Category: Entertainment

If you needed another reason why going fully digitally is a bad idea, here it is.

X-user Squirrel Mort posted a plea for help a few days ago on the site, stating that their Xbox account got hacked, the email address replaced, and that Microsoft Security stated that they could not restore account access.

I've had my @Microsoft account since @Xbox 360 spent thousands on games then got hacked the hacker replaced my email with a different email @msftsecurity says they cant give me back my account @jronald @satyanadella @XboxP3 is there anything you can do?

15 years lost please help pic.twitter.com/gNk6byoENW

— 🐿️ Squirrel Mort 🐿️ (@mortivoree) December 18, 2025

The gamer claims that games equaling thousands were added to the account since the Xbox 360 days.

Note that the information comes from a report on X. Microsoft has not posted an official response yet, which makes it possible that the story could be fake. However, something like this has happened in the past and can surely happen today.

The hacker, reportedly, managed to gain access to the Xbox account and changed personal information, including the main email address used for the account. While the user does not provide any more details, it is likely that the password has been changed in the process as well.

The X-user claims that the new email address points to a service in Russia.

Can Microsoft reinstate the account? It surely has the means to do so. It could ask for verification, e.g., payment information or usage information, which the owner of the account may be able to provide, but the hacker can’t likely.

The incident highlights a major issue in today’s digital world. Since digital goods are linked to an account, losing access to that account means that you will lose access to all the content. It does not need to be a hack either for that scenario to happen.

The service itself could ban the account. This happened in the past numerous times, sometimes when a forbidden word was written in chat, at other times, because of a false positive.

While the comfort of using digital goods is understandable, users need to be aware of the implications. Most only realize these when they run into issues like the one described by the user on X.

While there is no definitive protection against losing access, users can, at the very least, protect their accounts with the strongest supported security protections.

This includes picking a secure password and enabling two-factor authentication. There is no definition of strong when it comes to passwords, but make it very long, avoid single dictionary words or phrases, and include upper- and lower-case characters, numbers and special characters.

For two-factor authentication, I recommend using a local solution using an app like Aegis, which is open source and available for Android. Windows, Mac, and iOS users may check out Proton Authenticator, which is also free to use.

This puts a second layer of defense around the account. Even if a criminal manages to gain access to the username and password, they would still also need access to the two-factor authentication code, that gets generated by the app. Unless they also happen to have access to the mobile device or app, or manage to obtain the code through social engineering, they won’t be able to access the account.

Now You: How do you protect your online accounts? Do you use two-factor authentication or even security keys? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Streaming has taken the world by storm and while the current path has diverged significantly from the glorious idea of paying for a single subscription to gain access to all content there is, it is still on the rise apparently, despite the fragmentation of content and rise of ads.

However, the rise of digital media in general, including games, has not really been all that beneficial to us users. Certainly, there are advantages. As soon as you pay, you gain access to the new game, movie or TV show. You do not even have to leave the house anymore or wait days for a delivery to reach your door.

The downside to digital media has been discussed at length. It boils down to the following strong points:

• You do not own the digital content anymore, which means that it can be taken away from you at any time.
• You can’t resale the content either anymore, unless you sell the entire account, which the terms forbid.
• You can play, watch or listen, even if there is no Internet or services go down. Games are special, as more and more do not include the full game on the disc or card.
• If they ban your account, you lose access to everything.

Granted, there have been just a few cases where companies removed access. Amazon, for example, removed access to the digital books 1984 and Animal Farm back in 2009 because of a dispute over copyright and rights. It did refund the books, but the removal sparked a larger discussion about ownership and potential censorship.

With that in mind, I have followed a simple principle ever since digital content started to appear online: never buy, unless there is no other option. Try to avoid, if digital is the only option.

• Movies and TV shows: I buy DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K. Not that I buy many new films or shows, as I find them mostly boring and intellectually at the bottom of the barrel. I did buy several old movies that I missed or wanted to watch again, many of which are not even available at streaming services.
• Games: For consoles, I buy physical online. Not all games get physical releases anymore, or only in certain regions. I buy those, if they support a language that I understand. As for digital games, I try to avoid them as best as I can. If I can’t resist, I buy during sales.
• Music: CDs and records only. I can listen to songs for free on various sites, which is fine. When I like something in particular or want to support the artist, I buy the CD or record.

Physical products have the advantage that I can resell them. Does not happen too often, but I did sell a few PS5 games after I finished them or was done with them. If I would have bought them digitally, they would still be collecting dust in my virtual games library.

I can also lend them, so that a friend can play a game or my parents can watch a movie or show that I bought.

The trend, however, is moving heavily towards digital. With each new console generation, the discussion whether to include an optical drive or card-slot comes up again. Companies want to move to digital only, because it eliminates the second hand market. If you want to play a game or see a movie, you need to buy it yourself. No more lending or reselling, which increases their revenue, they rightfully believe.

Consumers are on the receiving end. While the majority does not seem to mind the trend, especially if reselling or lending is not needed, users who do prefer physical will face a hard decision in the next decade or so.

What about you? Do you buy digital or physical mainly? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

While Windows continues to be the most-used desktop operating system, not everyone is particularly happy with it. If you have used Windows for a while, you may have encountered bugs and issues, an infusion of ads and unpopular features, and more.

Former Microsoft-engineer Dave Plummer, responsible for development on core components such as the Task Manager, has published a video on YouTube about the state of Windows and how he would fix it.

His key argument for the statement that he makes — Windows “sucks” — is that Microsoft has optimized the operating system for median users and by doing so, has frustrated power users. Power users, while a minority, are influential and they do set the narrative for the most part, according to Plummer.

To address this, Plummer suggests that Microsoft adds a “professional mode” to the operating. Users should be able to enable the mode to turbo-charge Windows. Reduce verbosity and nudges, consolidate controls, pre-install major tools and give power users more control over their operating system.

He goes on to address several key issues that especially power users have regarding the current state of Windows:

• Telemetry: Is essential, but erodes trust. Solution: privacy ledger that logs all outbound data in plain-English explanations, with mute option and audits to build user trust.
• Local accounts: Restore the ability to make local accounts. Stop enforcing Microsoft accounts. While Microsoft accounts have advantages, like easier recovery and roaming, not everyone wants to use one and Microsoft should give users that option without any dark patterns.
• Control over updates: Users should have control over updates. While security updates are critical, pro users want more control, such as one-click rollbacks, staged kernels, deterministic scheduling.
• Ads and nags: Eliminate them, all, as they are disrespectful and turn the operating system into a sales channel.
• Address core technical issues: Plummer mentions native archiver support, move non-essential functions to user mode.
• Fix fragmentation and usability pain points. Consolidate Settings and Control Panel with redirects, don’t alter user-made changes without prompts or notifications, prioritize local, text-first search, ensure clean installs without bloat.

You can check out the video here:

Now You: what is your take on this? Do these suggestions align with your own or do you want to see something different? Feel free to leave a comment down below.