A staggering $1,200 discount is available exclusively to AppleInsider readers, delivering the lowest price on record for the M5 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro config.

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Save $1,200 on 16″ MacBook Pro M5 Max

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In our hands-on 16-inch MacBook Pro review, we found the M5 Max chip to be blazing fast, with excellent performance when running AI tasks. Wi-Fi 7 support is also a plus, as is the faster SSD compared with the previous-generation MacBook Pro.

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Siri AI is coming soon. The redesign of Apple’s voice assistant was first unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June. Since then, the buzz has been all about what to expect from the new Siri 2.0. 

But Siri AI may cost you, at least if you use it a lot.

Outgoing CEO Tim Cook hinted at a possible upcharge during Apple’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday. 

Cook was asked about iOS 27, Apple Intelligence, feedback from the public beta and how Apple is thinking about compute costs and the ability to recover those costs through iCloud Plus. He suggested the possibility of charging for Siri AI as a part of the iCloud Plus application stack. 

“We do believe there will be people that want to use it a lot, and so we will have some kind of upgrade possibilities on iCloud Plus,” Cook said. 

He added that those ideas are in the early stages and did not discuss a complete plan. Apple’s team is “off-the-charts excited about Siri AI,” he added, saying feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. 

The earnings call, Cook’s last before John Ternus takes over as CEO, comes weeks after Apple announced price increases for Apple Music and Apple One subscription bundle. 

Apple has said the new AI-powered virtual assistant will be available on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, MacOS 27 and VisionOS 27. You can expect Siri AI to have its own app, customization, Visual Intelligence and a new design.

Examples of Siri’s new capabilities include being able to find out about the latest concert, how to get tickets and remind you when it’s time to buy them. Other features include finding information in your messages (e.g. “Call the eye doctor who messaged me”), creating a photo album specifically for a loved one that includes photos of them, and even identifying a place from a picture. 

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic shifts and everyday challenges to help readers make well-informed decisions, and she covers a range of topics, including technology, security, energy and money. Dashia graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She loves baking, teaching spinning and spending time with her family.

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WIRED is obsessed with what comes next. Through rigorous investigations and game-changing reporting, we tell stories that don’t just reflect the moment—they help create it. When you look back in 10, 20, even 50 years, WIRED will be the publication that led the story of the present, mapped the people, products, and ideas defining it, and explained how those forces forged the future. WIRED: For Future Reference.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? A few of the clues are tricky. Read on for all the answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Something you might ask for while staying over at a friend’s house
Answer: WIFI

5A clue: Genre for “Stranger Things”
Answer: SCIFI

7A clue: Unlikely pants to wear to a wedding
Answer: JEANS

8A clue: Octagonal sign word
Answer: STOP

9A clue: Where sows are housed
Answer: STY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Newspaper that covers the stock market, for short
Answer: WSJ

2D clue: Puts a cold pack on
Answer: ICES

3D clue: Official decrees
Answer: FIATS

4D clue: “Otherwise …”
Answer: IFNOT

6D clue: Words before “with my little eye,” in a game
Answer: ISPY

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CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.

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The Danish TV audio specialist is expanding beyond direct sales, giving American buyers a chance to hear, install, and service its premium systems through authorized dealers. Spending $5,000 or more on a TV audio system you have never actually heard requires confidence, disposable income, and a rather trusting relationship with international freight.

CANVAS HiFi is attempting to make that proposition somewhat less adventurous.

The Danish manufacturer has appointed Playback Distribution as its exclusive U.S. distributor, opening the door to a broader network of specialty audio dealers and custom integrators across the country.

That might not sound as exciting as a new amplifier, larger woofer, or proprietary acronym involving spatial audio, but it could be one of the more important developments for the brand in the United States.

CANVAS is not a $399 soundbar that can be carried out of Costco between the paper towels and frozen dumplings. Its products are large, heavy, configurable audio systems designed to visually integrate with televisions ranging from 55 to 85 inches; and eventually even larger screens with the forthcoming CANVAS L.

For American consumers, the ability to hear one before buying it, confirm that it will work with a specific television, and have somebody else install the thing properly has considerable value.

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What Playback Distribution Brings to CANVAS

Playback Distribution was founded in 2023 by industry veteran Rob Standley and represents a growing collection of premium audio brands, including Advance Paris, Amphion, AudioSolutions, AVID HiFi, Esoteric, PMC, TEAC, Velodyne Acoustics, Vicoustic, and Vienna Acoustics.

That portfolio gives CANVAS access to dealers already selling expensive loudspeakers, electronics, subwoofers, room treatments, and custom-installed home-theater systems.

More importantly, Playback already has the sales, logistics, dealer-support, parts, warranty, and customer-service infrastructure required to support products that are considerably more complicated than their minimalist appearance suggests.

