tech

Winsage
June 26, 2026
Microsoft has extended its offer of extended security updates for consumer users of Windows 10 until October 12, 2027, following the official end of support for the operating system on October 14, 2025. Users can acquire an extra year of patches for a modest fee, while business users have the option for an additional three years of support until 2028. Approximately 30 percent of HP's customers and 26 percent of all Windows users are still operating on Windows 10, which translates to hundreds of millions of PCs globally. The minimum requirements for running Windows 11 include a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage.
AppWizard
June 26, 2026
The annual Steam Summer Sale is currently ongoing, offering discounts of up to 80% on various video games until July 9. Notable deals include: - The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99. - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99. - Titanfall 2: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .49. - Burnout Paradise Remastered: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99. - Risk of Rain 2: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .24. - Stardew Valley: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99. - Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99. - Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99. - Hotline Miami: List Price: .99, Sale Price: [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" 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: If you own a gaming PC, Steam Deck, or a new Steam Machine, you're in for a treat. The annual Steam Summer Sale has commenced, offering discounts of up to 80% on a plethora of beloved video games. Running from now until July 9, this sale presents an excellent opportunity to expand your gaming library without breaking the bank. For those who prefer not to sift through the extensive Steam catalog, I've curated a selection of ten standout deals that span various genres, each one a personal favorite of mine. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition Geralt is a cool guy. Credit: CD Projekt Red/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 Chances are, you may already own The Witcher III, which has sold over 65 million copies since its 2015 release. If not, now is the perfect time to join the ranks of its fans. This RPG is widely regarded as one of the best ever made, featuring an open-world design that is both engaging and emotionally resonant. The Complete Edition includes all expansion packs, with a third expansion set to release in 2027, making it a must-have for any gamer. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Cal Kestis is also a cool dude. Credit: Respawn/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 Among the many Star Wars titles available during this sale, Jedi: Survivor stands out as an exceptional deal. This sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order follows the charming protagonist Cal Kestis as he navigates the challenges posed by the Galactic Empire. With engaging combat mechanics and a compelling narrative, this game is a steal at just .99. Titanfall 2 One of the best shooter campaigns ever. Credit: Respawn/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .49 Titanfall 2 has consistently been one of the most affordable games on digital platforms, yet many have yet to experience its brilliance. This title features one of the most creative and exhilarating single-player campaigns in the first-person shooter genre. Set aside an afternoon to immerse yourself in its thrilling gameplay. Burnout Paradise Remastered Racing games don't get much better than this. Credit: Criterion/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 Burnout Paradise is often hailed as one of the finest games from the Xbox 360/PS3 era, and its remastered version retains all the charm of the original. With all online modes and DLC included, it redefined open-world racing long before others followed suit. It's an exhilarating experience, perfect for both short bursts and extended play sessions. Risk of Rain 2 One of the best co-op roguelikes out there. Credit: Hopoo/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .24 Risk of Rain 2 is a roguelike shooter best enjoyed with friends. Players select characters and traverse procedurally generated levels, battling enemies while collecting upgrades. The difficulty ramps up over time, making for a rewarding experience, especially when you manage to create an overpowered build. Stardew Valley Cozy. Credit: ConcernedApe/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 As one of the most successful indie games of the last decade, Stardew Valley remains a top choice in the farming/life simulation genre. With its charming characters, delightful music, and numerous activities to engage in, it's easy to lose hours in this enchanting world. The vibrant modding community adds even more replayability for PC players. Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter Some of the best RPG combat around. Credit: Falcom/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 This remake of the first game in the acclaimed Trails series is a fantastic entry point for newcomers. With a rich narrative and engaging combat, it sets the stage for a sprawling interconnected story that spans multiple titles. The game eases players into its world beautifully, making it an excellent choice for RPG enthusiasts. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana I can hear this screenshot. Credit: Falcom/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 This vibrant RPG is an inviting entry point for those new to the Ys series. With its colorful world, engaging combat, and a soundtrack that energizes the gameplay, it offers a satisfying experience that appeals to both veterans and newcomers alike. Hotline Miami I can also hear this screenshot. Credit: Dennaton/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: [cyberseo_openai model="gpt-4o-mini" 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: Do you like Star Wars? We have good news.  By  Alex Perry Alex Perry Tech Reporter Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social. Read Full Bio  on June 25, 2026 This game rules. Credit: CD Projekt Red/Steam If you have a gaming PC, a Steam Deck, or even a brand new Steam Machine, you can currently get a whole lot of great video games for almost no money right now.That's because the annual Steam Summer Sale kicked off on Thursday, with offers lasting until July 9. That means you have a couple of weeks to get as much as 80 percent off on some of the best games ever made. But if you don't feel like combing through the entire Steam interface to find deals, I've curated 10 of them that I think are definitely worth checking out. These range from mainstream hits to smaller indie games across a variety of genres, but one constant is that I've played and adore all of them. Recommended deals for you Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $179.00 (List Price $249.00) Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds With Active Noise Cancellation — $148.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB Wi-Fi Retina Tablet (Silver, 2025 Release) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $279.00 (List Price $399.00) Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB Unlocked Phone (Black) — $669.99 (List Price $899.99) Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones — $378.00 (List Price $459.99) 55" Amazon Ember 4-Series 4K HDR10+ Smart Fire TV (2025 Model) — $279.95 (List Price $459.99) Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Streaming Player With Remote (2025 Model) — $24.99 (List Price $49.99) Meta Quest 3S 128GB With 3-Month Trial of Meta Horizon+ — $296.79 (List Price $349.99) Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Here are 10 of the best deals in the Steam Summer Sale. You May Also Like SEE ALSO: 'Star Fox' for Nintendo Switch 2 is a magnificent Hollywood take on a classic The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition Geralt is a cool guy. Credit: CD Projekt Red/Steam List Price: $49.99Sale Price: $9.99There's a decent chance you already own The Witcher III, given that it's sold 65 million units since its launch in 2015. But if you don't, there really is no better time than now to hop on the bandwagon.This is, without sugarcoating it, one of the best RPGs ever made, and you can enjoy it just fine even if you never played its two predecessors or read any of the Polish fantasy novels on which the game series is based. It combines some of the best open-world quest design ever with an emotional, mature story that's more about being a good father than saving the world (though there's some of that, too). The Complete Edition comes with both existing expansion packs, which are 100 percent worth playing, and there's actually a third expansion coming out in 2027 to look forward to, as well. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Cal Kestis is also a cool dude. Credit: Respawn/Steam List Price: $69.99Sale Price: $13.99There is a litany of Star Wars games available in the Steam sale, but Jedi: Survivor is probably the best deal here, for my money. The sequel to 2019's Jedi: Fallen Order follows surprisingly endearing protagonist Cal Kestis and friends as they search for safe haven from the evil Galactic Empire. It's got great combat, compelling level design, and honestly one of the best stories in any Disney-era Star Wars production. For $13.99, this is a must-buy, as far as I'm concerned.Titanfall 2 One of the best shooter campaigns ever. Credit: Respawn/Steam List Price: $29.99Sale Price: $4.49Titanfall 2 has been one of the most perpetually dirt-cheap games on digital storefronts for the past decade, but somehow, there are still people who have never played it. Don't be one of them.Put simply, this is one of the greatest first-person shooter single-player campaigns ever made. Every moment of it oozes with creativity and excitement, making the best out of extremely fun shooting and traversal mechanics in every mission. You should seriously just block out an entire Saturday afternoon and play it in one sitting. Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! Burnout Paradise Remastered Racing games don't get much better than this. Credit: Criterion/Steam List Price: $19.99Sale Price: $3.99Burnout Paradise has a real argument as being one of the four or five best games of the entire Xbox 360/PS3 era, and it's held up beautifully. The remastered version includes all online modes, as well as all of the DLC that was made for the original game. Paradise redefined what an open-world racing game could be, years before games like Forza Horizon carried the torch for the genre. It's simply a lot of fun and very easy to pick up and play in short bursts or long sessions.Risk of Rain 2 One of the best co-op roguelikes out there. Credit: Hopoo/Steam List Price: $24.99Sale Price: $8.24Risk of Rain 2 is a shooter roguelike that can be enjoyed solo, but is best played with up to three friends in co-op fashion. You choose from one of several characters and run around procedurally generated levels