Apple Already Has the Perfect AI Gadget (It Just Needs One More Thing)
Earlier this week, a Bloomberg report highlighted how Apple is testing Siri features that add voice controls to non-Apple apps, including Amazon, Instagram and Uber. The idea is that with just your voice, you might be able to add an item to your shopping cart. Or maybe you could take, edit and post a photo to Instagram — all in a chat with Siri.
Apple executives have said the next evolution of Siri won't be ready until 2026, so there are still months of testing ahead as a new assistant takes shape. But that delay has invited other big tech CEOs to be vocal about their drive to create a new type of AI gadget that could outshine the iPhone and wean users from a typical screen interface.
But why would consumers invest in a separate AI gadget when the perfect one is already on their wrist? In this week's episode of One More Thing, embedded above, I break down the reports on what's coming next for Siri and explore how it could make devices like the Apple Watch or AirPods the new killer gadget to navigate a voice-centric AI age.
If you're looking for more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
17 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
5 must-try iOS 26 features for your iPhone — and how to use them
iOS 26 brings several standout features that can significantly improve your iPhone experience. This major update introduces new customization options, smarter automation, and enhanced AI capabilities that adapt to how you use your device. From visual upgrades that change the look of your homescreen to AI improvements that make your iPhone genuinely more helpful, this update feels like a meaningful step forward rather than just another incremental change. Whether you're someone who loves tweaking every detail of your setup or you just want your phone to work better without extra effort, these five features hit the sweet spot. Liquid Glass icons are probably the most visually striking change in iOS 26. Instead of the solid app icons you're used to, this feature makes them semi-transparent so your wallpaper shows through. To enable Liquid Glass icons, long-press anywhere on your homescreen until the edit options appear. Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner, then select Customize from the menu that appears. At the bottom of your screen, you'll see options for Light, Dark, Tinted, and Clear. Tap Clear to access the Liquid Glass settings, then choose between Clear Light, Clear Dark, or Clear Auto depending on whether you want full transparency or prefer to keep some original colors. Instead of being interrupted by every unknown number that calls, call screening intercepts these calls first and asks the caller to identify themselves. Only then will you get notified and can decide whether to take the call or send it straight to voicemail. Setting up call screening is straightforward. Open the Settings app, scroll down and tap Apps, then select Phone from the list. Look for the Screen Incoming Calls section and slide the toggle to turn it on. Once enabled, any call from an unknown number will be automatically screened before your phone rings. When someone identifies themselves, a notification will appear, displaying their name, number, and a brief transcript of their message. From there, you can tap the green button to answer or the red button to send them to voicemail. Sometimes the smallest updates end up being the most fun to use. iOS 26 lets you personalize individual conversations with custom images or Apple's curated collections. It's not momentous, but it makes your chats feel more distinctive and personal. To add a background, open any message conversation and tap on the header at the top — that's the area with the person's photo or group icon. You'll see Backgrounds appear in a scroll bar near the top of your screen. Apple provides curated collections organized by themes like Color, Sky, Water, and Aurora, but you can also use your own photos. It's a simple way to give each conversation its own personality, whether that's adding a vacation photo to a family group chat or picking something that matches the vibe of your friend group. Visual Intelligence now works with screenshots, not just live camera views. This means you can capture anything on your iPhone screen and instantly search for more information, add events to your calendar, or find similar images. Taking advantage of this feature is as simple as taking a regular screenshot. Press the power button and volume up button simultaneously to capture whatever's on your screen. When the screenshot preview appears, you'll see the usual options to save, share, or markup your image. You'll also notice new Visual Intelligence commands at the bottom: Ask, Add to Calendar, and Image Search. Ask uses ChatGPT to provide information about what's in your screenshot, Add to Calendar can create events from detected text, and Image Search helps you find similar images or products online. Spatial Scenes gives your photos a subtle 3D effect on your lock screen. It identifies which of your photos would work well with this depth effect and converts them into immersive wallpapers. It's a nice way to make your favorite photos feel more dynamic. To set up a Spatial Scene, press and hold on your lock screen, then tap the plus button at the bottom to create a new customized lock screen. Scroll down through the featured wallpapers until you find Spatial Scenes. You'll find a selection of photos that Apple has identified as good candidates for the 3D conversion. Once you select a photo, the conversion happens automatically. You can then pinch and zoom to crop the image and decide whether to extend the wallpaper or turn off the depth effect. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Looking For Yields: Avista, Merck, And Skyworks Solutions Are Consistent Moneymakers
