How the Windows Server Upgrade Bug Worked

In September 2024, administrators reported that servers had been automatically upgraded overnight to Windows Server 2025, in some cases to versions for which their organizations did not have licenses. Microsoft said part of the issue was due to third-party update management software that was not configured properly.

Software vendors disagreed, claiming the problem was caused by a procedural error on Microsoft's part, pointing to the speed of the release and how the update was classified. At the time, Microsoft did not offer a detailed explanation of the root cause and did not respond to press inquiries when the issue was first reported.

Microsoft’s Fix and Current Status

The upgrade offer via the Windows Update settings panel has been re-enabled after the fix was implemented. Organizations aiming to perform in-place upgrades to Windows Server 2025 can now do so through Settings without worrying about accidental automatic upgrades. Microsoft has provided guidance for in-place upgrades on Microsoft Learn.

This update coincides with a period of increased out-of-band update activity from Microsoft. Over the past month, the company has released emergency updates to resolve issues, including a broken March preview update, a sign-in failure with Microsoft accounts across Edge, Teams, OneDrive, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, a Bluetooth device visibility bug, and security vulnerabilities in the Routing and Remote Access Service management tool on Windows 11 Enterprise devices.

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Designed to be usable from any part of the system without switching browser tabs, the app can be launched by pressing Option + Space from any context on the Mac.

What the Gemini macOS App Can Do

The macOS app features screen-sharing capabilities that let users share a specific window with Gemini for assistance that is aware of the context. Google's example use case involves sharing a chart or data sheet and asking Gemini to summarize the main points directly from what is visible.

The app supports uploading local files and integrates with Google Drive, Google Photos, and NotebookLM. It also provides access to creative tools, including Nano Banana for image generation, Veo for video creation, and Lyria 3 for music production, all accessible within the app.

macOS Requirements and Where to Get It

The app requires macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Users running earlier macOS versions won't be able to install it. It is available worldwide through the Mac App Store and directly from gemini.google/mac.

The launch brings Google's native macOS app alongside OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude, both of which have been available on the platform for some time. Google has not announced when a Windows desktop version might be released.

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The recent increases follow a similar rise in prices for higher storage configurations of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, announced last week.

Samsung’s New US Price Increases

Price increases for smartphones mainly affect higher storage options, while base models stay the same. Confirmed changes include:

• Galaxy Z Flip 7 with 512GB, now costing $1,299.99, up from $1,219.99
• Galaxy S25 FE with 256GB has risen to $749.99 from $709.99
• Galaxy S25 Edge with 512GB has increased by $80 to reach $1,299.99.

Tablet Price Changes

The price increases for tablets now apply to all storage options, not just the higher-end models. Confirmed changes include:

• Galaxy Tab S11 128GB, which has gone up from $799.99 to $899.99
• Galaxy Tab S10 FE, with a $50 increase to $549.99
• Galaxy Tab A11 Plus has also experienced a $50
• Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra have seen increases of over $200.

Why Samsung Is Raising Prices

The increase reflects a broader shortage of memory supplies affecting the consumer electronics market. Growing demand for AI infrastructure from companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Meta has increased the need for high-bandwidth memory and high-density storage. Manufacturers are shifting production toward higher-margin AI chips, which is contributing to supply constraints and driving up component costs for devices like phones and tablets.

Samsung has not commented on the price changes or indicated if further adjustments are expected.

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These services are currently powered by Globalstar for iPhone 14 and newer models, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Regulatory approvals are still required before the deal can be completed, with both companies expecting this to happen sometime in 2027. The transaction has already received written consent from Globalstar shareholders holding about 58% of the voting power.

Deal Structure and Amazon’s Key Gains

Globalstar shareholders have the option to receive either $90 in cash per share or 0.3210 shares of Amazon stock, based on an equivalent value. Cash payments are limited to 40 percent of the total outstanding shares, and any election for cash exceeding that limit will automatically be converted to stock. The overall deal value could be reduced by up to $110 million if Globalstar does not meet certain operational milestones before the closing.

The acquisition gives Amazon control over Globalstar's satellite operations, ground infrastructure, and mobile satellite service licenses authorized in more than 120 countries. Globalstar's existing satellites, along with new ones under construction by MDA Space, will be combined into a single Leo network.

Apple’s Stake in Globalstar and Its Ongoing Role

Apple invested $1.5 billion in Globalstar in 2024, taking about a 20% stake and securing priority access to 85% of the network's capacity. The service agreement made alongside the investment addresses any complications from Apple's stake, ensuring satellite features continue to work for iPhone and Apple Watch users under Amazon Leo's management.

Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, stated that the deal guarantees users will still have access to satellite features that support safety and connectivity when off the grid.

Amazon Leo’s Long-Term Satellite Ambitions

Amazon Leo currently operates around 180 to 200 satellites, well short of its planned full constellation. The company has asked the FCC for more time to reach a milestone that would have required about 1,600 satellites in orbit by July 2026. Meanwhile, Globalstar's constellation includes more than 24 low Earth orbit satellites, with contracts signed for over 50 additional satellites.

Amazon Leo plans to launch a satellite system in 2028 that can deliver voice, data, and messaging directly to mobile phones and other devices. Once complete, the constellation is expected to include thousands of satellites and serve hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

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How Chrome Skills Work With Gemini

When a user writes a Gemini prompt in Chrome's side panel that they want to reuse, they can save it directly from their chat history as a Skill. Saved Skills are accessible by typing a forward slash (/) in the Gemini side panel and selecting the desired workflow from the list.

The selected Skill runs on the currently active page. Users can also select multiple tabs to run a Skill across all of them simultaneously, allowing the same prompt to process content from several pages at once.

Skills Library and Privacy in Chrome

Google is launching a new Skills Library that offers ready-to-use workflows for common tasks. Examples include comparing product specifications side by side during shopping, calculating protein macros from online recipes, and scanning long PDFs for specific information. Users can customize these Skill templates by saving a pre-built Skill to their personal list and editing the underlying prompts to suit their needs, without starting from scratch.

For skills that handle private data, such as adding details to a calendar or drafting an email, Chrome will prompt for manual confirmation before carrying out the action. Google says that skills are built on the same security foundation as the rest of Chrome.

Skills are launching today on desktop. Google has not provided a timeline for when they will be available on mobile or support languages other than English.

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The extensions were published under five different publisher profiles across various categories, including Telegram sidebar clients, slot machine and Keno games, YouTube and TikTok enhancers, a text translation tool, and browser utilities. Socket found evidence in the code indicating the campaign is tied to a Russian malware-as-a-service operation.

