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In a world where notifications persistently compete for our attention, distraction-free ereaders and writing tablets have found an audience. Putting your phone, laptop or iPad aside and curling up with a Kindle or a reMarkable tablet have become an almost ironic way for the tech-savvy to disconnect from online noise and focus on reading and writing. Its debatable how broad the appeal of these devices is, but even in what appears to be a relatively small slice of the industry, the competition is fierce. Amazon is arguably the biggest name in the space, with its Kindles dominating the ereader market for years. When it introduced the Kindle Scribe in 2022, the company made a play for the burgeoning E Ink writing tablet category, and just last year it launched its first color ereader with the Kindle Colorsoft. Put all those features reading, writing and color together, and youve got the ingredients for Amazons latest contender: the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. This time, Amazon expanded the Scribe line by releasing three new Scribes at once. The entry-level model is the black-and-white tablet without a front light, which costs $430. For $70 more, youll get the front light, and then the Colorsoft version goes for $630. There are upgrades from last years Scribe across the trio, and for this review well be looking mostly at the Colorsoft, which has all of the new features. Like with previous models of the Scribe, Amazon doesnt indicate the generation number in the name, simply calling this lineup the all-new Kindle Scribe, attaching the word Colorsoft to the edition that renders colors. To avoid confusion, Ill occasionally be referring to this generation of the device as the Scribe 3, and the version from last year as the Scribe 2. Editors note: As I only received the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft on December 7 due to shipping delays, I wont be assigning a score to this device until I have had more time to test it. My colleague Valentina Palladino received the new Kindle Scribe a few days before that, and has contributed testing and impressions to this review. Its also worth noting that some new features, like Send to Alexa+, Story so far and Ask this book arent available to test yet. We will update this review with a score after spending more time with it so we can better gauge things like battery life and the usefulness of some software features. Whats new with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft Aside from the obvious, which is that the Colorsoft can now render colors, the latest Kindle Scribes also feature a refined design, improved front light system, updated screen architecture, new quad-core chip, more memory and Oxide display technology. It has a larger 11-inch screen compared to the 10.2-inch display on its predecessor, and still manages to weigh 33 grams less at 400 grams (0.88 pounds). Theres also a revamped Home page that houses a Quick Note for easier access to the writing interface as well as some software and AI tools that arent available to test yet. A lot of the hardware tweaks translated to a snappier, more responsive device overall. In my testing, the Scribe Colorsofts AI summarization and handwriting refinements took a bit less time than the Scribe 2, which I attribute most to the processor, but I also noticed improved fluidity in the writing experience. Drawing on the Scribe Colorsoft brings me right back to my younger days testing out pens at bookstores. Amazons stylus feels like a pen with ink that flows more freely and consistently onto the page than others, and between the nib and the texture of the page there is a lack of resistance and overall smoothness that is very satisfying. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Amazon said that the Premium Pen that comes with the Scribes has been refined with a thicker and more rounded silhouette. With its latest Oxide display, the Scribe Colorsofts screen response rate of 14 milliseconds and the non-Colorsoft Scribe 3s rates of 12ms are both much higher than the 20-21ms for the Scribe 2. Together, this probably is the main reason that the new Scribe feels more responsive in general, and why writing on it seems so smooth. Although, that new front light system might also be contributing to the overall feeling of freshness. Speaking of, I put the Scribe 2 and Scribe Colorsoft side by side in my friends living room and the difference was stark. When I brought both devices next to the window, under direct sunlight, they both seemed similarly bright, with the typical glare-free finish youd expect of ereaders. But when I took them into a darkened bedroom, the auto-adjusting panel on the Colorsoft lit up its screen and made it easier to read. Colors popped, and while I felt that there was a slight blue tinge to the light, it wasnt something I wouldve noticed without a side-by-side comparison. Its not an issue though because you can also adjust the warmth here like you can on other Kindles. One of my complaints in my review of the Scribe 2 was the flimsy attachment method of magnets holding the pen to the tablet. While Amazon hasnt built an onboard slot or holder for the stylus, it did increase the magnetic force on the Scribe 3. This was already noticeable during my hands-on with the device back in October, and in real-world use I appreciated this upgrade in keeping the Premium Pen tightly attached to the Scribe Colorsoft. I would still prefer a more secure approach, since I