Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI China: Scaloni: Mastantuono’s Real Madrid move ‘huge’

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni heaped praise on teenager Franco Mastantuono on Monday ahead of the River Plate midfielder’s expected move to Real Madrid.

    The Spanish club has reportedly agreed to a deal worth 45 million U.S. dollars for the 17-year-old, who made his international debut in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile in Santiago last Thursday.

    “Going to Real Madrid is a huge thing,” Scaloni told a news conference on the eve of Argentina’s home World Cup qualifier against Colombia.

    “We’re talking about the best or one of the best clubs in the world. It’s a huge step for him and obviously he’s still only 17.”

    Mastantuono has been a revelation for River Plate this year with seven goals and four assists in 19 games across all competitions.

    But Scaloni warned of placing unrealistic expectations on the elegant left-footed playmaker.

    “We need everyone around him to remember that he’s only 17,” Scaloni said. “We all have to help to make him better. I’m happy that this is happening because it means that big clubs are looking at Argentine football.”

    Meanwhile, Scaloni confirmed that captain Lionel Messi would start in Tuesday’s clash at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

    The 37-year-old began Thursday’s clash on the bench as Scaloni rested key players in the knowledge that a World Cup place is already assured.

    “Leo will start. We have no doubts, and we hope the fans enjoy him and the team,” the 47-year-old head coach said.

    Argentina leads the 10-team South American group with 34 points, 13 ahead of sixth-placed Colombia with three qualifiers remaining. The top six teams will earn direct entry to football’s showpiece tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Ancelotti hopes Raphinha will lift Brazil’s attack against Paraguay

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Brazil national team manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Raphinha as one the best players in the world as the Barcelona forward prepares to return for a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.

    Raphinha is set to start Tuesday’s clash at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo after missing Brazil’s goalless draw with Ecuador in Guayaquil last Thursday due to suspension.

    Raphinha (L) of Brazil vies with Daniel Munoz of Colombia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Latin American Qualifier football match between Brazil and Colombia in Brasilia, Brazil, March 20, 2025. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua)

    “It’s great that Raphinha is back,” Ancelotti told a news conference. “He has shown that he is one of the best players in football at the moment.”

    Raphinha enjoyed a breakout season in 2024-25 with 34 goals in 57 games across all competitions for Barcelona.

    The 28-year-old former Leeds United player has also been a consistent performer at international level and is Brazil’s top scorer in the current qualifying campaign with five goals.

    “He is a very important player for us and could help us to unlock the game against a team that knows how to defend,” Ancelotti said.

    The Italian manager had words of praise for Paraguay, which is currently third in the 10-team South American group, two points ahead of fourth-placed Brazil.

    “Paraguay is playing very well,” the former Real Madrid manager said. “It’s a very solid team and is not afraid to go forward. But we are going to try to play our game and we hope that we can make our fans happy.”

    The top six teams in the South American group will automatically qualify for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia should stand up for our feta and prosecco in trade talks with the EU

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hazel Moir, Honarary Associate Professor; economics of patents, geographical indications and other “IP”; trade treaties, Australian National University

    TY Lim/Shutterstock

    Trade Minister Don Farrell has confirmed Australia and the European Union will restart negotiations for a free trade agreement immediately. Two years ago, Australia walked away over a disappointing market access offer for our beef, sheep, dairy and sugar exporters.

    But with US President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariff increases, the world has changed. The chances of successfully completing the negotiations with the EU on increasing access for some agricultural products and cutting red tape now seem good.

    Australia wants improved access for its beef and lamb exports to Europe, but European farmers have significant political influence. The 2023 offer from the EU would have accounted for just 0.3% of its agricultural imports. It was also less than that offered to other trading partners.

    Another major stumbling block was the EU’s demand that Australia give up naming rights for hundreds of food and drink products.

    The EU wants Australia to adopt its system of regulating names for regional food and spirit specialties. If accepted, this could negatively impact on consumers, Australian dairies and boutique spirit makers.

    What is the EU asking for?

    The EU wants Australia to adopt its so-called “geographical indications” approach to protect the names of European products. It has listed 170 food names and 236 spirit names for Australia to give up.

    The EU argues Australia should allow only Greek feta to be sold here; currently Australian, Greek, Danish and Bulgarian feta are all sold in our shops. It also wants the names prosecco and parmesan reserved for European producers.

    Australia approaches food product labels differently, mainly through consumer protection laws. Further, there is little culture of fraud here, while the European system was originally introduced for wines because of widespread fraud, before it spread to food products.

    Problems arise with the specific food and spirit names the EU wants reserved for their producers. Australia argues these are common names for the food items and we shouldn’t lose access to them.

    Intellectual property privileges limit what other producers can do. So there is always a process to allow other parties to object. Our trade agreements also provide for objections processes.

    In 2019, the Australian government called for producers to raise any objections, but provided no follow-up and no process for the resolution of objections. Producers have received no feedback. This denies those affected by the European naming demands access to due process of law.

    The problem with parmesan

    The worst problems are with the common names that, in Australia, are recognised as generic product names.

    Prosecco grapes growing in the Veneto region of Italy. The EU wants to restrict use of the name prosecco.
    StevanZZ/Shutterstock

    The EU does recognise many food names as common names, such as gouda, brie, edam and camembert cheese. But they want Australia to declare that feta, parmesan and prosecco are not common names in Australia. Australian producers, retailers and consumers would disagree.

    The Europeans argue parmesan is a translation of its geographical indication, Parmigiano Reggiano. It refuses to accept that in Australia consumers recognise parmesan as the common name for a hard cheese while Parmigiano Reggiano is an Italian cheese.

