By Shikhar Mehrotra Google’s new Dreambeans app works while you sleep and delivers a small collection of AI-illustrated stories about your life each morning.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Shikhar Mehrotra Apple’s Vision lineup just went from seven products to two, and the person who made that call is the same person taking over as CEO on September 1.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Alina Maria Stan For years, one question in Microsoft’s internal employee survey served as a reliable pressure gauge. It asked whether staff felt they were getting a “good deal at Microsoft,” defined as “a reasonable balance between what I contribute to Microsoft and what I get in return.” When the scores dropped low enough, the company responded with significant […] This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Cristian Dina The public markets have been asked whether they believe in AI, and they have answered with $85 billion. Alphabet’s record-shattering equity offering, which priced on 2 June, is not just the largest stock sale in tech history. It is the largest equity offering of any kind, in any industry, ever. The company had initially planned to […] This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Shikhar Mehrotra Amazon now lets you search for products by pointing your iPhone’s lock screen camera at anything in the real world.

Source:: Digital Trends

The European Union has now published a set of measures aimed at boosting Europe’s tech industry to help reduce reliance on US and Chinese suppliers for AI, cloud, and semiconductors. The proposals include rules to restrict the use of US hyperscalers for certain public sector procurement purposes, but stop short of banning them outright.

“Technological sovereignty does not mean protectionism. Europe remains grounded in openness, partnership, and fair competition,” Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said in a statement Wednesday. “At the same time, Europe wants to be in the position to make its own choices, avoiding dependence on single dominant suppliers, especially from non-like-minded countries.”

The European Technological Sovereignty Package — released after several delays — includes two legislative proposals: the Cloud and AI Development Act and Chips Act (CAIDA) 2.0 and the Open Source Strategy and Strategic Roadmap for Digitalization and AI in Energy.

CAIDA aims to triple data center capacity in the next five to seven years by easing restrictions for deployments across the EU. It also includes rules that, if enacted, would require EU public bodies to meet certain sovereignty criteria for cloud service procurement related to certain sensitive workloads.

Amid ongoing trans-Atlantic tensions and a long-time deep reliance on US tech providers, European organizations have become increasingly wary of a “kill switch” that would cut off access to digital services. There are also concerns that US hyperscalers could be compelled to share data with US government under the CLOUD Act and Foreign Intelligence Services Act (FISA), even when data centers are located in Europe.

The CAIDA proposals include four levels of criteria for suppliers; the most basic includes data center infrastructure located and operated in the region – something  many US cloud suppliers already provide – with stricter rules around supplier ownership, full control over the software stack, and more stringent cybersecurity certification.

The majority of existing EU public sector workloads (70%) fall under the first level, with 20% at level 2, and 9% at level 3. Only a small proportion (1%) of the most sensitive workloads would require level 4.

Other proposals include the Chips Act 2.0, a follow-up to the 2023 legislation that sought to improve semiconductor production capabilities; the updated version now aims to boost research and spur demand for domestically produced processors. 

The legislative proposals must be negotiated by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union before adoption.

Source:: Computer World

By Deepti Pathak ASUS has unveiled the Ascent QN10, a new mini PC that brings premium desktop capabilities into…
The post ASUS Unveils Ascent QN10 Mini PC Powered by Snapdragon X2 Elite appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes

By Shimul Sood Google is opening up the Fitbit Air ecosystem in a surprising way, giving creators the tools needed to design and even 3D-print their own custom bands.

Source:: Digital Trends

Apple’s MacBook Neo appears to be a triumph of strategic disruption that has already cast shock waves across the industry — and that energy is still playing out.

Approximately 55,000 MacBook Neo computers have been sold every day since it was introduced in March, according to IDC data (as first noted by TechCrunch). In fact, it looks as if Apple sold 1.1 million of these Macs in the first 20 days of sale, the analysts said.

There’s no real reason to imagine that level of demand has declined very much.

