AllYouCanTech

Recall Alert: Amazon-Only Power Banks Recalled Because of Fire Risk

**Recall of Inui BI-B41 Portable Power Banks Due to Fire Hazards**

Approximately 210,000 budget portable power banks, namely the Inui BI-B41 model, sold only on Amazon USA for around $18, are being recalled. This action comes after reports of 11 incidents where the devices ignited fires, leading to injuries and damage to property. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has verified that these power banks present a notable fire hazard.

### How to Check Your Power Bank

To find out if your power bank is affected by the recall, inspect the serial number found on the back of the device. It is essential to understand that the serial numbers are not unique to individual units but correspond to particular production batches.

The impacted model is the BI-B41, and the following serial numbers (SN) are part of the recall:

– 000G21
– 000H21
– 000I21
– 000L21

If your power bank does not correspond to the BI-B41 model or the serial numbers listed, it is not subject to the recall, and you can continue using it securely.

### What to Do If Yours Is Affected

If your power bank is one of those recalled, take the following actions:

1. **Cease using or charging the power bank immediately.**
2. **Keep it in a cool, dry area.**
3. **Follow the instructions provided

Homey Pro Boosts Speed and Intelligence for Matter Homes Without Raising Prices

**Homey Pro 2026: The Future of Smart Home Hubs**

Today, Homey has introduced the latest Homey Pro 2026, signifying a major advancement in smart home technology. The highlight of this new iteration is the boost in RAM, now at 4GB, while keeping the same price of $399. This improvement is especially significant for users aiming to enhance their smart home configurations.

**What is Homey Pro?**

Homey Pro is an adaptable local smart home hub that accommodates a broad range of communication protocols such as Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and even infrared (IR) devices. This versatility enables users to oversee their entire home through a single interface, making it a compelling choice for those desiring a holistic smart home experience. A primary benefit of Homey Pro is its capacity to execute automation locally, ensuring that routines remain operable even during internet disruptions. This emphasis on privacy ensures that user data stays within the home environment unless directly linked to cloud services.

**Enhanced Performance with Homey Pro 2026**

The Homey Pro 2026 is equipped with a 1.5 GHz quad-core ARMv8 processor, which, alongside the increased RAM, guarantees better performance for larger setups and more intricate automations. The enhancement is anticipated to improve the responsiveness of sophisticated Flows, making the smart home experience more seamless and effective.

Stefan Witkamp, CEO of Athom, highlighted the significance of this upgrade, stating, “By increasing the RAM in Homey Pro 2026, we’re providing users with even greater capacity to expand their smart homes.” This statement reflects the increasing trend of integrating additional devices and automations into smart home ecosystems.

**Matter Bridge for Apple Users**

For Apple users, the Homey Pro acts as a Matter bridge, enabling non-Matter devices like Z-Wave blinds and Zigbee sensors to be incorporated into the Apple Home app. This feature is particularly advantageous for those looking to keep their current devices while reaping the rewards of the most recent smart home innovations.

**Conclusion**

The introduction of the Homey Pro 2026 represents a fantastic opportunity for anyone in the market for a smart home hub. With the rising expenses of RAM due to heightened demand from AI data centers, the extra memory in this model is a significant benefit. Homey has pledged to provide support for both the new Homey Pro and the Early 2023 model with software updates and security enhancements until at least June 2031, ensuring durability and dependability for users.

The new Homey Pro can be purchased at

Improving the Messages Functionality in iOS 26: An Essential Configuration for Better Performance

# Apple’s Messages App: Upgrades in iOS 26 with ‘Screen Unknown Senders’

Apple’s Messages app has seen considerable enhancements with the arrival of iOS 26, bringing a range of new features aimed at improving user experience and minimizing unwanted spam. A prominent addition is the ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ option, created to effectively filter spam texts. While early encounters with this feature may differ, tweaking certain settings can enhance its effectiveness.

## ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ Organizes Your Messages for Spam

As part of its continuous battle against spam, Apple has included the ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ functionality in the Messages app. This feature detects potential spam messages and separates them into a specific section, accessible through an icon located in the upper-right corner of the Messages interface.

