iOS 26 Launch: Essential Insights on Apple’s Liquid Glass Enhancements

Apple is set to unveil major software updates for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch this Monday, significantly altering the icons, lock screen, and overall system appearance, along with introducing features for compatible devices.

Unveiled during the company’s developer conference in June, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe introduce a new liquid glass design, offering a softer, rounder look that enhances the overall user interface.

Here’s what you should know regarding the update:

When can I get it?

Updates for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS typically become available around 6pm in the UK (1pm in New York and 3am in Sydney). Unlike other manufacturers, all eligible Apple devices can download and install these updates immediately upon release.

Which devices are supported?

All Apple smartphones starting from the 2019 iPhone 11 and newer can install iOS 26. The 2018 iPad Pro, 2019 iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Mini (5th generation), and iPad (8th generation), along with all newer tablets, are also supported. Furthermore, iMacs from 2020, Mac Studios from 2022, and Mac Pros from 2019 onward can run macOS 26 Tahoe.

How can I install it?

To download, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, navigate to General > Software Updates. If available, tap on Install, confirm, restart, and exit. You can also update using a Windows computer via iTunes or the Mac app.

For watchOS 26, ensure that your iPhone 11 or later is running iOS 26. Then, open the Watch app on your phone and go to General > Software Updates to start the installation. Ensure your smartwatch is on the charger to complete the update.

On your Mac, update through System Settings, going to General > Software Update.

What is the cost?

Apple updates are free of charge. If prompted to pay for an update, it is likely a scam.

What happened to iOS 19-25?

Apple has adopted a new year-based naming format for its software updates. Thus, iOS versions 18 and earlier released between September 2024 and 2025 are now replaced by iOS 26 and subsequent versions from 2025-2026. This is akin to sports season naming conventions.

Liquid glass design

Each operating system now sports a cohesive translucent design, reminiscent of frosted glass bubbles overlaid on a flat background, providing depth to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac, influenced by the Vision Pro headset. Buttons, menus, icons, and notification banners are shiny and responsive, enabling translucence with wallpapers and content below them.

iOS 26


The liquid glass aesthetic on the home screen and icons is one of the most significant changes in iOS history. Composite: Apple

The liquid glass redesign alters the shape and appearance of home screen icons and widgets. Alongside redefined app icons, you have the option to make them translucent in color.

Notifications and other elements now bounce from the top of the screen. A widget appears on the bottom of the lock screen that dynamically scales the clock size based on the number of notifications displayed.

Dynamic and concealed buttons

Buttons will condense when not engaged. For instance, the camera app has been optimized to conceal extra modes behind sliders or larger pop-up menus. Safari’s address bar and navigation buttons shrink into a small button at the bottom while scrolling. You can access tabs and controls by swiping up or tapping the 3-dot button.

Easier spam filtering


Enhanced spam filtering is integrated into the phone and messaging applications. Composite: Apple

The phone app can automatically screen calls from unknown numbers by answering and asking why they are calling before your iPhone notifies you. Messages will screen texts from new senders to detect spam, organizing them into separate inboxes. The phone app also allows you to hold while waiting for customer service representatives.

Both the phone app, FaceTime, and Messages now feature live translation capabilities.

Game Center App

The new gaming app acts as a centralized hub on your iPhone, featuring a game library that showcases what your friends are playing, replacing the Arcade for tracking achievements, competitions, and gaming events.

iPadOS 26


iPadOS 26 features a significant upgrade for multitasking, aligning more closely with macOS. Composite: Apple

iPadOS shares the new visual redesign with the iPhone, featuring clear icons and hidden buttons. More importantly, it introduces an innovative multitasking feature tailored for users utilizing iPads as laptop substitutes.

Mac-like menu bar and full windowing


The familiar macOS menu bar is now available on the iPad. Composite: Apple

A key addition for the iPad is the introduction of the Mac-like menu bar and window management features. You can swipe down from the center at the top of the app screen to access a menu bar containing various functionalities including settings, files, views, and more as on a Mac.

It features the classic red, yellow, and green three-dot menu allowing you to close, minimize, and resize windows. Holding the button reveals tiling and movement options similar to macOS, or you can manually resize windows to your desired size. Swipe to expose, flick left or right to snap apps to the sides, or flick to make an app full-screen.

You can easily open and overlap multiple windows, tile them side by side, or transform your home screen into a desktop interface akin to a Mac.

