Daniel Rubino

Daniel Rubino is executive editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft since 2009 back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Surface, HoloLens, Xbox, and future computing visions. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.

No Google is good Google

Would Windows Phone users grab a Google-less Android phone from Huawei?

Daniel Rubino 17 hours ago 24

Hauwei's new Mate 30 Pro and Mate 30 deliver some of the most impressive hardware for 2019, but due to a U.S. ban the company cannot ship with any Google services - including the Google Play store. That's a hefty blow to the prospects of this phone outside of China, but with sideloading or even PWAs it could be workable. Would Windows Phone fans want something like that or is it just a...

still king

2019 Dell XPS 15 retains its title as king of the 15-inch laptops

Daniel Rubino 17 hours ago 3

Dell's refreshed XPS 15 (7590) for 2019 brings a 4K OLED option, newer 9th Gen Intel processors, a bumped up GTX 1650 GPU, and Dell finally fixed the webcam. What does that all add up to? One of the best 15-inch laptops available. But Dell also let this laptop slide in other areas.

#LighterThanAir

HP Elite Dragonfly is a droolworthy business 2-in-1 with serious style

Daniel Rubino 2 days ago 11

HP is pushing further into the premium business world with its new Elite Dragonfly PC, a crazy-light 2-in-1 Ultrabook with a 4K HDR display, 4G LTE, and battery life up to 24 hours.

foldable surface

Surface 'Centaurus' may be niche, but it's definitely NOT doomed to fail

Daniel Rubino 6 days ago 101

Microsoft's upcoming dual-screen tablet may be niche, but that's not a bad thing. In fact, most technology starts out small with nearly everyone questioning its usefulness. Many products thrive with just small audiences. It's the journey that matters.

Going Global

Microsoft opening Cortana on Windows 10 to the world is long overdue

Daniel Rubino 1 week ago 22

Microsoft suddenly announced that Cortana will be enabled on all Windows 10 devices going into the 2020 "20H1" release. While this may seem like a reversal, it may be more about how Cortana is more about Office these days than Bing. Microsoft is using Cortana for what it knows: Office, productivity, and Windows. That's not only the right choice, it's really their only one if Microsoft...

All the coolest stuff we saw at IFA 2019

Daniel Rubino 1 week ago 3

IFA is a time where PC makers can show off the latest trends in laptops for 2020. This year, it was very powerful workstations packed with Intel 10th Gen processors, and powerful NVIDIA graphics. A few even broke new boundaries for the first time. Here are our absolute favorite picks — the ones that are deserving of our Best of IFA 2019 awards. Best of IFA 2019 Best Samsung Galaxy...

It's happening

Microsoft's October 2 Surface event will be its most important since 2015

Daniel Rubino 1 week ago 159

Microsoft will live stream its October 2 Surface event in New York City. It will likely be the company's most significant announcement since 2015 when it launched multiple new Surfaces and ushered in Windows 10.

Super cool

The Xbox One X Gears 5 Limited Edition Bundle is unique and amazing

Daniel Rubino 1 week ago 2

For Gears of War fans who need an Xbox One X to enjoy true 4K and HDR gaming there is only one option: the Xbox One X Gears 5 Limited Edition Bundle. Luckily, we have one to tell you what it's all about, share some close-up photos, and explain else you need to know before getting one.

Buyer's guide

Why Logitech's BRIO is the best Windows webcam money can buy

Daniel Rubino and Richard Devine 1 week ago

You want to look and sound as good as possible when streaming or recording video, right? This is the best webcam for Windows you can buy right now.

let it go already

It's time for Wunderlist users (and its founder) to move on

Daniel Rubino 1 week ago 36

Remembering how cool the past was is fun to do, but often yields disappointing results when taken too far. Wunderlist had a great ride, but talks of bringing it back in 2020 is a waste of time from people who should know better.

This is dumb

300Hz gaming-laptop displays are coming ... but we're not sure why

Daniel Rubino 2 weeks ago 25

At IFA 2019, a few gaming laptops are coming with 300Hz displays, just as we got used to 240Hz (and 144Hz) ones. But the technology doesn't seem to make much sense right now, and it's likely just another gimmick to sell more nonsense to gamers.

facing reality

Microsoft's move to improve touch in desktop mode is the right approach

Daniel Rubino 2 weeks ago 73

Instead of improving the Tablet Mode in Windows 10, Microsoft is making the default touch experience in Windows' desktop mode even better. With the tablet market slagging and few people using Tablet Mode, this choice by Microsoft is the right one. Luckily, Windows Lite should be a good alternative for a true touch experience.

Seeing Double

Lenovo's ThinkVision M14 portable display is hands-down the best available

Daniel Rubino 2 weeks ago 1

HP, ASUS and others offer excellent portable secondary displays, but Lenovo's new ThinkVision M14 blows them all away. Being the lightest screen and the only one with a flexible hinge makes it an easy sell. Here's what else you need to know.

gotta catch them all

These are Dan Rubino's favorite Xbox One controllers

Daniel Rubino 3 weeks ago 4

Microsoft has more than 50 custom controllers for the Xbox One, and the company recently shared in a new video to showcase them. Today, I'll share some of my favorites that I've collected over the years.

this could be better

Your Phone outage highlights flaws with Microsoft's PC vision for phones

Daniel Rubino 3 weeks ago 35

Microsoft's Your Phone Companion app is getting a lot of downloads and decent reviews, but the experience pales compared to Dell's Mobile Connect. Toss in special treatment for Samsung phones and the recent Office 365 outage and Microsoft's grand vision starts to fall apart.

in flux

Microsoft losing Peter Skillman reveals a bigger issue with Windows design

Daniel Rubino 3 weeks ago 27

Microsoft's Fluent Design System doesn't have many public faces, but Peter Skillman was one of them. While he only oversaw design for Outlook, Skillman often engaged with people on Twitter about Windows design and how it can be improved. His announcement that he has left Microsoft (after previously being with Nokia) reminds us again of how far Microsoft has to go in proper UI design for...

what's in my bag

Daniel Rubino's picks for the best Android phones available

Daniel Rubino 4 weeks ago 107

We all need smartphones but choosing which one to use in 2019 is harder than ever. Here's what I'm using right now, and a few others I recommend, as well as a few to watch.

We spent some quality time with Huawei's elusive MateBook E laptop

Daniel Rubino 1 month ago 3

All eyes are on the Snapdragon 8cx processor, but the Snapdragon 850 is still around too. We found the MateBook E in China and picked one up. As it turns out, it's an excellent always-connected PC. Here's what we like, and what we don't.

Moar storage

Upgrading the SSD in your Dell XPS 15 can get you more storage

Daniel Rubino 1 month ago 2

Dell's XPS 15 features several upgradeable components, and swapping in a new SSD could add a few years to your laptop. Here's how to do it.

nead moar power

How to upgrade the RAM in your Dell XPS 15 (9570)

Daniel Rubino 1 month ago 5

If you bought a Dell XPS 15 (9570) with only 8GB of RAM, you may want to add more. Here's how to double, or even quadruple, the amount of RAM in your XPS 15.