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Microsoft has begun testing a new “My apps” tab inside the Xbox app for Windows 11 that lets Xbox Insiders install, launch and — in some cases — download third‑party apps and rival storefronts from a single, controller‑friendly launcher designed especially for handheld Windows gaming devices. Background / Overview Microsoft has been steadily repositioning the Xbox app on Windows from a Game Pass storefront into a centralized hub for PC gaming, and the “My apps” experiment is the clearest...

Microsoft’s rapid move to fold OpenAI’s GPT‑5 into Copilot is this week’s defining platform shift — but it arrived alongside a cluster of AI-driven developments that matter to every IT leader: workforce disruption from automation, a surge in deepfake executive‑impersonation scams, contract automation moving into true AI‑powered lifecycle management, and a fresh crop of home‑office hardware to support hybrid work. This dispatch breaks down what actually changed with the GPT‑5 upgrade in...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping human resources into a faster, more data-driven function—freeing HR professionals from routine work while amplifying their capacity for strategy, people development, and culture stewardship. Background Since the early experiments with applicant-tracking automation and basic rule-based chatbots, AI in HR has moved from niche automation to integrated, enterprise-grade assistants that sit in the flow of work. Modern HR AI combines natural language processing...

On August 24, 1995, Microsoft unleashed a consumer operating system that would reshape everyday computing, not just as a technical milestone but as a cultural event: Windows 95 combined a sweeping user-interface overhaul, aggressive marketing and architectural changes that together accelerated the shift from hobbyist PCs to mainstream household appliances. What was dispatched as a polished GUI with a single familiar button — Start — was underpinned by a complex engineering and compatibility...

Windows shortcuts aren’t a gimmick—they’re the difference between fumbling through menus and moving at the speed of thought, and ZDNET’s “Master these 48 Windows keyboard shortcuts and finish work early” is a concise reminder that a measured investment in muscle memory returns daily time savings. The piece groups shortcuts, explains how a few keystrokes unlock deeper Windows 11 productivity features, and pairs quick wins (Win + E, Alt + Tab) with slightly deeper system tools (Clipboard...

Google’s Gemini is quietly testing a set of new experimental modes — Agent Mode, Gemini Go, and an Immersive View — that together signal a deliberate shift from single‑turn chat toward agentic, creative, and visually driven workflows inside the Gemini workspace. Early UI discoveries reported by TestingCatalog show descriptive labels and distinct icons in the mode selector; the most consequential of these, Agent Mode, is explicitly described as capable of autonomous exploration, planning, and...

Windows 11 is quietly getting a true cross‑device handoff for Android apps — starting with Spotify — that lets you pick up an activity on your phone and continue it on your PC with a single click, and Microsoft has begun rolling the feature out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels. Background Microsoft’s cross‑device story has been a long arc: from early experiments like Project Rome and Continue on PC to the more visible Phone Link integration in Windows 11. The company...

The arrival of an open-source AppLocker policy generator aimed at simplifying XML policy creation for Windows administrators deserves attention: AppLockerGen promises a lightweight, web-like interface to author, merge, inspect, and export AppLocker policies — but the tool’s appeal comes with real operational caveats that every enterprise IT team should weigh before adopting it. Background AppLocker is Microsoft’s built-in application control framework that lets administrators define which...

Microsoft appears to be preparing a new Study and Learn mode for Copilot that would sit in the same mode selector users already use to switch between Quick, Think Deeper and Deep Research — and early evidence suggests the feature is aimed squarely at students, educators and lifelong learners as part of a larger push to make Copilot an active study assistant, not just a productivity tool. Background / Overview Microsoft has been steadily expanding Copilot from a productivity overlay into a...

ChatGPT Enterprise has emerged as the de facto leader among business-focused chatbots in 2025, distinguished by enterprise-grade security, scalable deployment tools, and deep customization that supports automation, customer support, and advanced data analysis—claims reflected in industry roundups and verified by market-share data and vendor documentation. Background The last two years have seen an acceleration in enterprise adoption of large language model (LLM) assistants as companies race...