Preview and Files Apps

The Files app has been enhanced to streamline document and file management on your iPad. You can designate a default app for certain file types, similar to a computer setup. Specific folders like Downloads and Documents can now be directly added to the dock for easier access.

The Preview app from Mac is now on your iPad, allowing the viewing, editing, and annotation of PDFs, images, and more with Apple Pencil.

watchOS 26


watchOS 26 enhances your fitness experience and includes many features from iOS 26. Composite: Apple

The liquid glass design of the iPhone is even more prominent on the Apple Watch, featuring notification bubbles overlaying the Watch Face, floating buttons within apps, and smart widget stacks for a softer aesthetics.

Workout Companion

Apple’s new Fitness for Fitness chatbot, named Workout Buddy, provides ongoing conversation and motivation during workouts similar to the guidance offered by an Apple Fitness+ Coach. It marks significant training achievements, such as reaching specific milestones or pacing goals and summarizes your workout afterward. This feature requires Bluetooth headphones connected to the watch and an iPhone 15 Pro or later nearby.

Sleep Score and Hypertension Alerts

The sleep app calculates a sleep score every morning, giving you an overview of your rest quality. For Series 9 or Ultra 2 and newer watches, a blood pressure monitoring feature will alert you if hypertension signs are detected over the past 30 days.

Wrist Flick

Apple has introduced innovative gestures to the touch-free capabilities of the new Watch. A simple wrist flick away from you will reject notifications, alarms, and alerts. Additionally, double-tap gestures offer an easy way to dismiss things or interact with the watch without touch.

New Watch Faces


A selection of new and improved watch faces is included with watchOS 26. Composite: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

Three new clock faces have been introduced. Flow features a large digital display that utilizes a liquid glass design, changing colors in response to movement. Exactograph separates hours, minutes, and seconds into distinct analog dials available in various styles. Ultra-exclusive waypoints surround the time with live compasses pointing to landmarks and significant locations. Additionally, revamped photo faces feature floating numbers.

macOS 26 Tahoe


macOS 26 Tahoe incorporates the same liquid glass design elements as the other updates. Composite: Apple

macOS receives a majority of the new features and design updates seen in iOS and iPadOS, including rounded window corners and glass-like design elements.

Phone App


The Phone app allows you to initiate and manage calls seamlessly. Composite: Apple

Apple enhances the Phone app on Mac, enabling calls through Wi-Fi and connected iPhones. It shows recent calls, voicemail, contacts, includes new call screening features, and maintains iPhone assist functionality.

Live activities, such as sports scores and streaming updates, are now visible in the Mac’s menu bar.

Spotlight

Actions have been incorporated into the Spotlight search system. This allows you to send messages and emails, generate notes, and set reminders, all directly from the search bar. You can filter files by type, group them, find documentation from third-party cloud services, and explore apps, files, clipboard history, and other content instead of using traditional search methods.

Source: www.theguardian.com

JUNO identifies a significant hotspot indicating a large volcano near IO’s Antarctica

The newly discovered volcanic hot spot is larger than the Earth’s boss lake, and Beppo emits six times the eruption of the total energy of all worlds in the world.

On December 27, 2024, a huge hot spot is seen on the right side of the IO IO in this image taken by Jiram infrared imager on Jiram’s infrared image on December 27, 2024. Image credit: NASA / JPL-CALTECH / SWRI / ASI / INAF / Jiram.

“NASA’s Juno spacecraft had two very close frivaties in the extended mission,” said Dr. Scot Bolton, researcher of South West Research Institute.

“And each fly -alibi provided data on painful moon beyond our expectations, but this latest, farther, fry -drive data really blown out our hearts.”

“This is the most powerful volcanic event that has been recorded in the world of volcanoes in our solar system. It really says something.”

The IO, which is slightly larger than the moon on the earth, is the most active volcanic body in the solar system.

It is the most inner moon of Jupiter Gali Leans, including IO, EUROPA, GANYMEDE and CALLISTO.

IO has more than 400 active volcanoes, causing the tide heat, which is the result of gravity from Jupiter and other Jovian Moon.

During the extended mission, Juno’s trajectory passes through all other trajectory and flew every month.

Previously, the spacecraft created Flybys near IO in December 2023 and February 2024, and was within about 1,500 km (930 miles) from its surface.

