Technologies
iOS 16.4 Is Almost Here. Public Beta Testers Can Try These Features Now
The release of iOS 16.4 is around the corner, but public beta testers don’t have to wait for these new features.

The wait for iOS 16.4 is almost over. Apple released iOS 16.4 beta 3 to public beta testers Wednesday, about a week after the company released the second iOS 16.4 public beta. This third beta means the wide unveiling of iOS 16.4 is probably close at hand. Beta testers can now try out new iOS features, like new emoji and updates to Apple Books.


These features are available only to people who are a part of Apple’s Beta Software Program. New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend downloading a beta only onto something other than your primary phone, just in case the new software causes issues. Apple provides beta testers with an app called Feedback. The app lets testers notify Apple of any issues in the new software so the problem can be addressed before general release.
Here are some of the new features testers can find in the iOS 16.4 betas.
Apple ID and beta software updates


The latest beta lets you sign into another Apple ID to access other beta software.
Zach McAuliffe/CNETWith the third iOS 16.4 beta, developers and beta testers can check whether their Apple ID is associated with the developer beta, public beta or both. If you have a different Apple ID, like one for your job, that has access to beta updates, iOS 16.4 beta 3 also lets you switch to that account from your device.
Apple Books updates
The iOS 16.4 beta 2 update brings the page-turn curl animation back to Apple Books, after it was removed in a previous iOS update. Before, when you turned a page in an e-book on your iPhone, the page would slide to one side of your screen or it would vanish and be replaced by the next page. Beta testers can still choose these other page-turn animations in addition to the curl animation.
With iOS 16.4 beta 3, a new popup appears when you open Apple Books for the first time after downloading the update. It lets you know you can change your page-turn animation, theme and more.
31 new emoji
The first iOS 16.4 beta software brought 31 new emoji to your iOS device. The new emoji include a new smiley; new animals, like a moose and a goose; and new heart colors, like pink and light blue.


Some of the new emoji released in the first iOS 16.4 beta.
Patrick Holland/CNETThe new emoji all come from Unicode’s September 2022 recommendation list, Emoji 15.0.
Apple Podcasts updates
The first beta brought a few changes to how you navigate Apple Podcasts. Now you can access podcast channels you subscribe to in your Library. You can also use Up Next to resume podcast episodes you’ve started, start episodes you’ve saved and remove episodes you want to skip.
Preview Mastodon links in Messages
Apple’s first iOS 16.4 beta enabled rich previews of Mastodon links in Messages. That’s good because Mastodon saw a 400% increase in the rate of new accounts in December, so you might be receiving Mastodon links in Messages.
Music app changes


A small banner appears at the bottom of the screen when you choose to play a song next in Apple Music in the frst iOS 16.4 beta.
Zach McAuliffe/CNETThe Music interface has been slightly modified in the first iOS 16.4 beta. When you add a song to your queue, a small banner appears near the bottom of your screen instead of a full-screen pop-up.
See who and what is covered under AppleCare
Starting with iOS 16.4 beta 1, you could go to Settings to check who and what devices are covered on your AppleCare plan. With iOS 16.4 beta 2, this menu will show you a small icon next to each device that’s covered under AppleCare.
Focus Mode, Shortcuts and always-on display
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, iOS 16.4 beta 1 lets you enable or disable the always-on display option with certain Focus Modes. A new option in Shortcuts called Set Always on Display was also added, in addition to new Lock Screen and Set VPN actions.
New Apple Wallet widgets
You can add three new order-tracking widgets for Apple Wallet to your home screen with the first iOS 16.4 beta. Each widget displays your tracking information on active orders, but the widgets are different sizes: small, medium and large.


The medium-size Apple Wallet order tracking widget takes up three tile spaces on your iPhone’s screen.
Zach McAuliffe/CNETMore accessibility options
The first beta update added a new accessibility option, too. The new option is called Dim Flashing Lights, and it can be found in the Motion menu in Settings. The option’s description says video content that depicts repeated flashing or strobing lights will automatically be dimmed. Video timelines will also show when flashing lights will occur.
New keyboards, Siri voices and language updates
The first iOS 16.4 beta added keyboards for the Choctaw and Chickasaw languages, and there are new Siri voices for Arabic and Hebrew. Language updates have also come to Korean, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.
There’s no word on when iOS 16.4 will be released to the general public. There’s no guarantee these beta features will be released with iOS 16.4, or that these will be the only features released with the update.
For more, check out how to become an Apple beta tester, what was included in iOS 16.3.1 and features you may have missed in iOS 16.3.
Technologies
Grammarly Pushes Beyond Proofreading With AI-Powered Writing Guidance
Grammarly dropped agents to spot plagiarism, cite sources and maybe even boost your GPA.

