Technology

Microsoft keeps injecting AI into Windows, and now even the company itself is admitting that there are safety risks in doing so.

This week, Microsoft added some new agentic AI features to Windows 11 Insider users, which give AI permission to automate things like sending emails and sorting files. These are turned off by default and need to be opted into, but for those who choose to enable them, Microsoft published a security note on its website warning that there are security risks to giving AI access to all of your files:

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"As these capabilities are introduced, AI models still face functional limitations in terms of how they behave and occasionally may hallucinate and produce unexpected outputs," Microsoft said. "Additionally, agentic AI applications introduce novel security risks, such as cross-prompt injection (XPIA), where malicious content embedded in UI elements or documents can override agent instructions, leading to unintended actions like data exfiltration or malware installation."

In other words, it's technically possible for something that's meant to help users to harm them instead. This may very well be a super unlikely hypothetical edge case, but the fact that Microsoft felt compelled to say anything about it at all is a bit alarming. As a possible solution, Microsoft is rolling out an experimental feature called "agent workspace," which limits what the AI agent has access to on the PC. In basic terms, it means the agent can only access things that are available to any user of the machine, while files locked behind specific user profiles are off-limits.

We're still in the relatively early stages of all of this, so it will take some time to see how it shakes out. But just be careful before turning on these features.

PowerToys utility suite just dropped version 0.96 and it's coming with plenty of quality-of-life improvements across the board. This is a substantial update if you’ve been relying on the Advanced Paste feature for text manipulation.

Smart home sensors show useful information and provide triggers around which you can build automations. But not all sensors are “useful,” and not all automations are obvious.

OpenAI is making another major investment in AI-powered education, announcing a new teachers-only ChatGPT workspace designed specifically to help educators with their classroom workload.

With the new ChatGPT for Teachers, users get full access to ChatGPT 5.1 Auto with unlimited messages, search, file uploads, connectors, and image generation, as well as educator-specific onboarding, admin controls, and personalized prompts. The features have already rolled out to 150,000 teachers and staff across U.S. school districts, says OpenAI.

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Rather than the standard security framework built into ChatGPT, ChatGPT for Teachers is designed with "education-grade privacy, security, and compliance programs," says OpenAI, intended to bring the tech in line with requirements under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Under these guidelines, ChatGPT for Teachers can't retain any student data to be used for model training.

Educators and administrators can also collaborate on projects and custom GPTs within the shared workspace, the company explains, and upload existing files from Google Drive or Microsoft 365 accounts to provide ChatGPT with context for lesson plans, grades, and data analysis.

OpenAI is offering it for free to verified educators and school leaders until June 2027.

According to the AI giant, K-12 teachers are "leading education's AI transformation" and OpenAI has increasingly pushed for its AI tools to enter the early childhood education space as its refashioned EdTech for higher education. "Universities are starting to treat AI as core infrastructure for education, and we also know that students use ChatGPT as a 24/7 learning companion," says Leah Belsky, vice president of education for OpenAI. "In our view, every student today is going to grow up in a world that is shaped by powerful AI and teachers will play a key role and helping both students and parents navigate that change."

OpenAI has placed a huge bet on AI's educational potential, launching a nationwide AI training program with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), signing deals with college systems that give ChatGPT to students for free, and even consulting with the Ministries of Education of foreign governments.

Elon Musk's Tesla Diner — the billionaire's shiny, UFO-shaped restaurant in Los Angeles — may be in the market for a new chef.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that chef and co-operator Eric Greenspan is leaving the project. The chef said that he was leaving to focus on opening his new spot, a Jewish deli, but the paper also noted he faced stark pushback for joining forces with Musk.

"I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli," Greenspan told the LA Times in a text message. "Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish."

Mashable visited the Tesla Diner back in August, which serves the classics — burgers, fries, shakes, etc. — but with Muskified names. So you get items like "electric sauce," "autopilot avocado toast," a "giga burger," and now-defunct "epic bacon." The food did earn decent reviews from Mashable editor Neal Broverman, even if it felt overpriced for the portion size.

This isn't the first big change at the Tesla Diner. Shortly after the diner's opening, patrons noticed that the menu had been scaled back — thus the goodbye to "epic bacon." The LA Times also reported that the diner was looking to move to a full-service model — for the time being, you order at a tablet and get counter service. And, of course, now the chef has left.

In short: It seems quite unclear what the future holds for Musk's futuristic restaurant.

A Bluetooth speaker is one of those devices that, once you find one you like, you won't be able to imagine how you lived without it. And since both Bluetooth and speakers aren't exactly new technology, you'll find that this is one of the more expansive product categories in the tech world (admittedly, this feels like the case for almost anything you buy these days). Enter: the Mashable tech and shopping teams. We stay on top of the latest Bluetooth speaker releases from brands like Sony, JBL, Bose, and Marshall, while also applying our audio and product testing expertise to determine when old favorites are the better choice. We spend time testing the speakers in our own homes, evaluating the balance in their sound, portability, and of course, their prices.

