ISSUE 23.23 • 2026-06-08 WINDOWS By Mary Branscombe It’s easy to build up a long list of old devices, but sometimes it’s the Microsoft Store that’s living in the past. When Windows 8.1 came out, the Windows team put in a tiny Easter egg. Besides being able to download apps from the Windows Store (as […]

PUBLIC DEFENDER Microsoft ruined Windows’ local account — but here’s the fix By Brian Livingston Windows users have installed the operating system for decades using what’s known as a local account. But Microsoft has nibbled away at end users’ independence to the point that most people are finding it impossible to set up Windows without […]