MacBook Neo: Millions sold

After all, not only do these Macs continue to dominate Amazon’s US laptop charts, but supply chain rumors claim Apple has doubled its manufacturing orders. “MacBook Neo shipments have come in better than expected, with the 2026 shipment forecast raised from 5 million to 10 million units,” Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said recently. 

IDC’s March data may not capture the larger extent of the demand, as IDC analyst Navkendar Singh pointed out that MacBook Neo shipments “began to spike from early April”, which suggests demand has accelerated since then.

MacBook Neo demand exceeded expectations across multiple nations, including in India, where the company shifted 18,000 of them in the opening weeks.

Doing the business

Apple has also instructed processor maker TSMC to manufacture additional A18 processors specifically for its affordable laptop, while earlier speculation has claimed the company has been using ongoing memory price increases as a strategic competitive tool.  (The Neo starts at $599, with a pricier model set at $699.)

By expanding the potential customer base for Macs with a lower cost Neo, Apple is aiming a claim at the biggest-selling part of the PC market. And it is doing so even as rapidly increasing component prices force others to choose between higher product prices and profitability, or much-reduced margins in to compete at the same price. levels

That’s a losing battle; competitors for the most part can’t hope to match Apple’s bargaining position when it comes to the cost of components like memory because they don’t have the same scale. That means that even when component costs increase for everybody, Apple pays less, because it orders more. 

That scale means that for many component suppliers, it’s Apple’s business that keeps the meat on the table while other customers merely contribute the gravy. So, suppliers are happy to make deals with Apple to secure that main course — to continue the analogy — but are less likely to match those deals for dessert. As such, Apple is expected to be the only laptop vendor to see growth this year.

Apple’s great game

IDC’s figures confirm Apple’s strategy is working, with strong demand for the Neo, and, indeed, all Apple’s new laptops. At the same time, the researcher predicts overall global PC shipments will decline 11.3% this year, with a painful 20% sales drop envisioned for Q4. 

“We’re not seeing any relief to the memory shortage situation before the end of 2027, which means prices will continue to rise and PC manufacturers will struggle to maintain full product portfolios for the foreseeable future,” Jean Philippe Bouchard, vice president of devices and consumers at IDC said in a statement.

“The introduction of the MacBook Neo is putting real pressure on the entire PC ecosystem,” added Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s Consumer Devices Trackers. 

Competitors are already responding with new devices equipped with ARM-based processors and aggressive promotional pricing. But none truly match what Apple has with MacBook Neo, and all must reach profitable scale to compete long-term. 

None have yet done so.

The strategy makes sense

“The MacBook Neo launch stands out as one of Apple’s most strategically important recent Mac releases,” Counterpoint analyst David Naranjo said. 

Apple is directly targeting customers that previously saw its products as too expensive. That allows it is also to aggressively build business in parts of the market such as education that tend to be more resilient to economic headwinds. MacBook Neo is also enjoying strong demand across the enterprise.

Both these parts of the market give Apple’s competitors their lunch. “The competitive pressure from the Neo is providing a partial offset to broader price increases, keeping some low-cost notebook options alive,” Ubrani said. “But the overall trajectory for average selling prices (ASPs) is firmly upward. IDC forecasts ASP growth of 17% in 2026, and even as memory capacity expands over the next two years, pricing is unlikely to return to 2025 levels.” 

Apple’s control over its processors, along with its strategic approach to component purchasing, means it should be able to maintain its existing Mac price points for a while. “Apple’s vertical integration (own silicon, own OS) gives it more levers than competitors reliant on third-party chips and Microsoft licensing,” Hexnode CEO Apu Pavithran told me recently.

So, while PC makers either exit the market or raise prices in pursuit of profits, MacBook Neo will continue racing off the shelves, particularly to large enterprise and education customers. 

The endgame? 

The Neo is more than a lower-cost Apple notebook. It’s a hugely disruptive product that is already driving noteworthy change across the PC industry; it’s forcing competitors to make difficult choices between cost and price — even as they grapple with the existential challenges of memory shortages, component price hikes, and raw materials costs. 

