Google is using AI in Waze to deliver crash history alerts about dangerous roads
With so much focus on Google Maps as a navigation tool, it is easy to forget that Google also owns Waze and that this app is often home to far more exciting and useful features.
Demonstrating this, Google has just announced a new feature for Waze that is partly AI-powered, partly community driven; Crash History Alerts. This road safety feature is very much what it sounds like -- a warning system that lets users know about potentially dangerous, crash-prone roads based on historical data.
Google is making it easier to get the best prices and find discount codes
Google is introducing new tools in both Chrome and Google search that should help to make online shopping a little cheaper. With the holiday season just around the corner and shoppers eager to save money, the timing is ideal.
Chrome users are gaining access to a new feature that will seek out discount codes much like services such as Honey. There is also a new section landing in search results that makes it easier to track down products that are on sale.
Google has a quixotic plan to make it easier to choose a safe and reliable VPN
If you're in the market for a VPN, you're not short of choice. In fact the sheer number of VPN apps out there can be quite overwhelming, and it's a situation that is hardly improved by the existence of a seemingly endless number of fake tools.
So Google has come up with something of a solution -- albeit one that is only going to be of help to Android users. The company is looking to make Google Play a safer place to inhabit, and as part of this it is going to be highlighting VPN apps that have been independently audited so users know they can be trusted. The likes of NordVPN, Express VPN and Google's own Google One are among the first to get the seal of approval.
Microsoft is killing off three Windows services because of security concerns
It is usually the case that new versions of Windows see the arrival of new features and options, but Microsoft is also known to take things away. This month, Microsoft has taken the decision to deprecate three features and services, including WebDAV, in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Also for the chop are the Remote Mailslots protocol and the Computer Browser service. The reason for killing off the trio is security, with age meaning that there are now far better options available.
Delayed: Windows 11 23H2 is not available via the Media Creation Tool because Microsoft is busy with 'size optimization'
Microsoft recently made Windows 11 23H2 available to those who are willing to seek it out, with an automatic roll out due shortly. The company has also released Windows 11 23H2 (or Windows 11 2023 Update) as an ISO image so it is possible to create installation media manually.
But for anyone who has been hoping to use Microsoft's Media Creation Tool to create installation media automatically is in for some disappointment. The availability of Windows 11 23H2 though this route has been delayed.
Privacy tool DoNotSpy11 updated with Windows 11 23H2 support and the option to disable Windows Copilot
Microsoft is just one of many tech companies that people view with suspicion when it comes to privacy. Over the years, Windows has been infected with all manner of privacy-invading telemetry features and settings -- particularly in the case of Windows 11 -- and there has been a fightback from users and software developers alike.
DoNotSpy11 is a tool that empowers concerned users to protect their privacy by blocking telemetry and disabling features of Windows. Now the software has been updated, and DoNotSpy11 version 1.2.0.0 introduces full support for the latest Windows 11 23H2 and makes it possible to disable the AI-powered Copilot.
Microsoft admits Copilot-enabling KB5031455 update is messing with desktop icons in Windows 11
There have been a number of notable updates for Windows 11 in recent weeks, not least of which is the KB5031455 update from last month. The update brought with it a higher number of new features, including the AI-powered Copilot; it also brought problems.
Microsoft acknowledges an issue that results in desktop icons moving around, and the finger of blame is being pointed at Copilot's interaction with multi-display setups.
Apple discontinues cheap Apple Music Voice Plan
The hitherto cheapest means of accessing Apple Music is no more. Apple has announced that it is killing off the $4.99 per month Apple Music Voice Plan.
Introduced back in 2021, this tier allowed for access to the entire Apple Music catalog, but only via Siri, and the discontinuation of this plan means that the cheapest generally available Apple Music subscription is now $10.99 (although students have a $5.99 option). So, what does this means for anyone currently on the Apple Music Voice Plan?
How to download the Windows 11 23H2 ISO
Microsoft has now officially launched Windows 11 23H2, and the company is also referring to this latest release as the Windows 11 2023 Update.
This update is due to roll out as an automatic update in the coming months, but it is currently available for those who manually seek it out. If you have multiple computers to update, if you want to install the latest version of Windows 11 in a virtual machine, or you just want to make sure you have the latest installation media, here's how to download the Windows 11 23H2 ISO -- or how to download the Windows 11 2023 Update ISO if you prefer this name.
YouTube toughens its stance on blocking ad blockers
Ad blockers tend to make the internet a more palatable place to explore, but in recent times there has been an increase in ad block detection. Coupled with this has been the introduction of nag screens or content being rendered inaccessible until ad blocking is disabled.
YouTube is one of many big-name sites to have ramped up its efforts to discourage -- and ultimately stamp out -- the use of ad blockers. Now the company is expanding its attack on users who try to avoid ads, and is using the effort to simultaneously promote YouTube Premium.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.75.0 with new Environment Variables module, Settings Dashboard and more
It is always an exciting time when a PowerToys release cycle is described as being "focused on new features, stability and improvements". And the release of PowerToys v0.75.0 does not disappoint.
To start with, there is a new arrival in the form of the Environment Variables module, and there's also a completely new Dashboard home page for Settings. Additionally, there is the usual raft of tweaks and bug fixes as well as a new previewer for the Peek module.
Microsoft is making Skype marginally less ugly
In a world saturated with messaging apps, there are few companies without something to offer; many, like Microsoft, have more than one app to choose from. Microsoft Teams is a popular choice in work environments, but stalwart Skype endures.
There are many words that are associated with Skype. Beautiful is not one of them. But this is changing. With its latest beta version released to Insiders, Microsoft is introducing a number of important aesthetic improvements -- as well as bug fixes -- which will eventually filter down to all users.
Demands grow for Microsoft to extend the life of Windows 10 and offer security updates for longer
Citing concerns about making millions of Windows 10 PCs unsupported and obsolete, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) is calling on Microsoft to extend support for the operating system. Environmental concerns are also highlighted.
Windows 10 is set to be dropped from Microsoft's support list in 2025, meaning there will be no more security updates for the millions of people still using this version of Windows. PIRG points out that many PCs simply cannot be upgraded to Window 11, and large numbers of people cannot afford to upgrade their hardware. This is why the network of organizations is petitioning Microsoft to rethink its decision.
Like Microsoft, Google wants your help to fix AI and make it more secure
It is only a couple of weeks since the debut of the Microsoft AI Bounty Program, and now Google has launched its own bug bounty program specific to generative AI.
Google has announced the expansion of its existing Vulnerability Rewards Program to reward for attack scenarios that relates to generative AI. The company says that it wants to incentivize research around AI safety and security, highlight potential issues, and make artificial intelligence safer for everyone.
Microsoft releases huge KB5031455 update preview for Windows 11, enabling new Moment 4 features
The time has finally come for Microsoft to unleash all of the new features of the Moment 4 update for Windows 11 to a wider audience with the release of the KB5031455 update.
Users are being treated to what is the biggest and most significant upgrade to Windows 11 since it was launched. Available for Windows 11 22H2, the KB5031455 update is a preview of the update that will be released for everyone next month and it includes all of the Moment 4 features -- such as Copilot, the new System Components section of Settings, and more -- enabled by default. There are also numerous bug fixes.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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