News
- The Phone Link panel attached to the Start menu is getting a new feature
- It’ll allow Windows 11 users to start screen mirroring with a single click
- It’s in testing ahead of a full rollout that could begin soon
Microsoft is bringing in a new trick with Windows 11 for those who use the Phone Link app, allowing for quickly and easily mirroring the screen of an Android smartphone on the desktop.
Windows Latest reports that the new feature is currently rolling out to Windows 11 testers, and is part of the Phone Link panel that’s attached to the Start menu (indeed, the rollout of said panel began relatively recently, too, and I’ll come back to that later).
For the uninitiated, the Phone Link panel is off to the right-hand side of the Start menu and offers easy access to your messages, calls, plus the recent activity on your phone, and shows various status details (like battery life).
To access the new feature, all you have to do is click on the icon for your smartphone – at the top of the panel – and it’ll fire up a screen mirroring session.
You don’t need to start the Phone Link app, or do anything else; just click the icon and Windows 11 will mirror your Android phone screen on the desktop there and then (well, given a few seconds to load and sync).
Analysis: Being patient with the rollout(Image credit: Microsoft)Windows Latest tested the feature on several Samsung Galaxy smartphones and observes that it works well, and that OneUI, the interface for Samsung mobiles, is implemented quite seamlessly on the PC desktop.
Of course, only certain Android devices work with the Phone Link app’s screen-mirroring feature (and this new feature). That includes Samsung Galaxy models, and also phones from Asus (ROG-branded), Honor, OnePlus, Oppo, Surface Duo, Vivo, and Xiaomi (here’s the full list of compatible phones).
As mentioned, the new quick access for screen mirroring via the Start menu side panel is in testing now, but it should be rolling out to the release version of Windows 11 in June, Windows Latest says. That might even mean from today (June 10), given that a new cumulative update for Windows 11 is due later on today.
Even so, the rollout of this new feature is likely to be limited to begin with, because not everyone has the Phone Link panel for the Start menu yet. Officially, the rollout of the panel kicked off in April for those on Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2, but wider availability didn’t happen until May, and from what I can tell from reports on some online forums, some folks are still waiting for this to come through.
It should be imminent at this point, though, even if this new shortcut for screen mirroring may not arrive for a while longer yet (you can pretty much bet on that).
In short, Phone Link users with compatible devices just need to stay patient for now, and all these goodies will turn up in time. Microsoft is looking towards considerably deeper integration with Windows 11 and mobiles, too, given apparent plans for resuming the use of apps across your PC and phone in a seamless manner, much like Apple's Handoff capability.
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- Coming to theaters on November 20, 2026
- Fifth installment of the Hunger Games franchise
- Plot will follow Suzanne Collins's novel of the same name
- No official trailer released yet
- Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Jesse Plemons all set to star
- Unclear whether more prequel novels will be written
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is coming on November 20, 2026. The newest movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins's famed franchise will follow her latest novel, which arrived in bookstores in March.
And it shouldn't be all that surprising that the movie is already on the way, since Lionsgate ordered it before the novel was even released. While 2025 marked the return of Suzanne Collins's infamous franchise, it comes five years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and ten years after the main timeline Hunger Games trilogy.
For the fifth installment, it's time to travel back to the 50th Annual Games in Panem, also famously known as the Second Quarter Quell, where Haymitch Abernathy (played by Woody Harrelson in the trilogy) competed. Here's everything we know so far about Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping from release date, to confirmed cast, plot, rumours and more.
Spoilers to follow for the four previous Hunger Games instalments.
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: release date?Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will arrive in theaters on November 20, 2026. Yes, that may feel like a long way off, but considering Suzanne Collins's novel was only released in March, it's actually an incredibly fast turnaround. Much quicker than the four years between the first Hunger Games novel's publication and the movie adaptation's release.
The release date was officially announced in a teaser clip from Lionsgate (featured above) depicting the songbirds and snakes readying for another battle. And, at the end of the teaser, Woody Harrelson's voice chillingly says: "I think these games are gonna be different."
