IT General

If you're heading to VidCon this year, prepare to hear certain words repeated over and over again.

Some of them will come from creators. Others will come from executives, talent managers, startup founders, and brand marketers. Together, they offer a surprisingly useful snapshot of where the creator economy stands in 2026.

A decade ago, the dominant vocabulary of creator culture revolved around virality. Conversations centered on views and subscribers, maybe the occasional algorithm hack. Success was often measured in audience size alone.

This year's buzzwords tell a different story. The creator economy has grown up, and so has the language surrounding it. Increasingly, the industry's biggest conversations aren't about getting attention. They're about keeping it, monetizing it, and building sustainable businesses around it.

Here are the creator buzzwords you're guaranteed to hear at VidCon 2026, which kicks off June 25 in Anaheim, California.

SEE ALSO: Who is VidCon really for? 3 takeaways that reveal the creator economy's future. Community

If there's one word likely to dominate VidCon this year, it's community. For years, creators were encouraged to focus on growth above all else. Now the emphasis has shifted toward cultivating audiences that feel invested, connected, and engaged — aka building a fandom.

Whether that means Discord servers, livestream chats, membership programs, or in-person events, creators increasingly want audiences that participate rather than simply watch.

Translation: Followers are nice. Communities are valuable.

Superfans

Closely tied to community is the rise of the "superfan."

These are the people who buy merch, subscribe to memberships, attend live events (like VidCon), and show up every time a creator posts. As platforms become less predictable and ad revenue fluctuates, many creators are discovering that a smaller, highly engaged group of fans can be more valuable than a much larger, passive audience.

Translation: A thousand devoted fans can sometimes matter more than a million casual viewers.

Audience Ownership

Ask enough creators what keeps them awake at night, and eventually someone will mention platform dependency.

Audience ownership refers to building direct relationships with fans through newsletters, text lists, memberships, Discord communities, and other channels that creators control. The goal is to reduce reliance on algorithms and platform decisions.

Translation: Don't build your entire business on rented land.

Creator Infrastructure

One of the fastest-growing conversations in the creator economy isn't about content at all. It's about everything happening behind the scenes.

Creator infrastructure refers to the tools and services that help creators run their businesses, including storefronts, payment systems, analytics platforms, community management tools, and monetization software. If the first decade of the creator economy was about building audiences, this phase is increasingly about building the systems that support them.

Translation: Creators aren't just influencers anymore. They're small businesses.

Creator CEO

Many creators now employ editors, producers, managers, marketers, and operations staff. The most successful creators increasingly resemble startup founders more than traditional influencers.

As creators expand into merchandise, media companies, product lines, and subscription businesses, discussions about leadership, hiring, and operations have become just as important as discussions about content.

Translation: Being a creator increasingly means running a company.

Creator-Led Brands

The creators of yesteryear simply endorsed products. Now, creators are launching them.

From beverages and beauty brands to clothing lines and consumer products, many creators now view content as the top of a much larger business funnel. The goal is no longer simply monetizing attention through sponsorships, but building businesses that audiences actively buy into.

Translation: The endgame isn't always a brand deal.

Multi-Platform Strategy

The era of being "just a YouTuber" or "just a TikToker" is largely over.

Today's creators often publish across multiple platforms simultaneously, combining short-form video, long-form content, podcasts, newsletters, livestreams, and social media. Diversification has become both a growth strategy and a survival strategy.

Translation: No creator wants all of their eggs in one algorithm.

AI Tools

No VidCon buzzword list would be complete without AI.

From video editing and caption generation to thumbnail design, research, translation, and content ideation, creators are experimenting with AI across nearly every part of the production process. At the same time, creators are grappling with a growing list of questions: When should AI use be disclosed? How much automation is too much? And if audiences can no longer tell what's human-made, what happens to trust?

Whether creators embrace it enthusiastically or approach it cautiously, expect AI to be part of nearly every major conversation at VidCon this year.

Translation: Everyone is trying to figure out where AI fits into the creative process.

Sustainable Creation

After years of burnout discussions, creators are becoming more vocal about longevity.

Rather than chasing growth at all costs, many are focusing on healthier publishing schedules, diversified revenue streams, and businesses that don't depend on posting constantly. Sustainability has become one of the defining conversations of Creator Economy 2.0.

