Tag:

Microsofts

Windows 95 in a VM
Product Reviews

Microsoft’s Windows 95 release was 30 years ago today, the first time software was a pop culture smash

by admin



Microsoft’s momentous Windows 95 operating system became available to the public on this day 30 years ago. Computing enthusiasts were queuing around the block at midnight launch events. Perhaps this was the first time an OS launch became a cultural event – one that was carefully primed by the launch a month earlier, and the Start Me Up advertising campaign.

Windows 95 – Start Me Up – Promo / Commercial (High Quality 720p) – YouTube

Watch On

Other welcome features that first became mainstream on PCs thanks to the introduction of Windows 95 include; the 32-bit preemptive multitasking architecture with task bar, plug and play hardware, support for long filenames, and many more.


You may like

System requirements

To boost Windows 3.1 migrations, Windows 95’s official requirements presented quite a low bar. Users should have an Intel 386DX processor, 4MB of RAM, a VGA or better display, and make sure to have 55MB of HDD space clear for the installation process.

Recommended settings, for those hoping to make proper use of the new multitasking capabilities, and internet features like MSN and Exchange were higher. For improved usability, Windows 95 would benefit from a 486 or better CPU, 8MB of RAM, an SVGA display, as well as more storage.

It is debatable whether this was the beginning of bloat. For some context, the contemporary Macintosh System 7.5.X required about half the fixed storage of Windows 95.

You can test Windows 95 RTM in an online VM, on PCjs Machines, using the link.

(Image credit: Future)

Windows 95 launch price and success

Windows 95 originally retailed in a box with between 13 and 15 1.44MB floppy disks. You could purchase a full installation version or an upgrade for Windows 3.1 systems. A CD distribution came with a boot floppy, as you would need DOS-level CD-ROM drivers to load before install.

PC enthusiasts at the time would have had to buy a new system with Windows 95 pre-installed or cough up $209, which adjusted for inflation brings us perilously close to $400 in 2025. Just for an OS…

Despite the entry price, Microsoft’s lavish advertising budget and promotional activities paid off. Sales revenue from the release reportedly hit $720 million on day one. Also, a million copies of the OS had been shipped by day four.

In 1996, Microsoft celebrated the one-year anniversary of Windows 95’s release with the claim that it had shipped 40 million units worldwide. By then, the software company could boast of 400 PC manufacturing partners, and that 4,406 software applications were supported.

Gaming and the web

Paving the way for the success to come, it was also noted that 10 of the 11 publishers of the top 20 PC game titles were onboard with Windows 95-based gaming. Moreover, the use of the web was accelerating, with Netscape and Microsoft both releasing their new browsers on 32-bit Windows.

Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Half of Artificial Intelligence robot face
Product Reviews

Microsoft’s CEO of artificial intelligence believes advocating for ‘rights, model welfare and even AI citizenship’ will become ‘a dangerous turn in AI progress’

by admin



If you are familiar with AI, there’s a good chance flickers of I, Robot, Blade Runner, or even Cyberpunk 2077 flash up in your mind. That’s because the philosophy and ethics of what AI could be are more interesting than the thing that makes AI overviews give you the wrong search results.

In a recent blog post (via TechCrunch), Microsoft’s CEO of AI, Mustafa Suleyman, penned his thoughts on those advocating for conscious AI and the belief that one day, people would be advocating for its rights.

He builds on the belief that AI can embolden a specific type of psychosis. “Simply put, my central worry is that many people will start to believe in the illusion of AIs as conscious entities so strongly that they’ll soon advocate for AI rights, model welfare and even AI citizenship.” He continues, “This development will be a dangerous turn in AI progress and deserves our immediate attention.”


Related articles

For some, AI is a worrying development, partly due to how confident it is in its statements. To the layman, it’s not only always correct but always open to conversation, and this (as Suleyman’s link to Copilot suggests) can result in users deifying the “chatbot as a supreme intelligence or believe it holds cosmic answers”.

