Windows 11 now lets you pause updates indefinitely
Windows 11 Microsoft's July 2026 Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 introduces Point-in-time Restore, a new tool to pause updates, Widget improvements, and much more.
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Features
Microsoft Layoffs and Copilot OS — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Daniel, Zac and Jez at 2PM ET on July 9 for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast!
Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s trillion‑dollar AI push is built on hype, fake demand
Microsoft Analyst Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s AI math is impossible and the whole strategy looks like a scam
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Xbox fans need to support State of Decay 3
XBOX Xbox's freed studios have a lifeline. Now I implore fans to put their money where their mouth is and buy their games.
7 exciting new features in Windows 11 version 26H2
Windows 11 I picked the 7 Windows 11 version 26H2 features that matter most, from Start menu improvements to better search, security, and updates.
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Moonraker turns 10 and still looks ahead of its time
Flashback A decade later, Microsoft’s unreleased Moonraker smartwatch still feels like a glimpse into an alternate timeline.
Looking back at 2016’s “I love you, Xbox” — and how much (and little) has changed
Flashback Looking back at the 2016 editorial that captured Xbox’s growing pains and predicted the decade ahead.
Revisiting the LG Lancet, 11 years later
Flashback A look back at the LG Lancet and the era when Windows Phone 8.1 defined Microsoft’s mobile peak.
The 2016 Android‑apps warning that now echoes Googlebooks
Flashback A 2016 warning about Android apps on Chrome feels newly relevant as Googlebooks pushes Android PCs into the agentic era and challenges Microsoft again.
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Windows & Software
Windows 11 version 26H2: Everything you need to know
Windows 11 Microsoft is hard at work on building the next version of Windows 11 that's expected to debut this fall. Here's what to expect, and when.
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Make any site dark mode with Edge’s new Web Remix tool
Browsing Microsoft Edge is testing a new "Web Remix" feature in Canary builds that allows users to force any website into dark mode without needing third-party extensions.
Windows 11’s new recovery feature explained
Windows 11 Microsoft's Cloud rebuild for Windows 11 downloads a fresh installation and drivers from Windows Update. Here's how it works and what to know.
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PC Hardware
Acer's new Swift Go 16 AI laptop impressed me more than I had ever expected
Review Acer's Swift Go 16 AI laptop offers surprisingly strong performance, a colorful OLED screen, and long battery life, but I found some issues that hold it back.
Alienware upgraded its most popular QD-OLED ultrawide, and pictures don't do it justice
Review The only way I want to play from now on.
Lenovo's new "Aura Edition" All-in-One Windows PC is a crazy sight to behold
Review Lenovo's latest flagship all-in-one might be the best-looking Windows AiO we've ever seen, complete with a unique design and best-in-class display that elevates it above the competition.
Windows Wrap: Windows 10 lives on as Sony ditches discs and Microsoft moves on from two Surface PCs
Surface Microsoft extended Windows 10 support, retired two Surface PCs, and explored disc‑to‑digital for Xbox as Sony ended physical discs and deleted purchased movies.
Deals
Where to buy the new Snapdragon X2 Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
Deals Microsoft just launched its upgraded Surface Pro and Surface Laptop featuring Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 chips.
Finish your work fast with HP's Snapdragon X laptop for under $810
Deals Amazon is hosting a limited-time 26% discount on the HP 16" Omnibook 5 laptop, allowing students and workers to get work done faster with its Snapdragon X CPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD.
Dell gives PC gamers and workers a break with these hardware discounts
Deals Dell is offering a selection of highly advanced PC devices, from gaming laptops to workhorse desktop towers, with a wide variety of discount deals for a limited time.
A huge LEGO game discount hits Steam, dropping $223 of titles to $9
Deals Get 7 full Lego games & 3 DLC packs for less than $10, all Steam Deck verified and perfect for handheld.
The laptop that garnered over 800 perfect scores on Dell is now on sale
Deals The Dell Pro 16 is a highly regarded productivity laptop, garnering over a thousand positive reviews on Dell's website, gushing over its Intel Core Ultra 5 235U vPro CPU and 16GB of RAM, and other features that are now 15% off
Handheld Gaming PCs
Winhanced on handhelds keeps making Xbox Mode look totally outdated
Handhelds Winhanced's latest update adds a built-in game store with price comparisons, Game Pass support, and personalized recommendations for Windows handheld gamers.
Gaming
Call of Duty's Black Ops ports on PlayStation are the hot mess we knew they'd be
Gaming Activision has disabled some playlists in the new Call of Duty: Black Ops port on PS4 and PS5 because hackers have, predictably, made it awful.
After layoffs, former Xbox studio Compulsion Games hopes to team up with other devs
Gaming After suffering layoffs and divestment from Microsoft and Xbox, Compulsion Games wants to collaborate with other studios in the gaming industry.
Warframe director says Destiny 2 dying is "existentially threatening" for game devs
Gaming Warframe creative director Rebecca Ford says that the sudden death of Bungie's looter shooter Destiny 2 is "horrible news" for game devs in the industry.
Artificial Intelligence
Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s trillion‑dollar AI push is built on hype, fake demand
Microsoft Analyst Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s AI math is impossible and the whole strategy looks like a scam
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Bill Gates says athletes are safe from AI
AI Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says athletes are safe from AI, arguing that no one wants to watch computers playing.
Microsoft and OpenAI face publisher lawsuits over AI copyright
AI A coalition of publishers has sued Microsoft and OpenAI for scrapping their content without their consent or compensation.
Satya Nadella calls for AI to benefit everyone — not just elites
AI Satya Nadella calls for open AI development, warning against the concentration of power among a small group of tech companies invested in the landscape.
Microsoft
Microsoft reports a 25% emissions surge tied to AI expansion
Microsoft While some claimed Microsoft emissions hit 34 million metric tons, the raw data shows actual emissions were much less. It was still a 25% increase, but there's important context missing.
Microsoft Layoffs and Copilot OS — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Daniel, Zac and Jez at 2PM ET on July 9 for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast!
Is Copilot enough to shift the balance between Microsoft Forms and Google Forms
Apps Microsoft Forms has added Copilot chat, offering suggestions, smarter edits, and clearer insights.
Microsoft launches official Rewards feedback portal
Microsoft Microsoft has launched a dedicated feedback portal for its Rewards Program, giving people a clearer way to submit ideas, vote on suggestions, and follow progress on changes.
Peripherals & Accessories
Dbrand's amazing Steam Machine Portal Companion Cube case just got canceled
Accessories Dbrand's extremely popular Portal Companion Cube Steam Machine case has been discontinued after Valve issued a takedown due to licensing issues.
