Some smart home gadgets could be considered essential. A smart thermostat can save you money, and a smart door lock can prevent you from getting locked out. But, unlike those gadgets, it’s hard to argue you need the smart GE Profile Opal Ultra 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker ($579, or $629 with the side tank). However, you may want this gadget — because it makes The Good Ice.
Technology
This is the summer’s coolest new smart kitchen gadget — literally
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Nugget ice is a hill many will die on — my family included
Yes, $630 is a lot of money for any countertop gadget, let alone one that just freezes water. Spending this much on a connected gadget whose smarts are largely limited to scheduling and asking Alexa to make more ice feels like an even bigger stretch. But nugget ice is a hill many will die on — my family included. It just makes drinks taste better, they cry. Anything that encourages my children to hydrate is a big win in my book.
In case you’re unfamiliar with nugget ice (aka chewable ice, Sonic ice, pellet ice, or, as my family calls it, “the good ice”), it is small pieces of ice made from layers of flaked ice frozen together. It is really quite addictive and goes well in everything from a tall glass of water to iced tea and lemonade. It’s practically required if you’re making Tiki cocktails.
Nugget ice can turn a room-temperature drink into a cold drink in seconds and doesn’t melt as quickly as crushed ice. It’s also really fun to chew on. My daughter likes to get a glass full of ice and chow down.
Sadly, there isn’t a fridge that can make true nugget ice. Samsung makes one that produces “ice bites,” which are small ice cubes, but these are apparently not the same thing. So, it’s go countertop or go to the drive-in.
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$629
The Ultra is an updated version of the already pretty great GE Profile Opal 2.0. It claims to make cleaning less arduous by adding new features like a filter to handle mineral build-up.
In the week I’ve had the Opal on my kitchen counter, it has become my family’s favorite kitchen gadget. They love scooping its nuggety goodness into a tall glass of lemonade or filling up their Tervis cup before tackling the summer heat.
The Opal is super easy to set up, simple to use, and makes ice very fast — up to 38 pounds a day. It doesn’t require plumbing, just power, but you will want the optional water tank if you want a continual flow of ice. We only have to refill that every other day on average and have more than enough ice for all four of us.
The Opal is my family’s favorite kitchen gadget
The biggest downside so far is the Opal Ultra is noisy. The tubing makes a high-pitched whining noise as the water filters through, and the ice production clunks gently. But here’s where those smarts do come in handy — you can schedule when it’s making ice in the Smart HQ app to avoid interfering with movie time — or just tell Alexa or Google to turn it off.
The Opal was first launched in 2015, and the Ultra is the fourth version of GE Profile’s popular nugget ice machine. It comes with some behind-the-scenes improvements to make cleaning the unit easier. These include a new scale-inhibiting water filter, a reusable air filter, and alerts that tell you when it’s time to sanitize or descale (on the device and in the app).
All of these enhancements add up to — in theory — more time between cleaning / descaling and should keep the ice tasting better for longer. (The good news for current Opal owners is that the new water filter is compatible with existing models).
The cleaning / descaling process is lengthy. It requires a special solution (or vinegar, if you prefer) and up to a day of downtime as the stuff does its work. And you need to keep up with it if you want it to keep producing fresh ice. In my short time testing the unit, I’ve not had a descale alert appear, but the sanitize one did, which happens after 25 hours of ice-making.
The sanitizing process was largely painless and took about 30 minutes. However, combined with descaling — which you’ll need to do once every 2 weeks to 4 months based on your water hardness — this gadget requires a lot of maintenance. (GE Profile notes that if you use distilled water in the Opal, you probably won’t need to descale it, but you’ll still need to sanitize and clean.)
The Ultra comes in new colors and with a magnetic scoop holder and stainless steel scoop
Other updates with the Ultra from the current Opal 2.0 model include new colors (white or black in addition to stainless steel) and an upgraded touch display for powering on/off, connecting to Wi-Fi, and checking status. Plus, there’s now a magnetic scoop holder and stainless steel scoop — which makes it easier to store the scoop on the side of the unit and should help with cleanliness.
If you can get the Opal 2.0 on sale that’s probably the way to go. Overall, the Ultra’s upgrades feel like aesthetic and quality-of-life tweaks. You still have to manually clean the machine, even if potentially not as often. Plus, you can buy the new water filter and the new scoop with holder separately starting in August and use them with the Opal 2.0, although that may cancel out most of your savings.
The Opal 2.0 Ultra is very expensive, requires a lot of work to maintain, and takes up a sizeable chunk of my kitchen counter. But it does an excellent job of producing fresh, chewable, crunchable ice that makes any drink taste better. It’s also one of the few smart gadgets I’ve brought into my home that everyone in my family loves — which says a lot.
If you, too, crave good ice and go into this knowing the struggles you’ll need to endure to keep getting it, then you’ll be very satisfied with this gadget.
Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
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Meta might be the next company to make an always-on AI wearable. The company is working on prototype “super sensing” always-aware smart glasses that could continuously record audio and snap photos “every few seconds,” according to the Financial Times. The wearer could then ask Meta AI about the captured audio and images.
However, the images and audio might not be directly available to the user. Here’s how the FT describes one way the glasses could use the data:
In one proposed system, raw footage and audio would not be stored by Meta or made available to the user, several people said. Instead, the metadata from that audio and images would be extracted and uploaded to the server for Meta’s AI to query, which proponents argue would have fewer privacy implications.
But currently, Meta is planning for the LED recording indicator to remain off in “super sensing” mode, the FT reports. In a July 2025 whitepaper, the company said that it would reserve the LED indicator for “active capture” scenarios where the user is saving photos or videos, and leave it off during “AI Feature” use — such as scanning a menu — to avoid users becoming too used to the indicator. (If the indicator was on during the “super sensing” mode, it might also be harder to know when the glasses are actually recording video.)
Meta is also discussing if it would use the captured data for training its AI models. It may also bring the “super sensing” features to glasses it has already released, the FT says.
“While we don’t comment on internal prototypes, we’re committed to getting our glasses right because they need to be loved by both people wearing them and those around them,” Meta spokesperson Dave Arnold says in a statement to The Verge. Arnold also notes that “Our approach has been to develop new technologies that will help people throughout their day, with privacy built in from the ground up.”
Meta hasn’t been shy about some type of always-aware glasses being a possibility. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call, said that he was “really excited to see the glasses evolve from being able to answer questions to being able to be a personal agent that’s with you all day long, helping you remember things and achieve your goals.” In a March blog post about new Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the company wrote that “with ongoing software updates, Meta AI on glasses will transition from something you have to prompt with a question each time, to a more continuous, in-the-moment assistant that can help throughout the day.”
Even though they haven’t been officially announced yet, Samsung is giving you a chance to save some cash when you preorder what we’re expecting to be the brand’s updated Galaxy Z Fold phones. The next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on July 22nd, 2026, and features the tagline “A new shape unfolds.” In addition to seeing updated versions of the existing Flip and Fold form factors, we anticipate the debut of a new, wider foldable phone. If you register your interest ahead of time and end up preordering one of the new phones shortly after they’re announced, Samsung will give you a $30 store credit at checkout.
There are some caveats to this offer. You have to use the credit when you preorder the phone. No saving it for later. Also, the credit can’t be applied to the cost of the phone either, so you’ll have to put it towards the cost of accessories or extra services. Samsung specifically calls out that select Galaxy rings, earbuds, watches, and tablets are eligible, or you can use it to help pay for Samsung Care Plus.
There are no downsides to registering your interest, so if you think you might be interested in buying one of the upcoming phones, it’s worth filling out the form. As long as you use the same email during checkout, the credit will be automatically applied.
Anthropic’s new AI model raises alarms over safety, cybersecurity concerns
Matt Shumer, co-founder and CEO of OthersideAI, details Anthropic’s new AI model, Mythos, on ‘The Sunday Briefing’. The model’s “emergent capabilities” to find software vulnerabilities autonomously raised alarms, prompting Anthropic to restrict public access. Shumer explains the proactive move of granting major companies and the US government early access to Mythos for cyber defense, anticipating future threats to critical infrastructure and national security.
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A security update rarely feels dramatic. You see the alert, promise yourself you will install it later and then go right back to whatever you were doing. This time, Apple is giving you a stronger reason to pay attention.
Apple released iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 on June 29, 2026. The updates include security fixes for vulnerabilities tied to the kernel, WebKit and WebRTC. Apple says these fixes were first made available through the iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6 and macOS Tahoe 26.6 betas before being pushed out early to everyone.
That is the part that should make you pause. Apple usually rolls many security fixes into larger software updates. This time, the company moved faster.
AI IS NOW POWERING CYBERATTACKS, MICROSOFT WARNS
Apple pushed out security fixes early because AI can help hackers study software flaws faster. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Why Apple released this AI security update early
Apple reportedly accelerated the updates because artificial intelligence can help speed the creation of malicious hacking tools. Once a fix appears in a beta, attackers may be able to study it, reverse-engineer the weakness and move faster than before.
Apple said there was no evidence that the newly patched vulnerabilities had been exploited. Still, the company wanted to shrink the time between when fixes were first visible and when they reached your devices.
That is a major shift. It suggests Apple sees AI as a force that changes the timing of security. A flaw that once gave defenders more breathing room may now become a race.
What Apple fixed in iOS 26.5.2
Apple’s iOS 26.5.2 and iPadOS 26.5.2 notes list fixes for iPhone 11 and later, along with several supported iPad models. The security content includes kernel vulnerabilities that could let an app crash the system, corrupt kernel memory or leak sensitive kernel state.
