Technology

If you ever wished you could make a buck while getting off, Joi AI (an AI companion platform) is here to make that dream a reality. Apparently, the startup is actively looking for 10 "masturbation consultants" to test its latest feature: Daily Guided Masturbation.

The "consultants" would be responsible for documenting how regular masturbation affects their stress, sleep quality, mood, and confidence levels for four weeks. To apply, you have to be 18 or older and based in the US or the UK. Oh, and the pay is $2,000 (so far, it sounds pretty good, right?).

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Let's call it R&D

In an article published by Decrypt, Joi AI head of brand and communication Julie Levin says the new feature uses mood-matched AI voice sessions to guide users through the experience.

"The role involves testing and giving feedback on the mood-matched AI voice-guided sessions, and providing feedback on the overall user experience," says Levin. Basically, you complete the guided sessions and submit written questionnaires directly to the team.

The application process is pretty simple

The application is a simple Google Form (apparently it was a Typeform, but applicants reportedly "broke the link." It asks for your name, age, location, email, phone number, gender identity, and whether you can commit to a full four weeks. Other questions include when you'd most likely be doing the work (e.g., morning, evening, or at varying times) and whether you've done anything like this before.

The final three questions ask why you'd like to be a consultant, what you hope to learn about yourself, and whether or not you'd be open to being interviewed or quoted if your story is "interesting." They also give you an option to add additional info, which is nice.

"I've been training for this my whole life." - Same, buddy. Same.

The original job posting said candidates should be "articulate, observant, and impossible to blush” and be able to describe sensations “better than a sommelier describes a wine.” (I mean, it's a solid job posting.)

"The role is real, and we've had great responses since the posting went live," Levin told Decrypt.

According to a recent X post, Joi has received over 103,284 applications so far. The application closes May 31, so if you want to join the thousands of others, you'd better hurry! The company's also been posting its favorite cover letter openings, which included phrases like "this is my calling" and "I've been training for this my whole life."

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Despite the total dumpster fire of ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Paramount+ managed to have a solid month of May on the streaming side of things. Dutton Ranch, the latest Yellowstone spinoff, debuted as the biggest original series launch in the platform's history with a reported 12.9 million viewers in the first week. Selfishly, the inclusion of Battlestar Galactica on the platform early in the month was the biggest coup, as far as I'm concerned, and I've been enjoying a rewatch immensely.

Google now allows users to change their Gmail name without losing emails, files, or account data. The update makes it easier to move on from outdated usernames while keeping everything connected to the same account. Here’s how the new feature works.

I've been using Windows long enough to remember when installing antivirus software felt like one of the first things you had to do on a new PC. You set up Windows, installed your browser, and then immediately went looking for something to protect the whole thing before you did anything even slightly risky online. It wasn't paranoia, either. For a long time, Windows had a reputation for being the platform malware loved most, and running without some kind of extra protection felt like asking for trouble.

Netflix has had a busy and fruitful May. Nemesis is getting comfy at the top of the Top 10, The Boroughs has grown-ups thanking the Duffer Brothers for helping to make a more age-appropriate Stranger Things, and Sally Field is quietly making everyone sob into their pillows with Remarkably Bright Creatures. BUT, there's still a little more the streaming service has to squeeze out of May.

Every time you reach for the mouse to navigate a file tree or click through a menu, you lose more than just a few seconds. You break the momentum of your work. It is a persistent, low-level drain on your focus that turns hours of coding into a series of interrupted fragments. The Command Palette is better than Windows search and the alternatives.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now on the horizon, and it's been a minute since Season 2 fluttered its scaly wings over our screens.

The good news? Stars Emma D'Arcy and Tom Glynn-Carney (aka Rhaenyra and Aegon) are here to give a (very non-biased) recap of the main events.

Whether you're Team Green or Team Black will probably influence whose version you choose to believe.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is streaming from June 21 on HBO Max.

Vendors, invitations, bridesmaids' looks, napkin colors — there's a lot that goes into preparing your wedding day. Many opt to hire someone to corral the chaos, and if they can't afford that, then ChatGPT is their wedding planner.

But a pricey planner and an LLM aren't your only two options. The internet is rife with apps ready to help, and just as many people ready to share what works and what doesn't. Here are seven apps and sites designed for planning the perfect matrimony. 

SEE ALSO: Inside the world of sponsored wedding events Zola

Far and away, the most-mentioned website on r/wedding and various other subreddits is Zola. Users praise its dashboard, where you can track your budget, guest list, RSVPs, and more. You can also create your registry on Zola, use it for your invitations and wedding website, and find vendors, making it a one-stop shop for wedding planning.

Zola is free to use, and the app told Mashable that couples can plan their entire wedding on the app for free. Registry, vendor search, wedding website, budget tracker, and guest list manager are some free services. There are some add-ons couples can choose to buy, like animated monograms or wedding dates, to their wedding site homepage for $9.99.

Download the Zola app on iOS or use it on your browser. (Mashable spotted a fake Zola app on Google Play, which Zola stated wasn't legitimate.)

Joy

I asked my Instagram followers what wedding planning app they used, and Joy came up the most. Like Zola, Joy is another one-stop shop: Use it to create your invitations and wedding website, add to your registry, track RSVPs, and more. There's also a blog full of wedding tips and expert advice.

Joy is available as a browser version and as an app on Apple's App Store and Google Play. According to the site's FAQ, Joy's wedding websites, planning tools, and registry are free. There are hundreds of free designs for save-the-date cards and invitations, too. Upgrades that'll cost extra include custom domains for your wedding website, premium paper designs, and text messaging.

Hitched

For the UK brides among us, Redditors across the Atlantic recommended Hitched. Like the others, Hitched has planning tools, a venue and supplier search, and tools to create a registry and wedding websites. Hitched even has wedding forums in case you want to chat with other betrothed couples who know what you're going through. You can also find inspiration for the big day, and even find dresses for you and your wedding party — including accessories.

