If one thing's certain about AI, it's that it's made it easier than ever to produce professional-looking content – but it's just as easy to create poor-quality content, and Adobe itself will tell you that.

That's why the company argues that, despite initial concerns about AI threatening the roles of creative professionals, human expertise is actually becoming more valuable.

Speaking to the media in a fireside Q&A at its annual Adobe Max conference, company Product Marketing VP Deepa Subramaniam and Creative VP Resh Sidhu offered fresh perspectives on how judgment, ideas and creative direction are shining through.

They argued that while AI can help users generate content at a much faster speed, it can't necessarily take the creative direction decision. While the company was keen to push trust and precision as two themes at this year's sessions, serving its tools as ideation platforms was also a clear emphasis.

More quantity can actually be helpful to businesses looking to stand out

"Speed is a capability, it's not a creative strategy," Sidhu affirmed, calling for humans to add elements of taste, craft and judgement. "You can create a thousand options of something – you still need someone to decide that's the thing that's worth making."

The belief is largely that more non-designers can become designers – for example, writers will be able to visualize their concepts without having to learn specific apps or wait for colleagues to assist them.

By throwing more perspectives into the pot, it also means companies can have access to more ideas and, according to Adobe, separate out more high-quality content from average content.

Subramaniam also hinted at the traditionally steep learning curve associated with its flagship apps, noting that someone highly skilled in Photoshop might previously have struggled to produce motion graphics in After Effects without investing considerable learning time or enlisting a trained colleague.

But even as the technical barriers associated with producing content continue to fall, the company believes expertise could become an even more important differentiator among creators.

In short, while AI is undoubtedly shifting something, it's not the importance of human skills. We're in the midst of a transition where AI is both making specialist capabilities more accessible, but it's also highlighting the importance of human expertise and judgment.

The VPs both summarized by agreeing that producing more content doesn't necessarily mean producing better work, positioning AI as an enabler but not a replacer.

Software is evolving – new doors are opening up to give users access to vendors' tools without necessarily having to interact with the conventional software at all, but Adobe still believes traditional software interfaces still have a future.

We've spent the last couple of decades building a habit of opening a specific app to complete our desired task, but as expectations have grown, so has application complexity – Adobe's software has long been associated with creative professionals, but its apps have often been daunting for more casual users.

From the outside, Adobe looks to be one of the earlier companies actively exploring this shift with a clear willingness to open itself up to agentic AI and MCP. But while the company is heading in a direction of conversational interfaces, it's not leaving its traditional software routes behind.

Do creative pros still need the full app experience?

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar Pro at Adobe Max, Senior Product Director for Adobe Agentic Zorana Gee explained that while emerging AI tools is making the company's tools more accessible to more users, creators will still need different levels of control depending on what they're trying to achieve.

"I think it depends on who you talk to," Gee said when asked whether software is becoming less of a UI-centric destination and more of an invisible layer. "We see people who are still really wanting knobs and controls to change things."

But at the other end of the spectrum, other users might not have the time or expertise to learn complicated applications, so describing what they need and making less advanced changes might suffice.

Adobe wants its tools to meet you wherever you're working

During a separate fireside chat with the media, Product Marketing VP Deepa Subramaniam explained how the company is increasingly separating its capabilities from the interfaces traditionally used to access them. For many users now, the first point of entry has become their chosen chatbot or AI agents.

From there, users can choose to move into one of the Creative Cloud apps, where Adobe's own Creative Agent can help bridge some of the learning gaps typically involved by offering a more conversational interface.

But rather than forcing users to adopt Adobe's own AI assistant, the company is ready to open the doors and allow new ways of working, like AI agents, to be the point of interaction with its tools.

"We're breaking down silos and walls in terms of domain expertise and domain opportunities, and that's happening all the way to the core of how we build products," Gee added.

For Adobe, that represents a significant change from the traditional software model, but it's already a familiar conversation that we're having away from software. Countless studies have already pointed toward companies having to redefine a new way of working rather than plastering AI on top of existing processes, and Adobe's readiness to reconsider its longstanding software strategy is an extension of this.

Software isn't becoming less relevant

The prospect of controlling apps through natural language is becoming more of a reality, and barriers to entry are already being broken, but Gee was cautious about suggesting that those will totally replace traditional software.

"Being more descriptive and being able to articulate verbally the things that you want is definitely a reality," she said, stressing that the transition from traditional input to conversational won't stop at 100% – it'll likely stop much sooner, at a point where both types of input can coexist.

"Will it be 100%? I think it's unlikely or maybe it's a slow progression."

"Words are hard, communication is hard," she said, and that's an important distinction for pros. For example, a photographer adjusting a particular aspect of an image might want to make a precise fine-tune change that a text prompt could misinterpret or overestimate.

Gee also admitted that Adobe is still working out how far its integrations and evolutions should go, and that it's navigating these changes through experimentation together with a community of customers who are helping to shape tools based on what really works.

Is Adobe using Firefly as the front for its evolving software strategy?

Adobe's flagship apps are highly capable, but that's led to the steep learning curve often associated with apps like Photoshop and Premiere. Firefly serves as a different starting point, shoehorning some of the most in-demand tools and controls across many of the Creative Cloud apps into an AI-first interface.

Even pros at the top of their game may struggle to work across disciplines – Gee gave an example of a highly-skilled Photoshop user wanting (and struggling) to use motion graphic tools in After Effects.

All in all, Gee sees AI-assisted design as both "lowering the floor and raising the ceiling at the same time."

But finding a simple way to integrate AI can be complex – I wanted to know how users can make the best model choice when they're faced with so many options. Firefly supports multiple models from different vendors (the company just announced a deeper collaboration with Google to make Gemini Omni, Veo and Nano Banana more widely available in its apps), but expecting every end user to understand the pros and cons of each and make a selection defeats the purpose of adding AI in the first place.

It's another area where Adobe's desire to add precision, control and simplicity in one hit is clear. "The agent will always help if they understand the intent," Gee said, but if users have a preference, they can still opt for one that suits their budget or output needs.

"We like transparency, but we also like control," Gee added.

Where does this leave the software industry?

It's clear that AI's enabling Adobe to accommodate a wider range of users, including many who will have previously been turned about by the complexity of its advanced tools.

And that's probably the essence of it – software vendors are having to become less prescriptive about how people interact with their tools, while AI creates new entry points for new demographics of users.

In some ways, it feels like the Firefly environment is being used as an experiment for the company to determine, together with its users, what the next chapter of software looks like.

But while AI agents become increasingly capable of navigating software on our behalves, and vendors start putting these tools closer to our agents, it doesn't mean we're set to see the end of software. For Adobe, it's about a future where opening an app is a choice rather than a necessity, and the next challenge lies in making its tools accessible through as many doors as possible without compromising on the depth and precision that made them what they are in the first place.

• A new Windows 11 update has arrived
• It brings forth some great features such as right-click menu customization, faster resumes for laptops, and a speed boost for Edge
• A security feature being enabled has proved more divisive, though, as memory integrity protection can slow down gaming frame rates in some scenarios – but there's a reason Microsoft is force enabling this

Windows 11 has a new update which packs quite a number of features, but also what some gamers regard as a bit of a sting in the tail.

The best news about the November update is that it introduces a capability that a whole lot of Windows 11 users have wanted since launch (myself included), namely the choice to fully customize the right-click menu (and streamline it).

As for the more controversial addition, that's a security feature Microsoft has decided to roll out to all PCs which can have a negative impact on gaming frame rates in certain circumstances. I'll look at that move last, but before that, I'm going to list the main goodies that you can expect with the November update (as previously detailed in the preview patch from last month).

Note that many of these features are on a gradual rollout, meaning that you won't necessarily get them immediately (although you might), and I'll indicate where this is the case.

1. Right-click menu customization

It's finally arrived – you can now pick and choose what you'd like to see in the right-click menu, which contains context-sensitive options for the files or folders you've selected. Don't want it to be chock-full of nonsense that you never use? Then get the virtual shears out and prune away those unwanted options.

