• ChromeOS Flex is now available to buy in kit form
• The $3 kit provides a USB stick and full instructions to install the OS easily
• Flex is meant to breathe new life into old hardware, specifically Windows 10 PCs, which soon run out of road for extended support

ChromeOS Flex is a lightweight OS designed to be easily installed on older PCs — like Windows 10 laptops — to provide a way to keep what would otherwise become obsolete hardware usable, and it's now even easier to install.

That's because, as was previously promised, Google, in conjunction with Back Market (an outfit that specializes in refurbished tech), now has a ChromeOS Flex kit available to buy.

It costs $3 (or £3 in the UK, €3 in Europe) and for that outlay, you get a USB stick containing the operating system and guides on how to install it.

The Flex version of Google's OS is pretty much the same as standard ChromeOS, albeit with some features cut, and with its highly streamlined (cloud-focused) nature, it's designed to run nicely on older hardware.

Emphasizing the eco-friendly aspects here, Google tells us: "The manufacturing process of a new laptop is responsible for a large part of its carbon footprint. ChromeOS Flex allows the already-manufactured device to be used for longer, which keeps hardware out of landfills and avoids the emissions of making a new device. Savings do not stop there, ChromeOS also consumes 19% less energy on average than other comparable systems."

As the blog post announcing the arrival of the $3 kit makes clear, this is targeted at Windows 10 PCs, which will lose extended support (updates) for consumers this October, in six months. (Official support actually ceased last October.)

It will also convert other machines, including some Macs, to ChromeOS Flex, and there's a full list of compatible devices here (including caveats, such as if a webcam might not work with Google's OS).

Analysis: Flex for the win

It's a great idea to produce a dead easy-to-use kit in order to try and recruit more PCs to the ChromeOS Flex fold. As Back Market puts it, this is about "administering the cure" for the Windows 10 blues, and the "side effects may include curiosity".

All you need to do is turn off your laptop, put the USB stick in a free port, boot the machine, and from the boot menu, install ChromeOS Flex from the USB key. As mentioned, the full instructions are provided, and the kit is commendably cheap at just a few bucks. The idea is that you can pass it on to others once you're done, and as this is still a pilot program for now, there's a limited number of these kits. More will be made if they're popular, though.

However, you don't have to buy a kit, as you can make your own USB stick and install ChromeOS Flex by following our full guide here. The kit does make everything very novice-friendly, though, which is the idea, of course.

• Artemis II crew reports a Microsoft software glitch
• One astronaut to Mission Control that neither of their Outlooks was working
• There's no evidence the issue impacted the mission in any meaningful way

Artemis II Mission Control, we have a problem — and it's one most every Microsoft customer can relate to. Just hours after Artemis II's spectacular launch, kicking off NASA's first moon mission in more than 50 years, the astronauts reported a Microsoft 365 tech glitch.

As the four crew members flew at 4,275mph and more than 30,000 miles from Earth, they remained in almost constant contact with NASA Mission Control. During one conversation, a mission astronaut offered this report: "I have two Microsoft Outlooks and neither one is working."

First, you can be forgiven if you're surprised that the Orion spacecraft (which was carried to space by the Artemis II mission) uses Microsoft 365 software. However, NASA has been standardized on Microsoft's suite of software and services for years, using the platform across productivity, collaboration, and, yes, communication. The agency even uses Copilot, though it's not clear if the AI has had any part in this mission.

Things are happening in a most peculiar way

Back to the non-life-threatening situation on the spacecraft…

The astronaut asks if NASA wants to "remote in and check Optimus and those two Outlooks, that would be awesome."

Mission Control clocks the issue and responds, "We will join in on your PCD and let you know when we're done."

The "Optimus" reference, by the way, was referring to a separate issue. The astronaut brought up the two Outlooks as another tech glitch to check while they're in there.

A PCD is a "Personal Computing Device," which we're guessing to be a Windows laptop or Surface computer (we guess they're using those alongside their iPhones), and, yes, just like tech support at home, the tech uses remote access to address the problem.

As for why there might be "two Microsoft Outlooks" on one device, you can blame Microsoft. A couple of years ago, Microsoft unveiled the Outlook for Windows app, essentially a renaming of the original Windows Mail app. Once installed, that app becomes just "Outlook." But Microsoft 365 customers know there's already an "Outlook" in the 365 Office suite. So, yes, a Windows system could have "two Microsoft Outlooks."

Why neither was working on one of Artemis II's mission computers is unclear, although neither Mission Control nor the astronaut sounded particularly concerned. After all, NASA uses Outlook for some communications between it and the astronauts, but not all communications, as evidenced by the audio.

The exchange was captured in the wee hours of the morning on April 2 (and witnessed by tens of thousands because NASA is livestreaming the entire mission on YouTube), still quite early in the flight, which launched roughly eight hours earlier from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

By now, we assume the systems have been rebooted, and that both Outlooks are working nominally. Of course, we're sure the Artemis II crew is just as anxious as you are to have just one Outlook — and one that's working for the duration of this historic mission.

We did reach out to Microsoft for comment and will update this post with their response.

• Microsoft has rushed out an emergency patch for Windows 11
• It effectively replaces the March preview update, the rollout of which was suspended when a bug causing installation failures came to light
• Microsoft has been deploying a lot of emergency patches this year, which isn't a great sign – although to be fair, these fixes have arrived quickly

Microsoft just fixed its most recent Windows 11 update, which was released in a broken form — at least for some people, for whom it failed to install — and was then pulled, before now being reinstated.

The repair came in the form of an emergency update that replaces the previous update for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, as Bleeping Computer reports.

If you missed this, the preview update released at the end of March — as an optional download — had a bug whereby the installation process would fall over with the following error: "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)."

Yes, that's one of those dreaded stop error codes, although in this case it made sense (unusually), as it seemingly pertains to a missing (or corrupt) file with an update.

This was evidently encountered by enough people that Microsoft pulled the update completely as it investigated the bug. The problem has now been resolved, and a new update — essentially the same optional update, just with the fix applied — is now out.

In short, you can download the preview update for March again, if you wish, and you shouldn't run into the mentioned installation failure. The new emergency update is KB5086672, and it replaces the old buggy update which was KB5079391.

Analysis: a rash of emergency fixes

As you may realize, most people don't install preview updates. I generally recommend avoiding these optional updates simply because they are still in preview, so technically that's beta — albeit the final stage of testing.

