Oliver Haslam Writer
Oliver Haslam has been writing about phones, computers, games, and anything else that takes a battery or plugs in for more than he’d like to admit.
With a focus on mobile and laptops, Oliver is never too far away from whatever social network is trending today and is never short of an opinion to share.
Expertise Apple, phones, laptops, smartwatches, mobile accessories, gaming, apps
Apple unveiled several accessibility features for the iPhone earlier this week that will be enabled once iOS 18 rolls out. There are plenty of interesting additions to the iPhone’s suite of accessibility features that I plan to use once they’re available.
Vehicle Motion Cues is one of them, a feature that might help reduce motion sicknesses while using an iPhone or iPad in a moving car.
Motion sickness has never been a problem for me. No matter what vehicle type, speed, or terrain, I don’t get sick. However, I try to avoid using the iPhone for prolonged periods while I’m in a car, bus, or train, as it’ll inevitably mess with my senses. I might get dizzy, and headaches might follow.
I’m interested in Vehicle Motion Cues because the accessibility feature might really help me out in moving vehicles.
“Research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel, which can prevent some users from comfortably using iPhone or iPad while riding in a moving vehicle,” Apple explained in an announcement earlier this week.
Apple says it can reduce the risk of motion sickness by using animated dots that appear on the edges of the screen. According to a brief video demo, the dots will move on the display contrary to the vehicle’s direction.
If the car is taking a left turn, the dots on the screen will appear to move towards the right. As the car accelerates, the dots appear to move backward. When the car brakes, they move forward.
The dot movement should supposedly provide visual cues to the brain that you are in a state of motion by aligning what you see on the screen with what you feel.
The animated dots are clearly visible on the screen, as you can see in the screenshots above. But they won’t block content on your iPhone, as the dots fade in and out while you’re moving.
The iPhone can be configured to use its built-in sensors to determine that a user is in a car, enabling Vehicle Motion Cues automatically. Another option is to have a toggle for the new feature in the Control Center.
I can’t know whether Vehicle Motion Cues will reduce the motion-related symptoms I might experience when using the iPhone in a car. But I’ll try the feature once it’s available in iOS 18. I’d be even more interested in seeing Vehicle Motion Cues work on Mac. Using a laptop on a fast-moving train for a long period can definitely bring on motion sickness.
As it is in the United States, TikTok is popular in Taiwan, used by a quarter of the island’s 23 million residents.
People post videos of themselves shopping for trendy clothes, dressing up as video game characters and playing pranks on their roommates. Influencers share their choreographed dances and debate whether the sticky rice dumplings are better in Taiwan’s north or south.
Taiwanese users of TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese internet giant ByteDance, are also served the kind of pro-China content that the U.S. Congress cited as a reason it passed a law that could result in a ban of TikTok in America.
One recent example is a video showing a Republican congressman, Rob Wittman of Virginia, stoking fears that a vote for the ruling party in Taiwan’s January election would prompt a flood of American weapons to aid the island democracy in a possible conflict with China, which claims it as part of its territory. The video was flagged as fake by a fact-checking organization, and TikTok took it down.
About 80 miles from China’s coast, Taiwan is particularly exposed to the possibility of TikTok’s being used as a source of geopolitical propaganda. Taiwan has been bombarded with digital disinformation for decades, much of it traced back to China.
But unlike Congress, the government in Taiwan is not contemplating legislation that could end in a ban of TikTok.
Officials in Taiwan say the debate over TikTok is just one battle in a war against disinformation and foreign influence that the country has already been fighting for years.
Taiwan has built an arsenal of defenses, including a deep network of independent fact-checking organizations. There is a government ministry dedicated to digital affairs.
And Taiwan was early to label TikTok a national security threat. The government issued an executive order banning it from official devices in 2019, along with two other Chinese apps that play short videos: Douyin, which is also owned by ByteDance, and Xiaohongshu.
The political party that has governed Taiwan for the past eight years — and is set to do so for another four when Lai Ching-te is inaugurated as president on Monday — does not use the app, even during campaign season, over concerns about its data collection.
Here in Taiwan, lawmakers say, they do not have the luxury of thinking of TikTok as the only threat. Disinformation reaches Taiwanese internet users on every type of social media, from chat rooms to short videos.
“If you say you are targeting China, people will ask why we are not also talking about others,” said Puma Shen, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. “That’s why our strategy needs to be that we are regulating every social media platform, not just TikTok,” said Mr. Shen, formerly the head of Doublethink Lab, a disinformation research group in Taipei.
Taiwan has a deeply ingrained culture of free political speech, having taken the first steps to democracy only about three decades ago. Debate thrives across a huge variety of social media platforms, including on Taiwanese online forums, such as Dcard and Professional Technology Temple.
But the most widely used platforms have foreign owners, and TikTok is not the only one. YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, operated by publicly traded U.S. companies, are even more popular than TikTok in Taiwan. And Line, a messaging app owned by a Japanese subsidiary of the South Korean internet giant Naver, is commonly used in the country as a news source and way to make payments.
