USA vs. Belgium is one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and millions of fans will be settling in front of their screens on Monday to watch it unfold.

But there is a good chance your stream won't go quite as planned. Just as the referee blows the whistle for kickoff, your crisp picture could easily drop into a pixelated, low-res mess — or freeze entirely.

The culprit? Your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

During major live sporting events, internet service providers frequently throttle bandwidth to manage the surge in users.

The good news is there's a straightforward technical fix, and you don't need to be particularly tech-savvy to use it.

The best VPNs encrypt your internet traffic before it leaves your device, masking it from your ISP. Because your provider can no longer see what kind of data you're consuming, it won't trigger its throttling algorithms — leaving you with a stable, high-def stream from kickoff to the final whistle.

Is it worth keeping after the match?

If you decide to keep the service beyond Monday's match, an annual plan breaks down to less than a single match-day takeaway — and it will cover your connection for every remaining game for the rest of the year.

Because it comes with an industry-double 60-day money-back guarantee, you can essentially test it out completely risk-free. If it doesn't instantly stabilize your stream, you can claim a full refund without any hassle.

Either way, don't leave it until the last minute. Get the app downloaded and run a quick speed test before kickoff today — so when the first whistle blows, you're confident in your stream.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Good news for those of you who have yet to upgrade to Windows 11: You're going to get another year of reprieve.

Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 in October 2025, but you could sign up for the Extended Security Update (ESU) program, which will keep support going through October 13, 2026.

At that point, support was going to be cut off for good. However, that's changed thanks to a quiet change Microsoft introduced this week and spotted by GSMArena. The new end date has been extended to October 12, 2027.

RAM crisis relief

I can't find anything beyond the FAQ page, but Microsoft hasn't really promoted this update. The company is desparate for people to upgrade to Windows 11, something users have avoided because of core problems with the operating system.

Still, this is extra breathing room for people who haven't upgraded. Plus, it alleviates the need to purchase a new laptop, just as every tech company is raising prices due to the ongoing memory shortage.

PC makers have been ringing the warning bell since early 2026, with Lenovo saying "Buy it soon as you can" in February.

Apple just raised prices on its laptops and Microsoft hiked Xbox console prices for the third time in a year while blaming the memory shortage this week.

With purchasing power becoming untenable, even a year is a nice break.

How to sign up for the ESU

To sign up for the ESU program, your device needs to run Windows 10, version 22H2 Home, Professional, Pro Education or Workstations edition. It also needs to have the latest Windows update installed.

You need to have a Microsoft account that is an administrator.

There's no cost if you sync your PC settings. You can also redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or make a one-time $30 purchase.

To get the ESU running you can go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If you meet the requirements you should see an Enroll Now button for ESU.

You can extend the ESU license on up to 10 devices.

More from Tom's Guide

• Microsoft blames "components crisis" for rising Xbox prices amidst AI greed, which was partly caused by...Microsoft?
• NVIDIA claims its new AI data centers use almost no water — here's what that actually means
• Here are some way-too-early Windows 12 predictions based on how Microsoft is changing Windows 11

Stadiums, airports, and fan parks are some of the worst environments imaginable for public Wi-Fi. Tens of thousands of people competing for the same signal means packet loss, crawling speeds, and connections that drop without warning. So, for example, if you're heading to a few games at the FIFA World Cup 2026, things might not be as smooth as you'd like.

One of the best VPNs is a handy tool to have at your disposal on networks like these. While it's fairly unlikely nowadays you'll be caught out by a man-in-the-middle attack, boosting your privacy can only be a good thing – and when a VPN is set up right, a VPN may also be able to increase your connection speeds significantly.

Here, I'll run down a few quick settings to tweak to make your public Wi-Fi experience more bearable.

Pick your protocol

A VPN protocol is the set of rules that determines how your device encrypts and moves your data. On a congested or restrictive network, the wrong protocol can mean failed connections, throttled speeds, or both – and switching is often the quickest fix.

WireGuard should be your first port of call. It's a modern protocol built with a low data overhead and near-instant reconnection times, making it well suited to the kind of unstable connections you'll find in a packed stadium or airport terminal. Most VPN apps already default to it – but if you're on an iPhone, check your settings, as IKEv2 is often the default instead.

IKEv2 is a solid runner-up for mobile users who switch frequently between Wi-Fi and cellular data. It handles network changes smoothly, though speeds won't quite match WireGuard.

If you're struggling to connect at all, try OpenVPN. It's generally slower than WireGuard, but its ability to run on port 443 – the same port used by standard web traffic – means it's more likely to work on networks that try to block VPNs. For a deeper look at how the fastest VPNs handle different conditions, our dedicated guide is worth a read.

Stay stealthy

Many stadiums and airports actively manage their networks by throttling heavy data users – a necessary measure when tens of thousands of people are sharing the same connection, but one that can reduce your speeds to near-unusable levels during a big event.

VPNs can sidestep this by hiding your traffic from the network – if it can't see what you're doing, it can't single you out for throttling. The catch is that many venues have wised up to this, and will throttle any traffic that looks like VPN traffic too.

The fix is Stealth Mode – sometimes called Obfuscation or Scramble depending on which app you're using. It disguises your VPN traffic as ordinary web traffic, so the network treats it accordingly. You keep the speed benefits of bypassing throttling while your actual activity stays hidden.

Unfortunately, if the network you're connected to flat-out throttle's everyone's connection, regardless of how much data theyre using, a VPN won't make much of a difference. As always, there's an element of trial and error to this.

Set switches to kill

Switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data – or simply dropping out of range in a crowded venue – can cause your VPN connection to drop momentarily. That split second is enough for your real IP address to be exposed before the VPN reconnects, which defeats the purpose of using one in the first place.

A kill switch solves this by blocking all internet traffic the moment your VPN drops, preventing any leaks until the connection is restored. Pair this with Auto-Connect, which ensures your VPN engages automatically whenever you join an untrusted public network, and you've closed off the two most common sources of accidental exposure.

As a side-note, your VPN "blocking all internet traffic" sounds drastic, but in reality, it's nothing to worry about. This only equates to a second or two of downtime, which is very unlikely to be noticed.

Split the tunnel

Running all your apps through a VPN simultaneously puts extra demand on both your device and the network – bandwidth you can't afford to waste when thousands of people are competing for the same signal.

Split tunneling lets you choose which apps use the VPN and which don't. Route your sensitive apps – banking, email, social media logins – through the encrypted tunnel, and let everything else connect directly. Checking live scores or streaming music in the background doesn't need VPN protection, and bypassing it for those apps can free up enough speed to make a real difference. Plus, by reducing the amount of data you need to encrypt will also save you precious battery life.

Bottom line

A few seconds spent in your VPN's settings can be the difference between a working connection and a frustrating one.

Switch your protocol – WireGuard for speed, OpenVPN if you're struggling to connect – enable Stealth mode, turn on your kill switch, and set up split tunneling. Do all of this, and you'll be in a far better position than the thousands of other people on the same network.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

USA vs Turkey is a chance for the USMNT to really flex their muscles, seeing as they're through to the Round of 32 regardless of the result. However, even if you've got a solid broadband connection at home, there's no guarantee of a smooth stream. ISPs routinely throttle bandwidth when they detect heavy streaming activity, and with millions of fans tuning in simultaneously, the risk of a buffering-plagued match is very real.

The best VPNs tackle this by making your traffic unreadable to your ISP. Without knowing what you're doing, it can't make the decision to slow you down – so instead of throttling your stream mid-match, it simply lets your connection run at full tilt.

Right now, Norton VPN sits at the top of our best streaming VPN rankings, and a compelling World Cup deal makes it particularly well-timed for anyone wanting a buffer-free tournament.

How does Norton VPN compare to other top VPNs?

When it comes to sheer breadth, NordVPN is hard to beat. Its network spans more than 9,000 servers across 149 countries, and in our speed tests it hit over 1,249 Mbps locally – figures that put it ahead of most of the competition. That firepower does come at a cost, though. NordVPN starts at $3.49 per month, and that requires you to commit for two years. What's more, it comes with only a 30-day money-back guarantee, compared to Norton's 60-day window.

Surfshark undercuts both on price, with two-year plans coming in at just $1.99 per month – and unlike Norton, it places no cap on device connections, making it an appealing option for households with a lot of hardware. Speed-wise it's no slouch either, ranking among the fastest VPNs we've tested. Where it falls short is consistency: in our streaming tests, it has occasionally failed to unblock certain Netflix regions that Norton handles without issue.

For throttling specifically, what matters most is that your VPN can reliably access streaming sites and mask your traffic from your ISP – and that's precisely where Norton's streaming credentials count most. Add in the 60-day money-back guarantee, which is double the industry standard and comfortably covers the entire tournament, and the choice is easy.

NordVPN and Surfshark are both worth considering once the final whistle blows on the group stage, but if a buffer-free World Cup is the goal, Norton is the one to back.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Scotland vs Brazil is one of the most anticipated matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026's group stage – and whether you're watching from a bar, a hotel, or any other network that isn't your own, your connection may be more exposed than you think. Plus, if you accidentally end up on websites that aren't trustworthy, exposing your IP address to them can spell danger.

Using one of the best VPNs closes that window by encrypting your traffic and masking your IP address, so nobody on the same network can see what you're doing. It also means your ISP can't monitor your streaming habits, and websites can't see your real IP – useful if you'd rather keep your viewing activity to yourself.

We currently rate Norton VPN as the best VPN for streaming, and there's a sensational deal running right now that makes it an easy choice for World Cup coverage.

How does Norton VPN compare to other top VPNs?

NordVPN continues to outperform Norton VPN in our overall VPN rankings, and its testing record backs that up: speeds of over 1,249 Mbps locally, a server network spanning more than 8,000 servers across 135 countries, and a near-flawless streaming unblocking record. In comparison, Norton VPN only offers servers in 65+ countries – meaning potentially less choice when it comes to streaming services.

The catch is price – even on the discounted two-year plan, NordVPN works out at around $3.49 per month, which is a little more than Norton. What's more, it only comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Norton also has the edge when it comes to raw streaming performance, unblocking every major streaming platform in our latest round of testing, despite its smaller network.

Surfshark is a budget alternative, with plans starting at a very reasonable $1.99 per month and the bonus of unlimited device connections. This is a contrast to Norton VPN, which has strict limits on how many devices you can install the VPN on. Surfshark's a capable all-rounder, too, and one of the fastest VPNs we've tested. However, its streaming unblocking has been less consistent than Norton's in our reviews, occasionally struggling with certain Netflix regions.

If your main priority is keeping your streaming activity private without interruption, Norton VPN is the clear choice. What's more, that performance currently comes with competitive pricing against NordVPN and a 60-day guarantee which is double what most competitors offer, giving you the entire tournament to decide if it's right for you.

NordVPN and Surfshark remain solid options for general use once the World Cup wraps up, but for streaming this tournament privately and securely, Norton's combination of unblocking power and excellent pricing is hard to beat.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Now that Microsoft Build 2026 is in the rearview, we have a much clearer picture of the future of Windows 11. Agentic AI systems! Smart work ID badges! Always-on personal assistants! The path ahead for Microsoft’s current operating system will clearly feature AI in some form or fashion at every turn. But what about Windows 12?

Though it wasn’t a surprise that Microsoft didn’t announce its next OS during this year's Build keynote, we’d be amazed if work on Windows 12 hasn’t been motoring away in the background for quite some time over in Redmond. As such, we thought now would be an opportune time to speculate on a platform that will likely usher in a new era of AI integration.

Whether dealing with the petaflop power of the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box or the potentially paradigm-shifting Project Solara, AI agents will be run both locally and through the cloud to forge next-level hybrid computing on Windows 12.

But it’s not all about AI with our predictions for an OS we’re expecting in the not-too-distant future. The future of Xbox could also be intrinsically tied to Windows 12. With Xbox Mode continuing to bloom on Windows 11, don’t be surprised if Microsoft commits hard to PC gaming going forward, with more focus on creating a UI that can truly compete with Steam.

Without further ado, let’s get into some Windows 12 predictions, even if it does seem ludicrously early to be making them.

Windows 12 will be all about AI

Forget Copilot. The level of AI integration Windows 12 is going to embrace will be far more impactful than asking a digital assistant what the weather will be in a couple of hours. Microsoft’s new OS will have AI baked into its very core, with agentic systems that exhibit real autonomy handling the jobs you’d previously have done with apps.

This year’s Build made it clear that AI agents are a huge priority for Microsoft. As much as they’re shaping the future of your current OS, the use of agentic systems will likely leap to a new level with Windows 12.

Just take Microsoft Scout. This new Autopilot AI agent acts as an always-on personal agent. Rather than needing to be prompted like Copilot, Scout uses the MAI-Thinking-1 reasoning model to act autonomously. As such, it learns how you work over time, quickly becoming aware of your routines in order to better service your needs on any given day.

By the time Windows 12 launches, Scout and similar agentic systems will have had plenty of time to percolate. When Microsoft’s next OS is out in the wild, we could be looking at a platform where AI runs far deeper than mere surface-level window dressing. The days of manually setting meetings or switching between spreadsheets and emails could be over, as AI agents like Scout take control of your workflow, autonomously handling tasks so that you can fully focus on the most important aspects of your job.

Essentially, Windows 12 is going to be an AI OS, one that could potentially transform the way you work.

Hybrid computing will be central to Windows 12

The era of AI PCs has been around for a while now, yet it looks like Windows 12 could fully realize the potential of AI, in part, by turning the focus more heavily on hybrid computing. In this future of Jaws 19, hoverboards and flying Deloreans, users won’t need to worry about whether tasks are running on their NPU, CPU or GPU. Instead, Windows 12’s AI-influenced OS will autonomously figure out where workloads should be handled.

This isn’t about Microsoft pitting cloud AI and local AI against each other. The future we envisage for Windows 12 is where hybrid workflows are commonplace, with AI agents running locally on the systems like the Spark Dev Box (which we’ll touch on shortly) and through the cloud, too.

Ideally, users won’t even know where tasks are running. Less demanding AI tasks may operate locally, while heavy duty rendering could be split up between hardware and cloud-based infrastructures. If Windows 12 fully embraces the concept of hybrid computing, the end result will hopefully be an OS that balances performance more efficiently, as tasks run discretely across local hardware and the cloud.

AI agents will replace apps

Much of the focus of this year’s Build centered around agentic systems. AI agents aren’t just the future of Windows, they’re the here and now. We’ve already touched on Microsoft Spark being rolled out to Frontier customers, and before too long Project Solara will be upon this.

Built from the ground up on a Microsoft-tailored Android platform, the focus for Solara is on AI agents, not apps. Indeed, Solara seems keen to move away from traditional Windows hardware, instead taking the forms of a smart clock-like device and a work ID badge. The latter has been designed to assist users on the go, and it’s capable of recording notes before using AI to clean up audio that can then be sent to colleagues. It potentially represents a future of computing where you no longer need to be chained to a laptop to get work done.

Microsoft is clearly betting the farm on AI, and it’s entirely possible Windows 12 will be a heavily AI-assisted OS. Unlike past operating systems, AI agents will have far more importance than old-school apps. In this (potentially soon to be realized) future, your day will no longer be taken up by sifting through emails and spreadsheets. Rather, agentic systems will act as personal AI assistants, acting autonomously as they help declutter your workday to help you complete tasks more effortlessly and efficiently.

Windows 12 will light the Spark

There’s a line of thinking that’s easy to buy into following Microsoft's Build keynote: Windows 12 will be a “dev-first” OS. Now, Redmond isn’t suddenly going to forget regular consumers. But looking forward, it’s hard not to see the Big M being more focused on servicing developers' needs than at any other point in its history.

Enter the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box. Initially shipping as a Windows 11 Pro mini PC that’s built around the Nvidia RTX Spark superchip, there’s no question more enhanced versions of this little rig will support Windows 12 in the future. Designed to support locally-based AI development, this is a box that has been built to service agentic workflows that eat up huge compute costs. Thankfully, the numbers suggest the Spark Dev Box will be more than capable of handling such tasks, as this dev-focused mini marvel gives users up to an astonishing 1 petaflop of AI compute and 128GB of unified memory.

Rocking the power of a combined Nvidia Blackwell RTX GPU and Nvidia Grace CPU, the Spark Dev Box can power 120B+ parameter models locally. And that last word really is key. Spark has been designed to service the most demanding local AI tasks, in turn taking the focus away from cloud-based AI pipelines. Spark feels like a test run for what the future of high-end Windows 12 devices will look like: a workstation where the emphasis is on locally supporting AI agents to give developers more control.

Xbox Mode could change the game

Microsoft didn’t shine any light on its gaming endeavors during the dev-focused Build keynote, and that wasn’t a surprise. That doesn’t mean there aren’t big plans for the future of Xbox, particularly with how it ties into Windows 12 going forward.

With Phil Spencer gone, replaced by new Head of Xbox Asha Sharma, don’t be shocked if Microsoft’s gaming division goes through big changes in the next couple of years. We’ve known about Project Helix for ages at this point. And with the next Xbox promising to bridge the gap between consoles and PCs like never before, how Windows 12 handles Microsoft games may look quite different to the way Windows 11 currently deals with Xbox titles.

Xbox Full Screen Mode rolled out on Windows not too long ago, giving gamers an experience that’s more in line with Steam’s Big Picture. As Xbox integration continues to evolve, it would make sense for Microsoft to double down on providing a more console-like OS for next-gen games.

As for what Xbox Mode on Windows 12 could look like, there’s a reasonable chance we could see a gaming-focused app that’s more deeply integrated with Microsoft’s next OS. Imagine a more streamlined platform that you could boot directly into as soon as you fire up your PC. One that uses fewer Windows background processes to provide an experience that’s every bit as seamless as Steam.

It seems clear the future of Xbox is more deeply tied to Windows than ever before. As rumors swirl suggesting Sony could soon stop releasing PS5 games on PC, next-gen Xbox titles could provide the most premium console-like experience on Windows 12.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’m a Windows user — and these are 5 upgrades I want from Windows 12
• The 7 best computers in 2026: tested by experts
• 15 top Windows 11 tips everyone needs to know

England take on Croatia in a one of the most hotly anticipated games of the 2026 World Cup's group stage – and if you're traveling abroad or just away from your usual setup, you don't want to miss it. Streaming services often restrict access based on location, which can leave you locked out of the coverage you'd normally get at home.

Using one of the best VPNs solves this by routing your connection through a server in your home country, letting you access your usual streaming service as if you'd never left. It also encrypts your traffic, which is useful if you're connecting via public Wi-Fi at an airport, hotel, or bar to catch the match.

We currently rate Norton VPN as the best VPN for streaming, and there's a sensational deal running right now that makes it an easy choice for World Cup coverage.

How does Norton VPN compare to other top VPNs?

NordVPN remains our top-rated VPN overall, and its testing backs that up: speeds of over 1,249 Mbps locally, a server network spanning more than 8,000 servers across a staggering 167 countries, and a near-flawless streaming unblocking record. In comparison, Norton only offers servers in a measly 65 countries – meaning potentially less choice when it comes to streaming services.

The catch is price – even on the discounted two-year plan, NordVPN works out to around $3.49 per month, more than Norton's current World Cup deal. Norton also has the edge when it comes to raw streaming performance, unblocking every major streaming platform in our latest round of testing, despite its smaller network.

Surfshark is a budget alternative, with plans starting at a very reasonable $1.99 per month and the bonus of unlimited device connections. This is a bonus compared to Norton, which has strict limits on how many devices you can install the VPN on. Surfshark's a capable all-rounder, too, and one of the fastest VPNs we've tested. However, its streaming unblocking has been less consistent than Norton's in our reviews, occasionally struggling with certain Netflix regions.

If your main priority is locking in reliable access to every match without interruption, Norton VPN is the clear choice. What's more, that performance currently comes with competitive pricing against NordVPN and a 60-day guarantee which is double what most competitors offer, giving you the entire tournament to decide if it's right for you.

NordVPN and Surfshark remain solid options for general use once the World Cup wraps up, but for streaming this tournament specifically, Norton's combination of unblocking power and deal pricing is hard to beat.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

DoorDash was down for many users for a few hours. However, as of 12:39 pm ET, the online food delivery service is working normally again. Over 10,000 outage reports appeared on Downdetector, but at the moment, they have fallen to around 500, with reports continuing to plummet.

