All articles tagged with #updates
Hunt: Showdown celebrates eight years with a slate of 2025 updates: a new map Mammon's Gulch, CRYENGINE upgrade, Tarot Cards, and the return of the Corrupted Circus, plus the Flame Rifle and new social features. The year will also bring major in-game events, a weapon skin design contest, a community wrap-up video series, and ongoing giveaways as the team teases more content to come.
A tech piece outlines 13 practical settings and habits to dramatically improve smart-TV performance and privacy, including turning off motion smoothing, choosing accurate picture modes, using Ethernet, enabling automatic updates, clearing cache, periodic restarts, customizing the home screen, disabling automatic content recognition, limiting ad personalization, checking HDMI ports and cables, using an external streaming device, enabling accessibility features, and leveraging the USB port for firmware updates.
Microsoft's Windows 11 Insider builds 26100.7918 (24H2) and 26200.7918 (25H2) introduce a built-in network speed test accessible from the taskbar or Quick Settings, using a browser–powered Ookla test via Bing for Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, and mobile connections. The release also adds optional System Monitor integration, Emoji Update 16.0, native WebP desktop backgrounds, pan/tilt controls for compatible webcams, broader archive support, full‑screen widget settings, and performance tweaks for recovery, storage searches, and the Windows Update page, with a gradual rollout to users.
Todd Howard shot down the idea of a Starfield 2.0 and said Bethesda will keep focusing on Starfield, with updates and new content to be revealed soon.
Apple has released emergency security updates to fix CVE-2026-20700, a zero-day vulnerability that was actively exploited in targeted attacks across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Safari and related OS components. The flaw could allow arbitrary code execution, and attackers had already used it in the wild. Apple urges users to update to the latest versions (iOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, macOS Tahoe 26.3, watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3, and Safari 26.3) immediately and enable automatic updates. Updating closes the attackers’ window of opportunity, so keep devices plugged in and connected during install.
Apple says the smarter, AI-powered Siri is still planned for a 2026 launch, despite Bloomberg reports of potential delays. The upgrade was originally targeted for spring 2025, then moved to 2026, with possible inclusion in iOS 26.4 or a later 26.x update (26.5/27). Testing has shown some features misbehaving, so Apple may roll out capabilities across multiple updates in 2026, with iOS 26.4 beta expected later this month. The note comes as Apple’s stock dipped on Siri delay rumors and FTC scrutiny over Apple News.
Google says about 40% of Android devices are vulnerable to new malware because 42.1% no longer receive security updates and only 7.5% run the latest Android 16; with 57.9% on Android 13 or newer, fragmentation leaves roughly a billion users exposed, prompting a recommendation to upgrade to a phone running Android 13+ to get monthly security patches (Play Protect supports older devices too).
Minecraft Bedrock Edition Preview 26.10.21 adds seven new baby mobs with fresh animations across biomes and introduces the Golden Dandelion, a flower that can pause baby aging, while unveiling a wide range of bug fixes, accessibility tweaks, UI/API updates, and performance improvements; players are invited to test features and share feedback, with noted caveats that the Golden Dandelion cannot be used for Suspicious Stew or Yellow Dye and some on‑use interactions are not yet implemented.
Nadja announces she is taking over this month’s Java Realms map release, sharing her top map picks (Anaglyph, Xaleem’s Battle of the Bands, Beast Fortress, Sky Brawl, Starlight Nexus, Ice Outpost) and explaining how to load the maps in Realms. She also highlights updates to current maps (Beaconators, Be-Boxed, Desolate Desert, Destroy, Void Chains) with new features and bug fixes, thanks Mojang and Oskar for the support, and invites players to try Realms and learn how to load content.
Microsoft says Windows 11 has over 1 billion monthly users, but the mood among users is largely negative due to glitchy updates, a rapid rollout of Copilot/AI features, persistent upsells, forced OneDrive changes, and a sense that consumer needs aren’t being prioritized over enterprise concerns.
NVIDIA has pledged continued updates for the SHIELD TV as it enters its second decade of support, with the 2019 model still in production and a promise to keep evolving the platform. In an Ars Technica interview, Andrew Bell recalled that NVIDIA built SHIELD TV for itself and even considered a gaming console, but chose to focus on a high-quality Android TV streamer. Despite market shifts, SHIELD TV has maintained steady sales and remains a standout option for long-term software updates.
Minecraft is testing a batch of new baby mobs—baby axolotls, baby squid and glow squid, baby dolphins, and baby turtles—with redesigned looks and a growth mechanic where feeding a baby mob a golden dandelion makes it grow into an adult. The features are available in Java snapshots and Bedrock previews/betas, and Mojang is asking players to provide feedback as testing continues.
Forbes reports that Google is rolling out a Gmail upgrade that could affect millions of accounts during the transition. While the update is framed as a security and usability improvement, the rollout has drawn scrutiny over potential new vulnerabilities and user confusion. Users should monitor prompts, review security settings, and enable two-factor authentication as the upgrade proceeds.
Microsoft has advised Windows users to uninstall a recently installed Windows Update after widespread reports of system instability, guiding steps to remove the patch via Settings and noting that the company is investigating the issue while a fix is developed.
Apple is refining iOS with 26.2.1, a focused bug‑fix update aimed at resolving issues like a nationwide US carrier outage, and 26.3, a broader update in beta that adds new features and performance improvements, including the launch of Creator Studio on January 28; the official rollout is expected in early February, with no beta activity on January 19 due to MLK Day, so users should back up their devices and watch for official release dates.