The Notepad upgrade, cheaper YouTube TV, and Nova Launcher’s new owner: News roundup
This was another busy week for tech news, including more updates (and bugs) for Windows 11, cheaper plans for YouTube TV, Amazon bricking smart home hardware, and more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.
The Big News
Windows Notepad is now a better Markdown text editor
Notepad was overhauled with a modern interface and new features alongside Windows 11, and Microsoft has continued updating it. Now, the text editor is getting even more Markdown editing features and a few other changes. Continue reading…
Cheaper YouTube TV plans are coming soon
YouTube TV is kicking off the new year with a couple of features that are long overdue. The first is a much-needed expansion of the excellent “Multiview” feature, and the second marks a return to the original promise of streaming live TV services. Continue reading…
Gmail is dropping this long-supported feature
Google is making a significant change to how you manage your email accounts. The company announced it will be ending support for two long-standing features, Gmailify and the traditional POP fetching method, starting this month. Continue reading…
This experimental Rust-based browser engine just got a big update
The Servo project developers have announced the release of version 0.0.4 of its Servo browser engine, bringing with it some crucial upgrades in the long-term goal of supporting a full browser experience. Continue reading…
Samsung Galaxy phones are about to get one of the best Pixel-exclusive features
While Pixel phones may not be able to compete with Samsung Galaxy phones in sheer number of features, they do have some powerful exclusives. One example is the excellent Scam Detection feature, but it may not be exclusive for much longer. Continue reading…
Ford’s first 2026 recall warns of a risk you might not expect
It’s only three weeks into 2026, and Ford is already leading the recall charts. Continue reading…
Rust 1.93 has arrived, here’s what’s new
Rust 1.93.0 is now stable and was released today. It focuses on tightening up the compiler’s safety guarantees while providing crucial new tools for performance-critical tasks. It is a solid release that makes the language feel more mature in areas that matter most. Continue reading…
Google Home is fixing this annoying lights software bug
You have probably been greeted by the frustrating sight of your lights showing an error status in the Google Home app. Fortunately, the company is finally working on a fix for the annoying and widespread bug that causes smart lights and switches to incorrectly display as offline in its app. Continue reading…
Find out how far Earth has travelled since you were born with this website
Here’s a fun and somewhat terrifying fact: you’re on a planet right now. We all know this, but it’s hard to really visualize. The good news is there’s a website for that, and it can tell you exactly how far Earth has traveled through space since you arrived on it. Continue reading…
Sling TV is quietly raising prices
Sling TV remains one of the most popular and affordable streaming services in the U.S., but we have some bad news. In a move that should surprise no one, Sling TV is raising prices on some of its plans. If there’s a silver lining, not everyone will get hit with the price hike, at least not yet. Continue reading…
Sony returns to vinyl with two new Bluetooth wireless decks
Sony is jumping back into the vinyl game for the first time since 2019 with the introduction of two new Bluetooth-enabled turntables. The PS-LX3BT and the PS-LX5BT make the analog experience much more accessible by baking in modern wireless audio technology. Continue reading…
This new Debian edition doesn’t use Linux
The Debian project has just released a new snapshot of its alternative operating system, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, which now includes a working 64-bit edition. This is a massive update for a project that many people forget exists, but you need to know right away that this is not a Linux distribution. Continue reading…
Need a good flash drive? Raspberry Pi made one for you
Raspberry Pi is continuing its expansion into hardware accessories and components. In addition to SD cards and SSDs, you can now get an official Raspberry Pi Flash Drive. It’s intended to be a boot drive for Pi boards, but you can use it like any other flash drive as well. Continue reading…
Spotify is letting you control the algorithm with new Prompted Playlists
It’s common knowledge that many apps use algorithms these days. However, years before “For You” timelines, Spotify subscribers were already complaining about the algorithm. Well, the music service is finally giving you the keys to its recommendation engine with Prompted Playlists. Continue reading…
This clever Android game turns your charging cable into a bow and arrow
We’ve all played mobile games that rely on tapping, swiping, and tilting, but what about plugging and unplugging your charging cable? As strange as it sounds, that’s exactly what a clever web developer created, and you can play it on your Android phone without downloading anything. Continue reading…
Google Drive is getting better protection from ransomware
Google is stepping up its security game for educational institutions by adding automated ransomware detection directly into Google Drive. This gives administrators and users a better defense against data loss and the threat of ransom payments. It also provides a safety net if an attack has already happened. Continue reading…
Saving files is currently broken on Windows 11 and Windows 10
