gHacks Technology News

WhatsApp Messenger has a new AI feature called Writing Help. Meta believes this will help users who want to say something, but don't know how to say it.

So, how does it work? Writing Help is powered by Meta AI, which as you may know was added to the instant messaging in 2024. WhatsApp added some new AI features over the year, including Message Summaries. WhatsApp's Writing Help uses Private Processing technology, which I described in a previous article. Meta's announcement says that neither it nor WhatsApp can read your messages or the re-writes that are suggested by Meta AI.

To use Writing Help, Open WhatsApp on your phone, and type a message in a personal chat or a group chat. Tap on the new pencil icon, and you will see a list of suggestions from the AI. It rewrites your message into a style of your choice. You can choose a style like professional, funny, supportive, etc., and WhatsApp's AI will suggest results based on your selection. It also has an option to rephrase a sentence.

When you tap on one of the AI-generated suggestions, it doesn't send the message immediately. It replaces the text in the composer, and you can edit the text before tapping on the send button.

I don't have access to the feature yet, but from what I can tell, Writing Help is not a full-scale generative AI. That's a good thing, I don't like the idea of AI slop being delivered to my inbox. Besides, I'm sure scammers would love to use the tool to phish users.

I don't think this feature would fit in a conversation between friends, maybe for a joke or two, but it could be awkward if used in regular chats. Perhaps it could be useful if you're contacting a business, or some third-party, and wanted your message to sound formal, respectful. Or, maybe, it was added simply for the sake of getting more people to use the AI.

Writing Help is rolling out for English language users in the United States and other countries.

What do you think about Writing Help?

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Microsoft and Samsung have partnered to bring Copilot to Samsung TVs and monitors. It's about time! Wait, who asked for this?

Unlike Copilot in Edge, Windows, Xbox, etc., this version of the AI is not a gen AI tool. Copilot for Samsung TVs and monitors is a voice-powered AI assistant. Microsoft describes it as a "Voice-powered AI meets visual companion for entertainment, everyday help, and everything in between."

Now, if that doesn't make sense to you, let me provide some context. Back in July, Microsoft unveiled something called "Copilot's Appearance", which is a weird blob thingy, that represents the AI on the screen. This talking blob, ahem, "friendly, animated presence" will react to you and lip-syncs as it speaks to you, the animated expressions will match the tone of your conversation. That was a weird sentence.

To use the AI, open the Copilot app and just tell it what you want it to do. You can ask it to provide spoiler-free recaps, suggest shows or movies, weather updates, etc. After processing your query, the Copilot will present the response with a mix of visuals and voice. Microsoft says that families and friends can use Copilot together, to help groups decide what they want to watch.

Ready to try it? Pick up your Samsung remote, press the mic button and start talking. Copilot can be accessed through the Samsung Tizen OS home, Samsung Daily+ and Click to Search, in natural conversation. Yes, you can talk to the remote in your hand, and see a blob on the TV screen animate and lip-sync in response, and make your TV do things. It's totally natural.

Jokes aside, this sounds like it could be useful, not the blob's reactions, the assistant's features. Using a remote to navigate and type is a real pain, I hate using the TV because of that, so anything that improves the experience is a good thing. Though, with AI services, there are always concerns about privacy. Speaking of which, Copilot for Samsung TV can be used without a Microsoft account, though users can choose to sign in via a QR Code for a personalized experience, including memory.

Copilot is available on 2025 Samsung TV models including Micro RGB, Neo QLED, OLED, The Frame Pro, The Frame, as well as the M7, M8, and M9 Smart Monitors. The announcement says that the AI features are available in select markets, though it is unclear which regions are supported.

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Anthropic has announced Claude for Chrome. This is a browser extension that lets the AI take actions on your behalf.

OpenAI debuted its ChatGPT agent in July, and it impressed many users, even passing captcha challenges like a pro.

Anthropic's agentic AI is currently available as a research preview, the company wants to get real-world feedback about its uses, shortcomings, and safety issues.  The San Francisco-based company calls Claude for Chrome, a browser-using AI.

It is capable of performing various tasks set by a user, such as reading, clicking and navigating websites, managing calendars, scheduling meetings, drafting email responses, handling expense reports, testing new website features. It can also handle complex tasks like finding an apartment within a specific budget in a neighborhood, finding the right food based on the user's instructions, and more.

Here is a video from Anthropic that demonstrates how Claude for Chrome works, this support page includes more details about the feature.

Anthropic admits that there are some vulnerabilities in Claude for Chrome, and that it will fix them before making the agentic AI available on a wide basis. The announcement highlights how browser-using AIs are prone to prompt injection attacks, i.e., hackers could hide instructions in websites, emails, documents to manipulate the AI into performing harmful actions like deleting files, stealing data, making financial transactions, etc. The user would not be aware of what's happening in the background. The company says that it conducted extensive adversarial prompt injection testing, in 123 test cases, 29 different attack scenarios, and that it resulted in a 23.6% attack success rate.

Claude for Chrome isn't free, it is currently being piloted in the Max plan, which costs $100 per month. The early preview has a limit of 1000 users, and others can join the waitlist to try the feature.

Have you tried an agentic AI?

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Google Translate has a couple of new AI features to help users have live conversations, and learn new languages. These features are powered by Gemini's advanced reasoning and multimodal models.

