I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I would buy DLC for Windows 11

Just a little earlier than Thanksgiving, my colleague Mark Hachman despatched me a Threads hyperlink. It confirmed a cute little animated cat operating in your taskbar. The add-on from GitHub claims to point out your CPU load, with the feline operating sooner the more durable your processor works.

The comments on the thread run the gamut of cautious to enthusiastic. (My favourite, from a consumer named gerb: “It may be malware, however at the very least it’s cute.”) But most individuals appreciated the concept. Maybe not particularly a cat—canine obtained nominated as an thought—however they have been onboard with an lovable addition to the taskbar.

Why hasn’t Microsoft began promoting this sort of factor? 

(Hold your pitchforks.)

In the outdated days, I might have added one thing like this with much less worry of infecting my laptop. (It wasn’t fully protected, however a normal sense of excellent citizenship nonetheless prevailed when fewer individuals have been on-line.) Heck, even a yr in the past, I might have advised individuals to at the very least examine the supply and see if anybody else had examined the code. 

But dangerous actors have quickly integrated AI into their assaults, making them simpler to deploy sooner and extra refined, too. For instance, Google has already noticed malware that may dynamically change in real-time and is more durable to detect. The strategies have grow to be sneakier as effectively. Several occasions this yr, reputable video games on Steam ended up spreading malware.

Meanwhile, Microsoft owns a number of sport studios, a few of which have made beaucoup bucks doing exactly what I’m suggesting—promoting skins and equipment. Also, it runs just a little storefront for its Xbox console ecosystem, so it’s not a stranger to this enterprise. The Microsoft Store is doing okay for itself, too.

And but. I can’t purchase little bits of code that will let my model of Windows have:

• Nyan cat, flying by means of house on my taskbar
• Microsoft’s Ninjacat as an animated screensaver
• Animated Ori and the Blind Forest wallpaper 
• An entire Ori theme the place there are animated bits, icon packs, a number of wallpaper selections, a screensaver, and a correctly colour coordinated background and accent colour chosen as a result of I suck at that
• Animated turtle that walks round within the left nook of the taskbar when it’s heat and hides when it’s chilly

(This will not be an exhaustive record of what I might be enticed into buying. Not remotely.)

Before anybody hurts me for suggesting Windows microtransactions, let me be very clear. I by no means need Microsoft to slap a price ticket on particular person options associated to Windows operations. Not even minor ones. That would suck, and I wish to stress that I’m deeply grateful that PowerToys exist. (Thank you once more to the devs who work on these.)

All I’m saying is, I’ve a growing collection of ugly sweaters. I purchased the Microsoft XP Crocs (and truly thought-about for a second if I might ever purchase the Xbox Crocs). What a squandered alternative to carry again the true vibes of the 90s, after we all spent literal hours gathering (and rotating by means of) totally different Winamp skins.

People love aesthetic customizations. You understand how individuals don’t wish to pay $30 to increase Windows 10 licenses? I wager a pack of one thing from any one in all Microsoft’s huge sport franchises might make some severe cash. Probably greater than the $30 for an Extended License.

I don’t even purchase Moira skins and I’m a whole lot of hours into Overwatch as a Moira OTP. But I might purchase enjoyable Windows customizations from a good supply. No different developer can be extra reliable than Microsoft itself. (Or so one hopes.)

In this episode of The Full Nerd

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Brad Chacos, Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith should eat their phrases. Yep, our annual custom returns, wherein all of us undergo the results of not making correct predictions for 2025.

For these new to our present, our predictions episodes work like this: In the primary half, we overview final yr’s forecasts. For each fallacious one, the normal punishment is to actually eat your phrases—you write the wrong guess down on a chunk of paper and down the hatch it goes—however a few of us have since spun off from Gordon’s methodology. Then, within the second a part of the present, we make new predictions for the approaching yr. The cycle continues.

With the numerous twists and turns of 2025, I used to be shocked we obtained any predictions proper. Still, we missed sufficient that Brad, usually the man who escapes a whole lot of struggling, ended up deeply regretting his option to down Da Bomb Beyond Insanity scorching sauce for each fallacious decide.

I don’t imply simply discomfort whereas on the present. About three hours later, we obtained a message in our work group chat that mentioned:

“ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff i forgot to wash my hands before using the bathroom 😭😭”

On Wednesday, he mentioned he nonetheless hadn’t absolutely recovered. Also, to recollect washing your palms after cleansing up scorching sauce. Heard, boss.

Willis Lai / Foundry

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This week’s unsettling nerd information

I had hoped for a quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year’s, however uh, apparently the Ghost of PC Building Future had totally different concepts. Maingear introduced on Tuesday that it might start providing customized programs with out RAM, when you want to avoid wasting money and BYOR as an alternative. (Bring your personal RAM.)

…Where does one discover that independently sourced inexpensive DDR5 RAM, precisely?

XPG

• BYOR hurts as a concept: We truly mentioned this prediction the exact same day that Maingear made its announcement about Bring Your Own Ram configurations. Strap in, 2026’s going to be fairly a experience.

• Nerfed SSD performance in Windows 11 may finally end: Remember the transfer to software-based encryption in BitLocker, and it tanking SSD speeds? Well, Microsoft is now promising that coming hardware-based encryption will undo most of that situation. Here’s to hoping.

• LimeWire was not on my 2025 bingo card: Especially not as a device for circumventing potential censorship and holding data freely obtainable.

• Perhaps nostalgia is good for us: I’m going to interpret this examine exhibiting that happiness from reliving good childhood reminiscences (through console video games like Super Mario Bros.) means I’m completely justified in shopping for retro consoles and never truly making progress on my video games backlog.

• Take a look at this vintage Texas Instruments computer! Will obtained a very cool close-up have a look at the TI-99/4A, due to Huxley from Retro Roadshow stopping by our workplaces and bringing his childhood laptop with him.

• Long live OLED: I’ve been holding out for an inexpensive OLED TV, however I’ve to confess I’ve been a bit hesitant as a result of burn-in considerations. Looks like I could have little to fret about. Hmm…

• Shoutout to the OG: Valve is discontinuing the LCD model of the Steam Deck, leaving the OLED model as its default champion of handheld gaming. Rest in peace, trailblazer.

Merry Christmas to all who have fun—and I’ll catch everybody once more simply after New Year’s, with some ideas about 2026 (and presumably some associated resolutions). For now, I’m off to take pleasure in household time, video video games, and a ton of wonderful meals!

~Alaina

This publication is devoted to the reminiscence of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and government editor of {hardware} at PCWorld.