Hitched is available on desktop, and on the App Store and Google Play.

Seatplan.io

If you're looking for a more specialized guest list tool, consider seatplan.io. You can import your guest list and rearrange seating however you want, so you can visualize what the room will look like on your wedding day. In addition to importing your list, you can export the seating chart and even generate a QR code to make it easy for your guests. One review on the site states, "200 guests. 8 dietary requirements. 4 wheelchair users. 1 complicated family tree. SeatPlan.io handled all of it."

Seatplan.io is free to use if you just want to design the seating chart and import your guest list, but if you want to save your work and export it, it'll cost you $8. If you want more features like collaborating with others and generating the QR code, it'll cost $14.

Wedding professionals also use seatplan.io, so you know it's legit.

The Knot

The Knot is the classic wedding planning hub, and according to Reddit, it still holds up. Use The Knot for a checklist, budget adviser, vendor search, wedding website and invitation setup, registry setup, guest list and RSVP tracking, and advice. You can also look at wedding dresses and attire for everyone, from grooms to the mother of the bride. 

The Knot is usable on the browser, but you can also find the app on the App Store and Google Play.

Google Sheets

A surprising number of people, including someone who responded to me on Instagram, opt for an old-school spreadsheet. Many free spreadsheet templates exist out there that can help with budgeting and other organizational needs you'll likely have when planning your wedding. If you want a more bare-bones approach or want to maintain more control of how your budget (or whatever other sheet) looks, Google Sheets (or even Microsoft Excel) may be a good option. 

The organizational tool Notion receives an honorable mention here, too, as Redditors who didn't use another app likely went with Google Sheets or Notion. 

Reddit

When all else fails, you can do what I do whenever I need advice: Google whatever I need help with and add "reddit" at the end. There are thousands of people on r/wedding, r/weddingplanning, r/weddingsunder10k, and more nuptial-related forums. If you have a question about your big day, there's a good chance someone has asked and received answers on Reddit. 

The midterms are getting closer, and — according to some polls — Donald Trump's approval rating is lower than ever before.

"He is now down to 34 percent. He has the same approval rating as Paul Blart: Mall Cop," says Jimmy Kimmel in the monologue above from Thursday night's show. "Not only is Trump at his lowest point, he's also two points behind JD Vance. I don't have a joke for that, I just want to make sure he knows he's two points behind JD Vance."

Kimmel goes on to bring up White House spokesman Davis Ingle's official response, in which he pointed to Trump's win in the 2024 election as "the ultimate poll."

"OK, yeah," says Kimmel, "but now it's May of 2026 and everybody hates him."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sensitive nose.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. 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 today's 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?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. 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 of 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 until 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: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 29, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Seas

• Green: Bad odors

• Blue: Found in an estate

• Purple: Acronym

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Oceans

• Green: Sources of distinctive smells

• Blue: Kinds of rooms in a mansion

• Purple: What "PA" might refer to

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 #1083 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Oceans: ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC

• Sources of distinctive smells: AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG

• Kinds of rooms in a mansion: BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING

• What "PA" might refer to: FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 29, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're an animal lover.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 29, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: E-I-E-I-O

The words are related to animals.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe barnyard animals.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Farm Animals.

NYT Strands word list for May 29

• Cows

• Farm Animals

• Goats

• Chickens

• Sheep

• Horses

• Ducks

• Pigs

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and 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 Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if have a good ear.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. 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 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 29, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 29, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A sharp sound.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

CLANG

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle 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.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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 Wordle.

DJI officially launched the Avata 360 this March, expanding its camera drone lineup with the company's first 360-degree offering. The latest addition to DJI's popular Avata series, the Avata 360 is a direct rival to the Antigravity A1 360-degree drone released last December. Yet while Antigravity was first off the launch pad, it's still the new kid on the block. DJI has been a favourite of drone enthusiasts for years, with many having eagerly awaited the brand's first 360 drone.

Now that the DJI Avata 360 has finally arrived, the question is whether the wait was worth it. 

SEE ALSO: Hands-on: GoPro's new Mission 1 Pro bridges the gap between action and cinema cameras DJI Avata 360: Build Credit: A. Yeo

At first glance, the Avata 360's build bears strong similarities to the DJI Avata 2 released in 2024. Both sport solid, lightweight bodies made from high-quality grey plastic, with few moving parts aside from their camera gimbals and four propellers. Guards around these propellers help to protect them from damage, adding another layer of security on top of the Avata 360's obstacle avoidance system. Measuring 246 millimetres x 199 millimetres x 55.5 millimetres, the Avata 360 is longer but slimmer than the Avata 2, with three anchor points attaching its propellers to its body instead of two. 

The Avata 360 feels sturdier than the significantly smaller Antigravity A1 as well, with the latter featuring foldable arms and unshielded propeller blades. While the A1 isn't flimsy, the Avata 360 certainly seems more likely to hold up in a collision if the two were to go head-to-head. It even has a removable lens protector to shield it during storage.

Credit: A. Yeo

However, this superior durability comes at a cost to the Avata 360's weight and classification. Unlike the Antigravity A1, DJI's 360-degree drone requires registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly, as it weighs in at around 455 grams. Meanwhile, the A1 just squeaks in under the FAA's 250-gram limit — no doubt an intentional design choice to make life easier for budding drone pilots.

The Avata 360 is still lightweight enough that it isn't more burdensome to carry about than the portable A1. Each drone can be bundled with a padded sling bag, though the Avata 360's isn't quite large enough to comfortably fit both its folded landing pad and the optional DJI Goggles N3 (more on this below). 

Even so, having to register the Avata 360 is a nuisance. Whether the hassle is worth it will depend on what you want out of your drone. Newcomers and hobbyists may not want to bother with such matters, while serious drone users are less likely to be put off by the extra step needed to fly the Avata 360.

