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Valve’s ambitious gamble on Linux-based SteamOS is beginning to pay off, as the OS quietly erodes Windows 11’s supremacy in the gaming space. Latest data from the July 2025 Steam Hardware & Software survey shows SteamOS posting its highest growth rate yet, while Microsoft’s flagship Windows 11 experiences an incremental but worrisome decline. As significant updates loom for both SteamOS and Windows, and with Microsoft rolling out a “full-screen experience” for the Xbox PC app, the question...

Microsoft’s rapid response to a quirky Windows 11 bug has not only put an end to a fleeting moment of nostalgia but also refocused attention on the enduring significance of startup sounds in the operating system’s history. Earlier this summer, members of the Windows Insider Program were briefly serenaded by the iconic startup chime from Windows Vista—a sound not heard on modern devices for over a decade. The mysterious bug, which caught developers and users alike by surprise, was swiftly...

Microsoft has upended the generative AI landscape once again with the experimental rollout of “Copilot Appearance,” a visual feature that endows its Copilot assistant with a lively, expressive identity. Quietly introduced through Copilot Labs to select users in the US, UK, and Canada, this marks the tech giant’s most audacious step yet in humanizing digital assistants—blurring the line between sterile code and personable companion. By turning Copilot into an interactive avatar that emotes...

MTN Group has emerged as a trailblazer in Africa's digital transformation narrative, making headlines for certifying over 1,250 employees through the Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI) in a single year—more than any other Microsoft customer on the continent. This unprecedented internal upskilling effort underscores MTN’s deep commitment to workforce development as a strategic driver of its overall cloud adoption and digital strategy. The achievement arrives amid the ongoing...

In March 2025, Microsoft released an update to the Xbox Game Bar, a built-in Windows feature designed to enhance gaming experiences by providing overlays for resource monitoring, capturing gameplay, and more. This update introduced a refreshed interface and additional functionalities. However, recent reports indicate that Microsoft may have quietly disabled a critical component of the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions, potentially impacting the performance of AMD's...

Microsoft's recent promotional video for Windows 11 has brought to light a potential hidden cost associated with the upgrade from Windows 10. While the upgrade itself is free, the data migration process may necessitate a Microsoft subscription for users with more than 5GB of data. The Hidden Cost of Data Migration In the promotional material, Microsoft highlights the Windows Backup feature, designed to facilitate the transfer of system settings, applications, preferences, and personal files...

Microsoft has officially announced the discontinuation of Windows 11 SE, its education-focused operating system designed for low-cost laptops. Support for Windows 11 SE will cease in October 2026, marking the end of an initiative aimed at competing with Google's Chrome OS in the educational sector. Background Launched in 2021, Windows 11 SE was introduced as a streamlined, cloud-first version of Windows 11, tailored specifically for educational environments. It was pre-installed on select...

Acer’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-performance, affordable laptops is on full display with the release of the Acer Aspire 3 15.6-inch FHD Touchscreen, powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 5 7520U 4-core processor and Windows 11 Pro. This versatile device packs a combination of contemporary design, modern connectivity, and thoughtful features—such as a backlit keyboard, enhanced thermal management, and Acer’s proprietary BlueLightShield technology—making it an appealing choice for a wide...

A digital storm rumbled through India’s energy and technology sectors when Microsoft temporarily cut off cloud access to Nayara Energy, the country’s second-largest oil refiner, triggering an international debate on sanctions compliance and digital sovereignty. This episode, rooted in Nayara’s complex ties to sanctioned Russian oil giant Rosneft, amplified the global spotlight on how foreign legal frameworks and rapidly evolving geopolitics can directly impact vital cloud-based business...

A surge of concern ricocheted across the open-source software community last week when Mike Kaganski, a prominent LibreOffice developer, found himself locked out of his Microsoft account for seven frustrating days. This event, echoing recent reports of arbitrary account lockouts affecting ordinary users, amplifies urgent questions about trust, reliability, and the inherent risks of digital dependence on cloud services run by tech giants. For many, it was not merely another tale of opaque...

