Donkey Kong Bananza just went from looking like a neat new spin-off for Nintendo’s long-standing ape to one of the Switch 2’s first killer single-player exclusives. A 15-minute dedicated Nintendo Direct showed off stunning levels and more mechanics, collectibles, and secrets than you could shake a golden banana at.…
If your YouTube app keeps crashing, you’re not alone. Following complaints from a broad swath of users, YouTube has officially confirmed issues with its app, including unresponsive button presses as well as unexpected shutdowns. These issues appear to have affected both the Android and iOS versions of the app.
The good news is, there is a fix for the problem. As spotted by 9to5Google, YouTube updated its original support page confirming that the company had squashed whatever bugs were causing app crashes and instability, thanking users for their patience. While the problems plagued both the iOS and Android versions of YouTube’s app, interestingly, YouTube only has specific advice for iPhone users to fix their issues.
It doesn’t seem like updating the app is enough to solve the problem. According to YouTube, iPhone users need to uninstall the YouTube app from their devices entirely. To do so, hold down on the YouTube app icon on your Home Screen, then choose “Delete App.” On the pop-up, tap “Delete” to remove the app from your iPhone.
Next, open the App Store, search for YouTube, and tap the cloud icon to redownload it to your iPhone. You’ll need to sign back into your YouTube account, but once you do, the app should be working as expected.
YouTube doesn’t say what Android users need to do to fix their apps, which suggests that either the company was able to issue a patch through a standard app update, or potentially a server-side update, the latter of which would require no action on the user’s part. Still, if your app is acting up, or you want to play it safe, you should update your YouTube app to the latest version.
To check if you’re running the latest version of YouTube, open the App Store, then search for YouTube. If there’s a new update, you’ll be able to do so from YouTube’s Play Store page. If you see an “Open” button, you have the latest software version, and there’s nothing else you need to do.
“What’s this purple laptop? It’s cool.”
Over a decade-plus of doing gadget reviews and review-adjacent things, my wife (and, lately, my 5-year-old) have mostly stopped commenting on the ever-shifting selection of laptops I have in my bag or lying around the house at any given time. Maybe she can’t tell them apart, or maybe she just figures there isn’t that much to say about whatever black or silver metal slab I’m carrying around. Either way, they practically never elicit any kind of response, unless there are just too many of them sitting out in too many places.
But she did ask about the Framework Laptop 12, the third and latest major design in Framework’s slowly expanding lineup of modular, repairable, upgradeable laptops. With its five two-toned color options and sturdy plastic exterior, it’s definitely more approachable and friendly-looking than the Laptop 13 or Laptop 16, both metal slabs with a somewhat less-finished and prototype-y look to them. But it retains the features that a certain kind of PC geek likes about Framework’s other laptops—user-customizable and swappable ports, an easy-to-open design, first-class Linux support, and the promise of future upgrades that improve its performance and other specs.
Whimsical first-person puzzle adventure Escaping Wonderland arrives today on Steam and PlayStation VR2.
Initially launched last year on Quest and Pico, Escaping Wonderland is a standalone sequel to 2020’s adventure Down the Rabbit Hole that takes place in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland before Alice’s arrival. This mostly third-person adventure sees you play as amnesiac protagonist Molly, as we help her solve puzzles across diorama-style environments.
Developed by Cortopia Studios, who’s also working on the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City, Escaping Wonderland features various familiar faces from Carroll’s famous story, like the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts. Some segments also involve switching to a first-person perspective for puzzle solving.
We had strong praise in our Escaping Wonderland review last year on Quest, calling it “an inventive, beautifully crafted, and disarmingly earnest game.”
Though it’s a relatively short game that took five hours in my first playthrough, I was emotionally invested and even a bit moved by the time the credits rolled. Beyond the straight-ahead fun of its game mechanics and presentation, which rank with some of my favorite VR games, Escaping Wonderland is an uncommonly cathartic and emotionally satisfying puzzle adventure that shouldn’t be missed.
Escaping Wonderland is out today on Steam and PlayStation VR2, and it previously launched on Quest and Pico.
UploadVRJames Tocchio
A 146,000-year-old skull from Harbin, China, belongs to a Denisovan, according to a recent study of proteins preserved inside the ancient bone. The paleoanthropologists who studied the Harbin skull in 2021 declared it a new (to us) species, Homo longi. But the Harbin skull still contains enough of its original proteins to tell a different story: A few of them matched specific proteins from Denisovan bones and teeth, as encoded in Denisovan DNA.
