Technology

Meta introduced new safety tools for teen accounts on Wednesday, along with stats that show the impact of their latest safety features.

In a blog post, Meta said that it removed approximately 635,000 Instagram accounts earlier this year, part of a larger effort to make Instagram safer for teens.

The new features include the option for teens to view Safety Tips, to block and report accounts with just one button, and to view the date a person joined Instagram, which is all "designed to give teens age-appropriate experiences and prevent unwanted contact."

Credit: Meta

"At Meta, we work to protect young people from both direct and indirect harm. Our efforts range from Teen Accounts, which are designed to give teens age-appropriate experiences and prevent unwanted contact, to our sophisticated technology that finds and removes exploitative content," the platform said in a press release. "Today, we’re announcing a range of updates to bolster these efforts, and we’re sharing new data on the impact of our latest safety tools."

However, Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer told Mashable that to protect kids online, Meta's measures are "too little, too late."

"For years, the company has prioritized the relentless pursuit of profits over our kids’ safety, ignoring repeated warnings from parents, experts, and even its own employees. These new features are a small, reactive concession that wouldn’t be necessary if Meta had been proactive about taking responsibility in the first place," Steyer said.

Meta makes moves to protect teens and kids on Instagram Credit: Meta

Teens on Instagram blocked accounts one million times in June and reported another one million after seeing a Safety Notice on Instagram, Meta reported. Last year, the company implemented a new nudity protection feature that blurs suspicious images. Now, the company says the vast majority — 99 percent — keep the tool activated. In June, over 40 percent of those blurred images stayed blurred, "significantly reducing exposure to unwanted nudity," the blog post read. Meta recently started giving users a warning when they attempted to forward a blurred image, asking them to "think twice before forwarding suspected nude images." And in May, 45 percent of people who saw the warning didn't forward the blurred message.

The platform is also implementing protections for adult-managed Instagram accounts that feature — or represent — children. Among those protections are the new Teen Account protections and additional notifications about privacy settings. The company says it will also stop these accounts from showing up as recommendations for adult accounts with suspicious behavior. Finally, the company will bring its Hidden Words feature to these kid-focused accounts, which should help prevent sexualized comments from appearing on these accounts' posts.

As part of these teen safety efforts, Meta has removed "nearly 135k violating Instagram accounts that were sexualizing these accounts," and 500,000 accounts "that were linked to the original accounts," according to the blog post.

This move from Meta is part of its continued efforts to make Facebook and Instagram safer for kids and teens — but it also comes as the company successfully lobbied to stall the Kids Online Safety Act in 2024. The Kids Online Safety Act was reintroduced this year, despite, according to Politico, a "concerted Meta lobbying campaign" to keep the bill out of Congress. Meta opposes the bill because it says it violates the First Amendment, although critics argue that its opposition is financially motivated.

SEE ALSO: Facebook to crack down on unoriginal, copycat content

This announcement comes after Meta announced it removed 10 million fake profiles impersonating creators as part of a broader push to clean up users' Facebook Feeds.

UPDATE: Jul. 23, 2025, 8:55 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with a quote from Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer.

The issue of states regulating — or not regulating — AI is back in a big way.

On Wednesday, the White House unveiled the AI Action Plan, its highly-anticipated report identifying key areas for federal AI policies. The plan largely focuses on pulling back restrictions for tech companies in order to foster AI innovation and secure the U.S. as a global industry powerhouse. Part of these recommendations laid out in the sweeping report bring back policies that look an awful lot like the AI moratorium that Republicans tried to pass in the Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Senate voted 99-1 to remove the proposed 10-year ban on state regulation of AI from the budget bill. But the AI Action Place looks to bring it back, citing "states with burdensome AI regulations that waste [federal] funds" as bureaucratic barriers to AI prosperity.

In the section titled "Remove Red Tape and Onerous Regulation," the plan advises the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to "work with Federal agencies that have AI-related discretionary funding programs to ensure... that they consider a state’s AI regulatory climate when making funding decisions and limit funding if the state’s AI regulatory regimes may hinder the effectiveness of that funding or award."

Essentially, the plan seeks to give agencies the power to withhold federal funding based on whether states align with the Trump Administration's AI regulatory strategy.

The AI moratorium is back

"This is the AI moratorium, redux," Cody Venzke, Senior Policy Counsel, Surveillance, Privacy, and Technology for the ACLU told Mashable in an email. Despite the Senate's almost unanimous rejection of the proposal, "the Administration is nonetheless looking to give AI companies a blank check," said Venzke. "Although the legal mechanisms might differ, the effect is the same: it opens the door to AI harms that are already occurring, and negating states are already stepping up." 

