Audio specialist Denon added the Siri voice assistant to certain wireless speakers and a soundbar this week — only the second third-party product line to do so. But there’s a catch. Siri only works with the speakers if you also have a HomePod or HomePod mini speaker to act as a relay.

The same is true of the first non-Apple products that added Apple, ecobee smart thermostats. But it’s a little weirder this time because it’s all speakers. Only an Apple speaker will let you use Siri with Denon’s speakers.

Apple brags that the 13-inch version of the M4 iPad Pro is “the thinnest Apple product ever,” but the company took steps to be sure the new tablet isn’t fragile and easily bendable.

In an interview, Apple’s head of hardware engineering describes a “central rib” that makes the computer more stiff.

Streamers and podcasters often worry over their choices of microphones and audio interfaces for sound quality. But they shouldn’t forget to select great co-stars for that gear like the Elgato Wave Microphone Arm.

A good microphone boom arm makes working with the mic easy, especially in a computer setup where you need to move it aside to do other tasks. Today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display setup makes great use of the extremely popular Elgato Wave Microphone Arm supporting an Audio-Technica mic.

And right now you can get one version of the suspension boom microphone arm for 20% off at Amazon ($99.99 $79.99), and it’s the one our user deploys.

The just-released Gamma retro game emulator brings original PlayStation titles to iPhone. It’s ready to bring Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7 to the device you carry around everywhere.

The app is free and supports game controllers and iPad.

The dark, gritty series Sugar continues to pull in big audiences on Apple’s streaming service for another week. It stars Colin Farrell as a private detective searching for the missing granddaughter of a Hollywood magnate. It premiered last month and has stayed near the tops of the streaming ratings charts ever since.

And Dark Matter, a new Apple TV+ sci-fi series, very quickly found its audience, too.

Apple is reportedly close to finalizing an agreement with OpenAI to use its technology in iOS 18. As part of the agreement, Apple will offer a chatbot powered by ChatGPT as one of the AI features.

Reports of Apple restarting talks with OpenAI about a possible agreement emerged in April this year.

Apple reportedly intends to fulfill the hopes of so many iPhone users by giving the Siri voice assistant an upgrade with artificial intelligence. A broad outline of the plan leaked out Friday.

Siri supposedly won’t become a general-purpose chatbot. It’ll be focused on better handling the sort of tasks iPhone users need. Recent reports suggest that Siri on iPhone 15 could see improvements, though the full AI-driven upgrade might take longer to arrive.

Did you know Mexico established an all-female police force decades ago? Well, now you do, thanks to the first look Apple dropped Friday for the Women in Blue crime series (aka Las Azules). The new Spanish-language, 10-part drama is set in 1970 against the backdrop of a serial killer’s spree.

Created by International Emmy Award winner Fernando Rovzar and featuring Ariel Award nominee Bárbara Mori, the show debuts July 31 on Apple TV+.

WhatsApp is getting a fresh new look with updated icons for a modern look. The revamped layout makes it easy to get to your chats quicker.

The refreshed WhatsApp design is rolling out for both iPhone and Android.

Some Apple artificial intelligence services reportedly will depend on data centers with servers running on the company’s own processors. Less-demanding AI functions will run locally, on users’ own computers.

This is all apparently part of bringing more AI features to iPhone, Mac, iPad, etc., in the coming months.