Windows 11 25H2 has a new option to remove all unwanted Microsoft apps
It is not long until the next big update for Windows 11 is released. We don’t yet have an exact date for the availability of Windows 11 25H2 (although October looks likely a candidate) but we already know a lot about what to expect from it.
One of the changes that will be welcomed by many users, but business and enterprise users in particular, is the arrival of a new way to remove all unwanted Microsoft apps in one fell swoop. Via Group Policy, the new Remove Default Microsoft Store Packages policy helps to debloat Windows 11 in a flash.
Microsoft will use the Windows 11 lock screen to recommend widgets
It took Microsoft a long time to embrace widgets, but the company is now doing so wholeheartedly. While smartphone and tablet users – and, indeed, Mac owners – have developed a relationship with widgets, the same cannot be said of Windows 11 users.
But this is something Microsoft wants to change. In a move that will almost certainly prove to be popular and controversial in equal measure, the company is going to the Windows 11 lock screen to recommend widgets you might be interested in.
AI-powered integration between Slack and reMarkable boosts workflow
reMarkable paper tablets have carved themselves a special place in the workplace, giving users a way to take handwritten notes and have them quickly converted into editable text. Now a newly announced partnership means that it is possible to send notes and documents straight from a reMarkable tablet to Slack to optimize workflow.
The new integration serves as an important bridge between reMarkable’s innovative e-paper tablets and the popular collaboration and messaging platform. The ability to send notes, sketches, diagrams and more directly to Slack will help boost productivity and enhance workflow by eliminating the need to fall back on emails, or clunky document transfer methods.
Microsoft confirms KB5060829 update for Windows 11 causes worrying Firewall errors
Microsoft has issued a warning about a recent update for Windows 11. The KB5060829 update was released late last month as a non-security preview update, and it has been found to be causing issues.
Available for Windows 11 24H2, the optional KB5060829 update has been causing Windows Firewall With Advanced Security errors to be logged by the operating system. While error message relating to a security feature are likely to result in concern and fear, Microsoft is at pains to reassure users that there is no need to panic.
Amazon Prime for Young Adults is shockingly cheap, and free for 6 months
For anyone who makes a lot of purchases from Amazon, a Prime subscription makes a lot of sense. And for young adults, the deal just got a whole lot sweeter.
Ahead of Prime Day 2025, Amazon has launched a new Amazon Prime subscription tier which is incredible value for anyone who is of the right age. Specifically for people aged between 18 and 24, the new Prime for Young Adults includes everything that is found in a regular subscription, but it is a fraction of the cost.
Microsoft finally removes PowerShell 2.0 from Windows 11
Having previously announced the future deprecation of PowerShell 2.0, Microsoft has now released a version of Windows 11 that sees this command line shell removed.
The writing has been on the wall for this old version of PowerShell for some time, but Microsoft has – as is often the case with deprecated features – never been very clear about the precise schedule. But with the newly released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27891 on the Canary Channel dropping PowerShell 2.0, it is only a matter of time before other builds ditch the utility as well.
Amazon is shutting down its Freevee app in August
Amazon has finally announced when the Freevee streaming video app will close for good. As of next month, the Freevee app will be inaccessible, with content now being available on Prime Video instead.
The shuttering is no surprise, as the closure was announced last year. At the time, however, Amazon did not specify a timeline for how things would pan out. Some eight months after the original announcement, the company has finally revealed that the Freevee app will be shut down in August 2025.
Google reduces Pixel 6a battery life with mandatory Android 16 update
In just a few days, Google is starting the rollout of a mandatory automatic software update to Android 16 for Pixel 6a handsets. While an update would generally be expected to add features or improve performance, this particular, unavoidable update will have an unwanted side effect for some handset owners.
Having determined that some Pixel 6a handsets are a risk of an overheating battery, the update is being used to reduce battery capacity and charging performance on impacted devices. For users who are unhappy with this, there is the option of a battery replacement, but there are eligibility criteria.
Microsoft announces another round of layoffs as it plows money into AI
Microsoft plans to further reduce its global workforce, having already trimmed back on employee numbers several times this year.
The company is yet to provide exact details of the number of people affected by the latest round of layoffs, and it has also not revealed which divisions are to be hit. Microsoft has confirmed, however, that the cutbacks represent less than 4 percent of its workforce, leading to estimates of around 9,000 layoffs.
Microsoft acknowledges Intune issue that wipes out security customizations
Microsoft has published a warning about a problem in its Intune management software that stops customizations from being saved. Stemming from an issue in the security baseline policy update flow, an update can wipe out settings that have been put in place by administrators.
Although Microsoft has acknowledged the problem, the company is currently working on working out how to address it. In the meantime, Intune users are being told to use a workaround that could prove to be time-consuming for many.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.92 with new features for many modules
If it feels as though it has been a while since PowerToys received an update, that’s because it has been a number of weeks. But now this changes. Microsoft has launched PowerToys v0.92.0 as part of a release cycle that focuses on new features, stability, optimization improvements, and automation.
Every PowerToys release causes fans of the utility suite to ask whether any new modules have been added. This time around there are no completely new utilities to play with, but there a so many modules that have gained new features and improvements that it’s hard to remain disappointed for long.
X turns to AI-powered bots to write Community Notes to clarify posts
X has announced the latest addition to Community Notes as the social platform seeks ways to replace third-party fact checkers. The company is giving developers the option of building AI bots that can write notes that provide further details, clarity and context for posts.
The AI Note Writers are not being allowed to run completely free, however. X says that the aim of the AI Note Writer API is to help humans rather than replace them, pointing out that the bots “must earn the ability to write notes, and can gain and lose capabilities over time”.
Elon Musk confirms everyone is getting the 'all new' XChat this week, complete with 'Bitcoin style encryption'
Looking to compete with the likes of Signal, Elon Musk is ready to rollout XChat to all users of his X social platform. Rather than being a separate app for chatting, however, XChat is essentially just direct messaging within X -- so who is it for, and what does it have to offer?
Taking inspiration from numerous sources, Musk says that in addition to text-based messaging, there is also video and audio calling. Other features include vanishing messages, the option to “send any kind of file”, and an undetailed encryption system.
Microsoft is making huge changes to Windows 10 and 11, cutting out nagging to use Edge... for some
There can be few Windows users who have not been frustrated by notifications suggesting that they use Microsoft Edge as their browser. Microsoft’s heavy-handed promotion of its own web browser has been the source of annoyance, frustration and lawsuits for some time.
Now the company is relenting, making sweeping changes across Windows 10 and Windows 11 that will stop some of the pestering to use Edge, and also make it easier to change default browsers. More than this, it is making changes to Windows Search, the Microsoft Store and many other apps... but not for everyone, and not because it wants to.
Microsoft releases emergency fix for Windows 11 startup problems
Following the release of the KB5058405 update last month, Microsoft acknowledged that it was causing problems for some users. Affected users were left with startup issues and a warning of a 0xc0000098 error in the ACPI.sys file.
Now the company has released an out-of-band fix for the issue in the form of the KB5062170 update. Such is the impact of the original problem that Microsoft recommends installing this update in place of the May 2025 security update for Windows 11.
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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