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.

WhatsApp is popular enough to be considered ubiquitous these days, with the group chat feature used by families, work colleagues, friends and other collections of people to keep in touch. But while group chats are very useful, there are undeniable issues with WhatsApp’s approach.

A key issue is that when a new member is added to the group, they are only able to see messages which are sent from that point in time forward. Anything that was sent previously is invisible. But an important update could see this changing quite soon.

Microsoft may wish that things were different, but not everyone is as enamoured with artificial intelligence as the company is. Windows 11 is gradually becoming infested with endless AI components, and it is not something that all users are happy about.

One particular bone of contention is the AI Actions entry in the context menu. Even people who are fans of AI sometimes struggle to see the value in its presence, and it is actively loathed by many. Microsoft is, it seems, finally listening to feedback and giving users the option to hide it.

We know that PowerToys fans are always looking out for new modules to play with, and Microsoft is quite generous in sprinkling these across releases. But new releases are also about new features, bug fixes, and important tweaks and changes.

In an upcoming release, Microsoft is planning some significant changes for the suite of utilities. Key among the changes is support for theming and using custom backgrounds. One of the modules in line for these changes is the beloved Command Palette.

In addition to the roundups of individual media consumption by individuals, companies such as Google also use this time of year to look at things more globally. As in previous years, the company has now launched its Year in Search.

Google’s Year in Search 2025 covers not only its famous search engine, but also searches conducted in Google Maps.

Having only recently announced a new vice president of AI, Apple has now said that there are other changes coming at the company. This time around, it is the position of general counsel that is changing, with Jennifer Newstead taking the role next year after becoming Apple’s senior vice president. She is moving from her previous role as chief legal officer at Meta.

On top of this, Apple says that its vice president for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, will retire in late January 2026.