The Good News First

Just this week I wrote about a hidden defaults preference you can set to turn off most of the insipid menu item icons in most of Apple’s first-party apps in MacOS 26 Tahoe. I bemoaned the fact that Safari — generally an exemplar of what makes a great Mac app a great Mac app — generally ignored this setting, leaving most of its menu item icons in place. I am delighted to report that that’s fixed in MacOS 26.4. With the preference set to hide these icons, Safari now only shows a handful.

Here’s a link to the screenshot of the old before/after, taken on MacOS 26.3.2. Boo hiss. Here’s the new before/after, taken on MacOS 26.4:

In Tahoe 26.3 (and presumably, earlier versions of Tahoe), 16 of 19 menu items in Safari’s File menu still showed an icon with this setting enabled. In 26.4, only 5 of 19 do.¹ The rest of Safari’s other menus have been updated similarly, and look so much better for it.

It’s interesting to me that Safari was updated to support this hidden preference in 26.4. I take it as a sign that there’s a contingent within Apple (or least within the Safari team) that dislikes these menu item icons enough to notice that Safari wasn’t previously recognizing this preference setting. (And I further take it as a sign that within Apple’s engineering ranks, the existence of this defaults setting is widely known.) Keep hope alive.

Now the Bad News

Another recent Tahoe-related tip I’ve been writing about was using a device management profile to block the prompts in System Settings → General → Software Update to “upgrade” from MacOS 15 Sequoia to 26 Tahoe. I first wrote about it a month ago, linking to a post from Rob Griffiths. I then wrote about it again, just this week, linking to a YouTube video from Mr. Macintosh.

Ever since this technique started making the rounds, there was widespread commentary that it was taking advantage of a bug, not a feature, in MacOS 15 Sequoia. The 90-day “deferral” period to block the Tahoe update prompts was supposed to be from the date the Tahoe major release (26.0) was released, not from the most recent minor release. Welp, with this week’s release of MacOS 15.7.5, this bug is fixed, and Tahoe shows up in the Software Update panel in System Settings even if you have one of these device management profiles installed. Alas.

All is not lost, however. The same video from Mr. Macintosh shows a second, slightly less elegant way to banish all signs of Tahoe in Software Update (just after the 9:00 mark). The trick is to register your Mac for the MacOS Sequoia Public Beta updates (or the developer betas). This blocks all signs of Tahoe. You don’t actually have to install any future betas of Sequoia (at the moment, there are none available). Just make sure you have Automatic Updates disabled too. I’d rather risk inadvertently installing a public beta of 15.8 Sequoia than inadvertently “upgrading” to Tahoe.

Not every website has an RSS feed. Some never did. Some had one years ago and quietly removed it. And some sites have content that updates regularly but was never structured as a feed in the first place: job boards, product listings, event calendars, changelog pages. Until now, if a site didn’t offer RSS, you were out of luck.

Web Feeds is a new feature that creates RSS feeds from any website. Point it at a URL, and NewsBlur analyzes the page structure, identifies the repeating content patterns, and generates extraction rules that turn the page into a live feed. It works on news sites, blogs, job boards, product pages, or really anything with a list of items that changes over time.

This is a huge feature and has been requested for years. I’m so thrilled to finally be able to offer it in a way that I feel comfortable with. Other solutions including having you select story titles on a re-hosted version of the page, but it was clumsy and error-prone. This way, we use LLMs to figure out what the story titles are likely to be, present the variations to you, and then let you decide what’s right. So much better!

How it works

Open the Add + Discover Sites page and click the Web Feed tab. Paste a URL and click Analyze. NewsBlur fetches the page, strips out navigation and boilerplate, and analyzes the HTML structure. Within a few seconds, you’ll see multiple extraction variants, each representing a different content pattern found on the page.

Progress updates stream in real-time while the analysis runs. NewsBlur typically finds 3-5 different extraction patterns on a page. The first variant is usually the main content (article list, blog posts, product grid), but sometimes the page has multiple distinct sections worth subscribing to. Each variant shows a label, a description of what it captures, and a preview of 3 extracted stories so you can see exactly what you’d get.