    In 2024, the Singapore Court of Appeal ruled parmesan is not a translation of Parmigiano Reggiano in Singapore and is available for use in Singapore as a common name. It is also clearly recognised as a common name in the EU-Korea trade agreement.

    Carve-outs for feta producers

    Feta is not a place name (it means slice). Canada solved the feta problem in its trade deal with Europe by accepting feta as a geographical indication, but grandfathered the right of all existing Canadian producers to continue to produce and sell feta. Vietnam achieved similar safeguards.

    Australia could ask for the same deal as provided to Canada, and this would ensure no negative impacts on producers or Australian consumers. To protect Australian consumers, who are currently also able to buy Danish and Bulgarian feta, Australia should ensure this exception includes companies exporting into Australia.

    Who can make prosecco?

    Prosecco is specified as a grape variety in the 1994 Australia-Europe bilateral wine treaty, and in Italy until 2009.

    Since then the Italian government took action to privatise the name prosecco and the EU endorsed prosecco as a proprietary name.

    However, all treaties with geographical indications provisions recognise that animal breed and plant variety names should remain free for common use. Our prosecco producers make wine with the prosecco grape, and should be allowed to label it as such. Just like pinot noir is labelled as pinot noir, the grape variety, and not Burgundy, the region.

    If the EU does not provide better access to its agricultural markets, and demands naming provisions which hurt Australian dairies and consumers, and our boutique spirits industry, we would be better to walk away from the proposed treaty.

    Hazel Moir is affiliated with the Centre for European Studies in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. From 2017-2019 she was lead researcher in a co-funded ANU and EU’s Erasmus+ Programme study which involved a meta-analysis of the available empirical evidence on the impact of GIs on farmers and regional development. The project funding was purely for research costs and involved no personal remuneration.

    John Power worked for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from 2003 to 2019. He contributed to negotiations of the 2010 Australia-EU Trade in Wine Agreement and Australia’s FTAs. John led the amendments of the Wine Australia Act 2013 that introduced an objections process for wine GIs. In 2020 he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a GI specialist negotiator.

    ref. Australia should stand up for our feta and prosecco in trade talks with the EU – https://theconversation.com/australia-should-stand-up-for-our-feta-and-prosecco-in-trade-talks-with-the-eu-258392

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Canadian scholar delves into Chinese literature in Nanchang

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    In 2005, Canadian Brandon Collins-Green moved to Shanghai to join his girlfriend and live with a family who didn’t speak English. “The first few weeks [of communication] were really tough, but that’s when I fell in love with Mandarin,” he recalls. This passion for the language changed the trajectory of his life – he abandoned an exchange program in Singapore and earned a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language education from Jiamusi University. After that, after reading the famous novel “Dream of the Red Chamber,” he became fascinated with ancient Chinese literature and in 2018 entered the doctoral program at Jiangxi Normal University, where he continued his “deep immersion” in academia.

    Since 2018, Brandon has painted over 4,800 paintings inspired by ancient Chinese literature and poetry (Source: China Daily)

    The decision to live in Nanchang (Jiangxi Province) was a conscious one for the young scientist. Although the city is inferior in development to some megacities, Brandon admires its rich history and culture, as well as the atmosphere filled with energy and movement: “There is peace, safety and trust here.”

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ghana’s older people feel left behind and ignored: how to care for them better

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andrew Kweku Conduah, PhD Candidate, University of Ghana

    Ghana’s national agenda often focuses on the country’s large number of young people. In fact a less noticed demographic transformation is reshaping society: the country’s older population is growing rapidly. According to Ghana Statistical Service estimates, people aged 60 and above are projected to make up over 12% of the total population by 2050, more than doubling the 2021 estimate of 6.8%.

    And more of these older adults are ageing alone.

    That’s because of Ghana’s transition from extended to nuclear family systems, coupled with rural–urban and international migration. Traditionally, older Ghanaians aged within multi-generational households, with care provided by children and extended family. But today, migration patterns have intensified, with over 50% of the population living in urban areas, leaving many elders behind in rural communities or isolated in city slums.

    I recently conducted a study across six Ghanaian communities (urban and rural). Drawing from 52 interviews, I explored the emotional, social and economic implications of ageing alone.

    The participants in the study echoed a common theme: the erosion of intergenerational family structures, leaving the elderly socially and emotionally isolated.

    As a 73-year-old widow participant who lives in a city put it:

    My daughter is in Canada. My son lives in Kumasi, but he rarely visits. I live alone, and if I fall sick, I just wait. Sometimes, I pray someone will notice.

    Such stories are no longer anecdotal outliers. Nationally representative data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey and WHO SAGE Ghana Wave 2 also reveal an uptick in solitary living among older adults, particularly widowed women and those without formal pensions. Over 22% of older respondents in urban Ghana reported living alone, a sharp contrast to previous decades, where co-residence with adult children was the norm. Many older Ghanaians don’t have reliable caregivers.

    As a PhD candidate in population studies at the University of Ghana, I focus on health-related quality of life among older adults. This article draws from my doctoral fieldwork in urban and rural Ghana, using qualitative interviews to uncover the lived realities of ageing alone.

    The study highlights a gap in Ghana’s ageing policies: they overlook solitary elders who live without daily family support.

    The paper calls for integrated social protection for older adults living alone. That would include subsidised healthcare, community outreach services, emergency care networks, and community-based mental health interventions.

    What old people had to say

    Focus group discussions revealed that older adults struggle with emotional loneliness, financial anxiety and health system constraints. Despite the presence of pension associations, many older adults feel forgotten. Spiritual activities and reading offer moments of solace, but limited National Health Insurance Scheme coverage, rising living costs, and declining family support deepen the hardship.