Yes, these are being pushed to all Windows 11 PCs, and they'll become a full update two weeks later — they are previews of the next incoming monthly update (in this case, the April update). However, technically they are still test releases, as we see with the increased chance of things going awry, something which occurs with some regularity (the March preview being a case very much in point).

The good news is that Microsoft caught the error, halted the update, and fixed it swiftly. I was actually pretty surprised to see the update was canned, to be honest, because we often see installation failures with Windows 11 (or Windows 10) updates — in full releases, not just previews — and they seem to be glossed over by Microsoft, frankly.

So, this is either evidence of the new attitude of Microsoft — which for 2026 is very much a call-to-arms to 'fix everything' — or it reflects the fact that the installation failures in this case were more widespread. Or indeed possibly a bit of both.

We can give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt, then, but the reality of Windows 11's start to 2026 is that it's been shaky to say the least. A lot of bugs have been in evidence, and we've seen a whole lot of these emergency patches of late.

In fact, just before this rushed-out cure for the latest preview update, we saw another emergency fix in March for an unhelpful bug that broke a bunch of apps (like OneDrive and Edge). And in January, another emergency patch was required for bugs that caused other apps to crash (including Outlook), plus we've seen emergency fixes for Bluetooth issues and other problems specific to enterprise versions of Windows in-between those releases.

It has felt like a rather haphazard start to the year, then, but at least Microsoft has been responsive and quick to deliver the necessary reparations in these cases. Obviously, though, it'd be far more preferable to not have to push out emergency fixes in the first place, and I seriously hope that Microsoft's broad campaign to fix what's wrong with Windows 11 includes addressing shortfalls in its testing and QA procedures.

I know I've banged on about this in the past, but it really is a critical area for the reputation of Windows 11, albeit one that'll likely demand a lot in the way of resources to get properly into shape.

• Meta has two new smart glasses on the way
• Blayzer and Scriber Optics shapes are designed for people who wear prescription lenses
• The glasses don't come cheap

Meta just debuted a duo of new AI glasses styles in its Ray-Ban smart specs lineup, and they’re designed for folks who have prescriptions with designs aimed at “all-day wear.”

These new Blayzer and Scriber Optics shapes support “nearly all prescriptions” at launch (-6 to +6, with support for folks with astigmatism too) and according to Meta, they’re the company’s most comfortable AI glasses yet with overextension hinges, interchangeable nose pads, and optician-adjustable temple tips which will all allow you get a more tailored fit from your smart specs.

I already think the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses I own are comfy, but I do have a couple of fit tweaks I would make if I could — the changeable nose pads, for example, would be a big help for making my specs fit better. The only downside is that these new glasses are a fair bit pricier than Meta’s standard Ray-Ban smart glasses

The glasses are available right now in the US starting at $499, while in the UK and Australia, they’ll launch on April 14 for £429 / AU$709. Oh, and that’s before you pay extra for your prescription lenses (which cost different amounts based on how strong your corrective lenses need to be), and for add-ons like them being transition lenses that go shaded when you’re in bright light.

By choosing all of the most expensive options, I found a pair costing $1,024 on the US preorder page — though it did seem you could get a pair in the $599 to $799 range if you don’t go all-out and have less severe vision correction needs.

But hey, at least you get a unique Dark Brown charging case — a change from the tan and limited edition black cases we’ve seen previously.

If you’d rather splurge on Meta’s other glasses, a few new lens and frame options are on the way to those.

The Oakley Meta Vanguards are getting their first transition lenses, which is a massive win for the glasses, since their always shaded options weren’t ideal for darker days. They’re being joined by Black and Rose Gold lenses too.

Meanwhile, the Oakley HSTN specs are getting Dark Golf and clear-to-brown transition lens options for you to choose from.

• Rec Room is shutting down in June
• The popular metaverse platform struggled to turn its success into profit
• Snap is reportedly buying up some Rec Room assets

Rec Room — a popular VR multiplayer platform that reached over 150 million players during its lifetime — is shutting down in June as the company explains, "Our costs always ended up overwhelming the revenue we brought in." But it might live on in AR.

This follows the semi-shutdown of Meta’s Horizon Worlds metaverse. That title will live on in full on mobile, and will be playable in VR — but the once-flagship immersive experience on Quest headsets won’t receive updates or new content, as Meta shifts its focus to smartphones and glasses.

For Rec Room, a similar shift seems to be on the cards too.

While not much is revealed in the School’s Out for Rec Room blog post, which details the final days for the platform — such as 80% discounts, the removal of some RR+ membership exclusivity for certain items and for cashing out tokens, and the ability to download your created rooms as a standalone Unity app (only via the Steam PC build) — it’s being reported that the team’s efforts may be reborn in a form under Snap.

The Snapchat and AR glasses-maker has reportedly acquired some Rec Room Inc. assets, including a few employees, according to Geek Wire. It hasn’t been confirmed what they’ll be doing, but based on my experience with Snapchat’s specs, I have an educated guess that these former Rec Room developers will help make Snap’s AR software the virtual playground I’m dreaming of.

The metaverse’s AR future?

I’ve loved VR multiplayer, but having experienced AR multiplayer with Snap’s Spectacles, the in-person digital experience is a cut above, even in my admittedly limited demo.

Peridot multiplayer let a group of us see and interact with each other’s virtual pets, we could draw and create 3D art together in the room, and while not a game per se, multi-person AR translation with floating subtitles under each speaker felt like magic.

Even though the actual gameplay of these apps wasn’t mindblowing, the virtual and real blended experience was a delight — and my mind was racing with what the future could hold.

With a pair of AR smart specs, you could turn a park into an AR paintball arena for you and your friends, turn your living room into a jungle adventure, or your back garden into a tennis court — the list goes on.

An AR version of Rec Room, with its blend of premade and user-generated content, could be a killer AR app. Rather than waiting for someone to make the AR game you’ve been wishing for, you’d have the tools to simply build it yourself.

Now, there’s no promise that this is what Snap has planned, but from my conversations and demos with the team there, it’s clear the company has lofty AR aspirations — so this kind of move wouldn’t be out of the question. We’ll just have to wait and see what it has up its sleeve when its glasses debut later this year.

• Engo has revealed the engo3 smart glasses, with an AR heads-up display
• Designed to display vital stats in your lens as if they were floating 3m in front, the smart glasses don't capture content or play music
• The glasses are compatible with Apple and Garmin watches, among others

Engo has revealed the engo3 smart glasses, a device designed to show you an augmented-reality view of your vital stats during a run.

