Apple is presenting John Ternus as the steady continuation of Tim Cook‘s leadership, with the incoming CEO praising the company’s momentum while declining to reveal how he intends to reshape it.

Cook and Ternus appeared together July 27 at the Los Angeles premiere of the Apple TV series Ted Lasso, giving Apple an unusually public setting to present its approaching leadership handoff.

The event was Cook’s final Apple TV premiere as CEO and Ternus’ first since Apple named him as Cook’s successor. Both executives arrived in navy suits, open-collar white shirts and “Believe” pins, reinforcing the image of continuity.

Cook offered an emphatic endorsement of the executive who will replace him on September 1, 2026.

Cook called Ternus “the perfect person for this role.”. Ternus described the promotion as an extraordinary opportunity after 25 years at Apple.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been at Apple for 25 years, I love Apple, and to have this opportunity is beyond words.”

Ternus isn’t showing his hand

Ternus offered few details when asked how he might change Apple TV after becoming CEO.

“I am just so excited about the momentum we have,” Ternus said. “There’s so much great content on Apple TV, and now is just the perfect time for us to keep the momentum up, keep bringing in incredible storytellers and creative folks to keep making it better.”

Asked whether he had begun discussing his own plans for Apple TV with services chief Eddy Cue, Ternus said, “I think it’s pretty amazing right now.”

He declined to discuss whether Apple should release more films in theaters, bringing his answer back to the Ted Lasso premiere instead. When asked what he planned to do first on September 1, Ternus was equally guarded.

“You have to wait and see,” he said.

The answers don’t reveal whether Ternus plans substantial changes to Apple TV. They do show that Apple isn’t using the transition to promise an immediate strategic reset.

Apple is selling continuity, not reinvention

Apple announced the succession plan on April 20, 2026. Ternus will take control of Apple’s daily operations, while Cook will become executive chairman and assist with certain matters, including engagement with policymakers around the world.

The cast and Apple executives attend the Ted Lasso Season 4 premiere at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on July 27, 2026. Image credit: Getty Images

Cook said at the premiere that the transition had gone exceptionally well for Apple’s employees and investors.

“It’s over the top great,” Cook said. “John is the perfect person for this role, and the whole thing has just been great.”

Cook previously told employees that he selected the timing because Apple had a strong business, an ambitious product roadmap and a successor ready to take charge. He also said he planned to remain executive chairman for a long time and serve as a sounding board for Ternus.

The arrangement puts Ternus in charge while keeping Cook involved as an adviser and executive chairman. Their appearance at the premiere reinforced Apple’s message that the transition is about continuity rather than an urgent change in direction.

Ternus isn’t an outsider hired to overturn Cook’s strategy. He joined Apple in 2001 and became senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021 after working on products including the Mac, iPad and iPhone.

He also became the executive sponsor for Apple’s design organization at the end of 2025, giving him a wider role across hardware and software design before Apple announced his promotion. Ternus later told employees that Apple would continue focusing on design because it remained central to the company’s work.

Those responsibilities could influence where Ternus places his attention as CEO, but they don’t point to an immediate break with Cook. Apple’s products and strategies develop over several years, so releases during the opening stretch of Ternus’ tenure will largely reflect work completed before he took charge.

No individual executive can quickly redirect a company with Apple’s size, organizational structure and long development cycles.

Ternus may eventually put a distinct mark on Apple, particularly through the design and hardware organizations he already knows. His first public appearance beside Cook as the incoming CEO instead showed that Apple wants the transition to look steady, familiar and deliberately uneventful.

At first glance, the new Apple Upgrade program seems like a no-brainer. Why pay the full $1,199 for a new iPad Pro when you could spread the cost by leasing it for 24 or 36 months with no interest or additional fees? A 24-month iPad Pro 256GB lease will run you $32 a month for a total of $768. After that, you could pay the remaining cost or swap the iPad Pro for a newer model.

