running Archives

AppWizard

August 12, 2026

The Intel Gamer Days Sale Stacks Walmart’s Best Gaming PC Deals With Two Free Upcoming PC Games

The annual Intel Gamer Days Sale is ongoing until September 13, offering customers who purchase eligible gaming PCs or laptops two free AAA games: Star Wars: Galactic Racer, releasing on October 6, and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, debuting on February 12 next year. Buyers will receive instructions to claim a download voucher for the games upon making a qualifying purchase. This promotion is available through retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and Walmart. Notable deals include the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme RTX 5070 Gaming PC at Walmart for ,399 after a 0 discount, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus CPU, GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. Additionally, the Gigabyte AORUS Master 16" gaming laptop is priced at ,599 after a 0 discount, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 HX CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. Star Wars: Galactic Racer features a unique roguelike campaign, while Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis aims to revitalize the classic 1996 title with fresh gameplay experiences.

AppWizard

August 12, 2026

Amazon Is Offering a Great Deal on a RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC, and It Includes Two Upcoming AAA Games

Amazon is offering the Acer Predator Orion 6000 gaming desktop for ,099, which includes free shipping. This gaming PC features an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU, a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The purchase is part of the Intel Gamer Days Sale, which runs until September 13, and includes two free upcoming PC games: Star Wars: Galactic Racer, releasing on October 6, and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, set for February 12 next year. The RTX 5070 Ti GPU provides excellent 4K gaming performance and is capable of running games at 60fps.

Winsage

August 11, 2026

Microsoft Patches 398 Flaws Including a Windows Driver Zero-Day Under Active Attack

Microsoft's recent security updates addressed a significant vulnerability, CVE-2026-68820, in a core Windows kernel driver that is being actively exploited, allowing attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.0 and is the only one flagged as under active exploitation. Check Point Research links it to the Lazarus group. Additionally, four other vulnerabilities included in the update do not require victim action: - CVE-2026-62878: A stack-based buffer overflow in Windows DNS Server, considered wormable. - CVE-2026-62893: A remote flaw in Windows Deployment Services through TFTP handling. - CVE-2026-62815: A vulnerability in Microsoft QUIC allowing remote code execution. - CVE-2026-59124: An important flaw in HPC Pack with a CVSS score of 9.8. The updates also finalized a fix for a SharePoint vulnerability chain, with CVE-2026-55040 addressing an authentication bypass and CVE-2026-63520 fixing the code execution component. Organizations are advised to prioritize patching CVE-2026-68820 and then address the other vulnerabilities, ensuring SharePoint installations have both fixes applied.

AppWizard

August 11, 2026

Xodus Cracks Xbox Authentication and Game Package Decryption to Bring PC Game Pass to Linux

Developers of the Heroic Games Launcher have announced Xodus, an open-source project aimed at enabling access to PC Game Pass on Linux and macOS. Launched on August 10, 2026, Xodus has successfully addressed Xbox identity authentication and the decryption of MSIXVC packages, allowing local play of Game Pass titles for Linux and macOS users. Currently, the only way to access Game Pass on non-Windows devices is through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which requires a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and introduces latency. Xodus employs a layered architecture, including an Xbox Authentication Library (xal-rs) for managing Microsoft account sign-ins and license verification, and a reimplementation of the xgameruntime.dll for license checks and Xbox service access. The project can retrieve MSIXVC game packages using a valid Game Pass subscription and decrypt executables for local storage. However, it does not yet support UWP-based titles and lacks a user-friendly interface for general users. The project is under pressure due to Microsoft's upcoming transition to the MSIXVC2 package format, which Xodus does not currently support. Xodus is in early development with only a command-line interface available, and the team is working on emulating the GDK Gaming Services layer necessary for game initialization. The project is legal as it reimplements Xbox runtime behavior without enabling piracy, but it faces risks if Microsoft alters its authentication infrastructure.

Winsage

August 11, 2026

Is this Microsoft’s canceled Surface Phone from 2014? Mysterious Windows Phone prototype appears in new photos

Microsoft had plans to launch a Windows Phone device under the Surface branding in 2014, which never materialized. A prototype, known internally as Raven, from the 2013-2014 era has been revealed, operating on an early version of Windows Phone 8.1. The device features an undisclosed Qualcomm chip, a 720p display, a Microsoft logo on the back, and a silver metal frame. It includes dedicated hardware navigation keys, individual volume buttons, a camera button, a power button, a micro-USB port, a headphone jack, and a SIM card slot. Microsoft later shifted focus to other projects, including the Surface Duo, while the Windows Phone platform was abandoned in 2017.

