Latest News

Apple released the second iOS 17.5 beta to public beta testers on Wednesday, a day after the company released the beta to developers and more than a month after the release of iOS 17.4. The latest beta brings a handful of new features, like more ways for people in the European Union to download apps, to the iPhones of some developers and beta testers.

We recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary device. Because this isn’t the final version of iOS 17.5, these features might be buggy and battery life may be short, and it’s best to keep those troubles on a secondary device.

If you’re a developer or public beta tester, here are some of the new features you might find in iOS 17.5 beta 1. Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 17.5, so there could be more features landing on your iPhone when iOS 17.5 is released. There’s no word on when Apple will release iOS 17.5 to the public yet.

Read more: You Should Really Download iOS 17.4.1 Right Now

More ways for people in the EU to download apps

With iOS 17.5 beta 2, Apple now allows people in the EU to download apps from a developer’s website. Apple posted an online guide that could help developers distribute their apps over the web.

“In eligible regions, you can distribute approved, non-marketplace apps from your website,” Apple writes. “To distribute your app, fill out a webform that outlines the qualifications, and if approved, Apple enables you to download a framework that facilitates the secure installation of your app from your website.”

This guide also says developers need to use iOS 17.5 beta 2 or later to enable web distribution of their apps.

Developers also have to opt into new App Store business terms for the EU and pay a 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee for every first-time app installation over 1 million in the past 12 months. But Apple gives developers the first 1 million first-time app installations for free.

“Membership in the Apple Developer Program includes one million first annual installs per year for free for apps distributed from the App Store, Web Distribution, and/or alternative marketplaces,” Apple writes.

Apple announced this capability on March 12, alongside other EU-specific developer features, like the ability to choose the design of in-app promotions.

This is the latest EU-specific feature to come to the iPhone. When Apple released iOS 17.4 in March, a big part of that update was allowing people in the EU to download alternate app stores in order to comply with the region’s Digital Markets Act.

Podcast widget changes color

With iOS 17.5 beta 1, your Podcast widget will change color depending on the artwork of whatever podcast you’re listening to at the moment. So if the podcast you’re listening to has red artwork, the widget will turn red.

This aesthetic feature was in some early iOS 17.4 betas, but Apple removed it from that update’s public release. In iOS 17.4, Apple also brought transcripts to podcasts, which makes the audio media more accessible for more people.

Books app counter tool

It appears iOS 17.5 beta 1 also wants to help people achieve their reading goals. With the update, the Books app gets a counter in the top right corner of the app’s homepage. If you tap this counter, the app takes you to your Reading Goals menu. This menu shows you how much time you’ve spent reading today. There’s also a button here that reads Explore the Book Store which opens the Book Store.

At first, Books sets your daily reading goal for five minutes a day, but you can change this goal to anywhere between 1 minute or the absurd 1,440 minutes (24 hours) a day — I like to read, but that feels a little aggressive.

New puzzle game Quartiles for Apple News Plus subscribers

Apple’s iOS 17.5 beta 1 also introduces a new puzzle game to the News app for Apple News Plus subscribers, called Quartiles. At the start of each puzzle, you are given a grid of 20 tiles that have parts of words on them, like “te” and “tra”. You then have to combine these tiles to form different words. Words can be between one and four tiles long, but each grid can be made into five four-tile words — you get the most points by combining the tiles this way.

If you subscribe to Apple News, which costs $13 ( 13, AU$20) a month, you can find Quartiles by going to News > Following > Puzzles and swiping the carousel at the top of the screen. You can also scroll down the Puzzles page to find Quartiles below the Crossword Minis.

Read more: How to Play Daily Crossword Puzzles in Your iPhone’s News App

Those are a few of the new features some developers and beta testers will see in the first iOS 17.5 beta. That doesn’t mean these are the only features coming to the next iOS update, or that these changes will stick when iOS 17.5 is released to the public. As of now, there’s no word on when Apple will release iOS 17.5.

