Primate Labs, the developer behind the popular Geekbench benchmarking suite, has launched Geekbench AI—a comprehensive benchmark tool designed to measure the artificial intelligence capabilities of various devices. Geekbench AI, previously known as Geekbench ML during its preview phase, has now reached version 1.0. The benchmark is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, making it accessible to many users and developers. One of Geekbench AI's key features is its multifaceted approach to scoring. The benchmark utilizes three distinct precision levels: single-precision, half-precision, and quantized data. This evaluation aims to provide a more accurate representation of AI performance across different hardware designs.

In addition to speed, Geekbench AI places a strong emphasis on accuracy. The benchmark assesses how closely each test's output matches the expected results, offering insights into the trade-offs between performance and precision. The release of Geekbench AI 1.0 brings support for new frameworks, including OpenVINO, ONNX, and Qualcomm QNN, expanding its compatibility across various platforms. Primate Labs has also implemented measures to ensure fair comparisons, such as enforcing minimum runtime durations for each workload. The company noted that Samsung and NVIDIA are already utilizing the software to measure their chip performance in-house, showing that adoption is already strong. While the benchmark provides valuable insights, real-world AI applications are still limited, and reliance on a few benchmarks may paint a partial picture. Nevertheless, Geekbench AI represents a significant step forward in standardizing AI performance measurement, potentially influencing future consumer choices in the AI-driven tech market. Results from the benchmark runs can be seen here.

According to The Verge, Valve confirmed its intention to extend support for its Linux-based SteamOS to rival gaming handhelds, including the ASUS ROG Ally. This move marks a significant step towards realizing Valve's decade-old vision of a widespread "Steam Machine" ecosystem. Lawrence Yang, a designer at Valve, confirmed to The Verge that the company is actively working on adding support for additional handhelds to SteamOS. This revelation came after eagle-eyed observers spotted a curious line in Valve's latest SteamOS 3.6.9 Beta release notes mentioning the addition of "support for extra ROG Ally keys." While the development is still in progress, Yang emphasized that SteamOS isn't quite ready for out-of-the-box use on rival devices. However, he assured that the team is making "steady progress" towards this goal.

This initiative doesn't necessarily mean that manufacturers like ASUS will officially endorse Valve's installer or ship their devices with SteamOS preinstalled. Many companies, including ASUS, have cited various reasons for sticking with Windows, including Microsoft's dedicated validation teams that ensure compatibility across diverse hardware configurations. Other devices, such as Lenovo Legion Go, AYANEO, and GPD Pocket 4, ship with Windows, but it could be interesting to see with SteamOS. Alongside support for third-party handhelds, Valve is also working on a general release of SteamOS 3 for non-handheld PCs. Finally, Valve hasn't forgotten about its promise to enable dual-booting on Steam Deck devices. While there's no specific timeline, Mr. Yang confirmed that it remains a priority for the company. We remain to see how this will materialize, and with added bells and whistles to SteamOS, the adoption of Linux-based gaming could be pushed even further.

Intel has officially started shipping the "0x129" microcode update for its 13th and 14th generation "Raptor Lake" and "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors. This critical update is currently being pushed to all OEM/ODM partners to address the stability issues that Intel's processors have been facing. According to Intel, this microcode update fixes "incorrect voltage requests to the processor that are causing elevated operating voltage." Intel's analysis shows that the root cause of stability problems is caused by too high voltage during operation of the processor. These increases to voltage cause degradation that increases the minimum voltage required for stable operation. Intel calls this "Vmin"—it's a theoretical construct, not an actual voltage, think "speed for an airplane required to fly". The latest 0x129 microcode patch will limit the processor's voltage to no higher than 1.55 V, which should avoid further degradation. Overclocking is still supported, enthusiasts will have to disable the eTVB setting in their BIOS to push the processor beyond the 1.55 V threshold. The company's internal testing shows that the new default settings with limited voltages with standard run-to-run variations show minimal performance impact, with only a single game (Hitman 3: Dartmoor) showing degradation. For a full statement from Intel, see the quote below.

Interesting things are happening in the gaming community, as Windows 10 operating system has seen an increase in its user base on the Steam platform, while Windows 11 has dipped below the 46% mark for the first time since its launch. According to the latest July data from Steam's hardware and software survey, Windows 10's share rose to 47.69%, marking a significant uptick that contrasts with Windows 11's decline to 45.73%. This trend highlights a growing preference among gamers for the older operating system, which is often praised for its stability and compatibility with a wide range of games and hardware. Many users have expressed concerns over Windows 11's performance and its stringent hardware requirements, which have made it less accessible for some gamers, especially those without the TPM 2.0-enhanced system.

