ComputersNews

Microsoft finally found a Windows ad it doesn’t like

July 27, 2026
Microsoft is an advertising company. Not just an advertising company, true, it makes software and hardware and sells online services. But it made $10 billion in revenue from “search and news advertising” in 2025, according to its own numbers. This isn’t a new problem — despite being paid software, Windows is absolutely stuffed with advertising, stem to stern. But recently, some owners of…
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ComputersNews

3 Windows settings that can make or break your PC

July 24, 2026
Windows 11 is chock full of options, many just cosmetic. But there are some settings which can significantly affect your PC’s productivity performance, so much that I specifically pay attention to them each time I boot up a brand new PC. If not properly managed, some…
ComputersNews

MSI’s RGB monitor arms are brilliant. They’re just not shiny enough

July 24, 2026
I don’t like RGB gamer lights. I find them gaudy and unnecessary, and I’ve made this point many times over my writing career. I prefer to build desktop PCs that look like tiny, classy refrigerators, not stealth fighters covered in Christmas lights. But for once, I’m actually okay with a new RGB accessory: MSI’s RGB-bedecked VESA monitor mounts. In fact, I don’t think they go far enough…
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ComputersNews

Microsoft just released my favorite old-school Xbox game on PC

July 23, 2026
Summary created by Smart Answers AI In summary: PCWorld reports that Microsoft launched Xbox Backwards Compatibility on PC, bringing original Xbox games like Crimson Skies, Blinx, Conker: Live & Reloaded, and Fusion Frenzy to Windows PCs. Games run locally with modest requirements like GTX 950 or Radeon RX 550, with more classic titles expected in future releases. This move expands gaming…
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ComputersNews

Can’t get a Steam Machine? Buy a $300 mini PC instead

July 22, 2026
Welcome to Boost Mode, my weekly PCWorld newsletter focused on PC gaming, enthusiast hardware, and other geeky stuff centered around your desk and desktop. Fortuitously, my Steam Machine just came in last week, giving me the perfect topic for this inaugural column. I spent…
ComputersNews

Think you can spot fake AI photos? They’re now a security risk

July 21, 2026
I have a challenge for you. Can you spot AI-generated content? And more importantly…. Can you identify such photos and video right now? Here’s the problem: Generative AI keeps improving, so the clues that let you know it’s not real change continually, too. Back in December, I took an NPR quiz that tested my ability to identify AI slop videos (and failed). I used what I learned there to…
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