This was yet another busy week in tech, with some impressive updates coming to Google Maps and Home Assistant, Google’s proposed settlement with Epic Games, more changes coming to Windows 11, and a whole lot more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

The Big News

Google Maps is getting a navigation upgrade

Google Maps is getting an upgrade thanks to the integration of Gemini. This should make Maps a lot more conversational and have as much information as a tour guide would. The idea is to help you understand where you are going, instead of giving flat directions. Continue reading...

Google settled with Epic, and Android will never be the same

The Epic Games vs. Google lawsuit has been going back and forth for nearly five years, and we finally have an outcome. Just one decision away from a total loss, Google settled with Epic earlier this week. As a result of Google’s concessions, there are some pretty major changes coming to Android in the future. Let’s go over them. Continue reading...

Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek | SergeyBitos/Shutterstock

Home Assistant upgraded its automation and dashboards

Home Assistant 2025.11 has just been released and comes with quality of life upgrades focused on automation and dashboard management. If you spend any time building complex routines, you’re going to find that this release makes your life significantly easier. Continue reading...

Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek / Home Assistant

YouTube may have significantly intensified its ad blocker war, which is leading to many users reporting that the platform is completely failing to load. Although the spike on DownDetector made it look exactly like a major partial outage, the problem isn’t with YouTube’s servers. Continue reading...

Pebblebee unveils a pair of cute Android trackers—here’s why I’m not buying them

Pebblebee just revealed the Clip 5 and Card 5—a cute set of Bluetooth trackers with enhanced safety functionality and rechargeable batteries. They’re almost perfect, and I’d probably buy them if not for the lack of UWB precision finding. Continue reading...

Credit: Pebblebee

LibreOffice says your documents should survive for ‘generations’

LibreOffice and other office suites are built around the Open Document Format, or ODF for short, which has a few important advantages over Microsoft Office files and other formats. That includes the ability to open your files years or decades after they were created, as the LibreOffice folks just pointed out. Continue reading...

Credit: Corbin Davenport / The Document Foundation

Windows 11 is changing this important Phone Link feature

Microsoft is officially removing the dedicated photos section from the Phone Link application. Windows 11 is shifting the entire photo and video management experience into File Explorer instead. While you cannot view it in Phone Link, you still need Phone Link connected. Continue reading...

Google Messages is about to get two helpful new features

Google Messages continues to improve, which is good news, considering it’s the default text messaging application on millions of Android phones. It feels like every week or two, something new appears, and that’s true again this week. We recently spotted two helpful new Google Messages features coming soon that’ll let you double the number of pinned conversations at the top, and more. Continue reading...

Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek

Arch Linux is getting easier to install

The popular Arch Installer script, more commonly known by its package name archinstall, got an update this week that will make installing Arch Linux a little bit easier for those who don’t have a wired connection to the internet. Continue reading...

No fooling: Tesla Roadster launch delayed again until April 1

Remember the new Tesla Roadster? Honestly, we wouldn’t blame you if it slipped your mind—it was first teased eight years ago with all the fanfare you could imagine. Back then, Elon Musk was promising a production car, but the world had other plans. Continue reading...

HP is breaking video playback on these Windows laptops

Video playback is dependent on a lot of low-level stuff—mainly, codecs, which decode video files into something you’re actually able to watch and consume. Some HP computers are suffering from issues with playing videos, and it’s all due to some weird codec shenanigans tracking back to HP itself. Continue reading...

Credit: HP

The right-click menu on Windows 11 has received a lot of criticism over the last few years, and for good reason. Some people love it, while others aren’t too pleased with its ever-changing look. Lately, the right-click context menu has become somewhat lengthy, bloated, and cluttered, and it appears that Microsoft is ready to clean things up. Continue reading...

Windows games on Linux just got better, thanks to CrossOver

CrossOver, the Wine-based compatibility layer for running Windows software on Mac and Linux, just released its first 64-bit ARM version. It allows games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hades II, and Ghost of Tsushima to run on Linux ARM computers without installing additional emulators or translation layers. Continue reading...

Linux Mint is addressing a common Linux problem

The Linux Mint team showed off in its October blog post progress on the System Reports tool, which is being overhauled and renamed “System Information.” The redesign is meant to assist with troubleshooting issues, which is easily one of the biggest pain points in switching to Linux. Continue reading...

Credit: Corbin Davenport / Linux Mint

T-Mobile makes 911 emergency texting free and brings it to AT&T and Verizon

You can breathe a little easier the next time you hike far outside of cell service. T-Mobile is making its Starlink-powered emergency texting to 911 free and open to everyone—including AT&T and Verizon customers. Continue reading...

Spotify launches listening stats, a weekly deep-dive into your music habits

If you’ve ever been curious about all the cool and eclectic music you listen to over the course of a week or month, today Spotify has launched a new feature that will help you do a deeper dive into the data of your music streaming world. Continue reading...

Credit: Spotify

This Android phone might have an insanely huge battery, but it won’t come to the US

Android phones in the US, at most, come with 5,000 mAh batteries. And while that’s enough for most people, the latest measuring contest going on in countries like China is resulting in phones with batteries as big as 8,000 mAh. Now, this will probably be the biggest one we’ve seen. Continue reading...

UHoo’s new air monitor might help you find mold

uHoo has just announced its new smart air quality monitor, the Caeli. This indoor wellness monitor doesn’t just react to poor air quality; it will warn you if you are likely creating an environment that can facilitate the growth of mold and viruses. Continue reading...

Credit: uHoo

Fairphone’s repairable headphones are coming to the US

The Dutch ethical-electronics manufacturer Fairphone is expanding even further into the US market, bringing in its audio products. This is huge news for those who have been watching the company’s progress in Europe for years and have watched it move stateside. Continue reading...