killing enemies and collecting a wide variety of stacking upgrades, all while contending with a mechanic that increases enemy difficulty the more time elapses. It can get extremely challenging, but also very rewarding, especially if you manage to make a super broken build that basically plays the game by itself.Stardew Valley Cozy. Credit: ConcernedApe/Steam List Price: $14.99Sale Price: $8.99One of the biggest breakout indie hits of the last decade, Stardew Valley is still maybe the very best farming/life sim game in a market full of them. Filled to the brim with charming characters, great music, and a large variety of ways to spend your precious time (be it in solo play or multiplayer), it's shockingly easy to lose dozens of hours to this game without even thinking about it. It's also got a vibrant mod scene on PC, if you're into that sort of thing.Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter Some of the best RPG combat around. Credit: Falcom/Steam List Price: $59.99Sale Price: $29.99Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter made it onto Mashable's best games of 2025 list because I made sure it did, and I'm going to evangelize it here, too, especially now that it's half off. It's a spiffy new remake of the first game in the long and storied Trails series of Japanese RPGs. There are 13 games in total, with more to come, and all of them are part of a big, sprawling, interconnected story with hundreds of characters spread across a huge, lore-rich continent. But you don't need to worry too much about that with this game, since it's the first one. It eases you into the setting beautifully and will leave you very excited for the remake of the second game in the series, due out this September. The combat is also incredibly fun. One word of warning, though: You need a healthy tolerance for anime to enjoy this series.Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana I can hear this screenshot. Credit: Falcom/Steam List Price: $39.99Sale Price: $19.99Ignore the roman numerals in title for this game. Yes, it's the eighth entry in the long-running Ys series, but it's also a perfect entry point for newcomers with minimal narrative connection to any other entries. Do you like running around a vibrant, colorful world while hitting monsters with a sword and listening to some of the most energetic, catchy music in video game history? Do you like RPGs where you don't spend a lot of time in menus and every system fits together cleanly to produce a super satisfying experience? Even if you don't think you like those things, this is really one of the most newcomer-friendly (and also best) RPGs ever made. Hotline Miami I can also hear this screenshot. Credit: Dennaton/Steam List Price: $9.99Sale Price: $0.99Once a pillar of trendy indie game success, Hotline Miami's zeitgeist nonetheless ended many years ago. Still, for less than a dollar, you really have no choice but to at least try it out, especially if you missed it in 2012. Hotline Miami is a super fast and twitchy top-down action game filled with pixelated hyper-violence and one of the best video game soundtracks ever. It's like playing through a drug-fueled murder haze, but, you know, a fun one. It's really good, I swear.American Truck Simulator Sometimes this country is beautiful. Credit: SCS Software/Steam List Price: $19.99Sale Price: $4.99American Truck Simulator is, indeed, an in-depth simulation of long-haul trucking in the United States. If you want to customize every part of your rig, you can do that. But if you just want to vibe out and listen to internet radio country music stations while driving across Kansas (do not drive across Kansas, it's so boring), you can also do that. It's best played on a racing wheel accessory, but a controller or even keyboard and mouse will do the job, too. As a bonus, developer SCS Software has developed literally dozens of expansions to add new states to the game over the years. You can get just the base game for $4.99, but if you want to spend as much as $43.85, you can get a bundle that includes everything. Topics Video Games Alex Perry Tech Reporter Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social. " temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" ].99 Despite its past prominence in indie gaming, Hotline Miami remains a must-try title, especially at its current price point. This fast-paced action game combines pixelated violence with an unforgettable soundtrack, creating an experience that is both thrilling and unique. American Truck Simulator Sometimes this country is beautiful. Credit: SCS Software/Steam List Price: .99 Sale Price: .99 Offering a detailed simulation of long-haul trucking across the United States, American Truck Simulator allows players to customize their rigs or simply enjoy the scenery while listening to music. With numerous expansions available, the base game is a great entry point at just .99, while a comprehensive bundle is also available for those looking to dive deeper." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].99. - American Truck Simulator: List Price: .99, Sale Price: .99.
Winsage
June 25, 2026
Microsoft has extended the support timeline for Windows 10 by initiating the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which provides an additional year of essential security updates until October 12, 2027. Users can enroll in the ESU program until it ends, and those already enrolled will have their coverage automatically continue through that date. The ESU program, previously a paid feature for businesses, is now available to regular consumers at no additional cost.
