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Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen has a short, clarifying answer to a quirk of Windows history: WinHelp was called an “online help” system not because it required the Internet, but because its content was immediately available to the computer—that is, the help was “online” in the old, storage‑centric sense of the word, even when the machine itself was offline relative to other systems. This linguistic archaeological note explains why Windows 3.0 shipped in 1990 with a help engine that felt...

Windows ML’s arrival in general availability marks a major inflection point for on-device AI on Windows: Microsoft is shipping a system-managed, ONNX Runtime–based inference runtime that abstracts diverse PC silicon, automates vendor execution-provider distribution, and is positioned as the default path for production local AI on Windows 11 devices. This release promises smaller app footprints, run‑where‑you-are privacy, and hardware‑optimized inference across CPUs, GPUs and NPUs — but it...

Even seasoned Windows users miss powerful built‑in tools until a single moment of discovery changes how they work—this MakeUseOf roundup highlights eight such features that are easy to overlook but which repay the time spent learning them with measurable productivity gains. Background Windows ships with a surprising number of productivity and convenience features that are often buried in Settings, tucked into system apps, or overshadowed by third‑party utilities. The list from MakeUseOf (the...

Microsoft’s insistence that Windows 11 only runs on hardware meeting strict security and platform checks is colliding with reality: a surprising number of relatively recent PCs — including some machines sold within the last few years — are being blocked from upgrading or are being placed on update holds, leaving owners with a stark choice between hardware upgrades, risky workarounds, or extended dependence on aging software ecosystems. Background Windows 11 launched with a harder line on...

If you value privacy on Windows, start by switching off the “Send optional diagnostic data” toggle — it’s the single easiest setting to reduce the amount of behavioral and usage data Windows 11 ships back to Microsoft, and it’s buried in Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback. Background / Overview Windows has collected telemetry data for years: what Microsoft calls diagnostic data. That telemetry is split into two broad buckets: Required diagnostic data (the minimum...

Microsoft has quietly published official installation media for Windows 11, version 25H2 — both x64 and Arm64 ISOs — while continuing to distribute the update to most up‑to‑date devices as a small enablement package (eKB), a move that completes the packaging IT teams, OEMs and power users need for clean installs, imaging and validation even as the broad rollout remains staged. Background Microsoft's delivery model for Windows 11 annual feature updates has matured into a hybrid approach: most...

Snowflake’s second-quarter results and product momentum make a strong case that the company’s “AI Data Cloud” narrative is moving from promise toward measurable commercial traction, but the climb to durable dominance in cloud analytics still runs through a crowded field of well‑capitalized incumbents and razor‑thin execution margins. Background Snowflake reported second‑quarter fiscal 2026 product revenue of about $1.09 billion, a 32% year‑over‑year increase that marked an acceleration from...

Microsoft has quietly released the optional preview update KB5065790 for Windows 11 version 23H2 (Build 22631.5984), a compact quality rollup that fixes a handful of high‑impact reliability issues — notably a SIM PIN sign‑in freeze, multi‑monitor Remote Desktop shutdowns, problematic Chinese IME rendering, and an SMBv1 NetBT connectivity regression introduced earlier in September. Background / Overview Windows 11 version 23H2 shipped in October 2023 and is approaching the end of servicing...

Minecraft Bedrock players can now try the 1.21.120.23 experimental build through the Preview/Beta channels on consoles, PC and mobile — a small, focused update that fixes several gameplay and input bugs, restores missing file associations on Windows, and carries a handful of technical tweaks creators should note before enabling experimental content. Overview The 1.21.120.23 Preview/Beta is a minor but important incremental update to Minecraft: Bedrock Edition that’s being distributed through...

You landed on a block page when trying to view the Edgar Poe: Hidden Objects Game achievements on XboxAchievements.com — the message reads “The owner of this website has banned your IP address (104.196.9.116)” — and this article unpacks exactly what that message means, what likely caused it, how to confirm the facts, safe troubleshooting steps you can take right now, alternatives for getting the achievement list, and the technical and policy risks to be aware of as you investigate...

