Just ahead of the Windows 11 launch, Microsoft is rolling out some updates to Edge. Perhaps the most useful feature for most people is the addition of tab groups. You'll be able to assemble collections of tabs to make your browser a little less chaotic.

To create a group, hold the control button and choose the tabs you want to include, then select "Add tabs to new group" from the right-click menu. You can customize the label with a different color for each group. When you hover over a tab, you'll be able to see a preview of the web page as well.

Microsoft Edge is also getting some handy shopping features. The browser can give you swift access to reviews and ratings for more than 5 million products. When you're on a product page, click the blue tag on the address bar and you'll see expert reviews from reliable sources, as well as the average consumer star rating from various retailers.

When you do figure out what to buy, Microsoft aims to help you complete the transaction a bit faster. If you select a retailer's guest checkout option, you can click "Try express checkout" on the address bar. After you fill in your details manually one time, Edge can save them for future transactions on any shopping site. Once you're sure everything's accurate, click the "Try all coupons and autofill details." Edge will then add your information and automatically find out if there are any coupons that can save you some cash, in a similar way to PayPal's Honey tool.

Elsewhere, Edge now has built-in travel recommendations. When you look up flights, you can click a notification on the address bar and you'll see suggestions of things to visit and do at your planned destination. The tool is only available in the US and on select booking sites for now, but it will be available elsewhere soon.

On top of that, it should be a bit faster for you to look for flights and hotels across multiple websites. Once you enter details on a booking site, Edge can store that info. It can then autofill the travel dates and so on when you visit another site. The company says it has improved flight search results in Bing too with the help of travel industry partners.

Elsewhere, the new personalized news feed called Microsoft Start is integrated into the browser. You'll see headlines and articles relevant to your interests from a range of publishers when you open a new tab.

Four months after Twitter first introduced in-app tipping, the company is expanding its “tip jar” feature in a major way. The company is opening up tipping to all its users globally, and for the first time will allow users to send and receive tips in Bitcoin.

With the update, Twitter users around the world will have access to tipping, which allows users to send each other cash through apps like Venmo, Cash App, or Bandcamp, GoFundMe and PicPay, a Brazilian mobile payments platform.Twitter users in the United States and El Salvador will have the additional option of sending and receiving tips with Bitcoin via Strike, a person-to-person payments app built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. People in other countries will be able to receive tips via their Bitcoin address.

As with tips using traditional, non-crypto platforms, Twitter won’t take a cut of tips exchanged between users. Tipping is rolling out to all of Twitter’s iOS users beginning today, and will become available on Android “over the coming weeks.” 

Twitter

Twitter sees the change as an extension of its recent work to empower creators on its platform. “We want everyone to have access to pathways to get paid,” Twitter’s Esther Crawford said during a call with reporters. “Digital currencies that encourage more people to participate in the economy and help people send each other money across borders and with as little friction as possible help us get there.”

The move is also Twitter’s first big move into cryptocurrency, which founder Jack Dorsey has been a major proponent of. Crawford, who leads the company’s creator monetization efforts, also said the company is in the early stages of exploring an NFT authentication service, which would allow users to display NFT art on their profile.

Those plans are still in an experimental stage, but the idea is to support NFT creators by giving them a way to showcase NFTs on Twitter, and provide details about their ownership, Crawford said. “By allowing people to directly connect their crypto wallets, we can track and showcase our NFT ownership on Twitter,” she said. It's not clear exactly what this would look like, but she said it could take the form of a badge or another visual cue. “We are interested in making it somehow visually clear that this is a[n] authenticated avatar and, and then giving you some interesting info and insight about the provenance of that NFT.”

Twitter has previously experimented with NFTs or non-fungible tokens. The company recently released its own collection of NFTs, and Dorsey sold an NFT of his first tweet for $2.9 million earlier this year.

Google has introduced quite a lengthy list of Android features, including new accessibility tools for the mobile OS that rely on eye and facial gestures. Starting this week, users will see a new addition to the Android Accessibility Suite that can turn a phone's front-facing camera into a switch. Aptly called Camera Switch, the tool replaces keyboards, mice and touchscreen displays as a device's input method. With the feature, users will be able to navigate their phones with eye movements or with facial features, such as smiling or opening and closing their mouths. The tech giant started beta testing it in August, but it's now giving the feature a wider rollout.

Google

The tech giant has also launched a new application called Project Activate specifically for those don’t speak or have neurological conditions. Its purpose is to make it easier for the users to communicate with other people. They can program the app to speak phrases like "Please, wait!" when they move their eyes a certain way or make a gesture with their face. The application can also be programmed to play audio, make phone calls or send texts, such as emergency messages seeking assistance. 

Finally, Google has updated its Lookout app with handwriting recognition. It can now read out handwritten and printed text for Latin-based languages while in Documents mode. Further, it can now recognize Euro and Indian Rupee in currency mode, with Google planning to add support for more currencies in the future. The tech giant first announced Lookout back in 2018 as a way to provide Blind individuals and people with visual impairments spoken notifications about their environment. Google added food and document scanning to its capabilities in 2020, along with support for languages other than English. 

