Information Technology

Jason Hiner/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source More

fotograzia/Moment via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways AI is both a cybersecurity threat and a solution. Benchmarks will test LLMs for real-world cybersecurity tasks. The suite could help developers build better models. Overwhelmed with cybersecurity tool options? A new set of benchmark tests aims to help you […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETApple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 26 — yes, if you’ve not been keeping up, that’s what will come after iOS 18 — is finally here, and it’s being pushed out to hundreds of millions of compatible iPhones worldwide. For the most part, the vast majority of these upgrades will be smooth and painless. Also: Every iPhone that can be updated to iOS 26 (and when you can install it)Maybe I’m being overly cautious here, but, as someone who’s experienced a painful upgrade, I like to take a few precautions before I allow a new update to go wild on my system. And it’s not like any of these steps are a huge chore or consume a lot of time.First, will you even get iOS 26?Good question. Every major release, I invariable get messages from people endlessly checking for an update only to find that their iPhone is at the end of the line of upgrades. The good news is that if your iPhone is running iOS 18, then there’s a very good chance that you’ll be getting iOS 26. In fact, everything from the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2nd gen onwards will get iOS 26, and the only iPhones running iOS 18 that won’t get upgraded are the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.Also: Every iPhone that can be updated to iOS 26 (and when you can install it)So, starting Sept. 15, the release day of iOS 26, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR will be the last in the line.With that out of the way, let’s look at how to prepare your iPhone. 1. Declutter your iPhoneWe all have those apps that we downloaded and never used, or the game that lost its appeal once we realized it was going to bombard us with ads every 48 seconds. This is the perfect time to get rid of those apps and free up some space. The same goes for all those videos you shot of that eel in the aquarium and that UFO that turned out to be a drone. Also: How to clear your iPhone cache (and why you should do it before upgrading to iPhone 17)For a full-on, deep declutter of my camera reel, I use CleanMy Phone More

If you’re familiar with previous iOS versions, you likely noticed that Apple skipped from iOS 18 to iOS 26. After years of sequentially numbering software updates for all its devices, Apple rebranded all its operating systems with 26. That doesn’t mean that this is the 26th generation of Apple’s yearly update cycle; Apple simply renamed its software versions to use the upcoming calendar year, much like car models. Also: Every iPhone 17 model compared: Should you buy the base model, Air, Pro, or Max?This was definitely a branding move, as Apple unified its OS versions across all its platforms. You’ll now have iPadOS 25, MacOS 26, WatchOS 26, etc. This alignment goes along with the Liquid Glass finish across all devices, which reflects the unified upgrade.  More

Acer Nitro 27-inch smart display GA271U <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Acer’s Nitro GA271U P smart display is available now for $299. It’s a solid budget smart monitor with a matte, 27-inch IPS WQHD display and 180Hz refresh rate. However, the speakers leave much to be desired. –> When Acer entered the smart monitor market with […] More

NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways The CUDA toolkit is now packaged with Rocky Linux, SUSE Linux, and Ubuntu. This will make life easier for AI developers on these Linux distros. It will also speed up AI development and deployments on Nvidia hardware. AI […] More

Jason Hiner/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source More

What is cache?Cache — or browser cache — is the temporary storage of website files. So, things like images, scripts, and cookies that your browser saves on your phone to make pages load faster the next time you visit. Also: Every iPhone model that can be updated to iOS 26 (and which ones don’t support it)Over time, though, those files can add up, taking a large bite out of your device storage and slowing things down. That’s why it’s smart to clear your browser cache regularly. In this article, I focused on clearing Safari and Chrome’s cache on an iPhone, but keep in mind that apps and even your phone’s processor have their own caches, too.How to clear your app cache on iPhoneYou can clear an app’s cache by deleting and reinstalling it — or, when available, using an in-app “Clear Cache” option. Since iOS doesn’t offer a universal cache-clearing tool, each app handles it differently. TikTok and CapCut include a built-in cache-clear button, Amazon lets you erase your browsing history, and Reddit offers a way to wipe local history. It depends on an app’s features.Is ‘clear cache’ the same as offloading? Not quite. Offloading an app via your iPhone’s settings can boost performance when your storage is tight by uninstalling the app and keeping its documents and data intact. Just go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap the app you want, and choose Offload App. This removes the app and its cache but leaves your data in place, so when you reinstall it, you’ll pick up right where you left off.Are cookies and cache the same thing?Cache and cookies are not the same. Cache stores copies of images, scripts, and other page elements so sites load faster on your next visit, while cookies are small data files that remember specific information about you — like login credentials, site preferences, or items in your shopping cart. Also: Cookie pop-ups don’t have to be a fact of life online – how I block them and whyClearing your cache removes those saved page files but won’t log you out of sites, whereas deleting cookies will wipe your saved logins and settings, forcing you to sign in again and reset any preferences.Can you block cookies on an iPhone?You can block cookies in Safari. Turning them off stops sites from tracking you, but it can also break some websites or limit features. So, you’ll need to weigh privacy against usability. If you’d like to block cookies in Safari, follow these steps:Go to Settings and select Safari.Tap on the toggle next to Block All Cookies.There are also third-party extensions — such as Ghostery More