still do worry about the stylus getting lost in my purse and dont want to have to buy a case just for this purpose. But its a small quibble and my concerns have largely been allayed with the increased magnetism. Cherlynn Low for Engadget I still need to test some software features like Send to Alexa+, Ask This Book and Story So Far, but theyre not available yet. Ive been focusing my testing on the Notebook section and need to spend more time marking up and annotating books to better evaluate that use case. But not much has changed there since Amazon rolled out the collapsible margins in February, and you can read m review of the Scribe 2 for my impressions there. The new home page and AI-powered Notebook search At the moment, I can speak to one of the new features: AI-powered Notebook search. The Search bar at the top of the Scribe can now answer questions about the contents of all your Notebooks (and books). At the time of the Scribes announcement, I thought this would be helpful in pulling together all the tasks Id assigned to specific team members across the to-do lists I drew up for various events. When I asked the Scribe what tasks have I assigned Sam, its results page showed six categories, pulling information from my library, notebooks, the Kindle Store, the Audible Store, Goodreads and text within books. Only the second one had any findings. Under Results in your notebooks, there was a label AI-powered insights followed by a header Sams Assigned Tasks. Below that was a bulleted list, which Ill transcribe and include an image of here: Add content to CES sheet Handle KPBP company set Track Samsung mobile developments Handle OnePlus 13 Review device during CES Attend meetings with: - Dell & ASUS on Thursday, MSI, Razer, HP, Lenovo, Potentially Sony Ateela Work on Sam Qi 2 Best-Sam host responsibilities Cherlynn Low for Engadget I quickly realized that Id need to fine-tune my requests to get results that made more sense, since random tasks divorced from their parent documents made little sense without context. Thankfully, there was a button below the results that prompted me to Ask Notebooks about these insights, or ask something else. However, tapping that only brought me to a different page showing the same list but with a new section to see the notes they were sourced from. Ill also point out that this list of tasks for Sam was not the same result I got from a query about where do I mention Sam? In addition to the two to-do lists that I created in December 2023 and January of this year, the Scribe told me Sam appears on a Christmas shopping list as one of the checked-off friends. Thats fairly impressive, since that list did have Sam under a handwritten header Friends, as opposed to other pages titled Gym or Neighbors. But it appeared to only be able to determine that Sams name was checked off thanks to the template I used for the notebook. Other check marks I made outside the predefined boxes in that background werent deemed as checks and instead misrecognized as dashes. So later when I asked where my friend Michelle appeared in all my notebooks, the Scribe noted an entry for Michelle-scart in a different holiday shopping page. Retrying the same question did yield more accurate results, though, with a subsequent search correctly stating Michelle appears in a list with scarf noted next to her name. And whether its my overly messy handwriting to blame or Amazons technological deficiencies, there were still some words or sentences that it misidentified, like Michelle-callin instead of Michelle Callie. So far, the AI-powered Search feels like a hit-or-miss update. Sometimes, like when I took the bait and asked the questions it suggested, I would get shockingly accurate answers. Try asking which Ariana song is mentioned in the list, the Scribe prompted. Or When is the HOA meeting occurring? For the former, it told me that the song Bang Bang was on a list of karaoke songs, while the latter simply told me the date and time it had found in a note titled Appointments Dec 2022. Ill need more time to think of better ways to use this feature, but for now I cant decide if its actually helpful without some extra work. Cherlynn Low for Engadget I already spent some time testing the Summarize and Refine tools introduced in the last Kindle Scribe, so Ill just say that refining the handwriting of a to-do list on the Scribe Colorsoft was largely the same as before, just a tad faster. I didnt really use either AI tool in the year since I reviewed the Scribe 2, so I was right last year in thinking I wouldnt find much use for them in daily practice. What I thought would be more practical is the redesigned Home screen and the Quick Note that takes up the top left corner of this page. Again, Id need to spend much more time to understand how Id navigate the device over weeks and months, but for the most part I find it easy to just hop in and out of notes I want without first going to the Home section. Id prefer a hardware shortcut like Montblanc offers in its Digital Paper writing tablet. On that device, you can program the buttons on the pen so that a double click starts a new note, adds a blank page or brings you back home. While you can customize the button on Amazons Premium Pen, your options are limited to switching between tools like the highlighter, pen, shader or eraser for use while youre writing. (And yes, like before, you can still use the top of the Premium Pen to erase content no need to push any button.) One last thing to note about the home page (for now) is that