News

Public Betas Of iOS 17, iPadOS 17 & watchOS 10 Are Here

Early adopters can use an Apple Beta Software Program account to download the latest updates.

Published

3 years ago

July 13, 2023

public betas of ios 17, ipados 17, and watchos 10 are here

For many tech fans, there’s something exciting about taking new versions of an operating system for a test drive — especially if we get to do it before an official release. For Apple aficionados looking to freshen up their old devices, it’s a great time to join the free Apple Beta Software Program and download a copy of the just-released betas of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and even macOS Sonoma.

The new iOS 17 includes a host of updates, from a fresh new design to practical improvements. Here are a few of the highlights:

Users can customize what people see when called — whether that’s a cute emoji or a photo.
Calls sent to voicemail can be viewed as live transcriptions across the screen.
Video or audio messages can be sent to people who don’t pick up a FaceTime call.
Your voice can be muted and unmuted right from your AirPods.
More accurate autocorrect and sentence predictions will improve text inputs.

Additional features include the ability to automatically check in to let friends know you’ve arrived home safely and a way to locate car charging stations in real-time within Maps routes.

Also Read: Google Launches Arabic Version Of AI Chat Tool Bard

Much like previous updates, iPadOS 17 seems to be playing catch up yet again. The latest version adds custom lock screens, the health app, and interactive widgets. Meanwhile, WatchOS 10 is a more substantial revamp for Apple Watch fans, overhauling major apps and improving several fitness features. For desktop users, MacOS Sonoma brings iOS-style widgets, upgrades the Safari browser with multiple user profiles, and adds polish to video calls.

Official versions of Apple’s various operating symptoms will most likely drop in early Q4 of 2023, but you can sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program if you want to try the beta versions now.

News

NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders

A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

Nour Nasir

neopay wants to follow merchants across channels and borders

It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.

The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.

For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.

“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.

Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country

NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.

The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.