MasHD Blog

Product family (via - Microsoft)   Surface Pro 8   Microsoft’s flagship Tablet/Notebook hybrid has received a refresh in the form of new interior and exterior features which start with the inclusion of 11th gen Core i7 (1185G7) or Core i5 (1135G7) processors paired with 8/16/32 LPDDR4 ram. This means the new “tiger lake” 11th gen chipsets use Intel’s new Iris Xe graphics and are Intel Evo compliant - which basically means the hardware offers excellent performance as well as power efficiency.  In terms of storage, the new model offers SSD storage options from 128/256/512 and a 1TB option as well (Its also expandable). The tablet also has kept the weight of the new drive low at 1.96lb while adding a 51.5Wh battery (which is expected to last 16 hours of typical usage) and improved cooling.  The overall chassis of the Pro 8 have also been changed, and thus the ne w 3:2 aspect ratio - 13” Pixelsense display (2880x1920 - 120hz display with Surface Pen support is surrounded...

New leaks on Microsoft's upcoming Surface Go 3 leak online. The device - a successor to the Surface Go lineup are rumored to carry the same chassis as the predecessor with the same magnesium/plastic hybrid build but it's internals are said to get a bump as all chipsets have been bumped up to the newer Intel  Amber Lake Y (10th gen) with the base model getting a Pentium Gold 6500Y SOC and 4GB of RAM while the top tier model getting a Core i3 - 10100Y with 8GB of RAM. Pricing is not yet known, but it will launch alongside a new Surface laptop and possibly the Surface Duo 2 on the 22nd of September. Source - GSMArena

The next major "installment" of Microsoft's operating system is official - Say hello to Windows 11. The new update, which will be free for windows 10 users during the end of 202, focuses on bringing a more clean and light operating system for millions of computers worldwide. New Features. Apart from the new design language - which now features a centrally placed start and app shortcut tray (you can move it to the left if you need to), the whole interface features a more "glass" inspired theme a la Windows 7 and enhances the flat iconography of Windows 10. Gone are the flat colors of most file icons and apps and instead you get a more 3d theme which borrows some elements from the linux camp in some ways. The new interface also features a "curved edge" to menus giving it a more clean menu and the tiles of yesteryear are finally gone in the start menu. - instead replaced with app icons and listings.  The new interface also features a quick notification si...

It's no secret that Microsoft has been planning to release their next version of Windows this year - 24th of June to be exact. The new operating system for what we know so far is said to bring refinement to the already great Windows 10 operating in the form of a cleaner UI with some focus given to devices with touchscreen devices as the new OS features a snap feature for the start button and icons to be placed in the centre rather than the traditional left bias(you can still snap it back to the left from centre if you want).  Also on tow are said to be layout designs which re-arranges the icon and menu format according to your choice and this also sits well with the more -rounded colorful iconography which is a bit of a departure from the standard Windows 10 UI we are used to. (images via Slashgear/Thurrot) Not much else about the OS is still known at the moment, but some rumors do point to a possible "free upgrade" for existing Windows 10 users and most importantly for t...

Microsoft Paint - affectionately known simply as "Paint" has been the building blocks of many graphic designers and the go to artistic app for aspiring meme artists since its inception in 1985 . But now , apparently in a move that would upset many , Microsoft is said to pull the plug on this epic software applet as the new 3D paint would take its place starting from the "Windows 10 creators Update" . The paint applet , which came as a part of Microsoft's bundled packages along with notepad and others has been a staple tool for anyone who wanted a quick way to save their screenshots , edit basic photos by sometimes attempting to airbrush layers or add text and draw the iconic rage faces and meme characters from the world over . Paint ..we will miss you via - TheVerge UPDATE - Microsoft has confirmed that the paint software will still be axed from its software bundle , but instead , it will live on as a Windows Store app . This is still good news to many , b...

Microsoft has just anounced their latest update to the Surface Pro tablet lineup . The new Surface Pro (not the Surface pro 5) as it is called , is the 5th generation of the tablet lineup which was originally designed as a Jack of all trades tablet which would not being  compromise as rival premuim tablets do . The new Surface pro , equipped with the Base level Core M versions and  the Core i versions including a i5 and i7 option is probably the best bang for buck tablet or basically hybrid laptop even when you compare it against Microsoft's own Surface laptop . Design Microsoft has so far skipped the tablet thinning race for some time and therefore this new tablet is no exception , made out of a metal unibody with a kick stand that allows it to lay either in display mode and almost flat (studio mode) . The tablet which now uses a fanless design (hybrid cooling on the i7 version) is also said to be more quiet than the outgoing model , on the side , you can still find...

In a age where even fruit juice squeezers require an internet connection , the chances of getting attacked by a malicious entity seeking revenge , some sinister prank or a few bucks off retired folks from  a money transfer is very real , but for a while , we have taken computer security for granted , either due to the lack of a powerful "reality check" or the lack of attention , most of us have left our devices vulnerable to exploits , and now , as of yesterday , over a hundred thousand computers in over a hundred countries have been blocked, encrypted and kept on a swords edge  by a new type of malware -  Say hello to Wanna Cry , the worlds most advanced randsomware yet . Wanna cry , also known as WannaCryptor ,WannacCryptor(2.0) Wanna Decryptor  basically encrypts your whole computer /atm/ medical equipment / displays or basically anything running Microsoft's Windows operating system (including server , RT and others) and displays a message asking for a rans...

