News - page 22

At WWDC26, Apple previewed visionOS 27, the next major software update coming to its Vision Pro headset. The biggest new change is the introduction of Siri AI and the suite of new Apple Intelligence features, as is the case for all of Apple’s announcements today. 

But there are other great quality of life features coming to the headset. You can turn your own panoramas into immersive environments, view 3D models from your Mac, and use apps with curved windows. visionOS 27 features another redesigned Control Center, a new virtual environment, improved notifications, faster Wi-Fi connectivity, faster Messages sync and much more. 

visionOS 27 is available now as a developer beta, with a public release expected in September. 

iPad users got their first look at iPadOS 27 on Monday, with Apple using the keynote address of WWDC26 to tout improvements to stability and performance before taking a deep dive into new AI-related features.

There are a great many enhancements for tablet users. Here are the standouts.

Apple reinvented its smart assistant Siri as “Siri AI,” with a new range of advanced capabilities and its own dedicated app, the company said Monday during its WWDC26 keynote.

Siri‌, Apple’s long-maligned smart assistant that was often not terribly smart, gets a new architecture that better understands personal context and can perform a wide range of actions across devices.

“We couldn’t be happier to bring you Siri AI, our new version of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence,” said Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi during the keynote. “It’s more intelligent, knowledgeable and capable.”

Apple took the wraps off macOS 27 Golden Gate, the next major release of its Mac operating system, during the opening keynote of WWDC26 on Monday.

It brings Liquid Glass refinements and performance improvements along with an enhanced Siri and deeper Apple Intelligence integration.

Apple showcased iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and macOS 27 at WWDC26’s opening keynote Monday. The updates refine last year’s Liquid Glass redesign, add several new Apple Intelligence features, and introduce a host of quality-of-life improvements across the company’s devices.

Before you get excited about trying the new features, you’ll want to make sure your device is supported. Below, we rounded up the full compatibility lists for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and macOS 27.

The much-anticipated iOS 27 update for iPhone showcased at the Worldwide Developers Conference rebuilds the Siri voice assistant from the ground up as Siri AI, improves Apple Visual Intelligence, offers an improved Camera app, fixes myriad bugs and more, Apple said Monday. It turned out to be quite the consequential update.

“We’re excited to bring a wide range of improvements to each of our platforms, making them even more useful and delightful,” said CEO Tim Cook as he began to close out the keynote presentation. It’s expected to be his last before he steps down from the role on September 1.

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s chipper “good morning!” from many, many events got the quasi-royal treatment Monday in a video he shared on X.com filled with celebrities saying the phrase just hours before WWDC26 kicks off.

For Cook, who remains CEO until John Ternus takes over September 1, today’s keynote might be the last opportunity to say it on such a big stage.

And it begs the question: What will be Ternus use as a catchphrase, anyway?

Looks like we’ll be able to get the folding iPhone Ultra and any color we want, as long as what we want is white.

A noted tipster says Apple’s upcoming handset with a flexible screen could come only in that single color option. It’s not a surprising move for a device expected to be a niche product because of its premium price.

Ugreen has emerged as a popular player in the NAS market. It’s continuing that trend with the launch of two new NAS models in its DXP range: the DXP4800 GT and DXP2800GT.

Both new NAS models use AMD’s Ryzen embedded processor and feature 10GbE Ethernet connectivity for super-fast data transfer.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: As per tradition, we match wits with our predictions about what we’ll see at Apple’s WWDC26 keynote. Griffin and I are joined by two special guests, Charlie Sorrel and Graham Bower, for this year’s installment of the WWDC prediction game.

What will the new Siri do? Will Apple unveil new hardware? And who, exactly, will get how much screen time?

We chisel our answers into digital stone on 10 tricky questions (which also serve as a jumping-off point to discuss Apple’s future and strategies). And, as always, you can play along! Just be sure to submit your answers (via this Google Docs form) before Monday’s WWDC26 keynote.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• The “dark cherry” color rumored for iPhone 18 Pro looks pretty funky, if the latest dummy models can be trusted. Some of us love it, some not so much.
• With the first folding iPhone on the way, iOS 27 seems primed for true multitasking.
• Apple’s smart glasses reportedly got delayed again. Will they be worth the wait?
• And finally, Graham discusses what it’s like being an extremely late adopter of Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 live stream, embedded below.

The UK government plans to compel Apple, Google and other technology companies to block children from encountering any nudity on their devices like iPhones and iPads — and to imprison executives who fail to act for up to 5 years, according to a new report Friday about policy changes in the works.