Here were all the updates as they happened.

DoorDash outage — live updates

Massive spike with over 10,000 reports on Downdetector

If you just tried using DoorDash this morning and found it not working properly, you're not alone because it appears to be down for many people. According to Downdetector, there's been over 10,000 reports so far.

DoorDash is aware of the outage

With so many people reporting on social media about DoorDash not working for them, DoorDash officially posted on its @DoorDash_Help account on X to acknowledge that the service is down and that they're "aware of an issue affecting our platform and working urgently to resolve it."

Outage spikes to more than 30,000

More and more people are reporting that DoorDash is down, with over 30,000 reports now about it according to Downdetector. The issues range from log in issues, placing orders, and delivery drivers unable to complete orders.

This is what greets most DoorDash users today

For most of the U.S., people are still starting their mornings and there's no better way to do that than ordering a coffee or breakfast on DoorDash. Unfortunately, users are unable to access the service through the app because of the outage.

Log in issues with the website as well

Sometimes these outages only affect certain platforms, like mobile apps, but this DoorDash outage appears to be more widespread because it's also affecting its online portal. If you try to log in with your account, you'll likely be greeted to some kind of error.

What should DoorDash do in this case?

User @kel_fc makes on X makes a good point about this massive outage going on with DoorDash at the moment because of the orders that were placed prior to the outage. What do you think DoorDash should do to compensate users who placed orders but are unable to receive them?

DoorDash outage is ongoing, now with over 35,000 reports

This is a major outage because Downdetector now has over 35,000 reports about DoorDash. It's been about an hour since the first spike occurred and users are still unable to access the app and service.

Delivery drivers are put in a tough position

While complaints continue to roll in with this DoorDash outage, which is preventing users from placing orders and accessing the app, delivery drivers are just as much in a tough position. Due to the outage, they're unable to log into the app to complete orders. @paulyp845 on X says that "I’m locked in for my hourly rate… I’m waiting at my pickup location patiently while still on the clock even though the app won’t let me log in!"

First sign of life support?

There's been a drop in reports according to Downdetector at around 10:32 a.m. ET, which may be a clue to a potential fix in place. We've been trying to log into the app, but have no luck yet.

How's it going for you?

While we continue to look after the DoorDash outage, what's your experience like? Were you one of the people who placed an order, but unable to receive them due to drivers not able to access the app?

DNS error pop up

We tried logging into DoorDash again through a browser, but we're still unable to get anywhere. The error message above is what we're greeted to, with the Error Details report hinting to some sort of DNS error. From the looks of it, the outage could be related to its login and authentication system.

Larger drop in reported outages

Even though there are still many users who are unable to access DoorDash, it could slowly be coming back online for some. According to Downdectector, reports have dwindled to around 20,000 in the most recent update.

To eat, or not to eat? That is, the question

DoorDash drivers who picked up orders but were unable to deliver them due to the outage have a pickle of their own to deal with. Case in point: X user @john_wall_ontop shared a photo of a DoorDash delivery, asking if he should just keep the order at this point.

Is it working again? Perhaps

We've been keeping an eye on what people are reporting online and it looks like DoorDash is slowly starting to work. @alysonvelvet on X says that it's working again, which is a good sign that things are turning around. But now comes the hard part: compensating users and drivers for orders.

Downdetector reports drop down to 17,000

Downdetector is showing fewer outage reports for DoorDash with the latest update at 11:01 a.m. ET, with about 17,000 reports. That's down from the over 35,000 reports at its height over an hour ago.

Reports keep dropping

As of 11:31 am ET, reports of an outage have dropped steeply. Checking the app ourselves, everything seems to be fine. Hopefully, this trend continues, and DoorDash will resume normal operations for all users.

All seems normal

Reports on Downdetector have fallen to just shy of 1,000, so we're going to say that things are back to normal. We'll keep monitoring the situation, but at least for now, it seems to have been resolved.

App is working

Some of us on staff have checked our DoorDash apps, and they are up and running. However, given how reports are still close to 800 on Downdetector, this might not be the case for all users. Hopefully, it won't be much longer until those affected can use the app.

Reports keep dropping

As of 12:13 pm ET, Downdetector has received 590 reports of a DoorDash outage. That continues the downward trend, so it shouldn't be long until all users can use the app without a problem. Of course, we'll keep an eye on this situation.

Still trending down

Outage reports for DoorDash continue to fall, which means it shouldn't be long before all users can use the app as they normally would. We've checked the app ourselves, and all is fine, so let's hope reports don't spike back up.

It's a wrap

With reports now around 500, we're going to say that DoorDash is now fully operational for the majority of users. Good hunting!

The World Cup only comes around every four years, and whether you're making the trip to the US, Canada, or Mexico, or you're based abroad for work, the last thing you want is to hit a geo-block on match day. Using one of the best VPNs solves that by routing your connection through a server back home, giving you access to the same free streams you'd get on your couch – BBC iPlayer, ITV, or whatever your local broadcaster happens to be.

The good news is that Norton VPN has you covered with a 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans – double the 30-day industry standard – which means you can sign in, stream every group stage game, knockout round, and the final itself, and still claim a full refund if you're not satisfied. That makes it completely risk-free for the entire tournament.

Before you dive in, though, there's one thing worth knowing: your smart TV's operating system determines exactly how you set up your VPN. Get that part wrong and you'll be troubleshooting during kick-off.

Device matters

Your TV's operating system dictates how – and whether – you can run a VPN directly on it, so it's worth knowing which camp you're in before kick-off.

If your TV or streaming device runs Google TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire OS, or Apple's tvOS (tvOS 17 or later), you're in luck. All of these platforms feature native app stores, meaning you can download the Norton VPN app directly, sign in, and be connected within minutes.

Samsung and LG owners face a different situation. Tizen and webOS – the operating systems powering those TVs respectively – block third-party network configurations entirely and offer no native VPN support. Your options are Smart DNS, which reroutes only your location data without full encryption, or setting up Norton on your router so that every device on your network is covered automatically.

If none of those options work for you, there's a reliable fallback: connect a laptop to your TV via HDMI. Run Norton VPN on the laptop, set it to your home country, and your stream plays on the big screen just as intended. Two things to sort before kick-off – set your laptop's power settings so it stays awake with the lid closed, and if sound isn't coming through the TV, manually switch your system's audio output to the TV speakers.

VPN Limitations

A VPN adds a layer of encryption to your connection, and during a global event with millions of viewers doing the same thing, that comes with a couple of practical trade-offs worth knowing about.

The first is resolution. Many broadcasters stream in native 4K, and modern VPNs are fast enough to handle it under normal conditions – but when large numbers of users crowd onto the same VPN server simultaneously, that headroom shrinks quickly. If your stream starts buffering, drop the resolution manually to 1080p. A smooth, uninterrupted match beats a stuttering one in 4K every time.

The second concerns casting. If you're planning to stream from your phone and cast to the TV via AirPlay or Chromecast, you may run into connectivity issues. A VPN creates an encrypted point-to-point tunnel between your device and the server, which cuts your phone off from the local area network – and casting relies on that local connection. Some VPNs include a "allow local network access" setting that resolves this, but not all do. If yours doesn't, the HDMI + laptop method is your most reliable alternative.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

There are a lot of great features in Google Maps, and a lot of them have absolutely nothing to do with navigation. One of those features is one you may not know about, or forgot was even possible — and it's designed to help you learn more about different areas throughout history. I am, of course, talking about Street View's "time travel" feature.

Everyone knows Street View is a great way to get a view of different spots from street level, but it is possible to give you a glimpse at history as well. In the past you stuck with the last load of Street View photos that Google's roving band of camera-laden cars had taken, but that changed a few years back when archived photos were added to Google Maps.

This essentially lets you travel back through time and see back into the past through the portal of Google Street view. I've found that this is a really great way to learn about the area around you, and just how much things have changed since Street View first launched. Here's how to time travel through Google Maps.

There you have it, that's how you time travel in Google Maps, and see different parts of the world throughout history. Or throughout the period that Street View has been active, at the very least. In this case, we can see that the Central London street that houses Future Publishing's London office (Westbourne Terrace) hasn't actually changed all that much over the past 18 years, but other locations may see much more impressive transformations. Which is the biggest benefit of using time travel in the first place.

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Waze is officially adding a feature that drivers have been asking about for ages. After several months of testing, the navigation app is starting to roll out traffic light icons to the general public. But you it doesn't appear to be universally available just yet.

The original testing was first spotted last December, with on-and-off reports over the past few months. Now, though, it seems as though traffic lights are showing up for a lot more people. Sadly, it seems the very nature of how Waze operates means their appearance on the map is a little inconsistent.

The thing you need to understand about Waze is that, unlike Google Maps, it doesn't rely on a huge archive of saved data. It's all about crowdsourced information, and it means the knowledge Waze has is only as good as what drivers have been reporting. That includes things like speed cameras and, I'm guessing, traffic lights.

I took a quick look at my local area, since I have a good understanding of where all the lights are already. The map was pretty empty, for the most part, but I did see a few places that featured the iconic three-light design of traffic lights. But nowhere near as many as there are in reality.

That makes me wonder how Waze is identifying traffic lights, and whether it's picking and choosing where to actually show them. My initial thoughts were that the lights would only appear on active routes, but it seems they are visible on the standard map.

There's also no option to report working traffic lights within the Waze app (only broken ones), and the official Map Editor doesn't seem to include them either. However, there may also be a chance that my low level has something to do with that

Knowing when traffic lights are coming up can be a big benefit if you're in an unfamiliar area. Being able to anticipate the fact you may need to stop means you can slow down smoothly and not destroy your gas mileage with harsh braking.

So keep an eye on Waze, because next time you drive, you may just get a helping hand anticipating the next set of lights.

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The macOS 27 or macOS Golden Gate developer beta is now live, and I’ve begun testing out some of the available features that this upcoming (and unfinished) operating system has to offer.

We don’t get a substantial update as we did with last year’s macOS 26. Instead, this year’s update is mostly focused on Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. While I’ve yet to try the former, the latter offers nifty tricks for Mac users to try out.

Keeping in mind that this is a developer beta and features are subject to change, here are my early thoughts on macOS Golden Gate and some features that stand out.

Spatial Reframing

The new Reframe tool stole the show at WWDC, and it’s a lot of fun to use. The feature is self-explanatory: you can take existing photos and adjust the perspective to your liking. Basically, if you’re not happy with a photo’s angle, you can change that.

After selecting Reframe in the new Tools option in Photos’ editing mode, the AI scans your photo. When that’s done, you can pull your finger across the touchpad to change the perspective. There are also sliders on the side if you prefer more precise control over the angle, orientation, or size. Once you’re happy with the result, the AI shifts things around to fill in any blanks.

While you can argue that you’re not seeing the real image after you’ve effectively doctored it, the result isn’t radically different from the original. If you don’t worry about getting a perfect picture the first time around, Reframe can definitely remove that stress since you can always come back to your photo later.

Liquid Glass slider

I didn’t mind the Liquid Glass UI as much as others, but it has certainly been a controversial element introduced to iPhones, iPads, and Macs with their respective updates last year. Now, Apple has updated Liquid Glass so you can tailor it to your liking.

For example, there’s a new preference slider that lets you dial in the exact intensity of the Liquid Glass effect. You can go from highly transparent to more opaque. More complex background visuals are more diffuse, increasing text readability. The edges of icons are more pronounced, so they stand out from the background, and all app windows now have a uniform corner radius.

As before, I don’t mind Liquid Glass, but the relatively subtle updates do help windows, icons, and text pop out more.

Siri AI on Mac

This feature isn’t available in the developer beta yet for me, but Siri AI on macOS 27 should be a pretty big deal. This is especially true if you’re used to using chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, as Siri AI now functions like them.

As Mark Spoonauer said when he saw the new Siri AI in action on a Mac, you can access it by simply pulling up Spotlight. When you begin typing, Spotlight knows which questions should go to Siri rather than launching apps. Siri will bring up answers in a new window, where you can continue the conversation if you need more in-depth information.

It can even go beyond simple conversations. For example, if you’re looking at a schedule, an “add to calendar” button will appear, letting you do just that. With AI agents being all the rage these days, it makes sense for Siri to function more like one.

If what Apple showed us is anything to go by, Siri AI could be used for more than just asking questions. Of course, I’d have to go hands-on to see whether Siri AI works with other apps outside the Apple ecosystem, since Mark noted it doesn’t work with Gmail at the moment.

Outlook

We should get a better sense of what macOS Golden Gate and the other Apple operating systems can truly do once Siri AI begins rolling out to those who signed up for it.

Beyond that, I like the refinements being made to Liquid Glass, and Spatial Reframing should be a game-changer for folks who love taking photos. These aren't monumental changes, but I like them for what they provide right now.

Again, keep in mind that I’m testing a developer beta of macOS 27, and things are likely to change between now and the full release this fall. I’m going to keep using it and will update you all on any new features it introduces. Stay tuned!

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Apple announced macOS Golden Gate at WWDC 2026, which means developers are already working hard to update their apps for the upcoming operating system. The developer beta is now live, but it’s open to anyone who signs up for Apple’s Beta program and is willing to deal with potential headaches associated with in-development code.

This year, Apple has placed most of its focus on updating Apple Intelligence and Siri, which it now calls Siri AI. macOS 27 doesn’t include many new features, so the development team focused on improving performance, which should make this OS run more smoothly. Improvements have also been made to the Liquid Glass UI, making it more customizable (and readable).

A word of warning: macOS Golden Gate is unfinished, so it might be buggy and could cause issues for your Mac. If you’re willing to take the chance (most of these betas are relatively safe in my experience), then read on to find out how to download the macOS Golden Gate developer beta.

How to download the macOS Golden Gate developer beta

Downloading the macOS Golden Gate developer beta is a relatively simple process. First, enroll your Apple ID in Apple's Beta Program and make sure your Mac is compatible. Here's the full list of Macs that can install and run macOS Golden Gate:

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

And that’s how you download the macOS Golden Gate developer beta. After the download finishes, your Mac will restart, and you’ll get your first taste of the upcoming OS. Depending on your connection speed, the download might take a few minutes, so be patient. Enjoy the new features!

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At WWDC 2026, Apple announced a slew of updates coming to macOS 27, now called macOS Golden Gate. This OS update officially sees the end of the Intel era, but is more future-focused thanks to better AI and smoother performance.

Apple Intelligence and Siri are getting big upgrades for macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and iOS 27. Powered by Google Gemini, Apple's AI is now on par with competitors and is specifically designed to work with the Apple ecosystem.

While most of the updates for macOS Golden Gate are part of the company's greater AI efforts, features like on-device editing and a more conversational Siri should make using Macs more seamless and intuitive.

Here is everything announced for macOS 27 at WWDC.

macOS 27: Quick news

• macOS Golden Gate is the name for macOS 27
• Under-the-hood performance upgrades
• Smarter Siri and better Apple Intelligence
• Liquid Glass UI is more customizable

Siri AI and Apple Intelligence

Powered by Google Gemini, the new AI-infused Siri acts like a proper chatbot. It has features such as contextual awareness, conversational capabilities, improved natural-language support, and more.

You can use Siri AI through Spotlight to easily find files or messages you need. For example, you can ask or type to find a PDF invoice in one of your emails and add its contents to your Numbers budget spreadsheet. This should make Siri a true assistant rather than just an AI that helps you with recipes.

For writers, Siri AI can help you generate drafts from scratch and help proofread your work. And since it's powered by AI, it can learn how you respond to specific people, and even give you suggestions as you write. This should make it a better writing assistant, whether you're working on a big project or just checking in with friends.

Visual Intelligence with Siri is arriving on Macs for the first time. This feature lets you search visually, ask questions, and take actions on your screen. There is a dedicated keyboard shortcut that lets you select something on your Mac's display and type directly to Siri to get answers.

Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass was introduced last year as the big design overhaul for Apple's operating systems, but it didn't go over well with many Mac users. While Liquid Glass isn't going anywhere, it has been fine-tuned for better readability on Macs.

For instance, you now have finer control over its opacity and color. The edges of apps are also more defined, so they stand out more from the background. These updates should alleviate some of the issues users have had since macOS 26.

Smoother performance

Since macOS Golden Gate doesn't introduce major changes from macOS 26, the team was able to make more under-the-hood updates to help everything run more smoothly.

On iPhones, performance has apparently increased by 30%. We don't have exact numbers for macOS, but it should be in that range. This should also lead to better battery life, which would be interesting given how M-series MacBooks already have astonishing battery life.

macOS Golden Gate: Outlook

macOS Golden Gate primarily focuses on the latest updates to Apple Intelligence and Siri. While we didn't hear about any macOS-specific updates, what we're getting should create a more unified ecosystem across Apple's devices. Beyond all the AI updates, the claimed performance boost for Macs and other devices should be especially beneficial.

We'll update this post with the latest macOS Golden Gate news as we hear it, so stay tuned for more.

One thing was clear at Computex 2026: every laptop maker is terrified of the MacBook Neo, and they’re fighting back in a big way. But I’m worried about whether Windows 11 is actually ready for this shift.

A $599 machine powered by an A18 Pro chip, Apple has essentially forced the hands of PC manufacturers who had gotten far too comfortable giving us mid systems at this price. But I’m glad the Neo-shaped earthquake has shaken up some change here. The new Dell XPS 13 is looking mighty tasty at that lower price, but with better I/O and a touchscreen display, alongside that aluminum body.

But there’s a big Windows 11-related question here, because as I found out testing it, the way it's built makes it quite RAM hungry. I caught it using nearly 3X more memory than macOS, and with all the new features announced at Microsoft Build, things could get worse.

So while it’s all fair and good in the world of RAMageddon to shift to 8GB (not something I like to see, but something that is necessary given the insane pricing), Windows has to follow suit and trim some of the fat. Here are some ideas.

Give me a compact mode

Right now, Windows 11 treats a $600 8GB thin-and-light the same way it treats a $3,000 workstation with 64GB of RAM. Yes, the OS’ memory management can be highly dynamic, but the core fundamentals take around 6GB, and the system aggressively caches background apps, so as to not waste any unused RAM.

This may work if you have a ton of memory, but we’re not in that world at the moment and every precious bit is sacred. So what we need is a modular, adaptive OS shell. If Windows 11 detects 8GB, it should trigger an aggressive “Compact mode” right out of the box to throttle background tasks, pause any non-essential tasks and prioritize anything active in the foreground.

Kill the “widget and web” overhear

There’s this thing called WebView 2, which is actually the culprit behind some of the most unnecessary bloat within Windows 11 — namely web-heavy dependencies like news widgets you never look at or some of the always-connected elements like Start Menu details or Copilot feeds.

A user should never have to lose up to 1.5GB of RAM to useless stuff like this, so it needs to be decoupled from the core UI. If a feature isn’t actively on screen (or used) it’s background RAM allocation should be aggressively cut down.

Standardize the vanilla baseline

Bloatware. You hate it — you’ve heard us complain excessively about it. Asus, Dell, MSI and Acer all ship their budget laptops layered with their own resource-heavy management software, which on an 8GB system is a death sentence.

Microsoft needs to enforce strict RAM-usage guardrails for laptop makers who create 8GB configurations, ensuring that third-party battery trackers, lighting software and trial anti-virus programs don’t choke that last slot of 2GB remaining after the OS.

Outlook

PC makers have just proven they can match Apple’s budget hardware pricing. Now, it’s up to Microsoft to prove that Windows 11 can survive the diet Apple forced upon it.

And sure, there are other things that can be done here, such as smarter compression of background apps, getting on with moving the entire OS over to WinUI 3 framework (the thing that’s removing some of that memory overhead) and much more. But these three items are the main RAM killers here.

Will it happen? God I hope so, otherwise this fightback against the MacBook Neo is over before it even begins.

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With WWDC 2026 kicking off on June 8, we’ll soon learn about all the latest updates coming to macOS 27. According to rumors, the Mac-based operating system should receive iterative updates rather than substantial ones. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to look forward to, however.

The biggest thing happening for operating systems like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 is an upgrade for Apple Intelligence and Siri. Apple launched its AI back in 2024, but it’s lagged behind competitors. Ironically enough, Apple Intelligence should now be more useful since Google Gemini will power it.

