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.
Microsoft is giving Snipping Tool a major OCR upgrade in Windows 11
Snipping Tool is one of the most useful apps to be found in Windows 11, making light work of grabbing on-screen content. Primarily concerned with taking screenshots, it has developed over the years to include a handy OCR component for extracting text.
And now this feature is in line for an upgrade. Microsoft is improving the text extraction capabilities of Snipping Tool so that text can be grabbed without the need to take a screenshot first.
Meta announces that Facebook Live videos will no longer be saved forever
Meta has made a surprise announcement about Facebook Live video. The company has updated its video storage policy, and this means that live streams will no longer be stored indefinitely.
This is a significant change from the social media giant. Meta says that it is aligning its storage policies with industry standards, and the impact will be noticed by many. Videos that were once stored forever will now be automatically deleted after just 30 days -- so you need to act now.
Microsoft issues yet another reminder that it is killing off WSUS driver synchronization soon
When Microsoft announces the deprecation of a feature or service, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was because few people use it. This may be the case in some instances, but with the deprecation of WSUS driver synchronization, the company is making it seem otherwise.
So many reminders have been issued about the loss of this particular service, it is hard to think that Microsoft isn't aware that the cull will affect a lot of people. And now yet another reminder has been published!
Microsoft is pushing a security update to Windows 11 that breaks File Explorer
The last round of security updates saw Microsoft release the KB5051987 update for Windows 11. As this patch addresses a number of security issues with the operating system, it is a mandatory update that will be automatically installed for most people.
As we’ve seen time and time again, the automatic installation of security updates is a good thing... until it isn’t. And with the KB5051987 update, there are numerous problems that raise the question of whether it is advisable to have Microsoft pushing out obligatory patches that can wreak havoc.
Instagram is working on a Dislike button that will anonymously downrank comments
Across pretty much every social platform there is a strange focus on responding positively to content through the use of a ‘like’ button. Instagram is no different in this regard, but this could be about to change.
Some users have noticed a new down arrow button next to comments which has been confirmed by Instagram's trial of a new feature. The button enables users to dislike a comment under a post, but it does not work quite as you may expect.
WhatsApp is rolling out chat themes to help make every chat unique
WhatsApp has started the rollout of a feature it says that users have been asking for -- chat themes. Using a combination of wallpapers and colored chat bubbles, every conversation can be given its own look.
This is a change that is about more than aesthetics, though. In providing the option to make every chat look different, WhatsApp is making it much easier to identify chats and avoid the tricky issue of sending a message to the wrong person or group.
Apple now lets you transfer purchases from one account to another -- Google should be taking notice!
Many people have more than one Apple Account, and it can be frustrating to have to bounce from one to another just to manage digital purchases. If only there was a way to consolidate everything into one account...
Well, now there is! Apple has quietly launched a new option to migrate apps, music, and other purchased content from one Apple Account to another. There are, of course, caveats, and it’s not a feature that is available everywhere, but it is an exciting development that will make Android users jealous.
Apple finally brings the Apple TV app to Android
There is a sensible logic to Apple focusing on creating and improving apps that work on its own devices, but the company sometimes has to acknowledge the fact that not every phone and tablet out there is an idevice.
The latest app release from the iPhone-maker is proof of this in action. After far, far too long overlooking the platform, the company has now released the Apple TV app for Android users. The launch comes ahead of the 2025 season of Major League Soccer, and there is even the option to test drive the service for free.
Apple is renaming the Gulf of Mexico in Apple Maps… and is going further than Google
Shortly after Google Maps changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, Apple Maps is starting to do the same.
When Google rolled out the name change at the weekend, the company took a three-pronged approach which means three different naming conventions are used in different parts of the world. Having started to implement the name change itself, Apple is showing that it is willing to do more than Google by making the change global.
Microsoft is forcing the new Outlook for Windows app on Windows 10 users with the mandatory KB5051974 update
Windows 10 may not have long left to live (officially, at least), but this does not seem to be stopping Microsoft from using the operating system to piss people off. There are still a few months of updates for Windows 10, and the most recent is the cumulative KB5051974 update.
In addition to one of the last batch of security fixes Windows 10 users can expect, the KB5051974 update sees Microsoft doing -- once again -- that thing which wins it few friends: forcibly installing apps. This time around it is the new Outlook for Windows app that’s been force-fed to users.
Elon Musk really wants control of OpenAI so he has teamed up with other investors to bid nearly $100bn for it
Elon Musk is not happy with the direction he sees OpenAI heading -- so much so that he wants to buy back the artificial intelligence firm he co-founded. The billionaire walked away from OpenAI more than five years ago, but he does not like the way CEO Sam Altman is handling things.
Musk being Musk, deep pockets and all, has teamed up with other investors to buy “all assets” of OpenAI. The consortium has put a bid of $97.4 billion on the table, and Musk has stated that he will ensure that (assuming he is able to make the purchase he so desperately wants) “OpenAI [...] return[s] to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was”.
Google Maps now has multiple ways of referring to the Gulf of Mexico
Within moments of being inaugurated as US President earlier this year, Donald Trump vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Sure enough, an executive order followed, changing the name to the Gulf of America -- but there has been the question about how most of the world will refer to it moving forward.
On a day-to-day basis, there will be some who use the new name, some who stick with the previous one -- but what about map services? Google previously stated that when the Geographic Names Information System was updated, Google Maps would reflect the new nomenclature. Now the name change has been implemented, but what you see will depend on where you are in the world.
Microsoft lies to you if you ask how to uninstall Microsoft Edge
There are plenty of people who do not use Microsoft Edge -- it is a long way from being the most popular browser out there. And just like Internet Explorer before, there are also plenty of people who hate Edge so much that they want to uninstall it.
As there is no obvious way to do this if you take a look through the options in Windows, you might well search online for instructions. Search Bing (or the Start menu) for “how to uninstall Microsoft Edge” and there’s an entry at the top of the results that links to the office “Uninstall Microsoft Edge”. This really is an official Microsoft page, bearing the description: “Learn how to uninstall Microsoft Edge from your device”. But this is a blatant lie from Microsoft.
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.