The first of the 2 features is designed to help with live conversations, Google Translate can now translate audio and on-screen text in real-time. This live conversion is supported in over 70 languages, including Arabic, French, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, and Tamil. Users can try the features on the Translate app for Android and iOS, by tapping on "Live Translate". Then, you just need to select the language to translate to, and start speaking. The app will read the translation aloud and display a transcript of your conversation, in the source language and the translated text. The new live translate experience is available for users in the U.S., India and Mexico.

Here is a video demo of the real-time translation feature.

Google Translate now teaches you languages. The app can create a tailored experience based on your skill level, to give you the confidence you need to communicate in a different language. In order to help you practice speaking, and brush up your vocabulary, Translate generates interactive practices to adapt to your usage. To get started, tap on "practice", customize your skill-level (Basic, Intermediate or Advanced) and set a goal. Google Translate will generate customized scenarios to assist you, where you can listen to conversations and tap on the words that you hear, or you can practice speaking using hints. Google says that these language learning features were developed with the help of learning experts, based on the latest studies in language acquisition.

This video demonstrates how the AI creates a course, and how you can use it.

The language learning experience is rolling out in the Translate app for Android and iOS this week, for English speakers who are practicing Spanish and French, and Spanish, French and Portuguese speakers practicing English.

Google Translate's method is quite similar to those used in language learning apps like Duolingo, which has been using AI features for quite a while. In fact, Duolingo's CEO recently said AI is a better teacher than humans.

Most language learning apps charge a hefty fee, and/or have ads, energy-timers, in-app purchases, etc. If Google Translate can help people learn languages for free, that would be cool.

Do you like the new features?

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Microsoft Word users have several options when it comes to saving their documents: from local saves to storing documents on network shares or an integrated cloud service such as Microsoft OneDrive. AutoSave and AutoRecover were introduced several years ago by Microsoft in Office products to enable cloud saving and restoration.

Microsoft announced that it is changing the default save location for Word documents on Windows.  "Anything new you create will be saved automatically to OneDrive or your preferred cloud destination", writes Raul Munoz, product manager at Microsoft on the Office Shared Services and Experiences team.

Munoz backs up the decision with half a dozen advantages for saving documents to the cloud. From never losing progress and access anywhere to easy collaboration and increased security and compliance.

While cloud saving is without doubt beneficial in some cases, Munoz fails to address the elephant in the room. Some users may not want that their documents are stored in the cloud. There are good reasons for that, including privacy.

Summed up:

• If you do not mind that Word documents are stored in the cloud, you do not need to become active.
• If you mind that Word documents are stored in the cloud by default, you need to modify the default setting.

Any document in Word that has the autosave option set to on at the very top of the window is saved in the cloud.

Furthermore, any new document will be named with the date instead of a traditional name by default. Microsoft notes that users may use the save option, e.g., by using the shortcut Ctrl-S, to change the file name or file location.

Word will display a prompt to the user when closing the document, if no save action was performed prior to the step.

The change is rolling out with Word for Windows version 2509 and later. Microsoft notes that the same change is coming to Excel for Windows and PowerPoint for Windows at a later stage as well.

Changing the default save location

Word customers who do not want their documents to be saved to the cloud by default need to become active to change the default save location.

Here is how that is done:

1. Open Word or any Word document.
2. Select File > Options.
3. Switch to the Save category in the Word Options window.
4. Uncheck "AutoSave files stored in the Cloud by default in Word".
5. Check "Save to Computer by default".
6. Make sure that the path under "Default local file location" is set correctly. Otherwise, click on browse to pick a new path or edit it manually.

Closing Words

Switching the default from local saves to cloud saves is a major change. It is unclear whether Microsoft intents to highlight it to every Word user before it is made, but my guess is that it will be one of those silent changes that you may not recognize for a while.

Now You: what is your preferred location for saving documents? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

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Spotify is introducing Messages, to allow users to share their favorite music with their loved ones easily. The social features are exclusive to the music streaming service's mobile apps.

Messages on Spotify one-on-one conversations, i.e. and allows users to share music, podcasts, audiobooks with your friends and family.

Users can share Spotify content with people they have interacted with before on the platform. To share a song, podcast, or audiobook, head to the Now Playing View, and tap on the share button. Select the friend whom you want to share the content with, and tap send. Tap on your profile photo in the top left corner to access Messages. When you accept a message request from a Spotify user, you can communicate with them via texts, react with emojis, and share content between each other.

Spotify will suggest users to message based on previous activity such as those whom you shared Spotify content with, or joined Jams, Blends, or collaborative playlists together. It will also suggest users if you share a Family or Duo plan with other people.

Don't like the feature? You can opt out of Messages from the Settings. Users will be able to reject message requests, block users, and report messages to the company if they come across illegal or harmful content. Spotify says messages are protected with industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest. It also says that it will utilize proactive detection technology to scan messages for certain unlawful and harmful content, and our moderators will review reported content. Wait, so they are not end-to-end encrypted?

Messages will start rolling out this week to Spotify Free and Premium users aged 16 years and older, in select markets on mobile devices. It is not clear whether Messaging would come to Spotify on the web for desktop computers.

Spotify recently announced that Spotify Premium prices are increasing in many markets including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The subscription will go from €10.99 to €11.99. The new prices will take effect in September.