That’s not bad for a product that costs your local school just $499.

Just a reminder: the original $399 iPod cost only slightly less when it was first introduced, before subsequently disrupting the music industry.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and follow The Core.

Source:: Computer World

By Adarsh Verma For certain professions, like designers, developers, and digital creators, the portfolio-first idea keeps coming back. As…
The post Best Resume Builders for Designers, Developers, and Digital Creators in 2026 appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes

Online casino entertainment has evolved from flashy lobbies into ecosystems that prize clarity and hands-on support as much as spectacle. Players increasingly expect more than a roster of games: they want intuitive navigation, clear information at every step, and rapid help when something is unclear. This article spotlights the features that make modern sites feel more like service-oriented platforms than one-way entertainment portals.

For an example of how platforms present options for lower commitments and transparent deposit choices, consult resources like 5 deposit casino which compile comparative information rather than advocating particular choices. Framing information this way—comparative and factual—helps users make informed decisions without pressure.

Feature Spotlight: Responsive Help Channels

One of the clearest markers of a mature online casino environment is the availability of multiple, clearly labeled help channels. Live chat is often the front line, designed to answer immediate questions about account status, interface quirks, or payment confirmations. Email support and ticketing systems complement live chat for more detailed inquiries, allowing users to attach screenshots and receive written records of resolutions. A well-designed help center organizes articles by topic and uses searchable indexes so that common questions can be resolved without waiting, while escalation paths are visible for issues that need specialist attention.

• Live chat with transcript option
• Searchable help center and FAQs
• Dedicated email or ticket system with file attachments

Feature Spotlight: Streamlined Onboarding and Transparent Information

Onboarding is where expectations are set. Modern platforms streamline account creation with clear progress indicators and plain-language explanations of what documents or steps might be required and why. Instead of hiding essential details behind jargon, supportive sites use tooltips, short explainer videos, and inline guidance to clarify terms like verification timelines or profile settings. The goal is to reduce friction: when users understand what to expect, their first sessions are more comfortable and they’re more likely to return.

Another convenience is the use of guided walkthroughs that don’t instruct how to play but instead orient users to the layout: where transaction histories live, how to access customer support, and where notification preferences are set. This kind of UI literacy is particularly useful on mobile, where screen real estate requires thoughtful prioritization of the most helpful elements.

Feature Spotlight: Banking Clarity and Transaction Convenience

Payments are a major area where support and convenience intersect. Clear labeling of deposit and withdrawal methods, transparent processing timelines, and easily accessible transaction histories reduce uncertainty. Good platforms make it simple to find receipts, see pending or completed transactions, and understand any delays in plain language. When problems occur—an unrecognized charge or a delayed payout—having a responsive payments support team and an accessible dispute channel matters more than flashy incentives.

• Saved payment methods and one-click deposits (where available)
• Downloadable transaction statements and in-app receipts
• Automated status updates for pending transactions

Feature Spotlight: Live Interaction and Personalized Assistance

Live dealer and streaming formats bring new support needs. Platforms attentive to convenience provide in-session help so viewers and players can ask technical questions without leaving the stream. Personalization features—curated content lists, notification settings, and account-level preferences—help shape an experience that reflects individual tastes and time commitments. Importantly, personalization in a support-minded environment emphasizes clarity: alerts about pending documents, reminders about unread messages from support, and easy toggles for communication frequency.

Another supportive element is the transparency of in-app messaging. When users receive communication about account matters, staking changes, or service updates, clear timestamps and sender identification make it easy to verify authenticity. This reduces confusion and streamlines any follow-up needed with support staff.

Closing Spotlight: The Experience-First Approach

Ultimately, the most inviting online casino platforms are those that treat entertainment as a service: attractive interfaces are paired with thoughtful support, and features are designed to reduce uncertainty rather than amplify it. By prioritizing easily reachable help, transparent banking information, guided onboarding, and in-session assistance, operators can create environments where users feel supported and informed. That combination of convenience and clarity changes the conversation from troubleshooting to enjoying the experience.