And it's been confirmed that the cast and crew will be filming later this year, as revealed by director Frances Lawrence in an exclusive interview with Collider back in February: "We've sort of got a research phase of prep. After London, I'm going to go on a scout and then we start prepping in April, and we shoot this year."
With the previous films in the Hunger Games franchise available to stream on Max in the US, and Netflix in the UK and Australia, we can definitely expect Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to get a streaming release – although whether it will be on the same services is still not confirmed.
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: has a trailer been released? No official Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping trailer yet (Image credit: Lionsgate)There's no official Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping trailer just yet. Given the movie's scheduled November 2026 release date, I imagine we won't see one until nearer the time. When it does appear, I'll be sure to update and share it here.
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: confirmed castA post shared by The Hunger Games (@thehungergames)
A photo posted by on
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping cast is already filling up with some big names taking on the younger versions of characters from the main franchise, as well as introducing new ones. Here's who is confirmed so far:
- Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy
- Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove
- Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow
- Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee
- Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman
- Maya Hawke as Wiress
- Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
- Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
- Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow
- Molly McCann as Louella McCoy
- Iona Bell as Lou Lou
For Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, as a prequel, there's a lot of roles from the main trilogy that will now be played by different actors entirely. Take Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee, previously played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, or Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, previously played by Elizabeth Baths.
But, according to director Frances Lawrence, finding young Haymitch was a huge task, finding an actor to take on the role that Woody Harrelson so famously played. Lawrence told ComicBook: "It’s not somebody that just looks like him, or is going to study Woody Harrelson and just act like him. When Tom Blythe played Donald Sutherland, he wasn’t doing an impersonation. We had to find somebody that was believable that you could be like, ‘Oh, okay, I see how this guy over 70 years could turn into Donald.'" And that person is Australian actor, Joseph Zada.
Of course, not every cast member is a returning character from the previous Hunger Games novels. There's numerous tributes joining for the 50th Hunger Games, as well as mentors to star in the prequel.
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: story synopsis and rumorsHunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on Collins' latest novel (Image credit: Lionsgate)Full spoilers for previous Hunger Games movies and Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to follow.
Set 24 years before The Hunger Games, Collins's latest novel is, of course, the basis for the entire movie, much like all of her previous novels were.
For anyone who has already read the novel, you'll know what happens. For anyone who hasn't, we won't spoil it.
What we can say is that Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during his time competing in the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell.
It's an infamous piece of The Hunger Games history as it saw two boys and two girls picked from each District to compete. Twice as many as any other games.
As per the book's official synopsis: "He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town."
It's also clear, from the confirmed cast list above, that there will be returning characters from the main Hunger Games timeline including President Snow, Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman.
Unlike the other movies in the Hunger Games franchise though, we already know that Haymitch is going to survive with Woody Harrelson has so fantastically demonstrating in the trilogy.
But, speaking to TheMovieReport.com at CinemaCon in April, director Francis Lawrence revealed there's so much more to Haymitch's story: "This is one of these books and stories where you get to see a character we all love, that's one of the icons of these movies, and to see what they've gone through. And to see how it ties into, not just the original series, but also the last movie. So, it's this great sort of puzzle piece for everything."
And speaking to Scholastic, Collins revealed how she's used this story to explore profound concepts: "With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume’s idea of implicit submission and, in his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.’
"The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day.”
If you're too eager to wait to find out more, then reading the novel is the perfect antidote. But, if you're a 'watch the movie before reading it' kind of Hunger Games fan, then you'll just have to sing Rue's whistle over and over again until November 20, 2026.
Will there be more Hunger Games movies?Will Finnick's prequel tale ever be told? (Image credit: Lionsgate)The answer to this question lies in the asking of another – is Suzanne Collins writing any more Hunger Games novels?
Unfortunately, we're not sure. In an interview with Variety, Collins' longtime editor and publisher David Levithan said: "As for the future... I genuinely have no idea."
Fans have been eager for a Haymitch prequel story, but there's other Hunger Games characters' prequel tales, like Finnick Odair's, that there's still hope for.
