clients Archives

Winsage

March 20, 2026

Reconnect with Microsoft Office for just $40

A lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is currently available for .97, with the offer running through April 12. The package includes eight applications: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, Teams, and OneNote. This license provides permanent access to the applications without monthly subscription fees. Users should ensure their device is running Windows 10 or 11 for compatibility.

Winsage

March 18, 2026

Microsoft says it won’t auto install Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows 11, likely due to outrage over ‘Microslop’

Microsoft has announced a temporary halt to the automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows 11 due to feedback from commercial customers. Initially, the company planned to auto-install the app starting in September 2025, but as of October 2025, it decided to pause this process after receiving negative feedback. Existing installations will remain unaffected, and administrators can still deploy the app through other methods. The Microsoft 365 Copilot app is designed to enhance productivity by optimizing Office applications using AI. Microsoft justified the automatic installation by highlighting the app's potential benefits, but user dissatisfaction led to the reassessment of this strategy. The company is also facing criticism for its aggressive promotion of the Copilot app, which has impacted its reputation in the AI landscape. In response, Microsoft is reevaluating its integration of Copilot within Windows 11 to address user concerns and improve the overall experience.

Winsage

March 18, 2026

Thoughts About Switching ⭐️

Microsoft is tightening user freedoms in Windows 11, such as requiring a Microsoft account for access. While alternatives to Windows exist, the author finds Windows to be the superior choice for desktop productivity despite its challenges. The landscape of desktop operating systems is evolving, with mobile platforms incorporating desktop features, but options like Mac and Linux have their own challenges. User preferences vary, with some prioritizing smartphones over traditional computers. Change aversion affects users of all ages, making it difficult to embrace new workflows. The author has transitioned from Microsoft Word to Markdown for writing, highlighting the complexities involved in changing platforms.

AppWizard

March 17, 2026

Moscow’s Digital Lockdown: Mobile Internet Outages Hit Russia’s Capital

Widespread mobile Internet outages have affected Moscow for over a week, disrupting daily life for its 12 million residents and impacting services like online payments and navigation. Since March 7, offline solutions such as pagers and paper maps have seen increased demand. The Kremlin attributes the disruptions to heightened security measures amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine. Critics argue that the government uses security as a pretext to control citizens' lives. Mobile Internet disruptions have been present in Russia since June 2025 but have only recently intensified in Moscow. Freelancers report negative impacts on their work due to the outages. The Russian government has been managing Internet usage by targeting Western tech companies and promoting domestic alternatives. Access issues have also affected popular apps like Telegram. A law signed by Putin on February 20 allows the Federal Security Service (FSB) to request service suspensions from telecommunications operators, exempting them from liability for compliance. The government has a history of censoring online content and tightening control over civil liberties since Putin's return to power in 2012, with measures intensifying since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

AppWizard

March 17, 2026

DRAGONKIN: THE BANISHED IS NOW AVAILABLE ON PC

NACON and Eko Software have released Dragonkin: The Banished, a Hack’N’Slash adventure game, now available on PC via Steam as of March 16, 2026. The Digital Deluxe Edition for consoles is also accessible today, with a broader release for PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S set for March 19. The game features four dragon hunters, a unique skill system called the Ancestral Grid, and a vibrant city hub named Montescail. It has received an 85% positive review rate on Steam since its last update. The early access phase began on March 6, 2025.

BetaBeacon

March 12, 2026

Try before you buy: Google Play is adding game trials

Google is introducing game trials on Google Play to allow users to try out paid games before purchasing them. The trials will start on mobile and will eventually be available on PC as well. Additionally, Google is adding new paid indie games and the AI-powered Sidekick feature to select paid games on the platform.

