Latest news with #apple
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Indian Express
Apple dials down Liquid Glass effects in iOS 26 beta 3 amid readability concerns
Apple has released its iOS 26 developer beta 3, making further changes to the Liquid Glass design language introduced at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 that was held last month. Liquid Glass, inspired by the reflective and refractive properties of real glass, was introduced across Apple's platforms as part of a broader visual modernisation. The update comes after an influx of user feedback raising concerns over earlier builds making interface elements harder to read due to excessive transparency. However, its early implementation in iOS 26 beta 1 led to usability concerns, especially in areas like the control centre, where the background was so translucent that home screen elements became visually distracting. Apple addressed those concerns in beta 2 by reducing transparency in the control centre. Beta 3 expands these adjustments to other parts of the operating system – notably the notifications and the interface in first-party apps like Apple Music. In Apple Music, the navigation bar now features a more solid background, reducing visual bleed from the underlying content. Similarly, notifications have had their background shading darkened, improving contrast and text readability. While the latest changes aim to improve clarity and accessibility, some users on developer forums and social media reacted negatively and have noted that the new aesthetic feels closer to Apple's earlier frosted glass approach, dialing back much of the dramatic transparency initially shown at WWDC. As the software is still in beta, these changes are not final. Apple is expected to continue collecting feedback and making changes to Liquid Glass through the summer ahead of iOS 26's public release this fall. This has been an entertaining timeline, as Apple slowly walks back liquid glass into more… frosted glass — Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) July 8, 2025 apple stop ruining liquid glass — Holly – I like tech (@AnxiousHolly) July 7, 2025 iOS 26 beta 3 completely nerfs Liquid Glass. It looks so much cheaper now and feels like Apple is backtracking on their original vision. — Sam Kohl (@iupdate) July 7, 2025 (This article has been curated by Arfan Jeelany, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
Mint
03-07-2025
- Mint
FaceTime in iOS 26 pauses video calls if it detects nudity: Here's all you need to know
Apple's new iOS 26 update was announced at WWDC 2025 and is all set to be introduced with the new iPhone range later in the year. The new update brought a fresh new design called Liquid Glass, along with major updates to other Apple apps like Messages, Wallet, CarPlay among others. However, there is a new feature inside the popular FaceTime app on iOS 26 which is only now being revealed. In the iOS 26 beta, FaceTime will freeze your video and audio if it detects someone undressing during a call, 9to5Mac reported. During the iOS 26 announcement, Apple had mentioned new family safety tools for child accounts, including the blocking of nudity. 'Communication Safety expands to intervene when nudity is detected in FaceTime video calls, and to blur out nudity in Shared Albums in Photos,' the company wrote in a blog post. However, the new report suggests that this feature may be active for all users on the iOS 26 beta, not just child accounts. It is unclear whether this is an intended feature of the software or a bug within the beta version. When nudity is detected during a video call, FaceTime on iOS 26 beta pauses the call and displays the following message: 'Audio and video are pauses because you may be showing something sensitive. If you feel uncomfortable, you should end the call.' The error message is followed by option to either resume the video call or end call. One user on X while questioning how Apple was detecting nudity on video calls despite end to end encryption, wrote, 'I thought end to end encrypted, how do they know that and also Beta 2 so that should be fixed in September no problem.' 'Now people will think apple has access to the content of the video call guess it's not their business .. no one asked for this .... Stupid idea' added another user. 'I'd love to how how this was found out 🤣' stated yet another user.
Globe and Mail
02-07-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
My apple cores brought nature to my doorstep – then some bigger guests arrived
First Person is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines at I usually eat an apple on the drive home from work. It makes me feel virtuous and slightly superior to eat such a healthy snack, especially as I pass the lines of cars snaking around the Tim Hortons drive-through. In addition to the health benefits, I am eating 'local.' The apples come from an orchard near our house. We live on a residential street near what used to be the border between suburbia and farmland. Increasingly, the small farms that act as a buffer between the city and the large industrial farms have been selling, and the road is full of those ubiquitous signs announcing zoning changes and coming developments. But the family-run orchard is hanging on. I try to support it. I usually time it so that I pull into the driveway just as the apple is finished. Kind of a ritual and part of the transition from a stressful workday to home. Normally, I carry the core, almost as a badge of honour into the kitchen to the bin marked 'organics.' But one day, I dropped the core as I climbed out of the car. Guiltily, I kicked it toward the hedge that divided our property from the neighbours'. I'll come back later and pick it up, I rationalized. Of course, I forgot all about it. The next morning, there was a dusting of snow, and as I brushed off the windshield I noticed animal tracks around the hedge. I recognized the tracks immediately. Two small prints in front with two much larger prints right behind. A rabbit. First Person: Love and so many memories grow in my garden I remembered the apple core and felt a moment of satisfaction that some woodland creature had found the treat that I had inadvertently left. I imagined a full belly or maybe a den of little ones with mom bringing home the treat to share. My imagination went wild, and I thought of Beatrix Potter and Richard Adams. It's only a rabbit, I said to myself. But I was grinning, and the happy feeling lasted well into the day. That evening, I dropped the core at the same spot near the hedge and could hardly wait to see if my gift was received again. Not only were there rabbit tracks but I now noticed squirrel, chipmunk and several bird tracks. I began to Google different types of critter tracks and for several months took great pleasure in identifying my visitors from the night before. I felt connected to a different