This is an understandable concern. We need only look at the recent case of a man giving himself an incredibly rare ailment after consulting ChatGPT on how to cut down his salt intake for an idea of what Suleyman is talking about.

AI’s value is precisely because it’s something so different from humans. Never tired, infinitely patient, able to process more data than a human mind ever could. This is what benefits humanity. Not an AI that claims to feel shame, jealousy, fear + so on.📝https://t.co/WsEcvNQgoC pic.twitter.com/DA9lGchjXaAugust 21, 2025

Suleyman argues AI should never replace a person, and that AI companions need “guardrails” to “ensure this amazing technology can do its job.” He elaborates that “some academics” are exploring the idea of model welfare. This is effectively the belief that we owe some moral duty to beings that have a chance of being conscious. Suleyman states, “This is both premature, and frankly dangerous.”

Suleyman says, “We need to be clear: SCAI [seemingly conscious AI] is something to avoid.” He says that SCAI would be a combination of language, empathetic personality, memory, a claim of subjective experience, a sense of self, intrinsic motivation, goal setting and planning, and autonomy.

He also argues that this will not naturally come out of these models. “It will arise only because some may engineer it, by creating and combining the aforementioned list of capabilities, largely using existing techniques, and packaging them in such a fluid way that collectively they give the impression of an SCAI.”

“Our sci-fi inspired imaginations lead us to fear that a system could—without design intent—somehow emerge the capabilities of runaway self-improvement or deception. This is an unhelpful and simplistic anthropomorphism.”

Suleyman warns, “someone in your wider circle could start going down the rabbit hole of believing their AI is a conscious digital person. This isn’t healthy for them, for society, or for those of us making these systems.”

It’s all a rather self-reflective blog post, even starting with the title: “We must build AI for people; not to be a person”. And I think this hits at some of the tension I feel around these tools. Suleyman starts his post with “I write, to think”, and this is the most relatable part of the whole post. I also write to think, and I don’t plan on letting an AI bot replace that part of me. I may have a contractual obligation not to use it, but more importantly, I want my words to be mine, no matter how good or bad they are.

Best gaming rigs 2025

All our favorite gear




Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Microsoft’s Xbox handheld is a good first step toward a Windows gaming OS
Product Reviews

Microsoft’s Xbox handheld is a good first step toward a Windows gaming OS

by admin


The first thing I did when I got my hands on the Xbox Ally was reboot it. I wanted to see exactly how Microsoft manages to hide Windows beneath the Xbox interface that’s debuting on these handheld devices.

After a short startup, I was met with the standard Windows login prompt. But I could use the controller to input the PIN code, an immediate improvement over what’s available right now. And as soon as Windows 11 loaded up, the interface immediately disappeared. The Xbox PC app took over and went full-screen — and for the most part, I didn’t have to leave.

I’ve spent enough time with Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox Ally devices this week to get a better understanding of how Windows and Xbox are moving closer together. Microsoft has created what it calls an Xbox full-screen experience for these new handheld devices, which essentially takes over for Windows and hides the OS away. It’s exactly what I’ve been wanting for Windows-powered handheld gaming PCs for years now, but it still feels like a small first step in a grand next-gen Xbox plan.

The Game Bar drives a lot of Microsoft’s Xbox full-screen experience.

The main interface on the Xbox Ally is similar to what can be found in the current Xbox app on Windows 11, Microsoft’s Steam competitor on PC. This app integrates with the Game Bar, Microsoft’s PC gaming overlay, to form this full-screen Xbox experience. Just like an Xbox console, you activate this Game Bar from a single tap of the Xbox button, and it’s what keeps you far away from the complexities of the Windows desktop hidden underneath.

Microsoft doesn’t load the desktop wallpaper, the taskbar, or a bunch of other processes that you don’t need for gaming. It’s essentially not loading the Explorer shell and saving around 2GB of memory by suppressing all the unnecessary parts of a typical Windows 11 installation. It’s surprisingly easy to get back to a regular Windows experience on these Xbox Ally devices, though.