Using Engo's 'light AR technology', the engo3 specs use a custom interface to take data from smartphones and wearables — which exact models, we're not sure, but we know the list includes Apple and the best Garmin watches — and show the data as if it were hovering around 3 meters in front of you. The info displayed includes 'heart rate, pace, cadence and more' as well as cues for customisable structured workouts such as interval training.

While they do share a similar outward design to Meta's Oakley Meta Vanguard specs, their functionalities are very, very different. The Vanguard glasses can takes information from Garmin watches, but will either read it out to you via the in-built speakers or overlay it on top of footage taken by the onboard camera. You never see it as a heads-up display.

On the other hand, the engo3 glasses don't have an onboard AI assistant and can't play music, serve you notifications or capture content like the Vanguards do. They're purely about workout guidance.

The engo3 press release addressed this as a deliberate choice, stating: 'ENGO's approach focuses on the following: to optimize weight, the user experience, and battery life. This means no camera, no sound, and no superfluous features that could add weight or distract the user.

'This choice goes against the grain of many smart glasses that offer a multitude of additional options, often a source of distraction.'

The engo3 offers up to 20 hours of battery life. Available now, they cost $399 USD / £299 (around AU$575).

Analysis: What I wanted out of the Oakley Meta Vanguards

When I first unboxed the Oakley Meta Vanguards, I was telling another runner friend about the Garmin integration. Initially excited at the prospect of seeing her stats in the glasses, I had to let her down and tell her it's only overlaid on the footage the Vanguards take.

The engo3 specs, which eschew the other smart glasses frippery in favor of the Iron Man-style heads-up display, is much more like what people have in mind when they think of futuristic smart glasses. I'm excited to try them.

We reviewed the Engo 2 smart glasses back in 2023 and found them clever, but underbaked — here's hoping now, in the age of smart glasses, tech has evolved and the sequel has succeeded where its predecessor couldn't.

• Windows 11's taskbar repositioning is a top priority fix for Microsoft
• An exec has also been frank about progress with dark mode
• This new openness and transparency from Microsoft, and the way more execs are engaging with users, is promising for the future of Windows 11

We appear to have moved into a very different space with Windows 11, as Microsoft executives are busily engaged in dealing with feedback on social media regarding what needs fixing. And as more revelations about what's happening behind the scenes pour forth, I'm becoming increasingly hopeful about the future of the OS.

As Windows Central informs us, one of the big changes being made to Windows 11, namely work on repositioning the taskbar, has been made a top priority at Microsoft according to inside sources.

This is about being able to move the taskbar away from the bottom of the screen — where it's been firmly anchored since the release of Windows 11 — and other customization elements, such as having a more compact bar (which is useful for smaller screens).

These features will work pretty much as they do in Windows 10 (unsurprisingly), although moving the taskbar will be implemented slightly differently (it won't be directly draggable, you'll have a selection of choices within Settings).

Windows Central informs us that repositioning the taskbar is a 'priority 0' task, which is the most urgent level, with resizing the bar a slightly lesser but still important 'priority 1' affair.

So, we should soon be able to to move the taskbar land in Windows 11, unless Microsoft runs into a bunch of problems executing this smoothly enough.

Elsewhere Windows Central also reports that Marcus Ash, Microsoft's head of Windows Design and Research, has provided an update on dark mode in Windows 11.

In case you weren't aware, introducing dark mode has been a glacially slow process for Windows 11, taking what's seemed forever to gradually creep across more areas of the interface. And still there are numerous jarring sections that remain stubbornly white, when they should be a dark, eye-friendly shade with the mode enabled.

In response to a query on X about getting dark mode into 'Regedit' (the Registry editor), Ash said: "We are pushing to get our tools/techniques to the point where we can get dark theme into more areas across Windows. No timelines to commit to yet for Regedit. As we make progress in various legacy system panels/dialogs, we will keep improving consistency."

While that isn't a firm promise, it's good to get a response — and it is an open and frank reply.

Analysis: precious hope for the future

It's great to see that more Microsoft execs are now communicating with Windows 11 users in a refreshingly frank, and largely positive, way. This comes on top of a lot of responses that have been made on X and other social media outlets recently, from the likes of Pavan Davuluri (who heads up Windows) to Scott Hanselman (a VP who's been the most active of all, and is clearly an integral part of the 'fix Windows 11 in 2026' campaign).

The inability to move the taskbar to the sides or top of the Windows 11 desktop has long been a bugbear, so it's great to see this is one of the highest priorities for Microsoft. It may not be a feature everyone needs, but those who do want it have been very vocal about its absence for years.

There is clearly a new drive within Microsoft to stay glued to social media and respond to common complaints about Windows 11, and take them on board for fixing. Now, whether all the extra issues that have popped up and been addressed in this way — outside of the many promised fixes aired in Microsoft's initial lengthy blog post — will be resolved is another question.

However, the way Microsoft execs are conducting themselves now gives me hope that this is a whole new attitude from the company, as it realizes the serious threats to its desktop OS dominance – such as macOS being pushed by the new and very well-received MacBook Neo.

We'll know soon enough how serious Microsoft is about curing everything that's wrong with Windows 11 — which pretty much appears to be the end goal — as fixes have been promised on a monthly basis, starting immediately. Therefore, we should see that taskbar work coming through into testing soon enough, barring any unfortunate complications as noted.

The other point skeptics will no doubt pick up on is that if Microsoft is going to move fast here, can it avoid also breaking things? Because in the past, even when Microsoft has moved slowly, features have somehow ended up broken. This is one of the biggest potential hurdles of all, and Microsoft must invest enough resources to ensure that it doesn't go this way.

• Microsoft is going to cut back on promotional activity in Windows 11
• An exec said on X that "a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal" with Windows 11
• Microsoft has mentioned other notable improvements on social media, including making the taskbar better beyond giving us the ability to move it

Windows 11 without adverts? Okay, maybe that's a pipe dream, but the amount of promotional activity Microsoft visits on its desktop OS is apparently going to be cut back.

As OC3D spotted, this is the latest word from Scott Hanselman, who is a VP, member of technical staff at Microsoft, and one of the major players in the whole 'fix Windows 11' campaign now underway with the software giant.

Hanselman posted on X that "a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal" with Windows 11.

This was in reply to someone who observed that while Microsoft has just made many laudable promises about what is going to be improved in Windows 11, one thing not mentioned was a "commitment to cut out the borderline malware tactics we've seen in recent years to push things like Edge, Bing, ads into the Start menu".

'Borderline malware' is strong phrasing, granted, but I'd agree that some of Microsoft's pop-ups or insertions into menus cross a line in terms of getting overly pushy.