seeing the rows of book covers in color is a delight, and though its not something that impacts the function of the device, it certainly adds a layer of visual pleasure. How does the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft compare to the competition? One of the Scribe Colorsofts main competitors is the reMarkable Paper Pro. The latter has a larger 11.8-inch screen and, correspondingly, weighs a lot more at 525 grams (1.16 pounds). Though I prefer the sharp lines of the reMarkable to the rounded edges and corners of the Scribe, I find the Kindles size much more manageable, especially when Im writing for more than five minutes. Importantly, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft simply has a better screen than the reMarkable. It delivers brighter, more saturated colors, and supports more hues, too. Plus, when I placed them next to each other, the Paper Pro seemed to have a yellow cast and a dimmer screen overall (even at maximum brightness). And when I use the highlight function on each, the reMarkable device flashes meaning you have to give it a second for the color to appear in its final form after you put the stylus to the screen. Meanwhile, the color that shows up on the Colorsofts panel as soon as you write on it doesnt change no flashing takes place. Cherlynn Low for Engadget The Scribes other strengths are its superior performance and Amazons ecosystem of books (for those like me who already have large Kindle libraries, anyway). Though it does offer AI features that reMarkable doesnt, Im generally leery of those tools, and, as already detailed in this review, they dont usually help me. However, the reMarkable remains the winner when it comes to writing software. Its way more versatile than Amazon in this respect, especially with its ability to have handwritten and typed text coexist within the same document. You can also edit a note from reMarkables app on your phone, typing in any last-minute additions to your shopping list and bolding, italicizing or formatting them if you like. And if youre a power user, getting your favorite ebooks onto the reMarkable tablet isnt too difficult, provided you have the EPUB files. Ill also shout out companies like Kobo and Boox, who also make color-rendering ereaders that you can write on. Booxs Note Air 5c starts at $530 and includes the stylus and a magnetic case for that price. It supports apps via the Google Play Store, but, as our deputy editor Valentina Palladino cautions, isnt the most beginner-friendly product. Kobo, on the other hand, makes color ereaders like the Libra Color. Although it does support stylus input, it is much smaller with its 7-inch display. And for those who arent too fussed about color, there are plenty of black-and-white E Ink writing tablets, including the $905 Montblanc Digital Paper, which Ive been testing for a few weeks. Im finishing up my review but that one is clearly a luxury product targeted at a much more niche audience than the already limited target market for this category of devices. If your budget is tight, Id recommend skipping the Colorsoft model unless its crucial to your process. $500 is a much easier price to stomach. Who should get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft? I hesitate to recommend anyone buy anything before Ive had enough time to assign a score, since things like battery life take longer to evaluate. And while I continue to test the device to get a better sense for its battery life, Ive already noticed that like the Scribes before it, this version doesnt last as long as other Kindles. Amazon promises weeks of reading and writing per charge, which could be anything between two and ten (or more) weeks. In my experience so far, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft dropped about 20 percent in two days, which, mathematically, means it would struggle to even last a week, not to mention multiple weeks. But because the Scribe 2 showed similar battery drain during my review (with heavier use) and manages to stay charged for at least a month when Im not testing it all day every day, Im willing to believe Amazons promise of greater runtime. Aside from my reservations about battery life, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a competent device that delivers on most of its promises so far. The biggest knock against it is its price. At $500 for the monochrome model and $630 for color, this is one Amazon product that can be more expensive than the competition. But its not without its strengths. Id think of the Kindle Scribe 3 (and Colorsoft) as an E Ink tablet that is more of a notebook than a portal for textbooks you can mark up, with a robust library of Kindle titles to boot. The AI features are not crucial to the experience, but they also stay out of the way. For those looking for a more sophisticated and versatile writing tablet that is less of a book replacement, the reMarkable Paper Pro is the superior device. And for people who dont mind the notifications, apps and alerts that these purpose-driven tablets keep from distracting you, theres always the option of buying an iPad or an Android tablet with a stylus. Just install minimal apps or block all notifications, and you might even save hundreds of dollars in the process. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Wrap-up I hate to admit it, but Amazons devices and services chief Panos Panay was right in calling the Kindle Scribe a 2-in-1. But the two functions it serves are very specific. I think of the Scribe devices as Kindles first and foremost. That means theyre ereaders, capable of substituting stacks of books thanks to their digital libraries and eye-friendly screens. The second role the Scribe plays well is that of a notebook substitute. It is a place to hold endless slips of digital paper, and its search function can competently help you find what you jotted down in a random note years ago. But Amazon has not yet found a way to deliver on features like annotating and marking up ebooks that feels like pen-and-paper. Trying to mark up a digital textbook on the Scribe still feels unintuitive, involving virtual sticky notes, collapsible margins and inserting boxes within lines of text. And you wont be able to easily edit your notes if youre away from your Scribe, unlike how you can on a reMarkable product. So the Kindle Scribe 3 is not a three- or four-in-one. I dont have a problem with that, especially without the extra cost that comes with the color capabilities. While the Colorsoft model is superior to the competition at the moment, it also comes at a premium. If youre looking for the best color E Ink writing tablet available and are willing to splurge, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is worth consideration.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-scribe-colorsoft-review-a-very-particular-set-of-skills-for-a-price-140014961.html?src=rss
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The European Union has provisionally agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent (based on 1990 levels) by 2040, the EU parliament announced in a press release. That goes beyond the goals of most other major economies, including China, but falls short of the original one recommended by the EU's climate science advisors. "The target delivers on the need for climate action while safeguarding our competitiveness and security," said Denmark's minister Lars Aagaard, who helped negotiate the deal. The new accord a vital step in the bloc's long-term goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 was a political compromise months in the making. On one hand, countries like Poland and Hungary argued that deeper cuts would be too onerous for industries already facing high energy costs. And on the other, members including Spain and Sweden said action was needed to help blunt extreme weather events and allow the EU to catch up with China in green tech manufacturing. To achieve the target, European industries will need to reduce emissions by 85 percent and sell carbon credits to developing nations to make up the balance. The EU also agreed on an option to use additional international carbon credits (up to five percent) to soften the impact on industry and to delay a carbon tax for fuel by a year to 2028. Even with the reduced targets Europe is more committed than all other major polluters, having already cut emissions 37 percent from 1990 levels. During the same period, the US has only managed a reduction of about 7 percent, according to Statista. And under the Trump administration, the US has once again pulled out of the Paris climate accord, scrubbed references to climate change from government sites and promoted polluting energy sectors like coal and gas. The deal must still be ratified by the EU parliament and individual countries to become law. Normally, though, that's a formality for such pre-agreed deals.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/eu-pledges-90-percent-cut-to-carbon-emissions-by-2040-133919256.html?src=rss
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For the first time, Instagram will start letting you control the topics its algorithm recommends, much as you now can on TikTok. The new feature is starting with the Reels tab but will eventually come to Explore and other areas of the app. Like much of what Meta is doing right now (for better or worse), the "Your Algorithm" feature will be powered by AI. "As your interests evolve over time, we want to give you more meaningful ways to control what you see," Instagram wrote on its blog post. "Using AI, you can now more easily view and personalize the topics that shape your Reels, making recommendations feel even more tailored to you." To see and control the Reels algorithm, tap the icon in the upper right corner (two lines with hearts) to open Your Algorithm. It will show what topics Instagram thinks you're interested in, then you can specify which ones you want to see more or less of and your recommendations will adapt. You can fine tune topics as well: See your top interests: View a summary of the topics Instagram thinks you care about most, right at the top. Tune your preferences: Type in the topics you want to see more or less of, and your Reels will reflect your choices. Share your algorithm: If youd like, you can share your interests to your Story, so friends and followers can see what youre into. Another AI "feature" that surfaced yesterday on the platform didn't go over well with some users. It was discovered that Instagram was generating sensational and often inaccurate headlines that were likely created by an LLM. And you can expect AI to infiltrate its apps even more down the road, judging by the company's recent acquisitions and priority shifts. In any case, the new Your Algorithm feature for the Reels tab is debuting today in the US only and expanding to other territories in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-will-let-you-control-which-topics-its-algorithm-recommends-133002612.html?src=rss
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