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The Boox Palma e-reader is unquestionably my favorite gadget from the last few years, but I also get why so many people find it to be a little confounding. It’s a phone-shaped e-ink device that has all the capabilities of a modern Android smartphone—in addition to serving up your e-books, it can run apps from the Google Play store; it even has a camera. But doesn’t have cellular functionality, which means it can’t take calls. That might be changing, and soon.

According to a report from The Verge, Boox’s parent company, the Chinese tech firm Onyx International, is working on a new Palma-like device that will retain the form and e-ink display of the current Palma, but add both cellular connectivity and color—two of the most requested features from the device’s die-hard fans, at least judging by my observations of the r/Onyx_Boox subreddit over the past few years.

The Verge got a look at the presumed Palma successor during IFA 2025, a European trade show akin to CES. Though it wasn’t on display on the show floor, a reporter was shown a device that sure looked a lot like the Palma, but which had both a color display (almost certainly the same Kaleido 3 screen found on the Boox Go Color 7) and icons indicating a 4G + LTE cellular connection. No concrete details on specs or a release date were provided. (You can read more, and see a picture of the device, over at The Verge).

Function finally follows form

Personally, I love the Palma because it’s more portable than the average e-reader. Because it is easier to carry, I read more and use addictive apps on my phone less (though the Palma can run most apps, social media isn’t very fun on a sluggish e-ink screen). But I still need to carry my phone, for all the usual reasons (messaging, maps, tap-to-pay), so it’s not the life-changing device it might otherwise be. That could change if Boox indeed releases a Palma that can make calls and run messaging apps over a cellular connection.

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before I can get too excited, however. For one thing, the device hasn’t been officially announced, and there’s no guarantee it will be released in the near term, or if it will be sold in the U.S. (not all Boox products are available in the U.S. market). Then there’s the matter of carrier support—you’re certainly not going to be able to buy a Palma phone direct from Verizon or T-Mobile, and it’s not a sure thing that a Chinese-made niche device it will play nice with every domestic carrier.

We also have no information on what this thing might cost. For $300, the Palma already has a lot of phone-like capabilities, but adding a color screen and a modem (and getting it certified to play nice with U.S.-based networks) will undoubtedly push that number a lot higher. Tariffs aren’t likely to help matters either: The most recent Palma 2 was $299, and given that all e-ink screens are made overseas, there’s no chance it won’t face those additional import fees.

All that said, another device already on the market gives me a pretty good idea of what using a Palma phone will be like.

Not the first e-ink phone

For the past few months, I’ve been playing around with the Bigme Hibreak Pro, a $459 e-reader that looks an awful lot like my Palma 2 (you can see both in the picture at the top of this article). In many respects, the Hibreak Pro is a one for one match for the Palma…but it also has 5G cellular capability.

A device like this holds a lot of appeal—I’m at a point where I am starting to resent my iPhone’s primacy in my life. I’d love carry only one device, and one that doesn’t as readily plug me in to the horrors of the internet and social media, but which can still handle the most essential functions (keeping me connected to my family, handling NFC payments, guiding me via Google Maps).

But so far, for me, the Hibreak Pro isn’t it—as with other Bigme devices I’ve tested, I find its software deeply frustrating, and I haven’t had the time or energy to devote to installing an alternative launcher. (It doesn’t help that the first device I received had a faulty USB-C port, and getting a replacement took a few months.) I generally think Boox makes better devices than Bigme, so I’m hopeful a Palma phone would fix some of these issues.

At this point, that’s still a big if. Despite their lovability, Boox’s e-readers definitely aren’t as user-friendly as a Kindle. And though the Palma has attracted a cult following (not to mention mainstream attention from outlets like The New York Times), an e-ink phone is always going to have niche appeal, which means we’re very unlikely to see one from an established tech company like Apple or Samsung. A Palma phone might satisfy some e-ink diehards, but I don’t expect to see too many of them while riding the subway.

The iPhone 17 is nearly upon us. Next week, Apple will take the virtual stage and announce its next generation of smartphones. There will be some big updates, like the ultra-thin iPhone Air and redesigned camera bump on the Pro, as well as some standard revisions, like the iPhone 17.