What the Malicious Chrome Extensions Do

The campaign operates with a central backend hosted on a Contabo VPS, supported by multiple subdomains that handle session hijacking, identity collection, command execution, and monetization. The largest cluster involves 78 extensions that inject attacker-controlled HTML into the browser interface using the innerHTML property.

Another group of 54 extensions uses the chrome.identity.getAuthToken API to gather the victim's email address, name, profile picture, Google account ID, and Google OAuth2 Bearer token. These tokens are short-lived access credentials that enable applications to access a user's data or act on their behalf without requiring a password.

A third set of 45 extensions includes a hidden function that runs on browser startup, contacts the command-and-control server, and opens arbitrary URLs without any user interaction. One extension identified by Socket as particularly severe steals Telegram Web session data every 15 seconds, extracting localStorage content and session tokens and sending them to the attacker's server.

This extension also accepts inbound commands that overwrite the victim's localStorage with attacker-supplied session information and force a reload of Telegram Web, effectively swapping the victim's account without their knowledge. Additional extensions in the campaign remove security headers, inject ads into YouTube and TikTok, or proxy translation requests through malicious servers.

What Chrome Users Should Do Now

Socket has shared a list of extension IDs linked to the campaign. Users should compare the list of affected extensions in the report with their installed Chrome extensions and uninstall any matches right away.

To see which extensions are installed, go to chrome://extensions in the address bar. Google has not provided any information on when or if these identified extensions will be removed from the Chrome Web Store.

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This ad pause feature only works if automatic ads are enabled on a stream. When the system detects high chat engagement, it temporarily suspends ads for all viewers during those busy moments. Broadcasters do not need to take any manual action for this to happen.

Ad-Free Windows and Expanded Gift Sending for YouTube Live

A new ad-free window is being introduced for viewers who send a Super Chat, Super Sticker, or gift during a stream. This window opens automatically right after the purchase, ensuring that the stream continues without interruptions from ads. The feature will be available automatically for creators with automatic ads enabled once it is rolled out.

Viewers can now send gifts during horizontal live streams, in addition to vertical ones, from mobile devices. Support for sending gifts is expanding to creators in Canada, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. YouTube says it is working to bring gift options to more countries and plans to introduce region-specific gifts connected to local holidays and events.

Simultaneous Vertical and Horizontal Live Streams

YouTube is introducing a new feature that allows users to go live in both vertical and horizontal formats at the same time. Viewers share a single chat regardless of which format they are watching. Plans for additional tools are set for later in 2026, including vertical cropping layouts in Live Studio and support for multiple stream keys to send separate customized feeds for each format.

The company has not announced specific dates for the upcoming ad-free purchase feature or the new streaming tools that allow multiple streams at the same time, only that both are expected in the coming months.

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Android 17 and Adaptive Everywhere Sessions

Android 17 is set to be a major session lasting about 45 minutes on May 19. Google's description mentions updates to performance, new features for media and camera apps, enhancements for desktop and large-screen applications, and automation features.

The following day, there is a separate session focusing on Android 17's "Adaptive Everywhere" approach. This initiative aims to enable users to seamlessly transition between phones, cars, living rooms, and immersive environments. Google has indicated that this strategy extends across Android, ChromeOS, and XR, all under a unified platform.

AI, Chrome, and What’s Still Not Confirmed

An AI-focused session is scheduled for 3:30 PM PT on May 19, covering the latest capabilities in multimodal processing, media generation, and robotics. On the same day, a Chrome session will discuss new browser features planned for 2026, though no further details are provided in the session listing. Google Play will also be discussed on May 19, with the session seemingly aimed at developers and businesses building on the platform.

Android XR doesn't appear explicitly in the sessions list beyond a mention of Adaptive Everywhere in the Android 17 entry. Google has not confirmed whether a dedicated Android XR session will be announced before or during the keynote.

Google I/O 2026 takes place on May 19 and 20. The keynote will be streamed online and can be watched without registration.

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Previously, Windows 11 setup forced users to wait through an update process that could take up to 30 minutes, depending on the number of pending updates, resulting in total setup times of up to 40 minutes.

How the Windows 11 “Update Later” Button Works and What It Means for Future Updates

A new "update later" button now appears below the update progress bar during setup. Users who choose it will go straight to the desktop without waiting for updates to install. Aria confirmed that skipping updates means "the latest features and security fixes won't be applied until you choose to install them after reaching the desktop." Updates can still be installed manually later through Windows Update in Settings.

This change doesn't remove updates from the setup process entirely. Users who prefer to install updates during setup can do so by allowing the process to complete as before.

Microsoft is adjusting the setup process as part of its ongoing effort to make Windows 11 updates smoother. The company has also confirmed two other changes in development: allowing users to postpone updates indefinitely and reducing the frequency of required restarts to apply updates, with a target of once per month. However, Microsoft has not announced any release dates for these updates.

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It's not confirmed how widespread the problem is. The number of Reddit users reporting the issue is small, and it's unclear whether the drain affects a specific software version or a wider range of configurations. Some users say the problem started after a recent update, while others report no update was made before the issue appeared.

What Galaxy Watch Users Can Do About the Battery Drain Issue

No official fix or workaround has been confirmed. Given the nature of the issue, there are two steps worth trying: first, clear the cache on the Galaxy Watch through the device settings. If the problem continues, a factory reset may help eliminate a software conflict.

Neither of these steps is guaranteed to fix the issue. Users experiencing battery drain should check whether Google Play services is showing unusually high resource usage in the watch's battery or app activity settings.

Samsung and Google have not acknowledged the reports or issued guidance. Users should watch for updates from either company, as similar issues in the past have often been addressed through silent server-side fixes without formal announcements.

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Without this fix, Linux systems do not reliably treat a full-screen game as a higher priority than a browser tab or desktop process when VRAM becomes full. As memory pressure increases, game data may be evicted into the GTT, which is system RAM accessed by the GPU over PCIe. This slower access speed can lead to hitching and frame-time spikes, a problem that is especially common on 8GB graphics cards.

How the Linux VRAM Prioritization Fix Works

Vock's solution integrates modifications to the Linux kernel for DRM device memory cgroup support and TTM memory management, along with two user-space utilities: dmemcg-booster and plasma-foreground-booster. The first manages memory control, while the second allows KDE Plasma to detect the active full-screen application and prioritize its VRAM usage. Users not using KDE can achieve similar results with newer versions of Gamescope.