The shift in user demographics is particularly interesting given that Windows 11 was designed with gaming enhancements in mind, including features like DirectStorage and Auto HDR. However, the adoption rate appears to be hampered by issues related to compatibility and performance, leading many gamers to stick with the more familiar and reliable Windows 10. This trend could prompt Microsoft to reevaluate its approach to Windows 11, particularly in terms of addressing user concerns and enhancing compatibility with existing hardware. Other OSes are seeing stagnation, especially with Linux-based distributions recording zero change. Apple's OSX stands at 1.37%, a +0.06% increase from last month.

0patch plans to combat Microsoft's ending Windows 10 support by offering unofficial security updates for the 2015 operating system. Microsoft is ending Windows 10 security updates on October 14, 2025, after which the OS will stop receiving patches for vulnerabilities. The Redmond giant will provide you with an option to update your Windows 10 build, however, with a hefty fee slapped. Extended Security Updates (ESU) pricing structure follows a tiered model that doubles each year. From October 2025 to October 2026, the cost is $61 per device. The following year, from October 2026 to October 2027, the price increases to $122 per device. In the final year, spanning October 2027 to October 2028, the cost rises to $244 per device. For users planning to maintain Windows 10 until October 2028, the total expense over the three-year period would amount to $427 per device.

However, 0patch, a company focused on providing unofficial security updates for Windows OSes, will provide Windows 10 users with free and paid security updates post-end of service. Their system focuses on delivering targeted "micropatches" for critical vulnerabilities that emerge after Microsoft's official support ends. These micropatches are designed to be extremely precise and minimal, often consisting of just a few CPU instructions. A key feature of 0patch's approach is its non-invasive nature. The patches are applied directly to running processes in the computer's memory, leaving the original Microsoft files untouched. This method allows for rapid deployment of security fixes without requiring system reboots or interrupting user activities. The patching process is designed to be seamless and virtually unnoticeable to users. For instance, a user working on a document wouldn't experience any disruption while a micropatch is being applied. This approach is particularly beneficial for servers, where continuous uptime is crucial, as patches can be implemented without any downtime.

The AlmaLinux OS Foundation, the nonprofit that stewards the community-owned and governed open-source CentOS alternative AlmaLinux, today announced the general availability of AlmaLinux 8.10. This latest release brings updates to security and data protection, and improvements in web-console and system roles to automate operations and ensure consistency in intricate IT settings.

The release continues to enhance system availability, reliability, and recovery processes, alongside improving virtual machine snapshot functions in hybrid cloud scenarios. New system roles have been introduced to streamline the creation and administration of logical volume manager (LVM) snapshots for better data backup and recovery processes. Performance, scalability, and reliability continue to be the focus of updates in the 8.10 version to aid developers in application development and management.

At OpenAI's spring update, a lot of eyes were fixed on the company, which spurred the AI boom with the ChatGPT application. Now being almost a must-have app for consumers and prosumers alike, ChatGPT is a de-facto application for the latest AI innovation, backed by researchers and scientists from OpenAI. Today, OpenAI announced a new model called GPT-4o (Omni), which hopes to bring advanced intelligence, improved overall capabilities, and real-time voice interaction with users. Now, the ChatGPT application wants to become like a personal assistant that actively communicates with users and provides much broader capabilities. OpenAI claims that it can respond to audio inputs as quickly as 232 milliseconds, with an average of 320 milliseconds, similar to human response time in conversations.

However, OpenAI states that it wants ChatGPT's latest GPT-4o model to be available to the free, Plus, and Team paid subscribers, where paid subscribers get 5x higher usage and early access to the model. Interestingly, the GPT-4o model is much improved across a variety of standard benchmarks like MMLU, Math, HumanEval, GPQA, and others, where it now surpasses almost all models except Claude 3 Opus in MGSM. It now understands more than 50 languages and can do real time translation. In addition to the new model, OpenAI announced that they are launching a desktop ChatGPT app, which can act as a personal assistant and see what is happening on the screen, but it is only allowed by user command. This is supposed to bring a much more refined user experience and enable users to use AI as a third person to help understand the screen's content. Initially only available on macOS, we are waiting for OpenAI to launch the Windows ChatGPT application so everyone can also experience the new technology.

