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Microsoft OneDrive wants to back up everything. You don't have to let it
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Microsoft OneDrive wants to back up everything. You don't have to let it Microsoft's OneDrive is a valuable tool for archiving and backing up data. Its enthusiasm needs to be reined in, however. It's getting better, fortunately -- or at least it looks that way.
pCloud online backup review: A lifetime of secure files at a bargain price
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Though the initial cost might throw off some users, pCloud's yearly and lifetime plans are affordable in the long run and the service offers several ways to store and sync data via its versatile client software. That said, it's also a bit easier to get up to speed with than those others. I even like its lifetime pricing, as opposed to the usual monthly rate. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best online backup for comparison.
I used Perplexity's AI agent in Windows to tackle 5 complex tasks - here's what impressed me most
I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen I used Perplexity's AI agent in Windows to tackle 5 complex tasks - here's what impressed me most No longer limited to the Mac, Perplexity's Personal Computer for Windows AI can complete complex tasks on your PC with little or no input from you. Agentic AI is designed to save you time and labor by handling complex, multi-step tasks on your computer with little or no interaction from you. Just describe the mission to your favorite AI, and it should complete the required steps all on its own. Among the companies rolling out their own agentic AIs, Perplexity has been touting its Personal Computer feature built into its desktop apps. Previously available only for the Mac, Perplexity Personal Computer recently expanded to Windows, supporting both Windows 11 and Windows 10. The only requirement is that you must subscribe to one of Perplexity's paid plans -- Pro, Max, or Enterprise.
Windows 11 quietly backs up your files to OneDrive. How to stop it
Windows 11 quietly backs up your files to OneDrive. Windows 11's default OneDrive backup gives Microsoft access to your files. Windows 11 includes a backup tool which, by default, automatically backs up the user folders'Documents', 'Pictures' and'Desktop' to OneDrive in the cloud. On the one hand, this is good, as the feature protects users from data loss. However, it is not good that this backup runs opaquely in the background and, in the latest versions of Windows, can only be stopped after several prompts and mouse clicks.
OPENCUA: Open Foundations for Computer-Use Agents
Vision-language models have demonstrated impressive capabilities as computer-use agents (CUAs) capable of automating diverse computer tasks. As their commercial potential grows, critical details of the most capable CUA systems remain closed. As these agents will increasingly mediate digital interactions and execute consequential decisions on our behalf, the research community needs access to open CUA frameworks to study their capabilities, limitations, and risks. To bridge this gap, we propose OPENCUA, a comprehensive open-source framework for scaling CUA data and foundation models. Our framework consists of: (1) an annotation infrastructure that seamlessly captures human computer-use demonstrations; (2) AGENTNET, the first large-scale computer-use task dataset spanning 3 operating systems and 200+ applications and websites; (3) a scalable pipeline that transforms demonstrations into state-action pairs with reflective long Chain-of-Thought reasoning that sustain robust performance gains as data scales.
Your dusty USB stick deserves a second life as a PC rescue kit
PCWorld highlights how old USB drives can be transformed into powerful PC rescue kits using portable applications that run without installation. Essential tools include bootable OS creators like Rufus and Ventoy, antivirus scanners like ClamWin and Stinger, and system repair utilities. These portable rescue kits enable tech support across multiple computers, offering hardware monitoring, network diagnostics, and Windows optimization capabilities. Portable apps are applications and tools that can be started directly upon clicking them, with no prior installation needed. The advantage of this is that the programs are immediately ready for use and can be started from any storage drive -- including a USB flash drive. These useful tools are then available for analyzing and maintaining any computer you slap the flash drive into, making them utterly invaluable for informal tech support duties. Let's take a look at the best portable applications for hardware analysis and system tuning, as well as a basic setup with media player, image editing, and word processing tools.
Windows 11 can still run the PC games you grew up with. Here's how
PCWorld demonstrates how Windows 11 users can run classic PC games from the 80s and 90s using DOSBox, a free emulator that simulates MS-DOS environments. DOSBox supports vintage titles like Shadowlands, The Dig, and Maniac Mansion by emulating essential hardware components including x86 processors and sound cards. The setup involves creating dedicated folders, using mount commands to access drives, and installing games from original floppy disks, CDs, or downloaded disk images for nostalgic gaming experiences. Who doesn't remember PC games such as Maniac Mansion, the King's Quest series and the dubious adventures of Leisure Suit Larry or software such as Microsoft Works and Lotus Smart Suite? These titles originally came from the 80s and 90s, ran under MS-DOS ( whose ancestor, 86-DOS, Microsoft recently open-sourced) or Windows 3.1 and were delivered on floppy discs or CD-ROMs. In our guide, we want to breathe new life into these treasures from the past and get them running on a current PC with Windows 11.
5 Windows Defender settings I change ASAP on any new PC
PCWorld outlines five essential Windows Defender configuration changes to optimize security and performance on new Windows PCs. Key adjustments include disabling redundant system tray icons, turning off unnecessary "no threats found" notifications, and enabling Controlled Folder Access for ransomware protection. Strategic exclusions for trusted files and adjusting Core Isolation settings can improve performance while maintaining robust built-in antivirus protection. Windows Defender is a capable antivirus solution built into Windows itself. Unless you've installed a different antivirus program on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, your PC is using it right now.