Windows

UGREEN's latest multi-port is called a docking station, although it has more of a tower format for easy USB type-C-to-C connection to an ever-growing list of powerful ultrabooks. It supports external monitors of up to 8K/30Hz, albeit when used as a hub for Windows machines only. A triple 4K/60Hz display option is open to MacBooks, however, with some caveats.

Xiaomi has launched the Book Air 13 in China, where it retails from CNY 5,999 (~US$836). Available with a choice between the Core i5-1230U and the Core i7-1250U, the Xiaomi Book Air 13 combines a 2.8K OLED display with a 58.3 Wh battery, 16 GB of fast RAM and a 512 GB SSD.

The Summit E16 Flip offers a 16-inch touchscreen display in the 16:10 format, Thunderbolt 4, and a dedicated GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU. The touchscreen can be operated with fingers as well as the included MSI input pen.

Microsoft has started shipping the Windows Dev Kit 2023, an ARM-powered mini-PC that has been compared to the Apple Mac mini. Although advertised as a developer unit, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 is end-user friendly and is a doddle to take apart.

The new Windows on Arm dev kits cost more than double compared to the previous versions, but these mini PCs are still the most affordable Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 devices out there, and the specs are not shabby either, with 32 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and a 512 GB NVMe SSD.

With the Zenbook 17 Fold, Asus has released the first large foldable convertible, which - as it turns out in our review - is a concept that integrates well into practical use. There are of course some technological challenges, but the biggest problem is the high price of 3,499 USD.

Released to universal critical acclaim for multiple platforms back in 2016, Persona 5 got the Royal version in 2019, and now this version is finally making its way to the Nintendo Switch system. This title includes more than 40 items of previously released downloadable content and carries a price tag that reads US$59.99.

Although the users in some markets are not facing the new figures yet, it looks like some YouTube Premium Family subscribers are receiving notifications of drastic price changes. While Romanian subscribers still can grab a Family plan for roughly US$8, the cost went up to US$22.99 in other markets.

Microsoft has released another update for Windows 11, not long after the company started distributing the 22H2 update. Not only has Microsoft bundled several long-awaited changes, but it has also opened Android app support to more countries and regions.

Scheduled to launch next week, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has just received an in-depth list of PC requirements for a minimum, recommended, competitive, and ultra 4K level of gaming experience. Early access to the campaign will begin tomorrow, and today at 10 AM PT, the game will be available for pre-load.

Already released for consoles and PC, the Crysis Remastered Trilogy has only been available for the latter as an Epic Games Store exclusive. Now, the trilogy is ready to land on Steam, where it will become available on November 17 with a generous first-week discount of 40 percent (55 percent for those who already own Crysis Remastered).

YouTube has been running an "experiment" in which the ability to play content back at 2160p, or 4K, on its website would be locked behind its Premium paywall. However, it may have ultimately failed, as it has now officially been cancelled, leaving the setting open to all members once again.

DirectStorage 1.0 did not seem to improve load times in a meaningful way, but the 1.1 version is introducing GPU decompression that completely relieves the CPU of any game asset decompression tasks and speeds up game load times by an additional 3x.

MINISFORUM has announced that the least expensive version of its 'Venus' (or UMxx0) mini PCs is now shipping to Europe. The Ryzen 7 4800U-powered compact desktop can support triple 4K monitors, has dual USB type C ports, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. It starts at just under US$330, albeit without RAM or memory included.

Although it is only available in the Dev Channel, support for iCloud Photos in Windows 11's Photos app is an inspired move by Microsoft that promises to bring its ecosystem closer to Apple's. Even more, Apple TV and Apple Music will hit Windows 11 next year, while preview versions will show up in a few weeks.

Microsoft has lifted the lid on the Surface Pro 9 5G, a successor to the Surface Pro X. While the Surface Pro 9 5G does not come cheap, it features numerous upgrades over the Surface Pro X, including a more powerful chipset and a much faster display.

Microsoft has presented the Surface Laptop 5 series, which will be familiar to those who own a Surface Laptop 3 or Surface Laptop 4 series model. Now available with only Intel processors, the Surface Laptop 5 series launches with other minor upgrades from US$999.99 for the 13.5-inch model and US$1,299.99 if you are after the larger 15-inch variant.

Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Studio 2+, four years on from the Surface Studio 2. Surprisingly, Microsoft has not updated the display at all and has only brought the Surface Studio series up to the lowly Intel Core i7-11370H. The Surface Studio 2+ is orderable now in one configuration that retails for US$4,499.99.

Microsoft has presented the Surface Pro 9, a new take on the Surface Pro series. Equipped with either the Core i5-1235U or the Core i7-1255U, the Surface Pro 9 is available in four colours, up to 1 TB of storage and 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Prices start at US$999, while pre-orders will begin shipping from October 25 in the US.

