Author: Martin Brinkmann

When I was young, I studied German, History and English at Essen University in Germany. I worked in computer support for several years at the time to help other computer users when they ran into issues. Writing started out as a passion project, as I wanted to help more users and not just the ones that I handled in support. This lead to the founding of Ghacks Technology News in 2005. First, as a side-project, but shortly thereafter as a full-time project as the site's popularity exploded. I sold Ghacks to Softonic some years ago, but stayed on as Editor. You can still read my articles on the site. I do publish on Betanews as well. In recent years, I started to write and publish technology books, including my latest book "Windows 11 From Beginner to Advanced", which is available on Amazon. I'm also a freelance writer for the German publisher Gamestar. Chipp.in is my newest project. I want to use it to talk about my book projects, sell my books directly, and write about technology, as this is what interests me.
Netflix on TV

Annual price hikes every year will end many services

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Like clockwork, many companies are increasing the price of subscriptions on a regular basis. Take Disney as an example. It launched its streaming service Disney+ back in November 2019 with an introductory price of $6.99 per month in the United States. Today, Disney+ subscribers pay $18.99 per month for the service.

Disney increased the price annually starting in 2021. Each year, customers had to pay an extra $1, $2 or $3 to keep the subscription.

The company is not alone. Its biggest competitor, Netflix, launched in 2007 with a price of $7.99 per month. Today, Netflix subscribers pay $17.99 for the cheapest ad-free plan or $22.99 if they want 4K content and some extras. Granted, it took Netflix 18 years to get there, but it is a massive increase nevertheless.

Rising costs are not just an issue for customers of streaming services. Take software subscriptions as another example. Microsoft 365 cost $6.99 in 2022. Today, customers pay $9.99 per month, and even more, if they want integration of the Copilot AI.

Companies increase the price to improve rentability, make more per subscriber. However, they do not seem to have answers for a simple question: what happens when the bulk of subscribers can’t afford the subscription anymore?

What if the price of service does not justify its cost? While you could argue that the majority does not really care and will keep their Netflix subscription no matter what, I’d argue that breaking points exist.

Paying Disney $180 per year just to watch a few shows or movies, that are not really that good, or for entertaining your kids with Disney classics, sounds like it could be too expensive for quite a few already.

With that money, you could purchase DVD or Blu-Ray, preferably on the second hand market, and keep them forever. You find plenty of classic movies on sites like eBay, and if you like thrifting, flea markets or garage sales, you know that bargains can be made there. Not always, but there is a good chance.

Many might also switch back to something that has always existed, but has lost popularity since the advent of streaming services: sailing the seven seeks, aka, piracy.

Lastly, another viable model is to switch to 1-month subscriptions only. This works well, considering that most streaming services do not put out enough content to warrant a full-year subscription. It is possible, however, that streaming services will end the option eventually, if too many subscribers start using it.

Right now, subscriber counts do not really fall, despite the price increases in the previous years. But this will change eventually. Some subscribers might switch to ad-supported plans, which are cheaper, but these come with their own disadvantages (namely ads).

Now you: are you subscribed to a streaming service?

Windows 11 is removing an option to bypass Microsoft account and internet during setup

Not again! Microsoft confirms another Bitlocker Recovery issue in Windows

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Windows users who use BitLocker to encrypt their data either willingly or unknowingly may have run into a BitLocker related issue several times in the past.

It is unclear when it all started, but the essence of the bug was always the same: affected Windows PCs would boot into BitLocker Recovery Mode after installation of an update that caused the issue.

The problem here is that to get out of the mode, users needed the recovery key, which many probably did not really know. While it is easy to look it up online, at least when a user uses a Microsoft account to sign in, it still was a hassle in the best case.

Microsoft confirmed another BitLocker Recovery issue on the Microsoft 365 admin center, but not yet as a known issue for regular users who do not have access to the admin portal.

The issue affects the following Windows versions:

  • Windows 10, version 22H2
  • Windows 11, version 24H2
  • Windows 11, version 25H2

The systems are affected, if the October 2025 security updates are installed on the machines.

Microsoft says that the issue affects Windows PCs with Intel processors and Modern Standby mostly. Still, other systems may also be affected.

As usually, Windows users may resolve the issue by entering the BitLocker recovery key when prompted for it.

Closing Words

Microsoft seems to have a hard time fixing the BitLocker bug for good, as it reappeared several times, including in May of 2025 when Microsoft issued another warning about the problem.

