From Windows updates to gaming, we look at a wide breadth of topics here at Windows Central. Each week we cover the latest stories, but with so much news coming out every day, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Every weekend we wrap up the biggest news stories to give you a taster platter of everything you need to know.
This week we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Surface, covered the Xbox Game Showcase, and reviewed a bunch of devices.
Looking back at 10 years of Surface
This week we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Microsoft Surface. We covered Microsoft's hardware range from a variety of angles, including the past, present, and future.
Our staff weighed in on what they'd like to see next from the Surface family. Our executive editor Daniel Rubino explained why Microsoft continues to make hardware and our senior editor Rich Edmonds shared why he has never purchased a Surface and likely never will.
New Windows 11 Insider build
Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 25140 to Insiders in the Dev Channel this week. While it's a relatively minor update, it does improve the legibility of over 200 characters from the Euphemia typeface. Microsoft also added new glyphs to support Unicode 14 characters for Nattilik, a language of the Canadian arctic.
Xbox Games Showcase
Over on the gaming side of things, we saw several major announcements as part of the Xbox Games Showcase. While Starfield and Forza Motorsport headlined the event, plenty of other titles were announced as well. You can recap all of the biggest announcements from the Xbox Game Showcase by scrolling through our live blog.
Turn10 Studios showed off a ton of gameplay of its new flagship entry, Forza Motorsport (2023), at the event.
We also got a look at Starfield's combat and expansive world. Bethesda showed off character creator, the game's progression system, and much more.
Another interesting piece of news from the showcase was the announced partnership of Microsoft and Kojima Productions that aims to create a "never before seen concept." Well-known developer Hideo Kojima took the stage to announce the partnership.
Internet Explorer retirement
Microsoft officially retired Internet Explorer on several PCs after over 25 years of it helping people connect to the web. While the vast majority of general users moved away from Internet Explorer years ago, it's still frequently used in enterprise. Microsoft has tried to migrate organizations over for years, and it continues to do so.
In a post about the retirement of Internet Explorer, Microsoft outlined how and when people will be migrated away from the browser. Until at least 2029, businesses will be able to use IE mode in Edge to access sites and web applications that rely on legacy web technology.
Adonit Neo Ink: A $40 Surface Pen
Surface owners have a new stylus to check out, courtesy of Adonit. The Neo Ink only costs $40, but it has specs that stack up well against the best Surface Pen alternatives. It supports 4,096 levels of pressure, tilt, and palm rejection. It has programmable shortcut buttons as well.
Review roundup
As they do every week, our experts took a look at the latest gadgets, games, and accessories. Here are our reviews from the last seven days:
- Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 review: A perfect evolution
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 7) review: Hotter than ever, in more ways than one
- Turtle Beach Recon Xbox controller review: Audio enhancements sweeten the deal
- Redux gaming PC review: Boutique performance on a budget
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge review — A modern treat with old-school flair
- Synology RT6600ax review: An easy-to-use speedy Wi-Fi 6 router