A key feature of this tool is that messages marked as spam do not generate push notifications. Instead, they are kept in the ‘Unknown Senders’ section, enabling users to review potential spam at their own pace without interruption from alerts.

Users are free to deactivate ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ altogether, returning to the prior messaging setup. Nevertheless, Apple offers helpful filtering options to customize the feature according to personal preferences.

## Adjusting a Crucial Setting Enhanced Messages Filters for Me

At first, upon utilizing iOS 26, several users, including myself, enabled ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ with its most limiting settings. This setup permitted notifications only for messages considered urgent, such as verification codes or critical alerts.

Gradually, I found it frustrating as I overlooked significant messages from senders I wished to hear from. While considering turning off the feature, I remembered the filtering settings offered within the app’s settings.

By going to Settings ⇾ Apps ⇾ Messages, I stumbled upon the ‘Allow Notifications’ menu under the Unknown Senders category, which only shows up when ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ is activated.

In this menu, users can switch on alerts for four different types of screened messages:

– **Time Sensitive**: Alerts for urgent inquiries and verification codes.
– **Personal**: Messages not sent by businesses or organizations.
– **Transactions**: Updates on orders, receipts, and confirmations.
– **Promotions**: General offers and communications sent to multiple recipients.

Initially, I had simply activated the ‘Time Sensitive’ option, but I recognized that turning on ‘Personal’ would help resolve my issue with missed messages.

Since making this change, the Messages app’s screening capabilities have greatly improved my experience. I now get notifications for messages from genuine contacts while still filtering out undesirable spam. This equilibrium keeps me informed without being bombarded by unnecessary alerts.

## Conclusion

The newly introduced screening tools in Apple’s Messages app, launched in iOS 26, provide an effective method for handling spam while ensuring essential communications aren’t missed. By personalizing notification settings, users can improve their messaging experience and maintain better control over their inbox.

Are you taking advantage of the new screening tools in Messages? Share your thoughts and any tips in the comments.

Shelly Introduces Cost-Effective Matter-Compatible Smart Plug Gen4 Valued Below $20

### The Shelly Plug Gen4: A Revolutionary Advancement in Smart Home Automation

Smart plugs have emerged as essential tools for individuals aiming to improve their smart home journey without the complications usually linked to sophisticated automation systems. The recently launched Shelly Plug Gen4 embodies this movement, presenting an economical and adaptable option for smart home aficionados.

#### Key Features of the Shelly Plug Gen4

One of the prominent characteristics of the Shelly Plug Gen4 is its compatibility with Matter, a universal connectivity standard that enables devices to interact across various ecosystems. This allows the plug to effortlessly merge with major smart home platforms such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant. This interoperability makes it a perfect selection for users who might have gadgets from different manufacturers.

The plug functions over Wi-Fi and Zigbee, offering flexibility in how it connects within a smart home arrangement. It also allows for local control, ensuring users can manage their devices even without an internet connection.

#### Automation and Customization

The Shelly Plug Gen4 is more than just a basic on/off switch; it is crafted to promote automation and energy management. Users can develop custom routines and scripts using JavaScript or leverage pre-existing scripts from the Shelly library. This degree of customization appeals to tech-oriented users who relish modifying their smart home configurations.

Moreover, the plug can manage loads up to 1800 watts, making it appropriate for a diverse array of appliances, from lamps to office equipment, without the danger of tripping circuit breakers.

#### User-Friendly Setup

Establishing the Shelly Plug Gen4 is uncomplicated. Users merely plug it into an outlet, download the Shelly app, and select either local or cloud control options. The app interface is crafted to be intuitive, enabling even novices to smart home technology to navigate it effortlessly.

#### Additional Features

The Shelly Plug Gen4 encompasses a built-in lux sensor, which can initiate automations based on surrounding light levels. This feature is particularly beneficial for creating mood lighting or for practical uses such as turning on lights during dark conditions. The customizable LED ring on the device can also be modified to indicate status or function as a night light, providing an additional layer of functionality.