I say this has arrived, but it's one of those pieces of functionality that's on a gradual rollout, so you may have to be patient. Rest assured it's inbound, and hopefully not one of those features that's on a glacial timeframe with its deployment – given how keenly this is sought after, I'd hope that isn't the case.

As well as fully tailoring the context menu to your needs, you can switch the layout so you don't have the top panel present (with cut, rename and so forth), and the right-click menu opens much more swiftly too. This is the change I'll be grabbing the November update for.

2. Edge gets turbocharged

Microsoft Edge now loads a lot faster if there's already one instance of the web browser running. In other words, the first app launch will be 'cold' and at the normal speed, but whenever you fire up Edge after that it'll appear a good deal more swiftly.

This is a major boon for those who use Edge, but the good news is that Microsoft is planning to allow the use of this speed-up trick with other apps in the future. With the ability being realized pretty swiftly for Edge, hopefully we'll see the benefits elsewhere before too long. This is one feature that's immediately deployed for everyone, so Edge users have an extra incentive to download the November update.

3. Faster resumes from standby

Microsoft has changed the adaptive hibernate policy with this update, so it'll provide a faster resume from Modern Standby when your battery level is nice and high (above 80%). In other words, laptop users will find resumes happening much more swiftly when they lift that lid. This functionality is arriving on a gradual rollout.

4. Better PC recovery options

This update has also brought in a new PC recovery option called Cloud Rebuild for those unfortunate occasions when your system crashes and burns. This allows you to reinstall Windows 11 without having a system image on a USB stick – instead you can use a Windows image and the correct device drivers downloaded via Windows Update.

A separate tweak allows for the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to automatically reuse the Wi-Fi settings you have saved in Windows 11, allowing the PC to go online automatically to fire up a Cloud Rebuild (or indeed another recovery process). Again, these abilities are on a gradual rollout.

The controversial move: memory integrity protection

As Microsoft explains in the release notes: "This update expands memory integrity protection across eligible devices. Supported PCs may now have memory integrity (HVCI) enabled during updates to help improve security and prepare devices for advanced Windows security features, while respecting existing user or IT administrator choices."

Up until now, Microsoft has recommended the use of memory integrity protection to bolster the security of PCs, but has only enabled it for new Windows 11 machines (or new installs of the OS). What's happening here is that existing Windows 11 PCs are getting the feature switched on by this update (or at least eligible computers are, which will be most PCs, unless they're really old).

In short, if you don't have memory integrity turned on (or indeed if you've never heard of it), you'll find it being enabled by the November update (although maybe not straight away, as this is another capability on a gradual rollout path).

The issue here is that in the past, gamers have found that memory integrity can be a drag on frame rates, knocking them down somewhat. Not necessarily in a major way, but perhaps to the tune of 5% slower, or maybe 10% – as ever, there'll be different levels of impact depending on your PC's hardware configuration.

There are some key points to know about here, though. Firstly, older PCs with processors from a few generations back are more likely to witness any slowdown here. A cutting-edge CPU won't even feel the effects of memory integrity being turned on, at least going by reports.

The trouble with keeping this feature off for many Windows 11 users is that we're heading into a more dangerous security landscape where AI is helping to drive more perilous threats, and you've got to remember there's a reason why Microsoft has instigated this as a counter-measure going forward. Meaning it doesn't feel like a very sensible idea to disable this, and while some gamers may be annoyed at the forced rollout of this feature, it's probably for the best on balance.

Of course, you can always turn it off after the November update switches memory integrity on. And the compromise approach for unhappy gamers with somewhat older systems which are affected – and it's worth benchmarking and checking the extent of any slowdown – is to keep memory integrity on, but just disable it for a gaming session (and re-enable the option afterwards). That may be rather inconvenient, but obviously not as inconvenient as falling prey to having your PC compromised.

• Firefly is nearly as easy as a chatbot to use, but it won't go rogue on your edits
• Quick Actions are packaged one-click processes that would otherwise have taken you ages
• You can even prototype a website in Firefly Builder – but it's not for fully-fledged published sites

Adobe has announced sweeping updates to its Firefly environment at its annual Max conference, positioning it as an easy-access starting point for many of the most common creative tasks so that users don't need to open one of Creative Cloud's flagship apps (and deal with the steep learning curve typically associated with them).

It starts with an update to Firefly Image, where precision was clearly the name of the game during the first keynote of the event.

Users can now edit specific objects within images, tweak text, adjust lighting and refine other details on a more detailed level, with the company seemingly throwing shade at more generic AI chatbots which have long been criticized for making unsolicited changes to other parts of the image.

Firefly is quickly becoming a hero product for Adobe

Some of the tools, we've already seen before. Last year at Adobe Max, the company's annual Sneaks session previewed some internal projects staffers had been working on, like Project Light Touch. While the company hasn't confirmed what we're seeing now is an iteration of those projects, it certainly stacks up that they could have at least led into what we see today.

New Quick Actions also land in Firefly, packaging up multi-step processes from its hero apps into one-tap workflows in Firefly. Generating thumbnails suitable for different social media aspect ratios in one hit will likely gown down a treat, but Adobe's also promising to include trend-focused actions in its gallery to keep up with the times.

"We built Firefly to be the AI creative studio where it comes together: the best models, the tools creators already trust and an agent that acts as a creative partner," Firefly and Agentic AI VP Forest Key noted.

As part of its ongoing expansion, Firefly's also pushing beyond image and video editing to websites, with the private beta launch of Firefly Builder, designed to help users prototype websites without any coding. Though crucially, it looks to be a prototyping tool for now rather than a full fledged website builder.

As is tradition, Adobe is also set to host another session of Sneaks at Max 2026, where we look forward to previewing other features that could land in Firefly and the Creative Cloud suite later on.

• Adobe leverages Google partnership to integrate Gemini Omni, Veo and Nano Banana into Creative Cloud apps
• Acrobat will also be embedded inside Google Workspace and Gemini for easier PDF handling
• Google DeepMind is also working with Adobe to make GenAI editing near-instant

Adobe has revealed how its relationship with Google will go even deeper in a two-way exchange, with Adobe tools set to become more readily available inside Google's products like Google Workspace and Gemini, and the latest Google models appearing across more Adobe apps.

The company boasted of its now more than 1 billion monthly active users, sharing an overall objective to make the administrative part of creative work less time-consuming by reducing the number of interfaces users need to switch between.

Core to the collaboration are Google's Gemini Omni, Veo and Nano Banana models, which will become deeply integrated within Firefly, Photoshop, Premiere and Adobe Express.

Google and Adobe could be the only creative suites you need

But the event's biggest message this year has focused on improving access to Adobe's tools and meeting creatives wherever they are. With that in mind, Adobe Acrobat will become more integrated into the Google Workspace and Gmail experience so that users don't need to download files and re-open them through Adobe's interface.

The company says 400 billion PDFs are opened using Acrobat annually, quantifying the scale of this collaboration between two major productivity software vendors.

By far the biggest real-world impact will come from the collaboration between Adobe and Google DeepMind, which starts with Photoshop. Described as an exploratory effort between the two companies, the two are targeting near-real-time edits to reduce the disruption typically associated with handing over parts of the workflow to AI.

"By further connecting our respective platforms, we are giving creators and enterprise teams a powerful, integrated environment to turn their ideas into high-impact content," Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian wrote.

• Adobe wants creatives to stand out for their uniqueness, so AI will handle the rest
• Third-party AI agents can connect to major CC apps to handle admin work
• Apps like Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere are also gaining new AI tools

Adobe has revealed plans to expand its Creative Agent across more of its flagship Creative Cloud applications, including Premiere, Lightroom and InDesign, in a bid to give AI more autonomy to handle the less creative side of creative work.

Unlike generative AI, which acts upon single prompts, AI agents can handle longer and more complex, multi-step processes.

The company positions the use of AI as putting creatives in the director's chair, enabling them to offload tasks that aren't really part of the creative workflow to AI agents to free them up more time to focus on the truly creative elements of their jobs.

