Three new Windows flaws can bypass security, gain system privileges, and even install malware remotely
The flaws include "Download More RAM," the ShieldBreak zero-day, and a remote "plug and pwn" attack
A Windows Defender bug is making VLC take 30 seconds to open an MP3 file
Windows' antivirus software is mistakenly quarantining VLC's plugin cache
Audacity remains one of the best free tools for editing audio
Audacity remains one of the easiest ways to record, edit, clean up, and export audio without paying for a full production suite. It handles everything from quick trims and format conversions to podcasts, noise reduction, and basic mastering, with support for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's also one of our Essential Apps for Windows and macOS.
Windows 11's new CPU-boosting speed trick is rolling out to all apps
LLP temporarily increases the CPU's operating frequency so apps launch faster
Comet gets you a free AI assistant directly into your web browser
Comet combines a familiar Chromium browsing experience with Perplexity's AI assistant that can summarize pages, answer questions, and help with tasks across tabs. For more browser options, including traditional alternatives, check out our Essential Apps for Windows and macOS.
Over 1,500 games on GOG are missing updates, DLC, and features available elsewhere
The discrepancies were logged by volunteers in a continually updated spreadsheet
In brief: GOG is primarily associated with retro PC games, but it has also gradually come to include recent indie releases and a few AAA titles. Unfortunately, some shoppers have begun to notice and catalogue hundreds of discrepancies between games released on GOG and the same titles on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
ShareX is a powerful screenshot tool that can do a lot more
ShareX combines screenshots, screen recording, GIF creation, annotation, and file sharing in one highly customizable app. It's lightweight and packed with useful shortcuts. ShareX is Windows-only, but you can find more great alternatives in our recently updated Essential Apps feature.
How to use a vocal remover to strip vocals from any song for free
LALAL.AI turns any track into an instant instrumental in just a few clicks
Chrome's new security feature could make stolen session cookies virtually useless
Hardware-backed keys strengthen web sessions
A years-long investigation just unmasked a major torrent pirate, the how remains unclear
The 56-year-old is accused of seeding nearly 1,000 NHK recordings
SteamOS 3.8.25 beta expands controller and handheld support
SteamOS continues Valve's push to expand the OS beyond the Steam Deck, improving support for third-party handhelds and adding compatibility with new controller hardware. The update also brings a newer Linux kernel and a range of fixes for HDMI, Wi-Fi, audio, and sleep.
Microsoft raises Windows OEM fees for PC makers by 7% to 10%
The higher fees come as manufacturers grapple with rising memory and component costs
Modders are trying to bring Game Pass and Xbox games to Mac and Linux
Game Pass could come to MacBooks and Steam Decks
This $60 Aliens Switch game becomes unplayable as servers shut down, with no refunds offered
Owners are being offered a discount on the Switch 2 version instead
Google Play is finally hosting a rival app store, thanks to its antitrust loss
Could Epic, Xbox, and Steam stores be on the horizon?
Microsoft's Weather app can eat up to 1.2GB of RAM just sitting open
The app launches nine Chromium subprocesses, suggesting it's built on WebView2, not native code
Developer ports Word for Windows 1.1a to modern x64 systems using original source code
Developer Justin Marshall used old Word's original source code, released by Microsoft in 2014
Sounding off: Microsoft's push to bake AI into every product and service it sells is understandably facing some backlash. Even Office is turning into a vessel for Redmond's chatbots, which may be why one developer decided to go back in time instead, releasing a wild modern port of an early Word release.
Microsoft confirms OneDrive Photos app was rolled out to millions of Windows 11 PCs by mistake, fix incoming
Another day, another Microsoft blunder
A jailbreak for iOS 26 is finally here, 326 days after launch
Dopamine 3.0 finally cracks Apple iOS 26 open, if your iPhone is old enough
Windows 11 26H2 is a small update with big quality-of-life improvements, expected around October 2026
Users can finally move the taskbar to any edge of the screen
RPCS3 just got a lot faster on Arm, after months of low-level optimization
PlayStation 3 Emulator RPCS3 is rolling out a major Arm64 upgrade, delivering up to 60% faster performance and 25% lower power draw on supported hardware. Demonstrated on an Ayn Odin 2 handheld, the optimizations make previously unplayable titles like Ninja Gaiden 3 run smoothly and extend across Arm64 builds on Linux, macOS, and Windows, from Apple Silicon to Snapdragon X laptops and handhelds.
Quake turns 30, and it just got two surprise expansions in one week
"Dawn of the Machine" adds 19 new maps to the original, and a lost Quake 4 expansion from a secondhand PC
Visual Studio Code adds on-device AI dictation and sidebar chats
Visual Studio Code 1.132 introduces multilingual on-device AI dictation powered by Nemotron 3.5, alongside new sidebar chats that let developers interact with Copilot without interrupting their workflow. VS Code is one of our Essential Apps for both Windows and macOS.
SteamOS runs surprisingly well on AMD Strix Halo laptop in AAA gaming tests
The laptop hit more than 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings in most games
LocalSend is like AirDrop that actually works everywhere
If you've ever emailed yourself a file just to get it from a Windows laptop to an Android phone, LocalSend fixes that in 10 seconds. It's a free, open-source app that beams files peer-to-peer over your local network (no cloud, no account, no caps), encrypted end-to-end so nothing leaves the room. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS – a rare AirDrop alternative that doesn't care what device you're carrying.