Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

Windows 11 power users will be pleased to learn that Microsoft is planning to bring the Sysmon (System Monitor) tool to Windows as a native utility. Usually part of the Sysinternals suite of utilities, Sysmon will be integrated into not only Windows 11, but also Windows Server 2025 starting next year.

The announcement was made not by Microsoft, but by Sysinternals creator Mark Russinovich. He says that by integrating the Sysmon utility into Windows, administrators will simplify deployment and bring additional functionality.

Sometimes, it is small changes that make a big difference, and this is something Google has just demonstrated perfectly with a relatively minor tweak to Google Calendar. There has been some integration and interaction between Google Tasks and Google Calendar for a little while now, but the latest change is a really useful one.

Users of Google Calendar now have the option to include entries for a Task in their Calendar. Put another way, Google now lets you set aside time in your Calendar to spend working on a Task.

The AI-with-everything trend continues, with Google very much at the forefront. Latching on to the holiday season and the increase in travel the period sees, the company is pushing its new AI tools as a way of planning your next trip.

The tools that Google is highlighting can all be accessed from Search, and while the company is using the holiday season as a hook, these are not seasonal tools – they can be used at any time for any sort of travel plans. There are various options here, so let’s take a look at what Google has to offer.

Creators on all social media platforms have a lot to worry about, but the theft or reuse of content must be near the top of the list. To help combat this, Meta has launched Facebook content protection to help prevent Reels from being stolen.

The automated tool can warn Facebook creators when their Reels are detected being reused on either Facebook or Instagram. If reuse is detected, creators have a number of options available to them, including blocking anything being used without consent.

That artificial intelligence is used in weather forecasting is to be expected, but Google has just announced WeatherNext 2. Self-described as its “most advanced and efficient forecasting model”, this last incarnation improves not only accuracy, but also speed.

Forecast generation can be up to eight times faster, and Google is already using the data produced by WeatherNext 2 – this is not something that is coming, it is here now. After heavy research work, Google is ready to give the tool to users.

Like Apple, Google has gradually made it more difficult to install apps from outside its own store. But the company is aware that neither users nor developers necessarily want to be tied to just the Play Store – this is why it has come up with the Android developer verification program.

The idea is that Google will check and verify developers so the users know they can be trusted. Now the company has an update based on early feedback it has received.

Apple has launched Digital ID, a new Apple Wallet-store identity document for US users that is accepted at airports and other locations.

Digital ID is created from information from a US passport, and it can be used as a travel document as well as a way of proving age. Although the company is making much of the system, it concedes that there are numerous limitations.

Cast your mind back a few years – well, several, actually – and you may well remember Vine. The social network focused on short-form videos, and it was killed off nearly 10 years ago. Now, re-entering a very busy social arena, Vine is back.

This time, the platform is going by the name diVine, and it is partly funded by one of Jack Dorsey’s ventures. This is not just a relaunch of the old video sharing platform; there is an attempt to resurrect as much of the original content as possible.

There are many things to consider when installing apps, particularly if there are several similar titles vying for attention. As well as things like range of features, looks and performance speed, power usage is also important to users – and Google agrees.

The company is looking to help improve the overall experience for Android users by warning about apps which can be a drain on a device’s battery. More than this, Google is working to help developers to create apps which are more power-efficient.

For anyone embedded in the Google ecosystem, Gmail is indispensable. The search giant’s email tool has an extraordinarily large userbase, and Google continues to find new ways to make it more useful. The focus of so much of the company’s efforts have been AI-related in recent times, so it is refreshing to see that other options have not been completely abandoned.

With email communication now the default for pretty much everything, it is little wonder that inboxes are chaotic explosions. And it is with a simple change that Google is looking to make it easier to manage your emails with as little effort as possible.

Microsoft’s suite of Sysinternal tools is an interesting collection. While not as exciting – or as frequently updated – as PowerToys, it is home to a number of incredibly useful utilities, especially for power users and system administrators.

But there are also instances of crossover, and the screen recording tool ZoomIt is a perfect example. Although ZoomIt has been merged into the PowerToys utility suite, a standalone version remains available for Sysinternal fans who want to steer clear of PowerToys. In an interesting move, Microsoft has pushed an update to the standalone version of ZoomIt with new features which are not available in PowerToys.

The end has been nigh for Windows 10 for what feels like an eternity, but Microsoft finally pulled the plug on mainstream support last month. After a confused period of communication and a few niggles, the company has now released the first Extended Security Update for the operating system.

With the release of the KB5068781 update, Microsoft is now only addressing problems with Windows 10. With the ESU program now in operation, no new features should be expected.

Apple has joined forces with ISSEY MIYAKE to create a new way for iPhone owners to carry and protect their smartphone. The iPhone Pocket is a sash-style 3D-knitted pocket which is available in a rainbow spectrum of colors.

This is not the first time the iPhone-maker has collaborated in this way, and the result this time around is a versatile phone sling that can be worn or carried in a variety of ways. There are two different styles to choose from, but potential buyers may baulk at the price.

There are few things more iconic online than the Facebook Like button. Found underneath every post on the social media platform, the button has become a handy way for sites to encourage engagement.

But now Meta has announced plans to discontinue two of its Facebook Social Plugins in the early part of next year. Specifically, it is the Facebook Like button that appears on external websites, as well as the Facebook Comment button. This is quite a change for the social media giant to come up with out of the blue, so what is the thinking behind it?

Over the last few years, Microsoft has gradually evolved the Snipping Tool from a simple screen-grabbing tool into something which is much more advanced and sophisticated than anyone could have first imagined.

Having added features such as the ability to create video, grab text from images using OCR, the company is now adding new text options to the app. While not officially available – or even announced – new capabilities have been spotted in the app that show how Microsoft is developing this increasingly essential tool.