Last year , Microsoft offered a compelling desktop package with the launch of the Surface Studio - The All in one workstation was probably one of the mostly hyped as it can work as a tablet with a hockey puck size mouse for "Ironman" style circular selection pallets and still perform like a desktop when needed ,But since Microsoft stirred up the PC market , many companies are now having a go at their own workstations setups ,and Dell - one of the largest PC OEM's designed their own based on a 27" QHD touchscreen display - Say hello to the Dell Canvas.This unit - designed with a Tablet , totem setup works by displaying some of the control content in the touch part and the output on the display - kind of like how the new Mackbook pro's  handle with the touchbar - Apparently , Dell says the workstation supports Adobe and SolidWorks software out of the box and thanks to Microsoft's invest in touch ready Surface systems and  Windows 10 the whole experience will ...

Change is near and Microsoft is here with its Build conference , the event , which focused on the next release of Windows 10 is said to be more developer friendly with touches of linux mixed in .The next update is said to include support for even more secure biometric scanners , improved stylus support and a smarter Cortana who will now understand your tasks better . And there is also said to be Android notifications support built in - which is a positive move as a majority of Microsoft's userbase owns Android powered devices . Microsoft has apparently had a change of mind(and plan) and are currently working on Bash for Windows .Bash - a popular linux command shell is said to be available through Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 anniversary edition .The next gen version of Windows 10 will intergrate Ubuntu binaries which means that developers can use their cmd line tool without a emulator .These features and many more (linux - ware) will be supported in the upcoming updat...

Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system recieved a lot of flak over the past few months for being too pushy .This however has not stopped its adoption rate and many coroprate firms are already shifting to the new operating system , But as with the case when Windows 8 came along , many users still prefered the older Windows 7 operating system  as it was the most stable operating system so far , this has however reduced the number of users who want to upgrade and therefore Microsoft made a unpopular move by stating that Windows 7 and 8 support on Skylake processors winn end in July of 2017 . This move however brought in negative press and therefore Microsoft has now stated that they will support Windows 7 , 8 and 8.1 through 2017 upto 2018 . This is said to give ample time for users to shift to Windows 10 if you want to use the next gen skylake processors . The move however does mean that people who want to skip Microsofts forced important updates or alleged spyware would probably ...

Project Astoria , a developer bridge tool which allows developers to port Android apps to Windows (phone) has officially been canceled . The tool kit , announced along side Microsoft's Project islandwood (a tool to easily port iOS apps) at Microsoft's 2015 Build conference promised a quick and easy solution to address Windows Phone's app crisis . If it went into effect , Project Astoria would allow developers to re use some of the Android code and optimize it to run on Windows phone , currently Windows phone devices have around 500,000-700,000 apps and many prominent apps are still not available on the platform . Although the move would have address some of the apps to be re packaged , the lack of interest and the complexity in maintaining Project Astoria meant that it was a dead duck since its conception . Although project Astoria is now gone , Project islandwood is still set to continue , this tool would be focusing on a older version of  Object C (Swift??) and it wou...

Microsoft has anounced a new budget smartphone running Windows 10 mobile .The new phone - named Lumia 650 is a beautifully designed smartphone packed with some questionable specs .The phone , designed with a aluminuim frame brings more class than the flagship 9xx series and unlike the boring flagships , this phone also has a amoled display -with clear black technology , this enables colors to pop and blacks to remain pitch black .the rest of the specs include a 8mp rear camera and a 5mp fromt camera .Priced at a somewhat affordable $200 price ,the phone is a bit of a bargain but considering that rival Android devices such as the Honor 5X offer better specs this phone is a bit underwhelming considering that it only has a Snapdragon 212 Soc , although it is faster than the low end s200 soc , it is still slower than the s400 unit (slower gpu performance) found in a bulk of handsets and even microsofts predecessor - Lumia 630/640 .The phone however does feature 1GB of ram but its doesnt...

Microsoft's new flagship hardware are finally official , the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL . The Lumia 950XL is Microsoft's flagship device but Microsoft has a slightly affordable option - the Lumia 950 , the phone , made on familiar Nokia designs features a industrial polycarbonate design which comes in very thick color options .The phone replaces the Lumia 930 from almost two years ago and the new model brings Microsoft back in to the smartphone game as it so far had no flagship competitor to meet the Android and iOS competition.The new phone might not be a flagship as the 950XL,but it will certainly hold its ground and still remail cooler as it packs a slower Snapdragon 808 Soc. The Lumia 950 features a 5.2 "AMOLED display with 2560x1440p resolution and it comes with touch buttons rather than using capacitive buttons as the bigger flagship . The phone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Soc and this features 3GB of Ram on board as well . The phone features a 20MP rear un...

Microsoft's new flagship hardware are finally official , the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL . The Lumia 950XL is Microsofts flagship device , the phone , made on familiar Nokia designs features a industrial polycarbonate design which comes in very thick color options . The Lumia 950XL features a 5.7"AMOLED display with 2560x1440p resolution and it comes with capacitive buttons rather than using touch based buttons . The phone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Soc clocked to 1.5 Ghz and this features 3GB of Ram on board as well , to prevent overheating , the S810 is surrounded by a paste based liquid cooling system that should work to keep the hot dragon at bay . The phone features a 20MP rear unit with 5th generation optical image stabilization with Zeiss optics . The camera shoots 4K video and it has a 3 LED flash on board . The front of the phone has a 5MP camera which is quite sufficent for all selfie afficinados out there and it also features Microsoft Hello - a infrared scanne...