You can exit out of the Xbox full-screen experience through the Game Bar or hold the Xbox button down to access the task switcher and a shortcut to the Windows desktop. Microsoft warns that you’re exiting to the Windows desktop and that you should use touch or a mouse and keyboard “for the best experience.”

The new Xbox task switcher lets you get to the Windows desktop quickly.

The Windows desktop experience is exactly the same as any regular handheld, and the Xbox team hasn’t done much additional work here to improve this side of the Xbox Ally. You’ll still have to use this part of the device to install and configure Windows apps like Discord and Steam, but once they’re up and running, you can mostly stay within the handheld-optimized confines of the Xbox full-screen experience. It’s easy to connect to Bluetooth devices or Wi-Fi networks here, and if all you’re doing is gaming, then Microsoft has nailed most of the basics, thanks to the widgets in the Game Bar.

Switching back and forth between Windows and Xbox modes is relatively quick, but after switching into the Windows desktop mode just once, you’ll need to fully reboot the device to regain the 2GB of allocated RAM. You also have the option to keep switching between both modes without those performance savings.

While the handheld-optimized Xbox UI on the Xbox Ally devices is a great improvement over what exists today, I still fear the complexity of Windows will creep through during daily use. This is still a Windows 11 device after all, which means there are OS updates and notifications from other apps or storefronts to install that might break the immersion.

For example, while the Xbox app takes over the left-hand swipe gesture to activate the Game Bar, the right-hand swipe still activates the Windows 11 notification center, which looks out of place in the Xbox UI. The Xbox team is working to improve this, but it highlights the challenges of trying to hide Windows beneath a console-like UI.

You can switch between the Xbox and Windows modes easily.

There’s also an interesting setting that suggests you’ll be able to set something other than the Xbox app as the default boot experience on the Xbox Ally devices, potentially opening the door for Steam or other launchers to become the home app here. Microsoft wouldn’t comment on what this setting is for just yet.

Due to my limited time with the Xbox Ally devices, it’s difficult to judge just how much switching between the Windows desktop and this full-screen Xbox experience you’d have to do on a daily basis. If you install Steam, then Microsoft brings any games you install from Valve’s store into the library interface of the Xbox app, making it a launcher for these PC games and keeping you in the handheld-friendly UI. But I did play some Gears of War: Reloaded on one of the demo units on the floor and noticed the game crash, leaving me with a broken game app window instead of a more gracious home screen like you see when games crash on an Xbox Series X console.

I also ran into a UI bug switching into the Windows desktop, which Microsoft assures me will be fixed by the time these devices ship on October 16th. Asus’ own devices on the Gamescom floor also had some weird bugs, including not being able to use the Xbox button at times. There’s clearly some work needed ahead of release.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to fully test how Windows standby and hibernation work with games on the Xbox Ally. I love the experience of turning my Xbox Series X off and then being able to immediately resume a game hours or days later, and Microsoft doesn’t have the equivalent of Quick Resume on Windows devices.

This experience feels like a first step in Microsoft’s plans for the next-gen Xbox, and seeing it in action makes it even clearer to me that Windows will be at the heart of the next Xbox console. Microsoft still has a tremendous amount of work ahead to blend all the best parts of Windows and Xbox together, but it’s about to ship some improvements that will hopefully lead to a gaming-optimized Windows operating system that spans across handhelds, consoles, and PCs.