Adobe's rolling out AI agent access to more apps

"The ideas, taste, style and vision that creative professionals bring to their work are what make their work stand out," Adobe Product Marketing VP Deepa Subramaniam stressed.

Importantly, using AI agents doesn't make a creative's work less human. Some common use cases include applying effects across multiple clips, tracking masked subjects and adjusting colours and exposures in Premiere.

Together with the expanded rollout, Adobe is also opening up the doors to third-party AI agents via MCP, starting with its most popular apps – Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and After Effects.

Granting permission to third-party agents to directly work within these apps means users won't have to handle exports and jumping between multiple tools, but it also means things like Photoshop layers and Illustrator vectors will still be preserved.

On-stage at the conference, Anil Chakravarthy, who is set to become Adobe's CEO effective from December 1 2026, demonstrated a third-party AI agent turning a long-form podcast into multiple social media snippets – a demo that was met with much excitement and applause from the thousands of attendees on the ground.

Besides the more autonomous side of AI, Adobe hasn't completely ditched generative AI, which still plays a major part in creative workflows. Photoshop will be gaining new tools to add or adjust lighting within an existing photo. Generative restyle will also turn natural language prompts into adjustable sliders, helping to remove the traditionally steep learning curve often associated with Photoshop.

Premiere also gains new GenAI upgrades, like audio enhancement tools and a generative remove functionality for removing unwanted objects from a series of video frames, while Lightroom sees additions like blemish removal and a tool to artificially open a subject's eyes – perfect for group photos where creatives would already be handling many other variables.

While some general Creative Cloud features are now generally available, some more advanced tools like Lightroom Open Eyes and Premiere Generative Remove remain in beta.

• Microsoft has a patent for a system which uses your spare GPU resources to train AI
• The graphics card would process micro-tasks in combination with other PCs
• You'd be paid some kind of reward for this, but there are issues, and many doubts and concerns, around how such a scheme would work

Microsoft has been granted a patent for a system whereby it could use the GPU in your PC to train its AI (given your consent, naturally), paying you in some way for the privilege.

German site PC Games Hardware noticed the Microsoft patent (via VideoCardz) which was originally flagged by Patentlyze, and is for an 'Opportunistic Micro-training on Edge Devices Using Spare GPU Utilization'. Which is technobabble for using your spare graphics card resources to run parts of AI training routines.

Microsoft has gaming PCs in mind here – given that they can run powerful GPUs, and when sat at the desktop in Windows 11, those graphics cards are doing very little – but the system could work with any device in theory.

As detailed by the patent, AI training tasks would be splint into small elements (or micro-tasks) which would be distributed across various participating PCs, and the results tied back together after those individual jobs had been completed. Various checks would be in place to detect errors or results that had been manipulated.

Any given micro-task would be appropriately assigned to a PC with a matching amount of spare GPU and system resources, as the patent states: "The system monitors end devices to detect available computing capacity and breaks down training tasks into independently trainable subtasks."

As to what payment you might receive for giving Microsoft the benefit of using your PC, that isn't made clear as you might expect, but there would be some reward – either a direct payment, or perhaps some form of credits.

Of course, there are already similar ideas out in there in the computing world, such as Folding@home whereby your PC contributes to medical research (and SETI@home before that).

Analysis: AI@home4Microsoft

There are a lot of issues with this plan, if Microsoft was ever to attempt to go ahead with it. For starters, I think the payment would have to be clearly worthwhile considering what you're giving Microsoft here – I'm not sure credits, or, say, Microsoft Rewards Points (to pluck a speculative example out of thin air) are going to cut it.

As we're looking at the future, Microsoft may well be thinking of credits for using AI (when it inevitably becomes pricier for everyone), but there's a degree of risk in this process which a lot of folks are already finding very off-putting or alarming. (Even though, as noted, this is just a concept, and nothing's happening with it – at least not yet).

That includes concerns around giving Microsoft the ability to monitor your system beyond Windows 11's standard telemetry and into deeper territory to ascertain what your GPU is up to and further data on system load.

The second potential stumbling block is that the AI training system would supposedly limit RAM usage, and ensure a GPU isn't overheating due to the load it's being put under – but do Windows 11 users trust Microsoft to do that reliably? Given the bugs in its operating system, I think there'd be more than a few worries about this side of the equation going awry. Cue posts on Reddit about 'Microsoft burnt out my graphics card' and so on. Doubtless something like game stuttering might be blamed on this tech, too (when it could be related to another entirely different problem – like a recent Windows 11 update, ahem).

There's also the cost of the power to ramp up the GPU, and whether that does actually balance out with whatever reward the user is being paid (which, as noted, we don't have a clue about yet). And finally, there's the wear-and-tear on your GPU, because with the card being used a lot more – and possibly being pushed more consistently – it won't offer nearly the same level of longevity as it would otherwise.

It feels like a seething nest of potential problems to me, and I'm skeptical Microsoft would ever move forward with such a scheme given that. Still, it is clearly an idea the company is mulling, so we shall see if we hear anything more about this in the future.

The idea is already sparking bad feelings on Reddit, with some folks having trust issues that it isn't a signal of Microsoft's broader intention to sneak in some kind of AI training routines with its hardware.

As this cynical Redditor said: "Oh great, SETI for AI training: 1. This is probably gonna happen on idle Xboxes whether you want it to or not. 2. They won't give you Battlepass for free or anything fun."

Another Redditor declared: "That'll definitely finally bring in the year of the Linux desktop."

To be fair, not everyone is so skeptical, and this commenter observed: "Honestly if it pays more than the electricity costs it could be a win."

Those who are more positive are the minority, though, and they are very much stressing that Microsoft would need to compensate PC owners well enough.

• Windows 11 is getting two further sizeable changes with the interface
• One involves the introduction of an App Updates panel in Settings to help manage third-party software updates more effectively
• The other is an integration of Copilot AI functionality in the taskbar's search box, although this will be an opt-in only feature – however, some users remain cynical about Microsoft's motives here

Microsoft has already made some major changes to Windows 11's interface, and a couple more are now in the pipeline – a hub for managing app updates in Settings, and a more divisive change to bring Copilot functionality to the search box in the taskbar.

First off, the less controversial idea that's apparently being mulled. As discovered by Windows Latest, this is an App Updates panel which is in a recent preview build of the OS (and has been present in testing in the past, it should be noted).

This is in Settings and consists of a hub where third-party apps in Windows 11 can be managed, and you can see what needs updating at a glance – rather than getting individual notifications from apps bugging you at random times, or an update only being actioned when you open the software. (The problem in the latter case being that if you don't use something for ages, you might miss a crucial security fix for an app, leaving your system potentially vulnerable).

Essentially, this is about giving third-party apps the same level of support as software from the Microsoft Store in terms of staying on top of updates, and it's a useful piece of functionality.

If it makes the cut for the release version of Windows 11, that is, and note that developers need to register their app for inclusion – with no software having done so as yet (so this is still relatively early testing).

The other interface introduction that's inbound for Windows 11 as flagged by Windows Central is part of the major revamp for Windows search, and it brings Copilot into the mix. Specifically, Microsoft is going to integrate Copilot functionality with search – but only for those who want it present.

In other words, it will be off by default, and you will need to actively turn on the option to have Copilot AI functionality in the search box.

Windows Central highlighted a Microsoft blog post on 'hybrid intelligence' from last month which explained that: "We will also begin adding the option to integrate the new Copilot with Search on the taskbar, so you can get quick answers inline from Search, and if you want to have a richer conversation, you can jump from Search directly to the full Copilot app. This experience will be opt-in, and will first start rolling out to select markets later this year."

Analysis: Ask Copilot returns – but there are doubters as to Microsoft's intentions here

This Copilot experience rollout could start soon, then, and it will likely be very similar to the 'Ask Copilot' functionality that Microsoft has played around with in testing in the past, effectively acting as a replacement for the search box. Evidently, that felt like too radical a move – it was also an opt-in feature, mind, it's worth noting – so with the new tack, the search box remains, but Copilot can optionally be integrated.

