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Taking a trip to northern California

Apple is expected to switch the naming convention of its various product operating systems this year tohave them reflect the year of release. However, macOS will surely still retain a moniker inspired by a Californian location and this year’s release is believed to be centred on Lake Tahoe.

The famous resort in northern California will lend its name to macOS Tahoe, which Apple seems all but certain to reveal atnext week’s WWDC. The rich blue of Lake Tahoe’s water may serve as inspiration for an overhauled UI.

The tip comes from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg who wrote in his latestPower Onnewsletter that Tahoe is “a famous resort area and a vacation destination (and second-home site) for many Apple employees.”

Apple’s California-themed naming convention for its desktop OS started back in 2013 with macOS Mavericks, taking over from the big cat theme of previous versions. The last time the company overhauled the UI was over a decade ago with 2014’s macOS Yosemite. Tahoe looks like it could be one of the most significant macOS releases in recent history.

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Lake Tahoe(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to reports, we may see the first developer beta macOS Tahoe on or around WWDC taking place next week from June 9. It’s tipped to arrive with a file size of around 17 GB — about 2 GB larger than Sequoia.

There will also, of course, be those Apple machines incapable of running the new OS.Apple Insideris reporting thatIntel-based Macs won’t support the update.

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These are the specific models that may not get macOS Tahoe.

• 2017 iMac Pro
• 2018 Mac mini
• 2018 MacBook Pro models
• 2020 MacBook Air (with Intel chips)

The switch to a year-based naming convention (so, iOS 26, iPad OS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26) to denote a 2026 release date — similar to how car manufacturers operate — is likely to simplify things a great deal for Apple’s users. But there’s still something nice about having a bona fide name each year. Tahoe seems like a very good bet but, based on some recently filed trademarks, Redwood, Skyline and Diablo could also be in the running.

Of course, we won’t have long to find out. Here’s our full preview onwhat to expect at this year’s WWDC.

All USB-C ports need to support data, charging, and display functionality.

Microsoft promises it is “ending USB-C port confusion” with its updated Windows 11 Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) initiative. Going forward, it pledges to ensure all USB data, charging, and display functionality “just works” on all your USB-C ports. Moreover, an additional rule means USB 40Gbps ports will be fully compatible with both USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals. The Microsoft blog indicates that these rules should already be in place with certified Windows 11 laptops and tablets that come with Windows 11 24H2 installed.

Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, Ugan S., asks readers of his blog whether they are “Tired of USB-C ports that don’t behave consistently?” To illustrate the problem, he retells a story about ‘The Blank Display’ and laments that such issues still happen in the present day. It isn’t the USB-C port that’s the problem, says the Microsoft exec, it is “the inconsistent implementations of USB-C port capabilities across the PC ecosystem.” Or in other words, not all USB-C ports are created equal.

To fix this inconsistency, the WHCP will now mandate that everyUSB-C porton new Windows laptops and tablets needs to support data, charging, and display functionality. This should mean no more guessing about which ports support what, and might also mean end users are happier as they can connect a charger or second display to either side of a laptop (if there are USB-C ports both side).

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Microsoft put the chart above together to show the capabilities of WHCP-compliant laptops. Yes, they all support the three core functions, but their levels of support will still vary. In addition to the familiar data speed differences, USB 3.X ports won’t provide as much accessory power, or support as many displays, as USB4.

On the topic of USB4, you can also see in the table that “On a WHCP-certified USB 40Gbps system, you can also plug in any USB4 or Thunderbolt 3 device and trust it will work every time on every port.”

Not mentioned yet, or hinted at in the table, Microsoft is also requiring USB-IF certified silicon in the PC. Moreover, a new Microsoft driver stack requirement means PCs are validated using Microsoft’s built-in USB controllerdrivers. This should ensuresecurityand feature updates arrive via Windows Update.

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To wrap up its post, Microsoft explains that the Hardware Lab Kit (HLK) is behind these improvements. The process is ongoing, with WHCP updating with every Windows release, delivering fixes and enhancements.

Apple’s next big macOS update is mere weeks away, and according to recent information, a few older Intel-based Macs will not get it. Apple is planning a major shakeup when it comes to the naming scheme of its operating systems, aligning them with a year-based solution instead of the order of release. This means that the company will not release macOS 16 next month and instead jump straight to macOS 26. Well, some Macs would not support or be compatible with macOS 26.

Apple will end support for four older Macs this year, as they will not be compatible with macOS 26

According to people familiar with the matter cited byAppleInsider, Apple will end support for macOS 26 on four models of Macs, all of them with an Intel chip. You have to note that only the older models of Macs are being removed from the compatibility list.

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The following Macs will not be compatible with macOS 26:

• 2018 MacBook Pro
• 2017 iMac Pro
• 2018 Mac mini
• 2020 MacBook Air (Intel-based)

The Macs mentioned above are the oldest models to support Apple’s current macOS Sequoia update, but unfortunately, they will not be compatible with the upcoming update. The Macs were also omitted from the developmental builds, which indicates that the final version of the update will not support the hardware.

This is the second time the company has let go of some Macs as it moves closer to supporting models with Apple Silicon. Currently, there are only a few Macs left in the company’s lineup that are Intel-based but will still be compatible with macOS 26. You can check out the list below for more details.