Featured Video For You 3 simple tips to optimise your ChatGPT search DJI Avata 360: Image quality Credit: A. Yeo

The Avata 360's allure is clearly its 360-degree video capability, with a top resolution of 8K at 60fps (though reduced to 4K once reframed to 2D in the DJI Fly app). The drone also allows you to switch to a single-lens mode for more traditional filming, which reaches up to 4K at 60fps.  For comparison, the Antigravity A1's highest 360-degree video resolution is 8K at 30fps — half the Avata 360's frame rate. DJI's higher frame rate is particularly attractive for producing smooth, beautiful slow motion footage, which is a notable strength for a camera drone shooting wide landscapes.

Both drones use two lenses and two sensors to achieve their 360-degree recordings. However, the Avata 360 has slightly larger 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensors compared to the A1's 1/1.28, enabling greater dynamic range and low-light performance.

The Antigravity A1's video quality is already impressive enough for the average person, and certainly nothing to complain about. However, for professionals and prosumers who are looking to squeeze the most out of their footage, the DJI Avata 360 offers a welcome little upgrade. 

A screenshot from DJI Avata 360 footage. Credit: A. Yeo

As always, 360-degree video is a double-edged sword. It allows you to frame and edit after the fact, meaning you don't have to decide exactly what to focus on while filming. However, this also makes editing the footage more complex and time-consuming. The Avata 360 aims to streamline this process through the DJI Fly app, which enables you to trim, add keyframes, apply filters, and otherwise edit your footage. 

DJI Fly also includes an in-app tracking feature, which will allow you to draw a box around a subject and have the frame automatically follow it. Though it did lose track of a bird when it flew directly above the Avata 360, Mashable found that the DJI Fly app's tracking largely does a good job of keeping the subject centred. It isn't exactly the eye of an auteur, but it gets the job done with minimal fuss, leaving you free to finesse other aspects of your footage.

DJI Avata 360: Controls and performance Credit: A. Yeo

While the Antigravity A1 can only be operated using its included headset and motion controller, the DJI Avata 360 offers two control options. Pilots can use either the DJI RC 2 remote controller, which features two joysticks and a screen that displays the drone's point of view, or connect the Avata 360 to the DJI Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller. Released a few years ago, both options can be purchased separately or in a bundle with the Avata 360. They are also compatible with previous DJI drones, offering added versatility for those interested in building a fleet.

Flying the DJI Avata 360 with the RC 2 controller is fairly straightforward. Touchscreen options allow you to automatically launch and land the drone, while buttons on either side enable quick recording. Two joysticks control the Avata 360's elevation, orientation, and flight direction, enabling a smooth flight. 

Credit: A. Yeo

Mashable was surprised to find that, though we found the Antigravity A1's motion controls the most intuitive for users without much experience with drones, we actually preferred the RC 2 controller to the DJI's motion controller and goggles. While headsets have the benefit of providing a clear, glare-free viewing experience, they can be a hassle to put on and take off. Importantly, they can also hinder visual line of sight, which is an FAA requirement when flying drones for recreation. The RC 2 is a quick grab and go option, can be used without a spotter, and at 700 nits the screen is bright enough that it's clearly visible even in direct sunlight.

It's also worth noting that the DJI Goggles N3 can't be adjusted for your glasses prescription, though fortunately it is large enough to fit over glasses. In contrast, Antigravity A1's headset has diopter adjustment supporting prescriptions ranging from +2.00 to -5.00, as well as interpupillary distance adjustment. 

Both Antigravity and DJI's goggle designs are comfortable to wear. The A1 goggles' configuration is admittedly more fussy than DJI's, requiring you to hang the battery from your neck like a necklace and run a wire up to the headset. However, this setup does make the A1's headset delightfully light, and is easily forgotten during operation. DJI's more streamlined design doesn't look as dorky, mounting its battery on the strap at the back of the head to balance the weight of the front, but is heavier and more likely to slip.

Credit: A. Yeo

At 42GB, the Avata 360 has more than double the A1's modest 20GB of onboard storage. Both also offer a microSD card slot if you want extra space — which, if you're shooting a significant amount of 360-degree video, you'll probably need.

DJI states that the Avata 360's swappable batteries handle approximately 23 minutes of flight per charge, though Mashable found this to be a generous estimate. Fortunately the drone will automatically return to its launch site to land if its power drops too low, but you'll likely want spare batteries on hand if you want longer flying time. We swiftly chewed through our spares during testing, ending flying sessions sooner than we'd have liked — though this is also a testament to how much fun it was to fly the Avata 360.

Credit: A. Yeo

Interestingly, the DJI Avata 360 had some trouble sticking the landing during Mashable's testing. Though placed in the centre of its bright orange landing pad for take off, it repeatedly missed the mark when instructed to return home. Instead, the drone would gently lower itself a few feet from the target, landing in the grass near the landing pad. In contrast, the Antigravity A1's automatic landing returned it to its much smaller landing pad every time, even deploying adorable landing gear.

It isn't a reassuring indication regarding the precision of the Avata 360's navigation, and gives us pause about relying too heavily on its automatic anti-collision or homing features. Even so, the drone's off-centre landing isn't a fatal flaw, as you'll typically want some safe, clear space around your entire launch area regardless. You should be keeping your drone within visual line of sight as well, so you can intervene if it does choose an inappropriate landing spot. 

DJI Avata 360: Pricing  Credit: A.Yeo

Though the DJI Avata 360 began rolling out globally from April, it still isn't available on the company's official U.S. website. The U.S. government's hostile stance toward DJI has significantly hindered the company's business, making it difficult for those in the country to get their hands on many of its devices. As such, getting a DJI Avata 360 in the U.S. will require going through an unofficial third party at present.

