YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for all mobile users
YouTube’s picture-in-picture mode debuted on Android in 2018, and came to iOS in 2021. This feature allows users to continue watching a video in a small window when switching out of the YouTube app, i.e. by swiping up or tapping the Home button. This mini player has buttons to play/pause the video, fast forward and rewind up to 10 seconds, a button to close the window, and an option to bring the YouTube app back into view.
The video player can be moved anywhere on the screen, which can be useful when you’re multitasking, or texting someone.
The only problem with PiP mode was that it was only available to users in the US, and it wasn’t free. Users needed a premium subscription to access this feature. This week it changed, like YouTube announces picture-in-picture Being made available to all users around the world. The best part is that it’s free for everyone, you don’t need a premium subscription. However, there is one restriction. Free users and those with YouTube Premium Lite can only watch non-music videos in PiP mode. Users with a YouTube Premium subscription will be able to play music and non-music videos in picture-in-picture mode.
Valve reveals price of Steam Controller
It’s been over 5 months since Valve unveiled Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame. But, the launch of the devices was delayed due to rising costs of RAM, memory, tariffs, import duties, etc. Finally some good news. Valve has finally announced the price of the Steam Controller. It is priced at $99 in the US, $149 CAD in Canada, €99 in Europe, £85 in the UK, $149 AUD in Australia.
Gamepad will be available From May 4, 2026 on Steam in the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, and through third-party resellers in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
While the availability of the Steam Controller is certainly welcome news, there’s still no word on pricing for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Valve says it is still waiting to release the Steam Machine, but the current RAM and memory shortage is making it difficult for everyone.
Apple discontinues Mac Mini 256GB, making desktop more expensive
Apple has quietly discontinued the Mac Mini 256GB model. according to macrumorsThis change is global. Unfortunately this also means that desktop computers are more expensive. The 256GB Mac mini with an M4 chip and 16GB of RAM used to be available for $599, which was quite affordable.
But, Apple has inadvertently increased the price of Mac Mini by stopping the sale of this model. The starter model is now a 512GB variant, which costs an extra two hundred bucks, making it worth $799. There’s no doubt why this happened, rising taxes and tariffs, and lack of RAM/memory. If you want a Mac desktop, it might be cheaper to get a MacBook Neo for $599 and use an external monitor with it.
Google now shows how many reviews were removed by businesses
When you run a Google search to look up a business, for example a restaurant, store, or hotel, one of the most useful features in the results are reviews that were written by users. These reviews often help others decide whether to visit the store or buy something. Not all feedback is positive, sometimes a customer may leave a bad review to highlight how a business treated them as a customer. But this can be misused, sometimes angry customers may intentionally leave negative reviews, which can harm the business. Regardless, the user reviews section has always been a useful tool.
Some companies abuse the system by filing lawsuits to force the removal of negative reviews from Google. Although this is unpleasant, other users will not know what happened, making it not a transparent process. For example, one business had 250 reviews removed for defamation. You will not see negative feedback, only positive feedback. Google wants to change thisAnd it has now started displaying how many reviews have been removed by a business. This can help users judge how a business treats its customers, so if you see a large number of removed reviews, you may want to investigate further.
Brave Browser’s Shred button now available on Android
Brave Browser has announced that it has added a new feature to its Android app, shred button. As the name suggests, this option removes data related to a site. This is important, because such data can be used to track users across visits.
Shred isn’t entirely new, it was first introduced in Brave for iOS in 2024 before coming to Android. To use the feature on your phone, tap the Brave button while on a website, expand and select “Share site data.” It can also be accessed from the browser’s main menu, or the tab switcher. This feature works on a per-site basis.
Users can choose to enable the option to automatically shred site data when closing a tab, or when closing an app. This feature replaces “Forget me when I close this site” on Android. Brave says this privacy-friendly feature not only prevents tracking, but also helps users of sites that limit access to articles behind subscriptions.
Microsoft is testing an improved Run dialog with Dark Mode
It appears that Microsoft is focusing on improving the Windows 11 experience, and this time it’s testing it Redesigned Run dialog. The app, which you can trigger with the Win + R keyboard shortcut, is getting a Fluent design. The developers behind the redesign are people who work on Windows Terminal and PowerToys utilities. According to the announcement, the performance of the Run command has been improved, it opens in about 94ms. Users can type ~\ to go to the user directory, and continue navigating from there. And Run Box will support dark mode.
Improvements to Run are currently available for testers who have opted into the Windows Insider Experimental Channel.
