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An absolute madman has recreated the Windows 8 UI—for Linux
Winsage
January 14, 2026

An absolute madman has recreated the Windows 8 UI—for Linux

In 2012, many Windows users began seeking alternatives to the operating system following the release of Windows 8, which introduced a controversial desktop interface designed for touchscreen devices and deviated from traditional mouse and keyboard navigation. This change led to criticism from industry figures, including Gabe Newell of Valve, who labeled Windows 8 a "catastrophe for everyone in the PC space," prompting a shift towards Linux development. The project Win8DE has emerged on GitHub, appealing to former Windows 8 users who miss its fluid animations. Win8DE offers a visually reminiscent interface with vibrant squares, a horizontally scrolling desktop, and a mobile-style app drawer, although it is not as polished as established Linux environments like KDE Plasma or Gnome. The developer, er-bharat, acknowledges limitations, including the absence of the "charms menu." Installation instructions for Win8DE are available on its GitHub page.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
January 4, 2026

30 hidden gems from 2025 to grab before the Steam Winter Sale ends

The PC gaming landscape in 2025 features a diverse array of new titles, many receiving critical acclaim. A selection of 15 standout games has been curated based on specific criteria: they were released or re-released in 2025, received little to no prior coverage, have around 95% positive user ratings, offer offbeat yet accessible gameplay, are discounted by a minimum of 30%, and include one game per genre. 1. Project Silverfish - Price: £17.50 (30% off); Developer: Siris Pendrake; A non-linear shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world with lizard-people and multi-faction battles. 2. Contract Rush DX - Price: £11.72 (30% off); Developer: Figburn & Melon; A platformer blending elements of Mega Man and Contra with vector animation and humor, allowing players to tackle levels in any order. 3. Godpoke - Price: £10.05 (40% off); Developer: LimboLane; An adventure where players mend quarrelsome gods using a dialogue-stealing mechanic to solve puzzles. 4. Missile Command Delta - Price: £11.72 (30% off); Developer: 13AM Games, Mighty Yell; A tactical hex-based strategy game with a teen drama narrative and point-and-click puzzles. 5. Shooty Shooty Robot Invasion - Price: £5.10 (40% off); Developer: Bubby Darkstar; A humorous FPS where players navigate a beach while dealing with quirky robot foes. 6. Maliki: Poison Of The Past - Price: £15 (40% off); Developer: Blue Banshee; A JRPG-inspired title featuring time travel and turn-based combat based on a webcomic. 7. Desecrators - Price: £7 (30% off); Developer: Woodhound; A roguelike shooter with procedurally generated levels and online co-op support. 8. Wyrmhall - Price: £2.55 (70% off); Developer: Leafy Games; A game where players manage an artifact-cleaning stall in an interdimensional nexus. 9. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - Price: £11.72 (30% off); Developer: Pocket Trap; An adventure game featuring dungeon-crawling and puzzle-solving mechanics inspired by classic Zelda games. 10. Lingo 2 - Price: £5.95 (30% off); Developer: Brenton Wildes; A word puzzle adventure set in a minimalist block labyrinth. 11. Skogdal - Price: £8.37 (50% off); Developer: Erlend Kirkeboe, Kay Arne Kirkeboe; A deck-building game set in a quirky, 90s Norway with humor and strategic gameplay. 12. Schism - Price: £6.50 (35% off); Developer: Fami; A low-fi action roguelike with a punk aesthetic and intense combat. 13. My Little Puppy - Price: £14.69 (30% off); Developer: Dreamotion Inc.; An emotional adventure following a corgi's journey through the afterlife. 14. Decade - Price: £5.95 (30% off); Developer: Last Piscean; A narrative-driven game exploring time travel consequences in a post-apocalyptic world. 15. Kiloton - Price: £2.14 (50% off); Developer: Jack Morehart; A minimalist strategy game simulating geopolitical tensions with quick decision-making.
Minecraft Snapshot 25w46a
AppWizard
November 12, 2025

Minecraft Snapshot 25w46a

The latest update for the Mounts of Mayhem game drop includes several changes and enhancements: - Mobs: The Parched are immune to the Weakness effect; various horse types remain calm when controlled by other mobs; Nautiluses and Zombie Nautiluses emit a dash sound during their dash attack. - Items: Spears no longer create item interact vibrations; spawn eggs are thematically sorted in the Creative Inventory into categories such as Overworld, Nether, and The End. - UI: A new inventory UI for Nautilus and Zombie Nautilus has been introduced; the "Show Music Toast" option has been renamed to "Music Toast" with a new display state; a new splash text has been added. - Technical Changes: Data Pack version is now 93.1; Resource Pack version is updated to 74.0. - Data Pack Changes: Food properties added to specific fish bucket items; a new field for item interact vibrations has been introduced; the removal of contents from the dynamic loot pool entry has been reverted. - Resource Pack Changes: Textures for still water and lava are hardcoded; a warning will be printed for sprite name conflicts; block model format expanded for additional rotations. - Bug Fixes: Numerous bugs have been fixed, including issues with recipes, animations, hitboxes, and visual discrepancies. Snapshots are available for Minecraft: Java Edition, and users are advised to back up their data before testing.
I replaced Windows Search and I’ve never been happier
Winsage
October 2, 2025

