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This week, Apple previewed its redesigned (and renumbered) operating systems at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. While the new Liquid Glass design language was the star of the show across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, there were some other standout features, like a vastly improved calling experience on the iPhone. Apple also continued its annual tradition of introducing new privacy and security features in its latest operating systems, designed to keep you and your data safer than ever. Here are three of my favorite ones coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Macand three missed opportunities. The Passwords app will now remember previous passwords With iOS 18 and macOS 15 last year, Apple introduced the Passwords appthe one-stop app for managing all your passwords. The app was Apples first attempt at a standalone password manager, and it provided a robust set of management tools, including the ability to autocomplete 2FA codes, share passwords with family and friends, and even organize your passkeys. In iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, Apple is adding a new feature to the Passwords app. It will allow you to see the previous passwords youve saved for any given website, along with the date you changed the password. Its an especially useful feature for websites that require you to change your password periodically and do not allow you to reuse a previously used password. Now, youll be able to quickly glance at the past passwords youve used for the site and easily choose an alternate one. Texts filtered as spam will automatically have their links disabled. Spam link protection in Messages stops you from clicking on a nefarious URL While the iPhone, iPad, and Mac are among the gadgets with the best security protections built in, bad actors are becoming more clever in finding ways to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating systems they target. A common way these bad actors can infect your device with malware is by using a one-click attack. This is when the threat actor texts you a link, which you then click on. You may think this link is innocuous, but really the moment you clicked on it, it allowed the attacker to access data on your phone. Bad actors know that many people will click on links that are texted to them, even from unknown senders. But now in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, when the operating system suspects youve received a spam text, it will silo that text into a dedicated spam folder and convert the link to plain textmeaning it wont be clickable. You can still read the text and link in the spam folder, but the chances of you accidentally activating the link with a brush of your thumb are reduced. And if you decide the text isnt spam and the link is safe, you can simply move the text to your regular message screen, where the link will once again be clickable. FileVault encryption, enabled by default, keeps your data safe For over two decades now, Macs have come with an optional extra layer of data security called FileVault. The technology encrypts your Macs storage so none of the data can be read on it unless the users password is entered first. This means that someone could steal your Macs storage, hook it up to another computer, and still not be able to get access to the data contained on it if they didnt know your password. Until now, FileVault has been something Mac users had to enable manually. But starting with macOS 26, FileVault will be enabled automatically for all users when they update to the new operating system. Turning on FileVault is something users should have been doing the entire time anyway, and it’s nice that Apple is finally making its activation default, as it will help secure the Macs data even in the unfortunate event that the computer is stolen and a bad actor has access to the drive. Still . . . there are missed opportunities While the three privacy and security enhancements noted above will make our iPhones, iPads, and Macs more secure and private than ever, it was disappointing to see that Apple didnt add any other major privacy and security features this year. Some of the missed opportunities include: Lockable apps on Mac and Apple TV: Last year, Apple gave users the ability to restrict an apps access on an iPhone or iPad behind Face ID or Touch ID. Before the app opens, you need to authenticate with your biometrics or PIN, ensuring that people who are using your phone or tablet cant access data in apps you dont want them to see. This kind of restricted app access would also be extremely useful on other devices we frequently share, such as our Macs and Apple TV. Limited calendar access: In past years, Apple introduced the ability to limit an apps read access to just select photos in your photo library and select contacts in your address book. However, when it comes to calendars, you must either grant an app permission to access all of your calendar data, allow it to only add calendar entries, or deny all access. Still missing is the granular control to give an app read/write access to only select calendars, such as your work calendar, but not your personal one. Lockable folders: Many of us share our Macs with family members or work colleagues. A privacy and security feature Mac users have hoped for for years, which is still conspicuously absent, is the ability to lock individual folders in macOSs Finder behind Touch ID or a password. This would prevent someone with access to your user account (say, your child) from readingor accidentally deletingimportant or sensitive documents (such as your health records). Yet despite these misses, this years software releases show Apple is still working to actively increase privacy and security for users across its devices. The passwords, spam link, and FileVault improvements will be available when Apple rolls out its software updates to all users in September.