Cosa colpisce subito

La prima impressione di un casinò online spesso arriva dalla veste grafica e dalla velocità di caricamento: layout puliti, colori bilanciati e menu intuitivi fanno sentire l’utente a proprio agio fin dal primo accesso. Non si tratta soltanto di estetica, ma di come l’interfaccia supporta una navigazione fluida e rilassata, che permette di concentrarsi sull’intrattenimento piuttosto che sulla ricerca di funzionalità nascoste.

In molte rassegne di settore si trovano panorami dettagliati, e per chi cerca un contesto più ampio sul mondo del gioco digitale è possibile consultare una fonte informativa come https://puntonomadi.it/, che offre articoli sullo sviluppo del mercato e sulle tendenze di fruizione.

Che atmosfera aspettarsi

L’atmosfera è fatta di ritmo e comfort: ci sono piattaforme che puntano sull’eleganza rilassata, altre che ricreano l’energia frizzante della sala da gioco. Aspettati transizioni rapide tra sezioni, colonne sonore discrete e animazioni che non rubano attenzione ma arricchiscono l’esperienza. Il tono generale rimane spesso informale, pensato per adulti che cercano un intrattenimento sereno e ben scandito nei tempi.

Molti servizi dedicano attenzione al dettaglio della presentazione, curando la leggibilità dei testi, la chiarezza delle icone e la coerenza visiva tra desktop e mobile; sono questi piccoli elementi che fanno la differenza nel godersi la sessione senza frustrazioni.

Cosa spicca: elementi chiave dell’esperienza

In questa mini-recensione abbiamo identificato alcuni elementi che più spesso si notano durante l’uso quotidiano: la varietà dei contenuti, la qualità delle animazioni, la velocità di risposta dell’interfaccia, la chiarezza delle informazioni di gioco e la presenza di funzioni sociali come chat o tavoli condivisi. Questi aspetti contribuiscono a creare una sensazione di coinvolgimento diversa da semplice “cliccare e basta”.

• Varietà di giochi e modalità di intrattenimento.
• Fluidità grafica e tempi di reazione rapidi.
• Layout coerente tra dispositivi diversi.
• Elementi social che favoriscono interazione e senso di comunità.

Non è tanto la quantità, quanto la coerenza tra quello che viene promesso e ciò che viene offerto: quando tutto è ben integrato, si ottiene un’esperienza più immersiva e piacevole.

Come si vive una sessione: ritmo e attenzione

Una sessione d’intrattenimento può essere breve e rilassata o più lunga e coinvolgente, a seconda del tono che la piattaforma propone. In genere si alternano momenti di pausa, esplorazione e interazione, con la possibilità di scegliere il proprio ritmo senza pressioni. Le migliori interfacce consentono di tornare facilmente a una modalità precedente, sospendere l’attività o esplorare nuove proposte senza perdere il filo.

1. Ingresso e ambientazione: pochi secondi per capire la proposta.
2. Esplorazione: scegliere liberamente tra sezioni diverse.
3. Interazione: momenti social o solitari a seconda dell’umore.

Questa alternanza è pensata per rispettare il tempo dell’utente e rendere l’esperienza modulabile: si può godere di un breve passatempo o dedicare un periodo più lungo, sempre con un controllo immediato sulla propria navigazione.

Per chi è pensato questo tipo di intrattenimento

Il pubblico ideale è adulto, con una preferenza per un intrattenimento digitale accessibile, curato dal punto di vista estetico e semplice da gestire. Non è necessario essere esperti per apprezzare l’offerta: ciò che conta è la volontà di passare un momento piacevole, godendosi la combinazione di suoni, immagini e interazioni che la piattaforma propone.

