Apple’s “Awe dropping” event is officially set for September 9 , and it’s likely to focus on the iPhone 17 and new Apple Watch models. Based on the latest reporting, however, the highly-anticipated AirPods Pro 3 might also make their debut at the event. AirPods Pro 3 are expected to offer a handful of notable upgrades, and they just might steal the show for me. more…
In just over a week, the Apple iPhone 17 event will be here — it's Tuesday, September 9 — and we'll finally get to see the new iPhone 17 lineup . Assuming Apple sticks to tradition, we should be able to install iOS 26 roughly one week after the event. But you don't have to wait to test out the new features because you can download and install the newly released public beta 5 (or iOS 26 developer beta 8 for developers). I've been playing around with it for the past couple of weeks, and have found that taking screenshots is way better in the new operating system, as well as getting to choose how long you snooze . Even the refreshed Camera app is easier to navigate. You can see a more complete view of the new features in our preview of the iOS 26 public beta release , which shows off the fresh home and lock screen redesign. Called Liquid Glass , the translucent look will extend across all of Apple's upcoming operating systems. The overhaul is one of several big changes coming to iOS, macOS , iPadOS and the rest of Apple's software suite, all of which were showcased during the company's WWDC keynote on June 9. After overpromising on AI plans last year, Apple kept its iOS roadmap focused more on basic quality of life improvements this year. There are multiple useful additions coming to the Phone and Messages apps on your iPhone, for instance: Apple execs outlined the ability to weed out spam texts or other unknown senders and an option to hold your spot on a phone call when you've been waiting for a representative to pick up. Plus, a treasured feature that we took for granted is coming back (hint: it's in the Photos app). With each beta, it seems like additional new improvements are popping up, like this new AirPods gesture we're all curious about, and this FaceTime feature that'll freeze your video if it detects nudity . With the release of the iOS 26 developer beta 5 , we saw more added features, like a new bouncy animation on the passcode screen and in the Control Center, MacRumors reports . Some or all of those changes will likely soon migrate into the separate public beta (see below). Most newer iPhone models are eligible to download iOS 26 (both the betas and final version). Want to see the full list of new features coming this fall? Read on. What is iOS 26? The current iPhone operating system is iOS 18, and Apple is still actively updating it — version 18.6.1 was released to restore Apple Watch blood oxygen monitoring functionality for certain users in the US. More recently, Apple released 18.6.2 to address a vulnerability related to image processing. Apple has officially stopped signing iOS 18.6, MacRumors reports , which means it can no longer be installed on your iPhone due to a "server-side software verification check." That's pretty normal when newer versions are available to download. But don't expect to see iOS 19 soon — or ever. Instead, Apple is skipping the numbering ahead to iOS 26 next month. The company has decided to line up its iOS version numbers with a year-based system, similar to car model years. So while iOS and its sibling operating systems will be released in late 2025, they're all designated "26" to reflect the year ahead. It's official, we're moving to iOS 26. (Apple) What is Liquid Glass design? Let's be honest. Out of everything announced at WWDC this year, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the show. The iPhone's home and lock screens have looked pretty much the same year after year — the last exciting thing (in my opinion) was the option to add your own aesthetic to your home screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the home and lock screens' new facelift is refreshing. So what exactly is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a " new translucent material " since, well, the apps and widgets are clear. However, the screen can still adapt to dark and light modes, depending on surroundings. You'll also notice buttons with a new floating design in several apps, like Phone and Maps. They're designed to be less distracting than the current buttons, but are still easy to see. While the design overhaul has proven to be controversial since its announcement, some — including Engadget's own Devindra Hardawar — like the new direction, even if it's somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft's translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from nearly twenty years ago. That said, as of the release of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing back the transparency in at least some places. And while it will continue to evolve, Apple users won't be able to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple's OSes more cohesive. Here's a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the new macOS Tahoe 26 on your desktop. What are the new and notable features of iOS 26? iOS 26 has a laundry list of new features. Among the most worthwhile: Phone app redesign: You'll finally be able to scroll through contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new feature called Hold Assist that'll notify you when an agent comes to the phone so you can avoid the elevator music and continue on with other tasks. Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone who speaks another language. Live Translation will translate your conversation in real time, which results in some stop-and-go interactions in the examples Apple shared during its presentation. Polls in group chats: Tired of sorting through what seems like hundreds of messages in your group chat? You and your friends will soon be able to create polls in group messages for deciding things like which brunch spot you're eating at or whose car you're taking on a road trip. Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you haven't received spam texts about unpaid tolls or other citations, you're lucky. For those of us who have, those annoying messages will soon be filtered away in a separate folder. Visual Intelligence: Similar to a reverse Google image search, this new feature will allow you to search for anything that's on your iPhone screen. For instance, if you spot a pair of shoes someone is wearing in an Instagram photo, you can screenshot it and use Visual Intelligence to find those shoes (or similar ones) online. Photos tabs are back: For anyone who's still frustrated with the Photos changes made last year , you'll be happy to know that your tabs are coming back. Library and Collections will have their own separate spaces so you don't have to scroll to infinity to find what you're looking for. FaceTime "Communication Safety" feature: A newer addition to iOS 26 appears to be the FaceTime "Communication Safety" feature that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The feature appears to be a child safety feature that uses on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privacy issues. New lock screen options : The iPhone lock screen gets more customizable in iOS 26, with a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper effects, more widgets and better focus mode options. Apple's Hold Assist will be nifty for those pesky services that put you on hold for 10 or more minutes. (Apple) New changes coming to iPadOS 26 Your iPad isn't getting left behind when it comes to big updates. Here's what's coming this fall. Multitasking and real windowing: When you download the newest update, you'll be able to have multiple apps running on your screen at the same time. Once you open an app, it'll appear on your screen as normal but you'll be able to resize and move it across your screen to make room for other apps. This feature is optional so you can turn it off if you don't like it. Visual update: Along with the other new OSes, iPadOS 26 is coming with the Liquid Glass aesthetic. This new look will appear on the lock and home screens, as well as the drop-down menus. New menu bar: When you swipe down on your screen, the new menu bar will appear with options like File, Edit, Windows and more. There's also a search option if you're looking for something specific. Check out our first impressions of iPadOS 26 . What about AirPods? AirPods are also getting updated with iOS 26. Here are some of the more notable functions. Enhanced audio recording: Apple calls this "studio-quality" audio recording, and with it, you'll notice more clarity while in noisy environments. Camera remote control: Using this, you can take a photo or start and stop video recording with just one press on your AirPods. When taking photos, you'll get a three-second countdown before your iPhone or iPad snaps the picture. Live translation feature: While not officially announced or confirmed, it appears that the long-rumored live translation for AirPods could be coming with iOS 26 . The evidence comes from a system asset spotted in the in iOS 26 beta showing a gesture that's triggered by pressing both earbud stems at the same time. The photo also shows words in several different languages. Heart rate monitoring (rumored for now): Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes Apple will introduce new AirPods Pro earbuds this year, which could have heart rate monitoring. It would work with Apple's Health app and other fitness apps that track heart rates. Will Siri get an update? Siri is in a holding pattern. Apple has previously specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed until some point " in the coming year ," so you shouldn't expect any major changes in the current betas. But there are reports that Apple is aiming to give Siri a bigger brain transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, which could make 2026 a pivotal year. The company is also reportedly working on a "stripped-down" AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT. Which iPhones will be able to upgrade to iOS 26? A few iPhone models that run the current version of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — won't be compatible with the latest upgrade. But any iPhones released in 2019 or later will be eligible for the iOS 26 update . iPhone SE (second generation or later) iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 16e Not listed here are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or maybe iPhone 26?) that are all but certain to be announced and released in September. How to install iOS 26 beta The iOS 26 public beta is now available to download via the Apple Beta Software Program . If you're not already a member, you'll need to sign up to try out all the latest features. Just visit beta.apple.com and sign up with your phone number or email address. It's free. Once you're in, you can install it by going to Settings > General > Software Update and selecting iOS 26 public beta . A word of caution: Don't sign up with your main iPhone unless you're OK with any risks that occur with using an OS that isn't finalized. When will the final version of iOS 26 be released? iOS 26 will be released to the public this fall. It usually comes in September, within a week