Windows

Chuwi has unleashed a Pro version of the LarkBox, the LarkBox Pro. The LarkBox Pro retails for US$219 and comes with an Intel Celeron J4125 processor, a 200/300 MHz upgrade on the Celeron J4115 in the original LarkBox.

The Your Phone facility in Windows 10 is Microsoft's answer to syncing an iPhone with a macOS device. However, it has been rather restrictive in that it only allows 1 Android app open on a given phone to be mirrored on a PC's screen at any one time. A new version now gradually rolling out from the Insider Preview addresses this issue, although there are caveats to the new solution.

A new title to join the Mass Effect universe is now in the making, and BioWare has also just confirmed that Mass Effect Legendary Edition is on its way for a Spring 2021 launch. The game promised to include all content from the first three games in the series, but everything is remastered and optimized for 4k Ultra HD.

Large display, fast processor, sufficient storage, and an aluminum case - for around 900 Euros (~$1,054), the Honor MagicBook Pro actually offers everything that a multimedia laptop needs.

Xiaomi has pitched its latest version of its 2020 14-inch laptop at students in need of new remote learning hardware. It has many specs in common with its pre-existing vanilla and Horizon siblings, although it has a 10th-gen Core i3 CPU and an in-built webcam this time. At INR 34,999 (~US$473), it is also now the cheapest Mi Notebook 14 available in India.

Shuttle has launched a new mini-PC, the XH410G. The XH410G supports with a choice of Comet Lake-S processors, and has a PCIe card slot that could house a dedicated GPU, like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. The Shuttle XH410G starts at €283 as a barebones machine.

The Chuwi CoreBox Pro offers an Intel Ice Lake processor, 12 GB of RAM, an NVMe drive and loads of ports. One of these is a Thunderbolt 3 port, opening the two-litre machine up to being used with an eGPU. The Chuwi CoreBox Pro is available to order now for US$439.

The Predator Helios 300 brings all modern computer games smoothly onto the matte screen (Full HD, IPS, 144 Hz). Since Acer only uses one RAM module, memory runs in single-channel mode.

Xiaomi has unveiled a mini-PC, and it is a dead ringer for the Chuwi LarkBox and GMK NucBox. Xiaomi has based its machine, called the Ningmei Cube, on an Intel Celeron J4125 processor and up to 8 GB of RAM. The Xiaomi Ningmei Cube starts at CNY (~US$150).

Purism has updated its Librem Mini, now called the Librem Mini V2. The second version of the popular mini-PC comes with a Comet Lake-U Core i7 processor, up to 64 GB of RAM and has an M.2 slot for fast NVMe drives.

Dell charges almost 2000 Euros for the base model of the XPS 17 9700. You still get the great chassis and a very good FHD panel, but also a slow quad-core processor from Intel with an outdated iGPU.

An engineering sample of the upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 8 has been put up for sale on eBay with bids starting from US$1,300. According to the seller's description, the Surface Pro 8 is powered by an Intel Tiger Lake Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 32 GB RAM, and a 1 TB SSD. Though still a prototype, this listing indicates that the Surface Pro 8 will sport the same chassis as the Surface Pro 7 with no design changes.

Sharp has announced the Dynabook Portégé X40-J, its latest ultrabook designed for business users. The X40-J relies on Intel Tiger Lake-U processors, which will offer a giant leap forward from the graphics and CPU power that its Comet Lake-U powered predecessor offered. Sharp has also equipped the X40-J with a 14-inch display and Thunderbolt 4 ports, which are housed in an aluminium chassis.

The Eve V 2020 is an upcoming Intel Tiger Lake-powered convertible PC that, as its OEM likes to say, was co-designed with its fans. The latest stage in its ongoing production involves finalizing the design of its detachable keyboard. It now apparently combines aspects of a few previous concepts, the custom button functions of which Eve now invites feedback on.

