WhatsApp is Testing ‘Plus’ Subscription With Custom Themes and More WhatsApp has started testing a new ‘Plus’ subscription in select markets that offers more theme options, the ability to pin extra chats, and other perks.

WhatsApp has started testing a new ‘Plus’ subscription in select markets that offers more theme options, the ability to pin extra chats, and other perks www.thurrott.com/cloud/335109... #whatsapp #meta #social

Xbox Announces Limited Edition Forza Horizon 6 Controller and Headset Collection The Xbox team just announced a Limited Edition Xbox Controller and Headset collection to celebrate the upcoming launch of Forza Horizon 6 on May 19.

The Xbox team just announced a Limited Edition Xbox Controller and Headset collection to celebrate the upcoming launch of Forza Horizon 6 on May 19 www.thurrott.com/games/335104... #xbox #gaming

New Apple Mac Studio and Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Be Delayed Due to Memory Shortages Apple’s plan to upgrade its Mac Studio with faster chips and launch a first MacBook Pro with a touchscreen could be disrupted by ongoing memory shortages.

Apple’s plan to upgrade its Mac Studio with faster chips and launch a first MacBook Pro with a touchscreen could be disrupted by ongoing memory shortages www.thurrott.com/apple/335099... #apple #macbook #macstudio

Kiln, Vampire Crawlers, and More Are Coming Soon to Game Pass on Day One Five games are coming soon to Game Pass on day one, including the team-based brawler Kiln and Vampire Brawlers, a spinoff of Vampire Survivors.

Five games are coming soon to Game Pass on day one, including the team-based brawler Kiln and Vampire Brawlers, a spinoff of Vampire Survivors www.thurrott.com/games/335094... #xbox #gaming #gamepass

Threads is Testing Redesigned Web App With DMs Support Meta has started testing a redesigned web experience for Threads that brings the platform’s direct messages feature to the desktop.

Meta has started testing a redesigned web experience for Threads that brings the platform’s direct messages feature to the desktop www.thurrott.com/cloud/335074... #threads #meta

Windows 11's New Xbox Mode is Now Available for More Insiders Microsoft is bringing its new Xbox Mode, previously known as the Xbox Full Screen Experience, to Insiders on the Canary and Release Preview Channels

Microsoft is bringing its new Xbox Mode, previously known as the Xbox Full Screen Experience, to Insiders on the Canary and Release Preview Channel www.thurrott.com/windows/3350... #windows11 #windowsinsider #xbox

Microsoft to Revamp its Rewards Program in May Microsoft will revamp its Rewards program in May with three new membership levels, new monthly bonuses, and extra opportunities to earn points for members on the highest level.

Microsoft will revamp its Rewards program in May with three new membership levels, new monthly bonuses, and extra opportunities to earn points for members on the highest level www.thurrott.com/microsoft/33... #microsoft #microsoftrewards

Call of Duty Movie Gets a 2028 Release Date The Call of Duty movie produced by Paramount in partnership with Activision will be released in Summer 2028.

The Call of Duty movie produced by Paramount in partnership with Activision will be released in Summer 2028 www.thurrott.com/games/335048... #callofduty #gaming

Amazon's New Vega OS Will Reportedly Power All Future Fire TV Sticks Vega OS, Amazon's alternative to the the Android-based Fire OS powers the new Fire TV Stick HD, and the company will reportedly use it on all future Fire TV streaming sticks.

Vega OS, Amazon's alternative to the the Android-based Fire OS powers the new Fire TV Stick HD, and the company will reportedly use it on all future Fire TV streaming sticks www.thurrott.com/amazon/33504... #amazon #fireos #vegaOS

Gemini Can Now Create Personalized Images Grounded in Users' Google Photos Libraries Google’s Gemini AI can now create personalized images that take inspiration from the content of users’ Google Photos libraries.