In Vock's testing with Cyberpunk 2077 on an 8GB GPU, the game initially used around 6GB of VRAM and spilled 1.37GB into GTT. After applying the patches, VRAM usage increased to nearly 7.4GB, and GTT spillover decreased to 650MB, marking approximately a 53% reduction.

GPU Compatibility and How to Try the VRAM Fix Now

The patches are aimed at AMD's open Linux graphics stack. Some of the work is reported to also improve Intel Xe GPUs, and an upstream patch has been submitted for Nouveau, the open-source driver for Nvidia graphics cards.

The simplest way to test the fix at the moment is on CachyOS with KDE Plasma, where the necessary kernel updates are being integrated starting with version 7.0rc7-2. These patches have not yet been included in mainstream Linux distributions, and it has not been confirmed whether they will be accepted into the upstream kernel.

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These controls work across all Spotify platforms, including mobile, desktop, web, and TV. Users who disable video content will still see video ads and Canvas-like visuals on some audio advertisements.

Which Spotify Videos You Can Disable and When Each Plan Gets the Controls

The new settings cover two types of video content: Canvas looping visuals that go with audio tracks and video content for music and podcasts. Each can be turned on or off independently. To access these controls, go to Settings, then Content and Display, and toggle the relevant options. Preferences set here will apply across all devices where the account is active.

Family Plan managers can also enable or disable video content for any member of their plan immediately through the subscription settings. Spotify says this builds on existing controls already available for managed accounts of users under 13.

Controls for individual Premium, Basic, Duo, Family, and Student plan subscribers, as well as free-tier users, will start rolling out globally later in April. Spotify has not given a specific date for when all account types will have access.

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The feature is currently in beta and is available to Claude Team and Enterprise plan subscribers.

What Claude Can Do Inside Microsoft Word

Claude for Word works directly within the document rather than as a separate app. Users can highlight a paragraph and ask for a rewrite, add a comment in a section to get an AI response in the same thread, or start from a template and have Claude generate content that matches existing headings, bullet points, and formatting. Text from uploaded sources can also be pulled into the document during drafting.

The integration scans entire files for issues such as mismatched terms, broken cross-references, and numbering that gets out of sync in longer documents. When a problem is found, Claude flags it and suggests a fix, but it does not make automatic changes, leaving the decision to the user or team.

Reusable Workflows With Skills and Cross-App Context

Teams that follow consistent review or drafting processes can turn those workflows into reusable skills. A skill records the steps, tone, and structure of common tasks, like reviewing a contract or drafting a status update. Once saved, any team member can run the workflow to get the same results without setting everything up again.

The same conversation can be carried across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, enabling work to transition smoothly between document types without starting from scratch. As Claude makes changes, formatting and structure are maintained (including headings, numbering, and defined terms) rather than being reformatted.

Availability of Claude for Word

Claude for Word is now available in beta for subscribers on the Claude Team and Enterprise plans. Anthropic has not provided a timeline for wider rollout or for including it in lower-tier plans. The feature is part of Anthropic's Claude Cowork product, which is expanding with enterprise controls as more businesses adopt it across various functions.

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Users who downloaded CPU-Z, HWMonitor, HWMonitor Pro, or PerfMonitor during the six-hour period may have received tampered versions. However, CPUID's original signed binaries were not altered.

What Malware Was Delivered Through the CPUID Downloads

The malicious downloads were funneled through Cloudflare R2 storage and delivered a fake HWiNFO installer named HWiNFO_Monitor_Setup, packaged with a Russian Inno Setup wrapper. According to Kaspersky's analysis, the trojanized versions included a legitimately signed executable along with a malicious DLL called CRYPTBASE.dll, which was used for DLL sideloading.

The malicious DLL performed anti-sandbox checks before connecting to a command-and-control server and executing a final payload identified as STX RAT. This remote access trojan has infostealer capabilities and has been documented by researchers at eSentire. The malware operated almost entirely in memory and used techniques to evade endpoint detection and antivirus software.

The four affected software versions were:

• CPU-Z version 2.19
• HWMonitor Pro version 1.57
• HWMonitor version 1.63
• PerfMonitor version 2.04.

Scope of the CPUID Malware Impact

Kaspersky estimates that over 150 users downloaded a malicious variant during the timeframe. Among the victims were individuals and organizations in retail, manufacturing, consulting, telecommunications, and agriculture, mainly in Brazil, Russia, and China.

The ZIP file involved is detected by 20 antivirus engines on VirusTotal, with some identifying it as Tedy Trojan and others as Artemis Trojan.

Researchers at vxunderground and Igor's Labs independently verified the compromised download chain. vxunderground pointed out that the malware uses the same command-and-control address observed in a March campaign that involved a fake FileZilla site used to deliver malicious downloads. This suggests that the same threat actor may be responsible for both incidents.

What Affected CPUID Users Should Do Now

Users who downloaded any of the four affected tools between April 9 at 15:00 UTC and April 10 at approximately 10:00 UTC should consider their installation potentially compromised. Kaspersky has published indicators of compromise that include malicious files, DLLs, and URLs associated with the attack.

CPUID states that its original signed binaries were not modified and that the direct download URLs for the legitimate files remained unchanged during the incident. Currently, downloads from the CPUID website are confirmed to be safe.

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The release also included a comment from Torvalds about the increasing role of AI in kernel development. He noted that AI tools are likely to continue uncovering corner cases for some time, which he described as possibly becoming the 'new normal" for the foreseeable future.

Official Rust Support And Other Notable Changes in Linux 7.0

The most notable update in Linux 7.0 is the end of experimental support for the Rust programming language, which is now officially supported for kernel development. Rust had been in an experimental phase within the kernel for several release cycles. With the move to official support, developers can now write kernel code in Rust without it being considered provisional.

Linux 7.0 introduces several updates, including enhanced support for ARM, RISC-V, and Loongson processors. It also offers more advanced KVM virtual machine support for AMD EPYC 5 CPUs. The filesystem has been made more resilient against corruption through self-healing XFS. Additionally, new code has been added for SPARC and DEC Alpha processors, as spotted by Phoronix.

AI Bug Reports and the Linux 7.0 Release Process

Torvald's comment about AI tools highlights a growing trend in kernel development. Kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman recently pointed out that AI has become a helpful tool for spotting bugs within the maintenance team.

He also updated the kernel security documentation to better guide AI tools in submitting properly formatted security bug reports, especially as the number of AI-generated reports has increased significantly in recent weeks. Linux 7.0 is now available for download at kernel.org.