The stark admission by a Microsoft executive before the French Senate—that the company “cannot guarantee” European cloud data is immune from U.S. government access, regardless of where it’s stored—has thrust the simmering debate over data sovereignty and the global dominance of hyperscale cloud providers into unprecedented territory. As governments, corporations, and citizens grapple with the promise and peril of cloud architectures, the illusion that legal, technical, and geographic...

A surge of analyst upgrades and bold forecasts has rippled through the artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor sector in recent days, signaling rising confidence in a small cadre of tech giants. Key market players like Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Samsung, and their hardware partners are at the epicenter of this rapidly evolving narrative. This week’s developments reflect not only the relentless ambitions of big tech, but also the increasingly entwined fates of cloud computing, chip...

Microsoft has announced a significant update affecting users of its Office suite: starting January 2026, key features such as Read Aloud, Dictate, and Transcribe will cease to function on versions older than 16.0.18827.20202. This change necessitates that users and IT administrators update their Office applications to maintain access to these tools. Understanding the Affected Features The impacted features—Read Aloud, Dictate, and Transcribe—are integral components of Office Intelligent...

Windows 11’s commitment to streamlined productivity has often been undermined by an intrusive feature many users know all too well: the Second-chance Out-Of-Box Experience, affectionately dubbed SCOOBE. Despite its intentions of improving the overall setup and customization process, this persistent prompt has been a source of recurring frustration, appearing unexpectedly and interrupting user workflows. Microsoft’s latest Dev Channel updates, however, mark a significant turning point in how...

Microsoft’s latest move signals not just the end of a product, but a significant shift in the company’s approach toward the education technology sector. The official announcement that Windows 11 SE will reach end of support in October 2026 underscores a quiet yet decisive retreat from a market segment overwhelmingly dominated by Google’s Chrome OS. This termination follows the earlier sunset of Windows 10 and spotlights the unique challenges Microsoft faced in the battle for affordable...

The Notepad app in Windows 11 has received one of its most substantial upgrades in decades, introducing native Markdown support and cementing its relevance for both casual users and developers in the modern workflow. This new feature unlocks the ability to easily create, open, edit, and preview Markdown-formatted documents without the need for plugins or third-party editors, sending a clear signal that Microsoft is intent on bringing its foundational tools in line with contemporary...

A quiet yet intriguing shakeup is unfolding in the Windows 11 ecosystem: Microsoft is testing a new crosshair tool designed to make tracking your mouse pointer significantly easier. For billions of global users who rely on pinpoint cursor accuracy—from casual web browsers to creative professionals and gamers—this small feature represents a meaningful stride in accessibility and day-to-day usability. Background: The Evolution of Pointer Visibility in Windows Keeping track of the mouse cursor...

A previously unannounced Samsung Galaxy laptop has surfaced in the Geekbench database, generating considerable interest among tech watchers keen on deciphering the next major development in Samsung’s PC lineup. Listed under the model numbers ‘500THA/500SHA,’ this device draws attention not only for its benchmark scores but for its use of cutting-edge hardware, including Intel’s new Core Ultra 9 285 “Arrow Lake” processor. Its early performance numbers and the hints at its configuration...

Here are the main points from the articles about Microsoft ending Windows 11 SE support: Key Details from Both Articles: Microsoft will discontinue support for Windows 11 SE in October 2026. This marks the end of Microsoft's five-year push to have a Chromebook competitor in educational markets. After support ends, there will be no more software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 11 SE. Devices running Windows 11 SE will remain stuck on version 24H2 and will not...

OpenAI's ChatGPT has emerged as the most popular artificial intelligence (AI) tool in the Netherlands, reflecting a broader global trend of increasing AI adoption across various sectors. ChatGPT's Dominance in the AI Landscape Since its launch, ChatGPT has experienced exponential growth, becoming a cornerstone in the AI industry. By January 2025, it recorded approximately 4.7 billion monthly visits, significantly outpacing competitors. This surge underscores the tool's widespread acceptance...