Every so often Google starts to feel a little generous and decides to give things away. It's happening again, and you might just find that you've been given a few dollars in free credit to spend in the Play Store.

Seemingly at random, Google is handing out between $1 and $5 to Android users -- so you should check to see if you're one of the lucky ones.

Verizon has announced that it is to split into three as it looks to ensure "first-to-market leadership in the 5G era". Starting January 1, 2019, the telecom company will divide into Consumer, Business and Verizon Media Group/Oath.

The company says that it expects its new structure to be reflected in financial reporting for Q2 2019.

Security researchers claim to have unearthed a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Edge. The remote code execution is due to be revealed with a proof-of concept.

Microsoft has not yet been informed about the details of the security issue, but exploit developers had been looking for a way to break Edge out of its sandbox -- and it would appear that this objective has now been achieved.

Twitter has confirmed the removal of thousands of accounts for not only discouraging people from voting in next week's US elections, but also falsely appearing to originate from the Democratic Party.

In all, over 10,000 accounts were deleted in September and October, for targeting key demographics and encouraging them to withhold their vote. While the removals are pretty small-scale, they still serve to demonstrate how Twitter is being used to try to subvert the outcomes of elections.

Viber has rolled out a feature that users have been begging for for some time -- the ability to edit sent messages.

While Viber may not be quite as popular as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it has millions of users around the world. At long last these users now have the ability to correct typo after sending a message, just as can be done in a handful of other messaging tools.

As we wrote yesterday, Flickr is introducing a number of changes to both its free and Pro packages. For users of the free tier, the most significant change is undoubtedly the slashing of free storage to just 1,000 photos and videos.

This is clearly a move designed to encourage people to upgrade to a paid-for account, complete with unlimited storage. But if you're determined to stick with the free option, you'll need to take action or risk losing huge numbers of photos in a few months' time.

Google has made a change to its account sign in process that means you now have to have JavaScript enabled.

The change, which has been introduced for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, is part of a security process which Google says protects you "before you even sign in". While the vast majority of people will have JavaScript enabled, the new policy will still affect a number of users.

Apple has announced that, as of next quarter, it will no longer report unit sales figures for iPhones, iPads and Macs. The news came at the company's Q4 earnings call at which it was revealed that iPhone unit sales have remained static -- despite a revenue increase.

The change is in line with how Apple already treats other hardware sales -- such as those of the Apple Watch and HomePod -- which it groups together rather than revealing sales in individual categories.

Flickr has announced a number of changes to both its free and pro accounts, including ditching the need to have a Yahoo account.

The biggest change for Flickr users with free accounts is a drop to the amount of free storage it offers -- it is now possible to display 1,000 photos and videos of any size, but the free terabyte of storage is now a thing of the past. Anyone paying for a Pro account has much more to get excited about, including ad-free browsing and 5K support.

It had to happen eventually. Ads are coming to WhatsApp.

The monetization of the messaging app through advertising has been talked about for years, and the acquisition by Facebook served only to make it more likely. Now the company's vice president Chris Daniels has confirmed that ads are arriving in WhatsApp's Status section.

Google is all about data, and there have long been concerns about how the data it collects is used and the associated privacy issues. As such, the company's latest collaboration is likely to raise a few hackles. Google and iRobot are joining forces to use data collected by smart vacuum cleaners like the Roomba i7+ to create maps of the inside of people's homes -- and then share that data with other smart devices.

The partnership is described by iRobot as "a collaboration with Google to integrate robotic and smart home technologies that will advance the next-generation smart home". What this means in practice is that devices other than your vacuum cleaner will not only know the layout of your house, but will know what you mean when you refer to specific rooms -- and devices will be better able to interact with each other.

In addition to its new MacBook Air and Mac mini, Apple today launched the new iPad Pro. The most immediately-noticeable change is the death of the home button, but there's much more to this new model than just that.

The screen of the smaller iPad Pro has jumped from 10.5 to 11 inches without changing the overall size of the body, while the 12.9-inch model is available in a dramatically smaller casing. Both are thinner than before (just 5.9 mm), Face ID has been added, and there's more going on under the hood.

At the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apple today revealed a new MacBook Air. As well as a Retina Display, Apple has shrunk the bezels to near-invisibility. The screen measures 13.3-inch with four times the resolution of its predecessor.

The new model features Touch ID built directly into the keyboard. The keyboard itself has been upgraded for a better and more reliable typing experience, and the new Force Touchpad below this is 20 percent larger. But what else does the new MacBook Air have to offer?

Later today Apple is holding an event in Brooklyn at which we expect to see a new iPad Pro, iMac and MacBook Air. That's the hardware side of things. Today is also about software -- specifically iOS 12.1 which holds many treats for iPhone and iPad users.

The latest version of iOS will be available today, and it includes Group FaceTime and more than 70 new emoji. On top of this, there's also Depth Control in real-time preview and dual-SIM support for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.

The notches that grace an increasing number of phones -- from the iPhone XS to the OnePlus 6T -- have proved quite divisive, but it seems unlikely they are going to disappear anytime soon. In fact, thanks to a weird bug,some Pixel 3 XL owners have found that they have extra notches to contend with.

A number of users have encountered a bug that adds a second notch to the side of the screen in addition to the usual one at the top. The cause of the problem is not known, but Google is working on fixing it.