So Homo longi was a Denisovan all along, and thanks to the remarkably well-preserved skull, we finally know what the enigmatic Denisovans actually looked like.
Credit:
Ni et al. 2021
Earlier this year, Framework announced it was making a smaller, 12-inch laptop and a beefy desktop to go alongside its 13- and 16-inch notebooks. A few months later, and the former has arrived, putting the same modular, repairable laptop into a slightly smaller body. Unlike its bigger siblings, the Laptop 12 is a 12.2-inch touchscreen convertible clad in brightly colored plastic. It’s aimed at students, with a focus on robustness and quality you won’t see in the usual machines you find at the top of the bargain list. My initial impression is that it’s a damn charming piece of gear, but I immediately wonder how many kids in school will actually get to use this thing given it’s far pricier than its competitors.
Laptop 12 is the first Framework machine clad entirely in ABS plastic, available in black, pink, lavender, gray and green. As soon as you open the packaging, you’ll be instantly charmed by its look and feel given how different it is from the rest of the market. My green and off-white review unit (which the company calls “Sage”) stands out from the crowd almost by default. Framework founder Nirav Patel has long harbored dreams of bringing back the translucent and colorful aesthetics found in Nintendo’s Game Boy Color. Here, the 12 reminds me of the OLPC XO or one of the fancier LeapFrog “computers” that glowed up when you weren’t looking.
Its footprint isn’t dramatically smaller than the 13-inch model, but because it doesn’t taper like its bigger sibling, it feels a lot chunkier. The chassis has a metal frame clad in two layers of plastic that, the company promises, will take whatever shocks and bumps you throw at it. It also has the same quartet of expansion card slots, which are now available in a variety of colors if you want things to match (or clash). Plus, all of those cards can be shared with the other Framework machines since they’re all, mercifully, uniform size.
Framework clearly learned from making its bigger machines, adding several quality of life tweaks to the 12 for both daily use and repair. The folks who regularly open and close their Framework laptop will instantly spot the changes that will make things a lot easier. For a start, the input cover is held in place with more screws (eight, compared to the 13’s five), which better balances tension across the surface area. The input cover now slots into grooves on the front of the deck, making it easier to place than the 13. More importantly, the input cover connects to the mainboard via pogo pins rather than with a ribbon cable. I don’t think I’ve ever damaged a ribbon cable myself, but it’s always a worry if someone tries to yank off the lid without first disconnecting it from the mainboard.
Rather than screwing the SSD in place, Framework now uses a hinged plastic clip that you press in to secure the drive. Similarly, there’s a little flip-down plastic cover to protect the RAM, with a large printed reminder to flip it back once you’ve installed the DIMM. Naturally, the board layout has changed, as has the battery — to a smaller, 50Wh cell — so the mainboard and battery won’t work with its slightly larger sibling.
(Aside: If you’re a hobbyist hoping the 12-inch mainboard will be dramatically smaller than the 13-inch model to make smaller projects, expect to be disappointed. It is smaller, but not by such a significant degree that you probably wouldn’t rather just use the 13-inch model instead.)
The power button has been moved from the keyboard to the right side of the deck, next to the expansion card slots. There’s no fingerprint reader, either, which is one of several omissions you can attribute to “cost saving,” “this is a machine made for kids” or both.
Would-be buyers get the choice of a 13th-generation Core i3-1315U or a Core i5-1334U, which can support up to 48GB of DDR5 RAM, albeit only at the slower DDR5-5200. You can throw in an M.2 SSD with up to 2TB of storage, and if that’s not enough, you can get an additional 256GB or 1TB unit to sit in one of the laptop’s four expansion card slots.
Patel knows enough about keyboards and trackpads not to mess with what works, and what people like. The keyboard and touchpad are as robust and pleasing to use as you find on the 13-inch model. I’m not sure yet, but I might actually prefer typing on the 12-inch keyboard compared to the 13’s, maybe because of the former’s all-plastic build and the slightly louder, punchier keyclicks.
This machine was offered as a better, longer-lasting and more sustainable alternative to those dirt-cheap laptops sold to kids and students. But while everything already mentioned is more than good enough, we soon start to see where the cost-saving trims have been made. This is the first Framework to ship with a touchscreen, which is a 12.2-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 glossy LCD with a max brightness of 400 nits. In short, it’s the same sort of screen you’ll find on a lot of lower-end notebooks and so adjust your expectations accordingly. The gloss is an occupational hazard given it’s a touchscreen, but the weaker backlight means you’ll deal with the usual high-reflections and washed-out view in bright light.
