Following Elon Musk’s notice to Twitter that he wants out of his $44 billion deal to purchase the company, employees have been instructed to not publicly comment on the deal. An internal memo by Twitter’s general counsel and obtained by The Verge says that staffers should “refrain from Tweeting, Slacking, or sharing any commentary about the merger agreement.”

The note, which you can read in full below, cites the fact that the merger is an ongoing legal matter. Musk’s team alleges that the company “failed or refused to provide” information about the number of bots on its platform,” and Twitter’s board has announced that it’s suing Musk to ensure that the deal goes through as originally agreed.

After the news broke Friday that Musk wanted out of the deal, Twitter employees quickly made some pretty humorous tweets about the situation. One tweeted they had “unilaterally cancelled my mortgage” and were happy they didn’t have to pay it anymore, referring to the fact that it’s very unclear whether Musk can legally just say “nah” and walk away. Another tweet referred to a staff trip to Disney that was canceled as a cost-cutting measure after the Musk deal was announced.

Here’s the memo sent that Sean Edgett, Twitter’s general counsel, sent to staff on Friday:

Team,

Today we received a notice of purported termination from Elon Musk, and the Twitter Board issued the following statement in response (see our Chairman Bret Taylor’s Tweet here):

“The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.”

Given that this is an ongoing legal matter, you should refrain from Tweeting, Slacking, or sharing any commentary about the merger agreement. We will continue to share information when we are able, but please know we are going to be very limited on what we can share in the meantime.

I know this is an uncertain time, and we appreciate your patience and ongoing commitment to the important work we have underway.

Twitter tells employees not to tweet about Elon Musk deal

However, the transaction was put on hold when Musk demanded proof that less than 5% of Twitter users are spam accounts and bots. Twitter shares began to tumble as it began to become evident that Musk does not plan to close the deal after all. Today, he has filed to officially terminate the deal.

According to Reuters, the filing mentions that:

Twitter is in material breach of multiple provisions of that Agreement, appears to have made false and misleading representations upon which Mr. Musk relied when entering into the Merger Agreement.

Musk's lawyers claim that Twitter did not respond to requests for details about fake and bot accounts on the platform, which became a major blocker. Musk mentioned that another hurdle was Twitter firing top executives recently and laying off a third of its talent acquisition team, which is in breach of the company's obligation to keep "substantially intact the material components of its current business organization".

Twitter is obviously not happy with Musk's change of heart and board chairman Bret Taylor has noted that the firm will pursue legal action:

Reuters notes that problems with acquisitions in Delaware Court typically end in either renegotiation or settlements. According to the terms of the buyout transaction, Musk was required to pay a $1 billion penalty if the deal fell through due to regulatory hurdles or lack of financial backing. However, he is not contractually obligated to pay this sum if he terminates the deal himself, which is what the executive has done.

Twitter personnel are hoping that court proceedings begin soon and get wrapped up within a few months in their favor, but there's no knowing how long the legal battle will actually take. For now, Twitter's shares have once again taken a tumble and were at $34.58 in extended trading, which is 36% below the $54.20 that Musk offered to pay per share in April.

Source: Reuters | Original image via Reuters

Elon Musk is terminating his $44 billion Twitter acquisition

The good news is that the landmark legislation includes some of the most extensive transparency and platform accountability obligations to date. It will give users real control over and insight into the content they engage with, and offer protections from some of the most pervasive and harmful aspects of our online spaces.

The focus now turns to implementation, as the European Commission begins in earnest to develop the enforcement mechanisms. The proposed regime is a complex structure in which responsibilities are shared between the European Commission and national regulators, in this case known as Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs). It will rely heavily on the creation of new roles, expansion of existing responsibilities, and seamless cooperation across borders. What’s clear is that as of now, there simply isn’t the institutional capacity to enact this legislation effectively.

In a “sneak peek,” the commission has provided a glimpse into how they propose to overcome some of the more obvious challenges to implementation—like how they plan to supervise large online platforms and how they will attempt to avoid the problems that plague the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), such as out-of-sync national regulators and selective enforcement. But their proposal only raises new questions. A huge number of new staff will need to be hired and a new European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency will need to attract world-class data scientists and experts to aid in the enforcement of the new algorithmic transparency and data accessibility obligations. The Commission’s preliminary vision is to organize its regulatory responsibilities by thematic areas, including a societal issues team, which will be tasked with oversight over some of the novel due diligence obligations. Insufficient resourcing here is a cause for concern and would ultimately risk turning these hard-won obligations into empty tick-box exercises.

One critical example is the platforms’ obligation to conduct assessments to address systemic risks on their services. This is a complex process that will need to take into account all the fundamental rights protected under the EU Charter. In order to do this, tech companies will have to develop human rights impact assessments (HRIAs)—an evaluation process meant to identify and mitigate potential human rights risks stemming from a service or business, in this case a platform—something civil society urged them to do throughout the negotiations. It will, however, be up to the board, made up of the DSCs and chaired by the commission, to annually assess the most prominent systemic risks identified and outline best practices for mitigation measures. As someone who has contributed to developing and assessing HRIAs, I know that this will be no easy feat, even with independent auditors and researchers feeding into the process.

If they are to make an impact, the assessments need to establish comprehensive baselines, concrete impact analyses, evaluation procedures, and stakeholder engagement strategies. The very best HRIAs embed a gender-sensitive approach and pay specific attention to systemic risks that will disproportionately impact those from historically marginalized communities.

This is the most concrete method for ensuring all potential rights violations are included.

Luckily the international human rights framework, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights, offers guidance on how best to develop these assessments. Nonetheless, the success of the provision will depend on how platforms interpret and invest in these assessments, and even more so on how well the commission and national regulators will enforce these obligations. But at current capacity, the ability of the institutions to develop guidelines and best practices and to evaluate mitigation strategies is nowhere near the scale the DSA will require.

Given the enormity of these tasks, it seems that the European Commission will have to put in place dedicated professional teams of qualified human rights experts with a deep understanding of human rights impact assessments. These independent teams would need to be supported by a breadth of additional expertise and knowledge to ensure their actions are inclusive and meaningful. As it stands now, no role is foreseen for the European Fundamental Rights Agency to provide such support, and the public consultations envisaged in the development of guidelines that will shape these mitigation measures will be limited at best.

The DSA notes the necessity for civil society’s input and expertise throughout the text, more so than any other text of its kind preceding it. It is clear that the commission will need said expertise in order to support the development and evaluation of such assessments. Quite simply, without the meaningful engagement of advocates in the implementation and enforcement of the entire DSA, the potentially groundbreaking provisions we have collectively worked so diligently to obtain in the text won't come to fruition.

