Robotics

Kerry Wan/ZDNETIf the rumors are true, Apple is working on its biggest visual overhaul to its mobile operating system since iOS 7 — which famously ditched skeuomorphic features in favor of flat design. It reportedly plans to update the look of icons, menus and windows, system buttons, and even apps. But that’s not all: The company wants to extend this overhaul to all its devices. Also: How to watch Apple WWDC 2025 keynote : What to expect with iOS 26, Siri, AIAccording to Bloomberg, Apple aims to roll out a consistent appearance across its operating systems  — from the iPhone to Vision Pro — and will use WWDC 2025 today to reveal this big update that’s currently called Solarium.  What is Solarium? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman first reported in March that iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and MacOS 16 will receive new designs, including more translucency for a glass-like appearance. Now, in May, he’s claiming the codename for this major redesign is known internally at Apple as Solarium. It’s meant to conjure thoughts of bright, glass-walled rooms full of sunlight.  Also: 6 things I did immediately after installing iOS 18.5 on my iPhone – and why you should tooThis leaked codename is seen as evidence that the company is designing updated, modern interfaces. Gurman confirmed Solarium is expected to touch every corner of Apple’s software ecosystem — not just the iPhone — and it will be its biggest UI revamp in over a decade. There aren’t many details just yet, but the changes will “go well beyond a new design language and aesthetic tweaks.” How Solarium might change things More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETGoogle Gemini has kicked off a new skill that can proactively carry out tasks for you. Now rolling out to the Gemini app is a feature called “scheduled actions.” With this one, you tell Gemini to perform a future task either once or on a recurring basis, and the AI will carry out your request at the proper dates and times.The sole barrier is that the new skill is available only to Gemini app users with a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription. That’s not unusual. New features like this typically start off with access limited to subscribers, but then eventually expand to free users.Also: Collaborating in Google Drive? Gemini can catch you up on changes made to your files nowGemini’s scheduled actions skill is similar to the ChatGPT Tasks feature that OpenAI introduced this past January. In both cases, the goal is to save you time by letting you issue a regular request just once, which the AI can then perform on a recurring basis. “With scheduled actions, you can streamline routine tasks or receive personalized updates directly from Gemini,” Google said in a blog post on Friday. “In your conversation, simply ask Gemini to perform a task at a specific time, or transform a prompt you’re already using into a recurring action. You can manage them anytime within the scheduled actions page within settings.”As some examples suggested by Google, you could ask Gemini for a summary of your calendar appointments and unread emails, or request five ideas for your blog each Monday. You might want to see updates on your favorite sports team each day or receive the results from an awards ceremony just on the morning after.Also: How to turn off Gemini in your Gmail, Docs, Photos, and more – it’s easy to opt outTo try this out, make sure you’re running the latest version of the Gemini app on your iPhone or Android phone. The scheduled actions skill is still rolling out, so it may not yet be available on your device. To check, open the Gemini app and tap your profile icon in the upper right. The resulting screen should show Scheduled actions as one of the options. If not, you’ll have to wait until it reaches you.Once the feature is accessible, go to the main screen to write a new prompt. As you describe the action you want Gemini to perform, remember to add a date and time or recurring interval. In response, the AI will schedule the task and then carry it out at the requested time. To view or manage your tasks, return to the previous menu and tap the entry for Scheduled actions.Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETApple will hold its annual WWDC conference today, and the leaks about what might be announced are pouring out at full speed. I recently told you how the company is reportedly planning a massive UI overhaul called Solarium for every corner of its software ecosystem. Shortly after that, reports emerged that Apple would also rename its operating systems to follow a year-based convention, with iOS 19 being called iOS 26. Now, 9to5Mac has the scoop on what, specifically, iOS 26 will introduce.Also: How to watch Apple WWDC 2025 keynote : What to expect with iOS 26, Siri, AI9to5Mac has a solid track record when it comes to Apple leaks. So when it reveals what the next major iteration of Apple’s mobile software could bring in terms of upgrades, you listen. While the Solarium redesign, which is thought to be the biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7, will undoubtedly steal the spotlight, some of the under-the-radar changes could be equally exciting.What’s coming to iOS 26?When Apple unveils iOS 26, it will supposedly discuss a few new features and software upgrades coming to Messages, Music, Notes, CarPlay, and more. Keep in mind that none of this has been revealed by Apple just yet. I’ve contacted the company for a comment, but I do not expect it to confirm 9to5Mac’s reporting. It will use WWDC 2025 to reveal the new features in iOS 26.1. MessagesiOS 26 will bring AI-powered real-time translation to Messages, automatically detecting and translating incoming texts and your replies so recipients can see them in their language. Also: Your iPhone is getting these useful features with iOS 26 – including a big AI oneIt will also add polls. You’ll be able to tap a new “Poll” button, enter your question and options, and everyone in a chat can vote, with results updating in real time. Apple Intelligence will even suggest poll options based on your conversation. So, if you’re deciding on dinner, it might offer “pizza,” “burgers,” or “sushi” as poll choices.2. Apple MusicThis isn’t the biggest change, but you can expect animated album art — which is already a thing inside Apple Music — to appear on your Lock Screen. So, when your iPhone is locked, album artwork should appear to come to life, in full-screen glory. 3. NotesAnother small feature reportedly coming to the iPhone with iOS 26 should make some note‐takers and writers happy: they’ll get the ability to export notes in Markdown from Apple Notes. Until now, doing this required third‐party apps.4. CarPlay9to5Mac reports that Apple plans to bring the Solarium design language to CarPlay with iOS 26. That means it’ll likely update menus, buttons, and widgets to match your iPhone’s and iPad’s new look. Earlier reports had mentioned that iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, TVOS, and VisionOS are all set to receive this visual overhaul — but now, it appears CarPlay will, too. Since Solarium is all about bright, translucent elements, you can expect CarPlay to look more modern and lightweight after the update. More

