Yesterday was Patch Tuesday for September, and Microsoft provided security updates that address 80 new vulnerabilities. Microsoft categorized eight of the vulnerabilities in Windows and Office as critical, but none of them have been exploited for attacks in the wild yet. Sadly, Microsoft provides sparse details on the security vulnerabilities for self-searching in the Security Update Guide. The next Patch Tuesday is scheduled for October 14th, 2025. That’s also the long-awaited date of Windows 10’s end of support. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Learn what your options are going forward. Critical Windows vulnerabilities A large number of the vulnerabilities—58 this time—are spread across the various Windows versions for which Microsoft still offers security updates: Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. Windows 7 and 8.1 are no longer getting security updates, so they remain as vulnerable as ever. If you’re still on these versions and your system requirements allow for it, you should switch to Windows 11 as soon as possible to continue receiving security updates. Microsoft has categorized 7 security vulnerabilities in Windows as critical, including four remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. Five of these critical vulnerabilities are in graphics components. It can be enough to open an infected image file (say, loaded from a website) to execute malicious code. The CVE-2025-53799 data leak vulnerability stands out because its exploitation can only expose a small part of working memory. It remains unclear why this one’s considered critical. Microsoft has also fixed 5 security vulnerabilities in Hyper-V, one of which (CVE-2025-55224) is categorized as critical. The others are elevation of privilege (EOP) vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-54918 in the NT LAN Manager is also an EOP vulnerability classified as critical. An attacker with user rights can obtain system authorizations via the network, and it’s simple enough that it could be used as part of a targeted attack. Other Windows vulnerabilities The vulnerability with the highest vulnerability score is CVE-2025-55232 in the High Performance Compute (HPC) Pack. An attacker could remotely inject code without a user account and execute it on their own. This makes the vulnerability potentially wormable within an HPC network. As a rule, it only affects clusters of high-performance computers that are already secure. Microsoft recommends blocking TCP port 5999. Microsoft has eliminated 10 vulnerabilities in the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) this month, compared to 12 last month. This time there are only two RCE vulnerabilities, the rest are data leaks. All are categorized as high risk. In the Windows Firewall service, Microsoft has fixed 6 EOP vulnerabilities that are considered high risk. An attacker with user rights could use these to obtain the authorizations of a local system account in order to execute malicious code. Critical Office vulnerabilities Microsoft has fixed 16 vulnerabilities in its Office product family, including 12 remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. One of these RCE vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-54910) is labeled as critical because the preview window is considered an attack vector. This means that an attack could occur simply by displaying an infected file in the preview, even if the user doesn’t click on it or open it. Microsoft categorizes the other Office vulnerabilities as high risk. Here, a user must open an infected file for the exploit code to take effect (“open to own”). There are 8 fixed RCE vulnerabilities in Excel alone. Browser security updates The latest security update to Edge 140.0.3485.54 was released on September 5th and is based on Chromium 140.0.7339.81. It fixes several Chromium vulnerabilities as well as an Edge-specific vulnerability. Google has since released a new security update, which Microsoft will have to respond to later this week. Read...

