xAI makes Grok Imagine video generator free for everyone
Elon Musk’s xAI firm has some counter-programming planned following OpenAI’s GPT-5 upgrade to ChatGPT.
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Author
Zac Hall is a Senior Editor, covering Apple, AI, and the modern technology landscape.
He joined 9to5Mac in April 2013, originally as a writer and copy editor.
He later served as Lead Editor from May 2016 through December 2020, before shifting focus to creating the Space Explored website.
In 2015, Zac began co-hosting 9to5Mac Happy Hour, establishing the format of the site’s premier podcast, which he hosted for eight years.
In 2018, he created 9to5Mac Daily, providing audio recaps of Apple and technology news each weekday. He also created and hosted multiple seasons of the 9to5Mac Watch Time podcast, a health and fitness-focused interview series.
Zac currently focuses on writing for 9to5Mac. He is based in the lovely Gulf Coast town of Ocean Springs, MS, where he lives with his brilliant kids and Nova, his adventurous Cavachon rescue pup.
Contact: zac@9to5mac.com
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public beta 2 now available
Apple kicked off the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public beta just in the nick of time last month. The company met its self-imposed July deadline after shipping four developer betas instead of the usual three. With Apple’s redesign direction back on track, we’re now seeing the second iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public beta release become available.
Expand Expanding CloseOpenAI officially announces GPT-5, its next major upgrade to ChatGPT
OpenAI has officially announced GPT-5, its latest frontier model to power ChatGPT. The announcement follows the release of two open weight models, one of which can run on the Mac, and changes to encourage healthier ChatGPT use this week.
Expand Expanding CloseThis macOS 26 icon strategy punishes Mac users more than developers
When it comes to iOS 26, Liquid Glass and legibility have been the subject of much discussion around the iPhone software redesign. On the Mac, however, app icon decisions have stirred up a lot of feelings for macOS Tahoe users. One change in particular arguably makes the Mac harder to use.
Expand Expanding CloseiOS 26 won’t actually cost political fundraisers half a billion dollars
Political fundraisers recently went into a panic over an upcoming feature improvement coming to the iPhone. Apple has since clarified how the feature works, making the pearl-clutching much ado about nothing.
Expand Expanding CloseHow to watch OpenAI’s ‘longer than usual’ GPT-5 reveal, as teased by a Death Star
“That’s no moon,” as Obi-Wan Kenobi once said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stirred intrigue with a cryptic post last night showing the Death Star from Star Wars as a hint that something big is coming.
Expand Expanding CloseApple’s first OLED MacBook Pro might borrow a popular iPhone feature
Samsung Display has reportedly secured Apple’s first OLED panel order for the MacBook Pro, marking a major milestone in the transition to OLED in Apple’s Mac lineup beginning in 2026.
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Sonos products are about to get more expensive
Sonos is synonymous with premium audio gear, and soon, some of that gear will carry an even more premium price tag.
Expand Expanding CloseTurn your Mac into a local ChatGPT with OpenAI’s new free model
This week, OpenAI released its long-awaited open weight model called gpt-oss. Part of the appeal of gpt-oss is that you can run it locally on your own hardware, including Macs with Apple silicon. Here’s how to get started and what to expect.
Expand Expanding CloseOpenAI teases GPT-5 release for ChatGPT
OpenAI is having a big week. Yesterday, the leading AI firm dropped not one, but two open-weight models, including one that can run well on Apple silicon Macs. Next? GPT-5 is coming to ChatGPT.
Expand Expanding CloseTim Cook expected at White House event, Apple ‘largely unaffected’ by India tariffs
Two quick updates to a couple of stories from this morning involving Apple, the Trump administration, and increased India tariffs. First, CNBC reports that the $100 billion U.S. investment increase (over four years) announcement is currently scheduled for 4:30 ET today.
Expand Expanding CloseInstagram adds two familiar social media features to its app
Meta is updating Instagram today with some familiar social network features from other services. For example, the photo- and video-sharing service is basically getting its own version of the classic retweet. Separately, Instagram continues to take inspiration from Snapchat with its own social map feature.
Expand Expanding CloseiPhone 17 cases may have a new feature
When Apple unveils the iPhone 17 lineup next month, it seems like we’ll also see a new version of Apple’s first-party protective cases as well. If the latest rumors are true, the iPhone 17 case lineup will take a design cue from the AirPods Pro 2 charging case.
Expand Expanding CloseHere’s how India tariffs could affect Apple and iPhone prices
Shifting final assembly of Apple products like iPhone from China to India has helped Apple avoid costly tariffs in the United States. But what happens when the US imposes similar tariffs in India to those seen in China?
Expand Expanding CloseDisney announces plans to phase out standalone Hulu app
The Hulu app isn’t long for this world, according to Disney. While the standalone app is being phased out, however, the brand that Disney now owns in full is set for international expansion.
Expand Expanding CloseESPN live sports streaming app gets launch date and bundle pricing
ESPN is launching its long-awaited standalone streaming service later this month. The sports-focused subscription video service officially has a launch date, bundle pricing, and other details confirmed.
Expand Expanding CloseApple stops signing iOS 18.5, blocking downgrade from iOS 18.6
It’s been just over a week since Apple released iOS 18.6. Since the iPhone software update has shipped without issue, Apple has stopped signing the older iOS 18.5 software version.
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Here’s the redesigned AirDrop icon in iOS 26
Apple has updated every Home Screen app icon in iOS 26. As of beta 5, AirDrop has undergone the same redesign for its icon in the share sheet.
Expand Expanding CloseMail no longer buries the ‘Select’ button in iOS 26 beta 5
A small but annoying change in iOS 26 beta has been driving Mail app users bananas since June. As of beta 5, however, Apple has reverted that change and avoided making even more people complain.
Expand Expanding CloseiOS 26 beta 5 adds ‘Mode Switching’ toggle to revert Camera swipe direction
iOS 26 includes a redesigned Camera app that changes how you switch between shooting modes. As of iOS 26 beta 5, the redesign comes with a new toggle in Settings as well.
Expand Expanding CloseEverything new in iOS 26 beta 5
iOS 26 beta 5 is out now for iPhones on the developer beta release cycle. Below we’re collecting all of the iOS 26 beta 5 changes compared to the previous version.
Expand Expanding CloseOpenAI releases two open-weight AI models, including one that runs well on Apple Silicon Macs
Living up to its name, OpenAI has released not one but two new open-weight AI models after promising to deliver a new open-weight model earlier this year. The two models, gpt-oss-20b and gpt-oss-120b, are available to download for free now.
Expand Expanding CloseApple releases iOS 26 beta 5 for iPhone
Apple has released the fifth developer beta version of iOS 26. We expect the redesigned version of the iPhone software to officially launch next month. Apple also launched the first public beta version of iOS 26 last week. The latest build is 23A5308g.
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FOX One streaming service gets launch date and pricing
Earlier this year, we told you about plans for a standalone streaming service from FOX with a former Apple TV+ veteran at the helm. As of today, FOX has announced pricing and the launch date for its direct to consumers subscription video service.
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