Neowin

$800 million Xbox IP deal with Netflix collapses after Microsoft pushes for higher payout

Paul Hill — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 18:20:01 +0000

A massive exclusivity deal between Microsoft and Netflix for Xbox film and TV adaptations collapsed after Microsoft requested $800 million, leading Xbox to pivot to smaller partner deals. Read more...

Windows 11 Future Platforms build 29695.1001 improves Magnifier and fixes multiple issues

Ivan Jenic — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:26:30 +0000

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Experimental Future Platforms Preview build 29695.1001. See what's included: Read more...

Microsoft confirms missing Recall and faster Settings with new Windows 11 Insider builds

Sayan Sen — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:20:48 +0000

Microsoft has released new Windows 11 builds under the Beta channel. It brings some new features and improvements. Read more...

Windows 11 Insider builds bring Quick Settings phone controls and new Start menu options

Ivan Jenic — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:20:01 +0000

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview builds 26340.9767 and 28120.3302 (26H1). See what's included: Read more...

Ditch monthly AI fees with AskAnyModel AI Pro now just $29.97 with coupon

Neowin Deals — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:00:01 +0000

Brings together leading AI models—including GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Llama, Mistral, and more—under one lifetime subscription, eliminating the need for multiple costly AI plans. Read more...

Apple adds multi-seat app subscription purchases for schools and businesses

Paul Hill — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:16:01 +0000

Apple now allows organizations and schools to purchase multi-seat app subscriptions through Apple Business and App Store Connect, making bulk software deployment much easier. Read more...

Blink Doorbell and camera bundle gets mouth-watering 70% discount

Usama Jawad — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:00:01 +0000

Want to make your home safer without spending a fortune? This Blink security bundle packs a doorbell and two cameras into a deal that is hard to ignore. Read more...

WhatsApp is finally testing scheduled messages on iPhone

Usama Jawad — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:44:01 +0000

WhatsApp is bringing a long-awaited feature to iPhone users, but not everyone will get to try it just yet. Here's what you need to know. Read more...

Google Chrome, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix getting AV2 video support soon

Sayan Sen — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:28:01 +0000

Meta, Google Chrome, YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video are all gearing up to support AV2, the AV1 successor. Read more...

LibreOffice reveals how Microsoft manipulated the system to standardize OOXML instead of ODF

Usama Jawad — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:12:01 +0000

A 6,000-page specification, sudden voting surges, and rejected appeals. LibreOffice says Microsoft's path to OOXML standardization was anything but fair. Read more...

Spotify confirms it is cracking down on customers who misuse Family plan

Usama Jawad — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:44:01 +0000

Spotify is tightening shared-plan checks, but a new verification step could leave some subscribers facing an unexpected problem. Read more...

65-inch Toshiba mini-LED Fire TV gets massive $200 discount

Usama Jawad — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:55:19 +0000

Looking to upgrade your lounge setup? Toshiba's latest smart TV deal promises a more immersive viewing and gaming experience for less. Read more...

UK council accuses Microsoft of "blackmail" as software fees jump 15%

Paul Hill — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:50:01 +0000

Warwickshire County Council approved a license renewal with Microsoft despite local politicians calling the firm's 15% fee hike "blackmail," while considering future OS alternatives. Read more...

Unpatched Linux kernel vulnerabilities accidentally emailed to public mailing list

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:34:01 +0000

Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative accidentally posted details of six unpatched Linux kernel flaws to a public mailing list, drawing angry responses. Read more...

Valve developer slips up and confirms unannounced Half-Life project

Pulasthi Ariyasinghe — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:46:02 +0000

A Valve developer accidentally dropped the rumored Half-Life 3 codename "HLX" during a recent GameSoundCon panel, seemingly confirming its existence. Read more...

Beautiful and fast MSI MAG QD-OLED monitor gets 20% discount

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:30:01 +0000

Looking to upgrade your gaming setup? This feature-packed MSI monitor just got a tempting price cut, making its premium features more accessible. Read more...

Microsoft Garage is being killed off; unhappy employees voice frustration against AI spend

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:16:01 +0000

Microsoft Garage gave employees the freedom to experiment and build exciting projects for years, but its sudden closure has sparked frustration across the company. Read more...

How to make your mouse cursor disappear when it's idle in Windows 11

Ivan Jenic — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:00:01 +0000

If your cursor keeps sitting over text or distracting you while you work, PowerToys can now make it disappear automatically. Read more...

Microsoft is retiring an Outlook feature that allows Copilot to assign a priority to emails

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:32:01 +0000

Microsoft is making another change to Outlook, and this time, a feature designed to (theoretically) make managing your inbox easier is on its way out. Read more...

Arc Browser is shutting down this year

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:16:02 +0000

Arc Browser's days are numbered as its creators shift focus to a different browser, Dia. Here's when the changes begin and what users need to know. Read more...