This availability issue gives the Antigravity A1 a notable edge over the DJI Avata 360 for U.S. consumers. However, the considerable difference in cost does a lot to mitigate this apparent advantage.

Though there is no official U.S. pricing, in Australia the DJI Avata 360 costs $AU799 ($574) for the drone and one battery, and $AU1,159 ($833) for that plus the DJI RC 2. The $AU1,619 ($1,164) Fly More Combo also includes a sling bag, charging hub, and two more batteries, while the Motion Fly More Combo is the same but swaps out the RC 2 for the DJI Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller. Meanwhile, the Antigravity A1's base bundle with headset, motion controller, and one battery costs $1,599 — several hundred dollars more than the Avata 360's most expensive bundle. 

The A1 is still a great option particularly for new or casual drone pilots, and its lower weight means it's subject to fewer flight restrictions than the Avata 360. But if you're after a more affordable, heavier-duty 360-degree drone that's suited to prosumers and professionals, hunting down the DJI Avata 360 may be worth it for you.

Every year, Apple reveals a big new iOS update at WWDC that brings tons of new features to your iPhone. And we're fully expecting to learn about iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, the final Apple developers conference of the Tim Cook era.

When the iPhone 18 launches in September, it's widely expected that it'll ship alongside iOS 27, as is usually the case with every new iPhone and every new iOS iteration. Apple still hasn't officially shown off iOS 27 yet, but there have been plenty of reports and leaks about what to expect from the mobile OS update. Here's everything you need to know about iOS 27 right now.

SEE ALSO: The latest iPhone 18 news, leaks, and rumors iOS 27: Which iPhones will support it?

To start, we should establish which iPhones will actually be able to run iOS 27. Every year, Apple phases out an older generation of devices, and a recent leak suggested that the following phones will be phased out this year:

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Pro

• iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone SE (second generation)

That means anything older than an iPhone 12 is probably not going to be able to run iOS 27. It's a tough business, but that's just how it works. Apple can't keep everyone happy forever.

In addition, iOS 27 is sure to bring updates to Apple Intelligence, including a new AI Siri. Keep in mind that not all iPhones support Apple Intelligence, which is only compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, and newer Apple smartphones.

iOS 27: All about AI Siri

Easily the biggest feature coming to iOS 27 that we know of right now is the long-awaited AI-powered overhaul of Siri, Apple's iconic voice assistant. It was supposed to happen a long time ago, but internal delays have pushed its most likely debut timeline to the launch of iOS 27.

On a basic level, what's changing here is that Siri is going to be turned into an AI chatbot with its own standalone app and with the ability to incorporate what's on the screen and personal context into responses, with the additional ability to perform actions between and within apps themselves. It'll be powered primarily by Google's Gemini model, though rumor has it that users will be able to use third-party models for Siri and other Apple Intelligence features, too, if they so desire.

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While Siri is getting its own app, that doesn't mean the way you interface with Siri will change that much, necessarily. A report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicated that Siri in iOS 27 can still be activated by a wake word or by holding down the power button, same as ever, but there will also be a new interface built into the iPhone's Dynamic Island. You'll be able to make queries by swiping down from the top of the screen, and an additional swipe will bring you straight to the new chatbot interface for Siri.

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Gurman's report included some more tidbits about how Siri will play with the Photos and Camera apps, too. For instance, Photos will get the ability to use generative AI to add elements to photos that aren't already there, while the users will be able to snap a photo in Camera and instantly reverse image search it on Google. In summary, Apple is looking to catch up to the competition when it comes to having a sophisticated AI chatbot that lives in your phone, and it sounds like iOS 27 might finally bring us to that point.

iOS 27: Other AI features

Apple's new iOS revision might focus largely on integrating Siri into the Apple Intelligence ecosystem, but what about the already existing Apple Intelligence features in iOS? It turns out some of those will be improved with iOS 27, too.

For example, a separate Mark Gurman report claimed that Image Playground and Genmoji will both get significant boosts to image quality in iOS 27. There will even be a new feature allowing users to generate custom phone wallpapers with AI. Outside of image generation, it sounds like there will also be a way for users to create custom app shortcuts using natural language prompts with Siri.

Beyond that, Writing Tools will apparently be infused with more AI juice. It'll supposedly be better at offering feedback for things like syntax errors, not just basic spelling mistakes. We'll need to see this in action to truly judge how well it works, though.

iOS 27: What about Liquid Glass?

Last year, the Liquid Glass design language introduced in iOS 26 really ruffled some feathers. That said, you should probably not expect any major changes on that front.

This information comes, once again, from Gurman at Bloomberg. He says Apple is not planning on making any sweeping changes to Liquid Glass, which isn't terribly surprising. While plenty of folks may not be huge fans of the design language, that fact doesn't appear to be driving people away from iPhones to any significant degree. In fact, the opposite is happening; iPhone sales are better than ever right now.

All of that is to say that Apple might add some more customization options to Liquid Glass, but don't expect to be able to turn it off or anything like that.

iOS 27: App changes

As always, iOS 27 is certainly going to bring some other miscellaneous changes to various first-party apps. We don't yet have a comprehensive list of every change to expect, but there are a couple of intriguing reports out there.

For instance, users will apparently be able to create custom widgets within the Camera app, giving them more fine control over which buttons appear on screen by default when opening the app. Weather is also getting a "Conditions" panel when looking at a page for a specific location. You'll be able to flip between information panels on things like wind and rain there.

The Wallet app is also reportedly getting a pretty interesting new feature that will allow users to create custom passes. It's called "Create a Pass," and it will allegedly be able to scan photos of things like movie tickets and gym memberships in order to create a digital pass that lives in the Wallet app. While lots of services have built-in support for the Wallet app, there are also plenty that don't, and this feature could help bridge that gap.

iOS 27: Don't forget about the iPhone Fold

Lastly, we'd be remiss not to mention the iPhone Fold. There isn't a lot of concrete information yet about how iOS will adapt to the long-rumored device, but one has to assume that iOS 27 will, to some extent, work a little differently on the foldable iPhone. Actions like app multi-tasking, for example, will probably be possible on the iPhone Fold, meaning iOS 27 will need to natively support that sort of thing.

