Windows

Chuwi has revealed the UBook XPro, another Windows-based 2-in-1 by the company. The UBook XPro has a 13-inch and 1440p display, along with the Intel Core i7-7Y75, an old and low-powered Kaby Lake processor.

Microsoft PowerToys is an open-source, free utility developed by Microsoft that allows users the ability to greatly alter their Windows experience and truly make the most out of their machine. Let's have a look at some of the best features that can be found in the v0.55.2 release.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is one of three IdeaPad Flex 5 series machines that the company has released at MWC 2022. The IdeaPad Flex 5i is the most powerful of the trio though, with new Intel Alder Lake processors, a dedicated GPU option and even an OLED display. The IdeaPad Flex 5i starts at €499 but rises to €699 for the entry-level 16-inch version.

Lenovo has announced the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook at MWC 2022, the Chrome OS version of the IdeaPad Flex 5i. The Chromebook variant still comes with Intel Alder Lake processors, but only as a 14-inch laptop. The 1.62 kg machine offers up to 10 hours of battery life and will start at €549 when it launches in June.

Lenovo has announced the IdeaPad Flex 5, a 14-inch or 16-inch Windows laptop powered by AMD Zen 3 APUs. The IdeaPad Flex 5 also has various display options, including a 2.5K panel that offers 100% sRGB colour space coverage. Lenovo will start selling the IdeaPad Flex 5 in May from €549.

Lenovo has unveiled the IdeaPad Duet 5i, a 12.35-inch tablet that relies on Intel Alder Lake processors. The Windows-based tablet also has a 2.5K display, a detachable keyboard case and a 50 Wh battery, among other features.

The ThinkPad T series is the most well known ThinkPad series, apart from the X1 ThinkPads maybe. Lenovo describes the ThinkPad laptops of the T line as workhorses and the workhorses receive a huge upgrade at MWC 2022. This includes a new chassis design, 16:10 screens and the newest processor for ThinkPad T14 G3 and T16 G1.

Apart from a regular update to the established T series ThinkPads, Lenovo also dares to explore new territory with the ThinkPad brand at MWC. In the case of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, this means going with Qualcomm instead of AMD and Intel, or rather Snapdragon than Core i or Ryzen. The result is the first ThinkPad laptop with an ARM CPU.

The ExpertBook B3 offers an LTE modem, two Thunderbolt 4 ports in a 14-inch form factor (FHD, IPS). The touchscreen can be used with the included input pen. The latter is stowed away in a panel in the base unit.

Samsung has showcased the Galaxy Book2 Pro as MWC 2022 begins. The Galaxy Book2 Pro comes in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch screen sizes, both with AMOLED panels and Intel Alder Lake processors. However, the larger model gains Intel Arc Graphics dedicated GPUs, plus an HDMI port. All models weigh less than 1.2 kg though, and will be available in two colours.

A new version of the Galaxy Book Pro 360 has arrived, appropriately called the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360. Samsung's latest convertible laptop will be available with Intel Alder Lake processors, in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch screen sizes and will feature Super AMOLED displays. S Pen support is on board too, but there are no dedicated GPU options.

Images of a Xiaomi Pad 5 running Windows 11 have emerged online. Apart from a lack of GPU drivers, the operating system seems to be working fine. However, its performance has been slightly affected, as exhibited by its Geekbench score.

Microsoft is testing displaying a watermark on the desktop and in the Settings app if run on unsupported hardware. Microsoft is doing A/B testing of the watermark in Dev channel Build 22557. It remains to be seen whether such messaging will eventually start appearing in upcoming public builds as well.

Frame-rate issues have apparently befallen Elden Ring on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Initial testing by Digital Foundry discovered that stutters and jitters frequently occur during Elden Ring gameplay, with a couple of workarounds suggested depending on the platform. FromSoftware’s action RPG has been met by universal acclaim from reviewers.

Acer has revealed the Swift 3 SF314-512, a 14-inch laptop with multiple display options, Intel Alder Lake processors and numerous ports. The SF314-512 starts at US$849.99 in North America, but will be available first in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Acer has revealed the Swift 5 SF514-56T, an upgrade on last year's Swift 5 SF514-55T. The latest Swift 5 features a redesigned chassis, a higher resolution display, more powerful processors and DDR5 RAM, plus other improvements. The Swift 5 SF514-56T will launch first in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but Acer will release it in China and North America too.

Going on a trip and need a laptop to get some work done while you're on the road? Whether you're on the hunt for a Windows or MacOS device, your leisurely productivity needs are sure to be covered by at least one of the devices on this list.

Images of the Galaxy Book Pro 2 360 have leaked just a few days before Samsung's MWC 2022 event. The 15.6-inch laptop has a 16:9 aspect ratio, multiple ports and a number pad, among other features.

Lenovo's Vantage software is included from the factory in most of the OEM's laptops nowadays. While it provides the usual warranty and diagnostic information, here are some extra-neat features that may prevent you from uninstalling it immediately.