The other big thing is the end of support for Intel-based Macs. We knew this was coming since last year, but it’s now happening. Other than that, we expect fixes for Liquid Glass so it works better on Macs, built-in app updates, and perhaps a glimpse (or full reveal) of the first touch-screen MacBook.

Here are some of the macOS announcements we expect to see at WWDC 2026.

End of the Intel era

Apple already announced that macOS 26 would be the last macOS for Intel Macs, so this one doesn’t come as a big surprise. Still, if you’re rocking an older Intel Mac, you won’t be able to run the new operating system. That said, you won’t be completely left adrift.

Apple has confirmed that macOS 26 will continue receiving critical security updates for about the next three years. If you’re not ready to upgrade yet, this is certainly good news. Just keep in mind that while you are getting security updates, you won’t get the fancy new features coming to macOS 27.

Here are the Intel-based Macs that can run macOS 26 but won’t support macOS 27:

• MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020)
• MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019)
• iMac 27-inch (2020)
• Mac Pro (2019)

A smarter Siri (for real this time)

Powered by Google Gemini, the new AI-infused Siri will reportedly be a proper AI chatbot. That means it should include features such as contextual awareness, conversational capabilities, improved natural-language support, and more. Expect Google’s multimodal capabilities and agentic AI to come to Siri as well. In short, Siri should behave much more like ChatGPT or Claude.

Apple will reportedly let you integrate third-party models (such as Claude or ChatGPT) into Siri via a new “Extensions” marketplace in the App Store. You might be able to choose distinct voices for these third-party AI responses so you know which one is answering.

Agentic AI is the latest buzz term, and Siri may have deeper system-level context to execute multi-step tasks across apps. For example, you can ask it to find a PDF invoice in one of your emails and add its contents to your Numbers budget spreadsheet. This would make Siri a true assistant.

Liquid Glass fixes

Liquid Glass was the major design overhaul introduced last year, but some users weren’t exactly happy with it, as it drew criticism for its lack of contrast, harsh transparency, and poor sidebar readability.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, macOS 27 will have a visual tune-up to address these complaints. If true, we could see the sleek, polished look that Apple’s design team originally intended. There are also reports of a Mac-adapted version of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island coming to the menu bar.

Built-in app upgrades

A feature that’s also expected for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 will bring three AI-powered tools to Photos. This includes Extend, Enhance, and Reframe. The first two are self-explanatory, while Reframe is designed to change the perspective in spatial photos seen in 3D.

For fans of the Safari browser, a new AI feature is rumored to automatically categorize and organize browser tabs into clean, contextual groups. If you frequently have dozens of tabs open, this should be a major win.

Since macOS 27 isn’t a huge overhaul from last year, the team has reportedly focused on fixing bugs and improving performance. As with OS X Snow Leopard, a chunk of code is being optimized for raw efficiency, stability, and better battery life. The latter would be especially interesting given that MacBooks with M-series chips already have epic battery life.

Preparing for touchscreen Macs

WWDC usually focuses on software, but we have seen hardware announcements, such as the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022. Rumors suggest that Apple is working on the first touchscreen MacBook, so it’s possible it could debut at WWDC 2026 — or at least be teased.

To take advantage of a touchscreen, macOS 27 will reportedly have a dynamic user interface that adjusts on the fly. For instance, if you click on an item with the mouse cursor, the UI remains compact. If you tap the screen, menus and controls will automatically expand to be touch-friendly. It should also incorporate iPad-style gestures like fast scrolling and pinch-to-zoom.

Of all the rumors we’ve heard, this one is arguably the most exciting and would bring something substantially new to Macs. I’m curious to see if these touch features will be exclusive to the rumored MacBook Ultra.

macOS 27: Outlook

If rumors are correct, then we shouldn’t see a massive overhaul of macOS 27. That said, an improved Siri could actually be a game-changer if it’s as helpful as intended. The same is true if MacBooks with touchscreens get announced.

Nothing is set in stone, so let’s look forward to WWDC giving us some concrete answers. June 8 is almost here, so it won’t be long. We’ll be live on the ground covering the event as it happens, so keep it locked here for the latest!

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The AI Age has begun, and our digital assistants are ready and waiting to take on translation, transcription, complex calculations and many other processes. What used to take hours can now be achieved with the right prompts and tools in just minutes.

The same can be said of software development. Whether building apps to share with the world or just building tools to solve issues you’re facing in your daily workflows, “vibe coding” is here to stay and has democratized the development process for all.

Ten years ago, building software required years of programming knowledge. Now, you can describe an app in plain English, and AI can generate large portions of it for you. When you need to refine or debug, the AI will do that for you too. Microsoft's Copilot lays claim to be a particularly useful co-developer basically since it’s baked into just about every facet of Windows by now.

What 'vibe coding' actually means

Vibe coding is all about making sure you’re feeling comfortable while building. To that end, it relies on natural language input to build code that would otherwise have taken years to learn, like asking for a certain UI element to be resized, or suggesting color changes.

It’s less about digging through code, and more about explaining what you want: Intent over syntax. Copilot is already doing much of the lifting for the development community, too.

GitHub Copilot helps suggest how to finish lines of code while you’re in the zone, while you iterate using words instead of numbers and brackets. Agentic AI can run in the background while you’re working on Task A, getting Tasks B to Z done down to your specifications.

It’s not just apps, either. Ask Copilot to put together a spreadsheet that tracks your workouts, or a website for your personal blog, and it’ll do just that while following guardrails you put in place.

Why Copilot?

Microsoft is in a unique spot when it comes to AI integration, because it’s running it across the Windows OS that millions of people use daily. Oh, and it also owns GitHub, Azure servers, enterprise apps, and much more.

There’s an argument to be made that Microsoft is very close to creating the ultimate “vibe coding ecosystem” where Copilot writes code, Windows tests it, Azure deploys it, and GitHub distributes it. It could mean that having access to Microsoft’s Copilot AI can turn you from a solo bedroom dev into an app entrepreneur who’s able to share projects across the globe.

An app factory in your home? That’s the dream.

Following a precedent

OK, we’re not quite there yet, but it feels like Copilot is on the cusp of delivering something that we’ve not seen since, well, ever.

That kind of code-to-user pipeline is unheard of right now, but there are other examples of how AI and web tools have smoothed out challenging computing and design concepts.

It’s not all that long ago that you’d need pro-level software like Photoshop to make an awesome design, but now Canva can build what you’re looking for in minutes.

It used to take hours of research to compare products you were trying to decide between, but AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT and our own Tom's Guide Product Finder can now pull up every minor detail with ease.

Microsoft now stands on the verge of doing something similar for every aspiring developer, letting you build something for your phone, your PC, or someone else’s screen and provide support after release, too.

What about the risks?

That’s not to say there’s not due diligence needed when building an app through an AI tool. Bugs will need to be ironed out, and security best practices will be imperative.

After all, if you build an app in 5 minutes but it requires a month of fixes afterward, is the process really as smooth as you need it to be?

From another perspective, however, it means development teams will still be needed, and with the power of GitHub and Azure, you could even build an app by day and help others fix theirs by night.

Looking out for the little guy

If you’re a teacher building a bespoke app for a single lesson, you can put together a small piece of interactive software in minutes, built to your exact specifications. New parents can automate bedtime, feeding, and chore schedules, while aspiring artists can build a professional website to showcase their work.

Small businesses can avoid expensive accounting tools and keep everything in-house, using Copilot to jot down Excel formulas they could only have dreamt of.

The potential applications are colossal, and it could end up feeling like a second coming of Windows 11. Forget Windows 12, you could be telling your PC what applications you need to get through the day more quickly and watching them build in real time.

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Now that Microsoft Build 2026 is officially in the can, a clearer picture of the future of Windows 11 has appeared. Rather than announcing Windows 12, Microsoft is utterly dedicated to its current OS. That doesn’t mean the operating system you’re currently using is going to remain the same, though. Far from it.

After CEO Satya Nadella wrapped his keynote, it was hard to shake the feeling that the traditional desktop OS may soon be a thing of the past. Microsoft’s focus seems to be squarely aimed on delivering an AI-centred platform, where agentic systems are cooked into every corner of the Windows 11 experience.

Perhaps the main takeaway from Build concerning Windows 11’s future is that the OS could well make your day job easier going forward… well, unless you're a trapeze artist or a lion tamer. Using Microsoft IQ and MAI-Thinking-1, always-on AI agents will deploy real workplace knowledge to help users structure their daily workflow. The first of these to be announced was Microsoft Scout, and it could be a legit lifesaver for folks who struggle to organize hectic work schedules.

Microsoft is giving developers more tools to assist users with day-to-day tasks. That’s where the GitHub Copilot app (that uses the Big M’s new reasoning model) enters the equation. It’s available in preview to Microsoft Insider Program members now, and it’s just one of a number of productivity-focused features that could transform Windows 11 going forward. Let’s get into what that shiny new future might look like.

Scout and about

Following the latest Microsoft Build keynote, there can be little doubt as to where Microsoft’s focus is on when it comes to the future of Windows 11. Productivity-focused AI agents are going to play a key part in the evolution of the operating system, which is where Microsoft Scout enters the picture.

Available now to Microsoft Frontier customers, Scout is Microsoft’s first Autopilot agent. Focused on full Microsoft 365 app integration, this “always on” agentic AI can operate across the cloud, web and desktop, allowing users to connect to Outlook, Teams and OneDrive. To put that in more digestible terms, think of Scout as your very own personal assistant; one that constantly organizes your day as it learns and adapts to how you work.

Whereas traditional agents constantly needed to be prompted, Scout has been designed to work autonomously, allowing it to take proactive actions. This means it can help shape your working day by coordinating your schedule through 365 apps, be it organizing meetings across time zones or monitoring your inbox and Teams to flag any outstanding responses that need to be made. In theory, this should mean you no longer have to constantly flit between emails, docs and browser tabs, as much of this plate-spinning busywork can be delegated to Scout.

Powered by OpenClaw, Scout monitors your working habits through Work IQ, in turn becoming more efficient at helping you complete tasks the more it observes your daily practices. Clearly, Scout is going to be more useful for business environments than Windows 11 users lounging around on the couch. Yet if this Autopilot agent lives up to its virtual co-worker potential, it could genuinely change the way people go about their jobs.

Windows is thinking on its feet

Another huge announcement at Build — one that is directly tied to Scout — was the unveiling of MAI-Thinking-1. Microsoft’s new reasoning model helps the Autopilot AI out with planning tasks, and senior product manager Tanaya Yadav briefly demoed the tech during the keynote. While the task of training Scout could take hours, the endgame benefit should hopefully be AI agents that prove hugely useful for workflow purposes.

MAI Thinking could have a big and broad impact across Windows 11 going forward. With the future of Copilot and 365 tied to agentic systems, this reasoning model may shape Microsoft’s AI-focused goals going forward.

The pivot to MAI is also interesting in that it looks to free Microsoft from being reliant on OpenAI. As Windows 11 continues to evolve, Copilot should primarily take instructions from the Redmond giant’s internal reasoning tech. MAI is just the starting point too, as Microsoft’s AI Superintelligence Team (that must be one seriously cool business card) is also developing a further six in-house reasoning models.

Say hello to Solara

One of the most pleasant surprises to come out of Build this year was the announcement of Project Solara. This chip-to-cloud platform has been built from the ground up to ensure interacting with AI agents works in seamless fashion.

Probably the coolest feature of Solara is its eye-catching form factor. Because it’s been designed for spaces where traditional PCs and laptops might not be around, Microsoft has focused on delivering products that don’t take up much space. Enter devices which resemble a smart clock, and even more niftily, a work ID badge.

The clock-aping gizmo is intended to remain stationary, whereas the badge has been designed to be used while you’re on the move. On the latter, it can be unlocked with your fingerprint. The badge can even record video and take voice instructions, and it will subsequently clean up said audio so that you can send the note to colleagues in easily decipherable chunks.

Engineered with a new era of AI agents in mind, Project Solara takes cues from Android devices. The daring design of this new agent-focused OS seems to suggest Microsoft is fully committed to a new era of AI that thumbs its nose at traditional hardware by embracing imaginative new forms.

Security is being geared for AI agents

With Microsoft increasingly pivoting towards AI as the future of Windows 11 takes shape, the matter of security becomes ever more vital. While the prospect of Scout mapping out your workday as you sip on your morning mocha is undoubtedly an appealing one for folks who get easily flustered, protections do need to be in place.

This is where the announcement of Microsoft Execution Containers (MXC) becomes crucial. Now in preview, this security framework allows developers to run containment boundaries that are enforced by Windows 11. Essentially, a dev describes the security parameters it needs its agents to adhere to, then the OS enforces them everywhere these agentic systems run.

Now, while this probably sounds roughly as exciting to you as the prospect of dining in a restaurant that only serves steamed celery, MXC is important to the future of AI agents. As they become more autonomous, it’s crucial that these agents can’t accidentally access sensitive info or make decisions they’re not permitted to. With MXC in place, admins should be able to rest safe in the knowledge that this agent-native runtime is operating under safe security parameters.

GitHub Copilot shifts the focus to devs

Now available in preview to developers, the GitHub Copilot app is an AI-assisted engineering platform that brings agentic workflows to native desktop experiences. One of the major Build takeaways concerning the app is how it will work autonomously, though not in an unfettered manner (devs will most definitely still be in control).

GitHub Copilot will use the newly revealed MAI-Code-1-Flash, an internal coding model that should improve coding performance through latency reduction. The deployment of this MAI model is to ensure the GitHub Copilot app is more aware of good workspace practices. In turn, this allows it to function like a true agentic assistant, rather than a glorified chatbot that continually needs to be prompted.

Going forward, GitHub Copilot should make developers' lives easier, taking some coding pressures off their shoulders as it tests and deploys code with genuine autonomy thanks to AI agents. In an ideal world, this app will decrease developer workloads, rather than physically replacing them.

Again, none of this is particularly focused on the Average Joe/Jenny Windows 11 experience. Then again, Build has always been focused on developers over consumers. Ultimately, the agentic benefits of GitHub Copilot that developers receive will ideally lead to smoother OS experiences for all of us.

The future of Windows 11 centers around AI

If Windows 11 is just a gateway that allows you to jump into the best PC games, there likely wasn’t much for you to get excited about coming out of Build 2026. Yet if you’re a dev or someone who is looking to use AI tools to coordinate workflows, the latest keynote definitely provided a peek into the future of Microsoft’s OS.

Rather than revealing Windows 12, Microsoft doubled down on its commitment to its current operating system. Moving forward, AI is clearly going to be the cornerstone of everyday Windows functions. With agentic systems like Microsoft Scout leaning on reasoning models to help business-minded folks map out their day by coordinating schedules, and Project Solara devices that have been crafted to replace traditional hardware, the focus is on agents that have real autonomy in order to assist users. The Redmond Giant is going hard on a vision for Windows 11 where agentic AI is baked into its very fabric.

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• The best Windows laptops of 2026, tested by experts
• I sped up my sluggish Windows 11 PC with these 6 free tricks — here's how

Exciting news alert: hot on the heels of our recent website relaunch, we've just released a slick new Tom's Guide app for iOS and Android — and we're inviting you to be one of the first to download it! The new app delivers our articles, videos, quizzes and more in an enhanced smartphone-friendly format that actually made me breathe a sigh of contentment when I got to test it.

Our team of developers have worked hard to bring you an interface that's cleaner, faster to load, and helps you find the content you're most interested in, quicker.

Why we think you'll love it:

• Clutter-free reading experience tailored for phone and tablet users
• Personalize your feed to just see what you're into
• Save articles to easily find again later
• Smart search tool helps you find things fast
• Download it on Google Play or Apple App Store

Here's a sneak preview of what you can find inside.

Slick article pages and save for later

Reading articles on the Tom's Guide app is just nicer than in my phone's browser. Our developers have streamlined the page furniture so you can get to the main event quicker, and have made elements like product boxes smaller, so you can expand them for more information when you're ready.

We guessed that reading the articles is the main thing you're here for, so we really wanted to make it easier for you to glean our advice/news/analysis as quickly as possible, with faster loading times and fewer interruptions.

Similarly, sometimes you'll come across an article on your commute that you know you'll want to refer back to at home later. In the app, just tap the bookmark icon on any article page to quickly add it to your Saved list. Keep it there for as long as you like or delete it when you're done — it's up to you.

Personalize your feed and find things with ease

I'll let you into a secret: there was talk of launching the app earlier, without this, but we were adamant that feed personalization was important. We cover a broad remit here at Tom's Guide — from phones to Fitbits, and graphics cards to gardening — and, with the best will in the world, we understand that you might not be equally as passionate about every single topic that we cover.

So with that in mind, in the Explore tab you can select the categories (and sub-categories) that you're interested in to see a more curated feed of our latest content. It's a work in progress, and future updates to the app will refine the settings, but I think it's a great start that will save you a lot of time.

You can also find what you're looking for using our smart-powered Search tool — which I've tested a few times and actually find more reliable than the one on our desktop site. Frontend developers of Tom's Guide, take note!

Each article is also appended with Recommended articles on similar topics, and Trending articles in that category of the website, to inspire your next read.

And of course, the Home tab is packed with the highlights from all of our main channels, including our all-important Savings Squad.

Commenting, video, Wordle and puzzles

Hundreds of thousands of you rely on our daily Wordle hints and enjoy playing our collection of puzzles and quizzes, so we've made sure they appear on the Home tab in the App. You should be prompted to sign in or sign up to become a free member of the Tom's Guide Club when you first open the app, so that you can save your score on our puzzles and access other membership benefits.

The app also has a carousel of our latest TikTok videos on the Home tab, as well as videos embedded in many of our article pages.

We love hearing from readers, and often publish 'Have Your Say' articles and Live Q&As that are explicitly designed to have you ask questions and share your thoughts on specific topics. But you can leave a comment on almost any of our articles on the site, so it was important to us that you can join in the conversation in the app as well.

As the screenshot above shows, you can leave the first comment on any story or see which conversations are hotting up already.

I've already mentioned that our developers aren't resting on their laurels; they're already working on the next iteration of the app, with ideas for better personalisation and exclusive membership features. What do you like about the new app, and what would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments below.

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Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, returns on June 8, 2026. While Tom’s Guide will be covering the event live, there’s nothing quite like a good wishlist.

I’ve been a fan of Apple for decades, and since I moved into writing as a career, I’ve gone from a hand-me-down iMac to writing on the iPad Pro M5 and covering Apple events for plenty of outlets in the meantime.

With that in mind, here are the three things I’m most excited about at WWDC 26.

iPadOS

For years, I’ve owned an iPad Pro and not really known why, because I basically use it for movies while travelling and reading books and digital magazines.

That all changed with the recent improvements to iPadOS, and while there’s still a way to go, last year’s iPadOS 26 felt like it ticked plenty of boxes for me.

Multitasking got a huge boost (and without Stage Manager, too!), apps got Menu Bar-like interfaces, the Journal app finally arrived, and we got Preview on an iPad at long last. Then there were background tasks and more, all of which coalesced into making the iPad feel fresh again. I loved it so much I picked up the M5 model.

As a result, I’m curious to know what Apple brings this year. Will we finally get multi-user support? Clamshell mode with an external monitor? The addition of small, utility apps? Time will tell.

A new Mac Mini?

Sure, it’s not likely. Apple traditionally goes all-in on software for WWDC, but 2023 was a big year for hardware between M2 chips and Apple Vision Pro.

We’re expecting Apple Watch and iPhone around the usual September slot, but I can’t think of a better place to debut a new Mac Mini model than at WWDC with the devs who will have fallen in love with the prior versions.

Apple’s diminutive desktop is tough to get hold of, partially due to people getting particularly inventive with its AI potential, but it’s also a very capable family or work computer in its own right. With MacBook Neo turning Windows users into Mac newcomers, this could be a great time to showcase the desktop side of the product lineup.

Siri and Gemini

This is the big one, isn’t it? Apple Intelligence and Siri should go hand-in-hand, but it’s been anything but smooth sailing so far. In fact, I’d wager no one would have predicted Apple would be this far behind its peers.

I use Siri less than ever, leaning on just about anything else to get an answer for something, be that a Google Search or Claude, but if Apple can successfully work out a way to power its assistant with Google’s Gemini (which it sounds like it will) it could be like the ChatGPT connection taken to a whole new level.