Not every iOS revision is a big overhaul, but if nothing else, it sounds like iOS 27 will drastically change how users interact with Siri. In that sense, this could be one of the biggest iOS updates in a while.

A year ago, Ninja debuted the latest iteration of the Ninja Creami, the Swirl, which brought soft-serve home. Initially, I loved the ice cream maker, reviving the fervor of the 2000s frozen yogurt craze that I didn't know I still had in me. Now, a full year later, how do I feel about the ice cream maker?

In the past year, the ice cream maker has gone through some minor updates. It has a new name, the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl, and comes in new colors, including stone & gold and sage green. It hasn't changed in price, still $349.99, though usually you can find it on sale for just $299.99.

But how has the Ninja Creami Scoop and Swirl made itself at home in my kitchen? Here are my thoughts a year later.

I got a sneak peek of the Ninja Scoop & Swirl at the brand's event in February 2025 and was reliving the froyo craze. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable A year later — do I still use the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl?

Testing products for a living, there's a lot of tech coming in and out of my house, some more memorable than others. The best earn a permanent spot in my rotation, like the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, Bose QuietComfort headphones, and the Ninja Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine. But what about the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl?

The Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl was a staple on my counter through last summer. I loved using it when we had friends over on a sweltering summer evening. Not only was it a delicious post-dinner treat, but a fun activity for everyone to take a turn swirling their own soft serve. But once summer turned to fall, I packed the Scoop & Swirl away for the winter, and I probably won't be bringing it back out this year, unless it's for a special occasion.

For me, it's about counter space. The Scoop & Swirl takes up about twice the space as the original Creami, which just makes it too impractical for my apartment kitchen. If I had a bigger kitchen with a lot more storage, it might earn a permanent spot, but it isn't practical enough to be a kitchen staple for me.

I still think the Creami Scoop & Swirl is a delightful gadget for ice cream lovers, especially if you have the space for it. Read on for my complete thoughts on the ice cream maker.

How does the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl work? Place the pint on the left side of the machine, and you'll have fresh soft serve within seconds. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Ninja Scoop & Swirl builds off of the original Creami technology. Each Scoop & Swirl comes with two pints to mix up your concoctions. Once filled, the pints must be frozen for 24 hours before you can "spin" them. You can think of the spinning process as a reverse blender. Instead of the blade sitting at the bottom, it comes down from the top, cutting and spinning through the ice cream until it's as creamy as what you buy from the store.

Each Creami has a variety of settings, including ice cream, lite ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato, and milkshake. Plus, there are settings to re-spin if your mix is not the right texture or you want to add mix-ins.

The Scoop & Swirl adds a new feature for dispensing soft serve. The pints that come with the Scoop & Swirl all have a dispensing feature, which is utilized when you place them in the left-hand dispenser. Then, you pull the lever, and the machine pushes the ice cream out.

How is the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl different than the regular Creami?

The most significant difference between the Scoop & Swirl and the standard Creami is the ability to make soft serve. The regular and deluxe Ninja Creami produce scoopable ice cream or frozen drinks, and the Scoop & Swirl can do all of that, plus make soft serve. Part of the soft serve process is the inclusion of a soft serve dispenser that feels like you're working at an ice cream shop, with a handle to pull and everything.

SEE ALSO: TikTok is in love with the Ninja Creami, but am I?

The biggest difference between soft serve and regular ice cream is air. Soft serve adds more air to achieve a light and fluffy texture compared to denser ice cream. In standard ice cream making, air is added during the churning and freezing process; however, the Ninja Creami brings air into play during the spinning process.

The Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl features a setting that adds more air to the product so it's ready to dispense as soft serve.

It's creamier than ever The Ninja Scoop & Swirl (right) spins pints to creamy perfection compared to the standard Ninja Creami (left). Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When I was first introduced to the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, I was intrigued by the brand's claim that this new device added more air to the spinning process to replicate classic soft serve or froyo. I was cautiously optimistic about this but still hesitant. My previous experience with the Ninja Creami was that getting the right texture, one that's genuinely creamy and easy to scoop, requires at least one re-spin, but often more.

So when I first used the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, I wanted to try my go-to Creami recipe for chocolate hazelnut froyo. I mixed plain Greek yogurt with a chocolate hazelnut spread and let it freeze for over 24 hours. When it came time to spin the pint, my jaw was on the floor when, after one spin, it turned out to be the smoothest ice cream (pictured above, right) I'd ever seen from a Creami. Usually, getting anywhere near that consistency requires multiple spins, and even then, it's still a little too thick (pictured above, left).

Ninja has clearly improved the technology between models and has struck gold. The spinning process is more powerful than ever on the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, regardless of whether you're making soft serve or scoopable ice cream.

You never have to leave the house for soft serve again

There's nothing I love more than leaving the house on a late summer evening to indulge in a cone of soft serve. It's something you can't get at home, unlike a pint of ice cream you buy at the grocery store. But now, with the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, I don't have to leave the house for soft serve.

Using the Ninja Scoop & Swirl's soft serve feature is impossibly easy. After spinning your pint on the soft serve setting, install the soft serve lid attachment and install the whole pint into the dispensing portion. Then, using the lever on the right side of the machine, release the ice cream.

Despite being non-dairy, the pineapple whip I made was exceptionally creamy. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

I tried a couple of different recipes for the soft serve mechanism, both dairy and non-dairy. The creamiest was, unsurprisingly, the dairy-based froyo, which dispensed evenly without any air pockets to disrupt the flow of dispensing. The fruit whip I made, an ode to a Dole whip, still faired pretty well in the machine. It looked really smooth and silky after spinning, so I had high hopes when I went to dispense it.

