Eliana Willis

Lance Whitney/ZDNETWith the launch of iOS 18, iPhone users are finally able to exchange rich text messages with their Android counterparts. But beyond Apple’s support of RCS, each carrier needs to activate the capability — and for now, many carriers have yet to jump on the bandwagon.Also: 8 ways I’m preparing my iPhone for iOS 18 – and I recommend you do tooRCS, or Rich Communications Service, is a messaging standard released by Google a few years ago. Designed to replace SMS messaging, RCS is a more modern standard that can handle richer content. With RCS enabled, texts from your iPhone to Android users can include larger file attachments, higher-quality photos and videos, audio messages, read receipts, more types of emojis, and smoother group chats.In the US, RCS is available on the iPhone via the three major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile), many regional providers, and a few mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). RCS support also varies across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and India. In general, the major carriers tend to offer it; the smaller ones, not so much.Specifically, support for the iPhone is still limited among MVNOs, according to Ars Technica. Such operators typically offer pre-paid services but then piggyback on the networks of major carriers to provide the actual connectivity. In the US, for example, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, and US Cellular have all implemented RCS for the iPhone. But other MVNOs in the US, such as Boost Mobile, Mint Mobile, Simple Mobile, and Ultra Mobile, have yet to hop onboard.Also: iOS 17.7 rolls out this week – here’s why it might be a safer bet than iOS 18As one outstanding absence, Google Fi doesn’t yet support RCS from the iPhone. The irony here is that Google pushed RCS as a standard in the Android world and shamed Apple into implementing it on the iPhone. Apparently, though, Apple still has more to do to enable RCS for iPhone users on Fi than simply supporting the capability with iOS 18. More

Taylor Clemons/ZDNETZDNET takeawayThe SteelSeries Arena 9 5.1CH speaker system is available at Best Buy More

Almost every iOS update seems to have one bug or another. If you’re someone who relies on your iPhone, you might be tempted to delay the update for a few days so you can see just how buggy this release is, or maybe even wait for the iOS 18.0.1 bug fix release that will inevitably be rolled out soon after.However, because iOS updates are usually brimming with security updates, I don’t recommend waiting. If you insist on taking this course of action, you do need to make sure that your iPhone isn’t going to automatically update itself during that time. Also: The best iOS 18 features that will make updating your iPhone worthwhileTo do so, go to Settings > General > Software Update and turn off Automatic Updates until you are ready to update.If you don’t install iOS 18, then make sure to install the iOS 17.7 update. More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysPlugable’s 15.6-inch portable monitor is available now on Amazon for $179 More

Westend61/Getty Images Many professionals rely on enterprise management platform Workday to support operational tasks, including hiring staff, monitoring finances, dealing with payroll, and more. Now, the cloud-based platform is adding more AI-enabled services to meet its users’ needs. On Tuesday, Workday introduced Illuminate, its newest AI-enabled technology that uses AI models based on the company’s HR […] More

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysKensington’s new SD5000T5 EQ Docking Station goes on sale on September 21 for $400 More

Taylor Clemons/ZDNETBeyond TVs, projectors have become a go-to entertainment device for folks in smaller spaces or those who simply want a big-screen viewing experience without the bulk. Say you’ve already settled on a projector for your home, but you’re not quite satisfied with its visual output. What should you do next?Also: This tiny projector turned our movie nights into a cinematic event (and it’s $300 off)Many projectors in today’s market have autofocus and keystone correction features, but that’s not where your adjustments should end in terms of improving picture quality. For basic fine-tuning, there are other factors that can really help the images pop with vibrance and clarity. Here are the three biggest factors.View at Amazon More

Tile Imagine you’re experiencing an emergency and need help. You could grab your phone, unlock it, and dial for help. But what if you had a Tile tracker device that allowed you to push a button three times to trigger a Life360 SOS alert? That alert sends your location information to your Life360 Circle and […] More