Personal computers (PCs) have been used as the major productivity device for several decades. But now we are entering a new era of PCs based on artificial intelligence (AI), thanks to the boom witnessed in generative AI (GenAI). We believe the inventory correction and demand weakness in the global PC market have already normalized, with the impacts from COVID-19 largely being factored in. All this has created a comparatively healthy backdrop for reshaping the PC industry. Counterpoint estimates that almost half a billion AI laptop PCs will be sold during the 2023-2027 period, with AI PCs reviving the replacement demand.

Counterpoint separates GenAI laptop PCs into three categories - AI basic laptop, AI-advanced laptop and AI-capable laptop - based on different levels of computational performance, corresponding use cases and the efficiency of computational performance. We believe AI basic laptops, which are already in the market, can perform basic AI tasks but not completely GenAI tasks and, starting this year, will be supplanted by more AI-advanced and AI-capable models with enough TOPS (tera operations per second) powered by NPU (neural processing unit) or GPU (graphics processing unit) to perform the advanced GenAI tasks really well.

According to the report from BenchLife, NVIDIA has started the marketing campaign push for "Premium AI PC," squarely aimed at the industry's latest trend pushed by Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm for an "AI PC" system, which features a dedicated NPU for processing smaller models locally. NVIDIA's approach comes from a different point of view: every PC with an RTX GPU is a "Premium AI PC," which holds a lot of truth. Generally, GPUs (regardless of the manufacturer) hold more computing potential than the CPU and NPU combined. With NVIDIA's push to include Tensor cores in its GPUs, the company is preparing for next-generation software from vendors and OS providers that will harness the power of these powerful silicon pieces and embed more functionality in the PC.

At the Computex event in Taiwan, there should be more details about Premium AI PCs and general AI PCs. In its marketing materials, NVIDIA compares AI PCs to its Premium AI PCs, which have enhanced capabilities across various applications like image/video editing and upscaling, productivity, gaming, and developer applications. Another relevant selling point is the user base for these Premium AI PCs, which NVIDIA touts to be 100 million users. Those PCs support over 500 AI applications out of the box, highlighting the importance of proper software support. NVIDIA's systems are usually more powerful, with GeForce RTX GPUs reaching anywhere from 100-1300+ TOPS, compared to 40 TOPS of AI PCs. How other AI PC makers plan to fight in the AI PC era remains to be seen, but there is a high chance that this will be the spotlight of the upcoming Computex show.

Ben Skeggs, a lead maintainer of the open-source NVIDIA GPU driver for Linux kernel called Nouveau, has joined NVIDIA. Working as an open-source contributor for the Nouveau driver for more than a decade, Ben Skeggs has achieved the remarkable feat of working to support the NVIDIA GPU hardware on open-source drivers. Before joining NVIDIA, Ben Skeggs worked at Red Hat up until September 18th of 2023. At that date, he posted that he was resigning from Red Hat and stepping back from the Nouveau open-source driver development. However, this news today comes as a bit of an interesting development, as Ben Skeggs is going to NVIDIA, which has been reluctant in the past to support open-source drivers.

Now, he is able to continue working on the driver directly from NVIDIA. He posted a set of 156 patches to the driver, affecting tens of thousands of lines of code. And he signed it all off from the official NVIDIA work address. This signals a potential turn in NVIDIA's approach to open-source software development, where the company might pay more attention to the movement and potentially hire more developers to support these projects. Back in 2012, NVIDIA had a different stance on open-source development, infamously provoking the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, to issue some snide remarks to the company. Hopefully, better days are ahead for the OSS world of driver development and collaboration with tech giants.

According to ChinaScope, an effort is currently underway to strengthen Huawei's HarmonyOS platform's presence. The local government of Shenzhen has unveiled an ambitious program aimed at supercharging the development of native applications for the operating system. The "Shenzhen Action Plan for Supporting the Development of Native HarmonyOS Open Source Applications in 2024" outlines several key goals to foster a more robust and competitive ecosystem around HarmonyOS. One primary objective is for Shenzhen-based HarmonyOS apps to account for over 10% of China's total by the end of 2024. To facilitate this, the city plans to establish at least two specialized industrial parks dedicated to HarmonyOS software development across various application domains.

