PCWorld reports on a quirky new Skyrim mod created by Ikea, adding furniture-themed content to the popular RPG. The mod, called Kallax Storageborn, features actor Matt Berry voicing a sentient Kallax shelving unit, alongside meatball helmets and Allen key weapons. Players can explore Ikea-inspired cave environments, with the mod available now through the Skyrim Creations website, marking an unusual but creative gaming expansion for the furniture brand. The Swedish furniture giant Ikea continues to venture into the world of gaming. A few weeks ago, they unveiled the new Yxstaby collection in collaboration with Microsoft's gaming division, Xbox, but the company has now brought its furniture into the gaming world in the form of an officially licensed mod for the hit game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The'Kallax Storageborn' mod introduces Ikea's classic Kallax shelving unit as a companion in the game, designed to help you carry around all the junk you collect in Skyrim. Actor Matt Berry, known for his role in the TV series, among other things, provides the voice of the Kallax shelving unit in the game. The developers at Kinggath Creations have also added "meatball helmets," an Allen key as a weapon, and an adventure that takes the player into two Ikea-inspired caves. The "Kallax Storageborn" mod can be downloaded from the Skyrim Creations website .

PCWorld reports that Microsoft used its Bing Wallpaper app to display full-screen ads promoting Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie collections on Windows 11 desktops. The ads appear randomly based on user region, exploiting small print that allows Microsoft to show advertisements within wallpapers meant for scenic daily backgrounds. Reddit users expressed strong disapproval, especially given that Microsoft previously acknowledged showing too many ads to its users. Microsoft recently caused a stir among some users with an ad that fills the entire Windows 11 desktop background. It's a wallpaper that ends up on the computer via the Bing Wallpaper app.

PCWorld reports that Microsoft is finally addressing long-standing Windows 11 taskbar complaints through a new update packed with customization options. Users can now resize the taskbar, reposition it to any screen edge, and adjust Start menu layouts, restoring features many had missed. The update also cleans up Windows Search by hiding Bing and Microsoft Store clutter, while legacy tools like WMIC are being removed to modernize the OS. With yesterday's Patch Tuesday for September, Microsoft not only fixed a record number of security vulnerabilities but also released several new features for Windows 11, which you can try out now (or soon). Microsoft gradually rolls out new features across eligible Windows 11 PCs. That means most users will gain access to the new features within the next few days or weeks.

PCWorld reports that Microsoft is working on performance improvements for Windows 11, targeting faster boot times and better responsiveness on machines with only 8GB of RAM. Windows Hello is also expected to see notable improvements, making everyday use smoother for budget PC owners. No specific release dates have been announced yet, but Microsoft appears committed to optimizing Windows 11 for lower-end hardware. Microsoft confirmed at IFA 2026 that upcoming updates for Windows 11 will include faster boot times. According to Mark Linton, head of Windows & Devices at Microsoft, the company has already made significant progress in both the startup times and responsiveness of Windows Hello, and further improvements are expected.

PCWorld reports that Microsoft will end support for Office 2021 on October 13, 2026, leaving users without official security or feature updates and potentially vulnerable to threats. A third-party tool called 0patch offers unofficial micropatches that fix vulnerabilities without altering original software code, providing security coverage for up to three years.

PCWorld reports that Microsoft is making changes to Windows 11 to restore user control, including a repositionable taskbar and more Start menu personalization options. However, customization remains limited, with the Start menu offering only three fixed presets, and many restrictions from earlier Windows 11 versions still in place. Microsoft plans to scale back heavy Copilot AI integration and prioritize community feedback, though these shifts may have come too late for frustrated users.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Windows 11's next security feature may cost you gaming performance Starting October 13th, Windows 11 will enable a security feature called Memory Integrity by default. It could slow games by up to 15 percent. Next month's Patch Tuesday falls on October 13th, and with that update, Microsoft will be enabling "Memory Integrity" on all Windows 11 systems that are still receiving updates, according to this Windows IT Pro blog post . Memory Integrity (also known as Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity, or HVCI) has been around for some time, but it hasn't been enabled yet on many PCs.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Windows 11 will soon tell apps how old you are. Microsoft is adding system-level age verification APIs to Windows 11, allowing registered apps to query the user's age. Microsoft is building automated age verification directly into Windows 11 in the form of system-level APIs that will share your verified age with registered apps. To be clear, the system won't pass your age or date of birth to said apps.

PCWorld reports that Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is incorrectly flagging legitimate Google search URLs as malicious, causing false security alerts for users. The issue stems from the Safe Links feature, which is mistakenly blocking valid Google URLs instead of protecting against genuine threats. Microsoft has identified the cause and is working on a fix, though no timeline for an official patch has been confirmed yet. Even though Microsoft Defender is more than enough security on its own, its reputation has taken a bit of a hit this year. Over the last few months, vulnerabilities like RedSun and RoguePlanet were discovered (and later patched), while just last month Defender was showing false warnings that it was disabled even when it wasn't .

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Everyone assumed the Windows taskbar copied a rival OS. Many assumed NeXTSTEP inspired the Windows taskbar, but Microsoft veterans say its roots trace to a 1991 project called Cairo. In a recent social media thread, Microsoft veterans Brad Silverberg, Joe Belfiore, and Dave Plummer shared a few anecdotes and clarifications about how the taskbar became part of Windows. The taskbar, first introduced with Windows 95, allowed users to keep track of multiple active programs simultaneously, making it one of the highlight features of the cutting-edge operating system.