For more on iOS 17, here’s what to know about iOS 17.4.1. You can also check out what was included in iOS 17.4 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

One of the easiest ways to upgrade your home theater setup is to ditch the in-TV speakers and splash out on a new soundbar. But buying a great soundbar normally means spending a lot of money, especially if you’d previously looked at something like the Hardman Kardon Citation MultiBeam 700. That soundbar would normally sell for around $1,000, but today you can get an incredible 80% off that price. That means that you’ll pay just $200 for this product, and you won’t have to lift a finger to do it. That means that there are no codes or coupons here. Do note that the price will show $230 until you add your new soundbar to the cart though, at which point it’ll be reduced even further.

Despite the $200 asking price, this soundbar is still available in black or white, so make sure to pick the one you prefer before adding it to your cart. They’re both the same on the inside, offering room-filling surround sound without the need for more speakers and wires. That’s be the MultiBeam technology at work, and it’s designed to create a wider soundstage no matter what you’re watching or playing.

Setting your new soundbar up is quick and easy thanks to support for Google Home, while wireless options include Apple AirPlay as well as access to more than 300 music streaming services. What’s more, the MultiBeam 700 supports HDMI ARC so you can integrate it with almost any TV including all the very best, too.

This could well be one of the best soundbar deals around right now, so don’t sleep on it. Any delay does mean that you risk missing out — we’re told the deal will end at the end of the month.

If you’re in the market for a new iPhone or Apple Watch, you’ve probably already taken a good hard look at those prices. Nobody ever accused either product line of being cheap, and that’s why taking advantage of an iPhone deal when it comes up is vital. The same goes for Apple Watch deals for that matter, but sometimes buying a refurbished model is the way to go. Woot is currently offering a number of refurbished iPhones and Apple Watches with prices starting from just $140, but not for long — these deals end on April 24. It’s also possible that individual deals could come to an end sooner if stocks run dry, too.

There are so many different deals here that we can’t possibly get into all of them, but there are still some that are worth pointing out. Those looking to spend the very least will note the Apple Watch SE for just $140 and the iPhone X for $180, but there are plenty of options further up the food chain as well.

The still-excellent iPhone 14 starts at $475 with multiple colors and storage capacity options available, while an Apple Watch Series 7 costs just $185 right now. There are, of course, plenty of options in between as well, so be sure to peruse the full list before you plan any orders.

Woot says that these products have been inspected, and, in the case of Grade-A items, are guaranteed to have minimal cosmetic damage. Batteries have also been tested to ensure they’re fit for purpose as well. You can’t always say that when you buy a refurbished device from a local reseller, can you?

Heineken is the latest company attempting to take us back to a time before the smartphone. The beer-maker, in collaboration with fashion brand Bodega and device-maker HMD, is launching the Boring Phone, a transparent flip phone designed primarily for making calls and sending text messages — just like in the old days.

Based on Heineken’s press release, it’s unclear exactly what the phone can and can’t do (some modern flip phones can download versions of smartphone apps). But it does say the phone “is unable to download social media or other apps that take away from being present.” The phone will debut at Milan Design Week on April 18, and an app for modern smartphones that makes them “boring” is also slated for a June launch.

The Boring Phone is the latest effort to capitalize on two trends that have been in the spotlight recently: vintage tech and “digital detoxing,” a term used to describe disconnecting or scaling back from smartphones and technology. At Mobile World Congress in February, for example, HMD, which makes Nokia-branded phones, also teamed up with Mattel on a Barbie-inspired flip phone, a nostalgia-baiting product that hearkened back to simpler days.

So far, it seems like HMD’s commitment to flip phones has been paying off. Sales of HMD phones with basic call and texting functionality increased in 2022, according to Euronews, showing that there is demand for simpler devices. The Light Phone, a tiny, minimalist device that lacks modern features like a web browser, email, camera and social media, also helped bring so-called “dumb phones” into the spotlight in recent years.

The Boring Phone is brimming with nostalgia, from its transparent design to its simplistic keypad and classic green screen. If you grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, this flip phone may bring back memories of the Atomic Purple Gameboy Color or vintage iMacs. It should last for a week in standby mode on a single charge and provides 20 hours of talk time, according to the press release.