Peacock, and Apple TV+ prices were increased recently, why not Spotify too? Sigh!

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YouTube Shorts are being edited by AI automatically. But Google didn't bother to inform creators about it.

The issue has blown up over the past couple of weeks, with several reports pointing out that something looked wrong in videos.

BBC points out this problem may have started more than 2 months ago. Here is one thread from June 2025 that highlighted how YouTube was using AI upscaling to make the image appear look better. But the result was anything but better, it was smudgy, like an oil painting. The user said that upscaling artifacts were noticeable when you changed the video's resolution, too. This is the video in question.

Rhett Shull, a guitarist, has published a video where he outlines the problem. He showcased a comparison of Musician, Rick Beato's videos, one of which was uploaded to Instagram Reels, and one to YouTube Shorts. Though the contents of the 2 videos were the same, the image on the YouTube version looked like it was made by AI, with fake hair, skin. The shadows, and objects looked odd too, like they were plastic, or blurry. Some facial textures looked like they were modified fake because of some sharpening, smoothing effects done by the AI. It's kind of difficult to explain the hideousness, but it screams AI.

Shull also compared two of his own videos, observing their discrepancies. At one point in the video, Shull asks his wife, a professional photographer, for her opinion on the videos. She admitted it looks weird, and raised a very important question. "Will people think we are making AI videos?" This could be a legitimate concern for many YouTubers. It could affect their channels, and in turn their earnings, if viewers believed the videos were fake, and stopped watching them.

Some users allege that YouTube was doing this deliberately, to make real videos look like AI, to get people used to generative AI shorts which are currently being tested. That's just what the world needs, AI slop and real videos ruined by AI slop.

Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison, admitted that these videos were a result of an experiment on select YouTube Shorts is using AI to improve the video quality, and that it uses traditional machine learning. It does not use GenAI, or upscaling. This machine learning technique adds various post-processing effects like unblur, denoise, and improve clarity in videos.

YouTube has been shoving AI features in for a long time, for the better or worse, take your pick. But, AI generated videos on YouTube are a huge problem. Google did say it would prevent inauthentic AI generated videos on YouTube from being monetized. But are these rules for thee and not for me? When the platform deliberately makes a video look inferior, is that nor interfering with the artist's original work? There was no consent, and no option to opt-out of the process as far as I can tell.

Imagine you are a content creator, and you worked hard to produce a video, only to find out your face and other details in the video looked smudgy, like an AI generated video. How would that make you feel?

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Microsoft continues to integrate AI services, mainly Copilot, into its products. The age of AI in Microsoft products started out mostly as a chat interface, but progress has been made, and integrations now find their way into core Microsoft products such as Office or Windows. Just recently, Microsoft announced Copilot Mode for Edge, that turns the browser into an agentic tool, and Copilot Vision for Windows, which gives Copilot eyes so to speak on Windows.

Microsoft Excel is the latest product to receive a dose of AI. Called Copilot Function, it is available as a beta currently, which means that it is only accessible to customers who have joined the Microsoft 365 Insider program and have a Copilot license.

The function "allows users to leverage artificial intelligence by providing a prompt and references from the grid to generate responses based on an AI language model" according to a support document.

The Copilot function accepts prompts that describe the task. Excel users may ask questions or instruct the AI to perform certain operations. The optional context parameter may be used to provide additional reference.

Microsoft explains that Excel users may use the new AI function to summarize text, generate sample data, classify or tag content, or generate text.

However, it is the "when not to use the Copilot function" that is the most interesting to Excel users. Microsoft confirms that Copilot can "give incorrect responses". As a consequence, it should not be used for pretty much anything that Excel is used for. This includes doing numerical calculations, lookups based on data in workbooks, tasks with legal, regulatory or compliance implications, or responses that require context other than the ranges provided.

Put simply, while Excel's AI functionality is being expanded, it should not be used for core Excel tasks such as calculations. It seems unlikely that many Excel users will jump for joy when the new functionality becomes available.

Still, Copilot Functions is a beta product at the time and there is a chance that Microsoft is using the beta to play it safe. Whether the warning will remain when the new AI feature is rolled out to stable versions of Excel remains to be seen.

Now You: do you use AI functions regularly already? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

 

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Google's solution to the malware problem on Android has been revealed. It wants app developers to verify their identity, even if they distribute their apps outside the Google Play Store.

Here's a brief overview of how requirements stand currently. Developers who distribute their apps via the Google Play Store must accept the Play Console Requirements (Android Developer Console). They have to provide Google the following information:

• Legal name and address
• D-U-N-S number, if registering as an organization
• Contact email address and phone number
• Developer email address and phone number shown on Google Play where applicable
• Payment methods where applicable
• Google payment profile linked to your developer account
• An official government ID may also be required

(Source 1, 2)

App developers who distribute their apps via third-party sources like GitHub, F-Droid, etc., don't have to provide all this information to Google. Anyone with the knowledge and skill to develop apps can create and upload apps on the internet, anonymously.

That's what's changing. Google's new policy could make sideloading apps harder. The very first line on Google's announcement says, "You shouldn’t have to choose between open and secure." Android has always been open, giving users the freedom to do what they want. Google seems to be drifting away from this.

