Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is banned from competing at the Winter Olympics for continuing to wear a helmet which features images of athletes killed during Russia`s invasion of his home country. Read...

Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker will take on the might of the Chris Waller stable in two features on Saturday at Randwick. Read...

Testing Windows has always allowed you to try out new features ahead of time, even a new operating system. But the Windows 11 26H1 release Microsoft is testing now literally breaks Windows into two parallel tracks, separated into x86 and Arm. Some of this isn’t new: Microsoft said last November that Windows 11 26H1 would be used to test “specific silicon,” believed to be the Snapdragon X2 Elite chips that Qualcomm debuted last fall. That’s now confirmed. Microsoft also released a new Windows 26H1 build this week, with the expectation that the majority of PC users will eventually be shunted to the Windows 11 26H2 release this fall. But here’s the thing: Laptops with Windows 11 26H1 on them won’t be upgradable to Windows 11 26H2. They’ll remain on a separate Windows track until an undisclosed time. In a Microsoft support document released Tuesday, Microsoft reiterated that “Windows 11, version 26H1 will only be available on new devices with select new silicon as they come to market in early 2026.” Again, that’s not entirely new, but means that devices like new iterations of the Microsoft Surface Laptop and Pro will be powered by X2 Elite chips, Windows 11 26H1, and whatever unique Windows experiences Microsoft puts on them. This, though, is the surprise. “Devices running Windows 11, version 26H1 will not be able to update to the next annual feature update in the second half of 2026,” Microsoft added. “This is because Windows 11, version 26H1 is based on a different Windows core than Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2, and the upcoming feature update. These devices will have a path to update in a future Windows release.” This is new. You’ve always been able to test, say, Windows 11, when Windows 10 was nearing the end of its life. And when a new iteration of Windows was nearing release, you’ve often had a choice of testing the version that was just about to release, versus more experimental code designed to ship further down the roadmap. But it was always basically a single, serial path: All of the code would eventually land on your PC, if Microsoft deemed it worthy enough to roll out. That’s not the case now. Assuming that Windows 11 26H1 is exclusive to the Snapdragon X2 Elite, Windows on Arm now has its own path forward. Windows on x86 does too. Microsoft is also telling us that this will last for longer than just six months or so, until Windows 11 26H2 releases. Both Windows 11 26H1 and H2 will receive their own patches and updates. Referring to a “different Windows core” could simply mean that Microsoft is calling out that 26H1 runs on Arm. It doesn’t sound like it, though. We now have two parallel tracks: one for Arm, and one for x86. In coding, developers refer to that as a “fork,” with development going off in two separate directions. That certainly seems to be what’s happening here. What’s odd about the whole situation is that I’ve been told that Microsoft feels that the PC has become a little too complicated, and that consumers are asking for simplicity. That may be why Microsoft is separating the Arm development path into its own track, so that consumers who know and understand Arm might feel comfortable trying out these new experiences. But it still adds another choice for consumers to make. On the other hand, it also makes anything rolled out with Windows 11 26H1 onboard a sort of commercialized beta program. Do I want to buy into a taste of the future, or stick with the tried and true? How does the Windows 11 26H1 code base reconcile with the x86 path in the future? Is Windows 11 26H1 just a preview of what will eventually be Windows 12? It certainly could be. But how, and when, and who gets it are questions we didn’t have until this week. Microsoft just split Windows into two, and things just got even more interesting. Read...

Yesterday was Patch Tuesday, which means Microsoft released a large batch of security updates to address flaws and vulnerabilities in its various products and services. But there was another update alongside that one: update KB5077179 (spotted by Windows Latest). This appears to be the anticipated Windows 11 26H1 update, which Microsoft confirms. However, regular users won’t be able to download or install this update. Why? Because it’s exclusively intended for newer PCs running on Snapdragon X2 chips. According to Microsoft, the first PCs with Windows 11 26H1 will launch “early this year.” The KB5077179 update appears to be the first step in preparation for this launch. What is Windows 11 26H1? Windows 11 26H1 is a version of the operating system that’s being specially adapted for upcoming Snapdragon PCs. We previously reported on this last November, which shortly afterwards entered testing. Last month, the official launch date was announced, which is expected to drop in April 2026. On this support page, Microsoft explains that Windows 11 26H1 will be introduced on PCs with newer Arm-based chips. Other PCs can’t receive the update and there’s no way to install it manually. However, there are now rumors that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 chips won’t be the only ones optimized for Windows 11 26H1. Nvidia is also said to be working on an Arm-based chip called N1X. However, there has been no official announcement on this yet. Why Windows 11 users aren’t missing out If you’re wondering whether you’re missing out on anything special with Windows 11 26H1, the answer is… no. You aren’t. The update is being developed in collaboration with Qualcomm to enable optimal performance on Snapdragon X2 systems. However, apart from better performance, battery life, and a focus on AI computing power, version 26H1 doesn’t change the way Windows 11 works. So, for now, you can confidently stick with Windows 11 25H2 (the most current version of Windows 11). The next major update will be Windows 11 26H2, which is scheduled for release in the fall of this year and is currently being tested by Windows Insiders. That one is expected to deliver new features (and certainly new problems). Further reading: Check out the first preview of Windows 11 26H2 Read...