Google’s Gemini AI can now create personalized images that take inspiration from the content of users’ Google Photos libraries www.thurrott.com/a-i/335017/g... #googlegemini #googlephotos #ai

Meta is Raising the Prices of its Quest 3 and Quest 3S Headsets Meta's Quest 3 and 3S headsets will soon become more expensive due to increased memory costs. The price increases will also affect refurbished models.

Meta's Quest 3 and 3S headsets will soon become more expensive due to increased memory costs. The price increases will also affect refurbished models www.thurrott.com/hardware/335... #meta #metaquest #vr

Spotify Launches Redesigned Tablet Experience Spotify is launching today a redesigned tablet UI for iPads and Android tablets with a new collapsible sidebar and enhanced video experience.

Spotify is launching today a redesigned tablet UI for iPads and Android tablets with a new collapsible sidebar and enhanced video experience www.thurrott.com/music-videos... #spotify #tablets

Starfield Has Been Rated for the Nintendo Switch 2 Following its PlayStation 5 release, Starfield has recently been rated for the Nintendo Switch 2 by the Taiwan Entertainment Software Rating Information Board.

Following its PlayStation 5 release, Starfield has recently been rated for the Nintendo Switch 2 by the Taiwan Entertainment Software Rating Information Board www.thurrott.com/games/334989... #starfield #nintendoswitch2 #xbox #gaming

YouTube Now Lets Mobile Users Hide Shorts Videos YouTube is rolling out a new option to set a Shorts feed limit to zero minutes per day, which will hide all Shorts videos on the mobile app.

YouTube is rolling out a new option to set a Shorts feed limit to zero minutes per day, which will hide all Shorts videos on the mobile app #youtube www.thurrott.com/music-videos... #youtube #youtubeshorts

April Xbox Update is Out With Disable Quick Resume Option and More The April Xbox Update introduces the ability to disable Quick Resume on a per-game basis, new ways to customize the Home dashboard, and more.

The April Xbox Update introduces the ability to disable Quick Resume on a per-game basis, new ways to customize the Home dashboard, and more buff.ly/Do5qUUG #xbox #gaming

Report: Microsoft’s 2026 Surface Refresh to Start This Spring With New Intel Models Microsoft reportedly plans to refresh its Surface lineup this year, with a first wave of Intel-powered devices coming this Spring and a second wave with Qualcomm models this summer.

Microsoft reportedly plans to refresh its Surface lineup this year, with a first wave of Intel-powered devices coming this Spring and a second wave with Qualcomm models this summer www.thurrott.com/microsoft/33... #microsoft #surface

US College Students Can Get 12 Months of Microsoft 365 Premium and Game Pass By Purchasing a New PC With the Microsoft College Offer, US students can get 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium, 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a custom Xbox controller with the purchase of a new PC.

With the Microsoft College Offer, US students can get 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium, 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a custom Xbox controller with the purchase of a new PC buff.ly/8deci1l #microsoft #microsoft365 #gamepass

Alexa+ Launches in Early Access in Italy Amazon is continuing to expand the availability of its next-gen Alexa+ assistant, which is launching in early access in Italy today.

Amazon is continuing to expand the availability of its next-gen Alexa+ assistant, which is launching in early access in Italy today www.thurrott.com/amazon/33494... #amazon #alexa

Amazon's New Fire TV Stick HD is 30% Slimmer and Supports Alexa+ Amazon unveiled today a new $34.99 Fire TV Stick HD that’s 30% slimmer than the previous model. It also supports the company’s next-gen Alexa+ assistant out of the box.

Amazon unveiled today a new $34.99 Fire TV Stick HD that’s 30% slimmer than the previous model. It also supports the company’s next-gen Alexa+ assistant out of the box www.thurrott.com/amazon/33493... #amazon #firetv #smarttv

Report: Microsoft's Surface Hub 3 is Being Discontinued With No Successor in Sight Microsoft has reportedly stopped manufacturing its 50-inch and 85-inch Surface Hub 3 digital whiteboards, and it has no plans to release a successor.