Select the variant that matches what you want to follow, pick a folder, and subscribe. NewsBlur will re-fetch and re-extract the page on a regular schedule, just like any other feed.

Story hints

Sometimes the initial best guess isn’t what you’re looking for. Maybe the page has a blog section and a job listings section, and you want the jobs. Click the Refine button and type a hint like “I’m looking for the job postings.” NewsBlur re-analyzes the page with your hint in mind and reorders the variants to prioritize what you described.

What gets extracted

For each story, NewsBlur extracts whatever it can find: title, link, content snippet, image, author, and date. Not every field will be available on every site, and that’s fine. At minimum you’ll get titles and links. The extraction uses XPath expressions, which means it’s precise and consistent across page refreshes as long as the site’s HTML structure stays the same.

When things change

Websites redesign. HTML structures shift. When NewsBlur detects that the extraction rules have stopped working (after 3 consecutive failures), the feed is flagged as needing re-analysis. You’ll see a feed exception indicator, and you can re-analyze the page with one click to generate updated extraction rules.

Use cases

Some examples of sites that work well with Web Feeds:

• Company blogs without RSS — Many corporate blogs dropped their RSS feeds years ago. Web Feeds brings them back.
• Job boards — Track new postings on a company’s careers page.
• Government sites — Follow press releases, meeting agendas, or public notices.
• Changelog pages — Monitor when a tool or service ships updates.
• Event listings — Keep tabs on upcoming concerts, conferences, or local events.
• Product pages — Watch for new arrivals or restocks on stores that don’t offer feeds.

Availability

Web Feeds are available to Premium Archive and Premium Pro subscribers. The ongoing feed fetching and extraction runs on NewsBlur’s servers like any other feed.

If you have feedback or ideas for improvements, please share them on the NewsBlur forum.

Some street art pieces are pure fun. From giant binocular tunnels and cartoon crosswalks to a chalk cheerleader with real grass for hair, these artists know exactly how to turn ordinary places into playful surprises.

Here are 10 joyful works that instantly make the city feel lighter!

More: Funny Signs (10 Photos)

Joyful Explosion — By Rosalie de Graaf in Zwolle, Netherlands

This mural feels like someone turned an entire building into pure laughter. Rosalie de Graaf filled the wall with kids mid-laugh, paint splashes, butterflies, and bubbles, and the whole thing radiates the kind of energy that makes you grin before you even realize it.

Follow Rosalie de Graaf on Instagram

Spyglass — By 3Steps in Wetzlar, Germany

Now this is how you make a boring shortcut unforgettable. 3Steps turned a plain underpass into a giant pair of binoculars, so walking through it suddenly feels like stepping straight into an adventure movie. It is clever, simple, and ridiculously fun.

Follow 3Steps on Instagram

Girl and Guinea Pig — By Braga Last One in Calais, France

Braga Last One really understood the assignment here: huge glasses, giant eyes, a ripped-wall illusion, and an adorable guinea pig stealing the scene underneath. It has that oversized cartoon charm that makes the whole building feel like it belongs in a wonderfully weird storybook.

Fun Fact: Braga Last One started out as a traditional graffiti writer before discovering his love for transforming abandoned and forgotten urban spaces back to life with his surreal creations.

Follow Braga Last One on Instagram | Absolutely Brilliant By Braga Last One (14 Photos)

Wile E. Coyote Trap — By E.LEE in Chicago, USA

This is pure cartoon chaos in the best possible way. E.LEE turned a street corner into a full Road Runner setup, complete with signs, arrows, and Wile E. Coyote waiting for the world’s most obvious trap to fail spectacularly. You can practically hear the “beep beep.”

Follow E.LEE on Instagram

Estonian Opera Hands — In Tallinn, Estonia

Whoever came up with this deserves a standing ovation. These parking barrier arms outside the Estonian National Opera were transformed into giant conductor hands, turning the most ordinary part of a parking entrance into a tiny public performance. It is such a smart, joyful little upgrade.