At the risk of going into old-man-yells-at-cloud mode, I remember when Notepad was the most basic text editor around. Some coders and writers liked the program—which comes included in every single version of Windows (and earlier)—for that reason. But Microsoft has been building out Notepad ever since it killed off Wordpad… and now Notepad is complex enough to support remote code execution. Neat. For the uninitiated, remote code execution (RCE) is a security vulnerability that allows an external program to be loaded and run without the user’s permission or knowledge. It’s a kind of attack that shouldn’t even be possible in a super-basic text editor. But with tons of new features in Notepad—up to and including integration with “AI” via Copilot—it’s a lot more vulnerable than it used to be. The latest problem comes from Notepad’s support of Markdown, a basic formatting system, which was added in July of 2025. The new issue was highlighted by Microsoft itself in a security bulletin. It goes like this: the user downloads a file with Markdown-formatted text inside, then opens it with Notepad. Thanks to that Markdown support, a link appears with web-standard highlighting like this. Most users would recognize that this link leads to a website… but it’s also possible for it to initiate a remote code download, which is not something Notepad could do even just a year ago. The remote code would then activate with the same level of permission as the Windows user. The problem gets a standardized CVSS score of 8.8/7.7, making it a high security issue for Microsoft with no current solution. Fortunately, it requires a separate file download and very deliberate user interaction, so it takes a bit of work to actually execute an attack. (It would need to be combined with a bit of social engineering and trickery for maximum effectiveness.) The good old “don’t download anything from untrustworthy sources” advice applies here. This is an issue that previous versions of Notepad didn’t have. But here I have to mention that just because you’re using a less “modern” alternative doesn’t mean you’re completely safe. For example, Notepad++ (a non-Microsoft open-source program that’s been popular with power users for decades) was recently compromised by a targeted attack on the app’s update servers. Read...

China-linked Warlock ransomware group exploits SmarterMail flaw for admin takeovers, chaining features to gain full Windows control. Read...

Ah, the Logitech MX Master 3S. It’s one of our favorite productivity mice and it’s now on sale for its best-ever price. That means there’s never been a better time to add it to your cart! Normally $99.99, the MX Master 3S is so popular that it rarely goes on sale… but Amazon is currently selling it for just $79.99 with a 20% discount—and it’s selling fast. View this Amazon deal The MX Master 3S features an 8K DPI sensor that tracks precisely on any surface, including glass. We love the Quiet Clicks feature, meaning your clicks are actually quiet, with Logitech claiming a reduction in noise by about 90 percent compared to traditional mice. The MagSpeed scroll wheel is not only fast and precise, but it’s also nearly silent. All of this noise reduction is great whether you’re working alone from home or surrounded by coworkers at the office. This mouse has an ergonomic shape that’ll fit most hands and keep your wrist as comfortable as possible, even when using it for long hours. You can further use the Logi Options+ app to customize the buttons with special actions, optimizing your workflow. It’s small, performant, and easy to travel with thanks to its Bluetooth wireless. It’s one of the best productivity mice on the market and, again, it rarely goes on sale for this much. Get it now for $79.99 while you can! Snag the popular Logitech MX Master 3S with this rare 20% discountBuy now via Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Each camera has a large battery Effective solar panels keep those batteries charged Solid video quality when running at full resolution Affordable price tag Cons Unreliable performance due to extremely poor wireless range Mobile app needs a massive overhaul Some features, including AI-powered search, just don’t work Our Verdict This four-camera system impresses with solid video quality and expandable local storage, but only when those cameras are in such close range that they probably won’t provide full coverage of your property. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: BotsLab 4-Cam W510 System Retailer Price $399.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Outfitting your home with outdoor security cameras can get complicated—and expensive—quickly. Anyone looking for a shortcut on both fronts might consider one of BotsLab’s W510 kits, bundles consisting of up to six 4K outdoor pan/tilt security cameras, solar panels to keep each camera’s battery topped off, and a base station with 32GB of onboard storage (expandable up to 16TB with a user-supplied 2.5 hard drive). The cameras are wireless, of course, but the base station must be hardwired to your router (which isn’t at all unusual). We reviewed the four-camera SKU priced at $399, which on its face sounds like an awesome deal for so much hardware. But as you’ve probably guessed, there are plenty of caveats and limitations to contend with once everything is unboxed, set up, and put to use. Specifications This BotsLab kit arrives in a