A new video out this week explores a unique proposition that most modern computers likely haven’t thought of: What if Windows XP got reworked to show off circa-2019 design and functionality elements? The morbidly curious need not wonder anymore, as YouTube user Avdan released an animated mock-up teasing his take on the question.
The 95-second clip hits the viewer with early-2000s nostalgia right out of the gate by flashing the classic Windows XP Start button before landing on the bootup loading screen, which stays true to its spiritual predecessor except for the “2019 Edition” label under the loading bar.
From there, the video showcases a sleek reimagining of the Windows XP desktop with more minimal, crisp window panes, handles, and other UI elements as it flaunts Windows 10’s latest functional and aesthetic features. Cortana, virtual desktop workspaces, and adaptive and dark themes are all highlighted one at a time in delightfully retro Windows XP chic. And, of course, this all plays out with the iconic (or seared-into-your-mind, depending on your perspective) grassy hill wallpaper for a backdrop. Between the attention to visual details, the animation edits, and the melodramatic Hollywood action hero soundtrack, it’s hard not to pine for the old days for a moment.
The channel behind the loving homage, Avdan, has released a number of similarly silly mashup concepts, both for Microsoft and Apple operating systems. This particular iteration of the channel’s Windows OS redesign gag comes at an especially fitting time, as Microsoft recently reminded us that the end of life is nearing for another outmoded, but much-beloved OS, Windows 7. The fondness that fans feel for the old desktop is not an exaggeration, either, as consumers have been reluctant to move on to Windows 10, so much so that Microsoft is extending support for some enterprise customers until they can tear themselves away.
This also isn’t the first, nor probably last, Windows parody that we’ve seen. Keen observers will find everything from a Windows 1 emulator to a browser-based Windows 93 lampooning Windows 95’s comparative primitiveness and terrifying susceptibility to malware. Microsoft has also responded to the outpouring of affection from fans, too, most recently by open-sourcing its ancient MS-DOS on GitHub for anyone to play around with, or just appreciate. All of this goes to show just how much cultural currency Windows continues to have.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Two residents of Chicago have filed a lawsuit in the US over claims that robots run by Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics captured their facial and hand measurements without consent, bringing renewed attention to the food delivery robots. The cases raise a troubling question: If a robot delivers food to your door, can it also be gathering sensitive information about you?
According to a report by The Associated Press, the proposed class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County on Oct. 9 and allege violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The complaints claim that the robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors captured information on customers’ faces and hands as they approached the machines to pick up their orders. Both have denied the allegations.