While it’s undoubtedly a marketing ploy, the Boring Phone’s launch also comes as there has been more attention paid to the effects of excessive screen time and social media. A report from Reviews.org, for example, found that Americans check their phones 144 times per day, and 60% sleep with their phones at night.

Following the announcement that hackers had stolen the personal information of 73 million current and former AT&T customers, the telecommunications giant is now notifying 7.6 million current customers that they can sign up for one free year of credit monitoring and identity theft detection.

The stolen data, including Social Security numbers, appears to be from 2019 or earlier, AT&T said in a statement, and includes account information for approximately 65.4 million former customers and 7.6 million current account holders.

The leak first came to light in 2021, when hackers claimed they’d stolen customer data from AT&T and would put the information up for sale. Fast-forward to March 2024, the stolen personal information was discovered on the dark web, according to Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned.

In response, AT&T said it has contacted the 7.6 million current customers and has reset their passcodes. Whether you’re in the smaller set of current customers or the larger group of former account holders who think their data has been stolen in the breach, you can take steps to potentially lessen the damage of the breach. Read on for what you can do. AT&T didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

For more, here’s our picks for the best identity theft protection and monitoring services and how Consumer Report’s permission slip can help you take control of your online data.

What to know about the AT&T data leak

AT&T on March 30 said that personal information of 73 million current and former customers was leaked in mid-March to the dark web. The company said the stolen information appears to be from 2019 or earlier, and it does not know if the information came from AT&T or one of its vendors.

What personal information was stolen in the AT&T breach?

According to AT&T, which customer and account data was stolen may vary by account, but thieves had access to customers’ full name, email address, mailing address, phone number, Social Security number, date of birth, AT&T account number and passcode. AT&T said the information doesn’t appear to contain personal financial information or call history.

What’s AT&T doing for customers whose data was stolen?

In addition to resetting passcodes, AT&T said it is providing the 7.6 million customers whose accounts were breached identity-theft and credit-monitoring services through Experian’s IdentityWorks for one year for free.

What is an AT&T passcode?

A customer’s passcode is essentially a numerical PIN and is usually four digits. A passcode is different from a password and is required to complete an AT&T installation, perform personal account functions by phone or contact technical support by phone, AT&T said.

How to reset your AT&T passcode

AT&T said it has already reset the passcodes for those active accounts where data was stolen but recommends if you haven’t changed your passcode in the past year, you should change yours as a precaution. Here’s how to change your AT&T passcode.

1. Head to your myAT&T Profile. Sign in, if asked. (If you have extra security enabled and can’t sign in, AT&T says, choose Get a new passcode)
2. Scroll to My linked accounts
3. Select Edit for the passcode you want to update
4. Follow the prompts to finish up

Where can you check if you are part of the AT&T breach

AT&T said it will email or mail a letter to the 7.6 million current customers whose data was stolen, explaining the incident, what information was compromised and what it is doing in response. The company said it has reset passcodes for affected current customers. The company said it is also communicating with the 65.4 million former account holders whose data was stolen.

You don’t have to wait for AT&T to contact you, however. Using Have I Been Pwned, you can check whether your data has been leaked. If you store your password information in a Google account, the company’s Password Checkup tool can alert you if your account information has been exposed. And the premium version of our favorite password manager, Bitwarden, can check for stolen passwords on the web.

Changing your passcode and password, if AT&T hasn’t contacted you, can help secure your account.

How to monitor your credit report for fraud

If you think your personal information was part of the AT&T breach, you can watch your credit reports for signs of potential fraud.

Monitor your credit reports. You get one free credit report a year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. On your report, look for unusual or unfamiliar activity, such as the appearance of new accounts you didn’t open. And watch your credit card accounts and bank statements for unexpected charges and payments.

Sign up for a credit monitoring service. Pick a credit monitoring service that constantly monitors your credit report on major credit bureaus and alerts when it detects unusual activity. To help with the monitoring, you can set fraud alerts that notify you if someone is trying to use your identity to create credit. A credit-reporting service like LifeLock can start at $7.50 a month — or you could use a free service like the one from Credit Karma.