What kind of additions can we expect? Well, we may be some way off of the screen-reading, context-aware Siri that was infamously confirmed to be vaporware a couple of years back, but we’re getting some big improvements worth the money Apple will have to siphon off to Google.

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Microsoft made the biggest change to Windows keyboards in 30 years by adding a dedicated Copilot key to its Copilot+ PCs when they started rolling out a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately, what looked like a means of leveraging Windows' massive adoption into an AI leadership position seems to have backfired. All it takes is a scroll through Reddit to see how much people dislike the button, and my colleague Tony Polanco called it the worst thing about Copilot+ PCs last year.

Now, Microsoft appears to be relenting by officially announcing it will let users remap the Copilot button back to the Right Ctrl or Context menu options it replaced.

In a recently published support document, Microsoft stated: "Customers who rely on the Right Ctrl key or Context menu key for keyboard shortcuts or assistive technologies (such as screen readers) experienced some challenges to their workflows when using these devices."

"A Windows 11 update will ship later this year that will add a setting option to let you remap the Copilot key to act as the Context menu key or Right Ctrl key. When available, you can find this setting in: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard"

While I've never needed the Right Ctrl or Context menu for my own typical workflow, I've lost count of the number of times I've accidentally triggered Copilot by hitting that key. And while I use a number of different AI assistants over the course of a week, Copilot is very rarely among them.

Some PC manufacturers do let users remap the Copilot key with their own on-device software and we have our own Tom's Guide tutorial on how to remap the Copilot key on Windows 11. However, both of those solutions will require additional steps and won't be as simple as a native solution within the OS that applies universally to all Windows 11 laptops with a Copilot key.

Microsoft hasn't specified exactly when we may see this update, only noting it will be in a "future Windows 11 update." Microsoft typically drops major updates for Windows in October and, occasionally, in September. So in all likelihood, it could still be another five months before we see this change rolled out.

In the meantime, here are 7 genius Copilot prompts that make Windows 11 instantly more useful.

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This week Microsoft introduced a new tool that allows the company to remotely roll back bad Windows drivers even after they're delivered via Windows Update. The tool, Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery, makes it so hardware makers and users don't need to manually fix bad drivers once they've been distributed.

According to a Microsoft Hardware Dev Center blog post, once a bad driver is identified Microsoft can initiate a recovery action that replaces the the faulty driver without intervention from you or a device maker. The problematic driver will be rolled back to the last known good version.

Seemingly, it's the latest in a series of moves from Microsoft to fix Windows 11. The company has spent much of 2026 promising to make Windows better with a Windows 11 reset, redesigning the Start menu and now, better driver patching.

How it works

The action will only be initiated if a bad driver is rejected during "shiproom evaluation." That process evaluates drivers and notes quality issues.

Currently, when a bad driver ships in a Windows Update, a hardware partner must submit a replacement driver, or end users have to manually uninstall the faulty driver, which can leave PCs with outdated drivers for too long.

"Today, when a driver published through Windows Update is identified after distribution to have quality issues, the remediation path relies on the hardware partner to submit an updated driver — or on end users to manually uninstall the problematic driver themselves.," Microsoft said.

Microsoft does note that if a "Driver Shiproom-approved" driver cannot be found a CIDR action will not be attempted.

However, if one is identified, recovery will be sent via the existing Windows Update infrastructure. You won't need a new client or update from the third-party manufacturer.

Better drivers in general

According to the blog, the company is testing the tool between May and August this year. Microsoft is shooting to roll back rejected drivers starting in September 2026.

It appears this could be part of an overall initiative by Microsoft to improve the overall quality of drivers. As pointed out by Bleeping Computer, the company announced a new Driver Quality Initiative last week at the WinHEC 2026 conference in Taipei.

"When drivers are high quality, customers experience reliable, secure, performant devices. When drivers fail, customers experience it as a device problem, regardless of where the root cause sits," the company said in an announcement.

Microsoft announced it will invest in partners and tools to improve drivers overall.

"In the months ahead, we will keep investing in the fundamentals that matter most to customers: reliability, security, performance, compatibility and quality."

If these tools and initiatives hold up, it could mean the end of frustrating driver experiences on your PC. Instead of hunting down the faulty driver, now Microsoft will do it for you. Fingers crossed this new tool works well.

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Now is the perfect time to update your laptop or desktop PC as Microsoft has released its May Patch Tuesday updates which contain fixes for 30 flaws rated as important or critical severity.

In total, the latest security patch applies fixes to 138 bugs including many that made network privileges vulnerable. Fortunately, none of the bugs are listed as publicly known or under active attack.

The patch was released at the same time as one from Google that addressed 127 security flaws in Chromium, which undergirds the Microsoft Edge browser.

Many of the flaws appear to be related to Azure and more business-focused Microsoft products. However, one of the more severe bugs impacts Windows DNS via a heap-based buffer overflow flaw that would let a malicious actor execute code over a network.

"An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted DNS response to a vulnerable Windows system, causing the DNS Client to incorrectly process the response and corrupt memory," Microsoft said in its patch notes. "In certain configurations, this could allow the attacker to run code remotely on the affected system without authentication."

Hundreds of flaws fixed this year

Since January, when the first patch Tuesday of 2026 fixed 114 flaws, Microsoft has apparently fixed more than 500 CVE bugs already this year.

According to Hacker News, this can be attributed to a greater focus by Microsoft on vulnerability discovery, some of which is heavily assisted by AI-based flagging. Microsoft claimed as much in a recent Microsoft Security Response Center report released this week.

"Microsoft engineers and the wider security community alike are increasingly using AI to examine software more carefully and more often than was practical even a few years ago," Tom Gallagher said in the report.

How to stay safe with Patch Tuesday

First and foremost, update your Windows laptop or desktop with the latest system update or patches. You also want to make sure that Windows Defender is enabled so that it can scan your system for dangerous malware.

Of course, we always recommend using one of the best antivirus software packages for extra protection.

In the MSRC report, Gallagher recommends practicing good cyber hygiene, which we wholeheartedly agree with. This includes enabling multi-factor authentication, creating strong passwords, and using one of the best password managers

As always, and in general, don't click links or attachments from unknown senders, as they could contain malware or send you to phishing sites designed to steal your personal information.

By practicing good cyber hygiene and regularly updating your computer, you should be safe from most attacks.

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The Mac mini is a great computer, and we love it here at Tom's Guide, but that doesn't mean we won't criticise Apple's design choices. In fact, in my colleague Anthony's review of the Mac mini M4, he said that, "if only Apple hadn’t put the power button on the bottom of the device, this would be a near perfect upgrade over the Mac mini M2."

Well, there's some good news to share today because with the release of macOS 26.5 Tahoe, Apple has finally delivered a software solution to this hardware headache.

The latest update introduces a new 'Power Control' section within the Energy settings, specifically designed for Mac desktops like the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMac. The standout feature as far as a lot of users (and Anthony) are concerned? Support for external switches.

That means you'll be able to use compatible accessories to power off or restart the Mac mini without ever needing to access the physical button on the underside of the chassis. What's more, according to Apple's support document, the new update will also give users the choice to have their Mac mini, Mac Studio, or iMac automatically turn on when connected to power. Nice!

Despite Apple categorizing this as an accessibility feature, I'd argue the addition of switch support is a big quality-of-life upgrade for all users. Especially if you like to tinker with your desk setup. For example, you could mount a compatible third-party switch to the side of your keyboard and have it always within reach.

Apple itself seems to quietly acknowledge the design misstep, noting this new feature is particularly helpful, “when you don't have easy access to the computer's power button.”

How to enable Power Control

If you’ve updated to macOS 26.5, you can find these new options by navigating to System Settings > Energy. From there, a new Power Control menu allows you to pair your external switches.

Additionally, the update includes a toggle to have your Mac automatically boot up as soon as it’s connected to power — a feature previously reserved for server-grade hardware but now available to the Mac mini M4, iMac M4, and the 2025 Mac Studio.

Bottom line

The macOS 26.5 is a relatively small update for Mac, but this particular addition does seem like it'll make a meaningful difference.

Hopefully, this small change means Apple is taking on board feedback that users and reviewers are pointing out — even if it's through software solutions rather than hardware revamps.

Of course, whether or not the next iteration of the Mac mini keeps the power button on the underside remains to be seen. Maybe that's a question for John Ternus to answer when he takes the reins at Apple in September.

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If you’re a Windows 11 user, you’re already familiar with the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) — popping up when a critical error forces the operating system to stop. Normally, the blame falls on Microsoft (although its team is working hard on improving Windows soon). But if you’ve been seeing this happen on your Dell PC, it turns out the culprit is so much more ironic.

As spotted by Neowin, Dell’s own SupportAssist software (the company calls it “your personalized PC support experience”) is causing some Dell PCs to hit a BSOD every 30 minutes after a recent update. So far, we’re seeing confirmation that the following laptops are affected:

• Alienware M16 R2
• Dell Pro 16 Plus
• Dell Pro 14 Plus
• Dell XPS 16
• Dell XPS 15
• Dell XPS 14
• Dell XPS 13

This is based on what Dell forum members are saying, but given it’s widespread, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a far wider problem than this. If you’re one of these folks who just installed the Dell software update and are seeing this issue, there is a simple fix.

Just uninstall SupportAssist

The situation was revealed after keen-eyed users took a look into the system log to see what was going on. It was identified after some people reported their laptops “kept randomly rebooting” roughly every 30 minutes. This suggests that the SupportAssist is trying to check system health on a regular half-hour schedule, where it hits a corrupted piece of code and crashes it.

As you can see, there’s a lot of critical errors at the Kernel-Power level — basically the system level — and after a check, the critical process that dies has consistently been the “Dell SupportAssist Remediation” service. Giving a “CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (0xEF)” code, it’s taking down the entire operating system with it.

And it’s not the first time this has happened, with a similar SupportAssist problem happening at the end of 2024. Luckily, just like the last time, the issue is simple. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, find Dell SupportAssist, select More > Uninstall.

Users who have already done this are reporting that it fixes the issue and they’re not seeing any more random BSOD crashes.

Can we cool it with the bloatware?

Windows 11 already has a RAM problem. It’s inherent to how the OS prioritizes preloading parts of apps into system memory before you click them, but what that means is all these little additions actually harm the experience rather than enrich it.

Things like Dell SupportAssist take up another chunk of that precious RAM that could be better used elsewhere on apps people actually use. And while the Windows K2 project may be aiming squarely at tackling some of these challenges at an OS-level, I can only imagine that the additional bloatware won’t help the situation.

So I beg of you, Dell and others, please just let us have a clean install, so we don’t have to uninstall all the unnecessary heft!

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For all the things I (and many others) are wary about in the AI future, there are certainly some obvious uses for the technology.

Running huge calculations in a fraction of the time, translating text, and other “donkey work” is what it should be used for, rather than an excuse to overwrite humankind’s propensity for creativity.

As a writer, one of the most frustrating parts of interviews has long been transcribing voice to text. It’s got much better in recent years, but it’s often required expensive, sometimes demanding software tools.

I stumbled upon TypeWhisper, and it’s a fantastic AI tool for transcription - and it runs locally.

Talking to myself

TypeWhisper is free to use for non-commercial purposes, but you can pay for additional models. I’ve been testing the app with the WhisperKit LLM, installed locally on my MacBook Air.

This means there are multiple sizes to choose from, and I’ve settled on the Large v3 model at 1.5GB - but some models are as small as 40MB.

Out of the box, though, it’s pretty fantastic. I use a hotkey (tied to HyperKey, which I wrote about recently) to trigger voice-to-text, and that allows me to speak and see live transcription at the top of my screen within the Mac’s ‘notch’ - almost like an iPhone’s Dynamic Island.

In my testing, I’ve found it’s a great way to get ideas down so I can copy them into my writing app of choice (usually Drafts or Google Docs). It’s not perfect, but when pointing it at an American Dad episode playing in the room, it did a great job of transcribing its absurdist humor to text.

I can add phrases to the dictionary so that “Eggs Box” becomes “Xbox” more consistently, and more besides.

You talking to me?

That brings us to the real draw, though - file transcription. The majority of interviews I’ve conducted are recorded on messaging platforms and sent over as audio or video files.

What once involved slowly working through with headphones on now needs to be dragged, dropped, and transcribed by TypeWhisper. Naturally, larger models will have more consistent results (particularly if you’re plugging in cloud models like Chat-GPT), but in wanting to keep my environmental footprint to a minimum, I’ve been very pleased with the local model. It can even export to subtitle files with timestamps - ideal for content creation.

There’s a Workflow function to take transcriptions and run automations on them, like dropping them into a specific application.

All in all, what began as a curiosity in my own workflows has become something I can see myself using more and more often.

TypeWhisper is stable in macOS right now, and it’s in beta for Windows and alpha for iOS.

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WWDC 2026 is just around the corner, and so is macOS 27. Will Apple get rid of Liquid Glass? No, but according to the latest Mark Gurman report, the company looks set to address some of the key frustrations about it — all while adding some nifty new features and optimizations to the OS too.

With it being quite the make-or-break year for Apple’s AI ambitions, Safari looks set to get awesome new tech to automate tab grouping (alongside the revamped Gemini-infused Siri), and there is even talk about prepping the desktop OS for touch.

A ‘slight redesign’ to tackle Liquid Glass problems

In his newsletter, Gurman has reported that a “slight redesign” is coming to help address the readability problems that Liquid Glass has caused — namely the “shadows and transparency quirks.”

It’s been one of my biggest pet peeves with macOS over the past few months, but also one I’ve been conflicted about because I do actually like the transparency of Liquid Glass giving me subtle context clues of where my windows are. So if we could get better text visibility, improved scroll bar placement and less shadow effects taking over the screen, that would be a damn good place to start.

Thoughtful AI usage in Safari

Same as what Gurman has been told about test versions of iOS 27, a new “Organize Tabs” button is set to be added to Safari for AI-infused automatic tab grouping in Apple’s Safari.

Taking the manual process out of figuring out all your browser tabs (and catching up with other browsers that have been doing this for a while), Apple is dealing with the groups for you and “you can choose whether you want the grouping to occur automatically or not.”

Touch-ready for MacBook Ultra

This is the big question mark. All rumors are pointing to a touchscreen MacBook Ultra launching later this year — it’s gotten us so excited that we got impatient and created our own touch iMac.

So it stands to reason that with new hardware, the software needs to catch up. macOS may look rather touch-friendly with its iOS stylings, but it’s certainly a bit awkward to use in this way. In another Gurman report, it sounds like this is finally the year where we’ll see it happen.

However, don’t expect it to be out in the wild for you to test in betas. Given it’s potentially connected to new devices, you can expect the Cupertino Crew to keep this one hidden until the Ultra reportedly breaks cover towards the end of this year/beginning of next year.

This needs to be a ‘Snow Leopard’ moment

Remember Snow Leopard? This came after a particularly massive feature-rich version of macOS Leopard — bringing a lot of stuff to the table while introducing some bloat to say the least.

Snow Leopard is easily my favorite version of the OS that Apple has ever launched because it focused simply on everything under the hood. It was a night-and-day difference in speeds and feeds, and everything just felt much more “put together.”

And it’s this feeling that I’ll be looking for in macOS 27. An improved Siri looks ready to potentially bring some agentic capabilities, Liquid Glass needs a tune-up, and while macOS is in a much more power-optimized place now with Apple Silicon, there are still plenty of stability improvements to be made.

If we get this version of Craig Federighi (and his magnificent hair) on stage in June, then you’ll know Apple’s been cooking.

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed something strange. My apps are freezing mid-scroll, features quietly breaking after updates or my phone just needs to be entirely shut down. The tools I rely on every day suddenly feel broken or need to be rebooted more often.

If you've noticed this too and if you've been paying attention to the news lately, you know exactly what I mean. Just days ago, a routine Windows 11 update broke the Remote Desktop feature for anyone using multiple monitors with different scaling, a bizarre UI glitch that resulted in overlapping text and hidden buttons. Worse, that same April update was linked to sudden boot loops on Dell and HP laptops.

Then there was the massive global Microsoft Outlook outage at the end of April. As millions of users were locked out of their emails, Microsoft pushed a fix, only to publicly admit a few hours later that the fix "did not appear to have provided the intended relief," and they were still trying to find the source of the errors.

I've also noticed that just before or after a major model update, chatbots go down. Earlier this week, Claude was down after some feature updates.

Is AI to blame? Well, there's a growing theory, that has been covered by the New York Times and in studies, that while AI is helping build software faster, it's the very thing making it more fragile.

The speed boom no one is questioning

I recently read an article by developer Mario Zechner that helps to put all of this into perspective. Essentially, AI coding tools like ChatGPT and Claude have completely changed how software gets built, making the process faster than ever.

Developers can now generate entire functions in seconds, ship updates faster than ever and automate large chunks of their workflow. In many ways, it’s a breakthrough because what used to take hours or days, now can happen almost instantly. But speed comes with a tradeoff, and we're starting to feel it.

Faster code, weaker understanding

The problem is, AI is replacing human intelligence for speed. AI writes the code and developers don’t always fully understand it. That’s not a knock on developers, it's the nature of the output.

AI can easily produce code that looks correct and introduce subtle bugs that are hard to trace. It can also generate logic that technically works, but isn’t well structured. So, multiply that across thousands of updates, and small issues start stacking up. The result is software that works, but not very well, then ultimately breaks.

The rise of “slop” software

Instead of big, obvious failures, we’re seeing something random glitches, inconsistent behavior, features that break after unrelated updates. Sure, these aren't catastrophic, but I don't know about you, but I like my software to be reliable.

That's why some developers have started calling this "slop." Essentially code that is generated so fast by AI agents that it becomes a bloated, tangled mess. It holds together on the surface, but cracks under pressure.

And if you’ve caught yourself thinking, “Why is this app suddenly so weird?” well, this might just be the new norm. The reason this is happening now is because we're seeing how AI changes behavior. When building software becomes faster, more code gets shipped and less time is spent reviewing it. Fewer bottlenecks slow things down.

In the past, human exhaustion acted as a natural speed limit for bugs. We get tired, we sleep and we learn not to make the same mistake twice. But the mistakes AI makes are compounding at lightning speed. Bottlenecks used to be a form of quality filter, but that friction is disappearing along with the oversight.

Bottom line

I’ve spent a lot of time using AI to speed up my own work, and I've felt this firsthand. And the faster I move, I've noticed it's easier to accept an answer without fully checking it or move on before fully understand it. Building on top of something slightly flawed is also more possible than ever. Speed isn't the real advantage all the time and we're seeing that.

But to be clear, this doesn't mean AI is bad for software. Far from it. It means we’re in a transition phase and the industry is still figuring out how to maintain quality without the traditional human bottleneck.

What do you think? Have you seen more glitches lately? Let me know what you think in the comments.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I used Naval Ravikant’s 'Leverage' rule with ChatGPT agents — and it cut my workload in half
• 7-0 wipeout: I put ChatGPT-5.5 vs Claude 4.7 through 7 impossible tests — and the results shocked me
• Study: AI might take your partner before it takes your job

Microsoft's email and work platform, Outlook, has been down for more than 10 hours. Reports on Downdetector started slowly rising around 5 am Eastern with a peak of around 1,500 reports.

Unlike most outages it's not explosive with thousands of people reporting issues all at once. Instead, there has been a steady hill of reports that won't go away throughout the day.

Microsoft's official status page shows "Service degradation" for consumer products, which would explain why things aren't working as expected. It has acknowledged that it's working on the problem, but it hasn't provided a timeframe for things to come back to normal.

At various points today, Microsoft blamed the issue on Copilot, traffic loads and an update that was rolled back. It's not entirely clear if all of those issues contributed or if it just one of them was the main culprit.

Is Outlook down — live outage updates

The reports start

It's been a slow rise in reports for Outlook, which could be explained by people in the U.S. just getting logged on. Either way, it's clear something is wrong with Outlook, and if things don't get fixed soon, we expect the number of reports to keep rising.

Microsoft official status

On Microsoft's status page, the company says, "Service health information for Microsoft products and services designed for personal use by families, individuals, and students."

So it sounds like the ongoing outage is only impacting home users, and people who use Microsoft services for business should be okay, at least for now.

Outlook.com is the main issue

"Users may experience intermittent issues signing in to Outlook.com," says Microsoft's status page.