In definitiva, l’intrattenimento nei casinò online si distingue quando mette al centro il comfort dell’utente e la chiarezza delle scelte, offrendo un ritmo che può essere tanto rilassato quanto vivace a seconda delle preferenze personali. Questa mini-recensione ha cercato di restituire quelle sensazioni immediate che spesso guidano la scelta più di ogni altro dettaglio tecnico.

By Ana Maria Constantin President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday establishing a voluntary framework for government review of frontier AI models before public release, ending weeks of internal White House conflict over how aggressively to regulate the technology. The order, titled “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security,” was signed privately without the usual livestream or public ceremony, a […] This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Alina Maria Stan Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that Poland will introduce a “sovereignty test” for significant government purchases of technology solutions, warning that the country’s dependency on foreign digital infrastructure has reached a scale that demands a policy response. Speaking at the European Financial Congress in Sopot on Tuesday, Tusk said Poland will also publish […] This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

Microsoft has developed a new AI agent that can run autonomously around the clock to complete tasks across Microsoft 365 applications.

Microsoft Scout, unveiled at the company’s Build event Tuesday, is a new type of always-on agent based on the OpenClaw agent framework that Microsoft calls “autopilots.”

These act on a user’s behalf with their own governed Entra identity, Omar Shahine, corporate vice president at Microsoft, said in a blog post.

“Autopilots stay active in the background, understand how work gets done across your apps and systems, and take action without needing to be prompted each time,” said Shahine, a Microsoft veteran who recently announced he is leading a new team to bring OpenClaw-based personal assistants to Microsoft 365 apps.

Microsoft Scout connects to apps such as Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint, and accesses data from chat, email, calendar, and contacts. Accessed via Teams, it can also interact with a user’s browser and with external apps via model context protocol (MCP). The tool functions across cloud, desktop, and the web.

Shahine said Scout can reduce mundane tasks that office workers face, such as coordinating and scheduling meeting times with colleagues, or blocking times in a user’s calendar based on upcoming work commitments. “It can also spot risks, like stalled decisions, so you can address them before they become blockers,” he said.

It’s available as an “experimental release” to customers of the company’s Frontier program, Microsoft said, and will require Intune policy configuration and “opt-in attestation.”

Scout is the latest in a range of agentic tools available in Microsoft 365 apps, including Agent Mode, where users can interact with Microsoft 365 Copilot inside apps such as Word and Excel to create content, and Copilot Cowork — Microsoft’s version of Anthropic’s Claude Cowork agent that can complete tasks independently.

Despite the company’s big AI push, Microsoft has struggled to convince businesses that Microsoft 365 Copilot is worth the additional cost; it’s advertised at $30 per user each month for large businesses. Around 3% of Microsoft 365 customers pay for the add-on subscription, the company said in January, with 15 million paid users. (Microsoft announced last month that that figure has now risen to 20 million.)

It’s not clear whether Scout will be included in Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions or charged separately. Microsoft did not immediately provide additional details about pricing.

The launch follows Google’s recent announcement of Spark, an autonomous agent that runs within the Google Workspace application suite. Spark can also be considered a response to the launch of OpenClaw last year, initially under the name “Clawdbot.”

OpenClaw has drawn scrutiny due to apparent security flaws, but Microsoft promises Scout is built with “enterprise-grade security and controls, so it can be trusted in your organization from day one.”

Microsoft said it will also contribute upstream to the open-source OpenClaw project.

Source:: Computer World

Apple surprised everyone with the power and performance of the M1 MacBook Air when it launched the laptop in late 2020. And more than five years later, those Macs show no sign of slowing down, handling everything users care to throw at them.

The Mac still boots almost instantly, races through daily tasks, offers battery life that puts even some newer Windows laptops to shame and, perhaps most importantly, still gives millions of users no compelling reason to upgrade. 

Why the MacBook Air is still going strong

The M1 wasn’t merely better than the Intel Macs it replaced. It delivered a dramatic step forward. Silent, fast, and with remarkable energy efficiency, these laptops have proved themselves to be more reliable and longer-lasting than almost any other notebook.

