September 22, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

💻 Big Microsoft event reveals new hardware and AI latest

🔊 Bose's new flagship soundbar uses AI to solve dialogue problem

🛰️ American astronaut Frank Rubio achieves a first for NASA

UP FIRST

Microsoft's big event reveals new hardware and AI latest

Copilot will roll out as part of the free update to Windows 11 from September 26

Microsoft took to the stage on Thursday to unveil the Surface Laptop Studio 2, which clearly has the MacBook Pro in its sights. Check out this comparison to see if the new $1,999 machine has any chance of knocking Apple’s laptop off its perch.

Other new kit included Surface Laptop Go 3, a 2-in-1 laptop with a 12.4-inch that tips the scales at just 2.49 pounds.

As expected, Microsoft also went in big on AI, offering news on the latest improvements to its Copilot feature, which, as its name suggests, acts as an advanced smart assistant across your Windows-powered devices.

We also got a preview of a major update to Windows 11, which is coming on September 26 and offers more AI-driven smarts such as background blur in Photos, the ability to use layers in Paint, and, also for Paint, an AI tool that lets you create images from text prompts ...

HOME THEATER

Bose's new flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar brings AI smarts to the dialogue problem

The new soundbar can be paired wirelessly with Bose bass modules and surround speakers

Say hello to Bose’s newest flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar – the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar.

First up, it strongly resembles its predecessor, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900, and at $899, sports the same price, too.

The differences come under the hood, however, with the Ultra model featuring a new AI-driven dialogue mode that uses machine learning to make spoken words easier to hear as they come through the speaker.

As with the 900, the Smart Ultra Soundbar incorporates up-firing drivers to bounce height-channel sound off your ceiling to your listening position, enabling Dolby Atmos and other immersive sound formats to deliver their 3D effects.

Bose’s new Smart Ultra Soundbar is available in black or white, and both versions come with an impact-resistant tempered glass top. The new speaker is available on Bose.com from September 21 ...

SPACE RECORD

Astronaut Frank Rubio marks a year in space in NASA first

Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov holds the record for the longest single trip at 437 days and 18 hours in the mid-1990s

Frank Rubio made history on Thursday by becoming the first NASA astronaut to spend an entire year in space.

It was never meant to be that way, but a coolant leak in December impacting the Soyuz spacecraft that brought the American to the International Space Station meant he and his two Russian colleagues had their return trip rescheduled, leaving the trio in orbit for an additional six months.

Rubio set a new NASA record for the longest single orbital mission on September 11 when his stay surpassed that of Mark Vande Hei, who spent 355 days in space before returning to Earth in March last year.

NASA shared a short video showing some of the highlights of Rubio’s time aboard the space station over the last 12 months.

Rubio, who is on his first trip to space, is scheduled to return to Earth next week, extending his total time in orbit to 371 days ...

Digital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.