Legislators in Taiwan are considering measures that tackle internet threats — fraud, scams and cybercrime — broadly enough to apply to all these existing social media platforms, including TikTok, as well as whatever might replace them in the future.
One proposal introduced this month would require influential platforms that feature online advertising, which effectively encompasses all of them, to register a legal representative in Taiwan. Officials said these restrictions were not aimed at TikTok.
“We currently think that TikTok is a product that endangers national information security, but this designation does not target TikTok specifically,” said Lee Huai-jen, the departing spokesman for the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The ministry slapped the same classification on other Chinese short-video apps, including Douyin and Xiaohongshu, which have large audiences in China.
In March, executives from TikTok’s Singapore office met with government and political officials in Taiwan. The company talked with officials to “seek their feedback on our platform and for us to detail the many ways in which we keep our community safe,” a TikTok spokeswoman said. She added that the app’s data collection policies were in line with industry practices.
When Taiwan went to the polls in January, multiple organizations and government agencies were on call to make sure the conversation on TikTok stuck to the facts.
TikTok communicated with Taiwan’s election commission, police agency and interior ministry to flag potentially illegal content. TikTok said it had removed almost 1,500 videos for violating its policies on misinformation and election integrity, and took down a network of 21 accounts that were amplifying pro-China narratives. It also worked with a local fact-checking group to tag election-related videos with resources about misinformation.
But the day after the election, the website of the Taiwan Fact Check Center, a nongovernmental organization that works with tech companies including Google and Meta, was overwhelmed with thousands of visitors, according to its chief executive, Eve Chiu.
Many had seen videos on TikTok and YouTube showing volunteer poll workers making errors in the vote count and questioned the results of the election, Ms. Chiu said. Some of these videos were real, she added. The problem was that viewers were primed to think the scale of error was much larger than it was.
While Taiwan’s ruling political party did not use TikTok to campaign, its opponents, who are viewed with less antagonism by Beijing, did.
But some worry that this made it easier for pro-China views to spread on TikTok, and that Taiwan’s approach to regulating social media is not robust enough to confront the persistent threat of foreign influence online.
“In the U.S., the target is very clear — this one platform — but in Taiwan, we don’t know where the enemy is,” Ms. Chiu said. “It’s not just a cross-strait issue, but a domestic one.”
Upgraded to a new iPhone 15, Google Pixel 8 or Galaxy S24 recently? You can always recycle, resell or donate your old phone, but you could also turn it into a free baby cam.
One of the coolest ways to repurpose an old phone is to convert it into a home security camera. It’s an excellent cost-effective trick to keeping an eye on your home when you’re not there. It’s also a free (or very cheap, if you need to buy a phone stand) way to keep an eye on elder relatives, anxious pets or parts of your business that you can’t always watch over directly.
Read more: Best Home Security Cameras Without a Subscription
Making this phone-to-home-cam conversion isn’t difficult at all. In fact, you can start using that time-worn phone to keep your home safe in just three steps. For more home tips, check out why your internet router is probably in the wrong spot and six places to put home security cameras on your property.
To begin, you will need to choose a security camera app. Most apps offer many of the same features, such as local streaming, cloud streaming, recording and storing footage locally or remotely, and motion detection and alerts. Once you’re set up, you will be able to monitor your living space and control your security camera from anywhere, straight from your new phone.
One of the best app options for setting up your phone as a security camera is Alfred. It’s cross-platform, so it doesn’t matter if your old phone was an Android phone or iPhone. And the same goes for your new phone.
Alfred is free to use and gives you a remote view of your live feed, motion detection with alerts, free cloud storage, a two-way audio feed and use of both the front and rear cameras. To unlock additional features, like higher-resolution viewing and recording, zoom capabilities, ad removal and 30-day cloud storage, you can upgrade to Alfred Premium.
1. Download Alfred (Android, iOS) on both your old and new phones. You don’t have to use a phone as a monitoring tool — you can also download Alfred to your tablet or PC if you prefer to keep watch from there. Just make sure the app is on both devices.
2. On the new phone, swipe through the introduction and tap Start. Select Viewer and tap Next.
3. Once you get to the sign-in page, click Sign in with Google (a Google account is required) and sign in with your Google account credentials.
4. On the old phone, repeat the same steps, but instead of selecting Viewer, select Camera. And make sure to sign in to the same Google account.
Alfred’s app support night vision, people recognition and more.
Once both phones are signed in to Alfred, you’re pretty much done with the setup. Alfred has simplified the camera options to include only a few settings. On iOS, you can only enable motion detection, choose between the front and rear cameras, and enable or disable audio. If you’re using an Android device, you have those options and can also enable continuous focus, have Alfred automatically reopen if the phone reboots, set a resolution and enable a passcode lock.
From your new phone, you can change a few more settings, such as turning notifications on or off, setting a camera or viewer name, adding other people to your Trust Circle (granting other people access to your video feeds), removing a camera, checking how many times a camera has disconnected, setting motion detection sensitivity and enabling a low-light filter on cameras.
Feel like exploring more options? That’s always a good idea. Other apps that can give your old phone a security cam upgrade include:
Faceter: Faceter is a surveillance app that offers quick setup and cloud storage for Apple and Android phones.