  • Microsoft is finally improving Windows 11’s dark mode. Nearly a decade after a full dark mode was introduced in Windows 10, the latest preview build of Windows 11 now includes even more darkened UI elements. If you’re copying files or deleting them, these file operation dialogs will finally have a dark mode instead of light-themed prompt. Hopefully this signals that more dark mode improvements are coming with the 25H2 update to Windows 11 later this year.
  • Microsoft employee arrested at headquarters while protesting Israel contracts. Microsoft employee Anna Hattle, a software engineer in Microsoft’s cloud and AI team, has been arrested at the company’s headquarters during protests against Microsoft’s cloud contracts with Israel. Hattle’s arrest was part of 18 arrests by Redmond Police, including former Microsoft employees who joined the protest for a second day. The No Azure for Apartheid group continues to protest Microsoft’s cloud contracts with Israel, calling on the company to cut ties after reports emerged that the Israeli government uses Azure to power a surveillance network of Palestinian phone calls.
  • Microsoft hints at “more affordable” Xbox Cloud Gaming plan. Microsoft has dropped hints about a potential dedicated Xbox Cloud Gaming plan multiple times before, but it feels like we’re getting closer to an announcement. Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, appeared on the company’s official Xbox podcast earlier this week and hinted that Microsoft wants to make its Xbox Cloud “much more affordable” and accessible to players. Microsoft is currently building a next-generation Xbox console and cloud network, so not having to buy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate just for cloud gaming access would certainly be a welcome move.
  • Microsoft Excel adds Copilot AI to help fill in spreadsheet cells. Microsoft has started testing a new AI-powered function in Excel that can automatically fill cells in spreadsheets. It’s similar to the feature that Google Sheets rolled out in June, and allows you to call up a “COPILOT” function to generate summaries, create tables, and more.
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is heading to Nintendo Switch 2. I’ve been patiently waiting for Microsoft’s first Switch 2 game, and at Gamescom this week, the company announced that it’s bringing Bethesda’s Indiana Jones to Nintendo’s latest console in 2026. It’s one of the first PC games to require ray tracing, so it’ll be interesting to see what Bethesda does with the Switch 2 port.
  • Windows 11 test brings AI file search to the Copilot app. Microsoft has started testing the ability to use AI to search through your files and images directly from the Copilot app on Windows 11. The test is rolling out to Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs and allows you to use more descriptive language when conducting your search. Microsoft is also making it easier to jump into “guided help” sessions with Copilot Vision.
  • Microsoft Teams is getting a microphone volume indicator. I can’t be the only person who asks “Can you hear me?” on a Microsoft Teams meeting, but that might be a thing of the past soon. Microsoft is adding a volume indicator to Teams on macOS and Windows that makes it easy to see if your microphone is working. This new feature is currently in testing before it rolls out to Teams users in the coming months.
  • Microsoft’s AI chief wants to “build AI for people, not to be a person.” Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has written a blog post where he shares his concerns about AI models becoming too humanlike to the point where people will believe they are conscious entities. “My central worry is that many people will start to believe in the illusion of AIs as conscious entities so strongly that they’ll soon advocate for AI rights, model welfare and even AI citizenship,” says Suleyman. “This development will be a dangerous turn in AI progress and deserves our immediate attention.”
  • Microsoft and Asus’ new Xbox Ally handhelds launch on October 16th. We finally got a date for the new Xbox Ally handhelds this week: October 16th. Weirdly there was no price or preorders, though. That didn’t stop Best Buy from accidentally listing the Xbox Ally at $549.99 and the Xbox Ally X at $899.99. I do wonder if Asus and Microsoft can subsidize this hardware a little further to bring those price points down, and we’re going to find out if that’s possible in the coming weeks.
  • Xbox on PC is getting a highlights reel and Auto SR. Alongside the Xbox Ally release date announcement, Microsoft also revealed this week that it’s bringing Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR), which uses an NPU to upscale games, to the Xbox Ally X in early 2026. It will be joined by a new highlights reels feature that uses AI models to automatically capture gameplay moments and make them easily shareable with friends or on social networks.
  • Microsoft is improving the game shader experience on Windows. The DirectX team at Microsoft is working on a new “advanced shader delivery” system that’s designed to preload game shaders during download on the Xbox Ally devices. It’s launching on these handhelds first, to make games launch faster and run a lot smoother without stutters. It’s similar to Valve’s own efforts to improve the shader situation, and Microsoft says it will eventually expand this to more games and more devices over time.

I’m always keen to hear from readers, so please drop a comment here, or you can reach me at [email protected] if you want to discuss anything else. If you’ve heard about any of Microsoft’s secret projects, you can reach me via email at [email protected] or speak to me confidentially on the Signal messaging app, where I’m tomwarren.01. I’m also tomwarren on Telegram, if you’d prefer to chat there.

