course Archives

BetaBeacon

October 2, 2026

Thanks to fans, the original Halo just got an unofficial Windows, Linux, PS5, and Android port

Fans have unofficially ported the original Halo: Combat Evolved to several platforms, including Windows, Linux, Android, and PS5, featuring the full campaign and multiplayer with support for up to 128 players.

AppWizard

September 28, 2026

Lords of the End Times’ greatest fantasy is letting us rewrite the most hated lore in Warhammer’s history

Creative Assembly has released the Immortal Empires campaign for Total War: Warhammer, allowing players to purchase characters from the Lords of the End Times expansion for £7.49 without needing to own all three games. The campaign features over 110 legendary lords and factions, enabling players to rewrite the Warhammer world’s narrative. It introduces endgame scenarios, including a Chaos invasion led by Archaon, and allows players to activate multiple apocalyptic events. Creative Assembly plans to continue refining the campaign and promises new characters, units, and ongoing support.

BetaBeacon

September 27, 2026

How to use Android apps on your Windows PC (and why you might want to)

- Microsoft's plan to make Android apps compatible with Windows 11 was dropped in 2024. - Two main paths to run Android apps on a PC are through emulators like BlueStacks or MuMuPlayer, or using the Google Play Games app. - Emulating Android apps on a PC is useful for gaming, running social media apps, testing apps, and running slimmed-down versions of creative software. - Emulators like MuMuPlayer and BlueStacks allow for parallel instances of emulated Android devices.

AppWizard

September 24, 2026

Minecraft is moving into American Dream — but it won’t stay forever

East Rutherford, N.J. will host "Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue" starting November 13 at American Dream. This interactive adventure allows guests to explore eight realms inspired by the game over the course of one hour, where they will collect resources and work together to rescue Minecraft villagers. Participants will use an Orb of Interaction to engage with the environment and encounter various Minecraft creatures. Tickets go on sale October 1, with individual tickets priced from .99 and multipack tickets starting at .99 per person. The experience is temporary and part of a touring production, with no closing date announced. American Dream also features attractions like Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park and DreamWorks Water Park, and plans to introduce a "Five Nights at Freddy’s"-themed attraction in the future.

Winsage

September 23, 2026

Cisco Talos Discloses Autonomous Windows Malware: Four AI Models Direct Each Attack

Cisco Talos has disclosed a new Windows implant called CLOSEDQUORUM, which operates without human operators by using four commercial large language models (LLMs) to autonomously decide on actions after deployment. The implant is a 16.4-megabyte executable that conducts reconnaissance on the target system and sends structured prompts to the LLMs, which respond with one of four actions: steal, inject, persist, or move. When the "steal" action is chosen, it simultaneously attacks three credential stores, extracting Windows credentials, browser passwords, and cryptocurrency wallet data. The "inject" action uses either Early Bird APC injection or process hollowing based on model recommendations. For persistence, it employs three overlapping mechanisms, including a Registry Run key, a scheduled task, and a WMI event subscription. To evade detection, CLOSEDQUORUM suppresses ETW telemetry and introduces delays before executing actions. It circumvents traditional command-and-control structures by calling legitimate API endpoints, making blocking these domains impractical. Talos introduced the CAIRN toolkit for detecting AI-integrated malware, which operates on metadata and employs rule-based detection. Unlike previous AI-assisted malware, CLOSEDQUORUM automates decision-making processes entirely, highlighting a significant evolution in malware capabilities. Security teams are advised to focus on behavioral detection strategies and utilize the YARA rule and CAIRN toolkit for identifying this threat.

AppWizard

September 22, 2026

Google removes the age barrier for Gemini study notebooks

Google is expanding access to its study notebooks within the Gemini app, designed to assist learners by creating personalized study plans based on their notes and course materials. Users with school or work-issued Google accounts can create subject-specific notebooks, take progress check quizzes, and access custom lessons. The dynamic dashboard categorizes learning objectives into "Strengths" and "Focus areas" to help identify knowledge gaps. The rollout of this feature may take up to 15 days for all users, with immediate access not available for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), although support for EEA users will be introduced soon. Users must have these features enabled by their administrators to utilize the app fully.