Obviously, the Ask Copilot concept was a very visible addition of AI, and this way, Microsoft is keeping it a lot more low-profile. That's a sensible approach, of course, given that the company has previously promised to cut back on AI clutter in Windows 11 as part of the broad drive to fix the OS which has been happening throughout this year.

While the App Updates panel is certainly a welcome move, this Copilot integration has proved divisive. On the one hand, there's a good deal of predictably negative feeling towards any AI addition for Windows 11, even one that is opt-in only.

Part of the reasoning here is that people are generally suspicious of Microsoft's motives and what'll happen in the future. In other words, a feature gets introduced as opt-in only, but later becomes the default (requiring opting out) – and finally it's baked in as a concrete part of the interface (with no option toggle at all). Despite the 'fix Windows 11' initiative and that whole new leaf which is a genuine effort to improve the OS across many fronts, trust in Microsoft is so low with some folks that they can't help but think the worst of the company.

One Redditor warns: "Opt-in always becomes 'opt-out' later. Be wary of this folks. New search UI looks less trash than the old one though."

Another agrees: "Yup they love to make things mandatory after no one uses a feature."

On the other side of the fence, there are those who are pleased that Microsoft has taken the opt-in route with this functionality.

Another Redditor posts: "Microsoft letting consumers pick if they want Copilot or not is inspiring. Take note of this Apple, and let users delete Apple Intelligence models natively."

Personally, taking into account all the good work that has been done with Windows 11 this year, I think we need to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt here – especially given those promises about not pushing AI features unduly in Windows 11.

That said, longer-term, who knows where Windows 11 is going with AI agents, and I don't for a minute believe that AI isn't the future of Microsoft's desktop OS – or at least that remains the current thinking of the execs, anyway.

• Adobe for Startups enables new companies founded within the last five years to get its products for free
• Eligible companies will get 12 months of free access to Adobe’s AI-heavy tools
• Firefly Pro Plus, Acrobat Studio, and Semrush are available with the offer

Adobe is launching a new free suite of tools for new businesses, aiming to deliver easy solutions to founders that won’t break their startup budget.

Adobe for Startups will be open to eligible companies founded in the past five years, who will be able to use Firefly Pro Plus, Acrobat Studio including Adobe Express Premium, and Semrush completely free for 12 months.

Marketing the incentive as a way to build branding as early as possible, Adobe is inviting any business founded within the past five years and with under $15 million in funding to apply.

Creation, productivity, marketing

Approved applications to Adobe for Startups will get Adobe Firefly Pro Plus, its all-in-one creative AI studio, which lets you ideate into images, video, and audio. With Acrobat Studio, AI Assistant and Adobe Express Premium are provided for easy content creation and publishing.

Meanwhile, Semrush gives you access to search intelligence and marketing options, illustrating how you business is found online and how it can be optimized.

While program terms and criteria may differ depending on business location, Adobe for Startups offers a useful software platform for growth – and it will help ensure that startups are looking at Adobe's creative AI offering rather than those of competitors like Canva.

• Windows 11 27H2 is underway and will be a "full OS swap" according to anonymous sources
• Microsoft will stop short of launching it as Windows 12 (but the report doesn't fully rule that idea out)
• Testing will begin a lot earlier with 27H2 next year, compared to the typical June timeframe when Microsoft kicked off previews with 26H2 and 25H2

The next major version of Windows 11 arriving next year will pack some big changes, and what will theoretically be the 27H2 update is set to be very different from the last couple of annual updates for Microsoft's OS, which have been very minor affairs.

The Verge reports that the usual anonymous sources claim that Microsoft is already preparing Windows 11 27H2, and it will be a "full OS swap" with significant upgrades in the same vein as the last major update for the operating system, which debuted in 2024 (and ushered in a new underlying platform for Windows 11).

We're told that there will be a "big focus on quality" with 27H2, and that despite what'll evidently be some sizeable changes, it won't be released as Windows 12.

To mark the big change, we'll be treated to a new default Windows 11 wallpaper (try to contain your excitement), moving away from the 'Bloom' background which has been in place since the OS first launched. Presumably the sequel won't be 'Wilt'. In all seriousness, The Verge shares a design, and the new take is in a similar vein, with blue ribbons amidst wispy clouds. (A hint of the future direction of Windows for consumers, perhaps?).

Microsoft also intends to start testing 27H2 a lot earlier than with the previous two annual releases, which of course only makes sense as with more work involved, it'll require more extensive vetting. Windows Insiders (testers) will get their hands on the first 27H2 build considerably earlier than June, which was when Microsoft kicked off testing with 26H2 and 25H2.

It's also worth noting that in theory, the foundations of 27H2 were laid right back at the start of the year, in moves which already suggested that it's a hefty piece of work.

Analysis: something still bugs me

The Verge report labels next year's big update as Windows 11 27H2, but doesn't completely rule out the idea that Microsoft might still consider a switch to call it Windows 12. It sounds like the naming hasn't been quite finalized at this point.

However, it doesn't seem likely, and going for Windows 12 would be too bold a move, I think, as Microsoft really needs to be seen to 'fix Windows 11' as it has promised before looking at the next-gen platform. I don't think the fixing work is nearly done at this point, although Microsoft has made a lot of commendable progress over the course of this year.

Yes, I'm going to bring up the subject of quality assurance (QA) once again, and regular readers of TechRadar will likely recall that I've gone on about this throughout 2026. It's especially relevant if 27H2 is going to be a big update, and you cast your mind back to remember what happened with the last major annual release.

I doubt you'd forget the 24H2 update because it was one of the worst Windows releases I can ever recall for bugginess. There were lots of significant changes – which, as already mentioned, included Germanium, a fresh underlying platform for the OS – and a nightmarish slew of bugs crept in as a result.

This absolutely must not happen with the 27H2 update. Microsoft is trying to reinvent Windows 11, and the reputation of the OS therein, so it's critical to ensure that it doesn't send users trudging into a quagmire of glitches and uncertainty, repeating the miserable march that 24H2 became.

Sadly, I think there's a clear danger that this scenario could come to pass. I still think Microsoft needs to revamp its QA and general testing processes, because even with breaking down Windows 11's feature additions into smaller, more drip-fed chunks, allowing for simple minor annual updates as has been the case in 2025 and 2026, we've still witnessed too much in the way of bugginess.

Stamping all this out should be a key part of the formula to fix Windows 11, alongside performance boosting and memory optimization, as Microsoft moves towards 27H2. It mystifies me that it isn't – and I presume that's the case because there's been no mention of changing QA procedures from Microsoft (only talk of consulting testers more regarding how to change Windows 11 – though of course that's still a great move in itself).

So, Microsoft, if 27H2 is going to be a big update, don't make it a perilous one – get your testing house in order. I do wonder if the hope is that AI advances are going to come to the rescue here, in which case, we could be looking at something doubly perilous, but hey – at least tell us you have a plan to fight back against the bugs, Microsoft. Don't you?

• The UK is the latest country to consider restricting the use and sale of smart glasses
• Safeguarding minister Satvir Kaur said "the government is looking into options to restrict smart glasses in certain settings and restricting the sale to certain users"
• During a debate around the technology, concerns were raised around the discreet filming of women and girls

As the adoption of smart glasses increases across the world, so too have restrictions and bans on the technology from businesses and governments alike. Australia has banned the tech in public spaces such as pools, gyms and government buildings, and now the UK government is also considering implementing restrictions.

The devices have become unpopular in many circles, even earning the nickname 'pervert glasses' after some men began using them to secretly film women and girls, then posting the captured videos online. Some private businesses, such as the Wetherspoons British bar chain, have also banned the use of the devices.

In a debate at Westminster Hall titled 'Smart glasses and violence against women and girls', UK safeguarding minister Satvir Kaur said (as reported by The Guardian): “the benefits of smart glasses must be weighed against the harms they can cause. The government is already looking into options to restrict smart glasses in certain settings and restricting the sale to certain users.”