    Focus groups revealed that older women were particularly vulnerable due to widowhood, land insecurity and declining support from children. Men, while respected, felt idle and underutilised. Participants spoke of finding strength in farming, faith and fellowship, but felt forgotten in national development planning.

    Ghana’s National Ageing Policy (2010) promises integrated care, but older adults, especially women, are slipping into the cracks of urban anonymity.

    Ageing here is not just biological, it is physical, psychological and economic. My broader research affirms that the majority of older adults in Ghana worked in the informal sector. They therefore have no access to formal pensions or post-retirement income security.

    Participants in my most recent research shared how they felt:

    I was a seamstress all my life. Now my eyes are failing. No pension, no money. I survive on cassava and prayer. – 66-year-old retired woman

    Ageing in Ghana is like walking into a forest — you disappear quietly. No one sees you. — 69-year-old woman

    This statement underscores the gendered experience of ageing, where women often face greater economic and emotional vulnerability due to widowhood, longer life expectancy, and social neglect.

    We are not dying yet. We want to matter again. – 70-year-old man

    We have houses, but not homes anymore. – 75-year-old man

    What next

    The implications of this neglect are staggering. According to the World Health Organization, loneliness and social isolation among the elderly are associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia, depression and premature death. In Ghana, there are added challenges of inaccessible health facilities and cultural stigma about ageing. Yet most people aren’t talking about it.

    Ghana introduced the National Ageing Policy in 2010 to promote the health, security and participation of older people in national development. But many elderly people still live without affordable healthcare, age-friendly infrastructure or a regular income.

    What Ghana needs now is not another grand policy document. It needs practical, community-rooted and state-supported action.

    Decentralised community geriatric care: Train district-level health volunteers in geriatric care, and equip them with basic tools to support older people in their homes.

    Pension and informal sector integration: Extend Ghana’s pension framework to informal sector workers.

    Public awareness campaigns: Reframe ageing in national media not as decline but as contribution, highlighting elder wisdom, resilience, and ongoing social relevance.

    Urban planning for ageing: Incorporate age-friendly elements like ramps, benches, toilets and signage into development plans.

    None of this is charity. It is a strategic investment. In 2021, Ghana spent less than 0.5% of its national health budget on elderly-specific care. That is fiscally short-sighted. Healthier, engaged older adults reduce family burdens, boost social capital, and can even contribute economically by training and mentoring others.

    In the communities I visited, I encountered grassroots interventions worth scaling up: church youth groups providing weekly food support, pensioners’ associations checking in on members, and intergenerational community storytelling sessions that rebuild emotional bonds.

    In Ghana’s Akan tradition, elders are considered living libraries. Their absence from the communal space is not just a social loss, it is a cultural erasure.

    If the elderly are neglected, anyone may wake up on the wrong side of the demographic line one day, wondering if they too will be forgotten.

    – Ghana’s older people feel left behind and ignored: how to care for them better
    – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-older-people-feel-left-behind-and-ignored-how-to-care-for-them-better-257951

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New handhelds combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: New handhelds combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11

    Together, we’ve combined our strengths and technical expertise to introduce something entirely new: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. These handhelds are built to make it easier than ever to access your favorite games—from Xbox, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts—all from a single device.

    This holiday, with ASUS, players can discover another way to play as we combine the power of Xbox with the freedom you expect from Windows. And this is only the beginning.

    Meet the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X

    • ROG Xbox Ally: The essential handheld at a great value for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast.
    • ROG Xbox Ally X: The ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.

    Both handhelds allow players to play natively, via the cloud, or remotely with their Xbox console in another room.

    Next-Level Features Designed for Play Anywhere

    With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, players can look forward to an approachable gaming experience that travels with you wherever you go, featuring several new and first-of-their kind features on both devices—from an immersive Xbox full screen experience, an aggregated gaming library with access to installed games from leading PC storefronts, and more.

    We’ve optimized Windows 11 to be easy to use on the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X from the moment you power on. Game Bar makes it easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, open apps, adjust settings, and more. Now, with the integration of ASUS’s innovative Armoury Crate, Game Bar also gives you streamlined access to advanced device and input controls. Details like the lock screen and task switcher have also been adjusted for easy navigation with a controller.

    Because these handhelds run Windows, you have access to games you can’t get elsewhere, so you can enjoy the full freedom and versatility of PC gaming—download games from your favorite storefront, run apps like Discord, watch your favorite streamers on Twitch, and play with your favorite mods—all straight from the Xbox experience. The choice is yours.

    Introducing the Xbox Experience for Handheld

    When you power on your Xbox Ally, you’ll boot directly into the Xbox full screen experience, a new feature optimized specifically for handheld gaming. With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay. That means more memory, higher framerates, and a fully immersive experience for players—all made possible by the versatility and freedom of Windows.

    The Xbox Ally has more familiar Xbox touches, including:

    • Xbox button: With a dedicated Xbox button, players have access to chat, apps, and settings through an enhanced Game Bar overlay, allowing you to quickly switch between running apps and games.
    • Contoured grips: Created with player comfort in mind, and using the same design principles as Xbox Wireless Controllers, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X feature contoured handgrips to accommodate a wider range of hand sizes.
    • Accessibility features: Game Bar and the Xbox app have also been optimized for handheld use, bringing along familiar accessibility features from Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, with much more to come in future.

    Easy Access to Games from Xbox, Leading PC Storefronts, and More

    Locating and accessing games across multiple channels can be a challenge —navigating through various browsers, storefronts, and login credentials can sometimes make gaming feel anything but fun. But with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, getting into the fun is easier and faster than ever.

    Within the Xbox full screen experience, players will see their aggregated gaming library, giving them quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts. With this new feature, your Xbox library, hundreds of Game Pass titles (membership required), and all your installed games from other PC game stores are always at your fingertips.