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Two Primary Windows Insider Channels Replace Four

The current Dev, Canary, and Beta channels are being replaced by two main channels: Experimental and Beta. 

The Experimental channel takes the place of the former Dev and Canary channels. Microsoft explains it as early access to features still under development, with the understanding that what appears in this channel may change, be delayed, or not be released at all. 

The Beta channel replaces the previous Beta Channel and previews features that Microsoft plans to ship in the coming weeks. The key change here is that gradual feature rollouts in Beta are ending. Microsoft states that when a feature is announced in a Beta update and a user installs that update, the feature will be available on their device.

Additional Options: Future Platforms and Release Preview

Microsoft is keeping some options reserved for specific groups within its two-channel Windows testing structure.

The Experimental channel offers a Future Platforms option, which is described as the earliest preview build for Windows and is not tied to any retail version of the OS. Microsoft explains that this is aimed at users who want to be early adopters of platform development. The company also notes that Insiders who want the earliest access to new features should stay on a retail-aligned build.

The Release Preview channel remains available for commercial customers and Insiders who want access to near-final production builds before they are generally released. To use Release Preview, users need to enable it via the Advanced Options in the Windows Insider Program settings. Microsoft emphasizes that the content of Release Preview has not changed.

Feature Flags for the Experimental Channel

Microsoft is adding a new Feature flags page in the Windows Insider Program settings for users on the Experimental channel. This feature allows Insiders to manually turn specific announced features on or off, instead of waiting for gradual rollouts.

Microsoft says the Feature flags page will initially include visible new features announced in Windows Insider Program blog posts, but it may not cover bug fixes or system-level changes. The company has not announced a launch date for the Feature flags page.

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What Gemini’s New Interactive 3D Models and Simulations Do

When a user asks about a concept that benefits from visual representation, Gemini can generate a custom interactive simulation or 3D model in response. Demonstrated use cases include orbital mechanics simulations with adjustable sliders for gravity strength and initial velocity, double pendulum animations, and rotatable 3D molecular models that can be clicked and dragged to view from any angle.

The interactive output appears directly inside the chat window without requiring a separate application or browser extension.

How to Access Gemini’s Interactive 3D Models and Simulations

To use the feature, visit gemini.google.com and select the Pro model in the prompt bar. You can ask it to visualize concepts by using phrases like "show me" or "help me visualize," followed by your topic. For example, you could say "help me visualize how a double slit experiment works."

The rollout is happening gradually, so the feature may not be available to all users immediately. Google has not announced a specific date for when the feature will be available to everyone.

Google has not issued a formal announcement detailing the full scope of supported topics or whether the feature will expand to additional Gemini model tiers beyond Pro.

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The feature converts spoken audio into a participant's preferred language during a call. The mobile rollout began on April 8 for Rapid Release domains, with Scheduled Release domains to follow on April 23.

Supported Languages and How It Works

Speech translation currently supports two-way translation between English and five other languages: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian. When enabled, the feature translates incoming audio almost in real time without requiring participants to switch apps or use separate tools.

At launch, two limitations apply. Only one language pair can be active in a single meeting, so all participants share the same translation direction. It is not currently possible for one participant to translate into Spanish while another translates into French in the same call. Users joining from dedicated conference room hardware can hear translated audio from others, but their own speech will not be translated for the rest of the room.

Google has indicated that user interface improvements and translation accuracy refinements will continue to be rolled out over time.

Who Can Use Google Meet Speech Translation

Speech translation in Google Meet is currently available only to certain account types:

• Google Workspace Business Standard and Business Plus, as well as Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus
• Workspace Frontline Plus and personal Google accounts subscribed to Google AI Pro or Google AI Ultra

The feature is not offered on free Google accounts or entry-level Workspace plans. Google has not provided a timeline for when it will be available more broadly.

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David Amiel, Minister of Public Action and Accounts, said: "The State can no longer simply acknowledge its dependence; it must break free. We need to reduce reliance on American tools and take back control of our digital future."

What the DINUM Directive Requires

Ministries have until fall 2026 to submit dependency maps and transition plans related to their use of technology from outside Europe. This includes software and services from beyond the EU, with the United States specifically mentioned as a key focus for reduction in the directive.

DINUM highlights the migration from Windows to Linux as a major element of the directive. A date for the actual migration has not yet been set. The directive also covers other technology categories where there are dependencies on non-EU providers.

EU Open-Source Alternatives to Windows and Office

Organizations that need to use software originating from the EU have options. The openSUSE Linux distribution and the LibreOffice productivity suite both come from within the EU and could serve as alternatives to Windows and Microsoft Office, respectively. DINUM has not released a specific list of approved replacements.

The directive does not prohibit the use of open-source software based solely on the geographic origin of the project, which means Linux distributions developed outside the EU may still be considered compliant depending on how DINUM interprets the sovereignty requirements.

France has not provided a timeline for completing the transition beyond the fall 2026 deadline for submitting ministry plans.

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WireGuard creator Jason Donenfeld said, "I cannot sign drivers, which means I cannot ship updates for WireGuard for Windows." VeraCrypt developer Mounir Idrassi explained that he was unable to reach a human at Microsoft despite multiple contact attempts and only received automated replies. Windscribe noted that it had spent more than a month trying to resolve the suspension without success.

Why Microsoft Suspended These Developer Accounts

Microsoft has implemented a mandatory identity verification process for Windows Hardware Program partners who haven't completed the process since April 2024.

The new rule took effect on October 16, 2025, giving partners a 30-day window to verify their identity using a government-issued ID. Accounts that didn’t complete the verification were suspended.

Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's EVP for Windows and Devices, mentioned that the company sent emails, banners, and reminders ahead of the deadline, although some communications were still missed. He said, "We're taking this as an opportunity to review how we communicate changes like this and make sure we're doing it better."

How the Suspensions Were Escalated and Addressed

The suspension incident gained wider recognition after affected developers posted about it on social media. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney highlighted the issue, which led to Davuluri becoming directly aware of the problem. Davuluri confirmed that Microsoft had reached out to VeraCrypt and WireGuard and that the company plans to reinstate their accounts.

Microsoft VP Scott Hanselman commented on the situation via X, describing the suspensions as an administrative paperwork issue rather than an intentional enforcement action against the projects.

Microsoft has not clarified whether all three accounts have been fully reinstated or announced any changes to its verification enforcement policy for open-source developers in the future.