The latest fly -ibai was held on December 27, 2024, and the spacecraft was within about 74,400 km (46,200 miles) of the month, and Ju -no Jovia’s infrared Auroral Mapper (Giram) instrument was trained in the IO Southern Hemisphere. Ta.

“Jiram detected an extremely infrared radiation luminance (huge hot spot) event in the Southern Hemisphere of IO, and saturated the detector,” said Dr. Alessandro Mura, a researcher at the Roman National Institute of Physics. I mentioned it.

“But what we detected was actually a hot spot with some close intervals that suggest a vast magma chamber system underground.”

“Data supports this is the most intense volcanic eruption recorded in IO.”

The team estimates that unknown functions will spans 100,000 km.2 (40,000 square miles).

The previous record holder was Loki Patera of IO, which is about 20,000 km of lava.2 (7,700 square miles).

The total power value of the new hot spot shine was much higher than 80 trillion watts.

This feature was also captured by the junocam Visible Light camera in the mission.

Researchers compared the junocam images of the previous two IO Flybys to the devices collected on December 27.

And these latest images have a low resolution due to JUNO far away, but the relative changes in the surface color around the newly discovered hot spot were clear.

Such changes on the IO surface are known to be related to hot spots and volcanic activities in the planetary science community.

The eruption of this size may leave a long life signature.

Other large eruptions of IO include thermal crushed sediment (a piece of rock exhaled in volcanic), small lava flows that can be supplied by cracks, volcanic plum sediments rich in sulfur and sulfur dioxide. We have created various characteristics.

JUNO uses IO’s Fly Bai on March 3 to look at the hot spot and search for changes in landscapes.

It is also possible to observe earth -based observations in this area of the moon.

“It’s always great to witness an event to rewrite a recordbook, but this new hot spot can potentially do much more,” said Dr. Bolton.

“Interesting features can improve the understanding of volcanism not only in IO but also in other worlds.”

Source: www.sci.news

Close-Up View of Io’s Unique Features Captured by NASA’s Juno Mission

In December 2023 and February 2024, NASA’s Juno spacecraft will fly extremely close to Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, coming within about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) of the surface and obtaining the first close-up images of the moon’s northern latitudes. Planetary scientists have now turned images collected during the flight into animations that show two of Io’s most dramatic features: its mountains and a nearly glassy rock formed by cooling lava called Loki Patera. It emphasized the smooth lake.

The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft imaged Io, the most geologically active object in the solar system, on February 3, 2024, from a distance of approximately 7,904 km (4,911 miles) . Image credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS.

“There are only a few scattered volcanoes on the island of Io, and we captured some of them active,” said Juno principal investigator and Southwest Research Institute cosmologist. said Scott Bolton, director of science and engineering.

“We also obtained great close-ups and other data about a 200 km (127 mile) long lava lake called Loki Patera.”

“It shows in amazing detail how these crazy islands are embedded in the middle of a potential magma lake fringed with hot lava.”

“The specular reflections that our instruments record about the lake suggest that parts of Io’s surface are glass-smooth, reminiscent of the obsidian glass produced in volcanoes on Earth. “

Map generated using data collected by Juno microwave radiometer (MWR)’s instruments revealed that Io not only has a relatively smooth surface compared to Jupiter’s other Galilean moons, but also has poles that are colder than the mid-latitudes.

During Juno’s long-term mission, the spacecraft will fly closer to Jupiter’s north pole with each pass.

This change in direction allows the MWR instrument to improve the resolution of Jupiter’s polar cyclones.

This data allows us to compare multiple wavelengths at the poles and reveals that not all polar cyclones are created equal.

“Perhaps the most striking example of this difference is seen in the central cyclone at Jupiter’s north pole,” said Dr. Steve Levin, Juno project scientist and researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. states.

“Although clearly visible in both infrared and visible light images, the microwave signature is not as strong as other nearby storms.”

“This indicates that its subsurface structure must be very different from other cyclones.”

“As the MWR team continues to collect more and better microwave data in every orbit, we expect to develop more detailed 3D maps of these interesting polar storms.”

Source: www.sci.news

Highly anticipated games from Heroes of Mavia now available on iOS and Android with exclusive Mavia Airdrop program

Hanoi, Vietnam, January 31, 2024, Chainwire

heroes of mavia, The groundbreaking Web3 AAA mobile-based builder strategy game is now available on iOS and Android app stores. This release heralds a new era in gaming, blending the thrill of strategic gameplay with the innovative aspects of Web3 technology.