Critics of the AI moratorium said it would erase states' abilities to protect their residents from AI harms. Those condemning this section of the AI Action Plan echoed those same concerns. "In the absence of Congressional action, states must be permitted to move forward with rules that protect consumers," said Grace Gedye, policy analyst for AI issues at Consumer Reports. "Today’s action leaves states in a lurch; it’s unclear which state laws will be considered 'burdensome' and which federal funds are on the line."

Some industry experts, like Gabriel Weil, a professor at Touro Law Center, are raising questions about the AI Action Plan's lack of specifics.

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Tying state AI regulation to federal funding was the final iteration of Republicans' AI moratorium. The proposal that was rejected by the Senate offered $500 million in federal broadband funding if states voluntarily opted for the moratorium. Before being voted down, it was ultimately softened to offer financial incentives instead of enforcing an outright ban on states' legislative abilities. The AI Action Plan has taken a similar approach of offering a carrot instead of a stick, but with the stick looming nearby.

"This is also incredibly dangerous; this administration has regularly used federal funds as a cudgel to attack state and local policies they disagree with, often doing so without transparency or due process," said Venzke, who added that such policies could impact any number of "AI-related" funds from education to rural communities building broadband access.

Feds overstepping?

The AI Action Plan also advises the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to evaluate whether "state AI regulations interfere with the agency’s ability to carry out its obligations and authorities," invoking the Communications Act of 1934. This law gives the FCC authority to ensure that all Americans have access to telecommunication services. Yet, Venzke is skeptical that the FCC's authority extends to overruling AI state regulation in this area. "The FCC's authority generally does not include the services that ride on those lines or airwaves, like websites, social media, TV programs, or apparently even broadband service," he said.

Venzke also questions whether the president has the authority to conditionally offer federal funding without states' consent. "Likewise, the Executive Branch can only impose conditions on funds if Congress permits it by law — there is no reason to believe that Congress gave that permission for many of the programs that are likely to be impacted," he added.

Another way of framing the state AI legislation issue is as prudent oversight of how states can effectively manage federal funding, as one X user noted. Plus, "at the moment, it’s hard to identify any significant source of 'AI-related federal funding' to states, although this could change in the future," wrote Charlie Bullock, senior research fellow for the Institute for Law and AI. "This being the case, it will likely be difficult for the federal government to offer states any significant inducement towards deregulation unless it first offers them new federal money."

However, Venzke notes that privacy laws, broadband deployment, technology development funds, and deepfake laws are among the state programs that could be affected.

For now, it seems that states with concerns about AI's proliferation — from its impact on education to the job market to environmental degradation — better start making plans to evade the federal government's reach.

IntelliJ is one of the most popular integrated development environments (IDEs) out there, with a focus on Java and Kotlin. And now, it's getting even better with the addition of a few new changes that will make the experience better.

Super Mario Bros. was the first video game I played. It was the winter of 1995, and I was at my kindergarten buddy’s birthday party. I got hooked the moment I took the controller. I’ve replayed it countless times since, as well as many other Nintendo classics, many of which have a special place in my heart.

The Amazon Fire TV 65” Omni QLED Series 4K UHD Smart TV has just hit its lowest price ever, dropping to a shockingly low $450 at Amazon. That's a massive 38% off its regular price of $720, saving you a whopping $270. This kind of deal for this TV hasn't been seen since Prime Day, so it's great for those who missed it.

If you're one of the few who know about and take advantage of AT&T's Photo Storage feature, which is a free cloud backup option similar to Google Photos or iCloud, we have some bad news. This week, AT&T and its partner Asurion announced that the service will stop working in October.

The Food and Drug Administration's new AI tool — touted by Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as a revolutionary solution for shortening drug approvals — is initially causing more hallucinations than solutions.

Known as Elsa, the AI chatbot was introduced to help FDA employees with daily tasks like meeting notes and emails, while simultaneously supporting quicker drug and device approval turnaround times by sorting through important application data. But, according to FDA insiders who spoke to CNN under anonymity, the chatbot is rife with hallucinations, often fabricating medical studies or misinterpreting important data. The tool has been sidelined by staffers, with sources saying it can't be used in reviews and does not have access to crucial internal documents employees were promised.

SEE ALSO: Healthcare data breach impacts over five million Americans

"It hallucinates confidently," one FDA employee told CNN. According to the sources, the tool often provides incorrect answers on the FDA's research areas, drug labels, and can't link to third-party citations from external medical journals.