It had a less consistent flow than the dairy recipe I made. Ninja warns users that they might hear some popping during the soft serve dispensing, just air pockets getting pushed out. I definitely experienced quite a lot of popping with the fruit whip, which resulted in a less consistent flow. My swirls weren't as pretty as they were with the froyo, but the ice cream's texture was fine while eating it. It just might not look as Instagrammable as other recipes.

That being said, using the soft serve dispenser is just straight-up fun. Pulling the lever and swirling the ice cream feels like you're back in the froyo shop.

It's made for meal preppers and protein maxxers

The Ninja Creami became an internet sensation through creators in the health and fitness space. Users see the device as a way to enjoy ice cream while still hitting their daily macros. At the Ninja event I attended, the brand doubled down on the Scoop & Swirl's spot in the health space, collaborating with health and fitness creator John Jung to highlight the new Creamifit setting.

Creamifit is designed to work best with recipes that include protein powders or shakes, which is a huge draw for users already tapping the Creami to make protein-focused desserts.

SEE ALSO: The best fitness trackers you can buy in 2025: From smartwatches to rings

I had an issue with the Creami in my first review: the pints require 24 hours of freezing before use, so it's not like you can just have some ice cream on a whim. That remains the case for the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, so it's best fit for meal preppers who want to prep a few pints at the beginning of the week so they're ready to go when the mood strikes.

It isn't great for single servings — or a crowd

The only real drawback I've found to the Ninja Scoop & Swirl soft-serve feature is that it's not great for single servings or a crowd. At 16 oz, it's best used to produce four four-ounce servings. At the Ninja event, I noticed the Ninja team needed to swap out the pints after about four people served themselves. So, if you're planning on serving a crowd, prepare to have some backup pints ready.

If it's just you enjoying the soft serve, you'll have leftovers. The issue here is that the ice cream dispenses directly from the pint in which it's frozen. It gets pretty messy during dispensing, so it's not great to throw it back in the freezer like I would with the pints I used in the standard Creami.

That being the case, I found myself reaching for the Scoop & Swirl a lot less during the week. When it's just me and my partner, we don't want to polish off a pint, just the two of us, and we don't want to deal with the messy leftover pint. So, I waited until we had a couple more people over before using the soft serve function.

If you want to enjoy the soft serve in single servings, I recommend having a clean pint on hand and moving your leftovers there after use.

It's still way too loud — and even bigger than before

The number one complaint you will hear about the Ninja Creami is its volume. Imagine a powerful vacuum and then crank it up a couple of notches — that's how loud the Ninja Creami is. This makes it less than ideal for parents looking to sneak in a late-night snack when the kids are asleep, apartment dwellers sharing a wall with their neighbors, or pet owners. My cat seriously hates the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, even if he begs me for the fruits of its labor.

Unfortunately, the Scoop & Swirl is just as loud as the Creami, as you can hear from the video above. While it's a total pain hearing it go on for six minutes, it's an unavoidable part of the Creami experience.

The Ninja Scoop & Swirl takes up valuable counter space. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Because of the addition of the soft serve dispenser, the Ninja Scoop & Swirl is a lot bigger than the Creami. As an apartment dweller with already limited counter space, I may not be able to justify making the Scoop & Swirl a permanent fixture in my kitchen. However, if you have endless counter or storage space or just really love ice cream, making room for it is a worthy sacrifice.

Is the Ninja Scoop & Swirl worth it? Should you indulge in soft serve at home? Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Yes, the Ninja Scoop & Swirl is worth it as long as you have the counter space. Having tested both the standard Ninja Creami and the Ninja Scoop & Swirl, the Scoop & Swirl is the better investment as an ice cream maker. It has improved performance, requiring fewer re-spins to achieve a creamy consistency. Soft serve or froyo fiends will love the new dispensing feature, which is exceptionally easy to use and, not to mention, really fun.

There are certainly drawbacks, such as its size and how loud it is to use, but if you're prepared for both, there's no reason that it will inhibit your experience using it.

It will cost you $349.99; however, with the capability to make both soft serve and scoopable ice cream, it's the best-valued Creami device yet.

Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl $299.95 at Amazon
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Fans of The Handmaid's Tale will spot several familiar faces in sequel series The Testaments, from Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) to Rita (Amanda Brugel) and June (Elisabeth Moss). But The Testaments' Season 1 finale features the mother of all Handmaid's Tale cameos: the author of the novel herself, Margaret Atwood.

SEE ALSO: 'The Testaments' review: 'The Handmaid's Tale' sequel finds new power in its YA perspective

Atwood plays a jailer to Becka (Mattea Conforti), who murdered her abusive father in the show's penultimate episode.

"I was so fortunate to be in that scene with her when she made that cameo," Conforti told Mashable in an interview alongside castmates Lucy Halliday and Rowan Blanchard.

"She was an incredible actress," Conforti continued. "I really think that she should pursue that side of her career, maybe. But it was so surreal, being able to have the opportunity to work with the woman that created this world that we are all working together on was so incredible, and she had such wonderful insight to offer as well."

Halliday recalled seeing Atwood on set, having lunch with her, and even watching The Testaments' first three episodes alongside her.

"What I really loved is they had all these snacks laid out [for the screening], and I remember being like, 'If no one takes any snacks, then I'm not gonna take any snacks,'" Halliday said. "Whereas she sat down and immediately picked up a bunch of popcorn, and I was like, 'Okay, we can all eat now,' and that was a joy. But she's so animated, so if she found something funny, she was roaring with laughter, and if she was shocked, you really felt everything that she went through watching it."

Watch the full interview above to hear Halliday, Conforti, and Blanchard dive deeper into the season, including their hopes for their characters in the now-confirmed Season 2.

