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    Is your Roku TV spying on you? It’s possible, but here’s how to put a stop to it

    Maria Diaz/ZDNETWhenever I hear about consumer data tracking, my half-century-old brain dredges up that Hall and Oates hit called “Private Eyes” with the refrain “they’re watching you.” I don’t mean to incite Big Brother paranoia; I know I’m not being spied on everywhere I go, especially not in the seclusion of my home. But while using streaming devices, you can almost guarantee that your entertainment and advertisement preferences are being tracked.Also: Your Apple TV is getting 5 useful features for free – including a big one for karaoke fansThe culprit is better known as Big Data — arguably less invasive and sinister, but still annoying to some people — and there are ways to mitigate that on your streaming devices if you’re one of them.While some data collection is necessary for basic functionality, many streaming devices collect more than required; so much so that you essentially lose control of your privacy, fall into filter bubbles (viewing algorithms that are narrower), and receive more targeted ads than expected. Below are some general strategies for regaining control over your privacy while using streaming services.  More

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    Apple’s tariff costs and iPhone sales are soaring – how long until device prices are too?

    Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysTariffs cost Apple approximately $800 million last quarter.That bill will go up to about $1.1 billion this quarter.Apple says 1 in 10 iPhone sales in April were due to tariff fears.Apple earnings calls usually have a theme, and there’s usually a word associated with that theme that ends up being repeated many times throughout the call. During yesterday’s call, the theme and repeated word was “tariffs.”iPhone sales were upBecause of the negative aura that surrounds that T word, Apple was keen to keep things upbeat, and with good reason. After all, iPhone sales were up 13% year over year, generating a colossal $44.6 billion in revenue. Also: Should you turn on Adaptive Power on iOS 26? Here’s my advice after testing itThe feeling among investors prior to the earnings release was that the iPhone would enjoy a bump in sales as consumers pulled the trigger on an upgrade ahead of any tariff-related increases. Apple tried to deflect from this during the earnings call by pointing out the iPhone saw “growth in every geographic segment and double-digit growth in emerging markets.” But headlines suggested tariffs could push the price of the iPhone to stratospheric levels, and that no doubt helped encourage some people to upgrade. In fact, when Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about this during the Q&A, he said that the company estimated that “the pull forward of demand into April, specifically to be about 1 point of the 10 points in terms of people buying because of discussions about tariffs.” How, or even whether, this will affect iPhone 17 upgrades remains to be seen. Also: First look at iPhone 17 Pro? Public images seemingly confirm big design and camera changesDuring the last earnings call, Cook was keen to point out that tariffs would have an impact of around $900 million. It turned out that the impact was a little less, “approximately $800 million,” but over the following quarter, it would increase to $1.1 billion — and that number assumes nothing changes. Quite a big assumption.That’s a big chunk of change, even for a company that just posted revenues of $94 billion and a gross margin of nearly half that. And so far, Apple is shouldering that cost.  More

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    Are PayPal and Venmo down for you? What we know – and alternatives to use

    SOPA Images / Contributor / Getty Images ZDNET’s key Takeaways PayPal and Venmo experienced an outage Friday morning. Affected accounts couldn’t send or receive payments. PayPal has acknowledged the problem and said a fix is in the works. Are you having trouble with PayPal or Venmo this morning? You’re not alone. Also: PayPal’s AI-powered scam alert […] More

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    You can download iOS 26 beta on your iPhone now. How to install (and which models support it)

    When will iOS 26 be released?The iOS 26 public beta is available now. The developer beta was released during WWDC in June 2025. If Apple follows its usual cadence, the final, general release of iOS 26 should arrive in September 2025.How to download the iOS 26 developer beta?To download the iOS 26 developer beta version, navigate to your settings to install the iOS 26 developer beta if your device runs iOS 16.5 and is used with an Apple ID enrolled in the Apple Developer Program:Go to your iPhone SettingsTap on GeneralSelect Software UpdateGo to Beta UpdatesChoose the iOS 26 Developer BetaIf you can’t see this option, go to your Settings, select Privacy & Security, and enable Developer Mode.If you aren’t already a member of the Apple Developer Program, you can sign up to become one in the app. An annual membership costs $99, but you don’t need one to try the developer beta.Which iPhones are compatible with iOS 26?Apple removed the iPhone XR and XS from its list of supported devices with iOS 26, so any iPhone 11 or newer is compatible with the new operating system, including the iPhone SE. Also: Every iPhone model that can be updated to iOS 26 (and which ones don’t support it) What to do before installing the iOS 26 public beta? You can always join the Apple Beta program to get the latest beta versions of iOS. Before you download a beta version of an operating system, keep these housekeeping items in mind: Back up your device and personal information.Don’t download beta software, which will likely have bugs and glitches, on your everyday iPhone.Beta versions are released so you can test new features and share feedback to improve iOS.How to submit beta feedback to AppleThe iOS 26 public beta comes with its own built-in Feedback Assistant app, which you can open from the Home screen. If you encounter something that doesn’t work, or you have feedback on any part of the new OS, you can communicate directly with Apple via that app.   Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More