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The fact that Google Gemini will power the revamped Siri is drawing criticism from people convinced that Apple should have developed its own AI in-house to bring the voice assistant up to speed.

Some of the critics seem to think Apple always made its own software before now. Therefore they regard the deal with Google as a major policy shift — and a sign of weakness that would horrify Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

No. Just … no. These critics will be shocked to learn that many Apple products are built on top of tech developed outside the company … and often, it was Steve Jobs who did it!

Update: Anker renamed the Soundcore Work AI Voice Recorder reviewed below as Soundcore Work AI Note Taker to more directly reflect the main use of the product, the company said Tuesday. Its listings tend to put it down now as “note taker/voice recorder.” Soundcore also noted the problem I had with Find My functionality should be fixed now on production units. 

Original review: In an ecosystem where seamless integration matters most, the new Soundcore voice recorder and note taker arrives with a compelling proposition for Apple users. As this Soundcore Work AI Note Taker review finds, the coin-sized device promises to transform how iPhone and Mac users capture, transcribe and organize voice recordings.

After examining its features through an Apple-centric lens, here’s what you need to know about whether this $159.99 recorder deserves a spot in your productivity arsenal.

AI image generator Imagiyo lets you create all kinds of images — even NSFW ones. That’s how unbounded this new AI tool is.

It doesn’t matter if you’re designing for a business, crafting unique artwork, or just exploring the creative potential of AI, this powerful tool puts complete control at your fingertips. No subscriptions, no watermarks, no limits — just a simple, intuitive platform that transforms text prompts into stunning, high-quality visuals.

Right now, you can get lifetime access to Imagiyo for just $19.97 (down from $345). With this deal, the AI generator will let you create up to 250 images per month (including NSFW ones), in any resolution you choose. Unlike other AI image generators that lock features behind expensive monthly plans, this deal allows you to create professional-quality artwork (including for commercial use) without recurring fees.

If you ever endured a long lecture or an hours-long all-hands meeting, you know this to be true: There’s no way you can jot down every single word your professor or colleague utters. Rather than scramble and stress about missing certain parts of a presentation, you could add an AI note taker like My Notes AI to your productivity tool kit.

This AI-powered note transcription and summarization app works with your iPhone, iPad and Mac to help you catch every single word. Think of it as your very own personal assistant! You can snag a lifetime subscription to My Notes AI for just $27.97 (regularly $299) with code NOTE. That’s the best price you’ll find online.

With the wealth of AI tools available, the problem isn’t finding one that will get the job done. The real issue is finding the best fit for your budget. You might be able to find independent AI tools like ChatGPT or Dall-E for generating copy, creating logos, building stories and more, but AI MagicX does it all under one subscription, and you only have to pay for it once. That makes it a perfect suite of AI tools for business.

This robust AI platform includes tools for designing logos, generating art, creating chatbots, writing articles and creating stories. There’s even a document editor. And for a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription on sale for just $59.97 (regularly $972).

In 2025 an unprecedented talent exodus decimated Apple’s leadership ranks, with Meta Platforms emerging as the primary beneficiary of the iPhone maker’s retention struggles. The social media giant has successfully lured away four high-profile executives from Apple’s artificial intelligence and design divisions, raising serious questions about the Cupertino company’s competitive position in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Find out more about the top executives left Apple for Meta below.

Organize your week the fast and easy way with Smart Calendars AI, an app that works like your personal scheduling assistant. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac and makes it simple to plan out your personal agenda.

This isn’t just another planner app. It’s an AI-powered assistant that thinks the way you do — capturing ideas, interpreting context and turning them into organized plans without the mental gymnastics.

And right now, you can bag a three-year subscription to Smart Calendars AI for just $29.99.

From wild concept art to polished edits, Google Gemini’s Nano Banana Pro image creation and editing tool can spin up impressive visuals from a single prompt on your iPhone.

The featured image of this article itself serves as an amazing example of Nano Banana Pro’s capabilities. And it also showcases just how far behind Apple is in the AI race. (Sorry, Image Playground.)

If you’re itching to use Google’s Nano Banana Pro on your iPhone, this guide will show you how.

Apple rolled out updated App Review Guidelines Thursday that require developers to explicitly disclose when they’re sharing your personal information with third-party artificial intelligence services — and get your permission first.

AI prompt engineering tool PromptBuilder helps you create, optimize and manage prompts for all the major AI tools. It works with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini and more to make sure you get the results you envision.
If you’ve ever spent 20 minutes rewriting the same ChatGPT prompt hoping for better output, you already know how frustrating prompt crafting can be. But with a one-time payment of just $199 (MSRP $1,764), this lifetime subscription to PromptBuilder’s Unlimited Plan can make that pain go away.

Apple’s long-delayed AI-powered Siri upgrade remains on track for a 2026 debut, CEO Tim Cook said Thursday. That offers some reassurance to users after multiple setbacks pushed the originally planned 2024 release back by more than a year.
So, what can we expect from a smarter Siri voice assistant when it finally arrives? 

Going hands-on with the new ChatGPT Atlas browser for Mac makes it crystal clear that Safari risks becoming irrelevant. Our browsing habits are evolving fast, and Apple’s browser just isn’t keeping up

For years, Safari has been my go-to browser on the Mac due to its speed and power efficiency. But with Apple falling behind in the artificial intelligence wars, and a new breed of AI-boosted browsers coming on strong, that could change. I went hands-on with ChatGPT Atlas to see what the future of internet browsing looks like.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After OpenAI’s Sora app races to the top of the App Store charts, it’s time to consider how fantastic and terrifying it really is.