Establishing and formalizing civil society as an implementation partner, along with the European Parliament, will increase accountability and public scrutiny and ensure that a human rights-centered approach to enforcement is implemented. The European Commission has already established advisory committees, or high-level expert bodies and working groups, to aid implementation of legislation in other areas, which are structures that we could draw inspiration from. These entities are far from perfect and would have to be redefined for the DSA context, but the wheel would not need to be reinvented in this case, just reimagined.

Enforcement of the DSA is going to be an uphill climb. Look no further than the ineffective and inconsistent cross-border cooperation when it comes to the GDPR. Unfortunately there’s no mechanism in the DSA to guarantee independence from political influence, and the depth of the challenges that lie ahead may not be fully understood for years. But it is not too late to rectify potential shortcomings.

As the EU institutions and national regulators build more substance into their enforcement strategies, they must acknowledge that if the DSA is to be the gold standard for online content governance, they must innovate and be bold in their approach. Their commitment to systematic engagement with civil society has been written into the law; they must realize this vision by building a collaborative approach to the enforcement mechanisms.

Europe's Big Tech Law Is Approved. Now Comes the Hard Part

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The Washington Post reports that Elon Musk’s $44 billion deal to buy Twitter is “in peril,” based on three anonymous sources who told the paper that the billionaire’s camp has “stopped engaging in certain discussions around funding” for the agreement. Musk isn’t going it alone in his attempt to buy Twitter, with others like Larry Ellison, the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, the crypto exchange Binance, and the state investment firm of Qatar among those pitching in a few billion as a part of the effort.

The idea that a “drastic” change of direction on the deal is close to happening is supposedly due to concerns that Twitter’s data regarding spam and bots on the platform is not verifiable. The report comes just hours after Twitter had a conference call with media outlets to explain that its spam account data and technology for blocking bots are just fine, setting up a showdown between the company and its would-be new owner.

It has been just about a month since Twitter gave Musk’s team access to a “firehose” of data to back up its claims that bots represent less than 5 percent of its daily active user count. That access only opened up after a tweet from Elon saying the deal was “on hold,” and Musk’s lawyers sent a letter claiming the company was in “clear material breach” of the acquisition deal by refusing to give him access to the data.

From Twitter’s side, as described over the past few months and again today to reporters, they claim that it may not be possible for external sources to verify their count, as it requires access to information — including account data — that can’t be shared safely.

Breaking the agreement for Musk to purchase Twitter would mean someone owes someone else $1 billion, as laid out in their original agreement. Legal wrangling over who is at fault and whether or not Musk will be allowed to back out could take a long time to be resolved.

Either Twitter or Parent may terminate the Merger Agreement if, among certain other circumstances, (1) the Merger has not been consummated on or before October 24, 2022, which date will be extended for six months if the closing conditions related to applicable antitrust and foreign investment clearances and the absence of any applicable law or order making illegal or prohibiting the Merger have not been satisfied as of such date; or (2) Twitter’s stockholders fail to adopt the Merger Agreement. Twitter may terminate the Merger Agreement in certain additional limited circumstances, including to allow Twitter to enter into a definitive agreement for a competing acquisition proposal that constitutes a Superior Proposal (as defined in the Merger Agreement). Parent may terminate the Merger Agreement in certain additional limited circumstances, including prior to the adoption of the Merger Agreement by Twitter’s stockholders if the Board recommends that Twitter’s stockholders vote against the adoption of the Merger Agreement or in favor of any competing acquisition proposal.

Upon termination of the Merger Agreement under specified limited circumstances, Twitter will be required to pay Parent a termination fee of $1.0 billion. Specifically, this termination fee is payable by Twitter to Parent because (1) Twitter terminates the Merger Agreement to allow Twitter to enter into a definitive agreement for a competing acquisition proposal that constitutes a Superior Proposal; or (2) Parent terminates the Merger Agreement because the Board recommends that Twitter’s stockholders vote against the adoption of the Merger Agreement or in favor of any competing acquisition proposal. This termination fee will also be payable by Twitter to Parent in the event that, generally, (1) a competing acquisition proposal for 50% or more of the stock or consolidated assets of Twitter has been publicly announced and not withdrawn, (2) the Merger Agreement is terminated because Twitter’s stockholders fail to adopt the Merger Agreement or because Twitter materially breaches the Merger Agreement, and (3) within twelve months of such termination of the Merger Agreement, Twitter enters into a definitive agreement providing for a competing acquisition proposal for 50% or more of the stock or consolidated assets of Twitter and such acquisition is subsequently consummated.

Upon termination of the Merger Agreement under other specified limited circumstances, Parent will be required to pay Twitter a termination fee of $1.0 billion. Specifically, this termination fee is payable by Parent to Twitter if the Merger Agreement is terminated by Twitter because (1) the conditions to Parent’s and Acquisition Sub’s obligations to consummate the Merger are satisfied and the Parent fails to consummate the Merger as required pursuant to, and in the circumstances specified in, the Merger Agreement; or (2) Parent or Acquisition Sub’s breaches of its representations, warranties or covenants in a manner that would cause the related closing conditions to not be satisfied. Mr. Musk has provided Twitter with a limited guarantee in favor of Twitter (the “Limited Guarantee”). The Limited Guarantee guarantees, among other things, the payment of the termination fee payable by Parent to Twitter, subject to the conditions set forth in the Limited Guarantee.

It’s looking more like Elon Musk could bail on buying Twitter

The company is allegedly preparing new LGA1851 socket for its desktop Meteor Lake-S CPUs while there is a BGA2551 socket for the mobile variants. Today, more alleged micro-architecture details of Meteor Lake, courtesy of igor'sLAB, have leaked and they reveal interesting information about the upcoming 14th Gen Intel CPUs.

According to igor'sLAB, Intel is developing a new low power (LP) efficiency core (E-core). Intel introduced the E-core with its Performance Hybrid architecture in Alder Lake and it looks like this new "LP E-core" is going to optimized further power efficiency. These new LP E-cores will be present alongside the P-cores and E-cores.

Alongside that, the leak also reveals that Intel is working on "Xe LPG" graphics. This Xe LPG architecture could be a lower power variant of the Xe HPG design which powers Intel's Arc Alchemist GPUs and will succeed the current Xe LP-based integrated graphics. The leak also details support for LPDDR5-7400 memory.

It is noteworthy that the information leaked today is related to Meteor Lake mobile processor designs and therefore, desktop Meteor Lake-S variants may not carry the same architectural changes. The mobile Meteor Lake CPUs are alleged laucnhing in the second half of 2023.

Source and image: igor'sLAB

Alleged 14th Gen Intel Meteor Lake leak reveals new Xe LPG graphics, LP E-cores

Right on schedule, the Spotlight event Ubisoft announced earlier this week went live today, offering a fresh look at Skull and Bones. After suffering continuous delays since its announcement in 2017, the open-world live-service game is finally coming out later this year, with it now having a November 8 launch date. Developer Ubisoft Singapore's deep dive that premiered today can be seen above.