Epoccam: EpocCam is a very speedy cam app that’s made for content creators but can serve a wide variety of purposes. It’s currently made only for iPhones.
iVCam from E2ESoft: iVCam is a more open-source cam solution that’s best for those who really want to tinker with camera settings and customize them, although like EpocCam it’s focused a bit more on webcam-related activities than security.
After you have the stream up and running, you will need to set up and position the camera. You may want it focused on the main entry point to your home, your backyard, the place where you store valuables or a point you think might be particularly vulnerable. You can also set up an IP camera as a baby monitor.
If you have multiple old phones lying around, you can set up multiple cameras for fairly robust video coverage.
To mount or position the camera, a small smartphone tripod or suction-cup car mount can work wonders and help you position the camera in an inconspicuous place. To broaden the field of view, consider buying a wide-angle lens for your phone, something that can be purchased for between $5 and $20 online.
Streaming video is very power-intensive, and the phone will be on 24/7. To keep the phone from dying in the first few hours, you will need to position it close to a power source. A 10-foot Micro-USB or Lightning cable will give you more flexibility in where you put it.
And that’s it! Now you can use the security cam app on your new phone to view the feed from your old phone’s camera, and you’ve made your home more secure without spending much at all.
Finally, if we’ve got you excited about using your smartphone for home security purposes, don’t forget that you can also download an app like Hidden Camera Detector to automatically search for telltale signs that there’s a cam watching in the room. Airbnb may have outlawed indoor security cameras, but we don’t blame you if you still want to check when you’re traveling.
For more, check out six quick tips for getting the most out of your home security camera and the best DIY home security systems.
Emma Lembke did not know what an algorithm was when she started using social media.
The then-12-year-old was thrilled when her parents gave her permission to join Instagram. She quickly followed all kinds of accounts — from Kim Kardashian to Olive Garden, she said — and was soon spending five to six hours a day on the app. Then one day she searched for “ab workouts,” and her feed shifted. She started seeing 200-calorie recipes, pro-anorexia posts and exercise routines that “no 12-year-old should be doing in their bedroom,” she said.
Ms. Lembke, now 21, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in February 2023 about how social media led her to disordered eating, and what she and other advocates see as a dire need for stronger regulation to protect social media’s youngest users.
Social media platforms have promised to take more action. On Friday, TikTok enacted what some experts called one of the most well-defined policies by a social media company yet on weight and dieting posts. The company’s updated guidelines, which come as TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States, include new guardrails on posts that show “potentially harmful weight management behaviors” and excessive exercise.
TikTok said it will work to ensure the “For You” page, which serves as the main content feed on TikTok and is driven by an algorithm that caters to a user’s interests, no longer shows videos that promote “extended intermittent fasting,” exercises designed for “rapid and significant weight loss” or medications or supplements that promote muscle gain. The new regulations also aim to crack down on posts from influencers and other users promoting products used for weight loss or to suppress appetite, such as drugs like Ozempic. They also aim to curb content promoting anabolic steroid use.
Under the new policy, machine learning models will attempt to flag and remove content that is considered potentially dangerous; a human moderation team will then review those posts to see if they need to remain off the For You feed, should be removed from age-restricted feeds or should be removed from the platform altogether, said Tara Wadhwa, TikTok’s director of policy in the United States.
The elimination of problematic TikToks from the main feed is meant in part to “interrupt repetitive content patterns,” the new guidelines said. Ms. Wadhwa said the company wants to ensure users aren’t exposed to diet and weight loss content “in sequential order, or repeatedly over and over again.”
Experts said that the new policy offers more specificity on the types of content that will be removed than guidelines set by other social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, which have also said they use human and machine learning-based moderation to keep eating disorder content in check.
But some are also skeptical that TikTok’s new guardrails will be able to reliably identify and reduce potentially harmful posts. S. Bryn Austin, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a specialist in eating disorders, said these regulations may be little more than a Band-Aid on an algorithm that is behaving exactly as it was designed.
“The For You feed is still designed to be able to boost their revenue, to increase engagement,” Dr. Austin said.
It may also be difficult to examine the impact of the new policy, she added. Researchers have long complained that platforms like TikTok make it difficult to study what users are seeing, how their algorithms work or how policy changes affect content feeds or user behavior.
On algorithm-driven platforms, the path from wellness and health content to posts with the potential to encourage disordered eating can be remarkably short: In a 2022 study conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, researchers set up profiles to pose as 13-year-old users and found that those accounts were served content the researchers considered related to self-harm and eating disorders within minutes of signing up. The researchers also found that TikTok hashtags linked to what they classified as eating disorder content had over 13.2 billion views.
More than 29 million Americans experience a clinically significant eating disorder in their lifetime, and people of any age, race, gender or body type can develop eating disorders, according to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. For people who are especially at risk of developing these issues, seeing a feed flooded with body image or diet content can be “a proverbial trigger pull” that could set disordered eating behavior in motion, said Johanna Kandel, the chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.
One challenge for social media platforms has been how and where to draw the line between posts about health and posts that could be potentially harmful. What can be dangerous for some users might not affect others at all.
