Apple today stopped signing iOS 26.2, which means that iPhone users who have updated to iOS 26.2.1 are no longer able to downgrade to the earlier version of iOS. Apple released iOS 26.2.1 last week with support for the AirTags 2.


Software "signing" means that it has passed the server-side verification check that Apple performs when a user downloads a new version of iOS on an ‌iPhone‌. An update can't be installed unless it passes the verification check.

Apple does not show users earlier versions of iOS once an upgrade has come out, but when software is still signed, it is possible to downgrade using the macOS Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC. Until today, users would have been able to downgrade from iOS 26.2.1 to iOS 26.2 if desired for some reason.

Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS, and Apple typically stops signing an update a week or so after new software comes out.

Apple has also stopped signing several older versions of iOS provided for devices unable to update to iOS 26, including iOS 12.5.7, iOS 15.8.5, iOS 16.7.12, and iOS 18.7.3. iOS 12.5.8, iOS 15.8.6, and iOS 18.7.4 were released last week, while an updated version of iOS 16 came out today.
This article, "Apple Stops Signing iOS 26.2, Blocking Downgrades From iOS 26.2.1" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 236 includes fixes and updates for CSS, Forms, HTML, Images, Media, Rendering, SVG, Web API, and WebRTC.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.
This article, "Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 236 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A group of Apple and Tel-Aviv University researchers figured out a way to speed up AI-based text-to-speech generation without sacrificing intelligibility. Here’s how they did it.

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The Firefox browser is gaining options to turn off AI enhancements, Mozilla said today. Firefox users who prefer to browse without artificial intelligence will be able to turn off several AI features that Mozilla has added over the last several months.


Here's what can be disabled:

• Translations, which help you browse the web in your preferred language.


• Alt text in PDFs, which add accessibility descriptions to images in PDF pages.


• AI-enhanced tab grouping, which suggests related tabs and group names.


• Link previews, which show key points before you open a link.


• AI chatbot in the sidebar, which lets you use your chosen chatbot as you browse, including options like Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Le Chat Mistral.

The AI features can be disabled entirely or individually, so users can pick and choose what they want to use. Users will be able to continue to opt out of AI features as they are added in the browser, and the main Block AI Enhancements toggle will disable all current and future AI features, including pop-ups or reminders to use existing or upcoming AI features.

Mozilla says that it wants to be able to continue to build AI options for those who want them, while also giving those who don't a way to disable them.

AI controls will be added in Firefox 148, which is set to start rolling out to users on February 24.
This article, "Firefox Getting New Controls to Turn Off AI Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of the most significant limitations of MagSafe charging is heat management. As induction coils transfer energy, they generate waste heat, which causes your iPhone to throttle its charging speeds if it gets too hot to protect the battery. You especially see this in the outdoors during the summer. LISEN is attempting to fix the normal thermal bottleneck with its new 3-in-1 MagSafe station. By adding an active cooling fan and the Qi2.2, LISEN claims it can sustain 25-watt charging speeds that really does wired charging. This is my current daily driver on my desk, and I really like it thus far.

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Stuff: Stuff helps you get everything out of your head and into a simple, elegant system—closing open loops and reducing mental stress. Use code 9TO5 at checkout for 50% off your first year.

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The Indian government approved a measure on Sunday that allows Apple to directly finance iPhone manufacturing equipment in India without risking additional taxes. Here are the details.

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Apple just released the second-generation AirTag, five years after the original model debuted. There's been a lot of time for Apple to come up with improvements, so we thought we'd test out the new model to see what's changed, and whether it's worth upgrading from the first-generation ‌AirTag‌.


Unfortunately, Apple didn't update the design of the ‌AirTag‌ 2, so it looks almost identical to the original model. The only thing that's changed is the text on the back, which is now in caps and includes wording about the IP67 waterproofing, and that doesn't count as any kind of design change.

It would have been nice to have different design options or a rechargeable battery, but the ‌AirTag‌ is the same coin shape and it still uses CR2032 batteries. Apple didn't mention anything about battery life improvements, so the ‌AirTag‌ 2 still lasts about a year before you need to swap it out.

While there aren't external updates, Apple did boost connectivity. The ‌AirTag‌ 2 uses an upgraded version of Bluetooth and it has a second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, so it can be tracked from further away over Bluetooth, and the close-range Precision Finding feature works over longer distances.

According to Apple, Precision Finding works from up to 50 percent further away, so when you lose your ‌AirTag‌ indoors or are close to it, a UWB-enabled iPhone (the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and later) can lead you right to it. Apple also enabled Precision Finding on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, which is super useful. You can't use an Apple Watch to locate an original ‌AirTag‌ nearby, and it's probably the best addition to the second-generation version.

You can even add a quick access toggle for Precision Finding to the Apple Watch for instant access to tracking down an ‌AirTag‌ without digging through menus. It's a much more natural way to find your items.

In our testing, Precision Finding on the Apple Watch worked reliably, tracking down an ‌AirTag‌ indoors even with walls and furniture in the way. The interface is the same as the Precision Finding interface on ‌iPhone‌, just scaled down to an Apple Watch size. You'll get a directional arrow and distance to help you accurately track down the ‌AirTag‌.

When pitting the original ‌AirTag‌ against the ‌AirTag‌ 2 with ‌iPhone‌ Precision Finding, the ‌AirTag‌ 2 was clearly superior. Both AirTags were tucked inside a backpack, and placed out of line of sight.