CANVAS combines loudspeakers, amplification, DSP, streaming, room correction, television mounting, and interchangeable furniture-grade front panels in one rather substantial enclosure. When everything works, the result can be visually striking and far less intrusive than a conventional collection of speakers, racks, amplifiers, and cables.

When something does not work, buyers will probably prefer calling a local dealer rather than holding an international video conference while kneeling behind a 77-pound audio system with a flashlight between their teeth.

CANVAS has already sold directly to American customers, with shipping and import costs included in its pricing. The Playback agreement adds something the direct-sales model could not easily provide: local demonstrations, professional installation, and support from somebody who has actually seen the product outside of an Instagram reel.

What Is CANVAS HiFi?

The original CANVAS is an active stereo speaker system built into a structure designed to align visually with a television. Calling it a soundbar is technically convenient but somewhat misleading.

Most soundbars use multiple small drivers packed into a shallow enclosure and rely heavily on digital processing to create the impression of a larger presentation. CANVAS takes a more traditional loudspeaker approach.

The system uses two 6.5-inch SB Acoustics bass and midrange drivers, two 29mm silk-dome tweeters, and two passive radiators inside a 24-liter braced MDF enclosure. Four channels of Class D amplification deliver a combined 250 watts, while a Burr-Brown DAC and Analog Devices DSP handle digital conversion, crossover functions, and signal processing.

CANVAS also uses BACCH 3D crosstalk cancellation to produce a wider and deeper stereo presentation without rear speakers or a conventional Dolby Atmos speaker layout. Room correction can be performed using an iPhone microphone or the company’s optional Zen Microphone.

Connectivity includes HDMI eARC, optical digital, analog audio, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Roon, and DLNA.

Magnetically attached front panels are available in multiple fabric and wood finishes, allowing the system to match different screen sizes and room designs. The television, despite the rather persuasive product photography, is not included.

CANVAS L Is the Larger Prize

The distribution agreement also gives CANVAS a stronger U.S. foundation ahead of the arrival of CANVAS L, which the company unveiled at High End Vienna 2026.

CANVAS L is considerably more ambitious than the original model. It uses custom Scan-Speak midrange and bass drivers, SB Acoustics ring-radiator tweeters, four 8-inch woofers, matching passive radiators, and 1,500 watts of Class D amplification.

It also adds BACCH 3D+, upgraded DSP, room correction, HDMI eARC, analog and digital inputs, and compatibility with televisions ranging from 65 to 115 inches.

A 115-inch television is not something most people install casually on a Tuesday evening after dinner. Products of that size and price need dealers and integrators who understand wall construction, television mounting, cable routing, network configuration, room acoustics, and why drilling into a water pipe tends to end the demonstration rather abruptly.

CANVAS expects the L to reach authorized retailers during the fourth quarter of 2026. European pricing begins at €5,999, while final U.S. pricing and configurations have not yet been announced.

Why This Matters for U.S. Buyers

CANVAS has generated considerable attention at CES, High End Vienna, and other international events. It has also earned multiple eCoustics Best in Show selections.

The problem has been access.

Reading about BACCH processing and Scandinavian industrial design is one thing. Hearing whether the system actually produces a convincing stereo image from beneath a television is another. And it’s something that has left a very positive on members of the press who have been able to try it at home. This sounds nothing like the soundbar systems you’ve tried so far — and for these prices, it needs to be significantly better.

That does not mean a CANVAS display will suddenly appear in every audio showroom from Manhattan to Missoula. Dealers will still have to decide whether local customers are interested in a premium product that occupies the space between an active loudspeaker system, a soundbar, a television mount, and a piece of Danish furniture.

But CANVAS is precisely the kind of product that benefits from being demonstrated in person.

Playback Distribution gives CANVAS a better opportunity to explain that proposition to American consumers—and allows those consumers to decide whether the performance justifies the price before an extremely large crate appears in the driveway.

Pricing & Availability

CANVAS HiFi products are now available in the United States through Playback Distribution’s network of authorized dealers.

Current U.S. pricing begins at approximately $4,999, depending on the size, finish, front-panel material, and configuration.

Final U.S. pricing and availability for CANVAS L will be announced closer to its expected fourth-quarter 2026 launch.

For more information: canvashifi.com

Related Reading:

Apple’s second-generation iPhone Air is beginning to take shape, and if the latest supply chain report is accurate, the company isn’t simply refreshing the hardware. Instead, it appears to be refining the formula that made the first iPhone Air stand out. According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone Air 2, expected to launch in early 2027, will retain its slim profile while introducing a smaller Dynamic Island, an upgraded camera system, and Apple’s next-generation silicon.