“It’s not drawing a line in the sand and saying ‘this is OK for people to see, this content is not,’” Ms. Kandel said, adding, “I don’t think it’s so cut and dry. There will have to be malleability.”
Sapna Maheshwari contributed reporting.
Google’s Nest Wifi Pro mesh wireless routers are popular for so many reasons. They’re ultra-fast thanks to cutting-edge antenna tech and Wi-Fi 6E support, and they’re so easy to set up and use. The only possible complaint you can have about them is the price. But today, there are deals that will save you 20% off when you buy a 2-pack or a 3-pack of Google’s mesh Wi-Fi 6E routers.
If you read BGR’s Nest Wifi Pro review, you know exactly what makes this wireless system so appealing. Or, if you just want the Cliff’s Notes version, I’ll catch you up and explain why the Google Nest Wifi Pro might be the perfect upgrade for your home Wi-Fi system.
Having slow or spotty Wi-Fi is so frustrating. It doesn’t matter if you’re gaming, streaming, or trying to get some work done. Connectivity issues will instantly get your blood boiling. But for some reason, many people tend to just keep dealing with the issues instead of fixing them. I guess we can all be creatures of habit sometimes, even when there’s a simple solution staring us right in the face.
Today, Google’s sale on the Nest Wifi Pro system gives you the perfect opportunity to fix any and all Wi-Fi issues you’re currently dealing with.
BGR’s Nest Wifi Pro review makes it clear that this model is fast, reliable, and easy to use. It’s also a breeze to set up, thanks to the awesome Google Home app.
But perhaps the best part is Wi-Fi 6E support. Any other devices in your home that support Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E are going to have blazing-fast connections and no interruptions. I can’t tell you how much better the Wi-Fi is in my house since I upgraded to a Wi-Fi 6E system. It’s truly night and day, and I just wish I hadn’t waited so long to make the change.
Right now, you can save up to $80 depending on which Nest WiFi Pro setup you choose. You’ll save $60 on a 2-pack of routers, which is a 20% discount off the $300 retail price. Or, if you have a larger home to cover, you can save 20% on a 3-pack. That slashes the Nest WiFi Pro 3-pack to $319.99 instead of $400.
Of note, these Google Nest WiFi deals are available on Amazon and Best Buy today, so you can shop at whichever retailer you prefer.
tvOS 17 is Apple’s current operating system for Apple TV and HomePod. After two years of minor updates, the Cupertino firm finally gave keynote time to this operating system and announced several new features. Here’s what we know about the company’s biggest update yet for the Apple TV software, tvOS 17.
tvOS 17 focuses on a new FaceTime experience while tweaking the Control Center and improving the general usage of the Apple TV.
For the first time, the Apple TV hardware integrates with the iPhone camera with the Continuity Camera feature on tvOS 17. With that, Apple added the FaceTime app to the set-top box.
With FaceTime on Apple TV 4K, users can initiate calls directly from Apple TV, start them on iPhone or iPad, and hand them off to Apple TV. It uses Continuity Camera support to connect to the user’s iPhone or iPad wirelessly and leverages the device’s camera and microphone to bring participants together on the TV. It also works with Center Stage, so everyone keeps in the room framed on the screen.
In December 2023, video conferencing apps like Webex by Cisco and Zoom launched on tvOS and brought their communications capabilities to Apple TV 4K. Developers can use Continuity Camera APIs on Apple TV 4K to integrate the iPhone or iPad camera and microphone into their tvOS apps.
In addition, Apple Music Sing also integrates with Continuity Camera so Apple TV users can see themselves onscreen and add “entertaining filters” while singing. Despite that, Apple Music on Apple TV doesn’t seem to be adding credit to songs, which is available for iOS 17. The iPhone operating system also brings a new cover for when music is playing on Apple Music, but it also doesn’t seem to be the case with the Apple TV, as the player remains the same.
While iOS 17 didn’t get a revamped Control Center as it was rumored, the Apple TV with tvOS 17 did. The new Control Center focuses on making things easier for the Apple TV. From there, you can see the system status, the current time, and the active profile. It also makes connecting Bluetooth devices or checking your Home accessories easier. Bringing the new UI to multiple platforms, a new Control Center interface is also available in watchOS 10.
With Fast Profile switching, users just need to wake up the Apple TV with the remote app on the iPhone’s Control Center, and it will automatically switch to that person’s profile, ensuring they have access to their recently watched shows and personalized recommendations.
To improve that experience, customized Settings for Profiles are now saved for each user’s profile with tvOS 17, including their system language and paired AirPods.
Apple still hasn’t added the U1 chip to the Siri Remote, but second-generation models or later can be found through the Find My app. This works similarly to finding an AirPods. With the iPhone connecting to the Siri Remote by Bluetooth, a proximity sensor can help you discover how close you are to the Apple TV accessory.
To work, you need to update your Siri Remote to version 10M4782 or 10M4784 for the 2nd-gen and 3rd-gen remotes, respectively.
Dolby Vision 8.1 support offers Apple TV 4K users a more cinematic visual experience with dynamic metadata over a broader range of movies and TV shows.
