move Archives

Winsage

April 24, 2026

Microsoft’s new Windows 11 freebies are useful, but they also feel a little desperate

Microsoft has launched an offer for U.S. college students purchasing Windows laptops, providing a year of Microsoft 365 Premium, a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a custom Xbox Wireless Controller, valued at approximately 0. This offer is available until June 30, 2026, or while supplies last, through Microsoft channels, major retailers, and participating PC manufacturers. The initiative follows Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo, priced at ,199 for regular customers and 9 for students. The offer is exclusively for verified U.S. college students, applicable only to qualifying PCs, and intended for new subscribers to the services. Many colleges already provide Microsoft’s productivity tools, which may lessen the appeal of the Office component. The pricing of Windows laptops has faced challenges, with recent increases noted, such as the 13-inch Surface Laptop rising to ,199.

AppWizard

April 24, 2026

New PAW Patrol land opens May 3 at Chessington ahead of Minecraft World

Chessington World of Adventures will open a new PAW Patrol-themed land on May 3, 2026, marking the UK's first PAW Patrol area. The attraction will include four main rides: Chase’s Mountain Mission (a junior roller coaster), Marshall’s Firetruck Rescue (a rocking ride), Skye’s Helicopter Heroes (an aerial spinning ride), and Zuma’s Hovercraft Adventure (the UK’s first “Drifter” ride). Additionally, there will be three themed play areas, including Rubble & Rocky’s Play Zone and the Flounder Boat. The £50 million investment in this area is part of a broader initiative by Merlin Entertainments, which includes the upcoming Minecraft World set to debut in 2027. Chessington aims to attract young families and enhance its appeal as a family-friendly destination.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Social media giant spins off new app for disappearing photos

Meta has launched a new standalone application called Instants for sharing disappearing photos with friends. The app opens directly to the camera, allowing users to quickly capture and send images that vanish after being viewed or within 24 hours. Instants is inspired by Snapchat's model and aims to foster connections through fleeting moments. It allows for sharing and viewing images within the app or through Instagram. Despite its launch, Instants has seen only over 100 downloads on the Play Store, indicating a slow uptake in user interest.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

The 7th Guest Remake launches in June, bringing back one of the earliest PC CD-ROM games

PC CD-ROM drives led to the development of notable games like Myst, Star Wars: Rebel Assault, and The 7th Guest. Nintendo secured rights for The 7th Guest for a planned SNES CD add-on, which was never released. In 2023, The 7th Guest was re-released on the Nintendo eShop after three decades. Vertigo Games is remaking The 7th Guest, featuring reimagined puzzles and environments, with a scheduled launch on June 4th, priced at .99, available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch version expected later. Owners of The 7th Guest VR on Steam or PlayStation will access the remake for free, and those who purchase the remake on Steam or PS5 will receive The 7th Guest VR for free on Steam VR or PlayStation VR2.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

World of Warcraft is getting a sub price increase in several countries, and it couldn’t come at a worse time

World of Warcraft is facing issues following patch 12.0.5, which has caused significant bugs and led to the temporary disabling of housing features in The Americas and Oceania. Effective June 22, 2026, subscription prices will increase in the UK, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Turkey, with UK players seeing a 10% increase and Kazakhstani players facing up to a 40% hike. Turkish players will be required to pay in Euros instead of the Turkish Lira. The game has maintained a steady subscription rate in the US since 2004, but adjustments have been made in other regions based on market conditions. Players have reported various bugs, including a critical bug affecting player housing, which Blizzard is prioritizing.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Parents of Instagram and Messenger teens can see what they’re asking AI.

Meta has introduced a feature that allows parents to monitor the inquiries their teenagers make to the company's AI on platforms such as Instagram and Messenger. This feature is available in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Brazil, providing insights into the topics explored by teens with Meta's AI over the past week. It also extends to Facebook, although the platform's relevance among younger users is decreasing. The initiative is part of Meta's efforts to safeguard young users, including alerts to parents about searches related to self-harm.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Australian Government Demands to Know What Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam are Doing to Prevent Grooming, Radicalisation

The Australian Government's eSafety office has requested major gaming platforms, including Roblox, Microsoft, Epic, and Valve, to provide details on their measures to prevent child grooming and extremist content. The eSafety office has issued legally enforceable transparency notices due to concerns that platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam may be exploited by predators and extremist groups. Approximately 90% of children aged 8 to 17 in Australia engage with online games, highlighting the need for protective measures. Reports indicate that these platforms have been associated with grooming incidents and extremist themes, including games inspired by the Islamic State and depictions of mass shootings. Non-compliance with the transparency notice could result in penalties of AUD5,000 per day. In response, Roblox has committed to safety initiatives, including AI technology to review content and plans for age-based accounts to enhance user safety.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

eSafety Commissioner of Australia issues notices to Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite and Steam

Australia's eSafety Commissioner has issued legally enforceable transparency notices to online gaming platforms such as Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam due to concerns about grooming, sexual extortion, and youth radicalisation. The notices require these platforms to clarify their strategies for identifying, preventing, and responding to online harms, including grooming, cyberbullying, and violent extremism, while aligning with the Australian Government’s Basic Online Safety Expectations. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to A million per incident and daily penalties of up to A,000.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Call of Duty games coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one lasted all of two releases as Microsoft announces big changes and a welcome price cut

Xbox has reduced the prices of its Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass services. The monthly fee for Game Pass Ultimate decreased from .99 to .99, and the cost of PC Game Pass was adjusted from .99 to .99. New titles in the Call of Duty franchise will no longer be available on the platform at launch but will be accessible approximately one year after their initial release. Existing Call of Duty titles, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, will remain available to subscribers.

Winsage

April 23, 2026

Tested: Windows 11 setup screen now finally lets you skip forced updates, and go directly to the desktop

Microsoft has enhanced the Windows 11 setup process by introducing an "Update Later" toggle, allowing users to bypass forced updates during device setup. This feature enables users to continue with the setup while updates are checked in the background, granting them access to their desktop without interruption. Users can manage updates at their convenience once on the desktop. Microsoft is also considering removing the mandatory Microsoft account requirement for Windows 11 Home users and reducing upsells in the out-of-box experience (OOBE). Additionally, the company has introduced web-based Copilot into the OOBE, though its widespread deployment is not yet planned.