#### Conclusion

At a cost of under $20, the Shelly Plug Gen4 delivers an impressive range of features that make it an attractive option for anyone wanting to elevate their smart home. Its Matter compatibility, user-friendly nature, and customization possibilities establish it as a significant enhancement to any smart home ecosystem. As users start to receive and experiment with the device, it is expected that the Shelly Plug Gen4 will be recognized as a standout in the domain of smart home automation. For those interested, it is available for acquisition on Shelly’s official website.

Instagram Unveils Fresh Functionalities for Improved Feed Management

### Grasping Instagram’s Updated “Your Algorithm” Feature

A frequently voiced annoyance with algorithm-based applications such as Instagram is that users lack control over their feeds. Instead, they are presented with what the app presumes they wish to view, which often misses the mark. To tackle this concern, Meta has launched a fresh feature named “Your Algorithm,” designed to provide users with greater sway over their content journey.

#### The Change in Instagram’s Strategy

Before this enhancement, Instagram’s Reels feed functioned much like TikTok, showcasing a flow of content driven by algorithmic forecasts without any user involvement. Nevertheless, Meta is now taking measures to modify this situation. As reported by Wired, the new feature enables users to access a list reflecting what Instagram deems their primary and recent interests. This insight into the algorithm marks a significant deviation in social media norms.

#### The Functionality of “Your Algorithm”

With the roll-out of “Your Algorithm,” users can now shape the content they encounter in Reels. Upon entering this new section, users will discover a summary of their interests informed by recent actions within the app. This overview is produced using AI and encompasses subjects that users can opt to see more or less frequently. Illustrative topics might include “Horror films,” “Chess,” and “College football.”

Furthermore, users are empowered to share their algorithmic overview with their Instagram followers, promoting a sense of community and interaction centered around shared passions.

#### Constraints of the Feature

Despite the enhanced control provided by “Your Algorithm,” users cannot entirely break free from the impact of AI. The feature still depends on algorithmic evaluation to establish which interests are showcased, implying that while users can steer their experience, the foundational AI continues to play a substantial role in content organization.

#### Final Thoughts

Meta’s “Your Algorithm” feature marks a crucial advancement towards granting Instagram users more authority over their feeds. By enabling users to view and influence their interests, Meta is responding to a widespread grievance regarding algorithm-guided platforms. As this feature becomes more widely available, it will be intriguing to observe its effects on user engagement and satisfaction within the platform.

Top Downloaded Applications and Games on iPhone in 2025

# Most Downloaded Apps and Games of 2025 in the United States

In a recent update, Apple disclosed the most downloaded apps and games of 2025 in the United States, following the App Store Awards that honored applications for their technical brilliance and cultural significance. This year, the prominent free iPhone app was ChatGPT, while HotSchedules emerged as the leading paid iPhone app.

## Top Free iPhone Apps
1. **ChatGPT**
2. **Threads**
3. **Google**
4. **TikTok – Videos, Shop & LIVE**
5. **WhatsApp Messenger**
6. **Instagram**
7. **YouTube**
8. **Google Maps**
9. **Gmail – Email by Google**
10. **Google Gemini**

## Top Paid iPhone Apps
1. **HotSchedules**
2. **Shadowrocket**
3. **Procreate Pocket**
4. **AnkiMobile Flashcards**
5. **Paprika Recipe Manager 3**
6. **SkyView®**
7. **TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome**
8. **AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch**
9. **Forest: Focus for Productivity**
10. **RadarScope**

## Top Free iPhone Games
1. **Block Blast!**
2. **Fortnite**
3. **Roblox**
4. **Township**
5. **Pokémon TCG Pocket**
6. **Royal Kingdom**
7. **Clash Royale**
8. **Vita Mahjong**
9. **Whiteout Survival**
10. **Last War: Survival**

## Top Paid iPhone Games
1. **Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!**
2. **Balatro**
3. **Heads Up!**
4. **Plague Inc.**
5. **Geometry Dash**
6. **Bloons TD 6**
7. **Stardew Valley**
8. **Papa’s Freezeria To Go!**
9. **Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C**
10. **Red’s First Flight**

## Top Free iPad Apps
1. **YouTube**
2. **ChatGPT**
3. **Netflix**
4. **Disney+**
5. **Amazon Prime Video**
6. **TikTok – Videos, Shop & LIVE**
7. **Google Chrome**
8. **Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF**
9. **Canva: AI Photo & Video Editor**
10. **HBO Max: Stream Movies & TV**