Translation: Hustle culture isn't quite as fashionable as it used to be.

Niche Communities

The internet keeps getting bigger, but creator success often looks smaller.

Many of today's fastest-growing creators aren't trying to appeal to everyone. Instead, they're building loyal audiences around highly specific interests, hobbies, fandoms, and expertise.

Translation: Being deeply relevant matters more than being broadly famous.

Authenticity

Perhaps the most enduring creator-economy buzzword of all.

Everyone talks about authenticity. Few people define it the same way. Yet despite years of debate, authenticity remains one of the industry's favorite explanations for audience trust and loyalty. Whether it's genuine transparency or simply the appearance of it, expect to hear the word repeatedly throughout VidCon.

Translation: Everyone uses it. Nobody fully agrees on what it means.

If there's a theme connecting all of these buzzwords, it's that creator culture is becoming less obsessed with scale and more focused on sustainability. The language of the industry has shifted from virality to ownership, from audience growth to community building, and from internet fame to long-term businesses.

In other words, the biggest buzzwords at VidCon 2026 aren't actually about content creation at all. They're about business.

Mashable will be on the ground at VidCon 2026, covering the creators, trends, and conversations driving internet culture, from breaking news and creator interviews to industry insights and live updates.

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The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, June 9, 2026:

AcrossWhere bats hang

• The answer is ave.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Rickman who played Snape

• The answer is Alan.

Is totally awesome

• The answer is Rules.

Image that might accompany the words "That feeling when ..."

• The answer is Meme.

River of the Greek underworld

• The answer is Styx.

DownJaguar or Mustang

• The answer is Car.

College reunion attendees

• The answer is Alums.

Parker at a ritzy hotel

• The answer is Valnet.

Adversary

• The answer is Enemy.

Awkward topic of discussion with a teenager

• The answer is Sex.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require southern football knowledge.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: NFC

• Green: Bayou sports

• Blue: Trojan receivers

• Purple: Golf courses

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: NFC South Teams

• Green: Louisiana Schools

• Blue: USC WRs in NFL

• Purple: Locations of this Year's Men's Golf Majors

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #624 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NFC South Teams: BUCCANEERS, FALCONS, PANTHERS, SAINTS

• Louisiana Schools: LOUISIANA SCHOOLS

• USC WRs in NFL: LONDON, PITTMAN, SMITH-SCHUSTER, ST. BROWN

• Locations of this Year's Men's Golf Majors: AUGUSTA, NEWTOWN SQUARE, SOUTHAMPTON, SOUTHPORT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 9, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 9, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 9 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 9 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 9 Pips

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A forest.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

GROVE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Frequently.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 9, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

OFTEN

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Tells time.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 9, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CLOCK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Sarcastically.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

DRYLY

Final Hurdle hint

Orangey-yellow.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

AMBER

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

To understand how Tim Cook has transformed Apple — and why the launch of Siri AI was designed to entice Main Street more than Wall Street (or techies, for that matter) — compare Monday's WWDC 2026 keynote, Cook's last, to his very first.

Cook delivered his first keynote Oct. 4, 2011, weeks after he became CEO and one day before Steve Jobs died. Cook, at this point, dressed like Jobs (black shirt replacing black turtleneck), tried to talk in the same authoritative, conversational way as Jobs, and delivered a very Jobsian message of Apple Stores and Apple products (iPod included; Cook and the audience were squeezed into the intimate Infinite Loop campus theater where Jobs unveiled his hit MP3 player 10 years earlier).

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at WWDC 2026, the start of the Siri AI era

By June 8, 2026, everything has changed. For one thing, the keynote was outdoors, in the Spaceship campus that Jobs fought to break ground on in his last year of life. For another, it was pre-recorded instead of live. Cook made Apple keynotes virtual during the pandemic, and even when audiences came back to Apple's campus, he only appeared before those audiences once (for the original launch of Apple Intelligence).

Clearly never comfortable on stage or in the spotlight, Cook had ceded the majority of his keynote to other executive presenters even before the pandemic. A smart move in more ways than one — not only did Cook quit the hopeless task of sounding conversational (he could just about muster authoritative), this can also be seen in retrospect as a 15-year audition for a CEO with good (but not too outlandish) keynote charisma.

