Day: December 9, 2025

How to Effectively Utilize Siri on the iPhone 17

there are several concealed functionalities you can access to enhance your experience with Siri’s partnership with Apple Intelligence.

One of the most exciting advancements is Siri’s capacity to grasp context. For instance, imagine you’re looking up showtimes for a re-release of “Babe: Pig in the City.” Just as you inquire about showtimes, you begin to ponder how the movie was received by critics in 1998. Rather than restating the film’s title in a new question, you can straightforwardly ask, “Did the film receive positive reviews upon its initial release?” Siri comprehends the context and provides the information — no additional steps needed.

Remember that Apple Intelligence is still technically in beta, even with over a year of limited release. This indicates that the contextual features are still developing. Not all apps are compatible yet, but updates in the future are expected to broaden support.

Type, tap, or ask — Siri’s here for you

Perplexity Unveils Security System to Address AI Browser Weakness

navigating its way into our web browsers. Some widely-used browsers have chosen to slowly incorporate AI functionalities over time — such as Google Chrome with its Gemini integration — while others, like Perplexity’s Comet and ChatGPT’s Atlas browsers, are fundamentally designed to leverage AI capabilities, which include employing AI agents. Regardless of whether you are embracing the AI movement, there’s a clear concern that cannot be overlooked, and that is the multitude of security threats posed by browsers utilizing AI agents.

Although there are several justifications for steering clear of AI-focused browsers like Comet, they can also provide significant benefits by allowing users to navigate the web from a fresh perspective. Nonetheless, a prominent security vulnerability has emerged: the potential for AI agents, such as those in Atlas and Comet, to be compromised and misled through prompt injections. This could enable malicious individuals to seize control of an AI agent or capture sensitive information and data, often without the user’s awareness.

Perplexity’s newest innovation, a system named BrowseSafe, aims to identify and thwart these types of threats affecting AI browser agents. If adopted by additional browsers, this system could enhance the security and practicality of AI agents and AI browsers for long-term use.

Ongoing safeguarding to complement your AI

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MKBHD Chooses iPhone 17 as Smartphone of the Year

The victors of this year’s MKBHD Smartphone Awards have just been announced, with Apple achieving four accolades across 10 categories, one of which isn’t particularly commendable. Here are the specifics.

### Three Devices Earn Four Recognitions

Whether you appreciate or dislike MKBHD’s annual endeavor of equally annoying smartphone enthusiasts from all sides, the reality is that his Smartphone Awards provide a fascinating glimpse into the ever-flattening landscape of the smartphone industry.

Although much of the spotlight typically falls on the winners, he consistently offers considered observations on the runners-up and his decision-making methodology, often emphasizing merits and drawbacks that prove to be more enlightening than the award itself.

For this reason, his Smartphone Awards 2025 video is definitely worth watching, beyond simply identifying the winners in each category.

That being said, if you simply want to get to the point without the background or knowing which devices competed against each iPhone, Apple secured four selections this year:

– Best Design Award for the iPhone Air
– Most Improved for the iPhone 17
– Bust of the Year for the iPhone 16e
– Phone of the Year for the iPhone 17

While discussing his selection of the iPhone 17 for this year’s top honor, Marques Browlee remarked that this phone “leveled up to be the most complete and actually kind of a great deal,” given that it finally features a 120 Hz display, along with the chip and camera enhancements.

Again, make sure to view the complete video, as it presents a thorough overview of the smartphone market’s current state, including some forward-looking insights on foldables and prevailing trends.

What’s your opinion on MKBHD’s choices? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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iPhone 16 Dominates Q3 2025 Sales, Apple Holds 5 of the Top 10 Best-Selling Gadgets

**Apple and Samsung Lead Global Smartphone Sales in Q3 2025**

A new analysis from Counterpoint Research indicates that Apple has reaffirmed its dominance in the global smartphone arena, with the iPhone 16 topping sales for the third consecutive quarter. This piece offers a comprehensive overview of the latest data.

### Apple and Samsung at the Forefront

The analysis reveals that the iPhone 16 accounted for 4% of the overall smartphone volume share last quarter. Apple has made considerable progress compared to last year, when it occupied four places in the top 10. This year, Apple secured five positions, reflecting its robust market influence.