Director Frances Lawrence himself told Entertainment Weekly before Sunrise on the Reaping's release: "If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits into the world of Panem — whether that's with new people [or] familiar characters [like] Finnick, Haymitch, whoever — I'd be really interested in looking at it and being a part of it.
"But I don't have any pull of just going, 'I would love to do Finnick's games.' He's a great character, but what's the thematic underpinnings that make it worth telling and relevant?"
When it comes to the main Hunger Games series though, Levithan did make one conclusion: "I believe the end of 'Mockingjay' is the ending of the series."
He also divulged that Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has been in the works since 2020, but it was only announced to the public in 2024. So, if they are silently working away on another prequel and igniting the hopes of another movie adaptation, I doubt we'll be hearing about it anytime soon.
For more movie-based coverage, check out our guides on Practical Magic 2, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Peaky Blinders.
- Nintendo has announced a new Splatoon spin-off game called Splatoon Raiders
- The game is launching exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 but doesn't have a release date yet
- Splatoon 3 is also getting a free update for Switch and Switch 2, with the latter getting some visual improvements
Nintendo has announced Splatoon Raiders, the first-ever spin-off game in the Splatoon series, and it's releasing exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2.
The surprise game reveal didn't come from a new Nintendo Direct showcase, but rather a 'Research Report from Squid Research Lab' YouTube video.
Not much was shown in the announcement aside from a brief teaser trailer and a glimpse of gameplay that shows the player's Inkling exploring a new setting called the Spirhalite Islands.
Nintendo has also offered a brief description of the game via its official website, which reads, "in the role of a mechanic, players will go on an adventure in the mysterious Spirhalite Islands alongside the splat-tacular Deep Cut trio."
Splatoon Raiders is still in development, and there's no release date yet. Hopefully, we'll hear more about the game during the next Nintendo Direct, whenever that might be.
In addition the reveal of the new game, Nintendo has confirmed that a free update for Splatoon 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 this week on June 12.
The update will feature the Splatlands collection, consisting of 30 new weapon kits from the Barazushi and Emberz brands. These new additions, which are based on previous weapons, offer fresh looks with different sub and special weapons.
The Urchin Underpass stage from the original Splatoon game on Wii U is also returning and will be added to the stage rotation.
All weapon Freshness caps will be raised with the update, too, and players can earn new in-game Badges.
A new stat will also be added for Anarchy Battle (Series) called Series Weapon Power, which tracks players' effectiveness per weapon based on their win/loss ratio in battles, and then matches them with players of a similar power.
"This makes it possible for players to try new weapons without being disadvantaged and push the limits their favorite weapons," Nintendo explained.
While all these features will be added across both Switch and Switch 2, Switch 2 players can also expect a performance update that will offer detailed visuals and a smoother appearance in locations like Splatsville and the Grand Festival Grounds.
With Splatoon 3's Switch 2 update, Nintendo has also confirmed that players can play together across Switch and the new console.
- When SentinelLABS was targeted, the researchers set out looking for more victims
- They found 75 organizations around the world, in different industries
- The researchers believe China may be positioning for conflict, in cyberspace or elsewhere
Chinese hackers have been targeting companies across the world for roughly a year now, and have managed to compromise at least 75 organizations - although the actual number of victims could be a lot bigger.
Cybersecurity researchers at SentinelLABS were alerted to the campaign after their own infrastructure was targeted, and in an analysis, explained that after spotting this failed breach attempt, they started looking for more victims, tried to identify the attackers, and set out to determine when the campaign started.
They concluded that the earliest evidence of the campaign was in June 2024, which means that the attacks were going on for approximately a year.
Preparing for warThey attributed the attacks to three China-linked threat actor collectives: APT15 (AKA Ke3Chang or Nylon Typhoon), UNC5174, and APT41.
The former is known for targeting telcos, IT services, and government sectors, and UNC5174 is known to have ties to China’s Ministry of State Security.
