After its announcement last June 2025, Apple publicly released iOS 26 for users in September. As the new features and updates face both criticism and praise, Apple consistently receives it well.

While Apple continue to enhance the user experience of their devices, the new features of the upcoming iOS 26.1 update makes everyone excited.

iOS 26.1 is now available for developers and beta testers, and will soon be released to the public. While this version won’t receive the new Siri update, many other changes to the interface and new features will be introduced.

Most importantly, Apple’s latest revolutionary UI technology, Liquid Glass, receives a new setting. Users can now switch between "Clear" and "Tinted" options for Liquid Glass. While the first option retains the default liquid glass transparency, the latter increases opacity and contrast.

The second major addition is the option to toggle Camera access from the lock screen. The only way to avoid unwanted photos by anybody who gets a hold of your phone is to disable the camera application entirely. However, Apple now offers an option to enable or disable camera access from the lock screen.

Another update to the interface comes in the form of sliding options for Alarms and Apple Music. When an alarm is ringing, users will now see a sliding "Stop" option instead of a tap button. As for Apple Music, users can now skip to the next or previous song by simply sliding left or right where the song title appears.

The Apple TV app icon undergoes a slight change. The white area in the logo now features a subtle colored tint at the bottom. The streaming service will reportedly change from "Apple TV+" to simply "Apple TV," mirroring the name of the app.

Other minor changes will be seen in the Settings app, Fitness app, Photos app, Phone keypad, and Safari app. There are also slight tweaks to display accessibility settings, the Liquid Glass setting, and wallpaper settings.

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If anybody wants to guess the purpose of any given futuristic humanoid robot, they only need to look at its hands. Last week, a pair of videos released by Boston Dynamics and Figure AI provided clear examples that certain tasks simply require much more "human touch."

In the first case, Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics showed off a new pair of "grippers" for its trimmed-down Atlas factory robot. (Readers familiar with the company may be more familiar with Atlas' older, beefier predecessor).

The claw-like, three-digit pincer features three fingers, one functioning as an extra-long thumb, a combination particularly well suited for pinching and holding objects. Though Atlas was designed to resemble a person in other ways, its hands aren’t exactly one-to-one. Instead, company engineers said, the design was optimized for sorting, packing, and handling objects—all tasks Atlas would need to perform repeatedly in a factory or warehouse setting.

"The goal is to apply as little force as possible while maintaining a stable grasp," Atlas mechanical engineer Karl Price said.

That’s in sharp contrast to the much more seemingly human-like robot hands unveiled by Figure last week. In a flashy video announcing the launch of its knitwear-wearing "Figure 03" model, the company showcases its robots performing delicate tasks like watering a plant, washing dishes, and gently handing a glass of water to their human overlords.

Similar to Tesla with its egg-fondling Optimus robot, Figure has made it clear it envisions a future for humanoid robots in the home. The company describes its latest model as a "general-purpose humanoid robot for everyday use."

But the everyday tasks listed above, as well as many others required of a functional robot butler, pose different engineering challenges than those faced by a machine designed to sort boxes all day. The hands, in other words, offer a clearer glimpse into a robot’s larger place in the world.

Hands might be one of the hardest human body parts to accurately replicate in robotic form. Each one contains more than 30 muscles and 27 joints, enabling 27 degrees of freedom. They also have over 17,000 touch receptors and nerve endings, allowing us to perform a wide variety of actions—from tapping on a keyboard and delicately writing with a pen to hoisting a heavy barbell.

And while robot hands and advanced prosthetic limbs have made significant progress in recent years, none come close to the sophistication, reliability, and innate simplicity of a human hand. That presents a major challenge for humanoid robots, which are increasingly being pitched as tools to augment, or replace, human labor.

"The majority of the hand-led motor actions in these sectors require not only precise movements but also adaptive responses to unpredictable variables such as irregular object shapes, varying textures, and dynamic environmental conditions," University of Florida Professor of Civil Engineering Eric Du told the BBC in an interview earlier this year.

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The iPhone 17 launch has faced some mixed reactions so far, with Apple's latest smartphones leaving some users salty despite being well received by reviewers. the iPhone 17 Pro is Apple off its leash as a camera and performance powerhouse. But then came the issues.

First, there was scratch-gate, where users complained that the mostly aluminum chassis of the new phones were easily damaged, though Apple dismissed that as nothing more than some MagSafe charging stands rubbing off on the phones. Now, though, there's a new problem dogging these top-tier handsets.

According to some users, iPhone 17 models are plagued by cellular connectivity issues. The issues appear to persist across carriers, meaning customers on AT&T fare no better than those on Verizon or other networks.

iPhone owners are seeing dropped calls, missed or unsent messages, and difficulty getting a signal even in areas where other phones get solid coverage. Wi-Fi seems affected, too, with some users reporting connection drops immediately after unlocking.

The problem is reportedly so widespread that Apple's support representatives are acknowledging it in conversations with affected users. That's more concerning than it sounds, since the company has been reluctant to confirm issues as widespread. In one case, a user was offered a return. However, the cause of the issue is unclear.

Apple adopted an upgraded antenna system for the iPhone 17 lineup, along with a brand new first-party wireless networking chip. Meanwhile, iOS 26 is a total visual overhaul for the iPhone's interface, and bugs are bound to accompany that level of change. Here's what we know so far about the iPhone 17's most annoying issue.