In our test, the Dell Latitude 14 5410 can convince us primarily with two aspects: Upgradeability and battery life. But because Dell insists on only offering Intel CPUs, we can't give the Dell laptop an absolute recommendation.

Samsung's 15.6-inch convertible offers a compact case, very good battery life, and a very bright display with a brightness of up to 600 nits. Its touchscreen display (QLED, IPS, FHD) does not only support finger but also stylus input using the included S Pen.

The PrimeMini 5 is a new and powerful mini-PC, considering its size. The compact machine runs silently too and features a good selection of I/O. The PrimeMini 5 ships worldwide from Switzerland.

With the i7book, Alldocube has set its sights on creating a compact laptop with an aluminium chassis and a minimal design. However, its Core i7-6600U processor is a blast from the past.

Microsoft's latest laptop is both a great netbook and a terrible Ultrabook. If you're thinking about spending $900 on the Surface Laptop Go, then you may as well just consider the more capable 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 instead.

The now — unofficially, of course — declassified achievement list for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War contains no less than 44 items that cover various milestones that players need to reach in the campaign, multiplayer, and zombie modes. The platinum trophy gets awarded to those who hit 1,000 points.

With the Yoga Slim 7 14, Lenovo offers users the choice between AMD and Intel processors. We have tested both versions.

Microsoft has released the Windows 10 21H1 Insider Preview Build 20241, integrating yet more features into next year's update. Behind the scenes, the company has been working on many features, including one that will warn people if their HDD or SSD is in a bad way.

Dell's compact business-oriented 13.3-incher offers long battery life, a good keyboard (backlit), and a fast NVMe SSD. An LTE modem is optionally available.

Usually, we prefer a laptop with good maintenance possibilities. But with the Dell Latitude 15 5510, an M.2 drive and a sata drive are mutually exclusive so only one port can be used at the same time.

The PIPO W11 is a budget alternative to the Microsoft Surface lineup, specifically the Surface Go 2. The W11 is still relatively cheap though, thanks to its Gemini Lake processor and 8 GB of RAM.

Finally, the Windows 10 fall update is here, better known as the October 2020 update or Windows 10 20H2. The new update remains a free one for all existing Windows 10 licenses and features a host of changes, including a new start menu, settings improvements and better Microsoft Edge integration.

Despite the hardware from the gaming entry-level, you don't have to worry about the performance. The Legion 5 brings all the current computer games smoothly to the matte screen (Full HD, IPS). However, the highlight of the laptop is the excellent battery life.

Acer is releasing an updated mobile workstation: The ConceptD 7 Pro combines the Quadro RTX 5000 with Intel Comet Lake H. As a variant, the ConceptD 7 contains the GeForce RTX 2080 Super instead of the ISV-certified Quadro.

A new software tool from Parallels, the Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise, allows certain Chromebooks to natively run Windows apps alongside Chrome OS apps, no Internet required. The software seamlessly integrates Windows into Chrome OS, allowing shared use of system functions like the clipboard, network connections, and more.

Intel-based business laptops still have to make do with Comet Lake. This may not stop business customers from buying, but for many customers, laptops with outdated hardware no longer make sense. The HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7 also shares this fate.

MSI has enhanced this series' strengths with the Creator 15. The Comet Lake update offers a decent performance increase while the UHD panel scores points with its high luminosity and vivid colors. Only the battery suffers from this high performance.

Updated across all platforms — including mobile — Vivaldi 3.4 comes with an arcade game inspired by the Future Noir and Cyberpunk genres. This easy-going title is named Vivaldia and it comes along various features such as the very useful periodic reload, configurable context menus, and much more.

The MINISFORUM X35G is a Mini-PC with an Ice Lake processor, 16 GB of RAM and a Thunderbolt 3 port, among other ports. The compact PC is available to back on Indiegogo from US$350 and will begin shipping next month.

The Predator Helios 300 can run all current games smoothly. It comes with a 17.3-inch screen (144 Hz, FHD, IPS). Users can install up to three storage devices in the Helios 300.