Apparently, it has been involved in global espionage and resale campaigns in the past, as well. Finally, APT41 was previously seen using ShadowPad - a piece of malware spotted in these attacks, as well.
The cyberespionage campaign targeted a wide range of victims, including an IT services and logistics company that manages hardware needs for SentinelOne employees, a leading European media organization (targeted for intelligence gathering, apparently), and a South Asian government entity providing IT services and infrastructure across multiple sectors.
SentinelLABS says most of the victims are operating in manufacturing, government, finance, telecommunications, and research sectors - all essential, critical infrastructure organizations.
This led the researchers to conclude that the attackers were most likely positioning for potential conflict, either cyber-related, or military.
"They might be going after government organizations for more direct espionage," SentinelOne threat researcher Tom Hegel told The Register.
"And then major global media organizations — maybe it's silencing certain topics or disrupting them for reporting on certain things. If they are sitting on their adversaries' networks — media organizations, or government entities or their defense companies — they are able to flip a switch if conflict were to occur."
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- The day one patch for MindsEye has been delayed for Xbox "due to varied certification"
- The update can now be installed for PS5 and PC
- Build A Rocket Boy said the patch for Xbox Series X and Series S will arrive "as soon as possible"
Developer Build A Rocket Boy has informed MindsEye players that the day one patch for Xbox has been delayed.
In case you missed it, the dystopian action-adventure game published by IO Interactive launched today and is now available across PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.
Like many games nowadays, Build A Rocket Boy has confirmed that a day one update, which it's calling Update 2, is now available to download and features "key final refinements" that include gameplay improvements, visual polish, stability fixes, and performance tuning.
The studio "highly recommends" installing Update 2 "to ensure MindsEye plays as we intended." PS5 and PC players can go ahead and download the patch right now, however, Xbox players will need to wait a little bit longer.
According to a post on the game's subreddit, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S patch has been delayed "due to varied certification" and will be made available "as soon as possible".
The patch on PS5 is 8GB, but will be double that at 16GB on PC and Xbox.
In terms of what's next for MindsEye, the studio has said its post-launch plans are "already in motion" and that players can expect more updates and refinements "coming shortly after release" with more to come down the road.
"We want MindsEye to be a game that continues to grow with its players, and we’ll be listening closely to your feedback as we go," Build A Rocket Boy announced.
"Expect updates, refinements, and adjustments - based on what you’re telling us. Launch may be the milestone, but it’s far from the final word."
You might also like...- JBL reveals its new range of Dolby Atmos soundbars, the Bar MK2 series
- It's headlined by the flagship JBL Bar 1300MK2, an 11.1.4 channel soundbar
- Four other soundbars also feature in the range
JBL has announced its new range of Dolby Atmos soundbars, the Bar MK2 series, which features five models.
The flagship soundbar of the range is the JBL Bar 1300MK2 – successor to the JBL Bar 1300X, one of the best soundbars we've tested in recent years – an 11.1.4 channel soundbar with a dual eight-inch compact sub and detachable rear wireless speakers with Bluetooth functionality, totaling a whopping 2,470W max power output.
The other soundbars in the range include the JBL Bar1000MK2, JBL Bar 700MK2, JBL Bar 500MK2 and JBL Bar 300MK2.
Check out the grid below for each soundbar's channel configuration, power output and subwoofer and rear speaker inclusion:
Soundbar
Channel configuration
Total Power output
Subwoofer/rear speakers
JBL Bar 1300MK2
11.1.4
2,470W
Dual 8" compact subwoofer / 2 detachable wireless rear speakers with Bluetooth functionality
JBL Bar 1000MK2
7.1.4
960W
10" subwoofer/ 2 detachable wireless speakers
JBL Bar 700MK2
7.1
780W
10" subwoofer / 2 detachable wireless speakers
JBL Bar 500MK2
5.1
750W
10" subwoofer / no extra speakers
JBL Bar 300MK2
5.0
450W
No subwoofer or extra speakers
The JBL Bar range is set to launch first in June 2025 with the Bar 1000MK2, Bar 700Mk2, Bar 500MK2 and Bar 300MK2 released during this time and the flagship JBL Bar 1300MK2 set to launch later in the year in October 2025 in the US and September 2025 in the UK.
