Since 2013, there have been persistent rumors that Microsoft had plans for a small form factor tablet dubbed the Surface Mini. In the end, the device was never released but images of a prototype have been posted to the web, giving us a pretty clear idea of how the company intended to expand the Surface line.
Several images of the Surface Mini were posted earlier on Friday on Windows Central. This iteration of the device was apparently intended to launch in 2014, alongside the Surface Pro 3, but it was canceled just weeks before it was set to be officially unveiled.
The Surface Mini is said to closely resemble a smaller version of the Surface Pro 3 in its portrait orientation. It is outfitted with many of the standard features of the Surface line, like a kickstand that folds flush against the body of the hardware, and support for the Surface Pen.
In fact, the Mini would have been much more reliant on the touch interface than its bigger siblings. The device would have relied solely on touch input, as Microsoft reportedly had no plans to offer a Type Cover accessory for users who would prefer a traditional keyboard.
The Mini also differs from other products in the Surface line in that its rear side and a portion of its bezel are covered in a felt-like material. This component of its design looks like a case, but it is actually a part of the tablet itself and cannot be removed.
The Surface Mini was set to use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 1GB of RAM, an Adreno 330 GPU, and had access to 32GB of internal storage, with a MicroSD slot to provide extra capacity. Its 8-inch display would have had a 1,440 x 1,080 resolution.
While much of this information was already known, it is very interesting to get a look at a near-final version of the hardware. Given the success of the iPad Mini and the demand for devices that occupy the space between a smartphone and a conventional tablet, it will be interesting to see whether or not Microsoft takes another stab at the Surface Mini somewhere down the line.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Two residents of Chicago have filed a lawsuit in the US over claims that robots run by Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics captured their facial and hand measurements without consent, bringing renewed attention to the food delivery robots. The cases raise a troubling question: If a robot delivers food to your door, can it also be gathering sensitive information about you?
According to a report by The Associated Press, the proposed class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County on Oct. 9 and allege violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The complaints claim that the robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors captured information on customers’ faces and hands as they approached the machines to pick up their orders. Both have denied the allegations.