Author: alex

iOS 26.1 Beta 3 Brings Colorful Apple TV App Icon and Other UI Tweaks Apple's third beta of iOS 26.1 introduces several refinements for iPhone and iPad users, most visibly a more colorful Apple TV app icon. The change aligns with a recent rebranding of Apple's streaming service, which will now be presented simply as “Apple TV.” Beyond the icon update, the beta includes additional visual adjustments and quality-of-life tweaks across the system that aim to polish the upcoming release. These changes are being rolled out to developers and public beta testers for feedback ahead of the final version. More colorful Apple TV app icon to match the service's rebrand. Minor UI and visual refinements across iPhone and iPad. Available now in beta for developers and public beta testers. For…

Apple reportedly readies 2nd‑generation Pro Display XDR — now with a camera? Apple appears to be preparing a second-generation version of its high-end Pro Display XDR. First introduced in December 2019 and aimed squarely at professional users, the Pro Display XDR is known for its extreme brightness, color accuracy and premium price — and the next model could add an unexpected feature: a built-in camera. According to early reports, the current model carries the model number A1999 and measures about 41.2 cm tall and 71.8 cm wide. Leaks and hints about the upcoming update suggest Apple may integrate a camera into the display — a notable change for a monitor designed for color-critical and studio workflows. Original launch: December 2019 (Pro Display XDR) Current model number: A1999 (dimensions ~41.2 cm…

Anker's New Qi2 Car Charger: 25W Wireless Charging with Active TEC Cooling Anker has unveiled a Qi2-certified car charger that delivers up to 25W of wireless charging and uses an active thermoelectric cooling (TEC) element to manage temperature and reduce charging time. According to Anker, the new unit can charge an iPhone 17 Pro to 50% in about 22 minutes under the manufacturer's test conditions. The charger stands out from previous in-car wireless mounts by adding active cooling rather than relying solely on passive heatsinks or ventilation. TEC (thermoelectric) cooling uses the Peltier effect to move heat away from the charging coil, which can help maintain higher charging power and avoid thermal throttling—especially in the confined, warm environment of a car. Key points: Qi2-certified for compatibility with the new wireless…

Flix Fixer uses Apple Intelligence to auto-rename video files Flix Fixer, a new macOS app, leverages Apple Intelligence to automatically analyze and rename movie and TV episode files. The tool can detect even unstructured or incomplete filenames, then match files against official episode metadata to produce consistent, customizable filenames. Key features: Automatic analysis of video files using Apple Intelligence. Recognition of unstructured or incomplete filenames. Generation of unified filenames based on official episode information and user-defined templates. The app aims to simplify large-scale video archive maintenance by removing the need for manual renaming and organization. According to the announcement, Flix Fixer consults authoritative episode data to ensure accuracy when renaming series and movie files. Why this matters: messy or inconsistent filenames make media libraries hard to search and keep in…

Rhythm v1.1: Apple Watch support brings heartbeat-guided meditations to the App Store Rhythm, a mindfulness app focused on heartbeat-synced meditations, has released version 1.1 and is now officially available on the App Store. The update is compact — roughly 13 MB — and adds native support for the Apple Watch as a heart-rate data source. Previously, Rhythm could already read heart-rate data from certain in-ear headphones. With the new Watch integration, users can more easily use their wrist-worn heart-rate sensor to guide breathing exercises and timed rests, making heartbeat-driven sessions more accessible across devices. App version: 1.1 Download size: ~13 MB New: Apple Watch supported as a heart-rate source Also supports: heart-rate from compatible in-ear headphones (e.g., some AirPods models) For users who like guided breathing tied to their physiological…

Apple funds 650 MW of wind & solar in Europe to match device charging — Questions remain Apple is increasing investments in European wind and solar projects intended to supply the same amount of electricity that European users consume when charging Apple devices. The company cites projects in countries such as Greece, Poland and Latvia that together add about 650 megawatts (MW) of capacity — which Apple says will produce over one million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity (roughly 1 terawatt-hour). The announcement frames these investments as a way to offset the electricity used when customers charge iPhones, iPads and other devices in Europe. Key points from the report: Planned additional capacity: ~650 MW across multiple projects. Estimated annual generation: Apple claims over 1,000,000 MWh (≈1 TWh). Locations mentioned include Greece,…

Research: HPI Finds Apple Is Reworking iOS Security Architecture New research from Moritz Steffin and Jiska Classen at the Hasso‑Plattner‑Institut (University of Potsdam) provides the first deep look into modern iOS security mechanisms. Their analysis shows Apple has significantly changed iOS's internal architecture, introducing separated security domains and other structural changes intended to raise the bar for attackers. The paper highlights several key shifts in iOS design: Segmentation of security domains to limit the blast radius of compromises. Changes to process isolation and privilege boundaries within the OS. New or reworked central components that enforce security policies more strictly. These architectural moves suggest Apple is evolving iOS beyond incremental hardening toward a more structural approach to security. That can make exploitation harder for attackers, but may also change how researchers…

Ofcom fines 4chan £20,000 for non-compliance with the UK Online Safety Act UK communications regulator Ofcom has issued a £20,000 fine to anonymous imageboard 4chan for failing to provide information requested under the Online Safety Act 2023. The regulator asked for the sites illegal-harms risk assessment and details about qualifying worldwide revenue; 4chan did not comply. This is the first penalty Ofcom has issued under the new law, which came into force this year to curb childrens access to harmful content online. In addition to the upfront fine, Ofcom is charging an extra penalty of 300 ($133) per day until 4chan supplies the requested information. When Ofcom opened its probe in June it cited complaints about illegal content on the anonymous board. 4chan has pushed back: in August the site…

Microsoft debuts MAI-Image-1: its first in-house image generator Microsoft has introduced MAI-Image-1, the company’s first internally developed image-generation model. According to the announcement, the model specializes in photorealistic images, capturing natural lighting and landscapes. Microsoft says it will test MAI-Image-1 on LMArena and roll it out to Copilot and Bing Image Creator soon. This release is part of Microsoft’s broader push to build in-house AI capabilities. Over the summer the company launched other MAI models, including MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview. Microsoft AI division leader Mustafa Suleyman has described an "enormous five-year roadmap" of internal AI development, and MAI-Image-1 underscores that plan. Model name: MAI-Image-1 Strengths: photorealism, natural lighting, landscapes Current testing: LMArena Planned rollout: Copilot and Bing Image Creator For additional context, the original coverage from Engadget provides more detail on…

Google groups Search ads into a single “Sponsored results” section Google is changing how text ads appear in Search by grouping them into a clearly labeled "Sponsored results" section. The redesign keeps ad size the same and limits groupings to a maximum of four ads. Users who scroll past the ad block will see a control to hide sponsored results. Key details: Ad group labeled "Sponsored results" will appear at the top of the Search page. Groups will contain no more than four text ads; individual ad sizes remain unchanged. The sponsored section can appear above or below Google’s AI-generated summaries (AI Overviews). After scrolling past the ad block, users can tap a button to hide all sponsored results; there’s also a sponsored block at the bottom that must be…