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Apple’s first 2024 public betas have arrived. You can now install early builds of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia to preview Apple’s software updates before their official arrival this fall. You just need to enroll your Apple ID (soon-to-be Apple Account) in the Apple Beta Software Program to join the pre-release fun.

Although it won’t be available in beta until the fall, Apple’s take on generative AI — Apple Intelligence (get it?) — is the common thread in this year’s updates. Intertwined in each platform’s 2024 software, Apple Intelligence is a blend of on-device and cloud processing, and it includes optional ChatGPT integration. It adds a new superpowered Siri, Safari highlights and summaries, writing tools and much more.

As for what you will see in the first public beta, iOS 18 gives you more control over your Home Screen. You can place apps and widgets on any open spot on your screen and even change app icon colors, personalizing your phone with a unified aesthetic. The Control Center also gets a redesign, with easier access to your most used toggles, including new customizations. In addition, Photos gets its biggest overhaul to date, and Messages includes new formatting and effects.

Apple

Meanwhile, iPadOS 18 carries over many of those same changes while adding a native Calculator app for the first time and smart handwriting features.

Much more than a port of the iOS version, the Calculator app includes a new Math Notes feature for the Apple Pencil (or keyboard) that can evaluate expressions, assign variables and plot graphs in real-time: Type an equals sign, and Math Notes solves the problem. In parallel, the Smart Script tool in the Notes app can smooth out your sloppy handwriting (while still looking like your penmanship) as you write, and you can turn recordings into searchable live audio transcriptions.

macOS Sequoia adds iPhone Mirroring, letting you view and control your phone’s screen from your Mac. A new Passwords app pulls your stored credentials out of iCloud Keychain and Safari’s settings and into a standalone app. (That S.O.S. call you hear is from 1Password’s developers.) Window Tiling lets you “magnetically” snap windows into various grid patterns, similar to Microsoft’s Snap tiling feature in Windows 11. Finally, new video call features let you replace your background with built-in images or personal photos.

Apple

watchOS 11 lets you pause your daily Activity Rings when you need a break (like when you’re sick, injured or have other disruptions) without losing your streaks. You can also change your goals based on the day of the week and customize which metric the Fitness app shows. A new Vitals app expands on sleep tracking to show you at a glance whether any of your overnight metrics deviate from your norm. And a training load tool gauges how your workout intensity may affect your body over time.

If you’ve never installed an Apple software update with the Apple account you use on your devices, head to the Apple Beta Software Program website to register it. Then, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your device, choose the Beta Updates menu, select the Public Beta option and install the update on the Software Update screen.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-ios-18-ipados-18-macos-sequoia-and-watchos-11-public-betas-are-ready-to-download-202921608.html?src=rss

Now that it’s available, you can test-drive Apple’s iOS 18 public beta before the software’s official arrival this fall. Here’s everything you need to know about setting up the iOS 18 (along with iPadOS 18 and watchOS 11) beta.

First, remember that, as its “beta” name implies, this is pre-release software that will likely reveal itself as such in ways that frustrate and annoy you. Some third-party apps may be broken (banking apps especially), and plenty of Apple’s features may be inconsistent or buggy until the company irons out the kinks in future updates. 

We don’t recommend installing it on any device you use as your main one—or at least not if you aren’t willing to accept some risks and compromises.

iOS 18 supported devices

You’ll need a recent iPhone to try the public beta. For iOS 18, that means the following models:

• iPhone 15

• iPhone 15 Plus

• iPhone 15 Pro

• iPhone 15 Pro Max

• iPhone 14

• iPhone 14 Plus

• iPhone 14 Pro

• iPhone 14 Pro Max

• iPhone 13

• iPhone 13 mini

• iPhone 13 Pro

• iPhone 13 Pro Max

• iPhone 12

• iPhone 12 mini

• iPhone 12 Pro

• iPhone 12 Pro Max

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Pro

• iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone XS

• iPhone XS Max

• iPhone XR

• iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

If you own anything before that, you’re out of luck. But considering this year’s software covers models stretching as far back as 2018, you’d need a pretty dated phone not to have the option.

How to install the iOS 18 public beta

Installing the beta is much easier than it used to be. First, if you’ve never installed an iOS public beta before, you’ll need to visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and enroll your Apple account.

After that, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone. Choose the option for “iOS 18 public beta.” Then, return to the Software Update screen, and you should see the option to install the beta software.

iPadOS 18 supported devices

Here are the supported models for the iPadOS 18 beta:

• iPad Pro (M4)

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)

• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)

• iPad Air (M2)

• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)

• iPad (7th generation and later)

• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

How to install the iPadOS 18 public beta

If you haven’t already signed up for it above, you’ll need to visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and enroll your Apple account. (If you’ve ever signed up for a public beta, you can likely skip that step.)