Apple has continued to deliver impressive improvements ever since the M1 Macs first appeared. The recently introduced M5 MacBook Air delivers double the multi-core and 50% better single-core performance than M1; that means it provides similar performance to the MacBook Pro of around three years ago. 

Apple Silicon has improved every single year and is now extremely powerful — so much so that Apple is about to sell 10 million units of the A-series MacBook Neo, a $599 machine with an iPhone-derived chip that delivers more performance than many mainstream users need.

Meanwhile, even when using a nearly-six-year-old MacBook Air, you still experience a fast browser, responsive Office apps, great battery life and powerful photo editing capabilities. 

To the Moon and back

At the high end of Apple’s range, you’ll find Macs so accomplished they can handle almost every imaginable professional task. It means that right now, today, Apple’s product range extends from good enough to simply amazing. 

Despite heavy marketing hype from competitors who boast of their own ARM-based competitors in similar price brackets, those PCs remain compromised in comparison, if only by their use of Windows, build quality, and overall higher running costs.

Think about it: All things being equal, if you gave a typical office worker an M1 MacBook Air and an M5 MacBook Air and asked them which models they were using, how long would it take them to figure it out? 

Sure, a highly experienced Mac user would likely know. But for a lot of people, the difference would be hard to spot because what they do on their computers just isn’t particularly demanding. 

Making people happy is good for business

Surely that’s bad for Apple’s business, right? I think not. It means Apple has created a huge population of happy Mac users who are still having a good time with the Mac they acquired in 2020. Those people tell other people about their experience, which helps evangelize the platform and can’t have hurt MacBook Neo sales this year. 

They also become more interested in other Apple products, which they can afford to invest in instead of investing in the standard PC “upgrade’”cycle. After all, if you have a platform that doesn’t need an upgrade every three years, you can spend your money on something else instead. For consumers, that might be AirPods and Apple services, while for enterprise professionals that investment might become an iPad or iPhone Pro. 

Apple doesn’t mind. It still makes bank.

The company generally finds that giving people what they want is good for business. It boosts customer satisfaction scores, reduces maintenance costs, and builds repeat customers.

That long replacement cycle delivers a second benefit, too. Apple talks extensively about sustainability. With the M-series Macs, it has achieved it. 

Sustainable technology

People use these laptops longer and get more value later when they sell them on. And when they eventually get returned for recycling, Apple can tear the machines down for parts as it works toward establishing circular manufacturing within the next four years.

The M1 MacBook Air might eventually be remembered not just as the first Apple Silicon Mac, but as representing the moment when ordinary people didn’t have to worry about performance anymore. That’s why the product refuses to die — not because it’s immortal, but because for millions of users it still does everything they need. And all the M- and A-series Macs that follow it do exactly the same thing.

One more thing, however: Intel Macs will no longer be supported by macOS 27 when it ships this year. Apple typically ends support for products around 6-7 years after it removes them from sale, so when will it end support for the M1? Potentially, not too soon.

Apple only stopped selling the M1 MacBook Air in 2024, which suggests support could continue until 2030 or 2031. So, if you bought an M1 MacBook Air in 2020, you’ve actually invested in something designed to work for you for a decade. Which PCs can truly deliver that?

No wonder the M1 MacBook Air refuses to die.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and read The Core.

Source:: Computer World

By Moinak Pal ASUS has launched the VivoWatch 6 with ECG monitoring, blood pressure tracking, AI wellness coaching, and advanced health-focused wearable features.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Shikhar Mehrotra Prime Day is back and it is arriving earlier than it ever has. June 23–26 this year versus July 8 last year.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Adarsh Verma Today, more people are part of the market because of the digital world. Getting data and…
The post How Next-Generation Proxy Infrastructure Benefits Modern Online Businesses appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes

By Hisan Kidwai ASUS is perhaps the biggest name in the gaming space, and there’s good reason for it….
The post ASUS ROG Celebrates 20 Years With RTX 5090 PCs, Xbox Handheld, and More appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes