The affected systems frequently show a System Event Notification Service (SENS) error when trying to log in; the error explains that a specified procedure couldn’t be found, preventing login. Additional issues that have been reported include a complete loss of internet connectivity due to DHCP errors and installation failures that come up with the error codes 0x800f0983 and 0x800f0991. In the case of the latter error codes, one user reported that using the System File Checker tool (sfc /scannow) worked.

In the case of the DHCP error, the user reports that their network was connected to the Wi-Fi, but no internet was available. Some users have tried to fix their machines by removing the update, however, Windows 11 may still try to install it automatically; you could attempt to pause the update, but this is only temporary, so Microsoft needs to offer out-of-band updates for a lasting solution.

These disruptions follow on from widespread issues after the January Patch Tuesday was released. Microsoft released several updates afterwards to try to address people’s issues. In the post regarding the login failure, the user was told to “uninstall KB5077181 from the affected machines using Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or from recovery mode with wusa /uninstall /kb:5077181 /quiet /norestart. Once removed, the login loop and service error stop.”

Affected users should keep an eye on the Windows Release Health dashboard for official acknowledgment of the issues by Microsoft and the release of further updates that address these issues. In the meantime, uninstalling the update and pausing it is the best way forward.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:49 am AEST (my time).

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NVIDIA App Hotfix 11.0.6.386 is now available for download from the official NVIDIA support website. Its release notes mention two issues: problems with launching version 11.0.6 and another bug where the Advanced Optimus mux switсh becomes grayed out when switching between integrated and discrete graphics on laptops. For reference, this feature is responsible for selecting which GPU the monitor is connected to (iGPU or dGPU).

Here is the changelog:

• For users who are unable to launch the latest version of NVIDIA App 11.0.6 via the app itself, please use this link to upgrade your application to the latest version.
• This hotfix also includes a fix for Advanced Optimus mux switch options grayed out issue which occurs during the random mux switch scenarios.

In other NVIDIA news, the company recently brought its cloud streaming service, GeForce NOW, to new platforms. It is now available on Amazon Fire TV sticks and Linux. The latter now has a native GeForce NOW app, and Neowin recently took it for a spin to see how the now six-year-old service runs on Linux.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:42 am AEST (my time).

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Starting with the input method improvements, the team realized some users like to use logical keyboard layouts that do not match their physical keyboards, especially when working with different input methods.

I spoke with someone who writes in both French and Japanese. I do this myself on an ANSI keyboard using French/US and Mozc.

 

He has different keyboards on different machines, some ISO/French, some Japanese, and he doesn't care about the physical layout. He just wants the logical layout to be French when writing French and Japanese when using Mozc.

 

This isn't something we anticipated, but we want to support it going forward

In the next release of Linux Mint, the mintsysadm Administration Tool will take over user administration and account details. This change addresses a problem: most desktop environments roll out their own user tools, which often lack proper maintenance and support for modern use cases.

mintsysadm focuses on the most common tasks, letting users set up passwords and finalize accounts without needing an administrator to hover over them. Home directory encryption, previously only supported during OS installation, now works fully when you create new user accounts, and webcams now fully work when you take selfies for your avatar, allowing you to see yourself and mirror the image before snapping it.

Work is well underway on a new Wayland-friendly screensaver that will replace the current one. The existing screensaver runs as a separate app, relies on X11, and sits on top of Cinnamon's window manager to hide open windows when the screen locks. The plan is to replace this with a screensaver natively rendered by Cinnamon's compositor, promising smoother transitions and animations when you lock your screen.

The team is also "very interested" in adopting a longer development cycle. They noticed a pattern over the last ten years: with a new release every six months plus LMDE, they spend "more time testing, fixing, and releasing than developing."

This constant cycle, while effective for incremental improvements, limits their ambition for bigger development projects. A longer cycle could free up resources for more substantial development, allowing them to tackle projects with more depth.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:35 am AEST (my time).

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WebNN is an upcoming World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard. It provides a JavaScript API for running neural network inference tasks directly in your browser. Its implementation in Chromium involves a collaborative effort from Google, Intel, and Microsoft, with Edge planning to launch WebNN at roughly the same time as Chrome. Firefox and Apple have also shown interest, though their public progress remains limited.

Several advantages come with a native neural network API built directly into browsers. The most obvious one involves privacy, because you would not need to send sensitive user data off to a remote server for processing (all calculations remain on your local machine).

This also enables web applications to tap into dedicated hardware like GPUs or NPUs on your computer, making AI tasks such as image recognition or natural language processing run much faster, all without extra plugins or external server setups.

Since WebNN is in beta (for now), if you want to try out WebNN or any other new features, you will have to switch to the Beta channel. For Windows, macOS, and Linux users, simply download the Beta version from the official Chrome website; many uninstall their current Chrome version first to avoid conflicts. To check your channel, go to settings, and select "About Google Chrome"; it shows your channel next to the version number.

As for Chromebook users, switching channels "powerwashes" the device, erasing all local data, so back up anything important first.

Then, in Settings, go to "About Chrome OS," click "Additional details," then "Change channel," pick "Beta channel," and confirm with "Change channel and Powerwash." Your Chromebook handles the rest.

Other features to expect from Chrome 146 Beta include the Sanitizer API, which cleans up untrusted HTML to help prevent cross-site scripting attacks, and Scroll Triggered Animations. Developers also gain the Timeline Named Range "scroll" for animation control, and a WebGPU Compatibility mode.

Chrome 146 is expected to land in the Stable channel on February 25th.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:33 am AEST (my time).

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We are now a few years into the AI revolution, and talk has shifted from who has the best chatbot to whose AI agent can do the most things on your behalf. Unfortunately, AI agents are still rough around the edges, so tasking them with anything important is not a great idea. OpenAI launched its Atlas agent late last year, which we found to be modestly useful, and now it’s Google’s turn.

Unlike the OpenAI agent, Google’s new Auto Browse agent has extraordinary reach because it’s part of Chrome, the world’s most popular browser by a wide margin. Google began rolling out Auto Browse (in preview) earlier this month to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, allowing them to send the agent across the web to complete tasks.

I’ve taken Chrome’s agent for a spin to see whether you can trust it to handle tedious online work for you. For each test, I lay out the problem I need to solve, how I prompted the robot, and how well (or not) it handled the job.

Playing a web game

The problem: I want to get a high score on 2,048 without playing it myself.

The prompt: Go to [website], and play the game until you run out of moves.

The results: Unfortunately, Auto Browse can’t use arrow keys. Google says they’re not necessary for productivity tasks. So I pointed the robot at a version of the game with on-screen controls. With access to those arrows, Auto Browse had no trouble playing the game, and it seemed to grasp the rules, which are listed on the page.

Auto Browse can’t use arrows, but it can still play the game.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

On a few occasions, Auto Browse appeared to ruminate on its next move for 20 to 30 seconds, and it took the prompt very literally. The robot stopped when it could not successfully merge any tiles (its interpretation of “out of moves”) even though there were still empty spaces on the board. A human player would have taken the hit and set up a merge in the next move, but the robot had to be prompted to continue, which it did. The task ran for about 20 minutes, during which the robot created a 128 tile and made 149 moves.

Evaluation: 8/10. The game performance is not quite as good as Atlas, but Auto Browse didn’t require as much coaxing, and I understand why it stopped when it did. While the lack of arrow keys seems like an odd omission, there probably aren’t many productivity tasks where they are necessary.

Creating a radio playlist

The problem: I want to turn the music from Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current into an on-demand YouTube Music playlist.

The prompt: Go to thecurrent.org and start the live stream. Listen for one hour and make note of each song that is played. Then, add those songs to a new YouTube Music playlist.

The results: Agents are expensive to run, so I was unsurprised that, like OpenAI’s agent mode, Auto Browse refuses to monitor a page for basically any length of time. Sometimes it will sit on the page for a minute or two, usually pretending that more time has passed before giving up.

Luckily, we can accomplish this with The Current’s playlist view, which lists previous songs. I tweaked the prompt to allow Auto Browse to just get the song names from that page for the last hour, which worked fine. It interpreted that as the current hour-long block of the page, though, which was not yet complete.

I thought I was doing Auto Browse a favor by using YouTube Music instead of Spotify, but it turns out that Auto Browse doesn’t understand YouTube’s design aesthetic. It failed to add any songs to the playlist because it couldn’t find the buttons. When I changed the prompt to use Spotify, Auto Browse got it done on the first try. This is as much an indictment of YouTube Music as it is Auto Browse.

Auto Browse was able to get recent songs, but it can’t monitor the live broadcast over time.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

Evaluation: 6/10. It seems like monitoring pages over time is just beyond the reach of current browser agents, but it’s shocking that Auto Browse couldn’t use Google’s own streaming music service to create a playlist. That said, the agent did complete the job immediately once I understood why it failed. It loses some points for making me adapt the prompt multiple times.

Scanning emails

The problem: My personal email address is known, and PR people often use that instead of my work address. I need to make sure no one important is sending pitches there, so I want a list of recent PR emails, contact info, and company details from my Gmail.

The prompt: Look through all my Gmail from the last month. Collect all the information (name, email address, phone number, product, etc.) from PR emails and add them to a new Google Sheets spreadsheet.

The results: Interestingly, Google’s agent doesn’t have to use the Gmail web interface. It can collect this data in the background using a Gmail tool. However, this also means you won’t be able to automate email tasks for accounts with Google AI disabled (like a work account).

After running the Gmail tool, Auto Browse navigated to Google Drive and opened a new spreadsheet. However, it attempted to enter only two PR contacts on the sheet, and it entered the data incorrectly, overwriting fields and placing a date in an unlabeled column. If it had just searched for “PR” in Gmail, it would have found dozens of results. Google’s AI Overview search results in Gmail can cite PR emails correctly, so it’s possible for Google AI to collect this information. It’s unclear why Auto Browse did this so poorly.

Auto Browse is not good at spreadsheets.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

Evaluation: 1/10. It’s unclear whether the Gmail tool or the agent’s inability to use a spreadsheet is the main problem since I can’t verify what the agent actually found in Gmail. It’s possible that both are to blame. Regardless, Auto Browse flopped hard here.

Editing a Wiki

The problem: Ars Technica is still seeking justice for Tuvix, who was unjustly murdered by Captain Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, season 2 episode 24.

The prompt: Go to the Fandom Wiki page for Tuvix. Edit the page to include a section discussing the view that Tuvix was murdered by Janeway.

The results: Auto Browse refused to do this, just like Atlas, saying, “The request to edit the Tuvix Fandom Wiki page with that specific text cannot be fulfilled. The proposed edit would be considered vandalism on a public wiki.”

Evaluation: N/A. I’m not holding this one against Auto Browser. In fact, it’s probably best if browser agents refuse to autonomously edit public wikis. I just had to do my due diligence.

Making a fan website

The problem: We still want to tell people about the murder of Tuvix, so the agent should make a basic website to do that.

The prompt: Go to NeoCities and create a fan site for the Star Trek character Tuvix. Make sure it has lots of images and fun information about Tuvix and that it makes it clear that Tuvix was murdered by Captain Janeway.

The results: The agent navigated to Neocities, and it then asked me to create an account. I did that and handed the task back to the robot without issue. This is where things got dicey. Auto Browse was unable to access the hover menu to edit the index.html file, so it got stuck in a loop of opening the preview and then returning to the dashboard. Eventually, the robot screamed for help.

Neocities has a very simple interface, but generative AI is not necessarily consistent. Since Auto Browse aborted the task, I decided to rerun the prompt, and the results were better. This time, Auto Browse switched to the list view, which doesn’t have a hover menu, allowing it to open the editor. It then navigated to TrekCore to copy image URLs for use on the site—this is not courteous web design, but it did follow instructions. The images it chose, however, are from early in the episode and do not feature Tuvix. So partial credit there.

The site looks nice enough, but it’s light on info.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

The resulting site is a bit light on information, but Auto Browse included text backgrounds and colors. It looks reasonably nice. You can see the site here.

Evaluation: 7/10. Our Tuvix fan page gets the job done. It features a few fun facts and argues (briefly) that Janeway is a murderer. It’s great that the robot sought out images, though they don’t show the character in question. It loses a couple of points for the initial hover menu failure and the lack of detail—I did say “lots” of images and fun information.

Picking a power plan

The problem: Texas has an “insane” power system that forces people like Ars Senior Editor Lee Hutchinson to regularly find a new plan.

The prompt: Go to powertochoose.org and find me a 12–24 month contract that prioritizes an overall low usage rate. I use an average of 2,000 KWh per month. My power delivery company is Texas New-Mexico Power (“TNMP”), not CenterPoint. My ZIP code is [redacted]. Please provide the “fact sheet” for any and all plans you recommend.

The results: Auto Browse successfully entered the parameters into the website’s search and filter sections. It sorted the results, and in just a couple of minutes, it returned a fact sheet for its recommended power plan. It’s very similar to the suggestion from OpenAI’s agent a few months ago, except the contract term is a bit longer, and it has a lower daytime rate.

Evaluation: 10/10. There’s nothing to complain about here. The plan is perfectly fine, given the constraints, and Auto Browse was able to use the site’s drop-down menus and filters with very little experimentation. I didn’t have to change the prompt or nudge the robot to continue.

Manage PlayStation games

The problem: I don’t want to look through a giant list of discounted games in the PlayStation Store. Can’t someone do it for me?

The prompt: Go to the PlayStation Store and check the New Year Deals. Change the sorting to best-selling and the type to full games. Check the first two pages for any PS5 games that are at least 50 percent off and add them to my wishlist. If a game is included in PlayStation Plus, just add it to my library.

The results: The agent found the sale page and successfully changed the display settings. It even closed that unlabeled menu when it was done. It went down the list, opening pages when it found a matching game. It also asked every time before adding a game to the wishlist or library, which it claimed was a security requirement.

Auto Browse navigated this page fairly well, but it missed some details from the prompt.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

The process took about 15 minutes, with plenty of long pauses between for confirmation requests. It did correctly interpret the sale prices and PlayStation Plus availability. Unfortunately, it did not differentiate between PS5 and PS4 titles, and the agent stopped a few lines short of the bottom of page 2.

Evaluation: 7/10. Auto Browse ran this task pretty well, all things considered. It stopped a little early and missed the PS5 angle, though. The requirement to confirm each wishlist or library addition was annoying, and as such, it would be a stretch to call this “auto” anything.

Final results

Across these six tests (excluding the wiki editing I didn’t expect to work), Google’s browser agent got a median score of 7 and an average of 6.5. While this is not meant to be an objective analysis, it shows that Auto Browse has a way to go before it can be trusted to get things done for you.

Like the OpenAI Atlas agent, Auto Browse is not capable of truly autonomous operation, and I gave it plenty of advantages. Auto Browse works with all three of Google’s current model settings—Fast, Thinking, and Pro. I left it set to Pro and used Google tools where appropriate. Despite that, Auto Browse needed nudging or re-prompting in almost every test. This stuff won’t be useful until it can actually operate as an agent on your behalf. Right now, it’s more like babysitting an easily distracted robot.

Many of the lost points come from Auto Browse being unable to use Google’s own products—it didn’t find the right emails in Gmail, couldn’t enter data in Google Sheets, and failed to understand YouTube Music’s interface (we feel you on that one, Auto Browse). The apparent inability of browser agents to monitor pages over time is also an issue. If a task involves more than a few minutes of waiting, it will probably fail or abort early.

This feature is still in preview, but it’s widely available to anyone paying for Google’s AI. The company also seems to suggest it will roll out to non-paying users in the future. It can be neat to watch the browser navigate the web for you, but that’s the thing—you have to watch it. Too often, you have to re-prompt or tell the AI to continue with a task. Auto Browse can’t be trusted to get things right without supervision, at least not yet.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:31 am AEST (my time).

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Microsoft today announced a new command-line interface for the Microsoft Store. Developers and power users generally prefer CLIs for accessing apps and services. This new Microsoft Store CLI will allow them to explore apps, install, and manage updates directly from the terminal without opening the Microsoft Store GUI app.

The initial version of Store CLI will support the following features:

• Browse apps with store browse-apps: Search and filter the Store catalog by category, subcategory, listing type (top-free, top-paid, new releases), market, language and more.
• Install apps instantly with store install : Install any app in Microsoft Store directly from the command line with a single command.
• Update specific apps with store update : Update to the latest version of any app without navigating through Microsoft Store menus.
• Typing store --help will provide the list of commands that are supported along with their capabilities.

It is important to note that the Store CLI will only work on Windows devices with the Microsoft Store already in an enabled state. In addition to the Store CLI, Microsoft also announced several new features and updates across developer analytics, the web installer, and more.

First, Microsoft has made some key improvements to Health, Summary & Usage reports in Partner Center. Health Reports now offer deeper app stability insights with multi-filters across app versions, device architectures, and OS builds, making it easier to identify reliability patterns and track changes over time. The new Anomaly Alerts will flag unusual spikes in crash or hang rates and notify developers via email and the dashboard, helping teams investigate issues earlier.

A new Summary Dashboard consolidates key KPIs such as installs, ratings, stability, and engagement into one view with links to detailed reports. A redesigned Usage Dashboard adds more useful engagement metrics like active devices, session counts, and engagement duration, plus filters for region and app version, to better understand app usage trends.

Microsoft is also improving the Microsoft Store Web Installer to support more deployment scenarios. For example, with the new auto-open capability for Win32 apps, apps can launch automatically after installation, reducing extra user steps. It also comes with better support for enterprise-managed devices via improved install logic, helping more installs complete successfully. A refreshed Store Badge creator will allow developers to easily publish official badges.

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Posted Friday 13 February 2026 at 6:30 am AEST (my time).

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Since its release in the fall of 2021, Microsoft’s Windows 11 has received an “annual feature update” in the second half of every year. These feature updates sometimes include new Windows features and other changes that are too large to roll out in a typical monthly Windows Update, and users need to upgrade to new ones to keep getting security patches and other features. The currently supported versions are Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, released in the fall of 2024 and 2025, respectively.

This week, Microsoft disrupted that update cadence by announcing more information on Windows 11 26H1, which is best described not as an update to Windows 11 but as another version of the operating system entirely. That’s because 26H1 is a “scoped” release intended exclusively for new PCs, starting with those based on Qualcomm’s recently announced Snapdragon X2 Elite chips.

Microsoft’s support page explains why this release is strange: It won’t be released broadly to other Windows 11 PCs, which should continue to use either 24H2 or 25H2. PCs running 24H2 or 25H2 will never be offered an update to version 26H1, though testers in the Windows Insider Program’s early access Canary channel are able to install it to other PCs if they want. (Build numbers for Windows 11 26H1 start with 28000, compared to 26100 for 24H2 and 26200 for 25H2.)

Users of PCs that ship with Windows 11 26H1 also won’t be able to upgrade to the next major release of Windows, which will presumably be released this fall as Windows 11 26H2. An update that will get the entire Windows ecosystem back on the same version number will be released, but the company isn’t saying when; assume it will happen before March 2028, which is the cutoff for security updates for the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 26H1.

For most users, the behind-the-scenes distinction between these different Windows versions should be mostly invisible. Microsoft says that 26H1 “will continue receiving monthly updates for security, quality, and new features, the same as devices running Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2.” And the company rolls so many new Windows features out through the Microsoft Store or through standard monthly updates that the underlying version of Windows matters less than it used to.

But for app developers, IT shops, and anyone else who needs to test things against multiple Windows versions at once, it does create an odd period of overlap where they’ll need to account for one version of Windows that runs just on these brand-new PCs, and one version of Windows that covers everybody else.

Special treatment for Arm PCs

Releasing a new version of Windows that just covers new Arm PCs is another signal of Microsoft’s commitment to Arm processors and the Arm version of Windows, after decades of near-exclusive focus on the x86 version of the OS that ran on Intel and AMD’s chips.

Microsoft offered multiple versions of both Windows 10 and Windows 11 in both x86 and Arm editions, but the 24H2 update was a major milestone for Arm PCs. It came with big under-the-hood changes to Windows’ compiler, kernel, and scheduler, and an optimized x86-to-Arm translation layer called Prism that enhanced the compatibility and performance of apps that hadn’t been built to run on Arm processors.

The 24H2 update also coincided with the release of the first-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon X-series processors, high-performance Arm chips developed by some of the same people behind Apple’s M-series chips for Macs. Many third-party developers have also finally released Arm-native versions of their Windows apps, which are faster and more responsive than translated x86 apps.

Microsoft’s confidence in the Arm version of Windows was so great that the new Surface PCs released in mid-2024 used Qualcomm’s processors exclusively, relegating Intel chips to offshoot versions for businesses with strict compatibility requirements. For years previously, Microsoft had treated the Intel- and AMD-based Surfaces as the “main” ones and the Arm-based Surface Pro X as the offshoot.

Since the 24H2 update, development on the Arm and the traditional x86 versions of Windows has happened at slightly different rates. Some features, particularly things like Recall and Click To Do that were only rolling out to Copilot+ PCs with fast built-in neural processing units (NPUs), have been available for the Arm versions of Windows for a few weeks or months before they hit the x86 versions. Windows 11 24H2 itself was also shipping on Arm PCs in stores several months before Microsoft began rolling the update out to the wider PC ecosystem.

We’ve asked Microsoft to elaborate on what the Windows 11 26H1 update includes and whether it contains any changes that will benefit the wider PC ecosystem somewhere down the line. We’ll update the article if we receive a response.

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Posted Thursday 12 February 2026 at 12:13 pm AEST (my time).

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On Windows 11, Microsoft Edge offers some customization for its New Tab page, but it has gradually grown busier, with news, widgets, Copilot, and content that many users never asked for. If you prefer a cleaner and more focused experience, there's now a compelling alternative.

A Reddit user known as snw-mint has created the Fluent New Tab, an Edge extension that replaces the default New Tab page with a native Windows 11 look and feel. The goal was to create a homepage that integrates seamlessly with the browser and operating system while remaining lightweight, clean, and privacy-focused.

Apple has just released the latest major updates for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and all the other operating systems it released back in September of 2025. The 26.3 updates for these operating systems are fairly mild, focusing mostly on bug fixes and security patches, but Apple is adding a handful of iPhone features designed to make it easier to use third-party devices in Apple’s ecosystem.

The first is a “transfer to Android” feature that will facilitate switching away from Apple’s phones into the Android ecosystem. Apple offers to transfer “photos, messages, notes, apps, and more,” as well as the user’s phone number, but won’t transfer things like Bluetooth pairing information or sensitive data from the Health app.

Whether third-party apps can have their data transferred is likely tied to the AppMigrationKit developer framework that Apple added in iOS 26.1. Apps using this framework can import and export data to and from other devices and also access and download content the app has stored in the cloud. Apple notes that AppMigrationKit only functions for transfers from an Apple device to a non-Apple device; Apple already has several systems in place for preserving and transferring data and settings when upgrading from one iPhone to another.

The transfer system will rely on the target Android phone also supporting the feature; on Google’s end, the Data Transfer API was only added in the recent “QPR2” update to Android 16, released in early December. Android phone makers are considerably better about updates than they used to be, but it will still take time for a critical mass of even the newest non-Pixel Android devices to get this update.

Apple released a “Move to iOS” Android app back in 2015 to make switching to the iPhone easier and away from Android. Doubtlessly, that’s still the direction Apple hopes most switches will go. But as with Android’s gradually improving support for AirDrop, better interoperability is a pretty straightforward win for users.

Other additions, and other OSes

Another iOS 26.3 update is also aimed at interoperability, though it may only apply to iPhones covered by European Union regulations. A feature called “notification forwarding” will send your iPhone’s notifications to third-party accessories, including Google’s Android-based Wear OS smartwatches. Once the setting is enabled, users will be able to decide which apps can forward notifications to the third-party device, similar to how Apple Watch notifications work.

In current betas, Apple allows notifications to be forwarded to only one device at a time, and forwarding notifications to a third-party device means you can’t send them to an Apple Watch.

Finally, both iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 are introducing a feature for some newer devices with Apple’s in-house C1 and C1X modems: a “limit precise location” toggle that Apple says “enhances your location privacy by reducing the precision of location data available to cellular networks.”

This feature is currently only available on a handful of devices and even fewer carriers: In the US, Boost Mobile is the only one. Only the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, or the M5 iPad Pro will offer the toggle; devices like the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and older phones with Qualcomm or Intel modems won’t support the feature.

Apple has also updated all of its other major operating systems today. But macOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3 and version 26.3 of the HomePod software are all quieter updates of the bug-fixes-and-performance-improvements variety. Beta testers have found early evidence of support for the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, pointing to pending refreshes for some higher-end Macs, but that doesn’t tell us much we didn’t already know.

The 26.3 updates are mostly sleepy, but the 26.4 releases may be a bigger deal. These are said to be the first to include Apple’s “more intelligent Siri,” a feature initially promised as part of the first wave of Apple Intelligence updates in iOS 18 but delayed after it failed to meet Apple’s quality standards.

Apple and Google jointly announced in January that the new Siri would be powered by Google’s Gemini language models rather than OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other competing models. As with other Apple Intelligence features, we’d expect the new Siri to be available to testers via Apple’s developer and public beta programs before being released to all devices.

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Posted Thursday 12 February 2026 at 12:10 pm AEST (my time).

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For those unaware, Windows 95's CD came with a lot of multimedia extras, that were designed to not only offer a fun experience, but also to show off the OS' capabilities in this area. One notable addition in the CD was the iconic Buddy Holly video by the band Weezer. Microsoft apparently had to jump through several hoops to procure distribution rights for this content.

The first was the song itself, which was licensed after negotiations with Weezer's publisher Geffen Records. Interestingly, the band members themselves were unaware about these communications, and were initially displeased about that they had been kept in the dark. However, as Windows 95 became popular, Weezer described it as "one of the greatest things that could have happened to us".

The next tricky part was the video itself which took place on the reconstructed set from the show Happy Days. Clips from the show were interlaced with the music video to give off the impression that the characters are involved in the video. To do this in a legal manner, Microsoft's lawyer actually had to get permission from cast members of Happy Days individually. Although Chen is unsure whether the lawyer actually got to talk to the actors themselves or just their agents, he claims that the assignment was "thoroughly enjoyed". Check out the video itself below:

Just to give some additional context, Microsoft spent roughly $1 billion on Windows 95's promotional campaign. This includes a commercial featuring Rolling Stones' single "Start Me Up", a 30-minutes video featuring Friends co-stars Matthew Perry and Jennifer Anniston, lighting up the Empire State Building in New York City with the colors of the OS, and bundling the game Hover! and a trailer for the 1995 movie Rob Roy in the Windows 95 CD, among other things. It seems all of these efforts worked to Microsoft's advantage, making Windows 95 an iconic and memorable OS that managed to reach 57.4% market share by 1998.

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Posted Thursday 12 February 2026 at 4:45 am AEST (my time).

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The latest version of Windows 11 ISO is called the Validation OS 2601 release, with the ISOs hosting the 26100.7705.260126-1049 prefix. It contains numerous improvements such as the ability to manage Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) offline via the Microsoft-WinVOS-RETools optional package. In addition, the following functionalities are also supported via optional packages:

• Added support to Remote Access Service (RAS) via the new Microsoft-WinVOS-RAS optional package.
• [x64-only] Enhanced Printing support via the new Microsoft-WinVOS-Printing optional package.
• Added support for System Event Notification Service (SENS) via the existing Microsoft-WinVOS-COM optional package.
• Included Security Support Provider Interface (Secur32) in the base Validation OS image.

That said, there is one known issue in this build. This relates to trying to include the Serial Console (SAC) support feature on some arm64 systems, which will become unstable and fail to boot. The only way to mitigate this problem is to enable this feature during initial image customization.

Additionally, Microsoft has noted that since Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) is on the way out in Windows 11, once that happens, the same will apply to Validation OS too.

While all of this may sound pretty interesting, this OS is probably not meant for most of our readers. This Windows 11-based OS boots directly into a command line interface (CLI) but is capable of running Win32 apps. Microsoft claims that this user experience increases reliability on factory floors. You can download the latest version of Validation OS from here.

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Posted Thursday 12 February 2026 at 4:45 am AEST (my time).

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New Game Support

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
• Nioh 3

Fixed Issues

• Corrupted clouds may be observed while playing Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products.
• Intermittent application crash may be observed when playing The Finals with ray tracing enabled on Radeon™ RX 7000 series products.

Known Issues

• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while loading a saved game in Cyberpunk 2077 with Path Tracing enabled. AMD is actively working on a resolution with the developer to be released as soon as possible.
• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Battlefield™ 6 on AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. AMD is actively working on a resolution with the developer to be released as soon as possible.
• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Roblox Player (Car Zone Racing & Drifting) when task switching between media on Radeon™ RX 7000 series products.
• Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing Battlefield™ 6 with AMD Record and Stream on some AMD Graphics Products.
• AMD FSR Upscaling and AMD FSR Frame Generation may show as inactive in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition when playing Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties and Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7 when enabled on Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products.
• AMD Install Manager is unable to install Optional Drivers. Users are recommended to use the installation link available on this page.

You can find the driver and its release notes on the official website. Supported products include Radeon 5000 Series and newer and AMD Ryzen processors with integrated Radeon graphics. As for operating systems, AMD supports 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11. AMD recently removed Windows 10 from the list of supported operating systems, but as it turned out, the good old Windows 10 remains supported.

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Posted Thursday 12 February 2026 at 4:40 am AEST (my time).

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The major highlights are:

• [Gaming] Fixed: This update addresses an issue that determines device eligibility for the full-screen gaming experience.
• [Networking] Fixed: This update addresses an issue that prevented some devices from connecting to certain WPA3‑Personal Wi‑Fi networks. The issue might occur after you install KB5074105.
• [Secure Boot] With this update, Windows quality updates include a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensures a safe and phased rollout.

There are currently no known issues.

These updates will be available from Windows Update and should install automatically in most cases. If you would like to download these updates for offline installation, you can get them from the Microsoft Catalog website. You can find the update for 25H2/24H2 at this link and for 23H2 at this link.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 11:57 am AEST (my time).

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Besides traditional security updates and some bug fixes, today's release begins the process of Secure Boot certificate updates, which Microsoft announced earlier today. They are mandatory to keep your PC safe and compatible with software that relies on Secure Boot. You can read more about that here.

Here is the changelog:

• [Fonts] This update includes changes to Chinese fonts to meet GB18030-2022A compliance.
• [OS Security (known issue)] Fixed: After installing the Windows security update released on or after January 13, 2026, some Secure Launch-capable PCs with Virtual Secure Mode (VSM)enabled are unable to shut down or enter hibernation. Instead, the device restarts.
• [Folders] Fixed: This update fixes an issue that affects folder renaming with desktop.ini files in File Explorer. The LocalizedResourceName setting was ignored, so custom folder names did not show. Now, custom folder names appear as expected.
• [Graphics] Fixed: A stability issue affecting certain graphics processing units (GPUs) configurations.
• [Secure Boot] With this update, Windows quality updates include a broad set of targeting data that identifies devices and their ability to receive new Secure Boot certificates. Devices will receive the new certificates only after they show sufficient successful update signals, which helps ensures a safe and phased rollout.

The update is available in Windows Update and the Microsoft Update Catalog.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 11:56 am AEST (my time).

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Now, the Redmond tech giant has decided to clear up some confusion regarding the upcoming 26H1 release via a dedicated blog post. For starters, 26H1 is being described as a "scoped" release, which makes sense considering that it will only be available to select new silicon PCs - currently only those with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Series processors -, and it will not be offered to existing 24H2 and 25H2 devices.

While 26H1 devices will receive monthly cumulative updates as usual, they will not receive 26H2, because that release is based on a "different Windows core". Microsoft has assured customers that they will have "a path to update in a future Windows release", but it's unclear right now if this will be 27H1 or something else entirely. Additionally, 26H1 security updates can be managed through the usual tooling and processes available at the disposal of IT admins, but hotpatch updates are not supported.

As such, Microsoft has emphasized that organizations that are busy in the process of purchasing, managing, and deploying devices shouldn't make any changes to their plans. Version 24H2 and 25H2 remain the "recommended releases for enterprise deployments" and are suitable for homogeneous environments which have standardized devices in large volumes. Meanwhile, version 26H1 is more suitable for early adopters who want to test the latest advancements in technology without disturbing their existing processes and infrastructure. The Redmond tech giant says that it will ensure clear communication moving forward when it comes to enterprise releases and operations.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 11:55 am AEST (my time).

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Google’s AI overviews are dividing the internet. While some users find them convenient for performing quick searches, others are annoyed by the inconsistent quality of information, burying sources, or sometimes straight-up hallucinating. I personally fall into the latter category.

Naturally, unsatisfied users are looking for ways to bypass AI Overviews, and at least bring a portion of the old web search dynamics that functioned well until Google decided to force novelties upon us. I’ll try to fulfill users’ requests in this article and present a couple of ways to eliminate AI-generated snippets from Google search. But spoiler alert: it won’t be cinematic.

How to remove AI Overviews from Google search

The simplest way to prevent the AI Overviews from appearing is to add the “-ai” suffix after each query you type into Google. But that requires constant work, and nobody’s got time for that. Instead, I prepared a bunch of workarounds, of various effectiveness, for you to play with.

So, let’s embark on a not-so-smooth journey called using Google without AI Overviews. Just be warned that Google doesn’t want to make this easy for you. And most of these workarounds come with important caveats, so those who decide to implement them will likely be doing it more as a form of spite against Google, than to make the experience more convenient.

Just use a browser extension

At this point, your best bet is to just use a browser extension for removing AI Overviews from Google Search. There are multiple extensions in the store that can do this. Our choice for this is &udm=14, simply because it’s used by the biggest number of users and has the best reviews. But you can try a few and see which one suits you best.

These extensions are simple, lightweight, and they get the job done. Simply install one from your browser’s add-on store, enable it, and AI Overviews will be gone.

&udm=14 and other extensions promise they don’t collect user data, but do a bit of research on your own, if you’re skeptical.

If you don’t want to use third-party extensions, there are several DIY ways of getting rid of Google’s AI overviews. But none of them is ideal, as their effectiveness varies depending on where and how you want to implement these workarounds.

How to disable Google AI Overviews in browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

Disabling AI Overviews on your PC/Mac is probably the most straightforward of all the platforms we’ll cover here. All you need to do is add the %s&udm=14 extension to the default search engine URL, and whenever you search for something in the search bar, it will always default to a non-AI mode.

Here’s how to disable Google’s AI Overviews in Chrome (the process is similar across all major browsers):

1. Go to Settings > Search engine> Manage.
2. Add: Name “Google Non-AI” (or whatever you want to name it).
3. Paste this url: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
4. Set as default.

It’s important to note that this will only work when you search for something using the search bar in your browser. If you bookmark this URL, every time you open it, Google search will start with %s, which isn’t ideal, and can affect your search results. This happens because standard bookmarks cannot hold a variable the same way a browser does, so the variable part of the URL is interpreted as a literal search query.

Create a Bookmarklet

If you really want to bookmark a “non-AI” version of Google, you can create a bookmarklet instead of a regular bookmark. A bookmarklet is a browser bookmark that stores JavaScript code instead of a URL, which essentially allows you to perform small actions instead of just visiting a link.

When you open this bookmarklet, it will appear as a pop-up window with the search field. Once you enter the query and hit Enter or click OK, it will transfer you to the Web section of Google’s search interface without the AI Overviews.

Here’s how to create the bookmarklet:

1. Create a new bookmark in your browser (usually right-click the bookmarks bar > Add Page or Add Bookmark).
2. Name it: Non-AI Google (or whatever you prefer).
3. In the URL field, paste this exact code block instead of a website address: javascript:(function(){var q=prompt('Search Google Web Mode:');if(q)window.location='https://www.google.com/search?udm=14&q='+encodeURIComponent(q);})();

Of course, using a bookmarklet comes with its own set of caveats. First of all, you need to be on an actual webpage to launch the bookmarklet. You cannot launch it from your browser’s home screen if it’s not set to a URL.

How to disable Google AI Overviews on Android and iOS

Your options are even more limited on Android and iOS. First of all, there’s no way to disable AI search in Google’s official app. So, if you want to use Google without AI Overviews, you’ll have to do it with the help of a browser.

Essentially, the only way to do it is to create the same bookmark I mentioned above and add it to your Home Screen. And this only applies to iOS, as Android has its own rules!

Here’s how to create the bookmarklet on iOS:

1. Open any webpage (it doesn't matter which one).
2. Tap the Share icon (box with arrow) > Add to Bookmarks.
3. Name it something short (e.g., web) and tap Save.
4. Open your Bookmarks (book icon) > Edit.
5. Tap the bookmark you just created.
6. Paste the same script I listed above into the URL field (delete the old http address first).
7. Tap Done.

You can also put the bookmarklet on your Home Screen, but you’ll need to do it through the Shortcut app.

1. Open the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap the + sign in the upper-right corner to create a new shortcut.
3. In the Search Actions field, search for “bookmark” and tap Open Bookmark.
4. Select the non-AI Google bookmark from the list.
5. Tap the Share button > Add to Home Screen.

There you go, now you’ve got the no-AI Google bookmark on your Home Screen. When you open it, the searchbox pop-up will appear, and you can enter your search query. Interestingly enough, when you tap OK, the shortcut will redirect you to the Google app (if you’ve got it installed), instead of performing the search in Safari.

And finally, the final boss of forcing people to use the AI search - Android. Unlike iOS and web browsers on PC, Chrome on Android doesn’t support bookmark scripting, which means our bookmarklet has no power here.

But this is not the end of the road, as we’ve come up with yet another workaround that will make using Google without AI Overviews on Android possible. We’ll use a static link that forces Google into "Web Mode" immediately. Since this method practically performs an empty Google search, you’ll come across Google’s Yeti doodle that appears when there are no results for a particular search. But at least you’ll have a platform for entering the query you want.

So, if you’re fine with hanging out with the Yeti, here’s how to eliminate AI Overviews on Android:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Paste this URL into the address bar and tap Enter: https://www.google.com/search?udm=14&q=%20
3. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
4. Select Add to Home Screen.
5. Rename it to "Google Web".
6. Tap Add.

Now, every time you open the bookmark from your Home Screen, you’ll be greeted by an empty search, and you can then search for whatever you want without the AI Overview appearing.

Note: You can also use this method on iOS and PC, but I put it under Android because it’s the only solution that works on Google’s own OS.

That’s about it. We’ve now covered just about any way of removing AI Overviews from Google that’s currently working. With that being said, it’s possible that Google will patch the search interface and render some of these methods obsolete soon, just like it recently did with background play on YouTube. If you notice that, feel free to let us know in the comments, and we’ll investigate further.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 11:53 am AEST (my time).

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As I've made it known many times in the past, a big part of the reason why I've stuck with Windows for decades is due to its flexibility. It's the OS that can do practically anything you ask it, for better or worse. You can be a computing genius or a computing bozo and still get something meaningful out of the platform.

Windows was created all those years ago with workflows in mind, but a gargantuan gaming ecosystem has grown up around it over time. That wasn't because Windows was designed for gaming; Windows was simply the platform versatile enough to do so.

Microsoft, for all its faults, understands that Windows needs to evolve to keep up with the modern gaming landscape. And while the company has lately made some big advances centered around gaming, including handheld support, Windows on Arm compatibility improvements, DirectX enhancements, and unification efforts across PC and Xbox, there's still a lot of work to do.

If Microsoft truly wants to retain its dominance in the PC gaming world as competition like SteamOS heats up, I don't think it's a reach to imagine a version of Windows that is a bona fide gaming platform. Here's what I think that future might look like.

The current state of Windows and its gaming foundation

Here is the changelog:

Advanced Paste

• Fixed a crash in the Advanced Paste settings page caused by null values during JSON deserialization.

Image Resizer

• Fixed Image Resizer not working after upgrading PowerToys on Windows 10 by properly cleaning up legacy sparse app packages.

Quick Access and Measure Tool

• Fixed crash related to IsShownInSwitchers property when Explorer is not running.

Color Picker

• Fixed contrast issue in Color picker UI.

Command Palette

• Fixed an issue where some Command Palette PowerToys Extension strings were not localised.

Cursor Wrap

• Fixed "Automatically activate on utility startup" setting not persisting when disabled.
• Added option to disable Cursor Wrapping when only a single monitor is connected.

Light Switch

• Fixed Light Switch startup logic to correctly apply the appropriate theme on launch.

Workspaces

• Fixed overlay positioning issue in workspace snapshot draw caused by DPI-aware coordinate mismatch.

In case you missed it, Microsoft is also exploring an idea of adding another taskbar to Windows 11. The company wants to hear your thoughts about a dedicated toolbar for Command Palette for you to place various widgets, additional information, and more. You can check out its early concept here. Additionally, Always on Top, one of my favorite PowerToys utilities, might get a useful feature that allows adjusting the pinned window transparency.

PowerToys version 0.97.2 is now available for download from GitHub and the Microsoft Store.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 3:25 am AEST (my time).

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In addition, the latest release improves the overall stability and connectivity reliability, plus various "minor issues."

Intel's new Wi-Fi driver is available for the following network cards:

Intel Wireless Driver 24.20.0 supports 64-bit Windows versions, including Windows 11 and 10. 32-bit Windows 10 is not supported. Note that although the driver still supports Windows 10, official Wi-Fi 7 support is only present on Windows 11 version 24H2 and newer. Therefore, if you want to use the latest Wi-Fi standard, you have to leave Windows 10 behind.

You can download the latest Wi-Fi driver from Intel's official website using this link.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 3:23 am AEST (my time).

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WhatsApp Web is a handy extension of the core service available in browsers. Until now, it has been severely limited to chats only, but that’s about to change soon. Users on Windows, Mac, or Linux will soon be able to use WhatsApp Web the same way they use the native app.

Video calls on WhatsApp Web will also support screen sharing. While this addition probably won’t transform WhatsApp into a competitor for conference call apps like Google Meet or Zoom, it’s a nice feature to have nonetheless.

Additionally, calls made from the web are end-to-end encrypted the same way they are in official apps. That means nobody other than participants will have access to calls, not even WhatsApp. Users won’t have to change any settings, as end-to-end encryption will automatically be enabled once the update arrives.

This is especially good news for WhatsApp users on Linux. WhatsApp doesn’t offer an official Linux app, so users of this OS were essentially forced to either use WhatsApp on their smartphones or just send regular messages on the web.

We still don’t know when Meta will start rolling out calls for WhatsApp Web to the general public. WABetainfo reports that calls are “still under development to ensure a bug-free experience.”

WhatsApp recently came under scrutiny when a bug that allowed hackers to trick victims into downloading malicious media was discovered. As of today, we still don’t have the official confirmation that the bug was patched. And while improving WhatsApp Web is great news for users of this iteration, hopefully, Meta will also make it more secure at the same time.

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Posted Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 3:23 am AEST (my time).

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[Emoji 16.0]

We’re starting to roll Emoji 16.0 back to Insiders:

• The Emoji 16.0 release introduces a small but thoughtfully curated set of new emojis—one from each major category—designed to resonate across cultures and contexts. With this build, you will see these new emojis available in the emoji panel.

[Camera Settings]

• We are adding the option to directly control pan and tilt for supported cameras in the Settings app. These new controls appear in the camera settings page (Settings > Devices & drivers > Cameras) under the “Basic settings” of your selected camera.

Changes and Improvements are gradually being rolled out with toggle on:

[General]

• Improved the visual experience and performance for several scenarios, including at the bottom of the screen when the taskbar is set to autohide, desktop icons' unexpected flashing (and decreased performance interacting with your PC), and Windows Security pop-up for credentials.

You can find the announcement blog post here (Dev Channel) and here (Beta Channel).

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Posted Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 11:50 am AEST (my time).

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I use Windows 11 every day. I write about it for a living. I know its specifics, its strengths, and its habit of shipping "helpful" features nobody asked for.

But now and then, I boot into Linux. Not to recompile a kernel or show off command-line skills. Just to use it and stay in the loop. However, the same thought keeps coming back. Windows 11 is polished and user-friendly, but Linux still does some things better, quietly and without making a big deal out of it.

This isn't my story on how I ditched "Windows." This operating system is still the better choice for most people, especially if you care about app compatibility, games, and hardware support. However, pretending Linux doesn't outshine Windows 11 in a few important areas doesn't help.

So this is a reality check. Linux isn't for everyone, but there are places where it simply gets out of the way and lets you work. And in 2026, that still matters.

In this guide, I'll highlight five ways Linux is better than Windows 11.

Reasons for Linux being better than Windows

These are the five areas where it can be argued that Linux is better than Windows.

1. Cost without catch

Linux is free. Not "free for now." Not "free unless you want basic features later." It's just free.

There's no license key. No activation screen. No tiered editions where useful features are blocked behind a paywall. You download it, install it, and that's it.

On Windows 11, the story is different because the one seat can cost as much as $139 for the Home edition, and you can pay up to $199 for the Pro edition.

Now, if you purchase a new device, Windows 11 will come pre-installed "free" of charge, but the cost will continue to be there in different forms. For example, in the form of hardware upgrades, account requirements, and feature segmentation. Linux avoids this entirely. You are not the product, the upsell, or the future subscription.

However, I do want to leave a note in the section stating that, even though Linux is technically free, some distributions do cost money. For example, Zorin OS has a free version, but if you want access to more advanced and premium features, you'll have to pay for the Pro edition ($47.99). However, if you choose Linux Mint, then this distro is completely free.

2. Hardware requirements that respect reality

Linux runs on machines that Windows 11 would rather forget existed. For example, older laptops, low-end desktops, and systems with limited memory or aging processors. Linux does not shame them. Actually, Linux has the tendency to thrive on older hardware.

Windows 11's hardware requirements make sense from a security and platform perspective, but they still leave many perfectly functional computers behind. Linux, by contrast, meets hardware where it is, not where marketing wants it to be.

If your computer still turns on and has a keyboard, Linux probably has an opinion about how to make it useful.

3. Control and customization that actually means control

Windows 11 lets you customize things, but always within carefully defined limits. On the other hand, Linux is built around choice. It is the point.

On Linux, you can pick from completely different desktop environments, each with its own personality and workflow. GNOME is sleek and modern, focused on simplicity. KDE Plasma is loaded with options and tweaks if you like controlling every little detail. XFCE or LXQt are lightweight and fast, perfect for older hardware.

In addition, if you want to go even deeper, there are window managers like i3, dwm, Fluxbox, Hyprland, and AwesomeWM that let you design your workflow from the ground up, often without a traditional desktop at all.

Beyond the look, Linux lets you control system behavior, startup processes, theming, and workflows. You're not just toggling features. You're shaping how the operating system works.

You don't have to use all of that control. Most people stick to one desktop and call it a day. However, knowing this level of control exists changes the dynamic. Linux doesn't assume it knows better than you. Windows 11 often does.

4. No AI features to manage, disable, or avoid

Linux does not try to write your emails, summarize your files, or analyze your screenshots. It does not install background AI services and then make you hunt through settings to turn them off, or half-turn them off.