In a time of ever-increasing gadget prices, including Apple’s, a new upgrade program with low monthly fees seems like a win for shoppers. But of course, as with anything involving credit, there are downsides to consider.

For one, this is a lease program, so you don’t actually own the device you’re paying for. I suppose that’s not functionally different than paying off something with credit, but it introduces new problems when the lease is over. According to Apple’s FAQ, “You must return your device in good working condition at the end of your lease term.” If you want to return or trade in your device, you may have to pay damage fees, depending on its condition. Apple says you can also pay for AppleCare protection to avoid a damage fee (unfortunately, it’s not bundled with the new upgrade program, as it was with the iPhone upgrade plan).

If you get tired of paying monthly fees, you could just buy out the rest of your lease. But if you wanted to end the lease entirely, you’ll also have to pay “substantial” fees, according to Apple. The company says upgrading early (before the 12-, 24- or 36-month period you signed up for) can also incur “substantial” fees, depending on how many months are left on your lease. If you don’t pay off the lease at the end of the term (or trade in for a new device), you’ll also automatically be moved to monthly payments for up to six months. Apple also warns “your monthly payments may increase” in those additional months.

Unlike the iPhone Upgrade program, your lease and monthly fees for the Apple Upgrade program are handled by Klarna, a “buy now, pay later” company. Apple already offers Klarna as a payment option in Apple Pay, so this isn’t exactly a new partnership. But as with anything involving credit, Klarna could be considered predatory. Its ideal customers are young people who don’t have the best credit. They’re also the most vulnerable when it comes to dealing with extra fees and defaults.

All of that being said, if you can comfortably pay the Apple Upgrade program’s monthly fees, it’s a smart way to snap up new devices. It’s easier than applying for an Apple Card, and it’s cheaper than the 0 percent APR payments that card offers for Apple hardware. And I’ll have to admit, that $32 a month iPad Pro sure sounds tempting… but I’m going to figure out my plan for the end of that lease before I sign up.

Ozlo, the sleep earbuds startup from former Bose engineers, is launching its next device. On Tuesday, the company unveiled Sleepbuds 2, an updated version of its original product that tackles key areas of improvement, including battery life, connectivity, and sound quality. The new model costs $279, a 12% increase from its predecessor.

The launch marks Ozlo’s first major update since the release of its original device and reflects the company’s evolution from a continuation of Bose’s brand into its own sleep platform.

The original Sleepbuds, launched in late 2024, were meant to fill the hole left by Bose’s departure from the category the year prior. Ozlo’s co-founders, N.B. Patil, Brian Mulcahey, and Charlie Taylor, were Bose veterans who had been deeply involved with the Sleepbuds program and saw the potential to continue the business. They acquired and licensed the Sleepbuds research and IP for their new company, Ozlo, making its first product essentially a continuation of Bose’s earlier efforts.

The initial earbuds, which now have more than 200,000 customers, were smaller and more low-profile than AirPods. This made them more comfortable to wear at night, especially for side sleepers. They also offered built-in sleep sounds, Bluetooth streaming, passive noise blocking, an in-ear alarm, sleep tracking, and other features.

The Sleepbuds 2 promise a range of improvements, including, most notably, 14 hours of battery life instead of roughly 10 hours. Plus, the charging case can now store enough power for two to three nights of use per charge and adds a button that lets users play a sleep sound or snooze the alarm without reaching for their phone.

The update also tackles one of customers’ biggest complaints: Bluetooth connectivity, which could be flaky, although software updates improved it over time. Ozlo claims the Sleepbuds 2 offer longer Bluetooth range, a more reliable connection, and dedicated pairing controls for faster setup. The improvements come from a redesigned antenna and extender, Ozlo said.

The audio system has also been updated with a built-in amplifier for better sound masking and improved sound quality. Personalized sound tuning is new, too, optimizing audio for specific use cases such as Spoken Word, Airplane mode, and Focus mode, in addition to a Balanced mode.