Plane Illusion — By Jan Is De Man in Utrecht, Netherlands

Jan Is De Man made this plane look like it is bursting right out of solid concrete, and it completely messes with your sense of reality. It is one of those pieces that makes you stop, stare, and then immediately call someone over because there is no way you should be the only one seeing this.

Fun Fact: When Jan Is De Man paints his famous bookcase murals, he actually knocks on doors in the neighborhood and asks the residents for their favorite books, then paints those exact titles on the wall!

Follow Jan Is De Man on Instagram | 8 Happy 3D Artworks by Jan Is De Man That Will Make You Smile

Peeking Cat — By Andy Dice Davies in Cheltenham, UK

There is something instantly hilarious about a giant cat acting like it just spotted you from its hiding place. Andy Dice Davies used the tunnel shape perfectly, so the whole wall turns into one giant ambush of whiskers, paws, and those enormous curious eyes.

Follow Andy Dice Davies on Facebook

Flower Crown — By Fabio Gomes Trindade in Trindade, Brazil

This is what happens when a mural and a flowering tree decide to collaborate. Fabio Gomes Trindade painted a smiling girl, and the bougainvillea above her becomes the most fabulous hairstyle in the neighborhood. It is bright, sweet, and impossible not to love.

Follow Fabio Gomes Trindade on Instagram | How Fábio Gomes Turns Trees into Hair: Stunning Murals in Trindade (8 Photos)

Summer Solstice Cheerleader — By David Zinn in Ann Arbor, Michigan

David Zinn is basically a magician with sidewalks. This tiny green cheerleader already has a ton of personality, but the real grass hair and flower skirt take it to another level. It is such a small piece, yet it delivers a giant dose of happiness.

Follow David Zinn on Instagram | Cute Art By David Zinn (16 Photos)

Obelix Smashes a Lane — By Oakoak in France

Oakoak has that rare talent for making the street itself feel like part of the punchline. Here, Obelix lands one massive hit and the crosswalk line looks like it actually shattered on impact. It is quick, silly, and absolutely perfect.

Follow Oakoak on Instagram | Lovely by Oakoak (10 Photos)

Which one is your favorite?

The post Pure Fun (10 Photos) appeared first on STREET ART UTOPIA.

This is a hefty redesign and rethinking of the NewsBlur iOS and Mac app. Every screen has been rethought, from the login page to the story detail to the intelligence trainer. This release adds full support for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, along with several features that were previously web-only: Discover Related Sites, Ask AI, the Dashboard, and Premium Pro.

Here’s what’s new:

iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe

NewsBlur is built for the latest Apple platforms. The toolbar is transparent and fades as you scroll. The column layout has been simplified to “feeds beside” or “feeds over” the story detail. On iPad, a new draggable divider lets you resize the feeds and stories columns, and the sidebar auto-collapses when space gets tight. On Mac, the sidebar auto-hides and trackpad swipe gestures work throughout the app.

The default theme is now Auto, so NewsBlur follows your system appearance out of the box. Dark mode correctly overrides the window style to stay consistent with whatever NewsBlur theme you’ve chosen.

A warmer sepia theme

The Sepia theme has been completely reworked with warmer tones that are easier on the eyes for long reading sessions. The theme selector itself has been rewritten across all menus, with improved contrast on the pill buttons so you can clearly see which theme is active.

Story titles pill bar

The top of the story list now has a pill bar with quick access to Discover, Options, Search, and Mark Read. The search bar slides in and out instead of fading, and the mark-read button has a wider tap target with an optional confirmation step.

Discover related sites

Discover Related Sites lets you find related feeds from any feed or folder. Tap the Discover button in the new story titles pill bar, browse what’s available, and try a feed before subscribing with a preview banner.

List and magazine views

Two new story layout options join the existing Grid view. List shows compact rows for scanning headlines quickly. Magazine shows taller rows with larger thumbnails, giving you a richer preview of each story without opening it. Switch between them from the story titles pill bar.