Furthermore, the initiative calls for over 1,000 software companies in Shenzhen to obtain HarmonyOS development talent qualifications, underscoring the city's commitment to cultivating a skilled workforce for the platform. Perhaps most impressively, the action plan encourages eligible companies to ramp up their outsourcing services for HarmonyOS app development, with a lofty target of reaching 500,000 HarmonyOS developers. This would represent a significant influx of developer talent focused on the platform if achieved. The Shenzhen government's push aligns with China's broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technologies and promote the adoption of domestic alternatives like HarmonyOS. While initially launched by Huawei as a workaround for U.S. sanctions, HarmonyOS has since expanded to power many devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and TVs.

We are thrilled to share that over the next few weeks, the EA app will officially replace Origin as our primary Mac platform. A faster, more reliable, and more streamlined experience - it's the best place for you to experience EA's incredible games, services and content. With the new streamlined design you will easily find the games and content you're looking for and discover your new favorite games. With automatic game downloads and background updates you can ensure that your games are ready to play when you are.

For existing Origin players, we've worked hard to make the transition to the EA app as simple as possible. When you get there, all your games and content, including games already installed on Origin, will be ready and waiting for you. Your local and cloud saves will transfer forward ensuring you can pick up where you left off. New players will start by downloading a new favorite game and jump into the action with our optimized experience. Players on unsupported macOS devices can continue to enjoy their favorite games on Origin.

NVIDIA has been offering its GPU IP for more than a decade now ever since the introduction of Kepler uArch, and its IP has had relatively low traction in other SoCs. However, that trend seems to be reaching an inflection point as NVIDIA has given MediaTek a license to use its GPU IP to produce the next generation of processors for the auto industry. The newest MediaTek Dimensity Auto Cockpit family consists of CX-1, CY-1, CM-1, and CV-1, where the CX-1 targets premium vehicles, CM targets medium range, and CV targets lower-end vehicles, probably divided by their compute capabilities. The Dimensity Auto Cockpit family is brimming with the latest technology, as the processor core of choice is an Armv9-based design paired with "next-generation" NVIDIA GPU IP, possibly referring to Blackwell, capable of doing ray tracing and DLSS 3, powered by RTX and DLA.

The SoC is supposed to integrate a lot of technology to lower BOM costs of auto manufacturing, and it includes silicon for controlling displays, cameras (advanced HDR ISP), audio streams (multiple audio DSPs), and connectivity (WiFi networking). Interestingly, the SKUs can play movies with AI-enhanced video and support AAA gaming. MediaTek touts the Dimensity Auto Cockpit family with fully local AI processing capabilities, without requiring assistance from outside servers via WiFi, and 3D spatial sensing with driver and occupant monitoring, gaze-aware UI, and natural controls. All of that fits into an SoC fabricated at TSMC's fab on a 3 nm process and runs on the industry-established NVIDIA DRIVE OS.

Chinese e-commerce and cloud giant Alibaba announced its plans to launch a server-grade RISC-V processor later this year, and it showcased a RISC-V-powered laptop running an open-source operating system. The announcements were made by Alibaba's research division, the Damo Academy, at the recent Xuantie RISC-V Ecological Conference in Shenzhen. The upcoming server-class processor called the Xuantie C930, is expected to be launched by the end of 2024. While specific details about the chip have not been disclosed, it is anticipated to cater to AI and server workloads. This development is part of Alibaba's ongoing efforts to expand its RISC-V portfolio and reduce reliance on foreign chip technologies amidst US export restrictions. To complement the C930, Alibaba is also preparing a Xuantie 907 matrix processing unit for AI, which could be an IP block inside an SoC like the C930 or an SoC of its own.

In addition to the C930, Alibaba showcased the RuyiBOOK, a laptop powered by the company's existing T-Head C910 processor. The C910, previously designed for edge servers, AI, and telecommunications applications, has been adapted for use in laptops. Strangely, the RuyiBOOK laptop runs on the openEuler operating system, an open-source version of Huawei's EulerOS, which is based on Red Hat Linux. The laptop also features Alibaba's collaboration suite, Ding Talk, and the open-source office software Libre Office, demonstrating its potential to cater to the needs of Chinese knowledge workers and consumers without relying on foreign software. Zhang Jianfeng, president of the Damo Academy, emphasized the increasing demand for new computing power and the potential for RISC-V to enter a period of "application explosion." Alibaba plans to continue investing in RISC-V research and development and fostering collaboration within the industry to promote innovation and growth in the RISC-V ecosystem, lessening reliance on US-sourced technology.