This might be similar to Australia's ban on the technology being used in public spaces. Kaur also highlighted that “other settings, such as healthcare and education, have existing safeguarding or professional policies that are relevant to smart glasses and any kind of digital recording." Kaur seemed to be hinting that where limitations on recording on smartphones already exist, this would extend to smart glasses and similar tech, but we could also see wider smart glasses-specific rules in future.

Anna Sabine, the Liberal Democrat MP who opened the debate, reportedly said: “Women are reporting waking up after nights out to find videos of themselves have gone viral online, filmed without their knowledge or consent by men wearing smart glasses... these devices not only have the potential to erode safety and privacy in public spaces, but raise really important questions about consent.”

Analysis: More restrictions will surely follow

Kaur did also highlight the useful aspect of smart glasses, such as helping visually or hearing-impaired people understand their surroundings. For those people, she said "smart glasses have been a game-changer, helping them navigate the world around them.”

Our writer Kevin Lynch, who has a hearing impairment, reviewed the Nuance Audio smart specs equipped with directional microphones, which he said were 'genuinely impactful'. It's likely any incoming legislation would allow for this usage.

However, there's no getting around the harmful uses of smart glasses too. A secondary cottage industry of Amazon sellers hocking black stickers, sized to cover the LED recording light, or offering to drill it out entirely, has sprung up online. This is all to enable people to record footage without letting others know they're doing so.

With the invasive potential of smart glasses to target women and post the footage online, companies like Meta are left with a clear stigma they'll have to shake before smart glasses can be seen as cool.

Prosecutors in Paris have also opened probes into smart glasses-related sexual harassment offenses, according to the French national newspaper Le Monde. I predict Australia won't be the only country to adopt legislation that restricts the sale or usage of smart glasses in 2027.

Do you think smart glasses should be banned, or should we be free to record wherever we like? Have your say in our poll below.

• The ability to reposition the taskbar came to Windows 11 in September
• However, you can't drag the taskbar around as with Windows 10 — you must move it using a panel in the Settings app
• Some power-users want an option to drag it around the desktop quickly, and Microsoft has now explained why it decided against this

One of the long-awaited major Windows 11 interface changes this year has been the ability to move the taskbar.

You'll likely recall that there was quite a big fuss that this functionality, which was present in Windows 10, didn't make the cut for Windows 11. It wasn't alone, either, as there were plenty of key interface options that weren't ported over from the older operating system — many of which have since been addressed.

Windows 11 received the ability to shift the taskbar to the top, or either side, of the screen in the September 2026 update (or that was when the rollout began — everyone should have it by now, though). Before that, the taskbar was anchored steadfastly to the bottom of the desktop, and you couldn't move it anywhere.

However, Windows 11's implementation of the now mobile taskbar has still come under fire from some users. It's gotten to the point where a Microsoft exec has responded to explain the thinking behind the feature, as Windows Latest highlighted.

The beef is that while the taskbar is now movable, you can't simply drag it around the desktop. Moving the taskbar requires you to head into the Settings app, diving down a level to pick your alignment.

It's not possible to seize the taskbar with your mouse cursor and whizz it across the desktop to a new position. There are users who want the convenience of being able to do that, but Microsoft's Diego Baca, who is VP of Design for Windows, has defended the company's decision to drop this particular option for taskbar repositioning.

The danger of accidental drags

As Baca observes, this choice was made because, with Windows 10's draggable taskbar, Microsoft "saw a significant volume of accidental taskbar movements." Meaning users clicking on the bar for another reason mistakenly picked it up and shifted it elsewhere, which was obviously annoying.

The other point Baca makes — and it's a good one — is who needs to move the taskbar to different positions on the desktop with any regularity? Not many folks, but nonetheless, power-users who might do so have been arguing for the introduction of some kind of option to make the taskbar draggable in this way.

Windows Latest itself suggested a 'lock the taskbar' option (as seen in Windows 10) to ensure it couldn't be dragged mistakenly, noting that this should be on by default. But Baca argued that this isn't a good solution because it introduces more 'friction' to the Windows 11 interface. The exec noted in a post on X: "For those suggesting an 'auto-lock' or lock/unlock setting as a magic solution, it really isn't that simple. You're introducing additional friction to solve a relatively infrequent task. Now, every time you want to move the taskbar, you first need to unlock it."

It's a fair point, and the crux of the matter is that the number of Windows 11 power-users who will actually benefit from quick taskbar dragging is very few compared to the pool of massed casual users who could potentially run afoul of the feature. As this Redditor observes from their experiences with the Windows 10 taskbar: "Honestly, looking back, there were several times when older family members would ask me why theirs is on the side of their screen. People did move it accidentally."

And this was even the case when the taskbar was locked to prevent that (presumably because of more taskbar misclicking and accidentally turning the lock off). Of course, when this occurred, those less tech-savvy types had no idea what had happened, or how to rectify it. And that seems a greater danger than a lack of a draggable taskbar, based on how often that kind of movement is needed for anyone but a niche of very specific power users. In this way, the taskbar design decisions are an understandable trade-off, at least in my opinion.

I should note that Baca also makes it clear that this isn't a final decision, or the be-all-and-end-all of the debate over a draggable taskbar. Baca concludes the X post: "Please don't turn an explanation of a design decision into a declaration that something will 'NEVER' happen. That's simply not what I said."

So, there might be hope yet for those who want taskbar dragging. Indeed, I wonder if a solution that Microsoft previously tested could return, one that Windows Latest reminded us about: namely having the four taskbar position icons from Settings directly accessible via the right-click menu on the taskbar.

Third-party alternatives for taskbar dragging in Windows 11

Overall, I think Microsoft's stance here is correct on balance. So, as it stands for now, power users who want to drag the Windows 11 taskbar around with some regularity due to their workflow are left feeling out in the cold and will need to use a third-party tool to do so.

What third-party software is recommended for this use? A dedicated app called Taskbar Location Options on GitHub (hat tip to Windows Central) is a good choice, restoring the ability to drag the taskbar at any time (or use right-click menu settings directly on the bar). This tool is handy because it's a simple and lightweight effort for those who just need dragging functionality and don't want to install a full modding suite to achieve this.

There's also a mod for Windhawk, which is a popular Windows 11 customization suite you can load up with add-ons, that allows for taskbar dragging (and locking). As always, though, use any third-party software at your own risk, and remember that customization tools like these can sometimes run into trouble with Windows 11 updates.

Microsoft's patches can tinker with interface elements under the hood, and this may break any of these third-party customization utilities until the developer can patch. Power users will doubtless be more than aware of this, mind, but I figured it's worth mentioning.

• Windows 11 got a major performance boost with its latest update, including 40% faster multi-tasking on an 8GB PC based on Microsoft's testing
• That update is still a preview, mind, but the full release is coming next week, with other performance boosts, especially for 8GB PCs
• Meanwhile the developer of Tiny11 has managed to get a totally stripped-down version of Windows 11 running in an improbable 128MB of memory

Microsoft has gone into the details of how it's made Windows 11 faster on 8GB PCs (and all systems for that matter), with these changes arriving in the next update for the OS – all while a third-party has demonstrated the operating system running on a meagre 128MB of RAM (with huge caveats as you might expect).

A blog post from Pavan Davuluri, head of Windows at Microsoft, entitled 'Raising the bar for 8GB Windows 11 PCs' gives us some further metrics as to how much performance has been improved by.

Microsoft has mentioned that Windows 11 is now up to 20% more responsive on 8GB machines before, but now it's added another stat to consider, namely that the OS is 40% faster for multi-tasking (and that kind of workload is where 8GB of RAM can feel a lot more pushed to its limits).

In this case, Microsoft's test involved "opening 20 tabs in Microsoft Edge, a 4K video, large Word, PowerPoint and Excel files, Outlook and File Explorer one after another, keeping everything open as we went." This was 40% faster compared to Windows 11 in January 2026 (before the fix the OS campaign started), as measured on an HP OmniBook 3 laptop with a Snapdragon X Plus (Arm) 8-core CPU and 8GB of memory.

