iOS 26 is expected to feature a sleeker, glass-like design with added translucency for app icons, menus, buttons, and other elements.
Sound Recognition for Crying Babies
CarPlay gained support for Sound Recognition with iOS 18 last year. The accessibility feature can alert drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to horns and sirens outside of the vehicle, such as from a police car, ambulance, or fire truck.
Last month, Apple previewed new accessibility features coming in iOS 26, including an expansion of Sound Recognition for CarPlay. With the update, the feature will be able to provide a notification if it hears a crying baby inside the vehicle.
Apple said CarPlay will also be getting a Large Text option, which has long existed on iPhones.
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
I don't want full screen incoming calls. There have been so many times when I'm trying to get to the right exit then get a call and can't see the navigation.
I don't want full screen incoming calls. There have been so many times when I'm trying to get to the right exit then get a call and can't see the navigation.
Agreed - I HATE this.
It's made me go into DND mode if I'm nearing or in the middle of a critical part of a drive where I need the turn by turn directions/map to 100% be there.
It's yet another design decision that makes you think Apple doesn't have real people test some of this stuff in the real world.
As long as I can turn off Sound Recognition, I’ll be glad it’s there for people who need it. All Apple devices have a nasty habit of suddenly becoming “helpful” at exactly the wrong moment.
