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Microsoft's New Surface Tablets Make A Solid First Impression

By Ed Bott | June 19, 2012, 12:26am PDT

Summary: Microsoft’s new Surface tablets are exquisitely engineered, and no one can accuse them of being me-too products. Yesterday’s launch was impressive, but it also left many questions unanswered.

Monday, at an invitation-only media event in Los Angeles, Microsoft got the tech press to do something almost unprecedented: wait with eager anticipation for a Microsoft product announcement.

Even more astonishing is that the reveal lived up to the hype.

Microsoft’s new tablets, to be marketed under the Surface brand, are remarkable for many reasons:

They are exquisitely engineered. From a distance, the magnesium cases and ClearType displays are drop-dead gorgeous. The impression of world-class design and engineering is even more striking when you actually pick one up and play with it, as I was able to do (albeit briefly) following the press event.

The ARM-powered Windows RT model is one-tenth of a millimeter thinner than the latest iPad. It has a 10.6-inch screen with a 16:9 HD resolution, compared to the iPad’s 9.5-inch screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The larger display on the Surface means more weight—24 grams extra, to be precise, or just under an ounce more than its rival from Cupertino.

 A second model, built around an Intel Ivy Bridge CPU, runs Windows 8 Professional. Compared to its Windows RT cousin it’s slightly less thin (13.5 mm instead of 9.4 mm) and heavier (903 g, or a sliver over 2 pounds, compared to 1-1/2 pounds).

This is no “me too” product. Both Surface models are unapologetically unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The signature feature—one that probably has some Apple product designers wondering “Why didn’t we think of that?”—is the magnetic cover that snaps firmly into place and doubles as a keyboard. The Touch Cover (3 mm thin) comes in an assortment of bold colors and includes a full-size keyboard with slightly raised keys and a trackpad.  The Type Cover, at 5mm, uses the same layout, but with keys that have the travel you would expect from a conventional keyboard. To appreciate the clever design and solid working of the magnetic latch, you really have to try it.

There’s also a kickstand integrated into the case itself. Snap it open to rest the tablet open at a 22-degree angle, which is ideal for watching a movie, chatting via webcam, or typing.

Both covers offer some of the power-saving features of the iPad Smart Cover, but the integrated keyboard and kickstand are a genuine improvement. You can turn a Surface tablet into the functional equivalent of a notebook without third-party add-ons. And the snug-fitting, rigid cover makes it possible to use the device in this configuration even on a lap.

Oh, and both models have full-size USB ports (USB 2.0 for the Windows RT model, USB 3.0 for the Windows 8 Professional version). That’s a key differentiator from the iPad.

It’s a bold break from Microsoft’s classic business model. For years, Microsoft has been telling OEMs to pay attention to user experience, stop loading machines with crapware, and concentrate on a few great models instead of a full line of dozens of mediocre offerings. This introduction is the same message, delivered with genuine emotion and the equivalent of a punch in the gut: “OEMs, please pay attention. This is how you build a PC.”

In the press release announcing the new tablets, Microsoft says, “OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.” But it’s safe to say that Steve Ballmer’s voicemail box is overflowing with colorful messages, delivered at full volume, by the heads of the OEMs who will have to compete with these new designs.

Microsoft kept this project secret, with not a single leak. One executive told me that the team working on Surface started its work three years ago, at the same time that development began on Windows 8. Using the trademark of an already-established product helped, as did a windowless lab protected by the kind of security normally reserved for government agencies with three-letter acronyms.

So how many other, similarly well kept secrets are in the pipeline?

The room full of reporters and analysts who watched the unveiling were generally approving and occasionally wowed by the spectacle. But the launch left many unanswered questions, a few genuine uncertainties, and a slight bit of disappointment.

How much will these gizmos cost? Microsoft isn’t talking details. The official line is relatively vague:

Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC.

If one assumes that “comparable ARM tablet” means an iPad equipped with 32 or 64 GB of memory, then the equivalent Windows RT Surface models should cost $600 and $700, respectively. Of course, that price will presumably include the keyboard cover (available as extra-cost add-ons from Apple and third parties). It will also include Microsoft Office. (In my hands-on tests, I was able to try out the Microsoft Office 2013 apps on a Windows RT Surface.)

As for the Windows 8 Professional Surface, the current crop of Ultrabooks runs $999, give or take a couple hundred dollars. That is, not coincidentally, the starting price of a MacBook Air.

Of course, one could make the case that a single Surface device is actually two devices in one—a tablet and a keyboard-equipped notebook. If prospective buyers accept that proposition, then a “competitive” price will seem like a bargain.

