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Microsoft embraces dual-screen computing with the Surface Neo
Microsoft has been mulling over the value of a dual-screen computer for at least a decade, and now it finally built one. Microsoft hardware chief Panos Panay pulled back the curtain on the new Surface Neo at a press conference in New York, and it essentially looks like -- what else? -- a foldable Surface.
Windows 10X may be Microsoft's OS for dual-screen devices
No, the leaks for Microsoft's October 2nd event haven't stopped yet. In a follow-up, well-known leaker Evan Blass has claimed that Microsoft will not only have a dual-screen Surface, but that it'll be powered by Windows 10X, an operating system variant built for "dual- and folding-screen devices." While he didn't explain interface changes, 10X would reportedly run desktop apps in "containers" -- a term that typically refers to virtualization. In other words, 10X apps aren't the same as Windows 10 apps, but they will likely virtualize a Windows 10 container to run apps that aren't on 10X.
New Microsoft Surface lineup leaks ahead of Wednesday's unveiling
Wondering what's in store for the Microsoft Surface event on Wednesday? Evan Blass has posted renderings of several devices, including a Surface Pro 7 that brings a USB-C connector instead of Mini DisplayPort, and 10th-gen Intel Core CPUs inside. He also pointed out an ARM CPU-powered Surface that's thinner than the usual Pro lineup with some seriously skinny bezels and probably aimed directly at Apple's iPad Pro.
Microsoft is showing a dual-screen Surface device to employees
Rumors of Microsoft making a dual-screened Surface appear to be solidifying, although you may need to adjust your expectations. Sources for The Verge claim the company held an internal event where it offered a peek at future Surface device, including a prototype of dual-screen hardware (not pictured above -- that's Intel's). Staff reportedly got into "long lines" just to get a look, the insiders said. However, it's not believed to be the pocketable Andromeda device rumored in recent years.
The Big Picture: Sauron in the stars
Nope, that isn't a grainy leaked photo from a new Lord of the Rings spin-off up above; it's actually an image of a space-dust ring surrounding nearby star HR 4796A. The star is part of the Centaurus constellation, and this picture was taken by the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope that's been recently outfitted with a SPHERE instrument. What's the SPHERE? According to the ESO, it's the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research tool that has a main objective of studying extra-solar planets that orbit nearby stars. As Space notes, not only does this picture capture a very Eye-of-Sauron vibe overall, but it's also a showpiece for just how powerful the SPHERE tool is. Namely, it's able to kill enough of the glare to make the actual fiery ball of gas visible, something Space says is essential to discovering more and more celestial bodies.
Tabula Rasa gains test server, patch notes
Tabula Rasa received an official test server a few days ago, but of more interest is the public test patch notes that are now up over at the official site.It's about five thousand bug fixes, with a few more welcomed tweaks. 30 max missions in your log, a few specific mob nerfs (not Warnets, unfortunately), plus increased server / client stability & performance. Goodbye memory leak?Whilst there's no new servers announced, French & German TR installations are at least getting their own language-specific channels, which should clear things up a bit on Centaurus. There's no ETA for when these changes will go live, but let's hope soon.Full Public Test patch notes can be found here.
Tabula Rasa launch: how it went
It's now over three days since Tabula Rasa went retail, so I thought I'd cover the kind of launch and reception that it's received so far.Let's face it: MMO launch servers are notorious for spending their first couple of days offline -- but in a surprise twist, I'm still yet to encounter any of the TR servers going down for more than a second. Having said that, the game seems to have attracted a lot more players than NCsoft were expecting -- the solitary EU server in particular has been almost continuously maximum population since day one, and starting today I've had to queue up to enter. Not cool. There's also been major lag on the EU server at peak times with so many players logged in at once.In more continental news, there's a large French (and German) community on Centaurus, both of which are obviously keen on getting their own language-specific server. A second or third EU server at very least is badly needed, but as yet there's been no announcement from NCsoft. Over on the US servers, things have been a lot more stable -- so much so, I've already decided to skip over to Pegasus.Overall, I've been quite surprised by how enthusiastic the reception Tabula Rasa has received from players in-game has been. Opinions were divided in the beta prior to launch, and I personally thought the game was being launched early -- but the TR crew have cleared up the code, improved framerates, and given the game the extra layer of polish needed. By polish, yes, I *do* mean wearable shades.The chat interface is still awful, though.(Note -- there's almost no reviews for RGTR up at present, but once a sufficient amount have hit the Internet, we'll throw up a Joystiq-style metareview for your enjoyment.)