The update also fixes multiple WebKit issues. WebKit powers Safari and web content inside many apps. Some of these flaws involved malicious web content that could lead to crashes, memory corruption, data leaks or sandbox escapes.
Apple also fixed WebRTC issues that could be triggered by malicious web content and lead to Safari or process crashes.
For Mac, Apple lists macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 as the current release. If your Mac runs macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia, Apple also lists Safari 26.5.2 as a June 29, 2026, security release.
A woman uses a smartphone outside an Apple Store on June 20, 2026, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
Why AI hacking tools change the security race
AI can help legitimate researchers find bugs faster. That is good when the work leads to stronger software and responsible disclosure. However, the same general capability can also help bad actors move faster. A criminal does not need to understand every line of code if an AI tool can help summarize a patch, compare software changes or suggest where a weakness may be hiding.
That is why Apple’s move is important. It shows that big tech companies may need to release security fixes sooner and more often, even when those updates do not include flashy new features. The wider AI world adds pressure here. Frontier AI companies have released or tested systems with stronger coding and cybersecurity capabilities. Some models are available only through limited previews, approved access or extra safeguards because of their potential cyber use.
Similar efforts are also emerging outside the United States. Several international AI labs and security companies now promote models designed to find vulnerabilities, analyze code and assist cyber defense. The takeaway for you isn’t that AI is automatically bad. The real point is speed. Security teams, attackers and AI tools are now moving on a shorter clock.
How to update your iPhone or iPad
Before you update, plug in your device and connect to Wi-Fi. You may also want to back up your iPhone or iPad first.
Then do this: Open Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install.
After the update finishes, go back to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. Make sure automatic updates are turned on. Apple also lets your device automatically install system file updates that improve security without changing the full software version. If you do not see the update right away, check again later. Apple releases updates in stages, and your device also needs enough battery and storage.
How to update your Mac
On a Mac, start with a backup. Then click the Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update . Choose Update Now if macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 appears.
Next, check your background update settings. On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update . Click the More Info button next to Automatic Updates and make sure Install system data files and security updates is turned on.
If your Mac runs Sonoma or Sequoia, look for Safari 26.5.2 in Software Update as well. That Safari update may be the protection your Mac needs if you are not on Tahoe.
BEWARE OF HACKERS SHOWING UP PRETENDING TO BE IT
What this Apple security update means to you
You may see more security updates that feel sudden or small. That can be annoying, especially when you are busy or your device needs to restart.
Still, these updates are becoming more important. Apple is reacting to a world where AI can help shorten the time between a public fix and a possible attack.
So, when your iPhone, iPad or Mac asks you to update, do not treat it like background noise. The update may be closing a door someone else is already trying to find.
Updating your iPhone, iPad and Mac helps close security holes before attackers get more time to exploit them. (Katharina Kausche/picture alliance via Getty Images)
How to stay safe after the Apple security update
Installing the Apple AI security update is the best first move. After that, tighten a few habits that make attacks harder.
1) Keep your apps updated
Your operating system is only part of the security picture. Outdated apps can still create risk, especially if they handle messages, web links, photos, files or account logins. Open the App Store and install available updates regularly.
2) Watch out for suspicious links
Be careful with links in texts, emails and social media messages. WebKit and browser flaws are a reminder that malicious web content can be part of an attack. When in doubt, open the official app or website yourself instead of tapping a link.
3) Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
Use strong, unique passwords for every account and store them in a password manager. Then turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. If one password gets exposed, you do not want it opening the door to your email, bank or Apple account.
4) Use strong antivirus protection
Use strong antivirus protection on your Mac and other connected devices. It can help catch malicious files, phishing attempts and suspicious activity before they do damage. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
5) Back up your data regularly
Back up your iPhone, iPad and Mac before problems hit. A recent backup can help you recover faster if an update fails, your device gets stolen or malware locks you out of important files. CyberGuy’s guide to backing up your devices walks you through ways to protect your files using cloud storage, an external drive or both.
6) Use a personal data removal service
Use a personal data removal service to reduce how much of your personal information is floating around online. Data brokers and people-search sites can expose your name, address, phone number and relatives. Scammers can use those details to make phishing messages feel more believable. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Apple’s early security release shows how fast the cyber threat landscape is changing. The company says there is no evidence these newly patched flaws were exploited, but it still moved the fixes out before the wider 26.6 release. That tells me the old habit of waiting weeks to update is getting riskier. AI can help defenders, but it can also help criminals study weaknesses faster. My advice is direct: update your Apple devices now, turn on automatic security updates and stop putting off patches that protect the phone and computer you use every day.
Do you think AI will make your devices safer because companies can find flaws faster, or more vulnerable because hackers can move faster too? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
Automatic updates, strong passwords and a personal data removal service can make you a harder target after the update. (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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