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The new prices, shared through user-reported emails on Reddit, are as follows:

• Individual monthly: $13.99, rising to $15.99 per month
• Individual annual: $139.99, rising to $159.99 per year
• Family: $22.99, rising to $26.99 per month
• Student: $7.99, rising to $8.99

Previous YouTube Premium Price Increases in the US

The last time YouTube Premium raised its prices in the United States was in July 2023, when the monthly fee for the individual plan increased from $11.99 to $13.99. The current price hike follows the same pattern, with a $2 increase for the individual plan.

The price increase comes at a time when free YouTube users are experiencing more ads and stricter enforcement against ad blockers. Google has not linked these changes to the upcoming subscription price adjustment in its communications to affected subscribers.

YouTube Premium offers ad-free videos, background playback, and offline downloads. Google has not announced any new features associated with the price change.

Subscribers who received email notifications have not been given the option to lock in current pricing before the new rates start. Google has also not confirmed the exact date next month when billing for existing subscribers will change.

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After that period, the comment can no longer be edited. Instagram confirmed the addition of this feature through posts on Threads and in a statement to Social Media Today.

How Instagram Comment Editing Works and Its Limitations

Comments can be edited multiple times within 15 minutes of posting. While text content can be changed, images included in comments cannot be modified. After 15 minutes, comments become locked, preventing further edits.

When a comment is edited, other users will see an indicator showing it was changed. The version history is not available, so users cannot view what the original comment said before editing.

The 15-minute limit starts from the time the comment is posted, not from the last edit. Images embedded in comments are entirely excluded from the editing window. It is unclear whether Instagram might extend this time limit in future updates.

Some users have criticized the absence of a visible version history, arguing that it allows for changing the tone or meaning of a comment after others have replied. Instagram has not directly addressed these concerns in its official statement.

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Updated ChatGPT Subscription Tiers and What They Include

OpenAI offers three subscription tiers. The tiers:

• Plus plan costs $20 per month and is suitable for lighter use, providing access to advanced features like Codex and Deep Research for select projects during the week
• Pro plan is priced at $100 per month and is designed for sustained use of advanced tools and models, with usage limits five times higher than Plus and, for a limited time, Codex usage ten times higher than Plus.
• The highest tier, priced at $200 per month, is intended for continuous, demanding workflows across multiple projects, offering usage limits twenty times higher than Plus

All three plans include access to Pro models, Codex, Deep Research, image creation, Memory, and file uploads.

OpenAI states that the $100 Pro plan provides unlimited access to GPT-5 and legacy models, although standard Terms of Use still apply, including restrictions on account sharing. The tenfold increase in Codex usage compared to Plus is described as a limited-time offer with no end date specified.

How the New $100 Pro Tier Fits Into the AI Pricing Landscape

OpenAI previously did not offer a tier between $20 and $200, leaving a gap of $180. Anthropic's offerings include a $20 plan and a $100 Max plan, along with a $200 tier. OpenAI has not commented on whether the new Pro tier was created in response to Anthropic's pricing, but the $100 price point and focus on Codex usage closely resemble Anthropic's competing plan.

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The update is included in Notepad version 11.2512.28.0. References to AI and Copilot in Notepad's Settings have also been removed, with the toggle to enable or disable the AI writing features now found under "Advanced features."

Microsoft’s Broader Effort to Remove Copilot Branding in Windows 11

Microsoft confirmed in January that it plans to remove or rebrand Copilot features across several in-box Windows 11 applications. The company said it was looking at how to streamline AI features throughout the operating system, with Copilot buttons in various apps likely to be removed or replaced.

Notepad appears to be the first app to undergo this change. Microsoft has indicated that Paint, which also includes Copilot integration, and File Explorer, which has multiple Copilot hooks, are probably next in line for similar updates.

The rebranding does not eliminate the AI functionality. Users who do not want the writing tools can still disable them through Notepad's Advanced features settings. The change only affects how the features are labeled and presented, not their capabilities.

Microsoft has not provided a timeline for when the Copilot rebranding will be applied to other Windows 11 apps or when the Notepad update will be available to non-Insider users.

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The update is currently available to Google AI Ultra, Pro, and Plus subscribers on the web. Free users and mobile access are expected to be introduced in the coming weeks, along with expansion to additional European countries.

How Gemini Notebooks Work and Sync

Notebooks serve as a persistent space within Gemini for organizing content related to a specific project or topic. Users can move existing chats into a notebook, add files such as documents and PDFs, and set custom instructions to provide Gemini with additional context for responses within that notebook.

Gemini considers the added sources along with its standard tools and web search when answering questions asked inside a notebook. The number of sources a notebook can hold depends on the user's subscription tier.

Notebooks in Gemini sync in both directions with NotebookLM. Any source added to a Gemini notebook automatically shows up in NotebookLM, and vice versa. This makes it easy for users to access NotebookLM-specific features like Video Overviews and Infographics for material initially organized in the Gemini app, without needing to manually transfer files between the two.

How to Start Using Gemini Notebooks and Where They’re Available

The notebooks panel can be accessed from the side panel of the Gemini web app. Clicking the "New notebook' button creates a new project space. You can move previous conversations into notebooks after they are created.

Notebooks are now available for Google AI Ultra, Pro, and Plus subscribers through the Gemini web app. Google has not provided specific dates for when the free tier will be rolled out, for mobile access, or for the European expansion. The company only stated that these features should be arriving in the coming weeks.

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Currently, access is limited to organizations that use Google Workspace Enterprise Plus with either the Assured Controls or Assured Controls Plus add-on. Administrators need to enable client-side encryption on Android and iOS devices before users can start using the feature.

How Gmail’s Mobile End-to-End Encryption Works

When both sender and recipient use the Gmail app with end-to-end encryption enabled, encrypted messages appear as regular email threads. Users can tap the lock icon within the compose window and select "additional encryption" to send an encrypted message.

Recipients who do not use the Gmail client are directed to a secure web page to read and reply to the message. Attachments are also protected by encryption. Administrators are responsible for enabling client-side encryption at the organization level. Individual users do not need to obtain, configure, or exchange security certificates.

How This Differs From S/MIME

Traditional enterprise email encryption has typically depended on S/MIME, which requires issuing certificates to each user and exchanging them before encrypted messages can be sent. Google's approach eliminates this need for Gmail-to-Gmail communication, easing the setup process for both users and IT teams.

However, this process isn't fully seamless for all recipients. Those outside the Gmail app still need to use a browser to access encrypted messages. For Gmail users, the only step once the feature is enabled by the administrator is to toggle the encryption option on or off.