Thanks for subscribing to Notepad.

Photos by Tom Warren / The Verge

16 CommentsFollow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

  • Close

    Tom Warren

    Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All by Tom Warren

  • GamingClose

    Gaming

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Gaming

  • Hands-onClose

    Hands-on

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Hands-on

  • MicrosoftClose

    Microsoft

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Microsoft

  • NotepadClose

    Notepad

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Notepad

  • PC GamingClose

    PC Gaming

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All PC Gaming

  • ReviewsClose

    Reviews

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Reviews

  • TechClose

    Tech

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Tech

  • XboxClose

    Xbox

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    PlusFollow

    See All Xbox



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Windows 11 Reset this PC feature
Product Reviews

Microsoft’s August 2025 security updates are breaking recovery tools on Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs

by admin



Microsoft has acknowledged an issue with its recent August 2025 security updates that prevent users from resetting or recovering their systems using built-in Windows tools. According the company, the bug affects older versions of Windows 11 including 23H2 and 22H2 as well as Windows 10 22H2, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019/2021, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2019/2021.

Installing this month’s security updates can potentially break the Windows recovery options for users. Those attempting to reinstall Windows without losing their personal files through the Reset this PC feature may run into failures. Similarly, the Fix problems using Windows Update feature, which attempts to reinstall the current version of the OS on your device while preserving all your apps, documents, and settings, is also broken. Microsoft has also warned that the bug could affect IT administrators who rely on the RemoteWipe configuration service provider to reset devices remotely.


You may like

Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
PlayStation Boss Reacts To Microsoft's Pivot To Multiplatform Releases
Game Updates

PlayStation Boss Reacts To Microsoft’s Pivot To Multiplatform Releases

by admin



Microsoft is shaking things up with its new strategy of launching its own games on rival platforms, and now Sony has reacted to Microsoft’s latest moves. As part of an investor fireside chat, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino was asked to respond to speculation from investors that Microsoft is “moving away from the console.”

To be clear, Microsoft has made no announcements about moving away from building hardware, and in fact, the company has already said it’s working on its next console. In any event, Nishino responded by saying Microsoft trying something new and creating an additional competitive element in the gaming landscape by launching more of its games on rival systems is “healthy and pushes us to innovate.”

“There are multiple participants who together drive the overall game industry, and while there are new engagement models being explored, we ultimately think this is a good thing,” he said. “However, as I mentioned earlier, we are confident and committed on our current strategy, and there isn’t an urgent need for us to pivot. We will continue to monitor play patterns and invest appropriately as required.”

The next big Xbox game to come to PlayStation is Gears of War Reloaded, which debuts in August, representing the first time the Gears franchise will be available outside of Xbox and PC. Microsoft recently launched Doom: The Dark Ages on PlayStation, and the company’s biggest series, Call of Duty, is developed for both Xbox and PlayStation systems.

Microsoft’s Xbox platform is understood to be the lowest-selling of the main three when compared against Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Switch devices. Microsoft is no longer pushing Xbox hardware as much as it once was, as it’s rolled out a new marketing campaign saying you don’t need to buy an Xbox because many of the products you may already own can play Xbox games.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said Xbox’s goal is to increase the number of people playing on Xbox, but “playing on Xbox” doesn’t mean a dedicated Xbox console. “It means somebody who is logging in and playing a part of our ecosystem, whether first-party or third-party. And it could be on an Android phone. It could be on a Switch. It could be on a PC. That’s how we think about it,” he said.

Game consoles make money, but games and services are more lucrative. This is why Microsoft is pushing Xbox Game Pass so hard. Creating more subscribers gives Microsoft a regular and recurring revenue stream. Bringing Xbox games to PlayStation and Nintendo devices is another way Microsoft can make more money as well.

Spencer has time and again repeated his comments that Xbox is a business, and his job is to grow that business, even if it means laying people off, closing studios, and cancelling games.