Microsoft has reportedly stopped manufacturing its 50-inch and 85-inch Surface Hub 3 digital whiteboards, and it has no plans to release a successor www.thurrott.com/hardware/334... #microsoft #surface

Spotify Starts Selling Physical Books and Expands Audiobooks Features Spotify is now selling physical books in the US and the UK via a new Bookshop.org partnership, and it's also expanding access to Page Match and other audiobook features.

Spotify is now selling physical books in the US and the UK via a new Bookshop.org partnership, and it's also expanding access to Page Match and other audiobook features www.thurrott.com/music-videos... #spotify #audiobooks

Microsoft Releases April 2026 Patch Tuesday Updates The April 2026 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 bring various accessibility improvements, support for refresh rates higher than 1000Hz, and more.

The April 2026 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 bring various accessibility improvements, support for refresh rates higher than 1000Hz, and more www.thurrott.com/windows/3349... #windows11 #patchtuesday

Gemini in Google Chrome Can Now Turn Specific Workflows Into Reusable Skills The new Gemini integration in Google Chrome now lets users save time by turning specific AI tasks into one-click Skills.

The new Gemini integration in Google Chrome now lets users save time by turning specific AI tasks into one-click Skills www.thurrott.com/cloud/334892... #googlechrome #googlegemini

Amazon Acquire Satellite Company Globalstar to Compete With Starlink Amazon is acquiring satellite company Globalstar to improve Leo, its low Earth orbit satellite network, which will get more advanced voice, data, and messaging services for cellular devices.

Amazon is acquiring satellite company Globalstar to improve Leo, its low Earth orbit satellite network, which will get more advanced voice, data, and messaging services for cellular devices www.thurrott.com/amazon/33488... #amazon

Starfield Will Soon Get a Patch to Fix Crashing Issues on PlayStation 5 Bethesda acknowledged crashing issues affecting the PlayStation 5 version of Starfield, and a patch is coming this week to address them.

Bethesda acknowledged crashing issues affecting the PlayStation 5 version of Starfield, and a patch is coming this week to address them www.thurrott.com/games/334875... #gaming #bethesda #starfield #playstation5

Microsoft Raises the Prices of All Surface Devices Due to Memory Costs Microsoft has raised the price of its Surface devices on the Microsoft Store, and the base Surface Laptop is now almost twice the price of Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo.

Microsoft has raised the price of its Surface devices on the Microsoft Store, and the base Surface Laptop is now almost twice the price of Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo www.thurrott.com/hardware/334... #microsoft #surface

Microsoft's Outlook Lite Android App Will Stop Working on May 25 Microsoft’s Outlook Lite Android app will be fully retired on May 25, 2026, and the company is inviting users to upgrade to its main Outlook Mobile app.

Microsoft’s Outlook Lite Android app will be fully retired on May 25, 2026, and the company is inviting users to upgrade to its main Outlook Mobile app www.thurrott.com/cloud/334868... #microsoft365 #outlook #android

Microsoft Gaming CEO Says Company Needs "Better Value Equation" for Game Pass In an internal memo to Xbox employees, Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma acknowledged that Microsoft probably went too far with its latest Game Pass price increases.

In an internal memo to Xbox employees, Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma acknowledged that Microsoft probably went too far with its latest Game Pass price increases www.thurrott.com/games/334854... #xbox #gamepass

Report: Nvidia is in Discussions to Acquire Leading PC Maker Nvidia, one of the biggest chip makers in the world, has reportedly been in discussions for over a year to acquire a leading PC manufacturer.

Nvidia, one of the biggest chip makers in the world, has reportedly been in discussions for over a year to acquire a leading PC manufacturer www.thurrott.com/hardware/334... #nvidia

Anthropic Launches Claude for Word in Beta Anthropic recently launched a new Claude add-in for Microsoft Word that can share context with the existing Claude for Excel and PowerPoint add-ins.

Anthropic recently launched a new Claude add-in for Microsoft Word that can share context with the existing Claude for Excel and PowerPoint add-ins www.thurrott.com/a-i/334834/a... #anthropic #claude #microsoft365 #ai