Set in an open world inspired by the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy, Skull and Bones offers a arcade-y naval combat experience where players can embark on their pirate journeys solo or co-op, while also having the option of PvP encounters.

Those who have played Assassin's Creed Black Flag may recognize the ship combat formula being presented here, with several types of long-range and short-range weaponry available, from cannons to mortars, for taking down and plundering other ships and emplacements. There are missions to complete, treasures to find, resources to gather, and even contracts to fulfil from various factions.

The difference here, however, is the lack of any individual pirate control. The chosen ship is the player character with its own upgrade systems. While there is a pirate players can customize, they can only be controlled when at hub area for facilities like obtaining missions, getting upgrades, and matchmaking.

Skull and Bones is coming out on PC (Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, as well as Google Stadia and Amazon Luna streaming services. The game will also be a part of Ubisoft+ subscription on PC at launch.

Ubisoft is finally releasing its pirate naval game 'Skull and Bones' on November 8

It’s been a few years since Blizzard has hosted an in-person version of BlizzCon, its fan convention, but it sounds like that’s going to change in 2023. The company, known for huge franchises like World of Warcraft and Diablo, is “committed to bringing back BlizzCon in 2023,” Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra told the Los Angeles Times.

“We previously announced we’re taking a pause on BlizzCon while we reimagine it for the future but do want to return to a live event that enables us to celebrate the community,” Ybarra said. “We recently hired a new leader of BlizzCon, April McKee, who is hard at work on that plan. ... We are committed to bringing back BlizzCon in 2023.”

It’s not clear when the event might happen, and when reached for comment, Activision Blizzard pointed back to what Ybarra said to the Los Angeles Times. The company last hosted an in-person BlizzCon in November 2019, but the 2020 and 2021 iterations were canceled due to COVID-19. While it did host a virtual “BlizzConline” event in 2021, the planned 2022 version of that event was put on pause after allegations about company’s toxic work culture came to light last year.

BlizzCon isn’t the only big gaming event set to return next year. E3 didn’t happen at all this June, but the Entertainment Software Association is planning to bring it back as a physical and digital event in 2023. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest will be returning with a digital and in-person event as well, setting up a potential clash of summer gaming conferences.

Update July 6th, 7:57PM ET: Activision Blizzard pointed back to Ybarra’s statements to the Los Angeles Times.

Blizzard will bring back BlizzCon in 2023

Back in January, Microsoft announced that is buying Activision Blizzard in a mega-deal worth $68.7 billion, with the acquisition expected to complete at the end of fiscal year 2023. A successful acquisition would see Microsoft bring multiple franchises into its portfolio such as Overwatch, Diablo, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, Starcraft, and more.

However, given the scale of the deal and its potential impact on the market, the purchase has to go through several regulatory hurdles before it is approved. Today, UK government watchdog Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has begun its investigation of the merger.

From today until July 20, the CMA is inviting comments and feedback from any party, with the regulator noting that:

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.

To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the transaction from any interested party.

These comments should be provided by the deadline set out above.

An initial decision will be reached by September 1.

Although investigations into mergers are a fairly common occurrence, especially if there is a fear of a successful purchase resulting in a monopoly, the jury is still out on what the CMA's decision will be. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S. is investigating the same deal currently as well.

We have also talked about the impact of the deal, with pros and cons discussed in detail. It'll be interesting to see what decision the UK watchdog will reach in a couple of months, but we know that stock prices for Activision Blizzard will likely plummet if the acquisition does not pass regulatory scrutiny.

Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is now being probed in the UK

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have developed a framework that will allow creation of next-generation analogue computer chipsets. These chips would be faster and less energy-consuming compared to the digital ones found in electronics today.

Harnessing their novel design framework, the researchers have developed a working prototype of the analogue chipset that has been named ARYABHAT-1 which is an acronym for Analog Reconfigurable Technology And Bias-scalable Hardware for AI Tasks.

IISc shared in a statement that today, most electronic devices, especially those that have large computing needs use digital chips since the design process is simple and scalable. However, analogue has a major advantage -- massive improvement in power and size.

Analogue computers are perfect for those applications that don’t require precise calculations and can even outperform digital computing due to its energy efficiency.

There are some challenges along the way though. Unlike digital chips, testing and designing analogue ones is difficult. 

Large-scale digital processors can be easily synthesised only by compiling high-level code, and the same design can be ported across different generations of technology development. For instance, a 7-nanometre chipset to a 3-nanometre chipset without major modifications. 

Analog processors however don’t scale easily -- they need to be individually customised when transitioning to the next generation technology or to a new application. Moreover, their designing is also an expensive affair.

To overcome the challenges of analogue processors, the novel analogue processor framework allows scalability similar to those of digital processors. The chipsets can be reconfigured and programmed so that the same analogue modules can be ported across different generations of process design and applications. 

ARYABHAT-1 is capable of running robustly across a wide range of temperatures as well as supports for programming of different machine learning architectures. Moreover, the performance of the processor remains the same even if voltage or current is modified making it versatile for use in IoT or something like object detection. 

The researchers have filed patents and are planning to work with industry partners to commercialise the technology for the masses. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

Source

As per the leaked slide which is showing a Raptor Lake-S platform overview and its upcoming features, the next-gen Intel architecture will also be supporting DDR4 memory, just like 12th Gen Alder Lake-S did. As you can see below, the slide lists DDR5-5600 as well as DDR4-3200 official memory support, though most kits on decent boards are typically able to run at much faster speeds.

What this means is that Raptor Lake-S could have a significant advantage over Ryzen 7000 and AM5 as the latter only support DDR5 memory. This is because DDR5 DRAM is still quite expensive compared to DDR4 and the performance difference does not often yield tangible benefits as of now.

Rumors do point towards AMD possibly bringing more DDR4-based Zen 4 CPUs to its evergreen AM4 platform and that could help Team Red quite a lot in this situation. However, as stated, this is still a rumor and there is no confirmation of it yet.

The platform overview slide also confirms "Enhanced Core & Memory overclocking" which is likely going to be via Intel's XTU software version 7.8.0.21 which adds OC support on Windows 11 22H2 systems.

The slide was a part of the Intel 1H 2022 NAS Workshop event at Shenzhen China discussing Intel's roadmap for NAS products. You can view the other leaked images on the Weibo user's page at the source link below.

Source and image: 无情的滑稽 (Baidu) via HXL (Twitter)

AMD Ryzen 7000 could be in a tight spot as Intel Raptor Lake slide confirms DDR4 support

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has chosen the first group of encryption tools that are designed to withstand the assault of a future quantum computer, which could potentially crack the security used to protect privacy in the digital systems we rely on every day — such as online banking and email software. The four selected encryption algorithms will become part of NIST’s post-quantum cryptographic standard, expected to be finalized in about two years.