Also during the presentation, Sony management briefly discussed the PlayStation 6 and responded to the record-breaking launch of the Switch 2. Sony also discussed its strategy for PC releases.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices on a table.
Gaming Gear

Can’t upgrade your laptop to Windows 11? Asus joins Microsoft’s campaign urging you to buy a new Copilot+ PC, and I’m not sure that’s wise

by admin



  • Asus is trying to persuade those who can’t upgrade their Windows 10 laptop to switch to a Copilot+ PC
  • This is ignoring concerns about millions of PCs heading to the scrapheap because of Windows 11’s spec requirements
  • Asus is also overselling the abilities of Copilot+ PCs, which just aren’t that impressive overall – not yet, anyway

For some time, Microsoft has been urging folks with a Windows 10 PC that can’t upgrade to Windows 11 that they should buy a new computer, preferably a Copilot+ PC – and Asus is now playing that same tune.

Windows Latest noticed a post from Asus about why now’s the time to switch to Windows 11, and to consider upgrading to a Copilot+ device (from Asus, naturally).

This is aimed at folks who are in the unfortunate situation where their Windows 10 laptop is too old to support the stricter hardware requirements of Windows 11, and so they can’t upgrade. Notebooks with older CPUs are left out in the cold, of course, as you can’t switch out those parts like you can with a desktop PC.


You may like

Asus reminds us that Windows 10 runs out of support in October 2025, which is rapidly approaching, and that you shouldn’t run an OS without security updates, which is certainly true.

The laptop maker then moves on to persuade us that what everyone in this situation needs is a new Windows 11 notebook, and that what makes these devices different is one word: Copilot.

Moreover, Asus argues: “But here’s where it gets even better: with Copilot+ PCs, Windows 11 takes the AI experience to a whole new level. These devices are equipped with an NPU – a dedicated AI processor, specifically designed to handle AI tasks locally, making your experience smoother, faster, and more secure.

“If your current laptop isn’t up to snuff for Windows 11 or Copilot+, this is the perfect time to upgrade to a device that’s built for it.”

Thereafter follows a series of plugs for Asus Vivobook models, Copilot+ PCs with both Snapdragon (Arm-based) and traditional Intel processors.

(Image credit: Photo by Tom Fisk via Pexels)

Analysis: Landfill woes and unwise overselling

The problem with these marketing campaigns, which are nudging people to simply dump their Windows 10 PC, is that this isn’t a very green-friendly perspective to serve up.

Going way back, there have been alarm bells rung about potentially towering piles of scrapped PCs heading to landfills later this year, thanks to Microsoft’s policy of enforcing steeper system requirements with Windows 11. If it wasn’t for some of those – generally security-related – measures, those folks could upgrade to the newer OS just fine and keep their current laptop (or indeed desktop PC).

So, when companies like Microsoft and now Asus push the benefits of throwing out old hardware for a shiny new Copilot+ PC, you can see why this frustrates organizations that are working to promote eco-friendliness in one way or another.

At any rate, if your laptop isn’t compatible with Windows 11, is it really ready for the bin when October 2025 and the End of Life for Windows 10 rolls around? Of course not – one option is that you can pay to extend support for a year.

That’s a choice Microsoft has provided for consumers for the first time ever, actually, likely to placate those with the aforementioned environmental concerns – though it’d be good if this support could be extended even further. (It can be for businesses, but we don’t know if that’ll be the case for everyday users).

Another option is switching to Linux, of course, as has been highlighted recently.

The other problem with the argument Asus presents here (and Microsoft is guilty of this too) is that it’s overselling the ability of Copilot+ PCs. While there are some impressive powers for these devices – like improved (natural language) Windows 11 search, and the same search trick in Settings too – most of the AI exclusives for Copilot+ devices aren’t overly compelling (Recall included right now).

While Copilot+ laptops may eventually take your Windows 11 computing experience to ‘another level’ as Asus mentions in its blurb, we definitely aren’t there yet. This is marketing fluff, essentially, and while that’s hardly unexpected, companies need to be careful about how they’re framing these kinds of posts, given the environmental concerns in play here.

