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• Microsoft has revealed a new Surface Pro 12-inch tablet and Surface Laptop 13-inch
• Both consumer devices are built around a 6-core Snapdragon X2 Plus processor
• They go on sale on October 13, 2026, starting at $1,149.99 / AU$1,999 for the Surface Pro and $1,199 / AU$2,099 for the Surface Laptop

It seems like Microsoft might be getting its mojo back for its Surface line-up of products, with Brett Ostrum, Corporate Vice President, Surface Devices, announcing at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit that the company will be releasing a new Surface Pro 12-inch tablet and Surface Laptop 13-inch. Both will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus chips, which explains the venue choice. (I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that the Snapdragon Summit is held in Hawaii).

According to Microsoft, the two new Surface devices with Snapdragon X2 Plus CPUs will be up to 17% faster for Office workloads, up to 18% more battery efficient, and offer over 60% faster graphics performance.

As these are Microsoft products, there is also the now-customary boasting about AI performance, with the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU offering 80 TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second) resulting in a claimed 95% faster local AI performance.

The Surface Pro 12-inch (2026) is a Windows 11 tablet built around the 6-core Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, partnered with either 16GB or 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and 256GB or 512GB storage. The 12-inch LCD display has a resolution of 2196 x 1464 and a refresh rate of up to 90Hz. The screen of this new model is, according to Microsoft, 25% brighter than the previous model, and there’s a new black color. Microsoft estimates around 15.5 hours of local video playback and 13 hours of web use on a single charge. It’ll start at $1,149.99 / AU$1,999 (around £900) and goes on sale on October 13, 2026.

The Surface Laptop 13-inch (2026) features the same 6-core Snapdragon X2 Plus chip and is available in the same memory and storage configurations as the Surface Pro. The 13-inch touchscreen has a resolution of 1920 x 1280 and a refresh rate of 60Hz, which I’m not going to lie, is a bit disappointing in a laptop these days, although Microsoft claims the 500-nit display is 25% brighter than the last model.

It also has two USB-C (USB 3.2) ports and a USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Microsoft claims up to 22.5 hours of battery life, which if accurate is very impressive.

The Surface Laptop will start at $1,199 / AU$2,099 (around £920) and will also go on sale on October 13, 2026.

Ready to take on the MacBook Air?

Microsoft’s announcement of two new consumer Surface devices is definitely welcome. Surface Pro tablets and Surface Laptops used to be Microsoft’s flagship products and showcases for cutting-edge Windows features. They certainly felt like Microsoft’s attempts to create a MacBook Air. The problem is, they never reached that potential, and when Apple switched to using its own Arm-based M series chips in 2020, the gap widened even further.

Surface devices also had a larger than life cheerleader in the form of Panos Panay, who had a major role at Microsoft and whose passion for the Surface line-up, that he helped create, was infectious (even if that infection didn’t translate into sales). After Panay left Microsoft for Amazon, it felt like the wind had been taken out of Surface’s sails, which wasn’t helped when Microsoft aimed recent Surface devices at commercial and business users, rather than mainstream consumers.

So, it’s good to see that these new Surface devices are firmly pitched at consumers, and the price points are around the same as the MacBook Air since Apple increased prices earlier this year. It also pits them against new Googlebooks, which are going on sale soon as well, and are priced similarly.

Will this mean Microsoft finally has a MacBook Air rival? While I’m glad it’s trying again, I’m not too sure. The Snapdragon X2 Plus is a decent mid-range chip, but the 6-core variant in the new Surface devices falls short of the 10-core CPU in the M5, especially as the M5 offers better single-core performance.

My main concern with the Surface Laptop is that the 1920 x 1280 screen just won’t compare to the display of the MacBook Air, which offers a 2560 x 1664 resolution for a much sharper image.

I’ve also seen the first five new Googlebook laptops, and they all come with higher resolution screens, and some also feature OLED.

The screen of the Surface Pro 12-inch (2026) is more promising, though if you want to use it as a laptop, you’ll need to buy a keyboard accessory, which adds to the price. However, it should still come in at under the price of Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro.