This appears to be the main issue people are dealing with at the moment and if Microsoft knows what the problem is, hopefully the company can get the issue solved as quickly as possible.

Reports past 1,000

The reports on Downdetector have officially risen to more than 1,000, which isn't surprising, as the people on the East Coast in the U.S. are starting to wake up and get online.

What's Microsoft doing?

"We’re reviewing a recent change as part of our ongoing investigation and determining next steps," reads the latest update on Microsoft's status page.

A small downturn

While outage reports have remained mostly consistent, the most recent update shows a slight downturn. Sure, it's only a tiny drop, but it could be a sign that people aren't flocking to the service as quickly to report problems.

When was Microsoft's last update?

Microsoft hasn't posted an official update in a while, with the last one coming at 12:48 p.m. UTC (7:48 a.m. ET). That was more than an hour ago, which is pretty long for users waiting to access their email and other Outlook tools.

The company promised an update by 1:30 p.m. UTC (8:30 a.m. ET), but that time has passed without any new developments on Outlook. Hopefully, we get something official soon we can have a better idea of when everything will be back to normal.

Microsoft update

Microsoft posted an update on its Outlook status page. Here's what the company said: "We're reverting a recently introduced change to determine if this action provides relief from impact upon completion. In parallel, we're continuing to analyze customer reports, and we're closely monitoring service telemetry to identify our next steps and potential mitigation actions."

The latest from Downdetector

The Downdetector reports are staying pretty consistent, fluctuating within the 1,000 range. Currently sitting at 1,173, it's the highest it's been so far, but not breaking out of the pattern too much.

What errors are we seeing?

According to Microsoft, the main issues users are seeing is intermittent issues signing in to Outlook.com. Specifically, they may experience intermittent sign‑in failures, including “too many requests” errors or unexpected sign‑outs.

If this is happening to you, then know you're not alone and Microsoft is aware of the problem and working on it.

iOS seems to be the latest issue

Users in the Downdetector comments section are saying they can't get the iOS app to connect, which could be a new wrinkle in the ongoing outage.

Everything else seems good to go

According to Microsoft's status page, everything besides Outlook is good. We're seeing some Downdetector reports for other Microsoft services, but those could just be users reporting the wrong service.

Downdetector going up again

Downdetector reports are rising, reaching a record high of almost 1,500. Is this because more people are waking up and trying to get to work, or is something else going wrong? We're investigating, but Microsoft hasn't posted any new updates regarding the outage.

Another big update from Microsoft

Microsoft posted a fairly extensive update on its status page. Essentially, the company said that it has reverted a change and is investigating the problem.

"We've completed reverting the recently introduced change, however, this has not produced any relief. We're continuing to investigate the unexpected increase in error rates affecting two separate error scenarios to identify any potential root cause which may be responsible for this. Additionally, we're closely monitoring service telemetry to discover any other potential actions, or mitigation steps," said Microsoft on its status page.

Staying steady on Downdetector

While Microsoft has been busy reverting changes so users can log in to Outlook again, people are still hanging around on Downdetector reporting problems.

It has dropped slightly since the outage peaked, but it's still hovering around 1,400 reports, which is relatively high.

Latest update from Microsoft

Microsoft has another update and it appears more specific issues are occurring.

"We’re seeing specific errors related to authentication key failures. We’re working to determine the underlying cause in order to determine our next mitigation steps," the Microsoft Cloud Status says.

The page does say that you may experience intermittent sign-in failures or unexpected sign-outs.

Outlook users are upset

Sign-in issues seem to be the most common problem I'm seeing reported across social media. And users are not happy.

"What a joke. Tell us in English what is wrong and what you are doing to fix it and an estimated timeframe. Stop pretending it is a small,issue," said one person on X.

On Down Detector, several people claimed the iOS app specifically was having issues.

"Each time I refresh a different outlook app fails. Hope they get this resolved quickly," a commentor wrote.

The Outlook subreddit is filled with posts trying to figure out getting around the sign-in issue and cursing out Microsoft.

Issues have persisted for 8 hours

Today's Outlook outage started steadily rising around 5 am Eastern as people started trying to log on for work.

Since then the outage has remained steady with around 1500 reports on Down Detector every hour since then.

Unfortunately, as of this posting it doesn't appear that issues will be resolving any time soon.

What Microsoft is saying right now

Microsoft is still working on the Outlook issue according to the Microsoft status page.

"We're running tests to reproduce impact in our internal environment to obtain additional logging to isolate the source of the unexpected error messages."

The company has yet to provide an ETA for when the testing might resolve and mititgation implemented. For now, it runs on.

Potential workaround

I'm seeing on the Outlook subreddit people suggesting you use your mobile number to log in rather than your email.

This workaround supposedly works on both browser and app versions of Outlook.

If you've been struggling to login give this a try and let us know if it works for you.

Multiple potential causes

Microsoft provided another update that indicates today's outage may have multiple causes.

"We've identified a recent service change that is potentially contributing to user impact," the status page reads.

Microsoft says its rolling back that change to see if it fixes the problem. The page also said that the company is investigating "the unusual error patterns" that were observed earlier.

Microsoft: Rollback didn't work

Welp, back to square one.

"The roll back that was completed does not appear to have provided the intended impact relief. We're continuing to look at internal reproductions of the impact to find potential next steps for mitigation and understand the source of error messages."

The outage rolls on.

Is Copilot to blame?

While the Microsoft status page is only saying that the rollback of a service update didn't work, the M365 X account is providing more details about a separate issue, and Copilot may be to blame.

"We’ve determined a portion of our Copilot infrastructure in North America is utilizing a high number of resources, and we're rebalancing traffic to remediate the issue."

A follow-up post says that Microsoft rebalanced traffic and optimized the impacted infrastructure. The post claims that the company is seeing positive signals in service health.

Perhaps things will settle down again.

Issue may have been resolved

The Microsoft 365 X account just posted that the company may have resolved the outage issue.

"After a period of monitoring, we confirmed that our actions to rebalance traffic and optimize infrastructure have resolved the issue."

I saw some immediate comments from people saying they couldn't log in, but it's doubtful the fix will immediately let you back into Outlook. It will likely take a bit for the mitigation to actually hit everyone's accounts.

We'll keep an eye on things, but I expect things to resolve over the next hour.

Different answers from different sources

Despite linking to the Microsoft 365 X account, the service page and X account are giving slightly differing answers to the causes of the outage.

Currently, the status page reads:

"After reviewing the logs collected from internal reproductions we've found a pattern of errors that point to a recent backend configuration change that may be causing impact. We've completed a roll back of this configuration change. We're now carefully monitoring the environment to determine if it worked as intended or if there are additional steps required for full incident resolution."

Which is different from the claimed resolution we saw earlier from the X account.

Service recovering but iOS users have extra steps

Microsoft says that service is recovering for Outlook, but if you use the iOS version you have to follow additional steps to get Outlook working again.

Here are the steps from Microsoft:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down and tap on Mail.
• Select Accounts under the Mail settings.
• Tap on the email account for which you need to reenter the password.
• Tap on Account Settings or directly on the Password field (depending on your iOS version).
• Enter the updated or correct password in the Password field.
• Tap Done to save the changes.
• Open the Mail app to confirm that the account is syncing properly and emails are being sent/received.

Despite recovery claims reports continue to roll in

It's been an hour since Microsoft declared that service was improving, and yet, from our outside view things appear to be the same.

Reports on Down Detector have hovered around 1,000 for the last four or five hours and continue to do so. And I'm still seeing comments on X and Reddit that users are having issues logging in.

Finally, going down?

For the first time since 7:50 am ET, it appears the accumulated reports on Down Detector are finally descending.

As of this posting, the graph on DD is sitting at around 957 reports. It's not a big drop but it's the first real sustained drop.

Perhaps we've finally reached the end of this one.

Service health to normal?

The Microsoft 365 X account posted that service health has returned to normal.

Reports do seem to be slowly going down but are still around 900 on DD as of this writing. And again, I am still seeing people saying they can't get access.

I suspect as the West Coast starts to turn off for the work day reports will take a nose dive, but for now it chugs along waiting for Outlook to work.

Outlook not working and users upset

I mentioned that Microsoft released an message saying that Outlook service health has been restored but the comments under the message on Twitter belie that.

"These instructions are still not working. I’m still being told the following: You’ve tried to sign in too many times with an incorrect account or password. My account and password are correct! You have not corrected the problem!!" from Leslie Barry.

That is a common refrain from many people. Based on an accumulation of comments, it appears that people's attempts to login today may have blocked the ability to get in, possibly for up to 24 hours.

However, Microsoft has not appeared to say anything about that specific issue. I did see one user suggest that people reach out to M365 sales support who might have a workaround.

Reports continue to drop off

The problems, at least for a lot of people, seem to be resolving themselves. According to DownDetector, the reports through the night are falling off; at the time of writing (4:15 am ET), there are fewer than 100 reports on the outage site.

Are you still experiencing issues?

Are you still suffering with Microsoft Outlook or has the service resumed for you? Let us know in the poll below if you're still affected.

Microsoft still claims 'service degradation'

Microsoft's service status page is still listing "service degradation" for Outlook.com and reiterating that iOS users may still have some lingering problems when accessing their Outlook and Hotmail accounts from the iOS default Mail app.

The team's last post is from yesterday, at 10:46pm and lists the following steps for iOS users to take.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Mail.
3. Select Accounts under the Mail settings.
4. Tap on the email account for which you need to reenter the password.
5. Tap on Account Settings or directly on the Password field (depending on your iOS version). 6. Enter the updated or correct password in the Password field.
7. Tap Done to save the changes.
8. Open the Mail app to confirm that the account is syncing properly and emails are being sent/received.

Let us know if you're still affected!

It's been almost 24 hours since we started reporting on this Microsoft Outlook outage, and some users are still experiencing issues. If you're seeing problems, you can let us (and others) know in the comments section at the bottom of this article.

Tom's Guide user suebri380 posted two hours ago that Outlook still would not allow signing in using Apple Mail.

"Despite their reassurances the problem has been fixed I still cannot get access via the Apple Mail App as Outlook will not let me sign in," they wrote.

It's been a winding climb

Outlook has been going up and down on Downdetector since yesterday. And while it's not reaching the levels we saw at the peak of the outage, there are still a significant number of people experiencing problems, according to Downdetector reports.

For its part, Microsoft's status page says, "We’ve received reports that impact associated with OL1292958 persists. We've resumed our investigation of the issue and are currently analyzing service telemetry and investigating reported behavior to determine scope and next steps."

Microsoft admits there are still issues

While reports haven't hit the highs from yesterday, it still appears people are having issues, and Microsoft acknowledged that in the most recent post on the M365 status page.

"We’ve received reports that impact associated with OL1292958 persists. We've resumed our investigation of the issue and are currently analyzing service telemetry and investigating reported behavior to determine scope and next steps."

Whatever fixes were implemented last night did not fix every issue that may be affecting Outlook.

Locked out for 24 to 48 hours

As the Outlook issues persist, concerned users on the Outlook subreddit said they've tried reaching out to Microsoft customer service because they remained unable to login

Apparently, you could be locked out of your account 24 to 48 hours after you last login attempt. Which unfortunately means that if you tried late in the day you could be locked out well into Thursday.

However, multiple people have pushed back noting that text message recovery is down as well.

It may be best to stop trying to login for now until things are fully back.

iOS experience work

According to Microsoft, the company is working on changes to optimize the outlook.com iOS sign-in experience.

"Once complete, we'll provide instructions to help users sign back into their accounts," the status page reads.

They also brought back the steps from yesterday as a potential workaround to sign in.

• 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• 2. Scroll down and tap on Mail.
• 3. Select Accounts under the Mail settings.
• 4. Tap on the email account for which you need to reenter the password.
• 5. Tap on Account Settings or directly on the Password field (depending on your iOS version).
• 6. Enter the updated or correct password in the Password field.
• 7. Tap Done to save the changes.
• 8. Open the Mail app to confirm that the account is syncing properly and emails are being sent/received.

Let us know if that actually works for you.

No updates

Unfortunately, there is nothing new to report. Things remain the same.

We've reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update this blog when and if the company responds.

Unfortunately, in stasis

Unfortunately, I can't provide much of an update to anyone suffering from the Outlook outage.

Microsoft hasn't provided an update to the status page in an hour and the M365 support account has remained quiet for...21 hours, as of this post.

A Microsoft rep told Tom's Guide they're looking into the issue but we've yet to receive any other response.

Trending in the right direction, but not over yet

The latest chart from Downdetector shows that the problem is being resolved, but that plenty of folks are still having issues — mostly with logging in.

Finally resolving?

Across Down Detector comments, the Outlook subreddit and X, it appears the people are starting to get back into their accounts.

Microsoft hasn't provided an update in hours, so it's not clear what's being done on the company's end.

But something must be working since people are saying the two-factor authentication is finally working again or they're able to login using backup emails and phone numbers.

Well, well, well an update

After nearly a day without an update, the official M365 support X account just posted an update, unfortunately it's the same update that we've already seen on the status page.

"We're aware that some users are still unable to access their http://Outlook.com accounts on iOS devices following yesterday's event, and we're performing some sign-in optimizations to alleviate impact. We'll update https://status.cloud.microsoft with more guidance as it becomes available."

And that's it.

Service health back to normal but iOS users have extra steps

Once again, Microsoft says that Outlook service health has returned to normal.

However, the status page specifically says that iOS users must take the steps outlined previously. I'm posting them again so you have them if you are an iOS user with Outlook.

• 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• 2. Scroll down and tap on Mail.
• 3. Select Accounts under the Mail settings.
• 4. Tap on the email account for which you need to reenter the password.
• 5. Tap on Account Settings or directly on the Password field (depending on your iOS version).
• 6. Enter the updated or correct password in the Password field.
• 7. Tap Done to save the changes.
• 8. Open the Mail app to confirm that the account is syncing properly and emails are being sent/received.

Microsoft has been promising to improve Windows 11 since January and we may see that overhaul begin with the Start Menu. The tech giant is rebuilding the Start menu with customization options and improved performance.

According to our friends at Windows Central, Microsoft is working on an update that's designed to give you more control over how the the menu looks and operates. It fits with promises made in March that detailed more customization and performance improvements for Windows 11 as a whole.

What is Microsoft potentially changing

Per Window Central, the initial look of the Start Menu will appear similar to how it already does in Windows 11. The difference will be in customization options configurable in the Windows Settings app.

Examples include the ability to turn off specific sections of the menu and choosing between small or large layouts. Currently, you can only see the small and large layouts depending on your screen size and device. This would let you set the menu to your preferred size regardless of what kind of device you're using.

As for toggling off sections, allegedly, you can turn off different things like the recommended feed or pinning apps in the menu. You could potentially even disable the all apps list.

Beyond customization, the new Start menu is supposed to be much more responsive, even when under intense load. This is supposed to extend to the search bar in the menu where you'll be able to type and search without any noticeable slowdown or missed keys.

What could have been

The alleged changes come out as Microsoft's design team shared on its Instagram page the approach that was taken to redesigning the Start menu. Unfortunately, the comments under that post are not kind.

"I don't like the new Start Menu at all. It doesn't fulfill my personal necessities and it makes everything more frustrating and time consuming. I even pay a third party software that modify it," one person wrote.

The comments were eventually turned off.

Windows Latest points out that the Windows Design team released a blog post last year that revealed five prototype Start menus. Some commentators called the prototypes more beautiful. However, looking at some of the images, all five still appear to have the same problems that the current menu does.

To be honest, it just makes us miss the Windows 10 Start Menu, which mixed app lists and tiles in a more usable way.

Microsoft says it wants to solve the pain points in Windows 11 throughout 2026. It appears the Start Menu will be one of the first changes.

More from Tom's Guide

• Microsoft starts removing Copilot from Windows 11 — I’m saying that sarcastically because it's clearly just lip service
• Windows is using your internet to update other people’s PCs — disable this hidden setting to speed up your connection
• I ditched Copilot for Claude in Microsoft Word — and I’m never going back

Let’s be real. Nobody I know has anything good to say about Microsoft Copilot. Shoved down our throats in any way possible in Windows 11, it’s turned the OS into a bloated behemoth that consumes the very thing we’re all seeing get way more expensive — RAM. And for what? Some rewriting tools, AI image generation in Paint and a searchable visual timeline of everything you do that’s quite a security risk, which is all ignored by users.

So it’s fair to say that I got a little hyped when I saw the “commitment to Windows quality” blog, which confirms a major update with reduced Copilot features and better efficiency. Microsoft listened…at least that’s what I thought. Because what we’re actually getting from the first signs of these changes is a simple rebranding. Copilot is still there — it’s just called something different.

An AI wolf in sheep’s clothing

As discovered by Windows Latest, the Notepad app and Snipping Tool are the first signs of Microsoft starting to rollback Copilot in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview. Copilot logos have disappeared from Notepad and the Snipping Tool.

But as is clearly apparent, this is mostly just branding only. Instead of a colorful Copilot button, Notepad gets a “Writing tools” icon, whereas the Snipping Tool is actually AI-free from the looks of it. Being someone who got tired of seeing Copilot everywhere, it’s definitely a welcome change.

Though, it does make me nervous that the idea of Microsoft being “intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows” may be more like “let’s just hide it in plain sight.”

Outlook

That’s not to say this Windows 11 commitment is for nothing. We could very well just be seeing a small slither of the wider changes that could reduce AI integration to only where (in Microsoft’s words) it’s “most meaningful, with craft and focus.”

But early updates do give us an indication of where Microsoft is thinking of going, and simply changing the presentation rather than removing unnecessary feature sets does not instill confidence here.

Taskbar customization, a faster File explorer and reduced Windows Updates disruption are all good things, but if Microsoft doesn’t genuinely hit the biggest performance consumer here, then we’re right back at square one — only looking prettier. I hope the company goes harder on the run up to Build 2026.

More from Tom's Guide

• PC sales are up, but don’t be fooled — IDC report warns RAMageddon is just getting started
• I was high on the Asus Zenbook A14 and A16 with Snapdragon X2 Elite — then something very weird happened to the price
• ‘The squeeze is real’: I spoke to RAM crisis oracle, Carmen Li, about when this nightmare ends — here’s what she told me

The Mac can be a wonderful platform, as many of its users will tell you. Developers constantly release apps that take on the first-party selection in macOS Tahoe, and it's easy to get lost in the noise. Chief amongst them is the frustrating Mail app.

So when I saw that a former Apple software engineer, who worked on Mail, had srtuck out on his own, I was immediately curious about how they would go it alone. Turns out Neil Jhaveri’s Mimestream might just be the slickest, swiftest email app on Mac, and you owe it to yourself to give it a try — especially if you use Gmail.

The Inbox In The Room

To Apple's credit, Mail has grown to become much more useful in recent years, and if it’s working for you, then it’s right there for you. But if you’re using Gmail, you’ll want to take a look at Mimestream. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give the app is that it feels like using an app that Apple itself built, which is perhaps unsurprising given Jhaveri’s history.

I’ve simply never used an email app that’s this quick, because it leans on the Gmail API. That means as you get an email to your Gmail account, you’re not waiting for it to appear in Mimestream - it’s just there. It’s been a godsend for running my business out of, because it’s so reliable - no sync issues, no deep diving into settings, and no forced downloads of messages eating up valuable storage.

Gmail’s API already offers inbox Categories and the option to add labels, and those instantly transfer across to Mimestream, too. Social emails go to the relevant inbox, and you can filter by label. Server-side Gmail filters can be managed within the app, too, meaning it’s rare you’ll need to go to the web version of the app.

I’ve long used email apps like Spark, but Mimestream is just so sleek that it removes all friction. My favorite feature? Gmail’s own search functionality is a cut above the likes of Outlook and others, and it’s replicated here beautifully.

Mimestream is only getting better, too. As an example, the upcoming Snooze functionality will be a big win for night owls like myself who love to work when the family is asleep, saving the inbox from looking cuttered until I’m ready to deal with it.

It’s Great On iPhone, Too

There’s already a well-stacked roadmap for Mimestream, but I’ve been lucky enough to test the iPhone version early.

Not only does it somehow feel more useful than Apple Mail, Spark, Notion Mail and more on mobile, but it’s still got things like search baked in, even at this early stage.

There’s still a long way to go, though - the development team has said it’s considering support for IMAP accounts from the likes of iCloud or Yahoo, but for now it’s essentially just a Gmail app.

