Microsoft is taking a step back in time with Windows 11, introducing a feature not seen since the days of Vista. If you are sick of a static desktop background, you will be pleased to learn that you will soon be able to use a video as your backdrop instead.

This is something Microsoft was first playing with nearly two decades ago, before scrapping it as a bad idea. Now – for reasons unknown – the company feels the time is right to revive the DreamScene feature of Windows Vista in Windows 11.

The MX Linux team has released the first beta of MX Linux 25, a major update that moves the distribution to a Debian 13 base. The beta is available in multiple editions, including both systemd and SysVInit options for Xfce and Fluxbox. KDE Plasma is offered with systemd only.

The announcement says, “MX-25 beta 1 is now available for testing. MX-25 is built from debian 13 ‘Trixie’ and MX repositories, along with the antiX live system. Systemd and SysVInit editions are provided and supported.”

The Trump administration has outlined a plan that would put Oracle in charge of safeguarding TikTok’s recommendation system, a senior White House official said today. The proposal is designed to ease U.S. concerns that the app could be steered by Beijing, while keeping TikTok available for the 170m people who use it in America.

The recommendation engine, which decides what videos appear in a user’s feed, sits at the center of the dispute. Often described as the app’s most important feature, its secret sauce, it is also the focus of security worries. U.S. officials argue that because it was created by ByteDance, based in Beijing, the Chinese government could influence what users see by pushing or hiding certain content without detection.

Enterprises face a growing volume and complexity of cyber threats which means security teams struggle with alert fatigue and managing a spread of tools.

Sumo Logic is launching a new agent-powered security operations tool to help automate routine tasks, streamline investigations, and give enterprise security teams the freedom and ability to focus on analyzing the biggest security issues facing their organization.

The proliferation of different cybersecurity tools has created an operational crisis for organizations, with companies struggling to manage an increasing array of defensive technologies.

Organizations today are forced to juggle multiple tools, each with unique UI, costs, and maintenance headaches. They’re also often not able to buy the tools they need, because they are either too expensive or don't exist in the specific capacity they need.

Details have emerged about a now-patched flaw in Microsoft Entra ID which could have been exploited to gain access to any tenant of any company in the world.

Tracked as CVE-2025-55241, the Azure Entra Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 severity rating of 10.0. The security researcher who discovered the flaw said that he had “found the most impactful Entra ID vulnerability that I will probably ever find. This vulnerability could have allowed me to compromise every Entra ID tenant in the world”.

Of all the things you probably don’t need, but which you'll likely want, a mirror that places you inside the retro stylings of Microsoft Paint has to be right up there. As spotted by Yanko Design, designer RaffySculptures is selling a handcrafted “Paint Mirror” on Etsy.

It blends digital nostalgia with practical design, bringing the classic MS Paint interface into modern homes.

Microsoft has announced that the price of Xbox Series S and Series X consoles is due to increase next month. This is the second time this year that the company has raised prices and the jump from the initial launch prices are quite extreme.

A 512GB Xbox Series S console is now a massive 25 percent more expensive than when it first went on sale – up from $300 in 2020, through $380 earlier this year, up to $400. For now, the price changes on impact the US.

So much communication takes place on WhatsApp – both personal and business – that it is all too easy to lose track of things that have been said. Just about everyone will recognize the scenario in which someone they have been chatting with asks if they’ve followed up on that thing from last week, only to have the crashing realization that you’d completely forgotten.

To help combat this, WhatsApp is experimenting with a simple idea – message reminders. This feature is currently undergoing testing with some users of the iOS version of the app. Here is how it can help you.

Want to know a secret? If you don’t like Windows 11, you don’t actually have to use it! I know, shocker right? With Windows 10 support ending on 14 October 2025, millions of PCs will soon be left behind. For users who want to keep their existing desktop or laptop, Linux offers another way forward, and Zorin OS is one of the best Windows alternatives around.

Zorin OS 18 has now entered beta, giving Windows 10 users a chance to try a modern desktop that feels familiar without demanding new hardware or chucking you in at the deep end.

ESR has announced a new lineup of MagSafe-compatible accessories for the recently announced Apple iPhone 17 series. The new products include high-speed wireless chargers featuring the company’s CryoBoost active cooling system, and magnetic wallets with Apple-certified Find My support.

"With the iPhone 17 series, we're bringing the full benefits of MagSafe to users through our next-generation accessory ecosystem," said Tim Wu, CEO of ESR. "ESR is pioneering the MagSafe space by delivering best-in-class charging speeds, smarter everyday-carry solutions, and user-friendly innovations that make daily tech effortless."

will.i.am, The Black Eyed Peas rapper and producer turned entrepreneur, has teamed up with LG to create the audio device you probably didn’t have on your wishlist: a Bluetooth speaker with its own AI DJ.

The new “LG xboom by will.i.am” range comes loaded with FYI.RAiDiO, an interactive service designed to let you chat with a virtual host while your music plays.

A new survey from cybersecurity incident response management (CIRM) specialist Cytactic finds 70 percent of cybersecurity leaders say internal misalignment following a cyberattack caused them more chaos than the threat actor itself, leaving many organizations paralyzed by breakdowns in authority, coordination, and clarity.

The report also finds that while 73 percent of leaders describe their response plans as ‘technically comprehensive,’ many admit those plans collapse under real-world pressure. In addition, 86 percent say ‘translation time’ between legal, communications, and technical teams causes costly delays, underlining that breaches are often derailed more by internal breakdowns than by attackers.

For a long time the alternative social media platform Mastodon has relied heavily on donations to keep running. The non-profit organization also makes use of grants, but now it has announced plans to branch out into new areas of making money.

The plan is important to achieve financial sustainability, and as part of this Mastodon says that it is “now ready to expand on the success of providing these services to organisations”.

The move from passwords to passkeys is making gradual progress, and Google is among the companies pushing to encourage people to make the switch.  Now there are signs that things are being taken up a notch.

Hidden away in the most recent Canary build of Chrome, Google is testing a flag which, when enabled, will automatically convert saved passwords into passkeys when logging into a site or service.