feature Archives

Winsage

July 27, 2025

Five things Windows 10 never fixed

Microsoft announced in 2015 its intention to phase out the legacy Control Panel in favor of the Settings app, but the transition remains incomplete nearly a decade later. The Windows Recovery Environment error 0x80070643 has persisted for over a year without an automated fix from Microsoft, leaving users to troubleshoot manually. Tablet Mode, intended to provide a touch-friendly interface, has not significantly improved productivity, with users often preferring to use a keyboard. Windows Search prioritizes Bing, which can lead to unsatisfactory search results for users. The Fluent Design scheme introduced in 2017 has been inconsistently applied, resulting in a mix of modern and legacy design elements and uneven implementation of dark mode across Microsoft applications.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers Is One of the Best-Looking PC Games, but Patch 1.4 Breaks Resolution Scaling

The gaming community has had mixed reactions to the release of Fallen Feathers, with some players criticizing the game's performance and graphics, while others praise its visual quality. WUCHANG is noted for its impressive graphics, achieving stunning visuals at 4K/Extreme settings on high-end PCs, particularly with DLSS 4 Balanced Mode. The NVIDIA RTX 4090 yields a minimum of 36 FPS and an average of 41 FPS when running WUCHANG, similar to its performance with Black Myth: Wukong. A recent Patch 1.4 aimed to improve performance but introduced issues, such as low resolution defaults and problems with the Frame Generation feature. Suggestions for improvement include refining graphics settings and potentially transitioning to Unreal Engine 5.6.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

Inside Putin’s attempt to construct a ‘digital gulag’ spy app to snoop on Russians

The new messenger app Max, developed by VK, will be a standard feature on all new digital devices sold in Russia starting this September. It aims to integrate messaging, video calls, government services, and mobile payments. Experts express concerns that Max could enhance Kremlin surveillance capabilities, as its servers will be governed by local laws allowing the FSB to access user data. There is an increasing likelihood of a ban on WhatsApp, which is currently used by over 70% of Russians, as part of a strategy to promote Max. Opposition journalist Andrey Okun describes Max as a tool for creating a "digital gulag," while experts note it normalizes state surveillance of internet usage in Russia. The Russian government has designated WhatsApp as an extremist organization, and tactics may be employed to transition users to Max. Although the shift may not change the organized opposition landscape significantly, it could discourage casual dissent. Historically, the government has attempted to block services like Telegram, with renewed efforts expected by the end of the year.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

First Version of BioShock RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod Released

A demo for the RTX Remix Mod for the original BioShock game has been released by modders ‘skurtyyskirts’ and ‘watbulb’. This mod introduces real-time Path Tracing to enhance the game's graphics, utilizing improved materials through physically-based rendering (PBR) assets. The mod includes a custom compatibility wrapper to facilitate communication between BioShock, which operates on Unreal Engine 2.5, and RTX Remix. The demo features hundreds of newly crafted textures and assets, with updated lighting effects. The demo is available for download, but users may encounter visual inconsistencies and bugs. Additionally, various RTX Remix Mods for other games are in development, including titles like Tomb Raider 2, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Demos for Path Tracing Mods have also been released for games such as Deus Ex and Call of Duty 4.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

Stormgate is leaving early access before it’s technically finished: ‘We believe that our campaign and 1v1 are ready for a broader audience’

Frost Giant Studios announced that its first single-player campaign for the RTS game Stormgate will launch in August, coinciding with the game's exit from Steam early access. The studio clarified that the previous version number "0.6" was misleading and will now be referred to as the Necrolyte release, with future updates adopting descriptive names instead of numerical versioning. The campaign, titled Ashes of Earth, will include 12 missions and a complete narrative arc, with plans for additional free missions in the future. The studio aims to engage a wider audience with both the campaign and the 1v1 multiplayer mode, emphasizing the need to attract new players for financial viability. Additionally, features like co-op missions and an in-game editor called Sigma Labs will be introduced for ongoing development.