Logitech’s new K980 Signature Slim Solar+ keyboard shifts a familiar office peripheral into a near–maintenance-free device by relying entirely on ambient light for power, promising a decade-long battery lifespan and a $99.99 street price that places solar charging firmly into mainstream accessory territory. Background Logitech has introduced the Signature Slim Solar+ K980, a full-size wireless keyboard built around a slim solar strip and a low-power design marketed under Logi LightCharge...

Microsoft will stop issuing routine security and feature updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025 — a hard cut that converts a decade of steady vendor maintenance into a single, calendar-driven risk event for hundreds of millions of PCs worldwide, and one that has provoked consumer outcry, petitions and legal challenges as users scramble to choose between upgrading, paying for a one‑year safety net, replacing hardware, or migrating to alternative platforms. Background / Overview Windows 10...

Windows 3.0’s help system was called “online” long before the web, and the distinction points to a small but revealing shift in how engineers—and later users—used the words online and offline to describe availability, not connectivity. Recent attention to an Old New Thing post by veteran Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen reminds us that “online help” in the Windows 3.0 era meant “immediately available to the computer,” not “available on the internet,” and that linguistic shift helps explain...

Microsoft’s formal end-of-support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, is now less than three weeks away, and schools that still rely on Windows 10 devices face immediate and material security, compliance, and operational risks unless they act fast. Devices that remain on Windows 10 after that date will no longer receive mainstream security patches or technical support, creating network weak points that cybercriminals commonly exploit. Education IT teams must move from planning to execution...

Algoriddim’s djay has finally re‑established first‑class access to the streaming giant most DJs and casual music fans already live in: Spotify’s full catalog is now available inside djay on Mac and Windows — for Spotify Premium subscribers in supported markets — bringing drag‑and‑drop streaming, Automix compatibility, and direct playlist access to desktop DJ workflows. Background Since its first major cross‑platform pushes, djay has been one of the most visible consumer-to-pro DJ apps...

Microsoft pushed a small but crucial PowerToys patch this week — version 0.94.2 — to unblock installs that had been failing with a bootstrapper error, restoring successful installs from GitHub, winget, and the Microsoft Store and stopping a rollout-wide headache for power users and IT teams alike. Background PowerToys is Microsoft’s community-driven toolkit for power users, shipping modular utilities such as Keyboard Manager, FancyZones, Color Picker, and accessibility-focused tools like...

Microsoft just gave Windows 10 users one last lifeline — but the window to grab it is small, conditional, and full of trade-offs you need to understand before you act. Overview Microsoft will stop regular security updates for consumer editions of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, but it is offering a time‑boxed consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program that provides one additional year of security-only patches through October 13, 2026. The enrollment mechanics are unusual: eligible...

Microsoft has released the optional, non‑security preview update KB5065790 for Windows 11 version 23H2, a compact cumulative focused on reliability fixes rather than new features — and it lands at a time when 23H2 is weeks away from end‑of‑service for consumer editions. Background / Overview Windows 11 23H2 (build 22631 family) shipped in October 2023 and is scheduled to reach end of updates for Home and Pro editions on November 11, 2025. That lifecycle milestone means consumers still on...

Microsoft has quietly removed two long-standing compatibility holds that kept many PCs away from the Windows 11 24H2 feature update — fixes for a face‑detection/camera regression and a Dirac audio driver problem were finally delivered in mid‑September — but the September cumulative update also introduced a fresh DRM playback regression that can block Blu‑ray, DVD and some digital‑TV apps that rely on legacy rendering paths. Background / Overview Microsoft stages feature updates with...

Windows 11 ships polished and modern — but that polish often hides a surprising amount of preinstalled software, background services, and telemetry hooks that can drain performance and privacy. A recent community guide focused on removing bloatware and disabling tracking lays out a practical workflow: start with a local account, surgically remove or block bundled apps, clamp down on telemetry, swap to privacy-first browsers, and use vetted tools for advanced customization. The result can be...