What to do if you suspect you’re a victim of fraud or identity theft

As soon as you suspect your personal information has been stolen, take action to stop unauthorized charges and start to recover your identity.

Place a fraud alert. If you suspect fraud, place a fraud alert with each of the credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The alert notifies creditors that you have been a victim of fraud and lets them know to verify with you new credit requests in your name. You can place an initial fraud alert, which stays on your credit report for 90 days, or an extended fraud alert, which stays on your credit report for sevenyears. Placing a fraud alert won’t affect your credit score.

Contact fraud departments. For each business and credit card company where you think an account was opened or charged without your knowledge, contact its fraud department. While you’re not responsible for fraudulent charges to an account, you need to report the suspicious activity promptly.

Freeze your credit. If you want to stop anyone from opening credit and requesting loans and services in your name without your permission, you can freeze your credit. You will need to request a freeze with each of the three credit reporting companies, which again are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. To apply for new credit, you need to unfreeze your credit, again, through each of the credit reporting companies. You can either request a temporary lift of the freeze or unfreeze it permanently.

Create a recovery plan. The Federal Trade Commission has a valuable tool that helps you report identity theft and recover your identity through a personal recovery plan and Identity Theft Report, which you can use to dispute charges.

Document everything. Keep copies of all documents and expenses and records of your conversations about the theft.

For more, here are our favorite password managers and the best VPN services.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games that you can play on your Xbox Series X or Series S, Xbox One and PC for $17 a month. A subscription gets you new games every month (like Diablo 4) plus other benefits, like online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Xbox recently added Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Game Pass on April 11, and the company is adding these titles to the service soon, including three Day 1 releases.

Orcs Must Die 3

Available now.

Crank the orc-slaying mayhem up to 11 in the latest installment of this tower-defense series by slicing, burning, carbonizing and tossing orc hordes. You can also use a trove of new traps and weapons, like magical staffs or sawblade launchers. No matter how you dispatch them, the one thing for certain in this title is that every last orc must die.

EA Sports NHL 24

Available: April 18

As the NHL gears up for the Stanley Cup playoffs, you can too, with the latest installment in this EA Sports franchise. This entry in the series has new gameplay mechanics, including vision passing and an exhaust engine, intended to give you more control over your players and to present new challenges. So if you want to see the Las Vegas Golden Knights win the cup back-to-back, or you want to ensure that doesn’t happen, this game is for you.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Available: April 23

Gather your friends and allies for this Day 1 release. In this action JRPG, you create a party of six heroes out of over a hundred — it’s in the name after all — as you set off on an adventure across the war-torn continent of Allraan. You can also manage a small town and play mini-games along the way. And if you can’t wait for this title to release, you can play Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising on Game Pass Ultimate now.

Another Crab’s Treasure

Available: April 25

You know what they say: One man’s trash is another crab’s treasure, or something like that. This Day 1 release is like a cross between Elden Ring and the classic game Ecco the Dolphin. In this title, you play as a hermit crab who sets off on a quest to buy back your repossessed shell. You’ll have to use the trash of the ocean to protect yourself against huge enemies, and you’ll also learn why the ocean is so polluted with garbage to begin with. And who knows, maybe you’ll see Ariel with her collection of thingamabobs down there.

Manor Lords (PC)

Available: April 26

If you watched Game of Thrones and thought, “Being a medieval lord doesn’t seem that hard. I could do it,” now’s your chance to prove it. This medieval strategy game brings city-building, tactical battles, economic simulations and social interactions into one complex title. Now you can find out if you have what it takes to keep your people safe and fed when the seasons change and the harsh winters approach.

Have a Nice Death

Available: April 30

Even Death needs a break every now and then, and that’s the goal of this roguelike game. You play as Death, the CEO of Death Incorporated, who finds himself needing a restful vacation. The only thing standing in your way from a relaxing stay at the beach — or wherever Death would vacation — is a mountain of paperwork and reminding your demonic subordinates who’s in charge. Just another day at the office.