massive box, but with no clear guidance on where to start, save for a very limited quick-start guide buried at the bottom of it all. Logic guides the way, however, and you’ll start by setting up the H200 base station, which you’ll connect to your router with an ethernet cable. When the W510 System works, it works well: Images are crisp and clear, PTZ functions are responsive, and clips are easy to scrub through. Up to eight cameras can connect to this base station via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, but BotsLab says the cameras will dynamically switch over to direct connections to your Wi-Fi router if they find the base station’s signal to be “weak or overloaded.” I’ll dive deeper into that in the section where I describe my user experience. The 4-camera system arrives in a massive box with just a limited quick-start guide to help you figure out how to set up all the components.Christopher Null/Foundry BotsLab doesn’t offer any subscription service for storing camera recordings in the cloud—each camera records to the base station—so you’ll want to make use of that internal drive bay. I’m certainly not complaining about the lack of a subscription here, but the manufacturer doesn’t offer much guidance on how to use that bay. Presumably, you drop in a drive and the BotsLab app handles everything from there, starting with formatting. I can report that you should choose a mechanical drive for this purpose, as SSDs can handle far fewer write cycles and will wear out much too quickly. The W510 cameras are quite large—8 inches high by 4 inches wide—and they’re heavy (1.75 pounds each). Much of that weight can be attributed to their 10,000mAh batteries. Each camera mount can also host a 5-watt solar panel to keep the battery topped off once you’ve fully charged it with a power adapter and a USB-C cable. You can also mount the solar panels independently of the cameras to get better exposure to the sun. BotsLab says the batteries will last up to 25 days on a full charge, although that seems very optimistic based on my testing. I did find that the solar panels were capable of keeping the batteries fully charged as long as the days were reasonably sunny.   The solar panels included with each camera did a good job keeping the camera’s battery topped off with reasonable exposure to sunlight. Long USB-C cables give you flexibility as to where to mount them.Christopher Null/Foundry The cameras must be mounted on a wall or ceiling with the included hardware and snap-on base; you can’t operate the cameras on a tabletop and invert their feed. They’re rated IP66 for protection from the elements. According to our IP code guide, that means the cameras will not fail due to dust ingress and that they can tolerate a blast from a pressure washer at a reasonable distance. The pan/tilt/zoom cameras in this kit record video in up to 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), and they can swivel 360 degrees horizontally and over a 136-degree vertical arc. They’re outfitted with infrared lights for black-and-white night vision and white LED spotlights for color night vision. Installation and setup As I’ve already mentioned, the H200 base station must be configured first by plugging it into power and to your router via an ethernet cable. Setting this up with the Botslab app was slow going and a little frustrating, as the app refused to properly scan the QR code on the underside of the hub, a required step before you can proceed with camera setup. I spent several minutes on the floor next to my router, trying to get just the right angle and lighting on the QR code before I was finally able to complete the task. Setting up the other components takes some time as well, as mounting four cameras and potentially four solar panels can be an ordeal. This is exacerbated by the BotsLab app, which is both underdeveloped and poorly translated from Chinese, making for an often-frustrating setup experience. For example, the app abruptly quit while I was trying to configure my first camera, and it doesn’t even auto-discover local Wi-Fi networks; you must input all the information manually. When installed, the pan/tilt/zoom camera will hang below its mount, with its solar panel either on top or mounted in a spot with better sun exposure. Christopher Null/Foundry Other parts of the setup process are more helpful, such as a system that helps you optimally aim your solar panel for maximum sunlight and the ability to direct recordings to be 60 seconds long max with no cooldown, 30 seconds long with a 30-second cooldown, no recording at all, or a customized combination of the above. This and other options are however only available during initial setup; to reach this menu again you have to walk through the setup process anew, a baffling design decision. Using the BotsLab 4-Cam W510 System There are pros and cons to the BotsLab system—as with any smart home product—and I’ll start with what I liked the most. When it works, it works well: Images are crisp and clear, the PTZ function is reasonably responsive, and clips are easy to scrub through either on a per-camera basis or through all cameras. You’ll access these by tapping on the HomeBase H200 icon on the main screen or the Events button. The BotsLab app is translated from Chinese–poorly.Christopher Null/Foundry Automated tracking also works well—where the camera automatically pans and tilts to keep the subject in its