We always knew that consumers preferred Windows PCs over Macs, but the numbers now back it up. HP topped Apple as the most preferred PC maker in the 2025 iteration of the American Customer Satisfaction Survey — though general consumer satisfaction with PCs fell slightly compared with 2024 sentiments. Big names, like Microsoft, suffered in the eyes of their consumer critics. Customers polled by the survey, however, said that the overall design of computers has improved, and that they marked that aspect as the best of the computing experience. The worst? The agony of calling and then navigating through a call center to receive customer support. ACSI, which runs the study, said that it sent out thousands of email surveys to random customers, and the 16,205 completed surveys it received were used as the foundation for its 2025 report. Customers were asked about their experiences with the largest customers as well as an “all other” category. The ACSI received customer inputs on expectations, quality perceptions, and perceptions of value and used them as inputs to generate a score. The biggest slips in perceived quality were Apple, Microsoft, and Acer, all of which lost three points in the ACSI rankings. Last year, Apple topped the charts with a score of 85. Yet its score of 82 placed Apple second; Dell’s ACSI score also decreased by a point compared to 2024. However, ACSI assigned Dell a score of 83, making it the most popular computer company for 2025. ACSI Household Appliance and Electronics Study 2025 / American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. The ACSI also included tablets in this category, and added Amazon to its list of manufacturers. Tablet satisfaction scores plunged, from 81 in 2024 to 77 in 2025. In general, computer satisfaction declined across every PC maker save Dell, which saw an increase in the satisfaction score from 2024’s 80 score to its 2025 score of 82. ACSI measured several aspects of the computing experience — design, availability of software, ease of operation, graphics and sound quality, and more — and generally found that customers ranked them essentially the same as in 2024. Customers expressed the least satisfaction with a computer’s ability to prevent crashing, the general state of “features” like the OS or preloaded software, and call-center satisfaction. (They apparently hadn’t moved past our first review of Windows 11.) ACSI Household Appliance and Electronics Study 2025 / American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. “The service experience may be a factor in the deviating levels of satisfaction between desktops and tablets,” the ACSI found. “Manufacturers continue to expand their repair networks to connect users with convenient outlets for service, but high repair costs and inconsistent parts availability continue to hinder the service experience for some.” Interestingly, customers ranked the desktop experience higher than that using a laptop, though aspects like “website satisfaction” should have been mostly thee same for both. ACSI Household Appliance and Electronics Study 2025 / American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. Still, the category with the most need for improvement isn’t PCs, but tablets. Amazon clearly has its work cut out for it. Read...

When upgrading from Windows 10 to 11, most users focus on technical questions: Will my existing computer meet the increased hardware requirements? Will I find my way around the new interface? Are there suitable drivers for my peripherals? Equally important, but often overlooked, is the question of a valid license (get a new Windows 11 license for 50% off on the PCWorld Software store): Can I transfer my Windows 10 license to Windows 11, or do I have to buy a new one? Is it possible to run Windows without a license, or does that make you liable to prosecution? And what happens to my existing Windows 10 license if I buy a new computer for Windows 11? Don’t worry, in most cases, the upgrade from 10 to 11 is not only technically, but also legally, completely problem-free and largely automated. This is because the Windows update checks in the background whether your computer’s hardware is suitable for Windows. If this is the case, Windows prompts you to perform the upgrade with a message in the taskbar corner. If you agree, Windows 11 will be installed almost entirely automatically and will also take over the existing license. You don’t need to worry about anything and the upgrade is free of charge. How the Windows upgrade works thanks to a digital license The so-called digital license is responsible for this mostly smooth upgrade. This was created automatically when Windows 10 was installed and stored on the Microsoft servers. The license code includes a hash value that Windows generates from an analysis of the computer’s hardware. There is also the product key. Minor changes to the hardware, such as a new mouse or keyboard, a new screen, more RAM or even replacing the graphics card, have no effect on the digital license code. However, if you change the motherboard, you must expect Windows to ask you to enter the product key after installation. In the Windows settings under “System -‘ Activation” you can see whether your Windows version is already running with a valid license or whether it still needs to be activated.Sam Singleton You can easily check whether the transfer of the digital license has worked and the previous code is still valid once the installation is complete. To do this, open the “Settings” via the start menu and click on “System -> Activation”. Next to “Activation status” you will see whether Windows has been activated. If you click on the small arrow pointing downwards, you can also find out whether your activation is linked to your Microsoft account, i.e. whether it has been saved online. To do this, you must of course have such an account and log in to Windows with it. Windows without a licence If you want to install Windows but do not have a license for the operating system, you can still use it for 30 days without restrictions. After that, a watermark will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of the desktop that cannot be removed. In addition, some personalization options in the settings will be greyed out and can no longer be accessed. Although it’s still possible to use the operating system, this is not legally permitted. Upgrade to Windows 11 when changing components If your current computer does not meet the hardware requirements of Windows 11, the operating system does not offer an upgrade and therefore no automatic transfer of the digital license. You now have three options. Firstly, you can install Windows 11 on older, officially unsupported hardware using the freeware Rufus. Once the operating system is installed, you can license it as described in the next section. Secondly, and this is the better medium-term solution, you can modernize your computer and install a motherboard with the latest CPU and a TPM chip in version 2.0. Before you do this, use Rufus or Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool to create a boot medium with Windows 11, from which you can start your computer and then reinstall Windows 11. You can find out the version of the TPM chip on your motherboard in Windows 10 and 11 by entering the tpm.msc command after the “Specification version” entry. Sam Singleton Thirdly, you can also buy a completely new computer for Windows 11. New PCs are often sold with a pre-installed operating system, so you get a second Windows license. This has the advantage that you then have two computers with an officially licensed operating system that you can use in parallel. The disadvantage, however, is the higher price. If you want to save yourself the additional expense, you can also buy a computer without a pre-installed operating system or assemble one and then use your existing Windows 10 license to set up Windows 11. New PC: Requirements and the preparatory work When setting up Windows 11 on a computer with a new motherboard or on a newly purchased computer, you can in principle take the Windows 10 license with you from your old computer. However, some requirements must be met: You have a retail version of Windows 10, which means you bought Windows 10 independently of your PC. The other option would be an OEM version (Original Equipment Manufacturer), which is sold pre-installed together with the computer and cannot be transferred to a new computer at a later date. You have purchased Windows 10 and have not upgraded from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 free of charge. You can find out whether you have a retail or OEM version of Windows via the command prompt. Type cmd in the taskbar input window and click on “Run as administrator” in the Start menu window. Enter the command slmgr -dli and press the Enter key. If it is a retail version, the confirmation “Description: Windows (R) Operating System, RETAIL Channel” appears after a short pause. Use a command in the Windows command prompt to determine whether you are working with a retail or an OEM version of the Microsoft operating system. Sam Singleton Please also note that you can only upgrade a 64-bit version of Windows 10 to 11. As there are no longer any 32-bit versions of Windows 11, you cannot upgrade from Windows 10 in the 32-bit version. It’s also not possible to switch from a Home version of Windows 10 to Windows 11 Pro, for example. Important note: Before you start installing Windows 11, you should definitely back up your important data and documents. Buy a Windows 11 license If you are installing Windows 11 but do not have a digital license or product key, the operating system offers you the option of purchasing a license from the Microsoft Store under “Settings -‘ System -‘ Activation”. The Home version costs $139, the Pro version $199. The prices are significantly lower in computer shops and online retailers. The System Builder versions are cheaper than the standard versions of Windows 11 and are therefore also recommended. You only have to do without Microsoft support, everything else is identical. Sam Singleton In addition, some online shops are already selling Windows 11 for less than five euros. Although such offers are not prohibited per se, the licenses offered there harbor the risk of Microsoft declaring them invalid at some point and blocking them. These are often retail licenses that were supposedly no longer needed by the original owners and were therefore released. If the Windows version for which the license was originally purchased is no longer used, the resale is legally permissible. However, this cannot be verified so proceed at your own risk. You can never be sure that the original owner will not reactivate the product key. This means that your Windows version will only run for a transitional period. System Builder versions of Windows 11 are therefore recommended. They are identical to the regular full versions, but the customer is not entitled to support from Microsoft. These versions are often sold under the name OSB, which stands for OEM System Builder. However, they are actually retail versions that can be sold independently of the hardware. Transfer and save the previous product key Now you need to find out the product key for your Windows 10 license. It can be found in the confirmation email you received after purchasing Windows or on a label in the Windows box. If you can no longer find the email or the box, read the product key directly from your old Windows 10 installation. You can use the free Zebnet Windows Keyfinder tool to do this. Windows Keyfinder reads the Windows product key from the registry. Because of the similarity to Windows 10, Windows 11 will appear as “Windows 10 Pro”.ZebNet We also recommend linking the product key to your Microsoft account. In Windows 10, you can do this in “Settings” under “Update & Security -> Activation”, in Windows 11 under “Settings -> System -> Activation”. Windows can then identify you during installation using your email address. As soon as you have logged in to your Microsoft account, the operating system will automatically retrieve the product key from there. The final step is to reinstall Windows 11 on the PC Once you have completed all the preparations, you can start the installation. If you have an upgraded PC, there is a good chance that Windows 10 will start again straight away despite the hardware changes. Otherwise, delete the Windows partition and create a new one using the setup program. During installation, Windows 11 will ask for the product key. You can skip this step by clicking on “I don’t have a product key”. You can use Windows for 30 days without entering a product key. This is permitted as long as you have a license. As soon as the setup is complete, go to “System -> Activation” in the “Settings”, click on “Change” under “Change product key” and enter the key. Windows 11 should accept the old product key from version 10. Transferring the Windows 10 license to a new computer with Windows 11 is exactly the same as after upgrading the hardware. You only need to note that once you’ve set up the Windows 11 PC, you may no longer formally use the previous computer with Windows 10. This is because a Windows license may only be used on one computer at a time. What the activation status means In the Windows 11 Settings app, under “System -> Activation”, you can check whether the operating system has already been activated and linked to your Microsoft account. Windows distinguishes between four different cases. Windows is activated: Windows has been activated, but the license is not linked to a Microsoft account. Windows has been activated with a digital license: Windows has been activated, but the digital license is not linked to a Microsoft account. Windows has been activated by a digital license linked to your Microsoft account: Windows has been activated and the digital license is already linked to a Microsoft account. Windows is not activated: Windows has not yet been activated. An error message is displayed for this reason. You may need to purchase a new license for the operating system. Read...

Small things are cute. That’s practically the entire business plan behind everything from Polly Pocket to Reese’s Pieces. And it holds true for desktop PCs, where small form factor builds are all the rage now. Over at the PCWorld Labs, Adam and Will are going hog wild on a bunch of different designs, including the Teenage Engineering “$0” plastic case, the Framework Desktop, the LiquidHause ISO Chassis, and more. In this over-three-hour-long build video, the duo waxes poetic on all the ins and outs of building computers in itty bitty spaces, comparing tons of different layouts and design philosophies. It makes great background watching for a long gaming session or some housework. (Yeah, we know what you guys are doing with these.) If this is your jam, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd. Read...

One of the hottest apps for Windows users right now is Flyoobe, a free tool that can be used—among other things—to install Windows 11 on computers that don’t meet Microsoft’s official requirements. As of today, version 1.10 of Flyoobe is now available, just four days after the previous 1.7 release from last Thursday. Version 1.7 brought improvements to the OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience) page that now lets you disable AI features in Windows upon installation. With it, you can disable Copilot and other AI features from the get-go. Version 1.10 is a major update, bringing a much improved navigation flow to the OOBE, an improved interface that’s more familiar for Windows users, improved AI detection, fixes to bugs and edge cases, plus new extensions that let you customize the OOBE (such as Windows 11 Honest Mode that reveals what the OS is running in the background). You can start using Flyoobe for free right now. All you have to do is grab the latest version from its GitHub releases page. Read...

A recent data theft at PayPal caused a huge stir when a hacker was found wanting to sell access data to around 15.8 million accounts online—including user passwords in plain text. This type of data breach can be a nightmare for affected users. This is because criminals can not only steal funds via a compromised PayPal account, but can also gain direct access to bank accounts or credit cards. A few days later, things got even worse for PayPal customers when certain banks stopped payments via the service totaling billions, particularly in Germany. But don’t panic: If you react quickly, you can limit the damage. We show you what you should do immediately and how you can best secure your PayPal account in the future. Immediate measures: What you need to do now The first step is to change your PayPal password.Sam Singleton If you suspect that your PayPal account has been hacked, or if you are already seeing unauthorized transactions, then every minute counts. Go through these steps immediately: Change your passwordLog in to PayPal immediately and assign a new, strong password. To do this, on the top right of the homepage click on the cogwheel icon -> Security -> Password -> Update. Important: If you’ve also used the same password for your e-mail account or other services, change it there immediately too. It’s always best to use a good password manager. Activate two-factor authenticationSet up 2FA in the Paypal security settings. The most secure way to log in is via an Authenticator app, not just via SMS. This prevents attackers from gaining access to your account with your password alone. You can also find “Two-step verification” under the “Security” options menu as well. Check paymentsGo through your most recent transactions with PayPal and on the linked bank account or your credit card carefully. The earlier you discover irregularities, the faster you can react. You can find your payment history under “Activities”. Report unauthorized paymentsUse Paypal’s dispute resolution to complain about suspicious debits. PayPal will check the case and refund the money in many cases. Deregister unauthorized devicesIf you suspect that someone has accessed your PayPal account without authorization, you should end all unauthorized sessions immediately. To do this, go to the security settings of your account: Under Security -> Manage logins you will see a list of all active logins. Check the devices listed and log out anything you don’t recognize. Click on “Remove“ to immediately cut off hackers’ access. Report the incident to PayPal and contact supportIf you discover unauthorized activity on your PayPal account, you should report the incident immediately. To do this, go to the Activities menu, select the suspicious transaction and then click on “Report problem“. Follow the steps shown—PayPal will check the incident and can refund unauthorized payments. At the same time, it’s worth contacting PayPal support directly: they can also secure your account or temporarily block it in an emergency. The quicker you react, the better your account is protected and possible losses can be avoided. Inform your bank and credit card providerIf money has already been withdrawn, also inform your bank or credit card provider. If necessary, have cards blocked or new access data issued. How do I protect my PayPal account properly? A hacked account is the worst-case scenario, but with a few precautions, you can make it extremely difficult for fraudsters to get their hands on your money. These protective measures are essential for all PayPal users: Create a strong password: Your password is the key to your money. Use a long combination of letters, numbers, and special characters—and use the password exclusively for PayPal. Password managers are a great way to help you to keep track of those complicated passwords. Switch on two-factor authentication: With 2FA, you put a second lock on your account. It’s best to use an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Authy. The SMS code is better than nothing, but less secure. Recognize phishing: The greatest danger often comes via email or SMS. Remember: PayPal never asks for your password or asks you to log in via a link. Tip: If in doubt, enter the PayPal address into the browser window yourself instead of clicking on links. Only log in on secure devices: Public WLAN or other people’s computers are a gateway for hackers. Only log in on your own devices and always keep them up to date with updates. Activate notifications: Switch on email or push notifications for payments. This will let you know immediately if someone who is not authorized tries to use your account. General tips for Paypal More secure than the browser: With the Paypal app (Android | iOS), users are better protected against phishing.Dall-E/Petter Ahrnstedt In addition to the pure security settings, it is also worth paying attention to a few things during daily use. This not only protects you better from hackers, but also from typical online fraud traps. Use buyer protection: Paypal offers buyer protection—you should use it. Also, only pay merchants who officially accept PayPal. If something goes wrong (e.g. goods do not arrive or are completely different to what was described), you can get your money back via the dispute resolution center. Only transfer money to trustworthy recipients: Sending money “to friends” sounds practical, but offers no protection. Only use this option with people you know personally—never with online sellers or strangers. Keep your email address up to date: Security warnings or confirmation links are sent to the address stored with PayPal. Check regularly whether this is still up to date—and also protect your email account with a strong password and 2FA. Use an app instead of a browser: The official PayPal app is often more secure than logging in with a browser. It supports modern security mechanisms, sends push notifications, and makes phishing attacks less likely. Keep an eye on account transactions: A quick look at the app or your online account in between can save you a lot of trouble. You can recognize suspicious activity before it gets expensive. Conclusion A hacked Papal account can feel like having your home broken into. But with the right steps, you can quickly lock the door again—and upgrade your digital lock to keep burglars out in the future. Our final tip: Stay vigilant and act immediately if something is wrong. This way, you not only keep your money, but also the safe feeling of having your account under control at all times. By the way: Security on your devices not only protects your data, but also your PayPal account. An up-to-date antivirus program and regular updates make hacker attacks much more difficult—find out more in our guide to the best antivirus software. Read...

