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US engineers have created the "most waterproof material ever" - inspired by nasturtium leaves and butterfly wings. The new "super-hydrophobic" surface could keep clothes dry and stop aircraft engines icing over, they say. The lotus leaf was thought to be the gold standard for staying dry in nature, but now a team from MIT in Boston say they have surpassed it. By adding tiny ridges to a silicon surface, they made water bounce off it 40% faster than the previous "limit".

Microsoft has announced the Surface Pro 2 as part of its New York tablet-centric press event. According to the company, it is "faster than 95 per cent of laptops on the market today". Microsoft claims that it's actually a full PC in a tablet's body and the screen is 50 per cent more accurate in colour reproduction than the last model so can be used by design professionals more effectively. The company claims that it performs 20 per cent faster, with a 50 per cent hike in graphical ability. When coupled with a new Power Cover, the whole device gets...

Although Microsoft is staying mum about Windows 8 tablet sales, research firm Strategy Analytics has some slightly encouraging news. In the first quarter of 2013, Windows 8 and RT devices accounted for 7.5 percent of the tablet market, with 3 million units shipped. That’s up from 0 percent a year earlier, before Windows-based tablets were feasible. Granted, 7.5 percent of the market isn’t a huge number. In a statement to CNet, Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Shah referred to the Windows tablet market as a “niche,” set back by “limited distribution, a shortage of top tier apps, and confusion in the...

Initial sales of the Windows 8 operating system are said to be "well below" Microsoft's internal projections. Citing a "trusted" source, Paul Thurott of Supersite for Windows said Windows 8 is off to a weak start, but Microsoft doesn't believe sales have been affected by the software itself. Instead, the thinking in Redmond, Wash., is said to be that PC makers have offered "lackluster" designs, along with limited availability. That disappointment with Microsoft's PC partners is said to have further reaffirmed the company's strategy with the new Surface tablet, which is the first computer designed and manufactured by the company...

I’ve been playing around with Microsoft's Surface tablet for several days now and suddenly realized that I’m using it very differently than any other tablet or laptop I’ve ever owned. It seemed to come to me naturally, but this little device has really improved the quality of my life. Personally, I think Surface represents more than just a new product and should be pereceived as the beginning of a new way of blending work and play. Then again, it may not come as naturally to many of you and I think that aspect of Surface deserves some further discussion. Working...

Ordered a Microsoft Surface tablet? You may not see it for several weeks. Although Microsoft is expected to officially start selling its Windows 8-powered tablet later this week, demand for the device has reportedly been high in the US, and delivery of many pre-ordered Surfaces has been pushed back for several weeks. Meanwhile, according to ZDNet, in England, the 32GB Surface, which retails for £399 has sold out completely. (Other models appear to still be available.) In a statement obtained by CNET, Microsoft said that consumers unable to order a Surface online could go to a brick-and-mortar Microsoft outlet, where...

While the base-level 32GB version of the Surface RT tablet from Microsoft sold out online in less than 24 hours after launch last week, as of yesterday all versions of the tablet have been moved into sold-out status. The backorder for the 32GB version without an included keyboard is now up to three weeks, while the 32GB version with keyboard and the 64GB model (which also includes a keyboard) are now on up to a two-week back order according to shipping estimates on Surface.com. Microsoft is planning to build between three and five million Surface tablets this quarter, on par...

Microsoft Stores are reportedly taking reservations for the company's Surface tablet, promising to hold stock for eager early-adopters hoping to pick up one of the Windows RT slates on Friday next week. The voucher, apparently being handed out at Microsoft Stores and pop-up stores according to WPCentral, is only valid on October 26 and doesn't appear to specify which Surface it can be exchanged for.That would apparently mean that even those with reservation passes may need to get to their local store early if they want to be confident of snagging the Surface bundle of their choice. Microsoft will be...

Microsoft has exhausted its initial supply of the lowest-priced Surface RT tablet, which now is backordered by three weeks. On Wednesday, the company's pre-order website noted, "Order now for shipment within 3 weeks" for the $499 32GB tablet. That model lacks a cover-cum-keyboard. Microsoft yesterday kicked off pre-orders for the Surface RT, its first entry into tablet design and manufacturing. The Surface RT comes in three configurations: a 32GB model at $499, a 32GB device with a Touch Cover for $599, and a 64GB model with that same cover at $699. Touch Covers are also available separately for $119.99, and...

A few weeks ago, I urged Microsoft to shake up the tablet market by selling Surface at a radically low price: $150 or less. Crazy? Perhaps. But I wasn’t alone. Vivek Wadhwa made a similar argument here.So it was disappointing today to see the company announce the starting price of $499. Sure, it puts it in range with Apple’s iPad. But it feels timid. It feels like a price that says: What’s the lowest we can go to match Apple? Microsoft seems to be betting that it will win on features when consumers compare the iPad to the Surface...