world that existed all around me. It took me out of myself somehow. I also began to notice the sounds of the different birds and other markings on the ground that hinted at other species. I learned to identify bird sounds and learned that in addition to cardinals and blue jays, we had hairy woodpeckers, black-billed cuckoos, great horned owls and rare yellow rails. I didn't share my new hobby with anyone and always checked the cores were gone the next morning – they were. I knew the arguments against my seemingly innocent gifts. You're creating a dependency, and the animals will forget how to forage for themselves. You're attracting other wildlife like coyotes. You're attracting insects like ticks. You're attracting vermin like mice. I ignored all the imaginary cautionary voices and enjoyed my new discoveries every morning, learning more about all the different animals found in a suburban backyard. One day, I noticed the tracks were completely overridden by extremely large prints that looked like the largest birds I had ever seen. The next day there were more. First Person: I no longer knew how to find God, so nature became my church Eventually the entire ground around the hedge was dredged up and dirt, mud, leaves and twigs were scattered across the driveway. My husband noticed and immediately identified the tracks as wild turkeys. That weekend our dog was barking wildly. Through our front window we saw over a dozen wild turkeys clustered on our front lawn making the most piercing racket. They were huge. And hugely ugly. Our neighbours began to gather at the end of the drive. It was an event! 'Should we call the police,' asked one woman. 'Bring in all the children,' cried another. 'I have a BB gun,' said a young man. My secret happy co-existence with the wildlife around us had come to an end. I didn't say a word to my neighbours, but I stopped leaving my apples at the hedge. It was at best a precarious relationship that was bound to end. I eventually 'confessed' to my husband. He rolled his eyes. This episode was just one more in a long list of seemingly innocent attempts to lessen the divide between ourselves and the many species with whom we co-exist. It seems like living in partnership with our feathered and furred friends is a difficult challenge. I remain optimistic that we can figure it out, or at least lessen our impact. Janice Locke lives in Ancaster, Ont.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Exports of new climate change resilient apple tipped to nearly double this year
A new type of climate change resilient apple is proving popular overseas with exports tipped to nearly double this year. The 'Sassy' apple which was bred by Plant and Food Research has proven to have a long storage and shelf life. Photo: Supplied The 'Sassy' apple was bred by Plant and Food Research and is being grown by Taylor Corp in Hawke's Bay and the Golden Bay Fruit company. It can tolerate warmer climates while still developing good red colouring even during hotter summers. That represents a major success for Plant & Food Research apple breeder Richard Volz who started developing 'Sassy' back in 2001. "It was a little bit by chance that we found it, because it's not often that we find those sorts of apples. It's difficult to breed for a future hot climate in New Zealand when, compared with many other parts of the world, we have a moderate climate," he said. Plant and Food Research apple breeder Richard Volz and Taylor Corp owner Kelvin Taylor. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook Volz describes the Sassy apple as being a vibrant block red colour, with a zesty flavour that ripens early in the season. It's also proven to have a long storage and shelf life, and natural resilience in the orchard. "Sassy is unique because it colours often in February in Hawke's Bay when it can be quite warm, and many apples struggle for colour. "We have to have good colour in our fruit particularly for the Asian market. It was identified early on that this is an apple that colours well every year even when it's warm - so it could be good for other hot climates," Volz said. The new apple variety was introduced to the market by Prevar, a joint venture between Plant & Food Research, New Zealand Apples and Pears Inc and Apples and Pears Australia Ltd established to commercialise new apple and pear varieties. The global license is held by NGA, a joint venture between growers Golden Bay Fruit and Taylor Corp, who are working together to export Sassy to consumers all over the world. Sassy can tolerate warmer climates while still developing good red colouring. Photo: Supplied Exports of the zesty block red apple are forecast to nearly double this season to 1.8 million kilograms, and the variety is now being sold to over 10 countries. Volz said it's been a very rewarding project. "It's the kind of success that reminds us why we do this work, to create varieties that truly make a difference for growers, exporters, and consumers," he said. Taylor Corp owner Kelvin Taylor told RNZ he was excited about the apple's future as it was now being grown in nurseries in South Africa, China, Europe and the UK. "The volumes are going to shoot up pretty quickly once these other countries get involved with it, they're all saying the flavour of it and the colouring is outstanding," he said. During the peak of the season, the Taylor Corp packhouse processes about 3000 apples a minute through its new machines that sort through the crop - picking the best fruit for export and sending the blemished apples off to be juiced. Taylor Corp apples ready for export. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook Kelvin's been growing apples for over 50 years, and said climate change was certainly something they had to consider when choosing what to plant. "It's a totally different way you have to look at things now, it's a challenge," he said. One of the many challenges in a warming climate is disease and pests, so Plant and Food Research are working on new varieties that are more resistant to both, and will require less spraying. "That's an important part of our work. As the climate changes in future some of those pests and disease pressures for growers are going to get worse and worse so we need to be doing that," Volz said. Exports of Sassy apples are forecast to nearly double this season to 1.8 million kilograms. Photo: Supplied Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Climate change resilient apple proving popular
A new type of climate change resilient apple is proving popular overseas, with exports tipped to nearly double this year. The 'Sassy' apple, bred by Plant and Food Research and grown by Taylor Corp in Hawke's Bay, can tolerate warmer climates while still developing good red colouring even during hotter summers. Hawke's Bay Tairawhiti reporter Alexa Cook reports. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
