electronics Archives

BetaBeacon

April 18, 2025

Order a Retroid Pocket Mini? We’ve got bad news

Due to the tariff and trade war between the U.S. and China, Retroid's Pocket Flip 2 and Pocket Classic shipments to the U.S. have been affected, with some colors not arriving in time to be shipped.

AppWizard

April 14, 2025

PCs are exempt from upcoming wave of Trump tariffs

The US Customs and Border Patrol announced that personal computers will be exempt from the upcoming tariffs introduced by the Trump administration. However, gaming consoles, including the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, will still face tariffs. Smartphones have also been granted an exemption from these tariffs. The Trump administration has implemented a blanket 10 percent tariff on all goods imported from outside the US, with a potential 125 percent levy on goods from China temporarily paused for 90 days. Additionally, a 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods was introduced earlier in 2025.

Winsage

April 5, 2025

Bill Gates Has Published the Original Microsoft Source Code

Bill Gates shared the original source code that founded Microsoft on his Gates Notes blog to commemorate the company's 50th anniversary. This code was inspired by a January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics featuring the Altair 8800, which led Gates and Paul Allen to create a version of the BASIC programming language for it. After two months of coding, they successfully presented the software to MITS, leading to the birth of their company, initially named Micro-Soft. The legacy of this endeavor is now available for download. In related news, Melinda French Gates is releasing a book titled The Next Day on April 15, where she discusses her emotional struggles leading up to her divorce from Bill Gates, including his admission of infidelity and his associations with Jeffrey Epstein.

AppWizard

April 2, 2025

Google made a dashcam app for cars with Android Automotive, but you can’t download it

Google has launched a dashcam application for Android Automotive that allows vehicles with built-in cameras to record their surroundings. This open-source app can be integrated by car manufacturers, addressing the gap where many vehicles lack a native dashcam feature. The app is designed to work with existing camera hardware and requires system-level permissions for integration into the vehicle's operating system. Recordings are stored in the vehicle's internal storage, but Google recommends saving them on external removable storage to reduce wear on internal components. Manufacturers can customize various parameters of the app, including storage allocation and user interface.

Winsage

February 27, 2025

Agency recommends buying new PC after Windows 10 updates discontinued

The end of official updates for Windows 10 is approaching in October, prompting the Information System Authority (RIA) to warn users about potential security vulnerabilities and recommend upgrading to Windows 11. Users may face limitations with online banking and digital signatures if they continue using Windows 10. Device compatibility for Windows 11 can be checked, and if not compatible, a new device will be necessary. There has been an increase in computer sales, with a rise of up to 10 percent compared to the previous year, likely due to concerns over the end of Windows 10 updates. However, there is no expectation of a rush to replace old computers, and organizations should assess compatibility with Windows 11 and consider employee training for the transition.

Winsage

February 21, 2025

Bill Gates says Microsoft’s $3 trillion success is a blend of — youthful late-night coding escapades, a premature Harvard departure, and a sprinkle of “laissez-faire treatment” from passers-by

Microsoft has a market capitalization exceeding a trillion dollars and is a key player in the tech industry. Last year, a significant IT outage caused by a faulty kernel driver from CrowdStrike affected approximately 8.5 million Windows devices, resulting in the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, shared insights in his memoir, "Source Code: My Beginnings," about his early passion for coding, which began at age 13. He would sneak out at night to access computers, crediting a local company, Computer Center, for helping him refine his skills. Gates left Harvard after three semesters to pursue Microsoft, a decision prompted by a visit from Paul Allen, who brought news of the Altair 8800 minicomputer kit. Gates reflected that had he stayed at Harvard, he might have missed the opportunity to co-found Microsoft.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

Tencent

Tencent has begun beta testing a new search function in Weixin, China's largest messaging app, powered by DeepSeek. Users can select an "AI Search" option in the search bar, utilizing both DeepSeek and Tencent's Hunyuan foundational model. This feature is exclusive to Weixin and not available on WeChat. The DeepSeek-R1 model, launched on January 20, offers advanced reasoning capabilities at lower training costs compared to AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Approximately 1.3 billion active Weixin users will benefit from this integration for various functions. Users can observe the reasoning process during queries, and DeepSeek-R1 has also been integrated into Tencent's AI chatbot application, Yuanbao. Chinese telecom operators have started using DeepSeek's models, and smartphone manufacturers like Huawei, Oppo, Honor, and Vivo are adopting the DeepSeek-R1 model in their devices.

Winsage

February 7, 2025

Latest Windows 11 build adds full MIDI 2.0 support and improved performance

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27788 in the Canary Channel, which includes significant enhancements to the MIDI standard. This update supports both MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0, designed exclusively for 64-bit operating systems, and extends full MIDI compatibility across all modern Windows architectures, including Arm64-based PCs. The MIDI 2.0 standard features high-speed data transmission, high-fidelity messages, and endpoint discovery and negotiation. The new MIDI stack improves performance with better timing and reduced jitter, and a faster MIDI driver supports both versions with automatic API translation for interoperability. The update also includes a USB MIDI 2.0 class driver developed in collaboration with the Association of Musical Electronics Industry of Japan and AmeNote, ensuring compatibility with both MIDI 2.0 and legacy MIDI 1.0 devices. Additionally, the preview introduces a 1-click resume function for OneDrive and selective installation options for games in the Microsoft Store.

Winsage

February 6, 2025

Windows 11 and MIDI 2.0: The Biggest OS Update Since 1983 is Coming Soon!

Microsoft is releasing Windows 11, which includes a significant update to the MIDI system, introducing native support for MIDI 2.0. This is the first major update to the MIDI standard since 1983. The new Windows MIDI Services enhance MIDI 1.0 functionality on ARM-based devices and improve communication between electronic instruments and computers. MIDI 2.0 offers increased speed, better transmission quality, more precise control, and advanced two-way communication capabilities. Microsoft collaborated with the Association of Musical Electronics Industry of Japan (AMEI) to develop a robust MIDI class driver and introduced a new networking protocol for MIDI 2.0. Extensive SDK support will facilitate integration of third-party software and hardware. The MIDI architecture is currently being tested and will be included in upcoming Windows updates. Additionally, the latest Canary build of Windows 11 features improvements such as new OneDrive functionality, optimized File Explorer, and options to disable backup reminders.

Winsage

February 5, 2025

Windows will soon be jamming to MIDI 2.0’s music services

MIDI 2.0 is being previewed in Microsoft Windows as part of Build 27788 within the Windows 11 Canary Channel, marking the first major update to the MIDI protocol since 1983. The Windows MIDI Services include an enhanced MIDI stack that introduces MIDI 2.0 and upgrades MIDI 1.0 for compatibility with Arm64 architecture. Key features of MIDI 2.0 include increased speed and fidelity, enhanced control over instruments, modern bi-directional communication, improved USB timing, and an open-source framework. Microsoft has also provided a Software Development Kit (SDK) and is collaborating on a Network MII 2.0 transport layer for third-party equipment. Additionally, Build 27788 includes improvements such as restoring previously opened tabs in File Explorer, notifications for OneDrive file activity on mobile devices, and a feature to disable the "Start backup" prompt for certain users.