Framework is presently developing its own stylus, but until that launches, the laptop is compatible with any USI 2.0 or MPP 2.0 stylus. You’ll have to source your own right now, and for the review, I was supplied with a Metapen M2 for testing. So far, however, I’ve found the pen experience to be more than a little frustrating, with the palm rejection a big issue. It needs a tweak — and I’m sure it’ll be addressed swiftly — given the amount of times I prodded open a menu or closed a window with the flesh on the side of my hand.
Similarly, the 2-megapixel webcam is a big step down from the 9.2-megapixel sensor found in the 13-inch model. Again, you can expect the same washed out, artifact-heavy video as you would find in many other low-cost laptop cameras.
Framework has worked to improve its sound quality over the last few years but the size of the 12’s chassis is a limiting factor. The pair of 2W speakers here are tinny and quiet even at full volume, but at least they don’t rattle or vibrate with heavy bass.
My review unit was equipped with a Core i5 with 16GB RAM, and it was more than able to handle the sort of stuff you’d expect to perform on a machine of this class. Writing the bulk of this review, watching videos, viewing and tweaking images are all well within this machine’s reach. Hell, I even managed to get Hardspace: Shipbreaker to play, but not very well, and while Fortnite does run, it’s janky enough to not be worth your while. Again, tweaked drivers will likely tidy those issues up, but I suspect this machine doesn’t have enough grunt for doom room gamers.
Of course, it’s a Framework laptop, so you can already guess the one major issue that pops up whenever you put the silicon under load. As usual, the fan noise is pretty noticeable when the hardware temperature rises, and I wouldn’t recommend you using this thing on your lap. And you should expect to have this thing plugged in for the duration of your time using it, as the battery life isn’t stellar. If you’re using this to run any sort of demanding app or game, you won’t get more than four hours on a single charge.
Right now, you can only buy the pre-built edition in black, with the DIY version the only place you can pick your chassis color. It’s available in gray, lavender, bubblegum and sage, and I’d heartily recommend you picking any of those options over the standard black. The pre-built edition starts at $799 with an Intel Core i3-1315U, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and Windows 11 Home. If you want to step that up to the higher-end Performance model with an i5-1334U, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it’ll set you back $1,049. On the other hand, you can pick up the DIY edition for $549 (for the i3) or $699 (for the i5), leaving you to source your own RAM, SSD and OS.
I’ll admit I’m struggling to work out what the Framework 12’s competitors are, since this is a tricky machine. When announced, the company said it was an alternative to the sort of entry-level laptops bought for kids and students, which are “janky, locked-down, disposable, underpowered and frankly, boring.” This means it’s going up against $500 notebooks and Chromebooks, the likes of which you’ll normally find on sale at Best Buy. The ones that, you know, have a reputation for surviving until a week after the warranty expires, leaving you out of pocket until the next sale.
From a utilitarian perspective, the higher price is offset by the knowledge it should outlast every other computer in your kids’ cohort. Not only is it durable and repairable, but you should be able to swap out the mainboard in two or three years’ time to keep pace with technology. But, by that same utilitarian argument, you could just as easily pick up a refurbished Framework 13 with a Core i5-1340P, when available, for just $779.
I’m fond of the Framework Laptop 12 because I can easily see it having a place in my life when I’m on the go. It’s cute, good-looking and small enough you could easily throw it into a bag when you’re in a hurry. The durability of the chassis and repairability, plus the swappable expansion cards, means it should run for years and years. And it’s fun! I love the idea of a little laptop that stands out against the endless rows of cheap black plastic or silver aluminum notebooks.
Those dirt-cheap notebooks built with low-end parts and sold to kids and students for $300 or so aren’t much good for anything. If you want quality, you’ll need to cough up for it, and this will at least last for years without endless replacements.