field of view—provided the subject is moving reasonably slowly. Infrared night vision looks very good; the color night vision is also fine, but that’s largely thanks to the bright spotlight mounted next to the lens that kicks in when motion is detected. That’s not exactly subtle, but it does put a potential intruder on notice that they’re on camera. You’ll need to choose one mode or the other for each camera. Alas, not all is wine and roses with the BotsLab gear, the most glaring problem being its struggles with range. Even when positioned less than 20 feet from the base station, the cameras struggled to stay connected throughout my testing. They would either drop out entirely or switch into “low clarity” mode, which provides a lower resolution of 2304 x 1296 pixels. This was a constant in my testing, with little rhyme or reason as to why a given camera would drop off the network, even when it was sitting in the same room as the base station. And if I tried to move a camera to the other side of the house? Forget about it; I never got anything further than about 60 feet away to connect at all. Each camera has an 8 megapixel image sensor and an LED spotlight for color night vision.Christopher Null/Foundry The app is also something of a train wreck. As mentioned earlier, it is badly translated and confusingly laid out, with key features (such as the aforementioned clip-length limits) buried or inaccessible. Some functions, such as the “tracking” feature that is supposed to string clips from different cameras together into a single video, don’t work at all: The button to access it takes you to a promo page on BotsLab’s website. And finally, there are ads strewn all over the place. BotsLab bets heavily on AI features with these cameras, but most of them aren’t installed by default. Rather, you must tap the AI Lab button and download the AI skills you want, similar to installing a skill to run on an Alexa device. These skills range from text-based search capabilities to pet detection, and they must be selected and installed individually on each camera. It’s so slow that even setting up a single skill across four cameras is a huge headache. Ultimately this process simply makes little sense; BotsLab should have simply embedded these features into its cameras (or at least the app) and allowed users to turn them off or on through a regular settings menu. I experimented with a few of these modes; some worked well, while others (namely the AI-powered text-based search) didn’t seem to work at all. Should you buy the BotsLab W510 System? The range issues alone are probably enough to dissuade me from recommending this set for most users. Any property large enough to support four cameras is probably just going to be too spread out for BotsLab to provide a signal to all of them. If your property is smaller, well, you can probably get by with one or two cameras. And while I appreciate that the system can be used without a subscription, it certainly doesn’t make it easy, thanks to its app’s relative immaturity and poor organization. While the $399 price tag is appealing for four 4K cameras, it’s hard for me to imagine a home configuration where this gear will be a good fit. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras. Read...

If you’re looking for a laptop that you’ll use day in and day out, then I’ve found a fantastic deal that you’ll want to take advantage of. Seriously, don’t pass up this jaw-dropping $500 discount! Best Buy is currently selling this Asus Zenbook S 16 for $999.99 (was $1,499.99) as part of its Presidents’ Day sale. This is a phenomenal machine at that price! View this Best Buy deal This Zenbook S 16 is an absolute beast when it comes to your daily workload, hobbies, streaming, and even some light gaming. With a 10-core AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and a whopping 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, it’s more than capable of putting Windows 11 in its place while unlocking access to all those AI features in the operating system thanks to its status as a Copilot+ PC. The 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD is nothing to sneeze at either, as you’ll enjoy lightning-fast launches and file transfers. I mentioned that this laptop can even do some light gaming. That’s thanks to the Radeon 880M integrated graphics, one of the best iGPUs you can get without burning a hole in your wallet. Enjoy 3D games at modest settings on this laptop’s gorgeous 16-inch OLED screen at its 2880×1880 (3K) resolution and smooth 120Hz refresh rate. With a maximum brightness of 500 nits, it’s comfortable to use anywhere—and that OLED panel provides strikingly vivid colors and contrast. Other things to note: it weighs just 3.31 pounds so it’s easy to carry around; it has a Windows Hello-capable 1080p webcam for facial recognition; it has dual USB4, one USB-A 3.2, and one HDMI 2.1 ports; it supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard; it’s super slim at just 0.48 inches thick; and that screen is actually a touchscreen. It’s a fantastic machine that was admittedly overpriced at MSRP, but it’s an amazing deal now that it’s only $999.99. Score it now while you can with this Presidents’ Day sale. If you end up missing it, check out our picks for the best laptops and our daily roundup of the best laptop deals. The Asus Zenbook S 16 is a crazy good deal for just $1,000Buy now via Best Buy Read...