A wave of community test results and vendor confirmations this week has put the latest Windows 11 cumulative update under a harsh spotlight: several SSDs can disappear from Windows during sustained, large write operations after installing the August 12, 2025 update (KB5063878), with a non-trivial risk of truncated or corrupted files for data written during the failure window. Background / Overview Microsoft shipped the August 12, 2025 cumulative update for Windows 11 (24H2) as KB5063878 (OS...

Microsoft and the NFL have moved from a decade‑long hardware sponsorship to an explicit, AI‑first operational partnership that will put Microsoft Copilot and Azure AI into coaches’ hands, scouting workflows, stadium operations, and club business systems across all 32 teams. Background and overview The announcement formalizes a multiyear extension of the long‑running Surface — NFL relationship and layers conversational generative AI onto the league’s existing Sideline Viewing System (SVS)...

GNOME 48.3: A “boring” bugfix release that quietly makes Linux desktops better — and why Windows users should care GNOME rolled out the 48.3 point release on July 8, 2025, as the third maintenance update in the GNOME 48 “Bengaluru” series. On paper, it’s a routine set of refinements. In practice, it’s a tidy bundle of fixes and polish that touches everything from the Files app (Nautilus) to the window manager (Mutter), GNOME Shell, and core apps like the Epiphany web browser. The release...

VirtualBox 7.1.12 sharpens Linux 6.16 support and Windows stability Subhead Oracle’s latest maintenance update, released on July 15, 2025, delivers kernel 6.16 readiness for Linux hosts and guests, steadier Windows behavior under Hyper‑V, and targeted fixes for networking, recording, and nested virtualization. Hero image Illustration: VirtualBox VM dashboard on a Windows 11 desktop, with a Linux guest highlighted; subtle overlay labels “7.1.12,” “Linux 6.16,” “Hyper‑V,” and “Bridged...

GIMP 3.1.2 arrives as more than a routine development build. It’s the first waypoint on the march to GIMP 3.2, stacking substantive new features on top of the landmark 3.0 release earlier this year and signaling where the project is headed next. For Windows creatives who split time between multiple tools and formats, this build is a notable step forward in interoperability, non-destructive editing, and everyday UX polish—while also reminding that development releases are still best kept off...

KDE Plasma 6.4.3 arrives as a small but consequential update, tightening the everyday experience on Wayland with a smarter default screen scaling choice and a raft of fixes across KWin, accessibility, notifications, and classic desktop widgets. Why a modest point release matters Plasma’s rapid maintenance cadence often hides how much polish is packed into each dot release. The 6.4 line is still relatively fresh, and the third maintenance update targets the sort of friction that shows up only...

Audacity 3.7.4 arrives as a small but consequential update, sharpening everyday workflows and tightening the reliability of this long‑standing open‑source audio editor across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Why 3.7.4 matters The headline for this maintenance release is stability. Crashes tied to real‑time effects with delay compensation, edge‑case clip joins that could unexpectedly remove video clips from a timeline, and a shutdown crash on large unsaved projects are all addressed. Just as...

Canonical’s third point release for Noble Numbat arrives at a timely moment for PC builders and IT admins who want stability without sacrificing new hardware support: Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS is out with a refreshed installation image, a backported Linux 6.14 hardware enablement kernel, and the Mesa 25.0 graphics stack, folding months of security fixes and bug patches into a single, ready-to-deploy ISO. What Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS actually delivers Ubuntu’s LTS point releases are not new feature...

The GNU Linux-libre 6.16 release lands on August 24, 2025 with a familiar promise and a precise mandate: take everything new and noteworthy in upstream Linux 6.16 and remove the parts that depend on proprietary firmware, binary-only microcode, or unclear redistribution terms, then ship a kernel that aims to be 100% free software from boot to shutdown. What GNU Linux-libre is—and what it isn’t GNU Linux-libre is a cleaned-up edition of the upstream Linux kernel that removes code known to...

Amarok 3.3.1 arrives as a small version bump with outsized impact, tightening the screws on a major transition that began with the 3.3 milestone: a full move to Qt 6 and the modern KDE software stack, paired with a clear focus on scripting‑driven customization, better metadata plumbing, and quieter day‑to‑day reliability. Why this maintenance release matters The 3.3 cycle reshaped Amarok in visible and invisible ways. Moving a mature, feature‑rich music player to Qt 6 isn’t a simple swap of...