Playtron is new a startup company put together by Kirt McMaster—former CEO plus co-founder of CyanogenMod—and a couple of industry veterans. Sean Hollister, senior editor and founding member of The Verge, has gained exclusive access to early Playtron material. The firm's logically named PlaytronOS is a Linux-based platform, compatible with ARM and x86 architectures—according to official hype material it is a "light weight gaming OS optimized for a new generation of powerful handheld gaming PCs… and beyond. Play all your games from every store… Steam… Epic and more." Hollister indicated that he was "cautiously optimistic" about Playtron's future prospects, following discussions conducted with development partners, and rifling through internal project documentation.

The Verge report stated that: "Playtron is coming out of stealth with $10 million in funding, roughly 18 employees, and a plan to challenge Microsoft, Valve, and Apple for the next hundred million gamers." The startup has presented lofty ambitions—their operating system (currently in Alpha) is said to run on all of the available mainstream portable gaming platforms. By the end of 2024: "you will...be able to install Playtron on your favorite handheld PC for the best gaming experience ever." McMaster and his colleagues are preparing "native devices" for an estimated launch in 2025—The Verge's exclusive coverage features an official mock-up of a 5G-enabled alternative to Valve's popular Steam Deck family.

Windows 11 version 23H2 started rolling out last October, but many users of Microsoft's flagship operating system opted out of an upgrade, thanks to a handy "optional" toggle. News outlets have latched onto a freshly published (February 20) Windows 11 "Release Health" notice—the official Microsoft dashboard alert states that Windows 11 2023 Update: "is now entering a new rollout phase." Fastidious users will not be happy to discover that "eligible Windows 11 devices" are now subject to an automatic bump up to version 23H2. Very passive-aggressive tactics have been utilized in the past—Microsoft is seemingly eager to get it audience upgraded onto its latest and greatest feature-rich experience.

According to NeoWin, an official announcement from last week alerted users to an "impending end of optional preview updates on Windows 11 22H2." Yesterday's "23H2" dashboard confessional provided a little bit more context—unsurprisingly involving artificial intelligence: "This automatic update targets Windows 11 devices that have reached or are approaching end of servicing, and it follows the machine learning-based (ML) training we have utilized so far. We will continue to train our intelligent ML model to safely roll out this new Windows version in phases to deliver a smooth update experience."

A new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) shows shipments of artificial intelligence (AI) PCs - personal computers with specific system-on-a-chip (SoC) capabilities designed to run generative AI tasks locally - growing from nearly 50 million units in 2024 to more than 167 million in 2027. By the end of the forecast, IDC expects AI PCs will represent nearly 60% of all PC shipments worldwide.

"As we enter a new year, the hype around generative AI has reached a fever pitch, and the PC industry is running fast to capitalize on the expected benefits of bringing AI capabilities down from the cloud to the client," said Tom Mainelli, group vice president, Devices and Consumer Research. "Promises around enhanced user productivity via faster performance, plus lower inferencing costs, and the benefit of on-device privacy and security, have driven strong IT decision-maker interest in AI PCs. In 2024, we'll see AI PC shipments begin to ramp, and over the next few years, we expect the technology to move from niche to a majority."

Logitech has announced that all video collaboration devices that run on the CollabOS operating system will now be manufactured with next-life plastics, helping enterprise customers support their sustainability objectives. Existing products- Rally Bar, Rally Bar Mini, Tap IP, Tap Scheduler, and Scribe- are being refreshed with materials that lower the carbon impact of each product. This provides organizations with a partner that in turn helps position them to better manage their carbon footprint. "By transitioning our portfolio of conference room devices to a lower product carbon footprint, we are helping other companies navigate their sustainability challenges," said Prakash Arunkundrum, Chief Operating Officer at Logitech. "We're not only designing and manufacturing new products with recycled plastic and other lower carbon materials, but refreshing existing products to provide IT leaders with a new way to evaluate their workplace technology investment in conference room systems—one that includes people and planet. We do this without increasing prices or compromising the highest quality and performance companies expect from Logitech."