Despite initial claims that the tool was already integrated into the clinical review protocol, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told CNN that the tool was only being used for "organizational duties" and was not required of employees. The FDA's head of AI admitted to the publication that the tool was at risk of hallucinating, carrying the same risk as other LLMs. Both said they weren't surprised it made mistakes, and said further testing and training was needed.

But not all LLM's have the job of approving life-saving medicine.

UPDATE: Jul. 23, 2025, 2:40 p.m. In response to CNN's investigation, the HHS issued the following comment, explaining that former AI models, shelved by the department, have since been replaced by a new AI system: "The information provided by FDA to CNN was mischaracterized and taken out of context. FDA was excited to share the success story of the growth and evolution of its AI tool, Elsa. Unfortunately, CNN decided to lead the story with disgruntled former employees and sources who have never even used the current version of Elsa. The only thing 'hallucinating' in this story is CNN’s failed reporting."

The agency announced the new agentic tool in June, with Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), and Makary writing that AI innovation was a leading priority for the agency in an accompanying Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article. The tool, which examines device and drug applications, was pitched as a solution for lengthy and oft-criticized drug approval periods, following the FDA's launch of an AI-assisted scientific review pilot.

The Trump administration has rallied government agencies behind an accelerated, "America-first" AI agenda, including recent federal guidance to establish FDA-backed AI Centers of Excellence for testing and deploying new AI tools, announced in the government's newly unveiled AI Action Plan. Many are worried that the aggressive push and deregulation efforts eschew necessary oversight of the new tech.

"Many of America’s most critical sectors, such as healthcare, are especially slow to adopt due to a variety of factors, including distrust or lack of understanding of the technology, a complex regulatory landscape, and a lack of clear governance and risk mitigation standards," the action plan reads. "A coordinated Federal effort would be beneficial in establishing a dynamic, 'try-first' culture for AI across American industry."

UPDATE: Jul. 23, 2025, 5:36 p.m. This story was updated with official comment from the Department of Health and Human Services, denying CNN's reporting.

Qi2 was the first major update to the ubiquitous wireless charging standard in 15 years, yet it hasn’t been the huge win everyone expected. The Wireless Power Consortium is hoping to change that with another upgrade: Qi2 25W.

Since adding a Nintendo Switch 2 to my existing handheld collection—with a handheld PC in the mix—it means that many games are available on both devices. Which means that I need to choose where I'm going to buy that title.

Best Lego deals at Macy's Best Lego floral deal Lego Icons Tiny Plants and Flowers $39.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best Lego Star Wars deal Lego Star Wars Acclamator-Class Spaceship $39.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best Lego Friends deal Lego Friends Stargazing Camping Vehicle $23.99 (save $6) Get Deal Best Lego Mario deal Lego Super Mario Kart Baby Mario vs. Baby Luigi $23.99 (save $6) Get Deal Best Lego Classic deal Lego Classic Creative Dinosaur Building Set $27.99 (save $7) Get Deal

Prime Day was only a few weeks ago, but the summer deals haven't dried up (unlike the neighborhood grass). Macy's is celebrating Black Friday in July, and the retailer has plenty to offer, like back-to-school clothing and luggage for those remaining summer trips. They also have some summer essentials on sale, like the Ninja Creami which is one of Mashable's favorite ice cream makers.

If you happen to be a Lego fan, Macy's Black Friday in July sale has hundreds of sets on sale for as much as 40% off. Building a Lego set offers some of the most wholesome fun around, regardless of age, and that's one of the main reasons we're so smitten with Lego sets here at Mashable. If you feel the same, here are some great deals at Macy's. While browsing, keep in mind that now is a great time to start holiday shopping, so you can avoid the chaos of Black Friday sales come November.

Best overall deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Tiny Plants and Flowers $39.99 at Macy's
$49.99 Save $10 Get Deal Why we like it

Winter will be here before we know it, and we'll soon be shopping Black Friday sales the day after Thanksgiving. Once that rolls around, the bright hues of blooming flowers that we see outside right now will be long gone. But Legos offer a great way to keep things in bloom year-round. The Lego Icons Tiny Plants and Flowers set keeps evergreen blooms fresh inside, and this set includes nine potted plants. Keep them all together or spread them out on bookshelves.

While it's 20% off, consider buying a set for yourself and a set for a friend as a holiday gift. This set could also make for great dorm room decor for anyone who's heading off to college soon.

