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Surface 2 improvements touted in Microsoft video

The video takes us on a tour of the Surface 2 tablet, with special nods to the enhanced Touch Cover and keyboard.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
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You can create gestures by swiping across the keyboard in Surface 2.
You can create gestures by swiping across the keyboard in Surface 2. YouTube/Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

A new Microsoft video shines the spotlight on a few of the new and improved features in the Surface 2 tablet.

Available via YouTube, the "Making of Surface 2" video highlights the new Touch Cover, showing how you can create touch gestures by swiping across keys, thanks to a high-resolution sensor. The original Surface embedded a pressure sensor under every button. But the new Surface uses a matrix of sensors spread out across the entire keyboard, thus allowing for gestures, as well as more accurate keystrokes.

Available in a wider array of colors, the Surface 2's Touch Cover also adds backlighting to the keyboard. Finally, a new kickstand offers a couple of different angles -- one designed for a flat surface and another designed for your lap.

The Surface 2 is available for preorder. The 32GB version sells for $449, while the 64GB edition will cost $549. Microsoft said last week that the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 are in short supply, though it didn't reveal specific preorder numbers.

The Surface 2 will run Windows RT, while the Surface Pro 2 will be outfitted with Windows 8.1. Both models are due to reach stores October 22.