The highest-selling models for Apple in Q3 2025 are:
1. **iPhone 16**
2. **iPhone 16 Pro**
3. **iPhone 16 Pro Max**
4. **iPhone 16e**
5. **iPhone 17 Pro Max** (ranked #10 despite constrained availability towards the quarter’s conclusion)

This achievement is due to various factors, including effective holiday promotions in India and a continued recovery in Japan, which helped offset the usual seasonal drop associated with new iPhone releases.

### Competitive Landscape

Though Apple led the rankings, Samsung also made an impact. The Galaxy A16 5G was the top-selling Android smartphone this quarter. The rivalry between these two technology leaders continues to influence the smartphone market, with both firms innovating to win over consumers.

### Market Trends and Future Predictions

Counterpoint Research highlights that last semester’s sales were driven by consumers looking to upgrade their smartphones post-COVID-19 pandemic. Moving forward, the report anticipates that AI capabilities are set to foster growth in the mid-range category, possibly affecting future rankings.

For more detailed information, you can view the full report from Counterpoint Research

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Testing Gemini 3 Shows Google’s Capability to Take the Lead in the AI Competition

When ChatGPT surfaced a few years back, Google’s first approach was to broadly implement AI technology, aiming for user involvement. Nevertheless, ChatGPT’s advanced models and brand influence eclipsed Google’s initiatives. Lately, Google has made progress with its Gemini AI, which has steadily boosted its web traffic share throughout the past year, posing a challenge to ChatGPT’s supremacy. The introduction of Gemini 3 has encountered significant interest, leading Google to modify its strategies.

Google’s capacity to outpace rivals like OpenAI resides not only in Gemini 3’s performance metrics but also in its comprehension of user engagement. Google’s recent actions, inclusive of the Gemini 3 rollout, illustrate a transition towards crafting user-centric, brand-enhancing AI experiences. This methodology is vital for AI success, as demonstrated by OpenAI’s Sora, which shifted the narrative around AI-generated content.

The launch of Gemini 3 underscores Google’s dedication to rendering AI both accessible and engaging. The model’s swift availability across multiple platforms, such as Google Search and developer tools, underscores Google’s prioritization of user experience. Furthermore, Google’s branding initiatives, exemplified by the whimsical Nano Banana, reflect an awareness of the significance of brand attractiveness in the AI arena.

In summary, Gemini 3 marks a pivotal moment for Google’s AI approach, highlighting user engagement, accessibility, and brand strength. This all-encompassing strategy positions Google to compete effectively in the changing AI market.

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“Google Chrome Unveils New Functionality to Boost Productivity”

feature in Opera, Edge, and Vivaldi that users have come to appreciate sufficiently to switch from Chrome. However, with Chrome’s latest update, that is set to change.

If you’ve been using Chrome in the past week, you may have observed the new split view feature that appears when you right-click on any tab. As its name implies, the split view in Chrome allows you to divide the screen into two separate webpages — one on the left and another on the right. This functionality simplifies the process of viewing two pages simultaneously rather than constantly switching tabs or employing the traditional method of opening tabs in two separate windows and using your computer’s built-in split screen feature. Chrome’s split view can be beneficial for enhancing your productivity during both work and leisure hours. For example, you might activate split view while comparing prices across two online sites, jotting down notes while reading, or watching a video while scrolling through social media at the same time.

While there hasn’t been an official announcement regarding the new split view in Chrome, some users have detected it in version 142 and others in version 143. Therefore, ensure you update Chrome to the most recent version if you haven’t done so already. Following that, here’s a brief guide on how to utilize split view in Chrome.

How to utilize split view in Chrome

The Primary Obstacle to Tim Cook’s Devotion to Apple’s Dominance in AI

can still emerge as a significant contender in the AI arena. Last August, Cook informed company staff that Apple does not take pride in being the first to enter a market but instead focuses on being the best. As a result, Cook expressed that Apple still has the capability to influence consumer-oriented AI in the future.

Additionally, Cook stated that Apple is entirely ready to “make the investment to do it.” It’s only reasonable for Cook to seek to inspire the team, but an ongoing concern for Cook’s assurance of AI leadership is the straightforward reality that numerous Apple engineers and researchers are resigning to join OpenAI. Clearly, if Apple genuinely aims to make an impact in the AI domain, it will need to take significant measures to stop its most skilled employees from leaving.

Apple’s talent exodus is a larger concern than we realized

Budget-Friendly Electronics at Walmart to Explore on Your Upcoming Trip

Power Juice Slim Pro Power Bank available for $19.88 at Walmart. It features dual USB Type-A ports that allow you to charge several devices simultaneously, like your phone and earbuds. Monitoring the battery level of the power bank is simple with its four-LED light indicator.