"By transitioning our portfolio of conference room devices to a lower product carbon footprint, we are helping other companies navigate their sustainability challenges," said Prakash Arunkundrum, Chief Operating Officer at Logitech. "We're not only designing and manufacturing new products with recycled plastic and other lower carbon materials, but refreshing existing products to provide IT leaders with a new way to evaluate their workplace technology investment in conference room systems - one that includes people and planet. We do this without increasing prices or compromising the highest quality and performance companies expect from Logitech." Efforts to reduce negative environmental impact have rapidly become a business imperative. In a recent survey of IT professionals by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, 65% say that becoming a leader in environmental, social, governance and sustainability practices is a critical or very important business objective in the coming year.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, announces that its AMD AM4 series motherboards are now compatible with the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors.With the official unveiling of the Ryzen 8000 Series desktop processors, AMD has further enhanced its Ryzen 5000 Series, first released in 2020, by introducing four new processors. These additions include the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Ryzen 7 5700, Ryzen 5 5600GT, and Ryzen 5 5500GT, all built on AMD's efficient Zen 3 architecture. This expansion of the Ryzen 5000 Series offers users a broader range of options, from high-end to mainstream, demonstrating AMD's dedication to diversifying its CPU offerings.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and Ryzen 7 5700 processors are equipped with advanced technologies like AMD StoreMI, which enhances storage performance by combining SSDs and HDDs into a more efficient, single-tiered storage system. Additionally, they support AMD Ryzen VR-Ready Premium technology, offering greater immersion in virtual reality, even on older hardware. This combination of StoreMI and VR-Ready Premium technology ensures these processors deliver high storage efficiency and an enhanced VR experience, making them suitable for a wide range of demanding applications.

Apple today announced changes to iOS, Safari, and the App Store impacting developers' apps in the European Union (EU) to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The changes include more than 600 new APIs, expanded app analytics, functionality for alternative browser engines, and options for processing app payments and distributing iOS apps. Across every change, Apple is introducing new safeguards that reduce—but don't eliminate—new risks the DMA poses to EU users. With these steps, Apple will continue to deliver the best, most secure experience possible for EU users.

The new options for processing payments and downloading apps on iOS open new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, illicit and harmful content, and other privacy and security threats. That's why Apple is introducing protections—including Notarization for iOS apps, an authorization for marketplace developers, and disclosures on alternative payments—to reduce risks and deliver the best, most secure experience possible for users in the EU. Even with these safeguards in place, many risks remain.

According to the report by Windows Central, Microsoft is preparing a major update for Windows 11, codenamed Hudson Valley, which is expected to be released later this year as "version 24H2" or the 2024 Update. This update is anticipated to be a substantial upgrade from last year's version 23H2, featuring performance, security, quality-of-life updates, and new features. The star of the 24H2 update is going to be the focus of next-generation AI experiences, a concept Microsoft has hinted at over the past year. Rumors suggest the introduction of an advanced Copilot that will leverage AI and machine learning to enhance the Windows user experience for improved productivity across apps, search, and more. According to sources, Microsoft is aiming for a September release window for version 24H2, with plans to finalize the update over the summer. Despite speculation that this update might be called "Windows 12" due to its alignment with next-gen AI PCs and experiences, sources indicate that it will likely remain a significant Windows 11 update, especially following the departure of ex-Windows chief Panos Panay.

Microsoft is currently testing some of the features of this next release in the Insider Canary Channel, providing a glimpse into the new features. The update will enhance Snap Layouts with machine learning, suggesting commonly snapped apps for a more streamlined user experience. File Explorer will now support the creation of 7zip and TAR compressed archive files, and PNG files will support viewing and editing metadata. The Quick Settings panel will be updated, allowing users to scroll through all available settings and include a new refresh button for the Wi-Fi list. Phone Link will also see improvements, including using a linked phone as a webcam. A new "Energy Saver" mode will be introduced, reducing system performance and saving energy on battery-powered and plugged-in PCs. General improvements include a new "Install drivers" button during the Wi-Fi setup page, the removal of several built-in Windows apps from the OS image, and a new "Windows protected print mode" for Mopria-certified printers.

Microsoft today announced the introduction of a new Copilot key devoted to its AI assistant on Windows PC keyboards. The key will provide instant access to Microsoft's conversational Copilot feature, offering a ChatGPT-style AI bot right from a button press. The Copilot key represents the first significant Windows keyboard change in nearly 30 years since the addition of the Windows key itself in the 90s. Microsoft sees it as similarly transformative - making AI an integrated part of devices. The company expects broad adoption from PC manufacturers starting this spring. The Copilot key will likely substitute keys like menu or Office on standard layouts. While currently just launching Copilot, Microsoft could also enable combo presses in the future.

