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Winsage
July 14, 2026
Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is currently available for .97, reduced from its regular price of 9. This limited-time offer expires on July 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Windows 11 Pro includes features such as BitLocker for data encryption, Remote Desktop for accessing work PCs, Hyper-V for creating virtual machines, and Windows Sandbox for safely testing software. The Pro edition has received a 4/5 rating from PC Magazine and TechRadar.
Winsage
July 14, 2026
Microsoft has acknowledged that several older Secure Boot certificates have expired, necessitating updates for Windows 10 and 11 users. A temporary halt in the issuance of new Secure Boot certificates affects specific PCs, particularly various HP models. Most PCs will receive updates automatically through Windows Update, but some may require a firmware update from the manufacturer. Users may see messages indicating that Secure Boot certificate updates are paused or blocked due to known issues or hardware/firmware limitations. Until manufacturers like HP release necessary firmware updates, users cannot update their Secure Boot certificates. Although the immediate risk from expired certificates is low, it is expected to increase over time. Devices with un-updated Secure Boot certificates will continue to function normally, but they will not receive new security updates, making them vulnerable to emerging threats. Essential features that rely on updated security measures may cease to function correctly as new security challenges arise.
AppWizard
July 14, 2026
Balatro, Crimson Desert, and Stardew Valley have been added to the lineup of recommended Mac games. The Mac platform has historically lagged behind Windows in gaming but is improving due to Apple's porting tools. Many games are now available at launch or shortly thereafter on Mac. Crimson Desert was released on Mac simultaneously with its launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The games mentioned can be found on Steam and include GRID Legends and Resident Evil Village, which are available in the Mac App Store.
AppWizard
July 14, 2026
Sony announced the discontinuation of physical discs for PlayStation, prompting discussions about digital media ownership. Ubisoft launched Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, which sold 2 million units on launch day. However, a significant outage of Ubisoft Connect, the DRM platform for PC users, prevented many players from accessing the game. Although the game was designed for a single online connection for validation, players expected to switch to offline mode afterward, leading to frustration when server issues arose. Ubisoft had previously promised an offline mode for The Crew 2 but has left players questioning future assurances. Some users noted that pirated versions of the game remained playable during the outage, increasing interest in DRM-free titles. A gamer shared their positive experience with Project Motor Racing, which allowed for offline installation, highlighting a trend toward user-friendly gaming solutions as frustrations with DRM systems grow.
TrendTechie
July 14, 2026
On the evening of July 13, users of the Steam platform reported widespread connectivity issues starting around 20:00 MSK, affecting cloud saves and online game launches. Dota 2 players faced difficulties initiating match searches, while Counter-Strike 2 users encountered errors redirecting them to the main menu. The cause of the outages is unclear, but full access is expected to be restored within a few hours.
Winsage
July 14, 2026
Microsoft is rolling out significant enhancements to Windows Search, starting on July 13, aimed at creating a more streamlined and user-friendly experience for Insiders. The update eliminates clutter from the interface, removing web suggestions and ads, and replacing them with a clean home screen that displays recent searches. Each search result now includes clear labels indicating its source, and the layout has been improved for better organization. Sponsored product cards have been removed from web results, leading to direct answers without promotional content. Users can customize their experience with toggles to disable Bing web results or Microsoft Store suggestions. Local matches now take precedence over web results, improving search accuracy. File search has been enhanced to display results more quickly and include cloud files alongside local ones. Microsoft has also improved the reliability of Search, reducing crashes and loading issues. Users can enable the new features through the Feature flags page if they do not activate after a reboot. There is no official timeline for when these changes will be available to all Windows users.
AppWizard
July 14, 2026
On July 13 at 11:30 PT, Steam experienced intermittent downtime and various errors affecting the store, community hub, and game APIs. Users reported that the store and community pages had a "Very Slow" status, and Deadlock's multiplayer API showed an Internal Server Error. The Steam API displayed erratic behavior, with users encountering "Bad Gateway" errors. By the end of the day, all systems were reported to be functioning normally.
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