But. The limited performance and battery life here gives me pause and I’m not sure a machine that, right now, needs a stretch to run Fortnite would be too popular. My gut tells me Framework had intended to sell this for less before tariffs pushed the prices up beyond what made sense. But as a consequence, the Framework Laptop 12 falls between two stools: Not cheap enough to be compelling to the price-sensitive buyers and not powerful enough for people with bigger budgets. Unless you happen to have a spare SSD, RAM and Windows license kicking around that’ll bring the cost down to sticker price. My gut tells me that this laptop’s real audience will be adults looking for a quirky second device to take on the go.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/framework-laptop-12-review-doing-the-right-thing-comes-at-a-cost-150014067.html?src=rss
It’s that time of year again, and Amazon Prime Day is around the corner. There’s a lot to expect from this year’s extended event running July 8 to 11, the longest Prime Day ever. That’s not to say you have to wait until it starts to find great deals. Right now you can grab a pair of Anker Soundcore Space wireless earbuds at the lowest price we’ve ever seen them. Normally retailing for $80, they are on sale for $45.
The Anker Soundcore Space earbuds are currently our top pick for best budget wireless earbuds. While their performance doesn’t rival that of more premium products, we felt the Space A40’s feature set offered excellent value for such a budget-friendly set of earbuds.
These earbuds connect via Bluetooth, support connection to two devices at once, and come in a case that supports wireless charging. We were most impressed with the Space A40’s active noise cancellation (ANC), a feature rarely seen at this price point. While it’s not the most sophisticated ANC on the market, it does its job in blocking out the steady rumble of a train or jet engine. Battery life is solid for a budget pair of earbuds, reaching roughly eight to 10 hours depending on use, with another 40 hours or so supplied by the case.
In-ear fit is comfortable, as the round earpieces are pretty light and evenly balanced. The audio quality is impressive for its price point, offering a warm sound that can be fine-tuned with an EQ in the Soundcore app. A subpar built-in mic means the Space A40s don’t have the best transparency mode and aren’t the best for phone calls in noisy areas, but overall for $45 these are a great deal.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-budget-wireless-earbuds-are-almost-half-off-ahead-of-prime-day-145248634.html?src=rss
Starting in summer 2026, Netflix subscribers in France will be able to watch commercially broadcast TV content “without ever having to leave the service.” The Verge adds: The streaming giant has announced a distribution deal with French media company TF1 Group to make TF1’s free-to-air live TV channels and on-demand TF1 Plus streaming content available to French Netflix users as part of their existing subscription plan.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The bumper 2025 edition of Amazon’s Prime Day is fast approaching and the deals are starting to emerge. While we’ve seen this offer pop up several times in the past, it’s one that’s always worth highlighting. New Audible subscribers can get three months of access to the Premium Plus plan for $3. That’s a total of $42 off.
This is one of the best streaming deals around right now. It will be available until July 31, which is a few weeks after the Prime Day event ends (it could probably be called Prime Week this year since it’s running for four days). If you don’t cancel your Audible membership before the promotional period ends, it will automatically renew for $15 per month.
Through the Audible Premium Plus plan, you’ll receive one credit each month. You can use this to claim any audiobook you like on the platform, whether it’s a bestseller, new release or something else you’ve been meaning to get to. You’ll retain access to audiobooks you claim with credits even after your subscription expires. So, you’re effectively getting three audiobooks for your permanent collection for three bucks.
Audible members will be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts and sales too. They also get access to thousands of audiobooks, Audible Originals and podcasts as long as their subscription remains active.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-three-months-of-audible-for-only-3-143734782.html?src=rss
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
If you’re looking for a portable outdoor speaker that can withstand the elements, the Soundcore Select 4 Go portable speaker by Anker is now under $20 on Amazon. This rugged speaker can handle dust and water, and is designed to accompany your adventures, from picnics in the park to beach and camping trips. Despite being a mono speaker, it reportedly offers surprisingly clear and balanced sound. You can customize the EQ via the Soundcore app or pair it with a second unit for stereo output.
It’s advertised as being floatable, making it suitable for lounging in the pool or bath. While it’s rated to float, keep in mind that the IP67 rating does mean that a device can’t be submerged for more than 30 minutes in more than a meter of water, so don’t toss it in the pool or lake and forget about it.
Measuring just two inches tall and equipped with a built-in loop, the speaker is palm-sized and easy to clip to bags, hang from a tree, or carry in hand. It’s not backlit, making it better for daytime adventures. It’s compact, but not quite as small and bass-driven as portable outdoor speakers like the JBL Go 4. Still, it’s significantly less expensive and has a longer battery life. (The JBL Go 4 typically lasts up to nine hours, while the Soundcore Select 4 features a battery life of 10-20 hours.)
