Gadget Flex is Changing, and Finally, Less is More

https://www.biztechcs.com/blog/gadget-flex-less-is-more/

The most exciting thing I have read recently in terms of a tech update is that Microsoft Word will get a dark mode for the actual writing canvas. Dark mode is not new. But a dark canvas will make a lot of difference to those of us who like writing in the middle of the night. The little things about tech make all the difference.

As we approach spring, new operating systems start showing up in the news, from Android 12 (potentially called Snowcone) to the new Windows 21H1. Spring is also a major developer conference season from Microsoft’s Ignite and Build, to Google’s I/O and Adobe Summit all happening some time from March to April. The majority of them will be happening virtually again this year. 

Beginning with Microsoft, Windows 21H1 will bring a useful change to how Microsoft uses external webcams as Windows Hello camera. Currently, it cannot do it, but this change means that if you have an external camera plugged in, you can simply sign in with that. Inbuilt webcams are pretty bad and in a time when Teams calls (Or Zoom or Meet) is the only way that people see you, you want to have a nice camera. This same camera getting more use for facial recognition via Windows Hello is a good thing,

While Microsoft is not revealing much, it is also adding some behind-the-scenes updates that make remote working better. To top this, they are hinting at a huge visual update to the OS. Our virtual environment did need some sprucing up! 

Android 12 developer preview sheds light on the popular mobile OS changes and what we can expect from it. Android 11 brought a bunch of good things but unfortunately, not everyone has received the update yet. That’s a problem for another time though. The changes that might come, revolve around the main UI, changes to audio and video file type support, and some other under the surface changes. Under the surface changes are meant to target Project Mainline, their effort to bring OS-level updates faster to third-party devices. 

Speaking of software that adds more value to devices, Apple’s Apple TV app is now available on the tiny $50 Chromecast with Google TV. This effectively makes the expensive Apple TV box useless. While the new Chromecast is said to have hiccups, $50 is a small enough price to have patience as it gets better. 

Oh and, this happened: 

If we were to take a look at what technology meant or means, it is safe to say that it used to be about doing more, putting out more gadgets and more tools, more was less. But now as we become better at making these things, we are downsizing on gadgets, making sure we get more out of the things we have and make. This is a good thing for various reasons like sustainability, fewer expenses in the long run, and more. 

How much use do you get out of your gadgets?