“Today’s announcement is an important milestone in securing our sensitive data against the possibility of future cyberattacks from quantum computers,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “Thanks to NIST’s expertise and commitment to cutting-edge technology, we are able to take the necessary steps to secure electronic information so U.S. businesses can continue innovating while maintaining the trust and confidence of their customers.”

The announcement follows a six-year effort managed by NIST, which in 2016 called upon the world’s cryptographers to devise and then vet encryption methods that could resist an attack from a future quantum computer that is more powerful than the comparatively limited machines available today. The selection constitutes the beginning of the finale of the agency’s post-quantum cryptography standardization project.

“NIST constantly looks to the future to anticipate the needs of U.S. industry and society as a whole, and when they are built, quantum computers powerful enough to break present-day encryption will pose a serious threat to our information systems,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio. “Our post-quantum cryptography program has leveraged the top minds in cryptography — worldwide — to produce this first group of quantum-resistant algorithms that will lead to a standard and significantly increase the security of our digital information.”

Four additional algorithms are under consideration for inclusion in the standard, and NIST plans to announce the finalists from that round at a future date. NIST is announcing its choices in two stages because of the need for a robust variety of defense tools. As cryptographers have recognized from the beginning of NIST’s effort, there are different systems and tasks that use encryption, and a useful standard would offer solutions designed for different situations, use varied approaches for encryption, and offer more than one algorithm for each use case in the event one proves vulnerable.

“Our post-quantum cryptography program has leveraged the top minds in cryptography — worldwide — to produce this first group of quantum-resistant algorithms that will lead to a standard and significantly increase the security of our digital information.” —NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio

Encryption uses math to protect sensitive electronic information, including the secure websites we surf and the emails we send. Widely used public-key encryption systems, which rely on math problems that even the fastest conventional computers find intractable, ensure these websites and messages are inaccessible to unwelcome third parties.

However, a sufficiently capable quantum computer, which would be based on different technology than the conventional computers we have today, could solve these math problems quickly, defeating encryption systems. To counter this threat, the four quantum-resistant algorithms rely on math problems that both conventional and quantum computers should have difficulty solving, thereby defending privacy both now and down the road.

The algorithms are designed for two main tasks for which encryption is typically used: general encryption, used to protect information exchanged across a public network; and digital signatures, used for identity authentication. All four of the algorithms were created by experts collaborating from multiple countries and institutions.

For general encryption, used when we access secure websites, NIST has selected the CRYSTALS-Kyber
 algorithm. Among its advantages are comparatively small encryption keys that two parties can exchange easily, as well as its speed of operation.

For digital signatures, often used when we need to verify identities during a digital transaction or to sign a document remotely, NIST has selected the three algorithms CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON and SPHINCS+ (read as “Sphincs plus”). Reviewers noted the high efficiency of the first two, and NIST recommends CRYSTALS-Dilithium as the primary algorithm, with FALCON for applications that need smaller signatures than Dilithium can provide. The third, SPHINCS+, is somewhat larger and slower than the other two, but it is valuable as a backup for one chief reason: It is based on a different math approach than all three of NIST’s other selections.

Three of the selected algorithms are based on a family of math problems called structured lattices, while SPHINCS+ uses hash functions. The additional four algorithms still under consideration are designed for general encryption and do not use structured lattices or hash functions in their approaches.

While the standard is in development, NIST encourages security experts to explore the new algorithms and consider how their applications will use them, but not to bake them into their systems yet, as the algorithms could change slightly before the standard is finalized.

To prepare, users can inventory their systems for applications that use public-key cryptography, which will need to be replaced before cryptographically relevant quantum computers appear. They can also alert their IT departments and vendors about the upcoming change. To get involved in developing guidance for migrating to post-quantum cryptography, see NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence project page.

All of the algorithms are available on the NIST website.

Source

According to the leak, AMD wants to release more Zen3D processors that use the 3D V-Cache technology. Currently, the only Zen3D CPU is a sole Ryzen 7 5800X3D, an 8-core CPU with a hefty price tag and no overclocking. New additions might come with fewer cores and a more affordable price.

Fresh processors with 3D V-Cache are not the only additions to the vast family of AM4-based processors. AMD recently said that the AM4 socket is far from dead, but the company's representatives did not confirm new AM4-based processors. Apparently, AMD wants to keep the beloved platform relevant by releasing new low-end chips.

Some users also want AMD to backport the Zen4 architecture to the AM4 socket. @Greymon55 confirmed that the company has such products in its labs, but there is no information on whether it plans to mass-produce such chips. Either way, the six-year-old AM4 platform is far from dead, and customers can expect AMD to continue providing software and hardware updates.

Not dead: AM4 socket may get more Zen3D and budget processors

This card sits at the top of EVGA's range, and is directly aimed at people who will be overclocking to the maximum performance possible, which can be monitored through the built in, flip up 176x48 OLED display. This can show real-time voltages, temperatures, clocks and more. This can be further customised with up to 9 GIF animations, with 3 of those which can be user created.

Another key feature, which is one of the first of its kind, is the included 2x 16-PIN Power Connector. This is digitally controlled via software and also including the 14 layer PCB which has been designed with overclocking in mind.

Finally, there is a Asetek 360 closed loop water cooling radiator built in, using three of the latest ARGB fans allowing for full customisation as well as top cooling performance.

The card itself will be bundled with the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 P2 Power Supply which it will need as the requirements call for a minimum of 1000W, and is available directly from EVGA for $2,499

Source: EVGA

EVGA launches the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Kingpin, which comes with a 'free' 1600W PSU

A few Windows Insider builds

There were quite a few Insider builds this week, all for Windows 11. We will start off with build 25151 released to the Dev Channel earlier in the week. This is a version 23H2 build, which means that some changes present in this build could make it to the version of Windows 11 that is released next year.

There aren't a lot of new capabilities present in this build but there are quite a few fixes for File Explorer, the Windows Security app, and more. There is another undocumented change that Microsoft is not surfacing publicly right now, and that is the restoration of the modern "Open With" dialog box. You can still forcibly enable it using ViveTool, but do so at your own risk. And speaking of ViveTool, that piece of software also has an update that makes it easier to identify and maintain Windows features.

Meanwhile, the Release Preview Channel also received build 22621.169 (KB5014958). This build mostly contains fixes and File Explorer tabbed navigation, but it's interesting to see that this release ring has overtaken the Beta Channel. Most recently, Windows 11 build 25151.1010 (KB5016322) was seeded to Dev Channel Insiders too, but that is only to test the servicing pipeline.

There was also an optional update for Windows 10 21H2, 21H1, and Windows Server 20H2. KB5014666 (build versions 19042.1806, 19043.1806, and 19044.1806, respectively) primarily brought bug fixes.

According to the latest AdDuplex data, Windows 11 now has a market share of 23.1% across Windows devices. You can check out a more detailed breakdown here. There's a similar situation over at Steam where Valve's latest survey has revealed that 21% of PC market share is being commanded by Windows 11.

