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Tech News
Meta AI has begun appearing as a CarPlay-compatible app on iPhone, joining ChatGPT, Perplexity and Grok as third-party chatbots available in Apple's car interface. However, many users currently see a 'not supported' message when launching it, suggesting the rollout is still in limited testing, and a paid Meta AI account doesn't unlock access either.
Wireless CarPlay initially relies on Bluetooth to pair the iPhone with the car, which then hands the phone Wi-Fi network credentials so CarPlay can run over that faster connection. Once Wi-Fi takes over, the car drops the Bluetooth link, though it keeps the paired connection on file to speed up future launches or reconnect a dropped session. Setup can happen either via a one-time USB connection or fully wirelessly through the iPhone's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi settings.
Apple is preparing to release its first smart glasses as early as next year, built around Siri and Visual Intelligence rather than augmented-reality displays. The glasses will use cameras and microphones to let Siri interpret surroundings, translate text, and answer contextual questions, plus built-in speakers for audio, according to a Bloomberg report citing Mark Gurman. Apple is designing multiple frame styles in-house using acetate material, with possible future versions adding health-tracking features like heart-rate sensors.
Apple's iOS 27 update introduces a new AI-powered Siri, but it only runs on iPhone 15 Pro models and later, leaving older devices with the standard assistant. The feature currently supports English only and is unavailable in the EU and China due to regulatory restrictions. Users can enable it manually through Settings, though some may be placed on a waitlist lasting from minutes to days before gaining access.
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple may break from its usual pattern of releasing all new iPhones together, instead launching standard iPhone 18 models next spring while saving the Pro, Pro Max and a rumored foldable iPhone Ultra for a September debut. The new phones are also said to feature smaller dynamic islands and variable-aperture cameras.
A recent guide walks Mac users through diagnosing slowdowns using tools already built into macOS, starting with checking startup disk storage under System Settings and clearing space if needed. It then explains how to use Activity Monitor's CPU and Memory tabs, including the Memory Pressure graph, to identify apps causing high resource use.
A wave of Labor Day weekend discounts is hitting Apple products, including a record-low price on the official MagSafe Battery Pack, $50 off AirPods Pro 3, and AirTag 2 down to $20 each. Amazon is also offering its best-ever prices on iPhone 17 Pro renewed units (up to $290 off) and the first-ever discounts on Apple's new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini models.
Reports indicate Apple will delay its next major iPhone release until March 2027, when the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18E are expected to arrive together, rather than launching in the usual fall window. That leaves the iPhone 17, which debuted with improved displays, cameras and durability, as Apple's current entry-level flagship for an extended stretch, especially as rivals like Samsung and Google have raised prices on their budget phones due to rising RAM costs.
Soundcore's new Liberty 5 Pro earbuds carry a Guinness World Records certification for the highest speech quality score among wireless earbuds. A WIRED reviewer testing dozens of earbud models found the Liberty 5 Pro noticeably improved phone call clarity, particularly for conversations with elderly relatives, while also featuring a redesigned, larger pill-shaped body with multiple ear tip and wing options for comfort.
Samsung's latest folding phone experiment appears to be resonating with buyers, continuing the company's pattern of testing unconventional smartphone form factors in public before they go mainstream. The device's reception is drawing attention as Apple prepares its own entry into the foldable phone category.
9to5Mac's daily podcast episode rounds up the day's top Apple stories, including continued speculation about a foldable iPhone. The episode is distributed through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, and RSS, with sponsorship from Backblaze offering a discount code.
A new open-source project called vphone-cli lets developers create and run a virtual iPhone on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS Sequoia, using Apple's Virtualization.framework alongside infrastructure derived from Apple's Private Cloud Compute research VM setup. The tool automates the full pipeline of downloading IPSW firmware, patching the boot chain, restoring via DFU mode, installing a custom firmware variant, and launching the resulting virtual device, with commands also available to manage, clone, export, and import VM instances.