Apple smart home display rumors now point to a fall launch with iOS 27
The rumored "HomePod with a screen" we've heard so much about was reportedly lined up for launch in 2025, and then this spring, and now, according to the latest updates, it's on the shelf until this fall. Leaker Kosutami posted as much on X last week, and today, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman followed up with similar information, saying its robot arm-equipped cousin is now planned for launch in 2027.
According to Gurman, the J490 smart home display / HomePad is waiting for Apple to finish work on its chatbot-style AI update for Siri.
That was supposed to be ready by now, but it is now predicted to arrive later this year, along with the iP …
The government shutdown is hitting airports — but not ICE
Chaos reigned at airports across the country last weekend, with thousands of travelers reportedly waiting in hours-long security lines thanks to staffing shortages. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Coast Guard workers have turned to food banks for assistance after weeks without pay. But amid a partial government shutdown aimed at curtailing the Department of Homeland Security's mass arrests and deportations, federal agents have continued their anti-immigrant crackdown unabated - and for now, there's not much anyone can do.
DHS has gone without funding for four weeks in a standoff over immigration enforcement. Congressional D …
Everything from the last week of everything is gambling now
Kalshi is facing backlash from its own users after a class action lawsuit was filed last week alleging it failed to pay out as promised for wagers regarding when Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would leave or be removed from office. Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran last month, but according to the lawsuit, Kalshi didn't implement a "death carveout" until after Khamenei had died.
Meanwhile, Kalshi is reportedly working to attract more women to its platform in an effort to grow its user base. As the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, the percentage of women using Kalshi has doubled over the past ten months, growing …
Employees across OpenAI and Google support Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Pentagon
On Monday, Anthropic filed its lawsuit against the Department of Defense over being designated as a supply chain risk. Hours later, nearly 40 employees from OpenAI and Google - including Jeff Dean, Google's chief scientist and Gemini lead - filed an amicus brief in support of Anthropic's lawsuit, detailing their concerns over the Trump administration's decision and the technology's risks and implications.
The news follows a dramatic few weeks for Anthropic, in which the Trump administration labeled the company a supply chain risk - a designation typically reserved for foreign companies that the government deems a potential risk to national …
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber will step aside
Jay Graber became the first CEO of Bluesky in 2021 when the network and its AT Protocol spun out from life as a Twitter research project to go independent, but now she's leaving that role, as reported previously by Wired. While venture capitalist and former Automattic CEO Toni Schneider steps in as interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found, Graber says she will become Bluesky's Chief Innovation Officer, focused on building new things for a platform that has gone from 30 million users about a year ago, to 40 million currently.
According to Graber, "Toni believes deeply in the Bluesky mission, and has been an advisor to the company a …
You can get three months of Disney Plus and Hulu for $15
If you’re looking for a way to stream the Oscars this weekend, or catch up on nominees like The Secret Agent, the Disney Plus and Hulu bundle is worth a look. The ceremony will stream live on Hulu for the first time on March 15th, and right now, new and eligible returning subscribers can get three months of Disney Plus bundled with Hulu with ads for $4.99 ($8 off) a month, which equates to a savings of $24.
The package grants access to thousands of movies and TVs shows, so in addition to watching Oscar nominees like It Was Just An Accident, you can also stream the latest season of Paradise, the Scrubs revival, and other Hulu titles like The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale, and more. On top of that, you’ll also get access to the entire Disney Plus catalog, which features a range of films and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. That means you can stream Andor, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Toy Story, The Simpsons, and Bluey, along with upcoming releases like Daredevil Born Again’s second season and the Zootopia sequel.
The main caveat is you’ll have to sit through commercials and won’t be able to download content for offline viewing. Just note that the promotion runs through March 24th at 11:59am ET. After that, the price will return to its regular $12.99 monthly price, so be sure to set a reminder to cancel if you’re only after the discount. Otherwise, though, the bundle grants access to the same catalog as the ad-free Premium plan, which is $19.99 a month.
Apple’s new M5 Max feels like a huge upgrade if you bought your laptop three years ago
We've been busy testing many new MacBooks, ranging from the new $1,099 M5 MacBook Air, going all the way up the $6,149 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip. While these computers are identical in design to last year's models, they have some things in common: neither delivers a significant lead over their M4 counterparts, although their faster SSDs might be enough reason for folks with older laptops to consider upgrading. We'll have full reviews of both laptops soon; in the meantime, here's how the M5 Max compares to its predecessors.
The biggest actual change: Apple claims that its 2026 models can deliver "up to 2x" the sustained read …
Apple Studio Display XDR review: pro at a premium
It's been almost exactly four years since Apple released the 5K Studio Display that so many wanted, even if it didn't really deliver as a high-end display. Apple has now revamped the Studio Display lineup, sort of, with another Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR. They're both 27-inch 5K (5,120 x 2,880) displays with the 12MP Center Stage camera - which is a significant upgrade over the old camera and looks clear with minimal noise - and six-speaker spatial audio system built in, and two Thunderbolt 5 ports alongside two USB-C.
The new Studio Display looks like the same panel from four years ago, just with the upgraded camera, speaker …
One of this rugged phone’s cameras is a pop-out action cam
What if your smartphone's camera wasn't locked to the back of the device? Honor's Robot Phone, which we got to see in action at MWC 2026, features a camera attached to a stabilized gimbal arm that can pop-up and look around. But it's still permanently tethered to the phone. The RugOne Xsnap 7 Pro, a new rugged phone from Ulefone, lets you pop out one of its rear cameras and use it as a standalone action camera.
The Xsnap 7 Pro is one of the first devices (following the Xever 7 and 7 Pro) from the new Ulfefone sub-brand RugOne. Instead of striving to be thin, the Xsnap 7 Pro is a thick and bulky smartphone that leverages its chunky design fo …
‘Cash Apples’ is giving away $500,000 to people who click on trees in a web browser
Want to make real money just by clicking on virtual trees? Starting today at 1PM PT / 4PM ET, residents of the United States can begin an online hunt for golden apples in a cutesy web game - collect enough of them, and Cash App will send you a certain amount of cash. (The game's called Cash Apples, and it's an intriguing ploy (in partnership with MSCHF) to drive Cash App signups, with $500,000 up for grabs over the next five days.
According to the official rules, you can earn a max of $200 per day each of those days between 4PM ET and 8PM ET, for a maximum of $1,000 over the week - so while it sounds like real cash, no individual will stri …