When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Microsoft's PowerToys includes a Command Palette that lets you search Windows settings, install apps via Winget, and open the registry. The Microsoft PowerToys suite for Windows include the Command Palette, a tool that is often overlooked but actually offers a vast range of functions. For example, the program includes a search function that combines several other Windows search features into a single interface. The easiest way to install the PowerToys is via the Microsoft Store .

Google said it will change its Search services in the EU in an effort to sidestep some of the 890 million ( 1 billion) in fines levied by the European Commission earlier this summer. The EU charged a fine of 460 million ( 534 million) on claims that Google had abused its dominance in search to prioritize the brand's other services when displaying query results. That sanction was the latest salvo between the EU government and a US tech company for infringing on its Digital Markets Act. The debate centers on the DMA requirement that major tech brands "must not treat their own services more favorably in ranking than third-party services." Google first laid out some of its planned changes to its services in response to the Digital Markets Act in March 2024.

WIRED rebuilt Flock’s latest search tool from code the company sends to a police officer’s browser. Its AI can keep watch across multiple cameras for anyone fitting a written description.

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Look Up Say More Switch Off Creator Playbook Mashable Voices Trending Now Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List In My Bag All Series Trump's executive order has Google making changes to the map once again. Donald Trump has changed Lake Ontario to Lake America. Are you visiting the Great Lakes before the end of summer? You may notice something odd when planning out the trip on Google. Lake Ontario is no more.

Do you think AI has made Google search better of worse? Please include as much detail as possible. How have your search habits changed with the introduction of AI overviews?

Google is making it easier for people to support their favorite publications by introducing a new "Preferred Sources" button webmasters can add to their websites. "When readers click this button, it adds the site as a Preferred Source on Google and immediately directs them back to where they left off on the publisher's page," Google explains. After clicking the button, you'll see the publication appear more frequently Google Search, including in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode. The button formalizes something publishers, including Engadget, had been independently adding their websites for a while now. Even with referral traffic from Google declining in recent years due to products like AI Overviews and AI Mode, the company's search engine remains an important source of revenue for many media outlets.

Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag All Series And college students can get Google AI Pro for free. Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Google expands Gemini offerings and Search functions as students head back to school. As districts across the country debate the efficacy of tech-enabled classrooms, Google wants to upgrade the average students' school supplies with new AI features. And they don't even need to leave the Google homepage to find them.

PCWorld reports that Geekom mini PCs, including the A7, A8, AE7, and AE8 series, were compromised after attackers injected backdoors into drivers hosted on an outdated support page, enabling spying and password theft. Only users who downloaded drivers through unofficial search engine results are affected, while the current official Geekom website remains safe. Affected users should disconnect from the network, run antivirus scans, change passwords, and consider a factory reset. Detailed instructions are provided below. A few days ago, Tom's Hardware and Videocardz reported on a Geekom incident affecting several of the manufacturer's mini PCs. Attackers were able to inject malware onto several devices via a tampered driver--one that was hosted on an official Geekom support page, which, according to the company, had already been taken offline. Geekom confirmed the incident and explained that, although the outdated website had been replaced by a new one, it could still be found via search engines. The attackers exploited this to insert a backdoor into the driver package, enabling them to install malware on Geekom mini PCs.

The people-search tool ClarityCheck says its reverse image search service is "private and secure"--but it left a database containing more than 9 million image files exposed. When someone uploads a photo to the people-search tool ClarityCheck, the website has a clear message: "Your reverse image search is private and secure." New research, though, shows that the website left more than 9 million image files, including photographs of people's faces, publicly exposed . And a second misconfiguration publicly exposed people's email addresses and phone numbers. Overall, according to findings from independent security researcher Jeremiah Fowler, the exposed ClarityCheck database contained roughly 450 GB of images, including what appeared to be profile images, screenshots, and other photographs of adults, teenagers, and children.

New AI toolbars and prompts are showing up in Google Docs and Gmail. If you don't want Gemini's help in writing documents and emails, here's how to turn that stuff off. Have you noticed how desperate tech companies are to get you to use their artificial intelligence features, even if you don't want to use them? They're adding buttons to user interfaces and using pop-up tool tips to implore you to click them and become a dedicated user of their AI creations. Google Docs, for example, is rolling out a giant Gemini bar at the bottom of the screen for some users.