Davuluri explains that Microsoft's approach to upping performance in Windows 11 runs along three distinct paths: "Making better use of the memory in every Windows 11 PC, protecting the interactions that need to feel instant even under load, and ensuring key apps and Windows require less memory."

Of course, the exec points out that this work benefits all Windows 11 PCs, but that this tuning will be particularly beneficial for 8GB devices – clearly having key apps drain less system RAM is going to be great for lower memory loadouts.

Microsoft notes that in terms of memory management improvements, in multi-tasking tests on 8GB systems, it has "reduced committed-memory growth by up to 900MB" in Windows 11 running Edge and Microsoft 365 apps.

We're also told that thanks to improvements in Windows 11's compression techniques, more active data for apps can be stored in RAM (as opposed to on your drive, where it's slower to be fetched) – to the tune of up to 2GB more. Davuluri employs a useful desk metaphor to illustrate this, which I think is worth a read for the less tech-savvy.

If you want the benefit of all this fresh speediness, Microsoft informs us that this performance tuning is in place in the very latest update for Windows 11, which is the optional update that arrived at the end of October (complete with right-click menu customization).

If you download that, though, bear in mind it's a preview so officially still in testing. I'd advise waiting for the full release of the finished November update, which comes out next week on November 10, so you won't have to be patient for long.

Analysis: necessary streamlining – and it appears to have done the trick

Okay, so Microsoft is touting some very specific performance measurements here and there's bound to have been some cherry-picking going on. In other words, run a ton of different tests and pick the results that show off the very best performance levels (with a peak 'up to' value), but of course this is standard practice for any product marketing.

Still, it's clear that strides have been made, and online feedback backs this up. There are numerous users who are observing that Windows 11 is faster after this most recent update, and indeed since version 26H2 was released.

As one Redditor observes: "I can confirm it, Windows 11 has been overall much more [responsive] on my system, it used to be slow as s**t and now even the context menu opens quite instant."

Most of the negativity that now remains on social media, aside from the obvious trolling, is around why Microsoft didn't have Windows 11 tuned up like this in the first place. And that a 40% improvement in multi-tasking was partly made possible because things were in such a sluggish state to begin with, and I think those are fair points (I've brought them up myself in the past).

Still, it's clear that Microsoft is working hard and successfully optimizing Windows 11 for leaner RAM loadouts, and I obviously won't argue with that. Meanwhile, the developer of Tiny11 – which allows you to create a completely stripped-down Windows installation – has proved that Microsoft's OS can be pared back so it runs on just 128MB of RAM (hat tip to Tom's Hardware).

That beats the developer's old record of 184MB, and it's a seriously impressive feat, but as you might imagine, what's left in Windows after pruning it back so viciously is, well, barely anything. You can boot the desktop, open folders or the Start menu, and run Notepad, but not much else. It is "painfully slow" by the developer's own admission, and not a workable version of Windows 11 so much as an exercise in what can be done.

The reason that projects such as Tiny11 are popular is because many folks are fed up with the bloat in Windows 11, and want to create their own tailored and streamlined version. If Microsoft keeps going with its successful performance tweaking and tuning, with any luck, there'll be a lot less demand for the likes of Tiny11 in the future.

Microsoft is promising more memory efficiency tuning, and advances in memory compression, are coming, as well as a greater use of WinUI 3 for speedier apps and parts of the Windows 11 interface.

• Meta has announced the end of support for two of its popular VR headsets
• The devices affected are the Quest 2 and the Quest 2 Pro
• Support will be discontinued at the end of 2027

If you own a Meta Quest 2 or a Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset, we’ve got some bad news: Meta has announced it is planning to wind down support for these devices next year, leaving large numbers of users without support for their VR products.

An announcement on the Meta blog aimed at developers details how things stand for creators of apps and services made for these headsets. With the two devices “reaching the end of feature development⁠,” big changes are on the way.

For one thing, new app submissions for these devices will be closed in December 2027. For another, version 2.13 of the Quest’s operating system (due out in March 2027) will be the last one to work with these headsets. Quarterly security patches and critical bug fixes will continue “through the end of 2027,” Meta said.

Still, Meta attempted to reassure developers of apps made for these VR headsets, stating that “People on Quest 2 and Quest Pro can still find, buy, download, and play your apps.” Cross-play with Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets will continue, and developers can keep sending out updates to Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro users.

And Meta’s app store for VR headsets will continue to be available to users of these soon-to-be-discontinued devices, with the firm saying that “people keep access to everything they’ve purchased, and no apps will be removed from the Store because of this change.”

Time to upgrade?

The Quest 2 launched in 2020, making it six years old at this point. Although we scored it highly in our review, it’s since been succeeded by the Quest 3, which is our pick for the best VR headset around. Evidently, Meta feels it’s now time to retire the Quest 2 and its Quest 2 Pro sibling, with the Quest Pro line having allegedly been phased out entirely in 2024.

Meta framed the change as one that’s paving the way for its upcoming VR Glasses. The company said that the Quest 3 and Quest 3S are “the baseline for Meta VR gamers” with its VR Glasses due to bring “another leap forward” for the industry. In that world, there’s apparently no more room for the Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro.

Continuing app development for the Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro might prove to be tricky, as Meta says it will not test new operating system and SDK releases on these products. Instead, it’ll be up to developers to ensure their apps function as intended.

Meta urged developers to assess how much of their audience is using Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro devices and to consider splitting their releases to accommodate those on older headsets. If developers want to end support for these products, they should give users at least 180 days’ notice if customers could end up losing access to content or services as a result.

If you’ve got a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest 2 Pro at home, you’ll need to think about what you want to do going forward. While you should be able to continue using your headset, the lack of critical bug fixes after the end of 2027 could prove to be a problem. In that case, it might finally be time to upgrade to one of the best VR headsets to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

• Windows 11 just got a revamped internet speed test in preview
• This feature was shuttled swiftly through development using agentic AI in combination with human oversight
• Microsoft boasts that this is about: "Getting from idea to customer value faster. Without AI slop." Others are more cynical, though

Windows 11 just got a useful change in preview, with its built-in internet speed test being revamped, and the new version was produced using AI (in conjunction with human oversight, I should add).

Windows Latest spotted that Marcus Ash, Microsoft's VP of Windows Design and Research, posted on X to explain that the "team moved pretty fast on this one", adding that following feedback asking for the speed test to be improved, "within a day, Diego had a working prototype." (Diego Baca is VP of Design for Windows).

Ash tells us: "From there, our connectivity team worked with partners to bring the experience into Windows. The design and build work was driven by an agentic AI workflow, with a person guiding the process in their spare time."

The Microsoft exec further explains that this is where he sees "a lot of potential in AI" and using agentic workflows, in terms of "Getting from idea to customer value faster. Without AI slop. That is the way."

Analysis: AI, oversight, bugs, and jobs

Of course, this is a controversial topic. Mention AI being involved in the coding of Windows 11 and some tempers will flare online, even though we know this is happening anyway. Microsoft has made no secret of that fact.

Indeed, among the AI hate and flames on social media, a lot of people are point out that these days pretty much all software is being developed in conjunction with Large Language Models (LLM agents) — even Linux.

As one Redditor makes clear: "Newsflash — every single piece of software you use, except for open source projects that are making a statement, you should expect to have AI written code in it. It is pervasive, it is everywhere."

The key aspect here is exactly how the AI agent in question is employed.

It's one thing for such an agent to be given a task to write a piece of code for a certain feature, and then just to slap that into your software or operating system as it is (or maybe after a cursory glance through the work). It's another thing to have a human programmer working on a feature and using an agent to perform grunt-work (easy but perhaps time-consuming) coding therein — and then to properly check the AI's output.

Theoretically, there's nothing wrong with the latter approach, at least in terms of the soundness of the coding work. And as Microsoft's Ash points out, this is really accelerating development times — meaning Windows 11 users will get new features (hopefully capabilities they want, like this improved internet speed test) much more swiftly. Which is exactly why almost every developer is now utilizing this tech.