Another new feature is a Sleep Shield, which will block incoming calls, alerts, notifications, and Bluetooth audio streaming. This works if the users hasn’t already enable their phone’s built-in sleep focus mode.

Ozlo’s sleep insights have expanded to include more details around sleep patterns. The biometrics in the buds monitor breathing and movement, while the case monitors room conditions, such as the sound levels, light, and temperature. This can help wearers learn which sleep environments lead to deeper, more restorative sleep, helping them improve their sleep over time.

The company outlined its plans to become a broader platform for sleep data during an interview with TechCrunch at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, including plans to use AI for better interpret users’ sleep patterns. It is also developing an AI “sleep buddy” that would allow users to chat with about their sleep data.

To kick off the launch, Ozlo is offering a sleep mask and travel case with each purchase for a limited time. The $279 Sleepbuds 2 also ship with four pairs of silicone ear tips in different sizes, the charging case, and a USB-C cable.

As an aside, I purchased my own Ozlo Sleepbuds after reading initial reviews of the product and found them to be an effective tool for blocking out noise and streaming sounds and music, and far more comfortable than sleeping in my AirPods. They never fell out overnight, either.

However, I found that I prefer streaming from the Calm app instead of using Ozlo’s built-in sounds. (Apparently, i’m not alone: Ozlo and Calm partnered on a co-branded case last year that included a year’s subscription to Calm’s library of sleep sounds, stories, and other sleep experiences.)

I’m looking forward to trying the new Sleepbuds 2 to see if they’re worth the upgrade for an existing Sleepbuds owner like me.

• Meta has funded multiple natural gas power plants over the past 12 months
• The corporate renewable energy initiative RE100 includes Apple, Google, and Microsoft among its 444 members
• Meta has previously committed to running all operations on renewables by 2020

Meta has confirmed it is withdrawing from the RE100 scheme, following the news that it has funded several gas-fired power stations over the past year.

With the company leaning heavily into AI and the necessary data centers that come with such a commitment, it has opted to exit the collective of corporations planning to transition to 100% renewable energy, overturning a public commitment made in 2020.

Seven months into 2026, laundry pod brand Kapsä has made over S$1 million in revenue

When Edison Lim and Lincoln Thong launched home fragrance brand Pristine Aroma in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, they had a problem most businesses would envy: their product was so popular, yet sales were highly seasonal. 

Pristine Aroma’s reed diffusers and candles in scents like their signature Himalayan Tea, surged every Christmas but fell quiet every Jul and Aug.

The duo knew they wanted their next business’s revenue to be somewhat steadier.

The fix they landed on was taking the thing they were best at, applying it to the most ordinary chore imaginable, and building an entirely new brand around it. 

That brand became Kapsä: a capybara paw-shaped laundry pod that smells like a luxury fragrance, now stocked at supermarkets and with a significant online presence.

In under two years since launch, Kapsä has already crossed S$1 million in revenue in the first seven months of 2026.

We spoke to co-founders of Kapsä, Edison and Lincoln, both 33, to find out how a home fragrance brand became the launchpad for a laundry detergent brand, and what it actually takes to compete against laundry giants.

Turning a simple idea into a lucrative business

The insight behind Kapsä was that the customer who cares enough about how their home smells to buy a premium reed diffuser is probably also the same person making laundry who cares about how their clothes smell too. 

As such, Pristine Aroma’s existing customer base was a marketing advantage that naturally formed the testing ground during the early days of Kapsä.

Eventually, Kapsä launched under Cool Brands Pte. Ltd. in early 2024, about a year after development began in 2023. 

Each pod is built around Pristine Aroma’s award-winning scents, marketed explicitly as a premium fragrance experience, coupled with powerful cleaning power.

Scent as the selling point

Most laundry brands compete on cleaning credentials. However, Kapsä leads with fragrance, and specifically with scents that don’t already exist in the category.