The physical keyboard button helps make AI feel native rather than an add-on, as Microsoft aggressively pushes Copilot into Windows 11 and Edge. The company declared its aim to make 2024 the "year of the AI PC", with Copilot as the entry point. Microsoft envisions AI eventually becoming seamlessly woven into computing through system, silicon, and hardware advances. The Copilot key may appear minor, but it signals that profound change is on the horizon. However, users will only embrace the vision if Copilot proves consistently beneficial rather than gimmicky. Microsoft is betting that injecting AI deeper into PCs will provide usefulness, justifying the disruption. With major OS and hardware partners already committed to adopting the Copilot key, Microsoft's AI-first computer vision is materializing rapidly. The button press that invokes Copilot may soon feel as natural as hitting the Windows key or spacebar. As we await the reported launch of Windows 12, we can expect deeper integration with Copilot to appear.

Chinese x86 CPU developer Zhaoxin is working on adding support in the Linux kernel for scheduling optimization on its processors featuring "preferred cores." Similar to asymmetric core designs from Intel and AMD, Zhaoxin's chips may have specific higher-performance cores the OS scheduler should target for critical workloads. To enable this, Zhaoxin has proposed Linux patches leveraging existing ACPI functionality to indicate per-core differences in max frequency or capabilities. The CPUfreq driver is updated to reflect this, allowing the scheduler to favor the designated high-performance cores when assigning threads and processes. This ensures tasks can dynamically take advantage of the faster cores to maximize performance. The approach resembles tuned scheduling, aware of core topology and heterogeneity already found in Intel and AMD processors.

Zhaoxin's patches don't specify which existing or upcoming CPUs will expose preferred core hints. The company likely wants the functionality in place for future server-class products where asymmetric designs make sense for efficiency. The new code contribution reflects Zhaoxin's broader upstreaming effort around Linux kernel support for its Yongfeng server CPU family. Robust open-source foundations are crucial for gaining developer mindshare and data center adoption. Adding sophisticated features like preferred core scheduling indicates that Zhaoxin's chips are maturing from essential x86 compatibility to more refined performance optimization. While still trailing Intel and AMD in cores and clocks, closing the software ecosystem and efficiency gap remains key to competitiveness. Ongoing Linux enablement work is laying the groundwork for more capable Zhaoxin silicon.

Microsoft is preparing a big update for its Windows operating system. Currently at version 11, the company is gearing up for the launch of Windows 12, which is supposed to bring a monumental shift in the tectonic plates of the regular PC user experience. Enhanced by AI, the Windows 12 OS should utilize many features like generative AI, large language models, some GPT integration, and many other tools that could benefit AI, like photo editors. The confirmation for the Windows 12 launch coming in 2024 is sourced from the Taiwanese Commercial Times, which analyzed comments from Barry Lam, the founder and chairman of PC contract manufacturer Quanta, and Junsheng (Jason) Chen, the chairman and chief executive of Acer.

Both of them underscored the importance of AI and that AI PCs are coming with the next version of Windows. Supposedly, the launch date for Windows 12 is set for June 2024. In that timeframe, hardware vendors should roll out their SoCs embedding AI processing elements at every silicon block. Qualcomm is set to debut its Snapdragon Elite X SoCs in mid-2024, aligning with the alleged release schedule of Windows 12. With more players like NVIDIA, AMD, and others planning to utilize an Arm instruction set for their next-generation PC chips, we expect to see Windows 12 get full-fledged support for Arm ISA and treat it like a first-class citizen in the OS.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced its fifth generation of Galaxy foldables: Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5. The industry-leading form factors offer unique experiences for every user with sleek and compact designs, countless customization options, and powerful performance. The new Flex Hinge makes the foldable experience possible, while offering an aesthetically balanced and solid design. These unrivalled foldable devices unlock extraordinary camera capabilities such as FlexCam to take photos from creative angles. With strong performance and an optimized battery powered by the latest processor, the Samsung Galaxy Z series transforms what is possible with a smartphone - open or closed.

"Samsung is revolutionizing the mobile industry with foldables by setting the standard and continually refining the experience," said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Every day, more people choose our foldables because they offer an experience people want that they can't get on any other device. Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are the latest devices that prove our commitment to meeting the needs of our customers through innovative technology."