    We’re also making handheld gaming more seamless through our investment in Xbox Play Anywhere. With support for over 1,000 games, a single purchase means you can play with Xbox, including your progress and achievements, across Xbox console, PC and Xbox Ally—at no additional cost. And when you power on your Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X, your favorite games are already there, ready to play. Whether you’ve been gaming on Xbox console, Xbox on PC, or in the cloud, everything syncs effortlessly. With Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) or Remote Play, you can access your full Xbox console library and keep playing—wherever you are.

    And yes…there’s still even more to come:

    • We’re excited to partner with Roblox for the launch of Xbox Ally. For the first time ever, Roblox will be playable natively and optimized for gaming handhelds, enabling players to play with millions of people and discover a variety of immersive games on day one.
    • We are working closely with our game developer partners on a brand-new program designed to help players easily identify which games have been optimized for handhelds, including the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. We will share more details soon. 
    • Players who purchase an Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X and are new to Game Pass will also be able to get started at no additional cost, accessing hundreds of games like Balatro, Gears Tactics, Vampire Survivors and more, straight from your device.
    • Players on either device will be able to tap into Gaming Copilot via Game Bar, a personalized gaming companion that helps you get to your favorite games faster, improve your skills, and connect you with your friends and communities.

    Two Great Choices & A First Look at Specs

    The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are perfect for players looking to take an approachable gaming experience with you during travels— whether it’s between airports, or between the comfiest chairs in the living room.

    Both handhelds run on AMD processors that deliver premium gaming performance, immersive visuals, and more.

    The Xbox Ally offers great value for anyone looking to take their favorite games wherever they want to play, whether it’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Gears of War: Reloaded, Lies of P, South of Midnight, or many more. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor—balancing performance and power consumption to maximize battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality—16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.

    The Xbox Ally X offers more for players looking to get the best level of performance and visual settings from their favorite games on a handheld. It features the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor—allowing us to power the latest AI features as they are introduced— double the storage to have more native games at your fingertips, and 24GB of high-speed RAM that more demanding games crave. The Xbox Ally X also features impulse triggers for more immersive play.

    Here’s how the specs compare between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X:

        ROG Xbox Ally   ROG Xbox Ally X  
    Operating System   Windows 11 Home   Windows 11 Home  
     Comfort & input    Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU   Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.  ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU  
    Processor   AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor   AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor  
    Memory   16GB LPDDR5X-6400   24GB LPDDR5X-8000  
    Storage   512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade   1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade  
    Display   7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  
    120Hz refresh rate  
    FreeSync Premium  
    Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 
    7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  
    120Hz refresh rate  
    FreeSync Premium  
    Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 
    I/O Ports   2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0   1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible  
    1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC)   1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0  
    1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack   1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode)  
        1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack  
    Network and Communication   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4  
    Dimensions   290.8*121.5*50.7mm   290.8*121.5*50.7mm  
    670g   715g  
    Battery   60Wh   80Wh  
    Included   ROG Xbox Ally  65W charger  Stand   ROG Xbox Ally X  65W charger  Stand  

    Pre-orders, Pricing, Accessories and More – Coming Soon

    At launch this holiday, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with availability to follow for other markets where ROG Ally series products are sold today.

    But that’s not the only thing to look forward to. In the coming months, we’ll share even more details about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, including pricing, compatible accessories, and pre-orders. Interested in pre-ordering? Please sign up here to be notified when pre-orders go live.

    We can’t wait to share more about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we continue to fulfil our vision of delivering a consistent, approachable gaming experience anywhere—and meeting more players where you want to be.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push iPad even further

    Source: Apple

    Headline: iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push iPad even further

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push the capabilities and versatility of iPad even further

    iPadOS 26 brings a new design; an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system; new features powered by Apple Intelligence; major enhancements to working with files, audio, and video; and more

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iPadOS 26, the biggest iPadOS release ever, taking a huge leap forward and pushing the unique capabilities and versatility of iPad even further. A beautiful design brings a new look to iPad, making the experience even more expressive and delightful. While maintaining the simplicity of iPad, iPadOS 26 introduces an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system with new features that help users control, organize, and switch between apps. Apple Intelligence becomes even more capable and integrated across iPadOS 26, with new features that help users communicate, express themselves, and get things done, including Live Translation, new ways to create with Genmoji and Image Playground,1 and intelligent actions with Shortcuts. The supercharged Files app offers new ways to organize files and customize folders. And with Folders in the dock, users can conveniently access downloads, documents, and more from anywhere. The Preview app comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app to view and edit PDFs, with powerful features like Apple Pencil Markup and AutoFill built in. And with Background Tasks, audio input selection, and Local capture, iPadOS 26 unlocks new capabilities for creative pros working with audio and video.

    “iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With a beautiful new design, an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system, even more features powered by Apple Intelligence, huge improvements to working with files, and new capabilities for creatives to power their workflows, iPadOS 26 makes our most versatile device even more capable.”

    A Beautiful New Design

    The beautiful new design brings more expressive and delightful experiences to iPad users, while maintaining the familiarity of iPadOS. It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, while reacting to user input and dynamically transforming to bring greater focus to the content they care about most. It enables a new level of vitality across experiences like the Lock Screen and Control Center, and gives users new ways to personalize their Home Screen with updated app icons that come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. And updated controls and navigation extend to apps including Mail, Safari, Apple TV, Apple Music, and more.

    An Entirely New Powerful and Intuitive Windowing System

    iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that help users work with, control, organize, and switch between app windows — all while maintaining the immediacy and simplicity that iPad users expect. The new windowing system lets users fluidly resize app windows, place them exactly where they want, and open even more windows at once.