Remember the first laptops? They were weird. Ancient laptops were often as large as desktop computers but only had tiny screens that could only display a few dozen characters. Over time, progress ironed out the flaws and peculiarities of those first laptops—and the ultrabook trend of the 2010s pushed laptops to their natural conclusion: thin, light, and anonymous. But in 2025, a new trend has emerged. As Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm compete to provide more options, and as experimentation becomes less risky on certain fronts, the PC laptop arena has witnessed an explosion of laptops that are unique, unusual, and (in some cases) just plain odd. And if you ask me? I’m loving it. Dual-screen, foldable, and rollable laptops have become a reality Laptops have always required compromise when it comes to display size. A larger display is a better visual experience than a smaller one, but makes the laptop less portable. This trade-off has long haunted laptops. But not anymore. The Asus Zenbook Duo and HP Omen X 2S, both released in 2019, were some of the first laptops to seriously hint at this possibility. They weren’t the first laptops with dual displays—remember the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds?—but they were more affordable and more practical than prior attempts. HP didn’t stick with the idea, but Asus did. The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025)IDG / Ryan Whitwam But while Asus was an early leader in dual-screen laptops, it was Lenovo who took the idea and truly ran with it. The company has pushed laptop displays to absurd limits with numerous world-first designs, including the first laptop with a foldable OLED display, first laptop with a rollable OLED display, and first laptop with an E-Ink display on the lid. Lenovo also released the first dual-screen laptop with a second full-sized display in place of a physical keyboard—the Yoga Book 9i—although Asus has since responded in kind with its ZenScreen Duo. The biggest surprise is not that these laptops exist, but that many of them are excellent. The Yoga Book 9i and Asus Zenbook Duo dual-screen laptops have received positive reviews, and the 2024 Yoga Book 9i won a PCWorld Editors’ Choice award. More recently, Lenovo’s first rollable OLED laptop also won an Editors’ Choice award. Repairability returns, open source rises The ultrabook trend didn’t just result in laptops that all looked the same—it also drastically reduced repairability. User-replaceable components and screws were out, soldered components and glue were in. This, we were told, was the only way to achieve thin-and-light designs. Not everyone was happy about that, however, and a countermovement began. We saw the rise of new laptop makers that prioritized repairability, the most obvious example being Framework and their lineup of laptops with extensive customization, full user repairability, and modular upgrade options. Though not perfect—Framework laptops are often pricey for the performance and battery life—the company has become a rallying point for PC enthusiasts and “right to repair” proponents. Framework is far from alone in advancing this trend. Anyone willing to try Linux—which is rapidly rising in popularity—have plenty of oddball options. MNT’s Reform and Pocket Reform offer an open-source approach with extensive documentation that lets users fully customize their systems, right down to the level of designing new PCBs. The Argon One Up brings the Raspberry Pi to a modern laptop form factor. And enthusiasts so deep in DIY that they’re willing to write their own drivers can opt for laptops like the DC Roma II, which has a RISC-V chip inside. Of course, most people will stick to traditional laptops from mainstream makers. They’re more familiar, more practical, and often a better value. However, the existence of quirky laptops provides options that weren’t available 5 to 10 years ago. They also put pressure on larger companies, both by offering more repairable products and by introducing newcomers to open source and right to repair. Wild features and quirky add-ons Repairability has improved in part due to lower manufacturing costs and more widespread availability of factories across the globe that can produce PC components at reasonable costs, even with small production runs. This has also led to another positive: lots of quirky features. Gaming laptops have benefited greatly from this new reality. Asus introduced the AniMe Matrix display, a customizable monochromatic LED grid on the lids of some Asus gaming laptops that can show logos and even animations. It’s the kind of thing that used to be reserved for prototypes or one-off showpieces beyond the reach of most shoppers, but it’s now a key feature in mid-range to high-end Asus gaming laptops. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 with AniMe MatrixAdam Patrick Murray / Foundry Acer, meanwhile, introduced an entire line of SpatialLabs glasses-free 3D laptops (and, more recently, a monitor). These provide a convincing 3D experience in a handful of games and productivity software. And while the SpatialLabs monitor is too expensive for what it offers, the SpatialLabs laptops are reasonable with prices that start around $2,000. And Framework deserves another mention here for what I think is the company’s most practical feature: swappable physical connectivity. Instead of building ports directly into the laptop’s core design, Framework lets users mix and match ports in a modular way—and those ports can be purchased with the laptop or later after the fact. If you replace your HDMI display with one that has USB-C, for example, you can simply buy a new USB-C port from Framework. Weird laptops aren’t going anywhere Of course, we’ve seen weird features before. Asus once debuted a laptop with external liquid cooling, and Razer made laptops with keys that included LCD screens, and Acer even sold laptops that had the touchpad behind the keyboard. But today’s trend of “weird laptops” is different because these modern quirks are no longer one-offs meant to gin up hype. They’re core features that laptop makers are improving through multiple iterations and using to set themselves apart from competitors. Put simply: weird is here to stay, and I’m all for it. Read...

TL;DR: The PC Transfer Kit gives you three apps to migrate software, preserve your PC, and fully delete files, and it’s only $35. Upgrading or replacing your PC can be a major hassle if it means reinstalling software, recovering files, and manually setting everything up again. This PC Transfer Kit Bundle helps simplify that process by giving you three essential tools to securely migrate, back up, and wipe your data, and it’s on sale for $34.99 (reg. $129.85). The first part of this bundle is a non-expiring license for PCmover Professional, an app that lets you move your applications, files, and user settings from an old PC to a new one. It works even if your old and new computers are running different versions of Windows. Most programs transfer over fully installed and ready to use, so you won’t need to dig up license keys or reinstall anything. If you need help, free transfer assistance is available around the clock. The second tool is DiskImage, which creates a complete image of your computer, including all apps, data, and settings. That image can be restored later in case of system failure, data loss, or a virus. You can also restore it to a different computer if needed. DiskImage supports automated backups, so you don’t have to remember to do it manually. SafeErase permanently deletes sensitive data from your hard drive. It uses government-recommended methods to make sure files are fully removed and can’t be recovered later. It’s useful for everyday privacy protection, but especially helpful if you’re planning to sell or recycle an old PC. Right now, you can get the full PC Transfer Kit on sale for only $34.99. PC Transfer Kit Bundle feat. PCmover Professional, DiskImage, and SafeEraseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Historic interpreter taught millions to program on Commodore and Apple computers. Read...

According to recent estimates, over 120 million computers will still be running the predecessor to Windows 11 even after October 14th, 2025, which is the official end of support date for Windows 10. Analysis company Nexthink (via BetaNews) estimates that extended support for Windows 10 will cost companies around $7.3 billion USD. That’s based on the assumption that all 120 million PCs still on Windows 10 will pay the $61-per-device cost for the first year of extended support. However, these additional costs resulting from extended Windows 10 support are offset by the advantages that come from continued use of Windows 10 for the time being. Nexthink’s analysis shows that Windows 11 devices are currently more unstable, with more frequent system crashes (1.2 percent compared to 0.6 percent for Windows 10) and hard resets (9.9 percent compared to 8.5 percent for Windows 10). Stability and reliability are particularly important for corporate use. However, the above figures are only relevant for companies and public organizations that are required to pay for extended Windows 10 support. Private users have two free options for Windows 10 extended support in addition to the paid ESU program: Option 1: Activate Windows backup, which syncs PC settings on the cloud. OneDrive serves as the storage location and you need a Microsoft account for this. OneDrive offers 5GB of space for free. Option 2: Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Users receive these points for using Microsoft services, such as Bing Search. A Microsoft account is also required for this. The option to continue receiving free Windows 10 security updates for at least another year is probably one of the biggest reasons why Windows 10 remains so popular among users. Read...