The best home and kitchen deals to shop this week

• Skylight Frame 10-inch Digital Picture Frame — $139.99

• Ninja Crispi Air Fryer — $159.95 (List Price $179.99)

• Birdfy AI Smart Solar Powered Bird Feeder with Camera — $159.99 (List Price $249.99)

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer — $379.95 (List Price $499.99)

• Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop With Self-Emptying Base — $419.99 (List Price $699.99)

SAVE UP TO $22.50: Through July 25, you can pick up a DoorDash gift card for $25, $50, $100, or $150 for 15% off at Target, knocking those prices down to just $21.25, $42.50, $85, or $127.50, respectively.

Opens in a new window Credit: DoorDash DoorDash gift cards Take 15% off gift cards valued from $25 to $150 Get Deal

The best things in life may be free, but the tastiest things in life cost an arm and a leg once you include taxes, fees, and tips. Food delivery prices are outrageous, but you can score more for less if you take advantage of a discounted DoorDash gift card at Target.

Through July 25, you can grab a DoorDash gift card valued from $25 to $150 for 15% off at Target. That means you could score $100 worth of dinner delivered to your door for only $85, $50 for $42.50, $25 for $21.25, or a whopping $150 for $127.50.

SEE ALSO: Get a free $10 Target gift card when you stock up on household essentials you'd buy anyway

All of the pricing tiers except for the $150 gift card are available as both digital and physical gift cards (the $150 option is only physical). Digital gift cards are quicker and easier; they just require an email address and will be sent directly to your inbox a few hours after purchase. You can transfer your digital gift card to someone else if you wish, just as you can with a physical card.

Whether you want to lock in the savings for yourself or bless someone else in your life, meals (and more) delivered to your door for 15% less is a deal worthy of adding to your cart. Act quick, though. These DoorDash gift card deals will disappear Friday.

Best home and kitchen deals

• Skylight Frame 10-inch Digital Picture Frame — $139.99

• Ninja Crispi Air Fryer — $159.95 (List Price $179.99)

• Birdfy AI Smart Solar Powered Bird Feeder with Camera — $159.99 (List Price $249.99)

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer — $379.95 (List Price $499.99)

• Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop With Self-Emptying Base — $419.99 (List Price $699.99)

Touchscreen controls are fine for mobile gaming, but nothing beats that feeling of analog buttons and physical joysticks. Controllers offer superior feedback, and you don't need a console to use one. With a controller connected to your phone or tablet, you’ll never return to the touchscreen again.

SAVE 41%: As of July 23, you can get the Anker Solix C100 Portable Power Station for $469, down from $799, at Amazon. That's a 41% discount and $330 in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station $469 at Amazon
$799 Save $330 Get Deal

If you've ever been caught in a power outage or just wished for a way to power your gear on a camping trip, this deal on an impressive, portable power station is for you.

As of July 23, the Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station is on sale at Amazon for just $469. That’s $330 off and a 41% drop from its regular list price of $799 — but as a limited-time deal, it won't last long.

SEE ALSO: Our tech reporters' favorite Anker charging accessories

The Anker Solix C1000 can go from empty to a full charge in just 58 minutes from a wall outlet. It’s also powerful enough for demanding electronics, with a standard 1800W output that can be boosted to 2400W thanks to its SurgePad feature. That means it can handle things like coffee makers and microwaves without issue.

Another big plus is the battery itself. Anker uses a LiFePO4 battery, which is designed for a 10-year lifespan and can handle 3,000 charge cycles (so this isn't something you'll need to replace in a year or two). You can also keep tabs on everything through the Anker app, which lets you monitor power stats in real-time.

Best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

Home Assistant is the best way to build your own smart home experience, and the Android app is one way to check your devices and update settings. The Home Assistant team has announced a few upcoming updates for the Android app, but those updates will also end support for some ancient devices.

SAVE $15.70: As of July 23, get the Anker 622 magnetic battery for $32.29, down from $47.99, and save 33%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker 622 Magnetic Battery $32.29 at Amazon
$47.99 Save $15.70 Get Deal

I am the queen of letting my phone die while traveling. On a recent trip to New York, after I'd arrived in the city mid-afternoon with a phone already on low battery mode, I realized enough is enough — I needed a travel charger. My pick? The Anker 622 magnetic battery. And did I mention it's on sale right now?

The Anker 622 magnetic battery is a MagSafe charger that clings to phones and powers them up. As of July 23, it's on sale at Amazon for $32.29, down from $47.99. That save you $15.70 for 33% off.