Pricing for the JBL Bar range is as follows – we don't yet have pricing for countries outside the US:
- JBL Bar 1300MK2: $1,699.95 / £1,299.99
- JBL Bar 1000MK2: $1,199 / £899.99
- JBL Bar 700MK2: $899 / £799.99
- JBL Bar 500MK2: $649 / £499.99
- JBL Bar 300MK2: $449 / £349.99
Every soundbar in JBL's Bar MK2 range will come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon Ready features. All but the Bar 300MK2 will support Amazon Music HD, although the Bar 300MK2 will support Samsung's SmartThings.
Every soundbar in the range will also support Dolby Atmos in some manner, with the flagship Bar 1300MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 supporting true Dolby Atmos, while the three step-down models will support virtual Dolby Atmos.
It's also worth noting that only the Bar 1300MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 will support DTS:X at launch. The other three will receive DTS: Virtual X later in the year via an update.
It was also confirmed that these soundbars will support Eclipsa Audio,
As for other technologies, all soundbars will support JBL's MultiBeam 3.0 tech, which is said to create an immersive, surround sound experience from a single soundbar. They will all support PureVoice 2.0 for enhanced dialogue and speech.
All of the soundbars are also compatible with the JBL One Platform, compatible with the JBL One app, for streaming of hi-res and spatial audio from compatible music services.
Putting flagship Dolby Atmos soundbars on notice?The Samsung HW-Q990D (pictured) is one of our top picks for Dolby Atmos soundbars, but how will the JBL Bar 1300MK2 fare against it and its successor, the Samsung HW-Q990F? (Image credit: Future)We've been spoilt for choice when it comes to the best Dolby Atmos soundbars in recent months. Both the Sonos Arc Ultra and Marshall Heston 120 have proved to be excellent all-in-one soundbars for under $1,000 / £1,000, earning 4-out-of-5 and 5-out-of-5-stars respectively in their reviews.
Last year, the Samsung HW-Q990D cemented itself as our favorite multi-box system solution thanks to its incredible power and immersive, nuanced sound – and we're looking forward to getting our hands on its successor, the Samsung HW-Q990F, very soon.
But, could the JBL Bar 1300MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 be about to put these soundbars on notice? In terms of features, both bars are jam packed with ready-made support for streaming services (although so are their rivals) but its the Bar 1300 MK2's detachable rear speakers that make it stand out: something we loved about its predecessor, the Bar 1300X when we reviewed it. It's a handy solution to keep your speaker setup neat when not in use.
The Bar 1000MK2 may be a little pricier than the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Marshall Heston 120 ($200 more to be precise) but it has the added benefit of an included subwoofer that's likely to give it an advantage in the bass department. In the UK, the Bar 1000MK2 is actually set to launch at £899.99, £100 cheaper than the Arc Ultra and Heston 120.
The JBL Bar 1300 MK2, priced at $1,699.99 / £1,299.99, looks set to launch at a similar price in the US but significantly cheaper in the UK than the Samsung HW-Q990F, which has dropped to $1,599.99 / £1,575.99 recently. The Bar 1300MK2 offers 2,470W of total power to the Q990F's 756W, which would actually put it more in line with the JBL Bar 1000MK2.
On paper, the JBL Bar's have all the potential of offering more power for the similar prices to a lot of rivals and if it can get the performance right, JBL could really shake up the Dolby Atmos soundbar market again.
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- Apple unveiled its new macOS Tahoe 26 with new gaming features
- MetalFX Frame Interpolation and denoising will be available via macOS Tahoe
- It generates an extra frame between two input frames for better performance
Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote unveiled various improvements coming to Macs in in macOS Tahoe 26 – and the boosts to the Cupertino giant's gaming efforts are certainly noteworthy.