Category:
E-Commerce
As summer arrives, people are turning on air conditioners in most of the U.S. But if youre like me, you always feel a little guilty about that. Past generations managed without air conditioningdo I really need it? And how bad is it to use all this electricity for cooling in a warming world? If I leave my air conditioner off, I get too hot. But if everyone turns on their air conditioner at the same time, electricity demand spikes, which can force power grid operators to activate some of the most expensive, and dirtiest, power plants. Sometimes those spikes can ask too much of the grid and lead to brownouts or blackouts. Research I recently published with a team of scholars makes me feel a little better, though. We have found that it is possible to coordinate the operation of large numbers of home air-conditioning units, balancing supply and demand on the power gridand without making people endure high temperatures inside their homes. Studies along these lines, using remote control of air conditioners to support the grid, have for many years explored theoretical possibilities like this. However, few approaches have been demonstrated in practice and never for such a high-value application and at this scale. The system we developed not only demonstrated the ability to balance the grid on timescales of seconds, but also proved it was possible to do so without affecting residents comfort. The benefits include increasing the reliability of the power grid, which makes it easier for the grid to accept more renewable energy. Our goal is to turn air conditioners from a challenge for the power grid into an asset, supporting a shift away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy. Adjustable equipment My research focuses on batteries, solar panels, and electric equipmentsuch as electric vehicles, water heaters, air conditioners, and heat pumpsthat can adjust itself to consume different amounts of energy at different times. Originally, the U.S. electric grid was built to transport electricity from large power plants to customers homes and businesses. And originally, power plants were large, centralized operations that burned coal or natural gas, or harvested energy from nuclear reactions. These plants were typically always available and could adjust how much power they generated in response to customer demand, so the grid would be balanced between power coming in from producers and being used by consumers. But the grid has changed. There are more renewable energy sources from which power isnt always available, like solar panels at night or wind turbines on calm days. And there are the devices and equipment I study. These newer options, called distributed energy resources, generate or store energy near where consumers need itor adjust how much energy theyre using in real time. One aspect of the grid hasnt changed, though: Theres not much storage built into the system. So every time you turn on a light, for a moment theres not enough electricity to supply everything that wants it right then: The grid needs a power producer to generate a little more power. And when you turn off a light, theres a little too much: A power producer needs to ramp down. The way power plants know what real-time power adjustments are needed is by closely monitoring the grid frequency. The goal is to provide electricity at a constant frequency60 hertzat all times. If more power is needed than is being produced, the frequency drops and a power plant boosts output. If theres too much power being produced, the frequency rises and a power plant slows production a little. These actions, a process called frequency regulation, happen in a matter of seconds to keep the grid balanced. This output flexibility, primarily from power plants, is key to keeping the lights on for everyone. Finding new options Im interested in how distributed energy resources can improve flexibility in the grid. They can release more energy, or consume less, to respond to the changing supply or demand, and help balance the grid, ensuring the frequency remains near 60 hertz. Some people fear that doing so might be invasive, giving someone outside your home the ability to control your battery or air conditioner. Therefore, we wanted to see if we could help balance the grid with frequency regulation using home air-conditioning units rather than power plants, without affecting how residents use their appliances or how comfortable they are in their homes. From 2019 to 2023, my group at the University of Michigan tried this approach, in collaboration with researchers at Pecan Street Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the University of California, Berkeley, with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. We recruited 100 homeowners in Austin to do a real-world test of our system. All the homes had whole-house forced-air cooling systems, which we connected to custom control boards and sensors the owners allowed us to install in their homes. This equipment let us send instructions to the air-conditioning units based on the frequency of the grid. Before I explain how the system worked, I first need to explain how thermostats work. When people set thermostats, they pick a temperature, and the thermostat switches the air-conditioning compressor on and off to maintain the air temperature within a small range around that set point. If the temperature is set at 68 degrees, the thermostat turns the AC on when the temperature is, say, 70, and turns it off when its cooled down to, say, 66. Every few seconds, our system slightly changed the timing of air-conditioning compressor switching for some of the 100 air conditioners, causing the units aggregate power consumption to change. In this way, our small group of home air conditioners reacted to grid changes the way a power plant wouldusing more or less energy to balance the grid and keep the frequency