Next, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPad. Choose the option for “iPadOS 18 public beta.” Then, return to the Software Update screen, and you should see the option to install the beta software.

watchOS beta: Caution

Apple Watch beta software carries greater risk. If something isn’t working well and you want to downgrade to watchOS 10, you’re out of luck because you’re stuck there. And if you downgrade its paired iPhone to iOS 17, your Apple Watch won’t work correctly with your phone until it’s back on iOS 18. (However, you can leave your Apple Watch on watchOS 10 when your phone is on iOS 18. That route is much less risky.)

In other words, don’t update to watchOS 11 unless you’re sure you’re comfortable with the risk of being out of a working Apple Watch for months. Even then, think twice.

watchOS 11 supported devices

You’ll need one of the following models to run the watchOS 11 beta:

• Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)

• Apple Watch Series 6

• Apple Watch Series 7

• Apple Watch Series 8

• Apple Watch Series 9

• Apple Watch Ultra

• Apple Watch Ultra 2

How to install the watchOS 11 public beta

If you’re comfortable with the risks for your Apple Watch and want to install the watchOS 11 beta, you’ll first need to have already updated your paired iPhone to the iOS 18 beta (see above).

After that, make sure your Apple Watch is paired to your iOS 18-running phone and open the Watch app on your iPhone. Then, navigate to General > Software Update, and choose the watchOS 11 public beta. After doing that, the beta software should be available to download.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-install-the-ios-18-public-beta-202938588.html?src=rss

Elon Musk confirmed on Monday that Tesla’s robotaxi event scheduled for August has been delayed to October. The CEO replied on X (the former Twitter, which he owns) to a user’s post that he “requested what I think is an important design change to the front, and extra time allows us to show off a few other things.”

Musk’s X post appears to echo what Bloomberg reported last week. The publication claimed on July 11 that delaying the event would give Tesla more time to build additional prototypes. It added that the company had communicated the delay internally and that the design team was told to “rework certain elements of the car,” which sounds like Musk’s order to change the front design.

The CEO said in early April that the company would unveil the Tesla Robotaxi on August 8. The teaser came on the same day Reuters reported that Tesla was pulling the plug on a planned $25,000 budget model (often casually referred to externally as the Model 2) in favor of a full-court push for robotaxis. Musk claimed Reuters was “lying” without listing any specific points of contention.

A few weeks later, Tesla cut “more than 10 percent” of the company’s over 140,000 personnel (at the time). Two weeks after word of the layoffs broke, the EV maker let go of two senior executives as Musk warned staff that “we need to be absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction.” In what sounded like a threat, he added, “While some on exec staff are taking this seriously, most are not yet doing so.”

Tesla delivered nearly seven percent fewer vehicles in the first half of 2024 and produced nearly 15 percent fewer in the second quarter than in the same period in 2023.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elon-musk-confirms-the-tesla-robotaxi-event-has-been-delayed-to-october-184519959.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day is a chance for Prime members to pick up all sorts of things on sale, and while most of the discounts aren’t worth your time, those on gadgets actually can be. Prime Day deals have discounted plenty of our favorites in the past, and this year is shaping up to be no different.

If any of the items on your list happen to be tech or tech related, Engadget has you covered. We’ve scoured Amazon to find the Prime Day deals on tech and gadgets that you can get this year. And the good news is that not all of the discounts are on high-priced items. Yes, you can actually pick up good tech during this sale without spending a fortune. These are the best Prime Day deals under $25 we could fine for 2024.

As a reminder (and for the uninitiated): Engadget treats tech deals with the same care as we would “regular” tech news. When we scour the web for deals, we’re looking not only for the best prices possible, but also the best products as well. Our goal with our deals coverage, especially surrounding events like Amazon Prime Day, is to surface only the best deals we can find on the gadgets we’ve tested and rated highly, or that we’ve used and know to be worth your money.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-deals-under-25-154512385.html?src=rss

If you were hoping for new colors of the HomePod mini, Apple just announced one. But, there’s not much to get excited about. The company revealed a Midnight hue for its tiny speaker, replacing the Space Gray version that had been available since the mini debuted. So, yes, Apple replaced the black HomePod mini with another black HomePod mini that looks so similar it’s hard to tell the difference. Even in the photo below, the shadows are likely to account for some variation in the color. 

However, the material for the new color, is different. Apple says the Midnight version is made with 100 percent recycled mesh fabric. All of the rest of the HomePod mini lineup, including the Space Gray option, has a cover made with 90 percent recycled plastic. Everything else about the new option is identical to the existing speaker, from the edge-to-edge illuminating touch panel to smart home controls and decent audio quality. 

Apple

Aside from the higher recycled content in the mesh cover, this provided Apple an opportunity to bring the HomePod mini’s color scheme up to date with some of its other products. The regular HomePod’s black is already dubbed Midnight. What’s more, the company ditched Space Gray for Midnight when the iPhone 13 debuted. It has carried it over to the Apple Watch, but there hasn’t been a wholesale swap throughout all devices. The iPhone 15 lineup, for example, has Black Titanium and plain ol’ Black as its darkest hues. 

The Midnight HomePod mini is now available to order from Apple. It will be at the company’s stores and other retailers on July 17.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-replaces-the-black-homepod-mini-with-a-black-homepod-mini-162647248.html?src=rss