    Familiar window controls allow users to seamlessly close, minimize, resize, or tile their windows. Window tiling is designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, and enables users to arrange their windows with a simple flick. If a user previously resized an app, it opens back in the exact same size and position when they open it again. With Exposé, users can quickly see all their open windows spread out, helping them easily switch to the one they need. The new windowing system works great with Stage Manager for those who want to group their windows into distinct stages, and with an external display for those who want even more space to work across their apps.2

    With a new menu bar, users can access the commands available in an app with a simple swipe down from the top of the display, or by moving their cursor to the top. Users can quickly find a specific feature or related tips in an app by using search in the menu bar. Additionally, developers can now customize the menu bar in their own apps.

    New Features Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI, becomes even more capable and even more integrated across iPadOS 26. Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime, and Messages enables iPad users to communicate seamlessly across languages. In Messages, incoming texts — including group messages — are automatically translated into the user’s preferred language.3 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when on a phone call, the translation is spoken aloud throughout the conversation.4

    iPadOS 26 brings users new ways to create Genmoji, giving them the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style for a friend’s Contact Poster. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want. And Image Playground can now send a user’s description or photo to ChatGPT and create a unique image.

    Shortcuts features new intelligent actions that allow users to create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarizing text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. Users can also tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to provide responses that feed into the rest of their shortcuts. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed.

    Powerful New Ways to Work with Files

    iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new ways to manage, access, and edit files. An enhanced Files app with an updated List view allows users to see more of their document details in resizable columns and collapsible folders. To make folders easier to identify at a glance, Files also offers folder customization options that include custom colors, icons, and emoji that sync across devices. For quicker access, users can now drag any folder from the Files app right into the Dock. Additionally, users can set a default app for opening specific files or file types.

    The Preview App Comes to iPad

    Preview comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app for creating a quick sketch, as well as viewing, editing, and marking up PDFs and images with Apple Pencil or by touch. Users can access all of their PDFs and images in the Files app right from Preview, create an empty page, use Apple Pencil to draw and write on it, and use AutoFill to quickly fill out PDF forms.

    New Ways to Work with Apps

    Taking advantage of the incredible power of Apple silicon, iPadOS 26 unlocks the ability to perform computationally intensive Background Tasks. When users start a long-running process in an app, Background Tasks will show up with Live Activities, giving users complete control and a clear sense of what is running. And developers can use an updated Background Tasks API that allows users to perform long-running tasks from their apps, too.

    iPadOS 26 also brings new audio features that offer more flexible input and streamlined recording. Users now have better control over their audio input, with the ability to choose different microphones for each app, as well as individual websites. Recorded audio will be made even better with the availability of Voice Isolation, which blocks ambient noise, and allows clear and crisp recordings. And with AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2, studio-quality audio recording allows users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy clear calls.

    With Local capture, users can produce high-quality recordings right from iPad with any video conferencing app, and easily share audio and video files once the call is over. Echo cancellation of other participants’ audio keeps the user’s voice front and center, allowing for a clear recording of their side of the call.

    New Apps, Plus More Ways to Communicate

    With iPadOS 26, Journal comes to iPad, making it easy for users to capture and write about the details of everyday moments or special events. Using Apple Pencil or touch, users can incorporate drawings and handwriting, along with photos, videos, audio recordings, places, their state of mind, and more. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, and now have access to a beautiful map view that organizes entries by location.

    The all-new Apple Games app brings users a new home for gaming, and iPadOS 26 introduces Game Overlay, which allows users to quickly see new events and updates, adjust settings, call or invite a friend mid-game, and more.

    The Messages app brings conversation Backgrounds, which lets a user personalize their chats with stunning designs and create unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Messages also brings Polls and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation, and supercharges group chats with typing indicators, as well as the ability to request and receive Apple Cash.5 Additionally, the Phone app comes to iPad, and includes updates like Hold Assist6 and Call Screening.7

    Additional iPadOS 26 updates:

    • Available in the tool palette, the new reed pen uses stroke-angle presets to enable a traditional calligraphy experience with Apple Pencil or touch in apps like Notes, Preview, Freeform, and Journal; when using Markup; and in third-party apps using the PencilKit API.
    • Calculator introduces new 3D graphing capabilities in Math Notes, allowing users to write an equation with three variables and create a graph in three dimensions.
    • Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, along with support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.
    • Accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed to make text easier to read for users who are blind, have low vision, or have other disabilities affecting reading; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for users with a connected braille display; Share Accessibility Settings to temporarily use accessibility settings on another person’s device; and more.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (A16), iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad mini (5th generation and later). The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/os/ipados and apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    2. Full external display support is available with iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), and iPad Pro (M4).
    3. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    4. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    5. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.
    6. Hold Assist supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    7. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).

    Press Contacts

    Tara Courtney

    Apple

    tcourtney@apple.com

    Skylar Eisenhart

    Apple

    s_eisenhart@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    Source: Apple

    Headline: visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    Widgets become spatial and anchor in a user’s space, Personas are more expressive and realistic, and new APIs unleash exciting opportunities for developers, creators, and enterprises

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed visionOS 26, an expansive update packed with groundbreaking spatial experiences and new features for Apple Vision Pro. Everyday interactions become more immersive and personal, with widgets that integrate into a user’s space, spatial scenes that use generative AI to add stunning lifelike depth to photos, striking enhancements that make Personas feel more natural and familiar, and shared spatial experiences for Vision Pro users in the same room.

    visionOS 26 also adds support for 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon, while new enterprise APIs allow organizations to create spatial experiences unique to visionOS. And with support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, players can enjoy a new class of games on Apple Vision Pro.1

    “Apple Vision Pro has defined what’s possible in this new era of spatial computing, and with visionOS 26, we’re excited to push the boundaries even further,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group. “With brand-new ways for Vision Pro owners to connect, explore, work together, and enjoy content, we’re incredibly excited for users to enjoy features like apps and widgets that they can arrange in their spaces, spatial scenes that offer a brand-new viewing experience for their photos, and dramatically enhanced Personas on Vision Pro.”

