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Linux Percentage of Steam Users Doubled in One Year

The Hot Take: This has me very intrigued, I just wish Logitech and others with their software control on mice would jump onboard.

Steam on Linux use in March "had skyrocketed to 5.33%..." reports Phoronix, "easily the highest level we've seen Steam on Linux at since its inception more than a decade ago." So what happened in April? [April's results] point to Linux having a 4.52% marketshare on Steam, a drop of 0.81% compared to March. Year-over-year it's roughly double with Steam on Linux in April 2025 being at 2.27%. Or two years ago for April 2024, Steam on Linux was at 1.9%. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Tested: Windows 11 setup screen now finally lets you skip forced updates, and go directly to the desktop

The Hot Take: Nice, quicker to desktop.

Microsoft told Windows Latest that it’s rolling out a new feature that allows you to skip forced Windows 11 updates during device setup (out-of-box experience). Right now, when you clean install or reinstall Windows 11, or buy a new device, you have to go through a long out-of-box experience, also called OOBE. During the OOBE setup, Windows nags you to set up a Microsoft account, buy Microsoft 365, try Xbox Game Pass, and more. While it’s unclear when the calmer OOBE without upsells will begin rolling out, Microsoft is already curbing one…

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Brave Browser Introduces 'Origin', a Pay-Once 'Minimalist' Browser

The Hot Take: Interesting, might be worth a shot. Good way to keep funding alive for it and your main Brave version.

The Brave browser "has introduced Brave Origin, a stripped-down version of its browser that removes built-in monetization features like Rewards and other extras tied to its business model," writes Slashdot reader BrianFagioli" The stripped-down browser is available either as a separate browser download or as an upgrade to the existing Brave install, unlocked through a one-time purchase that can be activated across multiple devices. The idea is simple on paper: pay once, and you get a cleaner, more minimal browsing experience without the…

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Open source malware sees a 21 percent increase

The Hot Take: As Linux gains market share just put a target on its back for compromise.

A new report from Sonatype identifies 21,764 malicious open source packages in the first quarter of the year, up 21 percent from the same period last year and bringing the total logged since 2017 to 1,346,867. The npm registry continues to be the target of most new malicious attacks, at 75 percent, seeing the equivalent of 46 malicious packages per day, with the quarter defined by credential theft, host reconnaissance, and staged payload delivery aimed at developer and CI/CD environments. Python package index PyPI saw 18 percent of total…

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Snapdragon X2 Elite looking good

The Hot Take: I mean really, WHY do they want us on ARM??

Qualcomm has the stars to align for Windows on Arm. The chip is strong enough, and the software situation is improving, so this could be the point where ARM Windows laptops stop being a niche joke and start going mainstream. The timing for Snapdragon X2 Elite looks spot on, with a faster chip aimed at the Fruity Cargo Cult Apple’s M5 series and the usual x86 crowd, plus Windows on Arm gaining more native apps. Developers are starting to treat Qualcomm’s top-end SoC like a platform worth bothering with, rather than a science project that…

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How Good is Windows on Arm With Snapdragon X?

The Hot Take: Question is - Why do they really want us on AMR instead of x86/CISC chips?

A new powerful chipset has arrived to take on x86 CPUs and Apple's M5, writes Wccftech. The blog Windows Central writes that "Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors are here" — and they run Windows: Microsoft has done a massive amount of work to improve compatibility and has also convinced developers to embrace Windows 11 on Arm. Users of Windows 11 on Arm PCs spend 90% of their time on Arm-based apps that run natively. Additionally, apps that do not run natively can often run through Prism emulation, which has improved…

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Microsoft Begins Removing Copilot Branding From Windows 11 Apps

The Hot Take: Is this the beginning or Ai push back across the market that might include hardware soon?

Microsoft has started stripping Copilot branding out of Notepad in Windows 11, replacing the old Copilot menu with a more generic "writing tools" label. The AI features themselves aren't going away, but Microsoft seems to be backing off the heavy-handed Copilot branding and extra entry points. Windows Central reports: As promised, Microsoft is now beginning its effort to reduce and remove Copilot branding across Windows 11, with the latest Notepad update for Insiders outright removing the Copilot icon and phrasing. Now, the AI menu is simply…

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