Technology
Amazon kills off popular Fire TV Stick feature and users aren’t happy

If you own a Fire TV Stick and have suddenly noticed something is missing you are definitely not alone. Amazon appears to have quietly removed a much-used function on some of its streaming devices with fans left so annoyed some have threatened to ditch their devices for good.
As spotted by the team at AFTVnews, the latest Fire OS upgrade seems to have removed the option to ‘Hide Apps” from the menu panel. It did exactly what it said on the tin with a couple of taps on the remote, hiding applications rather than fully removing them.
This may not seem like a big deal but with Amazon featuring a number of pre-installed applications – such as Freevee and Prime Video – that can’t be removed or deleted, many used the hide function to de-clutter their viewing experience. It was also handy if you wanted to install app or game and then keep it hidden from younger members of the family.
Now that option has been removed on devices including the premium Fire TV Stick Max and 1st-gen Fire TV Stick 4K.
AFTVnews now thinks more Fire TV Sticks will get this update in the coming weeks.
“The removal of the option to hide apps has been confirmed on both the older 1st-gen Fire TV Stick 4K, running Fire OS 6, and the current 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick Max, which uses the latest Fire OS 8, so it’s likely that this change will be applied to all Fire TV models,” the AFTBnews team said.
It might seem like a small update, but users have been left pretty miffed by the changes. In a post on Reddit, one Fire TV Stick owner asked, “Hey everyone, I’m on a Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) and just noticed the option to hide apps has disappeared with the latest update.”
In response, another fan said, “Yeah, I’ve been trying to get them off too, but you can’t now, which sucks.”
One user even threatened to leave the platform, saying, “It makes Fire Sticks officially a deal breaker. If I am unable to get rid of the useless Amazon bloatware icons, I am done with Fire Sticks.”
It seems the changes are affecting devices running Fire OS 8.1.2.7 although – at the time of writing – not all Fire streamers have lost the “Hide Apps” option.
Sadly, there’s no way to stop the update with Amazon forcing the release onto devices.
Technology
New Sky Glass TV released today with surprising price – time to ditch your dish?

Sky is back with another new way to watch the telly and it’s certainly an improvement over what was available before. Sky Glass Gen 2 looks very similar to the original model, which launched back in 2021. You still get a chunky metal case, it comes in numerous colours, doesn’t need a dish to work (it’s powered by your broadband), and continues to include an in-built soundbar.
Although not much has changed on the outside, don’t be fooled. Sky Glass Gen 2 gets an improved 4K HDR Quantum Dot display and a fully upgraded Dolby Atmos 360-degree sound system with seven speakers.
It’s also a little lighter than its older sibling and comes in three new colours – Volcanic Grey, Arctic Silver, and Atlantic Blue.
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Sky Glass Gen 2 is the price. It still starts from just £14 per month for the TV with content packages costing from £15. That means you can pop one in your living room with access to Netflix and hundreds of channels for just £29 per month in total.
That’s exactly the same as the Gen 1 cost, meaning there’s no rise from Sky this year. To make things more enticing, Sky is even offering some money off the biggest 65-inch version for today’s launch.
YOU CAN SEE THE SKY GLASS GEN 2 DEALS BELOW
Sky Glass Gen 2 43-inch
PRICE: From £29 per month with Essentials TV package
SEE THE DEAL HERE
Sky Glass Gen 2 55-inch
PRICE: From £34 per month with Essentials TV package
SEE THE DEAL HERE
Sky Glass Gen 2 43-inch
PRICE: From £37 per month (was £39) with Essentials TV package
SEE THE DEAL HERE
So is it worth your money, and should you ditch your ditch your dish?
Express.co.uk was at the launch of Sky Glass Gen 2, and there’s no question that this TV offers a more colourful and pixel-packed screen.
The Quantum Dot technology helps to make content look crisper, while advanced HDR and precision contrast enhancement make darks darker and brights brighter. All this simply makes the Gen 2 model outshine the original. Sky has also improved the viewing angles so you get the same experience no matter where you sit in your living room.
Along with better picture quality, the new soundbar seems pretty impressive and should end the need for extra speakers. There are a total of seven boom boxes inside including an up-firing speaker to make it appear as if audio is hitting your ears from all directions.
We’ll need more time with Sky Glass Gen 2 but early impressions are good. Of course, this telly probably won’t match stunning OLED screens made by the likes of Samsung and LG but those can cost thousands of pounds.
We will have a full review of Sky Glass Gen 2 ready soon so watch this space.
Technology
New Sky Glass TV released today with surprising price – time to ditch your dish?