Compliance and Data Protection Context

End-to-end encryption in Gmail is particularly relevant for organizations subject to data protection rules such as GDPR, which outlines how sensitive information should be handled and transmitted. Some regions also have data sovereignty laws that restrict where certain data can be stored or sent. Using E2EE helps reduce the risk of data being intercepted during transmission, which can impact compliance with these regulations.

Google has not provided a timeline for expanding Gmail E2EE access beyond Google Workspace Enterprise Plus or for making it available to individual Google accounts.

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Support for macOS has not been announced. The feature was first announced in 2024 and was developed in partnership with Microsoft as an open web standard.

How DBSC Works in Chrome 146 on Windows

DBSC links a user's browser session to the device's security hardware, which is the Trusted Platform Module on Windows and the Secure Enclave on macOS. During session creation, the security chip generates a unique pair of public and private keys.

Since the private key can’t be exported from the device, any session cookie stolen by malware becomes useless elsewhere. Short-lived session cookies are only issued when Chrome can prove to the server that it possesses the corresponding private key. Without this proof, exfiltrated cookies will expire and cannot be used to authenticate the attacker to the target service.

Why Session Cookies Are a Prime Target for Malware

Session cookies function as authentication tokens that let a browser access an online service without requiring the user to log in repeatedly. Malware such as LummaC2, which steals information, targets these cookies because they allow bypassing the login process entirely.

Google points out that once malware has access to a computer, it can read local files and memory where browsers store authentication cookies. They also note that no purely software-based solution can fully prevent the exfiltration of cookies at the operating system level.

DBSC tackles this issue at the hardware level instead of the software level, making any stolen data useless without physical access to the device.

DBSC Privacy, Testing, and Adoption

Each DBSC session generates a unique key, which helps prevent websites from linking activity across multiple sessions or different sites on the same device. The protocol only exchanges the per-session public key needed to prove ownership and does not share device identifiers.

Over the past year, Google tested an early version of DBSC across several web platforms, including Okta, and saw a decrease in session theft incidents during that time. The DBSC specification has been published on the W3C website. Websites can support it by adding dedicated registration and refresh endpoints on their backends, which does not require changes to existing frontend code.

DBSC is currently active in Chrome 146 on Windows. Google has not announced a timeframe or a support plan for macOS with a new Chrome release.

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An investigation found that the issue coincided with a server-side Bing update meant to improve search performance. To fix the problem, the update was rolled back, and reports of search failures are gradually declining, according to a Windows release health update from Microsoft.

How Microsoft’s Fix Reaches Affected Devices

Affected devices show blank or non-functional results when using the Start Menu search. Microsoft states that the issue is limited to a small number of users, but reports of similar problems have been shared online for several months. These reports include cases of blank search results that remain clickable even though they do not display any content.

No manual update installation is necessary. The fix is deployed automatically as a server-side change. Microsoft notes that two conditions must be met for the fix to apply: the device must be connected to the internet, and Web Search must not have been disabled via Group Policy. Devices that meet both conditions will receive the fix automatically.

Ongoing Windows 11 Start Menu Issues Microsoft Hasn’t Fixed Yet

The search failure is separate from an ongoing Start Menu bug that Microsoft has not yet fully fixed. This issue, which has been around since systems were updated with cumulative patches released after July 2025, leads to Start Menu crashes, missing taskbars, ShellHost process failures, and the Settings app failing to launch silently because XAML packages are not registering correctly after updates.

Microsoft has not provided a timeline for a permanent solution and currently recommends that affected users manually register the missing XAML packages as a workaround.

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Currently, access is limited to Meta's AI portal at meta.ai, with API access granted by invitation only. According to a blog post announcing the release, Meta describes Muse Spark as "the first step on our scaling ladder and the first product of a ground-up overhaul of our AI efforts."

What Meta’s Muse Spark Model Is

Meta describes the model as a natively multimodal reasoning system equipped with tool use, visual chain of thought, and multi-agent coordination features. The company has not revealed specifics about its underlying architecture or the number of parameters.

It has also introduced a "Contemplating mode" that runs multiple reasoning agents in parallel, aiming to compete with Gemini Deep Think and GPT Pro. This mode is not available at launch and is being gradually rolled out through meta.ai.

Muse Spark Performance vs. Other AI Models

Meta states that Muse Spark performs on par with or exceeds the benchmarks set by leading models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The company also claims that the model required significantly less compute to train compared to Llama 4 while achieving similar performance levels.

Meta has published its testing methodology alongside the benchmark results. These figures are Meta's own representations. Earlier this year, Meta faced criticism over its benchmarking practices for the Llama 4 release.

Open-Source Pivot And Meta’s Superintelligence Labs Roadmap

The closed release signals a notable change from what Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg described in a 2024 post titled "Open Source AI is the Path Forward." In that post, he argued that open source AI was the best way to achieve broad economic benefits and that releasing Llama did not threaten Meta's business model.

Muse Spark follows Meta's Llama API inference service, launched alongside Llama 4. This move marked a step toward monetizing access to these models. Zuckerberg also shared in a Threads post that Meta still intends to release open-source models in the future alongside its proprietary options.

Muse Spark was developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, a team formed after Meta ceased work on its largest Llama 4 variant, called Behemoth, which was planned to have 2 trillion parameters.

Meta has not revealed the size of Muse Spark or the other Muse variants that are already in development. It has been confirmed that additional models in the Muse family are in development, but no release dates have been announced.

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What Changes on May 20 and Which Kindle Devices Are Affected

After May 20, affected devices will no longer be able to connect to the Kindle Store to purchase, borrow, or download titles. Any books and content already downloaded to the device before that date will remain accessible indefinitely.

Users who have deregistered or factory reset an affected Kindle device will need to re-register it before May 20. If they fail to do so, access to the associated Amazon account library on that device will be permanently blocked.

The following models will lose Kindle Store access on May 20:

• Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
• Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010)
• Kindle Keyboard (2010)
• Kindle 4 (2011)
• Kindle Touch (2011)
• Kindle 5 (2012)
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
• Kindle Fire 1st Generation (2011)
• Kindle Fire 2nd Generation (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)

Amazon’s Offer for Affected Kindle Users

Amazon is offering owners of affected devices a 20 percent discount on a new Kindle and a $20 ebook credit after upgrading. The company says it will contact affected users directly by email with more details about the offer and the transition.

Amazon has not provided a specific technical reason for the May 20 cutoff or clarified whether any server-side infrastructure changes are influencing the retirement of support for older devices.