Xbox Free Play Days adds Dying Light 2 and five more games for the weekend

Pulasthi Ariyasinghe — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:00:01 +0000

Xbox gamers can play Dying Light 2, Tropico 6, the Monster Hunter Stories series, and more this weekend through Free Play Days. Read more...

Banks are freaking out over AI agents accessing accounts without permission

David Uzondu — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:44:01 +0000

A bunch of AI agents have gone rogue and gained unauthorized access to bank accounts at several US banks. Read more...

Gorgeous Asus ROG display (240Hz) gets 29% price cut

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:28:02 +0000

Want to upgrade your gaming setup without spending a fortune? This OLED gaming monitor deal brings premium features at a much lower price. Read more...

1Password will allow AI agents to use your credentials without being able to see them

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:12:01 +0000

AI agents are getting better at handling tasks, but one major hurdle remains. A new 1Password platform aims to solve it without compromising your security. Read more...

Canceled Mass Effect game trailer leaks after BioWare closure

Pulasthi Ariyasinghe — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:56:01 +0000

Just a day after EA shut down BioWare, in-engine footage of the studio's canceled Mass Effect Universe project has leaked. Read more...

Apple makes it easier to identify iPhone Duo apps on the App Store

Aditya Tiwari — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:40:01 +0000

Apple said it has added a special badge on the App Store to find the apps optimized for the iPhone Duo. Read more...

All Accounts view (Unified Inbox) will become available to all New Outlook users this month

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:24:01 +0000

New Outlook for Windows is finally addressing one of its biggest missing features, and the change could make life much easier for anyone juggling multiple email accounts. Read more...

Google Sheets gets new statistical powers to show datasets in a better way

Aditya Tiwari — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:42:01 +0000

You can now use new statistical chart types in Google Sheets. The update is rolling out to Workspace customers and free users. Read more...

Co-op horror game Sker Ritual is free on the Epic Games Store

Pulasthi Ariyasinghe — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:26:01 +0000

PC gamers can claim the co-op shooter Sker Ritual and the pixel-art thriller Home for free on the Epic Games Store now. Read more...

Get Windows 11 Pro or Home for less than ten bucks

Neowin Deals — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:00:01 +0000

Upgrade for cheap and enjoy a more enhanced UI, better multitasking, and improved security for a fraction of the normal cost. Read more...

AMD releases new Windows 11/10 chipset driver for Ryzen 9000, 7000, 5000, 3000, and more

Sayan Sen — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:44:01 +0000

AMD has released a new Windows 11/10 chipset drivers for several Ryzen processors including Ryzen 9000, 7000, 5000, 3000, and more. Read more...

Microsoft explains how it has made Teams so much faster on desktop and mobile

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:18:01 +0000

Microsoft Teams is getting major performance boosts across desktop and mobile, but the biggest changes are happening behind the scenes. Here's what's new. Read more...

This 14-inch HP Windows laptop is great for students, and now discounted by a staggering 45%

Usama Jawad — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:38:01 +0000

Need an affordable laptop for everyday tasks? This HP deal offers a budget-friendly way to upgrade your setup without spending a fortune. Read more...

Microsoft finally fixed one of Windows 11's most annoying photo problems

Ivan Jenic — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:22:01 +0000

If you move iPhone photos to Windows, one of the most irritating compatibility hurdles is gone thanks to the new Photos app. Read more...

Nvidia GeForce NOW brings support for Modern Warfare 4, Final Fantasy Resonance, and more

Pulasthi Ariyasinghe — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:06:01 +0000

The new GeForce NOW update from Nvidia is bringing support for Modern Warfare 4, Final Fantasy Resonance, a Fire TV Stick upgrade, and more. Read more...

Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet hits lowest price yet in 53% deal, now $72.99

Paul Hill — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:12:01 +0000

Amazon has cut the price of its latest Fire HD 10 tablet by 53%, dropping the 10.1-inch 1080p device down to $72.99 with an included 13-hour battery and expandable storage. Read more...

PHP rushed emergency patch after critical RCE flaws leaked online

Paul Hill — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:34:02 +0000

The PHP project moved its security release forward after an accidental proof-of-concept leak exposed critical vulnerabilities that went unfixed for years due to organizational failures. Read more...

eBay lays off 1,000 employees in its second major workforce reduction this year

Paul Hill — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:10:01 +0000

eBay has announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs as part of a restructuring effort. The move follows 800 job cuts in February as tech companies continue tightening headcounts. Read more...

Millions of PHP exploit attempts surge within hours of critical RCE vulnerability disclosure

Paul Hill — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:14:51 +0000

Following patches for critical PHP remote code execution vulnerabilities, Cloudflare recorded millions of exploit attempts within hours. Update immediately or take affected sites offline. Read more...

Microsoft Entra ID ending native SMS authentication, pushing users to passkeys

Paul Hill — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 05:14:01 +0000

Microsoft Entra ID is retiring native SMS and voice MFA due to phishing risks. Organizations must adopt passkeys or bring in third-party telecom providers to avoid user lockouts. Read more...