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HomePod 26 public beta launches with these new features

Apple has launched public betas for iOS 26 and its companion updates, including a HomePod software 26 public beta. Here’s what you should know about the release. New HomePod beta introduces at least two new features Today Apple launched its long-awaited public beta program for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and more. There’s even a public beta available for HomePod and HomePod mini. The new HomePod software 26 is rolling out now, and you can sign up for access on beta.apple.com. HomePod 26

Apple's iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 and watchOS 26 public betas are ready to download

You can now take Apple's 2026 software for a spin. The first public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 are now available, and we have directions on updating your devices if you're feeling brave. The two most obvious changes serve to unify Apple's platforms. First, we have Apple's biggest cosmetic overhaul to date. Liquid Glass is the company's name for the shiny, translucent redesign that will be heading to its software this fall. The other significant change is in th

Topics: 26 apple ios new software

Microsoft: SharePoint flaws exploited in Warlock ransomware attacks

A China-based hacking group is deploying Warlock ransomware on Microsoft SharePoint servers vulnerable to widespread attacks targeting the recently patched ToolShell zero-day exploit chain. Non-profit security organization Shadowserver is currently tracking over 420 SharePoint servers that are exposed online and remain vulnerable to these ongoing attacks. "Although Microsoft has observed this threat actor deploying Warlock and Lockbit ransomware in the past, Microsoft is currently unable to co

WatchOS 26 is live: Every Apple Watch that will get the new software update

The public beta for the Apple Watch's latest software just arrived. Apple launched the public beta for iOS 26, WatchOS 26, and more, on Thursday. The software updates don't skimp on new WatchOS features, like an AI-powered fitness coach, Live Translation for Messages, and many more. Also: Everything announced at WWDC 2025: iOS 26, AI, MacOS, iPad OS The new features subtly infuse AI into regularly used apps and functionalities, improve peskier features, like the Call Screener, which monitors u

Some VMware perpetual license owners are unable to download security patches

Some VMware perpetual license holders are currently unable to download security patches, The Register reported today. The virtualization company has only said that these users will receive the patches at “a later date,” meaning users are uncertain how long their virtualization environments will be at risk. Since Broadcom bought VMware and ended perpetual license sales in favor of bundled subscription-based SKUs, some organizations have opted against signing up for a subscription and are running

Apple releases public betas of its new software updates with Liquid Glass

is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Apple has officially released the first public betas for its next major software updates. The list of new betas includes iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, and we have more information here about how to go about installing them on eligible devices. You can see the water droplet look of UI elements in iOS 26. The biggest thing you’ll notice about the

Hacker sneaks infostealer malware into early access Steam game

A threat actor called EncryptHub has compromised a game on Steam to distribute info-stealing malware to unsuspecting users downloading the title. A few days ago, the hacker (also tracked as Larva-208), injected malicious binaries into the Chemia game files hosted on Steam. Chemia is a survival crafting game from developer ‘Aether Forge Studios,’ which is currently offered as early access on Steam but has no public release date. Chemia on Steam Source: BleepingComputer titled Chemia , also t

Computing’s Top 30: Corey Axelowitz

Corey Axelowitz has contributed to many groundbreaking design innovations, from the two-pound 12” MacBook to Plano AI’s early wildfire detection cameras that meld computer vision and modern hardware. He also played a pivotal role in the 10-month-to-mass-production development cycle for the huupe mini—the world’s first smart mini-basketball-hoop game console that allows real-time multiplayer games to happen around the world. Recently, Axelowitz launched the Axel Hardware Design consultancy, whi

Lslvr/mwm: The smallest (usable) X11 window manager

mwm The window manager for the true minimalist: 20 LOC. No modes. No "eye-candy". No mouse control. No virtual desktops. No configuration files. Not standards-compliant. No title bars, no status bars, no buttons, no borders, no menus, etc. All windows are full-screen, just one is visible at any given time. Absolutely adaptable to your needs. Includes just what is strictly needed. This is the smallest, actually usable window manager I know about. Even TinyWM is twice as large. Howeve

Microsoft: SharePoint servers also targeted in ransomware attacks

A China-based hacking group is deploying Warlock ransomware on Microsoft SharePoint servers vulnerable to widespread attacks targeting the recently patched ToolShell zero-day exploit chain. Non-profit security organization Shadowserver is currently tracking over 420 SharePoint servers that are exposed online and remain vulnerable to these ongoing attacks. "Although Microsoft has observed this threat actor deploying Warlock and Lockbit ransomware in the past, Microsoft is currently unable to co

NPM package ‘is’ with 2.8M weekly downloads infected devs with malware

The popular NPM package 'is' has been compromised in a supply chain attack that injected backdoor malware, giving attackers full access to compromised devices. This occurred after maintainer accounts were hijacked via phishing, followed by unauthorized owner changes that went unnoticed for several hours, potentially compromising many developers who downloaded the new releases. The 'is' package is a lightweight JavaScript utility library that provides a wide variety of type checking and value v

Your TV's USB port has an underrated feature that can revitalize an old system for free

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Recently, I wrote about the various uses of the USB ports that come standard on the back or side of any smart TV. In this article, I'm focusing on one particular important use: installing firmware updates using a USB device. Also: How to disable ACR on your TV (and why doing so makes such a big difference) Updates are essential because they ensure your TV has the latest software, features, and security patches. Most smart TVs are designed to automatically check for and install

CrowdStrike-backed compliance startup Vanta valued at $4 billion in new funding round