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Redesigned Xbox Achievement Notifications and New 100% Completion Highlighting

The notification that appears when an achievement is unlocked has been visually refreshed. Updated icons and animations now accompany both standard and rare achievement unlocks. Notifications also now reflect the user's custom accent color. This change is currently available to Xbox Insiders.

Games where a user has earned all available Gamerscore are now highlighted in the Achievements list, making it easier to spot fully completed titles at a glance. Microsoft has also introduced new filter options in the Achievements view to separate fully completed games from other titles, including those marked as hidden. This feature is currently available to Xbox Insiders.

Game Hiding Coming Later This Month

The ability to hide individual games from the achievement history on a profile is the most requested feature in the update, according to Microsoft, but it is not yet live. Microsoft has announced that this feature will be available to Xbox Insiders later in April. Hidden games will not be removed from the Gamerscore totals.

Activity in hidden games will continue to be tracked across Xbox. This change only affects how the profile appears to other users and does not impact the underlying account data. Microsoft has not confirmed when any of the three proposed changes will be rolled out beyond the Xbox Insiders program.

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It is currently free and available on the Apple App Store. An Android version seems to be in development. The App Store listing directly references Android integration, and a "Download for Android" button briefly appeared on the app's website before being removed.

Features of the Google AI Edge Eloquent Dictation App

AI Edge Eloquent provides a real-time transcription as the user speaks. When dictation pauses, it automatically removes filler words like "um" and "ah" from the transcript. Users can then choose to reformat the cleaned-up text into different output styles such as key points, formal, short, or long.

The app also supports importing custom vocabulary through a connected Gmail account or manual entry, helping it accurately recognize names, technical terms, and domain-specific jargon. A session history feature tracks words per minute and the total number of words spoken during each session.

By default, all processing happens on the device, with no data sent externally. Switching to cloud mode routes transcription through Gemini models to perform more extensive cleanup, which requires an internet connection.

When Google AI Edge Eloquent Might Arrive on Android

Google has not announced an official release date for Android. The App Store description for the iOS app mentions Android system integration features, such as the ability to set Eloquent as the default keyboard for system-wide use across any text field and a floating button for accessing transcription from any app.

A "Download for Android" button appeared briefly on the app's website during the iOS launch period but was later removed. Google has not provided any comments regarding the Android release timeline. Currently, Google AI Edge Eloquent is available on the Apple App Store at no cost.

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The speed control appears within the video player interface during playback. Google has not specified whether the control is available through a dedicated button or a menu toggle.

Google Photos Video Speed Options and Android Rollout

According to Google Photos' support page, the speed options available range from 0.5x for slower playback to 2x for faster viewing. Google has not confirmed whether intermediate speeds such as 1.25x or 1.5x are supported, or if the speed control works with all video formats stored in Google Photos.

The feature is currently available only on Android, with no confirmed timeline for an iOS release from Google. Like most Google app updates, the rollout on Android is happening gradually, so some users might not see the option immediately even after it launches in their region.

Google Photos has not announced any changes to its video editing tools in conjunction with this update.

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Vertical tabs were previously limited to Chrome Beta following their announcement in January 2026. The Reading Mode update is being announced alongside the changes to the tab layout.

How Vertical Tabs Work in Google Chrome

Vertical tabs in Chrome move the tab strip from the top of the window to a sidebar on the left side. Each tab shows full page titles, making it easier to identify and manage multiple open tabs. Google says this layout is designed for multitasking.

To turn on vertical tabs, right-click on any Chrome window and select "Show Tabs Vertically." To switch back to the horizontal layout, right-click inside the vertical tab panel and choose "Show tabs at the top."

Full-Page Reading Mode in Chrome And Features Availability

Chrome's built-in Reading Mode, which simplifies web pages by removing surrounding interface elements to focus on text content, is getting a new full-page layout. The updated interface allows Reading Mode to expand to fill the entire window instead of appearing as a side panel.

Users will be able to resize the window once the mode is activated. Google has not yet confirmed whether the full-page layout will become the default or if it will remain an option alongside the existing panel view.

Both features are being rolled out gradually through Chrome 146. Google has not provided a timeline for when the rollout will be finished. Users can check their Chrome version and update status by clicking the three-dot menu, selecting Help, and then About Google Chrome.

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It is now available on iOS and Android and is included with all Netflix memberships at no extra cost. There are no advertisements or in-app purchases. Separate from the main Netflix app, Playground requires a Netflix account for access. All content can also be downloaded for offline use.

Launch Games and Activities in Netflix Playground

At launch, Playground offers activities based on several properties:

• Sesame Street features pattern recognition, object recognition, and free-form play
• Peppa Pig includes counting, cake decorating, and other activities set in Peppatown
• Dr. Seuss's Horton! provides interactive cause-and-effect play
• Dr. Seuss's Red Fish, Blue Fish focuses on music-based play zones
• Dr. Seuss's The Sneetches includes shape and pattern activities such as a Shape Printer and Vehicle Builder
• Bad Dinosaurs offers puzzles, sticker scenes, music, and memory games
• StoryBots features memory, pattern recognition, and music activities

Netflix has announced that additional content will be added throughout 2026, including Gabby's Dollhouse, KPop Demon Hunters, PJ Masks, My Little Pony, and PAW Patrol.

How to Get Netflix Playground on iOS and Android

Netflix Playground is available as a standalone app on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Users can sign in with their existing Netflix account. The app's Settings menu provides storage management for installed games, showing how much space each game takes up and allowing for easy deletion with a single tap.

Netflix has not provided a timeline for additional game releases beyond the titles announced for 2026.

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Samsung recommends Google Messages and has provided migration instructions for devices running Android 12 and Android 13. The company has not announced a specific date in July when the app will cease functioning. After the shutdown, Samsung Messages will only be able to support calls to emergency services.

What Happens When Samsung Messages Shuts Down

Once Samsung Messages is deactivated, the app’s support for regular SMS and MMS will stop. Devices running Android 12 or newer that still have Samsung Messages installed need to set a different default SMS app before July to continue messaging.

The Galaxy S26 cannot download Samsung Messages at all. After the July shutdown, other Galaxy models will also lose the option to download the app from the Play Store. Users on Android 11 or earlier are not affected by this change, although Samsung recommends switching to a supported messaging app.

How to Switch from Samsung Messages to Google Messages

Samsung's migration page details the following steps: First, download Google Messages from the Play Store if it's not already installed. Next, open the app and set it as the default SMS application when prompted.