## Top Paid iPad Apps
1. **Procreate**
2. **Procreate Dreams**
3. **forScore**
4. **ToonSquid**
5. **Nomad Sculpt**
6. **Shadowrocket**
7. **AnkiMobile Flashcards**
8. **Bluebeam Revu for iPad**
9. **Teach Your Monster to Read**
10. **Feather: Draw in 3D**

## Top Free iPad Games
1. **Roblox**
2. **Block Blast!**
3. **Fortnite**
4. **Perfect Tidy**
5. **Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game**
6. **Mini Games: Calm & Chill**
7. **Goods Puzzle: Sort Challenge**
8. **hole.io**
9. **Subway Surfers**
10. **Township**

## Top Paid iPad Games
1. **Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!**
2. **Geometry Dash**
3. **Stardew Valley**
4. **Balatro**
5. **Bloons TD 6**
6. **Plague Inc.**
7. **Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C**
8. **Poppy Playtime Chapter 3**
9. **Purple Place – Classic Games**
10. **Papa’s Sushiria To Go!**

## Top Apple Arcade Games
1. **NFL Retro Bowl ’26**
2. **NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition**
3. **Balatro+**
4. **Snake.io+**
5. **Sneaky Sasquatch**
6. **Hello Kitty Island Adventure**
7. **Fruit Ninja Classic+**
8. **Bloons TD 6+**
9. **PGA TOUR Pro Golf**
10. **Solitaire by MobilityWare+**

These rankings illustrate the choices and trends among users, highlighting a blend of productivity, entertainment, and creativity across various app categories. For a comprehensive view, users can check out these lists directly on the App Store.

Adobe Photoshop, Express, and Acrobat Now Available at No Cost on ChatGPT

Beginning today, functionalities from three of Adobe’s key products will be incorporated into ChatGPT, at no cost. Here’s how it works.

Adobe has announced that effective today, users of ChatGPT can send natural language commands to modify images, produce animations, and manage, combine, extract, or edit text and content from PDFs with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Express, and Adobe Acrobat.

The company asserts that while these features effectively showcase the capabilities of its products to users who may not be familiar with their comprehensive tools, they also provide a quicker way to make rapid edits, even for experienced users.

Ely Greenfield, Chief Technology Officer and Digital Media business head at Adobe, remarked on today’s launch, stating that their advancements in conversational interfaces enable the integration of Adobe’s applications into external platforms like ChatGPT. This connectivity allows users to engage in creative tasks—editing images, designing invitations, modifying documents—while offering the accuracy and control characteristic of Adobe’s tools, all within the chat environment. Users can smoothly switch from ChatGPT to Adobe’s native apps for complete functionality.

### Adobe Photoshop on ChatGPT

With this integration, users can upload an image to ChatGPT and request edits, such as modifying brightness levels. If the outcome doesn’t meet expectations, users can manually tweak it using sliders for brightness, contrast, and exposure, similar to the actual Photoshop interface.

ChatGPT and Photoshop can also detect elements in the image, enabling more precise requests, like applying a charcoal drawing effect to an image while omitting certain components. Users can ask for effects like glitch, glow, or motion blur, and receive previews to refine further. If needed, users can hit an “Open in Photoshop” button to access the web-based version of Photoshop directly from ChatGPT.

### Adobe Express for ChatGPT

Users can submit prompts to create design concepts via Adobe Express, such as crafting a birthday card according to particular themes and preferences. Adobe Express will supply several design alternatives, which can be tailored based on user suggestions. Users can also ask for animated versions of their designs, and if desired, they can open the web-based version of Adobe Express for more extensive editing.

### Adobe Acrobat for ChatGPT

Users can upload PDFs to ChatGPT for manual edits or formatting. In addition, users can ask to merge multiple PDFs, and ChatGPT will offer a drag-and-drop interface for effortless organization and editing. Users can also extract text, compress files, or create new versions of PDFs, reflecting the functionalities of the full Adobe Acrobat application.

