➀ Microsoft postpones its first-party Xbox handheld project to focus on optimizing Windows 11 for third-party devices like Asus' 'Kennan';

➁ SteamOS's superior performance on handhelds challenges Windows 11's dominance, driving Microsoft's strategic shift;

➂ Asus' 'Kennan' handheld, co-developed with Microsoft, is on track for a late 2025 launch with finalized hardware

➀ A developer created Defendnot, a tool exploiting an undocumented Windows Security Center API to disable Windows Defender by simulating third-party antivirus registration;

➁ The tool injects code into Windows Task Manager, leaving systems vulnerable as it mimics antivirus software without actual protection;

➂ Microsoft flagged Defendnot as a Trojan, warning of its potential misuse, while debates arise over user autonomy versus system security risks.

➀ Microsoft's new ad claims Arm-based Copilot+ PCs are up to 58% faster than Apple's M3 MacBook Air in multi-core benchmarks；

➁ The comparison uses 2024 data and targets last-gen Mac hardware, ignoring Apple's newer M4-powered MacBook Air；

➂ Copilot+ PCs focus on AI capabilities and battery life but face challenges in Windows-on-Arm software compatibility.

➀ Asus is developing two ROG Ally 2 variants: a high-end black model with AMD Z2 Extreme (8-core Zen 5, 16 CU iGPU), 64GB RAM, and an Xbox button, and a white model with an unreleased AMD "Aerith Plus" APU and 16GB RAM.

➁ The black model aligns with Microsoft's Project Kennan, likely retaining Windows 11 but adding Xbox integration, while the white model targets mainstream users with a 7-inch 120Hz display and 65W charging.

➂ Pricing concerns arise as leaks suggest the Z2 Extreme model could exceed $1,000, competing with devices like the Steam Deck OLED and Lenovo Legion Go.

➀ Software engineer Svnscha developed an open-source tool (mcp-windbg) that integrates GitHub Copilot with Microsoft's WinDBG to automate crash dump analysis using natural language.

➁ The tool leverages AI to execute complex debugger commands, interpret assembly code, and suggest fixes, drastically reducing the manual effort required for debugging.

➂ Despite its advanced capabilities, users still need basic debugging knowledge to maximize the tool's potential as it acts as a 'Python wrapper' around conventional debuggers.

➀ Microsoft has entered the final phase of rolling out Windows 11 24H2, automatically pushing the update to unmanaged Home and Pro edition devices;

➁ Users can manually check for updates, but many will face automatic downloads with limited control over installation timing, potentially causing issues for storage-constrained devices;

➂ Despite Windows 10 still holding a 52.94% market share, Microsoft is aggressively promoting Windows 11 through ads and update prompts ahead of Windows 10's end-of-support in October 2025.

➀ The trend in gaming in 2025 is that everything is getting more expensive, including the popular Call of Duty franchise.

➁ There are rumors that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will have more expensive changes to its Battle Pass system.

➂ Some items, such as higher value rewards and loot, will be available only to Battle Pass owners, and Limited-Time Modes will be locked behind an additional fee.

➀ Microsoft retires Skype after 22 years, urging users to migrate to Microsoft Teams by January 2026;

➀ Skype's journey from 2003's revolutionary PC-to-PC calls to its $8.5B acquisition by Microsoft in 2011, peaking at 40% global call market share;

➂ Teams' dominance post-pandemic (300M users) eclipsed Skype's decline (36M users), leading to Microsoft's strategic consolidation.

➀ Microsoft will unveil compact 12-inch Surface Pro 11 and 13-inch Surface Laptop 7 with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chips at its May 6th event;

➁ Both devices feature UFS storage (up to 512GB), 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and limited ports without bundled chargers;

➂ Specs differ from existing models with smaller displays, lower refresh rates, and ARM-based architecture targeting mobile productivity.

➀ Microsoft recently announced significant price hikes for its Xbox hardware lineup, including the Xbox Series X and S.

➁ The Xbox Series S (512GB) in Robot White is still available for $273.99 at Walmart, 28% below the new MSRP.

➂ The Xbox Series S (1TB) can be found for $347 at Walmart, 19.3% below the new MSRP.

➃ The Xbox Series X (1TB) is becoming scarce at the old price point, but can still be found for $449 at Sams's Club.

➄ Some accessories like the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Controller and Full Controller are also available at reduced prices.

➀ Windows 11 prevents shutdown if apps are open, even without unsaved work;

➁ The feature is a safety measure but can be bypassed via registry edits;

➂ Adjusting AutoEndTasks and timeout settings forces apps to close faster during shutdown.

➀ Microsoft now defaults to passkeys for new accounts, using email verification and biometric authentication to enhance security;

➁ Passkeys eliminate traditional passwords, reducing risks of phishing and credential theft;

➂ Microsoft aims to phase out passwords entirely, with experiments showing a 20% reduction in password usage.

➀ In 2005, Janet Jackson's song 'Rhythm Nation' was found to crash laptops by resonating with hard drive frequencies, leading Microsoft to implement a Windows XP audio filter.

➁ Despite Windows updates allowing users to disable audio filters, Microsoft made an exception for this specific filter to prevent hardware crashes, even in Windows 11.

➂ The issue is now largely obsolete due to SSD adoption, but the legacy filter remains a quirky example of software-hardware interaction.

➀ Windows 7 users with solid-color backgrounds experienced a 30-second login delay due to a system waiting for nonexistent wallpaper data;

➁ Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen revealed the code-level bug caused the system to timeout while awaiting bitmap loading confirmation;

➂ The issue persisted for four months post-Windows 7 launch until Microsoft patched it in November 2009.

➀ The market has focused on '2GW of lease cancellations', but this only covers non-binding LOIs, not firm contracts.

➁ Microsoft has ~5GW of pre-leased capacity under binding contracts set to start operations between 2025 and 2028.

➂ Microsoft walked away from significantly more than 2GW of non-binding contracts over the last two quarters.

➀ Data centres, driven by AI and cloud computing, are energy-intensive and face an environmental challenge due to their high power consumption.

➁ Current solutions like renewable energy and advanced cooling systems are insufficient to meet the growing demand for data processing and storage.

➂ Nuclear power is proposed as a potential solution for powering data centres, offering sustainable energy with benefits such as high energy density and low emissions, though challenges like safety concerns and high costs remain.