On top of that, Windows Latest reports that as well as the ability to move the taskbar in Windows 11 (which is inbound), users might get the option to have a more compact taskbar, as seen in Windows 10.

Again, a denizen of X noted that they hate the "jumbo" taskbar in Windows 11 – the height of which can't be adjusted – and that "Windows 10 and Windows 8 have a compact/slim taskbar option" which should be in the newest OS.

Pavan Davuluri, head of Windows at Microsoft, replied in this case to say: "This is something we're looking at implementing."

This would be a particularly useful change for those with smaller displays (such as compact laptops), where the Windows 11 taskbar can feel unnecessarily large, eating up valuable desktop real estate.

Analysis: calmer chameleon — let's hope all these changes come to fruition

It's obvious that Microsoft wants to seem more directly engaged with Windows 11 users this year. Having previously promised meaningful improvements to Windows 11, the company just announced a whole raft of these – and it's notable how much Hanselman and Davuluri are both replying on social media to other much-requested features with generally positive responses.

It's one thing to want to be seen to be listening, though, and another to actually carry through on this work. I must admit, I found it odd that Microsoft didn't mention tackling instances of self-promotion in Windows 11 in its big announcement last week — but perhaps this was too close to the bone to state in an official blog post.

If Microsoft genuinely wants to make Windows 11 better, though, it's certainly a point that needs addressing. The various crowbarred-in bits of promotion for Edge, Bing, OneDrive and so forth definitely need to be canned, as they're irritating to see, and clutter up the interface to boot. And if some people do want reminders about features they could be missing out on, create a dedicated area of Settings that they can visit to take in the upselling candy on offer.

One way or another, 2026 is going to be a huge year for Windows 11. A massive amount of change is on the way, that much is clear, but how much of these extra promises on social media will be realized is going to be truly interesting to see.

How serious is Microsoft about making Windows 11 the best operating system it can possibly be? Let's hope we see all these things come to fruition, and more. We'll get a flavor of how the delivery of all this work will pan out soon enough, as the various changes are going to come pretty swiftly to Windows 11 on a monthly basis, we've been told.

• Spotify has rolled out Exclusive Mode to its Windows desktop app
• When enabled, it gives Spotify control over your PC's audio processing
• It allows you to listen to music as it was mastered, but there are a few caveats

Update: Spotify reached out to correct a piece of misinformation on its part. When Exclusive Mode is enabled, features such as Automix and Crossfade will work and will not be disabled / paused. However, Spotify says they must be turned off for the output to be 'bit perfect', just like the normalization and equalizer features.

Original story follows:

After what feels like a lifetime for audiophiles, Spotify has finally rolled out its much-requested Exclusive Mode feature to the Windows desktop app, meaning you can now take full advantage of bit-perfect audio playback, with support for macOS arriving in the future.

Available to Premium subscribers, Exclusive Mode can now be enabled in your Spotify Audio Output settings on desktop. In short, it gives Spotify complete control over your computer’s audio processing, so that you can listen to your favorite songs and albums exactly as they were mastered.

Three months after users spotted it in beta, a Spotify representative announced the arrival of Exclusive Mode on the platform’s community site, offering more detail on how it works its magic. “Without Exclusive Mode turned on, your computer may alter audio before it reaches your DAC by resampling it, mixing other system sounds in, and changing the volume,” the post reads.

But when Exclusive Mode is turned on, it ups the ante on audio output, which the post describes as being “ideal for listeners with a DAC or audio interface who want the purest possible sound without resampling and interference from their computer's audio mixer”.

With that in mind, there are a few trade-offs you'll have to be willing to make.

For starters, two of Spotify’s key features will be disabled while Exclusive Mode is enabled, those being Automix (Spotify’s DJ-like transitions between songs) and Crossfade. Additionally, Exclusive Mode is also unavailable when you're watching music videos and streaming podcasts, as well as with other visual features such as preview clips and canvas clips. Instead, the audio may play from your computer's default audio device.

In addition, other apps on your PC will be unable to play audio through your device when Exclusive Mode is turned on. You can bypass this if you have multiple audio devices (i.e., wired/ bluetooth headphones, USB DAC, etc), where you can play sound from other apps by switching your computer's default audio output to another device.

Spotify also recommends using Exclusive Mode with a DAC or audio interface if you want to make the most of bit-perfect sound. The streaming service also suggests disabling the Crossfade, Automix, Normalize Volume, and Equalizer features to hear the music as it was originally mastered.

In spite of these compromises, I can see Exclusive Mode sitting very comfortably with Spotify fans who want to prioritize bit-perfect audio. It's been a long time coming for users who exclusively use Spotify on desktop, and the positive reactions on Reddit speak for themselves — and some users are now calling on Apple Music to improve its Windows app.

Enabling Exclusive Mode is simple — see below.

How to enable Exclusive Mode in Spotify for Windows

• Connect your external DAC or audio interface to your PC. If your computer has a built-in headphone or speaker port this means you might already have a compatible built-in DAC
• Launch the Spotify Windows desktop app and go to Settings > Playback
• Go to Output and select your audio device from the dropdown menu — you can then turn on Exclusive Mode

• Microsoft's planned big changes for Windows 11 are coming soon
• Testing will start "this month and throughout April"
• Updates packing the new features will arrive "this month and every month this year" we're told, so this work won't all be dumped on us at once in the 26H2 update

The big incoming changes to Windows 11 that Microsoft announced at the weekend are going to start happening faster than I thought — right off the bat, in fact.

Windows Latest reports that the work to fix many of the major pain points in Windows 11 — including moving the taskbar, RAM consumption, update-related issues, and much more — is starting right now.

Pavan Davuluri, head of Windows at Microsoft, said on X that: "We will begin to preview initial changes detailed in our blog in builds with Windows Insiders this month and throughout April."

We should see some of this honing work going into the next preview build of Windows 11, then.

Windows Latest also spotted Scott Hanselman, who is a VP, member of technical staff at Microsoft — and has been drafted across to be a part of this project — noted on X that updates packing these features will arrive "this month and every month this year".

Windows Latest further highlights that one of the improvements Microsoft is going to make that's flown rather under the radar pertains to wireless connections. Specifically, we're told that: "One of the priorities is to build a new experience that allows you to pair and use Bluetooth more easily and in a faster way."

Hopefully that'll mean less flakiness all round when using Bluetooth devices with Windows 11.