As highlighted in the keynote (streamed on YouTube), Apple's new Metal 4 graphics rendering API will introduce MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX denoising for macOS Tahoe 26, providing an Nvidia Frame Generation-like gaming experience. The new dedicated gaming app will also introduce a gaming overlay that's very reminiscent of Discord's updated overlay.
This comes at an ideal time with games like Assassin's Creed Shadows already available on the platform, and Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert on the horizon; if implemented well, frame interpolation should bring a significant enhancement to graphically-demanding games, especially if base frame rates are at a decent standard.
With MetalFX denoising and upscaling, ray-tracing will become a stronger possibility for powerful M-based Macs, with better performance and visual quality than before. The game overlay looks set to provide a more gaming-friendly user interface, especially with the mini social hub for quick communication with friends.
All of the new features may bring Apple's macOS closer to becoming a stronger gaming platform. It's still early days, so there's likely plenty more for Apple to reveal closer to macOS Tahoe 26's launch this fall, but it's a promising start.
Analysis: So Apple, how about that gaming handheld?(Image credit: Apple)M3 and M4 MacBooks are all set for improved gaming once macOS Tahoe 26 becomes available. While gaming performance with those M-based chips is great as it stands, the addition of frame generation and denoising technology is a significant upgrade.
Apple's M-based chips are power-efficient thanks to their Arm-based architecture, and as I've mentioned previously, this would be perfect for an Apple gaming handheld. So Apple, I guess it still isn't time for one? I beg to differ, because despite the gaming library, which still needs more growth, I can easily see an M-based handheld being a powerhouse and outshining others.
Usually, there are tons of leaks and rumors before Apple officially unveils surprises, so I didn't expect to see a handheld at WWDC 2025 – but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that we'll see one at next year's keynote.
Wishful thinking? Probably, but I think Apple is missing out on easy win, as the handheld gaming market is arguably blooming more than ever before right now.
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- Microsoft is bringing big changes to its Windows 11 Start menu
- Users can now separate applications into categories or use the traditional grid view
- It's available to try for testers, almost in time for the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds
Microsoft is bringing a handful of changes to its Windows 11 operating system in preparation for the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. Beta testers are already starting to see improvements to the user interface – and one feature may be a significant aid to navigation.
As reported by The Verge, Microsoft is improving its Windows 11 Start menu, now available for testers, with more customization options to make scrolling and finding applications easier. These can be sorted into separate categories (as evident in the image below) or used in the classic grid view.
While all applications have always been accessible via the Start menu, this improved version makes finding your application much easier. Instead of finding a specific app through its first letter or symbol, you'll simply be able to jump into a 'Games' folder or 'Browsers' folder, eliminating the need to enable desktop icons.
The 'recommended' section can also be disabled, as this would often display recently-opened files or folders to make room for more apps, and now new categories. It's also worth noting that Microsoft states that the Start menu will be bigger, which will vary depending on the screen size or device being used.
These line up perfectly for the new login screen that allows users to enter their PIN using a game controller – and this is likely a preparation for the "full-screen experience" update coming for the new Windows 11 handhelds. However, there's one big benefit that OLED monitor users like me will appreciate, too.
Analysis: Some of my OLED burn-in worries can rest...(Image credit: Microsoft)I'll be honest, in all the years I've used Dell's Alienware AW3423DWF OLED monitor, I haven't come across a single issue with burn-in – and that's including moments of complacency, leaving static images on screen. Even so, I'm still paranoid it will happen eventually, and Microsoft's efforts for a better Start menu give me a slight sigh of relief.
Burn-in is one of the biggest dealbreakers for gamers contemplating an OLED purchase, and it's why I would go as far as to recommend a mini-LED monitor in some cases. However, OLED care on monitors is continuously advancing, and while Microsoft may have had other intentions with this tester update, it's worked as a bonus.
While Microsoft is doing this with its OS, I'd love to see the same concept applied to games. Early access or multiplayer games often have a build number in the corner of the screen, and fellow OLED users will be aware of how much of a nightmare this is, as it's essentially an open invitation for burn-in.