The first pod was formulated with Himalayan Tea, Pristine Aroma’s most famous signature scent, which customers describe as “smelling like ION Orchard.”

Kapsä also currently offers two more scents: Lush Freesia (inspired by English Pear & Freesia, reminiscent of Jo Malone), and Santal Noir (a woody, masculine scent inspired by Santal 33 by Le Labo Fragrances). Of the three, Lush Freesia has become the bestseller.

That said, Edison added that the Himalayan Tea scent is still very unique and novel to the laundry segment.

Santal Noir, on the other hand, offers a deeper, woody, masculine scent in the category of laundry detergents often dominated by floral and sweet profiles. 

“None of the other brands actually have such a woody kind of scent. Usually people go for floral, a bit more sweet, more girly kind of a scent,” Edison said. “We are more than just chasing trends, but filling the gap in the detergent scene.”

Edison positions Kapsä as more of a premium brand than budget ones, roughly comparable to Tide and Ariel.

The R&D grind behind every new scent

Moving a scent from a diffuser bottle into a laundry pod isn’t as simple as dropping Pristine Aroma’s formula into detergent. The chemistry definitely has to be formulated differently.

The scent notes need to be adjusted so they’re stable and compatible with detergent—a process that took over a year for the first Kapsä product, but now it takes about six to nine months to develop each new scent.

The co-founders shared that R&D with its own suppliers and manufacturers is done in Singapore, Malaysia, and the US, with final manufacturing taking place in China. 

In response to customer feedback, the duo created their latest offering: Magic Beads, launched in late Jul 2026—scent booster pellets designed to be used alongside the pods for customers who want their clothes to smell more intensely. 

One of the most common pieces of feedback Kapsä received on Himalayan Tea was that the scent, while lovely, was subtle.  These scent boosters are designed to keep clothes smelling fresh for up to 24 weeks when stored in a wardrobe after washing.

Winning against big detergent brands, one subscriber at a time

Competing with major laundry brands, which have decades of shelf presence, marketing budgets that dwarf any local brand’s revenue, and default consumer familiarity, is the kind of challenge that would give most founders hesitation, especially as a small brand. 

The duo doesn’t pretend it’s easy.

“It was definitely very difficult for us to try to acquire market share, to convince customers why they should use our products over Dynamo,” Lincoln said.

Kapsä’s answer is physical reach on supermarket shelves, combined with sustained subscription. 

The brand sells through its own website, on Shopee, and now through physical retail at Isetan, Giant and Cold Storage.

The co-founders acknowledged the challenges that come with stocking in supermarkets, where offline retail charges promotional and advertising fees that can run to S$10,000 a month, making profitability in that channel genuinely difficult.

That said, Edison and Lincoln are still keen on staying put in the supermarket space.

“For us to become a real household brand in the next three to five years, we really need to be on all the channels that we can,” Edison said. 

The subscription model, launched alongside the brand in 2024, is where the economics improve. Subscribers typically get a discount and the convenience of automatic replenishment, while Kapsä gets predictable demand and lower customer acquisition costs.

“Usually, people who subscribe to Kapsä, they don’t really drop off,” Edison said. “Once they try the product, once they love it, they don’t really switch back to other brands.”

Each box of 30 Kapsä pods costs S$15.90 at retail price.

4,000 boxes a month and counting

The numbers reflect how quickly Kapsä has found its footing. The brand now moves more than 4,000 boxes a month, a scale that prompted the team to upgrade their Singapore warehouse from 1,600 to 3,500 sq ft in Jun. 

The team across both brands sits at around 12 people, kept deliberately lean as the founders focus on building systems over headcount, allowing Kapsä to scale effectively.

Kapsä crossed S$1 million in revenue for 2026 year-to-date as of Jul, a milestone achieved less than two and a half years after its launch.

