Every time January rolls around there are declarations that this will be the year of Linux on the desktop -- and of course, it never is. This year is no different, and Microsoft would much rather you consider 2025 to be the “year of the Windows 11 PC refresh”.

The company is using CES as a platform to encourage people who are still hanging on to Windows 10 to loosen their grip and move to Windows 11. The end of support for Windows 10 is being used as a stick, but the carrot is the new breed of AI-powered Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft is hoping that the artificial intelligence driven capabilities of this recently launched range of PCs will also encourage existing Windows 11 users to invest in new hardware.

In what could be seen as a perfect demonstration of AI simply not being suitable for many of the things it is being used for, Apple upset the BBC recently after AI-generated headlines pushed fake news to iOS users.

Back in mid-December, the BBC complained to Apple about a headline from the iPhone-maker which stated that the murderer of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson had completed suicide. While Apple said nothing in response at the time, the company has now revealed plans to change how AI-generated headlines are flagged to make the use of AI more apparent.

Despite not admitting to having done anything wrong, Apple has agreed $95 million in settlement payouts for “unintentional” Siri activations that may have resulted in private conversations being recorded.

The payment agreement comes after years of legal back and forth following reports from users that Siri was “spying” on them after being activated unbidden. The proposed class action lawsuit has its roots in complaints dating back to 2014.

Citing an “unexpected change”, Microsoft has issued a warning to software developers to update their .NET Install links.

Microsoft is describing the situation as “critical”, and it comes after the bankruptcy of Edgio, a company responsible for hosting some .NET-related Content Delivery Network (CDN) instances. Developers are being told to take immediate action in order to avoid problems.

Microsoft is vocal about the importance of ensuring that Windows users have all of the latest security updates installed, and rightly so. Now the company has warned that using certain installation media to install Windows 11 24H2 could result in not being able to receive any further security updates.

The root cause of the problem has not been revealed as Microsoft is still investigating, but the issue can occur when using media such as CDs or USB drives to install the latest version of Windows 11. While the cause is not known, and there is no specific fix, there is a workaround.

Reaction emoji are a quick and easy way to respond to a message in WhatsApp with an absolute minimum of effort. Whether you simply can’t be bothered to type a message, or you’re already multi-tasking several things, the option to just send a thumbs up to a message is a handy option to have.

While there is nothing to stop you from sending any emoji you want as a response, there are several default options made available for easy access -- such as a heart or a sad face in addition to the thumbs up. For some time there have been six default emoji, but now WhatsApp is adding another to the family to make a septet.

Apple looks ready to continue its foray into the smart home market with a new doorbell to rival Amazon’s Ring. Driven by Face ID, Apple’s upcoming device is set to be more than just a doorbell -- facial recognition will be used to unlock the door as well.

But if you are looking for a smart doorbell right now, Apple may not be the choice for you. The company’s work is said to be in the preliminary stages, with products unlikely to emerge until at least the tail end of 2025, but likely some time in 2026.

The number of issues standing in the way of people hoping to update their computers to Windows 11 24H2 just seems to keep on growing. The latest problems confirmed by Microsoft are an issue with Auto HDR, and another relating to Dirac Audio.

In both cases, Microsoft has implemented a compatibility safeguard hold that prevents automatic upgrades to Windows 11 24H2; the company also strongly recommends against forcing a manual upgrade because of the severity of the issues. So, what are the details?

There are always lots of financial scams running online, and pig butchering is currently one of the most commonly used techniques for parting victims from their money.

But INTERPOL doesn’t like the term, saying it is shaming and puts people off reporting crime. The international crime-fighting agency believes that a shift to the rather fluffier sounding “romance baiting” is important.

Intel’s recently released Arrow Lake processors were notable for the wrong reasons. Performance was found to be more than a little disappointing, particularly for gamers. A fix was promised, and one has been delivered.

The fix takes the form of a not only an update to Windows, but also a BIOS update. But it does not end there. Intel says that it will be releasing a further update in January which will introduce additional performance optimizations.

Webcam users rejoice: the end of the “Another App Is Using the Camera Already” error message could be nigh.

People have been asking for the ability to use a single webcam in two or more apps at the same time for what feels likes forever. Built ostensibly as an accessibility feature, Microsoft is finally bringing what it is calling “Multi-app camera” to Windows 11.

There have been rumors circulating for some time that creating an email service to compete against Gmail was on Elon Musk’s to-do list. While concrete details about what it might look like and when it might appear have been elusive, Musk has started to give something of an idea of his vision.

The billionaire has said on multiple occasions, including in the last few days, that X Mail is on the cards, but now he has given a clearer indication of what it might involve. The question is -- are people ready for it?

There are so many classic scenes from shows and movies and, just like music fans like to share amazing drum solos, guitar riffs and lyrics with friends, there is something joyous about connecting over a shared video clip.

YouTube has long made it possible to share snippets of a videos, and earlier this year, Netflix introduced a feature called Moments to iOS. This provides a way to share a meaningful, impactful, funny or beautiful scene from a Netflix show or movie, and now the same feature is available globally on Android.

One of the changes in Windows 11 that continues to generate lots of complaining is the removal of a vertical taskbar option. Microsoft decided that it wanted everyone to have their taskbar anchored to the bottom of the screen, and that was the end of that.

But not anymore. Now there is a way to vertically align your taskbar in Windows 11, giving you the chance to make better use of a widescreen/ultra-widescreen monitor’s available space. It doesn’t matter whether your preference is for the left or the right -- both are possible.

Introduced a couple of years ago, the Suggested Actions feature of Windows 11 was designed to make life easier, simplifying dealing with information encountered on websites, in documents and so on. Now the feature is being ditched.

Microsoft introduced Suggested Actions as a productivity-enhancer that worked across all aspects of Windows. While the company has said nothing about why it is killing off what is ostensibly a useful tool, the answer can probably be summed up in two letters: AI.