I lost out on this Microsoft Teams feature before it even shipped
Apps Microsoft has paused development on new minimized views that would have made multitasking easier.
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Features
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.
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.
Podcast: The path ahead for Xbox
Podcast On this week's episode: Zac and Jez discuss the state of Xbox as a business, recent rumors around studio closures, and what Microsoft is planning for Project Helix.,
71% of gamers aren't ready to lose physical games
GAMING Our community has spoken, and 71% say physical games still matter. Here's why ownership and consumer choice remain major concerns.
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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
How to de-slop Amazon
TOOLS A new Chrome extension lets you filter out the flood of noisy, caps-lock pseudo-brands ruining your Amazon searches.
This 3KB notepad app proves modern Windows apps are bloated
Apps Former Windows engineer Dave Plummer built a working notepad app that's just 2,686 bytes. The app illustrates how bloated modern software has become.
This file explorer keeps shipping features Microsoft hasn’t matched
Apps A third‑party file explorer just added Tree View, better multi‑pane controls, and cleaner navigation, once again beating Microsoft’s own File Explorer.
PC Hardware
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.
ASUS' Zenbook A14 tested in 2026: An impressive upgrade to Snapdragon X2 Elite CPUs
Review ASUS revisits its highly rated Zenbook A14 with a high-end Snapdragon X2 Elite processor from Qualcomm, but mercifully didn't change what already made it great.
Acer's new pre-built gaming PC is a step above most big-brand options
Review No pre-built gaming PC is perfect, but Acer's Nitro 65 is better than a lot of options out there.
Deals
I found Windows laptops with 16GB of RAM on sale for under $1,000
Deals We have rounded up laptops offering 16GB RAM, reliable CPUs, and plenty of storage, all under $1,000 with these discounts.
These Microsoft 365 deals beat a decade of inflation
Deals Microsoft 365 subscription prices went up last year, but these limited-time deals from Woot cut through the price hike.
Internal SSDs are selling out but this one with fast speeds and vast sizes is in stock and on sale
Deals The WD_Black SN8100 PCIe SSD, with its 14,900MB/s Read Speeds is one of the best premium options for storage PC games, and its 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models are on sale at Best Buy
This HP 2-in-1 laptop may look plain, but it can take on your daily workload
Deals HP's OmniBook X Flip 14 is a great 2-in-1 laptop that trades style for work efficiency, and its Core Ultra 5 226V model is now 35% 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
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is everything I wanted it to be
Gaming Black Flag reclaims the title as the best single-player pirate experience with this astonishing new remake that will delight old hands and new players alike.
Gears of War: Reloaded joins Xbox Game Pass to get people hyped for E-Day
Gaming Xbox has announced July 2026's first batch of Xbox Game Pass titles, which includes Gears of War: Reloaded, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, and many more titles that will be added throughout the month.
IO Interactive regains full ownership of Project Fantasy from XBOX, but closes one of its studios
GAMING IO Interactive has regained full ownership of Project Fantasy after Xbox ended funding, but the update also confirms the closure of its Istanbul studio.
Artificial Intelligence
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.
NVIDIA’s new AI data centers could end community water concerns
AI NVIDIA unveils a cooling breakthrough that could reduce water and energy use in data centers.
Microsoft
Microsoft sued over "unreasonable and excessive noise" from datacenter
AI Fairwater, Wisconsin is home to one of the most powerful datacenters in the world, but many local residents claim the site emits too much noise.
Microsoft lays off 4,800 workers, denies AI is to blame
Microsoft Close to 2.1% of the company's workforce is affected, with the vast majority of cuts hitting Xbox and gaming divisions.
The path ahead for Xbox and Surface — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Daniel and Zac at 2PM ET on June 12 for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast!
Microsoft expected to lay off up to 2.5% of workforce next week
Microsoft Reportedly, thousands of roles will be cut across Xbox, sales, and consulting as the tech giant starts its new fiscal year.
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.
