CES 2018: GoPro exits the drone business lays off hundreds of employees

GoPro is ceasing production of its drone line while laying off hundreds of its employees. Drones are extremely competitive and fall within a wide range of prices and GoPro can't compete in the current climate. GoPro's Karma Drone will be the last product to come from GoPro, although there's little confidence to buy the device now that there will be no continuity and questionable support and service.

Source: The Verge

CES 2018: Acer showcases the thinnest computer in the world, the Acer Swift 7

Pushing the boundaries of what is possible with Ultrabooks, Acer's new Acer Swift 7 is the thinnest computer in the world and boasts an 8.98mm thinness. making the headphone jack the thickest part of the device's base.

While thin in appearance the Acer Swift 7 is a heavy hitter in terms of performance. This 14-inch notebook features a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor. This device also features integrated  4G LTE connectivity plus 10 hours of battery life. Expect the Acer Swift 7 to be one of the showstoppers at this year's International CES.  The Ultrabook is available in March 2018; prices start at US $1699

Belkin reveals 2018 lineup of smart charging solutions

Belkin, a leading mobile accessory manufacturer announced its 2018 portfolio of mobile power products including wireless charging solutions for various use case scenarios, USB-C power banks, and fast-charging power delivery wall chargers. 

 “This year we are taking our extensive knowledge of consumer trends, expected changes in charging behavior, and experience building the best wireless charging and mobile power products to the next level,” said Steve Malony, GM & VP, Belkin. “From our vantage point of being first and best to market, we expect to see a race to deliver wireless charging products given the spike in adoption in 2017.” 

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Cortana's music recognition feature no longer works the way it used to

Avid Windows 10 users who interacted with the built-in Cortana voice assistant on their PCs had the option of quickly finding out what song was playing by invoking the smart assistnat's music reognition feature. This gave quick access to song name, artists and even a link to streaming or purchasing the song. It's a feature that Google copied on the Pixel 2 which tells you what song is playing when it is recognised.

Sadly, with the shuttering of the Groove Pass music service from Microsoft early this week, this feature no longer works the way it used to on Cortana but it still works when you ask Cortana what song is this and follow a link. It's all kind of a mess right now, Microsoft promises it will get better.

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