Meta is planning to drop its native WhatsApp Windows app in favor of a web wrapper version instead, just months after introducing a native iPad app. The latest beta version of WhatsApp on Windows includes the major changes, with Meta noting it has “updated how WhatsApp beta looks and works.”Behind the scenes it’s a big change to WhatsApp on Windows, moving it from a native Windows and WinUI app to the WhatsApp web version simply wrapped in a web view. That means not only does the app look different, but the way notifications work has changed and the settings UI is far more basic. The beta app also includes WhatsApp Channels and “more functionality” for Status and Communities features.Meta is using Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology in the latest WhatsApp beta, allowing it to easily package up its web version of WhatsApp into a desktop app. Windows Latest points out that this makes it easier for Meta to maintain a single code base, instead of having to also maintain a native Windows app.It’s a disappointing change if you’re a daily user of WhatsApp on Windows, especially as it means the web app won’t look like it’s part of Windows 11 anymore and will use more RAM than the native version. Ironically, WhatsApp even notes that native versions of its Windows and Mac apps “provide increased performance and reliability, more ways to collaborate, and features to improve your productivity.”WhatsApp originally launched as a native app on Windows just a few years ago, and it allowed you to run the app without having to directly sync to your phone.

The original eGPUs made a lot of big promises. These new GPU enclosures were intended to change the gaming laptop market forever, as you’d no longer need to choose between getting a chunky gaming laptop with bad battery life or an ultraportable laptop with great battery life and a terrible gaming experience.

I enjoy trying new privacy browsers to explore their features and appreciate innovative and unique offerings. Over the last few months, I've tried browsers like Opera GX and Waterfox, and each has impressed me in some way. Most modern browsers are either Chromium or Firefox-based, and I have some idea of what to expect considering my experiences with both ecosystems.

Hackers have exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s SharePoint software, placing tens of thousands of on-premises servers used by global businesses and agencies at risk. Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday disclosing that it was aware of “active attacks,” and that it was working to patch the zero-day exploit. Researchers at Eye Security first identified the vulnerability on July 18th, which allows hackers to access certain on-premises versions of SharePoint and steal keys that can let them impersonate users or services even after the server is rebooted or patched. That means servers that have already been compromised may still be a risk for businesses, but cloud versions of SharePoint aren’t vulnerable to the exploit and are unaffected. Hackers can use the zero-day exploit to steal sensitive data, harvest passwords, and move across the breached network through services that are often connected to SharePoint, including Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive. The exploit appears to have originated from a combination of two bugs that were presented at the Pwn2Own hacking contest in May, allowing unauthenticated access to SharePoint servers. Microsoft has released patches to “fully protect” SharePoint 2019 and SharePoint Subscription Edition servers, and the company is actively working on a patch for SharePoint 2016. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says that the scope and impact of the attacks are still being assessed, and that any servers that have been impacted by the exploit should be disconnected from the internet until an official resolution is available. The exploit has been used to attack US federal and state agencies, universities, energy companies, and an Asian telecommunications company, the Washington Post reported, citing state officials and private researchers.

Many people within the Star Wars community enjoy playing games like EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 online. Most recently, the game has seen a surge of players hopping onto platforms like Steam and bringing groups of players with them to dive into multiplayer matches. The influx of players caused the game to set new concurrent player records on Steam and even made waves on consoles where the game was available. This stems from the growing trend of people expressing their desire to see a Star Wars Battlefront 3 developed and released by Electronic Arts. But despite how loud the Star Wars community has been about it, EA doesn't have any plans to return to a galaxy far, far away anytime soon, nor does EA really need to make a new Star Wars Battlefront like that right now.

Ever since Windows 11 first debuted in October 2021, there have been complaints about its performance on certain types of hardware. Whether it was gaming on new hybrid performance CPUs showing no improvement on Windows 11, or claims that Windows 11 simply feels lethargic compared to Windows 10, Microsoft has tried to fix the problems with updates to the OS. Now, it wants direct feedback about “any slow or sluggish performance” in Windows 11.A new test build of Windows 11 debuted on Friday with a method to automatically collect performance logs submitted to Microsoft. “Windows Insiders are encouraged to provide feedback when experiencing PC issues related to slow or sluggish performance, allowing Feedback Hub to automatically collect these logs, which will help us root cause issues faster,” says Microsoft.This new logging system is part of Microsoft’s “commitment to improving Windows performance,” and will likely mean we see even more improvements to the performance and reliability side of the 25H2 update due later this year.Microsoft already made some performance improvements to Windows 11 in 2023 to speed up the Taskbar, notifications area, and quick settings panel. The performance impact of startup apps was also reduced in 2023, and the 24H2 update last year also seemed to greatly improve performance on older hardware.Microsoft is also looking to improve Windows drivers through new requirements that developers will need to follow for the 25H2 update later this year. It’s now requiring static analysis for driver certification, which should help “identify potential issues in driver code before deployment.”

Have you ever tried outputting the same sound channel from two audio devices at the same time on Windows? It's not an easy task; the last time I checked, you have to play around with the Stereo Mix to get audio output from two devices at the same time, and it's not very intuitive. In fact, it's kind of hard to believe that Windows has gone so long without an easier way of achieving this.

The UK government is reportedly set to back down from its battle with Apple to obtain back door access to secure user data protected by the company’s iCloud encryption. Victory hasn’t come through the courts, or government figures changing their minds on privacy matters, but thanks to ongoing pressure from the US during the two countries’ trade talks.Multiple unnamed UK officials told the Financial Times that the UK government is working on a way out. “The Home Office is basically going to have to back down,” one said, adding that vice-president JD Vance was especially opposed to the UK’s demand, which may violate the Cloud Act treaty between the two countries. “It’s a big red line in the US — they don’t want us messing with their tech companies.”Another official echoed that, explaining that the UK wants to avoid pushing too hard for “anything that looks to the US vice-president like a free-speech issue.” A third official said the UK had “its back against the wall,” and wants a way out: “It’s a problem of the Home Office’s own making, and they’re working on a way around it now”.The UK issued a secret order demanding Apple grant it an encryption back door in January this year, asking for access to files uploaded by users worldwide. In response Apple stopped offering its end-to-end encrypted iCloud storage, Advanced Data Protection, in the UK, and filed an appeal against the order. In April Apple won its first victory, the right to openly discuss the case, and last month WhatsApp announced that it had applied to present evidence to the court to support Apple’s case.

From hardware compatibility to software support and customization, Windows offers a high degree of flexibility, a major reason why many users choose Microsoft's operating system over other alternatives. If you belong to that clique, you aren't deprived of some of the best features on Linux or other alternatives, even when running Windows as the default, thanks to the existence of Virtual Machines.

When it comes to canceled games, there's something irresistible about them. Haunting, even. I'm not talking about the shovelware or half-baked pitches, but the real ones. The ones that were actually being built, building hype through magazines and interviews, showcased behind closed doors... and then vanished.

If you've ever been left disappointed with the File Explorer because it didn't do something you wanted it to, perhaps migrating to an alternative app is on the cards. There are plenty out there that do all kinds of things, but one we see ourselves coming back to time and time again is simply called Files.

If you're already using Home Assistant to automate your lights, sensors, climate, and routines, adding music to the mix just makes sense. Music Assistant is a powerful add-on that turns your Home Assistant setup into a multi-room audio controller, complete with source management and smart playback features. It's free, open source, and surprisingly easy to integrate with everything from local files to Spotify. Once it’s running, it feels like a native part of your smart home.