Games coming to Game Pass Core

Game Pass Core ($10 a month) is the cheapest Game Pass subscription, and it’s a good option if you only want to play certain games online. It also gives you access to a handful of games, and on April 23, Game Pass Core subscribers can access these titles, too:

• Deep Rock Galactic
• Superhot: Mind Control Delete
• Wreckfest

Titles leaving Game Pass

While Xbox is adding the above titles to Game Pass Ultimate, it’s also removing six titles on April 30. So, you have some time to finish any side quests before you have to buy these titles separately:

• 7 Days to Die
• Besiege
• EA Sports NHL 22
• Loot River
• Pikuniku
• Ravenlok

For more on Xbox, here’s what Diablo 4 on Game Pass likely means for the service, other titles available on Game Pass Ultimate now and everything to know about the gaming service.

Apple made a pretty significant change to how you access your apps from within your text messages when it released iOS 17 last year. In previous iterations, the apps in Messages lived right at the top of your keyboard. If you wanted to quickly send money via Apple Cash or share a GIF from inside your texts, you could swipe left and right through your apps.

Then Apple changed it up with iOS 17.

Instead of all the Messages apps living right above your keyboard on your iPhone, Apple designed a single button, to the left of the text message field, that you can tap to access a full-screen interface with with all your apps.

The new menu is big and brash and organized differently than before, and you may not be a fan of it. While we can’t do anything about the size, there is a hidden trick to organizing the menu so that your most important Messages apps are at the top of the list.

Here’s how you can swap these items around.

If you want more about hidden features on your iPhone, check out 17 hidden iOS 17 features you should definitely know about and the easy way to send photos and videos on your iPhone.

How to rearrange all your apps in Messages on iOS 17

If you don’t know how to access the apps in your text messages, open the Messages app, go into any text message thread and tap the plus (+) button on the bottom-left. The menu with your Messages apps will appear, with the default (Apple) apps appearing on the first page, and your downloaded (third-party) apps on the second page, which you can access by swiping up.

If you don’t use any of the default apps on the first page, or only use some of them, you can easily rearrange them so that you’re most important apps are at the top. To move an application, simply tap and hold down on it and drag your finger up or down the menu. This way, you can move any of the default apps from the first page to the second page, and any of your downloaded apps from the second page up to the main page.

You can fill the first page with as many apps as you want. I tested it out and was able to put every single download and default app in the first page, with none on the second page. However, I prefer to keep only a handful of my most used apps on the first page, and everything else in the second.

Now I don’t have to scroll through all the apps to quickly find what I need.

For more, here’s how you can fix the most annoying iOS 17 features and settings.

Whether you take a lot of flights or you want to reduce the noise on your commute or in the office, blocking out the outside world is easier when you have a great pair of noise-canceling headphones. Historically, picking a pair up would cost a decent chunk of change, but those days are long gone. And right now the excellent Anker Soundcore Life Q30 headphones can be had for just $64. To get this special price, you have to clip the on-screen coupon, and we don’t know how long it will remain an option — bear that in mind when planning your purchase.

That coupon is available across all three colors, but the blue and pink models start a few dollars higher than the standard black. Alternatively, Soundcore is also offering the same 20% discount on its own website, too.

Regardless of the color you choose, the headphones can filter out up to 95% of low-frequency ambient sound while promising up to 40 hours of music listening. Turn the active noise cancellation off and you’ll extend that to 60 hours, while a 5-minute top-up will get you an extra four hours of listening time.

As CNET’s resident headphone expert David Carnoy found in his testing, “as far as sound, comfort level and build quality go, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Anker’s Soundcore Life Q30 for the money.” The clarity or bass definition isn’t quite on par with premium Bose or Sony models, but these headphones offer balanced sound overall and only really fall short on microphone quality for voice calls.

With the kinds of features you’d expect from headphones costing much, much more, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 headphones are a great option for those searching for noise-canceling headphones under $100 — especially when you can get them for even less. Looking for something a little different? No problem, our list of the best headphone deals should have something right up your street.