<p>As we get closer to the launch of Microsoft’s new version of Windows, a clearer picture is emerging about what the tablet landscape will look like at launch.</p> <p>We already know about the flagship Windows tablet, of course: Microsoft’s own Surface, which Engadget recently reported may have a price tag of $199. That would put the company in a very good position to sell against Google’s Nexus 7, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and, most importantly, Apple’s iPad.</p>

Australian chief information officers (CIOs) have been impressed with Microsoft's answer to the iPad — the Microsoft Surface — which was announced last month. Two tablet variants have been announced; one running Windows RT on an Nvidia ARM processor, and the other running Windows 8 Pro on an Intel Core i5 system. Both devices have a 10.6-inch display employing Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Because Microsoft is so late to the market with its tablet — the iPad was launched in 2010 — it has been stated that the Surface's only chance of success is in the business market, which will...

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak recently spoke at the Entel Summit in Chile where he was asked about everything from the Megaupload scandal to Microsoft's new Surface Tablet. Wozniak is known for trying non-Apple products, and he's not shy about criticizing the company he helped start. Wozniak's assessment of the Surface tablet? He says it's as if Steve Jobs came back reincarnated at Microsoft to develop a beautiful device. Skip to 2:30 to hear Woz's thoughts on Microsoft Surface, Windows Phone, and Google Glass. We found this video on iDB: CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

An indie developer working on a new version of its signature title for Microsoft's new tablet said its compatibility with the Xbox 360 controllers presents some interesting advantages for the player and new challenges for designers. Creative director Jake Kazdal and the rest of the crew at 17-Bit (formerly Haunted Temple Games) are prepping their turn-based strategy title Skulls of the Shogun for the Microsoft Surface, according to a blog post on Wired's GameLife. Kazdal said players can control their game with the touchscreen display, a mouse and even an Xbox 360 controller, thanks to the USB port provided by...

-------snip------- Built-In Kickstand: Microsoft believes a stand should be an integral part of a tablet's design. (Take that, iPad!) The Surface's built-in kickstand is made of the same sturdy VaporMg material--more on this later--that encases the slate. "The hinge design is like that of the finest luxury car," said Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky, sounding a bit like a car salesman. The stand does look ideal for landscape-mode viewing. But how well will it work in portrait mode? Skinny Genes: You've gotta be thin to compete with the iPad. The Surface for Windows RT is 9.3 millimeters thick--or "thin," as the marketing...

Watch out, Apple. Microsoft’s mystery announcement is out of the bag and it’s giving the iPad a run for its money. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled Microsoft Surface, a new tablet that heads a “whole new family of Microsoft computing devices,” Ballmer announced at the mystery event at the Milk Studios in Hollywood, Calif., Monday afternoon. From what we’ve seen and heard, the Surface tablet is perhaps the first serious competitor to Apple’s iPad tablet. What’s more, it’s got the capability of a PC – as good for creating content as it is for consuming, according to Ballmer’s highly anticipated...

Microsoft Store in Century City, Calif. Finding a local Microsoft Store will be a challenge for hands-on consumers looking to try out the Surface tablet. (Credit: Brooke Crothers)After all of the hoopla this week, you would think the Surface tablet was the end of the PC industry as we know it. Not so fast, say analysts. What we know so far is that Surface will be sold through Microsoft Stores only in the U.S. -- the online store and brick-and-mortar outlets. Ever been to a Microsoft Store? Didn't think so. There just aren't that many. I count about 20. Compare...

Many have scoffed at the idea that Redmond's tablet will succeed. But there are three crucial reasons to take the effort seriously. By Don Sears FORTUNE -- Do not underestimate Microsoft's Surface tablet move. Its gambit to design and build its own hardware is a bold play to develop a thriving ecosystem of new products. It is centered on Microsoft's dominant property: the operating system. Monday's flashy Surface launch may have felt like an Apple event with its bright, pastel-colored keyboard, slick introductory videos and breathless hyping from little-known engineers. But, in fact, Microsoft's play is anything but Apple-like. The...

The Surface tablet unveiled by Microsoft at its mysterious event in Los Angeles this week looked very impressive. It obviously faces very stiff competition from the Apple iPad—which dominates the tablet market. But, there’s a very good chance that businesses will flock to the Surface (or other Windows 8 tablets) if Microsoft delivers something close to what it presented to the media. I am a huge fan of the iPad, so I don’t make that claim lightly. I have owned all three iterations of the iPad thus far, and I’m not prepared to abandon the New iPad any time soon....

It should not be a surprise that physcians are not fans of Microsoft products -- namely Windows and Internet Explorer. Much of this hatred is due to hospital enterprise solutions still using outdated versions of Internet Explorer. Ask a physician friend to fill you in if you need a better idea. On a personal note, I had been dreading the forthcoming Microsoft tablet because I know Microsoft products make hospital health IT departments salivate. We commented last year how many hospital IT departments cite physicians using the iPad at work as their biggest headache. I knew as soon as Microsoft...