AppWizard
June 25, 2026
Apple has removed VKontakte (VK) from its App Store, as confirmed by VK Group. VK stated that its apps are no longer available for download or updates on Apple devices, which they claim restricts access for Russian users to popular services. Apple justified the removal by stating it complies with laws and sanctions, though VK noted it has never been subjected to U.S. sanctions. The Kremlin has called Apple's decision "bizarre" and is seeking clarification, with Russia's digital development ministry labeling the action as politically motivated and asserting there are no grounds for blocking VK apps.
Winsage
June 25, 2026
WidBar is a beta application for Windows 11 that allows users to integrate widgets into the taskbar, currently offering two widgets: "Now Playing" and "System Metrics." Users can drag and drop these widgets into a live preview of their taskbar and place them across multiple monitors. The native Widgets Panel in Windows 11 has 56 widgets but lacks a dedicated Now Playing widget, as media controls are only available in the Action Center. WidBar is gaining attention for its potential to enhance user experience and is being discussed in the tech community on platforms like Reddit.
Tech Optimizer
June 25, 2026
Many individuals question the value of their antivirus subscriptions, especially as free protection options have improved and the features of paid services may not be necessary for everyone. Modern antivirus solutions now include features like VPNs, password managers, parental controls, identity theft protection, and dark web monitoring, which may go unused by some users. Those with modern devices may already have built-in security measures, such as Microsoft Defender for Windows users and similar protections for Mac users, making paid subscriptions potentially unnecessary for those practicing safe online behaviors. Paid antivirus may be worthwhile for individuals managing multiple devices or users, or if the bundled features are more economical than purchasing them separately. Auto-renewal can lead to unexpected charges and upselling tactics, emphasizing the importance of reviewing subscriptions regularly. Ultimately, the decision to pay for antivirus depends on individual circumstances and comfort with technology. Disabling auto-renewal is recommended to allow for annual evaluations of needs and competitive offers.
AppWizard
June 25, 2026
Asus's Systems Business General Manager, Liao Yi-hsiang, indicated that while some price adjustments for Asus PC products are expected, they will likely be modest, falling within the 1-9% range. This comes in light of a recent decline in component prices, including memory and hard drives. Yi-hsiang noted that any price increases must consider consumer acceptance to avoid exceeding market tolerance. The adjustments are anticipated in the third quarter, coinciding with the peak tech sales season in Fall and Winter. Overall, there is a growing consensus that the market is stabilizing around current pricing structures, although significant price drops, particularly for products like the Steam Deck, are unlikely in the near term.
AppWizard
June 25, 2026
The Steam Machine, Valve's gaming console, has received criticism for its high price and poor performance, largely due to rising component costs influenced by investments in artificial intelligence. In response, Linus Tech Tips, led by Linus Sebastian, is working on creating a more affordable and better-performing gaming PC. They are focusing on functionality and value while exploring various components and configurations for an exceptional gaming experience. Alternative builds may not fit as well under televisions as the Steam Machine but offer better performance and cost-effectiveness for dedicated gamers.
AppWizard
June 24, 2026
A variety of Android game and app deals are available during Day 2 of Prime Day, featuring titles such as Planet of Lana, Incredibox, Same Room Same Day: Premium, Murders on Budapest, Argo’s Choice: Offline Game, Charlie in Underworld, Skel, Defense, and 7Days. The Google Play Mega Game Sale has launched, offering many games at discounted prices. Pixel smartphones are also discounted, with the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro XL starting at 4 (up to 5 off) and the Pixel 10a at a record low of 9. Additionally, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available with savings of nearly 0 on new devices and up to 8 on open-box options from Best Buy.
AppWizard
June 24, 2026
Google has released Android 17 QPR1 Beta 5, which includes the June security patch and fixes for disappearing widgets. The update is available for enrolled Pixel devices with the build number vCP31.260608.007. It addresses issues related to the Game Dashboard, download functionalities, and camera corrections. Despite these improvements, Pixel users have reported problems with 5G connectivity and display performance. The previous Beta 4 introduced May's security enhancements and a new feature called Screen Reactions for content creators. Users experiencing issues are encouraged to report them through the Issue Tracker.
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