near 60 hertz. Moreover, our system was designed to keep home temperatures within the same small temperature range around the set point. Testing the approach We ran our system in four tests, each lasting one hour. We found two encouraging results. First, the air conditioners were able to provide frequency regulation at least as accurately as a traditional power plant. Therefore, we showed that ar conditioners could play a significant role in increasing grid flexibility. But perhaps more importantlyat least in terms of encouraging people to participate in these types of systemswe found that we were able to do so without affecting peoples comfort in their homes. We found that home temperatures did not deviate more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit from their set point. Homeowners were allowed to override the controls if they got uncomfortable, but most didnt. For most tests, we received zero override requests. In the worst case, we received override requests from 2 of the 100 homes in our test. In practice, this sort of technology could be added to commercially available internet-connected thermostats. In exchange for credits on their energy bills, users could choose to join a service run by the thermostat company, their utility provider, or some other third party. Then people could turn on the air-conditioning in the summer heat without that pang of guilt, knowing they were helping to make the grid more reliable and more capable of accommodating renewable energy sourceswithout sacrificing their own comfort in the process. Johanna Mathieu is an associate professor of electrical engineering & computer science at the University of Michigan. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
President Trump won a temporary victory Thursday night when a federal appeals court blocked a lower court judges order to return control of Californias National Guard to the state. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer previously ruled that Trumps activation of the National Guard, a state-based reserve military force, in Los Angeles was unlawful and illegitimate. California Governor Gavin Newsom and the states attorney general, Rob Bonta, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration this week after the president activated the troops in response to demonstrations against immigration raids. His actions were illegalboth exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Breyer wrote. He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith. While Newsom notched an early win, a federal appeals court did not agree. Three judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay on the lower courts ruling late Thursday, leaving control of the troops with Trumpat least until a June 17 hearing. Trump vs. Newsom The clash between federal and states rights has set up a fiery confrontation between Newsom, who likely holds his own presidential ambitions, and the White House. We didnt have a problem until Trump got involved, Newsom wrote on X this week. Rescind the order. Return control to California. The Trump administration denies critics claims that the National Guards deployment intentionally escalated tensions in the city. If I didnt SEND IN THE TROOPS to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now, much like 25,000 houses burned to the ground, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Newsom isnt the only Democrat clashing with the Trump administration. On Thursday, California Senator Alex Padilla was tackled and handcuffed after trying to interrupt Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem with a question during a press conference. Breaking with history Trumps move to deploy thousands of California National Guard troops to bolster the governments increasingly aggressive immigration crackdown is unprecedented in at least a few ways. Historically, a governornot the presidenttaps the National Guard when traditional state resources are overwhelmed. Guard members can be called up to meet many kinds of needs a state might have, from administering vaccines to filling in as substitute teachers (both of which occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic). Trumps activation of the Guard was the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed the troops within a state against a governors wishes. That year, Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights protesters over the wishes of Governor George Wallace, a segregationist. Johnsons actions bear little resemblance to the Trump administrations decision to send troops into Los Angeles to back immigration and law enforcement agents as they conduct raids in locations ranging from downtown garment district businesses to suburban Home Depot parking lots. In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California, White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement announcing the National Guard deployment. Law enforcement has made around 400 arrests related to the protests since they began last week, including two men charged with possessing Molotov cocktails. The Justice Department is also pursuing assault charges against two California residents for throwing objects including water bottles and beer cans at federal officers. A number of Waymo self-driving cars have been set on fire since protests began, prompting the company to pull its vehicles from the area. The White Houses narrative paints a dark picture of widespread social unrest and violence in Los Angeles, an image that many Angelenos pushed back against on social media with posts showing upbeat gatherings and normal brunch dates. On TikTok and other social networks, L.A. residents have rejected national portrayals of a city under siege, calling attention to the relatively small area of the sprawling city affected by ongoing protests.
Category:
E-Commerce
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