So, I’m not entirely sure that these will be the MacBook Air/iPad Pro killers Microsoft needs them to be, but I’m glad Microsoft is at least trying again, and I could be proved wrong when we get the new Surface devices in for review soon.

The 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop get brought up to speed with Qualcomm’s latest processors. And there’s a new Surface Mouse with haptics.

• TENKU Note Pro AI uses a full Windows 11 Pro setup inside its tiny convertible chassis
• The 960g notebook folds completely around its touchscreen for tablet use
• Intel's Core Ultra 5 125U brings dedicated AI hardware to TENKU's compact computer

TENKU has launched a compact Windows 11 Pro computer in Japan, combining Intel processing hardware with a touchscreen and convertible design.

The Note Pro AI uses a Core Ultra 5 125U processor with 12 cores and 14 threads, alongside hardware dedicated to selected AI workloads.

At 960g, the laptop combines a 10.51-inch screen with a physical keyboard while remaining considerably smaller than conventional full-size notebooks.

A convertible design built around Intel's mobile processor

The device uses a 360-degree hinge, allowing its keyboard section to fold behind the screen when tablet operation becomes more suitable.

Its touch panel recognizes ten simultaneous inputs, while an optional digital pen supports 4,096 pressure levels for writing and drawing applications.

The IPS panel produces 1,920 x 1,280 pixels, providing a 3:2 display area for Windows applications and productivity software.

Intel's Core Ultra 5 125U also includes an integrated NPU, which supports functions such as background processing and noise reduction during video calls.

The system includes 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB M.2 SSD for applications, documents, and other locally stored data.

Wireless connectivity covers 802.11a, b, g, n, ac, and ax standards, with Bluetooth 5.2 available for compatible accessories and peripherals.

Battery capacity, dimensions and pricing

Under the hood, the device packs a 3,800mAh battery that is smaller than many smartphone batteries today, yet TENKU rates it for 17 hours.

According to the company, the chassis of this notebook measures 243mm across, 177.6mm from front to back, and 17.5mm thick.

Its compact chassis leaves less internal space than larger notebooks, while retaining the hardware required for its convertible configuration and cooling system.

On the software end, this device comes installed with Windows 11 Pro, giving the computer access to desktop applications rather than restricting its use to tablet-oriented software.

The available AI functions depend on software support, meaning the processor's dedicated hardware does not automatically provide every possible feature across Windows.

TENKU has listed the Note Pro AI in Japan, and it is currently retailing for about 176,800 yen (about $1,127) including tax.

There is also a launch promotion that cuts the price by 25% through Highbeam's official online store and physical outlets.

The 25% discount takes the promo retail price to 132,600 yen (about $845), and the offer ends on September 24 2026.

Amazon Japan is also offering a separate 15% reduction during the same promotional period, giving buyers another discounted purchasing channel until September 24.

Via Hermitage Akihabara (originally in Japanese)

In the age of agentic AI, headphones are no longer the straightforward audio devices they once were.

Compare the best Whoop alternatives in 2026, including Garmin, Oura, Fitbit, Amazfit, and Polar for sleep, recovery, fitness, and value.

The post Best Whoop Alternatives in 2026: Oura, Garmin, Fitbit, and More appeared first on TechRepublic.

Premium plans will cost about $2 more each month.

It is the second time the leaders are meeting this year after the Beijing summit in May.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

No, ChatGPT will not be clearing you for takeoff.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the U.N. General Assembly a day after President Trump threatened from the same podium to "annihilate" Iran.

(Image credit: John Lamparski)

Bishop Fulton Sheen, who charmed millions of television viewers on his show Life Is Worth Living,'will come one step closer to being declared a saint.

(Image credit: Eddie Adams)

The security flaw has been patched, but there are plenty of reasons to hesitate about giving AI too much access.

