The Surface RT’s full-fledged Pro counterpart just got an update. Today, Microsoft unveiled the follow-up to that x86 / Windows 8 -compatible tablet: the Surface Pro 2 and it still comes with a stylus. According to Microsoft’s claims, this new tablet boasts 50 percent more color accuracy, better graphics performance, an improved speaker setup and some speed gains — it’s purportedly 20 percent faster than the original. Battery life has gotten a significant 75 percent boost as well thanks to the Haswell processor inside and now runs much quieter. The Surface Pro 2 can also be paired with Microsoft’s new Power Cover to give the tablet 2.5x its standalone battery life or the Type Cover 2, which is now 1mm thinner and backlit. The kickstand has also been revised for the refresh, as it’s now a two-stage affair, addressing the issues many users had with the old Pro’s awkward angle. As for ports, Microsoft says the Surface Pro 2 is loaded up with support for three USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort, ethernet, audio in/out and, of course, charging. The Surface Pro 2, when docked, can also output up to a 3, 840 x 2, 160 resolution on an external display and is capable of editing 6K video. %Gallery-slideshow89981% Developing… Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 2 gets official

As promised, Microsoft has just revealed the Surface 2 here at its Surface-themed press event . Whereas the new Surface Pro 2 makes subtle changes to the original Pro, the Surface 2 is being billed as a totally revamped version of the original Surface RT. As rumored , it moves up to a higher-res 1080p ClearType display — the same one you’ll find on the new Surface Pro 2. Performance-wise, Microsoft says it’s doubled the BUS speed for the WiFi and the memory, and the CPU speed has increased “dramatically” as well. There’s also a USB 3.0 port on board, a step up from the USB 2.0 connection used on the original. All told, says Microsoft, the new model should run three to four times as fast as its predecessor, and the battery life should be 25 percent longer too. As for the design, this looks similar to the original, at least from a few feet away, but it’s thinner, lighter and is built from two pieces of magnesium, not three. And, of course, it sports the same two-stage kickstand as the new Surface Pro 2, which should make it easier to balance in your lap. Developing… %Gallery-slideshow89979% Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft announces the Surface 2, the follow-up to the original Surface RT

Here it is: Microsoft’s powerhouse Surface Pro 2 . As we’ve seen and hear already, Microsoft’s follow-up to the Surface Pro is thinner and considerably more powerful. We got our hands on a 256GB model to form some initial impressions and begin to determine whether this guy is worth the meaty $899-and-up going rate, up $100 from the original Pro’s pricing scheme. Head past the break to dive in. %Gallery-slideshow89994% Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft Surface Pro 2 hands-on

PC game service operator and game development studio Valve announced SteamOS this afternoon, finally formalizing a PC gaming hardware project known as ” Steambox ” we’ve heard dribs and drabs about over the past few years. The OS will function on “any living room machine, ” and it also streams games from your Mac and PC, as well as offering media playback functionality. “Just turn on your existing computer and run Steam as you always have – then your SteamOS machine can stream those games over your home network straight to your TV, ” the announcement page says. The OS is free and built on Linux; it will be available “soon.” Valve says it’s “achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level, ” with regards to streaming capability. “Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases.” No specific developers are named, but a job posting from Crytek points at one suspect. The project is intended to compete with traditional game consoles, and it seemingly evolves Steam’s ” Big Picture Mode ” to that end. Valve specifically lists four new features as the pillars of SteamOS: in-home streaming, family sharing, music / TV / movies, and family options. Filed under: Gaming , Software , HD Comments Source: Valve

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Valve announces SteamOS, a new game platform for living room-based PCs

For the second time in as many trading days, shares of BlackBerry were halted in advance of some big news from the company. Today’s news is no less big. BlackBerry has just announced that it’s signed a letter of intent agreement for a sale of the company valued at $4.7 billion to a consortium led by Fairfax Financial (the company’s largest shareholder). Pending due diligence that’s expected to be completed by November 4th, the deal would see BlackBerry go private, with shareholders each receiving $9 per share in cash. In a statement, Fairfax Chairman and CEO Prem Watsa said, “we believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees, ” adding, “we can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world.” While BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has yet to offer any public comment on the news, the chair of BlackBerry’s Board of Directors, Barbara Stymiest, drew attention to that due diligence period in her statement, saying that “the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium.” You can find the official announcement of the deal after the break. Developing… Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Blackberry Comments Source: MarketWatch

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BlackBerry enters agreement for $4.7 billion sale of company to consortium led by Fairfax Financial