There are problems here, though, and they're bound up in the public perception of Microsoft. Do Windows 11 users trust the company to be using AI in the right — i.e., properly checked and vetted — way? Not really, in many cases, as there remains a lot of doubt over the overall quality of Windows 11 code, and rightly so given the regularity, and severity, of the bugs we've seen (with more prevalence since 2024, and that 24H2 update).

As another Redditor observes: "People aren't calling Windows slop because it's being made using AI these days. They're calling it slop because it's being made using AI with woefully insufficient human oversight and even more woefully insufficient QA, leading to repeated disastrous bugs making it to production and end users being treated as beta testers. You want people to stop calling your product slop? Stop shipping updates that take down people's computers or break existing features."

The other issue here is that of AI stealing coding jobs from people. Agents may make things happen a lot more quickly, but as Ash notes, this revamped speed test was implemented mainly by an agent — including its design — with the software engineer "guiding the process in their spare time", making it sound like a rather casual amount of effort on the human side of the equation.

Is it a particularly sensitive approach to be touting the benefits of AI — as real as they may be for an operating system's ongoing development and maintenance — in this way at a time when Microsoft has been swinging the axe with various job cuts and pushing staff towards voluntary redundancy in a big way? I'd suggest it isn't, and the timing of this particular push of the value of agentic AI is dubious in that respect.

At least in this case Microsoft is being upfront and transparent about what it's doing — and we can expect a good deal more AI acceleration of Windows 11's development going forward.

• YouTube announced it's hit 150 million subscribers across Premium and YouTube Music
• The platform also generated $11.2 billion in ad revenue
• Users say free tier ads are only getting worse, with some calling them 'unbearable'

YouTube announced that it has surpassed a whopping 150 million subscribers across its Premium and YouTube Music experiences — marking a huge milestone for the video platform and one of the best music streaming services.

Alphabet Inc CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced the figures in the platform’s Q3 earnings release on Wednesday (October 28), which increased by 25 million from a total of 125 million subscribers in March 2025, though individual numbers for Premium and YouTube Music weren’t disclosed. Pichai also shared that YouTube’s ad revenue rose to more than $11.2 billion compared to $10.3 billion in 2025.

Speaking about the milestone, Google’s Chief Business Officer, Philipp Schindler, said "With Premium and Premium Lite, viewers have choice. As more people opt into premium experiences, it’s a win for viewers, creators, and our business. Subscriptions help fund the creator ecosystem and drive the platform forward."

YouTube has accumulated over 25 million subscribers between now and when it last confirmed its total membership count in March 2025. When you break that down, that’s approximately 1.25 million new subscribers signing up each month, and it’s only going to increase.

While it’s not a traditional on-demand film and TV content platform, YouTube has emerged as a serious competitor among the best streaming services. In 2017, the company launched YouTube TV, and according to a recent report from Nielsen, it has surpassed Netflix in popularity for TV viewing. In July 2026, 49% of TV time was viewed via streaming platforms, with YouTube making up 14.2% of that, followed by Netflix at 7.8%.

There’s no denying YouTube Premium is rising in popularity, but as the company puts more effort into improving its paid services, a number of users have said its free version is becoming increasingly difficult to use because of the number of ads.

Earlier this year, I bit the bullet and signed up to a YouTube Premium free trial and, annoyingly, the experience was vastly more enjoyable. Not only does it grant you ad-free viewing, you get background and offline listening, as well as small but handy control tools and full access to YouTube Music. But once you go back to its free version, that’s when you truly realize how out of control YouTube’s ads have become — and I’m not the only one who’s noticed (see below).

In addition to YouTube’s ‘completely unbearable’ ads, users have also pointed out the rise in AI-generated sponsored content which one Redditor claims advertise "obvious scam products". The combination of the two is the main catalyst for users abandoning YouTube as a platform altogether, and tech-savvy users are already opting for alternative ways to bypass ads.

One of the most popular ways YouTube viewers are working their way around ads is downloading browsers such as Brave, which users on Reddit have praised. Browsers like this come with built-in ad blockers, so it can automatically skip over ads when you’re streaming YouTube for free.

While YouTube gives you the option to tailor your ad experience and block certain types of promotional content, some users claim that when they do this, YouTube only feeds these ads to them even more. One user on Reddit used Old Spice as an example, saying "it's like blocking them has a reverse effect." Similarly, another user had an experience where they reported a potential scam ad, only for YouTube to email them with a counterargument.

I’m with a lot of other users who continue to call out YouTube for how expensive Premium has become (it now costs $15.99 / £12.99 / AU$22.99 a month), especially when you factor in your existing streaming subscriptions, so many of us just put up with its free service. Despite enjoying what Premium had to offer during my free trial, it doesn’t justify adding another subscription plan to my roster — my bank account will fall out with me.

• Windows 11 has a new preview (optional) update
• This introduces the ability to fully tailor the right-click (context) menu to your liking, as well as speeding up its performance
• That's great, but you're best off steering clear of a preview update and waiting for the full release in under two weeks – but even then, this feature will be on a gradual rollout

Windows 11 now has one of the most-wanted interface capabilities for many people, namely the ability to customize the right-click menu – but it's not quite fully finalized yet (although that's imminent).

The menu that pops up when you right-click on a file (or folder) is also known as the 'context' menu as it presents a bunch of options that vary contextually based on the type of file clicked – but in Windows 11, it's currently a sprawling affair.

Those who hate the lengthy right-click menu will now be able to customize it after installing a new Windows 11 update, although this is an optional release, meaning it's still in preview. This feature will be in next month's patch, the November update, though, so you haven't got long to wait for the full release (less than two weeks, in fact).

The customization settings for the right-click menu include the ability to remove Windows commands you're not fond of – like 'Send to' for example – or add abilities that you'd like to have, and also choose the apps you want to appear in the context menu.

It's a full range of customization and you can also elect to have the top panel of the menu (cut, paste, rename and so forth) directly integrated instead, so these functions appear alongside everything else (in a Windows 10 style – and you can shift the layout around too, moving Properties to the foot of the menu for example).

Microsoft boasts that the new right-click menu is faster, too: "The updated menu opens more quickly, reduces clutter, and gives you more control over the commands and app extensions that appear when you right-click."

As you may have noticed, all this work has been in testing for a while now.

Analysis: rolling frustrations and a lengthy wait

The immediate response on the likes of Reddit seems positive, and there are Windows 11 users who have taken the plunge with this preview update who are observing that the right-click menu is indeed a lot faster.

One Redditor enthuses: "The new context menu is so good! Way faster, customization is cool."

Others acknowledge that this is undoubtedly a good move, but don't understand why it took Microsoft so long to get here: "Not bad imo. Crazy it took them 5 years though."

While the feedback is generally positive, there are complaints from those who have installed the update but haven't received the new context menu. This is because the right-click revamp has been implemented via a gradual rollout, so it's only being drip-fed through to a certain amount of PCs at a time (of those who have installed the optional update). As another Redditor puts it: "Those gradual rollouts though…"

You can force the feature to be deployed to your PC using a Windows configuration utility (ViVeTool), but I wouldn't recommend that approach. Microsoft tests the waters in a limited way for good reasons, especially with features still in preview, so you're running a larger than normal risk of some nasty bug ruining your day.

Anyway, you've waited five years for this performance and options tuning, as those on Reddit are keen to point out – so what's another couple of weeks? I'd hold on for the official November update, keeping clear of this preview, but even then, it'll still be a gradual rollout, and you may need some patience.

Still, the good news is that the context ball is rolling, and it hopefully won't be too long before the majority of Windows 11 users gain access to this important upgrade for a key piece of the UI.

• Pixelmator Pro gets a new AI-powered Generate Fill tool
• Keynote, Pages, and Numbers add AI assistants and OpenAI model support
• Final Cut Pro gains thousands of MotionVFX creative assets in November

Apple's Pro and Tell week is marching on, and alongside the reveal of the M6-powered iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro, the Cupertino-based giant is also shining a spotlight on software. Specifically, Apple Creator Studio is getting a wide-ranging update that brings a fresh batch of features and, ultimately, packs in more value.