All features launching today are available for free to all 800+ million ChatGPT users globally. Adobe has confirmed that these integrations are accessible starting on December 10 on ChatGPT desktop, web, and iOS, with Adobe Express for ChatGPT also arriving on Android. Support for Photoshop and Acrobat on Android is forthcoming.

Adobe intends to keep introducing new features to its applications on ChatGPT in the upcoming weeks.

Apple Reportedly Breached US Sanctions by Ignoring App Guidelines

Apple has been charged with breaching U.S. sanctions by permitting various applications from sanctioned firms to persist on its App Store. This discovery emerged from an inquiry by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), which revealed that both Apple and Google featured apps associated with entities sanctioned by the U.S. government, with the issue being more evident in Apple’s case.

The TTP’s discoveries prompt serious doubts regarding Apple’s dedication to keeping the App Store as a “secure and reliable space” for its users, a statement the company has maintained since the App Store’s launch in 2008. Apple has promoted its platform as a safe environment, highlighting its initiatives to thwart fraudulent activities and safeguard users against harmful conduct. Nevertheless, the existence of apps from entities such as Russian banks backing the invasion of Ukraine and a Chinese paramilitary organization accused of human rights violations challenges this assertion.

The investigation disclosed that 52 prohibited apps were located on the Apple App Store, while 18 were detected in Google’s counterpart. Significantly, the developers of these applications did not make an effort to hide their identities, indicating that both companies could have readily recognized and eliminated the offending apps. This circumstance is particularly concerning as it is illegal for U.S. companies to engage in commerce with sanctioned organizations.

Apple’s track record regarding sanctions adherence is also significant. In 2019, the company incurred penalties from the U.S. government for similar infractions and subsequently vowed to improve its sanctions vetting mechanisms. However, the TTP’s latest findings suggest that Apple has not adequately enhanced its compliance practices in the years following.

While Apple contests the assertion that hosting these applications amounts to a violation of U.S. sanctions, it did remove the apps in the wake of the TTP’s report. This scenario highlights the persistent difficulties tech companies confront in reconciling user security with regulatory adherence, especially in a swiftly changing digital environment.

Apple’s Design Decisions Might Hinder Government Attempts to Prohibit iMessage

**Title: The Consequences of Russia’s FaceTime Prohibition and the Unforeseen Shielding of iMessage**

Authoritarian regimes frequently endeavor to regulate the dissemination of information and communication among their populace, particularly via end-to-end encrypted messaging applications. Recently, Russia has made a notable move in this regard by prohibiting FaceTime, citing worries about its role in coordinating terrorist activities. Interestingly, though, the widely used messaging platform iMessage has not encountered a similar ban, provoking speculation about the reasons for this difference.

### Russia’s FaceTime Prohibition

The Russian communications authority, Roskomnadzor, defended the FaceTime prohibition by asserting that law enforcement has recognized its role in enabling terrorist acts, recruitment, and various offenses against citizens. However, the authority failed to present tangible proof to substantiate these claims. FaceTime utilizes end-to-end encryption (E2EE), ensuring that audio and video calls are kept confidential and cannot be intercepted by governmental entities. This security level likely serves as a primary reason for the regime’s choice to limit its use.

### The Enigma of iMessage’s Exemption

Considering that iMessage also employs end-to-end encryption, numerous observers were baffled as to why it wasn’t banned along with FaceTime. One theory suggests that iMessage usage in Russia is relatively minimal, with users preferring alternative messaging platforms. However, a more captivating explanation has surfaced concerning the technical framework of Apple’s services.

### The Technical Rationale

A conversation sparked by Apple commentator John Gruber on social media led to user insights about the potential technical ramifications of blocking iMessage. It was proposed that iMessage traffic is linked with Apple’s Push Notification service (APNs). Therefore, if the government were to prohibit iMessage, it would unwittingly disrupt all push notifications to iOS devices, impacting not just messaging but other essential app functionalities.

This integration might have been a tactical choice by Apple to ensure that telecom carriers could not easily obstruct iMessage, thereby maintaining its functionality and motivating users to choose iPhones. By associating iMessage with push notifications, Apple established a scenario whereby obstructing one would require obstructing the other, making it less likely for carriers or governments to implement such extreme actions.

