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9 Great Reads From CNET This Week: iOS 16, Metaverse, Ms. Marvel and More

We have lots to say about what Apple revealed at WWDC, plus the challenges of the metaverse, how Hollywood's changing, tales from slumberland and other deep dives.

CNET News staff
2 min read

This week brought us Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, when the maker of Macs and iPhones shares details of coming changes to the software that runs those and other devices. WWDC is on the geeky side, but it's also pretty clear what's in store for everyone who uses Apple products.

We found out, for instance, about iOS 16, coming to iPhones later this year with features like an updated lock screen heavy on customization; Apple Pay Later, which splits the cost of a purchase across four payments; and Safety Check, designed to help people at risk of abuse. We got a peek at MacOS Ventura, along with a redesigned MacBook Air and a 13-inch MacBook Pro, both of which will pack the new M2 chip. And we learned about WatchOS 9 and iPadOS 16, too.

Our stories about WWDC came to you among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that also appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don't want to miss. 

iOS 16's Lock Screen Upgrades Make the iPhone More Like a Smartwatch

Commentary: Apple's changes to the iPhone lock screen are a bigger deal than you think.

iOS 16 logo shown on an iPhone with a yellow background
James Martin/CNET

The Metaverse Needs to Figure Out How to Deal With Sexual Assault 

Commentary: Moderating social media is hard. Moderating the metaverse will be harder. 

A woman wearing a VR headset and holding controllers in a room lit up like a disco ball
Getty/Xinhua News Agency

Apple's Safety Check Is Built to Prevent 'Terrifying' Consequences

As tech's reach grows, companies are taking on a new, very personal, set of issues.

Apple logo designed to look like a padlock
Screenshot/CNET

Sleep Paralysis: I Hallucinated a Giant Spider, but My Doctor Said It Was Fine  

Here's why people freeze in place and have waking nightmares.

A bed floating in midair
OsakaWayne Studios

'Ms. Marvel' on Disney Plus Is the Muslim Representation I've Been Waiting For

The new MCU series about a Pakistani Muslim-American superhero shows just how far Hollywood has come.   

Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, with mask and scarf, and hands on hips
Disney Plus

The Time I Tried Polyphasic Sleep and Almost Lost My Mind  

I don't recommend it.

A man sitting up with a sleeping bag wrapped around him
Ben White

Hayabusa2's Ancient Asteroid Samples Are the Most Pristine Ever Seen. Why That's a Big Deal

Initial analysis of the samples from asteroid Ryugu show the rock could change our understanding of the early solar system.

A spacecraft with two large solar arrays touches down on a rocky gray surface
JAXA/Akihiro Ikeshita

What WatchOS 9 May Reveal About the Next Apple Watch 

Commentary: WatchOS 9's new running features could pair nicely with the rumored Apple Watch Explorer Edition.

Apple Watch Series 7 on a wrist
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

It's Time to Learn About Passkeys, the No-Password Login Tech 

Google, Apple, and Microsoft expect passkeys can completely replace passwords. Apple support arrives in iOS 16 and MacOS Ventura.

A dialog box on a Mac screen shows how passkey logon works
Apple