Apple Fitness+ enhancements include Custom Plans, a new way for Fitness+ users to receive a custom workout. By building a plan, you can choose the following:
Apple fitness service also adds Stacks, which allows users to select multiple workouts and meditations to seamlessly do back-to-back. Audio Focus gives users the ability to prioritize the volume of the music or the trainers’ voices.
Third-party VPN apps support: It enables developers to create VPN apps for Apple TV. This can benefit enterprise and education users wanting to access content on their private networks, allowing Apple TV to be a great office and conference room solution in even more places.
Apple released tvOS 17.1 for Apple TV and HomePod Software Version 17.1 for HomePod models. The main feature available is the expansion of the Enhanced Dialogue feature to all HomePods, as long as they’re a pair. Here’s what you need to know about this feature:
Apple released tvOS 17.2 for Apple TV and HomePod Software Version 17.2 for HomePod models.
Apple released tvOS 17.3 for Apple TV and HomePod Software Version 17.3 for HomePod models. Besides bug fixes and security patches, tvOS 17.3 adds these two features:
tvOS 17.4 was a pretty mild update, adding only small fixes and security improvements. Apple was working on SharePlay for Apple Music, so users could join an Apple Music Now Playing queue by using a QR Code, but the company removed support for this feature throughout the beta testing.
tvOS 17.5 was a pretty mild update, adding only small fixes and security improvements.
With new beta versions of tvOS 17, more details about upcoming models are discovered. So far, we have heard about the iPhone 15 before it was released, a mysterious homeOS, and a HomePod with a display in the works. Below, you can find more details about these code references.
During the beta test of tvOS 17, X user @aaronp613 discovered references to six unreleased iPhone models on this operating system beta code. According to him, four of these iPhones were added in tvOS 17 beta 1 and removed in beta 5, which is why he discovered them. Two other models were added with beta 5, and they are really intriguing, as there are no rumors regarding these two additional models.
From the models discovered, iPhone15,4 and iPhone15,5 are likely the standard and Plus versions of the iPhone 15 running the A16 Bionic chip, while iPhone16,1 and iPhone16,2 refer to the Pro and Pro Max iterations with the A17 Pro processor.
Currently, the only iPhone models with an A15 Bionic chip are the iPhone SE 3, all iPhone 13 models, and the regular iPhone 14 versions. That said, we have six iPhones using the same processor. As Apple doesn’t sell the iPhone 13 Pro models anymore, this could mean the company could have planned to release a USB-C version of at least two iPhones with the A15 Bionic chip. That said, Apple hasn’t updated older iPhones with a USB-C port, so it remains unclear which were these other two iPhone models.
With tvOS 17.4 beta files, MacRumors discovered references to a new homeOS software. This is not the first time we have heard about this software, as references to it have been around since 2021 when Apple was looking for engineers to work on this project.
This happened a few times over the years, and when the media spotted these homeOS job listings, Apple would change the description to tvOS and HomePod instead. Now, the publication believes Apple is still working on it behind the scenes.
Most likely, this software would be used for a HomePod with a screen. Bloomberg and other outlets have reported on a HomePod with iPad integration, like an Amazon Echo Show product. Apple is also apparently working on a HomePod with a circular display. That said, instead of the current wave animations that we have on the HomePod, we could see music and weather data, for example.
MacRumors says tvOS 17.4 added a SharePlay feature for the HomePod, which would let people scan a QR Code to the Apple Music app on the TV so others could start a SharePlay session to add new songs to the list. This could hint at an upcoming feature for this homeOS system.
After tvOS 17.4 beta 1 hinted at a homeOS system, beta 3 now shows references to a HomePod with a display. According to 9to5Mac, there’s a new device identified as Z314, which runs tvOS with the A15 Bionic chip.
According to the publication, this device has reached an “advanced stage of development.” Another hint at this product is new SwiftUI frameworks added to the HomePod firmware, such as a tool used to debug unresponsive UI in iOS apps. If Apple added a feature that requires a screen, this might be another hint that a HomePod with a display (whether external or not) is in the works.
Over the tvOS 16 cycle, Apple added several new features for HomePod owners. The new operating system for the company’s smart speakers, which is a variation of tvOS, has one notable function, which requires an Apple TV 4K and a pair of HomePods. Here it is:
Enhance Dialogue: It lets Apple TV users hear more clearly what is being said over the effects, action, and music in a movie or TV show on Apple TV 4K paired with two HomePods by separating the dialogue from the background noise and bringing it forward to the center channel.
With the new systems available, Apple announced other features:
With HomePod Software 17.4, Apple added this change:
Music Settings Change: This update enables Siri to learn your preferred media service, so you no longer need to include the name of the media app in your request.
After unveiling tvOS 17 at the WWDC 2023 keynote, Apple released the first beta of this operating system to developers. A public beta has been available since July 12, and the general release since September 18. Apple confirmed this information after the iPhone 15 event.
Both developer and public beta versions are already available for Apple TV. Unlike the iOS 17 beta, anyone can enroll in the program. On the Apple TV, follow these steps:
While HomePod Software version beta builds are usually distributed by Apple, with iOS 16, the company started letting anyone enrolled with the Apple Beta Software Program try the new operating system on the HomePod mini.