Microsoft has confirmed that its latest Windows updates, released on January 13, 2026, are causing several applications to freeze when accessing files stored on cloud services like OneDrive and Dropbox. This is just one in a series of critical bugs discovered in the recent patch. Continue reading…
Raspberry Pi’s USB gadget mode is now much less complicated
Raspberry Pi boards have supported USB gadget mode for years, allowing you to connect a Pi to a computer with one cable for power and SSH/desktop access. Now, there’s a much easier way to try it out, and it’s built into Raspberry Pi OS. Continue reading…
Sony’s weird new earbuds don’t actually go in your ears
Sony led the charge for “open” earbuds with the weird donut-hole LinkBuds a few years ago, and we’ve seen more creative interpretations from other companies since. Now, Sony is borrowing a design from its competitors with the new LinkBuds Clip. Continue reading…
System76’s COSMIC desktop environment just fixed a bunch of problems
System76 released version 1.0.3 of its fresh, Rust-based COSMIC desktop environment this week, bringing with it several fixes and improvements for Linux fans running it. In particular, the file browser is getting some essential features. Continue reading…
Spotify’s upcoming feature will do what Amazon Whispersync can’t
Audiobooks are a great way to “read” when you’re not able to read for real. However, if you switch between audio and text, you know how annoying it can be to sync your progress—especially across different mediums. Spotify is working on a clever solution. Continue reading…
KDE Plasma could get a VR desktop mode on Linux
A developer has submitted draft code to the KDE team that could turn the Plasma desktop environment into a fully functional 3D VR interface. This is a huge move for Linux desktop users who want to ditch flat screens and jump into immersive computing. Continue reading…
TerraMaster’s new NVMe SSD enclosure supports 80 Gbps Thunderbolt 5
TerraMaster is best known for its network attached storage (NAS) devices, but the company also makes some external storage enclosures. TerraMaster has now revealed the D1 SSD Pro, which turns any NVMe SSD into a super-fast Thunderbolt 5 external drive. Continue reading…
PowerToys 0.97 has a better search bar for your Windows PC
Microsoft’s PowerToys software adds many utilities and additional features to Windows, and it just received another major update. PowerToys 0.97 has arrived with a more customizable Command Palette, a new mouse utility, and other improvements. Continue reading…
Nova Launcher has a new owner, but it’s not looking good
Nova Launcher is back, but it’s not all good news. Late last year, one of Android’s most iconic home screen launchers confirmed its eventual death, only to receive one final update. Then, after a few random updates in November, today we learned that Nova Launcher was acquired by the Swedish company Instabridge, and now it has ads. Continue reading…
Unraid OS is about to fix its biggest limitation
Unraid is a popular option for building your own NAS system, though it has always had one annoying limitation: you need an external USB drive to boot the operating system. That’s finally changing. Continue reading…
This developer just made Photoshop work on Linux, with some caveats
A major barrier for Linux adoption might finally be breaking down because a community developer has successfully patched Wine to run Adobe Creative Cloud installers. This means you can now install specific versions of Adobe Photoshop directly on Linux systems. Continue reading…
Node 25.4.0 solves the import require mess and adds more features
Node.js 25.4.0, the newest Current branch release, is now available for download. This update focuses on transitioning many performance and debugging features out of experimental status and marking them as stable. So, this update is great for large, high-performance applications. Continue reading…
The latest Google Calendar update makes managing multiple schedules easier
Google Calendar is making a significant change for anyone who manages shared schedules or secondary calendars. Google is forcing all owned secondary calendars to remain visible in your settings list, replacing the old ability to simply unsubscribe or toggle them off. Continue reading…
Firefox Nightly is getting easier to install for Linux Fedora and openSUSE users
Mozilla has officially introduced a dedicated .rpm package for Firefox Nightly, making it simpler for users on RPM-based Linux distributions like Fedora and openSUSE to install and keep the browser updated. Linux users can now test the cutting edge of Firefox development much more easily. Continue reading…
KDE Plasma 6.7 is bringing dark mode toggle, push to talk, and more
KDE developers are already gearing up for Plasma 6.7, and the upcoming update is bringing some great quality-of-life features like an instant dark mode toggle and system-wide push-to-talk. The team is quickly moving past the initial Plasma 6 launch and focusing on more improvements. Continue reading…
This Fire TV device is getting bricked, only one year after it was discontinued
Smart home devices being discontinued and turned into bricks is a common occurrence, but larger companies like Google and Amazon usually keep their devices running for a long time. That’s not true for the Fire TV Blaster, which is getting killed only a year after Amazon stopped selling it. Continue reading…
The latest Windows 11 update is causing PCs to refuse to shut down
The latest Windows 11 security update from January 2026 is causing a frustrating bug that makes some PCs refuse to shut down or hibernate after installation. This issue stems from the monthly Patch Tuesday bundle, specifically update KB5073455, on devices running Windows 11, version 23H2. Continue reading…
