Microsoft is announcing the general availability of the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio in the United Arab Emirates(UAE). The devices are designed to promote innovation, enhance productivity and ensure safety and security. Organizations in the UAE will be able to purchase the new Microsoft Surface devices from authorized Microsoft device partners.
Launched last year, the company introduced the Surface Laptop Studio as a replacement to the Surface Book line. Microsoft also announced the latest model of its 2-in-1 devices the Surface Pro 8. With the Laptop Studio starting at $1599.99 and $1099.99 for the Pro 8.
Speaking about the devices coming to the UAE market, Business Group Director, Modern Work with Surface Microsoft UAE, Laura McDonald, notes “we’re excited to see organizations in the UAE flourish with these new innovations and unlock the potential of their workforce“.
She adds that with the introduction of the new Surface devices, the modern-day hybrid workplace will benefit the most. From secure technology that accelerates changes and enhances the entire work experience to take productivity to the next level.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 comes powered by Windows 11 and runs on an 11th-generation Intel CPU which lets open any professional Surface Pro drawing app. Sports a 13-inch 120Hz display, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a removable SSD. It has a vibrant display with a sharp webcam and is very slim and light. Click to read and check out the full device review on Pro 8.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
The 14.4″ Surface Laptop Studio runs on the latest quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core H Series processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU. It has a screen resolution of 2400 x 1600 and 201 PPI maintaining the famous 3:2 aspect ratio. 16GB up to 32GB of RAM and removable SSD storage starting from 256GB up to 2TB. Battery life estimations show up to 19 hours of typical device usage. Click to see the full device specifications here. And check out the unboxing, first impression, and review of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
With the launch of the devices in the UAE, we can expect to see them in the Egypt and South Africa markets shortly. I expect to see them also launch by the end of April 2022.
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Logitech G, a brand of Logitech announces the launch of the Logitech G413 SE and the G413 TKL (Tenkeyless) SE mechanical gaming Keyboard. The Logitec mechanical gaming keyboards seeks to bring precision, increase performance and affordability. By offering gaming-grade mechanical switches with PBT keycaps that are fade, wear and shine resistant. They will be available globally in February and on LogitechG.com at G413 SE for $79.99 and G413 TKL at $69.99.
The Logitech G413 SE Mechanical Gaming Keyboards feature Tactile Mechanical Switches which deliver uncompromising performance. It also gives discernible actuation for gamers who prefer direct feedback. In addition, the keyboards also feature PBT keycaps that are heat and wear-resistant. Logitech says it makes them one of the most durable PBT keycaps on the market.
“We spent a lot of time carefully designing keyboards that deliver advanced performance with just the right feature set,” says Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager of Logitech Gaming. “Made with strong, durable materials and high-performance features, these keyboards are an excellent option for gamers who want a mechanical keyboard at a great price.”
It sports white LED lighting and a black-brushed aluminium-magnesium alloy top case as the keyboard’s backbone.
The keyboards will deliver reliable key input versus other non-gaming mechanical keyboards Logitech says. With the addition of the six-key rollover anti-ghosting performance. Meaning you can press multiple keys simultaneously and all will register at the same time to trigger a game move.
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Four undergraduate students teamed up to participate in the 2021 Microsoft Student Hackathon, they eventually emerged winners and have received and accepted offers to join Microsoft as full-time software engineers. The students Gloria Keya, David Lutta, Christine Wambui, and Audrey Njenga will start their professional careers at Microsoft when they graduate from school.
They are all final year students pursuing computer science at universities located in Kenya and Rwanda. Firstly, Gloria and Christine are students at the University of Nairobi(UoN) in Kenya. Whilst David is a student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUAT). Finally, Audrey is a student at the African Leadership University(ALU) based in Rwanda.
The students who had just completed their summer internship with Microsoft learned about the hackathon and decided to extend their Microsoft experience. By forming a team to participate in the student hackathon. Which was concurrently taking place with the Microsoft Global Hackathon for Microsoft employees. The hackathon event was to hack solutions for Sustainability, Society, Education, and Ability using Microsoft technologies. In all, there were students from 22 other countries participating in the virtual Microsoft student hackathon. Over the course of just a week, they conceived, built, and tested their idea.
“We wanted to create an opportunity after their Microsoft internship for the students to stay connected to Microsoft and use the skills and knowledge they acquired in a new project and challenge that reflected their own passion,” says Steve Scallen, Senior Director of University Engagement at the Microsoft Garage. “They were all summer interns at Microsoft, and they all have offers to come back, which they’ve accepted. We are very excited they have chosen to start their professional careers at Microsoft.”
The students won the grand prize-winning project with their idea Forest Guard. Which falls under the hack for earth challenge and sustainability category. Forest Guard is a real-time on-site deforestation sensor and alert system that detects and reports dangerous or illegal activity in protected forests. It will be able to detect illegal logging and forest fire, using an IoT tool and Azure cognitive services.
