Windows Central Insider
Halo: Campaign Evolved could be a huge win, if you can overlook what’s missing
XBOX Despite gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 visuals, Halo: Campaign Evolved drops iconic features like scoring and community tools with no post-launch updates planned.
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Features
An AI researcher set out to prove that Age of Empires 2 is just as human-like as AI
AI Who thought a real-time strategy game from 1999 would shake up the AI research world?
Microsoft is sacrificing Windows and Office’s unique selling point in its chase for AI
MICROSOFT Microsoft’s AI strategy lacks a unique selling point, raising concerns about its future in Office and Windows.
How 'Echo Generation 2' for Xbox builds on the original in every way
ID@Xbox Card-based combat brings fresh strategy to classic turn-based RPG roots.
This might be the VR headset for Flight Simulator 2024 that you've been looking for
Gaming One way to up the immersion in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or iRacing is to use a VR headset. And I think I just found the best one.
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
Microsoft region locked one of its best Windows 11 apps
Apps PC Manager pulls Windows cleanup and storage tools into one simple interface. It’s useful, fast, and still inexplicably restricted to a handful of regions.
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I found a trick that makes Windows 11 shortcuts impossible to forget
Windows 11 PowerToys 0.100 introduces a smarter Shortcut Guide that helps Windows 11 users discover keyboard shortcuts without leaving their workflow.
Steve Ballmer dismissed Google Chrome as a "rounding error"
SOFTWARE Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer underestimated Google Chrome. Seventeen years later, Edge is still trying to catch up, and Internet Explorer is gone with the wind.
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PC Hardware
This might be the VR headset for Flight Simulator 2024 that you've been looking for
Gaming One way to up the immersion in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or iRacing is to use a VR headset. And I think I just found the best one.
The Surface Pro 12 name is confusing and here’s why
Surface With the arrival of the second Surface Pro 12 in two months, it's time to take a closer look at Microsoft's horrible naming scheme for flagship PCs.
Why DDR3 RAM is still expensive in 2026
Hardware The RAM that's too old for Windows 11 is getting more expensive. Here's why.
Deals
XPS 13 with Snapdragon X Elite and 32GB of RAM drops to $999
Deals While other manufacturers are cutting corners with 8GB base models to reach low prices, Dell is offering a Snapdragon X Elite powerhouse with a 32GB of RAM for under $1,000.
Defeat Microsoft 365 auto-renew and lock in these discounts
Deal Auto renew is the most expensive way to pay for Microsoft 365. You can stack up to five years of discounted codes and lock in today’s pricing.
Get 4K at frame-perfect 240Hz with this cool QD-OLED gaming monitor
Deals The ASUS ROG Swift OLED (PG32UCDM) can run 4K and 240Hz without compromises, and it's now on a pre-Prime Day sale.
This discounted Surface Pro keyboard beats Microsoft’s free option
Deals Microsoft’s newly announced flagship 2-in-1 comes with a free bundled keyboard, but power users will want to skip it for this $70 discount.
My PC's ailing storage will be fixed with this external 1TB SSD and its speed
Deals The Samsung T7 Portable SSD with 1TB of space is enjoying a limited, early Prime Day discount at Amazon.
Some of Geekom's best Mini-PCs for work and gaming are having a summer time sale
Deals The critically acclaimed Geekom A9 Max, A8, and A7 Max Mini-PCS that offer fast performance rates for workloads with plenty of storage space and internet connectivity options are on a limited-time summer sale at Geekom
Handheld Gaming PCs
Winhanced adds achievement support in latest update
Handhelds Winhanced's latest update adds streaming improvements and quality-of-life enhancements across its ever-expanding launcher.
An Xbox Series X, PS5, and Switch 2 together cost less than the new MSI gaming handheld
PC gaming MSI's new Claw 8 EX AI+ is a beauty with the best performance I've ever seen in a gaming handheld, but at $1,799, gamers can get a whole lot more value elsewhere. Like, say, three modern consoles.
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Gaming
Halo's iconic mission is being built in Fortnite before Campaign Evolved
HALO While Halo: Campaign Evolved is still weeks away, one fan is recreating parts of the beloved game inside Fortnite.
World of Warcraft: Midnight's second season has been announced
Blizzard Travel the Coiled Isle and fight snake-like monstrosities in new Raids, Dungeons, and Delves coming soon in "Curse of Ula’tek".
Halo's veteran designer calls Campaign Evolved a "well-made mod"
HALO Not everyone sees Campaign Evolved the same way, as Bungie's Jaime Griesemer offers a particularly blunt assessment.
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Artificial Intelligence
An AI researcher set out to prove that Age of Empires 2 is just as human-like as AI
AI Who thought a real-time strategy game from 1999 would shake up the AI research world?
Critical Copilot bug leaked enterprise files and 2FA codes
AI Critical Copilot vulnerability lets hackers turn URLs into email‑search commands, leaking 2FA codes and enterprise data via Bing.
Microsoft sued over AI costs, Azure cloud growth concerns
AI Shareholders accuse Microsoft of masking cloud struggles while betting big and investing billions on AI infrastructure.
6 Comments
Microsoft CEO admits he is a tokenmaxxer
AI Satya Nadella warns Microsoft staff against tokenmaxxing, urging smarter AI use as the company balances innovation with efficiency.
Microsoft
Microsoft is sacrificing Windows and Office’s unique selling point in its chase for AI
MICROSOFT Microsoft’s AI strategy lacks a unique selling point, raising concerns about its future in Office and Windows.
Oracle disputes a report on failed $3 billion Microsoft cloud deal
MICROSOFT Reports claim Microsoft ditched a $3 billion Oracle cloud deal over compliance issues, though Oracle disputes the collapse.
This Bill Gates quote from 30 years ago is oddly prescient in the age of AI
QOTD For nearly 30 years, the internet was fueled by content creators. That era could now be coming to a close as AI takes over.
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Microsoft’s cloud rival, Amazon, is now powering GitHub
MICROSOFT Microsoft turned to Amazon for extra cloud power after GitHub’s AI surge caused outages.
Peripherals & Accessories
Razer’s $499 Huntsman keyboard is pure overkill
Review Razer’s most ambitious keyboard yet, built for enthusiasts who want something rare and refined.