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• 2019 and newer MacBook Pro models
• 2020 and newer iMac models
• 2019 and newer Mac Pro models
• M1 and newer Mac mini models
• All Mac Studio models
• M1 and newer MacBook Air models

Apple will announce macOS 26 at its WWDC event next mont alongside iOS 26, watchOS 26, and many other updates. The company will potentiallyunify the namesas well as the design language of the updates, which means that each update will take certain elements from visionOS, specifically the transparent glass-like effects and menus. Moreover, the company will also bring major design changes to iOS 26 withcircular app iconsand much more. The company could also surprise us with support for older Macs, so be sure to take the news with a grain of salt. We will share more details on iOS 26 compatibility soon, so stick around.

You’ve seen it pretty much every day now for decades, and you’ve interacted with it just as many times, but have you ever wondered why the power symbol looks the way that it does? There’s a joke that anyone born in the 21st century doesn’t know what the save icon is because they’ve never seen a floppy disk before. The same is somewhat true of the power symbol because, unless you had a hand in designing it or appreciate the history of computing, it’s likely you are just as in the dark as most folks.The power symbol is expressed in several ways, but most people are likely familiar with the circle that has a line extending from its center, breaking its border to the top. If you look at a toggle switch that you might find on a power strip, the symbol is broken up, so that the circle is on one side and the line on another. When the line side is depressed, the power is turned on, while flipping it in the direction of the circle kills the power. There are other variations, including a circle with the line enclosed within.Both the circle and the line have meaning in binary code, such that the circle represents “zero” while the line stands for “one.” In binary, these literally mean “off” and “on.” Symbols used to indicate power and others are universally accepted by the Unicode Standard, a character encoding standard used worldwide. The power symbol was first brought into Unicode 9.0 alongside many emojis in 2015, and it remains there alongside familiar icons. These days, the power symbol is a universally recognized means of telling whoever looks upon it precisely what it does.>>>Replacement battery for Getac G1History of the power symbol

While the power symbol made it into Unicode in 2015, it’s been around for much longer. The goal in moving it to Unicode was to add a crucial symbol used around the world by the masses. Initially, the symbol now used for power was the one used for stand-by, but its use was ambiguous, depending on the system in which it was emplaced. Additionally, it was important to create a proper symbol instead of labeling things in English with “on” and “off.” The symbol was redefined to indicate power in December 2004 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).>>>Replacement battery for Getac K120Three symbols were adopted for power, including the familiar one, the aforementioned enclosed circle, and the waning crescent Moon for sleep. The IEEE standardized these in IEEE Standard 1621. Prior to this, you could find the power symbol in all sorts of places, including the old Gateway Computers logo. The symbol appears on Android phones and other devices, but is rather simplistic, consisting of only two elements. That said, they’re two of the most important aspects of computing, and without them, modern computer systems wouldn’t exist.The fundamental aspects of computing are perfectly encapsulated in the button we push to turn on a device. That single symbol, combining zero and one, reflects the binary logic that underpins modern electronics.

The renamed Nintendo Switch App also adds support for GameChat.

Nintendo

Nintendo is gearing up for the launch of theSwitch 2on June 5, and to ensure you’re ready to go when the console arrives at your door, you’ll need to download the latest update for the newly renamed Nintendo Switch App. The app, which was previously called the Nintendo Switch Online app, had added a number of new features, including a more seamless screenshot interface, GameChat functionality and placeholder icons for game-specific services like Zelda Notes. The latter will become usable on launch day.

Arguably the most useful addition is the revamped screenshots and video upload feature, which allows you to link your phone to your Switch 2 and wirelessly upload in-game media to the app, either manually or automatically. This was already possible on the original Switch (and is hardly a revolutionary feature), but doing so involved someneedlessly clunkyQR code scanning that didn’t always work. Now, screenshots and gameplay clips should just appear in the app, where you can save them locally. Up to 100 files can be stored in the app for 30 days from the point of upload, and once you hit the limit the oldest files will disappear if not saved.

Another big Switch 2 feature is GameChat, Nintendo’s new multiplayer voice chat functionality. Via the Nintendo Switch App you’ll be able to receive notifications for GameChat invites, friends coming online and friend requests. Your added friends will be displayed on the home screen of the app. Again, no one who’s been playing games on a modern PlayStation or Xbox console for the last decade is going to be blown away by any of this stuff, but it looks like playing online with friends on Switch 2 is going to be mercifully less fiddly than on its predecessor.

The Zelda Notes icon now appears when you open the Nintendo Switch App, but it won’t be functional until June 5. The app, which is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, effectively functions like a sat nav for tracking down missing Koroks and shrines on your save file. You can also share your Autobuild creations inTotKwith friends, edit in-game photos and check play records such as the number of enemies defeated and total game overs.

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Nintendo is making small tweaks to some of itsother servicesahead of the Switch 2’s arrival. Over on Nintendo Switch Online (not to be confused with the mobile app), where you can play a selection of emulated classics from Nintendo’s back catalogue, a new Switch 2-exclusive rewind feature will be added to the N64 library, as well as a new CRT filter option. These features were already available for NES and SNES games on the service, and it’s not entirely clear why original Switch owners won’t benefit from the additional N64 options as well.