It doesn’t quite match the JBL Go 4 in terms of sound quality, but if you’re seeking a budget-friendly outdoor speaker with a compact, lightweight design, extended playback, and pool-friendly durability, the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go is a worthwhile pick for summer adventures and beyond.
I spent an enormously disproportionate amount of my childhood playing one game: Buggy Boy. I have learned, in preparation for this article, that this arcade classic had a different name in the U.S. “Speed Buggy.” Pah-tooie. Ew. No. It’s Buggy Boy, and it was—until 2025—the only racing game that recognized the vital…
Sleep tracking is nothing new in Garmin’s fitness watches, but the company’s latest wearable is a dedicated smart sleep band. The Index Sleep Monitor offers week-long battery life with continuous pulse ox tracking for monitoring your blood oxygen saturation while you sleep.
Garmin’s tracker is worn on the upper arm — which should hopefully make it more comfortable — where it tracks a variety of metrics: skin temperature; light, deep and REM sleep stages; and variations in your heart rate and breathing. The data is then combined to provide an overall personalized daily sleep score that can be viewed in the Garmin Connect app. If you already use a Garmin smartwatch but don’t sleep with it on your wrist, the Index Sleep Monitor is designed to add the missing metrics to the insights you’re already getting from the watch.
Skin temperature tracking gives you a better idea of how your sleep environment affects the quality of your sleep, while flagging potential illnesses indicated by temperature changes. This metric also extends to menstrual health tracking, with skin temperature changes useful for tracking cycles, past ovulation estimates and offering what Garmin describes as “improved period predictions.”
Garmin’s Index Sleep Monitor will also monitor your energy levels, providing you with its “Body Battery” measurements that advise you to take more rest when the reading is coming in low. Again, these insights should be more accurate and reliable when combined with a compatible smartwatch worn during the day. The sleep band will also track your stress throughout the night, and features a smart alarm that attempts to wake you gently during lighter sleep stages so you’ll feel less tired.
The Index Sleep Monitor is available in S-M and L-XL sizes and costs $170.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/garmins-new-sleep-tracker-offers-a-week-of-battery-life-142350473.html?src=rss
Meta-owned Beat Games announced its block-slashing rhythm game Beat Saber (2019) will no longer receive updates on PSVR and PSVR 2 starting today, with multiplayer slated to go offline early next year.
The studio announced in an X post that PS4/PS5 versions of the game will no longer be updated, effective immediately, as Beat Games looks “to the future and plan[s] the next big leap for Beat Saber.”
Beat Games say players on PSVR and PSVR 2 will continue to be able to play and purchase Beat Saber after today, which includes access to previously purchased content, such as the game’s library of paid DLC music packs.
Music packs released prior to June 18th will all be available, however “no new content will be released on these platforms after that date,” the studio says, noting that cross-buy will remain active between the PS4 and PS5 base game.
This makes PlayStation’s last available Beat Saber DLC Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’, which was released as a paid ‘Shock Drop’ single on June 5th.
Furthermore, support for multiplayer is being pulled on PS4/PS5 starting January 21st, 2026, the studio says.
Multiplayer was introduced in 2020 on PC VR and Quest versions of the game, with cross-play introduced a year later; cross-play between different ecosystems never made it to the PlayStation version of the game, however.
While it’s clear Quest will continue to benefit from future DLC releases and updates—Meta’s Quest platform alone has accounted for more than 10 million unit sales of Beat Saber—the studio says there will also be “no changes to Steam support; music releases will continue to be shared on Steam.”
– – — – –
While Meta doesn’t always play nice with competing companies, it has supported Beat Saber on PSVR since late 2018, making the decision to pull future updates telling of a decidedly abandoned ecosystem.
Since PSVR 2’s February 2023 release, Sony has largely taken a back seat on releasing system-selling exclusives like it did with original 2-16 PSVR. Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy, developers have consequently deprioritized PSVR 2 support over the years—or skipped it entirely—in favor of releasing on comparatively larger install bases, such as Quest and SteamVR.
What’s more, in the meantime Sony has ‘parted out’ PSVR 2, in a manner of speaking. Now, headset owners can freely play PC VR games with an optional wired adapter—totally antithetical to the closed console model—and soon, use their PSVR 2 Sense Controllers with Apple Vision Pro too.