### Ramifications for Government Control

While the precise motivations behind Apple’s design decisions remain speculative, the possibility of iMessage continuing to function in an oppressive regime underscores a vital aspect of digital communication. The capacity to keep conversations private from government intrusion is essential for safeguarding civil liberties. If the theory regarding the connection between iMessage and push notifications holds true, it could illustrate an unintentional barrier against authoritarian censorship.

### Conclusion

The recent prohibition of FaceTime in Russia highlights the extent to which authoritarian governments will resort to regulate communication. The exemption of iMessage from corresponding restrictions raises inquiries about the interaction between technology, privacy, and governmental control. As digital communication evolves, the repercussions of these developments will be crucial in influencing the future of privacy and freedom of expression within authoritarian settings.

Researchers Examine 3 Million Days of Apple Watch Data to Create Disease-Detection AI

### A Novel Foundation Model for Forecasting Medical Conditions Utilizing Apple Watch Data

A recent investigation by scholars from MIT and Empirical Health has utilized a comprehensive dataset of 3 million person-days gathered from Apple Watch users to create a foundation model adept at predicting various medical conditions with exceptional precision. This groundbreaking method employs the Joint-Embedding Predictive Architecture (JEPA), a concept introduced by Yann LeCun during his time at Meta, which emphasizes inferring the meaning of absent data instead of reconstructing it.

#### Overview of JEPA

JEPA is crafted to tackle the difficulties presented by data gaps. Rather than trying to ascertain the exact values of missing information, the model learns to anticipate what those absent segments signify based on the surrounding context. For instance, in an image with some sections concealed, JEPA would embed both the visible and concealed areas into a unified space, enabling it to deduce the representation of the hidden area without requiring knowledge of its specific contents.

LeCun’s aspiration for JEPA is to develop machines capable of swiftly acquiring internal models of the world, allowing them to plan elaborate tasks and adjust to new circumstances. This architecture has motivated exploration into “world models,” transcending the conventional token-prediction emphasis of large language models (LLMs).

#### The Research: Examining 3 Million Days of Data

The research, entitled “JETS: A Self-Supervised Joint Embedding Time Series Foundation Model for Behavioral Data in Healthcare,” has recently been endorsed at a NeurIPS workshop. It adapts JEPA’s joint-embedding methodology to manage irregular multivariate time-series data, such as the extensive wearable data captured from individuals’ Apple Watches, where metrics like heart rate, sleep, and physical activity may emerge inconsistently.

The dataset included wearable device data from 16,522 individuals, amounting to roughly 3 million person-days. Investigators logged 63 unique time series metrics spanning five categories: cardiovascular health, respiratory health, sleep, physical activity, and general statistics. Remarkably, only 15% of participants had labeled medical histories available for assessment, indicating that conventional supervised learning techniques would have made 85% of the data unserviceable. Instead, the JETS model employed self-supervised pre-training on the entire dataset prior to fine-tuning on the labeled portion.

To effectively manage the data, researchers assembled triplets of observations linked to day, value, and metric type, converting each observation into a token. This token underwent a masking procedure, was encoded, and subsequently transmitted through a predictor to estimate the embeddings of the missing information.

#### Evaluation and Consequences

The JETS model was assessed against baseline models, including an earlier version grounded in the Transformer architecture, utilizing metrics such as AUROC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic) and AUPRC (Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve). JETS delivered notable outcomes, with an AUROC of 86.8% for high blood pressure, 70.5% for atrial flutter, 81% for chronic fatigue syndrome, and 86.8% for sick sinus syndrome, among others.

It is crucial to recognize that AUROC and AUPRC are not direct indicators of accuracy but instead signify how effectively a model can rank or prioritize probable cases. The study underscores the potential of innovative models and training methodologies to extract meaningful insights from wearable data, even when it is incomplete or inconsistent.

In summary, this investigation showcases the potential of advanced modeling techniques in optimizing the usage of data obtained from commonplace wearable devices such as the Apple Watch. The results indicate that even irregular health metrics can offer significant insights into individuals’ health, paving the way for enhanced predictive healthcare solutions. For more information, the complete study can be accessed