O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: Mac

  • Rumor: Apple developing AI-based Siri chatbot for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27

    Rumor: Apple developing AI-based Siri chatbot for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27

    Following extensive deals with assorted AI developers, Apple is apparently looking to turn Siri into an AI-powered chatbot that could rival Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

    According to Bloomberg, this wasn’t Apple’s initial plan, although the popularity of assorted chatbots on the market forced the company’s executives to reconsider.

    The Siri chatbot, codenamed “Campos,” will be integrated into the iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 operating systems and replace the current version of Siri. It will have the same natural language conversation functionality as chatbots like ChatGPT, and it will be accessible by using the “‌Siri‌” wake word or by holding down the side button on an iPhone or iPad.

    Apple is said to be testing the chatbot as a standalone app, even if the long-term goal won’t be to offer it in an app form. Instead, it will be integrated directly into Apple devices and powered via a custom model based on Google Gemini. It’s thought that the chatbot will be able to search the web, generate content, help with coding, summarize information, and analyze uploaded files. It will be able to use personal data on a person’s device to complete tasks, and it will result in a much-improved search feature. Apple is also said to be designing a feature that will allow the chatbot to view open windows and on-screen content, as well as adjust device features and settings.

    The new chatbot will also integrate into all Apple apps, including Photos, Mail, Messages, Music, and TV, and be capable of analyzing content within the apps to respond to queries and requests. Where the user interface is concerned, it will be available to communicate with via voice and type-based interface options.

    Apple is also said to be considering how much the chatbot will be able to remember. While the Claude and ChatGPT chatbots are currently able to glean extensive information about users through past conversations, thus allowing for personalization, Apple could limit Siri’s memory to address privacy-based concerns.

    Finally, the Siri chatbot will function as an upgrade to the more personalized version of Siri that Apple is said to be developing for the iOS 26.4 update. This version of Siri will implement the Apple Intelligence features that were initially promised in iOS 18, and the redesigned Siri chatbot will debut later this year with the release of iOS 27.

    Apple currently plans to unveil ‌Siri‌ chatbot at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, after which testing of iOS 27 will begin.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Some Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro 90-day trial links are still active as Apple transitions to Creator Studio offerings

    Some Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro 90-day trial links are still active as Apple transitions to Creator Studio offerings

    Following up on Apple’s announcement last week about Apple Creator Studio becoming available for subscription, there may be a way to get a free 90-day trial for its Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro applications.

    Per 9to5Mac, while Apple has replaced standalone 3-month trials of Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro with Apple Creator Studio’s 1-month test period, Creator Studio offers Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad, along with Motion, Compressor, and MainStage on Mac.

    The $12.99/month or $129/year service will roll out on January 28, but Apple will still offer one-time purchases for Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage through the Mac App Store.

    According to Reddit and MacMagazine, Apple “has discontinued the trial versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro”. Where users could previously download 90-day trial versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro independently, you can still use trial links at https://www.apple.com/uk/final-cut-pro/trial/, or https://www.apple.com/it/logic-pro/trial/, which still allow users to download the trial versions of both apps, although it is very likely that Apple will also pull these links sooner rather than later.

    The trial links across several regions are rapdily changing, with some original trial pages still working, while others redirect to the new Apple Creator Studio landing pages or to the App Store.

    Still, there may be some time left to download and use the 90-day trials before the January launch date for Apple Creator Studio.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac, Reddit, and MacMagazine

  • Rumor: Apple to fine-tune Google Gemini AI to offer additional features for Siri

    Rumor: Apple to fine-tune Google Gemini AI to offer additional features for Siri

    With the announcement that Apple has tapped Google’s Gemini to help power its Siri assistant, a new report from The Information has indicated that the revamped Siri will be able to do the following:

    • Answer more factual/world knowledge questions in a conversational manner
    • Tell more stories
    • Provide emotional support
    • Assist with more tasks, such as booking travel
    • Create a document in the Notes app with information, such as a cooking recipe

    The report said Apple plans to announce additional Siri capabilities at WWDC in June, including providing proactive suggestions based on information from apps such as Calendar.