John Ternus, the winner of that contest, didn't even appear during Cook's keynote. Weirdly, Apple employees (or were they extras?) populated the background of every scene for the first time in a keynote — particularly distracting when they sat still as automatons during scenes at Apple's real-life coffee bar. You'd be forgiven for thinking everyone on campus except Ternus was on screen.

Ultimately, this too seems a sensible move from Cook — let the new guy keep his powder dry, and don't implicate him in what may count as Cook's riskiest keynote maneuver since he took the stage in 2011.

The Tim Cook school of Apple Intelligence

It's no secret that Cook is Silicon Valley's biggest skeptic when it comes to AI hype.

It's not just that Apple has (mercifully) never approached the kind of technobabble or dubious AGI predictions on display at Google I/O or Microsoft Build. You could make a drinking game out of an Apple keynote, but it might involve taking a shot for every Craig Federighi joke rather than every mention of "tokens" or "superintelligence."

SEE ALSO: The AI vibe shift is real: Why the backlash is growing

Notably, Cook tapped Federighi, veteran Apple daddy and the joker in the executive announcement pack, to officially unveil the highly anticipated Siri AI. Federighi did this right after unveiling the new MacOS name, Golden Gate, via an incense-filled VW bus that featured his bobblehead on the dash.

In case that order of business didn't make it clear, Federighi delivered Apple's clearest take on AI yet: "Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people — all of us — that it’s ultimately meant to serve."

This was not a line designed to appease consensus investors on Wall Street, for whom no level of AI technobabble is too much. But Cook's company is a $4 trillion behemoth now, 16 times the size it was in 2011, so Wall Street can go whistle. Apple made its trillions pleasing customers as many times as possible, not bilking investors for a short-term stock bump.

And in case you're inside the AI bubble and haven't gotten the memo, the backlash out there in America — against AI in everything, as well as against data centers — is getting intense. Cracks are starting to show even within the bubble. Federighi's "AI for the sake of AI" line was almost word-for-word what an Amazon executive wrote last month in an email begging employees to stop spending so many tokens: "don't use AI just for the sake of using AI."

SEE ALSO: 'No timeline for availability': Apple's new Siri AI will be very late in the EU

The Siri AI demos that followed were pretty basic as far as AI-heads are concerned. But Apple customers were repeatedly reassured about the privacy and security of Apple Intelligence (translation: the other guys make money capturing your data). They were also assured that every use case made sense. Searching for World Cup fixture details is a pain in the ass, and Siri's instantly returned lineup looked pretty appealing to this soccer fan.

Meanwhile, the Visual Intelligence feature called Spatial Reframing, which allows users to move a photo around as if it were in a 3D space, may not thrill the technically proficient, but it is exactly the sort of thing you can imagine parents or grandparents playing around with for hours.

This, in short, is your mom's AI. Apple is betting that boomers, Gen Xers, and at this stage even most 40-plus millennial iPhone customers, don't want to have to think about prompts, hallucinations, or tokens. They don't care if they're using ChatGPT or Gemini, or what the model number is. They just want to pick up the phone, press a button, ask Siri a question, and trust that they'll be pleasantly surprised by the ease of the answer.

And this is the sense in which Tim Cook has carried forward Steve Jobs' legacy from that dark day in October 2011. Apple, then and now, is at its best when it makes products that follow Jobs' mantra and just work.

This article reflects the opinion of the author.

Every year, Apple hosts the Worldwide Developers Conference to reveal the latest updates to its operating systems (and occasionally drops some hardware surprises, too). And this year, Apple had a lot to cover.

WWDC 2026 is Tim Cook's last big event as CEO, and the tech world has been waiting for a torch-passing moment to CEO-in-waiting John Ternus. We also learned all about iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and a ton more Apple products, including the revamped AI version of Siri, during the opening keynote.

WWDC 2026 kicked off with a live "special event" at Apple Park at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, June 8. That keynote has now ended, but you can still watch the livestream and catch up on all the biggest announcements.

