News

Microsoft Reveals New Products At Surface 2022 Event

It’s that time of year when big tech announces new releases, and it’s currently Microsoft’s turn in the limelight.

Published

3 years ago

October 13, 2022

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft unveiled a raft of new Surface-branded products at its Surface 2022 event held yesterday (Wednesday, 12th October). The lineup comprises several Windows-based devices, though a few low-key Xbox reveals also happened, along with a new app. Here’s everything you need to know:

Surface Pro 9

microsoft surface pro 9

The Surface Pro 9 edition was unveiled at the event, featuring a 13-inch display with a 2,880 x 1,920 resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. Processors come in several flavors, with either an i5 or i7 version of Intel’s 12th gen Core processor installed, or a (possibly Qualcomm-based) Microsoft SQ3 chip. The Wi-Fi models come with 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM, while the 5G version ships with 8GB or 32GB.

In terms of storage, the Intel Surface Pros come with removable SSD drives in sizes up to 1TB, while the SQ3 version maxes out at 512GB — though the lower specced device will achieve 19 hours of battery life, compared to the Intel unit’s 15.5.

When it comes to ports, the Surface Pro 9 comes with a pair of USB-C ports offering Thunderbolt 4 compatibility, with the SQ3 version only getting regular USB-C, along with a SIM slot.

Surface Laptop 5

microsoft surface laptop 5

If you’re in the market for a more conventional laptop, Microsoft also has you covered with their new Surface Laptop 5. Resolution is slightly lower for the 13.5 screen than on the Surface Pro, coming in at 2,256 x 1,504, though you’ll get similar configurations of storage and Intel Core processors.

Interestingly, the 13.5-inch laptop seems to beat the 15-inch model when it comes to battery life. Microsoft rates the smaller portable at 18 hours, while the 15-inch version is only good for 17. Buyers will get one USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4, one USB type-A port, and the faithful 3.5mm headphone jack will also be present.

Surface Studio 2+

microsoft surface studio 2+

Last but not least, desktop PC enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Microsoft has also announced a new all-in-one computer in the form of the 28-inch Surface Studio 2+. The big-screen device is aimed at creative users who need large amounts of processing power for art projects or complex 3D rendering.

The Surface Studio comes with a massive 4,500 x 3,000 resolution, powered by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of fast storage.

Everything Else

microsoft surface accessibility for all

Although the surface computers stole the show at Microsoft’s 2022 event, the tech giant also made several small announcements about a range of adaptive accessories, including the Xbox Adaptive Controller, and a new Microsoft 365 app called Microsoft Designer, powered by AI.

While we’d love to give release dates and prices for everything announced at the show, no details have emerged just yet, but we’ll hopefully see shipments begin well before the new year.

News

Google Releases Veo 2 AI Video Tool To MENA Users

The state-of-the-art video generation model is now available in Gemini, offering realistic AI-generated videos with better physics, motion, and detail.

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2025

Nour Nasir

Google

Starting today, users of Gemini Advanced in the MENA region — and globally — can tap into Veo 2, Google’s next-generation video model.

Originally unveiled in 2024, Veo 2 has now been fully integrated into Gemini, supporting multiple languages including Arabic and English. The rollout now brings Google’s most advanced video AI directly into the hands of everyday users.

Veo 2 builds on the foundations of its predecessor with a more sophisticated understanding of the physical world. It’s designed to produce high-fidelity video content with cinematic detail, realistic motion, and greater visual consistency across a wide range of subjects and styles. Whether recreating natural landscapes, human interactions, or stylized environments, the model is capable of interpreting and translating written prompts into eight-second 720p videos that feel almost handcrafted.

Users can generate content directly through the Gemini platform — either via the web or mobile apps. The experience is pretty straightforward: users enter a text-based prompt, and Veo 2 returns a video in 16:9 landscape format, delivered as an MP4 file. These aren’t just generic clips — they can reflect creative, abstract, or highly specific scenarios, making the tool especially useful for content creators, marketers, or anyone experimenting with visual storytelling.

Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide

To ensure transparency, each video is embedded with SynthID — a digital watermark developed by Google’s DeepMind. The watermark is invisible to the human eye but persists across editing, compression, and sharing. It identifies the video as AI-generated, addressing concerns around misinformation and media authenticity.

While Veo 2 is still in its early phases of public rollout, the technology is part of a broader push by Google to democratize advanced AI tools. With text-to-image, code generation, and now video creation integrated into Gemini, Google is positioning the platform as a full-spectrum creative assistant.

Access to Veo 2 starts today and will continue expanding in the coming weeks. Interested users can try it out at gemini.google.com or through the Gemini app on Android and iOS.