    Widgets Become Spatial

    Across the Apple ecosystem, widgets offer personalized and useful information at a glance, and with visionOS 26, widgets become spatial, integrating seamlessly into a user’s space and reappearing every time they put on Apple Vision Pro. Widgets in visionOS 26 are customizable, with a variety of options for frame width, color, and depth. Beautiful new widgets — including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos — all offer unique interactions and experiences.

    Users can decorate their spaces with favorite widgets, including stunning panoramas and spatial photos of their favorite memories, clocks with distinctive face designs, and quick access to their go-to playlists and songs on Apple Music. The Widgets app helps users find widgets, including those from compatible iOS and iPadOS apps, and developers will also be able to create their own widgets using WidgetKit.

    Enhanced Shared Spatial Experiences

    Users love how visionOS lets them connect with family, friends, and colleagues remotely, and with visionOS 26, they can share spatial experiences with other Apple Vision Pro users in the same room. They can come together to watch the latest blockbuster movie in 3D, play a spatial game, or collaborate with coworkers. Users can also add remote participants from across the world via FaceTime, enabling connection with people near and far.

    Dassault Systèmes, a leading provider of engineering and 3D design software, is leveraging this ability with their 3DLive app, bringing the ability to visualize 3D designs both in person and with remote colleagues.

    With visionOS 26, Personas are transformed to feel more natural and familiar. Taking advantage of industry-leading volumetric rendering and machine learning technology, the all-new Personas now have striking expressivity and sharpness, offering a full side profile view, and remarkably accurate hair, lashes, and complexion. Personas are still created on device in a matter of seconds, and new improvements to the setup process allow users to adjust and preview how their Persona looks spatially, and even pick glasses from over 1,000 variations.

    Introducing Spatial Scenes

    visionOS 26 makes spatial photos even more realistic, leveraging a new generative AI algorithm and computational depth to create spatial scenes with multiple perspectives, letting users feel like they can lean in and look around.

    Users can view spatial scenes in the Photos app, Spatial Gallery app, and Safari, while developers can use the Spatial Scene API to make their app experience even more immersive. Zillow is taking advantage of the API for their Zillow Immersive app, allowing users to see images of homes and apartments with the rich depth and dimension that spatial scenes offer.

    New Ways to Browse, Play, and Watch

    Users can select spatial browsing to transform articles on Safari, hide distractions, and reveal spatial scenes that come alive as they scroll. Web developers have the ability to embed 3D models directly into web pages, letting users shop and browse with depth and dimension, and see and manipulate 3D objects and models right in Safari.

    visionOS 26 supports native playback of 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon. Users can enjoy their exciting 2D action footage the way it was meant to be seen. Developers can incorporate this new playback capability into their apps and websites.

    visionOS 26 also introduces support for the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller. Now, developers can deliver even more engaging gameplay experiences for Apple Vision Pro thanks to high-performance motion tracking in 6 degrees of freedom, finger touch detection, and vibration support.

    Enterprise APIs and Tools

    Companies around the world are harnessing spatial computing on Apple Vision Pro to supercharge their workflows for design, training, sales, education, and more. New capabilities like team device sharing let organizations easily set up and manage a shared pool of devices. Users can securely save their eye and hand data, vision prescription, and accessibility settings to their iPhone running iOS 26 and bring it to another Vision Pro, making sharing easier than ever.

    visionOS 26 adds support for Logitech Muse, a spatial accessory built for Apple Vision Pro that enables precise input and new ways to interact with collaboration apps like Spatial Analogue.1

    Enterprise-focused APIs, like the new Protected Content API, ensure that only people who have been granted access can see confidential materials like medical records or business forecasts, while preventing copying, screenshots, and screen sharing.

    Additional visionOS 26 features include:

    • More Apple Intelligence features — including updates to Image Playground — come to Apple Vision Pro. visionOS 26 also adds support for new languages: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, along with support for English in Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, and the UK.2
    • Look to Scroll allows users to explore apps and websites using just their eyes. Users can customize the scroll speed, and developers can integrate Look to Scroll into their visionOS apps.
    • In the redesigned Control Center, features like Guest User, Focus, Travel Mode, and more are conveniently displayed in one view, letting users effortlessly manage their music, adjust their Environment settings, and connect to Mac Virtual Display.
    • Users can unlock their iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro, even in a fully immersive experience like an Environment. This feature can be enabled in Settings for Face ID-enabled iPhone models running iOS 26.3
    • visionOS 26 supports relaying calls from iPhone, so a user can now answer phone calls directly from Apple Vision Pro, or start a call from People View by selecting a contact’s phone number or clicking on a phone number in a web page.4
    • Home View now supports folders, letting users rearrange and group apps together.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com. For more information, visit apple.com/os/visionos. Apple Intelligence requires Apple Vision Pro running visionOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish (Mexico, Spain). Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. Compatible hardware and software may be required.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Accessory sold separately.
    2. Image Playground is available in English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish (Mexico, Spain) when Apple Intelligence is enabled. Feature availability varies by region.
    3. Unlocking iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro requires both Apple Vision Pro and a Face ID-compatible iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account and running visionOS 26 and iOS 26 or later.
    4. Relaying cellular calls from iPhone to Apple Vision Pro requires visionOS 26 or later, and iOS 14 or later. Devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and within Bluetooth range with Bluetooth enabled.