There's no shortage of ways to capture YouTube videos on the web. Take your pick of dangerous websites, or just go old-school and record a video of your desktop. Now, YouTube is finally offering a simpler solution for computer users: A download button. As Android Police reports, it's currently available as an experimental feature for Premium subscribers. That's not a huge surprise, as YouTube already offers mobile video downloads for subscribers too. 

Once you've flipped it on, you'll see a download button right next to the share option below videos, or alongside the three dot menu when browsing. After downloading a video, it gets placed in your offline YouTube library. You can choose to grab videos in resolutions from 144p to 1080p — sorry, 4K fanatics. At this point, there doesn't appear to be any size limit, aside from your available storage.

From my quick tests, the feature works as advertised on Safari and Chrome. Personally, it's not something I'd use as often as mobile downloads, but it's a nice option to have for future trips.

When Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro X in 2019, it promised the start of something new for the company’s 2-in-1 line. Unfortunately, buggy limited app compatibility due to the computer’s ARM-based architecture and Windows on ARM software meant the Pro X never quite delivered on its promise. 

Microsoft isn’t updating the Surface Pro X’s hardware. As before you can configure the computer with either the company’s original SQ1 chip or its more recent SQ2 chip. However, Microsoft is introducing a new WiFi-only model that starts at $899. More important here is that the computer now comes with Windows 11 out of the box and includes support for native 64-bit emulation.

It’s also compatible with Microsoft’s new Slim Pen 2, which you can store and charge in the Pro X’s Type Cover. Picking up the Slim Pen 2 activates an interface in Windows 11 that allows you to customize your inking experience.

The WiFi-only model is available to pre-order today, with in-store availability to follow on October 5th.

Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.

Akai's MPC hardware is normally an expensive investment — you're looking at $699 for the 'entry' One production studio. That ecosystem just became much more affordable if you have a computer, however. The company has introduced an MPC Studio controller built solely to tie in with MPC 2 software on your Mac or PC. Plug it in and you can produce tunes with the signature 16 drum pads (with pressure, velocity and aftertouch control) as well as an assignable touch strip that lets you twist instruments and synths. A color LCD helps keep your focus on the controller when you're chopping samples or fine-tuning effects.

The software, unsurprisingly, plays a key role. Akai has been pouring much more of its energy into its MPC 2 software, including a large update in July that added AIR plugins and on-device pitch correction. You'll have access to eight plugin instrument engines as well as sampling, MIDI sequencing, arranging and other parts of the MPC workflow. Think of the MPC Studio as Akai's answer to Ableton's Push — it's hardware that brings out the software's full potential.

The MPC Studio is available today for $269. You'll still need MPC 2 (normally $200, currently $100), but it's still a relative bargain so long as you have a production-ready computer. This could make Akai's universe considerably more accessible if you're new to this kind of music making.

With iOS 15 now available to download, developers both big and small have started updating their apps to take advantage of the operating system’s marquee features. One of those is Google, which detailed today the iOS 15-related enhancements you can expect from its apps.

The biggest change involves how Gmail, Meet, Tasks, Maps, Home and many of Google's other applications will handle notifications. Should you have iOS 15’s new Focus Mode enabled, Google says prompts that don’t require your immediate attention will go to the Notifications Center where you can deal with them later. More timely reminders, such as those Google Maps sends you when you’re trying to navigate somewhere, won’t be silenced, and you’ll see them as they’re sent to you. Google says its goal was to make notifications “as relevant and timely as possible.” You'll see these roll out to the company's apps in the "coming weeks."

Meanwhile, if you own an iPad you can look forward to new Google Photos and YouTube Music widgets that take advantage of the extra screen space Apple’s tablets offer. The company says it will roll these out in the coming weeks as well. Lastly, Google Drive and YouTube Music feature new Spotlight integrations. You can use the tool to search for specific files and to play a song directly in Google’s music streaming service. Those enhancements are available today — though you'll probably wish more apps worked with Spotlight in this way.

Apple is now rolling out iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV devices. You might not see the updates right away, but when they're available, you'll have access to a bunch more features.

Facetime and Messages have been upgraded on both iPhone and iPad. Facetime supports spatial audio and reduces background noise, while people can join Facetime calls through shareable links on the web and Android. It'll be easier to keep track of things your friends and family share with you in Messages thanks to dedicated tabs in the News, Music, TV and Podcasts apps.

Notifications have also been overhauled. You'll have more control over push alerts and you can let only notifications from select apps and people through when you activate one of the new Focus modes. There are profiles for activities including sleeping and working, and the OS can automatically rearrange your home screen apps to bring the ones you're most likely to use at a certain time to the forefront.

Screenshots of the iOS 15 beta

Also new in iOS 15 is the Live Text function, which works in a similar way to Google Lens. The feature can extract written text from photos, screenshots and the world around you. You can edit, translate and share the text. The feature can also identify things like art, landmarks, plants and pets.

Elsewhere, there are new features for the Maps, Photos and Weather apps on iOS. Spotlight searches will have richer results, including your own photos, with Apple using machine learning to figure out what's in each image.

