Significance

This change marks the first major alteration to the Windows keyboard layout in 30 years. It represents a significant shift in hardware design, reflecting the growing integration of AI into everyday technology.

“We definitely think this is the year of the AI PC,” says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive VP. Mehdi emphasizes the role of AI in fundamentally altering computer interaction, noting the vast potential for content creation across various domains.

The Copilot Key

Located to the right of the space bar, this new key will replace the traditional menu button. Pressing it activates Windows Copilot, an AI assistant facilitating tasks from setting adjustments to app launches. For users without Copilot enabled, the key defaults to Windows search.

The first PCs featuring this innovation will be announced at CES, with broader availability expected by spring. Microsoft and other PC brands aim to make the Copilot key a standard feature on new PCs by year’s end.

Beyond the Key

Mehdi highlights that while the hardware key is a notable change, it’s part of a larger reimagining of PCs for the AI era. This includes integrating specialized neural processing chips for AI tasks, enhancing the overall Windows experience.

This integration positions Microsoft and its partners favorably against competitors, notably Apple’s Mac line.

Microsoft joins other tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Meta in embedding AI into hardware. This trend spans various devices, including smart speakers, displays, and even wearables like Meta’s AI-assisted Ray-Ban Smart Glasses.

The Copilot key is a symbol of Microsoft’s vision for an AI-integrated future, promising a more intuitive, efficient, and creative computing experience for users worldwide.

Over the past two years – despite a challenging environment – LucidLink has delivered exceptional growth, including growing its annual recurring revenue (ARR) by nearly 5x and the number of users on its platform by over 4x.

“LucidLink recognized a substantial need for real-time collaboration in the cloud, and their solution has rapidly become indispensable for hybrid and remote creative professionals, underscored by its robust recent growth and diverse customer base of leading innovative companies,” said Mike Gregoire and Sam Kentor, Partners at Brighton Park Capital.

“The Company is well-positioned to build on its momentum, and we are excited to support LucidLink’s strategic initiatives to drive future growth”, they added.

Founded in 2016, LucidLink developed the world’s first storage collaboration platform designed to help remote and hybrid teams of creative professionals tackle a variety of complex use cases by enabling immediate access to huge files and secure real-time collaboration. LucidLink’s system is built specifically for the modern computing environment, eliminating the need to download or synchronize files by allowing users to stream data directly from the cloud.

According to a recent Filestage report, three-quarters of creative collaboration now happens remotely, with the average creative review process taking eight days and over three versions to receive sign-off.1 International Data Corporation predicts this trend will drive investment in cloud infrastructure and services to $1.2 trillion by 2027 as the need for businesses to prepare for a hybrid workforce grows more urgent.2 For creative industries that work with complex files and applications, real-time collaboration across a hybrid and remote employee base has become a top pain point organizations face today.

“Legacy collaboration and storage solutions are not designed for this new hybrid workplace reality, and LucidLink is becoming the go-to solution for companies looking to future-proof their businesses. Our customers are reaching 5x in productivity gains on previously impossible workflows, and we are excited to see how they continue to unlock new possibilities as we help to accelerate the future of collaborative work”, Peter Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder of LucidLink, stated.

Thompson added, “Brighton Park’s deep expertise, broad network, and track record of supporting growth across its portfolio companies make it the perfect partner, and we are grateful to our existing investors for their continued support.”

Today, LucidLink customers in creative industries and beyond are collaborating on over one billion files across 40 countries. Customers include Adobe, A&E Networks, Whirlpool, Shopify, Buzzfeed, and Spotify, as well as Hollywood studios, major broadcasters, brands, digital ad agencies, architectural firms, and gaming companies. The new capital will accelerate LucidLink’s product and engineering development, customer acquisition efforts, and expansion into new verticals and geographies.

“With this Series C investment, LucidLink will accelerate its most ambitious product updates in the Company’s history to expand our technology leadership position, open up new customer use cases, and create more personalized product experiences that enable creative professionals to work more efficiently and effectively,” said George Dochev, CTO and Co-Founder of LucidLink.

LucidLink’s industry-leading technology and culture has received numerous accolades, including National Association of Broadcasters Product of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and Inc. Magazine’s Best US Workplaces in 2023. LucidLink is hiring across departments and geographies. For more information on open roles, please visit Careers.

The company announced in a blog post that this 100-year plan is the perfect choice for people who want to keep what they’ve created online for many more years, as well as for founders who can document their company’s journey and progress.

However, to get this plan, you have to pay a one-time amount of $38,000. In return, WordPress will provide a 100-year domain registration, automatic backups to multiple servers and even the Internet archive, advanced ownership and hosting tools, and round-the-clock support.

