This was another busy week in tech, with Google announcing a big change to Maps navigation, impressive updates for the Dolphin emulator and Ghostty terminal, Amazon’s ad-free Prime Video plan going up in price, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.
The Big News
Google Maps navigation is about to change in a big way
Today, Google Maps announced several upgrades that will fundamentally change how we use maps. And while some of that revolves around AI, what caught my attention is the biggest visual update “in over a decade.” It’s called Immersive Navigation, and the 3D effects look pretty amazing. Continue reading…
The excellent Ghostty terminal app just got an upgrade on Linux and Mac
Your Mac or Linux machine might already have a terminal emulator, but replacements like Ghostty can give you more features and extensive customization options. Ghostty version 1.3 has now arrived with improvements to searching, clipboard, macOS integration, and much more. Continue reading…
Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek / Ghostty
Prime Video’s ad-free plan gets a price increase, and a new name
If you’re one of the many paying for ad-free Prime Video, we have some bad news. Today, Amazon announced two big changes to the service. It’s getting a large price increase to $5 per month, and moving forward, it’ll be called Prime Video Ultra. Continue reading…
Calibre 9.5 makes the open-source eBook manager even better
Calibre is one of the best tools for managing and reading eBooks on your computer, especially for synchronizing your library with a standalone reader. Now, Calibre 9.5 is rolling out with more interface updates and bug fixes, on top of several other recent updates. Continue reading…
Credit: Corbin Davenport / Calibre / Patrick Campanale
Update Google Chrome now to fix two more zero-day security vulnerabilities
If you have Google Chrome installed, or a Chromium-based browser like Microsoft Edge or Vivaldi, make sure you have the latest update installed. Google has released an update that fixes two security exploits that are being used for attacks. Continue reading…
Google Home devices are vanishing, but a fix is coming
If you woke up this morning and your smart lights stopped responding, you’re not alone. Google Home users are reporting on Reddit that their smart devices are suddenly vanishing from their setups without any action on their part. The issue first gained traction in a Reddit thread on r/googlehome, and Google has acknowledged that it is investigating the matter. Continue reading…
Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek
Google Chrome on Linux is getting a big upgrade
Google Chrome has been a first-class web browser on Linux for years, but there has been a problem over the years: no Chrome builds for Raspberry Pi boards and other ARM hardware. That’s finally changing. Continue reading…
Dolphin emulator’s new update fixes many emulation and NAS problems
Dolphin, the popular emulator for the Nintendo GameCube and Wii, just received a major upgrade. Dolphin version 2603 is now available with more Triforce emulation improvements, more playable games, a helpful change for NAS owners, and much more. Continue reading…
Credit: Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek
The MacBook Neo has a hidden hardware advantage
Apple debuted its affordable MacBook Neo earlier this month. For more than a decade, the company’s laptops have been difficult to repair due to glued-down batteries, soldered ports, and layers of adhesive tape. It turns out that the MacBook Neo is a very different story. A teardown video shared by Australian YouTuber repair channel Tech Re-Nu shows the entry-level notebook from the brand being completely disassembled in just six minutes. Continue reading…
Credit: Apple
Node.js is changing its release cycle, just as Chrome switches to faster upgrades
Node.js, the popular open-source and cross-platform JavaScript runtime, will have a less exciting release calendar moving forward. There will now only be one major Node update each year, just as its core engine from the Chromium project is switching to more frequent releases. Continue reading…
Google Fiber just went live in this US city with 8 Gig speeds
Google Fiber isn’t expanding as quickly as most of us would prefer, but it’s still coming to new cities and towns at a steady pace. Now, one more major city in the United States now has up to 8 Gigabit internet through Google Fiber: Las Vegas, Nevada. Continue reading…
Credit: Google
Microsoft is turning PowerPoint into a powerful photo editor
If you’ve ever felt that Microsoft PowerPoint has weak image-editing tools, that may finally be changing. A new update adds AI-powered editing features that let you erase objects, move subjects, upscale images, and even edit text directly inside a slide. Continue reading…
19 years after IBM’s Windows killer died, it’s getting another update as ArcaOS
IBM OS/2 was an alternative to Microsoft Windows throughout the 1990s, but Microsoft won out in the end, and the operating system was relegated to niche use cases. Over 24 years since the final OS/2 release, and 19 years since IBM’s support ended, the officially-sanctioned continuation ArcaOS is still going. Continue reading…
Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek / Arca Noae
Google Photos will finally make it easier to turn off the controversial “Ask Photos” feature
Google Photos is generally considered one of the best apps from the company, but it’s not without problems. One feature in particular has been under constant fire since it was announced. Thankfully, Google has finally relented, and “Ask Photos” can be turned off. Continue reading…
Fedora Linux 44 Beta has GNOME 50, KDE Plasma 6.6, and installer improvements
Fedora Linux 44 is just around the corner, with Gnome 50, KDE Plasma 6.6, compatibility updates, and many other changes. Now, the first beta release has arrived with the new desktop environments and some helpful changes to the system installer. Continue reading…
Credit: Corbin Davenport / Fedora Project
KDE’s Lightroom replacement gets a big update with digiKam 9.0
KDE digiKam is now available as a major release for the free and open-source photo management software. It’s now an even better alternative to Adobe Lightroom, with expanded camera support, interface updates, and a pile of bug fixes. Continue reading…
Visual Studio Code is switching to faster releases, starting with v1.111
For the last few years, Visual Studio Code has delivered new major updates each month. Now, those updates will arrive once a week, and the first weekly update has some helpful changes to AI agents. Continue reading…