Microsoft has long been rumoured to have developed the Surface Studio 3, a next-generation all-in-one desktop PC. Thought to be on track for release later today, a late rumour by a renowned leaker points towards Microsoft launching the Surface Studio 2+ in its place with an Intel Tiger Lake processor for over €6,000.

One-netbook has announced version of the ONEXPLAYER Mini Pro, which remains one of the most powerful gaming handhelds. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U and a Radeon 680M iGPU, the ONEXPLAYER mini Pro has now received a stylish Gundam Edition, which has already been afforded to its Intel-based sibling.

According to new reports, it seems less and less likely that Microsoft will release the Surface Laptop 5 13.5 or Surface Laptop 5 15 with AMD Ryzen APUs. Instead, both laptops could feature the same Intel Alder Lake-U series processors as the Surface Pro 9. An apparent leaked marketing image points to little visual updates for this year's Surface Laptop series too.

One major highlight of the 13-inch Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is that it weighs just slightly under 1 kg, making the device exceptionally portable. However, the keyboard is one of its weaknesses, and the Alder Lake-P processor inside isn't particularly efficient.

ASUS has announced that it has started selling two of its latest mid-range laptops in Europe. Both equipped with OLED displays, the Vivobook 16X OLED and Vivobook 17X OLED also feature a choice between AMD Ryzen 5000 and Intel Alder Lake processors. The pair start at €799, but more powerful configurations push prices up.

The Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25217 has just been delivered on the Dev Channel by Microsoft. This piece of code brings the ability to test third-party widgets to developers. However, these widgets are restricted to local use for now, but they should support for installation from the Microsoft Store soon.

Already featuring a few raytracing options and DirectX 12 support, World of Warcraft is now getting ready for the Dragonflight update and its system requirements for PC gamers have been pushed up. The SSD and a DX12 video card are now mandatory, while the amount of required system memory has doubled.

The TravelMate offers a Tiger Lake Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and excellent battery life. Acer has made a great choice by giving the laptop a 14-inch display with a work-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) and providing a three-year warranty on the device (two years in the US).

The recently released free update for Microsoft Flight Simulator introduces the world's second-largest country to the players. This update's list of highlights includes 12 urban regions enhanced with the latest photogrammetry data, nine missions, and no less than 87 hand-crafted points of interest.

Five years ago, Lenovo celebrated the 25th anniversary of its ThinkPad brand with the ThinkPad 25, a special edition ThinkPad that featured the classic IBM style keyboard. Lenovo appears to be launching another commemorative ThinkPad, although the new 30th Anniversary Edition of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 skips the retro keyboard.

More details about upcoming Surface products have leaked online ahead of Microsoft's annual hardware event on October 12. Reputedly, Microsoft has opted for four Intel Alder Lake-U processors for the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5. However, only configuration may be available for the Surface Studio 3.

It seems that Microsoft has certified the Surface Studio 3 and Project Volterra with the FCC ahead of their North American releases. While the FCC has not revealed too many Project Volterra details, it appears to have leaked the Surface Studio 3's design.

This week's feature update for Windows 11 reveals what might come soon to Windows 10 as well. Scheduled to arrive next month, Windows 10 22H2 will pack a rich set of tweaks and fixes, as well as printing-focused features, an improved focus mode, and more. Accurate information should surface in the coming weeks.

According to a new report, the Surface Laptop 5 could miss out on AMD Ryzen models, a break from earlier generations. Purportedly, the Surface Laptop 5 could arrive with Intel Alder Lake-U series processors instead, a fate now also rumoured to be the case for the Surface Pro 9. Prices, memory configurations and new colour options have leaked too.

One-netbook has revealed pricing and configurations for the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U-powered version of its ONEXPLAYER mini Pro. Launching for as little as US$919, the machine comes with a 48 Wh battery, LPDDR5 RAM and a 7-inch display, among other features.

One-netbook is preparing to release a new edition in its ever-expanding ONEXPLAYER series. Finally, the company is equipping an ONEXPLAYER model with the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, a Zen 3+ APU that features the powerful Radeon 680M iGPU. Theoretically, the Radeon 680M should help the AMD version deliver significantly better in-game performance than the current Intel Alder Lake-P series model.

A potential release date for the Surface Pro 9 5G has leaked online, which should also apply to the regular Surface Pro 9, the Surface Laptop 5, the Surface Studio 3 and perhaps even the rumoured Surface Gaming Laptop. Having been spotted on the FCC's database, details about possible design changes between the Surface Pro X and Surface Pro 9 5G have been outlined too.

After almost three decades since it arrived on the market, the Tekken franchise is taking a major leap forward. The recently unveiled Tekken 8 game is being developed from scratch using the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine, and promises to bring the visual area of this iconic series to a whole new level.