Downloading emails is tricky, too, because of the way the Gmail API works, and since Gmail doesn’t include features like scheduled send, these aren’t coming anytime soon.

Still, if you’re looking for an email app for the Mac, the $50 per year for an individual (on up to 5 devices) is well worth it for me.

More from Tom's Guide

• I put Apple’s new macOS ClickFix warnings to the test and they actually worked — now I want them on Windows too
• Microsoft promises Windows 11 reset: new focus on performance, reliability and 'reducing unnecessary Copilot' AI
• RAM prices are crashing in huge 'market correction': New report shows the crisis may be subsiding as 'DDR5 retail prices pullback'

Instead of waiting for you to download a bad app or a malicious file, hackers have spent the last two years tricking unsuspecting users into infecting their own computers with malware. Known as ClickFix, this tactic is now widely used by both hackers and scammers but with its new macOS Tahoe 26.4 update, Apple has implemented a way to warn potential victims before it’s too late.

Although it was first used to target Windows devices, this social engineering technique was later tweaked to go after Macs too. Just like with other attacks, it starts with lure and in this case, that’s a fix to a common computer problem. Whether it be a microphone that isn’t working before a video call or a connection error that’s slowing down your internet, everyone wants a quick fix to their problems and that’s exactly what the hackers leveraging this technique gave them, albeit with a twist.

On the fake websites used in ClickFix attacks, a pop-up tells you there is a problem with your computer. A 'Fix It' button magically appears, promising an instant solution. Clicking on it copies a command to your clipboard and from there, you just have to paste it into Terminal (or a Command Prompt on Windows), hit Enter and then everything should be fixed. Right? Well that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You see, that command you copied over is actually malicious and as BleepingComputer points out, once you paste it, any existing security measures on your computer are bypassed. From there, the hackers behind these ClickFix attacks can then infect your Mac or Windows PC with malware.

Fortunately though, Apple has added a new warning to macOS which appears when you try to paste potentially harmful commands in Terminal. To see if this really works, I decided to give it a try on one of the best MacBooks. Here’s what happened.

Putting Apple’s new warning to the test

Since I’m currently testing out the MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Pro we recently reviewed, I wanted to see if I could get one of Apple’s new warning messages to appear for myself. It took a bit of extra work but I finally managed to see one for myself.

To do so, I first took a look at a blog post from Sophos on how ClickFix attacks have evolved over the past year. From fake sites using OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas browser as a lure to a malvertising campaign that leveraged sponsored links tied to ChatGPT searches to impersonating legitimate Apple sites, hackers continue to come up with new ways to trick Mac users into infecting their own computers with malware.

Since I wanted to try out Apple’s new ClickFix warning for myself, I went to the middle of that blog post where Sophos has a table with all of the malicious domains used in one of these campaigns. I tried putting a few of them into my browser’s address bar but fortunately, they have all since been taken down. What was good news for potential victims was bad news for me since I wanted to find a malicious command to copy and try to paste into Terminal.

From there, I had to get a bit creative and employed the help of Google Gemini. I asked the search giant’s chatbot about whether or not it could come up with a command I could use to trick macOS Tahoe into showing its new warning. It came up with this suspicious looking but harmless string: echo "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=" | base64 --decode.

Much to my surprise, when I copied that string and tried to paste it into Terminal on my Mac, the warning message instantly appeared, saying:“Possible malware, Paste blocked. Your Mac has not been harmed. Scammers often encourage pasting text into Terminal to try and harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. These instructions are commonly offered via websites, chat agents, apps, files, or a phone call.”

Even though the string Gemini came up with was harmless, I still clicked “Don’t Paste” anyway out of an abundance of caution. And with that, my little test was complete.

While this new warning message will likely keep Mac users safe from falling for ClickFix attacks, oddly enough, Apple doesn’t even mention it in its own macOS Tahoe 26.4 release notes. Still, it’s good to know it’s there keeping you safe from infecting your own computer with Mac malware in the background.

When it comes to Windows, Microsoft has had a multi-line paste warning in Windows Terminal for years now. However, unlike with Apple's new warning, it isn't context-aware. So instead of seeing the warning when copying code from a suspicious website, Windows users see it whenever they try to paste multiple lines of code at the same time.

How to stay safe from ClickFix attacks

Although Apple will now warn you when you try to copy something from your browser and paste it into Terminal, you won’t see this new warning message unless you’re running the latest version of macOS. As such, just like with phishing attacks, you still want to know how to spot a ClickFix attack so that you can avoid them entirely.

Since hackers often try to instill a sense of urgency to get potential victims to do things they ordinarily wouldn’t like copying something and pasting it into a Terminal window or a Command Prompt, you want to slow down and think things over first. You want to be extra cautious whenever a website or app asks you to do something you normally wouldn’t.

At the same time, you should also avoid running code or commands that you’ve copied from a website, email or a message. Since most people won’t be able to make heads or tails of what that line of code or command actually does, it’s best to just avoid copying and pasting anything that doesn’t come from a trusted source. If you do have to enter commands, it’s always better to write them out yourself than to just copy and paste them.

While your Mac comes with built-in security protections in the form of Gatekeeper and XProtect, you can never be too careful. That’s why I recommend running the best Mac antivirus software alongside Apple’s own security software. That way, you’re protected with an extra layer of security.

Likewise, you also want to take some extra time and make sure you’re acquainted with all of the latest malware campaigns and tactics currently being used by hackers and other cybercriminals. Given how rapidly ClickFix attacks have evolved and how successful they’ve been in just two short years, I don’t see them going away anytime soon. That’s why it’s up to you to practice good cyber hygiene and to always be careful where you click or in this case, what you copy and paste.

At least for those running macOS 26.4, Apple has finally provided a 'stop-and-think' moment. It’s a silent guardian that acts as a final safety net if you slip up and try to paste a command that isn’t what it seems."

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When news broke that Nottingham and Derby councils in England had collaborated on a new transit app for both cities, combining the many (MANY) transit providers in the area and offering real-time tracking and in-app ticket purchasing, residents—especially my navigationally-challenged self—were pretty pleased.

Most transit companies' apps are, to put it politely, absolute steaming garbage. So, trying to navigate between them all to complete one relatively simple journey is maddening at the best of times.

However, given that English councils are notoriously cash-strapped at the moment, there were some raised eyebrows about the cost: A hefty £4 million ($5m) of taxpayer money. Considering Nottingham City Council effectively declared itself bankrupt in 2023 and Derby City Council recently hiked taxes by the maximum allowed, it's fair to wonder where exactly the money for Ride East Midlands, as the app is called, came from.

The answer, pitchfork-carriers will be pleased to hear, is the government. A £15m ($20m) grant from its Future Transport Zones (FTZ) programme covered the cost as part of a bigger scheme to improve mobility in the Midlands. This does mean the money still came out of the public's pocket, but the government does have a few more pennies to play with than your typical beleaguered city council.

Who's this app for?

In short, this app is for people like me: people who a) live in the cities of Nottingham or Derby, b) sometimes like going to places in those cities, and c) would prefer not to get hopelessly lost on the way.

Without assistance, I go in the wrong direction almost 100% of the time. Worse, I'm completely, totally certain that this time I've gone the right way. Then I find myself back where I started and my partner laughs at me.

I've gone the wrong way on the London tube, despite doing the same journey every day, and ended up at the wrong end of the line after the last train had left. I've gotten lost making the five-minute journey from my office to the lunch place around the corner. When we moved into our house, I got lost several times in the first week. It's not exactly a large place, but in my defence, the floor plan is absurd.

In short, I am this app's perfect customer: If it helps me get where I'm going without having a little cry, I will use it forever.

Why does Ride exist?

Understandably, people have questioned the need for so much money and council time to be used on yet another travel app. Google Maps launched in 2005, which is apparently 21 years ago (time flies) and fulfils most people's navigational needs for zero dollars (and access your data).

The idea for Ride East Midlands is sound, though. What do a bunch of Californian programmers know about getting around the dodgy end of England's 22nd largest city?

Judging by Google Maps' pronunciation of U.K. place names, absolutely nothing. Plus, there really are a ton of independent companies running the bus, train, tram, e-scooter, e-bike and car rental services here. Nobody wants to deal with all their separate ticket systems, timetables and schedules when they're running late for their mom's goldfish's birthday party.

In addition to the "one app to rule them all" approach, Ride East Midlands offers several tempting features that Maps doesn't:

• Track buses in real time
• Buy tickets for all travel operators without needing apps and accounts
• View the location and battery level of e-bikes and e-scooters
• Find and book rental cars
• Set preferences for operators, types of transport and how far you're willing to walk

These features make Ride more akin to apps like Citymapper, which is excellent but only works well in major cities, or TfL Go, which only works in London. It's kind of nice to feel like Nottingham and Derby are as worthy of a specific app as the big metropoles, even if it does come off a bit like a throw pillow that says "New York. Paris. Jacksonville."

Does it actually work?

I had a bunch of old tech I needed to sell to CeX, a national retailer that is best described as a kind of pawn shop that only sells used games and tech. It's slightly more glamorous than it sounds, and after looking up my nearest branch (Beeston), I asked both Ride and Google Maps to plot me a course.

Setting up

Instantly, I remember why public transport is considered such a hassle around here. To get to Beeston, which is 6.4 miles from my house, I have to go all the way to the city centre (5.1 miles) and then all the way back out (4.6 miles). In other words, I'm travelling 10 miles to go 6 miles. That's one way, and it doesn't account for the inevitable return trip.

In a car, this journey takes around 15 minutes, depending on traffic. On public transport, it will take one hour and one minute according to Google Maps or 57 minutes according to Ride. It seems that $5m might have been better spent improving routes through the city.

Setting up Ride, it asks me to sign in to something called "Trafi.com". I go to the URL and find it's an app to "connect and integrate all the mobility options — from public transport to micro-mobility into a single multi-modal journey planning platform."

If that looks and sounds familiar, it's because it's the same blasted app as Ride. That's plainly obvious if you superimpose the Ride homescreen next to their press image:

Oh. So this isn't a brand new, coded-from-scratch piece of tech — which would go some way to justifying the price tag. It's a white-labelled pre-existing app that they've fed data and branding into. That's much less impressive.

Worse still: According to Trafi's press release, licensing their app for Nottingham and Derby cost £2.6m (about $3.5m) of the £4m ($5m) budget. Oof.

The Nottingham and Derby version is on the Trafi website, but it looks like it was put up in a hurry. The URL ends in "/copy-of-brussels-floya" while the page title is Trafi: Floya app (Brussels). Floya is the version of the app you'd find in the Belgian capital city.

To make matters worse, the quote from Ride's programme manager is less than inspiring:

After grumbling about misleading marketing, I set my travel preferences in Ride. I go for the big three: bus, train and tram. I'll leave the e-scooters to the teenagers and the rental cars to people who can actually drive.

Setting off

Both apps inform me that I need to walk to a bus stop, get a bus to the train station, change over to a tram heading towards Beeston, then walk to CeX.

Ride and Maps agree on the bus I should take, but disagree on what time it'll arrive: Google says 4.13 p.m., Ride says 4.15 p.m., and the supposedly real-time tracker at the bus stop itself says 11 minutes (4.17 p.m.).

In the end, the bus came at 4.16 p.m., so they were all wrong, but I did get to watch it trundling along in real time on the Ride map.

While we wait, I try Ride's key feature: the ability to buy a bus ticket within the app. It immediately redirects me to the NCT bus operator's website, which wants me to make an account. Annoyingly, even though the app directed me to the website, the ticket I bought there did not appear in Ride.

Both of these things have apparently been fixed in the weeks since.

On the bus

Both apps offer a list of the 27 stops between here and the station, and allow you to watch yourself progress through them in real time. However, the Ride app kept randomly losing GPS signal, and often got stuck at a stop for ages before suddenly catching up. Google Maps, using the same phone, had no such issues.

Google also proved superior in that it counted down the stops and time remaining, so when I'd gone 8 stops, it said "Ride 19 stops (16 min)." All while Ride still said "27 stops, 24 min".

Maps also had a nice little nav ribbon that stayed on my notification bar, and a bigger one when I pulled down the notification shade with a journey progress bar. This is part of Android 16's Live Updates feature, and while still in its infancy, it's a very helpful feature to have.

Along the way, I found one of the stops had slightly changed its name, according to the location screen and announcement on the bus itself. Neither Google Maps nor Ride knew this, but Google does provide the official NCT bus stop codes, which Ride doesn't.

Google also knew the bus departed late and gave the new time, which Ride did not. Perhaps those Silicon Valley types know more about Nottingham than I gave them credit for.

Next leg

Having arrived at the (gray and rainy) Nottingham train station, Ride directed me to the tram stop. The route it chose was directly through the station building, which wasn't obvious to me at all, and left me looking for roads that didn't exist.

That said, my partner, who has a normal sense of direction, knew exactly what it meant, so your mileage may vary.

I succeeded in buying a ticket for NET (Nottingham Express Transit, the tram company) from within Ride as promised. Success! It even showed up on the tickets page.

At this point, Ride was telling me the tram would be here at 4.47 p.m., but wouldn't let me watch it on the map. Apparently, there's no real-time data for trams, which is disappointing. Maps said 4.47 p.m. too, but the sign at the tram stop said 5 minutes (4.50 p.m.).

At 4.47 p.m., Ride and Google Maps decided the tram had gone, and started showing me the next one. It arrived at exactly 4.50 p.m., suggesting the real-time tram boards have better data than the apps. Ride East Midlands admits it doesn't currently have tram data, but I assumed that was because there wasn't any. But if the departure boards have that information, why doesn't Ride?

Again, Google Maps knew the tram left late and at what time, Ride didn't. Worse, Ride was telling me several stops before the end of the journey that we'd arrive at 5.03 p.m. when it was already 5.04 p.m. It seems it was religiously adhering to the scheduled times and not accounting for delays. Google suggested we'd arrive at 5.09 p.m. and we got there at 5.10 p.m. Close enough, I guess.

Last leg

Time to walk to CeX, which Google says is 6 minutes and 0.2 miles away, Ride says 5 minutes and 405 meters (0.25 miles). Once again, Ride doesn't count down and still says 5 minutes when we get there, but it does show our progress in real time on the map. As does Google, which automatically updates to show we've arrived.

At the start of the trip, Google predicted we'd arrive at 5.09 p.m., Ride at 5.07 p.m. Our actual time of 5.16 p.m. isn't bad compared to those estimates, but once again, the American Google Maps beats out locally-made (well… locally branded) Ride for accuracy.

Once I'd traded in my tech, I asked Ride the way home, took one look at the giant list of instructions and ordered an Uber.

Since I didn't swipe through all the screens of the entire journey and press "finish," Ride was still running when I opened the app a week later. It was telling me to walk back to Beeston so I could start my journey home. that's definitely not happening.

Would I use Ride again?

I'm basically Ride's key customer. I live in Nottingham, can't navigate to save my life, and can't deal with all the transport apps. However, I'm not sure I'd use it again.

I'll keep it on my phone, and if I feel like Google Maps isn't doing a good enough job or I want to watch my bus in real time, I might open it. But for step-by-step navigation, it wasn't as good as the much more intuitive Google Maps.

I definitely don't want to sign up to all the operators' websites to buy tickets in the future, but you don't actually have to. You can make contactless payments on buses and buy tram tickets at the machines.

Ride just doesn't add enough to make it worth the glitches and information gaps, and as for being worth $5m—especially when it turned out to be developed by someone else—I personally don't believe that it's value for taxpayer money.

Like me trying to navigate, it's neither here nor there.

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Since the beginning of the year, Microsoft has been quietly promising to improve Windows 11, even going so far as to refocus its engineers to resolve the "core issues" with the operating system. Today, Microsoft released a highly detailed memo committing to improving "performance, reliability, and craft."

Microsoft's executive vice president of Windows + Devices Pavan Davuluri wrote in the memo that the company had spent the last few months listening to those "who care deeply about Windows and want it better."

The memo outlines a broad plan with areas of focus that should start appearing in the April update. Davuluri says we should see "tangible progress" in preview builds throughout the rest of 2026.

Yes, based on this memo, we can expect a lot of changes, tackling everything from system performance to customization and some AI.

Davuluri says that everything announced today will be tested first by the Windows Insider community. Including a big redesign to its Feedback Hub to make it faster and easier to submit feedback on Windows 11.

"Thank you for holding us to a high standard. Windows is as much yours as it is ours," Pavan said.

What's coming?

We rarely get such a public commitment with specific types of changes. So, what is Microsoft committing to?

Initially, in April, the changes will start with the ability to reposition the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen and a reduction of Copilot integration in Windows apps like Photos, Notepad and the Snipping Tool.

Expect less disruptive Windows updates with “fewer automatic restarts and notifications." Plus, you'll get the ability to skip updates during initial device setup.

Microsoft is also planning to improve File Explorer in the first rounds of improvements. “Our first round of improvements will focus on a quicker launch experience, reduced flicker, smoother navigation and more reliable performance for everyday file tasks,” Davuluri promises.

After that, widgets in Windows 11 will get more personalization features and "quieter defaults."

Reliability and performance are two of the big promises with Microsoft promising to reduce the number of resources Windows consumes and "improving the baseline reliability." That includes what Davuluri calls craft with a focus on "raising the bar" on the overall usability of the Windows 11 experience.

In all, it's a broad list of fixes. I'm not certain it directly covers everything, including the annoying pop-ups demanding you use Edge or Bing or anything Copilot. You should read the full memo for all the promised fixes.

Still, Davuluri is promising a more nuanced approach to Copilot integration. This fits with a January report that Microsoft is pulling back on stuffing Windows 11 with AI.

It's one of the few companies that actually seems to be stepping away from AI as everyone else bull rushes through the china shop to shove it in every piece of tech.

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Google Calendar is one of the most popular tools for keeping track of schedules. In fact, the latest data suggest that it has more than 500 million users. When Google makes a significant change to the software, a huge number of people will benefit.

In the latest update, Google has added a better way to handle time zones, which could be a game-changer for people who work without others in their local area. Now, Google is making it easier to manually set your time zone, which makes traveling while working much easier. Instead of scrolling through a giant list of time zones, you can now type in the one you want, making it easier to switch.

At Tom's Guide, we have writers and managers in Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Greenwich Mean Time and more. And we travel a lot for various tech events, which means we're regularly switching time zones, making things even more confusing. Occasionally, you might want to manually set your time zone if you're only on the road for a short period.

I recently went to California for one night for an event. Google Calendar automatically switched my time zone to Pacific, but I wanted to keep working as if I were on the East Coast. It was possible to switch, but it required scrolling through a giant list of time zones, which makes the process of a short trip like this even more arduous.

With the change, I could have simply launched the time zone changer and typed in eastern (or a city) to swap. It's only a few seconds, but after spending more time flying than on the ground, any little time-saver would have been wonderful.

The new Google Calendar feature is available to those on the Rapid Release domains on March 12, 2026. From there, those on the Scheduled Release domains should start seeing it on April 5, 2026, which is right around the corner. If you have any quick trips coming up between now and then, you'll have to do it the old-fashioned way.

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Google just announced two big new Gemini features for Google Maps. In fact, Google claims that this will be the "biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade."

The first big change is a conversational feature called "Ask Maps", which is designed to let you ask Google Maps more complicated questions that it never could have handled before. The idea is that this enhances the discovery experience in a way that's faster and more convenient for you, since you don't have to go sifting through reviews or do your own research to find things out.

Examples offered by Google include declaring that your phone is dying, and you need to find a place to "charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee." Or, something a little simpler, like asking about public tennis courts that have lights and are available to use tonight.

Anything you ask about will be answered conversationally, just like any other Gemini feature, alongside a customized map that helps you pick out your different options. Responses will include clear directions and ETAs, as well as insider tips from other Maps users.

The results are also personalized based on what Maps already knows about you — meaning Ask Maps shouldn't offer anything outrageously unsuitable. So, if you only eat at vegan restaurants, it's not going to direct you to a steakhouse, and things like that.

Ask Maps is rolling out to Android and iOS in both the U.S. and India right now.

Immersive Navigation

Next up is Immersive Navigation, which promises a "complete transformation of the navigation experience" thanks to new visuals and more intuitive directions. This is supposed to help you stay focused as you're driving, while still being informed about what's going on around you.