“Whether it’s giving a newborn the special gift of a domain and lifetime home on the web, or something you put in your will to make sure your website and story are accessible to future generations, I hope this plan gets people and other companies thinking about building for the long term”, said Matt Mullenweg, WordPress CEO in a statement.

The WordPress post doesn’t mention how the domains and backups will be updated in line with the ever-changing internet landscape, or what will happen to the domains if the company decides to shut down the program for any reason.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will feature new technology that will help narrow the bezels around the display to just 1.5mm, compared to 2.2mm on the iPhone 14 Pro series. The LIPO display process is already being used by the Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple is now expected to introduce it in the iPhone Pro series and eventually in the next generation iPad Pro devices.

The company has been using its own Lightning charger for iPhones since 2012, but the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be compatible with USB-C charging. 120Hz ProMotion displays will remain exclusive to the Pro phones.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will reportedly have titanium edges instead of stainless steel. This will make the models lighter and more comfortable.

The 15 Pro series will also have updated cameras with a true periscope lens that will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and will offer 6x optical zoom.

The new features on this year’s new iPhones are expected to come at a higher price. The price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is said to start at $200 more than last year’s 14 Pro Max, while the price of the 15 Pro will increase by $100.

Vision Pro allows users to interact with digital content in a way that creates the feeling that it is physically present in their space. Vision Pro’s breakthrough design incorporates an ultra-high resolution display system that features 23 million pixels across two displays, and Apple’s custom silicon in a unique dual-chip design to ensure every experience feels like it’s happening in front of the user’s eyes in real time.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for computing. Just as the Mac introduced us to personal computing, and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro introduces us to spatial computing”,

said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“Creating our first spatial computer required invention across nearly every facet of the system. Through a tight integration of hardware and software, we designed a standalone spatial computer in a compact wearable form factor that is the most advanced personal electronics device ever.”,

said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Technology Development Group.

Apple Vision Pro is changing the way users interact with their favorite apps, capture and relive memories, enjoy TV shows and movies, and connect with others on FaceTime.

Spatial computing makes new types of games possible with titles that can span a spectrum of immersion and bring gamers into all-new worlds. Users can also play over 100 Apple Arcade games on a screen as large as they want, with incredible immersive audio and support for popular game controllers.

A user’s world can transcend the size of a physical room with landscapes that can help them focus or reduce clutter in busy spaces. A twist of the digital crown allows the user to control how present or immersed they are in the environment.

One of the most interesting features is Optic ID is a new secure authentication system that analyzes a user’s iris under various invisible LED light exposures, and then compares it to the enrolled Optic ID data that is protected by the Secure Enclave to instantly unlock Apple Vision Pro. A user’s Optic ID data is fully encrypted, is not accessible to apps, and never leaves their device, meaning it is not stored on Apple servers.

Where a user looks stays private while navigating Apple Vision Pro, and eye tracking information is not shared with Apple, third-party apps, or websites. Additionally, data from the camera and other sensors is processed at the system level, so individual apps do not need to see a user’s surroundings to enable spatial experiences. EyeSight also includes a visual indicator that makes it clear to others when a user is capturing a spatial photo or video.

Fortnite creator Epic Games has revealed that it will be upgrading its game modding tools with Unreal Engine tools. This will allow players to create user-generated content (UGC) for Fortnite with professional-quality development tools, which could lead to entirely new kinds of creativity and interaction.

A different game
Fortnite has become an important social space for many players, providing functionality for self-expression and social interaction. The game has hosted premieres of movie trailers and virtual concerts by major artists, as well as evolving narratives and lore about the game’s central island itself. It is a hub for online socializing, with countless players spending hours each day meeting, socializing, and playing.

Upgrading the Unreal Engine tools is a huge step forward for Fortnite. Epic Games has effectively turned Fortnite into a giant online marketplace and play space for content created in the Unreal Engine.

With the availability of high-quality assets that can be imported into Fortnite, user-created additions can effectively become standalone high-quality games. With each passing day, Fortnite is becoming more and more of an ecosystem rather than just a game.

Fortnite is on the verge of creating a true metaverse-like platform?
Unreal Engine’s tool update brings it one step closer to the metaverse. In it, Fortnite can be a standalone ecosystem, enabling entirely new kinds of creativity and interaction. Fortnite is on the cusp of creating a true metaverse-like platform with many millions of daily users.

Azure Operator Nexus is a service designed to deliver carrier-grade network function performance and resiliency in traditional cloud infrastructures. It provides a secure way to deploy mobile core and virtualized radio access network (vRAN) functions on-premises (far, near, core data centers) or across Azure regions – providing visibility into logging, monitoring and alerting for infrastructure components and workloads.

Optimize and scale next-generation 5G networks
By managing their mission-critical mobile workloads with a single carrier-grade hybrid platform, users can deploy, manage, operate, monitor and secure their workloads with a unified experience in Azure.

