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This week: Apple’s cheap MacBook sending PC makers into a panic, Google Gemini rescuing the new Siri from vaporware, the next iPhone Air that may (or may not) solve its biggest problem, the battle over Apple CarPlay and iOS 26.1 features you should try. Also: AirPods Pro Mad Libs.

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This week’s stories:

Apple’s upcoming budget laptop has PC makers ‘freaking out’

• With Apple developing a low-cost laptop to rival Chromebooks and Windows laptops, the PC industry should definitely be worried.

Upgrading Siri with Google Gemini will be $1 billion quick fix

• The brains behind the upcoming AI-enhanced version of Siri will reportedly be provided by Google, not Apple’s own tech. For a hefty price.

Next iPhone Air could fix its camera problem

• Want an iPhone Air wide-angle camera? That could come in the second generation, partly addressing a big criticism of the slim handset.

How a battle for your dashboard threatens CarPlay’s future

• Despite CarPlay's ongoing popularity, its future is under threat. Automakers can't resist the profit they see in providing their own services.

5 new features in iOS 26.1 you don’t want to miss

• Apple’s iOS 26.1 update is out now; there are five features you should check out after you install it — changes to Liquid Glass and more.
• Thank goodness Slide Over is back in iPadOS 26.1
• Everything new in iOS 26.1
• YouTube: Everything new in iOS 26.1

AirPods Pro Mad Libs

• Article screenshot