You can recharge the power bank with either a Micro-USB or USB-C cable. However, remember that the USB-C port is designated for charging the power bank itself, not your devices. If you’re seeking to charge devices via USB-C, you’ll need one of the top USB-C power banks.

True to its name, this portable charger is

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Apple Fitness+ Broadens Market Presence and Launches Dubbed Workout Offerings

Following reports that Apple is dissatisfied with the subscriber numbers for Apple Fitness+ and is uncertain about the service’s future direction, the company has unveiled a considerable expansion of its fitness program to 28 new markets, along with the addition of dubbed episodes in three new languages. This initiative aims to enhance the service’s accessibility to a wider audience while preserving its position as one of the most innovative fitness programs available.

As stated in a press release, Apple Fitness+ will launch in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Vietnam, and 17 other countries and regions beginning December 15. Customers in Japan can expect support early next year.

“Thanks to its smooth integration with Apple devices, Fitness+ has motivated users to lead healthier lives each day,” declared Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of Fitness Technologies. “From experiencing real-time, personalized metrics directly onscreen with Apple Watch or AirPods Pro 3, to being able to take the service with you wherever you are on iPhone or iPad, we’re providing unparalleled motivation to users. We couldn’t be more thrilled to extend this experience to even more users worldwide with our largest expansion to date.”

Apple Fitness+ has seen considerable enhancements over the last five years. Starting December 15, the company will roll out its most significant feature yet: dubbed workout programs. These digitally dubbed versions of workouts and meditations will be offered in Spanish and German, with Japanese dubbing to follow early next year as the service becomes available in Japan.

The dubbed workouts and meditations will feature the actual voices of each of the 28 Fitness+ trainers. While this approach enables a broader audience to engage with the workouts, it is noteworthy that Apple opted for a Workout Buddy-like method rather than hiring actual individuals for dubbing. This decision comes despite Apple’s recent focus on human-driven projects over AI, as evidenced by their new Apple TV service launch and holiday film.

Moreover, Apple is tackling one of the main challenges faced by the Fitness+ service by advancing beyond subtitles to provide dubbed programs. The company also intends to incorporate K-pop into its workout options.

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New AirPods Configuration in iOS 26 Tackles Frequent Bluetooth Problems

### iOS 26 Unveils ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’ Feature for AirPods

iOS 26 has introduced a range of new functionalities for AirPods, one notable feature that might go unnoticed is the ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’ option. This capability enables users to stop their AirPods’ audio from being automatically redirected to other Bluetooth devices, including in-vehicle audio systems.

#### Comprehending the Problem

Numerous AirPods users have faced the irritating situation of their audio unexpectedly relocating to adjacent Bluetooth devices. This often happens without any input from the user, resulting in sudden loud sound from the speakers rather than the desired private listening experience via the AirPods. This issue can be especially disruptive during car audio use.

#### The Fix: ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’

With the launch of iOS 26, Apple has presented a remedy to this enduring issue. The ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’ feature is crafted to ensure that audio playback continues through AirPods or other wireless headphones, even when other Bluetooth gadgets try to link to the iPhone.

To activate this feature on an iPhone with iOS 26, users can adhere to these steps:

1. Launch the **Settings** application.
2. Select **General**.
3. Choose **AirPlay & Continuity**.
4. Switch on **Keep Audio with Headphones**.

Apple portrays this feature as a means to guarantee that audio stays with the headphones when other devices, like speakers or cars, connect to the iPhone.

#### User Choices and Consequences

Although the ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’ option is disabled by default, it grants users increased authority over their audio experience. Some users might favor the earlier automatic switching behavior, which is why Apple decided to keep this feature off at first. Nevertheless, many users are likely to value the ability to avert unwanted audio disruptions.

This feature may also enhance Apple’s improvements to CarPlay, providing a more fluid audio experience when utilizing AirPods alongside in-car systems.

#### Summary

The launch of the ‘Keep Audio with Headphones’ feature in iOS 26 is a beneficial update for AirPods users who have encountered audio hijacking problems with Bluetooth devices. By offering users the choice to manage their audio flow, Apple improves the overall user experience and tackles a prevalent annoyance. Users are encouraged to turn on this setting to experience continuous audio through their AirPods.

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