Take control of Windows 11 and save a tasty 10% off the incredible Stardock Fences 6 during beta testing
Few people would argue that Windows 11 is perfect; in fact, for many people the operating system has many flaws and failings. A lot of the weaknesses of Windows have been addressed by the developers of PowerToys, but this is far from being the only suite of utilities out there.
Stardock is a company with a history of producing handy tools for Windows, and Fences is a productivity, organization and workflow enhancing tool that can make Windows 11 work for you. To coincide with the release of the latest beta version of the utility, the company is giving 10 percent off Fences 6. Here’s what this incredible tool has to offer.
Microsoft is killing off the Remote Desktop app and replacing it with something with known limitations
Microsoft has announced that it is pulling the plug on the Remote Desktop app. In just 6 weeks, the app will not only no longer be supported, it will also not be available to download from the Microsoft Store.
But Microsoft is not completely abandoning people who need to be able to remotely access systems -- it is replacing the Remote Desktop app with the Windows App. While the company is quick to point out the extra things Windows App can do when compared to the Remote Desktop app, it concedes that it is not a replacement tool and there are limitations.
Microsoft recommends using Word as an alternative to Publisher despite admitting it’s not up to the task
In around a year and a half, the beloved DTP app Microsoft Publisher is reaching the end of its life. When October 1, 2026 rolls around, Microsoft will no offer the software or provide support for it. The company has some advice about what to do next.
If you were planning to just continue using it regardless, you may have to think again. Unless you’re using a very old copy of Publisher, the app will simple stop working. Microsoft warns that paying “Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher”. The solutions and alternative options suggested by the company are, frankly, laughable.
Attackers can use undocumented commands to hijack Chinese-made Bluetooth chips
Security researchers have shared details of newly discovered, undocumented commands in ESP32 Bluetooth firmware that can be exploited by an attacker. The Chinese-made chip is found in millions of devices, meaning the findings are significant.
Speaking at RootedCON in Madrid, researchers from Tarlogic Security, Miguel Tarascó Acuña and Antonio Vázquez Blanco, described the “hidden functionality” they have unearthed as a backdoor, but later conceded that this may be a misleading description. They warn that exploitation could allow “hostile actors to conduct impersonation attacks and permanently infect sensitive devices such as mobile phones, computers, smart locks or medical equipment by bypassing code audit controls”.
Microsoft is ready to create more annoyance by rolling out OneDrive ads to Office users
Looking for another reason to shake a fist at Microsoft? How do you feel about a new batch of unwanted prompts in Microsoft 365?
Search no more! This very reason is about to materialize in Word, PowerPoint and Excel as Microsoft starts to pester users to back up their files to OneDrive. By May, but perhaps as early as this month, you could find that you’re hit with ads badgering you to add files to Microsoft’s cloud storage service.
You will soon be able to run Linux Terminal on your Android phone
While it is widely known that Android is based on Linux, it is not a typical Linux distro in many ways. There are a lot of standard features and components of Linux that are simply not available in Google’s mobile operating system.
This is starting to change. Developers -- or, indeed, anyone looking to tinker around a little -- will soon be able to use the Linux Terminal, opening up new and interesting worlds of possibility.
Google makes it easier to find apps with widgets
A well-designed widget can really enhance an app, helping to make it even more useful; equally, a crappy widget (or a lack of widgets) can completely ruin an otherwise perfect app. Widgets are important, and Google is finally recognizing that fact.
The company is making it easier to find Android apps that include widgets. As well as introducing a new badge to highlight widget-wielding apps in Google Play, Google is also adding the option to search specifically for apps with widgets. But it doesn't end there.
Microsoft adds incredible audio and video file conversion tools to PowerToys v0.89.0
As promised recently, Microsoft has released PowerToys v0.89.0 complete with new features. While there are no brand-new modules this time around, exiting utilities have been given amazing new capabilities, not least of which is Advanced Paste.
While you might think of copying and pasting as being related to text and images, the PowerToys development team has applied it to media files. What does this mean? It means the arrival of easy-to-use media transcoding so you can covert audio and video files into different formats. This PowerToys release also has exciting hints of what is to come.
Apple announces new features to help protect children, including a revamped age rating system for the App Store
Apple has just announced a series of new tools, features and improvements that it says will “help parents protect their kids in a way that is designed around privacy”.
One of the biggest changes is an overhaul of the age rating system that is used in the App Store, with the number of categories expanding to five. But this is far from being the only changes Apple is unleashing.
Study finds that Instagram is beneficial to the wellbeing of queer youth
There is much said about the negative impact of social media on mental health and general welfare, but a new study suggests that there are benefits too -- especially for minority and marginalized groups such as the LGBTQIA+ community.
In particular, Instagram has been found to be a boost to the wellbeing of queer young people. Surveys of Instagram users in the United States and Poland showed that access to supportive online communities brought about a range of psychological benefits.
Install the KB5052093 update for Windows 11 to gain taskbar file sharing, Explorer improvements, and endless bug fixes
It's that time of the month when Microsoft releases preview versions of next month’s updates for Windows. For the eager -- and brave -- they provide a way to get early access to new features and options as well as fixes for problems.
Windows 11 users now have the KB5052093 update to download and install if they want to jump in ahead of Patch Tuesday, and this is a nice little update that not only patches a bunch of bugs, but adds a tasty selection of new bits and pieces. A highlight is the ability to use a single webcam in multiple apps.
Googled yourself and found something you don't like? Google has made it easier to remove search results containing info about you
There is a high chance that there is information about you online -- there can be very few people for whom this is not true. While it is hard to avoid having an online presence, having personal information appearing in search results can be disturbing, even dangerous.
This is precisely why Google’s “Results about you” tool exists. Since 2022, it has been possible to request the removal of personal information from search results using this tool. Now a major redesign makes this process even easier, and lets you request the removal of outdated results too.
Photoshop for free? The new Adobe Photoshop iPhone app makes the dream a reality
Adobe has launched a brand-new iPhone edition of its flagship Photoshop software. Enticingly, the app is free of charge! The company is clear from the offset that “Photoshop on the phone is not intended to replace Photoshop on the desktop”, but there is a lot here, nonetheless.
The new app goes much further than the existing Photoshop Express app, enabling creatives to use layers, masks, and the advanced Spot Healing Brush. For now, it is only owners of iPhones who are getting the free Photoshop treatment, but Android users will gain access later in the year.
You can get Office apps for free if you're willing to opt for an ad-supported Microsoft 365 subscription
The gradual move towards a subscription-based model for software payments has been continuing for a number of years now -- and the costs can soon add up. For anyone who is looking for ways to make things a bit less of a strain on their wallet, Microsoft has come up with a solution -- ad-supported versions of its Office apps.
If you are happy to endure advertising in the likes of Word and Excel, you can opt for a free Microsoft 365 subscription. Sadly, ads are not the only catch.
The US is not the only country to ban Kaspersky product because of security concerns
Security firm Kaspersky has suffered a dramatic fall from grace in recent years because of its Russian ties. Around the world, concerns have sprung up that the security software actually poses a security risk.
In the middle of last year, the US government banned the software from being sold in the country -- or even updated for existing users. Following suit, Australia has also announced a ban, citing a "security risk to the Commonwealth". Fears of "foreign interference, espionage and sabotage" were also key factors.
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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