be quiet!, the German manufacturer for premium PC components, is introducing a brand-new mainstream case series, Pure Base 501, and a new mainstream power supply series, Pure Power 12. Following in the footsteps of the extremely successful and award-winning Pure Base 500 series, Pure Base 501 proves that simplicity can be exciting: useful features and a compact size make this case series perfect for any gaming or office PC. The line-up includes models aimed at silence or airflow, with or without window, and in two different colors (black and white). It supports advanced features for flexible installation and reliable cooling. Meanwhile, Pure Power 12 extends be quiet!'s power supply portfolio with mainstream models that offer 80 Plus Gold rating and fixed cables.

Pure Base 501: Compact yet mighty
Pure Base 501 is aimed at users looking for a very flexible case with compact dimensions and who appreciate a timeless, traditional design without ARGB features. The case series consists of one black model aimed at silence (with a closed front panel) and black and white models aimed at airflow (with a mesh front panel) featuring either a solid side panel or a side panel window for a perfect view of the components inside the case.

Arc Raiders, the upcoming third-person PvPvE survival shooter from the developer of The Finals has received a date for its first tech test on Steam. This will apparently be the game's largest external play test to date, and, given the far-away release date, the developer will likely be evaluating things like server performance and game stability first and foremost—although players will likely be asked for feedback regarding game performance and features, as well. The tech test will run for four days, starting on October 24 and ending on October 27.

Players interested in trying out the upcoming extraction shooter can apply via the game's Steam Store page, although they will also need to agree to a non-disclosure agreement, and they will not be allowed to stream any gameplay, share any footage or images from the new game, or even talk about the playtest. In the announcement for the playtest, Embark Studios is clear that this is not meant to be a marketing push for Arc Raiders, despite the press wave that came with the tech test announcement, and the studio hopes to save the excitement for when the game fully releases in 2025.

Corcord, Firewalk Studios' hero shooter, released on August 23 for PS5 and Windows, was pulled from sale on Tuesday and will be taken offline later this week, all thanks to its disastrous launch. Sony announced on its Playstation blog Players who purchased Concord would be refunded as it "explores options" for the game, and "determines the best path ahead."

Game director at Firewalk Studios, Ryan Ellis, announced Concord's fate in a message to players, saying, "Aspects of the game and our initial launch didn't land the way we intended." He continues, "Concord fans—we've been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar." Ellis added,"Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us."

A faulty software update to enterprise computers by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has taken millions of computers offline, most of which are in a commercial or enterprise environment, or are Azure deployments. CrowdStrike provides periodic software and security updates to commercial PCs, enterprise PCs, and cloud instances, with a high degree of automation. The latest update reportedly breaks the Windows bootloader, causing bluescreens of death (BSODs), and if configured, invokes Windows Recovery. Enterprises tend to bulletproof the bootloaders of their client machines, and disable generic Windows Recovery tools from Microsoft, which means businesses around the world are left with large numbers of machines that will each take manual fixing. The so-called "Windows CrowdStrike BSOD deluge" has hit critical businesses such as banks, airlines, supermarket chains, and TV broadcasters. Meanwhile, sysadmins on Reddit are wishing each other a happy weekend.

0patch plans to combat Microsoft's ending Windows 10 support by offering unofficial security updates for the 2015 operating system. Microsoft is ending Windows 10 security updates on October 14, 2025, after which the OS will stop receiving patches for vulnerabilities. The Redmond giant will provide you with an option to update your Windows 10 build, however, with a hefty fee slapped. Extended Security Updates (ESU) pricing structure follows a tiered model that doubles each year. From October 2025 to October 2026, the cost is $61 per device. The following year, from October 2026 to October 2027, the price increases to $122 per device. In the final year, spanning October 2027 to October 2028, the cost rises to $244 per device. For users planning to maintain Windows 10 until October 2028, the total expense over the three-year period would amount to $427 per device.