Unlike the Pro models, which often chase headline-grabbing camera upgrades or new materials, the Air lineup appears to be evolving through careful iteration. None of the rumored changes are individually revolutionary, but together they suggest Apple is addressing some of the biggest compromises of the original device.

Apple appears to be refining, not reinventing, the Air

According to Pu, the iPhone Air 2 will retain the 6.55-inch display found on its predecessor, but Apple is reportedly reducing the size of the Dynamic Island. While the difference may seem subtle on paper, a smaller cutout would free up more usable screen space and make the display feel cleaner during everyday use.

The camera system could also receive one of the biggest upgrades in the Air lineup so far. Pu claims the phone will feature the existing 48-megapixel main camera alongside a new 48-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, giving the Air a far more versatile imaging setup than the first-generation model. That addition would narrow one of the biggest gaps between Apple’s premium and mainstream iPhones.

Under the hood, Apple is expected to introduce the A20 Pro, reportedly built on TSMC’s 2nm process using Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) packaging. The technology integrates memory closer to the processor, which could improve both performance and power efficiency without increasing the chip’s physical footprint. The report also points to 12GB of RAM, a titanium frame, and Apple’s next-generation C2 modem, replacing the original Air’s C1X modem.

Small upgrades could make a meaningful difference

On paper, none of these upgrades dramatically change what the iPhone Air represents. That’s arguably the point. The first-generation iPhone Air established itself as Apple’s answer for users who wanted something lighter and thinner than a Pro model without sacrificing flagship performance. If these reports prove accurate, Apple isn’t trying to reinvent that identity. Instead, it’s strengthening it by fixing practical shortcomings that users notice every day, whether that’s gaining a little more screen real estate, improving ultra-wide photography, or squeezing better efficiency from next-generation silicon.

The timeline also fits Apple’s broader roadmap. Pu expects Apple to unveil the iPhone Air 2 alongside the base iPhone 18 during the first quarter of 2027, while the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone are expected to arrive several months earlier.

As always, these details remain based on supply chain intelligence rather than official announcements. But if Apple is indeed focusing on refinement over reinvention, the iPhone Air 2 could become a stronger example of something the company often does well: making a familiar product noticeably better through a series of thoughtful, incremental upgrades.

The Game Boy Advance is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the US, and while Nintendo has largely chosen to honor the handheld through its Switch Online library, another company has decided to recreate the hardware itself. Chinese handheld maker Ayaneo has unveiled the Konkr Pocket Advance, a modern reinterpretation of the iconic Game Boy Advance that updates almost every part of the original while preserving the horizontal design that made Nintendo’s console so beloved.

Rather than building a nostalgia piece that simply looks like the original, Ayaneo is targeting the growing retro gaming market with modern hardware. The Konkr Pocket Advance features a higher-resolution display, additional controls, USB-C connectivity and wireless support, making it less of a replica and more of a contemporary handheld inspired by one of gaming’s most influential consoles.

The announcement also arrives at a time when retro handhelds are becoming a serious product category rather than a niche hobby. Companies such as Anbernic, Retroid, Miyoo and Ayaneo have spent the last few years proving that there is sustained demand for devices designed around classic games instead of cutting-edge graphics.

A familiar design with modern hardware underneath

At first glance, the Konkr Pocket Advance is unmistakably inspired by the original Game Boy Advance. It retains the signature horizontal layout while introducing a 3.5-inch display with a 960 × 640 resolution, considerably sharper than Nintendo’s original hardware. Ayaneo has also added a full set of ABXY buttons, additional menu and shoulder buttons, USB-C, microSD expansion, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and even a dedicated volume wheel.

The handheld will initially launch in two color options: a navy blue inspired by the classic Indigo Game Boy Advance and a coral orange reminiscent of Nintendo’s Spice Orange edition, which was originally exclusive to Japan. Ayaneo has not announced pricing or a release date but says the device will arrive later this year. Unlike some of its earlier limited-production handhelds, the company also expects broader availability for the Pocket Advance.

Retro gaming is no longer just about nostalgia

Ayaneo’s latest handheld highlights a broader trend that Nintendo itself has been surprisingly cautious about. Despite the enduring popularity of the Game Boy Advance and a library that includes classics such as Advance Wars, Golden Sun, Metroid Fusion, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and WarioWare, Nintendo has shown little interest in producing dedicated retro hardware beyond occasional emulation through Switch Online. The accompanying retrospective in Engadget underscores just how influential those games remain two and a half decades later.

That has created an opportunity for third-party manufacturers. Modern retro handhelds no longer appeal only to collectors; they attract players who want sharper displays, rechargeable batteries, wireless connectivity and ergonomic designs without sacrificing access to classic games.