On iPad, Quick Notes are now a system-wide feature — just swipe in from the lower right corner to jot down some thoughts using the keyboard or Apple Pencil. Expect some multitasking and Safari changes too.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

One thing that iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 don't have at launch is the SharePlay feature. It lets you enjoy movies, shows and music together with friends over Facetime, and you can share your screen with them. Apple will release the feature on those operating systems, tvOS 15 and macOS Monterey later. Apple also put the child safety features it planned to release as part of iOS 15 on the back burner while it makes improvements.

The watchOS 8 update perhaps isn't quite as extensive. There's a bigger focus on mindfulness and health, including some new workout categories. Apple Watch now has deeper integration with iPhone, with features including Focus mode support and a Contacts app. You can also expect portrait watch faces and multiple timers.

Apple TV now has spatial audio support, including for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, following the tvOS 15 update. You can also connect multiple HomePod minis to an Apple TV 4K and use those as the default speakers.

If you have an iPhone 6s or later, iPhone SE (either generation) or seventh-gen iPod touch, you'll be able to install iOS 15. Those with Apple tablets can run iPadOS 15 on fifth-gen and later iPads, iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later and all iPad Pro devices. Meanwhile, watchOS 8 is supported by Apple Watch Series 3 and later devices.

As for macOS Monterey, Apple has yet to announce a firm release date for the next version of its Mac operating system. Monterey should be available sometime this fall.

Apple is rolling out the major annual firmware updates just a few days before the iPhone 13 lineup and new iPads arrive. Apple Watch Series 7 will be released later this fall.

The next time you have friends over and you happen to run out of one guest's favorite tipple, you'll have another way to order another bottle quickly — as long as you live in a place where DoorDash supports alcohol delivery. You can now use the app to order booze to your doorstep in 20 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Australia. The company says more than 100 million people now have access to booze delivery through the app.

Users in those markets can view a selection of drinks from restaurants, grocery stores, retailers and convenience stores through the Alcohol tab. Depending on where you live, you may be able to bundle alcohol with your restaurant order using the DoubleDash feature, which lets you add items to your order from nearby stores without paying a separate delivery fee.

You'll need to be of legal drinking age to order alcohol through DoorDash. Couriers will verify your age at dropoff. You can upload a copy of your ID to the app. Couriers will only be able to see your photo and date of birth on the app — DoorDash says it blurs out all of the other information for security and privacy reasons.

Over the last few years, DoorDash has enabled merchants to deliver alcohol through DoorDash Drive, its white-label delivery service. DoorDash Drive couriers fulfill orders made via a merchant's own website, app or third-party platform, not the DoorDash app. The company previously let users in southern California add alcohol to their restaurant orders.

Alongside the expansion of hooch deliveries, DoorDash announced partnerships with alcohol responsibility organizations. Students Against Destructive Decisions and Responsibility.org focus on drunk driving and underage drinking. DoorDash also teamed up with two organizations Down Under, Drinkwise and Retail Drinks Australia, "to further expand our commitment to responsible service of alcohol in other countries."

DoorDash is playing catch up a bit with its rivals when it comes to alcohol. Uber bought booze delivery service Drizly earlier this year for $1.1 billion. Instacart and Postmates both added alcohol delivery options over the last few years.

Algoriddim has been working closely with Apple for years on its djay apps and regularly appears in the company's keynotes. Now, it's integrating another Apple product, Shazam, into its latest iOS djay app with the release of iOS 15. The new feature lets you can scan your surroundings and identify any song playing, whether at an event, listening to the radio or playing sets with other DJs. Once it picks out the song, djay will instantly load it onto the virtual decks and play it in sync with the external music source. 

Once loaded, you can create a mix with similar tracks, remix the song, apply effects and deconstruct it into components using the company's Neural Mix tech. It can also save songs into iOS 15's music recognition history in the control center, "providing users with streamlined access to all of their song discoveries," the company said. 

While this sounds like cool technology in search of an application, Algoriddim has a few use cases in mind. The main one is that you can identify a track you might hear and get it into your library with the tap of a button, or create an automated mix based on the recognized song. "djay can instantly provide you with similar tracks to the one you just heard, allowing you to quickly immerse yourself in a particular style," Algoriddim told Engadget. 

Another, more marginal use case is with back-to-back DJing. If you're playing in tandem with another DJ or in a lineup, you can pick up where the last DJ left off by identifying and syncing with their song before phasing into your own set. This goes a step beyond beat matching, letting you match the last DJ's song exactly. Mind you, many DJs may not care to replay the last DJ’s song or work with a playlist inspired by it, especially if they weren’t familiar with the tracks

The Shazam-enhanced version of iOS djay lets you save recognized music to your Tidal (music and video), SoundCloud, Beatport and Beatsource libraries (not Spotify or Apple Music). Other new features include the ability to add effects to the master audio output, enabled by new Audio Unit (extensions) features in iOS 15. That will let you better tailor the sound for broadcast or to match a PA system. Algoriddim's iOS djay update for iOS is now available for free, or you can get the Pro version for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year.