However, 0patch, a company focused on providing unofficial security updates for Windows OSes, will provide Windows 10 users with free and paid security updates post-end of service. Their system focuses on delivering targeted "micropatches" for critical vulnerabilities that emerge after Microsoft's official support ends. These micropatches are designed to be extremely precise and minimal, often consisting of just a few CPU instructions. A key feature of 0patch's approach is its non-invasive nature. The patches are applied directly to running processes in the computer's memory, leaving the original Microsoft files untouched. This method allows for rapid deployment of security fixes without requiring system reboots or interrupting user activities. The patching process is designed to be seamless and virtually unnoticeable to users. For instance, a user working on a document wouldn't experience any disruption while a micropatch is being applied. This approach is particularly beneficial for servers, where continuous uptime is crucial, as patches can be implemented without any downtime.

During yesterday's Microsoft Event, in addition to the new AI features and Surface devices, the company also announced its new Surface Pro Flex wireless keyboard, compatible with the Surface Pro 8, 9, 10, and 11 models. Officially called "Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen," the wireless keyboard is a $449.98 add-on keyboard that doesn't include Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen 2, only an indentation at the top of the keyboard to charge it. So, without a pen, what does the keyboard offer? According to Microsoft, up to 41 hours of continuous typing while detached, a dedicated Copilot key, and a touchpad with a vibration function for haptic feedback. The touchpad can have varying pressure levels, and applications can use it to build different functionalities.

Its thin and light design measures 289x221x5.25 mm with a weight of 340 g. The dedicated Copilot key summons the AI assistant and all the functionality Microsoft plans for its Windows 11 integration, which has been completely revamped for AI. The material choice is a Alcantara polyester-blend, which can be difficult for maintenance, and the keyboard is sold in either black or bright sapphire colors, becoming available on June 18th. Interestingly, given the name "Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen" and a price tag of $449.98, it is intriguing as to why Microsoft doesn't bundle the Surface Slim Pen 2 with the keyboard, as it is designed with a dedicated wireless charging indentation for the pen.

At OpenAI's spring update, a lot of eyes were fixed on the company, which spurred the AI boom with the ChatGPT application. Now being almost a must-have app for consumers and prosumers alike, ChatGPT is a de-facto application for the latest AI innovation, backed by researchers and scientists from OpenAI. Today, OpenAI announced a new model called GPT-4o (Omni), which hopes to bring advanced intelligence, improved overall capabilities, and real-time voice interaction with users. Now, the ChatGPT application wants to become like a personal assistant that actively communicates with users and provides much broader capabilities. OpenAI claims that it can respond to audio inputs as quickly as 232 milliseconds, with an average of 320 milliseconds, similar to human response time in conversations.

However, OpenAI states that it wants ChatGPT's latest GPT-4o model to be available to the free, Plus, and Team paid subscribers, where paid subscribers get 5x higher usage and early access to the model. Interestingly, the GPT-4o model is much improved across a variety of standard benchmarks like MMLU, Math, HumanEval, GPQA, and others, where it now surpasses almost all models except Claude 3 Opus in MGSM. It now understands more than 50 languages and can do real time translation. In addition to the new model, OpenAI announced that they are launching a desktop ChatGPT app, which can act as a personal assistant and see what is happening on the screen, but it is only allowed by user command. This is supposed to bring a much more refined user experience and enable users to use AI as a third person to help understand the screen's content. Initially only available on macOS, we are waiting for OpenAI to launch the Windows ChatGPT application so everyone can also experience the new technology.

According to ChinaScope, an effort is currently underway to strengthen Huawei's HarmonyOS platform's presence. The local government of Shenzhen has unveiled an ambitious program aimed at supercharging the development of native applications for the operating system. The "Shenzhen Action Plan for Supporting the Development of Native HarmonyOS Open Source Applications in 2024" outlines several key goals to foster a more robust and competitive ecosystem around HarmonyOS. One primary objective is for Shenzhen-based HarmonyOS apps to account for over 10% of China's total by the end of 2024. To facilitate this, the city plans to establish at least two specialized industrial parks dedicated to HarmonyOS software development across various application domains.

Furthermore, the initiative calls for over 1,000 software companies in Shenzhen to obtain HarmonyOS development talent qualifications, underscoring the city's commitment to cultivating a skilled workforce for the platform. Perhaps most impressively, the action plan encourages eligible companies to ramp up their outsourcing services for HarmonyOS app development, with a lofty target of reaching 500,000 HarmonyOS developers. This would represent a significant influx of developer talent focused on the platform if achieved. The Shenzhen government's push aligns with China's broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technologies and promote the adoption of domestic alternatives like HarmonyOS. While initially launched by Huawei as a workaround for U.S. sanctions, HarmonyOS has since expanded to power many devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and TVs.