As of November 2025, our top picks include the near-indestructible JBL Charge 6, the smart home-integrated Sonos Move 2, and the charmingly retro Marshall Emberton III. You'll also find the best small Bluetooth speakers, the most portable speakers, and bass-thumping party speakers.

Recent additions to this guide:

• November 2025: We've selected the Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd Generation) as our best travel speaker, replacing the IKEA Vappeby (our new honorable mention pick).

• November 2025: We've added the JBL PartyBox Stage 320 as the best party speaker, replacing the older Ultimate Ears Hyperboom.

• November 2025: We've added the Sony ULT Field 7 as the best boombox-style speaker.

Netflix is wrapping up 2025 with a nice bow on top. The streaming service has saved its best for the last month of the year, giving us movies and shows that we've long anticipated. So, get ready to fill your watchlist with exciting new titles and a scoop of holiday cheer.

Not to state the obvious here, but Netflix has a lot of stuff to watch. So much, in fact, that sites like How-To Geek employ experts like me to help readers sift through it all to help you find something good.

Black Friday is always a great time to score deals on tech, but this year, pCloud is offering one of the most valuable digital upgrades you can make. From November 17th through November 29, 2025, the popular cloud storage service is discounting all of its lifetime plans along with a new Limited Edition 3in1 Bundle that combines secure storage, private encryption, and a password manager.

SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) are one of the most popular types of vehicle in the USA. Actually, that's really underselling how popular these beefy cars have become. Alongside trucks, SUVs dominate the market in America, and they are certainly popular in the rest of the world.

Google TV remotes still mostly use good old AA or AAA batteries, which you need to replace. That's still standard on TV remotes, for the most part. But now, upcoming Google TVs might come with a solution that could mean you'll never run out of battery.

If you want to use Linux to breathe life back into an old PC, you're going to want one of the desktop environments (DEs) designed to be lean and fast. Based on my experience, this is how I'd rank each of the most popular options.

Back in August, Sling TV revealed its new day pass feature, allowing you to watch sports games or other traditional TV broadcasts without signing up for a monthly subscription. Now you can try it out for just $1, following Disney's failure in court to block its rollout.

Blender 5.0 has arrived, bringing with it a massive list of updates across the entire program. The developers didn't hold back this time, and it feels like most of the pipeline has new features, all of which are welcome because they make the application better.

Plug-in hybrids have long had a bit of a reputation for being finicky, thanks to their complicated powertrains. But that’s old news—today’s PHEVs are more reliable than ever, often matching traditional gas cars and EVs in dependability.

If you want to develop browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and other browsers, you’ve probably seen the phrase ‘WebExtension’ in support documents. Even though WebExtensions and Chrome extensions are (somewhat) interchangeable terms for the same technology, you do need to be aware of the differences for cross-browser extension development.

Keeping track of your spending is the best way to ensure that you live within your means and can put money aside for a rainy day. Budgeting software such as YNAB can help you keep track of your financial transactions, but you have to pay to use the service. Now I'm self-hosting my budgeting software and saving money instead of handing it over to someone else.

You shelled out a grand for a new smartphone, and the last thing you want is to see it lying on the ground, cracked and damaged. The natural inclination is to slap on a case, right? While cases are pretty standard practice, you should know that not all are created equal.

For many, maintaining a perfect lawn is a constant battle. Thankfully, robotic mowers are turning this chore into a hands-off experience. Yardcare is no newcomer to the world of garden solutions. With popular models like the Yardcare E400, V100, and M800plus selling tens of thousands of units and finding their way into homes everywhere, the brand has earned a stellar reputation and user trust in the lawn and garden equipment space.

TL;DR: As of Nov. 19, the 65-inch TCL QM6K QLED TV is on sale for $497.99 at Amazon. That's over $100 off and the lowest-ever price for this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL 65-inch TCL QM6K QLED TV $497.99 at Amazon
$647.99 Save $150   Get Deal

We're keeping a close eye on all the deals that are dropping at this time of year, but we're keeping a particularly keen eye on TV deals. Why? Because shoppers care about low prices on top models. And that's exactly what you're getting with the 65-inch TCL QM6K QLED TV.

As of Nov. 19, the 65-inch TCL QM6K QLED TV is on sale for $497.99 at Amazon. That's over $100 off and the lowest-ever price for this model.

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Mashable's sister site PCMag reviewed this TV, saying "The TCL QM6K is a very good value and a strong performer for the price. While it isn’t the brightest TV available, its mini-LED backlight enables deep black levels for excellent contrast, its colors are wide and accurate, and it's packed with features for streaming and gaming." That's more than enough for us, especially at this record-breaking price.

TCL’s QD-Mini LED technology is designed to outperform traditional QLED and OLED TVs, making the QM6K a top choice for big moments like watching sport or movies with the whole family. If you want a centerpiece TV that could bring everyone together for special moments, this could be the deal for you.

Score the best-ever price on the TCL QM6K QLED TV before Black Friday.