• XMG has announced price rises for its laptops due to the increased cost of components
• The laptop maker points out that DDR5 RAM for laptops is now close to 6x the price it was before the memory crisis
• We're also hearing that Micron has pulled the plug on its 2GB modules of GDDR7, and Nvidia's supply of VRAM could feel an impact from this

The RAM crisis sadly keeps rolling on and finding fresh pricing misery to heap on us, and that includes new laptop hikes and a hint that Nvidia GPUs could be in yet another spot of bother.

VideoCardz spotted the development with laptops, as manufacturer XMG announced on Reddit that its notebooks are subject to price hikes of either €100 or €150 for most models, or €300 in one case (that's for a Schenker portable, which is XMG's parent company, so it's all under the same umbrella).

Some laptop upgrades have got pricier, too, with a €120 premium on an RTX 5090 configuration, and as XMG observed: "The reason [for the price rises] is another increase in purchasing costs. This is no longer just about RAM and SSDs: PCBs, electronic components, CPUs, graphics cards and video memory are also contributing to the higher cost level."

In other words, everything is subject to price inflation, including the motherboard and associated chips, as well as the mentioned key components.

XMG highlighted data drawn from Geizhals (which tracks German retail prices) showing that DDR5 RAM for laptops is close to 6x the price it was before the memory shortage began (in mid-2025).

The laptop maker also made it clear that discrete GPUs and GDDR7 video memory have become more expensive, as have the prices of AMD and Intel laptop processors.

Also on the subject of GPUs, Wccftech reports that another slight worry is that Micron is no longer making 2GB modules of GDDR7 video RAM which are used in some Nvidia RTX 5000 GPUs.

Uniko's Hardware flagged up this news in a post on X, noting that these chips have "reached end of life" and that this is the case for all Micron 2GB modules, with only 3GB GDDR7 chips now listed on the memory maker's website.

the micron gddr7 28gbps 2gb chip d8fhl (MT68A512M32DF-28:A) used on some rtx50 cards, has reached end of life.in fact, all micron 2gb g7 chips listed on their website are now eol, leaving only 3gb options avaliable. https://t.co/W70J3DMYGS pic.twitter.com/ltj6Sab6MfSeptember 22, 2026

With Micron apparently no longer supplying Nvidia with those 2GB modules, that means more of a squeeze on the availability of video memory for RTX 5000 graphics cards, at least in theory. This could hit stock levels and put a bit more pressure on pricing (which is already climbing fast).

Analysis: yet more pressure

(Image credit: XMG)

We need to season the claims around Micron here, as this isn't a definitive statement from the company itself, and more to the point, it's only a minor supplier for Nvidia's gaming GPUs. Team Green gets the majority of its GDDR7 from Samsung and SK Hynix, and so the impact here should be relatively slight.

However, I'd argue that any impact is bad news given the current climate which is rapidly worsening for GPUs, particularly those from Nvidia which are heading upwards at a rate of knots for some models. The RTX 5090 has got completely ridiculous, the RTX 5080 is similarly out of hand, and even the RTX 5070 is now feeling the pricing heat, with a 30% price rise compared to two months ago in the US (and a similar picture elsewhere).

So, even small extra pressures are really not going to help Nvidia's GeForce GPUs here.

As for the laptop price hikes, this is a sign of the RAM supply times, and XMG is following other makers who have had to jack up prices (like Dell for example, which just bumped up the XPS 13 in a roundabout way).

It's a commendable level of transparency from XMG here, with the company making it clear that it isn't turning any extra profit from these laptop price increases. XMG also observed that other factors are in play with increased costs for notebook makers, and that includes rising air freight costs (due to conflicts in the Middle East) and difficulties with shipping by sea, too.

OpenAI plans to expand independent safety assessments into model training and evaluation, giving outside groups earlier access to test high-risk AI systems.

The post OpenAI Expands Outside Safety Reviews Into Model Training appeared first on TechRepublic.

As President Trump and China's President Xi prepare to meet, Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations explains the current state of U.S.-China relations and what to expect from this summit.

• Garmin may have bought a fitness company aimed at serious athletes
• The purchase could add ‘muscle oxygen’ stats to future Garmin products
• The acquisition has not yet been officially confirmed

The best Garmin devices can do a lot, but there are a few ways they fall short right now. But if a new rumor is correct, Garmin fans could expect to see an interesting new feature for dedicated athletes in future products.

