x86 has been the primary architecture of PCs and servers over the last few decades, and yet, we're starting to see a tangible shift towards something different. Arm is becoming more and more commonplace, with software vendors finally building their applications for Arm platforms on Windows with the release of the Snapdragon X Elite. Plus, Apple's own shift towards Arm means that an entire segment of mainstream and professional machines are no longer using x86, too.

It wasn't too long ago that we reported on someone who got Tetris working in a PDF document. Of course, the next logical step was to get Doom running on it, which they managed to do. However, it turns out that the story doesn't end there. The feat inspired people to attempt to cram the classic FPS into as many productivity-based apps as possible, and now Microsoft Word has fallen victim to the Doom enthusiasts' endless crusade to get it running on everything possible.

Back in December, Microsoft gave out a small warning. It stated that it planned to rebrand its entire productivity line from "Microsoft 365 Office" to "Microsoft 365 Copilot," and people didn't really gel with the idea. Well, seems Microsoft didn't really care, as it has given the green light to begin rebranding everyone's apps to a more Copilot-focused brand.

Image: The Verge Microsoft is testing AI-powered Windows search in a new dev channel build for Windows 11 Insider testers. Announced in October, it uses semantic indexing to let users search for local files using more casual language. Like other Microsoft AI features, you’ll need a Copilot Plus PC to use it.The feature applies whether you’re using search boxes in Settings, File Explorer, or the taskbar. And you don’t need to be connected to the internet for it to work, thanks to the NPU chips on Copilot Plus computers. For now, AI search is limited to Windows settings and files with image and text formats that include JPEG, PNG, PDF, TXT, and XLS. Image: Microsoft Microsoft says that search only works for files in locations you’ve chosen to index. Users can tweak those locations using options found under Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows, or turn on “Enhanced” to index their whole machine. The company adds that the feature will eventually expand to include cloud data such as that stored in OneDrive.AI-powered Windows search “will gradually roll out to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs,” Microsoft writes, with support for Intel or AMD Copilot Plus computers later. The feature will work for machines set to Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish languages. Image: Microsoft In addition to the new search, the build also includes AI writing tools offered by Click to Do, a feature that lets you choose from context-sensitive menus of options when you hold the Windows key down and left-click on your screen. Now, when you click a block of text and select Rewrite, there’s a “Refine” option that can correct grammar for you.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s threat to “go dark” tomorrow a “stunt,” and said there is no reason that TikTok or any other companies should take any actions under the ban before the Trump administration is sworn in Monday morning, several news outlets are reporting.“It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday,” MSNBC quotes Jean-Pierre as saying. “We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration. So TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.”The statement comes one day after TikTok threatened to go offline if the Biden administration doesn’t offer reassurance that companies like Apple and Google won’t be held liable for defying the ban, which the Supreme Court upheld yesterday. Company CEO Shou Chew also appealed to Donald Trump, saying the company is “grateful” for his support of the platform. Trump said that a “90-day extension is something that will be most likely done” during an interview with Meet The Press moderator Kristen Welker for NBC News. That followed reporting earlier this week that the incoming President plans to issue an executive order doing so. Given that the ban’s deadline is up before he’s sworn in, it’s not clear whether Trump can actually extend it. He can choose not to enforce the ban, just as Biden says he will, but that still leaves Apple and Google to decide if Trump’s word is worth the legal risk that would come with defying the ban by leaving the app available for download.

It's such an odd time to be an Intel fan. The company continues to struggle with its desktop CPUs but Lunar Lake mobile processors and Arc discrete graphics cards have been largely well received. I'm a big fan of Intel's push into the affordable GPU market segment, offering gamers excellent value with Battlemage GPUs for less than $250. The latest addition to the family is the Intel Arc B570, a 1080p and 1440p GPU for $219, seriously undercutting some of the offerings from direct competitors. It's a great time to be a PC gamer as Intel looks to break up the GPU duopoly and here's why these cards will be a sleeper hit for desktop systems.

If you own an AMD Ryzen CPU and have done a Google search for information about RAM overclocking, speed, and stability in the last 7 years, chances are you might have come across something called the "Infinity Fabric." Usually brought into discussions to explain the somewhat unique relationship of AMD CPUs with high-speed memory, Infinity Fabric is an internal interconnect bus that forms the core of AMD's scalable CPU architecture.

We love our video games to death, so much so that we're willing to stretch ourselves to buy overpriced GPUs, additional consoles, and way more powerful hardware than we really need, simply to make games look pretty and smooth. What we also love doing (almost as much) is ranting about the things that are wrong with the gaming industry.

Ask a PC builder whether they care about performance or looks, and they'll probably answer "both." Building a PC that looks unique, however, is easier said than done. Since everyone usually builds with the same overused components, it's hard to craft a PC that stands out. You either end up creating the same fish tank PC as countless others, or an understated black or white-themed build with no RGB.

If you somehow missed it, CES 2025 happened earlier this month and it was a blast for PC hardware announcements. AMD outed a bunch of new processors, as did Intel, and Nvidia announced the new GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards. We've covered each announcement here at XDA, but if you'd like an easily digestible roundup of what AMD and Nvidia announced, I've got you covered with the heavy-hitting news right here.

Over the years, SBCs have seen significant improvements in both processing capabilities and software compatibility. Modern-day Single-Board Computers have become versatile enough to power a wide variety of projects. This trend also extends to the Raspberry Pi series, with the RPi 5 packing enough firepower to run full-fledged desktop operating systems.

Genshin Impact developer Cognosphere has to change the way it does loot boxes. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge The Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday that Genshin Impact developer Cognosphere has agreed to a $20 million settlement and several restrictions on how it sells its loot boxes and manages children’s personal data. According to the FTC, the company “actively marketed” its loot boxes to children and misled players about their odds of winning prizes.Cognosphere allegedly also “deceived children and other users about the real costs of in-game transactions,” by requiring them to buy virtual money that involved multiple currency exchanges. Players often spent “hundreds of dollars on prizes they stood little chance of winning,” according to Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine. For years, loot boxes have been likened to a form of legal gambling. The complaint, filed by the Department of Justice, also accuses the Genshin Impact developer of marketing to kids using approaches like posts on social media channels and in-game banners. The company then allegedly collected their personal information in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule. Once the settlement is approved, the company is required to delete any data for children under 13 whose parents haven’t consented to their data being collected.Other requirements of the settlement include that Cognosphere must offer an option to buy loot boxes directly and not just through virtual money. It’s also forbidden from misrepresenting pricing, features, and winning odds for loot boxes, and it must disclose exchange rates for multi-tiered virtual currency.