When can you buy one? Put your credit card back in your wallet:

Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability [GA] of Windows and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Stores in the US and available through select online Microsoft Stores.

The smart money expects Windows 8 GA in October, which means a four-month wait for ARM-powered Surface tablets. And you’ll have to wait till early 2013 to get your hands on an Intel-powered Surface.

That’s disappointing. As I wrote yesterday, “Whatever Microsoft unveils tomorrow, I hope it’s not another big announcement of an exciting future product that won’t reach customers for 4-6 months or maybe even until next year.” Oops.

One possible reason for the long wait is competitive pressure. If other OEMs will be releasing their own devices to compete with Microsoft’s designs, it would be unsporting—and attract the attention of antitrust regulators—for Microsoft to beat them to market.

Detailed specs are sketchy. In the private demo area after the event, Joshua Topolsky of The Verge and I peppered Microsoft reps for details on specs like screen resolution, but we got no definitive answers. The press release says the Windows RT model has a “ClearType HD display,” while the Pro model has a “ClearType Full HD display.”

In his onstage introduction of the Pro model, Microsoft’s Mike Angiulo noted its “1080 resolution,” which would explain the “Full HD” label. Based on my inspection of the Windows RT version, I suspect it’s a 1366×768 device, which can handle 720p HD content.

Still, we shouldn’t need to ask for basic specs like this.

Battery life? No comment. It’s reasonable to expect that the two devices will be able to match Apple’s specs for the equivalent devices, but we won’t know until we can test shipping hardware.

This announcement was unprecedented both in its form and in its substance, and it will take some time to digest the impact of it all.

Will these new, unquestionably impressive designs put to rest the doubts that some critics have expressed about the Metro user experience?

Will consumers be confused by the differences between two similarly named devices with very different capabilities? A TV reporter I spoke with struggled with what should be a simple question: Do both these devices run Windows 8?

How will Android device makers react? The current crop of Android-powered tablets is incredibly weak compared to the iPad. The new Surface designs offer another point of comparison where Android falls far short.

How will Apple respond? Tim Cook’s dismissive remarks about Windows 8 tablets—“You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator…”—might ring a little hollow now that the real thing is available for comparison.

We’ll learn the answers to those questions over time. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these sleek new devices for more than 10 minutes.

 

Microsoft might talk tablets and TV on Monday

Microsoft promised to make a "major" announcement on Monday that started the Internet buzzing with talk that it would involve taking on Apple iPad with tablets running on Windows software.

Speculation by technology news outlets ranged from Microsoft unveiling its own tablet computer to it beefing up online film, television or music offerings and using a partner's Windows-based tablet to demonstrate.

"This will be a major Microsoft announcement," the enigmatic invitation read. "You will not want to miss it."

The fact that the press event will be held at a yet-to-be disclosed venue in Los Angeles hinted heavily that entertainment industry content would be in the spotlight.

Microsoft might announce a deal to buy online video service Hulu and weave it into the Xbox Live online entertainment service linked to the Redmond, Washington-based company's leading Xbox 360 videogame consoles.

"It's in L.A., so they are going to talk about media," said independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle.

"It could be about hardware, but after the Kin failure and the Zune failure I can't picture the person at Microsoft who has the balls to pitch a Microsoft tablet."

Kin was a youth-oriented mobile phone from Microsoft that was pulled from the market after just weeks, while Zune was the longtime Apple rival's now-abandoned MP3 device that unsuccessfully challenged the iPod.

Enderle did expect some kind of hardware to be unveiled at the event, but thought it would most likely be related to Xbox or be made by partners -- with Samsung and Vizio high on the list of contenders.

News of the day could be an early release of Windows RT, the Microsoft operating system to power tablets or other mobile devices running on ARM chips, complete with gadget makers showing samples, according to the analyst.

"The lid on this event is extremely tight," Enderle said. "It clearly has a major hardware component to it."

Microsoft last week stepped up its quest to be at the heart of home entertainment by synching Xbox 360 videogame consoles to smartphones and tablets while adding more blockbuster content.

Microsoft introduced Xbox SmartGlass software for linking the consoles to iPhones, iPads, Android-powered gadgets and, of course, devices powered by the technology titan's new Windows 8 operating system.

THURSDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Fresh, purified stem cells from fat tissue can grow bone faster and better than current methods, and potentially could eliminate the need for painful bone grafts, the authors of a new study say.

