Alibaba launches new Qwen3 AI models for Apple's MLX architecture
The new models would be able to run on a range of Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Mac, Alibaba said in a post on Wechat.
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Tom's Guide
43 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
The Apple Watch just got an AI fitness coach — how to enable Workout Buddy in watchOS 26
Apple's latest update, WatchOS 26, introduces Workout Buddy, an AI-powered fitness coach that lives right on your wrist. This new feature uses Apple Intelligence to analyze your workout data and deliver personalized voice feedback during exercise sessions. Instead of just tracking your stats silently, Workout Buddy acts like a personal trainer, offering motivation at the start of workouts, real-time updates on your performance, and encouraging summaries when you're done. The AI uses voices trained from actual Apple Fitness Plus trainers, so it sounds more like a real coach than a robotic assistant. Setting up Workout Buddy takes just a few taps, but there's some steps you'll need to follow to get this AI fitness companion working properly. Here's how you can enable Workout Buddy on your Apple Watch. Before you start setting up Workout Buddy, make sure your hardware can actually run it. You'll need an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer running watchOS 26, since older models don't have the processing power for this AI feature. More importantly, your paired iPhone must be an iPhone 15 Pro or newer with iOS 26 installed. This is because Workout Buddy relies on Apple Intelligence, which isn't available on older iPhones. You'll also need to have your device language set to English, as that's the only supported language at launch. If any of these requirements aren't met, you won't see the Workout Buddy option in your settings. Workout Buddy only works when you have Bluetooth headphones connected, since all the voice feedback comes through audio. You can use AirPods, AirPods Pro, or any other Bluetooth earbuds, just make sure they're paired to either your Apple Watch or your iPhone. To check your connection, press the side button on your Apple Watch to open Control Center, then tap the AirPlay icon to see which audio device is selected. If your headphones aren't connected, go to Settings, Bluetooth on your Apple Watch and pair them there. The voice coaching won't work without headphones since there's no speaker on the Apple Watch, so this step is essential before you can use any of Workout Buddy's features. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch and select one of the supported workout types. Before starting the workout, tap the Alerts icon in the top-left corner of the screen. Scroll down until you see Workout Buddy and tap it. You'll see a toggle switch that says Enable Workout Buddy, flip this on. The feature isn't enabled by default, so you have to manually turn it on for each workout type you want AI coaching for. Once enabled, Workout Buddy will automatically start providing voice feedback whenever you begin that type of workout. You don't have to enable Workout Buddy for every type of exercise. You might love motivational prompts during runs but prefer complete silence during strength training sessions. Apple designed it as an opt-in feature so you can pick and choose what gets AI coaching. Go through each supported workout type and decide which ones would benefit from AI feedback. For each workout type you want coached, follow the same process: open that workout, tap Alerts, find Workout Buddy, and enable it. This gives you complete control over when you want AI assistance and when you'd rather work out in peace. Once Workout Buddy is enabled, you can personalize how it sounds and what information it shares. To change the voice style, go back to the Workout app, select a supported workout, tap Alerts, then Workout Buddy, and choose Voice Style. You'll see multiple options that sound different from each other, similar to how you can customize Siri's voice. Pick whichever one motivates you most or feels most natural. You can also customize what data appears on your workout screen alongside the voice coaching by tapping Workout Views instead of Alerts, then hitting the Edit button to rearrange or add different metrics. This way, you get both the audio coaching and the visual information that's most useful for your specific training goals. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
I tested Call Screening on iOS 26 vs Android 16 — and there's a clear winner
Apple's making a lot of noise surrounding its iOS 26 public beta release, which is filled with new features that make using any of the best iPhones even better. If there's one iOS 26 feature you absolutely need to try, it has to be Call Screen, In fact, it's what my colleague Philip Michaels specifically calls out as being 'one of the most exciting' new things he's experienced in his iOS 26 preview. I have to agree because it gives you more control of how to approach phone calls going forward. However, I can't neglect to remind you about Google's similar feature — also called Call Screen — that leans on Google Assistant to take phone calls on your behalf. When I first tested it with my Pixel 8 Pro a couple of years ago, I said it was the most impressive smartphone feature I tested out. The two competing features are fundamentally the same, tasked to reduce spam calls and inquire about their reason to call you. I've been testing out the iOS 26 beta for some time now, so I want to share how the iOS 26 Call Screen