Microsoft has listed the Amazon Appstore requirements for running Android apps on Windows 11 and AMD Ryzen 2000 CPUs didn't make the cut. Minimum CPU requirements for Amazon Appstore include an 8th gen Intel Core i3 or above and AMD Ryzen 3000 chips or above.

The ExpertBook offers a 5G modem, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 14-inch touchscreen display (1920x1200 pixels) with a 16:10 aspect ratio. You can operate the screen through touch input as well as with the included Asus Pen.

Microsoft has announced several new gaming features for Windows 11, such as improved HDR options. Additionally, the company has introduced VRR for games running in windowed mode, among other changes.

Mobile workstations are primarily supposed to be reliable companions for professional users and offer a lot of performance at the same time. The ZBook Fury 17 G8 basically meets these criteria, but we think HP wastes a lot of potential in terms of GPU performance.

Microsoft confirmed that upcoming Windows 11 Pro releases will require signing-in with a Microsoft account if the device is being setup for personal use — a requirement that only applied to Windows 11 Home editions so far. Mandating Microsoft account logins for even accessing basic OS functionality can be frustrating for those who perform frequent maintenance and installations without an internet connection.

HP Threat Research Blog has reported on a dubious Windows 11 upgrade website that distributes RedLine Stealer malware. Hackers are creating inventive websites such as the fake Windows 11 upgrade site or the similar phoney Discord download site to trick victims into downloading malware. To circumvent this, users should ensure that they are downloading from legitimate sites.

Microsoft has released Preview Build 22557 to the Dev Channel on the Windows 11 Insider Program. The update brings numerous changes and improvements to Windows 11, including new touch gestures, File Explorer revisions and the rumoured updated Task Manager. Preview Build 22557 is available to download now but not on ARM64 PCs.

Microsoft is now rolling out a non-essential feature update to Windows 11. This February update offers several improvements including public release of the Amazon Appstore, mute and screen sharing from the taskbar, clock on secondary monitor, and more. Additionally, Microsoft is also releasing redesigned Notepad and Media Player apps consistent with the Windows 11 design language.

Google recently announced Chrome OS Flex, a USB-based Chrome OS installation that users can deploy on Windows and Mac computers. While it might not offer significant value on modern systems, Chrome OS flex could help users get more out of ageing netbooks and other devices that struggle to run full-fat Windows.

One-netbook has released another version of the ONEXPLAYER, a handheld games console that features a large and high-resolution display. The ONEXPLAYER is now available with even more storage, albeit only with the AMD Ryzen 7 4800U APU.

XDA Senior Member Danny Lin (@kdrag0n) has managed to get entire virtual machines running on the Google Pixel 6 with relative ease. This was possible due to the new KVM feature that is being introduced with Android 13. The developer could even run Windows 11 on ARM and even play the classic Doom game on the Pixel 6 with decent performance.

The latest Linux kernel 5.16 update brings scheduling and hybrid handling improvements that give Linux a significant advantage over Windows 11 in Alder Lake systems. The current Ubuntu 22.04 LTS uses the 5.15 kernel and suffers from performance regressions on Alder Lake as a result.

The Acer Swift 3, a laptop for the masses: Affordable, solid, optimal performance, high portability, Thunderbolt, and a great display. What more could you want?

Lenovo's 15.6-incher has a Tiger Lake processor on board, it barely warms up, and it only produces a small amount of noise. Windows 10 Home in S mode serves as the operating system (an upgrade to Windows 11 is possible). The purchase price is 399 Euros (~$453).

Love it or hate it, Apple has turned its MacBook line into a tech icon. In 2021, the tech giant launched an all-new line-up of MacBooks with the impressively powerful M1 series of processors. But what if you're not a fan of MacOS or you don't like Apple's stance on right to repair? Let's have a look at some alternatives.

Chuwi has finally released the Hi10 Go with the Celeron N5100, a processor that it promised for the 2-in-1 before launching it with the Celeron N4500 instead. The Celeron N5100-powered machine remains at US$299 though and is still available with a keyboard and pen.

Several benchmark leaks suggest that Microsoft is developing a new ARM-based Surface device. Presumably a next-generation Surface Pro X, the device manages better multi-core performance than Intel's fastest Intel Tiger Lake-U processor thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 SoC.

Microsoft has announced some changes to the way in which the Windows OS will be distributed to those who need or want to experience its latest features in advance. This includes their distribution via 3 channels: Dev, Beta and the pre-existing Release Preview channels. The Redmond giant asserts that they should keep developers or enthusiasts apprised of what its engineers are up to in 2022.

Windows veteran Gustave Monce has managed to sideload a (somewhat) working version of Windows 11 onto the Microsoft Surface Duo. The build is quite unstable but works to a certain degree. He plans to sideload Windows 10X onto the foldable smartphone soon.

The TravelMate P4 scores points with long battery life, relatively low emissions, and a Thunderbolt 4 slot. Windows 10 Pro serves as the operating system. A plus: Acer grants the laptop a three-year warranty.