spring Archives

Winsage

May 7, 2026

Windows 11 pulls back AI as Microsoft plans to remove Copilot where it doesn’t meet its promise

Microsoft is shifting its approach to AI features, particularly with the Copilot tool. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced plans to retire Copilot on mobile and halt its development on consoles, a move supported by Jacob Andreou, the Executive Vice President of Copilot. This decision aligns with Microsoft's commitment to improving Windows quality and reducing AI overload, as indicated by the removal of the "Ask Copilot" button and the rebranding of the Copilot logo in applications. Despite challenges faced by Windows 11, including bugs and performance issues, Copilot has seen success in the enterprise sector, with over 20 million subscribers. The launch of Apple's MacBook Neo has further pressured Microsoft to enhance Windows quality. Moving forward, Copilot is being repositioned as an enterprise tool rather than a consumer-facing product, while Microsoft continues to develop AI capabilities for corporate use.

AppWizard

May 6, 2026

Google Home’s latest update fixes the worst part of smart cameras

Google is set to unveil a comprehensive update to the Google Home app in Spring 2026, featuring a complete overhaul focused on speed, performance, and a more intuitive interface. The update includes faster performance, smoother scrolling, and a modernized camera experience. AI integration will allow cameras to collaborate for clearer narratives, with features for swiping between views, resizing the video player, and skipping clips using 10-second jump buttons. Gemini 3.1 will enhance the voice assistant, enabling users to execute complex, multi-step commands in a single request. The app will also feature a revamped event details page, improved frame rates, and reduced lag, with Google Home Premium users receiving Gemini-generated event summaries. The camera settings menu will be simplified, consolidating all "seen" and "heard" events onto a single page. Additional home automation features will allow users to manage kitchen appliances, control robot vacuums, check smart lock statuses, and monitor battery levels. The "Ask Home on Web" feature will enter Public Preview, enabling users to search camera history, check device statuses, and set up automations from their desktops.

AppWizard

May 6, 2026

Minecraft Expands Experiences Ahead of Licensing Expo

Minecraft has over 200 global partners across various sectors, including apparel, food, collectibles, and creative play, as it approaches Licensing Expo 2026. Recent collaborations include an apparel line with Cool Shirtz, a partnership with Adidas, and a global fashion collection with OppoSuits. New product categories include Actimel products in Europe, Sticki Rolls, STEM-focused activity kits from Horizon Group USA, and a plush collaboration with Ty. The brand is expanding into location-based entertainment with the upcoming Minecraft Experience: Moonlight Trail and a themed land, Minecraft World, set to open at Chessington World of Adventures in 2027. A sequel to A Minecraft Movie is in development with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, along with a new animated series for Netflix. Minecraft will be present at Licensing Expo at booth No. J98-J103.

AppWizard

May 5, 2026

Google Home’s latest update fixes the worst part of smart cameras

The Google Home app will receive a significant update in Spring 2026, focusing on enhanced performance and a more intuitive interface. The update will improve smart camera functionality, allowing cameras to work together for a clearer understanding of home events, and will feature a revamped event details page for easier navigation of recorded footage. Google Home Premium users will receive Gemini-generated event descriptions for older Nest cameras, and the camera settings menu will be simplified. The voice assistant will be upgraded to Gemini 3.1, improving reasoning capabilities for complex commands. Additionally, a new "Ask Home on Web" feature will enable users to manage devices and automations from their desktops. Privacy considerations regarding AI-generated summaries of home footage will also be a factor for users.

AppWizard

May 2, 2026

The cozy game launches of May are dominated by a bunch of hotly-anticipated sims

A total of 27 cozy games are set to be released in May, with a focus on simulation games. Notable upcoming titles include: - Thrifty Business: Release Date: May 18 | Shop organizing sim - Greenhearth Necromancer: Release Date: May 11 | Balcony garden sim - Paralives: Release Date: May 25 | Sims-like life sim - OddFauna: Secret of the Terrabeast: Release Date: May 13 | Creature collecting and crafting - Wax Heads: Release Date: May 5 | Record store narrative sim Three of these titles have experienced delays.

Winsage

May 1, 2026

Who needs ghost train scares when Windows is such a fright?

Andy Bailey, a reader of Register, describes a ride at Alton Towers, a UK theme park, that was formerly named Duel but has been changed to a ghost train experience. During the ride, he encountered a Windows error message stating "Memory could not be read" in explorer.exe, which he found unsettling. The error could be due to failing hardware, a problematic driver, or a code glitch. He reflects on how a truly frightening experience for IT professionals might include scenarios like encountering Windows' Clippy as an undead AI assistant or facing unexpected Windows Updates that disrupt the ride.

