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Best early Prime Day portable power station deals at a glance: Best overall deal Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 $449.99 (save $349.01 at Amazon) Get Deal Best small-model deal Bluetti Elite 10 $119 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal Best durable deal Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra $999 at Amazon (save $300) Get Deal Best power station + solar panel bundle EcoFlow Delta 3 + 220W solar panel $669 (save $330) Get Deal Best deal for content creators DJI Power 1000 $399.99 at Amazon (save $299.01) Get Deal

Summer 2026 is in full swing now. Barbecues, camping trips, vacation, and avoiding mosquitos are all on the agenda. But something else big happens every summer — Amazon Prime Day. This year, Amazon is hosting the annual sale earlier than ever with dates set for June 23 to 26. But if you know Amazon, you know you don't necessarily need to wait.

We already have excellent deals happening on portable power stations: from a tiny model that'll keep your phone charged up for a weekend off-grid to major power that can keep your refrigerator cooling for days. Having reviewed dozens of power stations, these are the models I would consider buying before the chaos of Prime Day begins.

Best overall deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Solix Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 $449.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $349.01   Get Deal Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2.

If you're looking to buy your first portable power station, the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 is an excellent all-around model. It offers a respectable 1,024Wh capacity, which is a bit like a Goldilocks amount. That's a good amount of power for a weekend away, but it doesn't go overboard. It's also easy to transport, coming in at under 25 pounds. It has excellent recharging ability, going from dead to 100% power in under 50 minutes. It's a summer essential for me, and it's also excellent during a power outage.

Best deal on a small model Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Elite 10 $119 at Amazon
$169 Save $50   Get Deal Why we like it

If you don't need heaps of power, consider the Bluetti Elite 10, one of my favorite small portable power stations. It comes with 128Wh of power, which is enough to keep your phone, earbuds, or Kindle charged up during a camping trip or when the power goes out. Plus, the green colorway option is undeniably special.

In addition to its small size, the Bluetti Elite 10 is lightweight and great for people to carry from room to room during a power outage. Before Prime Day, it's on sale at Amazon for $119.

Best durable model deal Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra $999 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $300   Get Deal Why we like it

The Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra has a unique feature when it comes to portable power stations — it's resistant to water and dust. As you can image, it's not wise to add water into the mix with most portable power stations, but the Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra has an IP 65 rating and a level nine seismic shockproofing. All of that means this model is ideal if you'll be in harsh conditions. Bring this model camping in the rain or take it to the job site. It's also ideal if you'll be working in a shed with wood shavings.

Before Prime Day, the Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra is on sale at Amazon for $999, which is a savings od $300 compared to the list price of $1,200 at Jackery.

Best bundle deal with a solar panel Opens in a new window Credit: EcoFlow EcoFlow Delta 3 + 220W solar panel $669 at Amazon
$999 Save $330   Get Deal Why we like it

A huge benefit to choosing a portable power station is its ability to recharge via sunlight. Of course, in order to do that, you'll need a solar panel. The EcoFlow Delta 3 with a 220W solar panel is a great deal to hop on. For $669, down from the normal price of $999, you get the EcoFlow Delta 3 and a 220W solar panel for recharging.

The EcoFlow Delta 3 itself comes with 1,024Wh with an impressive 3,600W surge. EcoFlow states the 220W solar panel can recharge the Delta 3 back to 100% in about six hours. Take the power station and solar panel camping this summer and you might be in for unlimited power.

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.

TL;DR: Handle PDFs like a professional with some help from this lifetime subscription to PDNob Pro PDF Editor for just $49.99 (reg. $349.95)

Opens in a new window Credit: PDNob PDNob Pro PDF Editor: Lifetime Subscription $49.99
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TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office Pro 2019 + Windows 11 Pro for a one-time $25.99 and refresh both your productivity setup and your operating system in one purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft The All-in-One Microsoft Office Pro 2019 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle $25.99
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This version of Office still covers the things people actually use every day: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. Office 2019 also adds useful improvements like stronger Excel analysis tools, better PowerPoint presentation features, improved Outlook organization, and updated inking across apps.