It says that malicious actors use anonymity to impersonate legitimate apps, and use their brand image to create convincing fake apps. Ah yes, the good old security card. That's straight out of Apple's playbook.

Google claims its recent analysis found over 50 times more malware from sideloaded apps than those available on Google Play. There, you said it yourself, even Google Play is prone to malware. What about Google Play Protect? Does it not scan apps for malware?  It doesn't matter, the Mountain View company has decided that an additional layer of security is required, developer verification.

"Starting next year, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed by users on certified Android devices." Certified Android devices refers to any device that utilities Google Mobile Services including the Play Store, that's practically 99% of devices out there. So, any app, whose developer who has not verified their identity, will be prevented from being installed on Android devices.

Google is building a new Android Developer Console for apps that are distributed outside Google Play. A preview of it is available on a support page and a PDF.

Developers will need to provide their legal name, address, D-U-N-S number (for organizations), email address, phone number, a government ID. In other words, it is similar to the regular experience. In addition to these, app devs will need to register their app’s package names, which will be linked to the developer's identity. Finally, they will need to sign the APK with their private key and upload it to verify ownership.

Students and hobbyist developers will be able to create an account with fewer requirements, and without the $25 registration fee.

Google believes that by identifying developers, and blocking non-compliant ones, the risk of malware is greatly reduced. The company says that the new rules were welcomed with positive feedback from the Brazilian Federation of Banks (FEBRABAN), Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs, and Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.

Sure, these new rules may block malicious apps, but this could come at a great cost. This could end up being a disaster for the privacy of developers. I wouldn't be surprised if a few app developers, who want to protect their privacy, ditch Android as a platform because of this. Perhaps that's what Google wants? To discourage devs and drive them away from third-party stores? F-Droid, LibreTube, NewPipe, Revanced, Syncthing-Fork, Cromite, are some examples of popular apps that are not distributed on the Play Store. Such developers will need to provide their real information to Google, otherwise their apps may be blacklisted. That could be viewed as anti-competitive behavior, and invite new antitrust investigations. Apple got hit by antitrust investigations for trying to influence third-party app markets in Europe, and deservedly so.

Apps could be hit with DMCAs if their developer information is available, this may affect apps like emulators. Other apps could be discontinued if devs choose not to register their details with Google.

Google will begin early access for verification in October 2025, and start opening verification for all developers in March 2026. The new rules will come into effect in September 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. It will become a global requirement in 2027 and later.

This is how it starts, what next? Will sideloading be blocked completely in the future? It may not be long before Android becomes a walled garden like iOS.

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Ubisoft has announced a new DLC for Assassin's Creed Mirage. Players will be able to explore 9th-century AlUla in an all new expansion for the game.

Assassin's Creed Mirage was released in November 2023, it drew praise from fans and critics for returning to the franchise's roots, focusing on stealth, parkour, and a smaller map. I've played all games in the series (except Shadows), and Mirage's setting and the gameplay reminded me of the original Assassin's Creed game from 2007, featuring the legendary Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

This was a welcome break from the previous games in the franchise, especially the last three (Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla), which a lot of people felt had stagnated with its open worlds, repetitive gameplay, and above all, a lack of stealth. It didn't really feel like an assassin game, more like a regular RPG with stealth-like mechanics. Personally, I didn't really have a problem with the open world setting, but I can see why people felt it was tedious to explore every part of the map, you could end up being burned out.

Mirage's story is set in 9th-century Baghdad, and allowed players to witness the evolution of Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character from one of the previous games. He joins the ranks of the Assassin's, in their fight against the Templars. AC Mirage's version of Baghdad is open world, but tighter, densely populated, and felt like a real city, as opposed to giant half-empty maps of the other titles. That said, the game retained some elements from the RPG-trilogy, such as upgradeable weapons, tools for taking down enemies in stealth, a pet eagle that you can use for scouting, and mounts. It was fun to play a squishy assassin again, as opposed to an invincible demigod hero that we had in the RPG-like AC games.

As for the upcoming Assassin's Creed Mirage DLC, it will focus on a new story set in AlUla (also known as al-Ula), which is an oasis city located in Medina, Saudi Arabia. New missions sound good, but Ubisoft has also confirmed that there are some gameplay improvements, which will also be available for the base game.

However, that is the extent of the details we know about the AlUla DLC for Mirage. That, and the fact that the Assassin's Creed Mirage DLC will be free for all owners of the game, that is awesome. The DLC does not have a release date yet, but it is coming later this year.

Have you played Assassin's Creed Mirage?

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With Windows 10 soon running out of support, millions of Windows 10 PC users have to make a decision regarding the future of their PC. While it is in theory possible to simply keep on running Windows 10 on the PC after Microsoft ends support, it is not recommended in most cases.

The main reason for that is that Microsoft won't release security updates anymore for the PC, which, at least in theory, leaves the PC vulnerable to attacks.

Subscribing to Windows 10 ESU, extended security updates, is a good option to postpone the end by a year. You can do so relatively easily and in most cases for free. There is even a great tool for that which handles all the hard work and works with local accounts as well.

Windows 10 users have other options. If the PC's main components meet Windows 11's system requirements, upgrading to Windows 11 is another free option. There is also 0Patch, a micro-patching service that promises to deliver security patches for critical issues that affect Windows 10 at least until 2030. It comes at a price though, as you need to pay 0Patch about $30 per year for that.