AppWizard

April 30, 2026

Xbox CEO knows there’s “work to do” to win players back, as Microsoft boss recommits to “core” fans

Microsoft's gaming division is returning to its Xbox roots, with a recent price reduction for the Game Pass subscription. Asha Sharma, the new CEO of Xbox, has indicated plans for collaborations with Discord to enhance community engagement. Under her leadership, Xbox has faced challenges, including a 5% decline in content and services revenue and a 33% drop in hardware sales. However, Microsoft's overall revenue increased by 18% year-on-year. Despite mixed results, new records for monthly active Xbox users and game streaming hours were announced. Sharma and Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty outlined a vision for Xbox that is "affordable, personal, and open," focusing on initiatives like Project Helix and expanding the franchise portfolio.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

Today’s Android game and app deals: NARUTO, Onigo Hunter, Endurance, more

A new lineup of game and app deals for Android includes titles such as Onigo Hunter, Monster Viator, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM, Endurance: Dead Space, EvoCreo2: Monster Trainer RPG, Dragon Sinker, and Cytus II. Significant discounts are available on Samsung products, including a discounted Galaxy Tab S11 and an unlocked Galaxy S26 Ultra bundled with Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Samsung's Mother’s Day Spring Black Friday sale features discounts exceeding 0.

BetaBeacon

April 28, 2026

Today’s Android game and app deals: Dungeons of Dreadrock, FrogBoy, Exolotl, more