On July 12, Apple released the public beta of HomePod Software version 17, alongside the versions for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17. This public beta is available for HomePod 2 and mini models. Here’s how to install it.
Since Apple introduced tvOS, the company has supported all Apple TV models, starting with the 2015 HD version. The same is true for tvOS 17.
These are the set-top boxes and smart speakers that support tvOS 17:
Since Apple introduced the HomePod Software Version, the company has supported all HomePod models, starting with the 2018 model. The same is worth for tvOS 17’s variation HomePod Software Version 17. These are the compatible models:
Available internet providers in Huntsville are as good as anywhere, but AT&T Fiber stands out as CNET’s pick for Huntsville’s best ISP overall. AT&T Fiber’s local fiber-optic coverage, selection of plans with symmetrical upload and download speeds, stable pricing and record of high customer satisfaction give it a slight advantage over competing Huntsville providers.
Google Fiber is a close second and can’t be beat regarding gig and multi-gigabit speeds. The provider offers the fastest internet speeds in Huntsville, up to 8,000 megabits per second, but as a gig-only provider, Google Fiber isn’t the cheapest service around.
If you’re looking for cheap internet in Huntsville, Xfinity and WideOpenWest are top choices. Xfinity has the lowest starting price, $20 monthly, for speeds up to 150Mbps, while WOW starts at $30 for double the max speed, 300Mbps.
To top off your potential broadband options in Huntsville, there’s fixed wireless service from Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet. Verizon is a better deal with faster max speeds, while T-Mobile boasts a broader coverage area. Both providers offer unlimited data, free equipment and a discount for qualifying mobile customers.
CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Huntsville across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also closely read providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, call ISPs to verify the details.
Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider’s website.
Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs, while the text is specific to what’s available in Huntsville. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.
To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
Our take – AT&T Fiber’s speed selection, straightforward pricing and high customer satisfaction record make it the best all-around ISP in the Huntsville area.
300 – 5,000 Mbps
$55 – $250 per month
1,000 – 2,000 Mbps
$70 – $100 per month
Our take – If you’re interested in gig internet, check to see if Google Fiber is available. The faster speeds make for a higher starting price than most ISPs, but if you don’t mind the premium (but definitely fair) pricing, Google Fiber is the way to go.
1,000 – 2,000 Mbps
$70 – $100 per month
100 – 1,200 Mbps
$20 – $95 per month
Our take – WideOpenWest offers the best bang for your buck on speeds up to 1Gbps. Even after the promotional period (1 year) ends, the standard rate will only increase your bill by $15 to $25.
100 – 1,200 Mbps
$20 – $95 per month
Fixed wireless
85 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $70 per month
Our take – Verizon 5G Home Internet adds to the broadband competition in Huntsville, but available speeds will vary by location. There are no contracts, so you can try it out risk-free to see what speeds you can get.
Fixed wireless
85 – 1,000 Mbps
$50 – $70 per month
150 – 6,000 Mbps
$20 – $300 per month
Our take – Cable internet is often the best source for internet and TV bundles, and that’s true of Xfinity in Huntsville. The area’s largest cable provider offers a variety of internet speeds and bundles, with an increasing monthly discount for each Xfinity service you add.
150 – 6,000 Mbps
$20 – $300 per month
| Provider | Internet technology | Monthly price range | Speed range | Monthly equipment costs | Data cap | Contract | CNET review score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AT&T Read full review |
DSL, fiber | $55 DSL, $55-$225 fiber | 10-100Mbps DSL, 300-5,000Mbps fiber | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Google Fiber Read full review |
Fiber | $70-$150 | 1,000-8,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.5 |
|
Mediacom Read full review |
Cable | $35-$70 | 100-1,000Mbps | $14 | 350-3,000GB | None | 6.4 |
|
T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $60 ($40-$50 with eligible mobile plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
|
Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wireless | $50-$70 ($35-$45 for eligible Verizon Wireless customers) | 50-1,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| WideOpenWest | Cable | $30-$95 | 300-1,200Mbps | $14 (optional) | None | None | 7.2 |
|
Xfinity Read full review |
Cable | $20-$100 | 150-2,000Mbps | $15 (included with most plans for 24 months) | 1.2TB | 1-2 years (optional) | 7 |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
The internet providers listed above are the ones that I would recommend most, but they may not be your only options for internet in Huntsville. Here’s a quick overview of other potential internet providers in Huntsville.
With two fiber providers and two cable providers available throughout much of Huntsville, broadband availability and options is better than most other parts of Alabama and the US.
Between AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, fiber-optic internet connections are available to nearly 75% of Huntsville’s residential addresses. That’s more than double the total fiber internet availability in Alabama and significantly higher than fiber coverage nationwide.
It’s uncommon for the majority of an area to have more than one cable internet provider available. The local competition helps keep prices low and the service terms favorable to the customer.
The average starting monthly rate of home internet in Huntsville is around $45, not including taxes and additional fees. Cable internet, with starting rates of $20 to $35, brings that average down while AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile Home Internet and Google Fiber raise it with starting rates of $55, $60 and $70, respectively.