All episodes of The Testaments Season 1 are now streaming on Hulu.

Based on a strange clue, astronomers have found a collection of young red dwarf stars in space that may have gobbled up rocky planets — perhaps similar worlds to Earth.  

Like sniffing a teenager's breath for alcohol or cigarette smoke, researchers noticed the stars had more lithium in their atmospheres than they should. That could mean they still had the stench of their last meal on them. 

A red dwarf is a small, cool type of star, and lithium is a lightweight chemical that stars eventually destroy through nuclear reactions. In stars like these, lithium usually disappears early in life because the stars' hot interiors incinerate it. By the time these stars reach adolescence — around 50 to 200 million years old — astronomers expect little to no trace of lithium.

But a team found six stars out of thousands surveyed that broke the rules in a new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. These stars contained much more lithium than other stars of the same age in their clusters, said Robin Jeffries, lead author of the paper, from Keele University in the United Kingdom. The lithium-rich stars made up only about 2 to 3 percent of stars in that temperature range, making them rare but not flukes.  

"Even a small amount of lithium stands out clearly in these stars — a bit like throwing paint onto a blank canvas," Jeffries said in a statement. 

Astronomers already knew stars could swallow planets, but the evidence has usually come from faint, debatable chemical detections. This study may have found a much clearer signal: young red dwarf stars somehow regained lithium, likely by swallowing several Earths' worth of rocky planet material that contains the element. 

SEE ALSO: This could be the most 'naked' giant black hole ever found

The findings suggest planetary systems — especially around red dwarfs — may go through a far more tumultuous childhood than astronomers realized. Instead of forming neatly and staying put, rocky worlds may regularly collide, scatter, or spiral into their stars during the first few hundred million years. 

That matters because red dwarfs are the most common stars in the Milky Way and host vast numbers of Earth-size planets, including many in potentially habitable zones, where temperatures are not too hot or cold for liquid water on their surfaces. If those rocky exoplanets are sometimes eaten by their stars, that may mean some Earth-like worlds die before they could have a chance to spark life. 

Researchers identified the red dwarfs with high lithium levels from the Gaia-ESO Spectroscopic Survey, conducted using the FLAMES instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Credit: ESO / H.H.Heyer

Other than the presence of lithium, the stars looked normal. They sat in the same locations as other cluster members, moved through space the same way, and appeared to be about the same age. That ruled out the possibility that they were just younger stars mixed into the sample.  

The researchers did consider other explanations for the chemical. One idea involved magnetic activity because strong magnetic fields and starspots can sometimes slow lithium destruction in young stars. But that explanation wasn't a good fit because most of the lithium-rich stars spun slowly; fast rotation usually links to stronger magnetic activity.  

Another idea suggested the stars kept feasting from their birth disks for an inordinate length of time. But the team thought that scenario probably wouldn't preserve enough lithium. That left planet swallowing as the leading explanation. Rocky planets contain lithium, so devouring them would temporarily spike the lithium level in the star's outer layers.  

The team estimated each star may have swallowed material equal to about three to 10 Earths.  

That may sound extreme, but astronomers already know many red dwarf stars host compact systems packed with rocky planets. Computer simulations also show that young planetary systems often become chaotic. Gravitational interactions can fling planets inward until the star engulfs them.  

Researchers think these events likely happened after the stars stopped rapidly destroying lithium. Depending on each star's mass and inner workings, their lithium signatures could now remain for millions of years. 

SCORE FREE TOOLS: Shop the Lowe's Craftsman Days sale to save up to $300 on Craftsman riding lawn mowers, push mower, tools, and more. Buy a Craftsman V20+ battery starter kit and get a free bare tool worth up to $140.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lowe's Lowe's Craftsman Days save up to $300 and get BOGO tools Shop Now

Need to upgrade some tools before diving into summer projects? Now's a great time to consider what you'll need to tackle home and yard projects. In addition to Home Depot's Ryobi Days sale, check out the Lowe's Craftsman event.

Lowe's is hosting the Craftsman Days sale which sees major discounts across Craftsman items like lawn mowers, power tools, storage systems, and more. One of the best offers is Lowe's deal to buy the Craftsman V20 battery pack with charger for $99 and get a free Craftsman tool worth up to $139.

SEE ALSO: The Anker Solix C300 power station is ready-made for summer — save $80 at Amazon

Lowe's is going all-in on the Craftsman deals this year, making it possible to snag nearly anything you might need at a discount. From tools for DIY projects to tool cabinets and leaf blowers, the Lowe's sale hits every corner of the Craftsman selection.

If you're hoping to take advantage of the BOGO offer, go with the Craftsman V20 battery pack with charger kit for $99. From there, you can select a free Craftsman tool like a Craftsman Pole Saw, Hedge Trimmer, or the Craftsman String Trimmer.

Lucky for us, the BOGO Craftsman offer at Lowe's doesn't expire until July 29. However, we wouldn't be surprised to see some of the free tool offers sell out, so consider shopping sooner rather than rather.

SAVE UP TO $218: Shop the Home Depot Ryobi Days event to get a free tool worth up to $89 when you buy the Ryobi One+ 18V Battery Starter Kit. The kit is on sale for $99, down from the normal price of $228.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ryobi Home Depot Ryobi Days $99 at Home Depot
$228 Save $129 get a free Ryobi tool with purchase Shop Now

Welcome to home improvement season. Now that we're no longer in winter hibernation mode, you probable have a list of home and yard projects to tick off this summer. If you could use some new tools to get those jobs done right, listen up to this Home Depot news.

The Home Depot Ryobi Days event earns you a free tool with purchase of the Ryobi One+ 18V Battery Starter Kit. The kit is on sale for $99, marked down from the list price of $228 for a savings of $129 on the battery kit. The free tool option lets you pick one from 13 Ryobi items.