Finally, there is also the option to upgrade to Windows 11, even if the Windows 10 PC does not meet the requirements of Windows 11. While you may be able to upgrade manually, using third-party tools is a more convenient option.

Flyoobe: open source Windows 10 to 11 upgrader

Enter Flyoobe (previously known as Flyby11), an open source tool by a well-established developer that has grown in the past months. At its core, Flyoobe still lets you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, bypassing most of the requirements check that Microsoft added to the process. It is a quick and painless process. While I recommend highly to create a backup of the system before you run the script, the chance that something does not work is rather slim at this point.

The latest version of the open source Windows upgrader comes with additional features. First, you may use it to subscribe to extended security updates on Windows 10 PCs. It uses the Consumer ESU script of Abbodi, which handles everything for you.

Great option to extend support for Windows 10. Then, it also includes a brand-new helper app called Spot, which you can run from the interface. It can run almost 90 different tools, including the Registry Editor and other built-in tools, which can be useful to make quick adjustments. It doubles as a helper app for problems that users may run into when upgrading to Windows 11.

Last but not least, there is also the OOBE, out of box experience, part of the application. It assists users in customizing the experience by making tweaks, removing unnecessary features, or setting the default browser.

Now You: have you tried Flyby11 or Flyoobe already, or plan to? Let us know in the comment section below.

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[UPDATE] Apparently, this add-on update was not intentional. Gorhill uploaded the extension to the wrong extension ID.

Here's a comment Gorhill posted on GitHub (thanks to Saampei Nihira for the tip).

And one more, which says " I sent an email to someone at Extension Dev Support at Microsoft, asking to roll back to original 1.65.0."

The original story follows....have a laugh at my expense! (and Gorhill's)

Did you have uBlock Origin installed in Microsoft Edge? Has it been replaced by uBlock Origin Lite?

The Microsoft Edge extension has been updated, the new version doesn't bring new features, instead, the add-on automatically downgrades itself to uBlock Origin Lite.

The update was spotted by multiple users on reddit, one of whom shared a screenshot of the add-ons result page on Edge's store. The screenshot looked odd, because it showed 2 versions of the add-on. I decided to check it myself, and indeed, there are 2 versions of uBlock Origin Lite on the Edge add-ons store. That's a little weird.

If you look closely at their icons, it's easy to tell the difference. The add-on that has a - symbol in its icon, is uBlock Origin Lite (Version 2025.818.1918), whereas the extension that has the uBO icon is the original add-on (Version 2025.824.1755). But both extensions are now named uBlock Origin Lite.

As for why the add-on was downgraded to uBlock Origin Lite, it's fairly obvious. Chrome has deprecated support for Manifest V2 APIs, which in turn spelled the end for many extensions. This included uBlock Origin too, and the only options for users were to use some flags to extend Manifest V2 support (more on this in a bit), or to switch to uBlock Origin Lite.

While the Chrome web store "removed" the uBlock Origin extension because it was unsupported, the Microsoft Edge add-ons store still had the extension. Not anymore, apparently. It is being replaced by uBlock Origin Lite.

Okay, but why do this now? Up until now, Chrome and Chromium based browsers, have allowed users to extend support for Manifest V2 by enabling some flags in the browser. These flags are being removed from Chrome 140, and the shortcut workaround may not available for long. There is a way to load an unpacked extension in Chrome, but it will not work after Chrome 142. Its flag expires in Chrome 139. More details about this method are available at the official uBlock Origin subreddit.

Raymond Hill (aka Gorhill), the developer of uBlock Origin had stated in November 2024 that,

"Manifest v2 uBO will not be automatically replaced by Manifest v3 uBOL. uBOL is too different from uBO for it to silently replace uBO -- you will have to explicitly make a choice as to which extension should replace uBO according to your own prerogatives.

Ultimately whether uBOL is an acceptable alternative to uBO is up to you, it's not a choice that will be made for you."

But it has now. Perhaps things have changed since? This is pure speculation, but it makes sense to replace the original extension with uBlock Origin Lite, because otherwise users would be left without an ad-blocker, and exposed to trackers, advertisements, etc. By switching to the Lite version via an automatic update, they will be protected without manual intervention. It's a little unusual, but I think this is a good move for the privacy and security of users.

Still, an official announcement couldn't have hurt, given the confusion among users. Consider this article a PSA, uBlock Origin for Microsoft Edge didn't disappear or get removed, it's uBlock Origin Lite now.  I can confirm that this is the case, my Edge browser had uBlock Origin 1.65.0 installed.

But after forcing an update via Developer mode, it got replaced by uBlock Origin Lite 2025.824.1755, which was released on August 25, 2025. Neowin also reported this today! It's unclear when Microsoft Edge will stop supporting Manifest V2, the official support page doesn't mention an EOL date.

uBO Lite is pretty good, and should suffice for most users. It was recently released for Safari on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. On a side note, uBlock Origin is still available on Opera's add-ons store, though I'm not sure how long it would be supported. It should be obvious, but I'll say it anyway, the Firefox version of the ad blocker is not affected by this change. Ironically, Microsoft Edge began recommending uBlock Origin a while back. Edge really is the new Internet Explorer!

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Mozilla has announced that Firefox users can now use progressive web apps (PWAs). However, the feature is currently only supported on Windows.