Apple is no stranger to iPhone issues, especially with connectivity problems. Way back in 2010, the iPhone 4 was famously beset by similar frustrations, with the phones suffering a signal drop while holding the phone. The debacle was dubbed Antennagate, and it concluded with a quote from CEO Steve Jobs that haunted Apple for years: "Just avoid holding it that way." The characteristically terse response enraged customers, and Apple ended up shipping free bumper cases to those affected to alleviate the issue until a software fix could be pushed.

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At the end of a two-hour Magic8 Pro launch, Honor finally revealed something far stranger than a smartphone. They showed off their "Robot Phone," a concept device that blends AI, robotics, and mobile design into what it calls a "new species" of technology.

Honor described the device as one that "will integrate AI-powered multi-modal intelligence, robotic functionality, and advanced handheld imaging capabilities."

The company added that "as a new species of AI device, the Honor Robot Phone will redefine future human-machine interaction and coexistence."

The teaser video that followed showed a device straight out of a sci-fi film, something between Wall-E and BB-8, with a camera that giggles and swivels on command.

The Robot Phone is not an incremental upgrade or new model. Honor claims it represents an entirely new category of device, one that "positions Honor at the forefront of AI device innovation."

The company even described it as an "emotional companion" that "senses, adapts, and evolves autonomously like a robot, enriching its users’ lives with love, joy, and wisdom."

In the CGI video, the phone’s main feature is a gimbal-mounted camera that pops out from the rear.

The motorized arm allows it to move freely and capture photos or videos from nearly any angle. The camera can even look around when the phone is placed face down, giving the impression that it’s aware of its surroundings.

Honor’s promo depicts the Robot Phone doing everything from entertaining children and taking selfies to skydiving and gazing at the stars.

It even reacts with sound effects, a mix of "wheee, ohhhh, bleep, and coooo," that make it feel like a cross between R2-D2 and Grogu from Star Wars.

Beneath the theatrics, the Robot Phone hints at an evolution in how humans interact with AI.

The device could extend visual search features seen in products like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses or Google’s Circle to Search.

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This one bends, stretches, and slithers, just like a creature straight out of a Marvel movie. It was developed by researchers. It is a super agile robot that can shapeshift using a special electro-morphing gel, mimicking the fluidity and adaptability of the comic book anti-hero Venom.

Created by scientists at the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London, this soft, jelly-like humanoid gymnast showcases unprecedented flexibility in motion and form.

The breakthrough introduces an electro-morphing gel (e-MG) that enables robots to change shape and move with lifelike agility.

Unlike traditional rigid robots, the e-MG model can contort its limbs, twist its body, and even swing across surfaces.

This remarkable flexibility comes from the e-MG’s unique ability to respond to electric fields. When voltage is applied through ultralight electrodes, the gel reshapes itself, bending, stretching, or contracting based on the desired motion.

Study lead author Ciqun Xu, Research Associate at the University of Bristol School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, said: "Soft robotics is an exciting and rapidly advancing field, both here in Bristol and worldwide. Our e-MG robot, which resembles something straight out of science fiction, marks an exciting breakthrough that paves the way for further progress in soft robotics."

Soft robots have long promised a gentler, more adaptable approach to automation, but their performance has often been hampered by slow response times and limited morphing capabilities.

This contrasts with previous magnetic micro robots requiring heavy, bulky and expensive electromagnets.

By constructing the e-MG robot from a soft polymer composite incorporating nanocrystalline conductors, it can be manipulated remotely by electric fields with a high level of control and body morphing.

The e-MG robot changes that. Its electroactive gel structure allows for rapid, multidirectional motion without bulky external magnets or mechanical components.

In tests, the robot performed large-scale deformations and complex movements beyond the limits of current designs. It maintained consistent performance across 10,000 actuation cycles, proving both its endurance and stability.

The e-MG’s versatility could make it a valuable addition across industries, including medical wearables, rescue robotics, and deep-space exploration.

The geometry of an e-MG robot can be tailored to specific application scenarios.

Its geometry can be tailored for specific scenarios, and in one demonstration, the humanoid gymnast robot used its flexible limbs to swing along a ceiling for locomotion.

Researchers say the material can even be integrated with rigid robotic parts to create hybrid machines suited for complex, high-stress environments.

Ciqun added, "The potential applications of soft robotics are as broad as they are exciting. From space exploration to wearable devices and healthcare, soft robotics can push the boundaries of what is possible."

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Many people thought that AI can only help them write, create content, and organize information. However, the tech can do more than that. They can help protect your wallet.

AI is being utilized by banks nationwide to help detect potentially fraudulent transactions. Experts have said the technology’s capacity for pattern recognition makes it ideal for spotting unusual activity.

"Banks have done this for some time with human resources. They get alerts, they have to look at every single one. Many of them are normal, so that’s wasting valuable research," said Abrigo Compliance Director, Terri Luttrell. "Where an AI applied technique will say, 'okay, these are all normal. I can see this is the pattern. No human intervention is needed.'"

Luttrell said for more complex issues, transactions can be flagged for further analysis. In these instances, she says the human eye for detail can be necessary. Experts have said AI is proving to be a valuable resource in combatting fraud efforts from scammers utilizing AI themselves. They said the financial landscape has become an arms race in terms of outmaneuvering AI-powered fraud attempts.

"There’s AI deepfakes where they will impersonate a family member and they will have some sort of crisis situation where you need to send money right away," said Fort Knox Bank Founder, Erik Beguin. "The scams run the gamut. They’re coming in via phone calls, via emails, every possible way."

While modern tech has been used in some instances to gain access to sensitive information, that same tech is being utilized to help keep consumers’ finances safe.

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