World News: Talking Tech: What you need to know about Windows 11

Saturday, June 26

We now have a window into the future of Windows.

After much speculation, and a reported leak, Microsoft finally unveiled Windows 11, the next step for its longstanding operating system.

Windows 11 will be available this holiday, and expected to work on PCs running Windows 10 and all newer PCs. It's also going to be a free upgrade.

Obviously, impressions of Windows 11 are limited to what Microsoft has shown thus far, but it's clear Microsoft is taking steps to make sure its latest PC software is not only easier to use, but supports everything you need.

It's certainly come a long way from Windows 1.0 when it launched more than 35 years ago. There's the one-two punch of Microsoft's redesigned Store and the inclusion of Android apps as part of a partnership with Amazon.

You also have tweaks to Windows' Snap functionality, allowing users to decide the layout of your apps on screen, and easily swap between layouts (like if you have a work profile versus personal).

We'll keep you posted on all things Windows 11 when it eventually lands on PCs. In the meantime ...

What else happened in tech?

• John McAfee found dead. The eccentric entrepreneur who started a cybersecurity company bearing his name was found dead inside a jail cell in Spain after a court approved his extradition to the U.S. on tax-related charges.

• Remember Beeple? He's the artist who netted $69 million after auctioning his art as an NFT. His next project? An NFT venture called WENEW.

• Speaking of NFTs. Charities are adopting them in hopes they'll become a new way to donate to worthy causes. And we before we forget to mention it, USA TODAY has its first NFT, too.

Game break

Hoping Nintendo will release a new version of its Switch video game console? Don't get too excited. It looks highly unlikely. One reason? Much like the new PlayStation 5 from Sony and Microsoft's Xbox Series X, the Switch has been very popular.