Enhance operations with artificial intelligence-based analytics
Creating a closed-loop automation environment by capturing data from your platforms, how-tos, and your applications and network is now completely achievable. Extract prescriptive analytics with AI and machine learning (ML) and reconfigure the network to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Secure and manage with world-class SecOps
Leveraging Microsoft’s robust security operations (SecOps) capabilities, threat detection and protection for comprehensive monitoring, as well as risk and compliance management and protection for your systems, are now affordable and easy-to-use features, thanks to the new release of Azure Operator Nexus.

Astronomers from the European Space Agency (ESA) have used the James Webb Space Telescope to capture an image of a spiral galaxy that resembles our home, the Milky Way. The star system, LEDA 2046648, is located a billion light-years from our own in the constellation Hercules; it contains thousands of galaxies, trillions of stars and countless planets, Engadget wrote on the subject.

The image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope shows a crowded field of galaxies, as well as bright stars topped with Webb’s characteristic six-point diffraction spikes. The large spiral galaxy at the base of this image is accompanied by numerous smaller, more distant galaxies that range from full-blown spirals to simple bright spots. Called LEDA 2046648, it is located just over a billion light-years from Earth, in the constellation Hercules.

One of Webb’s main scientific goals is to observe distant galaxies in the early universe to understand the details of their formation, evolution and composition. Webb’s infrared vision helps the telescope peer back in time as the light from these distant galaxies is shifted to infrared wavelengths.

Comparing these systems to galaxies in the local Universe will help astronomers understand how galaxies evolved to form the structure we see today. Webb will also study the chemical composition of thousands of galaxies to shed light on how heavy elements have formed and accumulated over the course of galaxy evolution.

ESA published the image on January 31 (highlighted this week by The NY Times). The space agency describes it as a simple calibration image to “verify the telescope’s capabilities in the course of preparing it for science operations.” ESA astronomers imaged it on May 22, 2022, with the Webb telescope’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam).

Most of the visible spots surrounding LEDA 2046648 are also galaxies, although a few stars can be identified by their diffraction spike patterns. Some objects in the image may be as old as 300 million years after the Big Bang.

Of course, an image of something a billion light-years away means that we are observing the light of a galaxy from a billion years ago. So astronomers look forward to studying early galaxies like this (and even older ones) to help clarify the kinds of stars that condensed after the Big Bang – and how supermassive black holes ended up at the centers of most galaxies.

The global downturn has brought AWS to one of its lowest levels in years. In Q4 2022, AWS revenue reached $21.4 billion, but the growth rate was slower compared to the 21.5% and 33% seen in Q3 and Q2, respectively, which was a serious cause for concern.

During Amazon’s earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy noted that the key to improving AWS revenue is using technology more effectively and finding ways to help customers spend less money.

The official website mentioned that AWS has built tools for blockchain companies that want to run “centralized ledger databases that maintain an immutable and cryptographically verifiable record of transactions, or a multi-party, fully-managed blockchain network that helps eliminate intermediaries”.

Amazon’s moves in the web3 space is already seeing pay back in the space with a quarter of all Ethereum nodes running on AWS servers. AWS is also enmeshed with blockchain in other ways – the website stated that a quarter of all Ethereum nodes run on AWS servers themselves.

The investment will be used to accelerate the company’s growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and to fund expansion into the North American market as the company leads the way in the new enterprise virtual reality as a service (VRaaS) training space.

“In the digital age, Gemba is an impactful solution to the biggest challenge faced by transformational leaders—the roll-out of powerful and effective training at scale, in a compelling and cost-efficient way,”

said Gemba CEO, Nathan Robinson.

Through its proprietary Virtual Reality (VR) offering combining software, content, and service, Gemba helps global enterprises seeking to train distributed workforces across multiple sites through highly immersive learning programs, simulated factory walks, and live training events – simply by putting on a VR headset.

“Gemba is set to change the way global organizations train their workforces across all critical learning and development areas – from interactive, on-the-job skills training and safety all the way to leadership training.”

added Gregg Hill, Co-founder and General Partner, Parkway Venture Capital.

On January 20, Microsoft announced it was shutting down an early metaverse-like VR app it acquired a few years ago, AltSpaceVR, after transferring much of the useful metaverse technology to its enterprise mixed reality tool, Microsoft Mesh.

As far as enterprises are concerned, training is probably one of the most obvious wins in the commercialisation of virtual reality. Actually practicing new skills in VR, especially hands-on skills in the field or in highly specialized fields like medicine, is likely to attract more visual learners.

In particular, Gemba seeks adoption among employers with multiple operating locations, virtual reality being a standardized, hands-on approach that doesn’t make executives hard pressed for time travel to learn.