Inside China’s Great Firewall with Jackson Sippe

China’s Great Firewall is often spoken about but is rarely understood. It is one of the most sophisticated and opaque censorship systems on the planet, and it shapes how over a billion people interact with the global internet, influences the design of privacy and proxy tools worldwide, and continues to evolve in ways that challenge

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The New MacBook Pro Remains Incredibly Fast

Apple’s flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro has reigned supreme in the world of creator-focused laptops since its M-series processor overhaul in 2021. Since then, we’ve mostly seen the same design with year-over-year chip bumps and small refinements. “If it ain’t broke,” right? If you want to know everything about this machine, you can read our review […]

Oeuf: A Challenging Platformer Wrapped in Comfort

The funny shape of eggs is the curious lifeblood of Oeuf, the new physics platformer by prolific developer Increpare Games. In a gaming landscape saturated with complex systems dropped into simple games, that grapples with metaphor within straightforward narratives, and that is desperate to bring cinematic sensibilities into gaming, Oeuf only asks that you briefly […]

Apple Unveils 13 New Features for iPhone in iOS 26.4 Update

Apple has unveiled the initial iOS 26.4 RC build, bringing 13 upgrades for iPhone users. This update is projected to be publicly released next week, with iOS 26.5 expected to include Gemini-powered Siri and Apple Intelligence features in the beta phase.

### iOS 26.4 Release Notes

The update features notable enhancements, bug fixes, and security improvements, prominently showcasing Playlist Playground and Concerts in Apple Music, along with eight additional emoji.

#### Apple Music Enhancements
– **Playlist Playground (beta)**: Creates a playlist based on user-provided descriptions, complete with a title, description, and tracklist.
– **Concerts**: Assists users in discovering local concerts from artists in their library and suggests new artists tailored to their listening patterns.
– **Offline Music Recognize**: Recognizes songs without requiring internet access, providing results automatically once connectivity is restored.
– **Ambient Music Widget**: Curates playlists for Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing directly on the Home Screen.
– **Full-Screen Backgrounds**: Offers a more immersive experience for album and playlist views.

#### Accessibility Improvements
– **Reduce Bright Effects**: Diminishes bright flashes when interacting with elements such as buttons.
– **Subtitle and Caption Settings**: Conveniently accessible via the captions icon during media playback for easy customization and previewing.
– **Reduce Motion Setting**: More effectively decreases animations for users who are sensitive to screen motion.

#### Additional Enhancements
– **New Emoji**: Eight fresh emojis, which include an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face.
– **Freeform Updates**: Gains advanced tools for image creation and editing, alongside a premium content library.
– **Urgent Reminders**: Users can designate reminders as urgent from the Quick Toolbar or by long-pressing, with filtering options in Smart Lists.
– **Purchase Sharing**: Permits adult members of Family Sharing groups to utilize their personal payment methods for purchases.
– **Improved Keyboard Accuracy**: Enhancements made for swift typing.

iOS 26.4 is currently accessible as a release candidate for beta testers, with the official launch likely next week. For an extensive overview of the new features, refer to 9to5Mac’s coverage.

Kodiak CEO: Self-Driving Trucks Are Only Part of the Challenge

This year is shaping up to be a big one for self-driving trucks. In addition to Aurora’s plan to deploy hundreds of autonomous big rigs and Waabi expanding into robotaxis, you’ve also got Kodiak AI aiming to launch its own fully driverless long-haul freight operation by the end of 2026. While robotaxis may still win […]

Gemini Task Automation: Slow, Clunky, Yet Remarkably Impressive

I’ve been testing out Gemini’s new task automation on the Pixel 10 Pro and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which for the first time lets Gemini take the wheel and use apps for you. It’s limited to a small subset right now – a handful of food delivery and rideshare services – and it’s still in […]

A Leading Candidate for Film of the Year

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 120, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, get ready for Pen Opinions, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been reading about Banksy and music apps and influencer agents, watching […]

Frequent Errors to Steer Clear of When Recharging Your Electric Vehicle’s Battery

more affordable to operate an EV compared to a gasoline vehicle is thrilling, yet there are constraints on how, when, and where you can safely charge your EV. Unlike the straightforward process of refilling a gas tank, charging is inherently linked to the vehicle’s electrical systems, meaning that certain habits can affect the battery health and software management of your electric vehicle.

Fortunately, current EV charging technology is secure, with numerous safeguards incorporated into both your vehicle and the charger to avert significant issues. However, this does not imply you can simply connect without any concern, as there are potential mistakes you could make unknowingly. For instance, one of the most commonly overlooked issues occurs within the cabin itself when drivers attempt to start the EV while it remains connected.

Understanding the behaviors that could harm your EV and correcting them before incurring hefty repair costs is crucial. On a positive note, many of the frequent errors that owners commit while charging their EVs are quite easy to prevent. By adhering to some straightforward guidelines, like refraining from using a cable during inclement weather or steering clear of certain actions while the vehicle is connected, you will be contributing to the longevity of your car.

1. Employing damaged cables or unapproved EV chargers