BetaBeacon

September 22, 2026

Google officially opens the door to more games on Android Auto

Google has officially moved the games category for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS out of beta and into general availability.

Winsage

September 22, 2026

Microsoft engineer explains what made Windows 7 take 30 seconds to show the desktop

Changing the desktop wallpaper to a solid color in Windows 7 caused a 30-second delay on the Welcome screen after entering a password. This issue arose because the system waited for a signal from the wallpaper component, which only sent its "I'm ready" signal when an image file was used. When a solid color was selected, this signal was not sent, leading to unnecessary waiting. The problem was acknowledged by Microsoft for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and it was resolved with a Hotfix update in November 2009. Users found workarounds, such as switching to an image or creating a small solid-color image, to eliminate the delay.

AppWizard

September 11, 2026

NetScaler vulnerability exploited, AdaptHealth suffers breach, new Android malware

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned of a critical vulnerability in NetScaler, identified as CVE-2026-19490, with a CVSS score of 9.3, which has been exploited and affects all NetScaler ADC and Gateway appliances. Citrix has patched this vulnerability as of August 19. AdaptHealth reported a data breach affecting over 4.1 million individuals, compromising personal, health, and insurance information, but not Social Security numbers or financial data. A new strain of Android malware, MantaxOtax, attributed to Indonesian threat actors, combines ransomware and spyware, stealing sensitive information and affecting older Android versions. The Gigabud banking trojan has evolved to evade detection by installing a secondary app that hides the malicious application. CISA acting director Nick Andersen emphasized the need for swift adaptation to cybersecurity threats and highlighted staffing improvements within CISA. Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries experienced disruptions from a DDoS attack affecting payments to sellers, following claims of a cyber operation by Ukraine's military intelligence. McKesson faced a cyberattack exposing sensitive data of 6.4 million individuals, with the ShinyHunters group releasing this data after a failed extortion attempt. IDScan confirmed a data breach affecting 150 million individuals, resulting in the theft of personally identifiable information and government-issued documents.

AppWizard

September 10, 2026

Fix: Embark Game Boot Fatal Error (Detected Software) ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders players may face issues launching the game due to the Embark Game Boot halting unexpectedly because of a fatal error. Two main error messages can occur: "Detected Software," indicating that the anti-cheat system has identified a disallowed process, and "Failed to install EasyAntiCheat," which suggests that the EAC service or driver could not be initialized. The first error can be triggered by an AutoHotkey-based utility, while the second may arise from a locked EAC file, another anti-cheat process, or an incomplete installation of the service. If players reach the menu but experience crashes, they should consult the ARC Raiders crashing and freezing guide for troubleshooting steps related to the Embark Game Boot or Easy Anti-Cheat. Specific error messages and their solutions include: - "Detected Software or Cheat Software Detected": Close the named process. - "Failed to install EasyAntiCheat or EAC is not installed": Run EAC uninstall and install scripts. - "Error 30005 or CreateFile failed with 32": Restart Windows to unlock the EAC file. - "Maximum simultaneous game instances reached": Close other games and anti-cheat processes. - "An ARAV code names AutoHotkey, an auto-clicker, Cheat Engine, a VM, or another tool": Stop the named program. - "An ARAV code ending in 005, 006, or 007": Verify the game installation in Steam. To resolve issues: 1. Check and close the program named by Embark Game Boot. 2. Repair Easy Anti-Cheat from the ARC Raiders Installer Folder. 3. Verify the ARC Raiders installation in Steam. 4. Reinstall ARC Raiders if previous steps fail, and provide detailed error information to Embark Support if issues persist. Players should ensure that any flagged processes are closed before attempting to launch the game or reinstall it.