PWAs can be useful for accessing your favorite websites quickly. It can also be handy for services like Spotify, Discord, where you may want to access the page quickly to control your music, or to chat with your friends. The feature has been available in Chrome and other browsers for a long time.

The option to enable PWAs is available in Firefox's Settings Labs. To activate it, head to about:preferences#experimental. Toggle the option that says "Add sites to your taskbar." You will need to restart Firefox for the change to take effect.

Note: Alternatively, you can also enable the feature from about:config with the following flag: browser.taskbarTabs.enabled

Once you have enabled the option, open any website, and you should see a new icon in the Address Bar. It looks like a box with a downwards arrow. Mouse over it, and you should see a tooltip that says "Add to taskbar." Click on the button to pin the current web page to your taskbar.

Note: The tooltip seems to display some placeholder text. Ignore it.

The icon will appear on the taskbar, and you may notice that the website's tab has been moved out of the previous window. The progressive web app version of the web page will look similar to the normal version, but Firefox itself may look different. It doesn't display the tab bar, the menu, etc., however it still has an address bar.

It does not support private browsing. PWAs don't support containers. The PWA interface moves the minimize, maximize, and close buttons to the address bar, which in turn pushes the add-ons, pinned toolbar items, and even the menu button a little to the left. This streamlined window (seen below) looks a little odd.

On the plus side, web apps in Firefox offer all of the browser's protections. Even the add-ons work as normal.

While you can unpin PWAs from the taskbar, they may persist. i.e. They may show up in the Start Menu, and even has an option to uninstall the PWA. But you can't uninstall them, that's because they are just shortcuts. Head to this folder to view your pinned web apps.

C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Firefox Web Apps

You can simply delete any unwanted shortcuts from this folder.

Follow the official discussion about PWAs in Firefox on Mozilla Connect. The PWA feature is not available for Linux and macOS yet.

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Apple has increased the price of its Apple TV+ subscription. The plan now costs $12.99 per month in the U.S., up by $3.

Apple launched its streaming service in 2019 for $4.99 per month. It then increased the price to $6.99 in 2022. Just a year after that, Apple TV+ got another price hike in October 2023, taking the price to $9.99 per month.

This is the third time Apple has increased the price of Apple TV+. Going from $9.99 to $12.99 is a 30% price hike.

Apparently, the Cupertino company was losing money on the streaming service, more than $1 billion per year, as it had invested on original TV series, movies. Variety reports that Apple justified the price adjustment by pointing out that the TV Shows and Movies it offers do not include any ads. It also boasts a strong number of originals, which raked in multiple awards over the past. And it also has MLS and MLB’s “Friday Night Baseball”.

Apple isn't the only one that raised its streaming prices this year. In January, Netflix prices were hiked in multiple countries. Peacock increased its prices by $3 last month. The odd thing is Apple's $12.99 plan is cheaper than Netflix's ad-free plan that costs $17.99, and Peacock Premium Plus which costs $16.99.

However, the other streaming services manage to attract new users by offering a cheaper option with ads. By not offering such a plan, Apple could potentially lose existing subscribers who may find the new price to be out of their budget. Apple TV+ expanded to Android devices in February, so that will likely help to gain more users.

The Apple TV+ price increase came into effect on August 21 for new users. Existing subscribers will see the price change within 30 days of their next renewal date.

It is unclear which Countries are impacted by the new Apple TV+ price, the report only says "select international markets". The U.K. website, and European ones still show the price as £9.99 and €9,99 respectively.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong finally has a release date. Team Cherry's sequel to the hit metroidvania will launch on September 4, 2025.

Hollow Knight was released 8 years ago, on February 24, 2017. The 2D action-platformer was a super hit, thanks to the hand-drawn art style, captivating music, fast-paced hard-as-nails combat, fun exploration, characters and story. Team Cherry's game was the perfect metroidvania for many.

In February 2019, the Australian Studio announced it was working on Silksong. "Silksong when?" became a meme because fans have been asking for the game's launch date forever. 7 years later, it feels surreal just to have a launch date, it's just 2 weeks away.

Jason Schreier's article on Bloomberg sheds more light on the development of Silksong. Hollow Knight sold 15 million copies. That's quite an achievement for an indie studio. Silksong was originally meant to be a small story expansion focussing on one of the game's characters, Hornet. But the project grew bigger, and the studio decided to make it into a new game.

Silksong's plans were for a smaller world than Hollow Knight's, but the sequel features multiple towns, each with their own quests. The game wasn't delayed because of external factors, or internal challenges. Team Cherry kept adding more things to the game like elaborate bosses, gameplay systems and more interactivity, and polishing the game. It sounds like they were really enjoying themselves. The developers said they never read comments and memes on Reddit, YouTube, but appreciated that fans liked the game so much. They even joked that they might ruin the fun by releasing the game.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is set in the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! with a gigantic map to explore. You will be able to craft various tools to help you on your journey, solve quests and ancient mysteries, and engage in lethal acrobatic action. The game features over 200 types of enemies, over 40 bosses.

Watch the official Hollow Knight: Silksong trailer on YouTube.

Hollow Knight: Silksong will be released on September 4 for PC, macOS, Linux, (on Steam, GOG, day one on Game Pass), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

Will you play the game?