Google Chrome Split View

Google is rolling out Split View for Chrome Tabs and is late to the party

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google released Chrome 142 to the stable channel recently with just a few changes that it revealed publicly. Noteworthy is a new permission that regulates access to local resources. Basically, users will see a prompt going forward, if a website or application attempts to access a resource on the local network.

It turns out that Google is also rolling out a new tab feature gradually to all users. Split View allows users to display two websites or apps in Chrome side by side in the same browser window.

All you need to do for that is to right-click on the first tab and select the option “move tab into split view”. If you want, you can also select to move it to the left or right location in split view directly.

Google Chrome Split View

Google Chrome then displays the list of other tabs open in the browser, so that you can pick one for the other half.

Tip: You can enable the feature right away in Chrome, if you like. Just load chrome://flags/#side-by-side in the Chrome address bar and change the status of the feature to Enabled. Restart Chrome, and the new context menu option becomes available when you right-click on tabs.

Split View: pros and cons

So what is the advantage of Split View compared to using two browser windows? The main advantage is that both websites are displayed in a single browser. You can display, move, hide, or close them at once, while you would have to juggle with two windows if you’d display the two websites in two Chrome instances. You can be sure also that both windows are always visible, when the browser window is active.

However, there are also some disadvantages. You can only see one of the URLs at the same time in the Chrome window. It changes when you activate the website in the inactive half, but it is still worth considering that you don’t see the address all the time.

Google is late to the party

Split View is not a particularly new feature. Vivaldi, for instance, has supported it for years and even gives users multiple layout options that go beyond displaying two sites side-by-side or split horizontally.

Even Microsoft tested the Split View feature in Edge in 2023 already. Mozilla is also working on integrating a split view feature in its Firefox web browser.

Now You: do you use split view already or do you have no use for the feature? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Windows 11: Block Windows Search from sending anything to Bing

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The integration of Microsoft Bing, or any other online search tool for that matter, in Windows Search is an abomination. The main idea is to run a search online if Windows can’t find anything locally or at least give you the option to run the search.

I’d argue that the vast majority of Windows users does not want this. When you run a search locally, you expect local results. Also, a web browser is just a click away and the more appropriate vessel for running searches online.

Recently I noticed that if you are too fast when the system boots, your searches may end up opening Bing in Microsoft Edge, even if there is a local match. It happens only when you open Start right after the system has booted, start typing and press the Enter-key.

Anyway, it is highly recommended to block Bing entirely in Windows Search, unless you are one of the few users who finds this useful actually (I have yet to meet a single user who does though, let me know..).

Here is how you can end Bing in Windows Search in a matter of seconds (thanks Henk):

  1. Open the Start menu on the Windows machine.
  2. Type Powershell.
  3. Select “run as administrator” to open an elevated PowerShell window.
  4. Paste the following code: Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search” -Name “BingSearchEnabled” -Value 0 -Type DWord
  5. Press the Enter-key to run it.

That is all there is to it. In case you wonder, this adds the Dword BingSearchEnabled to the Registry. Note that you can add the information manually as well using the Registry Editor, or create a Registry file if you prefer that way.

You can undo the change at any time by setting the value to 1 or deleting the key. I doubt anyone would, but it may happen that Microsoft accidentally resets this. You will notice right away though, as searches may include online content in that case again.

Now You: Do you use the online search feature of Windows Search? Or do you disable it / ignore it instead? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Greenshot: open source screen capturing app is now also available as a portable version

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

There is certainly no shortage of options when it comes to capturing screenshots or videos on computer systems. From built-in solutions like Microsoft’s Snipping Tool to excellent third-party apps like my favorite PicPick.

Greenshot is another household name. The open source application has been around for a long time and it is well maintained. It supports various types of screenshot captures, from full screen over windowed to region captures.

While it does lack some of the advanced options, like capturing video or scrolling windows in most programs, it does support a few extras like excellent support for integrating third-party services like Flickr or Dropbox. Other features that it supports include adding annotations and highlights, obfuscating parts of the screenshot, and more.

Greenshot interface

The developer of Greenshot Christian Schulz released a new version of the application just a few days ago. It includes a single fix for file associations not working when the app is running already and a new feature: a portable version.

Good news is that you can run Greenshot now from any location using the portable version. You can put it on a USB flash drive or stick and carry it with you around to use it on any Windows machine you plug the USB device in.

So, if you are using Greenshot already you might switch to the portable version, if you prefer it. You can download the portable version, or the setup version, of Greenshot from its GitHub repository.

Now You: which screenshot tool or tools do you use and why? Feel free to leave your recommendation in the comment section below.

