Our 7 Days tech roundup brings you the most notable stories from the past week, spanning 25 years of Windows nostalgia, Apple’s next iPhone event, and a look at what’s changing across the broader tech world.
#1 Windows XP turns 25
Windows XP is turning 25. Microsoft released XP on October 25, 2001, and 25 years later the operating system is being fondly remembered — even as older machines still run it.
XP was one of the longest-lived consumer operating systems ever. Its support lifecycle stretched well over a decade, with the consumer end-of-support date landing in April 2014 and enterprise extended support running until 2019. That long tail is why XP still shows up in niche deployments today.
The ‘Bliss’ wallpaper and the classic startup sound are part of internet lore now, but the operational reality is starker. What this means for you: If you’re still running XP anywhere, the anniversary is more of a nostalgia trip than a warning. The real lesson is about lifecycle planning — XP’s extended support dates are a reminder that even popular software eventually reaches its sunset.
#2 Apple confirms an iPhone event
Apple has officially confirmed it is scheduling an event, and everyone’s eyes are pointed at the iPhone lineup.
Apple’s fall events have become a reliable annual ritual, typically revealing new iPhone models, watch variants, and occasional accessories. With the event confirmed, leak channels will ramp up weeks before Apple’s event, and supply-chain sources often lead the pack on details.
What this means for you: The confirmation gives you a hard date to watch for. Whether you wait for the event or not, it’s a good moment to compare current prices on last year’s model before the new ones arrive — which almost always pushes the older ones onto discount.
#3 Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary
Right behind XP, the original Xbox is also marking a milestone. Microsoft launched the first Xbox on November 15, 2001, making 2026 its 25th anniversary.
The original Xbox established Microsoft as a home-console player and set the template for everything that followed — the 360, the One, and the current Series X and Series S. That lineage is why Microsoft is likely to mark the anniversary with some kind of celebration.
The original Xbox ran on a customized version of Windows 2000 Server, a detail that still surprises people. What this means for you: If you own Xbox hardware or a Game Pass subscription, keep an eye out for anniversary offers or retro content. Microsoft has a history of rewarding users around milestone dates, so a surprise deal isn’t surprising.
#4 The 850 NES games ‘stolen from home’
Then there the story of roughly 850 NES games. Nintendo has been pursuing a ROM distribution site, and the framing in the reports is that 850 classic Nintendo Entertainment System titles were taken — or allegedly hosted — from a place simply called “Home.”
This is the latest chapter in Nintendo’s long-running ROM wars. The company has pursued sites and individuals for decades, and lawsuits over NES-era titles remain common because those games are still culturally iconic even as they’ve moved into copyright gray areas.
The specifics of the filing — which titles, how many, and whether any were actually hosted — remain unclear as the case develops. What this means for you: For collectors and emulation enthusiasts, this is a reminder that the legal landscape around ROMs is messy. If you host or distribute your own backups, keep the distinction between personal use and public distribution clear.
#5 Samsung prepares the Galaxy S26 FE
Samsung is reportedly preparing a Galaxy S26 FE — the “Fan Edition” that sits just below the flagship S-series lineup.
The FE line has become Samsung’s value-oriented strategy: flagship-level design with a few cost-cutting compromises, like a slightly slower processor or a plainer camera. Samsung has consistently positioned the FE line as the “smart buy” for buyers who want the S-series look without the S-series price.
The S26 FE would continue that playbook and arrive later in the cycle at a lower price point. What this means for you: If you want near-flagship specs without the flagship price, the FE is worth watching. The pattern is predictable — wait for the FE if you want the best value, and buy the flagship only if you need every feature.
#6 Firefox to support JPEG XL
Finally, Firefox is moving toward JPEG XL support. The format, championed by Google, offers strong compression and better quality at smaller file sizes than older JPEG.
JPEG XL has been a slow burn — promising technically but never achieving broad adoption. Browsers have historically been the deciding factor for image formats, which is why a Firefox decision carries real weight. If Firefox ships support, it would be a meaningful step toward the format becoming a real web standard.
What this means for you: If you publish images on the web, JPEG XL could mean faster-loading pages and better quality over time. Keep an eye on browser support before switching formats, since not all platforms render it yet.
That’s this week’s 7 Days tech roundup
From 25-year-old operating systems to next-month’s iPhone event, it’s a week of anniversaries and upcoming launches. Keep checking back — we’ll have the details on all of them as they develop.
Source: Neowin
Over to you: Of these anniversaries — Windows XP, Xbox, or the upcoming iPhone event — which are you most excited about?