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
The best internet deals and top promotions in Huntsville depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.
Huntsville internet providers, such as AT&T Fiber, Xfinity and WOW, may offer lower introductory pricing or other incentives for a limited time. Many providers, including Google Fiber and Verizon 5G Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.
For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.
Huntsville residents have access to some of the fastest internet speeds anywhere in the US thanks to AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber. Despite the high-speed availability, Huntsville’s tested internet speeds do not rank among the 100 fastest in the US, according to recent Ookla speed test data. Atlanta took the final spot with median download speeds of 91Mbps, meaning Huntsville’s median download speeds fell below that mark.
There are many factors that can affect speed test results, however, not least of which is the internet plan you choose. Gig and multi-gigabit speeds are available from multiple providers in the area. If you want faster-than-average internet speeds in Huntsville, consider the plans listed below.
| Plan | Starting price | Max download speed | Max upload speed | Data cap | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Google Fiber 8 Gig Read full review |
$150 | 8,000Mbps | 8,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 5000 Read full review |
$225 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Google Fiber 5 Gig Read full review |
$125 | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
AT&T Internet 2000 Read full review |
$150 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Google Fiber 2 Gig Read full review |
$100 | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Xfinity Gigabit x2 Read full review |
$100 | 2,000Mbps | 200Mbps | None | Cable |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
$85 | 1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
|
AT&T Internet 1000 Read full review |
$80 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Google Fiber 1 Gig Read full review |
$70 | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | None | Fiber |
|
Mediacom Prime Internet 1 Gig Read full review |
$55 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | 3TB | Cable |
|
WOW Internet 1 Gig Read full review |
$50 | 1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | 3TB | Cable |
|
Xfinity Gigabit Read full review |
$60 | 1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | 1.2TB | Cable |
|
Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
$70 ($45 with eligible mobile plans) | 85-1,000Mbps | 50-75Mbps | None | Fixed wireless |
Show more (8 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
While the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
Few cities have as many options for home internet as Huntsville. Two fiber providers, AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber, serve much of the area while cable internet is available from Xfinity, WOW and possibly Mediacom. There’s also the possibility of 5G home internet from T-Mobile or Verizon.
If you’re looking for fast internet, consider AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber. Both ISPs offer a 5-gig plan while Google Fiber also has an 8-gig plan in select areas. Cable internet can’t quite compete with those speeds, but it is a good source of cheap internet in Huntsville. Xfinity and WOW have the lowest starting rates in the area at $20 and $30 a month, respectively.
What is the best internet service provider in Huntsville?
AT&T Fiber is the best all-around internet provider in Huntsville. Although not the fastest or the cheapest internet provider in Huntsville, AT&T Fiber offers speeds to accommodate nearly any household, and all plans include unlimited data, free equipment rental and no contract requirements. Other competing Huntsville ISPs may charge for equipment rental and have data caps or, in the case of Google Fiber and Verizon 5G Home, do not offer a similar speed selection.
Is fiber internet available in Huntsville?
Huntsville has greater access to fiber-optic internet than most cities nationwide. Nearly three-quarters of Huntsville households are serviceable for fiber internet, according to the most recent FCC data. AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber are the main contributors to the high fiber availability in the area.
Who is the cheapest internet provider in Huntsville?
Xfinity has the lowest introductory rate on home internet in Huntsville at $20 per month for speeds up to 150Mbps. As you get into faster speed tiers, WOW emerges as the cheaper provider. For example, speeds up to 300Mbps start at $30 with WOW but $35 with Xfinity. Additionally, WOW offers gig service, up to 1,000Mbps, starting at $60 monthly, whereas Xfinity is slightly more expensive at $80.
Which internet provider in Huntsville offers the fastest plan?
Google Fiber offers the fastest internet plan in Huntsville with symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 8,000Mbps, starting at just $150 per month. The provider also offers a 5,000Mbps plan, as does AT&T Fiber, although AT&T’s plan is $100 more per month than Google Fiber’s.
Google just upgraded the Circle to Search functionality, announcing at I/O 2024 that the feature can now do things like help you with homework on Android devices. Introduced in January as an exclusive feature for the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 phones, Circle to Search is now available on plenty of other Android devices.
At I/O, Circle to Search was one of only three AI features Google demoed for Android 15, as it said that it’s building its operating system with AI at the core.
Google made Circle to Search sound like an Android exclusive and an implicit advantage over the iPhone. It’s true that Google never announced plans to launch the feature on the iPhone, but it also never discounted the possibility.
After all, there’s a workaround to use Circle to Search on your iPhone right now. You can use Circle to Search on iPhone via the Google Lens app, but you can’t exactly circle the screen to search for something specific.
That said, it looks like Google will bring a version of Circle to Search to the iPhone via a future update to the Chrome browser for iOS.
That’s according to The Mac Observer, at least. The blog spotted a new “Lens Circle to Search” flag added to Chrome for iOS. If enabled, the feature would bring Circle to Search functionality to the iPhone outside of Google Lens.