Edge WebView2

Microsoft announced that it is bringing Edge WebView2 Runtime to Windows 10 consumer devices. For those unaware, Edge WebView2 is a special control for developers to embed web content into applications leveraging technologies from Edge Chromium. Although the announcement doesn't impact your average consumer, bundling it with Windows 10 helps developers cut costs and ensure their customers have the necessary dependencies. The technology is already built into Windows 11.

But coming over to the actual browser, Microsoft will soon start allowing Edge users to add images and videos to Collections using right-click. People will be able to utilize Collections to collaborate with each other and share content. A feed that shows you content related to your Collections is also coming soon.

Microsoft Edge Dev received version 105.0.1300.0 this week too. The update adds a share button in the PDF toolbar, new policies, and a bunch of other reliability improvements. Edge 105 is scheduled to hit the Stable channel in the week of September 1.

But if you would use anything other than Microsoft Edge while using Windows, check out the new update for MSEdgeRedirect. The update allows the app to handle image search redirections and also offers a script to remove Edge from your machine. That said, it is important to note that this is a third-party tool that is still in beta so proceed at your own risk.

OneDrive Photo Stories and other app updates

Microsoft made a bit of a surprise announcement this week by confirming that stories are coming to OneDrive. Dubbed "Photo Stories", they are a bit different than what you might expect. The idea behind them is to share photos in your OneDrive with friends and family through an invite-only mechanism that will allow them to view your content in a feed and interact with it. The feature is currently in public preview in Australia and will become available in other countries later this year. And if you are a OneDrive customer, you might also want to know about all the improvements that Microsoft added to the service in Q2 2022.

That said, if you're more interested in learning about all the new features added to Excel or Microsoft Teams, check out the recaps for June 2022 here and here, respectively.

Speaking of Teams, Microsoft did add a bunch of new stuff to its collaboration software. Teams for the web now has background effects, CART captions, and Live Transcriptions. Meanwhile, both the desktop and web version are set to receive some polling improvements by allowing presenters and organizers to reuse and modify old polls. Similarly, intelligent translations for Teams mobile and the ability to pop out shared content to a separate window are on their way too.

PowerPoint received some love in Office Insider through two new features: Cameo in Recording Studio and the ability to set line spacing in slides on iPad.

Version 2206 (build 15330.20196) for Microsoft 365 Apps was released too, and it brings a bunch of improvements and fixes for PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Word. A very recent preview update for Microsoft 365 Apps also disables automatic data conversions in Excel, among many other things.

Finally, if you're an IT admin at your organization who also manages some security aspects, you'll want to have a look at idle session timeout, which is now generally available for Microsoft 365 web apps.

Git gud

We will kick off this section with news about an Xbox system update which brings (generic) stability and performance improvements. There are a couple of known bugs related to the Razer Turret keyboard and display resolutions so if that sounds concerning to you, do have a look at the workarounds as well.

If you're an Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate member, keep in mind that Beasts of Maravilla Island and Thrillville are now up for grabs through Games with Gold. Joining the fray from July 16 will be Relicta and Torchlight. But if you'd rather purchase games at a discounted price, don't miss out on this week's Deals with Gold, headlined by Mafia and Max Payne.

When it comes to actual games news, Arkane did share some more details about its vampire hunting shooter Redfall - which is scheduled for a release in 2023 -, emphasizing its single-player aspects. Meanwhile, The Forsaken Hunter Adventure is now live in Sea of Thieves if you are in the mood for plundering while searching for the Megalodon hunter Merrick. But if you're more interested in Halo instead, you should know that Microsoft has shared more details about Halo Infinite's campaign co-op preview landing in a couple of weeks. And if even that doesn't tickle your fancy, maybe a Quake 4 preview for Xbox Insiders on PC is what excites you.

Finally, as he does each week, Neowin News Editor Pulasthi Ariyasinghe has searched the depths of the internet and collected a bunch of game deals for all you PC purists out there, check it out here.

Dev Channel

• Microsoft Defender is reportedly hogging Intel CPU resources
• Some shareholders are demanding Microsoft to be more transparent about its global tax payments
• Microsoft has patched a vulnerability called "FabricScape" in Azure Service Fabric
• The Phone Link app now has a new notification pane
• Microsoft has a new program called Family Insiders
• WhatsApp Beta for Windows has introduced a modern context menu for chats

Under the spotlight

In this week's edition of Tech Tip Tuesday, veteran forum member Adam Bottjen - better known as "Warwagon" - wrote a very handy guide about how you can use the Win + V shortcut to access your clipboard history instead of having to manually copy and paste multiple items one by one.

Meanwhile, Neowin News Editor Paul Hill wrote a guide about six websites that you can use to find, read, and download books in the public domain. If that is something that interests you, don't miss out on the piece here.

Logging off

Exactly 1,000 days since the announcement of the now-dead Surface Neo, details of the dual-screen Windows device have surfaced (hehehe). This includes information about the specifications and a bunch of major problems it faced during internal testing, such as overheating, a poor user experience due to the form factor, and Windows 10X not being able to run traditional Windows applications without a virtual machine. Although the device hasn't been canceled officially, it will likely never see the light of day, so farewell Surface Neo, we hardly knew ye.

Microsoft Weekly: Windows 11 build 25151, Edge WebView2, and stories in OneDrive

In addition to shutting off all multiplayer and online capabilities, some games on the chopping block — Assassin's Creed 3 (2012), Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed Liberation HD, Driver San Francisco, and Far Cry 3 (2012) — are getting their DLCs' access and installations revoked too. As expected, remastered versions of affected games will remain untouched.

"Closing the online services for some older games allows us to focus our resources on delivering great experiences for players who are playing newer or more popular titles," explains Ubisoft regarding these decisions.

Here are all the affected games:

• Assassin’s Creed 2
• Assassin’s Creed 3
• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
• Assassin’s Creed Revelations
• Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD
• Anno 2070
• Driver San Francisco
• Far Cry 3
• Ghost Recon Future Soldier
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
• Rayman Legends
• Silent Hunter 5
• Space Junkies
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist
• ZombiU

Interestingly, Ubisoft noted that to play Ghost Recon Future Soldier on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 following the decommission, the console will need to be set to offline mode. Moreover, from the list, Space Junkies is the most recent release, with it only coming out in 2019 as an online-only VR shooter. Its decommissioning will render the game unplayable.

Once September 1 hits, those who own any of the aforementioned games across PC or console will have to resort to playing only in single-player. Not every game in the list has newer entries to jump into, however. Ubisoft is working on remakes of the original Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, though they may be years away from releasing.