No, you can’t keep your PC running forever, but Microsoft and its partners need to be more thoughtful about the state of tech landfill and our planet. And I’d really like to see Microsoft confirm extended support for updates to consumers for more than just a year, without making that additional time prohibitively expensive.

You may also like



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Microsoft's Xbox handheld reportedly "sidelined" as it focuses on third-party portable devices
Game Reviews

Microsoft’s Xbox handheld reportedly “sidelined” as it focuses on third-party portable devices

by admin



Microsoft has reportedly “sidelined” the development of its long-teased first-party handheld gaming device as it focuses its attention on third-party portable opportunities, including ASUS’ Project Kennan, which is supposedly still due this year.


Xbox boss Phil Spencer first discussed an Xbox handheld back in 2017, when he revealed Microsoft had “roughly designed” one in the past, and it’s a subject he’s repeatedly returned to in recent years, fuelling speculation the project had been revived. Then, this March, Windows Central reported Microsoft had settled on a multi-pronged handheld strategy, and would be teaming up with a third-party to release an Xbox-branded portable gaming PC this year under the codename Kennan while it worked on its own internally developed device to release alongside an Xbox Series X/S successor in 2027.


Now, though, Windows Central claims Microsoft has had a bit of a strategic rethink, and development of its own handheld device has been “sidelined”. According to the publication’s source, the company has internally announced it’ll instead “prioritise its teams to improve Windows 11 gaming performance, specifically for devices like the ASUS partner device Project Kennan” (NB. the site originally reported this under the name “Keenan” back in March, but has since updated its original story). It doesn’t sound like Microsoft is completely abandoning its own handheld plans, however; Windows Central says the company “still has big ambitions and is investing heavily to deliver a native Xbox handheld”, but third-party devices and Windows 11 improvements will be where it focuses its resources for now.


As for Project Kennan specifically, the website claims it’s “essentially finished” on the hardware side, but that there’s currently a “significantly boosted effort” between Microsoft’s Xbox and Windows teams to “improve the experience on the software side”. The plan, however, is that the Xbox-branded ASUS device will still launch “later this year”.


Microsoft’s decision to refocus on providing adequate infrastructure for Windows 11-powered third-party devices is perhaps not entirely surprising given increasing competition elsewhere; back in January, Valve announced it’s been working to bring SteamOS, which powers Steam Deck, to third-party handheld gaming, and the operating system is now available on a variety of devices, including recently released official partner machine, the Lenovo Legion Go S.


Beyond its handheld plans, Microsoft continues to developed its Xbox Series X/S successor, which Xbox president Sarah Bond previously claimed would deliver “the largest technical leap that you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.” According to Windows Central, there are currently “three prototype devices in development for Microsoft’s Gen-10 effort”, and the company is also said to be working on “next-gen Xbox cloud systems” to bring latency more in line with NVIDIA’s GeForce Now service.


As for games, we’ll know more about Xbox’s future slate once this year’s Xbox Games Showcase airs on Sunday, 8th June at 6pm UK time. Eurogamer will, of course, have news from that and more as the Summer Game Fest season gets underway next week.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
False positive
Gaming Gear

Microsoft’s Smart App Control blocks malware and has ‘lighter impact on your PC’s performance’

by admin



With Windows 11 22H2, Microsoft introduced a new component to its security suite, aiming to prevent malicious applications, dubbed Smart App Control (SAC). This feature complements Microsoft Defender, blocking untrusted or unknown code from executing on a proactive basis. Now, in an updated blog post pushing the feature, Microsoft claims a performance boost compared to traditional AV solutions, though small print indicates you will require a fresh Windows installation to use this feature.

Traditional antivirus software, such as Microsoft Defender, adopts an “Innocent until proven guilty” approach. These solutions are largely reactive, trusting programs until their behavior triggers an alert. Microsoft Defender employs signature-based detection, behavioral checks (heuristics), and cloud protection to prevent malicious software on your system. When faced with novel (zero-day) malware or polymorphic threats, which can bypass signature checks, Defender falls back to heuristics, observing the malware’s actions until it detects suspicious behavior.