Google Maps is going to change to offer a 3D view of the world around the road, such as buildings and overpasses, while highlighting the crucial road details ahead of you — including lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights and stop signs. Those buildings are transparent too, so they shouldn't get in the way of the actual navigation.

Gemini actually powers this new "spatial understanding" of your route, as Google is calling it. Google Maps is basing its information on Street View and aerial photos to make Google Maps more visually appealing and informative.

But there's more to this than just looks, according to Google. You'll now be able to see more of your route, with smart zooms and transparent buildings helping to highlight difficult areas in advance.

More natural voice guidance

Voice guidance has also been updated to be a little more natural, rather than the flat, robotic GPS voices we've been hearing for the past 20+ years, and will highlight various visual cues to help you prepare for the next stage of navigation.

Google Maps will also ensure you know all the pros and cons of alternate routes before you take them. So if there's a different route with less traffic, but more physical distance involved, you can decide whether that's worthwhile. The same goes for any faster routes that may have things like tolls.

Other useful features coming as part of this update include real-time disruption alerts on your route, and the ability to preview your destination with Google Street View. Part of that also includes Maps highlighting building entrances, nearby parking and the side of the street you'll need to be on.

Immersive Navigation starts rolling out today to users in the U.S., including those with iOS, Android, CarPlay, Android Auto and cars with Google built-in.

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As the U.S. and Iran conflict rages on, oil prices are going up thanks to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. It means gas for your car is getting even more expensive, with the prices already creeping up.

The New York Times reported that gas prices have gone up every day for 11 straight days since Iran began retaliatory strikes against Israel and American allies in the Middle East.

Globally, war can be blamed for rising gas prices. In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, gas prices hit an all-time high of $5.01 per gallon. According to AAA's fuel price tracker, this week the national average gas price hit $3.58 per gallon, which is $0.40 higher than the previous week and nearly a $1 more than February.

Paying more at the pump is inevitable, but there are still ways that you can try and find the cheapest gas near you. Here's how to use Google Maps to save money on gas.

How to use Google Maps to find cheap gas

It's a fairly straightforward process, but the information is in different places depending on if you're using the mobile app or browser version.

Here's how it goes on your phone.

How to use Google Maps to plan a more fuel-efficient route

Since 2022, Google has offered the ability to change your route based on different criteria. One of the available options is "eco-friendly" represented by a little green leaf icon.

The eco-friendly option is on by default, but you should leave it there because it will choose a more fuel-efficient path to help you save gas. Yes, sometimes the route is longer, but it means you'll stop less. Sometimes these routes are also more time-efficient, but you can swap to faster routes as needed.

Do you have any good strategies for finding cheap gas near you? Let us know in the comments.

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So I recently discovered something shocking about Google Maps on iPhone. While the app itself is more or less the same as the Android version, the same is not true for Google Maps on CarPlay. In fact, the whole experience couldn't be more different from what I've always assumed it would be like.

I'm primarily an Android user, and I only really use iPhones for work reasons and don't even have a SIM set up. So when I jump into my car, I've always got my Pixel 10 Pro plugged in with Android Auto up on the main infotainment screen. So imagine my shock when I finally opened up Google Maps on CarPlay and saw just how different it was from the Android version.

Foolishly, having used Google Maps on both Android and iPhone as a solo app, I assumed Google would offer a similar level of consistency in the car. But that's far from the case.

It's like travelling back in time

A brief look at Google Maps on Android Auto and you have all the makings of a modern navigation app. To borrow a phrase from Apple, it just works, and it's rather hard to describe the experience in any other way. You have a recreation of the standard Google Maps interface, albeit squashed into whatever-sized screen your car offers, alongside various features that operate as pop-ups on the main navigation screen.

Destination search, recent search history, a compass, incident reporting, zoom, quick settings — they're all usable and accounted for without covering up the entire map.

You can even use the touchscreen to move around the map, with the same gestures that are usable on your phone screen. The touch controls have been a little janky for me, but I've always assumed that's because my car is now 7 years old and never had a particularly good touchscreen to begin with.

Jumping over to CarPlay is almost like going back in time. The different features and menus cover up the entire screen, and the only movement around the map you can make is with a set of arrow keys. These are all fairly small details on their own, but combined Google Maps on CarPlay looks dated and old-fashioned.

It took me a few minutes to realize that the look of Google Maps on CarPlay looks a lot like Apple Maps with a Google skin. Which shouldn't be the case.

I will not make bold claims about how much more fully-featured Google Maps is on Android Auto. I've checked as best as I can, and the only thing I can see that Android Auto Google Maps has compared to CarPlay is the option to toggle on 3D buildings in the car. Or at least, that's the case in my region, and I can honestly say I don't think iPhone users are missing out on much there.

Still, I couldn't get over the fact that CarPlay Google Maps looks so dated compared to Android Auto. Considering how many people actually own iPhones, you'd think Google would be doing everything it could to try and compete with Apple Maps — which has a lot more system-level support as a result of it being an Apple app.

Google may not be able to integrate with Siri, but there must be something it can do, right? Well, at least part of the problem might be with Apple itself.

Apple has rules for CarPlay navigation apps

Considering Apple is known for implementing a bunch of rules app developers have to follow, I decided to check out the CarPlay developer's guide to see what was going on. It turns out, there are a lot of rules on what you can and can't do with a navigation app if you want it to be compatible with Apple's in-car software.

For starters, there's a rule that prevents developers from drawing "windows, alerts, panels, overlays, or user interface elements in the base view." Base view is the area with the actual map portion of the app. Naturally, Apple has limits on the number of buttons and icons that can appear on Base View, too, and it all may well preclude Google from using its overlay menus as it does on Android Auto.

It doesn't completely get Google off the hook for offering crappy menus, but it does explain why CarPlay doesn't offer the 1-to-1 Google Maps experience you'd find on Android Auto. And this explains why Waze follows a lot of the same rules, even if its unique art style helps it stand out more.

Apple also mandates the use of "panning mode" buttons because "drag gestures are not available in all vehicles." That was actually one of the things I was most confused about, and while I see some of the logic, I still can't understand why my car didn't let me move the map around with touch controls, because they're not prohibited. I guess I just have the wrong kind of screen. Thanks again, Nissan.

I'm not saying rules are bad. Driving is inherently dangerous, and Apple has a responsibility to ensure apps on its platform are safe and easy to use while you're driving. You can't plaster the map view with a bunch of windows and ads that will only serve to confuse the driver, and potentially cause problems.

The fact that Apple has rules in place to ensure a navigation app's voice prompts "work concurrently with the vehicle’s audio system" and " must provide turn-by-turn directions with upcoming maneuvers" makes me wonder what kind of nonsense app developers have tried to pull in the past. Because those are pretty basic and important features to have.

Plus, I'm sure there are plenty of ways Google Maps could work within the rules without making itself look like a terrible Apple Maps clone.

Bottom line

When your rules seemingly force all the competition to look more-or-less identical to your own app, I feel like you should take a step back and try to come up with a better system that allows for a bit more creative freedom. Then again, this is Apple we're talking about, so the odds of that happening are slim.

Google can definitely do a little bit more to make its CarPlay app look a little bit less, well, awful. I know my car's screen doesn't help, because it makes CarPlay look a little more blown-up and pixelated than it needs to be, but it doesn't change the fact that Google Maps just looks kinda bad. And if your app looks bad, why would people want to use it over the (arguably) more capable Apple Maps?

When people are declaring that an app is better on Android Auto, a platform with an awful lot of haters as it is, then you're definitely doing something wrong.

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One of the great things about modern navigation apps is that users are able to report any problems they see on the road. That feature gained traction with Waze, and the idea was that those reports help the app figure out whether it's going to negatively affect arrival time or not. So you're helping other drivers and they, in turn, help you.

Waze is far from the only app to offer it these days. Unsurprisingly, its cousin Google Maps also features incident reporting that works rather similarly. It wasn't always that way, but Google has made a lot of changes in recent years. Not only does it make the process a lot easier, but it also pools its reports in with those from Google-owned Waze.

The question is, which of these apps does the best? They seem very similar on the surface, but is that really the case? I decided to find out, testing the incident reporting process on mobile and using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to simulate the driving experience.

Waze vs Google Maps: Incident Reporting on mobile

Simply opening up Google Maps and Waze on mobile shows a stark difference in the way you can report an incident. Waze has the report button front and center on the app screen, whereas Google Maps hides it until you actually start navigating. That's an easy few points for Waze, and lets passengers or pedestrians report road problems just as easily as drivers. This is true on Android and iPhone.

Waze also makes reporting incidents with your voice a lot easier than Google. The microphone button is prominently displayed at the top of the screen, and the settings menu has something called "Talk to report."

When this option is switched on, tapping the incident icon will automatically turn on the microphone so that you can tell Waze what's going on. However, I could only get this to work on Android, meaning iPhone users will have to do everything manually.

From what I can tell, Google Maps doesn't offer this feature, and attempting to ask Gemini to report an incident ends with the AI offering instructions on what to do. Hardly ideal.

Waze's reporting menu has more on offer, but it's readily apparent that a bunch of the options aren't road issues. It's just another way for users to contribute to Waze's crowdsourced system, by offering information like gas prices, weather, locations and more. At first glance, the number of incident options seems smaller than Google Maps — though this is rather deceptive.

Selecting one of these incidents actually opens up a second menu with more options. Traffic, for example, comes with the option for "heavy traffic" or "standstill," while Police includes general police presence, mobile cameras, hidden officers and police activity on the opposite side of the road.

With Google, what you see is what you get, with little room for nuance and additional context. Police means police, as an example, but there is a separate option to report a mobile speed camera too.

Waze vs Google Maps: Incident Reporting while driving

Incident reporting behind the wheel is a similar experience, though Google Maps on Android Auto has taken more measures to ensure that it's not distracting.

For instance, I was able to use voice commands to report problems without any particular issue. Once I figured out what the right commands were, obviously. I was able to do this with the voice control button on my steering wheel, and using the "Hey Google" wake-up word.

Waze functioned in much the same way. You could file reports with Google Gemini or Assistant, once you know the right combination of words. However, the automatic listening will also kick in if you tap the incident report on your display. While not totally hands-free, the fact that it automatically starts listening means there's one step less than Google Maps.

Once again, things don't work so smoothly with an iPhone. Using Google Maps on CarPlay features zero incident reporting options that I could see. And attempting to use voice commands led to Siri defaulting to Apple Maps. Waze fares a little better since the report button is visible on screen, letting you file reports by hand. But without the Talk to report feature, your options for doing it hands-free are just not there.

Waze offers fewer options while driving, but you still get the same selection of hazards to report across those same submenus. You're just missing smaller things like gas prices, which aren't exactly urgent.

It's worth noting that Waze doesn't give you the option to undo a report. Google Maps does give you about 5 seconds to change your mind before it actually sends the report. That's helpful if you're just trying to figure out how incident reporting works, but I'm not sure it makes much difference in the grand scheme of things.

However, the most important thing is that both apps make it easy to report without having to take your eyes off the road, or by letting whoever is riding shotgun do it on your car's infotainment screen.

Bottom line

if you're using Waze and Google Maps with an Android device, then your experience is going to be very similar. Both offer many of the same general incidents, and let you actually send those reports in ways that are (nearly) identical.

The fact that Waze offers a little more nuance to its reports and features the Talk to Report feature means that it's probably going to be more convenient in the long run. But you won't be missing much if you prefer to drive around with Google Maps over Waze.

The experience on iPhone is totally different, and the fact Waze offers the slightest bit of consistency on iOS gives it the edge over Google Maps. Honestly, as a long-time Android user, I didn't realize just how awful Google Maps looks on CarPlay compared to Android Auto. Google should probably do something about that in the near future. Otherwise, people will end up like Siri and just default to Apple Maps.

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If you’re not one of the millions of people using Notion, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. The company’s ‘no-code’ style of database management, flexible page designs, and growing creator economy have made it one of the most-talked-about apps right now - but it’s getting increasingly tough to explain what it is.

While Elon Musk once tried to explain how ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) would one day become the everything app, Notion has essentially cracked just that. Some use it for fitness plans, others for meeting notes, and others for complex databases, while its standalone Mail and Calendar apps are almost as malleable.

This context is important because Notion keeps adding to its AI features within the app, and it’s introducing a new feature on top of its Agents dubbed Custom Agents. Ahead of launch, I went hands-on and came away impressed.

Agent, activate

Agentic AI is a way to get your AI assistant to manage a workload or tasks without you needing to prompt it to do so, and it’s nothing particularly new. It falls somewhere between LLM management and the automation of old, working on triggers to provide responses and take actions.

Notion is, as of today, offering Custom Agents that can pull from multiple data sources and triggers, but run in the background regularly.

One example Notion showed me was using a specific Slack channel to use as a Custom Agent trigger. When a message asking about the status of a project arrives, the Custom Agent scours the Slack conversations listed, prods the Notion database for the information it needs, and responds.

For the user asking the question, there’s a delay of seconds, and no further input is required outside of the initial setup.

If you’re a developer, you can have your Custom Agent assign an engineer to every bug report, add it to a weekly report, and have its progress searchable with the kind of setup that’s as intuitive as you’d expect from Notion.

Each Agent can be customized both visually and by name, but you can also specify the kinds of responses you want it to have (detailed versus casual, for example), and with Notion’s flexibility, it’s easy to set just about anything as a trigger.

Oh, and if you’re worried everyone in your team might accidentally create their own Custom Agent and bring processes to a grinding halt, fear not: Notion says you can select who has access to Custom Agents, who can create and edit them, and which pages the agents can see.

Notion is just the start

Naturally, the big draw for agentic AI in Notion is that it’s an app (as I noted earlier) that doesn’t really have any walls. You can log your company’s policies in there and have your Custom Agents read through them before responding to supplier queries, or have your Notion Mail hooked up so that an email flagged with a certain tag gets dropped straight into a workflow.

It’s the kind of automation I feel the app’s already fervent community will do absolutely bonkers things with, but in many ways it’s not just for Notion and its Mail and Calendar apps.

Notion already lets you switch freely between chatbots from Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT, but Custom Agents will also hook into Notion’s Model Context Protocol (MCP). That gives it access to the likes of Figma, HubSpot, Stripe, GitHub, and more, with particular attention being given in our behind-the-scenes demo for Slack.

Not only can a message trigger a Custom Agent workflow, but you can even use an emoji to kick off a process. It’s worth noting that these features are in beta for now, with only public Slack channels supported, but support for private ones is on the roadmap.

The price of the process

That leaves just one big question, though: What does all of this cost? As a reminder, Notion has a free plan with an AI trial, but you need to buy the business or enterprise plan to gain full access.

Rather than including Custom Agents with any specific plans, though, Notion is running a credit-based payment system. Users on business and enterprise plans will have access from today as part of a two-month trial period to plan Custom Agents and how best to utilize them. After that, they’ll need to buy credits for each use, with Notion telling me they advise customers to create their most important Custom Agents first, and then work their way down their task list while managing available credits in the new Credits dashboard view.

Credits won’t roll over each month, but the two-month trial should help identify how many (or how few) a business will need.

I see the future

I’ve been a little down on Agentic AI because my workflows aren’t really in need of an extra, artificial pair of hands. As a freelance writer, I write, I invoice, and none of that is handled with AI.

For larger teams, however, I can certainly see the appeal. A reporting agent that can pull relevant data for a weekly team meeting is the kind of thing that could have saved me hours of my life in a prior role, and I think once the Notion community goes hands-on with Custom Agents, we’ll see some wild things that the Notion team itself hadn’t considered.

You can test Notion Custom Agents right now, included with Business and Enterprise plans until May 4. After May 4, you’ll need to buy Notion credits.

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Nearly 20% of smart glasses users have admitted to filming others without their consent, according to one study. With Meta adding to the creepiness by bringing facial recognition to its specs and the smart glasses space exploding with Samsung, Google and Apple all throwing their hats in the ring soon, one hobbyist app developer is fighting back.

Called “Nearby Glasses,” this Android app is able to notify people when someone nearby is wearing camera-equipped smart glasses. You can download it right now from the Play store or via GitHub, and being real, I’m disappointed but not surprised that this has to exist.

Because in the words of William Gibson, a pioneer of cyberpunk: “The street finds its own uses for things.” And it doesn’t matter what the “official” purpose of a gadget may be, the users will find their own ways to use it — be it practical, profitable or (unfortunately) subversive enough that we’re in a situation to make software like this needed.

While this app is useful in terms of identifying smart glasses near you, developer Yves Jeanrenaud makes it clear (and I will as well) that this doesn’t mean you should harass people for wearing them. It is a criminal offense. Do not harass people just for wearing smart glasses.

How ‘Nearby Glasses’ works

So how does the app spot smart glasses? It comes down to a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and something called “advertising frames.” Every now and again, devices like the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses will broadcast small packets of data that tell nearby devices “I am a Meta device,” so you know what to pair with.

This unique identifier is easy to pick up on, and with that, Jeanrenaud’s app can send you a push notification to warn you. On top of that, you can alter the detection distance depending on how widely you wish to scan.

Now, that’s not to say it’s completely reliable, and the developer does acknowledge this. Since it looks at a wide range of unique Bluetooth identifiers across Meta and Luxottica (the frame manufacturers for Meta and the upcoming Snap Specs), it can notify you of false positives of devices like the Meta Quest 3S or even smartwatches.

And that’s not to say this resistance will be thwarted in the future. If apps like this become popular, you may see manufacturers randomize Bluetooth signals to make them harder to identify. Or users themselves could just turn off the Bluetooth and use them as recording glasses, making them invisible to the app.

The price of progress

Honestly, while I appreciate the work of Jeanrenaud here, I’m sad that this even has to exist at all. It’s a heavy realization that we’ve reached a point where privacy isn’t a default state, but a service you have to actively run on your phone.

Smart glasses sales are spiking (that's only going to go higher when the big players enter the scene), cases of targeted harassment using smart glasses to record women without their knowledge are on the rise and there have been reported incidents of “surveillance voyeurism” in beauty salons and locker rooms.

As historian Edward Tenner noted, new tech often produces the exact opposite of its intent — smart glasses are meant to connect us to our world, yet they’ve created a new wall of suspicion between us and every stranger we pass.

And until companies prioritize society — making recording lights unhackable and veering away from the more dystopian developments like facial recognition and always-on AI features — apps like “Nearby Glasses” stop being a hobbyist project and start becoming an essential tool.

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Live location sharing can be incredibly useful, especially if you're headed somewhere and want to keep friends and family up to date on your progress. Unfortunately, Google Messages has always lacked this feature, only offering the option to send a single static location via Google Maps. But that might be about to change.

9to5Google has been diving into the code of the latest Google Messages beta, and found references to live location sharing hiding in the code. From the looks of things, this feature will be powered by Android's Find Hub, which already offers the ability to share your live location.

Presumably, the new feature will mimic that version of location sharing almost exactly. That means users should be able to share their location for an hour, one day, or until the user in question physically switches it off. Link-based sharing should also be available in the event that you need to share your whereabouts with someone who doesn't use Android or Google Messages.

That should help make things a lot more convenient. The last thing you need when you're trying to send a live location to someone is to keep switching between apps.

Convenience and security

Sharing your location is not something you want to be doing all the time, but it can be incredibly useful for both convenience and security.

Whether you're meeting someone or you want to ensure a parent's peace of mind when you're going out, real-time location sharing means they can keep tabs on you without constantly having to ask you where you are. Nor do you have to keep continually sending them location stamps.

It's a wonder why Google hasn't included this feature before, especially since the likes of Apple iMessage and WhatsApp all offer their own real-time location features. It's just not clear when Google will roll out the feature to Messages, though hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.

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Apple began rolling out developer beta 1 for macOS Tahoe 26.4 yesterday, and it’s now available for public beta users. Some of these releases can be a bit lean, but this one actually has some useful features to check out.

As 9to5Mac reports, the beta is now available for anyone who’s enrolled in Apple’s free Beta Software Program. If you’ve been holding off on the developer build, this is a good time to dive in, so long as you’re comfortable with potential beta bugs.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming to your Mac with version 26.4.

Battery charge limit for MacBooks

This is the most notable update in this build. As you can currently do on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe now lets you set a specific Battery Charge Limit. You can choose to cap your maximum charge anywhere between 80% and 100%.