of the Apple iPhone event. Last year, it rolled out to iPhone users on September 16 — exactly one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was announced. Since the iPhone 17 event falls on September 9 this year, it's possible the downloads will hit our phones on September 16. If you're more interested in the Apple Intelligence features coming, here's everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more during WWDC. Also, check out how iOS 26 screenshots could be an intriguing preview of Apple's delayed Siri rework . Update, August 29: Added new section about Siri and a link to what's new with the iOS 26 Camera app. Update, August 27: Added the official iPhone 17 event date, as well as the potential iOS 26 release. Update, August 25: Added a rumor about new AirPods Pro having heart rate monitoring. Update, August 22: Noted that Apple has officially stopped signing iOS 18.6. Update, August 20: Noted that iOS 26 public beta 4 and iOS 18.6.2 are now available to download. Update, August 18: Added details about a potential iOS 18.6 update. Update, August 15: Added to link to what to expect at the Apple iPhone event and details about what's available in the iOS 26 screenshots editor. Update, August 13: Added new AirPods detail spotted in the iOS 26 beta. Update, August 11: Noted that iOS 26 developer beta has hit beta 6. Update, August 8: Added new features coming with iPadOS 26 and AirPods. Update, August 6: Noted the release of iOS 26 beta 5 and the new bouncy feature on passcode screen and Control Center. Update, August 4: Noted that Apple is reportedly working on a ChatGPT rival. Update, August 1: Added quote from Tim Cook about iOS 26. Update, July 31: Noted that iOS 18.6 is now available. Update, July 24: Noted the iOS 26 public beta is now available. Update, July 3: Noted new FaceTime feature found in the developer beta. Update, June 30: Noted ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reports that Apple is considering additional external LLMs for Siri. Update, June 25: Noted changes added in iOS 26 beta 2. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-ios-26-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-features-in-the-upcoming-iphone-update-135749557.html?src=rss
Despite some fallout between President Trump and Elon Musk, the White House appears to still be in Musk’s corner. Wired is reporting , based on documents obtained by the outlet, that the White House allegedly directed leadership at the General Services Administration (GSA) to include xAI's Grok on its list of approved AI vendors. xAI is owned by Elon Musk and was not included in the slew of approvals the GSA issued in August that saw the agency add OpenAI, Google and Anthropic to its list of vendors. In emails sent last week and published by Wired , agency leadership demands xAI's products be included. "Team: Grok/xAI needs to go back on the schedule ASAP per the WH," writes Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, one of the branches of the GSA. “Should be all of their products we had previously (3 & 4),” likely referring to Grok 3 and Grok 4, which are iterations of xAI's LLM chatbot. Carahsoft, a major government contractor that resells technology from third-party firms, is mentioned. "Can someone get with Carahsoft on this immediately and please confirm?" wrote Gruenbaum. According to Wired , Carahsoft's contract was modified to include xAI earlier this week. As of Friday morning, both Grok 3 and Grok 4 are available on GSA Advantage, an online marketplace where government agencies can purchase products and services. xAI announced a version of Grok for US government agencies in July, when it appeared that GSA approval for the chatbot was all but certain . Shortly beforehand, the chatbot went off the rails and started spouting Nazi propaganda and antisemitic rhetoric while dubbing itself "MechaHitler." This came in the wake of Musk and Trump's public spat over the president's spending bill, after which GSA approval of Grok seemed to stall . Why the change in directive now is unclear. There were no details in the reporting regarding pricing or whether xAI will be offering discounted services to the federal government. Earlier this month, both OpenAI and Anthropic began offering their large language models to federal agencies for just $1 in an effort to drive adoption among the government workforce. xAI still holds a $200 million contract with the Pentagon to develop AI workflows within the US Department of Defense. These AI models have been in the hot seat lately as increasingly disturbing cases of hallucinations and errant behavior have arisen. Just this week, OpenAI is facing a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT spent months discussing and ultimately enabling the suicide of a teen boy. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-white-house-reportedly-ordered-xais-grok-to-be-approved-for-government-use-165625891.html?src=rss
If you're a tabloid reporter, don't bother with your own iPhone troubleshooting steps, and instead invent a global conspiracy that Apple is destroying society. Apparently all of those buttons on an iPhone can get stuck, and that's Apple's fault for trying to destroy the world. Maybe this is why Apple wants to move to solid-state buttons on the iPhone, instead of the current mechanical ones. Because they can get stuck, apparently, and this is an actual thing, with an Apple support document and everything. However, according to the Daily Mail — a tabloid known for hyperbole — there's more to this . Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
FTC chairman revives GOP claims previously rejected by judge and election agency.