Credit: Fairphone

Plex is still trying to fix its Roku app

Plex’s redesigned app finally appeared on Roku TVs and streaming boxes a few months ago, and it didn’t go over well with many people. Thankfully, the app is getting a few more changes to accommodate feedback. Continue reading...

Don’t update your encrypted Windows PC unless you know your BitLocker password

Drive encryption on Windows is still technically a “business” feature, but if you have Windows 11 Pro, you can fully encrypt your drive using BitLocker. Your TPM is supposed to handle the decryption process on every reboot, which can led to you just forgetting to take care of your keys. Which is a problem if you download the latest Windows update. Continue reading...

This new PC case from Cooler Master looks like a Mac Pro

Cooler Master has revealed a new PC case with an adaptable design and two color options, and it might look familiar to anyone who has seen Apple’s Mac Pro desktop. Meet the Cooler Master Qube 540. Continue reading...

Credit: Cooler Master

This new Steam Deck update solves its biggest download headache

Valve has just released a major upgrade for the Steam Deck that should make it much easier to download games and updates. The device now has a new display-off low-power mode that lets the handheld complete all active downloads before automatically going to sleep. Continue reading...

Credit: Valve

WhatsApp finally has a real Apple Watch app

WhatsApp is releasing a dedicated, full-featured app for the Apple Watch. This app will not be just another notification sender; it will connect with your WhatsApp and let you use features without needing to switch back to your iPhone. Continue reading...

Credit: Meta

Motorola’s latest Moto G phones start at only $170

Motorola might catch more headlines for its Razr foldables, but the company also makes some of the best budget phones on the market. If you’re trying to save a buck, you don’t want to sacrifice too much, and Motorola is once again stepping up to the plate with the dependable Moto G and Moto G Play series. Continue reading...

Credit: Motorola

Not a fan of systemd? This alternative init Linux distro just got a big update

Devuan, a Linux distribution with a goal of offering a reliable alternative to Debian Linux without systemd, announced this week a major point release. Devuan 6.0 is here with several improvements, including a new kernel, a package manager upgrade, and more. Continue reading...

It’s not just you: users are getting false Windows 10 “end-of-support” messages after ESU

Windows 10 has died—unless you got an ESU extending updates until next year, you shouldn’t be getting them anymore. This makes it all the more confusing that Windows 10 users are seeing out-of-support messages, even when having a valid ESU license. Continue reading...

Apple’s redesigned web App Store is still useless to me

For years, the “web App Store” really only provided a way to view individual listings for apps on iOS, macOS, or other Apple operating systems. It just got a lot more useful, though in my opinion, it still falls short. Continue reading...

Microsoft Edge just fixed a big passkey problem

Microsoft Edge has finally released passkey saving and syncing across Windows desktop devices using the Microsoft Password Manager. This fixed a major hurdle in the shift away from traditional passwords because things were complicated before. Continue reading...

EcoFlow power stations keep breaking from software bugs

EcoFlow’s power stations are a popular choice for anyone interested in battery backups and solar charging. However, the company has faced several technical issues lately that break core features, which is a problem for products purchased primarily as backups. Continue reading...

Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek

MSI made a Raspberry Pi-like PC with Intel x86 processors

MSI has released a single-board computer powered by Intel Alder lake, Amston Lake, or Twin Lake x86 processors, in a similar form factor as a Raspberry Pi. It’s intended for “deployment in extreme environments and industrial use cases.” Continue reading...

Credit: Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek / MSI

Chaotic-AUR is trying to fight Arch Linux malware

After a rash of malware in the Arch User Repository (AUR), one AUR packaging system, Chaotic-AUR, is in response taking steps to increase trust and reduce chances of malicious software reaching Arch Linux folks. Based on this system, certain package updates will get flagged for human review before being released to the public. Continue reading...

LineageOS just arrived on this Android flagship phone

The OnePlus 13 now officially supports LineageOS 23. This gives OnePlus 13 users a great way to move beyond the standard OxygenOS software. This is huge news for anyone who loves the hardware OnePlus packs into its devices but wants a cleaner, more stock Android feel. Continue reading...

Credit: Justin Duino / How-To Geek

Logitech’s new mechanical keyboard absorbs vibrations

Logitech just announced the Alto Keys K98M, a new wireless mechanical keyboard. This keyboard combines a compact design with features like a unique gasket mount and hot-swappable switches, and you can expect it to already be shipping. Continue reading...

Credit: Logitech

Task Manager Is Cloning Itself on Windows 11

The Task Manager is an integral part of the Windows operating system. It is used to manage your startup apps, check what is hogging system resources, and perhaps most commonly, end programs that are malfunctioning. But what happens when even Task Manager malfunctions? Continue reading...

GitHub Is Making Open-Source Projects More Secure

Open-source projects are a critical part of every operating system out there, and plenty of software is either open-source or relies on open-source projects to work. But what happens when those projects are compromised by a malicious actor? GitHub is taking steps to prevent just that. Continue reading...

Windows 11 Is Getting a Big Bluetooth Upgrade

Microsoft has tested Bluetooth shared audio in Windows 11 for a while, allowing multiple people to listen to a PC with their own pairs of Bluetooth headphones. The feature is now rolling out more widely, but there are still some catches. Continue reading...

The Other Stuff

Mastodon didn’t turn into the next big social media platform, but it’s still churning along with new updates and a steady base of active users, and Mastodon 4.5 was just released earlier this week. It finally adds real support for quote posts (“quote tweets” in old Twitter terminology), with the ability for users to limit and disable the feature if needed. It also does a better job of showing replies from all servers under a given post.

In Linux news, a code change to remove X11 support from GNOME’s Mutter compositor was just merged. That confirms future releases of GNOME Shell and other related software will only support Wayland.