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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.

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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.

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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
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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.

If you're still rocking an Intel-powered MacBook, it's officially time to upgrade to an M-series model.

Apple announced the latest version of its operating system for Mac laptops and desktops on the first day of its WWDC conference on Monday. macOS 27, aka macOS "Golden Gate," will add support for the next-generation Siri AI assistant, updated Apple Intelligence features, and new child safety tools. Additionally, its Liquid Glass design is getting more polished and more customizable.

SEE ALSO: Apple announces macOS 27 Golden Gate at WWDC: New Siri AI tools, Liquid Glass tweaks

A new macOS update always means that a batch of older Macs, iMacs, and MacBooks will lose support for the latest features. Last year at WWDC, Apple said that macOS 26 would be its final software release for Intel-based Macs, and it stayed true to its word. macOS 27 will only be compatible with the newer M-series models, according to the company's website.

Every Mac that supports macOS 27 Liquid Glass will look nicer on M-series MacBooks in the near future. Credit: Apple

The list of Macs that work with macOS 27 includes any model with the M1 chip or later:

• MacBook Neo, 2026

• MacBook Air with Apple silicon, 2020 and later (M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5 models)

• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon, 2020 and later (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max, M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max, M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max models)

• iMac with Apple silicon, 2021 and later (M1, M3, and M4 models)

• mac Mini with Apple silicon, 2020 and later (M1, M2, M2 Pro, M4, and M4 Pro models)

• Mac Studio with Apple silicon, 2022 and later (M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, M3 Ultra, and M4 Max models)

• Mac Pro with Apple silicon, 2023 (M2 Ultra model)

In addition, Siri AI and Apple Intelligence will also be available for any Mac device with M1 or newer silicon.

There are a couple of Intel Macs that can currently run macOS 26 but won't work with macOS 27. If you have one of these machines, you should get about two more years of security updates, but you won't be able to use any of the new software features.

• 16-inch MacBook Pro, 2019

• 13-inch MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, 2020

• 27-inch iMac, 2020

• Mac Pro, 2019

Members of the Apple Developer Program can try macOS 27 starting today, and a public beta will follow next month. Its official launch will happen sometime later this fall.

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

Apple used its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday to unveil a sweeping set of AI-powered updates to its software platforms, headlined by a ground-up rebuild of Siri. The new assistant, branded Siri AI, is the centerpiece of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27 — and represents Apple's most ambitious push yet to make artificial intelligence central to how people use its devices every day.

SEE ALSO: Everything we learned about iOS 27 at WWDC 2026

But the announcement came with a significant caveat: Users in the European Union won't get the full experience on iPhone or iPad, at least not yet (or ever), thanks to an ongoing standoff with European Union regulators over the Digital Markets Act.

You'll have to wait until the fall for Siri AI, iOS 27, and new Apple Intelligence features to make their public debut, but here's everything we learned at WWDC 2026.

Siri's AI rebuild is finally here Credit: Apple

Apple has completely reimagined Siri from the ground up. Now called Siri AI and powered by Apple Intelligence, the assistant is designed to be more conversational, more context-aware, and far more capable than its predecessor. According to Apple, it can draw on a user's personal messages, emails, and photos to surface relevant information — finding a restaurant a friend mentioned in a text, for instance, or pulling a hotel confirmation number out of an old email.

The rebuilt assistant also taps into broad web knowledge to answer questions on virtually any topic, and users can extend any response into a back-and-forth conversation with follow-up questions.

Siri AI gets a dedicated app for the first time, which syncs conversation history across devices via iCloud — so a conversation started on a Mac can be picked up on iPhone or Apple Watch. It also gains deeper Visual Intelligence capabilities, with the feature expanding beyond iPhone to iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. On iPhone, a new Siri mode built directly into the Camera app lets users point their phone at something and get information or take action on it — including splitting a bill via Apple Cash or getting nutritional info about food. On Mac, a keyboard shortcut lets users select anything on screen and query Siri about it directly.

