Hands-on with the Microsoft Surface Go

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Microsoft’s Surface Go is their smallest, most aggressively priced Surface 2-in-1 device geared towards consumers but also aims to be a secondary device for front-line workers, CEO’s or office workers needing a small yet capable Windows tablet.

The device itself is impeccably designed and shares the solid fit and finish of larger Surface devices. It is definitely smaller at 10-inches, but it is also thinner and lighter at under a pound. It’s very easy to make comparisons to the latest Apple iPad and although the Surface Go is priced higher at $529, it is running Windows 10 S for consumers, which  means it can run desktop apps (it can be upgraded to Windows 10 Home).

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Amazon donates $525,000 to Canada Learning Code to modernize K-12 computer science curriculum

Amazon donates $525,000 to help Canada Learning Code and its computer science education initiatives in the country. Canada Learning Code is the leading national charity that champions digital literacy education. This donation will help support the development of a Canadian kindergarten-to-grade-12 computer science education framework. It will also help with other coding education programs, which includes a traveling mobile classroom and Canada Learning Code Week. This donation helps the charity create 275,000 “learner” experiences over three years.

As Melissa Sariffodeen, CEO of Canada Learning Code, said, this donation will help kids learn the skills they need for the future. “This donation by Amazon will have a transformative effect on Canadian skills development needed to prosper in the digital economy,” she said. At the moment, only three out of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories offer formal opportunities in the curriculum to learn these skills. Updating the curriculum will help accelerate the entry of women and those from less advantaged backgrounds into more in-demand roles.

Samsung flagship Galaxy Tab S4 tablet brings more desktop-like performance and improved design

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

There's a surge in interest for productivity-focused 10-inch tablets. We have the Apple iPad Pro, Microsoft's upcoming Surface Go 2-in-1 and now Samsung has released the Galaxy Tab S4 which features a 10.5-inch display with Super AMOLED technology, as well as a 16:10 screen ratio with 2560x1600, 287 pixels per inch (PPI).

This tablet, which will cost around CAD $800 with the SPen, runs Android with the TouchWiz overlay but can be used with an optional keyboard cover which brings for the DeX interface which better approximates a desktop PC. You can even add a mouse via Bluetooth for a more complete desktop experience. Hit jump for some first impressions.

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Google Clock app gets Spotify integration to create customized alarms

Want to wake up to your favourite song? Google and Spotify have teamed up to make this happen. Both free and Premium Spotify users can set their soundtrack of choice to help kick off their days. Premium users can select any track, artist, or playlist to use as an alarm. Just head to the Alarms tab in the Google Clock app. There will also playlist recommendations there based on recently played music or curated Spotify morning playlists. Free users get the feature but the playlists will be in shuffle mode. Once you turned off the alarm, there will also be an option to continue playing the playlist. If you don’t have the Google Clock app, you can download it right from the Play Store. This new feature will be rolling out over the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled for it. According to 9to5Google, YouTube Music will be getting a similar integration soon.