Google Messages supports RCS, which offers features like typing indicators, higher-quality image sharing, and better group chat functionality. The app also includes AI-powered spam detection, allows message access across multiple devices, and features Gemini AI. Users who prefer other SMS apps can find alternatives on the Play Store.

How the Shutdown Affects Older Galaxy Watches

Users with older Galaxy Watches running Samsung's Tizen operating system will lose access to their full conversation history after switching, since Tizen watches are not compatible with Google Messages. Samsung states that these watches will still be able to send and read text messages, but conversation history will no longer be accessible.

Galaxy Watch 4 and newer models operate on WearOS and support Google Messages fully, including access to complete conversation history.

Samsung began transitioning from its own Messages app to Google Messages in 2021 and stopped preinstalling the app alongside Google Messages in 2024. The transition is expected to be completed with the shutdown planned for July 2026.

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This would be the first processor architecture to be removed from the Linux kernel since support for the 80386 was dropped in 2012. Linux 7.0 is expected to be released in the coming months, with version 7.1 potentially arriving around the middle of 2026. It is not yet confirmed whether the patch will make it through the merge window.

Why Linux Kernel Maintainers Want to Drop i486 Support

Molnar initially proposed dropping support for the 486 processor in April 2025, citing the ongoing maintenance costs of hardware emulation code for chips that are no longer used with modern kernels. "We have various complex hardware emulation features on x86-32 to support very old 32-bit CPUs that only a small number of users still run with current kernels," Molnar explained in the patch notes.

"This compatibility layer sometimes causes issues that require effort to resolve, which could be better spent on other developments." Linus Torvalds shared a similar view in 2022 when the idea of removing support was first discussed.

"I really don't think i486-class hardware is relevant anymore," Torvalds said at the time. "They are mostly kept as museum pieces, and might as well run museum kernels."

What Are the Linux 7.1 Patch Changes for i486 CPUs

The current proposal removes the Kconfig options that allow the kernel to be built specifically for 486-class systems. Earlier versions of Molnar's proposal would have enforced the removal of support for 486 by requiring support for the Time Stamp Counter and the CMPXCHG8B instruction, neither of which is present in 80486-family chips or some 586 derivatives. The approach has been revised through multiple rounds of changes over the past year.

Impact on Users Still Running i486 Hardware

Molnar points out that no recent Linux kernel packages support 486 chips in practice, so active users are unlikely to be impacted by the upstream change.

Those running 486-era hardware will need to stick with older kernel versions. "Legacy users can continue using older kernels," Molnar said in the merge request. The patch has been queued but has not yet been confirmed for inclusion in Linux 7.1.

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In the 24H2 release health notice, Microsoft states: "Devices running Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, version 24H2 that are not managed by IT departments will receive the Windows 11, version 25H2 update automatically. You can choose when to restart your device or postpone the update."

Why Microsoft Is Forcing the 25H2 Upgrade

Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro editions will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, time zone updates, or technical support after October 13, 2026. Microsoft says the automatic upgrade push aims to keep unmanaged consumer devices on a supported version before that date.

Devices managed by IT departments are not affected by the automatic upgrade, and configurations managed through organizational policies in enterprise or education settings are also excluded from the rollout.

How the 25H2 Rollout Works on Home and Pro

Microsoft is rolling out the 25H2 update to compatible devices using its machine learning-powered intelligent deployment system. The company has stated that no action is needed from users, and devices will automatically receive the update when the system determines they are ready.

Users can manually check for the update by going to Settings, then Windows Update, and clicking on Check for updates. If a device is eligible, an option to download and install Windows 11 25H2 will appear. After the update downloads, users can delay the restart, but on unmanaged Home and Pro systems, they cannot block the upgrade indefinitely.

What to Do if You Want to Delay the Windows 11 25H2 Upgrade

Users who want to delay the upgrade can use the postpone option available at restart. Microsoft has not set a limit on how long the upgrade can be postponed before it is applied automatically. Devices managed through organizational IT policies are not affected and will follow the update schedule set by the administrator.

Microsoft has not announced any way for unmanaged Home or Pro users to permanently opt out of the 25H2 upgrade.

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What Free Veo 3.1 Access Includes and What AI Pro/Ultra Adds

The 10 monthly generations include Veo 3.1, Google's current video generation model, which can be accessed directly within the Vids editor. Google has not provided details on the maximum clip length, resolution limits, or output format restrictions for the free tier.

Google is rolling out new features for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers as well as expanding access for the free tier. These updates include custom music generation and AI avatars that can be directed by users. Google has not yet released detailed specifications for either feature.

Why Google Is Opening Veo 3.1 to Personal Accounts

Google Vids was introduced as a product focused on Workspace, targeting enterprise and business users. The move to include personal accounts marks a major shift in how Google distributes access to its video generation tools, placing Veo 3.1 in direct competition with consumer-oriented AI video platforms.

Google has not clarified whether the 10 free generations per month will stay as a permanent free tier or if this policy might change.

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The texts include an image of a fabricated court notice rather than a plain link, a change from the toll and parking violation scam texts that circulated widely in 2025. The image format and embedded QR code are used to make the phishing infrastructure harder for automated security tools and researchers to detect and analyze.

How the Traffic Violation QR Code Scam Operates

The fake notices impersonate state courts, with one example claiming to be from the "Criminal Court of the City of New York." The message states that an unpaid parking or toll violation has entered formal enforcement and instructs the recipient to scan a QR code to settle the balance.

Scanning the QR code leads to an intermediary page requiring a CAPTCHA to proceed. Completing the CAPTCHA redirects to a second site impersonating a state DMV or related agency. In all examples reviewed by BleepingComputer, the stated outstanding balance is $6.99.

Phishing sites impersonating the New York DMV have used hostnames including "ny.gov-skd[.]org" and "ny.ofkhv[.]life."

Proceeding past the balance screen presents a form requesting name, address, phone number, email address, and credit card details. That data is collected by the attacker and can be used for financial fraud, identity theft, follow-on phishing, or sale to other threat actors.

How to Identify and Avoid the Traffic Violation QR Code Scam

State agencies have confirmed they do not send text messages requesting personal or payment information. Any unsolicited text claiming an unpaid government fine and directing the recipient to scan a QR code or click a link to pay should be ignored regardless of how official the attached image appears.

If you receive one of these messages, do not scan the QR code, do not complete any CAPTCHA, and do not enter any personal or financial information on the destination site. The $6.99 amount is used to make the request appear routine and low-stakes, but the form collects full payment card details.

Recipients who have already submitted information should contact their bank or card issuer immediately to report potential fraud and request a card replacement.

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