You can change the expressiveness and pace of Siri AI. Credit: Apple

Voice customization gets an upgrade, too, with new pace and expressivity sliders that let users tune how Siri sounds. The assistant is also expanding to CarPlay and AirPods, and Apple Watch users can initiate conversations from their wrist.

Siri AI will enter developer beta today and roll out to users later this year, initially in English, on devices running Apple's latest software across iPhone 16 and later, iPhone 15 Pro, M1-and-later iPads and Macs, and Apple Vision Pro.

New parental controls and child safety tools Credit: Apple

Apple also used the keynote to preview a significant expansion of its parental control features, framing the updates as tools to help families build healthier digital habits rather than simply restrict access.

At the center of the update is a revamped child account setup experience. According to Apple's press release, parents can now choose exactly which apps a child can access from the start, beginning with just a few essentials and expanding over time. A new Ask to Browse feature extends the existing Ask to Buy system into Safari, requiring kids to get parental approval before visiting any new website across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Communication controls are getting an upgrade, too. Parents can now require approval before their child connects with any new contact over Messages, FaceTime, or Phone. The existing Communication Safety feature, which detects and blurs nudity in messages, will now also flag and block gore or violent content in shared images and videos.

SEE ALSO: Amid protest, Apple announces 'Ask to browse,' other child safety tools

Screen Time has been redesigned with a cleaner dashboard, giving parents an at-a-glance view of their child's device usage and most-used apps, with the ability to make adjustments on the fly — extending time in an app, or locking things down during dinner. New Time Allowances let parents set category-level limits, with age-based guidance informed by expert research built in as a starting point.

Apple also launched a dedicated child safety website at apple.com/child-safety to help parents navigate the tools.

The announcements come as the broader debate over how to protect minors online continues to intensify across the industry. Age verification laws are proliferating at the state level, and a broader fight is playing out in Washington over who should bear responsibility for keeping kids safe — app stores (Apple and Google), developers (Meta, Spotify, X, etc.), or both. Apple's move to deepen its own parental infrastructure adds another layer to that conversation, even as the legal and regulatory landscape remains unsettled.

A design refresh and under-the-hood speed bumps Credit: Apple

Apple also spent time on the fit-and-finish improvements coming to its software platforms this fall.

Liquid Glass, the translucent design language Apple introduced last year, is getting a readability-focused tune-up. The material now diffuses light more effectively, and a new slider in Settings lets users dial the effect anywhere from fully clear to ultra-tinted. Toolbars have been unified across apps, sidebars now stretch edge-to-edge on Mac, and icons have been sharpened with a new refracted look throughout the system.

On the performance side, Apple says the numbers are significant. According to the company's press release, apps on iPhone and iPad launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent quicker. Browsing and transferring files between external drives and iPad is now up to five times faster — on par with Finder on Mac. Search in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has also been rebuilt for better stability and more relevant results, with Mail getting a new ranking system to surface better Top Hits.

Apple Intelligence spreads across core apps

Apple Intelligence is no longer a standalone feature set — it's woven into nearly every major app in the iOS 27 ecosystem. From browsing to messaging to home security, the throughline is the same: describe what you want, and the system figures out the rest.

Safari Safari is getting new AI tools. Credit: Apple

Safari gets some of the most practical upgrades in the bunch. The browser can now automatically group open tabs by topic — if you've been researching a weekend trip, for instance, it'll pull those tabs together without being asked.

A new Notify Me feature lets users set Safari to monitor a specific webpage for changes, such as a product restock or price drop, and send a notification when something shifts. The Passwords app gains a related capability — it can now automatically navigate to websites and update compromised or weak passwords on a user's behalf. And with Describe an Extension, users can generate a custom Safari extension just by explaining what they want it to do.

