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If you’ve been wondering what Microsoft’s next feature release of Windows 10—19H2—has in store, the answer is: not much.

Microsoft said Monday that the upcoming 19H2 release, due in September, will include “a scoped set of features for select performance improvements, enterprise features and quality enhancements.” The goal appears to be to enhance what’s already in Windows, with an eye toward enterprise and partner deployments, rather than add consumer-facing features.

As part of that schedule, Microsoft said that it will release new 19H2 builds as part of the Slow Ring, the counterpart to the “Fast Ring” of Windows 10 Insider releases. Each build will be deployed as a cumulative update—a patch, in other words, rather than an entirely new build. The first of these, Build 18362.1, was made available to users on Monday. “This update contains two behind-the-scenes changes designed for OEMs and does not contain anything visible to Insiders,” the company said.

Insiders aren’t even guaranteed to see the new changes. They’ll be deployed on a schedule, and some releases will have the features turned off and enabled later.

If you’re not a Windows Insider, and don’t want to be, nothing will change. Sometime in September, the 19H2 release will be pushed to consumers the same as it’s always been. This time around, however, consumers are less likely to see any significant changes to their Windows experience once it arrives.

What this means for consumers is if Microsoft continues on its path, there will still be two feature releases per year, around April and September. But only the April release will add new features, making the fall release a servicing release that will iron out bugs and upgrade features already in Windows. It appears that Microsoft is trying to ease the burden on PC makers and large enterprise customers, who must test and deploy the spring and fall feature updates.

If nothing else, it does add some order back to Microsoft’s release schedule. Microsoft has already begun shipping the first builds of the so-called 20H1 release, due around April 2020. Even those have been primarily improvements rather than new features. So far, the most important new feature of the 20H1 release is probably the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, with an actual Linux kernel inside.

You can expect it to inherit features from the S10 family.

The rumors were true — Samsung has announced that it’s holding its second Unpacked event of the year on August 7th at 4PM Eastern in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The company hasn’t said anything about what to expect, but the pen-centric teaser image (above) doesn’t leave much to the imagination. The Galaxy Note 10 will clearly be the star of the show, and it’s just a matter of pinning down the finer details.

This could be one of the biggest Galaxy Note introductions yet. Current rumors and leaks suggest the Note 10 will retain the harder-edged design of the Note line, but inherit Galaxy S10 features like a hole-punch camera (this time at the top center), in-screen fingerprint readers and, crucially a wider selection of models. There may be two Note variants this year, a 6.3-inch base Note 10 and a nearly 6.8-inch Note 10+ (the larger of which would offer a 5G variant). You could expect upgrades to the pen experience, the camera and likely other traits.

The Note 10 might be a step back for some, though. There are murmurs that none of the new models would include a headphone jack (making Samsung’s previous bragging a bit awkward), and that only the Note 10+ would have a microSD slot. If so, some of the features Samsung owners have taken for granted are about to go away — and there’s no guarantee that the Galaxy Buds or increased storage will satisfy some fans.

The final versions of Apple’s iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 software for your iPhones ($1,000 at Amazon) and iPads ($249 at Walmart) are coming your way this fall, but you can get a jump start now on everything the OSes offer. The public beta is open to anyone who wants to help test early builds of the operating system that will run on iPhones ($1,000 at Amazon) and iPads ($249 at Walmart) later this year. That’s right, this year we have two different versions of iOS. One, iOS 13, is for the iPhone and iPod Touch, the other, iPadOS 13, is dedicated to the iPad and brings with it new multitasking features and a desktop-class version of Safari.

Both software updates include a long list of new features, such as an official systemwide dark mode, new privacy features and improved Apple Maps. Apple also announced WatchOS 6, MacOS 10.15 Catalina, and TVOS 13 during its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.

While the public betas are, as we said, open to anyone who wants to give them a spin, there are some things to be aware of.

Remember, it’s beta

Over the years, the beta program for an upcoming iOS release has gotten more stable. However, it’s called a beta version for a reason — it’s not finished. Apps are going to break, battery life is going to be horrible and frequent random restarts aren’t unheard of.

If you want to test iOS 13, go into it knowing that you’re testing beta software and do yourself — and Apple — a favor by providing feedback through the Feedback app.

You can’t (easily) go back

In addition to a willingness to deal with bugs and random issues, you need to know that you can go back to the current official version of iOS, but you can’t restore from a backup made with your device on iOS 13.

