Category: Hardware

Microsoft started rolling out the latest firmware update for the first-gen Surface Duo. The October 2021 update for the dual-screen smartphone from Microsoft is yet another patch that contains nothing but regular Android security patches. It is now the sixth update without device-specific improvements, bug fixes, or patches, not to mention a new Android version.

In today's episode of "Why you should not update to Windows 11 yet" and "Everyone hates printers," we have printing issues, specifically with printers from Brother. According to the official documentation from the popular printer manufacturer, users might encounter severe problems with their printers after upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11.

If you have a Windows 10 PC with a modern AMD CPU that officially supports Windows 11 and consider moving to the newest operating system, you might need to delay the upgrade. According to numerous reports from early adopters, AMD-based systems experience noticeable performance dips after upgrading to Windows 11. And that is not just yet another exaggerated "report" from websites seeking clicks. On its official support website, AMD has officially confirmed problems users might encounter after installing Windows 11.

Rumors say that Microsoft and AMD are working together to create a new ARM CPU for notebooks. It will significantly outperform existing Qualcomm solutions. As a result, we can see some really powerful devices running Windows on ARM, including the updated Surface Pro X and Samsung Galaxy Book Go.

A few weeks ago, there were rumors on the Internet that Microsoft and Seagate are teamed up to release a 512GB memory expansion card for the Xbox Series X|S game consoles. Moreover, advertisements for new devices were found in two French retail stores.

On September 22, 2021, Microsoft announced a second-gen Surface Duo. The smartphone with a somewhat unconventional design received plenty of much-needed improvements: the latest CPU from Qualcomm, 5G support, NFC, screens with 90Hz refresh rate, bigger batteries, etc. Surface Duo 2 runs Android 11 out of the box, and Microsoft promises to deliver Android 12 soon.

Despite reports of Microsoft planning to release Android 11 for the original Surface Duo "this Summer," Microsoft failed to deliver a proper Android upgrade for its quirky dual-screen smartphone. Traditional Android smartphones are now on track to receive Android 12, but the original Surface Duo remains hopelessly stuck with Android 10 for more than a year after the initial release. Microsoft now says those owning the original Surface Duo should expect the company to release Android 11 "before the end of the year."

So, the annual Microsoft Surface event is over (but you can check its highlights on YouTube). The Redmond software giant introduced a bunch of new devices, including Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Duo 2, Surface Go 3, Surface Pro X, and a number of new accessories. Here are the devices announced today.

Back in June 2021, NVIDIA released its first WHQL Game Ready driver with official Windows 11 support. That release, alongside subsequent updates, let users with Windows 11 preview builds utilize optimized GPU drivers and get better performance. With Windows 11 being just two weeks from public availability, NVIDIA released a new driver with the official support for the initial Windows 11 release on October 5, 2021.

On September 22, Microsoft will reveal new Surface hardware, such as redesigned eight-gen Surface Pro, third-gen Surface Go, second-gen Surface Duo, and a new powerful laptop to replace Surface Book. As is usually the case, last-minute leaks shed light. Just a couple of days before the event, Surface Pro 8 specs leak, revealing some exciting hardware upgrades in the next flagship tablet from Microsoft.