Messages, Mail, and Phone

Contextual suggestions are getting smarter across Apple's communication apps. Messages can now surface one-tap actions based on conversation context — if someone mentions needing photos, it can help find the right ones from your library. Mail's suggestions can now trigger actions in third-party apps, and Smart Reply in both apps can now match a user's personal writing style. A new Phone app feature called Call Context automatically surfaces relevant information — like a confirmation number from an old email — when you call a business, and does so entirely on-device.

Calendar and Shortcuts

Calendar can now create and modify events through natural language input, automatically identifying contacts, locations, and generating a title as you type. Shortcuts gets a similar treatment with Describe a Shortcut — users can explain what they want to automate in plain language, and the app assembles the required steps on their behalf.

Home

The Home app gets a pair of meaningful AI upgrades for HomeKit Secure Video users. Related notifications from cameras are now batched into a single updating alert rather than a flood of individual pings. The app can also generate text descriptions of video sequences and let users search through camera footage by describing what they're looking for.

Photos gets a powerful editing overhaul

Apple Intelligence is also making significant inroads in the Photos app, with a new suite of editing tools that Apple says are designed to enhance images while preserving the integrity of the original moment. Photos edited with AI will automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark identifying them as altered.

Credit: Apple

The most technically ambitious of the new tools is Spatial Reframing, which lets users recompose a photo after the fact by dragging to shift perspective — as if they had moved the camera before taking the shot. Apple says the feature draws on spatial modeling work developed through Apple Vision Pro, and it will only generate new content in areas where the perspective has actually changed.

The Extend tool lets users expand the borders of an image to add breathing room around a subject, fix a crooked horizon, or adjust aspect ratio — with Apple Intelligence filling in whatever's missing at the edges. The existing Clean Up tool, which removes unwanted objects from photos, gets a significant quality upgrade with more realistic results even in complex scenes.

Image Playground, Apple's AI image generation tool, is adding photorealistic output for the first time, powered by a new generative model running on Private Cloud Compute. The app also gains more flexible editing — users can describe changes or use touch to select and modify objects directly. Generated images now include a hidden SynthID watermark, and the tool has expanded beyond Messages to support Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters.

When can you try the new tools?

The developer beta of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 are available now to users with an Apple Developer account, to be followed by a public beta in July. You can look for the public launch of the new generation of operating systems in the fall, following the annual iPhone launch event in September.

Keep in mind that not all iPhones and MacBooks will support iOS 27, macOS 27, and the new Siri AI.

SEE ALSO: These 29 iPhones are getting iOS 27: Is yours on the list?

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

Apple is building a better shopping experience in the Safari browser with its new Notify Me feature.

Announced during the fruit company's WWDC keynote, a slew of new features bring Apple Intelligence to the Safari web browser. New features include an intelligent tool to upgrade compromised passwords, Describe an Extension, and Notify Me. The latter was on display during the pre-recorded keynote. Notify Me sets up alerts on selected web pages for any changes. In the demonstration, Apple displayed Notify Me in action, setting a reminder for when camp registration goes live. But an even better use is for online shopping.

When an update is found, Safari will send a push alert so you can take action. Credit: Apple

In a press release, the company says, "With Notify Me, users can ask Safari to monitor a web page for changes, like product restocks or price drops, so they can stay on top of updates they care about. Users can tell Safari what they’re looking for, and when Safari detects a change on that web page, they’ll get a notification so they can take action."

For savvy shoppers, Notify Me lets you add a notification on any page you're browsing, including retailer websites. Unlike current price tracking tools such as Camelcamelcamel, which only monitors Amazon prices, Notify Me works across any site. Notify Me is more diverse than other price tracking extensions, as it can execute and monitor a variety of actions; it's not just limited to price tracking.

But price tracking will be a popular tool, especially for smart shoppers looking to save a penny and wanting to receive push notifications when a sought-after product goes on sale. Notify Me and the other new Safari features will go live in Fall 2026, at which point we'll see just how effective Notify Me is as a price tracker.