I replaced Windows Search and I’ve never been happier

Windows 11's Search feature has been criticized for its inefficiency, often returning irrelevant web results instead of local files, and the indexing process is resource-intensive. Users express frustration over the clutter of advertisements and suggested apps in search results. Fluent Search is presented as a superior alternative, offering features similar to macOS's Spotlight, including quick access to various tools, seamless clipboard integration, a tagging system for organization, and the ability to execute terminal commands directly from search results. It also includes a Screen Search feature that allows keyboard navigation without switching to a mouse, enhancing efficiency and reducing strain. Users are encouraged to consider alternatives like Fluent Search, Everything, and PowerToys Run due to the declining quality of Windows Search.
Minecraft snapshot 25w34b explained: New features and updates | Esports News
AppWizard
August 21, 2025

Minecraft snapshot 25w34b explained: New features and updates | Esports News

Minecraft snapshot 25w34b introduces a new code of conduct feature that allows server administrators to create customized guidelines for players to accept before joining. Key changes include a new main menu background, longer sound delay for end light flashes, rebranding of the "Hide Lightning Flashes" setting to "Hide Sky Flash," and adjustments to the copper golem's hitbox and visibility. Players can hear copper golems and copper chests from 12 blocks away, and the sound associated with copper sorting has been softened. Bug fixes in this snapshot address various issues, including: - Resolved overflow of world names, versions, and timestamps in the world selection screen. - Fixed item frames and glow item frames not adjusting their hitbox when containing a map. - Addressed water and lava dripping from barriers. - Corrected glitches in the fletching table and issues with command execution across dimensions. - Ensured proper functionality of the statistics screen and command block interface. - Fixed various sound and visual issues related to copper golems and other entities. - Resolved problems with player spawn locations and ownership of arrows in multiplayer. - Corrected ambient sound issues and improved the drop rate of sweet berries.
Minecraft Snapshot 25w34b
AppWizard
August 20, 2025

Minecraft Snapshot 25w34b

This week, a new main menu panorama has been introduced, along with a comprehensive Code of Conduct for servers and ongoing enhancements with Copper Golems. Snapshot 25w34b has been released, addressing connectivity errors with Realms. New features include an in-game Code of Conduct that players must accept to access a server, with an option to opt out of future displays unless updated. A new boolean field, enable-code-of-conduct, has been added to server.properties to manage this feature. The main menu has been updated to feature Copper Golems. The sound effect for the End Light Flashes has an increased delay, and the accessibility setting "Hide Lightning Flashes" has been renamed to "Hide Sky Flashes." Copper Golems will now have invisible eyes when splashed with a Potion of Invisibility, and their hitbox has been adjusted to allow navigation through open doors. Sounds associated with Copper Golems and Copper Chests can now be heard from up to 12 blocks away, with modifications to the volume of copper sorting sounds. The Data Pack version has been updated to 84.0, introducing a new fetchprofile command for downloading player profiles. The alignitemsto_bottom block state property has been removed from the Shelf block. Fixed bugs in 25w34b include issues with glowing items, world selection screen overflow, and various interactions with Copper Golems and other entities. Snapshots are available for Minecraft: Java Edition, and players are advised to back up their worlds before installation.
This file manager for Windows supports workspaces, dual pane browsing, and looks fantastic
Winsage
June 13, 2025

This file manager for Windows supports workspaces, dual pane browsing, and looks fantastic

Fileside is a file management application that offers a dual-pane view and customizable workspaces for specific projects, allowing users to save personalized layout views. Upon installation, it sets up a default workspace and provides extensive customization options for directory views. Users can preview files directly within the application by pressing the spacebar, facilitating quick access to media and documents. Fileside allows users to save and switch between different workspace configurations easily, streamlining file management compared to Windows 11 File Explorer. The application includes features such as a right-side toolbar for easy access to functions, the ability to display hidden files by default, and comprehensive keyboard navigation with customizable shortcuts. It integrates with local, external, and networked drives and is available for Windows and macOS, with a free trial and a license option.
The Windows 95 setup was text-based for a good reason, Microsoft employee reveals
Winsage
February 19, 2025

The Windows 95 setup was text-based for a good reason, Microsoft employee reveals

When installing Windows 95, users encountered a text-based environment rather than a graphical interface. The Windows development team integrated three distinct operating system environments to streamline the installation process. MS-DOS had limited graphical capabilities, requiring the setup team to potentially develop a graphics library from scratch. The minimum requirements for Windows 95 included a VGA video card, and the setup program needed to support ideogram-based languages and simple animations. The final setup utilized the Windows 3.1 runtime, which managed graphics under MS-DOS. This practice of code recycling continues in contemporary Windows versions, which require a "miniature" operating system known as the Windows Preinstallation Environment for setup and repair purposes.
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