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AppWizard

July 11, 2025

FYI Calendar: Dive into “A Minecraft Movie” at Wilson Park Pool on July 18

Arts One Presents is staging “The Wizard of Oz” from July 17-20 and July 24-27 at the Pat Ellis Performing Arts Center, 667 Hylton Road, Springdale. The Fort Smith Little Theatre is presenting “Oklahoma!” from July 17 to August 2 at 401 N. Sixth St., Fort Smith. The Walk and Talk Book Club is on July 11 from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at Library Park, 1507 W. Pine St., Rogers. Writers Night is on July 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Casa Magnolia, 414 Holcomb St., Springdale. The School For Advanced Studies is hosting a Latin Dance Night on July 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 121 W. Poplar St., Rogers. The Fayetteville Public Library has a weekly unwind session on July 16 from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Ann Henry Board Room. The Fayetteville Downtown Square & Gardens hosts a Farmer’s Market every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. A Handpoke Tattoo Pop-Up by Oatmilk Pokes is on July 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at Two Friends Books, 801 S.E. Eighth St., Unit 47, Bentonville. Smokehouse Cycles in Fayetteville is hosting a Bike Swap on July 13 from noon to 5 p.m. Puritan Coffee & Beer has Musical Bingo every Monday in July at 7 p.m. The “Scrap” exhibition opens on July 11 at Fenix Arts gallery and runs until August 30. The “To M(end” exhibition at Midnight Gallery runs through September 29, with an Artist Talk on July 20. The Springdale Public Library is holding a Library Card Design Contest with a submission deadline of July 26. The Scott Family Amazeum is celebrating its 10th anniversary on July 12 with a Birthday Bash. Kids can participate in the Kids Club event on July 12 at the downtown Bentonville Farmers Market. Swim Night at the Rogers Aquatic Center is on July 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. Movies in the Parks features “Shrek” on July 11 at Walker Park, Fayetteville. City Park Fayetteville is screening classic films every Friday in July. Wags to Riches Pet Grooming is having a grand opening on July 19 at 1003 S.E. 28th St., Bentonville. An Art Supply Swap is on July 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Fayetteville Public Library. Grace Underfanger will discuss selling art online on July 12 at the Fayetteville Public Library. The Bella Vista Community Band performs on July 15 at Blowing Springs Park at 7 p.m. Opera in the Ozarks is performing “Carmen,” “Into the Woods,” and “The Merry Widow” through July 25 at Inspiration Point Center for the Arts, Eureka Springs. Hotvine Wine Shop offers Frozen Drink Fridays throughout the summer. Rabbit Hole continues its Wabbit Wednesdays series on July 16 starting at 5 p.m. at Arsaga’s Mill District, Fayetteville. Two Friends Books is hosting a “summer mezze” feast on July 14 from 4 to 8 p.m.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Call of Duty: WW2 on PC Game Pass yanked offline amid reports security exploits are leaving players with screens full of smut

Activision has temporarily removed the PC Game Pass version of Call of Duty: WW2 due to reports of an unspecified issue, with concerns raised about a potential remote code execution (RCE) exploit causing disruptive app pop-ups, unexpected PC shutdowns, and inappropriate content. The game is unavailable on both the Game Pass and Microsoft Store but remains accessible on Steam and Battle.net. Community feedback indicates that the game may be vulnerable to RCE exploits, allowing malicious actors to execute harmful code on players' systems. A notable incident involved streamer Wrioh, who reported being "hacked," with a video showing a pop-up claiming, "just RCE'd your ass," and a change to their desktop wallpaper. The VX-Underground malware research collective shared images of an alleged RCE attack, highlighting an "unpatched RCE exploit" and instances of trolling with pop-ups and inappropriate content. VX-Underground speculated that the attacker could deploy various forms of malware, though their primary intent seems to be creating chaos. As of now, Call of Duty: WW2 for PC Game Pass and the Microsoft Store remains offline, with no updates from Activision on its return.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Android’s Photo Picker is getting a search function, but it probably won’t use AI

Android users will soon experience an updated Photo Picker that includes a search bar for quicker photo selection. This update, which is gradually rolling out, enhances the previous basic gallery interface by allowing users to input keywords to find specific images. The search function does not utilize the same large language models as Google’s “Ask Photos” feature but aims to simplify the process of locating photos among many. The Photo Picker was initially introduced to improve privacy and security for applications accessing images. The update is currently being rolled out slowly, with many devices yet to receive it.