The post ‘Beat Saber’ to End PSVR & PSVR 2 Updates Starting Today, Multiplayer Shuts Down in 2026 appeared first on Road to VR.
iOS 26 is one of the biggest iPhone software updates that Apple has pushed out in recent years, bringing with it features including new gestures, improved parental controls, custom snooze times, and of course that translucent interface revamp called Liquid Glass (which takes some getting used to).
There are also changes to how you can tweak the look of your iPhone lock screen, building on top of several other customizations Apple has added in recent years. Your lock screen can be more personalized than ever, not just in terms of the wallpaper but also the elements on top, and how they’re arranged.
To get started with these customizations, you need to lock your phone, then press the power button (to wake up the screen without actually unlocking your phone again), and tap and hold on the lock screen. Choose Customize to start making changes.
From the top, you can tap the date to pick from a selection of single-line widgets. The options will vary depending on the apps you’ve got installed, but are typically going to include widgets for the weather forecast, reminders, and calendar events. Next is the clock, which in iOS 26 can be changed in terms of its size by dragging the handle in the lower right corner.
Farther down the screen, the widget box is now at the bottom of your lock screen rather than at the top: As before, tap Add widgets to drop in mini indicators for iPhone battery level, global time zones, current fitness activities, news headlines, and plenty more (again, the selection will vary, depending on the apps you’ve got installed).
There are two buttons above the widget bar. The one on the left lets you turn depth effects on or off for the wallpaper, which works especially well for Spatial Photos. The button on the right is for setting whether the lock screen should use light mode, dark mode, or follow the setting for iOS as a whole.
Finally, there are the two shortcuts down in the bottom left and right corners. Tap the small – (minus) symbol next to either of these shortcuts, which lets you choose something new (or leave the spots empty). A host of different shortcuts can be dropped in here, from ambient music mixes to links to the iOS stopwatch. You can also use these shortcuts for speedy access to your favorite apps.
iOS actually lets you set up multiple lock screens if you want to, so you can have different lock screens for different moods or times of the day. If you tap and hold on the lock screen so the Customize button appears, and then swipe left and right, you’re able to add new lock screens and switch between them.
Choose to create a new lock screen via the + (plus) button, and the first decision you need to make is to pick some wallpaper. This can be the same as the wallpaper you’ve got for your home screens, or something different—and you can choose emojis, colors, and photo slideshows from the icons at the top.
On top of each of the lock screen thumbnails, you’ll see a Focus button. Tap this and you can choose a Focus mode that’s automatically enabled when you switch to that particular lock screen. You could have one lock screen and Focus mode for driving, for example, one for sleeping, and so on.
There are a few more controls to talk about, which you can get to through the Display & Brightness menu in iOS Settings. The Auto-Lock option here lets you choose how much idle time your iPhone waits for before locking itself and displaying the lock screen, while Raise to Wake lets you control whether or not the lock screen lights up when you pick up your iPhone.
If you’ve got a Pro or Pro Max iPhone from 2022 or later, you’ll also see an Always On Display option here. This lets you pick certain features, such as the wallpaper and notifications, that are still shown persistently on the display, even when your phone is locked—at the expense of some battery life, of course.
Speaking of notifications, you can customize how these are shown on the lock screen, too. You’re able to hide previews if you think other people might be looking over your shoulder when they come in. To control how notifications work on the lock screen, head to Notifications from iOS Settings, and tap Show Previews.
iOS 26 ushers in another lock screen change too, but it’s not customizable: For certain Apple Music tracks that support the feature, you can get full screen animated album art on the lock screen, by tapping on the media player widget. It’s something else to try once you’ve installed the new operating system.
U.S. public companies have cut their white-collar workforces by 3.5% over the past three years, marking a fundamental shift in corporate philosophy that views fewer employees as a path to faster growth. One in five S&P 500 companies now employ fewer people than they did a decade ago, according to employment data-provider Live Data Technologies.
The reductions extend beyond typical cost-cutting measures and coincide with record corporate profits at the end of last year. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees Tuesday that AI will eliminate certain jobs in coming years, while Procter & Gamble announced plans to cut 7,000 positions to create “broader roles and smaller teams.”
Bank of America reduced its workforce from 285,000 in 2010 to 213,000 today while revenues climbed 18% over the past decade. Managers have faced particularly steep cuts, with their ranks falling 6.1% between May 2022 and May 2025. Companies are flattening organizational structures and pushing remaining employees to handle larger workloads as executives track revenue per employee more closely.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