Qualcomm's "Windows on Snapdragon, a Platform Ready for your PC Games" GDC presentation attracted a low number of attendees according to The Verge's Sean Hollister (senior editor). The semiconductor firm is readying its Snapdragon X Elite mobile chipset family for launch around mid-2024—prototypes and reference devices have been popping up lately. Leaked Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge specs suggest that Qualcomm's ARM-based solution is ready to take on Apple's M3 chipset series. Gaming is not a major priority for many owners of slimline notebooks, but Apple has made efforts to unleash some of its silicon's full potential in that area. Snapdragon Studios' GDC showcase outlined a promising future for their X Elite chips—according to Hollister's coverage of the GDC session, Qualcomm's principal engineer told "game developers (that) their titles should already work on a wave of upcoming Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops—no porting required."

Issam Khalil's presentation covered three different porting paths: x64 emulation, ARM64, and a hybrid approach (via an "ARM64EC" driver). He demonstrated tools that will be available for games developers to start enabling titles on Windows + Snapdragon platforms. The Snapdragon X Elite is capable of running x86/64 games at "close to full speed" via emulation, as claimed in presentation slides. Khalil posits that developers are not required to change the code or assets of their games to achieve full speed performance. Adreno GPU drivers have been prepped for DX11, DX12, Vulkan, and OpenCL—mapping layers were utilized to grant support for DX9 and OpenGL (up to v4.6). Specific titles were not highlighted as fully operational on Snapdragon X Elite-based devices, but the team has spent time combing through "top games" on Steam.

According to sources close to Reuters, NVIDIA is reportedly developing its custom CPUs based on Arm instruction set architecture (ISA), specifically tailored for the client ecosystem, also known as PC. NVIDIA has already developed an Arm-based CPU codenamed Grace, which is designed to handle server and HPC workloads in combination with the company's Hopper GPU. However, as we learn today, NVIDIA also wants to provide CPUs for PC users and to power Microsoft's Windows operating system. The push for more vendors of Arm-based CPUs is also supported by Microsoft, which is losing PC market share to Apple and its M-series of processors.

The creation of custom processors for PCs that Arm ISA would power makes the decades of x86-based applications either obsolete or in need of recompilation. Apple allows users to emulate x86 applications using the x86-to-Arm translation layer, and even Microsoft allows it for Windows-on-Arm devices. We are left to see how NVIDIA's solution would compete in the entire market of PC processors, which are expected to arrive in 2025. Still, the company could make some compelling solutions given its incredible silicon engineering history and performant Arm design like Grace. With the upcoming Arm-based processors hitting the market, we expect the Windows-on-Arm ecosystem to thrive and get massive investment from independent software vendors.

Ampere Computing, known for its Altra (Max) and upcoming AmpereOne families of AArch64 server processors tailored for data centers, has released a guide for enthusiasts on running Steam for Linux on these ARM64 processors. This includes using Steam Play (Proton) to play Windows games on these Linux-powered servers. Over the summer, Ampere Computing introduced a GitHub repository detailing the process of running Steam for Linux on their AArch64 platforms, including Steam Play/Proton. While the guide is primarily designed for Ampere Altra/Altra Max and AmpereOne hardware, it can be adapted for other 64-bit Arm platforms. However, a powerful processor is essential to appreciate the gaming experience truly. Additionally, for the 3D OpenGL/Vulkan graphics to function optimally, an Ampere workstation system is more suitable than a headless server.

The guide recommends the Ampere Altra Developer platform paired with an NVIDIA RTX A6000 series graphics card, which supports AArch64 proprietary drivers. The guide uses Box86 and Box64 to run Steam x86 binaries and other x86/x86-64 games for emulation. While there are other options like FEX-Emu and Hangover to enhance the Linux binary experience on AArch64, Box86/Box64 is the preferred choice for gaming on Ampere workstations, as indicated by its mention in Ampere Computing's Once the AArch64 Linux graphics drivers are accelerated and Box86/Box64 emulation is set up, users can install Steam for Linux. By activating Proton within Steam, it becomes feasible to play Windows-exclusive x86/x86-64 games on Ampere AArch64 workstations or server processors. However, the guide doesn't provide insights into the performance of such a configuration.