    Press Contacts

    Andrea Schubert

    Apple

    a_schubert@apple.com

    Corey Nord

    Apple

    cnord2@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Source: Apple

    Headline: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Introducing a stunning new design, more Continuity experiences with the Phone app and Live Activities, the biggest update to Spotlight ever, and expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed the next major macOS release — macOS Tahoe 26 — which introduces a stunning new design and powerful capabilities that enable users to get even more done. With the new design, iconic elements of macOS will feel more expressive, delightful, and personal while remaining instantly familiar, including the desktop, Dock, in-app navigation, and toolbars. Users can further personalize the experience with an updated Control Center and new color options for folders, app icons, and widgets. Continuity gets even better with the Phone app arriving on Mac, so users can access familiar features from iPhone — including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails — and new ones like Call Screening1 and Hold Assist.2 And with Live Activities from iPhone, users can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming flight, right on their Mac. Spotlight gets its biggest update ever, allowing users to now directly execute hundreds of actions — like sending an email or creating a note — and take advantage of all-new browsing experiences to get to content faster.

    Apple Intelligence expands with powerful new features that elevate the Mac experience further, while protecting privacy at every step. Live Translation helps users easily communicate across languages, translating text and audio. Genmoji and Image Playground offer new options for creativity.3 Shortcuts get even more powerful with intelligent actions and the ability to now tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to automate complex tasks.

    “macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we’re building on what users love most. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started on Mac, there’s something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamless than ever before,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With its gorgeous new design, amazing Continuity experiences, powerful enhancements to Spotlight, more intelligent shortcuts, and updates to Apple Intelligence, the Mac experience is better than ever.”

    A Gorgeous New Design

    The gorgeous new design enhances the Mac experience in new ways, while maintaining the familiarity of macOS. It is crafted with Liquid Glass, a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings. The Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been refined, bringing greater focus to a user’s content. The menu bar is now completely transparent, making the display feel even larger. There are more ways to customize what controls appear in the menu bar and Control Center, along with how they’re laid out. The new design also unlocks more personalization on the Mac. App icons come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. Users can also change the colors of folders and add a symbol or emoji to give them a unique identity. And when combined with personalized wallpapers and theme colors, it’s easier than ever to make Mac a seamless extension of a user’s style.

    New Continuity Experiences with the Phone App and Live Activities

    The Phone app arrives on Mac thanks to Continuity, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone. The Phone app on Mac has the familiar features of the Phone app on iPhone — including Recents, Favorites, and Voicemails — and the latest updates like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for information so a user can decide whether or not to answer. And when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows them to keep their spot in line while they wait for a live agent, so users can continue working on their Mac.

    Live Activities from a user’s nearby iPhone will now appear in the menu bar on their Mac so they can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming Uber ride, flight, or live sports score. When clicking on a Live Activity, the app opens in iPhone Mirroring to show more information so users can take action right from their Mac.

    The Biggest Update Ever to Spotlight

    Spotlight, the central place to search for things on Mac, makes finding what users are looking for easier than ever, and provides users with all-new ways to take action. During a search, all results — including files, folders, events, apps, messages, and more — are now listed together and ranked intelligently based on relevance to the user. New filtering options rapidly narrow searches to exactly what a user is looking for, like PDFs or Mail messages. Spotlight can also surface results for documents stored on third-party cloud drives. And when a user doesn’t know exactly what they’re searching for, Spotlight’s new browse views make it easy to scan through their apps, files, clipboard history, and more.

    Users can now take hundreds of actions directly from Spotlight — like sending an email, creating a note, or playing a podcast — without jumping between apps. Users can take actions from both Apple apps and apps built by developers, because any app can provide actions to Spotlight using the App Intents API. Users can also run shortcuts and perform actions from the menu bar in the app they’re currently working in, all without lifting their hands off the keyboard. Spotlight learns from users’ routines across the system and surfaces personalized actions, such as sending a message to a colleague a user regularly talks to. Additionally, Spotlight introduces quick keys, which are short strings of characters that get users right to the action they’re looking for.

    Brand-New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence, gets even more capable while protecting users’ privacy at every step.

    • Seamless communication across language barriers with Live Translation: In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages, so if a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type and delivered in the recipient’s preferred language. And when the user receives a response, each text can be instantly translated.4 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when a user is on a call in the Phone app, their words are translated for the recipient as they speak.5 This is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so conversations stay private.
    • Shortcuts get more intelligent: A whole new class of intelligent actions lets users create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarizing text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. And now users will be able to tap directly into Apple Intelligence models, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses that feed into the rest of their shortcut, maintaining the privacy of information used. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Users can also choose to tap into ChatGPT for its broad world knowledge and expertise. Additionally, users can now run shortcuts automatically on macOS, such as at a specific time of day, or when taking a specific action like saving a file to a folder or connecting a display.
    • Updates to Genmoji and Image Playground: macOS Tahoe brings new ways to create Genmoji, giving users the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions based on the moment. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style or vector art. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want.
    • Increased productivity with Reminders: Apple Intelligence can review an email, website, note, or other content on Mac to find the most relevant action items. And users can also choose to use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize Reminders into sections to make them more manageable.

    New Apple Games App, Game Overlay, and More Titles

    macOS Tahoe introduces Apple Games, a dedicated app that gives players a home for all their games, making it easier to jump back into favorites, discover new games tailored just for them, and play with friends in whole new ways. With the new Game Overlay, players can conveniently adjust their system settings, chat with friends, or invite them to play, all without having to leave their game. Players can also turn on Low Power Mode, which extends gaming sessions and maximizes playtime on battery. For developers, macOS Tahoe introduces Metal 4, which brings even more advanced graphics and next-generation rendering technologies to games, like MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX Denoising, for smoother visuals and faster frame rates.

