We have written about PowerToys quite a lot here on BetaNews. Microsoft has put a lot of work into building a useful collection of tools and utilities for Windows 11 users, and it is incredible to see each new addition and development.

PowerToys is aimed at power users looking to get more from their computers, and now there is a utilities collection designed with developers in mind. Described as a "Swiss Army knife for developers", DevToys comprises 14 outrageously useful tools and has just hit a major milestone.

All good things must come to an end, and anyone who has ever used a Google service will be only too aware of this fact. The search giant has just dealt a disappointing blow to people using free G Suite account -- there will soon no longer be a free version.

Of course, G Suite is no longer available, having become Google Workspace back in 2020, but the free accounts lived on. Now Google has announced that these accounts will be closed down at the beginning of July, meaning that users will have to choose a new Google Workspace package -- and there are no free tiers available.

If you have ever had to change a setting in your Microsoft 365 account, you'll possibly have been irritated by the fact that you have to do so in your browser rather than in Windows. But this is changing.

Last week, Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 22000.466 (KB5008353) to Windows Insiders signed up for the Beta and Release Preview channels. What many people -- including us! -- failed to notice in the changelog, or in the build itself, was an important change to the Settings app that means it is now possible to view and change options relating to your Microsoft account.

Some of the newest additions to the handy collection of tools known as PowerToys have been mouse-related. Sticking with the theme, Microsoft has just revealed that there are plans for more utilities to enhance the capabilities of mice around the globe.

We have already seen the very useful Find My Mouse and Mouse Highlighter tools in recent versions of PowerToys, and later this month there is going to be yet another member of the family -- Inclusive Mouse.

Skype may not rule the roost in the messaging arena, but Microsoft is constantly developing the stalwart app to make it ever more useful. And just as there are exciting changes happening in the Insider builds of Windows 11, so there are frequently intriguing glimpses into the future in the Insider builds of Skype.

An excellent case in point is the newly released Skype Insider build 8.80. In this latest release Microsoft has added a new feature called TwinCam which makes it possible to use two webcams simultaneously.

Startpage is a familiar name for internet users with an interest in privacy. Not content with providing a privacy-centric alternative to Google's search engine, the company has launched more private rivals to other Google products, with Private Language Translator being a recent launch.  Now the company has a new browser extension which has been designed to keep internet users safe.

Offering protection from "Big Tech", which Startpage points out is "recording and auctioning off your personal data" is the new Startpage Privacy Protection extension. Available for Chrome and Firefox, the extension not only blocks ad, social and cookie-based trackers, but also assigns the sites you visit a privacy score so you can learn of their trustworthiness, as well as giving you control over data collection and blocking fingerprinting.

From a privacy point of view, there is much to love about end-to-end encryption, as employed by the likes of WhatsApp. But while users may delight in the knowledge that their communication is free from surveillance, there are some groups that have a different opinion.

Law enforcement agencies have long-complained that E2E encryption stands in the way of investigations, and serves to complicate evidence gathering. Many governments are of the same mind, and it's not just those that are traditionally regarded as totalitarian by other countries. Governments from ostensibly democratic countries are opposed to E2E encryption, and some are using underhand tactics in negative PR campaigns.

The first Patch Tuesday of 2022 was little different to those in preceding months in as much as the updates released by Microsoft caused various problems for lots of Windows users -- quelle surprise!

As a result, the company has been forced to release a series of out-of-band updates for numerous versions of Windows. The updates (KB5010789, KB5010790, KB5010792, KB5010793, KB5010794, KB5010795, KB5010796, KB5010797, KB5010798 and KB5010799) fix problems with virtual machines, VPN connections, Windows Server Domain Controllers and more.

The Widgets component of Windows 11 was something that seemed like a great idea on paper, but has thus far failed to generate too much excitement. This is at least in part down to the fact that only official Microsoft widgets exist -- but this is going to change.

It is looking very much like Windows 11 is going to be gaining support for third-party widgets, opening up the possibility of a wider range of genuinely useful tools coming to users. There are also hints that a widget store, called the Widget Board, is on the way.

The first Patch Tuesday of 2022 ended up being rather more dramatic that many would have expected -- and not for the right reasons. The company released the KB5009566 update which, along with another update, was later found to cause problems with VPN connections. But it was issue with Window Server updates that concerns system administrators.

No fewer than three updates were found to be problematic for different versions of Windows Server, ultimately leading to Microsoft halting the rollout of KB5009624, KB5009557 and KB5009555. And while the Hyper-V issues introduced by the patches are still to be fixed, Microsoft has nonetheless recommenced the rollout of the update, saying that it is investigating the problems.

Problems with updates are hardly a new phenomenon for Microsoft, but 2022 has not got off to a good start. Not only were the KB5009543 and KB5009566 updates found to break VPN connections, another trio of updates has now been pulled because it contains critical bugs.

The KB5009624, KB5009557 and KB5009555 updates have been withdrawn because they are causing Hyper-V to stop working. The problematic updates have also be found to cause domain controller reboots and to render ReFS volume systems inaccessible.

Updates for Windows are supposed to fix problems, boost security and add new features, but all too often they cause problems of their own. This month's Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 are no different in this regard.

Earlier this week, Microsoft released KB5009543 for Windows 10 and KB5009566 for Windows 11. Users who have installed either of these updates are reporting issues with L2TP VPN connections.

Just days after the release of PowerToys v0.53.1 which included the new Always On Top utility, Microsoft has unleashed an update it describes as "important".

With PowerToys v0.53.3, Microsoft addresses three problems reported by users. The trio of troubles concerns PowerToys Run, so anyone using this particular utility should grab the update as soon as possible.

Microsoft has fixed a critical vulnerability which affects several versions of its operating system including Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

The security bug is an HTTP vulnerability which is tracked as CVE-2022-21907 and Microsoft warns it is wormable. The company has issued a fix for the flaw and says that users should prioritize installing it to secure their systems.

Microsoft has released the first cumulative patch of 2022 for Windows 11 in the form of the KB5009566 update.

The patch is a mandatory cumulative update that addresses security problems thanks to the inclusion of January 2022 Patch Tuesday fixes. These address no fewer than six zero-day vulnerabilities, and a total of 97 security issues in all. The KB5009566 update also address a long-standing issue with Windows 11 and takes the operating system up to build 22000.434.