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First Click: Apple says hello, Microsoft Surface all-in-one PC, and more in the week ahead

October 24th, 2016

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We’ve got two huge tech events this week starting with Microsoft on Wednesday, followed by Apple on Thursday.

Microsoft’s Surface event in New York City is expected to yield new Surface hardware and details about the next Windows 10 software update. We also anticipate some Xbox-related news. What we won’t see is a refresh of the Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book — instead, we’re likely to see a new all-in-one Surface for the desktop as well as new Surface-branded keyboards and a mouse. But most of the event will be focused on the future of Windows 10.

Apple’s "hello again" event is on Thursday and is expected to focus heavily on the Mac. Rumors suggest that Apple will highlight the MacBook Pro with a new dynamic touch control bar that’s meant to replace the existing row of function keys found on current Macs. We’re also expecting refreshed iMacs, MacBook Airs, and even a new 5K standalone monitor with the do-it-all USB-C port playing an important role throughout.

On Monday we’ll see if rumors of Samsung’s enticing new Chromebook with touchscreen and stylus are true. Before being erased from the internet, the so-called "Samsung Chromebook Pro" was outed on a few retail sites last week with a $499 list price and October 24th availability date.

On Tuesday we’ve got the announcement of Xiaomi’s Mi Note 2. Already heavily leaked, the super-high specced Note 2 is set to be another example of how Chinese phone makers threaten to erode the premium phone pricing enjoyed by the likes of Samsung and Apple. A report in Bloomberg today noted that Chinese companies now ship 40 percent of all phones sold in the $500-and-up category.

This week is also a busy week in tech earnings. We’ve got Apple and Pandora announcing on Tuesday, Nintendo on Wednesday, and Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Twitter, Nokia, and Baidu on Thursday.

On Friday, Elon Musk is promising to unveil something new from Tesla and Solar City. Last month Musk said he was targeting the 28th for a "solar roof with integrated Powerwall 2.0 battery and Tesla charger."

But that’s all yet to come. First let’s get caught up on the weekend that was.

  1. Here’s what we learned from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Reddit AMA

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  3. This AI program sees genitals everywhere it looks

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  4. Watch Clive Owen play tug of war with a helicopter in Neill Blomkamp’s BMW short

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  5. AT&T to buy HBO, CNN, and the rest of Time Warner for more than $80 billion

    The Wall Street Journal reports that AT&T has reached a deal to acquire Time Warner for more than $80 billion. News of the merger first surfaced on Friday, when Reuters and Bloomberg reported that...

  6. 7 new trailers you should watch this week

    Black Mirror is out on Netflix today. Should I tell you the twist about [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED]? Just kidding, I don't know all the twists but I'm sure they have something to do with our...

  7. I was eaten alive by an escape room cannibal

    Puzzles and a locked door have become the gateway drug of immersive horror

  8. A love letter to gluten-free people

    Everyone has something to say about the gluten free diet. It’s a fad. It’s good for you. It’s bad for you. It’s expensive. It might make you lose weight, possibly gain it, and it’s guaranteed to...

  9. Samsung’s rush to save the Galaxy Note 7 may have hastened its demise

    Samsung continues to deal with the aftermath of its decision to eliminate its Galaxy Note 7 phone. According to an article published today in The Wall Street Journal, the company’s efforts to save...

  10. How to be human: why do I keep blaming myself for bad friends?

    Leah Reich was one of the first internet advice columnists. Her column "Ask Leah" ran on IGN, where she gave advice to gamers for two and a half years. During the day, Leah is Slack’s user...

Human of the day

Human for scale from gifs