Sky is back with another new way to watch the telly and it’s certainly an improvement over what was available before. Sky Glass Gen 2 looks very similar to the original model, which launched back in 2021. You still get a chunky metal case, it comes in numerous colours, doesn’t need a dish to work (it’s powered by your broadband), and continues to include an in-built soundbar.
Although not much has changed on the outside, don’t be fooled. Sky Glass Gen 2 gets an improved 4K HDR Quantum Dot display and a fully upgraded Dolby Atmos 360-degree sound system with seven speakers.
It’s also a little lighter than its older sibling and comes in three new colours – Volcanic Grey, Arctic Silver, and Atlantic Blue.
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Sky Glass Gen 2 is the price. It still starts from just £14 per month for the TV with content packages costing from £15. That means you can pop one in your living room with access to Netflix and hundreds of channels for just £29 per month in total.
That’s exactly the same as the Gen 1 cost, meaning there’s no rise from Sky this year. To make things more enticing, Sky is even offering some money off the biggest 65-inch version for today’s launch.
YOU CAN SEE THE SKY GLASS GEN 2 DEALS BELOW
Sky Glass Gen 2 43-inch
PRICE: From £29 per month with Essentials TV package
SEE THE DEAL HERE
Sky Glass Gen 2 55-inch
PRICE: From £34 per month with Essentials TV package
SEE THE DEAL HERE
Sky Glass Gen 2 43-inch
PRICE: From £37 per month (was £39) with Essentials TV package
SEE THE DEAL HERE
So is it worth your money, and should you ditch your ditch your dish?
Express.co.uk was at the launch of Sky Glass Gen 2, and there’s no question that this TV offers a more colourful and pixel-packed screen.
The Quantum Dot technology helps to make content look crisper, while advanced HDR and precision contrast enhancement make darks darker and brights brighter. All this simply makes the Gen 2 model outshine the original. Sky has also improved the viewing angles so you get the same experience no matter where you sit in your living room.
Along with better picture quality, the new soundbar seems pretty impressive and should end the need for extra speakers. There are a total of seven boom boxes inside including an up-firing speaker to make it appear as if audio is hitting your ears from all directions.
We’ll need more time with Sky Glass Gen 2 but early impressions are good. Of course, this telly probably won’t match stunning OLED screens made by the likes of Samsung and LG but those can cost thousands of pounds.
We will have a full review of Sky Glass Gen 2 ready soon so watch this space.
Technology
Windows 10 users get surprise free upgrade Windows 11 has enjoyed for months

Even though it is still used by millions more people worldwide than the newer Windows 11, Windows 10 is approaching the end of its life. Microsoft has confirmed it will end support for the operating system that first launched in 2015, saying after October that users won’t get any more free software updates that keep it secure and up to date.
Machines running Windows 10 will continue to function, but Microsoft warns PC owners to update to Windows 11 to continue to receive the latest bug fixes and security patches.
Despite this looming deadline, Microsoft has just pushed out the latest updates for Windows 10 users. Surprisingly, this includes the introduction of the latest version of Outlook, the famous Windows email app. It’s a little unusual to see a brand new version of a Microsoft app pushed out to Windows 10 given it soon won’t be supported, but it’s good news if you are on Windows 10 and want the latest official way to scour your inbox.
As spotted by Bleeping Computer, the KB5051974 cumulative update for Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 10 21H2 automatically installs the new Outlook for Windows app. This app isn’t new, having first been released in October 2023, but until now it has been available from the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 PCs rather than installed without the user’s go ahead.
It seems installing this update is mandatory as it contains the latest security patches, and will download automatically. The new Outlook app has been available for Windows 10 users via the Microsoft Store app, but was not previously downloaded automatically.
Slightly confusingly, the new Outlook app installs alongside the classic Outlook app, so you’ll see two Outlook app icons after you’ve updated Windows 10. Despite the double up, you can continue to use the old version or switch to the new one.
“The new Outlook for Windows brings the latest features, intelligent assisted capabilities and a new modern and simplified design to your Outlook app,” Microsoft said on its website.
The design is updated to look cleaner with more white space, similar to the look and feel of Windows 11.
But the new app addition is at odds with Microsoft’s recent admission that it will end support for all Microsoft 365 apps, including Outlook, come October.
The free update for all Windows 10 users also fixes bugs that stop the handy Snipping Tool from functioning properly, as well as flaws that affect the audio and camera performance of some PC devices.
After October 2025, those still using Windows 10 won’t receive any more free updates. All Windows 10 users can choose to upgrade their computers to Windows 11, though Microsoft has published its minimum system requirements here that detail how powerful your PC needs to be to cope with Windows 11. If you install Windows 11 on an underpowered device, you may find your device stops performing well, a fear that has stopped many Windows 10 fans from upgrading.
“If you installed Windows 11 on a device not meeting Windows 11 system requirements, Microsoft recommends you roll back to Windows 10 immediately,” Microsoft said on a support page on its website.
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