The choice of Android tablets available to potential buyers has never been better and there are a number of different ways to choose the one that suits you best. The size of the display, how much storage is available, and most importantly, how much it will cost are among the most important factors. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus is a great option, especially when you get the chance to pick one up at a heavily discounted price. Today, Amazon is offering the tablet for just $160, a new all-time low and a $60 saving over the normal $220 asking price.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus comes with 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM and a large 10.9-inch display, which is a solid offering when you consider the price that it’s currently available for.

In terms of key specifications, that midsize display and decent amount of storage size are two of the main ones to take notice of, plus the whole thing is powered by Android and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor. If the 64GB storage limit is a concern, note that it can be expanded up to 1TB via an optional microSD card if required, and that’s something that can be resolved pretty inexpensively. Four speakers with Dolby Atmos support round out the main specs of note, making this a solid movie-watching device.

Don’t worry if this isn’t the tablet for you; we have rounded up plenty more tablet deals if you’d prefer something at a different size or price point, or with a different power profile.

Chinese brand Tecno wants you to know its new flagship smartphone is all about the camera. The Camon 30 Premier 5G, unveiled Wednesday, features the company’s own imaging system for the first time ever. This system in turn underpins what Tecno says is an industry-first feature: 4K 30fps full-scene AI-noise reduction HDR video. This basically means people can shoot very high-quality, clear, detailed, and color-accurate videos even whether in very bright environments or darker ones.

The Camon 30 Premier 5G imaging system, called the PolarAce, incorporates a Sony imaging chip (CXD5622GG), which facilitates that aforementioned feature. Tecno says people can even “record magical auroras in the poles and dusks in the deserts.”

Read more: Tecno’s AI-Powered Robot Dog Is Inspired by the German Shepherd

Moving beyond still videography to photography now. The Camon 30 Premier 5G has a total of four cameras. The rear camera module consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel periscope-style telephoto lens (capable of 3x optical zoom and 60 x digital zoom), and a 50-megapixel macro lens, which the company says can keep subjects in focus as close as 2.5cm. On the front, the Tecno phone is equipped with a 50-megapixel selfie camera, which boasts eye tracking and a focus speed within 100 milliseconds.

Read More: Oppo Brings AI Photo Editing Tool to Affordable Phones

Tecno is also touting AI-based features, just as competing phonemakers have during this AI hype cycle. The company says a features called AI Erase can remove unwanted objects from photos, but it’s unclear whether the phone can generate content to refill the space where the object was removed. Tecno also says a feature called Universal Tone harnesses an AI-powered multi-skin tone imaging tech — to ensure people’s skin tones are captured accurately in pictures.

Tecno however chose a midrange processor to power the phone. The Camon 30 Premier 5G runs on Mediatek’s Dimensity 8200, a midrange processor announced in late 2022. It’s backed up by a large 5,000 mAH battery and 70W fast-charging, which Tecno says can replenish the device to 50 percent in just 16 minutes. Tecno promises more than 7 hours of gaming, 30 hours of calling, or nearly 8 hours of video viewing on just one charge. Despite this fast-charging support, Tecno says the battery should maintain over 80% of its effective capacity after four years.

The Camon 30 Premier 5G debuted at the Mobile World Congress conference in February this year. It’ll receive a global release starting in May, and pricing will vary based on the country. It’s unclear whether this phone will receive a US release. Previous Tecno phones have not rolled out stateside.

For more information on the Camon 30 Premier 5G, take a look at some of the key specs below.

Key Specs

Display: 6.77-inch AMOLED, 1.5K LTOPO, 10-120Hz adaptive refresh rate

Processor: Mediatek’s Dimensity 8200

Rear Camera: 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel periscope-style telephoto lens (capable of 3x optical zoom and 60 x digital zoom), 50-megapixel macro lens

Battery: 5,000 mAh, 70W fast-charger

Weight: 210 grams

RAM & Storage: 512GB+24GB (12GB Extended RAM)

IP rating: IP54