The iPhone-only app produces startlingly photorealistic videos of wacky things like Pikachu as a World War II soldier and iJustine wrestling an elephant. Will we ever be able to believe our eyes again?

Also on The CultCast:

• Former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his new BFFs at OpenAI reportedly run into some serious problems as they work to create an AI device to take on the iPhone.
• iOS 26 lets you screen iPhone calls even more efficiently than before. Griffin shows us how it the upgraded features work.
• A switcher lands a great deal on a MacBook Air, then goes all in on the Apple ecosystem. Talk about the halo effect!
• And finally, the latest iOS 26.1 beta brings some interesting new features — Griffin tells us all about them.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

OpenAI’s efforts to create and sell an “AI companion” device reportedly have serious obstacles to overcome. These are existential, including how the company can find enough computing resources to enable the artificial intelligence devices to function.

That’s good news for Apple, as there have been predictions that products designed specifically for AI might someday take the place of the iPhone and other smartphones.

OpenAI introduced the Sora iPhone app Tuesday, and by Friday, it had already hit the No. 1 spot on Apple’s Top Free Apps list. The secret of the new AI video app’s appeal? It’s a lot of fun, letting users create hilarious short videos with a simple text description.

Watch some of the hilarious (and amazing) videos people have already created, there go make your own.

Google’s new Pixel 10 lineup shows just how much fun (and just how useful) AI can be on a phone. If Apple really wants the iPhone 17 lineup to shine, it should steal a few pages from Google’s playbook.

The iPhone 17 needs more than impressive new hardware to stand out from the crowd. It needs new AI features to make an impact, especially with the Pixel 10 raising the bar.

Add Google Gemini to the list of AIs that might go into the promised revamp of the Siri voice assistant if Apple can’t develop the tech itself.

Apple is working hard on its own large language models to provide Siri with a much-needed intelligence boost. But Cupertino is reportedly covering its bases by talking to other companies about using their AI instead. Google joined the list, according to an unconfirmed report published Friday.

In an unusual all-hands meeting Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook assured employees that Apple won’t drop the ball when it comes to artificial intelligence. Calling AI “as big or bigger” than the internet, Cook said the company will rise to the occasion.

“Apple must do this,” he said. “Apple will do this. This is sort of ours to grab. We will make the investment to do it.”

In addition to hyping the company’s AI efforts, Cook expressed excitement about all the “amazing” new Apple products in the pipeline. And Apple software chief Craig Federighi told his colleagues not to worry about the long-delayed smarter Siri — a key component of Apple’s AI-infused future.

Apple has an AI problem, and it’s hoping to solve it in the traditional manner: by pouring money on it.

In a conference call with investors Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the company’s costs for developing artificial intelligence technology continue to grow. He also mentioned that the company is not just open to acquiring companies with AI expertise — it’s already actively doing so.

Nevertheless, the AI-enhanced version of Siri won’t arrive before 2026.

Apple faces big challenges in its artificial intelligence efforts as another key researcher leaves the company to join Meta’s ambitious superintelligence project, according to a new report Tuesday. The departure marks the fourth AI expert to leave Apple’s foundation models team in just one month, raising questions about the future of Apple Intelligence and the company’s AI strategy.

AI photo editor PicWish lets you remove backgrounds, unblur or sharpen pictures, and generally enhance your images in all kinds of ways. It’s easy to use but yields impressive results that would have been impossible (or required an advanced degree in an expensive tool like Adobe Photoshop) just a few years ago.

With this PicWish deal, you can slash the price of the credits you need to pull off these fantastic image tweaks. You can get 5,000 PicWish credits for just $59.99 (regularly $95.95).

Need a professional-looking headshot but don’t want to hire a photographer? ResumePhoto.ai’s AI headshot generator can fix that — and you won’t even need to change out of your jammies.

This AI-powered tool takes a handful of your everyday selfies — think casual, natural light, nothing fancy — and turns them into polished, studio-quality headshots that look like you hired a pro photog who actually knows your good side.

It’s incredibly affordable, too. With ResumePhoto.ai’s Basic Package, you’ll receive up to 12 professionally styled images for just $14.99, each featuring clean backdrops, business-ready attire and flattering lighting.

Despite all the criticism, mockery and predictions of doom, the fact that Apple is lagging the pack in artificial intelligence isn’t a catastrophe. The AI boom has barely started, and average consumers remain doubtful about the technology.

More importantly, an Apple executive points out that the company doesn’t need to develop its own cutting-edge AI to benefit from the research done by other companies.

Updates coming this fall to core Apple services like Maps, Music and Wallet focus heavily on artificial intelligence integration and personalization. The updates promise to make everyday tasks more intuitive and enjoyable for users across the Apple ecosystem.

Apple’s Image Playground is a free app for iPhone and other Apple devices that lets you generate unlimited AI images for free. You can generate images based on your friends, from a text prompt or totally from scratch, in a wide variety of themes and styles.

It’s part of Apple Intelligence, the growing set of AI features that work on the latest iPhones, Macs and iPads. Here’s how to use Image Playground.