Xbox is experiencing its second major outage in recent days
Gaming Xbox Live is having errors that are preventing people from signing in, seeing their library, and playing their games, but Microsoft's engineers are on the case to fix it ASAP.
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Features
Windows Central Podcast recaps the week in tech
Podcast On this week's episode: Daniel Rubino and Jez Corden discuss the recent announcements around Xbox backward compatibility, Windows adware, and Samsung foldables.
I wrote my parents a Windows security checklist that actually worked
Windows 11 It's always nice to hear from my parents, but panic texts about Windows security are unnecessary.
Windows can now play Xbox original games — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Danie and Jez at 1PM ET on July 24 for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast!
Kensington’s new Expert Mouse brings 1kHz speed and a massive 55mm trackball
First look With a massive 55mm red ball, dual sensors, software-driven scroll adjustments, and multi-device switching, the classic trackball gets its biggest leap forward in years.
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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
I wrote my parents a Windows security checklist that actually worked
Windows 11 It's always nice to hear from my parents, but panic texts about Windows security are unnecessary.
Windows 11 finally lets you remap the Copilot key
Windows 11 Windows 11 now includes a native setting to remap the dedicated Copilot key to the Right Ctrl or Context menu key.
Microsoft pressures LG into stopping McAfee ads from appearing on Windows PCs with LG monitors
Microsoft A popup window from LG that began appearing on PCs with LG monitors connected was showing ads for McAfee, and nobody, not even Microsoft, was impressed.
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PC Hardware
The RAM crisis is finally having a serious effect on global PC shipments
PC The memory crisis has finally caught up to PC shipments as component prices continue to rise.
Microsoft teases more Surface "surprises" to come this year
Surface A new Inside Windows Q&A video has been released that dives into the year so far for Surface, what's next, and whether or not we might see some new peripherals soon.
Would NVIDIA exist without Sega's help in the '90s?
PC Gaming One of Nvidia's earliest failures actually led to the investment that saved the company.
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Microsoft and Meta are teaming up to offer Xbox Game Pass with Meta Quest VR Horizon+ sub
Xbox For all 6 Meta Quest owners reading Windows Central today, Microsoft and Xbox have a new offering for you.
Deals
Type school reports with this stellar keyboard our colleagues at TechRadar loved
Deals JLab flagship Epic Wireless Keyboard is enjoying a limited-time discount at Best Buy for typists looking for an affordable keyboard with stellar responsiveness and long battery life.
Microsoft’s refreshed 2‑in‑1 lands on shelves with stronger graphics and optional OLED
Deals Microsoft’s latest Surface Pro is now available with Snapdragon X2 processors, improved graphics, and optional OLED panels. Early impressions point to smoother performance and better battery life.
This laptop will save you from bad grades thanks to this Back to School sale
Deals The 16-inch version of the HP OmniBook X Flip laptop, which we rated highly for its efficient performance and detailed touchscreen display, is now on sale for Best Buy's Back to School sale
The Surface Laptop 8 is the only laptop with Windows 11's new advanced haptics
Deals The Surface Laptop 8 features impressive battery life and premium performance, but its support for Windows 11's advanced haptics changes how computing feels.
Handheld Gaming PCs
I cut off my dbrand Xbox Ally X case with scissors and replaced it with this — absolutely no regrets ✂️
REVIEW The dbrand Killswitch case for the Xbox Ally isn't bad, but the JSAUX Mod Case absolutely blows it away — better feel, features, and value.
Gaming
You can play Halo: Campaign Evolved on low settings, and it still looks and plays good on PC
Gaming Our colleagues at PC Gamer have discovered that Halo: Campaign Evolved can achieve high framerates on low graphical settings without sacrificing much of its graphical fidelity, even if you're using older RTX 3000 series GPUs
Rumors of World of Warcraft crossing over with Dungeons & Dragons have reportedly leaked
Gaming A post from Dungeons & Dragons' partner, Roll20, that has been quickly taken down, reportedly suggests the iconic tabletop RPG is planning a crossover with World of Warcraft
Age of Empires 3: DE's canceled DLC is launching after all
PC gaming New civs, new maps, new game modes, and a lot more are on the way, and you can join the open beta test now.
Artificial Intelligence
Microsoft Copilot's free tier is quickly becoming a glorified demo
AI Microsoft is shifting key Copilot features, including Deep Research, behind paid subscriptions. Here is why the free version of Copilot is starting to feel like a glorified demo.
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Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s trillion‑dollar AI push is built on hype, fake demand
Microsoft Analyst Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s AI math is impossible and the whole strategy looks like a scam
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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.
Microsoft
Windows Central Podcast recaps the week in tech
Podcast On this week's episode: Daniel Rubino and Jez Corden discuss the recent announcements around Xbox backward compatibility, Windows adware, and Samsung foldables.
Windows can now play Xbox original games — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Danie and Jez at 1PM ET on July 24 for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast!
Bing search hints at LeBron James returning to Miami Heat
Apps Google dropped the delisted video fast, but Bing kept the index visible, resulting in more people seeing the video.
Microsoft will shut down Copilot Podcasts and wipe your saved audio
App Microsoft is retiring its Copilot Podcasts feature on August 18, 2026. Users will lose all access to their AI-created audio, with no option to export or download files before the tool shuts down.
Peripherals & Accessories
Poll: Will LG's adware controversy stop you from buying their monitors?
Poll Microsoft stepped in to stop LG's McAfee pop-ups, but will buyers hold a grudge?
Kensington’s new Expert Mouse brings 1kHz speed and a massive 55mm trackball
First look With a massive 55mm red ball, dual sensors, software-driven scroll adjustments, and multi-device switching, the classic trackball gets its biggest leap forward in years.
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REVIEW: Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II (Xbox, PC) — An absolutely spectacular multi-platform headset with the firm's BEST EVER audio
Review Turtle Beach has another absolute banger on its hands, with a refreshed design that looks at home either while gaming or commuting. There are a couple of minor gripes, but this otherwise flawless headset is a top-shelf pick.