Microsoft is feeling the pressure from SteamOS in gaming, and may be pivoting to align its Copilot+ brand more closely with what gamers need. The company’s strategy for 2026 involves downplaying Copilot AI (or “Copilot for Copilot’s sake”) and focusing on improving the OS for its users, executives have said. It will also focus on a specific group of Windows users, one of which is gaming. In a related development, Windows Latest unearthed what may be one of Microsoft’s early signals in that direction — a document from last November titled “How to optimize your gaming PC setup.” The conclusion is somewhat shocking: that Microsoft sees Copilot+ PCs as the evolution of PC gaming. “A great gaming experience is built piece by piece—powerful core hardware, optimized software, accessories that give you an edge, and connectivity that keeps you in the action,” the document says. “Put them together, and you get more than a setup—you get an arena that’s uniquely yours. “But when you want those pieces working at their absolute best, Copilot+ PCs take everything further,” Microsoft adds. “Faster than MacBook Air M4 and up to 5x faster than a 5-year-old Windows device, they’re designed to maximize every Windows gaming feature, from DirectStorage to Auto HDR.” The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X gaming handheld runs a specialized version of Windows.Michael Crider/Foundry As Windows Latest notes, it’s a slightly odd thing to say: Copilot+ PCs were founded on including an NPU in their design, and the earliest models, based on the Snapdragon X Elite processors, were optimized more for productivity and long battery life than gameplay. But Microsoft executives have said for some time that NPUs will simply become a feature that’s integrated into notebooks and eventually desktops, so that all PCs will become Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft expects that Copilot+ PCs will make up about half of all PCs within twelve months, and at that point, the Copilot+ brand can “relax” or just go away. While the 2025 cadre of laptop processors might not have been gaming capable, the 2026 chips have significantly improved. At the top of the stack right now is Intel’s Core Ultra 300 (Panther Lake) with a surprisingly good ability to play games — though not all of the new Core Ultra 300 chips share that ability. AMD’s Ryzen AI 400 processors have traditionally aimed at outperforming even Intel, and a new performance leak of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite processors show that gaming is much more possible on this generation, too. “Double down” on game performance The key, though, appears to be in handheld gaming. Intel plans a Panther Lake derivative aimed at handhelds, reportedly known as the G series, taking on AMD’s Z-series chips. A wafer of Intel Panther Lake chips.Intel But improved performance can come from either silicon or software, and this is where Microsoft sees that it has work to do. This doesn’t mean just the Windows “fullscreen experience” on handhelds, but under-the-hood improvements to speed up the OS. When I’ve spoken with Microsoft executives, they’ve told me that the company plans to “double down” on “native game performance” relative to SteamOS. Taking advantage of DirectX features — DirectStorage and AutoHDR, among them — will be important for Microsoft, I’m told. Part of that optimization could involve the NPU. What Microsoft wants to do with the “intelligence” part of AI within Windows is to understand your intent, so that launching a game could hypothetically switch it into “game mode,” halt notifications, and more. Windows still dominates the handheld gaming market, but the Steam Deck, with its Linux-based OS, represents a viable challenge to handhelds. Enthusiasts can even install SteamOS onto devices like the Lenovo Legion Go. This isn’t totally new. When Microsoft launched the Xbox Ally and Ally X, the company described the “fullscreen experience” as more than just a shift in the UI. “With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay,” it said. “That means more memory, higher framerates, and a fully immersive experience for players–all made possible by the versatility and freedom of Windows.” Nevertheless, Microsoft may have won the PC, but the handheld feels much more in play. And it’s not surprising that anything Microsoft learns there could ripple back into the PC. So combine “intent” with “performance” and Microsoft’s closing line in its optimizing your PC document makes more sense. “Game smarter. Game faster. Game your way. Start your next adventure on a Copilot+ PC today.” Whether Microsoft’s 2026 strategy will work is an entirely different question, of course. But the direction is welcome. Microsoft is telling me that jamming AI into everything didn’t work, and that performance matters. Those are messages that will resonate in the handheld space, and should ripple back into Windows. Stay tuned. Read...