Analysis: fast fixing — hopefully with no breakages

It was inevitable that there would be a good deal of cynicism around Microsoft's recent revelation of a whole lot of exciting changes coming to Windows 11. Part of the sentiment on social media is a strong current to the effect of 'talk is all well and good, but I'll believe it when I see it' — and I can sympathize with that point of view.

Even Hanselman acknowledges that this is a fair enough comment, and the good news is that the exec seems confident that Microsoft is going to deliver on its promises here.

If we're getting this work via updates every month, we'll soon be able to see the reality of this. It's also interesting that Microsoft's plan appears to be getting these improvements out on a month-by-month basis, and not saving everything up for deployment all at once in the yearly update (which will be version 26H2, for most PCs, anyway).

Remember, though, that the new stuff coming into preview is one thing, and the full rollout is another. I'd imagine that testing some of these changes is going to be a prolonged activity, shall we say, and Microsoft is piling a lot on its development plate here. We know that bugs can creep into Windows 11 even with simple updates, and there's going to be a lot of potential breakage as this project forges onwards, which may slow progress.

In short, temper your expectations, but it's undeniable that Microsoft is on the right track here (and as I discussed yesterday, you can probably thank the MacBook Neo for the urgency Microsoft seems to have about this work now).

Apple has officially announced its all-important WWDC 2026 keynote for June 8, setting the stage for a slew of platform updates that will impact the near future of iPhone, iPad, Macs, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and, yes, even Vision Pro.

No category may be more closely watched during this keynote and the sessions that follow at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference than AI or, more specifically, Siri.

If you don't think AI is top-of-mind for the Cupertino tech giant, just take a look at this line from the press release announcing the event: "WWDC26 will spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools."

It's no accident that AI is called out in a sentence that doesn't even mention iOS by name. Little is known about the event right now, except that the keynote and "State of the Union" will be on June 8. Much of the conference will be held online via 100 video sessions. However, there will be an in-person component for developers on the 8th, which will let them participate in "special labs and activities."

Still, the focus will be on the possibly two-hour keynote that should finally clarify how Siri will ingest Gemini, or at least the Gemini foundation models will be used to enhance Apple Intelligence and Siri.

Since Apple Intelligence and Siri are available across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and Vision Pro, this update should have wide-ranging and significant implications.

WWDC is generally not a moment where Apple officially releases any new hardware platform. Instead, they'll show us what each platform update can do and then set a schedule for developer and public betas. The keynote will, though, give us a timeline for when we can finally try out the smartest and most AI-ready Siri ever, assuming that's what we get.

As in previous years, we expect Apple CEO Tim Cook to briefly take the stage at Apple Park Campus to introduce the video presentation. He might take a moment or two to recognize the company's 50th birthday, but then it will be a whistle-stop tour through all the platforms:

• iOS 27
• iPadOS 27
• macOS 27 (Redwood?)
• watchOS 27
• tvOS 27
• visionOS 27

Each platform should get its moment in the sun. We may hear more about some new development kits (like HomeKit, StoreKit, AppKit, etc.). But the lion's share of the day might be devoted to Apple Intelligence and Siri.

Surely Apple knows it has to not only wow us with Siri's new intelligence, but convince us that what we're seeing on stage and in the videos is real. After all, it's been almost two years since Apple promised us a Siri that could, with your permission, know everything about you based on the data in your phone and could see what you were doing on your phone, all to be a more proactive and helpful assistant.

That promise was never fulfilled, and Apple's AI offerings generally pale in comparison to those of Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Now Apple has a blockbuster deal with Google that will let it use Gemini Foundation models to power part of Siri's intelligence.

Many thought we'd see these changes sooner rather than later, but with WWDC fast approaching, it just makes more sense for Apple to wait a little more than two months to really wow us.

As for what else we might see on the day, expect lots of details on iOS 27 that help us form a mental vision of what the iPhone 18 might look like.

There might be some adjustment of Liquid Glass, which seems to have split consumers. iPad and macOS will grow even closer, with the former adopting more of the latter's desktop capabilities.

Some have predicted a touch-screen MacBook, which would mean a major touch-enhancement to macOS, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

There's always a chance we see a hardware tease. Remember, Vision Pro was the surprise reveal at WWDC 2023. Maybe this is the moment for a big visionOS update that rides on the back of a much more affordable, lightweight Vision Pro Lite.

If we do see any hardware, the more likely reveal is a glimpse of the iPhone Fold. That would make sense, especially if iOS 27 has any special, flexible display-centric features.

There's also a good chance that we won't see any hardware, just more software updates than we can count.

Whatever happens, TechRadar will be on the ground, covering every single bit (and byte) of it.

• There was a nasty bug in the March update that broke a bunch of apps, including Edge, OneDrive, and some Office applications
• Microsoft has now fixed this glitch with an emergency patch for Windows 11
• Windows 11 users won't get this fix unless they've enabled a certain option, and most will need to manually download it

Microsoft has rushed out a fix for a recent bug in Windows 11, which broke some important apps, although you'll have to manually download the emergency patch, as it won't install automatically (for most folks).

The glitch, caused by the March update for Windows 11, meant that apps with Microsoft account sign-ins — including Microsoft Edge, OneDrive, some Office apps, and the free version of Teams — would fail with an error telling the user they weren't connected to the internet (which wasn't the case).

Windows Latest reports that the fix has been deployed as KB5085516, rolling out to those on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 who have installed the March update.

As this is an emergency or 'out of band' update — outside the normal pattern of Windows updates — it isn't the case that you'll receive KB5085516 automatically.

You may do so, but only if you've turned on the 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' option in the settings for Windows Update, as Microsoft explains in the patch notes.

If you haven't enabled that — and most Windows 11 users won't, as this means the PC gets optional (preview) updates, which can still be buggy — then you'll need to grab the patch yourself if you're suffering from broken apps due to this connectivity error.

To do this, check for updates in the Windows Update panel (in Settings), and you'll see KB5085516, whereupon you can click to download and install it.

After applying the patch, which typically takes about five minutes to download and the same length of time to install, according to Windows Latest, you should be good to go with the mentioned apps.

Analysis: a necessarily swift fix

Microsoft has got this fix out quickly, as the company promised. The software giant said the bug would be fixed in a few days, and that's exactly what has happened — KB5085516 actually started rolling out two days ago, at the weekend.

So, at this point, you should definitely see the patch if you check under Windows Update. You won't see this fix, however, if you haven't installed the March update (KB5079473) yet, as you won't need it (of course). Presumably, Microsoft will have directly applied this emergency patch to the March update, so anybody installing the latter going forward won't encounter the bug.