There is no Copilot, no "assistant" constantly nudging you, no banners telling you that cloud processing might improve your experience. You don't get constant reminders that the operating system thinks it knows what you need.

If you want AI on Linux, you'll have to add it yourself. You can install a local model or use a tool that leverages the integration. It's entirely your choice, on your terms. The system doesn't assume you want it, and it won't keep running or prompting you in the background without your knowledge.

Sometimes the best features are the ones that aren't there. Freedom here means more than customization. It's quiet, invisible, and free of unnecessary interruptions.

5. Minimal telemetry and privacy by design

In the world of Linux, telemetry (the automatic collection and transmission of usage data) is a sensitive topic. Unlike Windows or macOS, where telemetry is deeply integrated and often mandatory, Linux is built on a philosophy of user control and transparency.

When telemetry exists, it is usually disclosed and optional. You can see what data is collected, why it exists, and how to turn it off. Privacy is treated as the default, not an advanced setting buried three menus deep.

Windows 11 collects data to improve the product, but it's not very transparent about how that data is used. The settings are scattered, change over time, and mostly ask users to trust that everything is fine.

At the end of the day

Linux isn't perfect. It has quirks, rough edges, and a learning curve that can be intimidating if you're used to Windows 11 or any other version. However, these five areas show why it still quietly outperforms Windows 11 in certain ways, including freedom without friction, respect for older hardware, true control, no pushy AI, and privacy by default.

Using Linux isn't about ditching Windows. It's about knowing there's another approach. One where the system gets out of your way, doesn't assume it knows better than you, and gives you the power to decide how it works.

So the next time you feel boxed in by Windows 11's rules, remember that Linux exists.

As spotted by Tom's Hardware, printer vendors can not distribute drivers via Windows Update since early January 2026 for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025. While it is still possible to submit updates for existing drivers, Microsoft will review such instances on a case-by-case basis through the Partner Center.

While this may sound like a nightmare for IT admins, it is worth noting that active vendors have already had alternatives available for years. They can offer customized experiences through Print Support Apps (PSA) that are distributed through the Microsoft Store. This UWP framework ensures that printer solutions no longer need to be rebuilt multiple times, and they vendors don't need to focus on implementing standalone installers, drivers, utilities, and more.

Microsoft understands that end of support for printer drivers is a major change, which is why it has followed a multi-year process to ensure that everything goes smoothly. The company will still allow the signing of driver packages in the following cases:

• A printer that cannot be Mopria certified.
• Driver package submissions specifying a ceiling of Windows 10 or lower, will continue to be signed.
• Native ARM64 printer drivers.

It is also worth noting that existing printer drivers are unaffected by this change and can still be downloaded via Windows Update. Existing features from V3 and V4 printer drivers are unimpacted too.

In terms of what's next in this end of servicing plan, Windows will prioritize Windows IPP inbox class drivers rather than third-party drivers after July 1, 2026. Finally, from July 1, 2027, third-party driver updates will not be possible at all, except for security fixes. You can find more details about the deprecation here.

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Posted Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 11:44 am AEST (my time).

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On Sunday, Linux developer Linus Torvalds announced the release of Linux 6.19, which will be the last update in this kernel cycle, as previously reported by Phoronix. It adds support for the modern AMDGPU driver for older AMD GCN 1.0 and 1.1 graphics cards, like Radeon HD 7000 series GPUs, along with Vulkan support through the RADV driver, and improved power management.

Linux 6.19 also includes improved HDR support with the addition of the DRM Color Pipeline, an updated Asus Armoury driver, expanded support for newer Intel Wildcat Lake and Nova Lake chips, PCIe link encryption and device authentication, and more.

Along with the launch of Linux 6.19, Torvalds also teased the start of a new kernel cycle with the next update. “As people have mostly figured out, I’m getting to the point where I’m being confused by large numbers (almost running out of fingers and toes again), so the next kernel is going to be called 7.0,” writes Linus in the update note. The next update could include even more improvements for AMD GPUs, display support for Intel Nova Lake and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chips, and expanded sensor monitoring support for Asus motherboards, among other changes.

Users on rolling release or semi-rolling release Linux distributions like Fedora and Arch can expect to get the most recent kernel update soon through their regular system updates. Distros that aren’t rolling release may take longer to get kernel updates.

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Posted Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 4:21 am AEST (my time).

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In fact, The Document Foundation (TDF), the folks behind LibreOffice, have called out Microsoft in the past for what it sees as anticompetitive behavior. It has long been argued that Microsoft's file formats are intentionally complex to keep users locked inside its ecosystem.

Now, TDF is doubling down, accusing Microsoft of overlooking everything "for its own commercial interests." In a blog post by Italo Vignoli, a founding member of TDF, he called the idea that "OOXML is a standard format, and we have to accept it," "outrageous".

Vignoli argued that OOXML could "never be a standard format" unless Microsoft was willing to completely redesign its Office apps. One example Vignoli gave was Excel's long-standing failure to properly handle gene names, which corrupted scientific data and had consequences for research into genetic diseases.

You see, Excel's default behavior is to convert certain text entries into dates. It makes sense for general spreadsheet use, but not for geneticists. Genes, like Membrane Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 1, are given alphanumeric symbols (MARCH1) as a shorthand for their full, complex names. When a scientist would input "MARCH1" into an Excel spreadsheet, the software would automatically interpret this as a date and convert it to "1-Mar".

Similarly, a gene symbol like "SEPT1" would become "1-Sep", and "DEC1" would be converted to "1-Dec". Obviously, this is a problem for scientists. A 2016 study published in the journal Genome Biology examined 3,597 published papers that included supplementary Excel files with gene lists and found that approximately one-fifth of these papers contained errors that were attributable to Excel's auto-formatting.

For a long time, Microsoft's position was that this was a niche issue affecting a small number of users, and it did not provide an option to disable the automatic date conversion.

Finally, in 2023, three years after the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC), the body responsible for standardizing human gene names, was forced to rename around 27 genes, such as MARCH1 to MARCHF1, to prevent misinterpretation, Microsoft rolled out an update to disable automatic date conversion. By then, though, the damage had already been done.

Vignoli complains that Office Open XML (OOXML) is anything but open. Other criticisms he had included the sheer complexity of the specification. It is a huge 7,000 pages, making a complete and correct implementation by any third party almost impossible.

He also pointed out that Microsoft Office does not even adhere to its own "Strict" standard, instead using a "Transitional" variant that contains dependencies on legacy formats. For instance, the OOXML specification contains instructions that require other software to clone the behavior of old, proprietary versions of Microsoft Word. There are elements like "autoSpaceLikeWord95" and "shapeLayoutLikeWW8" that directly reference the behavior of ancient software. The format also recommends proprietary Windows Metafiles for graphics instead of open, cross-platform standards like SVG.

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Posted Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 4:19 am AEST (my time).

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