Windows Calling
The latest Windows Calling coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Corsair Cove’s Free Steam Demo Is the Only Sure Way to Know If Your PC Can Handle the Pirate City-Builder
Corsair Cove, a vertical pirate city-builder from Limbic Entertainment and Hooded Horse, launches on July 31, 2026 for Windows PC via Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store, and PC Game Pass. Early reviews praise its creative terrain-driven design but warn of performance issues, making the free Steam demo an essential pre-purchase test. This article details the system requirements, critical consensus, and a practical step-by-step plan for evaluating your PC's readiness.
What a Galaxy S23 speed-up teaches Windows users about reviving older hardware
A MakeUseOf experiment with a three-year-old Galaxy S23 demonstrated how six simple software tweaks—switching launchers, freeing storage, halving animations, limiting background processes, disabling virtual memory, and adjusting performance mode—can restore a phone's responsiveness. The article extracts actionable lessons for Android users and draws direct parallels for Windows users, showing that similar tweaks on a PC can breathe new life into aging hardware.
Honor Magic V6 Gets a £600 Price Slash—Here’s What Windows Users Need to Know
Honor has slashed the UK price of its Magic V6 foldable by £600, bringing it to £1,399.99 just days after Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 series. The promotion includes a free gift bundle and starkly undercuts Samsung's expected pricing, making it a compelling option for Windows users seeking a large-screen companion. However, buyers should weigh ecosystem lock-in, durability concerns, and real-world battery claims before committing.
WhatsApp Brings Call Transfer, Waiting Rooms, and Full-Fledged Web Calling to Your PC
WhatsApp is rolling out Call Transfer, Waiting Rooms, and full audio/video calling for its web client. Windows users can now move live group calls from phone to PC without hanging up, control who joins via link, and make calls directly from the browser—no app install needed. The update makes WhatsApp Web a first-class calling endpoint and adds practical tools for families, communities, and small teams.
Windows Update Is Overwriting Your Intel Arc GPU Drivers—Here’s How to Stop It
Intel’s latest Arc graphics driver brings game-day optimizations and bug fixes, but Windows Update often silently replaces it with an older version. This guide explains why it happens, who’s affected, and provides step-by-step instructions to install the right driver, block Windows Update interference, and recover from an unwanted downgrade.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Integrates Anthropic’s Claude, Launches Agent Control Plane
Microsoft’s FY26 retrospective and Wave 3 Copilot updates mark a shift from AI pilots to governed, operational AI. Key changes include Anthropic’s Claude integration, Agent 365 control plane, and the $99/user E7 suite. We break down what’s available, what it costs, and how to prepare for agentic AI in your organization.
Steam Deck OLED Price Jumps to $789: ROG Xbox Ally Emerges as the Smart Buy
Valve's Steam Deck OLED now costs up to $949, a 46% hike that erodes its value advantage. The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally at $599 and the Ally X at $999 now present stronger hardware for the price, and the used market offers sub-$400 alternatives for budget-conscious gamers.
Tears of Metal Early Access: How Paper Cult’s Hack-and-Slash Roguelite Aims to Revitalize Musou Combat on PC
Tears of Metal, a new hack-and-slash roguelite from Paper Cult, launched in Early Access on Steam and Xbox PC. It blends Musou-style combat with roguelite progression to create a fresh, time-respecting action experience. This article explains what the game is, why it matters, and how to get the most out of its early access phase.
Windows 11 Voice Access Gets Speaker-Focused Voice Isolation in Latest Insider Build
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29634.1000 introduces Voice Isolation for Voice Access, letting the system filter out other people’s speech while listening for your commands. The feature offers three modes, processes audio on-device for privacy, and has also appeared in Release Preview builds, signaling eventual mainstream availability. However, it remains an experimental feature with significant limitations for daily use.
Windows 11's Latest Insider Build Makes Braille Displays Truly Plug-and-Play
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 28120.2546 introduces true plug-and-play support for HID-compliant braille displays in Narrator, eliminating driver downloads and manual setup. The update also enables braille during Windows out-of-box setup and supports wireless Bluetooth pairing, marking a major step toward hardware-independent accessibility.
28% of U.S. Adults Have Had Romantic AI Relationships—Here’s How to Set Boundaries That Protect Your Well-Being
A Vantage Point Counseling survey found that 28.16% of 1,012 U.S. adults have had an intimate or romantic relationship with an AI system, while 53.95% reported broader AI relationships such as friendship, therapy, coaching, or work support. The findings highlight AI’s growing role in everyday life, including through chatbots and companion apps built into smartphones and Windows PCs, and underscore the need for healthy boundaries.
Apple Upgrade Leases iPhones and Macs—Ownership Requires an Extra Payment
Apple launched Apple Upgrade, a leasing program for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches with Klarna-backed monthly payments. At the end of the term, users must pay an extra buyout fee to own the device, return it, or upgrade. This service-journalism analysis explains the terms, compares leasing to buying a Windows PC, and offers practical advice for shoppers.
Microsoft and Apple Update Printer Troubleshooting in 2026: Stop Reinstalling Drivers First
Microsoft, Apple, and printer makers have overhauled printer troubleshooting in 2026, deprecating old tools like Google Cloud Print and HP Smart while emphasizing a fix order that starts with hardware and network checks rather than driver reinstalls. This article distills the updated guidance for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS, offering a cross-platform, step-by-step approach to resolve offline, queue, and connectivity errors.