Here's a round up of how to watch Australian Survivor v The World online, from anywhere and potentially free aside from the cost of a VPN.
Lego is bringing everyone's favorite Mogwai to brick form, paying homage to the 1984 Joe Dante film.
Knowing past Wordle answers can help with today's game. Here's the full list so far.
Folks in the United Kingdom wanting to shop for mature games will have to make sure they have a valid credit card on file The post Valve Now Requiring Steam Users Verify Their Age In The UK appeared first on Kotaku .
The material self-assembles and dissolves easily, making it an easy-to-recycle alternative for manufacturing EV batteries.
Richard Bravo / Bloomberg : French President Emmanuel Macron vows a strong response if any country takes measures that undermine Europe's digital sovereignty — French President Emmanuel Macron vowed a strong response if any country takes measures that undermine Europe's digital sovereignty.
INTRALOT, Inc. (Intralot), one of the major global gaming providers, has signed a new contract to provide services to the… Continue reading Intralot signs deal with Montana Lottery The post Intralot signs deal with Montana Lottery appeared first on ReadWrite .
Several suicides have been blamed on AI. This appears to be the first homicide.
If you’ve been waiting for a value-packed laptop to snap up for a great price, this is it. Right now, Best Buy is clearing out this Asus Vivobook S 14 with an OLED screen, Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, and 16GB of RAM for the low price of $569.99 . That’s almost $400 off retail! Frankly, the original asking price of almost $1,000 was too much for a laptop without a touchscreen and only 512GB of storage, as noted in our PCWorld review . That review was for a slightly different config with more RAM, storage, and a different CPU, but the battery life figure—an impressive 20 hours—should be about the same here. And with a 14-inch OLED screen at 1920×1200 resolution and a fairly light 2.87-pound build, it’s a great choice for students or anyone who needs some decent power on the go, especially at this incredible sale price. Connectivity is a high point, with double USB-C, double USB-A, full-sized HDMI, and a microSD card slot. The Intel Lunar Lake processor won’t beat bigger laptops with discrete graphics cards, but for light gaming (up to about Minecraft ), it should be more than enough. It’s also got a solid metallic keyboard and an accurate, roomy trackpad. If you aren’t the kind of user who misses a touchscreen, you’ll be right at home here. Best Buy has this marked as a clearance sale and I’m not seeing this model in stock in many other places, so you might want to hop on it quickly if you’re interested. If it isn’t quite what you’re looking for, be sure to check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops . This Asus Lunar Lake OLED laptop with 16GB RAM is a steal for $570 Buy now from Best Buy
Apple TV+ is about to kick off its biggest fall lineup ever , and the first TV shows premiering just happen to be two of the streamer’s most popular series of all time. Here’s what’s coming. more…
ShinyHunters strike again, and once again - they're after Salesforce accounts.
9to5Mac 
Engadget 
AppleInsider 
Ars Technica 
TechRadar 
Gizmodo 
Kotaku 
Techmeme 
ReadWrite 
PCWorld