Microsoft makes it easier for Windows 11 users to type em and en dashes with keyboard shortcuts
Depending on where you are typing, entering an em dash or an en dash can be simple, or a nightmare. In the latest Insider builds of Windows 11, however, it is getting a whole lot easier thanks to keyboard shortcuts being added.
Microsoft has quietly added a couple of new keyboard shortcuts that can be used to type these handy punctuation marks. For now, they are hidden away in the Dev and Beta builds; here is how to access them.
As Windows 10 reaches end of life, Windows 11 is LOSING market share
Next month sees Windows 10 finally reaching the end of (mainstream) support. Microsoft has been pushing people towards Windows 11 for what feels like forever, and it worked – for a while.
The latest market figures show that this is changing. The statistics for August 2025 from statcounter Global Stats show a marked drop in Windows 11’s share of the desktop market.
Scrolling support for Google Translate arrives in Circle to Search
Google has added an important feature to the popular translation feature of Circle to Search. While the dedicated Google Translate app or web site are perfect for translating between languages in numerous scenarios, Circle to Search provides another means of accessing the handy functionality.
The fact that Circle to Search offers translation is not new – so much so that Google is quick to point out that “translation is one of the most-used features in Circle to Search”. What is new is the ability to translate while scrolling.
Facebook Pokes are back – and your guess is as good as ours
Anyone who was a Facebook user in the early days of the social platform (at least when it was a global platform, not just one limited to students) will remember Facebook Pokes. Poking someone on Facebook (oh, do grow up!) was a wordless – slightly creepy – way of interacting with another person.
A Soke did not really serve any purpose beyond reminding someone of your existence in a somewhat passive-aggressive way. Having experimented with reviving the Poke, Facebook is having another go at making the idea relevant in 2025. This is more than just the return of the Poke; this is the Poke on steroids.
Microsoft fesses up to Windows update that caused UAC prompts
Microsoft has admitted that the security updates released for Windows in August caused problems for a lot of users. Affected users experienced a series of unexpected UAC (User Account Control) prompts.
The scale of the issue is large. This is not a problem that is limited to a particular version of Windows – every supported version of Windows that received the August 2025 security update is affected. This means that Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025 have all been hit with the UAC prompts.
There is finally a version of Instagram for iPad
Even Instagram would concede that it has taken too long, but the wait is finally over. Instagram for iPad is real, and it is here right now.
For far too long, the Instagram experience has been based around using the small screen of a mobile, not a tablet. But now, this changes – at least for anyone invested in the world of Apple. Android tablet users will have to wait a little longer.
Netflix now lets you share clips from your favorite shows and movies
Timed to coincide with the release of the second half of season two of Wednesday, Netflix has announced an update to its Moments feature. Introduced last year, Moments gives Netflix a way to “bookmark” a point in a show so you can share it with friends, or just use it as a handy way to jump to a favorite scene.
With the update to Moments, Netflix is now making it possible to define a start and end point for such scenes so you can create shareable clips from thing you have been watching. While the launch is being tied to Wednesday, Netflix uses the announcement to promote KPop Demon Hunters as well.
You can now use AI backgrounds in WhatsApp video chats
The inescapability of AI continues, and Meta is at the forefront. WhatsApp has already liberally coated itself in features driven by artificial intelligence, and now there are more.
This time around, things are fairly innocuous. The chat platform has now added the option of using AI backgrounds within video chats.
Amazon is killing off Prime Invitee Program and replacing it with Amazon Family
If you are an Amazon Prime customer who has been sharing account benefits – such as free shipping – with your friends, things are about to change. Amazon has announced that Amazon Family is replacing the Prime Invitee Program, and it is not just a name change.
Starting next month, it will only be possible to share Prime benefits with people who live in the same household as the account holder. This echoes the stricter rules being enforced by Google to prevent the sharing of YouTube Family Premium with people who live at different addresses.
Google will not be forced to sell Chrome – but it has work to do
A judge has ruled that Google will not have to sell its Chrome browser after the Department of Justice proposed this last year. But as part of the ruling, the court says that the company will have to change some things about the way it operates.
The short version is that Google will no longer be allowed to make exclusivity deals relating to search, Google Assistant, Gemini, or Chrome. In the ruling, Judge Amit Mehta said that the US government has “overreached” when pushing for Chrome to be sold off.
Microsoft PowerToys 0.94 adds shortcut conflict detection, fuzzy search and more!
Microsoft has released PowerToys 0.94 with the joyous news that the v0.94 release cycle is “focused on new features, stability, optimization improvements, and automation”.
This is a big release – PowerToys 0.94 has a lot of new stuff in it, but there are two things that stand out. The first is a shortcut conflict detection feature which helps track down duplicated keyboard shortcuts. The second is fuzzy search within PowerToys Settings – which is important as the suite of tools is now a colossal collection. But, of course, there is more. Much more.
Windows 11 gains clipboard sharing with Android devices
Microsoft has gone all in with its embrace of Android and its various moves towards making Windows 11 play nicely with Google’s mobile operating system.
We’ve already seen the Link to Windows app get some serious attention, and most recently Microsoft added a very Apple-like option to resume using a mobile app in Windows. An as-yet unannounced feature is clipboard sharing, and this has been unearthed in a preview build of Windows 11.
Firefox is finally getting MKV playback support
The MKV format (Matroska Video) is one that has been around for a very long time now, and it is loved for its high quality and flexibility. It has been supported by many web browsers, and even Windows 10, for quite some time, but not Firefox.
But now Mozilla is taking action to address this. Some eight years after a Bugzilla post requested the addition of MKV support to the browser, a developer has been assigned the task of implementing MKV playback in Firefox. So, what happens now?
Google Maps in Android 16 is getting an amazing Live Updates feature
For many people, Google Maps is absolutely indispensable, and Google is about to make the navigation tool even more useful in Android 16. Taking advantage of a new feature introduced in the latest version of its mobile operating system, Google Maps is gaining useful Live Updates support.
Live Updates are a new type of notification that are used in very specific circumstances – such as flight tracking, delivery tracking, or navigation. Google is experimenting with Google Maps integration and, if it is done correctly, it could be a game-changer.
Google hits out at ‘entirely false’ claims of a major Gmail security issue
Google has taken the unusual move of addressing claims about a major Gmail security issue – claims the company says are “entirely false”.
Insisting that “Gmail’s protections are strong and effective”, Google does not specify which claims it is referring to or where they stem from. What is clear, though, is that the company has been rattled by whoever has tried to bring into question the security of its email platform.
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. She is currently training to be an LGBTQ+ affirmative psychotherapist. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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