Hi there. It’s that time of the week when we slowly ease into the weekend and go over some of the most amazing stories from this week in the world of tech.
Twitter’s new tip feature, which was introduced to assist creators, is still generating a lot of buzz, and we hope to see a lot of adoptions in the coming weeks. That and several other stories hit the tech space this week.
Here are some of the major stories from 20-24 September.
Microsoft unveils 2-in-1 surface laptop
Microsoft held its much-anticipated Surface event on Wednesday, unveiling an exciting range of new Surface devices, including a 2-in-1 device.
The event, which was live-streamed, debuted the new flagship 2-in-1 device known as the Surface laptop studio. This device is unlike the existing surface laptops as Microsoft completely changed the game with some unique new designs.
The 2-in-1 laptop studio does all the things you should expect from a 2-in-1, but the company is adding a new unique floating mode that gives an immersive gaming and streaming experience. The surface laptop is expected to come at a starting price of $1,600 and features a lot of exciting features to make it the most powerful surface device to date.
The Microsoft Surface event also features the famous Microsoft Surface tablet lines and a whole new range of surface accessories, inclusive. Interested users can pre-order on the company’s website, and most of these products will be officially available along with Windows 11 by October 5th.
Robinhood announces plans for integrated crypto wallet
The popular commission-free investing and money-servicing company, Robinhood, has announced that it plans to launch a new wallet for cryptocurrencies in the near future.
The company made known its plans to introduce a new wallet for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether and Litecoin on Wednesday. This wallet, it says, won’t be officially available until 2022, but people interested in the beta testing of the new feature will soon be allowed to start signing up.
The American financial services company, launched in 2013, first introduced the Robinhood financial app that allows users to buy and sell stocks easily. It later offered cash management accounts. In 2018, the company started supporting some crypto currency trading and now plans to offer its users much more with its Wallet services.
According to RobinHood, the crypto wallet offering is more about giving its customers what they want. It said nearly 60% of its users bought or sold cryptocurrencies in the previous quarter. The company also disclosed that new users’ first purchases were oftentimes cryptocurrencies rather than equity.
Apple disagrees with EU on type-c chargers
Manufacturers of mobile devices for European Union countries might be forced to adapt to a uniform type-c charger under the new rules proposed by the union. Apple, however, remains dissatisfied with the move.
The new rule requires all smartphones sold in the EU to have a USB type-c port. With this, the EU is set to force all manufacturers to create a uniform charging solution for phones and small electronic devices, so as to reduce waste and encourage consumers to re-use existing chargers when buying a new device.
Apple, however, disagrees with the new rule and has warned that such policies would harm innovation. The tech giant, which currently uses a custom charging port for its iPhone series known as the “Lightning Connector”, says it has plans to make its Apple devices carbon neutral by 2030 and this rule might just affect its plans.
“We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encourages it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” the company told the BBC in an interview.
Most Android devices include a USB type-B port, and many manufacturers have already begun to transition to the more standard USB-C port even before this proposed rule. There has been speculation that if the EU parliament approves this rule, we might have more of a wireless charging iPhone than one with the Proposed USB type-C.
Technext Newsletter
Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!
