Microsoft patched RoguePlanet (CVE-2026-50656), a critical zero-day vulnerability in Windows Defender that allowed hackers complete system access. PCWorld reports the fix was automatically delivered through Windows Update's Malware Protection Engine to protect users from potential attacks. Security researcher Nightmare Eclipse discovered this flaw along with other Windows vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of keeping systems updated. About a month ago, the anonymous security researcher Nightmare Eclipse published information about RoguePlanet, a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft's Defender security software. The vulnerability, officially designated CVE-2026-50656, can be exploited by hackers to gain full access to your computer.

South Korean chip giant SK Hynix has raised a record-breaking $26.5bn ahead of its Wall Street debut amid soaring demand for semiconductors used in AI. SK Hynix said on Friday that it had sold 177.9 million American depositary shares (ADS) at $149 each ahead of its listing on the New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange. SK Hynix's 177.9 million ADSs are equivalent to 18 million ordinary shares. SK Hynix's initial public offering (IPO) marks the largest-ever listing by a foreign company in the US, surpassing Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's $25bn debut in 2014. The listing also ranks as the second-largest globally, after SpaceX's record-breaking $85.7bn Nasdaq listing in June.

The Fallout: New Vegas developer has not escaped Microsoft's Xbox layoffs unscathed. Obsidian Entertainment, the developer behind the Pillars of Eternity series, and, is being reshuffled as part of Xbox's larger reset and mass layoffs across Microsoft's gaming business. Josh Sawyer, the director of and the Medieval adventure game, is reportedly leading development of the new game. Getting a new Fallout game out is particularly relevant given that, a multiplayer survival game from 2018, is technically the most recent release and Fallout has now been adapted into a successful streaming series on Amazon Prime Video. This change in studio direction is also being paired with layoffs.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The Xbox is sitting in a similar spot now, and Microsoft has big decisions to make. For a year or two in my childhood, the Sega Dreamcast was the future. It had 3D graphics better than anything on the market. It had an internet connection for online gaming.

PCWorld reports Microsoft is planning another Windows 11 Start menu redesign for later this year, addressing criticism about the current menu being too large. The redesigned Start menu will be rebuilt with native WinUI for better performance and responsiveness, including a new Low Latency Profile feature. New customization options include resizing toggles between Large and Small modes and the ability to hide specific sections for a more personalized experience. Microsoft revamped the Windows 11 Start menu design last year, a redesign that's still gradually rolling out to users on versions 24H2 and 25H2. While an evolution on the Start menu is sorely welcome, there's been widespread criticism of its new look and behavior, including the fact that it's simply too big and takes up too much screen space .

PCWorld examines whether Microsoft's core productivity apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can withstand disruption from advancing AI technology. External AI applications such as ChatGPT and Claude now offer similar document formatting, content creation, and synthesis capabilities that rival Microsoft's own Copilot feature. The analysis suggests Microsoft's traditional productivity suite may become obsolete as AI chatbots increasingly handle tasks previously requiring dedicated office applications. Are Microsoft's core productivity apps -- Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- endangered by the rise of AI? That's the point that Bloomberg and its sources addressed in coverage this week, noting that Microsoft is being buffeted by AI disruption as its stock plunges. "Whether Microsoft Word or Excel will be rendered obsolete by AI remains to be seen," said Jack Ablin, chief investment strategist at Cresset Wealth Advisors, which owns the stock, according to Bloomberg. "We don't know what the environment is going to look like in a few years, which opens up very real questions like, will we even use a Microsoft suite anymore?" Keith Fitz-Gerald, principal at the Fitz-Gerald Group, added.

Don't get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Wed 1 Jul 2026 10.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 1 Jul 2026 10.02 EDT It was once a truth universally acknowledged that an ageing console in possession of good revenue must be in line for a price reduction. Those days may be over. In March, Sony announced a price increase of £90 for the PS5, while last month Microsoft informed gamers that it would be charging at least £75 more for the Xbox Series S and X consoles from August. All three were first released back in 2020.

PCWorld reports that Microsoft is ending support for Microsoft Store versions of Office apps by December 2026, cutting off security updates. Users must migrate to Click-to-Run versions to maintain ongoing security patches and feature updates, as new features already stopped in October 2025.

We're done paying for executives' failures, one Xbox developer said. Rumor has it that Microsoft is preparing to enact mass layoffs across its gaming division this July, following multiple reports out of plus recent comments made by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty. The Communications Workers of America Union, which represents thousands of video game employees at Microsoft and beyond, is preparing to negotiate for employee protections, while calling for transparency from executives and demanding basic dignity for developers. Sharma and Booty laid the groundwork for layoffs in early June, with a memo marking the first 100 days of new Xbox leadership. We have found ourselves over-extended as we executed on changing strategies in a landscape of more readily available content, the pair wrote.

The update also enhances address bar reliability and disk image mounting, addressing key user pain points beyond just speed. Users can install this performance boost now or wait for the mandatory July patch rollout. A few days ago, we reported that Microsoft's optional update KB5095093 brought some welcome changes, including a bug fix for slow shutdowns as well as improvements to Bluetooth reliability . Now it's also confirmed that File Explorer has been sped up with this update, which should please many users. This speed improvement isn't done via preloading (which would run the program automatically in the background, allowing it to "launch" faster when you want to open it).