GoKawiil
Tech News
Windows 11 includes an Xbox mode feature that replaces the desktop with a full-screen, console-like gaming interface, though it isn't enabled by default. Users can turn it on and access it through Settings, keyboard shortcuts like Win + F11, the Game Bar, or the Xbox app, and can exit back to the desktop just as easily.
Dell's new Pro 7 webcam captures 4K video at up to 60fps and adds Windows Hello support, presence detection, and dual beam-forming microphones that reviewers say outperform typical webcam audio. Priced at $199.99, it competes directly with premium rivals like the Logitech MX Brio and Insta360 Link 2 4K.
A tech guide outlines how users should back up their Windows or Mac laptops before discarding or replacing them, using tools like Windows Backup, OneDrive, Time Machine, and iCloud, along with third-party software for local drive backups. It also advises checking synced browser data, removing dongles or SD cards, and signing out of accounts and software licenses before disposal.
A Kremlin-released clip of Vladimir Putin casting an online ballot in Russia's State Duma elections shows an 'Activate Windows' watermark on his screen, indicating unlicensed software running on what appears to be a Dell computer. The footage has spread widely online, with observers noting both the software issue and Putin's apparent unfamiliarity with the mouse. State media confirmed the vote covered the 9th State Duma, including newly annexed Ukrainian territories.
Windows 11 includes Microsoft Defender, a free antivirus tool within Windows Security that automatically scans for threats and logs its findings under Virus & threat protection. Users can review allowed threats and protection history, run a deeper Full scan, or use an offline scan via Windows Recovery Environment to catch malware that hides from standard scans. The Firewall & network protection settings should also be checked to ensure all three connection types are protected.
A programmer released Stars!VM, a self-contained tool that emulates an 80286 processor and bridges Win16 calls to Win32, letting the 1995 4X strategy game Stars! run natively on modern 64-bit Windows without DOSBox, Wine, or retro hardware. The signed GitHub release embeds a compressed copy of the original 16-bit executable, so the single file runs out of the box with added 4K scaling and a modern file picker.
Microsoft has fixed a glitch that made the Windows Security app falsely warn users that Defender Antivirus was disabled, even though it was running normally. The fix arrived in Defender Antivirus update version 4.18.26080.4, released September 17, after the problem had persisted since at least June in Windows Insider builds.
A university-affiliated blogger describes being blocked from editing a PowerPoint file on a Mac despite having an institutional Microsoft account, receiving a message saying editing isn't allowed on Mac under that license. The writer argues this stems from restrictive licensing terms tied to costly institutional contracts that effectively push users toward Windows machines.
Tom's Hardware tested Acer's Swift Air 14, a $699 laptop built around an Intel Wildcat Lake chip that prioritizes connectivity and endurance over flashy design. The all-aluminum body houses Thunderbolt 4 ports and delivered over 16 hours of battery life in testing, though the lid and keyboard show some flex and the screen isn't especially bright.
Microsoft will hold a San Francisco event on October 7, its first major Windows-focused gathering in over two years, to outline upcoming plans for Windows, Surface hardware, and local AI computing. CEO Satya Nadella and Windows/Surface chief Pavan Davuluri will appear alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, pointing to deeper collaboration on AI-capable PCs. The event is expected to bring updates on the Surface Laptop Ultra, a device built on Nvidia's RTX Spark platform with up to 128GB of unified memory.
Retired Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer detailed on X how the infamous FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8 Windows XP volume license key spread widely despite being reserved for enterprise partners. He explained that XP's copy protection compared install keys against a heavily encrypted 10MB blob on the disc that turned out to be the old Microsoft Bob software, and that retail and volume-license media used entirely different validation keys and discs.
Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro editions, along with Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016, will stop receiving security and non-security updates on October 13, 2026. Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 will continue receiving updates until October 2027. Microsoft is urging affected users to move to Windows 11 25H2, which will install automatically on unmanaged devices.