Dashboard

The Dashboard sits at the top of your feed list and shows stories from your favorite feeds, updated every five minutes. Add, remove, and rearrange feeds to build a personal front page that keeps you current throughout the day. It’s the first thing you see when you open the app, and it updates in the background so fresh stories are always waiting.

Redesigned login, preferences, and upgrade

The login screen now features animated Metal shader waves with a frosted glass card. Preferences have moved from the old InAppSettingsKit to a new native SwiftUI PreferencesView. The Premium upgrade screen has been redesigned to include Ask AI integration and the new Premium Pro tier.

Share, Trainer, and Ask AI dialogs are presented as swipeable sheets on iPhone with grabber handles, replacing the old full-screen modals. The sync indicator has moved from a large HUD to a subtle top-right nav bar dot.

Ask AI

Ask AI brings the same AI-powered Q&A from the web to your phone and Mac. Select a story, tap Ask AI, and ask questions about it. Summarize a long article in one sentence, get the backstory on a developing situation, or fact-check a claim. Pick from multiple AI models and keep the conversation going with follow-ups.

Push notifications with feed favicons

Push notifications now show your feed’s favicon alongside the notification using Communication Notifications. At a glance, you can tell which feed a story came from before you even open it.

Everything else

Beyond the headline features, this release includes a long list of improvements and fixes across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Improvements

• Pinch-to-zoom images to full-sized Quick Look preview in any story.
• Mark Story Read options: mark read on scroll, on selection, after an interval, or manually.
• Premium Pro tier added to the iOS upgrade dialog with higher limits.
• Custom feed and folder icons now supported on iOS.
• Unmute support for individual feeds.
• Collapse-all and expand-all button on All Site Stories.
• Modernized menu bar on Mac and iPad with keyboard shortcuts.
• Icons added to context menus on Mac and iPad.
• Redesigned story action buttons with modern styling.
• Text, URL, and regex classifiers added to the iOS Intelligence Trainer.
• Compact story title cells with equalized vertical spacing in list view.
• Fetching/offline banner moved from bottom overlay to top of story titles.
• Feed list search bar replaced with a compact text field.
• Scroll-to-hide toolbar synced with swipe-back gestures.
• Sidebar toggle buttons for showing and hiding the feed list.
• Redesigned Add Site as a SwiftUI half-height sheet with autocomplete.
• Story traverse bar and feed bar fade gradually as you scroll.
• Mac Catalyst: dismiss modals via overlay tap or Escape key.
• Mac Catalyst: trackpad swipe gesture support.
• Improved theme selector pill contrast for medium and light themes.
• Show toolbar when tapping status bar to scroll to top.

Fixes

• Fixed WebSocket disconnects from EIO4 protocol and session lifecycle issues.
• Fixed story width rendering wider than viewport on first load on iPhone.
• Fixed memory issues with PINCache cost limits.
• Fixed offline queue priority inversion.
• Fixed saved stories showing incorrect read/unread status.
• Fixed YouTube Error 153 with HTTPS and inlined resources.
• Fixed trainer popover showing empty content on first open.
• Fixed crashes with custom feed icons in story detail.
• Fixed blank statistics modal by adding missing JS globals.
• Fixed white flash and navbar color mismatch when opening stories in dark themes.
• Fixed sepia theme yellow tint on Mac Catalyst.
• Fixed (null) username and missing avatar when sharing on Mac Catalyst.
• Fixed Catalyst pill bar AppKit chrome artifacts.
• Fixed Mac traverse bar layout, highlights, and previous button state.
• Fixed Discover popover placement on Mac and iPad.
• Fixed mark-read pill confirmation.
• Fixed status bar color and liquid glass gradient boundary.
• Fixed stale collapsed folder unread counts on iPad.
• Fixed stale story responses when switching folders quickly on iPad.
• Fixed Mac Catalyst split divider limited to grab handle area.

NewsBlur for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe is available now on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you have feedback or run into issues, I’d love to hear about it on the NewsBlur forum.