Here’s where Smart App Control enters the fray, employing a proactive methodology, operating on the principle of “Guilty until proven innocent.” It assesses the application’s security by vetting it against Microsoft’s Intelligence Security Graph (a cloud-based reputation service). If this test is inconclusive, it attempts to validate the application’s digital signature, to ensure its origin from a trusted developer. The application is blocked by Windows Security if it is predicted to be malicious in the first check or unsigned in the second check.


You may like

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Essentially, SAC bypasses traditional behavioral checks by ensuring only verified applications can run on your system. Although Microsoft claims Smart App Control offers a performance boost over traditional antivirus solutions, it is designed to operate in parallel with Windows Defender. Unlike Windows Defender, if SAC deems a program malicious, it cannot be flagged as a false positive or whitelisted. As such, SAC is likely to be a poor fit for enthusiasts or developers, better serving enterprise systems or individuals who aren’t as tech-savvy.

To prevent such conflicts, Microsoft runs Smart App Control through an evaluation phase to determine if this feature would hinder your day-to-day activities. This is a one-way street: if SAC is deemed unsuitable for your system, it will be disabled and can only be re-enabled by reinstalling Windows. Likewise, if you decide to turn it off yourself, you won’t be able to simply switch it back on.

Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
FTC finally drops appeal against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Game Updates

FTC finally drops appeal against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard

by admin


Microsoft may have sealed the deal to acquire Activision Blizzard all the way back in 2023 for $68.7bn, making history as the biggest company buyout in the video games industry to date, but only now has the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finally given up its own fight.

The FTC has been contesting Microsoft’s purchase since its conception in 2022, arguing – in an antitrust lawsuit filed in December that year – the deal would “harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets”.

Following the acquisition in October 2023, the commission still fought on, issuing an appeal in an attempt to overturn the court’s decision that December. However, earlier this month, the 9th Circuit Court rejected the appeal, and now the FTC has officially dropped its case.

“The Commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation in this case. Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that the Complaint in this matter be, and it hereby is, dismissed. By the Commission,” reads the official filing, which was issued last night.

The news was shared by Microsoft president Brad Smith on social media, with the exec calling the decision “a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington, DC”.

Smith added he was “grateful to the FTC” for its announcement.

Manage cookie settings

Since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in 2023, the company has continued to keep games such as Call of Duty on PlayStation. Additionally, it has since added a number of its Xbox Studios titles to additional platforms, with the likes of Obsidian’s Grounded now being available on both Switch and PlayStation.

More recently, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle released on PS5, and earlier this month it was announced that a revamped edition of the original Gears of War game will be coming to PlayStation later this year.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
FTC drops case against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Esports

FTC drops case against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard

by admin


The US Federal Trade Commission has dropped its complaint against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

On May 22, 2025, the FTC issued an order dismissing its case after it lost its appeal against Microsoft earlier this month.

“The commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation of the case,” it said. “Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that the complaint in this matter be, and hereby is, dismissed.”

In response, Microsoft president Brad Smith described the decision as a “victory for players” on social media.

“Today’s decision is a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington D.C.,” Smith wrote. “We are grateful for the FTC for today’s announcement.”

Microsoft finalised its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022 for $68.7 billion. The FTC subsequently attempted to block the merger, believing it would cause a threat to competition in cloud gaming, subscription services, and exclusive first-party titles.

This was denied, and in turn the FTC submitted a preliminary injunction – which was also denied.

On May 8, 2025, the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals threw out the FTC’s challenge against the Microsoft Activision merger.

“The panel held that the district court applied the correct legal standards and did not abuse its discretion, or rely on clearly erroneous findings, in holding that the FTC failed to make a sufficient evidentiary showing to establish the requisite likelihood of success on the merits of its claim,” the court said.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Close