After a successful three-month private beta period that attracted more than 350,000 waitlist enthusiasts and impressive engagement statistics of 12,000 daily and 45,000 monthly active users, Heroes of Mavia is now available worldwide. will attract the gaming community. The game boasts an average daily play time of 24 minutes and an impressive 42% 7-day retention rate, demonstrating its engaging gameplay and engaging content.

Coinciding with this highly anticipated launch, Heroes of Mavia is introducing the “Mavia Pioneer Airdrop Program – Turbocharged.” This unique program offers an early adopter who downloaded the game before the $MAVIA token launch on February 6th the opportunity to participate in the $MAVIA airdrop, thereby immersing him in the world of Web3 gaming benefits. I can.

The Heroes of Mavia community is growing rapidly, with Twitter and Discord channels gaining 45,000 new followers and members in just two weeks, highlighting the game's growing popularity.

Heroes of Mavia strives to bridge the gap between traditional games (Web2) and new age Web3 games. Each player is equipped with an on-chain, non-custodial wallet that facilitates minting, purchasing, and trading unique in-game items (NFTs). This feature not only improves your gaming experience, but also opens the door to the dynamic world of Web3.

The game's recent partnership with Kick.com solidifies Heroes of Mavia's place in the world of Web2 streaming, expanding its appeal and influence within the gaming community.

Uniquely, Heroes of Mavia's innovative Web3 model is built for sustainable growth, avoiding the hyperinflation issues common to many play-to-earn projects. This approach promises a balanced and fulfilling experience for all players, whether they are long-time Web3 enthusiasts or newcomers to this exciting field.

About Heroes of Mavia

Heroes of Mavia is a AAA mobile Web3 strategy game available in iOS and Android app stores worldwide. The game is backed by prominent investors including Binance Labs, Genblock Capital, Delphi Digital, Mechanism Capital, Bitkraft, and Animoca Brands. Heroes of Mavia's native token $MAVIA is scheduled to be launched on February 6, 2024.

To download Heroes of Mavia, please visit: https://www.mavia.com/

Follow Mavia's Heroes

discord I twitter

contact

Nania Tran
nania@mavia.com

Source: the-blockchain.com

Apple releases unexpected iOS 17.2.1 update to address iPhone glitches

Apple on Tuesday issued a surprise update to all iPhone users that promises to fix a number of bugs. However, what exactly those fixes are remains a mystery.

“This update contains important bug fixes and is recommended for all users.” Poor explanation of iOS 17.2.1 status.

The technology company released iOS 17.2.1 just a week after rolling out iOS 17.2. iOS 17.2 included a number of innovative features, including a new Journal app and upgraded security measures.

This also comes just days after Apple announced the beta version of iOS 17.3, leaving many users confused as to why another minor update would be pushed in before the update was widely released. It becomes.

Technical experts said that while the English release did not include details of bug fixes, both the Japanese and Chinese versions had “an issue that could cause the battery to drain quickly under certain conditions. ”, he said, promising to address the issue.

Rapid battery drain seems to be a widespread issue among users after updating their iPhones to previous iOS updates, with many owners complaining about the X.


No details were provided for the iOS 17.2.1 update other than a promise that it would include “important bug fixes.” apple

“Battery life on iOS 17.2 on iPhone 15 Pro Max is terrible. SOT is barely 5-6 hours. Previously it was like 8-9 hours.” Technology Content Creator Sharon Bava wrote.

Apple did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment.

Although Apple recommends the latest update for all users, this update does not appear to be urgent.

This was not released as a quick security response and may indicate that the security issue has not been addressed.

The tech company is releasing iOS 17.2.1 in time for the holiday season so new users can update their devices before the holiday distractions or get a new device ready to give as a gift. It could have been done.

iPhones have recently been the victim of spyware attacks, so Apple is beefing up its security features.

Last week, the company released Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3 developer beta, which prevents thieves from accessing smartphones with stolen passwords.

This new feature specifically requires users to use biometric access codes, such as their face or fingerprint, when changing their Apple ID password, removing Face ID, and using other sensitive features.

Whenever a user’s device is in an unfamiliar location, stolen device protection is initiated and the user is then required to complete the aforementioned protocol.

Source: nypost.com