Ubisoft to shut down multiplayer features of 15 older games in September

For nearly two years, you’ve had to be incredibly lucky, skilled, or patient to get an Nvidia or AMD graphics card at MSRP. We’ve liveblogged and livetweeted that hell of trying to buy a GPU online, fighting against an army of bots to navigate the buggy websites of retailers who didn’t have enough reason to care.

But, yesterday, I did the unthinkable. I saddled up to Best Buy’s website eight hours after the retailer’s weekly drop and bought an RTX 3070 Ti Founders Edition for its $599 MSRP.

I had a $499 RTX 3070 Founders Edition in my cart, too. And those finds weren’t a fluke: both of those GPUs were still available when we checked back this morning. The 3070 FE is still there as I type these words. So is the 3070 Ti. AMD.com currently has the Radeon RX 6750 XT, 6900 XT, and 6950 XT in stock for MSRP, too.

Nvidia RTX 3080 average eBay sales price, June 2021 to June 2022. Image: eBay

I dashed over to eBay to run the numbers — the same ones I’ve been compiling since December 2020 to show you the true street price of a GPU. Sure enough, this week is the week the most popular graphics cards finally hit MSRP on the secondhand market as well. The RTX 3080 is hovering around $700, the exact price Nvidia originally said it would cost.

Over the past six months, the street price of a modern GPU has been chopped in half. Almost every graphics card we track fell by more than 50 percent on eBay since January — 30 percent of that since April alone.

It was also Nvidia’s most popular and best bang for your buck cards — the RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080 — that saw the biggest dips. Of those cards, the 3060 Ti is the only used GPU that can’t be had at or under MSRP on average. Meanwhile, an average AMD card will cost you $100 less than MSRP.

The secondhand market even seems to be normalizing prices of Nvidia and AMD’s more overpriced GPUs. You can buy a used 6900 XT for $300 off its $999 MSRP, and I saw eBay buyers get an average of $318, $466, and $540 off Nvidia’s 3080 Ti, 3090, and 3090 Ti, respectively.

I think it’s safe to say: the great GPU shortage is over.

But should you actually buy one? That’s a way tougher question — because the forces that are finally driving supply and demand to meet are not all in your favor.

Why you might or might not buy a GPU right now

First, let’s state the obvious: the chips that power these GPUs are now two years old. In October 2020, $500 might have been a great price for an RTX 3070, but is it still a great price in July 2022 now that new ones are on the way? The RTX 40 series and AMD’s RDNA 3 are both expected this fall and could offer significant performance jumps.

That goes double if you’re looking at one of the cards that Nvidia and AMD introduced later in the GPU shortage at a higher MSRP than their performance would suggest. I recommend taking a look at this handy 3DCenter / VideoCardz chart of how much GPUs should cost, normalized against an RTX 3070.

The age of these GPUs might matter even more if you’re considering a used GPU since it might have already been worked for those two years and might have even spent time doing hard labor in a cryptocurrency mining rig.

Reportedly, one big reason used GPU prices are tanking is because crypto miners are flooding the market with cards that are no longer profitable due to the ongoing crypto crash, where the total market cap of all crypto assets has fallen by two-thirds since its peak of $3 trillion last November. (Miners have been switching away from GPUs for some time, though.)

Whether it was used for gaming or mining, maybe buy locally or from a site with good buyer protection — there have been reports of damaged GPUs among the flood. If you do get the chance to test, here’s a Gamers Nexus video that can walk you through potential red flags.

Prefer new instead of used? Outside of my Best Buy Founders Edition finds, things aren’t quite as rosy — because you’re going to have to deal with the desire of Nvidia and AMD board partners and retailers to make as much money as possible now that they have inventory to clear.

In its last earnings call, Nvidia CFO Colette Kress suggested that supply had just about caught up to demand. “Channel inventory has nearly normalized, and we expect it to remain around these levels in Q2,” Kress said. But supply chain sources tell Digitimes (via VideoCardz) that Nvidia and AMD may now actually have too many cards and are trying to order fewer new ones from TSMC because they allegedly overestimated demand.

Nvidia has reportedly pushed back its launches of the RTX 4090, 4080, and 4070 to as late as October, November, and December, respectively, according to Wccftech and VideoCardz, which might mean today’s GPUs won’t be yesterday’s news for a bit longer. But, that means it might also be longer before current-gen RDNA 2 or RTX 30 series GPUs see a price cut.

(Nvidia declined to comment on whether the GPU shortage is over; I’m waiting for comment from AMD.)

Falcodrin, the GPU hunter I profiled last December, tells me that new GPU prices have been all over the place, and it’s not hard to find evidence of that: Best Buy is stocking third-party RTX 3060 Ti cards that cost substantially more than the more powerful RTX 3070 I had in my cart. If you want to buy a card with a fancy cooler for twice MSRP, you’ve still got plenty of options because an across the board price drop hasn’t yet arrived.

Instead of drops, they’re still trying to attract customers with sales, like EVGA’s anniversary sale today, where an RTX 3080 can be had for only $80 over MSRP and both the 3080 Ti and 3090 Ti are under MSRP.

Yes, I actually bought it. My friend’s been looking for a while. Image: Sean Hollister / The Verge

But, if you’re the kind of person who will be satisfied with a current-gen GPU instead of waiting for next gen, it sounds like those price cuts might be coming. Seeing how some first-party GPUs can be had at MSRP, EVGA’s sales, and that 3DCenter price index, it’s not hard to see room for the rest of the prices to sink.

That said, it depends on whether gamers notice that the prices they were waiting for have finally returned. Moor Insights & Strategy analyst Anshel Sag thinks they will. “GPUs will likely return to normal levels as people who held off on building PCs or buying GPUs actually start to build them, now that prices have come back down to reality,” he tells me, adding that “There’s a lot of pent up demand from actual gamers and consumers that have been holding off for the last two years due to the chip shortage, supply chain disruptions and crypto bubble.”

And while some people are tightening belts due to inflation or will wait for next-gen GPU launches this fall, he doesn’t think they’ll keep gamers away. “You have to remember that for a lot of these consumers, this is their primary source of entertainment and socialization,” he says, adding that many who’d wait for an RTX 40 or RDNA 3 card “understand that the latest and greatest will also be a lot harder to get their hands on than what’s already available now.”

But he agrees that the GPU shortage is now over. The prices speak for themselves.

The GPU shortage is over

Smart contact lens prototype puts a Micro LED display on top of the eye

Meta is warning of “serious times” and preparing for a leaner second half of 2022, according to an internal memo circulated to employees this week. The note comes from chief product officer Chris Cox and outlines the company’s priorities and challenges to its business going forward.

“I have to underscore that we are in serious times here and the headwinds are fierce,” Cox wrote in the memo obtained by The Verge and published in full below. “We need to execute flawlessly in an environment of slower growth, where teams should not expect vast influxes of new engineers and budgets.”