Are you tempted to switch on 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' because this should ensure you get emergency updates like this one automatically? After all, if you don't, it's true that there's a chance you might miss an important fix if you don't read about it in an article like this. However, what you must bear in mind is that enabling this feature means you'll receive all of Microsoft's optional updates, too. These tend to be buggier than the release versions of monthly updates, which, as we see with the March update, can already play host to some troublesome gremlins.

So just be aware of what you might be signing up for, and I'd be wary of doing this unless you're a more confident PC user.

• Microsoft may ditch the need to set up Windows 11 with a Microsoft account
• A company exec says software engineers are working on it
• There's no indication yet of when the change might be implemented

Microsoft has told users that big improvements are coming to Windows 11 — improvements covering how much AI appears in the software, how updates are handled, and much more — and the operating system's setup process might also be getting a welcome tweak.

As spotted by Windows Latest, in response to a user query on X about being able to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, Microsoft exec Scott Hanselman says software engineers are now "working on it".

Hanselman is a Vice President at Microsoft, and is part of the team tasked with pushing forward his company's year of reliability and performance upgrades for Windows 11. So far, Microsoft's changes have been positively received, for the most part.

Being able to set up a Windows 11 computer without the hassle of logging into a Microsoft account is something else that's likely to prove popular with users — as you can see if you read through some of the comments underneath Handselman's post.

Putting the users first

While it is still technically possible to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, the workarounds are rather technical and tricky. The local account option has been gradually pushed out of the software over the years.

As we've written in the past, that takes away user choice and flexibility, and there are no doubt some users who would rather not tie their copy of Windows 11 to a Microsoft account – or even have a Microsoft account at all.

That Scott Hanselman says this is also something he hates is significant. It shows Microsoft willing to change features for the benefit of end users rather than prioritizing the best interests of the company.

While there's still a lot of work to do to restore trust and goodwill with users, Microsoft is doing okay so far (and we're only in March). As yet there's no indication of when this might roll out however — and aside from Scott Hanselman's post on X, there's no official confirmation that the change will happen.

• Microsoft has listed changes coming to Windows 11
• Reductions in AI and more control over updates are included
• Taskbar repositioning is returning as well

You don't have to look far on the internet to find complaints from Windows 11 users about the direction that the desktop operating system has been heading in lately, but it seems as though Microsoft is now making good on its promises to fix some of the biggest issues with the software.

Pavan Davuluri, the President of Windows & Devices at Microsoft, has written a lengthy blog post that was also sent out via email to users in the Windows Insider program. In it he shares some of the "initial changes" coming to preview versions of Windows across the next couple of months.

It reads like a wishlist put together by a disillusioned Windows 11 user: we're getting fewer "unnecessary Copilot entry points" (less AI slop), and that reduction in AI includes features pushed out to apps like Photos and Notepad. Desktop widgets are also being made "quieter" and less distracting, with improved personalization controls.

Another worthwhile change is more control over Windows Updates. Davuluri says these will be less disruptive going forward, and that users will have more choice when it comes to skipping updates (when setting up or restarting Windows, for example). Updates will be able to be paused for longer too.

Taskbar customization is coming back

File Explorer — the bane of many a user — is going to get "faster and more dependable", with performance improvements coming to the launch experience. The app will soon show reduced flicker and smoother navigation, and more reliable performance when it comes to day-to-day file management.

Then there's more taskbar customization, which Davuluri says is one of the "top asks" he's been hearing from users. You'll be able to fix it to the side or the top of the screen, no third-party utility required, with a coming update. This is of course a feature that we had in Windows 10 but that got cut for Windows 11.

What's more, Microsoft is making the Windows Insider program "more transparent" — with clearer channel definitions and improved access to new features — and upgrading the Feedback Hub as well, so you can more easily tell Microsoft how well (or how badly) it's doing with the upcoming changes.

Davuluri goes on to emphasize Microsoft's recent commitment to upping the performance, reliability, and "craft" (user experience) of Windows 11 in the coming months, and it would appear that there's lots in store. What the exec doesn't say is how many of these upgrades will be coded by AI — perhaps best not to ask.

• Meta's CTO says Horizon Worlds will live on in VR, for now
• You won't be able to make new worlds, but can enjoy existing games
• He says it will remain live in VR in this way for the "forseeable future"

It seems reports of Horizon Worlds' death were greatly exaggerated — Meta has announced it won’t be killing the VR version of its metaverse after all.

Earlier this week, Meta announced that it would be ending support for the VR version of Horizon Worlds and making it into a mobile-only app, sending out an email to all Quest users that they only had until June 15 to enjoy their favorite created worlds before they’d be gone forever.

Now, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth has said they’ll be keeping the app live for VR users in a limited capacity after all. In response to someone saying they were “heartbroken” about the closure, Bosworth said in an Instagram AMA, “I have a little bit of good news here for you.”

“We have decided, just today in fact, that we will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games,” he revealed, though Bosworth added that new games won’t arrive in VR, and said that, for Meta, “most of our energy is going towards mobile” because “that’s where most of the consumer and creator energy already was.”

He ended the segment by explaining that this limited version of Horizon Worlds will be live for “the foreseeable future.”

Best of both (Horizon) Worlds

For me, even as someone who never liked Horizon Worlds, this is the ideal scenario.

As I outlined when the cancellation was announced, even if Horizon Worlds was never massively popular, there will be plenty of folks who have crafted their perfect VR worlds, or curated a list of their favorite VR games and hangout spots, who were now having that ripped away from them.

These users will still have access to all of that content now, though, thanks to this U-turn. Meanwhile, those of us who hated having Horizon Worlds shoved down our throats won’t be faced with Meta’s constant over-promotion in VR.

Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Horizon Worlds doesn’t survive even in mobile phone for much longer. Maybe my perception is wrong, but against mammoth titles (Roblox and Fortnite) with similar custom game design elements, is there space for Meta’s platform to win over a significant number of users?

I’m unconvinced, simply from the perspective that I never hear anyone talking about Horizon Worlds — this cancellation story is the most buzz it has had in years — meanwhile, I can’t escape references to Roblox or Fortnite in the gaming space, and I have never even touched Roblox; it’s just a gaming behemoth.

We’ll need to wait and see how Horizon Worlds develops, but at least for now, VR players will be able to cling onto their worlds for a little longer.

