Technology - Google News

Valve forced to tweak its confusing Steam 'Grand Prix Summer Sale' - Engadget
The best 2-in-1 tablets for 2019 - Engadget
Microsoft is moving Cortana into a separate app in the Windows store - The Verge

Valve forced to tweak its confusing Steam 'Grand Prix Summer Sale' - Engadget

Posted: 28 Jun 2019 06:10 AM PDT

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The little cooperative game Valve conjured up to go with the Steam Summer Sale this year caused some pretty big issues, enough for the company to change things up a bit. Apparently, its mechanics were so complex, confusing and even broken that players inadvertently threw away loads of points they could've used to boost their teams. In addition, Valve seems to have failed to properly explain how players can win the top games in their wishlist as a Grand Prix reward. According to Kotaku, that led to a drastic decrease in wishlist numbers.

Hey @GreyAlien - Are your games seeing an abnormally high amount of wishlist deletions? I and 4 other devs all are seeing some pretty strange stats. I've never once in 5 years seen more deletes than adds/P&A during a seasonal sale. I've always left a sale with a net increase. pic.twitter.com/v1OY4MUQW5
— Raymond Doerr (@RaymondDoerr) June 26, 2019

Steam's event page advised players to update their wish list before they play. "[T]the very best drivers will be awarded their Most Wished For games throughout the event," it said. A lot of players dropped titles from their list, thinking that could ensure that they're getting the games they want the most. That's bad news for a lot of developers, since Steam alerts players when the games in their wishlist are available or on sale. Independent developers say they're seeing more wishlist deletions than purchases, and at least one of them told Kotaku that they're losing money from being hosted on the platform.

To remedy the situation, Valve's new blog post clarifies that players only have to move the game they want to win to the top of their wishlist. "There's no need to remove other items," it says, with advice to "keep them there so [they'll] be notified when those items release or go on sale." As for the Grand Prix mechanics, the company rolled out improvements to the Driver's Dash and Manual to help clarify how to play.

We don't see any massive tweaks on the event page, but the platform seems to have given more important information a more prominent place and added actual numbers for clarity. It also made some backend changes to prevent the snowball effects that led to Team Corgi's massive lead. Finally, Valve is boosting the max points players can earn by 1,000 if they were active on day 1 and by another 1,000 if they were active on day 2. Whether all those changes can help entice people back into the game remains to be seen.

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The best 2-in-1 tablets for 2019 - Engadget

Posted: 28 Jun 2019 07:00 AM PDT

Two-in-1 tablets are far from perfect. But just because there isn't a flawless laptop replacement today doesn't mean you can't get a tablet that's good enough to get some work done on the road. Tech's biggest players are falling over themselves to push out these devices, giving the premium-tablet category new life. It's easy to see why people would want these hybrids: They offer the power and productivity of a notebook in the thin and light body of a tablet. But there isn't an operating system yet that's versatile enough to work as well in tablet mode as it does as a desktop (or vice versa). So as you approach this decision, it's worth thinking about which mode is more important to you.

Still, thanks to the competition brewing among Microsoft, Apple, Google and Samsung, these devices can only get better. In the meantime, existing 2-in-1s are plenty powerful for banging out a proposal on an airplane or updating a spreadsheet from the back of a cab. If you're realistic about your expectations and want something for these specific situations, you'll likely find one that's right for you.

For the road warrior: Microsoft Surface Pro 6

microsoft surface pro 6

Buy Surface Pro 6 on Amazon - $1,200+

If you work on the go a lot and need something lightweight, sturdy and capable of multitasking like a champ, the Surface Pro 6 is the 2-in-1 for you. It's hands down the best hybrid for productivity. Microsoft has refined its formula so much that the sixth Surface Pro is a nearly perfect hybrid. It provides powerful performance and long-lasting battery in a lightweight yet sturdy frame. PC users will find the Windows 10 software familiar and just as capable of multitasking as on a laptop. Plus, Microsoft makes arguably the best tablet keyboard on the market.