Keep checking back, as we'll be updating this page repeatedly throughout WWDC 2026, which officially runs through Friday, June 12.

visionOS wasn't the least-mentioned of Apple's operating systems at WWDC — that would be tvOS — but it was hardly a headliner.

Usually, the WWDC keynote includes a dedicated segment for iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS. But this year, Apple focused on upgrades to the new Siri AI experience, Apple Intelligence, and cross-device functionality.

However, we did learn some new details about visionOS 27. Reading between the lines, I think we also learned why the Vision Pro has value for Apple, even if few people are actually using the $3,499 headset. The Vision Pro has famously struggled to find a user base.

As Mashable's tech editor, I am one of the few people still using this head-worn computer. Apple sent me the headset for testing, and I'll have a full review coming soon. So, as a Vision Pro user, here's everything I gleaned from WWDC about visionOS 27 and the future of the Apple Vision Pro.

Siri AI is coming to visionOS 27 Credit: Apple

The Vision Pro got the most attention during the beginning of a segment on Siri AI, the new Gemini-powered version of Siri coming to Apple devices this fall. To show off Siri AI's visual intelligence, Apple showed a video of the visionOS 27 experience.

Vision Pro users will have a 3D visualization of Siri that will live in their virtual space as a floating, glowing bubble. Users can start talking to Siri at any time. In the example, the floating Siri AI could answer questions about a Safari page on the screen as well as objects in the user's view.

Credit: Apple

In addition to Siri AI, a new suite of Apple Intelligence tools will also be available to Vision Pro users. Now that it's powered by Gemini, Apple users will be able to talk to Siri and quickly generate text, images, and transcripts. Users will also benefit from contextual awareness. So, if you're reading a message about an upcoming flight, Apple Intelligence will automatically pull up your flight details.

Custom Environments Credit: Apple

Environments are one of the coolest Vision Pro features. These 360-degree spatial computing environments make it seem like you're on the surface of the moon or a cliff in Hawaii. Browsing the internet can be fun, but have you ever browsed the internet from one of Jupiter's moons?

With visionOS 27, users will be able to turn their own panorama photos into custom environments. This is a feature I'm definitely excited to test out for myself.

Environments are a 360-degree spatial computing experience. Credit: Apple Developer environments

In addition to turning your own photos into custom Environments, third-party developers will also have this ability. The Apple website states, "Developers can render 360-degree backgrounds that completely surround your physical space and make browsing more immersive."

How visionOS benefits other Apple products Credit: Apple

Almost all of the AI features Apple talked about at WWDC are already widely available on Android devices or via AI chatbots like Gemini, with one notable exception.

When discussing updates to the Camera app, Apple also introduced "Spatial Reframing." This tool is unique to Apple devices, and it lets users adjust the angle, perspective, or zoom of photos using on-device spatial models. Apple specifically credited the spatial and visual intelligence technology that powers visionOS as the genesis of Spatial Reframing.

So, while this AI editing tool isn't specific to Vision Pro headsets, it shows how visionOS technology may still be useful to Apple, even if the product lacks widespread adoption.

As a related note, Mike Rockwell, the former head of Vision Pro at Apple, has since been tapped to lead the Siri AI and Apple Intelligence efforts, which can't be a coincidence. With Apple smart glasses rumored for 2027, the new visual intelligence features emphasized at WWDC 2026 could be setting up Apple's next big device launch.

General improvements The new Siri AI tool will appear as a floating AI widget. You can start talking to it at any time. Credit: Apple

During the keynote, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, said that general improvements were a major focus of the new generation of operating systems. And on its website, Apple says that visionOS 27 includes "tons of refinements that make your Apple Vision Pro even more responsive, reliable, and delightful to use."

This will include the ability to expand notifications with your eyes and a new look for the control center.

In a press release, Apple said that "connecting to Wi-Fi is up to 3x faster" in visionOS 27. There's not much else to say about that.

Is there a future for Apple Vision Pro? The new Siri AI interface in Apple Vision Pro headsets. Credit: Apple

I hope so! I've loved testing the Vision Pro headset, even if I can't quite give it a full recommendation thanks to its $3,500 price tag. However, it still has a small base of dedicated users, and Apple has introduced some really cool immersive sports experiences over the past few months.

