Stay updated with the latest tech news! Microsoft launches Intel-based Surface PCs, Pebble makes a comeback, and China’s DeepSeek AI shakes up the industry. Plus, updates on Meta, Tesla, Apple, Nvidia, and more. Read now for all the details!
Microsoft Announces New Intel-Based Surface PCs
Microsoft launched Intel Lunar Lake versions of the Surface Pro 11 and Laptop 7. Until now, Surface devices only had Qualcomm chips. The Intel and Snapdragon models are very similar, with identical displays and sizes. Physically, the only changes are ports, with a speed upgrade from USB 3.1 to 3.2 for Intel. Even battery life estimates are the same. The Intel models have an anti-reflective screen, which some may prefer.
There’s a $400 price difference: $1,500 for the Intel Surface Pro 11 versus $1,100 for the Qualcomm model. The Intel version is a “business-only” edition, but consumers can still buy it. Microsoft seems to be pricing it higher to push more people toward Qualcomm and establish Windows on ARM as a major platform. Both versions now have 5G, and the Intel model has an NFC option for smart cards. Sales start on February 18.
Pebble is Back with a New Venture
Pebble is back, officially by its original founder, Eric. Google open-sourced most of Pebble OS after Eric requested it. He also announced a new venture called RepPebble to bring a new Pebble device to market. Pebble went bankrupt in 2016, was bought by Fitbit, and later by Google, which shut it down. The community kept Pebble alive with Rebel, an app store and services. Now, there might be a full revival with an e-paper screen and new features. Eric wants a small, focused team without investors, making this a sustainable project. You can sign up at reppebble.com to show interest.
DeepSeek AI Makes Waves
China’s DeepSeek AI continues to make headlines. A Chinese AI lab launched competitive, mostly open-source models and an image generator. One model reportedly cost just $5.5 million to train. Their servers have been overwhelmed since launch. Nvidia chips were used for training, but Huawei announced DeepSeek was optimized for its AI chips, like the Ascend 910C. Some reports claim DeepSeek runs on Huawei chips in its own data centers, but there’s no conclusive proof.
DeepSeek used mostly American datasets, not Chinese ones. OpenAI claims DeepSeek trained its models using ChatGPT data without permission, which is ironic given OpenAI trained its models on other people’s data. Microsoft is investigating DeepSeek for improper use of OpenAI data, yet also announced DeepSeek’s models will run on Copilot+ PCs and Azure.
A major security incident left one of DeepSeek’s critical databases exposed online.
Other Notable Tech News
- Logitech announced the Spot, a device that detects people using millimeter-wave radar. It can last up to four years on a battery and is useful for checking if meeting rooms are free.
- Meta revealed it sold 1 million Ray-Ban smart glasses last year. Reality Labs lost $5 billion, but Mark Zuckerberg claimed it exceeded sales targets for 2024.
- Microsoft’s Xbox hardware sales continued to decline, with gaming revenue down 7% year-over-year. Game Pass is now being pushed more for PC.
- Tesla’s earnings showed an 8% drop in automotive revenue, but its stock rose after announcing a robotaxi service launching in June.
- Apple’s earnings were uneventful, except for declining iPhone sales in China. Huawei became the top-selling brand in China, the first time since its ban.
- Alibaba announced a new AI model, Qwen 2.5 Max, claiming it outperforms GPT-4, DeepSeek V3, and LLaMA 3.1-405B.
- Boom’s XB-1 jet broke the sound barrier, the first civilian aircraft to do so over the US. The goal is to build a successor to the Concorde.
- Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and 5080 reviews are out. The 5090 is powerful, but the 5080 barely improves over the 4080. Nvidia expects to sell out of both cards due to high demand.
- Apple was sued by the Democratic Republic of Congo for allegedly obtaining critical minerals through illegal operations involving armed groups.
The Importance of a VPN When Traveling
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