The original ‌AirTag‌ had a hard time with walls and objects, and required us to be closer to the backpack to get a connection. The ‌AirTag‌ 2 picked up signal from much further away, and kept the signal as we walked toward the backpack. It even worked with the ‌AirTag‌ 2 on a different floor, and kept its connection in a large office building.

Apple also updated the internals of the ‌AirTag‌ 2 to upgrade the sound, and it is noticeably louder. It is a pretty big improvement in audibility, and you will notice the difference between the two. The sound is sharper and easier to pinpoint, and it is much less likely to blend into background noise. It makes it easier to find items, but it also improves the ‌AirTag‌ 2's anti-stalking capabilities. It's harder to tuck an ‌AirTag‌ away and mute its sound, and Apple also made the speaker module more difficult to remove with additional adhesive.

The ‌AirTag‌ 2 is still priced at $29, with Apple offering a pack of four for $99, so it's a solid deal, especially with the tracking improvements. For most people, it's probably not worth upgrading to an ‌AirTag‌ 2 if you already have an original ‌AirTag‌, but if you're someone that heavily relies on AirTags on a regular basis, it could be a good idea to pick up a couple of the second-generation versions.
This article, "AirTag 2 Hands-On: What's New and Should You Upgrade?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Anker today launched its latest charger for the iPhone, the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station. It's a 3-in-1 charger that can charge an ‌iPhone‌ at up to 25W, fast charge an ‌iPhone‌, and charge AirPods, too.


The Prime Wireless Charging Station features Qi2.2 support, which lets a compatible MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ charge at up to 25W. It's the same speed as Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it is 10W faster than the standard Qi2 ‌MagSafe‌ chargers.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 models are able to fast charge with the Prime Wireless Charging Station, and can get up to a 50 percent charge within 30 minutes. We were able to test the Prime Wireless Charging Station ahead of launch, and it did indeed charge an iPhone 17 Pro Max from dead to 46 percent in a 30-minute period as promised. Wireless charging speeds can vary based on charge level, temperature, and other factors, but the Prime Wireless Charging Station is able to match Apple's native ‌iPhone 17‌ ‌MagSafe‌ charging options.

Charging speeds are steady thanks to an active "AirCool" feature that keeps the ‌iPhone‌ cool while it's charging. It's meant to ensure the ‌iPhone‌ is below 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit while it's on the charger, and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max did feel slightly cooler than when charging with a standard ‌MagSafe‌ charger. The included cooling system is close to inaudible with a tiny fan embedded at the back and a vent at the top, so it's suitable for use on a nightstand or desktop.


It's not clear if the active cooling makes a major difference in all circumstances since we have also been able to get a similar charge in a similar time period with Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, but it could be a useful feature in hotter conditions. The room we tested in was around 68F, while Anker's testing conditions were at 77F. Anker's site suggests the active cooling allows an ‌iPhone 17‌ to charge 24 percent faster with 30 percent less heat buildup. Anker says the cooling option is also meant to preserve battery health and maintain safety, which is worth considering.

Apple Watches that support fast charging are able to charge at maximum speed, and there is enough power for the AirPods or AirPods Pro. There is a tappable LED for controlling the AirCool feature, which you can tap to turn it on or off. The LED turns blue when the AirCool feature is on, or white when it's off. It'll also turn orange if you connect an incompatible adapter that's below 45W, which is helpful. If you're wanting to use the Prime Wireless Charging Station on your nightstand, you'll be glad to hear that the LEDs turn off after a few seconds so there is no annoying light at night.

The Prime Wireless Charging Station takes up minimal space, thanks to a folding design. The ‌iPhone‌ charges in an upright position with support for StandBy mode, while the pop-up Apple Watch charger is positioned behind with the AirPods charging platform underneath. The Apple Watch charger folds down into the ‌iPhone‌ charger with a hinge that feels durable, and you can press to pop it out. For charging the AirPods, there is an anti-slip pad that has a little AirPods icon for ideal alignment.


The whole thing folds down into a small, palm-sized package that's ideal for travel, measuring in at 3.8 inches by 2.4 inches by 1.2 inches. It's surprisingly light for what it is, similar in weight to the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max that we tested it with. You can use the ‌iPhone‌ charger with the Charging Station folded up, but you'll need to open it all the way to get to the Apple Watch and AirPods chargers.

The ‌iPhone‌ charging portion works as a stand, and you can change the angle from 0 to 60 degrees without the weight of the ‌iPhone‌ collapsing it down. It works well for watching videos or for FaceTime calls.

Anker includes a 45W power adapter that's needed to get the maximum charging speeds, along with a standard 5-foot USB-C to USB-C cable, which means the charger is ready to go out of the box. It would have been nice to have an integrated cable of some kind to really boost the travel-friendly design, but it's still a compact design that's easy to tuck into a backpack or suitcase. It also looks slick with a gray aluminum design, black magnetic charging surface for the ‌iPhone‌ and AirPods, and matching stabilizing feet at the bottom. The Apple Watch charger is a Made for Apple Watch design, so it's in white.

Anker's charger is designed for the latest ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ models, but it is backwards compatible with all ‌iPhone‌ models, and it also works with all Apple Watch models and all AirPods models. As with all magnetic chargers, if you want to use the charging station with an ‌iPhone‌ case, you'll need a MagSafe-compatible case.

The Prime Wireless Charging Station can be purchased from Amazon or from the Anker website for $120 thanks to a 20 percent launch discount. The price will go up to $150 after the launch promotion.
This article, "Anker's New 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger With 25W Qi2.2 Fast Charging is Now Available for $120" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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