The Android app price drops include various games and apps such as Lost in Fantaland for , Broken Sword: Reforged for .50, Shadow Knight: Ninja Fighting for free, Tokyo Debunker: Urban Legends for free, Nimian Legends: Vandgels for .75, THE CENTENNIAL CASE: SS for , FrogBoy for , Caves of Lore for , and Boss Rush: Mythology Mobile for [openai_gpt model="gpt-3.5-turbo-0125" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Today’s highlight Android app price drops: Lost in Fantaland (Reg. ) Broken Sword: Reforged .50 (Reg. ) Shadow Knight: Ninja Fighting FREE (Reg. ) Tokyo Debunker: Urban Legends FREE (Reg. ) Nimian Legends : Vandgels .75 (Reg. ) THE CENTENNIAL CASE: SS (Reg. ) FrogBoy (Reg. ) Caves of Lore (Reg. ) Boss Rush: Mythology Mobile [cyberseo_openai model="gpt-3.5-turbo-0125" prompt="Rewrite a news story for a business publication, in a calm style with creativity and flair based on text below, making sure it reads like human-written text in a natural way. The article shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. The article shall NOT start from a title. Response language English. Generate HTML-formatted content using tag for a sub-heading. You can use only , , , , and HTML tags if necessary. Text: Reg. $1+/FREE+ Your afternoon lineup of the best Android game and app deals is now ready to roll, including titles like Dungeons of Dreadrock 2, FrogBoy, Exolotl: Zian, Lost in Fantaland, Broken Sword: Reforged, Shadow Knight: Ninja Fighting, Tokyo Debunker: Urban Legends, Romopolis, and more. Just be sure to dive into today’s Google Nest Cam Outdoor deals as well as these giant Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra offers at up to $560 off and the Samsung Mother’s Day Spring Black Friday sale. All of the apps await below. Today’s highlight Android app price drops: Lost in Fantaland $3 (Reg. $5) Broken Sword: Reforged $5.50 (Reg. $10) Shadow Knight: Ninja Fighting FREE (Reg. $1) Tokyo Debunker: Urban Legends FREE (Reg. $1) Nimian Legends : Vandgels $2.75 (Reg. $4) THE CENTENNIAL CASE: SS $10 (Reg. $20) FrogBoy $1 (Reg. $3) Caves of Lore $5 (Reg. $8) Boss Rush: Mythology Mobile $0.75 (Reg. $3.50) Runic Curse $1.25 (Reg. $5) Quest of Wizard $1 (Reg. $4.50) Romopolis $1 (Reg. $5) Paign 2 – RPG $4.50 (Reg. $6.50) Exolotl : Zian $2 (Reg. $3.50) Pixel Blade M VIP FREE (Reg. $2) Soul Evolve: Epic Fantasy Hero FREE (Reg. $1) Hero of the Kingdom: Tales 1 $1.50 (Reg. $7) Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 $2.50 (Reg. $6) Dotted Lines – Snake FREE (Reg. $5) Giant Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra deals today: Up to $430 off brand new, $560 off Best Buy open-box More highlight Android app price drops still live FINAL FANTASY $7 (Reg. $10) FINAL FANTASY II $7 (Reg. $10) FINAL FANTASY III $10 (Reg. $15) FINAL FANTASY III (3D REMAKE) $7 (Reg. $15) FINAL FANTASY IV (3D REMAKE) $7 (Reg. $15) FINAL FANTASY IV $10 (Reg. $15) FINAL FANTASY V $10 (Reg. $15) FINAL FANTASY VII $8 (Reg. $16) FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered $10 (Reg. $21) FINAL FANTASY IX for Android $10 (Reg. $21) FINAL FANTASY IV: TAY $7 (Reg. $15) FINAL FANTASY VI $10 (Reg. $15) Secret of Mana $4 (Reg. $7) Adventures of Mana $7 (Reg. $14) Legend of Mana $14 (Reg. $28) Trials of Mana $10 (Reg. $20) CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) $5 (Reg. $10) COLLECTION of SaGa FF LEGEND $10 (Reg. $20) CHAOS RINGS Ⅲ $10 (Reg. $20) Romancing SaGa 2 $5 (Reg. $18) Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- $13 (Reg. $25) Actraiser Renaissance $10 (Reg. $20) Romancing SaGa3 $6.50 (Reg. $22) VARIOUS DAYLIFE Mobile $8 (Reg. $20) Super Tank Battle – Sandbox FREE (Reg. $10) Samak Blue – Icon Pack FREE (Reg. $1) Square Clear – Icon Pack FREE (Reg. $1.50) Fledermaus – Square Icon Pack FREE (Reg. $1.50) Squarecut – Icon Pack FREE (Reg. $1.50) Material You Square Icon Pack FREE (Reg. $1.50) Sharp – Square Icon Pack FREE (Reg. $1.50) FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS $6 (Reg. $12) SaGa SCARLET GRACE : AMBITIONS $9 (Reg. $30) SaGa Frontier Remastered $13 (Reg. $25) FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Toys — experts digging up all the latest technology and lifestyle deals, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Toys on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out the best Apple deals, our daily podcast, and subscribe to our YouTube channel" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" ].75 (Reg. .50) Runic Curse .25 (Reg. ) Quest of Wizard (Reg. .50) Romopolis (Reg. ) Paign 2 – RPG .50 (Reg. .50) Exolotl : Zian (Reg. .50) Pixel Blade M VIP FREE (Reg. ) Soul Evolve: Epic Fantasy Hero FREE (Reg. ) Hero of the Kingdom: Tales 1 .50 (Reg. ) Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 .50 (Reg. ) Dotted Lines – Snake FREE (Reg. ) More highlight Android app price drops still live FINAL FANTASY (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY II (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY III (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY III (3D REMAKE) (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY IV (3D REMAKE) (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY IV (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY V (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY VII (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY IX for Android (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY IV: TAY (Reg. ) FINAL FANTASY VI (Reg. ) Secret of Mana (Reg. ) Adventures of Mana (Reg. ) Legend of Mana (Reg. ) Trials of Mana (Reg. ) CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.) (Reg. ) COLLECTION of SaGa FF LEGEND (Reg. ) CHAOS RINGS Ⅲ (Reg. ) Romancing SaGa 2 (Reg. ) Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- (Reg. ) Actraiser Renaissance (Reg. ) Romancing SaGa3 .50 (Reg. ) VARIOUS DAYLIFE Mobile (Reg. ) Super Tank Battle – Sandbox FREE (Reg. ) Samak Blue – Icon Pack FREE (Reg. ) Square Clear – Icon Pack FREE (Reg. .50) Fledermaus – Square Icon Pack FREE (Reg. .50) Squarecut – Icon Pack FREE (Reg. .50) Material You Square Icon Pack FREE (Reg. .50) Sharp – Square Icon Pack FREE (Reg. .50) FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS (Reg. ) SaGa SCARLET GRACE : AMBITIONS (Reg. ) SaGa Frontier Remastered (Reg. )" max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].75.

AppWizard

April 28, 2026

The new Moomin game is lovely, but also illustrates the limits of cozy comfort over the harsher lessons of a children’s book

Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth is a sequel to Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, where players follow Moomintroll as he wakes from hibernation in a snowy landscape and embarks on a quest to bring spring. The game emphasizes Moomintroll's proactive role in helping Moominvalley residents during winter, contrasting with the themes of uncertainty found in Tove Jansson's original book, Moominland Midwinter. The game focuses on perseverance, camaraderie, and courage, aiming to provide a comforting experience while subtly altering the narrative's message. The original work's theme of resilience is echoed in Moomintroll's encouragement for the crocus to struggle through the frost, highlighting the beauty in overcoming adversity.