Microsoft announces plan to simplify Windows Update titles

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft announced an upcoming change regarding the titles of Windows Update. Going forward, Microsoft wants to simplify the name of updates so that they are “more intuitive, consistent, and informative”.

The company hopes that this change will make it easier for regular users to understand what an update does that is installing or was installed on the Windows device. Original equipment manufacturers and partners should benefit from this as well, according to Microsoft.

The updated titles follow a simple structure and will focus on the name of the update. Most updates, the exception is a driver update, include the KB ID as before. Windows Updates include the build number furthermore, while drivers the version of the driver.

An example of an update with a new title. Source: Microsoft

Microsoft posted several examples of how driver updates will be named in the future:

  • Monthly or out-of-band security updates: Security Update (KB5034123) (26100.4747)
  • Monthly preview non-security updates: Preview Update (KB5062660) (26100.4770)
  • .NET Framework security updates: .NET Framework Security Update (KB5056579)
  • .NET Framework non-security updates: .NET Framework Preview Update (KB5056579)
  • Driver updates: Logitech Driver Update (123.331.1.0)
  • AI component updates: Phi Silica AI Component Update (KB5064650) (1.2507.793.0)

Generally speaking, the new titles apply to Windows operating system updates, such as monthly cumulative updates, .NET Framework updates, driver updates, AI component updates, and Visual Studio updates.

Windows users will find the new titles under Settings > Windows Update and also in the update history, which can be accessed from the Windows Update page of the Settings. Lastly, it is also shown on the Windows release health website.

Microsoft says that updates that do get deployed via WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) or the Microsoft Update Catalog, won’t reflect the changed titles for the most part. Windows feature update titles will also keep the traditional title.

The new titles may omit the version of Windows the update is for. While that may not affect regular users who install the update on their devices, it could affect users who want a quick overview of the released updates on Microsoft’s website or elsewhere.

Now You: What is your take on this change? Is it for the better?

Chrome error prompt on non-HTTPS sites

Google makes HTTPS the default in Chrome from next year on

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Most web browsers display warning messages when you attempt to load a website that does not use HTTPS, the secure version of the HTTP protocol, or when a site has misconfigured HTTPS.

Starting in October 2026, Chrome will make HTTPS the default for all connections in the browser. Means, whenever you visit a site that does not use it or has configuration issues, you will get a prompt.

“This site doesn’t support a secure connection” is displayed in that case. The prompt includes quite a bit of text explaining why that is bad. However, Chrome displays two options to the user in that case.

The first, “go back” returns to the previous site or the new tab page, depending where you started your request. The second, “continue to site” still allows you to visit the site in question.

The planned change makes the optional feature “always use secure connections” mandatory once it lands next year. Since the feature is available already, albeit as an optional preference, it is possible to enable it right away to see what it does. Ideal for testing purposes.

Here is how you enable it (or disable it again):

The always use secure connection preference in Google Chrome
  1. Load chrome://settings/security in the browser’s address bar. You can also select Menu > Settings > Privacy and Security manually, if you prefer that.
  2. Scroll down to the Secure connections section.
  3. Toggle “Always use secure connections” here to enable or disable the feature.

When you enforce HTTPS, you will receive security prompts whenever something is loaded in Chrome that does not use HTTPS.

Google says that non-HTTPS traffic has dropped significantly, but that HTTPS has plateaued at about 95% of all sites. The main driver for insecure traffic, according to Google, is navigations to private sites that are insecure. While less risky than navigations to insecure public sites, attackers may exploit them either way.

Google predicts that the actual warning volume in Chrome will get lower once it lands the change in the browser and sites start moving towards HTTPS even more than before.

It will certainly make it more difficult for users to access sites that do not use HTTPS and do not plan on migrating, for whatever reason.

Now You: have you visited sites that do not use HTTPS in the recent past, or have all of your sites that you visit switched to HTTPS already? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Microsoft plans to give Outlook an AI infusion, make AI the user’s body double

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

I have to admit that I never really used Outlook as my main email driver. While I do have an Outlook account and used it sporadically, mostly for testing purposes, I stuck to the likes of Eudora and Thunderbird.

Recently, Microsoft has given Outlook an overhaul that was not received too well by many of its users. Basically, Microsoft turned Outlook from a classic desktop app into a web-based version that is pretty much just a wrapper. In some years, Microsoft plans to replace the Office-included version of Outlook with that new version.

According to Tom Warren at The Verge, Microsoft has shuffled leadership around and Outlook’s team appears to be under new leadership now to lead it into the AI era.