    Apple has already announced that the upgraded/personalized Siri would have a better understanding of a user’s personal context, as well as on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. In a recent example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother’s flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

    The report also indicated that the latest prototype of the more personalized Siri would not feature any Google or Gemini branding, and that Apple will be able to fine-tune the Gemini AI model to respond to queries in a way that Apple prefers.

    Apple first previewed the more personalized Siri at WWDC 2024, and the revamped assistant is expected to launch as part of iOS 26.4 in March or April. However, per the report, some capabilities will not arrive until iOS 27.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and The Information

  • Civilization VII Arcade Edition to arrive for Apple Arcade in February, albeit with caveats

    Civilization VII Arcade Edition to arrive for Apple Arcade in February, albeit with caveats

    If you love Civilization, it’s en route to Apple Arcade, albeit with some caveats.

    Per AppleInsider, Civilization VII Arcade Edition is coming to Apple Arcade on February 5, bringing the long-running strategy series to additional Apple platforms, but with some limitations.

    The game will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac through an Apple Arcade subscription, without ads or in-app purchases. For Apple users, that removes the usual upfront cost tied to a franchise long sold as a premium PC release.

    The game will offer the classic turn-based strategy experience, wherein players guide their civilizations through distinct historical ages through long-term choices. Unfortunately, the Arcade version will be somewhat limited and won’t receive downloadable content released for Civilization VII on other platforms. Per the App Store listing, both post-launch DLC available on Steam and other platforms and other updates to the title may arrive later or not at all.

    The game will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac through an Apple Arcade subscription.

    The absence of DLC ties in to how Apple Arcade itself works, as the service doesn’t support paid expansions or in-app purchases, which clashes with Civilization’s long-established expansion-driven model.

    Finally, multiplayer functionality over a network may be limited to Apple Arcade subscribers as well.

    Civilization VII Arcade Edition launches on Apple Arcade on February 5 and will require iOS or iPadOS 17 or later on devices with an A17 Pro or M-series chip, including recent iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini models, along with macOS Monterey 12.1 or later on Apple silicon Macs. The download size is 3.53 GB, with Apple Vision support requiring visionOS 26 or later.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider

  • Apple announces Apple Creator Studio, offers premium applications for subscription for the iPad and Mac

    Apple announces Apple Creator Studio, offers premium applications for subscription for the iPad and Mac

    Apple on Tuesday revealed its much-anticipated Apple Creator Studio, which functions as a subscription service for the iPad and brings together a collection of somewhat pricey tools, including Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Logic Pro, and other applications.

    The suite had first been rumored since November 2025, and was thought to be a possibility since Apple bought Pixelmator Pro in November 2024,with the chief hope being that the noted image editor would finally debut on the iPad.

    Alongside it are the existing Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad. These have been available on iPad for a subscription, while their Mac counterparts remained a one-time purchase.

    With the subscription, users receive the full suite for $12.99 per month, or $129 per year, after a free one-month trial.

    It seems that the new Creator Studio subscription replaces the existing versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad. These applications previously retailed for $4.99 per month, for each app. For that price, users get Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the Mac as well, plus the pro macOS tools Motion, Compressor, and Mainstage. They also have Pixelmator Pro on both platforms.

    Apple has also made the somewhat controversial move of including some features of its main iWork apps within the bundle. Apple has stated that the Apple Creator Studio includes “new AI features and premium content in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.”

    Even so, Apple has also claimed that its Keynote, Pages, and Numbers apps will remain free in their current form, as will Freeform. These applications will continue to be updated on both Mac and iPad.

    Apple Creator Studio will be available starting on January 28. Apple says that a free one-month trial will be available for new subscribers, but it’s not clear if that excludes existing Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro iPad users.

    Finally, the company has stated that three months free use of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle will also be included with every new Mac. The same is offered for new iPads, but only ones with at least 6GB RAM, and an A16, A17 Pro, M-Series processor, or later.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Apple