• Windows 11's March update has an annoying bug
• It breaks some apps which use a Microsoft account login, including OneDrive, Edge and the free version of Teams
• Microsoft has a workaround, but doesn't sound fully confident in it – though fortunately a patch is already underway and should arrive soon

Windows 11's latest update suffers from a bug which has broken some apps that use a Microsoft account login.

Bleeping Computer reports that the March update released last week (known as KB5079473) has messed up the Microsoft account sign-ins for OneDrive and the Edge browser, as well as the free version of Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, along with Microsoft Word and Excel.

Microsoft explains: "As a result of this issue, sign in attempts will display an error message with text similar to 'You'll need the Internet for this. It doesn't look like you're connected to the Internet'. This appears even if the device is connected to the internet."

As to what can be done here, Microsoft's advice is: "This issue occurs when the device enters a specific network connectivity state, and may resolve on its own. If you encounter this issue, restart the device while keeping it connected to the internet. This should repair the device connectivity state and prevent the issue from occurring."

This is a bug that hits consumers more, as it's Microsoft accounts which are causing the problem. Microsoft clarifies that businesses using Entra ID won't be affected, and this is just Microsoft Teams Free which has a problem (via Microsoft account sign-ins which are prevalent with that freebie version).

That said, Windows 11 Enterprise versions have encountered other bugs with the March update which Microsoft has been forced to release emergency patches for. This includes a problem whereby Bluetooth devices aren't visible, so you can't connect them to the PC.

Analysis: workaround sounds a little hit-or-miss, but thankfully a patch is imminent

If you've had trouble with Edge or OneDrive logins, or indeed one of the other mentioned pieces of software, since installing last week's Windows 11 update, now you know the problem. And it might be quite a nasty one to come across, as folks could well assume there's something wrong with their internet connection, and may end up having a frustrating time of trying to troubleshoot an issue that doesn't actually exist.

As for the supplied workaround from Microsoft, it is effectively that old standby: turn it off, turn it on again. However, it's not too heartening to read that Microsoft believes this 'should repair' the internet connection, which doesn't sound as definitive as I'd like. Keep your fingers crossed, basically.

Microsoft says it's working on a resolution for the bug and it should be patched in the "next few days", so the good news is that at least this particular network-related gremlin shouldn't be hanging around for long.

Note that the February preview update – the optional release just before the March patch – also carried a very nasty bug for Samsung laptops where access to the system (C:) drive was lost. This was the fault of the Samsung Galaxy Connect app, mind, and not Windows 11, but if you were unfortunate enough to be affected, here's how to extract yourself from that particular mess.

• Meta's smart glasses are getting update v23
• It will bring new snow sports stats to users with a Garmin watch
• Other upgrades improve conversational and translation abilities

Meta’s smart glasses are getting their v23 update right now, and the standout upgrade would have been perfect at the Winter Olympics — it's too bad that it's landed just a little too late. Nifty translation and conversational improvements are on the way too.

The standout upgrade is new snow sports integration. As a Meta article explains, with the aid of a Garmin device your glasses will be able to tell you about your current skiing or snowboarding excursion — such as how far you’ve travelled, your last run’s max speed, the steepness of the slope, and your personal records.

As with the running integration you can also create shareable auto-captures which overlay interesting data from key moments onto clips your smart specs capture automatically.

As with Meta’s glasses’ other fitness features, you’ll need to pair your specs with a compatible Garmin watch — so if you rely on a different brand of smart band or don’t own one at all you’re out of luck. You’ll also want to have your phone in your pocket with the Meta AI app installed, and make sure it’s paired with both your watch and specs.

With all that ready to go, when you next hit the slopes you’ll just need to start a snow sport activity on your Garmin device, and it’ll start capturing all the data you need and creating a neat auto-capture — just note that colder weather will drain your glasses’ battery more quickly than you might normally expect.

New translation tools are headed to the glasses too — if you’re in the early access program that is. These are Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Swedish, and Finnish, with Meta promising more to come.

Meta’s translation is arguably its glasses least impressive AI feature compared to rivals — not because of inaccuracies but because the language selection is much less broad compared to other specs.

This update should help to alleviate those ongoing woes somewhat; I just wish it was coming to everybody and not just a select few.

Lastly there’s the promise of a more conversational Meta AI. Once you engage with 'Hey Meta' you won’t need to keep saying the wake word to keep the conversation flowing — but at the moment this is only if you live in the US or Canada.

Overall this update is more minor — especially as the biggest upgrade requires you to own a Garmin device on top of your smart glasses — but hopefully Meta’s renewed AR / AI focus will mean we see bigger improvements down the line.

• Microsoft has used Copilot to generate images for 'how to' articles
• Some of these pics have gone badly wrong, showing parts of the Windows 11 interface featuring glaring mistakes
• This is embarrassing at the very least, and possibly confusing for the less tech-savvy

Microsoft is using AI to generate screenshots to go with its 'how to' articles, and with some of these grabs getting things painfully wrong, this is effectively a lesson in how not to use AI.

These instructional guides are on the Windows Learning Center, and they are useful tutorials, although, as Windows Latest points out, many of the articles have imagery generated by Copilot.

We know this because the captions accompanying those pictures state that the image is "AI art created via Copilot", and so this is really Microsoft's way of advertising how good its AI is at generating pics. Or trying to do that, anyway.

The catch is that the AI has messed up on some occasions. As Windows Latest notes, there's a major faux pas with the article relating to using widgets in Windows 11, where a provided screenshot shows a completely different-looking widget panel.

While an experienced user will realize this is just an illustrative example, less knowledgeable people may not — perhaps to the point where they start wondering why their widget panel looks completely different, or indeed how they get it to change to this seemingly alternative format.

That's misleading, then, but there are worse offenders. TweakTown highlighted further examples, including one where the AI has hallucinated and produced two Start menu icons on the taskbar.

This is present with the Snipping Tool tutorial, or it was, as Microsoft has now removed the image (unsurprisingly). Technically, the duplicated Start buttons weren't actually the same, and one isn't a Start button at all (if you zoom in), but they appear to be at first glance. And one is on the left, while the second one — and all the other icons — are centered in the taskbar, which doesn't make any sense. (You can have the taskbar icons left or center-aligned, but not both.)

Clearly, the AI has gone awry with a number of screenshots, and TweakTown cites further examples, including someone playing a game on a laptop using a controller, seemingly engaged in that pursuit, but looking away from the screen towards the other side of the room. Oops.

Analysis: slop ammo

Microsoft is not short of money in its coffers to pay for photoshoots to get this kind of imagery spot-on, of course, so this isn't a good look. That said, it seems the company is using these images to advertise Copilot's image creation skills, but if so, the poor-quality examples where things are just wrong hardly produce a good impression here. As observed at the outset, if anything, this is a warning, showing how using AI can go off the rails.