The only downside is that accessing Circle to Search via Chrome isn’t as good as the Android experience. On Android, Google has implemented Circle to Search at the system level. You can invoke Circle to Search no matter what you’re doing on the phone, and you’ll search the web for content currently displayed on the screen.
The Circle to Search feature Google might be adding to Chrome for iOS will be limited to content in Chrome, of course. Apple isn’t likely to give Google the same systemwide access that Circle to Search gets on Android.
Apple will likely never allow a feature from another company to work systemwide, even if it chooses Google Gemini as the built-in AI chatbot for iOS 18. Instead, Apple might deliver its own Circle to Search alternative, which could be built on top of the current Visual Look Up functionality. I’m just speculating, however.
I’ll also add that GPT-4o and Gemini’s Project Astra upgrade will make Circle to Search unnecessary. If the AI can see screenshots, videos, or the contents of your screen and search the web for information, you don’t need to circle anything.
Google’s integration of Circle to Search into Chrome for iOS makes sense for another reason. It could increase the adoption of Chrome on iPhone. Personally, I’m looking forward to using Circle to Search on iPhone, but I won’t replace Safari with Chrome anytime soon.
Still, if Google brings Circle to Search to Chrome on iOS, I’m sure many people will try it. It’s a much faster way to search the web using images or parts from an image. That said, Google hasn’t announced anything about Circle to Search on iPhone. It’s unclear when or even if the functionality will come to Chrome for iOS.
As a reporter who covers sex and intimacy, I spend a lot of time listening to experts extol the virtues of open, honest communication. To have good sex — and to keep having good sex over time — couples must be willing to talk about it, they say.
But some people would rather leave their relationships than have those conversations, said Jeffrey Chernin, a marriage and family therapist and the author of “Achieving Intimacy: How to Have a Loving Relationship That Lasts” — especially if things in the bedroom aren’t going particularly well.
“One of the things I often say to couples who are having trouble is: ‘I wish there was another way through this,’” he said. “But the only way I know to have a better sex life, or to resume your sex life, is to discuss it.”
Dr. Chernin acknowledged how stressful those conversations can be, sometimes deteriorating into finger-pointing, belittling or stonewalling. That said, these suggestions may help.
It’s common for partners to have trouble talking about intimacy and desire. Research suggests that even in long-term relationships, people know only about 60 percent of what their partner likes sexually, and only about 25 percent of what they don’t like.
Cyndi Darnell, a sex and relationships therapist in New York City, said her patients frequently tell her that talking about sex is “awkward” — which is especially true “if you’ve spent months or years avoiding it,” she said.
“We’ve been tricked into believing sex is natural,” she added. “But, if it were easy and natural, people wouldn’t struggle with it as much as they do.”
She mentioned one couple she worked with, both in their 50s, who hadn’t had sex in years. Every time they talked about it, they fought. So they sought outside help to get past their embarrassment and anger.
In therapy, they realized that they had only been focused on penetration, but the husband was really longing for closeness and tenderness. And once the wife realized that her husband was not going to “pounce on her” whenever she cuddled with him, they were able to be more sensual with each other — and to talk about what they like to do and why, Ms. Darnell said. But it took a spirit of willingness, curiosity and acceptance.
It may be possible to temper the dread that often accompanies these conversations, if you approach them sensitively. “When a partner says, ‘We need to talk,’ Dr. Chernin said, “the other person feels like, ‘I’m going to the principal’s office.’”
Instead, try to:
That means saying something like: “On the one hand, I know how difficult this is for us to talk about,” Dr. Chernin said. “On the other hand, I think it’s important for our marriage or for our relationship to be able to have some discussions about our sex life.”
Then ask: “What can we do about it?”
A script offers scaffolding, Ms. Darnell said. She suggested prompts like: “Our relationship is really important to me, and I’d like for sex to be part of it (again). I was curious if that is something you’d be into also?”
Maggie Bennett-Brown, a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute and an assistant professor at Texas Tech University, said “it doesn’t have to be explicit.” Maybe you tell your partner that you like it when he hugs you or plans a romantic night on the town.
If it has been a while since you were intimate, it can help to reminisce — and that can segue into a deeper question. “If people have never had a conversation about: ‘What do you enjoy?’ that’s a good first step,” Dr. Bennett-Brown said.
Be careful about initiating a discussion about sex while in bed, Dr. Chernin said, particularly if you are being critical. (Though some couples may find it easier to talk about sex when they are basking in the afterglow, he said.)
“Think about a conversation as a series of discussions,” Dr. Chernin said. “That way, you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself or your partner.”
If your partner is unwilling to talk — or if the conversation feels painful, not just uncomfortable, Ms. Darnell said — a sex therapist or couples counselor may be able to help mediate.
She did not downplay how high-stakes these conversations can be. But she added that sex may not always be a necessary component of a satisfying romantic relationship.
“One of the questions I often ask my couples for whom sex is a tenuous and difficult issue is: Does this relationship have to be sexual?” she said. She worked with one couple in their 30s and 40s who realized they liked engaging in flirty banter, but did not want to move beyond that. “Permission to not have sex at this phase of their relationship was huge — and a relief,” she said.
“Sex is about so much more than just what we do when our pants are off,” she said.