Thanks to the attribution of Puget Systems, we have a preview of Intel's latest Xeon W-3400 and Xeon W-2400 workstation processors based on Sapphire Rapids core technology. Delivering up to 56 cores and 112 threads, these CPUs are paired with up to eight TeraBytes of eight-channel DDR5-4800 memory. For expansion, they offer up to 112 PCIe 5.0 lanes come with up to 350 Watt TDP; some models are unlocked for overclocking. This interesting HEDT family for workstation usage comes at a premium with an MSRP of $5,889 for the top-end SKU, and motherboard prices are also on the pricey side. However, all of this should come as no surprise given the expected performance professionals expect from these chips. Puget Systems has published test results that include: Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Unreal Engine, Cinebench R23.2, Blender, and V-Ray. Note that Puget Systems said that: "While this post has been an interesting preview of the new Xeon processors, there is still a TON of testing we want to do. The optimizations Intel is working on is of course at the top, but there are several other topics we are highly interested in." So we expect better numbers in the future.Below, you can see the comparison with AMD's competing Threadripper Pro HEDT SKUs, along with power usage using different Windows OS power profiles:

Adobe's Premiere Pro, one of the most common video editing tools in the industry, has received a February update today with version 22.2. The new version brings a wide array of features like Adobe Remix, an advanced audio retiming tool. Alongside that, the latest update accelerates offline text-to-speech capabilities by as much as three times. However, this is not the most significant feature, as we are about to see. Adobe also enabled 10-bit 420 HDR HEVC H/W encoding on Window with Intel and NVIDIA graphics. This feature allows the software to use advanced hardware built-in the NVIDIA Quadro RTX and Intel Iris Xe graphics cards.

The company managed to run some preliminary tests, and you can see the charts below. They significantly improve export times with the latest 22.2 software version that enables HEVC 10-Bit hardware encoding. For Intel GPUs, no special drivers need to be installed. However, for NVIDIA GPUs, Adobe is advising official Studio drivers in combination with Quadro RTX GPUs.

Today at CES 2022, Intel announced the world's fastest mobile processor, bringing its performance hybrid architecture to mobile platforms for the first time with new 12th Gen Intel Core mobile processors that are up to 40 percent faster than the previous generation mobile processor. Intel introduced 28 new 12th Gen Intel Core mobile processors that deliver a feature-rich suite of capabilities to create laptops for people to compute whenever and wherever they need - without compromise.

With the introduction of the full 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processor lineup, the 12th Gen Intel Core processor family also represents the company's most scalable lineup to date, powering designs across consumer, enterprise, the Internet of Things (IoT) and other applications. "Intel's new performance hybrid architecture is helping to accelerate the pace of innovation and the future of compute," said Gregory Bryant, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Client Computing Group. "And, with the introduction of 12th Gen Intel Core mobile processors, we are unlocking new experiences and setting the standard of performance with the fastest processor for a laptop—ever."

Microsoft has updated the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in the latest Windows 11 preview build to now be the Black Screen of Death. The Blue Screen of Death has been included since Windows 1.0 was released in 1985 and has received various changes over the years adding error codes, the sad face, and most recently in 2016 QR codes. The new Black Screen of Death was likely introduced to blend better with modern systems and is functionally identical to the previous version. Microsoft had previously introduced the Green Screen of Death for Windows Insider Preview Builds so if you are running the Windows 11 preview and want to enable the updated BSOD you can set the DisplayPreReleaseColor Variable to 0 in the registry editor (HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl) and reboot.

AMD has today updated its Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition version 21.5.1 drivers, bringing many features on board as well as fixing a lot of issues that have appeared in the past. Starting with support for the Resident Evil Village PC game, AMD promises to deliver up to 13% better frame rate at 4K maximum settings, while using the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card. The comparison was conducted with a reference to the previous driver, 21.4.1, which didn't allow the card to reach as high FPS as it is now possible with the proper support for the game. Another game that is added to the support list is Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. Some fixes have been implemented, as the incorrect performance metrics that may have incorrectly reported temperatures on Ryzen 5 1600 series processors. For a detailed list of bug fixes, please take a look at the list below.DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition 21.5.1

Editor's note: This is not a part of April Fools.

