Technologies

Omicron update today: Variant now in 36 states, symptoms, vaccine and booster protection

The omicron variant of COVID-19 may be able to partly evade vaccine protection, as it spreads across the country. Stay on top of the latest guidance here.

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.

Now in at least 36 states, the omicron variant makes up 3% percent of cases in the US, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a White House briefing on Wednesday. (The delta variant acounts for 96% of COVID nfections.)

Scientists are piecing together a picture of how easily the virus can pass from one person to another and evade protection provided by the primary vaccine doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Looking at the latest data, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said on Wednesday omicron can bypass much of the protection given by two shots of the mRNA Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. «The omicron variant undoubtably compromised the effects of a two-dosemRNA vaccine-induced antibodies and reduces the overall protection.» More promising, Fauci sad,boosters appear to restore protections levels needed to guard against the new variant.

In the US, President Joe Biden is doubling down on urging vaccines and booster shots until more information on the new variant becomes available. As a result, the US administered 12.5 million shots in the last week, according to Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. That’s the highest number of weekly shots since May. Seven million of those were booster shots, Zients said.

So far, the COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death, with people who are unvaccinated being more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized if infected. Vaccine makers are optimistic the current vaccines authorized for use in the US will provide a degree of protection against omicron, too.

Here are eight important things to know about omicron today. For more on COVID-19 boosters, here’s a trick to easily get an appointment and a free ride. Here’s how you’ll soon get a COVID-19 test kit for free and details on mixing and matching vaccines.

A COVID vaccine booster is needed to guard against omicron

Early studies indict a booster can guard againt omicron. «Boosters … enhance the vaccine protection against omicron,» Fauci said on Wednesday. «Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron.»

«Individuals who have received two vaccines will most likely not havesignificant prevention from infection or any type of disease [from the new variant],» BioNTech CEO Uğur Şahin said last week. Şahinsaid more information is needed to confirm the company’s initial laboratory findings that indicate a third Pfizer vaccine dose is important to guard against the variant.

Is an omicron-specific vaccine needed?

Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson &Johnson say they are gearing up to create a vaccine designed tocombat omicron if needed.

Fauci on Wednesday said a this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster. The current booster appear to be effective against omicron

So far, the omicron virus is creating mild symptoms

According to Fauci, preliminary information seems to indicate omicron may produce less serious symptoms than initially feared: «We’re getting anecdotal information … that the level of severity appears to be maybe a bit less than in thedelta,» he said Sunday.

The new COVID variant may spread more easily than delta

It could still be two or three weeks till we know more about how easily omicron can be passed between people and how resistant the mutated virus is against the current crop of vaccines, but Fauci on Tuesday at a White House briefing said that early data also suggests omicron could be more infectious than the delta variant and is replacing delta as the dominant COVID-19 strain in South Africa.

Omicron confirmed in 36 US states

It makes up 3% of the cases in the US. In New York and New Jersey, however, it could be 13% of new infections.

The variant has been detected in 36 states across the country, from Washington to Mississippi and Texas to Utah. The US and other countries were already bracing for an increased caseload as colder weather and holiday gatherings brought more people indoors together. Now, projections of a winter surge of the dominant delta variant join concerns about omicron’s spread.

Add to that increasing flu infections, and experts worry about a «twindemic» of the two illnesses.

Omicron could become the dominant COVID variant in Europe in months

In Europe, omicroncould become the most common COVID-19 variant in months, according to theEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

«Mathematicalmodeling indicates that the Omicron VOC is expected to cause over halfof all SARS-CoV-2 infections in the EU/EEA within the next few months»due to early understandings of the omicron variant’s hightransmissibility between people, the body said in a Dec. 2 briefing (PDF).

Scientistsstudying the omicron variant in South Africa, where it was firstreported to the World Health Organization, have said it’s spreading more than twice as fast as the delta variant.But what isn’t yet known is whether the spread is hastened because themutations make it easier to spread among people, if vaccines are lesseffective against this strain or for some other reason. The study cited by The New York Times has not yet been published or peer-reviewed.

Omicron has similarities to the delta variant’s mutation

COVID latches onto cells using a spike protein in its structure. Omicron has more mutations than the delta variant, which is considered at least twice as contagious as previous strains. While it isn’t clear yet if omicron is more or less contagious than delta, the presence of those mutations is one cause of concern.

That may be one reason countries around the world have banned travel from some countries in southern Africa and increased travel restrictions that include a negative COVID-19 test 24 hours before travel, regardless of vaccination status.