A potential follow-up, the Vision Pro 2, may arrive in 2027 or 2028, but the lack of sales may ultimately lead Apple to give the product the axe.

However, WWDC showed that even if Vision Pro doesn't generate a ton of sales, the underlying technology could have downstream benefits for a host of current and future Apple devices.

visionOS 27 is available as a developer's beta now, and it will be available for all Vision Pro headsets in the fall.

Tim Cook is still Apple's CEO for the time being — and WWDC 2026 failed to give us our first glimpse of the post-Cook future.

CEO-in-waiting John Ternus did not take the stage during the annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday, meaning the new era of Apple leadership will have to wait.

SEE ALSO: Apple WWDC 2026 keynote event: Live updates on iOS 27 and Siri

Cook is still CEO until Sept. 1; still, Apple watchers were expecting a "passing of the torch" moment for the Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering.

"It's been the honor of a lifetime," Cook said as he wrapped up the event without mention of Ternus.

Ternus was at the event venue in Cupertino, hobnobbing and taking selfies with content creators and student developers.

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Ternus, 50, has been at Apple for 25 years, gradually working his way up the ladder until becoming a top hardware executive in 2021. He's perhaps best known for shepherding Apple's transition to its in-house silicon, among other achievements.

Since WWDC is a software-focused show, Ternus usually isn't a major presence.

For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.

Scream 7 and Scary Movie are both currently topping the charts on Paramount+ (according to FlixPatrol), but neither of these horror/horror-adjacent movies has been particularly liked by the critics (30% and 25% RT scores, respectively), so you'd be forgiven if you gave them a miss and perhaps opted for one of my suggestions below, this week.

TL;DR: Work on self-growth with this five-year subscription to Nibble All-Around Knowledge App, on sale now for just $39.97 (reg. $449.95) through June 14.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nibble Nibble All-Around Knowledge App (5-Yr Subscription) $39.97
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Right now, you can lock in a five-year subscription to Nibble for just $39.97 (reg. $449.95) until June 14.

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Learn about everything from art and AI to history and personal finance with Nibble. There are over 20 topics to choose from, with audio episodes that let you learn on the go.

Nibble offers flexible learning paths — you can choose a guided learning journey or jump around as your interests change. Once you listen to the bite-sized lessons, you can dive in deeper with an interactive AI experience, like chatting with historical figures. You can also check how much you’ve retained with learning games.

Learn at your own pace with Nibble, hopping in and out with no prior knowledge required in any topic. You’ll also be able to enjoy content tailored to your interests and pace.

Choose between the app and web access to Nibble. Your account keeps track of your progress as you go. Your five-year subscription provides unlimited library access, with new content added every month so you’ll never run out of lessons to explore.

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Shortly after the big WWDC keynote wrapped, Apple rolled out the first betas for its latest generation of operating systems.

If you want to try the new Siri AI, Spatial Reframing, or any of the other new features announced at WWDC 2026, then you'll need to download the developer beta versions of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27, available now.

Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Sign up for the Apple Developer Program

First, you'll need to be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. If you're not already in it, don't worry. You can sign up right now.

Just go to the Apple Developer Program enrollment page or the Apple Developer app and sign in with your Apple ID. From there, you'll need to fill out some basic information, such as your name and contact info, and then accept the program agreement. Apple may direct you to a payment page, as this is the same process required for developers looking to sell apps in the App Store. However, if you're just looking to download the betas, no payment is required.

Now, you're ready to download the betas.

Step 2: Back up your device

Before doing that, though, make sure you back up your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. By definition, beta versions can have bugs and other issues that may require you to restore your device's backup

Step 3: Download the developer beta

To do this, simply go to the Settings app, followed by the General option, and then tap on Software Update.

Next, select the Beta Updates option on that screen, followed by "iOS 27 Developer Beta." Finally, you should see the latest developer beta version available to download. Tap on that and follow the prompts to download the beta. Once downloaded, the beta will install. This could take awhile, so be patient, and your device will reboot when it's finished.

Downloading the macOS 27 Golden Gate beta follows a similar process.

After backing up your Mac, head to System Settings. Then go to General, followed by Software Update. Next to the Beta Updates option, there's a small "i" icon. Click that, and a dropdown menu will appear. Select the "macOS Developer Golden Gate Beta" option and then "Done."