Regardless, it's a positive move from Microsoft in the same week that it announced an improved Xbox app. We'll just have to see if it's enough to create strong competition for SteamOS in terms of usability.
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There's no denying that Apple's Siri digital chatbot didn't exactly hold a place of honor at this year's WWDC 2025 keynote. Apple mentioned it, and reiterated that it was taking longer than it had anticipated to bring everyone the Siri it promised a year ago, saying the full Apple Integration would arrive "in the coming year."
Apple has since confirmed this means 2026. That means we won't be seeing the kind of deep integration that would have let Siri use what it knew about you and your iOS-running iPhone to become a better digital companion in 2025. It won't, as part of the just-announced iOS 26, use app intents to understand what's happening on the screen and take action on your behalf based on that.
I have my theories about the reason for the delay, most of which revolve around the tension between delivering a rich AI experience and Apple's core principles regarding privacy. They often seem at cross purposes. This, though, is guesswork. Only Apple can tell us exactly what's going on – and now they have.
I, along with Tom's Guide Global Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer, sat down shortly after the keynote with Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi and Apple Global VP of Marketing Greg Joswiak for a wide-ranging podcast discussion about virtually everything Apple unveiled during its 90-minute keynote.
We started by asking Federighi about what Apple delivered regarding Apple Intelligence, as well as the status of Siri, and what iPhone users might expect this year or next. Federighi was surprisingly transparent, offering a window into Apple's strategic thinking when it comes to Apple Intelligence, Siri, and AI.
Far from nothingLeft to right: Lance Ulanoff and Mark Spoonauer chat with Craig Federighi and Greg Josiwak (Image credit: Apple)(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Federighi started by walking us through all that Apple has delivered with Apple Intelligence thus far, and, to be fair, it's a considerable amount
"We were very focused on creating a broad platform for really integrated personal experiences into the OS." recalled Federighi, referring to the original Apple Intelligence announcement at WWDC 2024.
At the time, Apple demonstrated Writing Tools, summarizations, notifications, movie memories, semantic search of the Photos library, and Clean Up for photos. It delivered on all those features, but even as Apple was building those tools, it recognized, Federighi told us, that "we could, on that foundation of large language models on device, private cloud compute as a foundation for even more intelligence, [and] semantic indexing on device to retrieve keep knowledge, build a better Siri."
Over-confidence?A year ago, Apple's confidence in its ability to build such a Siri led it to demonstrate a platform that could handle more conversational context, mispeaking, Type to Siri, and a significantly redesigned UI. Again, all things Apple delivered.
"We also talked about [...] things like being able to invoke a broader range of actions across your device by app intents being orchestrated by Siri to let it do more things," added Federighi. "We also talked about the ability to use personal knowledge from that semantic index so if you ask for things like, "What's that podcast, that 'Joz' sent me?' that we could find it, whether it was in your messages or in your email, and call it out, and then maybe even act on it using those app intents. That piece is the piece that we have not delivered, yet."
This is known history. Apple overpromised and underdelivered, failing to deliver a vaguely promised end-of-year Apple Intelligence Siri update in 2024 and admitting by spring 2025 that it would not be ready any time soon. As to why it happened, it's been, up to now, a bit of a mystery. Apple is not in the habit of demonstrating technology or products that it does not know for certain that it will be able to deliver on schedule.
Federighi, however, explained in some detail where things went awry, and how Apple progresses from here.
"We found that when we were developing this feature that we had, really, two phases, two versions of the ultimate architecture that we were going to create," he explained. "Version one we had working here at the time that we were getting close to the conference, and had, at the time, high confidence that we could deliver it. We thought by December, and if not, we figured by spring, until we announced it as part of WWDC. Because we knew the world wanted a really complete picture of, 'What's Apple thinking about the implications of Apple intelligence and where is it going?'"
A tale of two architectures(Image credit: Apple)As Apple was working on a V1 of the Siri architecture, it was also working on what Federighi called V2, "a deeper end-to-end architecture that we knew was ultimately what we wanted to create, to get to a full set of capabilities that we wanted for Siri."