The biggest revenue challenge comes from privacy changes affecting Meta’s ad business and macroeconomic pressures, Cox says in the memo, which was first reported by Reuters. Cox says monetizing Reels, the company’s short-form video TikTok copy, “as quickly as possible” is a key priority.

Cox also lays out six areas where he believes Facebook needs to deepen its investments. These include metaverse products; AI; messaging; continuing to push Reels; monetization; and meeting new privacy requirements. Cox says teams will have to “prioritize more ruthlessly” without the help of new staff or budgets.

Meta had already told employees that a slowdown was coming. In May, the company froze hiring across a number of teams, including teams working on shopping and video chatting products. The company’s stock has cratered over the past five months, as investors worry about slowing growth and expensive investments in the metaverse that may take years to pay off. Meta didn’t have a comment for this story.

Read the full memo below:

Meta warns employees of ‘serious times’ in internal memo listing key product bets

The tiniest Raspberry Pi gets a new version with built-in Wi-Fi

The first generation 3 nm chips will deliver reduced power consumption by up to 45%, performance is improved by 23%, and the area used is reduced by 16% compared to 5 nm chips. Samsung also has an eye on the future and said that second-gen 3 nm chips will reduce power consumption by 50%, improve performance by 30%, and reduce area use by 35%.

Commenting on the news, Dr Siyoung Choi, President and Head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics, said:

“Samsung has grown rapidly as we continue to demonstrate leadership in applying next-generation technologies to manufacturing, such as foundry industry’s first High-K Metal Gate, FinFET, as well as EUV. We seek to continue this leadership with the world’s first 3nm process with the MBCFET. We will continue active innovation in competitive technology development and build processes that help expedite achieving maturity of technology.”

Samsung did not reveal when consumers should expect 3 nm chips in its flagship smartphones but the company hosts Unpacked events several times a year so as soon as the technology is ready, it won’t take long to get it shipping in devices.

Samsung begins initial production of 3 nm chips with improved performance and power use

Sony finally announces a 4K monitor you might actually want

After several leaks, Nvidia has officially unveiled (via Videocardz) the GTX 1630, a new entry-level graphics card for light gaming and everyday computing tasks, with the $150 price tag (approximate price in China, global pricing will be unveiled later).

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1630 is the first 30-series model under the GTX branding. Still, do not expect much from this puny graphics card, even though it received the letter X in its name. The GTX 1630 features the Turing TU117-150 core with fewer CUDA cores than the GTX 1650. Also, Nvidia has cut its memory bus in half from 128-bit to 64-bit, which might become a problem for modern games. Early benchmarks suggest the GTX 1630 will be slower than the GTX 1050 Ti Nvidia introduced six years ago.

In other aspects, the GTX 1630 is similar to the GTX 1650, the former entry-level GPU in Nvidia's current non-RTX lineup. The new graphics card has the same 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, and TDP is 75W, which means many variants will not require additional power.

Do you think $150 is a reasonable price for what the GTX 1630 offers?

Nvidia launches GeForce GTX 1630, its cheapest modern graphics card

Apple’s poised to release a slew of new devices between this fall and the beginning of 2023, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. What Gurman describes as a “deluge” of products will reportedly include four iPhone 14 devices, a set of new iPads, three Apple Watches, several M2 / M3-upgraded Macs, a pair of refreshed AirPods Pro buds, a new HomePod, and a spec-boosted Apple TV model.

Let’s break down these predictions.

Although Apple announced two new Macs with its flagship M2 processor at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this month, Gurman expects to find the chip — and its variations — in several other devices. This includes an M2 Mac mini, M2 Pro Mac mini, M2 Pro / M2 Max 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as an M2 Ultra / M2 Extreme Mac Pro. Of course, there’s Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset, which is also expected to come with an M2 chip. If this isn’t overwhelming enough, Gurman says Apple’s M3 processor is already in the works, and will likely appear in the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops coming next year.

We already know that Apple is getting ready to launch the iPhone 14 this fall, and Gurman’s report offers a roundup of all the rumors floating around for the past year or so. For one, only the Pro and Pro Max models are reportedly set to receive the new and more powerful A16 chip, as well as support for always-on display. The iPhone 14 Pro models are also supposed to come with a 48-megapixel camera sensor, a new notch featuring a “pill-shaped cutout” for Face ID, and a hole-punch-style selfie camera. Gurman says the standard iPhone 14 will have the A15 chip that comes with the iPhone 13, with a 6.7-inch variation replacing the Mini model.

In terms of iPads, Gurman’s report indicates that Apple will launch M2-equipped 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models later this year, in addition to a larger iPad between 14 and 15 inches coming in the “next year or two.” Gurman also backs up an earlier rumor from 9to5Mac, which suggests that a new entry-level iPad will come with an A14 chip, 5G, and USB-C connectivity.

Apple’s also expected to release three new Apple Watch models this fall: the standard Watch Series 8, a new SE, and a more “rugged” watch geared towards people into “extreme sports.” Gurman notes that while the S8 chip present in the upcoming Watch Series 8 will offer the same level of performance as the preceding S7 and S6 chips, the Watch coming next year will reportedly feature an upgraded processor. Gurman also expects Apple to discontinue the Series 3 this fall in favor of the new SE, which could also come with the S8 processor — a jump from the S5 chip that came with the 2020 SE model.

Apple didn’t have much to say about tvOS at WWDC, however, Gurman says the company is supposed to reveal a new Apple TV with an A14 chip and slightly more RAM this fall. This sets the device up for the “additional gaming capabilities” that we could see in tvOS 16, Gurman notes.

Apple’s also set to roll out an upgraded HomePod — but probably not until next year. According to Gurman, the upcoming HomePod will come with a similar size and level of performance as the original HomePod released in 2018. It’s expected to have an S8 chip, refreshed display, and potential support “multi-touch functionality.”

The AirPods Pro earbuds are due for an upgrade as well, with Gurman predicting a new chip and improved sound. Hopefully, this means support for lossless audio, which supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo rumored earlier this year.

Report: Apple is gearing up to launch a ‘flood’ of new devices starting this fall

Microsoft Edge loves gamers

Microsoft took on a new initiative this week, pitching Edge as the best browser for gamers. To solidify its claims, it has released some new capabilities including a dedicated homepage to find out about the latest in gaming, the ability to launch Xbox Cloud Gaming titles seamlessly, Clarity Boost, a new configuration for Efficiency mode, and a side panel to access casual titles like Microsoft Solitaire.

But if you think that this is bloat, boy, you better brace yourself. Microsoft is testing a built-in calculator in Edge, a tool to test internet speed, and a unit converter. It truly does feel like Microsoft thinks of Edge as an OS rather than a browser.

Now coming over to the capabilities and improvements that you would typically expect from a browser, Edge DevTools has an improved 3D View tool to visualize issues in web development, you can find all the technical details here.