The macOS 27 Golden Gate beta will download and install.

The instructions are similar for the other operating systems, so go to the software update section of the Settings app to get started.

What if you don't want a developer account?

As of June 8, this is the only way to access the first iOS 27 beta, and the same goes for the rest of Apple's new OS-es. However, Apple will likely make a public beta available in late July ahead of a public release in the fall.

The best early Prime Day speaker deals at a glance: Best budget pick Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go $23.99 (save $11) Get Deal Best splurge Sonos Move 2 $399 (save $100) Get Deal Best overall Sonos Roam 2 $134 (save $45) Get Deal

If you plan on hitting the beach, hosting friends, or heading out on a camping trip this summer, having a quality speaker in tow is a good idea. And lucky for you, plenty of fantastic options are on sale to kick off the season, thanks to Amazon Prime Day.

Prime Day formally falls on June 23 through 26 this year, but as per usual, Amazon started dropping deals on speakers weeks ahead of time. Top brands like Sony, Sonos, and JBL are already seeing steep discounts, but we expect the list to grow as we inch closer to the big day(s).

We'll be tracking the best Bluetooth speaker deals throughout Prime Day and updating this page with the absolute best pricing. If nothing catches your eye quite yet, check back as the official sale nears.

Best early Prime Day speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Roam 2 $134 at Amazon
$179 Save $45   Get Deal Why we like it

The Roam 2 packs Sonos' epic sound, but in a package small enough to actually carry with you. While the Bluetooth speaker market is a crowded place, we love the Sonos Roam 2 for its impressive audio performance, dependable voice assistance, and waterproof body. "The market for waterproof speakers with voice activation is incredibly small," writes Mashable's reviewer. "If you’re looking for one, the Roam 2 answers the call with striking sound and unique features that appeal to Sonos users." It's down to just $134 from $179 ahead of Prime Day, which is its best price ever. While there's a chance it could get even cheaper on Prime day proper, you'll still be getting a great deal if you shop early.

More early Prime Day speaker deals

• Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go — $23.99 $34.99 (save $11)

• JBL Go 3 — $29.95 $39.95 (save $10)

• Anker Soundcore 2 — $29.99 $44.99 (save $15)

• JBL Go 4 — $39.95 $49.95 (save $10)

• Sony SRS-XB100 — $43 $64.99 (save $21.99)

• Ultimate Ears Miniroll — $59.99 $79.99 (save $20)

• JBL Grip — $69.95 $99.95 (save $30)

• Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 — $69.99 $99.99 (save $30)

• JBL Flip 7 — $99.95 $149.95 (save $50)

• Beats Pill — $99.95 $149.95 (save $50)

• Ultimate Ears Boom 4 — $114.99 $149.99 (save $35)

• JBL Charge 6 — $159.95 $199.95 (save $40)

• Sonos Era 100 SL — $169 $189 (save $20)

• Sonos Era 100 — $189 $219 (save $30)

• Sony ULT Field 5 — $198 $349.99 (save $151.99)

• Sonos Move 2 — $399 $499 (save $100)

Apple has introduced macOS 27 Golden Gate. And while it includes major features like Siri AI and an improved Liquid Glass interface, the biggest change comes for people who can't even run it.

During the Windows 10 era, I didn't really care about virtual desktops. I tried using them a few times, but quickly moved on. After migrating to macOS for work, however, I started using its virtual desktops and other Mission Control features extensively and realized that virtual desktops can improve productivity by letting you quickly and efficiently separate your personal and professional spaces on a single computer with just a few clicks.

From the smart new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence upgrades to the fresh Liquid Glass interface redesign, here are the top highlights you need to see.

Computex 2026 was loaded with new laptops, from gaming beasts to slick ultraportables and flexible two-in-ones, alongside the momentous launch of Nvidia's RTX Spark. Check out our 10 fast favorites we met in Taipei.

For years, professional detailing seemed like an exclusive club reserved for owners of six-figure sports cars, pristine garages, and bottomless budgets. Want a swirl-free finish, mirror-like gloss, and paint that outshines the factory finish? You had to pay the pros and brace yourself for the bill.