The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has launched the Bluetooth 6.0 specification with support for distance awareness, among other things. The company founded by some of the folks behind the Essential Phone when that company folded is now… also folding. Microsoft has announced several new Surface tablets and laptops for business customers. And a company looking to give Valve a run for its money in the Linux-based operating system for handheld gaming PCs has (sort of) released a first public alpha of its software.

Here's a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.

Bluetooth 6.0 announced [Bluetooth SIG]

The next major version of the Bluetooth standard for short-range wireless communication brings support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding (with distance awareness for improved "Find My" solutions, among other things), and other updates that could lead to stability and efficiency improvements. 

Bluetooth.com Everything is not OSOM: The company born from Essential's ashes is shutting down [Android Authority]

The company founded by a group of former Essential employees is shutting down. After announcing plans for privacy-focused devices, they eventually launched a crypto phone with a partner, and after that partner decided to go another way for future products OSOM tried to pivot to an AI camera, and ran out of money. The CEO also denies the allegations mentioned below, but we'll see how things play out in court. 

Previously: OSOM, the company formed from Essential's ashes, is apparently in shambles [Android Authority]

OSOM generated some interest early on because it was formed by some of the folks behind the Essential Phone. But buzz dimmed when the first product was marketed as a cryptocurrency phone. Now things have gone from cringe to worse.

Solana Saga smartphone (built by OSOM) Unlock business potential with new 5G and Copilot+ PCs from Surface [Microsoft]

The Microsoft Surface Pro 10 with 5G (Intel Meteor Lake), Surface Pro 11 (Qualcomm Snapdragon X), and Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X) are coming to business customers this month.

Square Enix invests in Playtron for their Linux-based PlaytronOS – first Alpha out now [GamingOnLinux]

Playtron released the first alpha build of their Linux-based operating system for handheld gaming PCs this week, with support for the Steam Deck and Asus, Lenovo, GPD, and AYANEO devices. But the website seems to be down for now.

AnandTech, mainstay of computer hardware reviews, closes after 27 years [Ars Technica]

A fitting farewell (and to some degree autopsy) for one of the web's first and best tech news websites from one of the few competitors remaining from that era.

LG Gram Ready to Define the Next-gen AI Laptop with new Intel Core Ultra Processors [LG]

The new LG Gram 16 Pro is a thin and light laptop with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. Expected to launch by the end of the year, LG says it will showcase the laptop at the IFA show in Berlin this week.

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