Grammarly is expanding beyond its grammar-checking roots. The company has announced the launch of several specialized AI «agents» and a new writing tool called Grammarly Docs, designed to help students and professionals with everything from drafting essays to polishing workplace emails.
It’s another example of generative AI expanding beyond general-purpose chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini into more specialized domains. Other examples of gen AI in educational circles include Google’s NotebookLM and OpenAI’s new study mode for ChatGPT.
AI agents are digital helpers that go beyond traditional chatbots to understand context and assist in reaching your goals. Grammarly’s AI agents assist by offering feedback, predicting reactions, finding sources and more to increase efficiency in workflows.
Read also: Grammarly AI: This Free AI Tool Will Easily Fix Your Grammar
What’s available now for Grammarly AI
The update introduces nine agents that move Grammarly into a more collaborative role. Instead of just correcting grammar or suggesting phrasing, the agents are intended to actively work alongside users. One predicts how a professor or manager might respond to a draft. Another offers an estimated grade based on an uploaded rubric. Others handle citation generation, proofreading, paraphrasing, plagiarism checks and AI detection. The tools are built directly into Docs, a «distraction-free» writing environment where all the agents can be summoned in context, according to the company.
As students head back to classrooms and colleges, Grammarly is looking to position itself as a study companion and writing coach rather than merely a browser extension. The company cites research showing that while only a small share of students feel confident using AI in professional settings (18%), most employers expect AI literacy from job candidates. By emphasizing skill-building and responsible use, Grammarly says it wants to bridge that gap rather than simply automate assignments.
«The launch of our new agents and AI writing surface marks a turning point in how we build products that anticipate user needs,» Luke Behnke, Grammarly’s vice president of product management, said in the company’s press release. «We’re moving beyond simple suggestions to intelligent agents that understand context and actively help users achieve their communication goals.»
For professionals, Grammarly is marketing the tools as a way to tailor communication for different audiences. The Reader Reactions agent, for example, can highlight whether an email comes across as too vague or too blunt. And the Expert Review tool provides industry-specific feedback without requiring specialized prompts.
The launch also marks the debut of Docs as a standalone writing hub. Until now, Grammarly has functioned mostly as a browser extension layered on top of other apps, like Chrome or Google Docs. Grammarly Docs signals a push to keep users inside the platform’s own environment, though the company says it will expand agent functionality to the more than half a million apps and sites where its tools already appear.
The new features are rolling out immediately for free and premium subscribers, though plagiarism and AI detection remain locked behind the paid plan. Enterprise and education customers will also gain access later this year.
Early reactions to Grammarly’s AI agents
Early reactions suggest strong interest from students and educators alike as the company shifts from a grammar checker to a productivity platform. Educators have noted the potential benefits and risks of tools like the AI Grader. Some users on social media welcomed the update as a way to cut through the anxiety of essay writing, while others questioned whether it might make students too dependent on machine feedback.
The launch comes just months after Grammarly raised $1 billion to fuel its AI pivot and acquired the email startup Superhuman. Together, those moves point to an ambitious strategy for the company: one that seeks to transform Grammarly from a background utility into a full-fledged productivity suite powered by AI.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Aug. 20, #1523
Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,523 for Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Wordle puzzle is a fun word. Two letters repeat, so don’t forget once you find a correct letter, you can reuse it in another spot. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has two separate repeated letters.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel, and it’s one of the repeated letters, so you’ll see it twice.
Wordle hint No. 3: Start letter.
Today’s Wordle answer begins with L.
Wordle hint No. 4: Animal kingdom
Today’s Wordle answer is an animal.
Wordle hint No. 5: Second meaning
Today’s Wordle answer is a domesticated pack animal of the camel family.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is LLAMA.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, No. 1,522 for Aug. 19, was ROWDY.
Recent Wordle answers
Aug. 15, No. 1,518: LEVEL
Aug. 16 No. 1,519: MATTE
Aug. 17, No. 1,520: LOUSY
Aug. 18, No. 1,521: ISSUE
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 20, #801
Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle No. 801 for Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a real headache. The NYT puzzle writers are really pulling some obscure connections out of the air, and I did not do well today at all. Need some help? Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Ebony and ivory.
Green group hint: They go together.
Blue group hint: Spinning.
Purple group hint: There’s a bend in these.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Black-and-white things.
Green group: Pairs of rods.
Blue group: Things that rotate about a vertical axis.
Purple group: Rods that curve at one end.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is black-and-white things. The four answers are domino, piano keys, yin-yang symbol and zebra.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is pairs of rods. The four answers are chopsticks, claves, knitting needles and ski poles.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is things that rotate about a vertical axis. The four answers are barber pole, carousel, ceiling fan and lazy Susan.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is rods that curve at one end. The four answers are candy cane, crochet hook, crook and crowbar.
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