Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

The Microsoft Store app is where you tend to go to download apps and games, but Microsoft is expanding its range of stock.

The latest addition to the Store is a new Themes department, which Microsoft says gives users a way to stamp their personality onto their computer. There are hundreds of themes to choose from, many of which are completely new for the arrival of the Themes section.

Google has launched a new feature for iPhone users that could make owners of Android handsets a little envious. Anyone who has parked their car in an unfamiliar town or in a particularly gigantic parking lot will have experienced the panic of not being able to locate their vehicle – Google Maps is now on hand to help.

iPhone owners using Google Maps – yes, this breed of person does exist – can now have their parking location saved automatically. This is an upgrade of what is available to Android users at the moment.

With the release of the KB5072033 update for Windows 11, Microsoft has addressed a problem that was introduced by a previous update.

Following the recent release of the KB5070311 update, Microsoft was forced to admit that it had – for many people – introduced a flashing issue when dark mode was in use. The KB5072033 update addresses this problem and more.

Spotify has announced that it is testing a new playlist creation option that build on the familiarity people have developed with the likes of ChatGPT. Called Prompted Playlist, the feature gives users a way to create personalized playlists while still benefitting from some AI input.

This is just the latest in a long time of playlist creation options offered by Spotify, and the company says that the idea is to not only push the boundaries of listening, but also to give users greater control.

After testing giving users control over the algorithm that controls the display of Reels on Instagram, Meta has now rolled out this personalization feature to everyone in the US.

With algorithms so easily thrown off by a rogue period of viewing, these new controls give users a way to redirect the algorithm back in the direction they would prefer. It is a quick and easy way to make it clear the type of content you are definitely interested in, as well as indicating the stuff that you really don’t want to see.

Google has launched a new feature for Android users that makes it possible to share live video with emergency services. Android Emergency Live Video is meant to help 911 call handlers get a better idea of what is going on in an emergency situation.

The feature is available in the US, and it works with Motorola’s 911 command center software which is used in more than half of North America’s public safety answering points (PSAPs).

It is far from uncommon for the Android and iOS versions of the same app to have different features, and Firefox is no different in this regard. Now Mozilla is leveling the playing field by bringing a previously Android-only feature to iPhone users, and an iOS-only option to its Android app.

While it may seem a little strange considering the widespread availability of the option in other web browsers, the iOS version of Firefox has not featured a web translation option. Now this changes. But there is also a nice change to Android users.

If you hate the endless AI that Microsoft is cramming into Windows 11, you are far from alone. While the company may believe that everything can be enhanced with artificial intelligence, there are plenty of users who are yet to be convinced.

Now, there are certainly steps you can take to avoid the AI-ificiation of Windows 11 – including sticking with Windows 10 – but it can take time to implement all of the necessary settings. If only someone has created a script to automate the disabling of AI in Windows 11. Oh… they have. Here it is.

Meta has announced a series of major design changes to Facebook which it will be hoping will help it to maintain a place of significance in a swamped social media world. The changes are pretty much across the board, but changes to Feeds are likely to be most noticeable.

Revamps to the Feed, search, and navigation systems are consumer facing, but Facebook has not forgotten creators. Improvements have been made to streamline the creation of both Feed posts and Stories.

Having started life as a music streaming platform, Spotify gradually branched out in podcasts and audio books. The latest development sees the online giant launching music videos for users in the US and Canada.

As is pretty standard for Spotify, the roll-out of music video support comes with various caveats. Not only is this limited to people living in the US and Canada, it is also a beta feature, so it is subject to change and possible starting wobbles. But there is another key consideration.

Google and Apple each have their own ecosystems, and they are understandably keen for people to remain within them. But the reality is that people who start off with an Android handset may one day decide that they want to jump into the world of iPhone; conversely it is far from unknown for iPhone users to take the decision to embrace Android.

Making the switch from one mobile platform to another is not impossible, but it can be something of an arduous task. The lack of compatibility or interoperability between iOS and Android has meant that moving data between different types of device is a time-consuming and frustrating process. But new collaboration between Apple and Google means that things should start to become a good deal simpler.

A long-awaited change has landed in Instagram, providing users of the social media platform with a new way to share other people’s stories to their own timeline.

Instagram has stood apart from other social platforms in a number of ways, but notably in the lack of option for the sharing of other people’s public content. Now this is changing, helping to bring Instagram in line with other platforms, and giving users something they have been asking for for a very long time.

In apps, there are some changes which are gamechangers, others which are aesthetically pleasing, others still which sit somewhere else. Such is the latest change visible in the newest beta version of the Android edition of WhatsApp.

We have already seen various color and theme options introduced that make it easier than ever to personalize the look of chats, be that for differentiating between them more easily, or something else entirely. Now a more subtle change is on the way which introduces a softness which has been absent.

The holiday season is seen by many companies as being as good a reason as any to highlight the benefits of their products and services, and Google is no different in this regard. Using the perceived stress of preparing for everything that this time of year involves for many people, Google says that Chrome autofill is here to make life easier.

The company points to now fewer than four ways in which this feature of the web browser can help you out, trying to show how it is about more than just saving time filling in your address.

Limitless has announced that it has been acquired by Meta. Formerly known as Rewind, Limitless is a company that says, “our vision is to free the human mind from its biological limitations”.

To this end, the company produces AI-powered wearable, including a pendant that can record and transcribe conversations. Numerous usage scenarios have been put forward, including helping people with dementia, ADHD or Alzheimer’s.