NVIDIA has separated professional users and regular gamers with the company's graphics card offering. There is a GeForce lineup of GPUs, which represents a gaming-oriented version and its main task is to simply play games, display graphics, and run some basic CUDA accelerated software. However, what would happen if you were to start experimenting with your GPU? For example, if you are running Linux, and you want to spin a virtual machine with Windows on it for gaming, you could just use your integrated GPU as the GeForce card doesn't allow for virtual GPU passthrough. For these purposes, NVIDIA has its professional graphics card lineup like Quadro and Tesla.

However, this specific feature is about to arrive in even the GeForce lineup offerings. NVIDIA has announced that the company is finally bringing the basic virtual machine passthrough functions to the gaming GPUs. While the feature is representing a step in the right direction, it is still limited. For example, the GeForce GPU passthrough supports only one virtual machine and SR-IOV feature is still not supported on GeForce. "If you want to enable multiple virtual machines to have direct access to a single GPU or want the GPU to be able to assign virtual functions to multiple virtual machines, you will need to use NVIDIA Tesla, Quadro, or RTX enterprise GPUs.", says the NVIDIA FAQ. GeForce virtualization, which is now still in beta, is supported on R465 or higher drivers.The full content from NVIDIA's website is written below.

iBUYPOWER, a leading manufacturer of custom gaming PCs, today announced its all new Slate9050W prebuilt gaming system, available exclusively on Walmart.com and in Walmart stores across the United States. Armed with an Intel Core i5 9400F CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB graphics card the Slate9050W gaming PC will provide users looking for a new gaming rig with the efficiency and frame rates needed to dominate in the latest battle royal games. With a 240 GB SATA solid state drive and a 1 TB hard drive, the Slate9050W provides ample storage space for game files and streaming clips without creating a bottle neck in the system.

Housed in iBUYPOWER's latest Slate 4 case, featuring an RGB lit front panel and a tempered glass side panel, the Walmart exclusive Slate9050W provides gamers with a quintessential option for an affordable and aesthetically pleasing prebuilt gaming PC. To ensure the system runs cool during long hours of gameplay, the Slate9050W comes equipped with a standard Intel CPU air cooler and four 120 mm addressable RGB (ARGB) fans, one at the rear for exhaust and three mounted to the front, side of the system.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of WiFi 6 products that drive connectivity for today's smart homes, is announcing that the advanced cyber protection, NETGEAR Armor powered by Bitdefender, is now available on Orbi WiFi 6 Mesh Systems and a number of NETGEAR WiFi 6 routers. NETGEAR Armor cybersecurity protects the connected home and unlimited devices from online threats both at home and on-the-go. The multi-layered cybersecurity solution, which includes Bitdefender's award-winning anti-virus, anti-malware and data protection software for end devices, is built into NETGEAR Orbi Mesh WiFi systems and Nighthawk WiFi routers to protect Internet of Things (IoT) products, connected TVs, thermostats, mobile phones, computers, tablets and other devices.

NETGEAR Armor actively safeguards networks against threats, including trojans, ransomware, zero-day exploits, rootkits, and spyware, helps block fraudulent websites trying to steal financial data such as passwords or credit card numbers, and looks out for malicious links in browsers, emails, or apps. "The world has come to learn how reliant we are on connectivity and along with this access comes potential online threats from bad actors. In 2018, NETGEAR made the strategic decision to help keep our customers secure by providing world-class network security through our partnership with Bitdefender," said David Henry, senior vice president for Connected Home Products at NETGEAR. "With NETGEAR Armor, you can sleep soundly knowing that your home network and all the connected devices are secure at home and on the go."

It seems Microsoft has begun the long process of phasing out 32-bit support for Windows 10 beginning with version 2004, all new OEM Windows 10 systems will be required to use 64-bit builds and Microsoft will no longer release 32-bit builds for OEM distribution. This will not affect those of you running 32-bit versions of Windows 10 who will continue to receive updates and Microsoft plans to continue to sell 32-bit versions of Windows 10 through retail channels for the foreseeable future. This is likely just the first step in what will probably be a multi-year project to gradually phase out 32-bit support as more consumers and businesses switch to 64-bit systems.