AppWizard

August 11, 2026

XBOX PC and Game Pass coming to Linux with the ‘Xodus’ project

The Xodus project is an open-source initiative aimed at enabling Xbox PC games, including Game Pass, to run on Linux and Mac systems. It is a reverse-engineering effort that is not officially endorsed by Microsoft, which could affect its compatibility. The development team includes experienced developers from the Heroic Games Launcher, and the project has made progress in logging in, downloading packages, and obtaining licenses for games. The team hopes to support most games in the GDK and MSIXVC format and has indicated the capability to download and run Xbox backward compatible titles, although further patches may be needed for optimal performance.

AppWizard

August 11, 2026

Xbox PC and Game Pass titles are coming to Linux through ‘Xodus’ — Heroic Launcher devs embark on new open-source reverse-engineering project

Xbox PC games face challenges on Linux due to Microsoft's proprietary Game Development Kit (GDK), affecting performance and Game Pass functionality. An open-source initiative called "Xodus," developed by the creators of Heroic Launcher, aims to reverse engineer components for Xbox PC games to run on Linux, focusing on modern titles using GDK and MSIXVC packages, but not older UWP games. Microsoft has recently brought four original Xbox titles to PC and may release Xbox 360 titles next year with an emulator, though it is unclear if they will use the GDK framework.

Winsage

August 11, 2026

5 years later, Windows 10 refuses to die, and Microsoft just can’t push holdouts to Windows 11

Windows 11 was released in 2021, but Windows 10 remains a significant presence, with approximately 17% market share among enterprise PCs as of 2026. Lansweeper reports that Windows 10 has lost users, dropping from nearly 50% in early 2025 to around 40% by October 2025, and settling at 16.9% a year later. Key sectors using Windows 10 include healthcare (23%), consumer retail (22.7%), small and medium businesses (21.4%), manufacturing (18%), and enterprises (16.6%). Windows 10 has 1,903 active CVEs compared to 652 on Windows 11, indicating a 2.9 times higher vulnerability. About 14% of Windows 10 users receive Extended Security Updates, leaving 2% on unsupported versions. HP reports that 30% of its installed base still uses Windows 10, reflecting a core group resistant to upgrading. Microsoft states that Windows is active on 1.6 billion PCs globally, with a noted 7% decrease in Windows OEM revenue attributed to lower PC demand and the end-of-support effects for Windows 10.

AppWizard

August 11, 2026

How to Fix Minecraft Lag and Stuttering on PC and Mac in 2026

Experiencing a freeze in Minecraft Java Edition can be frustrating due to the game's demands on computer performance, which can lead to lag spikes, stuttering, and low FPS. Performance issues can often be resolved without new hardware by optimizing settings on Windows and macOS. To address lag, identify the type of lag and adjust settings one at a time, starting with visuals and add-ons, then moving to memory, Java, drivers, and multiplayer servers. Quick fixes include closing background apps, restarting Minecraft, testing in a single-player world, disabling shaders, using default resources, and lowering render distance. Different types of lag include low FPS, stuttering from world loading, network or multiplayer server lag, and performance drops after enabling visual add-ons. To diagnose lag, symptoms should be matched with potential causes and fixes, such as adjusting video settings or checking server performance. Common issues include low FPS, stuttering while exploring, FPS drops when shaders are enabled, resource pack hitching, and problems with memory allocation or incompatible Java versions. Each issue has specific symptoms, causes, and recommended fixes, such as adjusting render distance, disabling shaders, or ensuring the correct Java version is used. Platform-specific fixes for macOS and Windows involve updating drivers, managing graphics settings, and ensuring proper memory allocation. Configuration mistakes can hinder performance improvements, and hardware limitations may also play a role in lag. For ongoing issues, gathering relevant logs and system details is essential for seeking help, and preventative tips include maintaining a clean test profile, gradually adding mods, and matching versions carefully.

AppWizard

August 10, 2026

Project Xodus Brings Native Xbox PC and Game Pass Games to Linux

Project Xodus is an open-source initiative focused on reverse-engineering Xbox PC and Game Pass titles to enable their use on Linux and Mac systems. The project has made significant progress in Microsoft authentication and package decryption, allowing Linux users to download and process Xbox subscription games locally. The team has successfully reverse-engineered Microsoft’s identity services and license verification systems, unlocking encrypted MSIXVC game files and enabling the verification of game licenses and decryption of installation packages on non-Windows operating systems. Xodus serves as a translation bridge for Microsoft’s proprietary ecosystem services, providing custom proxy libraries for games to function as if they are running in a native Windows environment. It specifically targets modern games built on Microsoft’s GDK framework, excluding older titles using the Universal Windows Platform and those dependent on kernel-level anti-cheat mechanisms. The project aims to improve access to Xbox Game Pass on devices like the Steam Deck by facilitating direct local hardware execution, reducing reliance on cloud streaming and enhancing portable gaming experiences. Community feedback has been positive, with developers actively sharing updates and engaging with inquiries.