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETWith spring here and summer on the horizon, many retailers like Best Buy More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETAhead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 More

Jack Wallen/ZDNETRhino Linux has been one of my favorite aesthetics on the open-source desktop for some time. From theme to layout, the developers had taken the Xfce desktop and made it special. From the first time I tested Rhino Linux to now, it has always impressed me.But something different is on the horizon, something that started back in 2023, with what the developers called the Unicorn Beyond XFCE Initiative (UBXI). The goal of UBXI was to port the Unicorn workflow, theming, and other elements beyond the XFCE desktop. The results of that effort (ports) would then be rolled into pacscripts to look and feel exactly like the XFCE-based Unicorn desktop for use on Rhino Linux. The team even invited members of the community to contribute their own UBXI ports that could be officially provided.Also: I’ve used virtually every Linux distro, but this one has a fresh perspectiveGuess what? Those efforts have started to bear fruit. The new desktop is based on KDE 6, which means it’s not a completely new environment but rather a migration from XFCE to KDE Plasma. Even still, it has very much the Unicorn look and layout, which is important (more on that in a bit).Over the weekend, I installed Rhino Linux solely to check out the new UBXI desktop. Although it needs some polish, you can already sense that it’s going to take Rhino Linux to the next level.The installationFirst off, let’s talk about the installation of the new UBXI desktop. All you have to do is have a running, updated version of Rhino Linux. Log into that instance, open a terminal window, and issue the command:rpk install ubxi-kde-desktop-gitThe installer will go through the process and should take less than 5 minutes. When it’s finished, reboot the system and log in. However, before you do log in, you’ll want to change from the Xfce desktop to the KDE Plasma desktop, which can be done by clicking the four-line icon near the top right of the screen and selecting Plasma (Wayland). If you don’t do this, it’ll start the default Xfce desktop. More

Why is my Fire TV running so slow?That’s a complex question to answer. It could be the age of your device. Older hardware might struggle to load the latest apps and services. But it could also be a combination of outdated software, too many background processes, and accumulated temporary files. All these things can make your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick lag. Fortunately, the tips above address most of these problems. Are there any other Fire TV features I can disable?Amazon’s Fire TV has a surprising amount of “features” running in the background — many of which you might never use. These processes eat up system resources and can slow things down. Turning off the ones you don’t need can speed up performance and tighten your privacy a bit. For instance, hold down the Home button on your remote to open the quick menu. Go to Settings > Applications > Prime Photos and toggle off Allow guest connections and Access Prime Photos (if you don’t use Prime Photos). Also: Slow Fire TV? This 30-second fix made my system run like new againWhile still under Applications, select Appstore and disable Automatic Updates (you can update apps manually later). Also in Appstore, you can optionally turn off In-app Purchases. Then select GameCircle (if you don’t game on your Fire TV) and toggle off Share your GameCircle Nickname and Whispersync for Games. Each item you disable frees up a little extra memory and CPU overhead, which adds up over time — especially on older devices with limited RAM. How often should I restart my Fire TV?If you leave your Fire TV device powered on for long stretches at a time, a weekly restart is a good rule of thumb. Will clearing cache or uninstalling apps delete my data?Clearing cache will remove temporary files, not your logins or saved preferences. Uninstalling apps does remove any data specific to that app, but most streaming services store your watch history and preferences in the cloud, so you won’t lose purchases or profiles. You will need to log back into an app if you choose to delete it from your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. Do I really need to disable data monitoring and autoplay?Disabling data monitoring and autoplay doesn’t affect your ability to watch shows or use apps — it just stops your Fire TV from constantly tracking data usage or playing auto-preview videos, which reduces background load. When should I consider a factory reset?As I mentioned above, a factory reset is a last resort. If you’ve been using your Fire TV for years and it’s still unbearably slow after trying every other tip, it’s worth a shot. It erases everything you’ve installed and customized and gives you a fresh start. Also: Your car’s USB port is seriously underutilized: 5 features you’re not taking advantage ofAll these tweaks, or even just a combination of some of them, will help you reclaim the speed you once enjoyed on your Fire TV. Let me know which in the comments worked for you and if there are others I missed and should consider trying. Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More

RayaHristova/Getty Images You’re probably sick of hearing this, but you really need a password manager. You can take your pick of excellent third-party password management utilities, but for the less technical among us, there’s a tempting option that looks much easier: use the password management tools that come with your platform of choice. In recent […] More