SEE ALSO: The ultra-portable Anker Solix C300 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for under $220

What appealed to me about the Anker 622 wireless charger is the fact that it's cord-free. I wanted a portable charger that I could attach to my phone and keep in my bag while on the go, and the Anker 622 is just that, attaching to my phone inconspicuously while juicing it up. In terms of power banks, this does work more slowly than others I've tried, but it's ideal if you want something super compact.

The 622 holds a little over one charge in the device and can be recharged through a USB-C port. The only issue I've ever run into with the 622 is that it gets pretty warm as it charges. This was never an issue until I went to use it in blazing Dallas heat, and the charger and phone got so overheated it had to pause charging. Otherwise, the 622 is a super portable and easy-to-use charger for those on the go.

Grab the Anker 622 at Amazon now for just $32.29 and save $15.70.

Best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

iOS 26 may be just around the corner, but Apple is already shifting attention to iOS 27 — and its long-rumored foldable iPhone.

According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple is prioritizing iOS 27 development with a focus on features tailored to the upcoming foldable device, which is reportedly set to debut next year. Despite the shift in priorities, Gurman says users shouldn’t worry about a lack of user interface innovation in iOS 27.

SEE ALSO: Foldable iPhone leaks tease new details on camera, specs, display

The foldable iPhone is expected to be a high-end product with a rumored $2,000 price tag, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It will reportedly skip Face ID in favor of Touch ID to save space and will feature a book-style fold, as opposed to Samsung’s flip-style design.

Gurman notes Apple’s design direction is influenced by preferences in the Chinese market, where book-style foldables are more popular.

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) may be full of woe, but Wednesday fans should be full of joy, because Netflix has renewed the series for a third season. The announcement (made on a Wednesday, naturally) comes two weeks before Wednesday Season 2's Aug. 6 premiere, proving Netflix's confidence in the series.

In its first season, Wednesday cemented itself as a smash hit, becoming Netflix's most-streamed English language show of all time. Overall, it's Netflix's second-most streamed series of all time, behind Squid Game.

SEE ALSO: Get this spooky Wednesday Addams Lego set ahead of the season 2 premiere

"It's been a dark delight to watch Wednesday cast her spell over audiences across the globe — one deadpan quip at a time," Wednesday creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said in a press statement. "We're beyond thrilled she'll be returning to stalk the halls of Nevermore in Season 3. This time, she'll unearth more of the school’s sinister secrets — and descend even deeper into the Addams family crypt. Or, as Wednesday would say: 'Nothing brings a family together like a good exhumation.'"

In a statement, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria added, "The undeniable impact of Wednesday resonated immediately with fans worldwide, driving it to the top of our charts as our most popular English language TV show, and sparking cultural trends. We are so proud of Al Gough, Miles Millar, Tim Burton, Jenna Ortega, and the entire Wednesday cast and crew for everything they've accomplished. On the heels of its highly anticipated Season 2 return, we are thrilled to renew the iconic series for a third and to deliver more of what the fans love."

The news of a third season of Wednesday is exciting, but what can viewers expect from Season 2? According to the upcoming season's trailer, Wednesday gets a premonition that her bestie Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) will die — and that Wednesday herself is to blame. Can Wednesday save Enid before it's too late?

Season 2 also promises new guest stars, including Steve Buscemi as Nevermore's new principal, and Lady Gaga as legendary Nevermore teacher Rosaline Rotwood. Bring on the mayhem.

Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 premieres Aug. 6 on Netflix, with Part 2 premiering Sept. 3.

SAVE $120: As of July 23, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (64GB, WiFi) is down to just $209.99, down from $329.99, at Amazon. That's 36% off, and even cheaper than it was on Prime Day.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (64GB, WiFi) $209.99 at Amazon
$329.99 Save $120 Get Deal

If a basic tablet is what you're after, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a solid option that won't break the bank — especially since it's on sale for 36% off.

As of July 23, you can pick up the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite with 64GB of storage and WiFi connectivity for only $209.99, down from $329.99, at Amazon. That's $120 in savings and cheaper than the tablet was two weeks ago on Prime Day.

SEE ALSO: Score $500 off an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra at Best Buy

The Amazon-exclusive tablet launched in 2024 as a reboot of the 2020 tablet of the same name. It's essentially the same tablet, but with an upgraded Exynos processor and Android 14 operating system straight out of the box. We named its predecessor one of our favorite tablets for kids in 2023, and that holds true with the new and improved model. It features an expansive 10.4-inch display with an impressive 2000 x 1200 pixel resolution, weighs just over a pound, and can last for up to 14 hours per charge. It also gives you the ability to switch from kids mode to parents mode with a quick PIN.