That idea comes from the5krunner, which recently published a report claiming that Garmin has quietly snapped up specialist fitness firm Moxy Monitor, with that impression supposedly confirmed by “a source with direct knowledge of the transaction.”

Moxy Monitor makes muscle oxygen (SmO2) sensors that are used by elite athletes to help them train more effectively. It’s a market that Garmin has apparently been considering entering, with the company filing a patent for an algorithm to measure SmO2 data earlier this year, the 5krunner says.

The report adds that a response by Moxy Monitor’s founder to the outlet’s questions “implicitly confirms the deal.” That’s because Moxy Monitor’s founder directed questions towards Garmin rather than his own company’s press office. Garmin itself has made no comment on the rumored acquisition.

Keeping up with rivals

(Image credit: Moxy Monitor)

If you’re a high-level athlete, the revelation of Garmin’s rumored purchase might be an exciting one. If it proves to be accurate, future Garmin wearables might be able to integrate SmO2 measurements and help serious sportspeople improve their performance.

As the5krunner points out, the deal could also lead to Garmin releasing new devices. Since you can’t take SmO2 readings from your wrist and instead need to use a near-infrared spectroscopy sensor, the5krunner says that new hardware would be required if Garmin were to put Moxy Monitor’s tech to good use.

And the report points out that Garmin competitor Whoop has patented its own SmO2 strap. That means that Garmin’s purchase of Moxy Monitor gives it a way to keep up with its rivals in this area without having to build an entirely new system from scratch.

Garmin products can already read SmO2 data from third-party straps, and that will likely to continue to be refined with Moxy Monitor on board. That might be the most immediate change we see, with new hardware further out on the horizon.

Whatever the outcome, anyone wanting to get more serious fitness metrics from their Garmin devices might just get a boost if this acquisition turns out to be the real deal. But with Garmin not confirming anything for now, we’ll likely have to wait for confirmation before knowing exactly how this could play out.

Beats 360 headphones cost $349.99 and offer swappable cushions, 32-hour battery life, stronger noise cancellation, and Apple and Android support.

The post Beats 360: Swappable Cushions Bring a New Twist to $350 Headphones appeared first on TechRepublic.

Tom Clancy's The Division and The Division 2 are two of my favorite online and co-op games of all time; I still play The Division 2 most months (at least) and have done so since launch.

The second game still has a committed player base and is a game that keeps on going and keeps on giving for fans who play regularly and those who come back occasionally.

It's established a rich universe full of interesting lore, gripping side stories, and compelling characters, with novels, a mobile game, DLC and expansions, and books, all playing a part in filling out its brilliant world. And with more expansions and content coming all the time — even now in 2026, more than seven years after release — there's loads to get into.

As a result, there's plenty to draw on for my bumper Division quiz, and there's sure to be some stuff in here that'll have even the most experienced players a little, well, quizzical.

Good luck and let me know how you get on!

What did you think of our quiz on all things The Division? Let me know how you got on in the comments, and let me know what else we could do quizzes on!

With memory prices soaring throughout 2026, upgrading your desktop PC has become increasingly expensive. Fortunately, there are still decent occasional discounts to be found, including this offer on the stylish white Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5 memory kit.

Best for: Desktop PC owners who need 32GB of DDR5 RAM for demanding productivity, creative applications and extensive multitasking.

The deal: The white Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5-5200 RAM kit is now $408 (was $508) at Corsair.

Why it matters: With RAM prices remaining super-high in 2026, a $100 discount is decent news anyone planning a desktop memory upgrade. Hitting the advertised speed requires compatible hardware and enabling the appropriate XMP settings.

