Microsoft is killing a decades-old Windows Media Player feature in November, and points users to the modern app

windowslatest.com Oct 1, 2026

Microsoft is killing a decades-old Windows Media Player feature in November, and points users to the modern app

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 1, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Microsoft announced that Windows Media Player Legacy will no longer support skins on Windows 11 starting November 10, 2026, ending a feature that allowed users to fully redesign the player’s interface and functionality. The change applies to Windows 11 version 24H2 and later, including the 26H2 release. Legacy will remain available, but the skin system is removed. Microsoft urges users to switch to the modern Media Player, which is slower, uses more memory, and requires paid HEVC extensions for certain codecs.

💡 Why It Matters

· The removal signals Microsoft’s shift away from user‑customizable legacy software toward a streamlined, less feature‑rich media experience, potentially driving enthusiasts back to third‑party players.

Read full article on windowslatest.com

Dark clouds appear over ‘Xbox Cloud Gaming’ as it retires apps on…

Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming will discontinue its app on select smart TV platforms, including certain models from major manufacturers. The move follows a broader shift toward web‑based streaming and the company’s focus on its new cloud gaming service, xCloud. The retirement will affect users who rely on the native app for console‑like gameplay on their televisions, prompting them to switch to web browsers or other devices. Microsoft’s decision reflects a strategic realignment of its gaming ecosystem and a push toward unified cloud experiences.

💡 The app’s removal forces gamers to adapt to new access methods, reshaping how console‑style gaming is delivered on TVs. It signals a broader industry trend toward web‑first platforms and may accelerate the adoption of browser‑based gaming solutions.

politico.eu · Oct 1

‘Absolute s–t’: EU’s Microsoft Teams alternative draws bad reviews from officials

The European Commission launched Element Pro as a sovereign backup to Microsoft Teams, intended to secure internal communications if the U.S.-based platform becomes unavailable. Introduced over the summer, the tool is hosted on Commission infrastructure to enhance data control and reduce reliance on foreign technology. Despite its strategic purpose, three officials expressed strong criticism, labeling the system ineffective and describing it as “absolute shit.” They questioned its added value and warned that a U.S. outage would expose the Commission’s vulnerability. The rollout reflects Brussels’ broader push for digital sovereignty.

💡 By publicly rejecting a key backup tool, the Commission signals that European digital independence efforts may falter if domestic solutions fail to match established platforms.

blog.barracuda.com · Oct 1

EvilTokens takedown shows why cybercrime platforms are getting harder to stop

Microsoft shut down the EvilTokens phishing-as-a-service platform after discovering it had compromised over 12,000 Microsoft 365 inboxes in more than 10,000 organizations worldwide. The service exploited device‑code phishing, abusing legitimate OAuth flows to bypass multi‑factor authentication. The takedown highlighted that cybercriminals can rapidly rebuild infrastructure using AI coding tools and inexpensive blockchain‑based services, making individual platform disruptions less effective. Coordinated, ecosystem‑wide action is now required to achieve lasting disruption.

💡 The incident demonstrates that cybercrime operations can outpace traditional law‑enforcement responses, underscoring the need for proactive, collaborative defenses that target the underlying tools and infrastructure rather than isolated services.

eurogamer.net · Oct 1

“Xbox is not for sale”: CEO Asha Sharma says “we will do…

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma denied rumors of a sale, insisting the console division will remain under Microsoft while the company pursues a “reset” that will cut 3,200 jobs by next summer. The restructuring has already spun off three first‑party studios—Double Fine, Compulsion Games and Undead Labs—and left the futures of Ninja Theory and Arkane uncertain. Recent internal moves placed Halo under Activision, Rare and World's Edge under the Call of Duty publisher, and Obsidian under Bethesda, leaving only a handful of studios—The Coalition, Playground Games, Mojang, InXile and the remnants of Halo Studios—directly under Xbox Game Studios. Sharma said Xbox will explore “the right partnerships, the right operating model” and highlighted upcoming exclusives such as Gears of War: E‑Day and Clockwork Revolution, as well as a new deal with Kojima Productions for Physint.

💡 By rejecting a sale, Sharma signals a commitment to rebuild Xbox’s first‑party lineup internally, aiming to restore confidence among developers and gamers amid sweeping cuts.

windowslatest.com · Sep 30

Microsoft’s then-CEO called Linux a cancer, and now Windows 11 ships Linux…

Microsoft has released WSL Containers as a general‑availability feature, enabling Windows users to build, run, and manage Linux containers directly from the wsl command line. The update includes wslc.exe, a Docker‑style CLI, and a WSL Containers API packaged in Microsoft.WSL.Containers, supporting stdin/stdout, file mounts, networking, and GPU access. The new architecture spawns a user‑level wslcsession.exe process, improving isolation and security, and introduces Consommé networking for better VPN and firewall compatibility.

💡 By embedding Linux container support into the core WSL stack, Microsoft removes the need for third‑party tools like Docker Desktop, streamlining development workflows and tightening security for enterprise environments.

techcommunity.microsoft.com · Sep 30

How AI could help scientists find viruses to fight drug-resistant infections

Researchers at Microsoft used the Discovery app to build a cloud‑deployable bioinformatics pipeline that helps identify bacteriophages capable of treating drug‑resistant bacterial infections. The workflow accepts a bacterial genome, flags antibiotic‑resistance genes, predicts antiphage defenses, and scans large environmental datasets for candidate phages. Each step is documented in an inspectable task tree, allowing scientists to trace decisions, validate methods, and adjust the approach in real time. The collaborative human‑agent process links literature, multi‑omics data, and analytical tools, producing a reproducible computational plan that suggests therapeutic phage mixtures and outlines follow‑up laboratory experiments. The team emphasizes transparency and repeatability, aiming to accelerate phage‑therapy research without claiming immediate clinical outcomes.

💡 By turning complex phage‑selection into a transparent, auditable workflow, the approach reduces the time and uncertainty that have stalled phage‑therapy development.