Eliana Willis

The big story with iOS 26 and all the other operating system updates announced at WWDC this year is the new Liquid Glass appearance. Inspired by the physicality of VisionOS, app icons, settings, and other various user interface elements now have a translucent, glass-like design.Also: What is Liquid Glass? Here’s everything we know about Apple’s major UI overhaul at WWDC”Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the Lock Screen and Home Screen, to new capabilities across Phone and Messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering.With the optical quality of glass and the fluidity that Apple hardware can achieve, the new software design reacts to how you tap, swipe (with some interfaces minimizing or expanding), and even hold your phone. The colors of Liquid Glass react to the various colors on your screen.To accommodate the design change, popular app icons like Messages, Phone, and Camera have received visual updates. More generally, toolbars and tabs have been redesigned into rounded menus instead of the usual drop-down lists. This promotes a less intrusive and distracting experience when navigating the software.Lastly, building on the foundation of iOS 18’s icon themes, Liquid Glass introduces a transparent icon finish. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Stelo by Dexcom is an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor that uses sensors to track glucose levels and export data to your smartphone. The app utilizes generative AI to provide lifestyle recommendations and share data with your healthcare provider. However, it needs needs additional features in future iterations to offer a […] More

The 2019 iMac is one of the Mac devices that won’t get MacOS 26 Tahoe. Maria Diaz/ZDNETApple recently unveiled the new operating system updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro during WWDC 2025. Accompanying the OS reveal came news regarding which Apple devices will be forward-compatible and which devices will no longer be supported for software updates. Also: 10 exciting iOS 26 features Apple just announced at WWDC 2025Apple devices typically receive five to seven years of major OS updates, but this varies from device to device. With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, MacOS 26, and WatchOS 26 coming out in a few months, we’ve gathered lists of which devices won’t be compatible with the latest software update and will not receive future updates. The Apple Vision Pro only has one generation, so it’s still compatible with VisionOS 26.iPhone models that won’t receive more software updates More

With iOS 18.5, Apple added a new Pride Harmony wallpaper for the iPhone (and the iPad) and a new face for the Apple Watch. Beyond celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, the new wallpaper sports colors that change position as you move, lock, and unlock your phone.If you want to add it as your wallpaper, segue to the Lock screen on your iPhone and press down on any empty area. At the Customize screen, tap the plus sign. Swipe down the screen for adding new wallpaper until you see the Pride section and then tap the one for Harmony.Next, you can change any of the default widgets on the screen, including the date, time, flashlight, and camera. When finished, tap Add. To use this as your wallpaper on both the Lock screen and Home screen, tap the button for “Set as Wallpaper Pair.” Swipe up to exit wallpaper mode, and the new background will be in place. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Marshall Killburn III Bluetooth speaker is available on Amazon for $379. With rich, dynamic bass and a wide soundstage, you’ll enjoy music of all genres with this speaker You might run into trouble pairing the speaker with the Marshall app (as I had). more buying choices I’m quite familiar with […] More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETYou may have noticed an odd little button that sometimes appears in your Chrome browser bar labeled “Google Lens.” It’s actually been there for a number of years now, although it doesn’t always show up. But have you ever used it? Have you even given it a second thought? Or has it just become one more piece of digital clutter your brain edits out?We’ve covered Google Lens before on ZDNET. We’ve done so a number of times, in fact. But we’ve always covered it as a feature of smartphones. Also: 7 ways I use Google Lens every day – and why it’s one of my favorite AI appsFor smartphones, Google Lens makes a lot of sense. You can point it at a flower and get a read on the kind of plant it is. You can point it at an object or a landmark and Google will tell you what it is. You can point it at text in a language you don’t speak, and it will translate for you. When traveling, this is a powerful tool. I’ve found it very helpful right in my Chrome desktop browser as well. That’s what we’re going to be looking at today. How to use Google Lens in the browser barWhat’s it doing in your browser bar? Why does it seem to come and go? Sometimes it’s there; sometimes it’s not. What’s up with that? Enabling itLet’s start with making sure it’s on your browser bar. If you don’t see it up there, it might not be enabled. To enable the Google Lens shortcut, right-click on your browser bar and select Always Show Google Lens Shortcut. More

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETI’ve been using Android devices since 2007 and now have a rather large collection of Google devices in my home and office. The latest ecosystem updates will improve my efficiency with communications, safety, and daily commuting.Also: Your Android phone is getting a huge security upgrade for free – what’s newWhile this week’s focus has been on the release of Android 16, there are also six new features for Android that I am particularly excited about, and one of these features is compelling enough to make me want to mount the Pixel Watch 3 back on my wrist. 1. RCS group chat features I’m thankful that RCS is common across Android and iOS messaging platforms, so the news that I can now customize the icon and name for my group chats will make it easier to confirm who I am communicating with. Also: I changed 8 settings on my Pixel phone to dramatically improve the battery lifeThe new group chat features also include the ability to see who has RCS enabled, so that I can help them set that up. Notifications for specific group chats can also now be muted for a specific period of time. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Eufy Clean E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum and handheld vacuum combination costs $650. The Eufy E20 performed very well in suction testing; it offers up to 8,000Pa of suction power and thorough edge cleaning; the robot vacuum’s dustbin doubles as a handheld vacuum that includes a floor attachment and a crevice […] More