While RAM is limited to just 4GB and the processor isn't going to wow you with its speed, it'll still tackle basic tasks with ease. Plus, it's the cheapest way for you to get Samsung's S Pen, making it a more compelling buy. For comparison’s sake, the Apple Pencil costs $79 on its own — you can get the S Pen and the S6 Lite tablet for just $209.99.

Best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

Updated on Thursday, July 24 at 3:40 p.m. ET — Well, it's now official: you can now sign up for the iOS 26 beta. Apple officially opened the beta program for the upcoming version of iOS, set to release this fall. You can read our original article about this topic below.

iOS 26 has the potential to be a pretty cool upgrade, complete with a Liquid Glass design, live translations, and updates to CarPlay and Messages, which we heard about in early June at WWDC 2025. It looks like we're finally about to get access to it.

Apple said iOS 26 public beta would be available in July, according to MacRumors, and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman posted last week that it would likely be released around today — on Wednesday, July 23. And today, in his Power On newsletter, Gurman said that "iOS 26 should go into the public beta phase this coming week."

It makes sense that we'd get iOS 26 soon. After all, previous iOS upgrades were also released in late June or July — iOS 18 was released on July 15, iOS 17 was released on July 12, iOS 16 was released on July 11, iOS 15 was released on June 30, and iOS 14 was released on July 9, according to MacRumors.

SEE ALSO: The 7 iOS 26 features only available for newer iPhones

MacRumors reported that the first public betas released at once will include the iOS 26 public beta and iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, HomePod software 26, and the AirPods firmware update.

In order to access the update, you'll need to be a member of the Apple Beta Software Program. The program is free and anyone can become a member. Keep in mind, these features will be in beta — meaning they might be a bit buggy. As a member of the Apple Beta Software Program, users can provide feedback to Apple about those bugs.

As a reminder, iOS 26 isn't available for all iPhones. You'll need to have the iPhone SE (second generation and beyond only), the iPhone 11, Pro, and Pro Max, the iPhone 12, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max, the iPhone 13, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max, the iPhone 14, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max, the iPhone 15, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max, the iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max, or the iPhone 16e.

If you're a developer, these features are already available for you. As Mashable previously reported, Apple has a free tier of its Developer Program, which allows some users to access those beta features even earlier.

SAVE 85%: As of July 23, you can get your hands on the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni robot vacuum and mop for just $229.99, down from $1,499.99. That's an 85% discount for $1,270 in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ecovacs Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni robot vacuum and mop $229.99 at Woot
$1,499.99 Save $1,270 Get Deal

We found a deal we never thought we'd see on an advanced robot vacuum and mop.

As of July 23, the oh-so-expensive Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni robot vacuum and mop, which typically sells for $1,499.99, is available at Woot for just $229.99. That's $1,270 off for a whopping discount of 85% — and the lowest price we've ever tracked. This deal is only available for about a month or until it sells out, so you'll want to act fast.

When this robot vacuum first came out in September 2023, we were floored by its futuristic OMNI station that offers a completely automated, hands-free cleaning experience. After cleaning, the robot returns to the station to auto-empty its dustbin into a bag that holds up to 90 days of debris. The station then washes the mop pads with hot water (131 degrees Fahrenheit), dries them with hot air to prevent odors, and refills the robot’s onboard water tank.

SEE ALSO: Is this the most advanced robot vacuum in the world? Meet the X2 Omni from Ecovacs

The vacuum's square shape gives it an advantage in cleaning edges and corners, and its performance backs it up. It packs a powerful 8,000Pa of suction and features an extra-long rubber brush that’s ideal for picking up pet hair and crumbs. It uses a combination of dual-laser LiDAR and AI-powered learning to avoid obstacles. Plus, when the robot senses it's on a carpet or rug, it automatically lifts its mop pads by 15mm to avoid getting them wet.

It's rare to find a robot vacuum with this level of power, automation, and intelligence, and it's practically unheard of to find it at this price point.

Best home and kitchen deals

• Skylight Frame 10-inch Digital Picture Frame — $139.99

• Ninja Crispi Air Fryer — $159.95 (List Price $179.99)

• Birdfy AI Smart Solar Powered Bird Feeder with Camera — $159.99 (List Price $249.99)

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer — $379.95 (List Price $499.99)

• Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop With Self-Emptying Base — $419.99 (List Price $699.99)