On the other hand, Pristine Aroma’s revenue has also grown significantly beyond the S$1.6 million figure reported in earlier years, with the brand now selling in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the US.

Kapsä is set to follow the same international path.

Looking ahead, the Cool Brands roadmap goes beyond fragrance entirely. Edison and Lincoln plan to launch a new brand potentially unrelated to scent by mid-to-late 2027, extending the direct-to-consumer group model they’ve been building since 2019.

“Our long-term goal for Cool Brands is to become a successful and sustainable D2C group of consumer goods in the next 10 years,” Edison said. “We want to come with more brands in the future.”

Lincoln’s advice for anyone thinking about starting their own brand is to just be “1% better every day. And that will improve your systems, processes, and your skill sets substantially.”

• Learn more about Kapsä here.
• Learn more about Pristine Aroma here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: Kapsä

Apple has had countless patents granted over the smart ring technology it still won’t tell anyone about, but a new one shows just how an Apple Ring might control all of your devices.

Yes, an Apple Ring would surely be a health monitor, and yes, it would likely dominate the fitness market, but it won’t break up marriages. It’s also surely coming some day, sorry Oura, but until now the focus has been on what it will do, not necessarily what it will work with.

That’s changed with the newly-granted patent, “Electronic device system with ring devices.” It starts by discussing how any given user might have multiple devices, including wearable ones, and how it’s therefore a problem determining which one the user wants to use.

“The target electronic device may be identified using a gaze tracking sensor that senses the user’s point-of-gaze,” says the patent, “a radio-frequency sensor that detects a direction in which the user’s device is pointed, or other sensor circuitry for detecting pointing input, gestures, and other user input.”

There is a section of the 20-page patent that refers to what the ring might do by itself, as well as how it fits within Apple’s privacy ethos.

“If desired, a device may be operated in isolation,” it says. “For example a wearable device that is operating in a stand-alone operating mode may perform health monitoring operations… [which] may or may not be shared with other devices.”

But the main part of the proposal regards how “a ring worn on a user’s finger” could “capture real-time readings on the location… orientation… and motion” of the user and his or her hand. “These activities may be used in controlling devices in the system.”

You know. One ring to rule them all.

The proposal is written in typical patent-speak, meaning that it stops to mention every conceivable device from rings to smart watches, to headsets and more. It also takes the time to specify what could be controlled, here ranging from speakers to thermostats and everything in between in order to thwart as many future lawyers as possible.

Concentrating on the repeated description of a ring, though, the one thing that device is not likely to have is gaze tracking. An Apple Vision Pro already does have precisely that, and iPhones scan faces for Face ID.

Apple keeps trying to refer to generic “electronic devices,” but then it goes and shows you a ring – image credit: Apple

But this may be more like the way an iPhone’s “Always On” screen will actually turn off if you’re not looking at it. It’s the modern equivalent of the light in the fridge, but this power-saving feature means the iPhone does know that you’re looking at it.

Maybe that would be enough. If a HomePod could determine that you’re glancing its way, it surely wouldn’t need precision eye tracking. It could then just know to take your waggling finger as meaning you don’t like this track, move on.

Or raising and lowering your hand could be enough to raise or lower the HomePod’s volume. If the HomePod knew you were looking at it, and if the Apple Ring correctly conveyed the gesture you’re trying to make.

Apple’s strength is in its ecosystem

“Electronic device system with ring devices” is an unusually comprehensive patent for Apple. Rather than setting out the functions of one device or one technology, it is very much about a user’s whole array of devices.

It’s about the Apple ecosystem. And while there is a lot of detail in the patent, what it really does is make a persuasive case for how well an Apple Ring would fit into that.

The patent is credited to two inventors, including Stefan Hafeneger. His previous work for Apple includes multiple Apple Ring patents and patent applications, dating back to 2024.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a smart ring for much longer, though. One of the earliest reports dates back to 2007, when a concept “iRing” image was circulated, and it was expected it would control your iPod.