Microsoft says they will have the opportunity to continue hacking the Forest Guard at The Garage when they begin work as full-time software engineers at Microsoft Nairobi in 2022. Microsoft is bringing The Garage program to Africa and will be opening new locations on the Microsoft Lagos and Nairobi campuses. The Garage is a Microsoft resource for employees to connect, experiment and be creative outside of their day job.
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YouTube is announcing that 26 talented African creators will join the global Black Voices Creator Class of 2022. They are selected as part of 133 creators from around the world and across various niches. Including 40 from US and Canada, 35 from Brazil, and 34 from the United Kingdom. They will receive access to resources such as partner support and seed funding to help them grow on YouTube.
We’re excited to introduce you to the 26 #YouTubeBlack Voices creator grantees from Africa in 2022!
@microsoftcaregh | MCGH | www.microsoftcaregh
Speaking about the announcement Youtube says “We’re are excited to introduce you to the 26 YouTube Black Voices creator grantees from Africa in 2022. Over the next year, we’ll work closely with these African creators. Offering them dedicated partner support, seed funding invested into the development of their channels, and participation in an intensive development program. That will focus on training in production, community engagement and wellbeing, followed by ongoing workshops and networking programs.”
Last year YouTube launched the YouTubeBlack Voices Fund to directly support Black creators and artists so that they can thrive on YouTube. The first cohort just like this year included 133 creators from across the world. It also announced the YouTube Black Voices artist class of 2022 to support and mentor black artists and producers, selecting artists from Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa. The company says this support helped them to hit new subscriber milestones and lead meaningful discussions.
The 26 African YouTube creators and grantees come from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. They include technology reviewer Fisayo Fosudo, entertainers The Ndlovu’s Uncut and lifestylist Cheyenne. Check out the full list of Africa’s YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 below.
YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 Africa grantees
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GEEKOM is partnering with Intel to launch the GEEKOM Intel BookFun 11 professional gaming laptop. The co-branded laptop seeks to offer gamers and creators a high-quality device with cutting-edge technology and solid performance.
The BookFun 11 comes in a magnesium alloy black chassis with a 2560×1440 pixels 15.6″ IPS display. It sports a narrow bezel design, QHD 165 Hz high refresh rate, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-11800H processor, with 8 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.6GHz turbo frequency, and 24MB of cache memory. The discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card promises to deliver a game-changing experience with fluid frame rates. The BookFun 11 also comes with memory which can be expanded up to 64GB. There is 1TB of PCIe SSD Intel Optane storage to boost and run gaming and multiple programs quickly.
GEEKOM say the BookKFun provides maximum power for gaming, CAD modeling, rendering videos, and more. The 32GB, 1TB SSD version sells at $2499 but is currently available to pre-order at $1999.
Check out the full device specification for the co-branded laptop from Intel and GEEKOM below.
GEEKOM Intel BookFun 11 specifications
Operating System
Windows 11 Pro
Dimensions
357 x 235 x 21.65 mm Weight – 1.94kg
Processor
11th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-11800H, 8 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.6GHz
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Infinix is announcing the latest model of the INBOOK X series, the Infinix INBOOK X2 laptop. The INBOOK X2 comes in an aluminium alloy full-metal body, weighing 1.24kg and is ultra-thin at 14.8mm. It comes pre-installed with the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system Windows 11 and is powered by a 10nm Intel Core Processor.
Infinix INBOOK X2 comes with a 14-inch full-color high-brightness display. It offers three specifications including i7, i5 and i3 available with storage capacities of 256GB/521Gb and 8/16GB RAM. Infinix says you can get up to 9 hours of daily use from one full charge. The 45W USB C fast charger gives you up to 60% battery power in one hour.
Infinix introduces some new technologies in the laptop, these include Dual-Star Light Camera, a dual-LED fill light in the camera to give you clear video calls. The second is ICE STORM, a cooling system that helps the processor dissipate heat faster and reduces temperature under heavy workloads. The third is AirLink, which enables seamless collaboration between Infinx laptops and mobile phones.
The Infinix INBOOK X2 laptops will be available from January 22 starting at $399 (i3), $549 (i5) & $649 (i7). It is expected to come to markets including Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt, and Nigeria. We will update you with the country-specific prices when they are announced. Check out the full device specifications and review by Tech Spurt for the INBOOK X2 below.
Size – 14 inches Type – IPS Aspect Ratio – 16:9 Resolution – 1920*1080 Maximum Brightness – 300 nits Colour Gamut – 100% sRGB Viewing Angle – 178 degrees
Color
Grey, Blue, Green, Red
Memory
8GB/16GB
Storage
256GB/512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Camera
Dual-Star light HD Video Camera
Battery
Lithium polymer 55 Wh
Connectivity
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac,160MHz 2.4GHz and 5GHz BT 5.1
Ports
USB-C x 1 (support data, charging and DisplayPort), USB-C x 1 (support data) USB 3.0 × 2 HDMI 1.4 × 1 SD card slot x 1 camera switch x 1 3.5 mm Headset and Microphone Jack x 1
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