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Besides publishing Journal, an AI-powered journaling app for Android and Pixel 10 devices, Google has also published Google Password Manager for Android on the Google Play Store.

You might ask yourself why Google released the app. After all, Google users can use the password manager integration in Chrome and also in Android to save, edit, and manage Chrome passwords.

Android users may furthermore place a shortcut on their device that acts as a shortcut to the password management interface.

Why then, this new password manager? Google says that the new app "provides a shortcut to the Google Password Manager" on the phone, and that it makes it "quicker and easier" to find and manage passwords, passkeys and other saved data.

While Google does not comment directly on its motivation for releasing a standalone option, the application's main purpose appears to be to increase visibility for saving passwords using Google.

When you search for a password manager on Google Play, third-party solutions like Bitwarden, Proton Pass, Enpass, Password Safe and Manager, or LastPass are listed. No Google solution is listed, but this may change soon because Google just released the password manager app for Android and uses the main search term in the title.

While it may help with that, it does not seem to add anything in terms of functionality. Since it acts as a shortcut, it simply opens the password management options on the device. There you may manage passwords and control some settings, including the option to use end-to-end encryption for all passwords stored by the account.

This protects all passwords from unauthorized access, even from Google employees with access to your account. You find the option under Settings > Set up on-device encryption. It uses the device's screen lock to protect the data at rest and while in transit.

In closing, most Android users will have no use for the new Google Password Manager app. It does not seem to add anything new to the table, other than adding another option to launch the password management interface on Android devices.

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Apple has released an important security update for iPhones, iPadOS and macOS. It fixes a zero-day threat.

The update comes just a week after iOS 18.6.1 was released, although that wasn't a security update. It shipped alongside watchOS 11.6.1, to bring the new Blood Oxygen experience for Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9, and Ultra 2 in the United States.

This week's update, iOS 16.8.2, patches a single issue, a security vulnerability that is tracked under CVE-2025-43300. The exploit is described as an out-of-bounds write issue related to the ImageIO framework. Processing a malicious image file, aka a spyware hidden in a photo, could result in memory corruption.

Apple says that it is aware that the issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals. The language used here is interesting, as it is very similar to high profile spyware attacks that have happened before. Apple had patched a zero-day threat in February this year, when iOS 18.3.1 and macOS 15.3.1 were released. That threat turned out to be associated with Paragon's Graphite spyware (according to Citizen Lab), and it was described by Apple in similar fashion. No wonder they rushed to patch the newest threat. The release notes for iOS 18.6.2 state that the issue was addressed with improved bounds checking.

The security patch is available via the iOS 18.6.2 update for the iPhone XS and later, and is included in the iPadOS 18.6.2 update which is compatible with the following iPad models: Pad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later

Apple has also released the update for some older gen iPads. Users with an iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, or iPad 6th generation should install iPadOS 17.7.10 to patch the vulnerability.

The security fix is also available for Mac via the macOS Sequoia 15.6.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.8 and macOS Ventura 13.7.8 updates. It is strongly recommended to update to the latest OS version possible to protect your device and your data.

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Microsoft maintains several versions of OneNote, its note taking application, currently. Besides OneNote for Windows 10, there is also the newer OneNote, which is available as a Microsoft Store application and as part of Microsoft 365. Microsoft calls this newer version OneNote on Windows 10.

The original OneNote for Windows 10 application will be discontinued by Microsoft on the same day that Microsoft ends support for the Home and Pro editions of Windows 10. Come October 2025, Microsoft plans to switch on read-only mode for OneNote for Windows 10. Means, while you can continue to access existing notes for the time being, you won't be able to edit them, create new notes, or synchronize notes, according to Microsoft.

OneNote users who want to keep on accessing their notes are asked to migrate the data to the new OneNote on Windows.

How to find out if you run the old or new OneNote

Microsoft says the easiest way to determine which version of OneNote you are running is to launch the application and check if you have a File menu at the top.

If you do see the File menu, you have the new OneDrive installed according to Microsoft. When there is no File menu, you run OneNote for Windows 10 and are affected by the change.

Sync content before making the switch

Microsoft recommends that you sync all existing content before you install the new OneNote on Windows application. This is the only way to ensure that all of your saved notes appear in the new OneNote application according to Microsoft.

It is necessary to sync each notebook manually, which can be problematic if you have set up numerous or use multiple accounts.

For each notebook and each account, right-click on the notebook and select the Sync Now option. The content is synced automatically, but only if you do not see any sync errors. If you do, Microsoft says that you do need to resolve them before moving on.

Also, Microsoft recommends that you check for misplaced sections under View Tab. This section lists content that is not included in any notebook. You can then select a notebook to add the content do and sync it afterwards.

Once you have selected the sync option, Microsoft says that you need to verify that everything is migrated properly by opening the new OneDrive app and checking the available notebooks and content.

The classic OneNote application for Windows 10 should only be removed from the system after you have made sure that all content has migrated successfully.

Microsoft has published a deployment guide for business and Enterprise users that assists them when migrating content from classic to new OneNote.

Closing Words

Microsoft is finally addressing its application chaos. While newer apps are not always for the better, see the new Outlook app for instance, users will at least not be confused by multiple apps of the same time that are offered to them.