Christina Cacioppo, co-founder and CEO of Vanta, speaks at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco on Oct. 29, 2024. Vanta, a startup with software for managing compliance with cybersecurity and privacy standards, said Wednesday that it closed its latest fundraising round at a roughly $4 billion valuation. The $150 million round, which included funding from CrowdStrike's venture arm, represents a valuation increase from $2.45 billion last year. The jump reflects continued corporate

Nest Aware is getting pricier, but users says the service isn’t keeping up

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority TL;DR Nest Aware users are unhappy about rising prices despite worsening service quality. Users are bringing up issues with broken video history playback, unreliable familiar face detection, and more. Many are switching to alternatives like Ubiquiti or Reolink that offer better reliability and local control without subscription fees. Google recently increased the prices of its Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus subscriptions, but many users say the service isn’

New UK law would ban ransomware payments by publicly funded orgs

The British government has announced plans to move forward with a law that would bar public organizations from paying off ransomware attackers. The proposed legislation would add schools, town councils, National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and critical infrastructure managers to a ban which already applies to the national government. The logic behind banning payments is simple. If cybercriminals know a ransomware attack against a UK school or hospital won't get them paid, they'll look somewh

Apple alerted Iranians to iPhone spyware attacks, say researchers

Apple notified more than a dozen Iranians in recent months that their iPhones had been targeted with government spyware, according to security researchers. Miian Group, a digital rights organization that focuses on Iran, and Hamid Kashfi, an Iranian cybersecurity researcher who lives in Sweden, said they spoke with several Iranians who received the notifications in the last year. Bloomberg first wrote about these spyware notifications. Miaan Group published a report on Tuesday on the state of

UK government wants ransomware victims to report breaches so it can carry out ‘targeted disruptions’ against hackers

The U.K. government wants to require victims of ransomware to report if they were breached with the goal of providing law enforcement with information that could help target the cybercriminals responsible. On Tuesday, the U.K.’s interior ministry, the Home Office, published a proposal with the aim of changing the British government’s strategy to counter ransomware. Among the three key proposals is a reporting requirement, which would aid authorities in identifying and disrupting hacking operati

Towards A Unified Quantum Platform

Since its conception in the 1980s, quantum computing (QC) has presented academia and industry with numerous challenges as the technology has scaled. While QC systems have grown exponentially, with qubit numbers per system increasing from single digits to more than a thousand, a byproduct of this growth is a fragmented software and hardware ecosystem that makes further progress more difficult. Researchers have recently addressed this issue by creating a unified software and hardware platform to s

CISA and FBI warn of escalating Interlock ransomware attacks

CISA and the FBI warned on Tuesday of increased Interlock ransomware activity targeting businesses and critical infrastructure organizations in double extortion attacks. Today's advisory was jointly authored with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and it provides network defenders with indicators of compromise (IOCs) collected during investigations of incidents as recent as June 2025, along with mitigation meas

UK government wants ransomware victims to report cyberattacks so it can disrupt the hackers

The U.K. government wants to require victims of ransomware to report if they were breached with the goal of providing law enforcement with information that could help target the cybercriminals responsible. On Tuesday, the U.K.’s interior ministry, the Home Office, published a proposal with the aim of changing the British government’s strategy to counter ransomware. Among the three key proposals is a reporting requirement, which would aid authorities in identifying and disrupting hacking operati

Microsoft says Chinese hacking groups exploited SharePoint vulnerability in attacks

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the company at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on April 4, 2025. Microsoft Corp., determined to hold its ground in artificial intelligence, will soon let consumers tailor the Copilot digital assistant to their own needs. Microsoft on Tuesday said Chinese hacking groups were part of the recent attacks on its SharePoint collaboration software. As early as July 7, the Chinese nation-state actor

UK to ban public sector orgs from paying ransomware gangs

The United Kingdom's government is planning to ban public sector and critical infrastructure organizations from paying ransoms after ransomware attacks. The list of entities that would have to follow the new proposed legislation includes local councils, schools, and the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS). "Ransomware is estimated to cost the UK economy millions of pounds each year, with recent high-profile ransomware attacks highlighting the severe operational, financial, and even l

I replaced my work PC with this Dell laptop, and it was one of my best decisions

Alienware 18 Area-51 Laptop ZDNET's key takeaways The Alienware 18 Area-51 retails for $3,199. It is a gaming laptop that delivers an unbelievable performance thanks to its powerful hardware and equally powerful cooling system. Traveling with the computer will prove difficult because of its weight; you'll also have to pay quite a bit for the system. View now at Dell View now at Best Buy more buying choices Alienware 18 Area-51 is a very fitting name for this computer because it is out of this

Installing apps on Linux? 4 ways it's different than any other OS - and mistakes to avoid

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET When I first started using Linux in the late 90s, there was really only one way to install an application. You would download the app, unpack the archive, run the ./configure command, build the app with make, and then install it with make install. Inevitably, when you ran through that course, you would stumble because of dependencies and have to locate the dependency, run through the same process as you just did (only with the new software), and then find out the ne

Java was not underhyped in 1997 (2021)

Java Criminally Underhyped? Not Back in 1997. Earlier today, a fun little moment of Twitter serendipity alerted me to an article by Jackson Roberts, a computer science student at the University of Colorado, entitled “Java is criminally underhyped”. It’s a really interesting article, and Jackson’s observations correlate with a lot of my own thinking about languages and platforms, although I am squarely in the .NET / CLR camp on that particular front. But Jackson ends his article: I am curious