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Windows

The most popular operating system in the world, Microsoft’s Windows is the software that powers hundreds of millions of PCs. Introduced back in November 1985, Windows has changed and evolved over time to grow as gaming, design, development, and productivity needs have shifted. Whether XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, or, most recently, Windows 11, Microsoft’s OS is one of the most important pieces of software ever made.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Microsoft is testing tighter integration with 1Password’s passkeys in Windows.

The idea is to make using passkeys a little more seamless. But this isn’t available to everyone just yet: Microsoft is initially rolling it out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel and you need to install the 1Password beta.

A screenshot showing the tighter 1Password passkeys integration with Windows.
Image: Microsoft
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Microsoft has started testing its AI agent in the Windows 11 Settings app.

First announced last month, the feature lets users describe what they need in Settings, like “my mouse pointer is too small.” The AI agent will then provide suggestions about how to address the issue, and can even fix it for them if users give permission.

Microsoft is bringing the AI agent to Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev Channel, but only for Snapdragon-based Copilot Plus PCs to start.

Image: Microsoft
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Ayaneo’s next modernized Nintendo DS has a larger second screen.

Although the original dual-screen Ayaneo Flip was a flop, the company confirmed it was committed to the line and today announced its new Flip 1S DS. The most obvious upgrade is a 7-inch 1080P OLED main screen with a larger 4.5-inch secondary LCD touchscreen with a 1620×1080 pixel resolution.

It will be powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, run Windows 11, and feature TMR joysticks, but pricing and availability isn’t known yet.

<em>The second screen is still smaller than the Flip 1S DS’ main folding display, but it’s now much larger than it was on the original Ayaneo Flip.</em>
<em>Despite the inclusion of a touchscreen and an optical finger mouse, the Flip 1S DS includes several additional buttons we don’t yet know what they’re used for.</em>
<em>In addition to a D-pad controller, the Flip 1S DS features a pair of analog joysticks that utilize drift-resistant TMR technology.</em>
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The second screen is still smaller than the Flip 1S DS’ main folding display, but it’s now much larger than it was on the original Ayaneo Flip.
Image: Ayaneo
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Older Windows handhelds are getting Xbox full-screen upgrades too.

If you already bought a Windows gaming handheld, you might not need to upgrade your hardware to get the overhauled Xbox app, Game Bar, and Windows OS that Microsoft and Asus just announced.

Xbox exec Roanne Sones:

The Xbox full-screen experience will first come to the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X, and our next focus will be updating the in-market ROG Ally and the ROG Ally X. Similar full-screen Xbox experiences will be rolling out to other Windows handhelds, starting next year.”

Windows 11 is getting a new Start menu this monthWindows 11 is getting a new Start menu this month
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
Lucky for EU, users there can run Windows 11 on their iPads.

That’s because DMA rules let iPad owners access alternative app stores like AltStore Classic. That opens the door to iPadOS apps with just-in-time compilation (JIT) for modern hardware emulation and running things like Windows 11 on an M2 iPad Air, as YouTuber NTDev demonstrates in the video below. MacRumors has some details on how it works.

Meanwhile, the best I can do is JIT-less Windows XP on an M1 iPad Pro.

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Windows for the Game Boy, with playable Minesweeper and Paint.

Tap the video to watch! It looks glorious, and I’m so sorry to say this batch is already sold out. Hat tip to Time Extension. P.S. there’s even a Blue Screen of Death!

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
This $395 mirror turns your reflection into a Microsoft Paint masterpiece.

Depending on your age, there’s a good chance Microsoft Paint was your first introduction to creating digital art. The app’s capabilities have improved over the years, but Drought’s new MS Paint Mirror captures the charm of the limited toolset included in the Windows 95 version — just supersized and a lot easier to use.

A person holds a mirror in a dry, desert-like area in two different side-by-side images.
Drought’s MS Paint Mirror is made from wood, glass, MDF, and features a “full-color printed design.”
Image: Drought