feature compares to how Android 16 with the Pixel 9 lineup. For this test, I asked AI to generate a phone call script for three different phone call conversations to two phones — an iPhone 16 Pro Max running iOS 26 beta and a Pixel 9 Pro running the Android 16 beta. For this first test, I used another phone to place a phone call pretending to be a package delivery courier. Here's the message I left: Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'I'm calling because I need to drop off a package for John Velasco. It's a medium sized box that needs to be signed for and I need to know if someone could come down and sign it.' With Call Screen in iOS 26, I'm greeted by the assistant who tells me to leave a message on what I'm calling about. What I like about Call Screen in iOS 26 is that I can see the transcript in real time as they're leaving the message, but since this feature isn't tied to Apple Intelligence, it messes up by thinking that the caller is me. Regardless, I gave a response to send me more details, but Call Screen proceeded to tell them to leave a message. That's pretty much the extent of the interaction with iOS 26. In contrast, the Call Screen in Android 16 is much more reliable in my opinion. After leaving the same message, Google Assistant intelligently provides me with contextual responses that I can select directly from my Pixel 9 Pro. What makes this better is that these responses are generated automatically, which shows how AI is really working behind the scenes to understand what the conversation is about. Winner: Android 16 Although both platforms are improving the way they block spam calls, you might still find one come through every now and then. For this next test, I pretended to be a salesperson — you know — the stuff you're likely to hang up for right away. Here's my pitch: "This is John Smith calling from Sparkle Clean Solutions. We're a local company dedicated to helping homeowners like yourself achieve truly pristine living spaces. And the reason for my call today is a quick question about your home cleaning." Again, Call Screen in iOS 26 asks to leave a message that's automatically shown on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. While it's convenient that I can type my response to have the assistant relay it, I wish I could be given smarter responses to choose from like Call Screen on Android 16, but it doesn't. At least the assistant politely responds by telling them 'no thanks' and to leave a more detailed message. The Pixel 9 Pro, along with the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, proves a point of how helpful AI could be. This interaction with Call Screen in Android 16 is a perfect example because right after the message is left, Google Assistant instantly identifies it as a spam call — which I find hilarious to be the first option in its list of actions. They don't even get the chance to leave a message because once I tap 'report as spam,' it ends the phone call and it's identified as a suspicious call. Winner: Android 16 For this final test, I pretended to be someone calling on behalf of someone who's in the hospital seeking medical help. This is the kind of call I'd want to answer, so I was really interested to see how Call Screen handles it. Here's the message I left: "Listen, I'm calling because Jimmy is in the hospital. He was admitted to Good Enough Medical Center at about 3:00 pm today. The reason I'm calling is because I really need some help. Jimmy needs someone to bring over a change of clothes and their glasses, and he's not able to communicate clearly right now, and the doctors are asking questions about his medical history." Call Screen in iOS 26 simply cannot provide meaningful actions or responses other than telling the caller to leave a more detailed message. In a real-life situation, I would pick up the call right away after reading the message on my iPhone — but the only thing they can do is to leave another message. Meanwhile, I think Android 16 has trouble with this one as well because it doesn't give me as much variety with the responses as the other two conversations. I asked them to tell me more about why they're calling, but the only options at my disposal were to simply thank them for letting me know. Still, it's an acknowledgement and goes one extra step further than iOS 26. Winner: Android 16 I said it before, I'll say it again. Call Screen in Android 16 is one of the best smartphone features around — and it shows why Google has some of the best AI phones around. The ability for Google Assistant to listen and generate intelligent responses is proof of how AI is making a big impact. Even though the feature didn't get a boost with the release of the Pixel 9, I'm hoping that Google refines it in such a way with the forthcoming Pixel 10 reveal at its next Made by Google event next month. For Apple, it's a good first step with Call Screen in iOS 26. Although it's basic in what it offers in its current iteration, I'm hoping that it's somehow injected with some Apple Intelligence love later on. Despite not revealing any new Apple Intelligence features at its iOS 26 reveal during WWDC 2025, the company's reportedly working on bringing new ones at a later time. I hope it involves Call Screen because it'd be nice if the assistant could make proper responses.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Apple's iOS 26 brings the most significant change to your iPhone in years