32GB Vengeance DDR5-4800 White: was $508.99 now $407.99
The white Corsair Vengeance kit includes two 16GB UDIMMs rated for 5,200MT/s, CL40 latency and 1.25V, featuring aluminum heat spreaders, Intel XMP support and iCUE-controlled onboard voltage regulation.View Deal

Why we recommend it

This Corsair Vengeance kit includes two 16GB DDR5 modules. Running at up to 5,200MT/s with CL40 latency, the modules feature aluminum heat spreaders to manage temperatures. Their compact, low-profile construction makes them suitable for desktop builds where larger memory modules could interfere with CPU coolers.

Corsair has optimized the kit for Intel motherboards, with compatibility covering Intel 600, 700 and 800 series platforms. The white finish is a decent attraction if you're building a color-coordinated desktop with a window in the case.

Price context & historical value

The discount from $508 to $407.99 knocks just over $100 off the current price, equivalent to saving almost 20%. The wider memory market has experienced huge price increases during 2026, so any sizable discount is worth considering, even if it's still very expensive compared to last year.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the 32GB Corsair Vengeance White DDR5 kit if...

You accept that pricing is through the roof and modern deals don't compare with last year's costs. This is a good offer if want more control over your desktop's memory configuration and are comfortable tweaking performance settings. The kit supports Intel XMP profiles, allowing compatible systems to apply its rated memory settings without manually entering every timing and voltage parameter.

Built-in voltage regulation provide additional control for anyone looking to fine-tune their systems.

❌ Skip the 32GB Corsair Vengeance White DDR5 if...

You're assembling a budget desktop or upgrading an older system that doesn't support DDR5. Given current prices, it's worth checking whether your existing memory genuinely limits everyday performance before spending more than $400 on an upgrade.

Also consider

32GB Vengeance DDR5 memory: was $505.99 now $399.99
This 32GB Vengeance DDR5 kits combines two 16GB modules with speeds up to 4,800MT/s, CL40 latency and a compact design optimized for compatible Intel motherboards.View Deal

• Shop all computer memory on sale at Corsair.

• Burger King Russia’s 2024 breach via Mindbox exposed 3.2 million customer records, now leaked online
• Data includes emails, names, genders, birth dates, phone numbers, and geolocations (2018–2024)
• Payment details weren’t compromised; users warned of phishing and identity theft risks

Back in 2024, the Russian arm of Burger King suffered a data breach at the hands of unknown threat actors - now, that data has finally been leaked online.

In October 2024, Burger King told TASS, Russia’s national news agency, that unidentified hackers attacked Mindbox, a domestic marketing automation platform the company had been using.

Through Mindbox, the crooks managed to obtain sensitive company data, including information belonging to the customers.

As a customer data and marketing automation platform, Mindbox helps businesses gather and use customer information for personalized, omnichannel marketing campaigns. Its tools cover email and SMS campaigns, push notifications, loyalty programs, chatbots, and more. According to the company, more than 1,100 businesses use its platform, including L’Oréal, Panasonic, KFC, JBL and United Colors of Benetton.

One victim in a supply-chain attack

At the time, there was no word on the nature of the information that was taken, apart from the fact that payment information was not compromised.

"Among the victims of the attack may also be the data of customers of the Burger King restaurant chain," the company said at the time.

“Burger King confirms that among the personal data, the accuracy of which is being clarified, there is no information about payment details: open information about transactions is not transmitted or stored by third parties.”

The details about the hack were also not disclosed. We don’t know if the platform contained a zero-day, or if a company employee had their login credentials or session tokens exposed. Third-party supply chain attacks such as this one are common and often rather disruptive, affecting numerous companies using the same tools. For Mindbox, however, there have been no reports of additional victims.

In its 2024 results announcement, Mindbox said the attack was its “first serious information security incident”, which was quickly detected and contained “thanks to threat detection tools.”

In the aftermath of the breach, Mindbox said it “found and eliminated points where employees without access rights to sensitive data could indirectly obtain them,” hinting that the attack was, in fact, an identity-based attack rather than a zero-day exploit.

The company also “changed development processes to find such points before they get into the product,” and reformed Mindbox's internal role system to make permissions stricter and more granular. It also limited project access scenarios, introduced a mechanism for confirming access by another employee, and introduced mandatory two-factor authentication, among other things.

