Is VLC broken, or is Microsoft Defender slowing down your MP3s?
Apps Opening MP3 files in VLC can take over 30 seconds due to a bug. A well-known game designer argued the issue shows what's wrong with open source software.
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Features
Did the Surface Phone finally leak? — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Zac and Jez on August 13 at 2PM ET for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast.
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Razer's nifty keyboard case completed my Steam Deck travel setup
Accessories The Razer Joro is my favorite travel keyboard already, and now there's a new case for it that helps turn a handheld PC into a portable workstation with ease.
It's Patch Tuesday: Here's everything major in today's Windows 11 update
Windows 11 Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update is rolling out now, bringing refinements to Start, Taskbar, Search, File Explorer, Widgets, and core system behavior.
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'Star Wars: Zero Company' preview — this XCOM-like is a GOTY contender
Xbox I recently had the opportunity to play Star Wars: Zero Company. Not only does it deliver an authentic Star Wars experience with a big XCOM twist, there are also unexpected shades of Mass Effect here I couldn't ignore.
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
Mozilla Firefox and Brave keep uBlock Origin alive on Windows 11
Apps Microsoft Edge will soon lose access to uBlock Origin, but Brave and Firefox have both committed to supporting the extension.
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Windows 11 KB5101684 makes PCs with low RAM faster and more reliable
Windows 11 Windows 11 is getting more reliability and performance upgrades with its latest update, which will benefit PCs with low amounts of system memory.
Microsoft Edge’s new Apple sign-in feature shows the company is losing mobile
Apps You will soon be able to sign into Microsoft Edge with an Apple account. The feature lets iPhone users sync bookmarks and history without needing a Microsoft account.
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PC Hardware
This Snapdragon X2 laptop just survived a 17-hour streaming marathon
Computing YouTuber DevonDoesTech ran a 17-hour live stream on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite.
NVIDIA's CEO said "Moore's law is dead": Will we ever see affordable GPUs again?
QOTD Prices climb as Moore's Law seemingly dies, and AI demand rises, all while NVIDIA dominates. PC builders are left wondering if affordable GPUs will ever return.
Vulnerabilities discovered in ASUS' Armoury Crate app need your attention
PC Gaming It's an 8.4 out of 10 on the CVSS scale, so it shouldn't be taken lightly.
The best Windows laptops for video conferencing and Zoom meetings in 2026
Laptops If you're in need of a great PC to use for video conferencing and Zoom meetings, these top-rated laptops we reviewed won't disappoint.
Deals
Snapdragon X Plus Surface Laptop 27% discount
Deals The Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition) ranks among our top Windows laptops of all time for its clean design and strong performance for everyday tasks, and it's now 27% off
This 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop is ideal for heading back to school and exams
Deals One of Best Buy's Back-to-School discounts has found its way to the HP Omnibook X Flip 14 (2025), a well-made laptop that skips frivolous design choices for straightforward, solid performance.
One of the better laptops for tackling schoolwork is now under $700
Deals The invaluable ASUS Zenbook A14 laptop with Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 16GB RAM, and 2K OLED display is now at a more reasonable price to help students survive gruelling homework and exams
Dell offers students real Windows laptop options for less than $600
Deals Dell's recently discounted laptops offer affordable Windows performance under $1,000, giving students lightweight, modern options and back‑to‑school value.
Handheld Gaming PCs
I miss PC Game Pass when using my Steam Deck, but this might fix that
PC Gaming Steam Deck (and other Linux systems) might soon be able to play PC Game Pass games with the help of Xodus.
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Gaming
Here's when you can play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's final Zombies map
News Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's latest mid-season refresh is bringing the Zombies saga to a close, at least for now. Here's when you can play the final map, Rex Infernus.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 is officially in the works, Warner Bros. confirms
Gaming In a recent open letter to shareholders, Warner Bros. casually announced they are making a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, a popular open-world RPG based on the iconic Harry Potter franchise.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV is delayed to the Christmas season
Gaming To squash game-breaking bugs and fine-tune its performance, Dawn of War IV has been delayed until December 3, 2026.
Artificial Intelligence
"If it was opt in ... nobody would opt-in." Twitch CPO admits everyone hates its AI training 'feature'
AI Twitch's Chief Product Officer accepts that everyone hates its AI "features," but is going to double down on it anyway.
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Microsoft won't make Copilot for Linux so a hero stepped up
Apps Developer Hayden Barnes built an unofficial Linux app for Microsoft Copilot. The native app adds system tray support, dark mode, and desktop notifications.
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"Around 70%" of Microsoft's AI business still depends entirely on OpenAI — that's not good
AI Recent analysis showed that Microsoft's AI business, while seemingly booming, still carries a somewhat enormous Sam Altman-shaped risk.
Microsoft Editor is failing writers, so I replaced it with AI
AI Copilot and Gemini caught mistakes Word missed, making me switch to AI for proofreading.
Microsoft
Did the Surface Phone finally leak? — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Zac and Jez on August 13 at 2PM ET for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast.
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Everything new in Microsoft Teams for July 2026: Meeting Recaps, Frontline AI, and more
Apps Microsoft's July 2026 Teams update introduces a dedicated Recap app for meeting summaries, transcripts, and recordings.
Microsoft stock price rips on earnings, jumping a 'record breaking' 18%
Microsoft Microsoft's FY26 earnings report came in, and it has been taken extremely well on Wall Street, as investors reward $MSFT stock with a 20% bounce in less than a month.
Why Asha Sharma had to kill Phil Spencer's "every screen is an Xbox" vision
QOTD Phil Spencer once envisioned an Xbox on every screen. Here is why new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma had to abandon that multiplatform strategy and double down on dedicated console hardware.
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Peripherals & Accessories
OLED monitors are shipping faster than ever as gamers dodge sky-high PC prices
Hardware Yes, OLED prices are falling, but the fact that no one can afford other PC upgrades is surely playing a role.
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