GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple has unveiled 'Audio Intelligence,' a feature for upcoming Apple Watches that continuously listens to and transcribes nearby conversations, then summarizes them daily. Although Apple has built in some privacy safeguards for the watch wearer, anyone speaking near a person using this feature could be recorded and transcribed without their knowledge or consent.
Apple's watchOS 27 introduces a Siri app with chat history, matching similar updates on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, unlike those versions, the Apple Watch interface doesn't offer an obvious way to continue a previous conversation from within the app.
Apple has removed the double-click Digital Crown shortcut that let users instantly jump between apps on Apple Watch in watchOS 27. The company reassigned that same gesture to trigger Live Rewind, a new Audio Intelligence feature that generates a 15-second transcript of recent spoken audio, but Live Rewind only works on the upcoming Series 12 and Ultra 4 hardware.
Apple's AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are now available for pre-order on Amazon ahead of their September 18 release, with some models already discounted. The AirPods 5 base model is listed at $125 instead of $129, while a version with a wireless charging case runs $149; new Apple Watch bands are also up for $99 each.
Amazon has launched early fall Prime Day discounts that include a record-low $125 pre-order price on Apple's new AirPods 5 with ANC, alongside $150 off all four colors of the 1TB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air, bringing it to $1,449. The retailer is also running cash discounts on AirPods Pro 3, AirTag 2, entry-level Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and an Anker MagSafe car charger mount.
Apple has introduced a Readiness app exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, powered by an upgraded Health Sensing System with new optical and electrical sensors. The app assigns a 0-10 score categorized into four tiers—Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, and Go For It—based on activity, sleep, and vitals data. The feature will not be available on older Apple Watch models, including Series 11 and Ultra 3, even after updating to watchOS 27.
Apple's newest Watch models introduce Live Rewind and Siri Recap, two audio-intelligence tools that use the device's microphone to transcribe missed dialogue and summarize conversations. Because they capture speech from everyone nearby, not just the wearer, the features could run afoul of two-party consent laws in several US states, even though Apple says no audio is stored or made replayable to other people.
Apple has released new AirPods firmware, build 9A348, timed with the iOS 27 rollout on iPhone. The update covers AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Max 2, and AirPods 4, with AirPods 5 gaining support once they ship later this week.
Both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet let users store payment cards, loyalty cards, tickets and NFC-based passes like hotel or car keys, with setup requiring only a few taps and bank verification. The key difference lies in flexibility: Apple Wallet generally requires official integration from airlines, retailers or other providers, though iOS 27 now allows custom passes for unsupported items. Google Wallet has long supported importing tickets from Gmail and includes an 'Everything Else' feature for digitizing photos of any card, such as gym or library passes.
Apple has begun rolling out watchOS 27, which requires iOS 27 to install via the iPhone Watch app. The update brings a fully capable Siri AI assistant matching the version on iPhone and Mac, a new Siri watch face, a Tap gesture, and additional health features, along with general performance improvements. Notably, the update drops support for several older models including the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, Series 6, 7, 8, and the second-generation SE.
Apple has released the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, featuring a passport-style hinge and large displays, priced at over $2,000. Unlike Samsung, which has iterated on foldables for seven years mostly among tech enthusiasts, Apple's mainstream user base means early feedback could shape how folding phones evolve industry-wide.
Apple has launched the Watch Series 12, a modest refresh of last year's Series 11 that keeps the same $399 starting price but adds a new ceramic case option alongside aluminum and titanium. Alongside it, Apple introduced the cheaper Watch SE 3, starting at $249, which trades some display and material upgrades for a lower cost.