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Apple has unveiled iOS 26, its new operating system for the iPhone. The new software brings many changes and advancements with it, including an all-new transparent design language called Liquid Glass, which allows background colors of content on your iPhones screen to show through interface elements like buttons and toolbars. iOS 26 is also introducing other useful features, including major improvements to the way the iPhone handles phone calls, a dedicated gaming app, enhancements to its artificial intelligence offerings, updates to Messages and Maps, and more. However, while Apple has now showcased iOS 26, not everyone can get their hands on it yet. Some can download iOS 26 today, while others will need to wait until later in the summeror into the fall. Heres when and how you can download iOS 26. iOS 26 developer beta: download it now Apple unveiled iOS 26 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, June 9. That day, the company made what is known as the iOS 26 Developer Beta immediately available for download onto iPhones. However, as the developer beta moniker suggests, this version of iOS 26, which is now available, is only accessible to registered Apple developers. The good news is that anyone can register for the Apple Developer Program (membership costs $99 per year). But unless youre an actual developer, its best to stay clear of the iOS 26 Developer Beta. The reason for this is that developer betas are notoriously buggy. In fact, one of the primary purposes of a beta program is to allow users to identify and report bugs, enabling Apple to fix them before the software is released to the general public. And some bugs can be nastyleading to lost data or even damaged devices. Thats why, unless you are an actual developer making apps for iOS, its best to steer clear of the iOS 26 Developer Beta. iOS 26 public beta: download it in July The good news is you dont have to be a developer to beta test iOS 26. Apple also offers a public Apple Beta Software Program that allows anyone who signs up for it to get early access to beta software, including iOS 26. This iOS 26 beta, released through the Apple Beta Software Program, is colloquially known as the iOS 26 Public Beta. This beta is generally safer to use than the Developer Beta, but Apple releases it after it has had the chance to fix some of the critical bugs that developers report finding in the Developer Beta. That bad news about the iOS 26 Public Beta is that Apple wont release it to the public until July. The public beta is also updated a few weeks later than the Developer Beta, which means developers get any beta improvements first, while public beta testers will have to wait a while longer (again, this is primarily done to protect public beta testers from any critical bugs). Anyone can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program for free, which will then enable you to install the iOS 26 Public Beta when Apple releases it next month. iOS 26 general release: download it in September If putting potentially buggy software on your phone doesnt appeal to you, then youll want to wait for what is referred to as the iOS 26 general release. This is the finished version of iOS 26.0 that Apple will release to iPhone owners everywhere in the fall. The general release is a thoroughly tested piece of software that has (at least in theory) all of the critical bugs fixed and most of the minor bugs, too. Its the safest version of iOS 26 to put on your iPhone and is the release that Apple considers the finished version. Apple has historically made the general release of the latest iOS available for download in September, and we expect Apple to continue that trend this year.
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E-Commerce
These days, on any stretch of highway, youre likely to encounter an assortment of electric vehicles, from passenger cars to buses, trucks, and motorcycles. Likely absent? An electric RV. This is a tall order for three main reasons, according to McKay Featherstone, senior vice president of global innovation at the RV manufacturer Thor Industries: RVs need to travel long distances without stopping, U.S. EV chargers aren’t always readily available along highways, and many drivers want to enjoy their vehicle off-grid. This year, a Thor subsidiary is set to debut the countrys first-ever hybrid electric RV, and Featherstone says it solves those problems in one fell swoop. Thors prototype hybrid RV, a 2024 test model made in collaboration with the EV company Harbinger Motors, is a Class A motorhome (essentially a truck and home in one). Its hybrid construction means it works like a regular EV, with an added gas generator that can charge its batteries in a pinch. Other companies, like Lightship and Grounded EV, are currently focused on making electric RVs for the U.S. market (the company Bowlus has a luxury model that’s commercially available), but Thor believes its new vehicle will be the first-ever hybrid model in the country. Thor’s hybrid RV delivers 150 miles of electric range and 500 miles with the gas range extendermore than double the average range of EV vans and trucks in the U.S. It can charge at any campsite hookup, and all of its amenities can be powered up off-grid. The generator can provide electricity so you can go further down the road, or so you can stay at the campsite longer, Featherstone says. Harbinger helped Thor modify an existing electric chassis design into a hybrid model tailored to the dimensions of the RV. The chassis is a series powertrain, meaning that all of the energy used by the vehicle comes from the RVs 800-volt lithium-ion batteries. As long as the batteries have some charge, all of the RVs systems will be functional, including heating, cooling, and lights. Featherstone says the hybrid chassis will be available to Thors subsidiary companies, including brands like Airstream, Jayco, and Tiffin. The first commercially available model is expected to debut sometime this year. Explore the full list of Fast Companys World Changing Ideas, 100 inspiring projects that are making the world more accessible, equitable, and sustainable for everyone.
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E-Commerce
In 2012, when a tree fell on her familys car, Jessie Owens life transformed. Both of her parents died, and the then-27-year-old Owen was paralyzed. I lost everything overnight: my independence, career, home, she says. And its hard to rank them, but losing my autonomy to control my own body was up there. Her spinal cord injury left her with some limited movement, but fine motor skills were especially challenging. Then, a few years ago, she took part in a clinical study of new technology: a device called ARC-EX, which temporarily attaches electrodes to the skin to stimulate sensory nerves in the spine. After a few weeks of therapy, Owen could tie her shoes, open a jar of peanut butter, and drink from a glass without a straw. Theres a quiet dignity in needing less help, she says. Results of the study appeared in <i>Nature Medicine</i> last year, showing improvements in hand strength or function among 90% of participants. Owen also saw her blood pressure stabilize, and she no longer had neuropathic pain. In the past, after an injury, patients with quadriplegia typically got three months of rehab and were then told nothing more could be done. The study showed it was possible to help people with 34-year-old injuries. The device, which spun out of research at UCLA, became the first of its kind to get FDA clearance last December. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the medical tech company Onward is bringing ARC-EX to market, with plans to use it at 10 clinics before it becomes widely available later this year. The company is also running studies on an implantable version and a third platform with a brain-computer interface that can help people move again using their thoughts. Explore the full list of Fast Companys World Changing Ideas, 100 inspiring projects that are making the world more accessible, equitable, and sustainable for everyone.
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E-Commerce
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