Now You: Do you use OneNote? What is your take on the deprecation of the OneNote version for Windows 10? Long overdue or another Outlook-like fiasco in the making?

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Many password managers have been found to be vulnerable to a specific form of attack. The technique that hackers are using is called Clickjacking.

What is Clickjacking?

Clickjacking is a method in which an attacker crafts a malicious web page that contains invisible iframes and hides it right within a target website. When users click on things on the page, these clicks get intercepted by the hidden iframe, and do something else, e.g. different actions on the website. This isn't a new method at all.

For example, a web page may display a cookie consent prompt, asking the user to either click on the Reject or Accept buttons. However, the iframe element could contain a login form that trigger's a password manager browser extension to autofill the credentials. This could result in the attacker obtaining the username and password from the user.

Users won't have any idea that things have gone wrong, but this vulnerability could allow attackers to steal credit card details, personal data, login credentials including TOTP, etc.

Marek Tóth, a security researcher from the Czech Republic, discovered a series of unpatched security loopholes that hackers could exploit to run browser extension clickjacking attacks which are iframe-based and DOM-based. Websites that are vulnerable could be prone to XSS, subdomain takeover, web cache poisoning, etc. could result in theft of credentials, 2FA codes, and even passkeys.

Data Impact

• Credit Card - credit card number, expiration date, security code
• Personal Data - name, email, phone, address, date of birth (some password managers)
• Login credentials - username, password, TOTP (2FA)
• Passkeys - signed assertion hijacking (authentication flow hijacking) = creating a new session

The issue affected several password manager services including

• 1Password
• Bitwarden
• Dashlane
• Enpass
• iCloud Passwords
• Keeper
• LastPass
• LogMeOnce
• NordPass
• ProtonPass
• RoboForm

Despite the disclosure from Tóth and proof of concepts that are available publicly, password manager services are taking their own sweet time to fix the vulnerabilities. 1Password and LastPass reportedly marked the report as informative, but haven't fixed the exploits. Even Bitwarden reportedly took 4 months to patch them.

Dashlane, Keeper, Nordpass, Protonpass and Roboform have fixed the issues. Cybersecurity company, Socket, reports that Bitwarden has shipped a fix for the clickjacking vulnerability in its version 2025.8.0 release (dated August 20). However, it may take a day or two for the update to be available in browser add-on stores.

Users are advised to disable manual autofill in their password manager extensions In addition to this, you can set it to use only exact URL match for autofill, but it is worth noting this can still result in credit card data and personal data to be exploited. Chromium-based browsers can change the Extension settings > site access > "on click". Update your password manager and its browser extension to the latest version for protecting your data and credentials.

Here is a thread on Bitwarden's community forums that discusses the issues associated with clickjacking. Bitwarden recommends using alternative methods for autofill such as using the keyboard shortcut, the browser extension, or the right-click menu, or drag-and-fill.

On a sidenote, many Bitwarden users are reporting repeated unauthorized access attempts into their account. There is no evidence to suggest this is related to the clickjacking. The more likely explanation is that the hackers got their hands on some leaked email and passwords, and are trying to brute force their way into things, including Bitwarden. There are also reports that 2FA was bypass on some accounts, I wonder if it has anything to the Authy breach over the past year.

As always, here is my recommendation for what I consider the most-secure password manager. Take a look at KeePass, it is a free, open source, offline password manager that is available for Windows. It has plenty of forks for other operating systems. I can vouch for KeePassXC on Linux and macOS, KeePassium on iOS/iPadOS/macOS, and Keepass2Android Password Safe on Android. Even if you prefer a cloud-based password manager, I strongly recommend exporting a copy of your credentials into KeePass, it can be handy when your cloud app is offline, or in case you want to delete the cloud account.

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Sony PlayStation 5 prices have been increased in the United States. Welcome to the rest of the world, fellas!

In April 2025, Sony had announced a price hike for its PS5 consoles in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. Microsoft followed suit a month later, when it increased the price of Xbox consoles worldwide. What Nintendo did, however, seemed unbelievable, it increased the original Switch's price in the U.S. and Canada in August 2025, that's eight years after the handheld launched, and almost a month after the Switch 2 was released.

Right, let's get straight to the latest details. All PS5 models are now $50 more expensive in the U.S. That's the gist of it. Here is a brief comparison of the before/after pricing.

Sony launched the PS5 in 2020, but the PS5 standard version received a hardware revision in 2021. The Standard PS5 with a disc drive used to be available for $499.99, but now it costs $549.99. The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition carries a $499.99 price tag, up from $449.99. The PS5 Pro model, which debuted in 2024 for $699.99, now costs a whopping $749.99.

Note: Sony had previously increased the Digital Edition price by $50 when the Slim model was released in November 2023.

The recommended retail prices for PlayStation 5 accessories have not changed. Phew! Sony says it had to make the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S., as it continues to navigate a challenging economic environment. I wonder what that refers to, wink wink!

The new PlayStation 5 prices come into effect from today, August 21, 2025. Instead of getting price cuts, the 5-year-old console is more expensive than ever. Sony says it there are no other price changes to announce for additional markets. IGN reports that the company had quietly increased the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition price in India in July. Everyone's paying premium now.

When this "challenging economic environment" cools down, the prices of the consoles will be reduced, right? As I said before, this is not a great time to be a gamer, especially a console gamer.

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