But while Apple’s new iPhones may be quite different, what they all have in common is they’ll very likely ship with iOS 26, Apple’s latest and great iPhone OS, out of the box. Apple has big plans for iOS 26, including the new Liquid Glass redesign, fresh messaging features, updates to Apple Music, among many other changes.

You won’t need to buy an iPhone 17 series device in order to run iOS 26, of course: Apple is supporting iPhone 11 and newer with this upcoming update. What this means is that iOS 26 will need to launch at least by the iPhone 17’s release date to be in sync with the rest of Apple’s iPhones.

When will iOS 26 come out?

No one can predict the future, and there are few leaks and rumors out there spilling the beans on this release date. That said, we can turn to recent history to make an educated guess as to when Apple plans to launch the new OS this year.

Wccftech believes Apple will drop iOS 26 one week after announcing its latest iPhones. That’s because the company followed that strategy last year: Apple announced the iPhone 16 on Sept. 9, then dropped the official iOS 18 update on Sept. 16. It would make sense if Apple mirrored this timeline with the iPhone 17 and iOS 26, and, if so, iOS 26’s release date would also be Sept. 16.

The year before, Apple deviated from this pattern slightly, releasing iOS 17 six days after unveiling the iPhone 15 series. One year before that, however, Apple followed the one-week-later pattern for iOS 16. While anything is possible, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest to see iOS 26 one week after Apple’s event on Tuesday, though historical precedent could allow for a Monday launch, as well.

Whenever Apple does launch iOS 26, it will likely also release its other software updates as well, including iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26—unless the company runs into issues with any update it needs additional time to troubleshoot.

You can run iOS 26 right now

You don’t actually have to wait until Apple officially releases iOS 26 to try out all these new features and changes. The company has been beta testing the software since June (though the public beta didn’t launch until July), rooting out bugs and glitches to optimize the experience for the general public.

There’s a risk in installing any beta on your device, since the software is not finished yet. But if you want to experience iOS 26 before most of your friends and family, the option is there. As we’re inching closer to the end of the beta cycle, the risks are lower than they were when Apple was still looking out for larger bugs. Still, if you choose to install the beta on your iPhone, make sure to archive your phone to a secure source, like your Mac or PC, as you could lose your data should you need to downgrade back to iOS 18.

If you haven’t been to the movies in a while, you…actually probably won’t be surprised to learn that, like everything else, tickets are getting more expensive. According to The Numbers, a seat for the average movie in the U.S. now costs $11.31, up from $9.16 in 2019. Depending on where you live, or if you’re seeing a show in a premium format, it might be a lot more. (In Brooklyn, I count myself lucky if I can see a Saturday night show for less than $20.)

That’s why theater subscription services like AMC Stubs A-List can save you a lot. For a flat fee, they allow you to see a set number of movies per month. If you hit up the theater often enough—as little as twice—it will pay for itself, but you have to make sure you do the math (and account for all the fees involved) so you don’t wind up losing money.

And for one popular subscription program—the Alamo Drafthouse Season Pass—the math just got a little trickier.

The hidden cost of theater subscription plans

Just speaking hypothetically, I’ve always thought Alamo’s Season Pass program was a great deal. For $19.99/month (or $29.99 if you live in certain pricier metro areas, including Chicago and NYC), you get to see a movie a day. But there’s a catch—you also must pay a $2.19 per-ticket “transaction fee,” the same upcharge you’re probably used to from buying tickets online via a service like Fandango. It’s not a lot of money relative to the price of a ticket, but that adds up if you’re seeing a movie every day. Instead of just your $20 or $30 pass, you’re paying a total of $80 to $90 total, and that’s before factoring in added charges for 3D, 70mm, or other specialty showings.

This week, Alamo introduced a new “All In” plan with no ticketing fees at all—even for specialty screenings—but it’s only a good choice if you see a lot of movies. Let’s do the math.