Seems like the sort of thing that could make incoming Apple CEO John Ternus a little nervous.

Everybody expects Apple’s Siri voice assistant to get a big AI-powered makeover Monday at WWDC26. But there’s more to the picture, in that Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence will see a bunch of separate new features, too, according to rumors rounded up in a new report Friday.

The interest rate earned by cash stored in Apple Card Savings accounts dropped on Thursday, the second time it’s been cut this year. Money in these accounts now earns 3.4% in annual interest.

The bank behind the savings account is responding to changes in the U.S. economy. Plus there’s another possible factor: less desire to bring in new customers.

Apple could soon do something it rarely does: Trust your data with someone else’s hardware. A new report says the Gemini-powered Siri might route some queries through Google Cloud, powered by Nvidia’s chips.

If you are wondering how Apple plans to keep its privacy promise, Nvidia’s Blackwell B200 chip encrypts your data while it processes it.

Apple’s long-anticipated high-end MacBook — the OLED-display machine, possibly with touchscreen, that many expect Apple to call the MacBook Ultra — could arrive a lot sooner than expected, according to a new report Thursday. As in, possibly as soon as 3Q 2026, which probably means September. 

The App Store ecosystem generated more than $1.4 trillion in developer billings and sales during 2025, Apple said Thursday. The figure nearly triples what the platform posted in 2019 and underscores how central the App Store has become to digital earnings. And artificial intelligence-boosted apps played a huge role. 

Google’s new AI Edge Gallery app for macOS lets you run Gemma models locally on your Mac. Instead of relying on the cloud, the app taps into Apple Silicon’s power to process AI tasks directly on your machine.

The app is already available on Android and iOS, with the macOS release bringing the same on-device AI experience to Macs.

While the Apple Vision Pro is one of the best spatial computers money can buy, touch is one sense it can’t fake. But a newly granted Apple patent hints at a new stylus that can simulate the texture of virtual surfaces on your hand.

The Apple Vision Pro is capable of showing virtual surfaces with great clarity, but it lacks haptic feedback. But the new sort of Apple Pencil could close that gap and make the headset’s XR experiences physical for the first time.

If you use an older Mac, iPhone or iPad, Microsoft might be about to break your Office apps. Starting July 13, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote will stop letting you edit, save or create new files unless you meet certain requirements. You’ll still be able to open and print documents, but that’s it.

The move affects more people than you might think. If you’re running anything older than iOS 17 or macOS 11 Big Sur, your Office apps will mostly be defunct. Microsoft calls it “reduced functionality mode,” which is a fancy way of saying your Office apps will lose editing functionality.

With Apple’s WWDC26 keynote just days away, the latest iPadOS 27 rumors should give iPad owners plenty of reasons to pay close attention. Beyond the new artificial intelligence features for all Apple devices, tablet users can look forward to Monday’s keynote unveiling of iPadOS 27 enhancements that should make tablets easier to use in multiple ways.

Here are four reasons for iPad users to be eager for these announcements, whether you use your tablet for writing, creative projects or daily multitasking.

Apple has been making some of the best laptop chips for years, but Nvidia’s new ARM-based RTX Spark processor might finally give the MacBook a real fight.

For Mac users, the announcement of an ARM-based rival to Apple silicon could be good news. Not because they will switch to Windows, but because this kind of competition could pressure Apple to step up its game and keep innovating.

With WWDC26 just days away, the annual guessing game over California place-names that could become the new macOS name is in full swing. Various clues and speculation about macOS 27 suggest this year’s leading candidates are Big Bear and Emerald.

Apple will open a new Developer Center in Berlin later this year. It’s the first of its kind on the continent and its fifth worldwide, the iPhone giant said Wednesday.

“Europe is home to an extraordinary community of developers who are building apps that create connections, encourage creativity and drive innovation,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We have always believed that when developers have the right tools and resources to do their best work, incredible things follow. That belief is what this center is built on, and we look forward to seeing what the community continues to develop.”

Apple is reportedly working on new multitasking features in iOS 27 that would automatically adapt any iPhone app for landscape and split-screen layouts.

With the rumored folding iPhone on the horizon, a lack of multitasking would translate to a waste of screen real estate. But this rumored capability could mean your entire app collection would work instantly, without Apple waiting for developers to redesign their apps.

Apple chose 12 apps and games as the best of the best in 2026 from its developer community on Tuesday, honoring titles spanning six award categories for recognition at WWDC26 next week. 

“This year’s Apple Design Award winners are a remarkable reflection of how developers are creating exceptional experiences,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. She added that honorees “represent the very best of what our platform makes possible.”