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Companies with a long history of paying dividends and consistently hiking them remain appealing to income-focused investors. Avista, Merck, and Skyworks Solutions have rewarded shareholders for years and recently announced dividend increases. These companies currently offer dividend yields of up to around 5%. Avista Avista Corp. (NYSE:AVA) is an electric and natural gas utility company in the U.S. Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Avista has increased its dividends every year for the last 22 years. In its most recent dividend hike announcement on Feb. 12, it raised the quarterly payout from $0.475 to $0.49 per share, equal to an annual figure of $1.96 per share. More recently, in its dividend announcement on May 1, the company maintained the payout at the same level. Currently, the dividend yield on the stock is 5.18%. The company's annual revenue as of June 30 stood at $1.96 billion. The company on Aug. 6 posted Q2 2025 revenues of $411 million and EPS of $0.17, both coming in below expectations. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a ? Merck Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of health solutions. Merck has raised its dividends consecutively for the last 14 years. In its most recent dividend hike announcement on Nov. 19, the board increased the quarterly payout from $0.77 to $0.81 per share, equaling an annual figure of $3.24 per share. More recently, in its dividend announcement on July 22, the company maintained the payout at the same level. The current dividend yield on the stock is 4.03%. Merck's annual revenue as of June 30 stood at $63.62 billion. The company on July 29 posted Q2 2025 revenues of $15.81 billion, below the consensus estimate of $15.94 billion, while EPS of $2.13 beat the consensus of $ Solutions Skyworks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) designs, develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary semiconductor products in the U.S. and internationally. Skyworks Solutions has raised its dividends every year for the last 11 years. In its most recent dividend hike announcement on Aug. 5, the company raised the quarterly payout by 1% to $0.71 per share, equaling an annual figure of $2.84 per share. Currently, the dividend yield on the stock stands at 3.96%. The company's annual revenue as of June 30 stood at $4.01 billion. The company on Aug. 5 posted Q3 2025 revenues of $965 million and EPS of $1.33, both coming in above the consensus estimates. Check out this article by Benzinga for seven analysts' insights on Skyworks Solutions. Avista, Merck, and Skyworks Solutions are good choices for investors seeking reliable passive income. Their dividend yields of up to around 5% and long history of consistent hikes make them attractive to income-focused investors. Read Next: Bill Gates Warned About Water Scarcity. Image: Shutterstock This article Looking For Yields: Avista, Merck, And Skyworks Solutions Are Consistent Moneymakers originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Soros, Appaloosa boost their Nvidia stake. They also bought this beaten-down stock, and it's rallying.
Soros Fund Management and Appaloosa Management both bought a whole lot more Nvidia Corp. stock during the second quarter, according to disclosures released Thursday, as the chip-maker occupies a spot dead-center in the artificial-intelligence boom. Both firms also bought more shares of embattled health-insurance giant UnitedHealth Group UNH over that period. Shares of that company jumped nearly 11% after hours, but they were down 46.3% on the year so far. Homeowners rush to refinance as mortgage-rate plunge opens window of opportunity My wife and I are in our 50s and have $11 million. We're not leaving it to our kids. Is that wrong? Soros Fund Management bought 932,539 shares of Nvidia NVDA, when combining puts and calls. The purchase marked a more than 1,600% increase, bringing the fund's total holdings to 990,292 shares. Appaloosa, meanwhile, bought 1.45 million shares of Nvidia, representing a 483.33% increase that brought the fund's total holdings to 1.75 million shares. Shares of Nvidia edged down 0.1% after hours on Thursday, but are up 35.5% so far this year. Appaloosa snapped up around 2.28 million shares of UnitedHealth representing a 1,300% increase in the fund's holdings in the stock. That brought Appaloosa's total holdings to 2.45 million shares. Soros bought 28,900 more shares of UnitedHealth during the quarter. Soros also bought new shares of Microsoft Corp. MSFT and Tesla Inc. TSLA — two other 'Magnificent Seven' stocks. It also added to its stake in Nike Inc. NKE. You could receive up to $7,500 from the AT&T settlement. Here's how class-action suits work. I'm a senior who barely survives on $1,300 a month. No way could I live on $1,000.
