Leaker pdfu, who previously uncovered iPhone Duo StandBy mode screens in Apple's Xcode simulator, has now found evidence that Apple's upcoming HomePad will include a similar 'Photo Face' setup step. According to the leaker, the HomePad setup process runs through the Home app and prompts users to create a Photo Face using iCloud Photos, pulling in a few high-resolution images immediately while the full library downloads.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-01
openSUSE announced that version 16.1 of Leap, its stable distribution, will include an Immutable Mode featuring a read-only, transactionally updated root filesystem. The feature, described on the official openSUSE blog, brings capabilities previously exclusive to Leap Micro—a lightweight immutable OS for containers and edge devices—into the general-purpose Leap desktop distribution.
zdnet.com
· 2026-09-30
A company called Freckle has launched a phone designed for children that strips out internet browsing and app stores in favor of tactile buttons, a walkie-talkie feature, and outdoor 'quests' meant to encourage play away from screens. Co-founder Sam Terris said the device draws on his own childhood spent playing outdoors in Concord, Massachusetts, which he credits with shaping his development.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-30
Lux Optics released Halide 3.2, an update to its Mark III camera app, adding support for the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture camera. The update introduces an Aperture Priority mode that lets users set a target f-number while Halide automatically adjusts shutter speed and ISO, alongside manual ISO control. It also adds two new visual looks, dawn and quicksilver, plus a 16:9 aspect ratio shooting mode for all iPhones.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-30
Control Resonant, the sequel to 2019's Control, has a slow-paced opening with limited weapons and abilities, and its late-game bosses and mold-infested areas can become punishing damage sponges. Rather than adding a traditional easy mode, Remedy built an Assist Mode with three presets (easy, high-risk, low-risk) plus adjustable sliders for damage output, falter thresholds, projectile speed and enemy aggression. Control had received a similar assist mode after its initial launch.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-30
Google is reportedly running a test program, launched less than a year ago, that compensates roughly 100 publishers based on how much their content contributes to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and the Gemini chatbot, according to The Information via Digiday. One early participant reportedly earned over $1 million in a year, while a more recent entrant has earned $50,000 to $60,000.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
Mozilla is releasing Firefox 157 with a redesigned interface featuring rounded 'bubble' tabs, a curved address bar, updated icons and colors, and a more unified look across desktop and mobile. The update also adds new themes and wallpapers and revives Compact Mode, which shrinks tabs and toolbars to free up screen space, with an auto-compact option for smaller displays. Mozilla says these visual changes carry no cost to browser performance.
mobile.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-29
Netflix has launched Codenames Party, a new addition to its mobile party game collection that lets people join via QR code scan and play using their phones without extra hardware. The release includes the classic team-based Codenames mode, a Case Studies variant using pre-made word and clue sets, and a new team-free Party Mode where each player creates a clue for their own set of eight words.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-29
Mozilla has begun a full rollout of a redesigned Firefox browser, updating its themes, icons and colors across desktop and mobile after months of testing in the Nightly beta channel. The update reintroduces compact mode, adds a theme picker with wallpaper options, and lets users organize shortcuts on the New Tab page, while also making privacy settings easier to locate.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple released an update to its Final Cut Camera app on Tuesday adding support for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max's variable aperture and Cinematic mode effects. The redesigned app, available on any iPhone, offers easier access to settings like white balance and ISO plus customizable overlays, while Pro and Pro Max users gain aperture control and Cinematic mode adjustments for regular video footage edited in Final Cut Pro.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-29
Design engineer Hugo Duprez has released Destroy Any Website, a free browser game where a stickman armed with weapons like a shotgun, rocket launcher and flamethrower demolishes any webpage entered by URL. Players use simple keyboard and mouse controls to blow apart text and interface elements until a destruction meter reaches 100%, with a multiplayer mode allowing groups to race toward a kill target. The game, published under Duprez's Sprite Fusion label, also showcases the company's pixel-art generator.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-29
Mozilla has shipped a visual overhaul for Firefox across desktop and mobile, introducing bubble-shaped tabs, a rounded address bar, refreshed icons, and new color themes and wallpapers. The update, part of Firefox 157, also brings back Compact Mode, a condensed layout that shrinks tabs and toolbars to give more screen space to web content, with an auto-compact option for smaller screens. Mozilla says the changes carry no performance cost.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-29
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