9to5Mac Happy Hour

Gemini Siri deal official, Apple Creator Studio, Vision Pro basketball

9to5Mac Happy Hour

Show Notes

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.

Sponsored by Copilot Money: The personal finance app to make your money yours. Until January 20, get 26% off your first year at try.copilot.money/9to5mac.

Sponsored by Stamps.com: Send from your computer or phone 24/7. Try Stamps.com risk-free for sixty days with code happyhour.

Sponsored by 1Password: Take the first step to better security by securing your team’s credentials. Find out more at 1password.com/happyhour and start securing every login.

Hosts

Chance Miller

@ChanceHMiller on Twitter

@ChanceHMiller on Instagram

@ChanceHMiller on Threads

Benjamin Mayo

@bzamayo on Twitter

@[email protected]

@bzamayo on Threads

Subscribe, Rate, and Review

Apple Podcasts

Overcast

Spotify

9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus

Subscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:

Ad-free versions of every episode

Pre- and post-show content

Bonus episodes

Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26 until February 1.

Feedback

Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads

Email us feedback and questions to [email protected]

Links

Apple confirms Google's Gemini will power new Siri features

Apple to fine-tune Gemini independently, no Google branding on Siri, more

Apple will pay billions for Gemini after OpenAI declined

Will Apple-Google AI deal impact user privacy? Here’s what Apple says

Eddy Cue touts ‘record-breaking year’ for Apple services, including TV, Music, more

Apple debuts 'Apple Creator Studio' subscription, here's what you get

Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Freeform becoming freemium apps

Apple announces Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad

Apple Creator Studio Icon History

What it’s like to watch an NBA game courtside in Apple Vision Pro

Apple gift card safety questioned after terrifying account lockout

More from 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Oct 22, 2026

Ahead of its official launch, Chance has spent a week with the iPhone Duo and he is here to tell us all about his experiences with Apple’s new foldable phone, including the various poses, state of the software, Touch ID versus Face ID, battery life and more. Also, Apple announces yet another product event, so we preview what the company is preparing to ‘Pro and tell’ us.

Oct 15, 2026

Benjamin and Chance react to Apple’s smart home event, with first impressions on the new Apple HomeView smart display, the insanely priced Apple TV 4K (fourth-generation), and the HomePod mini refresh. It remains to be seen whether these new initiatives in the Apple Home Collection can help move the needle on smart home uptake at large, but it’s a good start.

Oct 8, 2026

Benjamin and Chance talk about this week’s Apple news, ahead of a bevy of product announcements coming later this month. Apple is reportedly partnering with LG on a range of smart home accessories, and changes are coming to Full Disk Access permissions. Note: This episode was recorded before Apple officially announced its ‘Welcome home’ event.

Oct 1, 2026

Benjamin and Chance discuss the final Apple smart display rumors with a release for the ‘HomePad’ rumored for October 13, although the small square screen form factor remains puzzling. Also, leaked photos of the iPad mini and HomePod mini suggest those long-awaited updates are also imminent, John Ternus apparently wants to make Apple more nimble, and Chance has thoughts on the new Apple Watch Readiness feature.

Sep 24, 2026

Benjamin and Chance cover the week in Apple news, including hands-on with the new M6 Mac mini and AirPods 5, the first round of bug fixes for the new operating systems, Apple Music Hall, and more.

See all episodes →