Remember when BOGO sales used to be good? The Home Depot is resurrecting our faith in getting something for free that's actually good. The Ryobi Days event makes perfect sense. Buy the Ryobi battery kit while it's 57% off and get a free tool that can be used in conjunction with one of the batteries in the kit.

SEE ALSO: The powerful Aiper Scuba X1 robot pool cleaner is $500 off at Amazon with coupon code — how to redeem

The free items that qualify for this deal are plentiful. Go with the Ryobi Cordless Compact Workshop Blower or the Ryobi Cordless Hybrid Whisper Jobsite Fan. If you don't need the Ryobi battery kit, you can choose your main item as the Cordless Battery String Trimmer to qualify for the additional free tool.

Before the free tool options sell out, check out the Ryobi Days sale at Home Depot. You can save big on an essential battery kit and get a free tool you'll actually use.

Apple may not quite be the world's most valuable company at the moment — that's Nvidia — but it is still by far the world's most scrutinized.

Thanks to a robust set of supply-chain leakers revealing every aspect of new Apple products before they arrive, an Apple launch event can often seem robbed of surprise. And in a normal year, Apple's annual World Wide Developers' Conference (WWDC) is no exception.

But WWDC 2026 is not a normal year, and an unusual air of mystery still clings to the keynote. That's not just because we don't know whether Tim Cook, in his last WWDC as CEO, will hand the baton over to CEO-in-waiting John Ternus during the event.

Will Ternus get on-the-job training, keynoting side by side with Cook? Or will he take a lesser role, like he did introducing the iPhone Air last September?

Beyond that mystery, here are our three big burning questions for the Apple WWDC keynote, which kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, June 8, 2026.

SEE ALSO: The latest iPhone 18 news, leaks, and rumors Will we see the iPhone Fold (or Ultra) at all? A hypothetical rendering of the iPhone Fold. Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable

The last we heard about the iPhone Fold, Apple's late-to-the-party entry into the foldable smartphone market, its official launch date had been pushed back, likely until the holiday season. Given a global memory chip shortage, analysts have warned that the company may not have enough supply to satisfy demand until 2027.

Still, iPhone Fold prototypes exist (or iPhone Ultra, if one report is to be believed — the dueling names being just one example of Apple exerting an unusual amount of lockdown). Cook may reason that it makes sense to wow us with an early look at one, and end that confusion about the name.

After all, that's what Steve Jobs did with the original iPhone: gave us a sneak peak in January 2007, long before the official summer launch.

The Jobs strategy would make sense here, given that Apple is already late to the foldable game — and is effectively leapfrogging competitors with its larger folding screen. Cook may also want to cement his association with the Fold/Ultra, given that he led the company during its development.

What better way to do that than to bring back, just this once, a Jobs-like "one more thing"? Ternus takes over on September 1, so any future iPhone Fold/Ultra launch event will be his baby. Does Cook want the world's first official look at the Fold/Ultra to be in Ternus' hands?

Then again, Cook's lack of ego has been one of the defining features of his tenure. So he may be perfectly fine letting his chief product guy take the credit (or, if the Fold/Ultra fails in any way, the fall).

Will the new AI Siri surprise us? Credit: Apple

During the Cook years, Apple has struggled with a delicate balancing act on the subject of AI. On the one hand, Cook is clearly a skeptic about the tech industry's tendency to overhype LLMs — and given that bombshell white papers coming out of Apple's research arm show plainly that even so-called reasoning models can't reason, he has every reason to think that way.

On the other hand, consumers have every right to expect that they could treat Siri, Apple's creaky old AI chatbot, like it has the intelligence of models like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini.

And that's what we're expecting to get: A Gemini-powered Siri voice assistant, along with a new Siri app and an AI agent app store, that fulfills the company's long-deferred promise of Apple Intelligence. Reportedly, you'll be able to choose third-party AI tools too.

Upgraded Siri will also likely feature in the camera app, offering editing options and other forms of "Visual Intelligence." And it will reportedly be ad-free and more focused on privacy than its AI rivals, with features like auto-deleting chat logs.

SEE ALSO: Siri’s big Google upgrade: What iPhone fans are waiting for

OK, but how does Cook (or Ternus) effectively demonstrate the AI power of the new Siri? Here the company may run into a boy-who-cried-wolf problem.

Thanks to Apple's, um, overly enthusiastic marketing after the original Apple Intelligence announcement, showcasing features that didn't exist, the company had to settle a class-action lawsuit.

How, then, can an ad within this keynote showcasing Apple Intelligence capabilities not give us skeptical vibes, even if they do exist this time around?

The biggest Siri surprise of all would be a live demo — but given that Apple hasn't done that in keynotes since 2019 (Cook went pre-recorded in 2020), don't hold your breath.

Will iOS 27 be lighter ... and less Liquid? Credit: Apple

The real star of the WWDC show, of course, is Apple's latest iteration of its signature iPhone operating system. But iOS 27 has more riding on it than most upgrades.

That's not just because of the new Siri, or the foldable software supposedly stuffed into iOS 27. It's because iOS 26 was a controversial upgrade, to say the least.

Reports of low adoption numbers turned out to be exaggerated. But the unease was undeniable. Many users expressed outrage on Reddit that iOS 26 felt like "bloatware" that slowed down the keyboard, among other features.

Most controversial of all: the Liquid Glass aesthetic that made app icons look like cheap gel stickers, as some saw it. Certainly the hurried departure of the design chief behind Liquid Glass doesn't suggest it was a hit inside the company.

So how different will iOS 27 look? Is the cool glowing animation promoting WWDC 2026, reportedly the Siri redesign hiding in plain sight, a harbinger of good things to come? Did Apple engineers spend the last year effectively filleting the bloat, or making it worse? Will it end support for the iPhone 11?

Join us on the series finale of Tim Cook's Apple keynotes to find out!