Despite Microsoft ending Windows 7 support on January the 14th and declaring it End-Of-Life (EOL), most of the antivirus providers are still providing their services to Windows 7 users. With a large portion of the users unable to switch to the newer and supported OS versions like Windows 10, antivirus providers see a good opportunity to gain new customers that want to protect their PCs from the possible threats. Thanks to the AV-Test report we have a list of antivirus providers that are going to support Windows 7, and it includes all of the big players with a plan to support their software on Windows 7 until 2022. So some of the Windows 7 users unable to upgrade to the newer OS are going to be at least semi-protected against possible vulnerabilities, with exception of course for those found in OS level.

When it comes to the number one source of the threats, the browser, there is some good news there as well. Google plans to support its Chrome browser to at least July 2021, while Mozilla declared no official information about their support plans, however, if they behave as they did with Windows XP and its support ending, your Firefox browser will likely get some more mileage out of it.

NVIDIA released its first GeForce software suite since Windows 10 October 2018 went official. The new GeForce 416.16 WHQL drivers add full support for the new operating system, including WDDM 2.5, and DirectX Ray-Tracing (DXR), which are essential for NVIDIA RTX to work. The drivers also add SLI profiles for a large number of games, including "Battlefield V," "Basingstroke," "Divinity: Original Sin II," "Immortal: Unchained," "Jurassic World Evolution," "Phoenix Point," and "Seven: The Days Long Gone." 3DVision profiles are added for "The Elder Scrolls: Online."

A small number of bugs are also fixed with this release. "Pascal" GPUs running "Quake HD remix" no longer experience black square glitches. Temporal AA sharp drops in performance with GeForce GTX 1060 running "Rainbow 6: Siege" has been fixed. Driver errors on TITAN Xp when waking up from S4 sleep have been fixed. Lastly, an issue found with "Turing" GPUs not exposing Netflix 4K mode to displays connected over USB-C, has been fixed. Grab the driver from the link below.DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 416.16 WHQL

The change-log follows.

Straight off the heels of Gamescom 2018, where Dell announced their new gaming monitors and the refresh of their Alienware desktops, the excitement continues at IFA 2018. Dell is unveiling a new suite of innovative devices that elevate the computing experience for the everyday consumer, mobile professional and fast-paced small business owner. The enhanced Inspiron, XPS and Vostro portfolio is built with a combination of beautiful design, superior materials and top performance dedicated to deliver a device for every function and user. In addition, Dell is expanding its monitor leadership with a stunning new Dell 27 USB-C Ultrathin Monitor built with beauty and function.

Dell's commitment to thoughtful design and truly immersive cinematic experiences on the PC continues with this generation of new products. Launched at CES 2018, Dell Cinema is the combination of several cutting-edge technologies all working in concert to give the viewer an immersive, captivating experience on their PCs. Dell Cinema is available across the XPS portfolio and new Inspiron products starting this autumn.

The interstellar battle between the terran, zerg, and protoss is about to consume even more of the galaxy, as Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the ultimate real-time strategy game will soon be free to play.

Beginning November 14, players around the world will get free access to the full award-winning Wings of Liberty campaign and the elite multiplayer competition of StarCraft II's ranked ladder, including all the latest units and balance updates through the latest release in the series, Legacy of the Void. Players will also enjoy expanded access to StarCraft II's highly popular co-op mode, with all Co-op Commanders playable for free.

While Microsoft has been offering bug bounty incentives since at least 2012, Google has arguably been much more vocal in its bug bounty programs. The company recently increased the maximum payout in its bug bounty programs (mainly focused on Android) to a staggering $200,000, and now Microsoft is not only following suit - it's upping the game.

With the Windows Bounty Program, which Microsoft announced yesterday, the company is looking towards an increased incentive to security-hardening suggestions from tech-savvy users. This program will extend to all features of the Windows Insider Preview in addition to focus areas in Hyper-V, Mitigation bypass, Windows Defender Application Guard, and Microsoft Edge. And incentives starting at $500 and going all the way up to $250,000 are very, very respectful.