Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.29 as the last build of 2020
We might be in the middle of the holiday season, but that doesn't mean that software developers stop working. As we approach the end of 2020, Microsoft has pushed out one final version of PowerToys for the year.
PowerToys v0.29 lays the groundwork for big changes and additions that are planned for 2021. There are quite a lot of fixes and improvements in this releases, but it is the promise of what's to come that is arguably of greater interest.
Facebook explains why millions of users are losing access to key features
If you've logged into Facebook, launched Instagram, or fired up Facebook Messenger recently, you may well have seen a message reading, "some features not available". So, what's going on?
Various restrictions have come into force because of new privacy laws that Facebook must comply with. It means that some "advanced options", such as creating polls, are no longer available to millions of users. Facebook has revealed just what is happening.
Sony pulls bug-riddled Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation store
The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 has been one of the most disastrous in recent history. In production for what seems like forever, the game comes from the same stable as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Polish developer CD Projekt.
The game was eventually launched just over a week ago, and the reception was... well... less than good. A seemingly endless string of bugs -- as well as performance issues on some platforms -- has led to widespread disappointment. Now Sony has taken the extraordinary step of yanking the PlayStation 4 game from its store, and is offering refunds to buyers.
Twitter is just about ready to start verifying users again
Twitter's verification program has been on hold for quite some time now, but the company recently revealed that users would be able to start applying for the coveted blue tick in 2021.
Now Twitter has shared more details about getting verified and there is some good news for anyone itching to get a blue tick -- more people now qualify to be verified. There's not long to wait, and the company has published information about how to apply for verification in 2021.
Microsoft is making big changes to Settings in Windows 10
Microsoft has made some very dramatic changes to the look and feel of Windows 10 over the years, and this is not a trend that's set to change any time soon. Continuing its plan to kill off the legacy Control Panel, the company is introducing big changes to Windows 10's Settings app.
The changes will be important to anyone who is keen on customizing or taking control of Windows, giving them two important new options that are sure to be welcomed by power users -- especially those who want to kill off the Task View button.
Google down! Gmail, YouTube and other services suffer massive global outage
Google users around the world struggled to connect to many of the company's services as a huge outage struck the search giant.
Problems started in the early hours of the morning in the US, and around lunchtime in Europe, with thousands of users experiencing error messages when attempting to use the likes of Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google Maps. The company issued a series of statements saying it was aware of problems "affecting a majority of users".
Linux 5.10 LTS is here as a significant kernel update
Linus Torvalds has officially announced the availability of version 5.10 of the Linux kernel. This release is significant not only because of the number of new features and fixes it includes, but also because it is a Long-Term Support (LTS) release that will enjoy five years of maintenance.
In his release notes for Linux 5.10, Torvalds also calls upon developers working on version 5.11 to submit changes in plenty of time for Christmas.
Microsoft releases an off-schedule update to PowerToys
Having released the experimental PowerToys v0.28 earlier this week complete with the video conference mute feature, Microsoft has now released an update to the stable version of its Windows 10 utility collection.
We were not expecting to see an update to PowerToys v0.27 just yet, but Microsoft has produced one out of the blue. The company says it deemed the release "important" as it addresses a number of issues.
Apple is offering free screen replacements for iPhones with touch issues
If you have an iPhone with a screen which has become unresponsive to touch, you might be in line for a free replacement.
Apple has launched a new display module replacement program for iPhone 11 handsets. The company says that it is only this model of iPhone that is affected, and in order to qualify for a free replacement, the handset needs to have been produced between November 2019 and May 2020.
Early adopters of iOS 14.2 report iPhone battery drain
It's only a matter of weeks since Apple agreed to pay out $133 million following the batterygate scandal that saw the performance of older iPhones being throttled. Now it looks as though the company could have another battery issue on its hands.
An increasing number of users who jumped to install iOS 14.2 are reporting that their iPhones are losing battery power very quickly. A similar problem is also being reported by people who have installed iPadOS 14.2.
PowerToys v0.28 has a great new utility for Windows 10
With the recent release of PowerToys v0.27, Microsoft managed to both excite and disappoint users. While there was a lot to explore and enjoy in that build, the newly released PowerToys v0.28 is even more impressive.
What is there to look forward to? Well, the arrival of the lauded video conference mute feature is something that people have been waiting for for a while... and now it's finally here.
Create your own functions from formulae in Microsoft Excel using LAMBDA
Microsoft has launched a new feature for Excel which it says will revolutionize formulae. Called LAMBDA, the new capability is being made available to Beta users for now, and it introduces the ability to create custom functions using Excel's formula language.
The company points out that Excel formulae are the world's most widely used programming language, and now it has gained the option of defining custom, reusable functions. There's no need to learn a complex programming language, making LAMBDA accessible to all.
Make your own emoji with Google's Emoji Kitchen
Emoji are well-loved, and every time new ones are released, they are received with much excitement. But how about the idea of creating your own emoji?
This is what Google made possible earlier this year when it released Emoji Kitchen. While this does not let you design your own emoji from scratch, it does give you the chance to combine existing emoji to create new, strange and funny creations. Now the tool has been updated to make it even better than ever.
Developers manage to run Windows 10 and Linux on M1 Macs
The launch of Apple's new range of Macs with its own M1 chips was met with excitement -- and benchmarks showed great performance even from base models. There was just one problem for some people: an inability to run Windows.
For anyone used to running Windows alongside macOS -- and, for that matter, Linus Torvalds and his desire to run Linux on an M1 MacBook Air -- there's good news. A team of developers have been able to get both Windows 10 and Linux running on Apple silicon.
Microsoft releases the much-improved PowerToys v0.27.0
Only yesterday we wrote about some of the exciting changes coming in PowerToys v0.27.0. Microsoft had teased upcoming improvements to the much-loved utilities but gave no hint of just when this particular build would be released.
As it turned out, we did not have to wait long. PowerToys v0.27.0 is now available to download and in includes not only numerous bug fixes, but also various improvements and enhancements. Oh... and if you were wondering if you'd somehow managed to miss a build, Microsoft explains "we skipped 0.26's release for higher priority work". And this is the result.
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!
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.