Benjamin and Chance discuss the implications for Siri and the wider Apple ecosystem now that the Gemini deal is officially signed, and guess when we’ll start seeing the first new features ship. Also, they weigh up the appeal of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, and Chance got to watch basketball courtside through his Vision Pro.

And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the dependability of iCloud as a backup of your data, and what other backup strategies they recommend to use. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26.

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A new Apple monitor has reportedly appeared in a Chinese regulatory database. This comes as rumors suggest Apple will update at least one of its external displays, either the Studio Display or Pro Display XDR, at some point in 2026.

Last week, Apple officially announced that Chase is set to take over Apple Card, ending its deal with Goldman Sachs.

A new report from The Wall Street Journal, based on conversations with “20 people familiar with the matter,” goes in-depth on what Apple told people was an “unhappy marriage.”

If you’re having problems with your cellular connection today, you’re not alone. Verizon, appears to be experiencing a major outage. The carrier says its teams are “fully deployed and are focused on the issue.”

Verizon has also now promised credits for affected users … here’s the latest.

Update, 10:24pm ET

Verizon says the outage is resolved:

The outage has been resolved. If customers are still having an issue, we encourage them to restart their devices to reconnect to the network. For those affected, we will provide account credits. Details will be shared directly with customers. We sincerely apologize for the disruption.

For years, John Hancock has offered Vitality Plus life insurance program members a way to earn an Apple Watch for (almost) free with regular exercise.

Recently, the Vitality program expanded to include the newest Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. Here’s how it works and how to take advantage if you’re hoping an Apple Watch will help with your new year’s resolutions.

Apple has announced Apple Creator Studio, which it describes as a “groundbreaking collection of powerful creative apps designed to put studio-grade power into the hands of everyone.”

Apple Creator Studio will launch on the App Store on Wednesday, January 28, and will cost $12.99 per month or $129 per year. There will also be a one-month free trial offer. College students and educators can subscribe for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

When I tried Apple Vision Pro for the first time at WWDC 2023, one part of the demo immediately stood out: sports in Apple Immersive Video. During a sizzle reel, I watched immersive clips from NBA and MLB games. As a sports fan, I knew right away that Vision Pro had the potential to change the game.

It took a while for that promise to fully materialize, but this weekend I finally watched a full NBA game in Immersive Video: the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Milwaukee Bucks.

Apple has confirmed that it is teaming up with Google to use Gemini models to power future Siri and Apple Intelligence features.

In a new press release today, Apple is celebrating the success of its services division throughout 2025. The company says that 2025 was a “record-breaking year for Apple services,” with milestones for Apple Music, Apple TV, and more.