The new leader is Gaurav Sareen, corporate vice president of global experiences and platform at Microsoft. In a memo to the team, Sareen shared his vision for the future of Outlook. It should not come as a surprise that AI is at the forefront of everything.

Think of Outlook as your body double, there for you, so work feels less overwhelming and more doable because you are not facing it alone. With Copilot, this body double becomes even more powerful. Copilot turns Outlook from a set of tools into a partner that acts.

In other words, Outlook will introduce AI that reads your emails, helps you organize them, writes email drafts for you, and, Microsoft hopes, will help users spend less time doing tasks that they dislike or think are a waste of time.

The big question is, does the majority of Outlook users want this? Will they use the AI features in Outlook? It probably depends to a large degree on how well they are integrated and how useful they are. Privacy is another topic, which Microsoft fails to address regularly to a degree that answers all the main questions sufficiently:

  • What data may the AI access.
  • How and where does it process the data?
  • Who can access the data?
  • Is the data used for anything other than the user’s personal AI tasks?
  • Can the AI report data to Microsoft?

Microsoft won’t convince most privacy-conscious users to give it a try even, but most probably do not use Outlook to begin with unless required to.

Now you: would you start using AI features in your email client, if it supported them? Which would you like to see, if any?

Full-size Amiga 1200 Remake in the works with great games

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

If I had to pick my favorite home computer of all time, it would probably be the Commodore Amiga. It had awesome games, lots of innovative features, and for the time excellent visuals and sound.

While my interest in remakes of other classic computers, such as the C-64, was not high enough to warrant buying a modernized machine for a few hundred Euro or so, the announcement of THEA1200 could change that.

It comes from the company that created TheA500 Mini and TheC64 Maxi, among other systems. As the name suggests, this time it has set its development eyes on one of the crown jewels of Commodore’s Amiga portfolio, the Amiga 1200.

Here is what the package is said to include:

  • A full-sized Amiga 1200 remake.
  • Integrated Workbench desktop.
  • USB and HDMI connectivity.
  • Working keyboard, mouse and retro-style gamepad.
  • A list of 25 all-time classics, including the Turrican trilogy, The Settlers II, Defender of the Crown, and Beneath a Steel Sky among others.

Now, the only thing the machine is missing is a disk drive. It is somewhat of a let down, considering that you can’t play your old Amiga floppy discs on the machine. However, you can play games from USB according to the announcement, which should work similarly to using the classic Amiga 1200’s hard drive.

As for “when”: Preorders start on November 10, 2025 and the company hopes to ship the devices by June 2026.

There is an announcement video with renders, which you can check out below.

Heise Online says that the device will retail for 190 Euro, which is about 220 Dollar.

I’d probably use it to replay classic games, including Moonstone, It came from the desert, Wings, Dungeon Master, or Rainbow Islands.

Here is a video with 100 great Amiga games (according to the creator):

Did you know that Amazon sells Smart Beds? They did not work during the AWS outage

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Companies plaster “smart” on everything these days. While that is a generalization, it is clearly a trend that is getting more traction as the years go by only to be overshadowed by the use of AI. From smart hairbrushes to AI-powered toasters, companies come up with incredible ideas to justify premium pricing for their products. Not always do the products benefit from smart functionality.

Amazon offers a range of smart devices. You probably think of Alexa-powered devices, like the Amazon Echo, first. Did you know that Amazon sells Smart Beds as well?

At $2000 and more, beds of Amazon’s Eight Sleep brand are not exactly cheap, but they can control the temperature of different regions individually, support elevation, and come with sound-functionality.

However, to function properly, Amazon’s Smart Beds require cloud connectivity. Without it, they apparently become non-functional, as in, dead weight. With no manual overrides available, users are up for a hellish-experience when connectivity breaks.

The AWS outage exemplified this, according to a post by Dextero. When AWS went down, owners of the bed lost connectivity and could not use the app anymore to control their bed. This left them stuck with the last setting that was active, according to the report.

Even worse, some beds overheated apparently while the cooling stopped in others entirely. One user reported that his bed locked itself at a temperature level that was nine degrees above room temperature, stating that it felt like “sleeping in a sauna”. Others claimed that the bed was stuck in a position that they could not change anymore.

No offline mode

Amazon’s Smart Beds have no offline mode at the moment, which is more than puzzling. Even if the company thought that an AWS outage was very unlikely, it must have considered the possibility of local Internet outages that would then also impact a user’s control?

Should not something like this, a manual override for core features, be at the forefront of one’s thoughts when designing a smart product?

Now You: do you own smart devices? If so, which and for what purpose?