Have you been pwned?

Today, more details were released on Have I Been Pwned?, a website that aggregates information stolen in various hacks and helps people learn if their email addresses and other information had been compromised in the past. According to the newest entry, more than three million people have had their data exposed in this incident:

“The breach exposed 3.2M unique email addresses along with names, genders, dates of birth, phone numbers and approximate geolocations, with the data spanning 2018 to August 2024,” Have I Been Pwned? writes. “Burger King Russia acknowledged the incident and advised it did not include payment or passport details.”

The latest findings seem to be somewhat in line with what the media reported at the time. According to The Register, initial reports claimed around 5.6 million lines of data as exposed, which included information about a customer’s favorite dish and previous order dates. While this information was not mentioned in the newest report, if every data line includes one email, one name, or one phone number, it could amount to around 5.6 million.

While the information might be a few years old, things like names and birth dates, and genders rarely change, but are vital in identity theft, social engineering, and similar attacks. Burger King users, especially those in Russia, should be wary of incoming email messages, particularly those claiming to come from the fast food chain.

The Geekom A5 2027 Edition combines an eight-core AMD processor, upgradable memory and extensive connectivity, and our exclusive code cuts the price significantly.

Best for: Remote workers, programmers and home office professionals looking for an expandable desktop computer that occupies very little space.

The deal: The Geekom A5 2027 Edition mini PC is $495 (was $549) at Amazon.com and £423 (was £469) at Amazon.co.uk when you use our exclusive code TRA527FF

Why it matters: The Geekom A5 has consistently proven itself as a solid mini PC for work in our tests, and the 2027 Edition is no different. The eight-core Ryzen 7 processor, expandable memory and multiple internal storage options provide a versatile foundation for everyday computing. We've selected the 16GB/512GB configuration as it's more versatile, but a 16GB/256GB model is available with our promo code, too.

A5 2027 Edition Mini PC: was $549 now $495
The Geekom A5 2027 Edition features an eight-core Ryzen 7 7730U processor, Radeon Vega 8 graphics, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, dual HDMI, dual USB-C, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. For the full discount use code TRA527FF.

In the UK: now £423 (was £469)View Deal

• You can also save on the A5 2027 Edition direct from Geekom using the same code, where it's $478 (was $549) in the US and £426 (was £489) in the UK.

Why we recommend it

In his 4-star review of this mini PC, our expert Mark said it was "good value, well-made, and a decent user experience." He added that it was "a machine that runs cooler and quieter, backed by a new IceBlast 3.0 cooling system that Geekom claims cuts noise to as low as 28dB at idle."

He also noted that "Geekom is now pitching the A5 2027 Edition for 24/7 office and commercial use, rather than as a budget performance desktop."

The Geekom A5 is powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 7730U processor, which has eight cores, 16 threads and a maximum boost clock of 4.5GHz.

Its integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics are suitable for most tasks and the supplied 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM can be expanded to 64GB.

Storage options include an M.2 SSD slot, an additional M.2 2242 slot and a 2.5-inch drive bay.

The A5 supports up to four external displays through its two HDMI and two USB-C connections, with support for resolutions up to 8K. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, 2.5Gb Ethernet and an SD card reader.

Price context & historical value

Our exclusive TechRadar code (TRA527FF) knocks 10% off the price at Amazon, and 13% buying direct from Geekom, making it the cheapest we've seen for the Geekom A5 2027 Edition.

In the US, you can save more by opting for the model with 256GB storage if you're happy to upgrade the SSD yourself. But oddly, this configuration is £30 more expensive at Amazon.co.uk, so I recommend grabbing the 512GB option if you're in the UK.

US: Amazon | Geekom

UK: Amazon | Geekom

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Geekom A5 2027 Edition if...

You want a compact computer that can drive a substantial multi-monitor workstation without occupying much desk space.

❌ Skip the Geekom A5 2027 Edition if...

Your work involves demanding 3D rendering, advanced video production or other applications that benefit substantially from dedicated graphics hardware.

• Shop all mini PCs at Amazon