition Guitar Controller is available to pre-order now for $109.99 for the multi-platform version, or $119.99 for the Xbox version. The Gibson Les Paul Blueberry Burst Pro Edition Guitar Controller can be pre-ordered for $119.99 for the multi-platform version, or $129.99 for the Xbox version. Both guitar controllers will start shipping in June 2025.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/crkd-teamed-up-with-gibson-to-make-new-guitar-controllers-230204820.html?src=rss
Nothing recently unveiled the Phone 3a Pro, sparking mixed reactions due to its unconventional rear camera design. Smartphone camera designs have evolved significantly over the years, with some offering sleek and innovative aesthetics while others have been met with criticism. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has sparked debate due to its unconventional rear camera layout, which some users find visually unappealing.
The standout feature of the Phone 3a Pro is its large circular camera module, which takes up a significant portion of the back panel. The module houses an LED flash at the top, an 8MP ultrawide camera below it, and a 50MP main sensor directly beneath that. To the right of these cameras sits a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, which deviates from the circular design with an oval-shaped sensor. While the individual camera specifications are impressive, the overall arrangement appears asymmetrical, making it a divisive design choice.
Now, just ahead of its official launch next week, the company has revealed the standard Phone 3a, offering a more familiar aesthetic. The 3a showcases a horizontally stacked rear camera module, resembling the design seen in the Phone 2a series. Unlike the dual-camera setup from previous models, the Phone 3a features a triple-camera array. The device retains Nothing’s signature Glyph lighting and introduces an additional hardware button known as the Essential Key, designed to assist users with AI-powered tasks.
Leaked specifications suggest that the Nothing Phone 3a Series will be equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a 6.77-inch 120Hz OLED display, and a 5,000mAh battery. The devices also reported to feature an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance.
As for its camera system, the phones are expected to include a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto camera (2x optical zoom on the 3a and 3x on the 3a Pro), marking a notable upgrade over its predecessors. With Nothing’s official event scheduled for March 4, consumers won’t have to wait long for full details and confirmation of specifications.
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