Microsoft has awarded a record $17 million to 344 security researchers across 59 countries through its Bounty Program, the highest total in the program’s history. These experts collaborated with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) to identify over a thousand potential vulnerabilities.
Author: Sergey Tkachenko
Enrolling Windows 10 PC into ESU program for $30 still requires Microsoft Account
Microsoft has updated its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10, confirming that all enrollment methods now require a Microsoft Account. This includes the $30 one-time purchase option, which previously led some users to believe an account was unnecessary. But the latter license now covers up to 10 devices..
PCI-SIG Unveils PCI Express 8.0 Specification for 2028 Launch
The PCI-SIG consortium has announced the development of the PCI Express 8.0 interface. The new standard will deliver 256 gigatransfers per second (GT/s), doubling the bandwidth of PCI Express 7.0. The x16 configuration will support a bidirectional data rate of 1 terabyte per second (TB/s). Commercial devices featuring PCIe 8.0 are expected to enter the market in 2028.
Google Chrome 139 Released, Removes Support for Manifest V2 Extensions
Google has officially launched Chrome 139, a stable release based on the open-source Chromium project. An Extended Stable version is available for enterprise users, offering support for eight weeks. The next update, Chrome 140, is set for release on September 2.
AI Hype Meets Reality: 2025 Was Supposed to Be the Year of AI Agents – It Wasn’t
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that 2025 would be the year AI agents begin operating at full capacity. Many companies adopted this vision. AI tools appeared in Google search, Microsoft Office applications, and live chat systems across numerous services. Organizations began replacing programmers with AI coding systems. Entire departments faced layoffs across many countries. These reductions occurred primarily in late 2024 and early 2025. Despite the expectations, the prediction has not materialized.
Microsoft Releases Exclusive 50th Anniversary Windows 11 Wallpaper
Microsoft has introduced a special edition of the Windows 11 "Bloom" wallpaper for company's 50th anniversary. This unique version appeared exclusively on the limited-release Surface Laptop 7 (50th Anniversary Edition), but now available for download.
Microsoft to Block External Links to Certain Files in Excel
Microsoft will begin restricting external links to file types blocked by the Trust Center starting October 2025. The company will complete the rollout of this policy by July 2026, according to public announcements.
NVIDIA Will Stop Supporting Windows 10 Drivers in October 2026
NVIDIA has announced a time frame for ceasing Windows 10 driver support. The company is planning to discontinue Game Ready Driver releases for Microsoft's operating system by October 2026. This actually aligns with Microsoft's own support lifecycle for Windows 10, which will have an extra year of extended support for consumers that use OneDrive.
Microsoft to Open Source Windows App SDK
Microsoft has issued a detailed announcement regarding the Windows App SDK, which becomes open source. In this way, the company responded to developers' questions about inconsistent update schedules, delays in completing key milestones, and an unclear direction for the platform's development.
Windows 11 Build 26120.5733 (Beta) is out to Insiders
Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 26120.5733 (KB5062673) to Windows Insiders in the Beta channel. There are some new features, but not many of them. The release is mostly focused on fixed.