How many movies you need to see to pay for the Alamo Drafthouse “All In” plan

Announced today via email and already live in the Alamo Drafthouse app and on the internet, the so-called All In Season Pass costs $29.99 (you’ll need to pay $39.99 for the All In+ plan in select major markets)—that’s $10 more than the previous plans, which are now known as “Classic” and “Classic+.”

Given the per-ticket fee of $2.19, that means in order to justify the cost of the plan based on the ticketing fees alone, you’ll need to go to the movies at least five times every month. (That sounds like a both a wonderful dream and a high bar to me, the parent of two youngish children, but perhaps your life isn’t so blessed.)

But what if you like to go big and see your movies in 3D? Those showings previously carried an additional $1.99 fee, so you’ll save money there too. I personally haven’t seen a 3D movie by choice in years, but the perk also covers other special format showings, including 70mm, Dolby Atmos, and “Big Show” movies.

And there’s more! If you typically see movies with your friends (humble brag), ticketing fees for additional full-price tickets purchased using the All In pass holder’s account will also be covered, which means you’ll cover the $10 upgrade cost in just three movie dates or bro hangs.

You can also save big on food and drinks

I go to movies so rarely these days that I always choose a theater with full food service, even though that means spending at least another $25—but the All In plan also includes a 10% discount on food and drinks, which is a pretty big deal at a theater with a full menu. If you tend to enjoy a bite during your showing, the pass will pay for itself a lot faster. (There’s a caveat here too, though: Alcoholic drinks aren’t eligible for the discount.)

The bottom line

So is the Alamo All In pass worth the extra $10? I’d say it’s an easy yes, provided you are a frequent moviegoer. Seeing just five movies per month will cover the fee, but if you always order at least a drink and an appetizer when you go (which will cost you at least $15), you could recoup that $10 after just three. If you always see movies with at least one other person, you can likewise cover the fee after just three showings, no food purchase required.

(Washington, D.C., September 5, 2025) – Today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden in North Carolina met with agricultural leaders and producers and announced additional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance to help producers recover from Hurricane Helene. Deputy Secretary Vaden signed a block grant agreement with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) that provides recovery assistance to eligible North Carolina farmers. In July, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L.

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A new subscription-free smart ring has hit the market, and unlike the Oura ring, it doesn’t require a subscription. The Luna Ring 2.0 even costs less up front: It starts at $300 (or $349 with the charging case), around $50 cheaper than both Oura and Ultrahuman. 

The Luna ring is made by Noise, an India-based wearables company. The Luna 2.0 is the first version of the ring that’s available in the U.S., in case you wondered whether you missed out on an entire previous ring. Noise teased the ring at CES in January, but it’s finally hitting the market for real. 

According to the spec sheet, the Luna ring and its app will track sleep, heart rate, and blood oxygen, auto-detect walking and running, and provide an AI coach. Like the Ultrahuman device, it will also provide caffeine window reminders. The comparison chart on the product page lists the software as “free” in contrast to Oura’s $5.99/month subscription and Ultrahuman’s “paywall restricted features” (Ultrahuman offers add-ons for a fee), suggesting Noise also doesn’t intend to offer a premium subscription tier. (I’ve put together a full cost comparison between the Oura Ring and the Ultrahuman if you’re curious, but suffice it to say, the Luna should be cheaper than both.)

That said, Noise’s comparison chart seems a bit off to me—it lists Ultrahuman and Oura as both having the same battery life and charge time, but I found those two to be significantly different, with Oura having a longer battery life and shorter charge time. It will be interesting to see whether Luna sticks to its promises of “4-7 days” battery life and “120 minutes” charge time. Those stats would put it roughly on par with Ultrahuman. 

So far, Luna seems like an adequate Oura clone, minus the monthly subscription fee. It also has one feature that neither of its two biggest competitors offers: a charging case. According to the company, the Luna ring’s charging case offers 30 days worth of battery life. If you ask me, being able to bring a case along in your gym bag or on a trip is a game changer, as I always take off my smart ring when I’m lifting weights, and I’d love a place to put it. If it also tops up the battery, all the better.