If you’re like me and spend 90% of your time with your MacBook plugged into a wall outlet or dock, this is a good way to maintain long-term battery health. Keeping your battery at a constant 100% can degrade it faster over time, so being able to hard-cap it at 80% while you're at your desk is a feature that has been a long time coming.

The end of Rosetta apps

Apple has added new Rosetta warning popups that appear whenever you launch an app built for Intel processors. The pop-up serves as a reminder that macOS 27 (which will likely release later this year) will officially drop support for Rosetta and Intel-based apps.

As we’ve known for a while, macOS Tahoe is the final stop for Intel Macs. If you’re still using a legacy machine, this beta is essentially the beginning of the end. It’s a clear signal from Apple that it’s officially time to upgrade to a Mac with an M-series chip.

Small fixes and Safari tweaks

For Safari fans, the compact tab bar option has returned to System Settings. It was missing from the initial launch of Tahoe, but it's back for those who prefer a more streamlined browser UI.

Apple also claims to have finally squashed a persistent UI bug regarding window corner radii. Apparently, the window resize pointer wasn't correctly following the curved shape of the windows. That’s a small detail, but one that probably drove some folks crazy.

How to get the macOS Tahoe Public Beta

If you want to try these features yourself, you can head over to beta.apple.com to sign up. Once enrolled, just go to System Settings > General > Software Update and toggle on the Tahoe Public Beta.

Just a word of advice from someone who uses beta builds: Back up your data. While this 26.4 build feels relatively stable, you never want to risk your primary work machine on a beta without a Time Machine backup ready to go.

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There's a lot more to Google Maps than simply finding your way around. Google offers a wide range of features and plenty of information designed to help throughout your life. Unfortunately, the company has apparently decided that you're only allowed access to some of that information if you're signed in with a Google account.

If you choose to opt out of having a Google account, or at the very least logging into Google Maps with it, then you're going to end up looking at a stripped-down version. One that gives you directions, but cuts out a lot of other important things like reviews or location images.

Google Maps seems to be treating this as an error, noting that Maps itself might be having issues, while there could be interference from your network or a browser extension. However, the app then suggests that signing in with Google Maps might fix the issue. That's... suspicious, if you ask me.

Because it makes it look as though Google is trying to push people to stay signed in to Google Maps all the time. Hopefully, this isn't the case, because it would be a huge mistake on Google's part.

What's happening, exactly?

The simple explanation is that some users are seeing a very stripped-down view of Google Maps — missing many key features that were previously available. We're not talking things like recent search history or saved places, both of which only work when tied to a specific user. We're talking about very general, but crucially important, bits of Google Maps data.

User reviews, photos and videos of locations, crowd-level graphs, related locations and so on. Maps refers to this as a "limited view of Google Maps", and when prompted for more information, suggests various issues that could be affecting things. Network issues, rogue browser extensions and general issues with Google Maps itself.

Of course, it also claims these issues can be fixed by logging in, and some Reddit users have confirmed they had no issues after doing so.

It is not clear why this is happening or whether it is due to a recent change in Google Maps or a glitch. I have contacted Google for more information and will update this story when I hear back.

Interestingly, I'm not seeing the Limited View message on Google Maps when I'm not logged in. But I am seeing considerably less information than I do compared to a browser window where I am.

When I look at the Natural History Museum in London while not logged in, I get the absolute bare minimum of information. A general overview, address details, contact information and opening times, to name a few. Plus some ads, because this is a Google product we're talking about.

Being logged in is a very different story. Not only can I buy tickets to the museum, with Google Maps redirecting me to various third-party ticketing sites, but I can also see a heck of a lot more about the museum. Full-length reviews, instead of a single 4.6-star rating, useful web results, user-submitted images, and so on.

None of these things actually requires a Google account to work, unlike the "Save" and "Send to phone" options, which are heavily reliant on a Google account. And yet, the latter two are visible regardless of whether you're logged in or not.

Being logged in also means the About tab features a lot more useful information about amenities, parking and what else is on offer when you're logged in. If you're not logged in, you get a summary of the premises and a list of accessibility features. While I'm not sure if that's a legal requirement here in the U.K., it does feel like the kind of thing that could land Google in trouble if it weren't easily available.

Deliberately cutting access to this information would be stupid

Some of it isn't exactly hidden from view. Compared to apps like Waze or Apple Maps, Google Maps can look cluttered and a lot uglier than it really needs to be. So I can see the appeal of having a cleaner Google Maps interface at times.

That being said, straight-up removing this information from users without Google accounts is not the way Google can fix this problem. In fact, doing this deliberately would be the equivalent of Google cutting off its proverbial nose to spite its face.

There are very good reasons why Google Maps is one of the most popular navigation apps. There's the legacy brand recognition, sure, but there's also the fact that it offers solid and versatile directions regardless of how you're trying to get around. Then there is, of course, the fact that Google Maps has so much information available to users.

Not only can you find places easily and quickly, but you can also see a rundown of all the important information without having to jump into a different app. Opening hours, menus, parking lot information, it's all there and freely available. The trade-off is that Google shows you various kinds of ads throughout the Maps app, and the more people use Google Maps, the more money it can make from advertising.

That gives Google an incentive to make Google Maps as appealing as possible. And you know what's not appealing? Cutting off vital information because someone is using your service without logging into a Google account.

We're still not clear on why this change has happened and if it's a deliberate move by Google. But it is the kind of thing giant tech conglomerates would do, given half the chance. Users being logged in means they have access to even more personal data, and with it they can find new ways to make money — primarily by trying to sell better and more personalized ads.

Honestly, you can't fault people for trying to opt out of that if they can. And until now, Google has seemed pretty content to let them use the Maps app without having to log in first. I can see why it might prefer users to be logged in, but people are fickle and don't like being made to do something they already decided not to do.

The best way to make them log into Google Maps with an account is to make it worth their while. That means adding new reasons to make it appealing, not ripping away what they already have. To just pull that away without warning is not only a pretty bogus move, but it's also likely to push people away and onto another service. Which should be the last thing Google wants.

There's still a lot we don't know

Reddit users noticed the switch a few days ago. With no real change in the time since or any official comment from Google, I'm leaning toward the idea that this change was deliberate rather than the result of a glitch. Though I could be wrong, and this could just be something Google hasn't quite got round to fixing yet.

While Google has been known to make a bunch of stupid mistakes in the past — just look at the ads situation on YouTube — I hope that it has more sense in this instance. There's very little benefit in crippling Google Maps for unregistered users, and while it may convince more people to stay logged into a Google Account, it's just as likely to drive people away. There are plenty of alternatives to Google Maps, after all.

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Microsoft just issued a Windows 11 Release Preview build that previews a bunch of new features coming to the OS.

The team at Redmond has been doing this on a regular basis for months, but this one follows the company reportedly pulling back on stuffing Windows 11 with AI.

The name of the game here is optimization and upgrading the quality of life of using Windows, and these new features make me cautiously optimistic that we’re heading in the right direction.

The Taskbar is getting more helpful

First of all, there is now an option to run a network speed test directly from the taskbar — great for helping check network performance or identify any issues if you’re not seeing pages load.

Also, shout-out to the improvement that doesn’t move multiple windows of the same app into an overflow area, and just uses the space available on the bar itself.

Faster ‘wake up’ times for your PC

Microsoft has made some performance improvements and optimized how Windows resumes from “sleep” mode. If you’ve ever felt like your laptop takes a while to wake up when you leave a lot of apps open before closing the lid, this update specifically targets that.

You can expect your system (be it notebook or desktop) to feel snappier when you wake it up, which should bring some equality between the zippy Snapdragon X Elite systems and those from Intel and AMD.

Camera control

Tired of AI trying to frame your face on the webcam? Now there are manual controls! Within “Bluetooth & devices” settings, you’re now able to control the pan and tilt for supported cameras.

This is because it’s often easy to trick AI framing, and many people may not want dramatic zooms that are out of their control.

That’s not all…

There are other noteworthy updates coming, too, and all of them seem to indicate a shift from Microsoft towards “pulling back” from stuffing Windows 11 with AI. Not groundbreaking, but useful features and optimizations:

• You’ll finally be able to set .webp image files as your desktop wallpaper.
• The “Storage Settings” page is now much faster at scanning for temporary files to help you reclaim disk space.
• Windows update page now responds faster when you click “Check for updates.”
• New emoji alongside the 16.0 release — including a harp, splatter and a face with bags under eyes (hard relate).

Of course, we have a long way to go in the area of bringing Windows 11 back to the promised land.

Optimizations and efficiencies need to be made to help the OS run smoother (using less memory that is currently being consumed in the RAM crisis), and my dream would be to see Microsoft tackle the many unnecessary pop-ups promoting different services to subscribe to, alongside the ads.

But this is definitely a small step in the right direction. These features are all on gradual rollout, so don’t expect to see them all immediately if you’re on the Windows Insider program!

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Every week, the technology landscape seems to shift. One of the major companies announces a major product, or a major controversy emerges. There's never a quiet period, that's for sure.

If you're as heavily invested in that goings on in the tech space as we are, then we have a fun quiz for you. We've chosen 10 of the biggest tech stories from the last week, pulled the key piece of information from them and created a multiple-choice quiz.

This week, we have questions about new video games, the ChatGPT ad controversy, Apple's alleged delay, the Galaxy S26, and more. How many can you get right? Let us know in the comments what you scored and which question you thought was the hardest.

Test Your Knowledge — Week in Tech News Quiz

Above, you'll find the 10 questions designed to test how much you've paid attention to the tech news of the week. Some are fairly easy and others will really test how much you've been paying attention to the news.

Of course, you could just Google the questions and find out the answers and we can't stop you... But there's a leaderboard and timer, so if you look up the answers, you won't find yourself atop the list against the players who actually know what's what.

This week's stories

To avoid giving you the answers right on the page (as the headlines of the stories often have the answers), we've linked to them in order of the questions. I also didn't spell the questions out here, as it would allow you to search for the answers without starting the timer. Trust me, I've (tried) to cover all the bases to prevent cheating!

Whether you knew the answer or not, check out the stories below to learn more about each (or to find out the answer to the ones you got wrong).

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4
• Question 5
• Question 6
• Question 7
• Question 8
• Question 9
• Question 10

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Support for Windows 10 ended officially in October 2025, and while over 60% of PC users have made the switch to Windows 11, 35% are still using the older OS. Look, I get that it’s tricky to break an old habit, but for those users, this has become a significant security concern.

In a new blog post, Microsoft has announced a “generational refresh” of Secure Boot certificates, which means the current ones are set to expire in late June.

If you’re on Windows 10 without these certificates, you could miss out on future security updates, and, as Microsoft says, you will risk a “degraded security state.”

What is Secure Boot?

Secure Boot is an authorization process that only allows the PC to run trusted software on startup, which stops malicious hacks during the boot.

These certificates have been around for 15 years — since 2011 with Windows 8, so it makes sense that they’re renewed to an updated standard.

How could this affect your system?

If you’re on Windows 11, you’ll just receive the updated certificates with “no additional action required.” On top of that, chances are some of you reading this may already have them, as Microsoft has been working with PC manufacturers and “provisioning updated certificates” on desktops and laptops sold in 2024 and 2025.

However, if you’re on “Windows 10 and older”, you won’t be protected from new boot-level vulnerabilities, which will put your computer at risk from the second you hit the power button.

What do you need to do?

Well, you’ve got two options here. The first obvious one that Microsoft is really wanting you to do is upgrade to Windows 11.

• You can either pick up a new system, and we’re always busy testing the best laptops, best gaming laptops and best desktops to help you make the right choice.
• Or if you’re keen to stick with your older Windows 10 system, there are ways to bypass Microsoft’s restrictions and install Windows 11. We’ve got a guide on how to do that.

If neither of these are not to your liking — maybe you have a severe allergy to Windows 11, and you want to wait for when Microsoft pulls back on stuffing it with AI. Well, there is the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.

Follow our guide and you can expect to get these new certificates, since this program is set to run for a year starting from its launch in October.

Though it’s fair to say that by this point, going this route is kind of like kicking the can down the road. We’ll be back in this situation once October 13, 2026 rolls around.

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Google Maps is one of the best navigation apps around. However, it can do more than just show you the quickest way to work, thanks to its Map Layers feature.

I used to only use the Map Layers option to change the look of the actual app, and as such, tended to ignore all the options at the bottom. However, these options, called Map Details, have a lot to offer.

There are seven different layers that you can use with the feature, including: Transit, Traffic, Biking, Street View, Air Quality, Wildfires, and Raised Buildings. Each one adds more details to the map. For example, the Map Detail Traffic option shows major roads with the current traffic, rather than you having to set a destination to see how bad traffic is only on your specific route.

Personally, I am a big fan of the Transit overlay, especially as I usually use Google Maps for public transport, and Waze when I am driving. These details show all the nearest train and bus stations more visibly than the basic map, which often forces you to zoom in to see certain stations. I also quite like the Biking option, which shows off some of the best cycling routes around you.

It’s not just routes that are included, as there is also the Air Quality option that can be a big help for those with breathing difficulties. Alternatively, you can select the Street View option, which shows you precisely which roads support the street view mode, which can be of help when looking to explore an address or location from a more realistic angle.

So, considering how helpful these options are, you might be wondering how to activate them? Well, look no further.

How to access Map Details

The world of navigation apps is an odd one, mainly because the two biggest competitors, Google Maps and Waze, are both owned by the same company. However, Waze is currently missing many of these Map details, and we would hope that Google adds at least the traffic option at some point soon.

In the meantime, let us know if you’ve been using Map Details at the moment, as well as any other hints and tricks you’ve found with Google Maps.

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Windows has always felt like a necessary evil. You could switch to Mac or Linux, but until very recently, that wasn’t a real option if you wanted to play games on your PC in addition to working on it. Now, between the clunky "Show more options" context menu addition, being required to log in using a Microsoft Account and Microsoft shoehorning AI via Copilot into every corner of its OS, many of us have finally reached a breaking point.

While I’ve been experimenting with the Mac mini M4, I’m still just one botched Windows update away from saying enough is enough and installing Linux on my PC. But there’s a third option that’s always been held back by its "web-only" reputation: ChromeOS. If you've used one of the best Chromebooks before, you’ve likely felt those limitations. And the second you try to do something outside of a browser window, the "Pro" experience vanishes.

That changed this week though. After years of rumors, we finally got a glimpse of Google’s upcoming Aluminum OS which aims to combine the best parts of ChromeOS with Android. Leaked images show a unified Android-based system that looks and acts like a "real" desktop, complete with native windowing and most importantly, a way to install local apps. As someone who has dreamed of a "ChromeOS Pro" for years now, I wonder if this new operating system will finally be good enough to let me ditch Windows for good.

A true Google desktop

After testing out Neverware’s Chromium-based CloudReady OS a few years ago, I decided that when it came time to buy a new tablet, I’d go with a Chromebook instead. My reasoning at the time was simple: longevity.

Unlike the best Android tablets that might only see a couple of major OS updates, most Chromebooks are now officially supported for a full 10 years after their release, something you don’t see with practically any other device.

To that end, I bought a Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3. While I really love the versatility of this 2-in-1, I found myself constantly using it connected to a monitor; I am a desktop user at heart, after all. I did look into getting a Chromebox, but those mini-PCs always seemed to be few and far between, often carrying a premium price tag despite having lower specs than their Windows counterparts. It felt like I was stuck between a laptop I used as a desktop and a desktop that didn't quite exist.

With Google’s plan to merge Android into its computing platform, I expect we’ll see plenty of new laptops, but focusing only on portables would be a missed opportunity. People are fed up with Windows, yet they don’t necessarily want to spend their weekends learning Linux or lock themselves into Apple’s hardware ecosystem.

We’ve seen the leaked screenshots of Aluminum OS (internally called ALOS) running on existing Chromebook hardware like the HP Elite Dragonfly and so far, it looks like the "Pro" leap I’ve been waiting for. The taller status bar, centered taskbar, and proper window controls for minimizing and maximizing apps finally make Google’s software feel like it was built for a 27-inch monitor rather than just a 10-inch screen.

We might have to wait a while for official details, as the Made by Google events have shifted from the fall to late summer — most recently landing in August. But just like when Apple released the iPad after the iPhone, Aluminum OS won’t be launching into a vacuum.

Since it’s built on an Android 16 foundation, it will have immediate access to over 2 million apps on day one. Sure, some will need optimizations to feel truly "desktop-class," but for the first time, a Google desktop won't be starting from scratch. It will be starting with the largest app library on the planet.

For far more than work

One thing that has always impressed me about ChromeOS is how lightweight it feels. This is true with other Linux-based operating systems too, because, while Windows loads everything you could potentially need at startup, Linux just loads what you actually need.

All of those extra background processes have long held back Windows gaming. In fact, on identical hardware like the Lenovo Legion Go S, recent 2026 benchmarks show that a lean Linux-based OS can get nearly 30% better frame rates in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 compared to Windows 11.

When designing its new Xbox Full Screen Experience for PC gaming handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally X and the Legion Go S, Microsoft even went as far as to allow users to manually disable unnecessary background tasks and CPU boosting to try and claw back some performance. But even with those tweaks, Windows still struggles with efficiency. In indie games like Dead Cells, the same device can deliver over six hours of play on Linux, while on Windows 11, it will often die in under three.

With SteamOS on the Steam Deck, Valve did the hard work for everyone else by proving that, yes, Linux can play games just as well (or even better) than Windows 11. Now with the January 2026 release of Proton 10, roughly 90% of Windows games are able to run seamlessly on Linux-based systems.

So what does this mean for Google’s upcoming Aluminum OS? Well, the search giant would be making a serious misstep by not incorporating all of this hard work and tech into its new operating system. Yes, there are plenty of Android games — including a few impressive ports of AAA ones — but why limit users to playing mobile games when the majority of them would rather play full-fledged PC games?

Now, I would love for Aluminum OS devices to be based around X86 chips, but that’s highly unlikely. Instead, the majority of them will likely be powered by ARM-based chips like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ones. Fortunately, Valve has been funding the open-source FEX-Emu project for seven years now, even paying its core developers to work on it full-time.

In the same way that Proton translates Windows games so they can run on Linux, FEX-Emu translates games written for X86 chips so that they can run on ARM chips. By using the two together, you can run a Windows game like The Witcher 3 on a Linux system powered by an ARM chip with nearly native performance.

To avoid ChromeOS’ “web-only” stigma, Google will need to sell potential Aluminum OS users on its new operating system. What better way to do that than to tell them right out the gate that most, if not all, of their favorite PC games are supported?

Windows in the rearview

Having used one of the best Android phones since they first became available and with my experience using ChromeOS over the years, suffice it to say, I’m pretty excited about Aluminum OS. Users of Google’s mobile and its desktop operating system have longed for something a bit more — whether that be Desktop Mode on Android or Android Apps on Chromebook — for years now and we may finally be able to have our cake and eat it too.

That doesn’t mean that Aluminum OS won’t have its hiccups or its shortcomings. For instance, unlike with ChromeOS Flex, I don’t think Google will let you install its new operating system on any PC capable of running it. Instead, like with ChromeOS, I reckon it will be locked to new hardware to entice people to ditch their old Chromebook or Android tablet and upgrade.

For the most part, this won’t be a problem for me when it comes to ditching Windows because after the crypto-fueled Great GPU Shortage of 2018 and more recently, the ongoing RAM crisis, I don’t build PCs like I used to. Instead, I’ve downsized to one of the best mini PCs and this has served me quite well during the time since. Given how close Google and Qualcomm have gotten over the years and how the latter keeps showing off mini PC concepts, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a desktop computer powered by a Snapdragon chip running Aluminum OS. This would be more than enough for my day to day workload and hopefully, some real PC gaming.

Still, I’d love a Windows alternative that lets me bring my own hardware. Even though I will need to finally learn some Linux, Valve’s own SteamOS seems like the anti-Aluminum OS, Windows alternative that will scratch that itch. Who knows, maybe I will build a new gaming PC if the Steam Machine doesn’t quite meet my expectations.

While good enough, Windows 11 is starting to have its Vista moment thanks to all of Microsoft’s unnecessary changes, constant OneDrive upgrade prompts and shoehorned AI. Windows has served me well for decades but if Google really nails it, Aluminum OS could easily become my daily driver, especially if it’s as good for work as it is for gaming.

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