Weekly recap

Spiria Tech Recap - № 375 - Windows Dev Home, PlayStation Project Q, .zip TLD, Beepberry, and Windows Copilot

By Laurent Gloaguen,

May 26, 2023.

Dev Home helps developers in Windows 11

Dev Home. © Microsoft.

Microsoft wants to make it easier to set up and use Windows development machines. A new Dev Home for Windows 11 control center, available in preview, carves out development environments for machines that will link to GitHub and connect to necessary repositories, install tools and packages, and much more. Dev Home uses winget, Microsoft’s Windows Package Manager, to generate set-up files, to install the applications, tools and packages that developers need. It also sets up cloud development environments with Microsoft Dev Box and GitHub Codespaces.

“Life as a developer involves constantly juggling manual dev machine set up with too many clicks, multiple tool sign-ins, navigating sub-optimal filesystem performance and context switching,” admits Windows CPO Panos Panay. “We know that these disruptions can significantly impact your productivity.” This way for more information.

Another announcement developers will like (or not): get ready for GitHub Copilot in Windows Terminal. Microsoft says it is testing GitHub Copilot AI in other dev tools such as its own WinDbg debugger.

⇨ YouTube, “Introducing Dev Home”

⇨ The Verge, Tom Warren, “Microsoft’s new Dev Home makes it easy for developers to reinstall Windows apps.”

2023-05-23

A handheld device for streaming PS5 games

PlayStation Project Q. © Sony.

Looks like the Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck’s resounding success gave Sony some ideas for a new handheld device. At the PlayStation Showcase, the company confirmed an upcoming handheld console dubbed Project Q for the time being. It consists of an 8-inch LCD screen equipped with side controllers, very similar to DualSense. Rather than run games natively, it streams any non-VR game from a PS5 at 1080p and 60fps. This means you’ll need to install the games on the PS5 and have good Wi-Fi connectivity. Though this has not yet been confirmed, you will probably be able to use Sony’s Remote Play technology to access your PS5 games on-the-go.

Last year, Logitech launched something like it with the G Cloud Gaming Handheld built on a Snapdragon processor and an Android system, but its 350 USD price tag, in line with the Nintendo Switch OLED and the Steam Deck, put it out of reach of many. The showcase was also an opportunity to reveal the Bluetooth earbuds that “will bring next-generation audio immersion to PS5 and PC.”

⇨ YouTube, “PlayStation Showcase 2023 - Accessories Sneak Peek”

⇨ Ars Technica, Samuel Axon, “Sony confirms ‘PlayStation Q,’ a handheld device for streaming PS5 games.”

⇨ The Verge, Tom Warren, “Sony’s PlayStation handheld reportedly arriving in November.”

2023-05-24

.zip and .mov domain names

We’re thoroughly familiar with the web’s top-level domains (TLDs) such as .ca, .uk, .com, .net, .org, .gov, and .edu, and we’ve even come across more uncommon ones such as .biz, .aero, .game, or .movie. Earlier this month, Google Registry put several new TLDs out there, including .zip and .mov – same as the file extensions. The former is an extension already present on all platforms as it’s used for zipped archive files. The latter is associated with the QuickTime video format developed by Apple.

Several cybersecurity researchers spurn Google’s idea as these two TLDs could present a loophole for online scammers to lure social media or other internet users to click on malicious links. Many websites and software automatically convert sequences such as “spiria.com” and “mastodon.social” into hyperlinks that, when clicked, bring users to the corresponding domain. The concern is that e-mails and messages on social media that refer to files such as setup.zip or vacation.mov might also convert them into clickable links, letting scammers take advantage of the confusion. Google leaped to defend the use of .zip and .mov, explaining that it would keep an eye out for any objectionable use of the new TLDs.

⇨ Ars Technica, Dan Goodin, “Google pushes .zip and .mov domains onto the Internet, and the Internet pushes back.”

2023-05-18

Raspberry Pi + BlackBerry keyboard + screen = Beepberry

Beepberry is the fusion of a backlit BlackBerry Classic keyboard, a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a 2.7-inch Sharp Memory LCD 400x240 monochrome display, all powered by a 2,000mAh battery. The device is the brainchild of Eric Migicovsky who created the Pebble smartwatch and who co-founded Beeper, the all-in-one messaging app that centralizes all the services, from Whatsapp to iMessage (using a Mac as a bridge or an old jailbroken iPhone). Migicovsky wanted a device to read and send messages on weekends using Beeper, without the distraction of a smartphone’s sideshow, though you’ll find a lot more uses for the mini-computer of course. You can also get 3D models on the website to print a protective case. Since the Beepberry isn’t equipped for cellular connectivity, you’ll have to rely on Raspberry Pi’s built-in Wi-Fi for your communications. The Beepberry is available for preorder for 99 USD, or for 79 USD without Pi Zero W. You’ll also need an SD card.

⇨ YouTube, “Beeper Hardware (aka Franky) Demo”

⇨ The Verge, Umar Shakir, “Beepberry is a BlackBerry keyboard tinker toy from the founder of Pebble.”

2023-05-18

Copilot all over Windows soon

At its Build conference, Microsoft announced that its ChatGPT-based Copilot functionality will soon be available in all Windows applications. As with Copilot Microsoft 365, Windows Copilot is a new window that opens to the right of your screen and helps you in your tasks, depending on your prompts. “Once open, the Windows Copilot side bar stays consistent across your apps, programs and windows, always available to act as your personal assistant,” explains Windows Chief Product Officer Panos Panay. The company has set itself the goal of coming up with the first operating system with centralized AI assistance. A preview of Windows Copilot will be available for Windows 11 in June.

But AI’s takeover of OS doesn’t stop here. It seems that Windows 12 will draw on artificial intelligence even more heavily, with Windows 12 optimized processors equipped with Neural Processing Units (NPUs).

⇨ YouTube, “Announcing Windows Copilot”

⇨ Ars Technica, Andrew Cunningham, “Built-in ChatGPT-driven Copilot will transform Windows 11 starting in June.”