Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported earlier today that Apple has been working on a new HomePod mini for next year. While the report is focused on mentioning Apple’s new wireless chip, my only request is that Apple brings Apple Intelligence support to its future HomePod models.

Want the latest social network that’s popping off to be available on your Apple Watch? Leave it up to indie developers to always find a way. The latest is an all-new client for Bluesky called Butterfly — no relation to MacBook butterfly keyboards, fortunately.

The upcoming Seth Rogen comedy The Studio will feature a surprise appearance from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Despite the series being ordered by Apple TV+, Rogen explained to Vanity Fair that Sarandos agreed to feature in one of its rival streamer’s work as a favor. Rogen described the ask as a long shot, but as they say, you never got nothing unless you ask.

The Studio is a ten-part satirical comedy about the machinations of a movie studio that is trying to stay relevant; in the show, Rogen plays the newly appointed studio head Matt Remick.

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WhatsApp on Thursday announced a series of improvements coming soon to audio and video calls just in time for the holiday season. According to Meta, users can expect better call quality, as well as some other new features – so read on as we detail what’s coming.

AirPods Pro 2 recently received huge new features in Hearing Aid, Hearing Test, and Hearing Protection. But for many users, Apple’s latest iOS update may be even more transformative thanks to a key Apple Intelligence upgrade. Here’s how iOS 18.2 makes AirPods more powerful than ever.

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This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac that provides a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with my analysis and commentary. Today: new home devices, cellular Macs, gaming controllers for Vision Pro, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

Once upon a time, Apple made Wi-Fi routers called AirPorts. But the company abandoned the router scene with its last AirPort discontinued in 2018. Now, a slew of recent rumors provide hope that a new AirPort could be on the way.

Apple released the second round of AI features powered by Apple Intelligence this week through iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia. Now it’s the iWork suite of productivity apps that has an Apple Intelligence update ready for the world.

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Benjamin and Chance discuss why Apple is so keen on ditching Qualcomm and using its own modems in the iPhone, why the natural progression for the Apple Watch Ultra is satellite connectivity and get excited over rumors that the upcoming OLED MacBook Pro will replace the notch with a hole-punch cutout screen design. Also, Apple is rumored to be partnering with Sony to bring VR controller support to Vision Pro.

And in Happy Hour Plus, iOS 18.2 has a lot of cool non-AI features to highlight as Apple’s latest operating system updates finally roll out to the public. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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OpenAI has unveiled two new ChatGPT features today as part of its 12 days of OpenAI campaign. Notably, ChatGPT is learning how to include video input and screen sharing in voice conversation. And while the firm is feeling festive, there’s a fun new Santa mode arriving just in time for the holidays.

Apple is reportedly preparing to take another significant step in its silicon independence journey, according to Mark Gurman reporting for Bloomberg. The shift is expected to first appear in refreshed Apple TV and HomePod mini hardware as soon as the upcoming year.

Aside from the $3500 starting price, there’s one common complaint about Apple Vision Pro that most customers experience. Apple has worked with an unlikely partner to provide a solution that the Cupertino firm will sell directly.

Samsung has a new headset coming, powered by Android XR, and it looks an awful lot like an Apple Vision Pro clone. While the existence of another Samsung product that takes inspiration from Apple might upset some users, I think it could be really great news for Vision Pro owners.

iOS 18.2 has arrived, bringing a redesigned Mail app, Photos app fixes, and more. Some of the biggest changes, though, are with new AI features. And for the first time, Apple Intelligence now offers native language support in five places outside the US.

If you’ve ever wondered whether security cameras and alarms are effective at deterring burglars, the answer is yes – and that comes from a very reliable source: burglars.

KGW-TV asked 86 inmates convicted of burglary what would make them more likely to rob a home, and which things would deter them …

Sentiment analysis on social media suggests that certain emoji and internet acronyms are now falling out of favor, either being used less frequently, or attracting negative comments.

Top of the list is the enraged pouting face, aka 😡, while RIP is the most disliked acronym …

Does your state support Apple Wallet’s digital state ID or driver’s license feature yet? As of today, there are 10 locations that officially let iPhone users digitize their ID or license in the Wallet app.

iOS 18 has brought a uniquely staggered rollout of new features, with packed 18.1 and 18.2 releases so far. According to Mark Gurman, that has created some unexpected delays to iOS 19’s development.

Apple last month announced a new Share Item Location feature for helping to track AirTags and Apple devices, and said at the time that it would be partnering with more than 15 airlines. Those airlines would accept links from passengers tracking mislaid baggage.

United Airlines has now shown how it will integrate the feature into its mobile app, enabling customers to easily add the links …