The Konkr Pocket Advance won’t replace Nintendo’s original hardware in the hearts of longtime fans. But it does reflect something increasingly clear about the gaming industry: while Nintendo owns the memories, companies like Ayaneo are becoming remarkably good at selling the hardware people wish Nintendo still made.

Brazil ordered Jair Bolsonaro to stay silent. Last weekend, a giant AI version of him addressed a campaign rally anyway.

At the launch of his son Flávio’s presidential bid in São Paulo on Saturday, a video avatar of the jailed former president loomed over the crowd. The clever part was the confession. “What you see here is not me,” it said. “This is a simulation of my image and my voice using artificial intelligence.”

Then it campaigned. “As everyone here knows, I am imprisoned and silenced by an unjust and arbitrary decision,” the avatar said, before asking the crowd to back Flávio, “blood of my blood.” Bloomberg timed the clip at 46 seconds, and both Reuters and AFP reported the appearance.

Why this is not a normal deepfake

The debate over AI in elections has focused on lies: fake videos that trick voters into believing something false. This clip does the opposite. It announces that it is synthetic. That honesty is the whole gambit.

Bolsonaro is under house arrest, serving 27 years for plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. A condition of that arrest is a ban on public communication, on social media or by any other means. He cannot phone, post or speak to a rally.

An avatar can. That is the loophole the courts must now weigh: not whether the video deceived anyone, but whether a disclosed simulation lets a court-silenced man keep campaigning through a screen.

The legal fight

The challenge came fast. On Sunday, a coalition of Lula’s campaign and other left and centre-left parties petitioned the Superior Electoral Court, the TSE. They argued Brazil’s rules bar synthetic content that reproduces a real person to sway voters.

Flávio’s team fired back a day later. The video broke no rule, they said, because it disclosed its use of AI, caused no harm and never mixed fabricated footage with real images. On that reading, it is not a deepfake at all.

Jair Bolsonaro, through his lawyer Paulo Cunha Bueno, denied authorising anything. He “did not authorise the use of his image and voice,” the lawyer wrote, and “could not have done so,” since he is barred from seeing visitors. He added that the former president had never objected to his children using his image.

A court he helped build

The judges are split in tone. The TSE’s president, Justice Kássio Nunes Marques, whom Bolsonaro appointed to the Supreme Court, said using AI to campaign is permissible. What is forbidden, he added, is using it to harm someone.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes was sharper. Authorising the video could be a “serious violation” of the house-arrest terms, he warned, and using Bolsonaro’s image to imply he is campaigning could amount to electoral disinformation.

The stakes are steep. The TSE could disqualify Flávio’s run if it finds the clip broke the rules. Bolsonaro himself is unlikely to be punished, said Insper law professor Ivar Hartmann, because he can argue he neither recorded nor approved it. One Lula coordinator predicted the most heavily litigated election since Brazil returned to democracy.

The rules are already behind

Politicians are reaching for avatars faster than the law can frame them. Malaysia’s prime minister has fielded his own AI stand-in, and regulators are scrambling to respond. France plans to triple the penalties for AI-driven election disinformation.

Most of those rules turn on disclosure. The EU’s AI Act will force a label on synthetic media, and Brazil’s own code targets fabricated content that misleads. The Bolsonaro clip met that bar and marched straight through it. India is wrestling with the flip side, opening a case over altered videos of its prime minister.

That is the gap this stunt exposes. A label tells you a video is fake. It does not tell you whether a jailed politician should be allowed to speak through it. Brazil votes on 4 October. Its court has until then to decide.

Looking to upgrade your fitness tracker, or even get one for the first time? You’re in the right place with our collection of the best fitness trackers on the market.

One of the best goals you can set for yourself at any point of the year is to lead a healthier lifestyle, but the problem is that unless you’re signing up with a personal trainer, it can be tricky to know where to start or how to keep tabs on your progress. With that in mind, having a dedicated fitness tracker on your wrist is a great place to start.

Not only can these devices track your heart rate and effort during workouts to get a look at how your body reacts to certain exercises, but they can also suggest workouts to try and guide you towards getting a better night’s sleep, which is crucial for recovery. Of course, if you’ve had even a cursory glance at the amount of fitness trackers available, the sheer degree of choice can feel a bit overwhelming.

Luckily for you, we’ve personally tested countless fitness trackers, observed how they perform in the real world, and documented our results. Off the back of that testing, we’ve put together the following list to let you know which fitness trackers impressed us the most, and why they’re worth buying.

We’ve taken out plenty of other wearables beyond the realm of fitness tracking, so if you want to see the best smartwatches, best cheap smartwatches, best Apple watches and the best Wear OS watches, then we’ve got you covered. If you do want to see a few more fitness-related options however then our best running watch, best Fitbit and best Garmin watch round-ups are well worth a look.

Best Fitness Tracker at a glance