COVID PCR tests can identify the omicron variant

Most PCR tests to identify the presence of COVID-19 in the body are free (COVID-19 tests for international travel are the main exception). So it’s good news that the existing nasal swab test has been found to detect the omicron variant; a blood test or other procedure so far is unnecessary.

«Fortunately for us, the PCRs that we mostly use would pick up this very unusual variant that has a real large constellation of mutations,» Fauci said Nov. 29 in a press briefing.

Booster shots and vaccines are urged to help prevent omicron’s spread

On Dec. 2, Biden announced a plan to help protect the US against the omicron variant this winter. It includes:

Outreach programs to contact people eligible to receive booster shots.
Making at-home COVID-19 tests «free» for everyone.
Tighter travel restrictions that require a negative COVID-19 test 24 hours before departure.
Paid time off for federal workers to get booster shots.
Securing antiviral pills as a treatment for people who become infected with COVID-19 (these are recommended but not yet FDA-approved).
Sending 200 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccine to international countries in the next 100 days (280 million have already been sent).

For additional COVID-19 guidance, here’s what to know about new travel restrictions, how to store your vaccine card on your phone and what to do if you lose your vaccine card.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Technologies

I Made Google Translate My Default on iPhone Before a Trip and It Saved Me More Than Once

Google Translate supports far more languages than Apple’s app, and it’s easy to make the switch.

If you’re traveling overseas this summer, the Google Translate app can come in handy to quickly translate a road sign or conversation. The latest Google Translate update allows you to pick the app as your default translation app for Apple iPhones and iPads running iOS and iPadOS 18.4 and later. Previously, you were limited to the built-in Apple option.

Google began leveraging AI to boost Google Translate’s offerings, adding 110 languages last year to increase its total support for 249 languages. Compare that to Apple Translate, which supports 19 languages. Neither Google nor Apple responded to a request for comment.

Both apps offer voice and text translation, including a camera feature that lets you instantly translate by pointing your camera at text. Both also allow you to use translation features without an internet connection, which can come in particularly handy when traveling to more remote locations.

After using both, I found that the Google Translate picked up speech a little quicker so I didn’t have to constantly repeat myself, and the audio pronunciations were a little easier to understand than on Apple Translate. I switched to Google Translate as the default on my iPhone, and here’s how you can, too.

How to set Google Translate as the default on an iPhone or iPad

Setting Google Translate as your default app is simple on an iPhone or iPad, so long as it’s running iOS and iPadOS 18.4 or later.

Download the Google Translate app or update it to the latest version.
Go to the Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Scroll down to the bottom then select Apps.
Click Default Apps at the top of the screen.
Then choose Translation.
Select Google Translate.

Technologies

The 20 Best PC Games Right Now

Put your gaming computer to the test with the best PC games out right now, including AAA hits like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong as well as indie darlings.

PC gaming gives you the best of most worlds. With a decent budget and some gumption, you can build a solid desktop rig — or you can invest in one of CNET’s best gaming PCs and gain access to a wide world of PC exclusives, indie games and even some titles that were previously exclusive to Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox.

There’s a truly unlimited amount of tags, store queues and interactive recommendations to browse through, and it can get overwhelming trying to find the next best metroidvania, boomer shooter, collectathon or whatever your cup of tea is. PC gamers aren’t lacking for choice.

In fact, between Steam, the Epic Games Store, Game Pass and more, there are thousands upon thousands of games to choose from. One of the biggest issues you can run into with a massive backlog is choice paralysis. Just which are the best PC games out there?

We’re here to help. To narrow your game choices, CNET curated this list of the best PC games you can play right now.

Read more: Best Gaming PC Deals Right Now

TL;DR? These are the 20 best PC games for June 2025

Balatro
Warframe
Baldur’s Gate 3
Overwatch 2
Valorant
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
Elden Ring
Cassette Beasts
Dread Delusion
Celeste
Total War: Pharaoh
Stardew Valley
Lunacid
Black Myth: Wukong
Neon White
Helldivers 2
Risk of Rain 2
Soulstone Survivors
Terraria
Haste

PC gaming FAQs

Recent updates to the list

February 2025: While no new games have been added to the list so far this year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an early frontrunner. A spate of stellar seasonal events, maps and new heroes has also put Marvel Rivals in contention for the PC hero shooter crown.

Read more: The Best Heroes to Play in Marvel Rivals

June 2025: Added Helldivers 2, Risk of Rain 2, Soulstone Survivors, Terraria and Haste to the list in order to represent both games industry behemoths and indie gaming hidden gems.