Winsage

July 27, 2025

PSA: Some other versions of Windows are losing support on October 14 too

Windows 10 will reach its end of support on October 14, 2025. Windows 11, version 22H2 (Enterprise, Education, IoT) will also end support on October 14, 2025. The Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, version 22H2 reached their end of support on October 8, 2024. Windows 11, version 23H2 will have support until November 10, 2026, and version 24H2 until October 12, 2027. Windows 11, version 22H2 was released on September 20, 2022.

Winsage

July 27, 2025

Upgrading to Windows 11 Pro usually costs $199, but now it’s only $15

Windows 11 Pro is currently on sale for .97, down from the regular price of 9. It offers features like snap layouts, virtual desktops, support for advanced hardware, DirectX 12 Ultimate, BitLocker encryption, TPM 2.0 support, Smart App Control, and integration of Microsoft Copilot for AI assistance.

Winsage

July 27, 2025

Microsoft Weekly: a new Surface, big Windows 11 feature update, and more

In July 2025, Microsoft released non-security updates for Windows 10 (KB5062649) and Windows 11 (KB5062663 for versions 22H2 and 23H2; KB5062660 for version 24H2), introducing AI functionalities, improvements in Settings, and a redesigned BSOD. Companies like Brave and AdGuard are blocking Windows Recall due to privacy concerns. Microsoft is developing a tool for transitioning from older to newer computers and published a guide for Windows 10's end of support on October 14, 2025. The Windows Insider Program released Build 27909, focusing on minor fixes, and introduced an audio-sharing feature. Microsoft disclosed a security breach in SharePoint affecting the US nuclear weapons department and provided fixes. The Surface Laptop 7 was launched with Intel's Core Ultra 200 Series processors and optional 5G connectivity. The Files app received a preview update with a new Omnibar. Meta is transitioning WhatsApp on Windows to a progressive web app, and Firefox released version 141.0 with AI-powered tab groups. Microsoft is testing a cross-device play history feature for Xbox and reversed its decision on Xbox game pricing. EA announced a new Battlefield installment, and Nvidia added new titles to GeForce NOW. Various discounts and a free game, Legion TD 2, were featured in the Weekend PC Game Deals.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

I’ve tried dozens of to-do apps — these 6 clicked with me, but one’s my favorite

Megan Ellis explores various to-do list applications in her search for the ideal productivity tool. - TickTick: A feature-rich app with flexible reminder settings, Kanban view, list sharing, and a balance of robust features for power users and accessibility in its free version. - Todoist: Offers structured task management with morning overviews, evening recaps, project organization, labels, and natural language input, but many advanced features require payment. - Microsoft To Do: Integrates with Microsoft 365 and Outlook, allows group creation and nested lists, and features customizable wallpapers, all for free. - Google Tasks: A simple task manager with basic functionalities, available on Android devices, but lacks location-based reminders and sharing features. - Notion: A versatile platform for creating personalized to-do lists, appealing to those who want an all-in-one organizational tool, though it may have a learning curve. - Post-it: A digital app that allows users to create virtual notes for reminders and tasks, useful for non-urgent tasks.

Winsage

July 27, 2025

Microsoft: Windows 11 24H2 now works with Easy Anti-Cheat (Fortnite), won’t cause BSODs anymore

Windows 11 24H2 is now available to users, with automatic updates for those on older versions like Windows 11 23H2. Initially, the update was blocked for some Intel PC users running games like Fortnite due to compatibility issues with Easy Anti-Cheat. Microsoft has resolved these compatibility concerns as of July 25, confirming that the upgrade is now accessible to all users after nearly ten months of collaboration with Epic Games. The block primarily affected Intel Alder and Intel vPro processors, and while the specific update that fixed the issues was not detailed, it is suggested to be included in the July 2025 Patch Tuesday (KB5062553). Users with Intel vPro (Core i7) systems reported that the update appeared automatically after this patch. Additionally, some users with Ryzen processors also faced similar problems, although this was not widely acknowledged. Users who experienced a Blue Screen of Death error (Memory_Management code) while installing Windows 11 24H2 with Fortnite are advised to uninstall Easy Anti-Cheat and reinstall drivers if issues persist. Support for Windows 11 23H2 will end on November 11, 2025, prompting users to prepare for the upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 proactively. The "Pause updates" feature has been reported to be unreliable, potentially allowing mandatory updates to install unexpectedly.