So, with that in mind, it’s a good idea to create a backup of your device as it is right before switching to the beta. The best way to do that is to use iTunes (RIP) and create an encrypted backup.

Ready? Here’s how to install iOS 13

Visit Apple’s Beta Software Program on your computer. You’ll need to sign in using your Apple ID, then pick iOS or iPadOS. The program will walk you through creating a back up of your iPhone or iPad — don’t just glance over this and move on, create a backup right now — and then you’ll need to download and install the beta profile. You can visit this link on your iPhone or iPad to download the profile.

After the profile is downloaded open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. The profile will show up, just below your name. Tap the profile, then approve the installation. Your device will reboot after the profile is added, after which you can go to Settings > General > Software Update to download and install iOS 13.

Of course, if you have a paid developer account you can still find the appropriate installation profiles on the developer site.

Apple’s rough month continues. In June hackers blew the security off 1.4BN iPhones and iPads, Apple was fined due to missed iPhone estimatesand the company’s stunning 2020 iPhone gave users doubts about upgrading to the ugly 2019 model. And now those fears have been realised.

In a new exclusive, hugely popular YouTuber Filip Koroy (aka EverythingApplePro) has managed to attain retail iPhone 11 cases and they serve only to confirm users’ worst fears about the shock departure of Apple’s head designer Jonathan Ive.

Attained via a Chinese supply chain source, Koroy admits “I had to buy about 100” to get access to them. But what the cases reveal are the cases fit perfectly inside molds from leaked schematics. So yes, the leaks were right, Apple is indeed going to give the iPhone 11 its most controversial redesignin a decade. That means the large notch stays in a notch-less, bezel-less eraand the phones will still have the largest camera bulge in iPhone history – despite losing their cutting edge tech at the last minute.

In addition to this, the retrograde mute switch redesign is happening and the new iPhones are going to be thicker (and presumably) heavier despite the 208 g (7.34 oz) iPhone XS Max already being the heaviest flagship smartphone in the world. In fact, the only positive is the cases don’t close the door completely on Apple’s seemingly accidental iOS 13 leak showing a move to USB-C.

Predictably, the response to these changes has not been positive. In fact, the top rated comment on Koroy’s video is “Maybe Johnny Ive left because of the iPhone 11 camera design.” (source).

And there’s actually some truth to this. Bloomberg claims Ive has not been heavily involved in Apple product design since the Apple Watch launched in 2015. The fact Ive is leaving ahead of the iPhone 11 launch also says a lot about his involvement in the project.

The flip side to all of this, however, is Apple looks set to come out all guns blazing in 2020 thanks to the leak of its stunning next iPhone flagship, which will also be the company’s first 5G iPhone.

As such, the message remains clear: if you can even hold your phone together with tape, do so. 2019 is not the year to upgrade your iPhone.

Today’s major Apple news may be the departure of its design guru Jony Ive, but the even as the company stomachs the executive loss, their software plows ahead. Today, in an interview with French news site Numerama, Apple honcho Eddy Cue revealed that the number of Apple Music subscribers has now climbed to 60 million.

The company seems to give updates every time it surpasses another additional 10 million subscribers, we last heard that they had crossed the 50 million mark back in April.

Now, the company’s music service is well past the halfway market in its mission to surpass Spotify which currently has 100 million subscribers.

The 2017 iPad Pro (64GB, Wi-Fi) is currently $474 at Walmart, and as for why you might consider buying an older iPad instead of one of the newer models, there are a few reasons. The 2018 iPad Air is practically a carbon copy of this model and has most of its best features, like the True Tone tech that adjusts the screen’s color temperature based on the ambient light in the room, and it has a Smart Connector for Apple’s Smart Keyboard.

The Air features a newer processor, and will likely be the faster of the two tablets after a few years, but it actually has less RAM than the Pro (2GB versus 4GB), so the older iPad is better cut out for multitasking. The Air features just two speakers compared to the four found on the old iPad Pro, so the Pro is way better if you’re constantly watching Netflix or Prime Video on your iPad. It’s also got Apple’s ProMotion tech for fluid scrolling up to 120Hz, and some games take advantage of the faster frame rate.

Whether you purchase the Air (which is $40 off of its usual price at Amazon) or the older Pro, Apple’s Smart Keyboard works for both, and it’s $79.50. It’s usually $159, and it’s been hanging around this price for a while, but it’s still a deal worth knowing about.

