Weekly Download #109: How to update to iOS 26 (and everything it breaks)

Hey , it’s Sunday, December 21.

This week’s download is stacked: a BLUETTI winner, a love‑it‑or‑hate‑it iOS 26 makeover, Firefox’s AI identity crisis, and a pair of open‑ear earbuds that think they’re a home theater.​

What’s inside this week

• A fresh BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini has a new home (congrats, Ray T.), but there are more chances to win if your name wasn’t on this one.​

• A quick iOS 26 upgrade walkthrough plus the big changes: liquid glass UI, smarter AI, live translation, and better battery smarts.​

• Firefox fans are fuming as Mozilla leans hard into an “AI browser” future and scrambles to promise a real kill switch.​

• Fast Five hits everything from Instagram’s first TV app to iRobot’s bankruptcy and America’s first live‑wire EV highway.​

Alright, and we’re off!

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🤑 GIVEAWAY

Aaaaannnnnnd we have a winner for our BLUETTI giveaway. Congrats to Ray T., you have a new BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini coming your way. We’ll be in touch.

For everyone else, nothing to cry about. We have more giveaways on the loading dock, so you have plenty of chances to win these coming months [LINK]

📝 How-To

How to Update to iOS 26

I know, I know. This week’s how-to seems simple enough that most people would get it on their own. But you’d be surprised how many people don’t have a clue about iOS updates, especially big ones like iOS 26.

So, if you’re ready for iOS 26, here’s how to upgrade your iPhone in just a few taps:

1. Back Up Your Data: Before updating, make sure your important data (photos, messages, contacts) is backed up to iCloud or your computer.

2. Plug In and Connect to Wi-Fi: Your phone will need enough battery and a solid Wi-Fi connection for the update.

3. Go to Settings: Open the Settings app.

4. Select General: Scroll down and tap “General.”

5. Tap Software Update: You’ll see the current iOS version and whether iOS 26 is available.

6. Download and Install: If iOS 26 appears, tap “Download and Install.” Follow on-screen prompts. Your phone may restart during the process.

7. Wait for the Install: Keep your device charged and let it finish updating. When the iPhone restarts, you’ll be running iOS 26.

If you’re troubleshooting issues or need more info, you can check Apple’s full user guide [LINK]

iOS 26: Big Takeaways — Here’s What’s New

• Liquid Glass Look: A sleek, bright overhaul hits your lock screen, icons, and backgrounds.

• Dynamic Lock Screen: Time moves to keep your photo’s main subject uncluttered, with more widget options.

• Smarter AI: Built-in spam filters, better reminders, and AI that learns your habits—for real.

• Live Translation: Seamless, real-time language translation in Messages, FaceTime, and even with AirPods.

• Supercharged Battery: Adaptive Power tech stretches your charge, with new charge-time estimates.

Whether you love or hate it, iOS 26 is here, and eventually, you’ll need to update your iPhone. Listen, I don’t make the rules.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

AI Dash: AI Dash delivers weekly AI insights for solopreneurs and creators who need results, not hype. Get practical tool reviews, strategic frameworks, and actionable workflows that actually move the needle. Skip the AI hype. Get the intel that counts. [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Enshittification
(noun)

Definition: The process where platforms get progressively worse as they optimize for profit over users.

Usage: "Google Search has gone through serious enshittification; the first page is mostly ads, AI junk, and SEO bait now." [LINK]

📰 The Big One

Mozilla announced its turning its privacy-focused browser into a full-blown AI web browser…..users are not happy

Mozilla’s plan to turn Firefox into a “modern AI browser” has set off a full-blown trust crisis with its core users, who see it as yet another privacy‑focused product selling out to the AI hype cycle.

New CEO Anthony Enzor‑DeMeo says Firefox will “evolve into a modern AI browser” over the next three years, with AI positioned as a central part of Mozilla’s product strategy.