What everyone saw during WWDC 2024 were videos of that V1 architecture, and that was the foundation for work that began in earnest after the WWDC 2024 reveal, in preparation for the full Apple Intelligence Siri launch.
"We set about for months, making it work better and better across more app intents, better and better for doing search," Federighi added. "But fundamentally, we found that the limitations of the V1 architecture weren't getting us to the quality level that we knew our customers needed and expected. We realized that V1 architecture, you know, we could push and push and push and put in more time, but if we tried to push that out in the state it was going to be in, it would not meet our customer expectations or Apple standards, and that we had to move to the V2 architecture.
"As soon as we realized that, and that was during the spring, we let the world know that we weren't going to be able to put that out, and we were going to keep working on really shifting to the new architecture and releasing something."
We realized that […] If we tried to push that out in the state it was going to be in, it would not meet our customer expectations or Apple standards, and that we had to move to the V2 architecture.
Craig Federighi, Apple
That switch, though, and what Apple learned along the way, meant that Apple would not make the same mistake again, and promise a new Siri for a date that it could not guarantee to hit. Instead. Apple won't "precommunicate a date," explained Federighi, "until we have in-house, the V2 architecture delivering not just in a form that we can demonstrate for you all…"
He then joked that, while, actually, he "could" demonstrate a working V2 model, he was not going to do it. Then he added, more seriously, "We have, you know, the V2 architecture, of course, working in-house, but we're not yet to the point where it's delivering at the quality level that I think makes it a great Apple feature, and so we're not announcing the date for when that's happening. We will announce the date when we're ready to seed it, and you're all ready to be able to experience it."
I asked Federighi if, by V2 architecture, he was talking about a wholesale rebuilding of Siri, but Federighi disabused me of that notion.
"I should say the V2 architecture is not, it wasn't a star-over. The V1 architecture was sort of half of the V2 architecture, and now we extend it across, sort of make it a pure architecture that extends across the entire Siri experience. So we've been very much building up upon what we have been building for V1, but now extending it more completely, and that more homogeneous end-to-end architecture gives us much higher quality and much better capability. And so that's what we're building now."
A different AI strategy(Image credit: Apple)Some might view Apple's failure to deliver the full Siri on its original schedule as a strategic stumble. But Apple's approach to AI and product is also utterly different than that of OpenAI or Google Gemini. It does not revolve around a singular product or a powerful chatbot. Siri is not necessarily the centerpiece we all imagined.
Federighi doesn't dispute that "AI is this transformational technology […] All that's growing out of this architecture is going to have decades-long impact across the industry and the economy, and much like the internet, much like mobility, and it's going to touch Apple's products and it's going to touch experiences that are well outside of Apple products."
Apple clearly wants to be part of this revolution, but on its terms and in ways that most benefit its users while, of course, protecting their privacy. Siri, though, was never the end game, as Federighi explained.
AI is this transformational technology [...] and it's going to touch Apple's products and it's going to touch experiences that are well outside of Apple products."
Craig Federighi, Apple
"When we started with Apple Intelligence, we were very clear: this wasn't about just building a chatbot. So, seemingly, when some of these Siri capabilities I mentioned didn't show up, people were like, 'What happened, Apple? I thought you were going to give us your chatbot. That was never the goal, and it remains not our primary goal."
So what is the goal? I think it may be fairly obvious from the WWDC 2025 keynote. Apple is intent on integrating Apple Intelligence across all its platforms. Instead of heading over to a singular app like ChatGPT for your AI needs, Apple's putting it, in a way, everywhere. It's done, Federighi explains, "in a way that meets you where you are, not that you're going off to some chat experience in order to get things done."
Apple understands the allure of conversational bots. "I know a lot of people find it to be a really powerful way to gather their thoughts, brainstorm [...] So, sure, these are great things," Federighi says. "Are they the most important thing for Apple to develop? Well, time will tell where we go there, but that's not the main thing we set out to do at this time."
Check back soon for a link to the TechRadar and Tom's Guide podcast featuring the full interview with Federighi and Joswiak.