Dyson’s new V11 cordless vacuums are cheaper than they’ve ever been today. Its V11 Torque Drive usually costs $699, but it’s currently $569 at Amazon. This model features an LCD screen, which sounds ridiculous, but is useful according to our hands-on cleaning sessions. It provides a visual of how much battery you have left and lets you switch power levels.

If you don’t have that much of a budget for a vacuum, Dyson’s V11 Animal is just as powerful, but lacks the LCD display. It’s $489 instead of its usual $599 price at Amazon.

Super Mario Maker 2 releases tomorrow for the Nintendo Switch. If you haven’t already bought it, there’s a way you can save some money on it, as well as a future game purchase. Nintendo sells a two-pack of game vouchers for $99.99 that you can use to buy any two fully priced ($59.99) game within a year from purchase.

This perk is only available to people who subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online, which costs $20 for a year of service (unless you have Amazon Prime — it’s currently a free perk if you do). However, since these vouchers save you $20, the online service practically pays for itself.

Modern versions of iconic gaming consoles have been popularized in recent years, but the rebirth of this latest product will surely resonate with early computer users.

Manufacturer Retro Games announced this week it is working on an updated version of the beloved Commodore 64 8-bit computer launched in 1982 and cost $595 at the time. It was teased in a trailer set to the theme song of popular 80s-themed Netflix show “Stranger Things.”

Called THEC64, the computer is a more complete replica of the mini-version also released last year by Retro Games. The updated product comes with a full-sized retro keyboard, a classic joystick and a selection of classic games, including Speedball and Cyberdyne Warrior. It will cost $199.99 when it launches in early December.

The chunky, tan-colored Commodore 64 computer brought personal computing into the home for millions of users in the early- and mid-1980s. People used their C64s, as they were known, for everything from basic office functions to primitive games like “Impossible Mission.” It was limited to 64 kilobytes of memory — about the equivalent of one long email.

Commodore sold more than 17 million of its C64 systems, according to the manufacturer Commodore International. The Guinness Book of World Records once listedCommodore 64 as the best-selling computer model of all time.

Retro Games initially sought funding for the computer in 2016 with an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign that failed to reach its target goal. The team refocused on developing and releasing the C64 Mini first as other retro mini-consoles, such as the NES and SNES Classic Editions, exploded in popularity.

But the retro keyboard that came with the C64 mini console was purely for show. The team rectified that decision by putting a fully-functioning keyboard in the full-sized version.

Creating a bootable macOS Catalina USB install drive is an effective way to generate a clean installation of macOS on your Mac. This hands-on tutorial will work with both the macOS Catalina developer beta, the macOS Catalina public beta, and the final version of macOS Catalina scheduled to launch later this fall. Follow our easy-to-use step-by-step video tutorial for the details.

Flash drive

Before beginning you’ll need to acquire a USB flash drive. In the age of USB-C, it’s preferable that you use a USB flash drive with a USB-C connection if possible.

You’ll want a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage, but having more storage is never a bad thing. I recommend this SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C Flash Drive. It’s affordable, and comes with both a USB-C connection and a traditional USB-A connection. This is the drive that I’ve been using and my experience with it has been great.

The drive comes in 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256GB storage varieties. If you want a drive with extra storage, then it makes sense to opt for a higher tier, but if you just plan on using it as a USB installer, then 16GB should be plenty.

Make sure that there’s nothing contained on the drive that you need, because this process will completely delete the contents of the drive.

macOS Catalina USB installer video tutorial

Thanks to CleanMyMac X for sponsoring this video. Try CleanMyMac X for macOS.

How to create a bootable macOS Catalina 10.15 USB install drive

Step 1: Download macOS Catalina. After Catalina 10.15 launches later this fall, you’ll be able to download it directly from the Mac App Store. Until then, you can download the macOS Catalina developer beta from Apple’s developer portal, or download the macOS Catalina public beta via Apple’s public beta website.

Step 2: After successfully downloading macOS Catalina, the installer will auto-launch. Close the installer.

Step 3: Open Finder → Applications and right-click on Install macOS Catalina Beta and choose Show Package Contents.

Step 4: Open Contents → Resources.

Step 5: Launch a Terminal window via Applications → Utilities → Terminal.

Step 6: In the Terminal window type sudo followed by a space.

Step 7: Drag createinstallmedia to the Terminal window from the Finder location noted in Step 4.