Critics argue Mozilla has misread why people still use Firefox: it’s the “no‑AI, no‑bloat, no‑surveillance” refuge from Chrome, Edge, and the growing list of AI‑stuffed browsers.

On Reddit, posts like “Firefox doesn’t need AI, it needs leadership that listens” and “Please don’t turn Firefox into an AI browser” have climbed to the top of r/firefox, essentially reading like open letters to the new CEO.

Within 48 hours, Mozilla executives and devs were in full reassurance mode on Reddit and Mastodon, promising a “real AI kill switch” that will ship in early 2026.

Firefox is effectively betting its future on AI at the exact moment a chunk of its most loyal users are actively seeking AI‑free experiences, which is why so many are talking about abandoning ship before the first big AI build even lands.

The company stresses that AI will be optional: every AI feature is supposed to be something you can turn off, not a default you’re stuck with [LINK].

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Instagram unveils its first TV app
Initially available on Amazon's Fire TV as a test with plans to expand to other TV platforms [LINK]

2.) Video Game Hardware Sales Hit 30-Year Low
November 2025 marked the worst month for U.S. hardware unit sales since 1995 [LINK]

3.) iRobot Files for Bankruptcy
Roomba maker iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection [LINK]

4.) TikTok ban extended….again
President Trump issued yet another executive order extending the ban deadline to January 23 [LINK].

5.) America’s first ‘live-wire’ highway just charged a big-rig at 65 MPH:
Purdue University just invented the world’s first wireless highway EV charger [LINK]

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💾 Extra Bytes

AI is making gaming PCs pricier—here’s why players are furious [LINK]

Meta makes billions from scam ads while users left to fend for themselves [LINK]

Alexa finally escapes Echo speakers with a web version [LINK]

Google drops Gemini 3 Flash, makes it the default AI model [LINK]

Hackers say they’ve got Pornhub Premium data from an analytics breach [LINK]

Instacart may be charging you more for your groceries [LINK]

ChatGPT gets a new image generator [LINK]

Google’s new AI agent ‘CC’ is here to take over your daily grind [LINK]

Google Translate just got way smarter and works on all your earbuds now [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Cleer Arc4 and Arc 4+ Earbuds

Cleer’s new Arc 4 and Arc 4+ are open-ear earbuds that keep your ears free while sneaking in serious home-theater tech.

The Arc 4+ is the first open-earbud with official Dolby Atmos and Dolby head tracking, borrowing the coolest trick from Sonos Ace and stuffing it into a lightweight, clip-on design.​

Why It’s Cool

• Open-ear design keeps you aware of traffic, coworkers, and kids while still giving you real bass and clarity.​

• First THX-certified open earbuds, tuned for a more hi-fi, neutral sound instead of just “fitness bud” boom.​

• Arc 4+ adds Dolby Atmos with head tracking so movies and spatial music feel fixed in front of you as you move.​

Need-to-Know Specs

• Bluetooth 5.4, aptX Lossless, multipoint, IPX7 water resistance.​

• Up to 9 hours on a charge, about 32–34 hours total with the case.​

• Frequency range up to 40kHz with Snapdragon Sound and Cleer’s DBE bass enhancement.​

What It’ll Cost You

• Arc 4: $99.99, black or white – open-ear, Dolby Audio, hi-res, and all the core features.​

• Arc 4+: $129.99, black, white, or pink – adds full Dolby Atmos and head tracking, and is the one to grab if you watch a lot of movies or live in spatial playlists [LINK] Moron of the Week

⚙️ Tools

ChatGPT Images: OpenAI’s new GPT Image 1.5 [LINK].

Lazy: One keyboard shortcut to take notes & save information [LINK]

Wave Browser: Web browser built to help clean our ocean [LINK]

Clickup 4.0: Cursor for documents. Think of it like a souped-up version of Google Docs. [LINK]

PlanEat AI: AI turns your health goals into a 7-day menu & grocery list [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

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