updates Archives

Winsage

June 24, 2025

How to turn off AI in Windows and bring yourself some peace

Microsoft is integrating artificial intelligence across its product suite, including Microsoft Edge, Office, Notepad, and Paint. Users can disable or hide AI features, such as Copilot, by right-clicking its icon on the taskbar to unpin it, adjusting settings in the Copilot app, or uninstalling it through the Settings panel. Other AI features like Windows Recall and Click to Do can also be turned off in the Privacy & security section of Windows Settings. Notepad allows users to toggle off Copilot, but Paint currently does not have an option to remove the Copilot button. Users are advised to regularly check for options to disable unwanted AI functionalities.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

Microsoft removed this feature from Windows, and it’s time to bring it back

Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) was introduced during the Windows 10 era to allow users to run Android applications on their PCs but was removed in Windows 11. Despite Microsoft's withdrawal, there remains a strong demand for Android app capabilities on Windows, as evidenced by the popularity of platforms like Bluestacks and Google's Google Play Games app for Windows. The initial implementation of WSA faced criticism due to poor execution and limited geographic availability, which hindered user access. Users had to navigate through the Microsoft Store to install the Amazon Appstore, complicating the process. The partnership with Amazon restricted the range of available applications, leading to user frustration, as many popular apps required Google services. Performance issues also affected WSA, with users facing resource consumption trade-offs. Microsoft's adjustments to allow some Android services to run in the background were a step forward, but the initial setup could have been more efficient. The discontinuation of WSA left many users puzzled, and there is hope for its reintroduction with improvements in the future.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

A more Google-y Gemini logo may be right around the corner (APK teardown)

Google is updating its Gemini interface to incorporate its iconic red, blue, green, and yellow colors, moving away from the previous two-tone color scheme. An APK teardown of the Google app revealed a new animated Gemini logo featuring these colors in the latest beta version (16.24.66.sa.arm64 beta). The onboarding screens have also been updated to reflect the new color scheme, with text now appearing in black. The chat interface will feature a new color gradient for greetings, a blue gradient above responses, and a loading animation that includes the full spectrum of Google colors. These updates are not yet available to end users.

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.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4452 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4452 (KB5060836) has been released to the Beta Channel for users on Windows 11, version 24H2. The update includes new features, improvements, and fixes. Key features introduced: - A personalized homepage for Recall that displays recent snapshots and top apps/websites. - A new setting to reposition hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode, and virtual desktops. - A Boolean option in the Configure Start Pins policy for administrators to apply Start menu pins. - AI actions in File Explorer are being reintroduced. Fixes include: - Resolved input functionality issues and explorer.exe crashes. - Fixed issues in File Explorer Home and performance degradation. - Corrected sorting issues in Settings. Known issues involve touch navigation in the Start menu, bugchecks with Xbox Controllers, and problems with AI actions in File Explorer. Users joining the Beta Channel will first receive Build 26120.4250 before the latest update.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Mario Kart World just launched with Switch 2, but PC gamers are playing Mario Kart 64 instead thanks to a “many-year” fan project that doesn’t contain Nintendo’s original code

Over two weeks after the launch of the Switch 2 and the latest Mario Kart installment, a fan-made port of Mario Kart 64, called SpaghettiKart, has been released for PC. This port was created by fans who reverse-engineered the original game, ensuring it does not use any code from the Nintendo 64 version to avoid legal issues. SpaghettiKart is available for download on GitHub and is still a work-in-progress, with some features not yet fully supported and a rare crash issue for a small number of users. The project follows the decompilation of the classic game and is part of a trend of retro titles being ported by fans.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Riot Games cancels its response to Minecraft, Hytale is cancelled

Riot Games has officially announced the cancellation of Hytale, a highly anticipated project developed in collaboration with Hypixel Studios. The game's development faced significant challenges, leading to the decision to halt its progress, as stated by Hypixel Studios CEO Aaron “Noxy” Donaghey. The studio is also set to close in the coming months. This cancellation adds to Riot Games' history of discontinuing various projects, including Pool Party, which was a crossover fighting game, and Project F, a proposed MMO with no recent updates. Additionally, 2XKO, which had undergone beta testing, remains uncertain regarding its future release.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Xbox App For PC Now Integrates Your Steam Games

The Xbox App on PC is integrating purchased games from various storefronts, including Steam, currently available only to Xbox Insider program members. This update transforms the Xbox App into a universal launcher for titles from multiple PC gaming storefronts. Microsoft aims to position Xbox as a universal gaming hub in response to competition, with the PlayStation 5 selling 61.7 million units compared to the Xbox Series consoles' 28.3 million units as of September 2024. Microsoft plans a next-generation gaming platform covering consoles, handheld devices, PCs, and cloud gaming. There is speculation about an Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3S headset, and Xbox President Sarah Bond highlighted collaboration between the Xbox division and the Windows team to make Windows the top gaming platform. Future Xbox iterations may resemble gaming PCs, as indicated by the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld introduction.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Riot Games shuts down Hypixel Studios and ends development of Hytale

Hypixel Studios has announced the cessation of development on the game Hytale, effective immediately. The decision was made because the team realized they could not deliver the game as originally envisioned. CEO Aaron "Noxy" Donaghey stated that the evolving genre and rising standards for game development contributed to the halt. Despite the disappointment, Donaghey expressed gratitude towards Riot Games for their support, including offering severance packages and assistance in finding new opportunities for affected employees.

Winsage

June 23, 2025

Microsoft Issues New Insider Builds to Dev and Beta Channels

A new update is available for Windows 11 users in the Insider Program’s Dev and Beta channels. Dev channel users can install cumulative update KB5060838 to upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2 build 26200.5661, while Beta channel users can install KB5060836 to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 build 26120.4452. Both updates introduce two significant features: a revamped home page experience in Recall for Copilot+ PCs, showcasing recent snapshots and top apps, and improvements to hardware indicators, allowing users to reposition them from the lower-right corner to the top-left or top center of the screen through the Settings app.