The Surface Pro 6 comes with a bright display and a classy all-black option that refreshes the tablet's dated design. The base model with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage costs $899, but you'll have to add $129 for a Type Cover, bringing the total to $1,019. That's pricey, but it still isn't the most expensive option on this list.

For those chained to iOS: Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch

Buy iPad Pro 12.9-inch on Amazon - $945+

Apple wants so much for you to think of the iPad Pro as a notebook replacement that it markets the device as "more powerful than a PC laptop." Indeed, the iPad Pro's A12X Bionic is a beast of a chip that can handle most tasks. Just don't expect to edit 8K videos on it. The tablet also has a beautifully light design and crisp, vibrant screen, making it a joy to write on with the Apple Pencil. It has great battery life, to boot.

Theoretically, the new USB-C port also makes the iPad Pro more versatile than before. It should let you connect far more accessories and avoid the hassle of a Lightning adapter. Think things like SD card readers, external monitors and mechanical keyboards -- something you might want to consider given that Apple's keyboard folio is serviceable at best. But finding compatible USB-C peripherals takes some trial and error, so don't expect all of your accessories to work seamlessly.

iOS 12 is also a limited platform for multitasking, though the new iPadOS beta promises significant improvements, so when that finally rolls out it might make the iPad Pro a better productivity machine. You'll need to pay $199 for the smart keyboard folio in addition to the iPad Pro's $999 starting price, making this about $180 more expensive than the Surface. But hey, that Apple premium probably doesn't matter to the loyalists.

For the digital artist: Samsung Galaxy Book 2

Buy Samsung Galaxy Book 2 - $1,000+

Whether it's a tablet or a phone, the reasons to pick Samsung over other brands tend to be their typically superior displays and the useful S Pen. But for the Galaxy Book 2, you might also appreciate the fact that it comes with built-in gigabit LTE support. It adds the underrated convenience of always being online no matter where you go (cell coverage notwithstanding), and is best for someone who always needs to be updating Google Docs or a blog.

However, since the Book 2 runs Windows on an ARM-based Snapdragon CPU, it's limited by slightly laggy performance and a smaller selection of apps (compared to full Windows). Still, Microsoft and Qualcomm continue to work on the software to make the experience as close to standard Windows as possible. For now, if you need a beefy machine, go for a Surface Pro. If your workflow doesn't depend on obscure apps or you won't be editing videos or photos, then the Book 2 might be right for you. Plus, at just $999 including a keyboard and the S Pen, this is the most affordable option on our list.

Wrap-up

All these options hover around the $1,000 price, which is admittedly a lot to spend on a device that's not a full-fledged laptop. But a good 2-in-1 can be the best travel companion on your business trips, and these are the industry's finest offerings, making whichever one you pick a worthy investment. Just think how much work you can get done armed with one of these.

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Microsoft is moving Cortana into a separate app in the Windows store - The Verge

Posted: 28 Jun 2019 03:40 AM PDT

Microsoft might be working on making Cortana better at holding conversations, but the software maker is also increasingly separating its digital assistant from Windows 10. This first started with the decoupling of Cortana from search in the recent Windows 10 May 2019 Update, and now Microsoft is bringing Cortana to the Microsoft Store as a separate app. A Cortana beta has appeared in the store, and it hints that the digital assistant could eventually not be built into Windows 10.

Microsoft is using this beta app to update Cortana separately from Windows 10, so the digital assistant can supposedly get new features quickly. However, Cortana was always built as a web-based service, so that it could be updated without core Windows 10 changes. It's not immediately clear what Microsoft has planned here, but it's likely connected to the upcoming beta phase of its codename 19H2 Windows 10 Update.

Microsoft had planned to start testing 19H2 by now, and originally promised a spring release to testers. The company has been surprisingly quiet about what 19H2 even includes, but it's expected to arrive later this year with a full Linux kernel. Microsoft even started testing its first 2020 Windows 10 update ahead of 19H2, and it continues to issue builds to testers.

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