Crucially, if Microsoft is going to use AI in this way, you'd imagine there'd be a human editor vetting the quality of the images and ensuring they fit the article with no glaring issues. So that hasn't happened, or the overseer of these AI creations has made a shoddy job of quality control.

The end result is that it looks like Microsoft is rushing and cutting corners with AI here, and that hands ammunition directly to the 'Microslop' crowd. This is poorly quality-controlled, errant AI imagery that's been employed without enough thought. While not every picture is problematic, there are enough that it looks unfortunate to say the least.

Microsoft needs to exercise more discipline in the way it uses AI, and you'd think the company would be keenly aware of this in light of the whole 'Microslop' nickname that caught on at the start of 2026. Sadly not, it seems, and that leads to the kind of comment made by this Redditor: "It's like all of their creativity got ruined by AI..."

• Meta just announced that Horizon Worlds VR is shutting down on June 15
• The platform will still be live for mobile users
• Fans have mixed feelings about the announcement

Meta’s VR scale-back is heading into phase two as the company has revealed its timeline for the full closure of its Meta Horizon Worlds metaverse. At least the VR version of it.

In an email sent out to Meta account holders — this writer included — Meta revealed that starting on June 15, 2026, we’ll no longer be able to build, publish or update VR worlds. What’s more, we won’t be able to access Meta Horizon Worlds using VR headsets; instead, the spaces will be exclusive to the Meta Horizon mobile app.

That is, provided they’ve been optimized for mobile.

What’s more, starting on March 31, Horizon Worlds and Events won’t appear in the Quest Store, and Horizon Central, Events Arena, Kaiju, and Bobber Bay will no longer be available to enjoy in VR.

On the one hand, this move is being cheered by many VR fans. Horizon Worlds has never been overly popular, and its increasing prominence in Meta Quest feeds — pushing out third-party software many would rather see — has been a major criticism amongst many.

As one Reddit user put it under a post about the announcement, “So that means that those world thingies won't be mixed up with my games anymore? I see that as a win.” They are far from the only person with that mentality.

Good? Maybe not

At the same time, I can’t help but agree with others who share this positivity but feel a twinge of sadness, with comments like “I'm glad it's gone but I'm worried about what it means for Quest and VR as a whole” summing up this sentiment succinctly.

For a start, this is a major VR shutdown. While Horizon Worlds might not have been the most popular, it was a major platform from arguably the most important company in the space: Meta — as its headsets make up the vast majority of those in the hands of VR users.

This is therefore a serious reversal of its VR approach, and while Meta has said it’s still dedicated to the medium, it does feel like the end of an era.

I also feel sorry for this title’s loyal base, folks who would have spent hours crafting their perfect VR hangout space and have now lost that work, as exploring on mobile just won’t be the same.

Maybe there are only dozens of those people, but if your favorite VR software just shutdown you’d be upset — while I’m not a fan, there will be plenty of people out there who adored Meta Horizon Worlds and who seriously don’t want to see it go.

• A London judge says a claimant used smart glasses to cheat in court
• The claimant was being fed answers in real-time from the smart glasses
• The evidence was dismissed for being "unreliable and untruthful"

It sounds like a deleted scene from Suits, but a judge in a London High Court case has revealed that a claimant recently used smart glasses to get real-time coaching on their answers — and then later blamed ChatGPT.

The insolvency case, which centered around the liquidation of a Lithuanian company co-owned by Laimonas Jakstys, took place in January, but was recently reported by Legal Futures (via 404 Media) when the judgment was published. And it's full of fascinating, if slightly comical, clashes between a courtroom and new technology.

The judge first noticed something was awry when Jakstys started pausing before answers. "Right at the start of his cross examination, he seemed to pause quite a bit before replying to the questions being asked," Judge Agnello KC noted in the judgement.

After this happened a few times, the defense lawyer, Sarah Walker, said she could "hear interference coming from around Mr Jakstys," and this was backed up by the interpreter. The judge asked the claimant to remove the glasses before continuing with the cross-examination, but that was just the start of a comical turn of events.

While the interpreter was later translating a question, Mr. Jakstys' mobile phone apparently "started broadcasting out loud with the voice of someone talking", the judgment notes. "There was clearly someone on the mobile phone talking to Mr. Jakstys. He then removed his mobile phone from his inner jacket pocket. At my direction, the smart glasses and his mobile were placed into the hands of his solicitor," wrote Judge Agnello KC.

Amusingly, Jakstys turned up to court wearing the glasses the following day, but was then told to turn them off. "When asked, Mr. Jakstys denied that he was using the smart glasses to receive the answers that he was to give in court to the questions being asked. He also denied that his smart glasses were linked to his mobile phone at the time that he was giving evidence before me," the judge added.

Unfortunately, the evidence didn't back this up. According to Jakstys' call log, he'd called and received calls from someone marked on his phone as "abra kadabra", including one just before he went into the witness box. When pressed on the identity of "abra kadabra", Jakstys claimed it was a taxi driver. But the judge understandably wasn't convinced.

'A career first for me'

The smart glasses, the pausing before answers, and the mysterious "abra kadabra" contact — this case has all the ingredients of a CSI-style Netflix documentary. But there was one final twist.

When asked about the voice blaring out from his phone when his smart glasses had been removed, "his explanation was that he thought it was ChatGPT". Understandably, Judge Agnello KC concluded that this "lacks any credibility".

Jakstys also seemed to mysteriously struggle without his glasses. "Once Mr Jakstys was [sic] no longer had his smart glasses, he hesitated quite a bit before providing answers to questions. Frequently, he was asked a question and he would pause for some time before asking for the question to be repeated or he would say he did not understand the question. This occurred frequently when it was clear to me he simply did not know what his reply should be," concluded Judge Agnello KC.

The inevitable result was that Jakstys' evidence was rejected "in its entirety". Summing up the testimony, the judge concluded "he was untruthful in relation to his use about the smart glasses and in being coached through the smart glasses".

But the case naturally also raises broader questions about the clash between our longstanding institutions and technology that's quickly overtaking them. As the barrister Saara Idelbi noted about the case on LinkedIn, "This time it was a human coach. Next time, it will be AI. This case shows us how dangerous smart wearables can be.”

The defense lawyer Sarah Walker also told Legal Futures: “This was a career first for me but, with technological advances, may well be something that litigators have to deal with much more frequently in the coming years."