Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Podcasts
  4. s

Close to the Metal Episode 53: Windows Mixed Reality isn’t so mixed

Add as a preferred source on Google

IFA 2017, Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show, is about to begin, and with it we’ve received a burst of new reveals. Microsoft is using the show to talk about Windows Mixed Reality, which we went hands-on with, and clarify what the first batch of headsets will do.

The products are a bit different from what the term “mixed reality” lead us to think. Instead of focusing on a blend of virtual and augmented reality, they heavily focus on augmented reality, using built-in cameras primarily for spatial recognition without the use of external sensors.

It’s innovative, and  important, but not for the reasons we first thought. We’ll examine all the latest Windows Mixed Reality news on this week’s Close to the Metal.

Close to the Metal is a podcast from Digital Trends that takes a deep dive into computing and PC gaming topics. Each show, we’ll focus in on one topic, and leave no stone unturned as we show off the latest in hardware and software. Whether it’s the latest GPU, supercomputers, or which 2-in-1 you should buy, we break down the complicated jargon and talk about how user experience is affected in the real world. Please subscribe, share, and send your questions to podcast@digitaltrends.com. We broadcast the show live on YouTube and Facebook at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern, every Tuesday.

Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…
I didn’t think the budget Alienware 15 would work. I was wrong.
Dell's most affordable gaming laptop for 2026 had big shoes to fill. Thankfully, it feels like an Alienware in all the right ways.
Dell Alienware 15 Hands-On First Impressions Design 2

I've been using Alienware laptops since the late 2000s, and one word has always defined the brand for me: excess. The good kind. For the longest time, if a gamer wanted a laptop that looked every bit as powerful as it played, Alienware was the name that came to mind. The bold designs, futuristic aesthetics, and unapologetically over-the-top styling made every machine feel special. Sure, they came with eye-watering price tags, but somehow that always felt justified. After all, nobody expects to buy a Porsche at a discount, right?

So when Dell announced a budget-friendly Alienware earlier this year at CES 2026, I wasn't entirely sold on the idea. On paper, making Alienware more accessible makes perfect sense. And to be fair, that's exactly what Dell will tell anyone who asks.

Read more
After a long wait, Dia browser is finally coming to Windows
Want to try Dia on Windows? The beta waitlist is now open
dia-browser-windows-launch-announcement

If you've been waiting to try Dia browser on your Windows device, the wait is almost over. The Browser Company has announced that its AI-first browser will arrive on Windows this fall.

While there's no exact release date yet, interested users can already sign up for the beta waitlist. It is the first official timeline for the Windows version after Dia spent months as a macOS-only browser.

Read more
Google Docs just gave Gemini four new AI tricks to speed up editing
Google Docs now lets Gemini summarize comments, draft replies, and suggest edits, easing one of collaborative editing's most tedious chores.
Plant, Potted Plant, Jar

Anyone who's collaborated on a shared doc knows the horror of opening it to find forty unresolved comments from six different people. Google just handed over the job of sorting through that mess to Gemini.

So what can Gemini actually do with your comments now?

Read more