Apple (AAPL) is bringing the biggest changes to the iPhone in years with its upcoming iOS 26 software. I've been using a beta version of the operating system, and while it's taken a bit of getting used to, I generally appreciate the broad-based refresh. Available for download as a public beta on Thursday, iOS 26 brings a new naming convention pinned to the year ahead, in this case 2026, as well as a completely new look and feel. Apple calls the new aesthetic Liquid Glass, owing to its translucent features that make it appear as though light is warping and bending around buttons, sliders, and app folders. Like any major software change, iOS 26 is sure to stir up controversy for some users. Apple has already dialed back the translucence in some menus after early user complaints about readability. But iOS 26 doesn't just come with a stylistic makeover. It also brings improvements to the Phone and Messages apps, as well as Apple's AI-powered Visual Intelligence. There's even a new Games app that acts as a hub for all of your time-killing adventures. But it's hard to imagine iOS 26 boosting iPhone sales, which is Apple's main goal. People generally upgrade their phones based on hardware improvements, like better batteries or enhanced cameras, not new software. Still, iOS 26 could set the table for what is expected to be Apple's foray into superthin smartphones, including, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, an iPhone 17 Air later this fall. That Air will also help guide a future foldable phone, a smaller market dominated by Android device makers like Samsung. That makes getting the software right all the more important as the company prepares for some of the most radical changes to its phones since the iPhone X. Liquid Glass and the new look of iOS 26 Part of Apple's decision to roll out Liquid Glass, the company said, was to create a cohesive look across all of its devices, from the iPhone to the iPad to the Mac. But most users will experience the software on their iPhones. And while it's a big change, it's not as though you'll download the update and have to learn how to use your iPhone from scratch. Virtually all of the menus and apps you're used to are exactly the same. That doesn't mean some folks won't like the new look. I like seeing light move around the app folders on my home screen, even if they're somewhat reminiscent of "Candy Crush" blocks. But after a while, I hardly noticed the change. And for people who aren't fans of the design update, you can still adjust the color and tint of app icons and folders. The lock screen has also been revamped. The time now adjusts to better match your background photo, and you can add a 3D effect to your image. You'll also see an animated album cover image when you're listening to songs with Apple Music+. The FaceTime, Phone, and Messages apps now feature customizable backgrounds, Live Translation, and the ability to poll your friends when you and the gang want to figure out where to grab dinner. Visual Intelligence gets some enhanced options, including the ability to see what's on your screen via screenshots, which you can then use to search for items, images, or text — such as the details of a concert being advertised on Instagram. Take a screenshot of an upcoming sporting event with the date, and Visual Intelligence will automatically ask if you want to add it to your calendar. The Camera and Photos apps are more streamlined as well. Rather than displaying a variety of shooting settings, the Camera app now provides photo and video options at the bottom of the screen. Tap the buttons and swipe to the left and right, though, and you'll find the portrait, slo-mo, and other functions. Apple brought back the tab view for the Photos app, so your photo library and collections now appear separately rather than on a single page. One particularly impressive feature Apple added is the ability for iOS to recognize if a specific photo was taken at a concert. When it does, you'll see a small ticket stub icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap it, and you'll get info about when and where the concert took place, the set the artist was playing, and links to their page in Apple Music. And, mercifully, Apple has made it easier to block spam calls and texts. If your iPhone doesn't recognize an incoming call, it can screen it for you by answering and asking for the caller's name and the reason they're calling. That allows you to choose when you want to answer or ignore a call. Hold Assist also uses Apple Intelligence to put your call on hold when it detects you're waiting to speak to someone. It will then alert you when someone gets on the line, making waiting for your insurance agent to go over your co-pay just a bit less of a burden. Apple's new Games app is also a welcome addition to iOS 26. Serving as a hub for all of your games, the app allows you to play with and against friends and quickly find new titles to help you pass the time. The iOS 26 update includes a slew of other smaller features that will generally make your life a bit easier, including changes to Wallet, Apple Maps, and Apple Music. As for Apple Intelligence, rather than a massive overhaul, the company has sprinkled smaller AI-powered enhancements across a variety of apps, making it feel as though Apple Intelligence is a larger overarching piece of the operating system instead of a singular experience. And in the end, that will likely be more appealing and less confusing for customers. Apple will launch iOS 26 later this fall. You can check out the public beta in the meantime. But if you don't want to risk running into any bugs, it's best to just wait until the full public Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