Step 8: Type –volume followed by a space.

Step 9: Open Finder → Go → Go To Folder…

Step 10: In the ‘Go to the folder’ box type /Volumes and click Go.

Step 11: Connect your USB drive to your Mac, and it should appear in the Finder window.

Step 12: Drag the USB flash drive volume into the Terminal window.

Step 13: Press Return on the keyboard to submit the full command and enter your password when prompted.

Step 14: Type a ‘y’ to continue when prompted, and press return on the keyboard.

Step 15: The install process will commence by erasing the contents of your USB drive, and afterwards, copying the installer files to the drive. The entire process will take a few minutes to complete, so you’ll need to exercise patience as the install process proceeds.

9to5Mac’s Take

Having a USB installer available can make installing a fresh copy of macOS even easier. For instance, you can boot directly from the USB drive by holding the Option (⌥) key on your Mac while booting with the drive connected.

You can use this tutorial on either the developer beta, public beta, or the final version of macOS Catalina that’s scheduled to release later this fall. Keep in mind that on newer T2-enabled Macs, you may have to enable booting from external storage via macOS Recovery. We’ll address that in a future tutorial.

Do you like to have a USB installer on hand, or do you prefer to stick to other methods for reinstalling macOS? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to read and watch our overview of the Top macOS Catalina features.

Dell’s 2019 refresh of the XPS 15 2-in-1 laptop is now available. One of the most notable changes in this year’s model is the placement of the webcam: it’s now shifted up above the screen, where it should have been all along, instead of near the hinge.

Prices for the XPS 15 start at $1,099, and all four of Dell’s configurations include 9th Gen Intel processors, fast M.2 SSD NVMe storage, and a 97Wh battery. If you’re more of a power user, the $1,549 model is built with a more capable Intel Core i7 9750H CPU and a dedicated Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card. These specs put it in line with an entry-level gaming laptop.

One of Dell’s high-end configurations has a 4K (3840 x 2160) OLED screen, and is one of the few Windows 10 laptops to feature one. If you like to watch Netflix, or just want to see deep blacks and other colors displayed accurately no matter what you’re doing (it can display 100 percent of the full DCI-P3 color gamut), this $1,949 laptop might be a worthy investment. However, given that its specs largely match the $1,549 configuration above, it won’t stretch as far if you’re, say, looking to game at its native 4K resolution.

We recently reviewed the HP Spectre X360 laptop, which also can be customized with a 4K OLED screen. It’s selling for roughly the same price as Dell’s option, though the XPS 15 may be a more appealing option if you want a 9th Gen Intel processor, dedicated graphics, and a trackpad that’s actually worth using, thanks to Dell’s Windows Precision drivers.

Apple has hired an experienced CPU designer to join its team. Mike Filippo joined Apple last month with the title Architect, according to his LinkedIn profile. The move ends a decade spent at ARM, where he was lead architect on several chip products. Filippo also spent time working on CPUs at Intel and Advanced Micro Devices.

The hire is a big get for Apple. ARM is responsible for technology that powers the A series chips Apple has been using in its mobile devices. For instance, the A12X in the iPad Pro springboards off the big.LITTLE architecture from ARM.

“Mike was a long-time valuable member of the ARM community,” a representative from ARM toldBloomberg. “We appreciate all of his efforts and wish him well in his next endeavor.” Apple has not commented on the hire.

The industry has been buzzing for years now that Apple is interested in making CPUs for Macs. Filippo’s resume shows work on CPUs for desktop and mobile products, which means he brings flexibility to Apple. But the company has not given any official statements about an in-house CPU for Macs, so we can only speculate about his exact role.

According to a Bloomberg report from April 2018, a plan for Macs with Apple-designed CPUs was allegedly greenlit by the company’s leadership and could be behind products shipping as soon as 2020. The company’s WWDC conference this year came and went without any mention of that rumored development, however. Whatever the date, the addition of Filippo’s experience could be helpful in making progress on this plan that may or may not be happening.

It’s also key to remember that, even though Apple building CPUs for Mac seems like a given, the company may be applying Filippo’s skills to other places. A key architect behind Apple’s A series mobile CPUs, Gerard Williams III, departed the company earlier this year, so Apple may be looking to Filippo to fill some part of that gap. Additionally, Apple has been a driving force in augmented reality and is reportedly interested in new hardware that would center on AR and VR. That’s a space where making its own processor would also be deeply useful.