How we determined CNET’s best PC games

When creating this list of the best PC games, we factored in how unique and enjoyable these games are for most players. We evaluated criteria including graphical quality, innovative gameplay mechanics and compelling narratives. The picks we made cover a variety of genres from fantasy to retro platformers to shooters to strategy games, and while we favored PC-exclusive games and indie titles you won’t find on Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch, we also included some can’t-miss games that appear on multiple platforms. If you’re looking for help choosing your next game, CNET’s top PC list is a good place to start narrowing your choices.

Technologies

How to Add These Hidden Music and Apple Intelligence Controls to Your iPhone

One control can Apple’s Visual Intelligence to more devices besides the iPhone 16 lineup.

Apple released iOS 18.4 on March 31, and the update brought bug fixes, new emoji and a new recipes section in Apple News to all iPhones. The update also brought a handful of new controls to the iPhone Control Center, including one that brings Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

When Apple released iOS 18 in September, the update remodeled the Control Center to give you more control over how the feature functions. With iOS 18, you can resize controls, assign some controls to their own dedicated page and adjust the placement of controls to your liking. Apple also introduced more controls to the feature, making it a central hub for all your most-used iPhone features.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About iOS 18

With iOS 18.4, Apple continues to expand the number of controls you can add to the Control Center. If you have the update on your iPhone, you can add ambient music controls, and Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones get a few AI controls in the menu, too. Here’s what you need to know about the new controls and how to add them to your Control Center.

Ambient Music controls

Apple gave everyone four new controls in the Control Center library under the Ambient Music category. These controls are Sleep, Chill, Productivity and Wellbeing. Each of these controls can activate a playlist filled with music that corresponds to the specific control. Sleep, for instance, plays ambient music to help lull you to bed.

Some studies suggest white noise could help adults learn words and improve learning in environments full of distractions. According to the mental health company Calm, certain kinds of music can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. So these new controls can help you learn, fall asleep and more.

Here’s how to find these controls.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your Home Screen to open your Control Center.
2. Tap the plus (+) sign in the top-left corner of your screen.
3. Tap Add a Control.

You’ll see a section of controls called Ambient Music. You can also search for «Ambient Music» in the search bar at the top of the control library. Under Ambient Music, you’ll see all four controls. Tap one (or all) of them to add them to your Control Center. Once you’ve added one or all the controls to your Control Center, go back to your Control Center and tap one to start playing music.

Here’s how to change the playlist for each control.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your Home Screen to open your Control Center.
2. Tap the plus (+) sign in the top-left corner of your screen.
3. Tap the Ambient Music control you want to edit.
4. Tap the playlist to the right of Playlist.

A dropdown menu will appear with additional playlists for each control. If you’re in the Sleep control, you’ll see playlists like Restful Notes and Lo-Fi Snooze. If you have playlists in your Music app, then you’ll also see an option From Library, which pulls music from your library. Tap whichever playlist you want and it will be assigned to that control.

Apple already lets you transform your iPhone into a white noise machine with Background Sounds, like ocean and rain. But Ambient Music is actual music as opposed to more static sounds like in that feature.

Both of these features feel like a way for Apple to present itself as the first option for whenever you want some background music to help you fall asleep or be productive. Other services, like Spotify and YouTube, already have ambient music playlists like these, so this could be Apple’s way of taking some of those service’s audience.

Apple Intelligence controls

Only people with an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or the iPhone 16 lineup can access Apple Intelligence features for now, and those people got three new dedicated Apple Intelligence controls with iOS 18.4. Those controls are Talk to Siri, Type to Siri and Visual Intelligence.

Here’s how to find these controls.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your Home Screen to open your Control Center.
2. Tap the plus (+) sign in the top-left corner of your screen.
3. Tap Add a Control.

Then you can use the search bar near the top of the screen to search for «Apple Intelligence» or you can scroll through the menu to find the Apple Intelligence & Siri section. Tap any (or all) of these controls to add them to your Control Center. While Talk to Siri and Type to Siri controls can be helpful if you have trouble accessing the digital assistant, the Visual Intelligence control is important because it brings the Apple Intelligence feature to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Visual Intelligence was originally only accessible on the iPhone 16 lineup because those devices have the Camera Control button. With iOS 18.4, Visual Intelligence is now accessible on more devices and people thanks to the titular control in Control Center. But remember, Visual Intelligence is like any other AI tool so it won’t always be accurate. You should double check results and important information it shows you.

For more on iOS 18, here are all the new emoji you can use now and everything you should to know about the recipes section in Apple News. You can also check out all the features included in iOS 18.5 and our iOS 18 cheat sheet.