Tech Optimizer

July 1, 2025

Don’t Let a Fake Virus Scam You—Clap Back with These Quick Fixes

Android users may encounter fake virus warning pop-ups, often triggered by visiting malicious websites. To remove these pop-ups, users should close all browser windows, force stop the active browser, and clear its cache. For prevention, users should keep their Chrome app updated, disable pop-ups and ads, and enable prompts for automatic downloads. While the risk of actual viruses on unrooted Android devices is low, users should uninstall suspicious apps and use malware detection apps like Malwarebytes and CCleaner to ensure their devices are malware-free. If a virus warning appears outside the browser, it may indicate a compromised browser due to a malicious add-on.

Winsage

June 29, 2025

Don’t be fooled: Microsoft’s claim that Windows 11 PCs are 2.3x faster than Windows 10 ones is based on hardware, not software

Microsoft is encouraging users to transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11, highlighting that Windows 11 PCs can be up to 2.3 times faster than Windows 10 PCs. This claim is based on testing with Geekbench 6 Multi-Core benchmarks, comparing older Windows 10 PCs with older Intel Core processors to newer Windows 11 systems with the latest Intel Core generations. The performance boost is primarily attributed to advancements in hardware rather than the operating system itself. Microsoft notes that performance will vary significantly by device and other factors.

BetaBeacon

June 28, 2025

Lilbits: Microsoft is replacing the Blue Screen of Death with a Black one, extensions are coming to Chrome for Android (kind of), and an NES emulator that lets you play classic games in 3D

Most Windows computers have become less crash-prone over the years, but Microsoft still displays a "Blue Screen of Death" when crashes occur. Microsoft is planning to update the crash screen by changing the background from blue to black and providing more useful information to help users understand why their PC stopped working.

Winsage

June 27, 2025

A second Windows 11 bug takes suspicious aim at Google Chrome — and the same Microsoft app is to blame

Windows 11 users experienced issues launching Google Chrome due to Microsoft's Family Safety feature, prompting a response from Chrome’s support manager, Ellen T. A workaround was suggested: disabling the “Filter inappropriate websites” option or renaming the Chrome.exe file. Additionally, Microsoft acknowledged another issue affecting Chrome users, where the content filtering feature was ineffective because the latest version of Chrome was not included on the block list used by Family Safety. Microsoft is working to update this block list. Another bug causes Chrome to close unexpectedly when Parental Controls are enabled, but only if the Activity reporting feature is disabled. Users are advised to enable Activity reporting to restore normal functionality. These issues affect Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11 versions 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2. Microsoft is committed to resolving these problems and will update its support documentation accordingly.

Winsage

June 25, 2025

New FileFix attack brings ClickFix social engineering to Windows File Explorer — how to stay safe

Researcher mr. d0x has introduced a new variant of the ClickFix social engineering tool called FileFix, which uses the Windows File Explorer address bar as its interface to deceive users into executing harmful commands. FileFix targets corporate employees and employs familiar elements like reCAPTCHA prompts or error messages to spread malware, including infostealers and ransomware. The method integrates malicious commands directly into Windows File Explorer, enhancing its effectiveness by utilizing the environment users are comfortable with. The phishing scheme includes a deceptive ‘Open Fixe Explorer’ button that activates File Explorer and copies a PowerShell command to the clipboard, initially displaying a fake path in the address bar. ClickFix tactics are effective because they manipulate victims into compromising their own security, often exploiting urgency and existing online behaviors. Users are advised to be cautious of verification pop-ups and requests to open command windows, and to share this knowledge to help others navigate safely.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

After about a bazillion user requests, Windows finally lets you move the audio volume pop-up

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4452, allowing users to reposition the audio volume pop-up and customize the placement of hardware indicators like brightness and volume. The update enhances the Recall feature with a personalized homepage for quick access to recent activities and frequently used applications and websites. Users can manage which applications are captured by Recall, excluding sensitive apps. The update also fixes a glitch with the startup sound and improves File Explorer functionality.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5661 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5661 (KB5060838) has been released to the Dev Channel, introducing new features, improvements, and fixes. Key updates include: - A new personalized homepage for Recall, featuring recent snapshots and a list of top apps and websites. - A new setting allowing users to reposition hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktops on the screen. - A Boolean option in the Configure Start Pins policy for administrators to apply Start menu pins just once. - AI actions in File Explorer are being reintroduced after a temporary removal. - Recent flights now display the selected country or region during device setup under Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Fixes include resolving input functionality issues, fixing explorer.exe crashes for users with the Italian display language, addressing performance issues in File Explorer, and correcting sorting issues in Windows Update history. Known issues include touch navigation problems in the new Start menu, issues with Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth, and delays in intelligent text actions in Click to Do on certain PCs. Users may also experience a two-step process to access the latest flight in the Dev Channel and potential rollback errors during installation.