As it stands, Apple Creator Studio is a software subscription priced at $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$19.99 a month or $129 / £129 / AU$199 per year, giving you access to Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro across Mac, iPad, and iPhone. All that stays the same, including the especially excellent education discount — $2.99 / £2.99 / AU$4.99 per month or $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99 per year — but there are some pretty big updates here, with AI playing a starring role.

Leading the charge is Pixelmator Pro, which is getting a new Generate Fill tool. This lets you select an area of an image, describe what you want to add or change, and let AI do the heavy lifting. It's the kind of feature that could come in handy when you're editing a photo and don't want to jump between apps to get the result you're after. It'll also help level the playing field between Pixelmator Pro and Adobe Photoshop by filling a feature gap.

Keynote, Pages, and Numbers are also getting AI assistants designed to help you create presentations, write documents, and work with spreadsheets. Most interestingly, you'll be able to use OpenAI models alongside Apple's own, opening up more possibilities for working with AI in these apps. The apps also support compatible external AI tools, potentially making them a more useful part of your broader workflow.

With Final Cut Pro, Apple is bringing MotionVFX content directly into its pro video editing suite, making thousands of creative elements, including transitions, templates, effects, and titles, available for use in your projects. It's another welcome addition that should let you get more done directly inside Final Cut Pro, rather than having to rely on other tools.

All of this is coming in November as a free update for existing subscribers, though Apple isn't sharing specific timing just yet. These updates should also be right at home on the new Macs announced this week, but I'm curious to see if Apple introduces any more surprises, like the much-rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro, during its Pro and Tell event tomorrow.

• Windows 11's internet speed test currently redirects to a Bing search to facilitate the test
• This is clunky to say the least — and an annoying piece of Bing promotion — but now Microsoft is changing things
• In a new preview build the speed test is fully integrated into Windows 11 — as it should have been in the first place

Microsoft has thought better of one of the methods it was using to push Bing in Windows 11 — via an internet speed test — and we can but hope that maybe it's seeing sense from a broader perspective about such promotional trickery.

Windows Central reports that, in a recent preview release for Windows 11 (build 26340.9767), Microsoft has applied some changes to the Quick Settings panel (accessed via the taskbar).

In the release notes, Microsoft says: "We're making it faster and easier to check the performance of your internet connection in Windows. Windows Insiders can now run an internet speed test and see the results directly in Quick Settings, without being redirected to a browser."

As it stands, when using this feature it simply opens an online speed test in your default browser — but it's in the Bing search page (giving Microsoft some web traffic, of course). With this change it's actually a native speed test that works in Windows 11, as it should always have been in the first place.

You can start the new speed test from Quick Settings, or access it by right-clicking on the network icon in the system tray on the right of the taskbar.

Note that this is just in testing for now, and it's still at an early stage (the Experimental channel), but it should eventually come to all Windows 11 users.

Analysis: fixing Windows 11 includes getting rid of this kind of nonsense

It's useful to have a built-in speed test right in the OS for those occasions when you're curious to learn what kind of online speeds you're getting — maybe you're streaming a video and it's buffering or glitching, and you're wondering if that's the fault of the service, or whether your internet connection has hit a rocky patch.

However, it's hardly convenient to be redirected to a web browser to have that test conducted.

Microsoft says of this change: "This updated experience builds on the internet speed test we previously introduced for Windows Insiders, bringing the test and its results directly into Windows."

Which makes it sound like the current implementation was always just a stopgap or a temporary stepping stone, but let's be honest about this: we all know it was another way that Microsoft was trying to push traffic to Bing.

It's far from the only time that Microsoft has tried this kind of trick, and most recently, we've witnessed the Bing Wallpaper app once again crowbarring in Bing searches for people who merely click on a blank part of their desktop (see the further explanation of that incident here).

No, the Bing Wallpaper client isn't part of Windows 11 by default, but it's nonetheless a piece of Microsoft software, and it demonstrates that the company's attitude is still leaning towards exploring annoying ways of promoting its own services — this is another great example — at the cost of the user.

As one Redditor observed of the current Bing-laden internet speed test in Windows 11: "This is the kind of stuff that pushed me to Linux. Overall it wasn't too bad, but Linux (Fedora in my case) feels like a breath of fresh air."

All of these kinds of practices need to end, and at least this fresh move in testing is a hopeful sign that Microsoft is finally realizing this, given that it's battling to fix Windows 11 and change public sentiment around its desktop operating system this year — needless Bing promotion certainly won't help that cause.

• A new Windows 11 feature is in testing, but it doesn't work yet
• It's an option to enable Intel's 'Advanced Performance Extensions' or APX to boost the performance of some apps
• This will benefit Intel's next-gen CPUs, and AMD's processors will be in line for this speed boost eventually, too

There's a new Windows 11 feature to boost the performance of apps that's been spotted in testing, but only PCs with Intel's next-gen desktop CPUs (codenamed Nova Lake) will benefit from this initially.

Windows Latest noticed that a regular Windows 11 watcher, XenoPanther on X, posted a screenshot of an option for 'Advanced Performance Extensions' (APX) which is present in a recent preview release of Microsoft's OS (build 29695).

Intel explains that APX "expands the entire x86 instruction set with access to more registers and adds new features that improve general-purpose performance."

This means that app developers can take advantage of this feature to speed up the performance of their software. How much of a boost any given app might get is, as ever, going to be variable, but some applications might end up with a nice performance bump (games probably won't get much benefit, in case you were wondering).

There are a couple of catches here, however, including that apps will have to be recompiled to take advantage of APX, although Intel observes that actual changes to the application's code aren't expected to be necessary.

It's worth noting that Linux already added support for APX some time back.

Analysis: there are barriers to entry – but AMD chips will get this

Right now, this APX toggle is present in Windows 11 test builds, but it doesn't do anything at all, which is hardly surprising given that there aren't any Intel CPUs which support the feature yet. What this shows is that Microsoft is preparing the ground for this capability, which will be supported with Intel's next generation of desktop silicon. These Intel Core Ultra Series 4 processors are expected to debut early in 2027, so they are still some way off.

Existing generations of silicon from the Intel Core Series 3 families and earlier won't ever get the benefit of APX, as this is something that needs to be baked into the chip at production. So, existing PCs will not get the speed boosts from this feature, which is a shame.

Theoretically, this could be an additional reason to upgrade your CPU, but there's another catch here in that Intel's Core Series 4 CPUs require a new processor socket, and therefore a new motherboard for your PC. So that means an extensive upgrade for a desktop PC – or an impossible one for laptop owners – meaning that both Intel and Microsoft could be hoping that APX is another way to shift some new laptops in difficult conditions when the market is dipping.

How about AMD processors? This is an Intel technology, as noted, so you might assume you can forget about seeing APX with a Ryzen CPU, but actually as Windows Latest points out, Team Red is collaborating with Team Blue to get the benefit of this feature.

With AMD involved, it's more likely that developers will use the feature, and that'll help Intel's case for its usefulness. However, again, the support needs to be baked into the chip, so the earliest this might happen on the Ryzen side would be the Zen 6 family – or possibly the following generation (rumors seem to favor the latter). At any rate, support is coming for AMD chips as well.

Meanwhile, some of the online commenters remain skeptical. One Redditor observes of this potential speed boost: "I'll believe it when I see it!"

Others aren't happy about the support here, and the need for an upgrade, complaining: "Imagine locking a performance boost behind a platform..."

But as noted, this is a feature that requires new hardware in the chip itself, it's not something that can be added to finished silicon.

As far as Windows 11 itself is concerned more broadly, Microsoft is busy working to boost performance in all kinds of ways, including applying a couple of new tricks to speed up the launch times of apps and menus. There's also a major goal to ensure that Window 11 runs better on 8GB of RAM, too.