Cells called mesenchymal stem cells -- which are capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues -- are abundant in fat tissue and easy to obtain through procedures such as liposuction.
Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate stem cells that could become bone. But this process involved risks of infection and genetic instability. Another method to grow bone is by using fresh, noncultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction. The problem, however, is that stromal vascular fraction cells taken from fat tissue are highly varied and include cells that can't turn into bone.
In this study, researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles isolated and purified human perivascular stem cells (hPSCs) taken from fat tissue and found that these cells worked far better than stromal vascular fraction cells in creating bone.
The tests, conducted in animals, also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1 enhanced the formation of bone created by hPSCs.
The study was published online June 11 in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. Although the study showed promising results in animals, results in humans are often different.
"People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but these are a fresh cell population and we didn't have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks," Dr. Chia Soo, vice chairman for research at UCLA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, said in a university news release.
"The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality," Soo said. "What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications."
If further research confirms the effectiveness and safety of this method, it may be possible to use a patient's own hPSCs to grow bone in the desired location inside the body, according to the news release.

Taken from: http://news.yahoo.com

Russia protests: Putin opponents march in Moscow

Activist Anatoly Katz says he is secretly filming the protest to get his own crowd count

Thousands of Russian anti-government protesters are taking part in a major rally in Moscow to demand fresh elections and a new president.

The protest, on a national holiday, comes a day after police raided the homes of several prominent activists.

One of them, Sergei Udaltsov, defied an order to report for questioning, and instead addressed the crowd.

Last week, President Vladimir Putin approved legislation increasing fines for those who violate protest laws.

Mr Putin won a third presidential term in March amid protests over alleged fraud in December's parliamentary vote.

Ksenia Sobchak: Key Facts

 

• Sobchak family has long been close to Vladimir Putin
• Achieved celebrity status as TV host and has big following on social media
• Joined opposition in December 2011

This is the first big anti-government rally in Russia since Mr Putin returned to the Kremlin, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.

There are tens of thousands of protesters, a sea of flags, banners and placards flowing through the centre of Moscow, he says.

The demonstrators have been chanting "Putin is a thief" and "Russia without Putin".

"It's obvious they are as frightened of us as they are of fire," opposition leader Boris Nemtsov told the rally. "They are scared of the people's protest."

The Russian president has vowed not to let Russia be weakened by "social shocks".

"We cannot accept anything that weakens our country or divides society," he said in televised remarks.

Addressing the crowd earlier, Sergei Udaltsov called for continuous street demonstrations, beyond Tuesday's March of Millions.

He dismissed the police order for him to report to them, saying: "The investigators will wait, I've made my choice".

Mr Putin appears to be taking a harder line against the opposition, correspondents say.

Shortly before the rally, independent media websites went down.

The BBC could not access the Moscow Echo radio website, and other news agencies reported difficulty reaching that of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

Mikhail Zygar, editor-in-chief of the Dozhd (Rain) TV channel, said its website had come under attack by hackers.

"We're trying to get back on track. The attack started at 11:00 [07:00 GMT]," he told the Interfax news agency.

'Repression'

Those targeted by police on Monday included leading opposition activists Alexei Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov and his wife Anastasia.

Mr Navalny and Anastasia Udaltsov arrived for questioning at the headquarters of the Russian investigative committee on Tuesday morning.

It is a rather unsubtle attempt by the authorities to stop them from participating in the protest, our correspondent says.

Police also searched the home of Ksenia Sobchak - a well-known TV presenter and daughter of Mr Putin's late mentor and St Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak - who has joined the protest movement.

"People barged in at 8am, gave me no chance to get dressed, robbed the apartment, humiliated me," Ms Sobchak said in a Twitter post.

"I never thought we would return to such repression in this country."

Mr Udaltsov told reporters that police had "rifled through everything, every wardrobe, in the toilet, in the refrigerator. They searched under the beds".

Summoned Mr Navalny said police seized computer disks containing photos of his children, along with clothes including a sweatshirt bearing an opposition slogan.

 

Security officials carried boxes of items away from the home of opposition activist Alexei Navalny

Federal investigators have summoned the opposition leaders to appear for questioning just one hour before the scheduled start of the rally.

Following the raids, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was "deeply concerned by the apparent harassment of Russian political opposition figures on the eve of the planned demonstrations on June 12".

"Taken together, these measures raise serious questions about the arbitrary use of law enforcement to stifle free speech and free assembly," she said.

The searches also triggered a wave of protest from Russian bloggers, who compared the actions to those of Stalin's secret police in the 1930s.

Artyom Liss of BBC Russian said the raids may draw new supporters to the anti-Putin cause.

Taken from: www.bbc.co.uk