Meanwhile, Edge Canary and Dev sport a new feature that allows you to launch a command bar to quickly access and invoke some basic browser settings without having to go to the dedicated section. It's a handy capability to have but there's no concrete timeline for its release yet.

Finally, Edge 103 hit the Stable Channel with automatic profile switching, client certificate switching, better security, and a bunch of new policies in tow. Find out all the details here.

No Windows for Russia

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Microsoft announced in March that it is halting the new sales of its products and services in the country. Then earlier this month, it downsized its operations in Russia too, a move which affected 400 employees.

Now, the effects of all these actions can be felt by Russian consumers too. Multiple reports emerged earlier this week confirming that people in the country cannot download Windows 10 or Windows 11 ISOs from Microsoft's portals anymore. While there are obviously workarounds such as using a VPN to bypass these restrictions, it's clear that Microsoft doesn't plan to officially support new customers.

This does not only impact the generally available versions of Windows. Apparently, Insider builds are not being seeded via Windows Update either. Again, a VPN can be used to bypass this block, but there's no knowing if Microsoft will offer support to customers facing issues while using its OS.

Meanwhile, for those still receiving Windows updates, Microsoft has decided to roll back the KB5014019 Cumulative Update made available in this month's Patch Tuesday because it's causing issues with IE mode tabs in Edge. This is a significant issue now for those with legacy use-cases because the company has ended support for Internet Explorer on most versions of Windows and recommended IE mode in Edge as the way forward.

In a similar category of news, Microsoft rolled out an out-of-band (OOB) update to fix some Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Microsoft 365 sign-in issues for ARM devices. This update is available for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. There is also an optional Windows 11 update in store for those who are affected by Wi-Fi hotpots being broken with the latest Patch Tuesday. Although the issue also affects Windows 10, a fix is not available for that OS yet.

Windows Insider builds galore

Build 25145 made its way to the Windows 11 Dev Channel earlier this week with a bunch of new features. It includes better support for Braille devices, an enhanced mechanism for OneDrive storage and alerts management, and native implementation of Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) in Windows. It is important to note that this is a Sun Valley 3 build so don't expect these changes to land in the generally available version of Windows 11 this year.

But if you want to know if your PC is eligible for Windows 11 version 22H2 or not, check out this cool registry trick here. And if you want to bypass the version's Microsoft Account requirement, you should probably have a look at Rufus 3.19.

The Dev channel also received build 25145.1011 later but that was a just a release for Microsoft to test its servicing pipeline, it does not contain any changes.

Microsoft did confirm that the latest Windows 11 Insider builds have broken Visual Studio and .NET, and a fix is coming. But considering that Insider builds aren't meant for production environments, this should not be a mission-critical problem for people. In somewhat related news, we also know that the Redmond tech firm has started testing Privacy Auditing tools in Windows 11, which will allow you to see which of your software accessed sensitive hardware such as the mic or the camera.

Microsoft seeded Windows 10 build 19044.1806 (KB5014666) to the Release Preview Channel. It contains a bunch of technical changes including IP address auditing and new Print and Scan features.

Coming over to optional updates, we finally have some proof that Windows 10 version 22H2 is coming. Although it's a bit tricky to enable this version, it's probably not worth doing considering that the update doesn't really pack any new features.

Meanwhile, Windows 11's optional update has introduced Search Highlights along with a bunch of other changes and bug fixes, read all about them here.

Those still on Windows 8.1 for whatever reason should also know that Microsoft will start reminding users that the OS is reaching its end of life on January 10, 2023. The company has recommended people to upgrade to a new Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.

Talking about Windows updates, an interesting tidbit that emerged this week is that the European Space Agency (ESA) is upgrading the software of its MARSIS Mars water-finder. Software for the equipment was designed in a development environment based on Windows 98.

Git gud

This edition of Microsoft Weekly does not have as lengthy of a gaming section as the one we had last week, which is primarily due to the fact that there was no Xbox Bethesda Showcase this time around. However, there is still some ground to cover.

Microsoft has issued a warning about an Xbox Wireless Controller shortage across Europe. Although the U.S. appears to be unaffected, it's probably not a good idea have a controller break within the next few weeks.

The company has also announced that it is working on implementing a micro-transactions mechanism in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Fan reaction has obviously been largely negative with players asking why faster level ups and more point accruing systems are not being implemented instead of capping progress and offering a new monetized option for gaining cosmetics.

But coming over to the good stuff, a bunch of heavy hitters including FIFA 22, Far Cry 5, and Total War: Three Kingdoms have hit Xbox Game Pass. In related news, Dead Island: Riptide and theHunter: Call of the Wild are also available to play for free until tomorrow via the Free Play Days promotion, but it is only eligible for those who have an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

But if you would rather pay to own games, check out this week's Deals with Gold discounts headlined by Battlefield and Mortal Kombat. However, if you're a PC purist, don't miss out on this massive collection of deals across various storefronts, personally curated by Neowin News Editor Pulasthi Ariyasinghe.

Dev Channel

• Suggested replies in Microsoft Teams are coming to more platforms
• A UK college is lending Surface devices to students
• Windows Package Manager (winget) 1.3.1681 has support for portable app installations
• Xiaomi has announced its first Windows ARM tablet
• A Surface Go firmware update has bricked some devices, firmware updates are also available for Pro X SQ1 and SQ2, Surface Book 2, Surface Laptop 2, and Surface Go 2
• Microsoft Editor in Outlook is now available for more platforms
• Microsoft is halting sales of its emotion reading tech
• Microsoft has added support for WSL 2 distros on Windows Server
• Meta, Microsoft, Sony, and more have joined hands to form the Metaverse Standards Forum
• GitHub Copilot is now generally available at $10/month
• Switching between multiple Office accounts is coming to Android and Undo Send in Outlook is coming to Mac
• AMD has released version 22.6.1 of its driver to fix a single issue in Windows 7
• The Surface app has received an update with new color assets
• Microsoft has open-sourced its GODEL language model

Under the spotlight

This week, I wrote a piece commemorating the one-year anniversary of Windows 11 being formally announced by Microsoft. It's been a bit of a bumpy road for the OS so far, but all hope isn't lost yet. Let us know what you think about the OS here and don't forget to vote in the embedded poll too!

Meanwhile, forum member Adam Bottjen - better known as Warwagon - wrote the second edition of his Tech Tip Tuesday series. This time, he has a brief guide about how to disable the "open on hover" behavior of the weather icon in Windows 10, which is a handy tip to know if that particular UX behavior bothers you.

Logging off

Our most interesting news item between the previous edition of Microsoft Weekly and this one is about a faux gravestone commemorating the death of Internet Explorer. It's placed in South Korea with the gravestone text being "He was a good tool to download other browsers". The $330 piece was funded by a local software engineer, you can read all the fun details here.

Microsoft Weekly: Edge for gamers, no Windows for Russia, and a few builds

LCD vs. LED vs. Mini LED vs. OLED: A quick guide