If you're a Discord user, you're probably going to be forced to change your username very soon
It's a decision that could have been taken years ago, but Discord has finally decided to change its odd policy on usernames.
The gaming-focused social chat platform has long forced users to put up with name that end in a four-digit "discriminator", but this is coming to an end. Discord has announced that the four digits at the end of usernames are to be removed, and this means that many users will be forced to choose new handles.
Google is getting cheeky and annoying with ads in the Gmail inbox
Google and advertising go hand-in-hand, but now the company is treading on dangerous ground with a strategy that has quickly angered Gmail users.
Of course, ads in Gmail are far from new -- they have appeared in various places over the years including in the Promotions inbox. Recently, however, users have noticed that advertising emails and promotional messages are being nestled in between other emails in their inboxes.
Interest may be growing in Twitter rival Bluesky, but Mozilla is betting on Mastodon
With changes implemented by Elon Musk having disastrous consequences for Twitter, there has been something of an exodus of users. It is "something of an exodus", because while many people are finding new social homes on the likes of T2, Spoutible, Mastodon or -- if they can get their hands on an invite code -- Jack Dorsey's Bluesky, many people are hedging their bets and maintaining something of a presence on Twitter until it becomes a little clearer what the likely successor is to be.
Realistically, the battle seems likely be fought between Mastodon and Bluesky, and Mozilla has just announced an expansion of its investment in the former. The company behind the Firefox web browser has launched its own Mastodon instance, Mozilla.social, in private beta.
Microsoft has broken speech recognition and more with a Windows 11 update
Microsoft has acknowledged that a recent update for Windows 11 is causing "intermittent issues" with speech recognition for some users.
The company says that the problems come after installing the KB5022913 update or later for Windows 11 22H2. As well as affecting speech recognition, the update is also causing issues with expressive input and handwriting. Microsoft has provided details of a workaround, but there is no fix currently available.
Microsoft seemingly used a Windows update to interfere with Chrome's 'Make Default' button to push its own Edge browser
Microsoft is no stranger to adopting tactics that are seen by many as being sneaky and underhand -- and now the company has been caught at it again.
Last year, Google made it much easier to change the default web browser to -- surprise, surprise -- Chrome, by introducing a new Make Default button. This one-click option served as a user-friendly alternative to the complicated process Microsoft put in place for changing browsers. But with the release of the KB5025221 update, it seems that Microsoft decided to break this handy feature.
Google is changing the lock icon in Chrome because it believes 'security should be the default state'
Visit a secure website (that is, one that loads over HTTPS) in Chrome, and you'll see a lock icon in the address bar. But this is set to change. Google has announced plans to remove the familiar padlock icon, providing a number of reasons for a decision that many users will regard as a step in the wrong direction.
Among the arguments in favor of removing the icon is that HTTPS is the norm rather than the exception, and that the simple fact a site uses a secure connection is in no way indicative of its inherent trustworthiness.
Google is giving users more control over tab-sleeping Memory Saver feature in Chrome
Google Chrome has a long-held -- and much-deserved -- reputation for being a resource hog. To help counter this the company recently introduced Memory Saver, a feature that reduces the browser's memory consumption by putting inactive tabs to sleep.
This was an addition that went down well with most users, but there were some who were unhappy with the lack of control they had over the feature. This is about to change, with Google working to introduce new settings to gives users more option when it comes to memory management.
You will soon be able to make Microsoft Edge faster by disabling unwanted features
There are very few web browsers that are not accused of being slow and bloated at some stage, and Microsoft Edge is no different.
Looking to give users more control, Microsoft is looking at ways to give people a more personalized and faster browsing experience. The company's solution is, perhaps, an obvious one -- introducing the option to disable unwanted features to remove unnecessary bloat and speed things up.
Microsoft-branded Windows PC accessories dropped in favor of Surface brand
Microsoft has announced that it is to stop producing Microsoft-branded PC accessories such as mice, keyboards and webcams. Existing devices will remain available until stocks run out.
But this does not means that Microsoft is dropping its accessories completely. Instead, the company says that it is shifting focus to its Surface brand, and will release accessories with this branding from now on.
WingetUI update makes it even easier to use Windows Package Manage with a GUI
Linux users have long had access to package managers for downloading software; there are a huge number to choose from. Windows users have the option of using Microsoft's Winget (or Windows Package Manager as it is also known), but as this needs to be used via the Windows Terminal, PowerShell or the Command Prompt, it is not a tool for everyone.
And this is why WingetUI exists for both Windows 10 and Windows 11. It gives the text-based Winget a friendly, accessible user interface that makes it much, much easier to use. WingetUI 1.7.0 has just been released, improving on previous versions with a range of additions such as package skipping.
Microsoft is finished with big updates for Windows 10
Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will receive no more feature updates. This means that Windows 10 22H2 is the last version of the operating system.
The 22H2 feature update was made available back in October, and it will continue to receive security updates for some time. Microsoft is keen for people to move on, however, saying: "We highly encourage you to transition to Windows 11 now as there won't be any additional Windows 10 feature updates".
Microsoft now lets you get Windows 11 updates faster
Updates to Windows 11 are a necessary part of using the operating system, and Microsoft releases them on a predictable schedule. Patch Tuesday (the second Tuesday of the month) is when updates are usually released to everyone, but there are exceptions.
In the case of important security updates, Microsoft may choose to release them on an out-of-band basis, but the company also releases preview versions of updates each month which anyone who seeks them out is free to install. However, Microsoft has just introduced a way to have these preview updates installed automatically if this is your preference. Here's how to do it.
WhatsApp rolls out multi-phone support to all users
It is only very recently that WhatsApp beta users were given the ability to use the chat app across multiple phones. Now the company has announced that the feature is being rolled out globally to all users.
It has been possible for some time to sign into a single WhatsApp account on multiple device, but only one phone was permitted. This is something that, for numerous reasons, users have complained about -- and now it changes for everyone.
Microsoft treats Windows 11 21H2 users to the bug-bashing KB5025298 update
While Microsoft is keen for everyone to run Windows 11 22H2, older versions of the operating system remain supported. And it is with this in mind that the company has released the preview version of next month's KB5025298 update for Windows 11 21H2.
This is a non-security update, just like the KB5025305 update released for Windows 11 22H2, and it addresses a range of problems. The update also introduces firewall settings changes that mean it is now possible to configure application group rules.
Microsoft releases KB5025305 update for Windows 11, adding Widgets icon animations and Windows Update changes
We've reached the point of the month when Microsoft releases previews of the updates that will get a wider launch next month. As such, the company has released the KB5025305 update for Windows 11 22H2, and although this is not a security update, it includes a number of important changes and additions.
Microsoft draws attention to the arrival of animations to icons on the Widgets taskbar button when hovering over them, or when there is an announcement. This update also makes it easier to get hold of non-security updates faster, and makes a key change to Windows firewall as well as fixing numerous bugs and issues.
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!
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.