Winsage

March 11, 2026

Windows 12 Rumors Spark Shift Toward Linux

The anticipated arrival of Windows 12 may drive many PC users to consider switching to Linux due to its deeper integration of artificial intelligence, increased monetization strategies, and higher hardware requirements. Microsoft has indicated a shift towards an AI-centric operating system, which could alienate users who prefer a stable desktop experience. As Windows 10 nears the end of its support in 2025, users face the choice of paying for Extended Security Updates, upgrading to Windows 12, or exploring alternatives like Linux, which has reached a 4% global market share in 2024. Recent developments in Windows 11, such as the introduction of ads and telemetry, have caused dissatisfaction among users, while Linux distributions remain ad-free and focus on security and functionality. Windows 11's new hardware requirements may leave many older PCs behind, whereas Linux is compatible with less powerful hardware. The Linux desktop has matured, with improved app distribution and gaming capabilities, and offers extensive support options. If Windows 12 emphasizes AI, advertising, and hardware restrictions, it could lead to a significant migration towards Linux as users seek a more user-friendly and controllable operating system.

AppWizard

March 11, 2026

How Advanced Browsing Protection Works in Messenger

Advanced Browsing Protection (ABP) in Messenger enhances user privacy by warning users about potentially harmful links shared in end-to-end encrypted communications. It analyzes links using on-device models and a dynamic watchlist of millions of potentially malicious sites, utilizing cryptographic techniques to maintain user privacy. ABP is based on a cryptographic primitive called private information retrieval (PIR), which minimizes the information a server learns from client queries. The system also employs oblivious pseudorandom functions (OPRFs) and manages URL queries through a privacy-preserving URL-matching scheme. The server groups links by domain, allowing clients to request a single bucket for domain-specific path components, and generates a ruleset to balance bucket sizes. To safeguard client queries, AMD's SEV-SNP technology creates a confidential virtual machine (CVM) that processes hash prefixes securely, generating attestation reports for integrity verification. The use of Oblivious RAM and Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP) enhances privacy by preventing exposure of memory access patterns and stripping identifying information from client requests. The lifecycle of an ABP request includes pre-processing phases where the server updates the URL database and computes rulesets, followed by client requests that involve calculating bucket identifiers, sending encrypted requests through a proxy, and checking for unsafe URLs based on server responses.

Winsage

March 2, 2026

Windows 11 tops market share as 10 faces extended farewell

Recent data from Statcounter indicates that Windows 11 has a market share of 72.57 percent, while Windows 10 holds 26.45 percent. Microsoft claims that Windows 11 has surpassed one billion users. Statcounter's data is collected from over 1.5 million websites and may be subject to revision. Microsoft will discontinue support for many versions of Windows 10 in October 2025, leading some organizations to consider Extended Security Updates (ESU), which can incur additional costs. Windows Server 2016 has a 20.3 percent share among monitored servers, and Windows 10 2016 LTSB accounts for 0.5 percent of Windows devices, making up 19.8 percent within the LTSC/LTSB category. The higher usage of LTSC/LTSB is attributed to special-purpose devices in consumer and retail sectors, which face stricter upgrade protocols.

Tech Optimizer

February 24, 2026

Hackers Are Using Fake Invitations to Take Over Your PC

Cybercriminals are sending counterfeit email invitations that, when clicked, install a backdoor on the victim's computer, allowing hackers full control. The scam often involves downloading a file named “invites.msi,” which is a Windows Installer package. This file can install ScreenConnect, a legitimate remote support tool that can be exploited by attackers to monitor screens, access files, and deploy additional malware. Many security engines fail to flag this software as malicious, making it difficult to detect. If someone suspects they have fallen victim to this scam, they should disconnect from the internet, check for and uninstall any remote management software, run a comprehensive antivirus scan, change passwords for critical accounts, enable two-factor authentication, inform their IT department if applicable, and consider performing a full Windows reset. The scam originated from a compromised email account, which was used to send the malicious link to contacts. Implementing two-factor authentication and using a password manager can help prevent such incidents. Users should be cautious of any email invitations that require downloading and running installer files.