This week has been surprisingly big in the tech world.
Apple launched several new M5-equipped machines into its lineup, Samsung announced the launch date of its headset, and Windows 10 was discontinued.
To stay on top of all this and more, you can scroll down to see quick recaps of the seven biggest tech news stories of the week, as well as links to the full articles if you need to know more.
7. Windows 10 support has officially ended
The guillotine officially fell on Windows 10 this week. On October 14, the operating system used by millions entered its end-of-life phase, meaning it will no longer receive features, bug fixes, or security patches.
Is this the end of the story? Certainly not. The decision was extremely controversial, with many criticizing the security implications, considering that many cannot upgrade to Windows 11 (or do not want to buy a new machine).
Still, if you’re in this boat, you have a few options: from signing up for free extended updates to turning your Windows 10 laptop into a Chromebook or trying a stripped-down version of Windows 11. You can also read our full guide below on Microsoft’s latest Windows click.
6. Windows 11 has more AI powers
The same week it killed Windows 10, Microsoft brought new features to Windows 11, and of course, they’re all related to AI and Copilot.
Interestingly, these updates aren’t just for Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft instead promises a “new wave of updates that will make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC – with Copilot at the center of it all”.
The big change is a new voice command. If you sign up, just say “Hey Copilot” (and definitely not “Hey Cortana”), and you can start issuing commands when the Copilot microphone appears on your screen. Say “Goodbye” or close the panel to end the conversation.
There’s also the global rollout of Copilot Vision, which until now was only available in the United States. It analyzes the contents of your screen to help you accomplish the task you set out to accomplish and offers troubleshooting if something goes wrong.
5. The Pokémon mega-series has evolved
This world-famous franchise has been accused of being stale in recent years and losing its way in the 3D era – but those accusations can be put aside after the debut of Pokémon Legends: ZA.
We had the opportunity to review the game before launch and found it fantastic. The new combat mechanics feel closer to the anime than the series, the exploration is great – although Lumiose can start to feel a little cramped after many hours – and the story might be the most engaging we’ve ever had – with allusions to the excellent Gamecube duo of XD: Gale of Darkness And Coliseum.
That’s not to say it’s perfect – there’s sometimes a bit of awkwardness in combat, and it’s not always the hardest – but Legends: ZA proves that sometimes you can reinvent the wheel to create something both superbly fresh and familiar.
4. Samsung has set a release date for XR
This week, Samsung announced that it would unveil its consumer XR headset running Android XR on October 21 at an event titled Global opening.
While we don’t know the full specs of this headset, Samsung has been showcasing Moohan, the precursor to its next headset, for a while now, and our demos with the headset have been generally positive.
If an Android
That’s not a bad bonus if you end up buying the headset, but it also suggests that Moohan won’t be the cheapest option at launch if Samsung is offering $100 worth of freebies.
3. We reviewed the Xbox handheld
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally
After testing it, our review revealed that it’s not quite a portable version of the Xbox console; instead, it’s an impressive gaming laptop powered by Windows 11. While it doesn’t entirely fix all of Windows 11’s handheld issues, it does offer some innovative hardware and software choices that seem like a major step in the right direction.
As our review says: “While it’s probably the best high-end portable device on the market, due to its high price and the feeling that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally »
2. The new MacBook Pro kicked off Apple’s M5 era
It wasn’t a huge shock to those who had been following the rumors, but this week Apple updated its 14-inch MacBook Pro with a powerful new M5 chip.
This was good news for anyone waiting to upgrade their creaky old Pro machine. But fans of the larger 16-inch model will have to struggle a little longer – the more powerful M5 Pro and Max chips aren’t quite ready, it seems.
Yet with a new chip, faster SSD storage, and the same reliable design as before, the M5 MacBook Pro might just be the safe bet that creatives have been waiting for.
1. Apple launched an iPad M5
As many expected, Apple rolled out its most advanced and fastest Apple Silicon, the M5 chip, and as it did with the M4, one of the recipients of this faster SoC is Apple’s powerful and ultra-thin iPad Pro.
The difference this time around is the focus on artificial intelligence and how the Neural Engine and faster neural accelerators in each GPU core will power generative AI operations, primarily by supporting local operation of third-party models.
Aside from this big-brain swap, there don’t appear to be any other changes to the 11- or 13-inch iPad Pro models. Even the prices are the same, which is perhaps the best news.
