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Tech News
App updates on iOS and Android frequently patch security flaws, fix bugs and add features, but auto-update toggles don't always catch everything. Automatic updates can stall or fail, and may not always reach devices immediately, as seen with Android Auto requiring manual updates at times.
Google confirmed in a reviewer's guide that Googlebooks need a paired phone running Android 17 to access key cross-device features, including task continuity, shared file and storage access, phone app streaming, and synced notifications. Google also noted some apps, such as those with DRM video or sensitive content, won't support app streaming regardless of OS version.
Flexibits' Fantastical, a scheduling app that began on Apple platforms 15 years ago and later expanded to Windows, is now launching a native version for Googlebooks (Chromebooks) rather than for Android phones and tablets. The app retains its existing pricing structure, with a free tier and paid individual, family, and team plans starting at $4.75 a month.
Apple said it will add new controls around macOS's Full Disk Access permission following reports that Meta's Muse AI agent used that access to build detailed profiles of users' contacts, tracking relationships, locations and personal milestones on an hourly basis. Security researcher Karan Joshi reportedly found Muse was instructed to compile data such as where people live, recurring life events and significant dates for everyone in a user's life.
A software developer created and published a Mac application to the App Store without writing any code himself, instead directing Anthropic's Claude AI through 502 separate prompts over about a week. The project, inspired by an old icon library product he had built decades earlier, was submitted to Apple on Sept. 27 and approved four days later.
Android Authority found a new lock screen customization page hidden in the Wallpaper & Style app on the first Android 17 QPR3 beta. The page is mostly empty but shows buttons for wallpaper, colors, clock, widgets, and a new 'media' option not seen in the current menu. Currently, Pixel owners customize lock screens through a swipe-based menu with separate settings for clock, shortcuts, and notifications.
The iPhone 18 Pro's 48-megapixel main camera reportedly includes a variable aperture with six physical blades, offering four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. Users can adjust aperture through a six-dot control in the Camera app, though it only applies to the main lens in 1x and 2x modes, while other lenses keep a fixed aperture.
AstroHelm is a newly launched app that uses a phone's camera to match visible stars against sky data, pinpointing a telescope or telephoto lens's exact aim with sub-arcminute accuracy. The plate-solving process runs entirely on-device, requiring no internet connection, and the app works with any telescope or lens rather than proprietary hardware. It also suggests observation targets based on location, time, moonlight and twilight conditions, and can be controlled remotely from a second device.
Dynamic Lyrics, a third-party app, displays time-synced song lyrics on a car's infotainment screen via Apple CarPlay once linked to Apple Music or Spotify. Unlocking the feature permanently costs a one-time $9.99 fee, and users need iOS 26 to enable it on CarPlay.
Google will limit which Gemini models are available based on subscription tier beginning October 9. Free users will only get Flash-Lite, losing access to Flash and Pro, while AI Plus subscribers ($4.99/month) keep Flash-Lite and Flash but lose Pro access. AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers see no cutbacks and instead gain the Deep Think reasoning option previously reserved for pricier tiers.
HEVCut is an indie iOS app that compresses photos and videos on-device, claiming 50-80% file size savings with minimal quality loss, aiming to free up local or iCloud storage without requiring users to delete anything. The app also offers duplicate detection, a swipe-based deletion interface, and a video trimming tool. A limited free version is available on the App Store, with HEVCut Pro costing $24.99/year or $39.99 for lifetime access, plus a $0.49 one-week trial.
Code spotted by TestingCatalog reveals a hidden 'Additional sandbox options' setting in Gemini's macOS desktop app that would let the AI read, create, modify or delete files anywhere on a Mac, not just in folders users have connected. The feature would also let Gemini interact with apps like Mail, Safari and Messages, and take some actions without asking permission each time. Google has not confirmed the feature, and it is not yet live.