    Alongside these improvements, developers continue to deliver exciting new games on Mac, including upcoming titles like Crimson Desert and InZOI. Both games leverage powerful software technologies like MetalFX Upscaling to accelerate performance and deliver high-quality visuals, as well as take advantage of the M3 and M4 family of chips with ray tracing for a breathtaking experience. Additional titles on the way include Cyberpunk 2077, Cronos: The New Dawn, Architect: Land of Exiles, Lies of P: Overture, HITMAN World of Assassination, EVE Frontier, Where Winds Meet, and more.

    Additional features in macOS Tahoe include:

    • Safari, the world’s fastest browser,6 offers a fresh but familiar experience, featuring a rounded tab design that floats in the toolbar, along with a refreshed sidebar with new sections to help users more easily find saved content like iCloud Tabs and Saved. When compared to Chrome, Safari is 50 percent faster at loading frequently visited websites7 and offers up to four more hours of battery life when streaming video.8 And for even greater protection from trackers when browsing, Safari now offers advanced fingerprinting protection in all browsing by default.
    • The Messages app brings Backgrounds, Polls, and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation. Plus, it features typing indicators in groups to let participants know exactly who is going to chime in, as well as the ability to add new contacts easily right from the group chat and search with more natural language.
    • Journal comes to Mac, making it easy to capture and write about everyday moments and special events when inspiration strikes. On Mac, it’s easy to type long, thoughtful entries and view them on a map. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, which are all synced across Apple devices.
    • Photos has an updated design that includes beautiful Liquid Glass elements, enhancements for customization, easier workflows, and sidebar consistency with iPadOS. Pinned Collections now come to Mac, so users can access the collections they use most with a click on the sidebar. Users will also find new buttons to quickly access filtering and sorting options in all views, and the ability to customize the size of Collections tiles, so they can view their library just how they like.
    • On FaceTime, the reimagined landing page features beautiful Contact Posters of recent callers, Liquid Glass controls now float in the bottom right and recede to create more space, and a new More button lets users quickly access features like SharePlay and Live Translation.
    • Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, and support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.
    • Accessibility features include Magnifier on Mac, which enables users with low vision to zoom in on their surroundings using Continuity Camera on iPhone or attached USB cameras, apply image filters so items are easier to see or read, and even change perspective when viewing presentations or books from an angle. Additional features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed with accessibility in mind; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for those with a connected braille display; and Vehicle Motion Cues, which helps reduce motion sickness in a moving vehicle.
    • With Passwords, users can easily reference changes they make to their accounts, including checking previous versions of passwords they save, along with details on when they were changed.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. The release will be available as a free software update this fall. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/os/macos and apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    2. Hold Assist will be available in English (U.S.), English (Canada), English (UK), English (Singapore), English (Australia), English (India), French (France), Spanish (U.S.), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    5. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    6. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 using JetStream 2.2, MotionMark 1.3.1, and Speedometer 3.1 performance benchmarks. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and latest stable versions of Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox at the time of testing on: 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4 and prerelease macOS Tahoe, and Intel Core Ultra 9-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Home; iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) units with prerelease iPadOS 26.0, and Intel Core Ultra 7-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Pro; and iPhone 16 Pro Max with prerelease iOS 26.0, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite-based smartphones with Android 15. Devices tested with a WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    7. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 by measuring page load performance of snapshot versions of 10 popular websites under simulated network conditions. Tested on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    8. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Systems tested with WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection while running on battery power, with display brightness set to 8 clicks from bottom and keyboard backlight off. Video streaming tested with 1080p content on prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Not all features are available on all devices. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    The release delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iOS 26, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design provides a more expressive and delightful experience across the system while maintaining the instant familiarity of iOS. Integrated throughout the system and built with privacy from the ground up, Apple Intelligence gets even more capable. Updates to the Phone and Messages apps help users stay connected while eliminating distractions like unwanted calls. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.

    “iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day, making iPhone even more helpful,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the Lock Screen and Home Screen, to new capabilities across Phone and Messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most. And with powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the system, users can get things done easier than ever.”

    A Beautiful New Look

    The new design makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, while keeping iOS instantly familiar. It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a new translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. The new design extends to the Home Screen and Lock Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. Liquid Glass also brings new customization options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look.

    On the Lock Screen, the time fluidly adapts to the available space in an image, and spatial scenes bring wallpapers to life with a 3D effect when users move iPhone. Updated design elements also deliver fresh experiences in apps. A simplified, streamlined Camera layout helps users keep their attention on the moment they’re capturing, and the Photos app is updated to feature separate tabs for Library and Collections views. In Safari, web pages flow from the top edge to the bottom of the screen, enabling users to see more of the page while maintaining access to frequently used actions like refresh and search. In Apple Music, News, and Podcasts, the tab bar is redesigned to float above users’ content, dynamically shrink when users are browsing to put content front and center, and then expand when they scroll back up.

    An updated set of APIs provides developers with access to Liquid Glass materials and components so they can make their apps appear just as dynamic and delightful.

    New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence elevates the iPhone experience and helps users get things done easier than ever, while unlocking new ways to communicate and do more with what’s on their screen. Live Translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help users communicate across languages, translating text and audio on the fly.1 Live Translation is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users’ personal conversations stay personal.

    Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user’s iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they’re viewing across apps. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re looking at onscreen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar, repopulating key details like date, time, and location.2

    Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new.3

    Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence, and will see dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground.

    Apple Intelligence can now automatically identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants and delivery carriers, giving users the ability to see their full order details and progress notifications all in one place — even for purchases not made with Apple Pay.

    Additionally, a new Foundation Models framework opens up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving developers direct access to powerful intelligence that’s fast, built with privacy at its core, and available offline, using AI inference that is free of cost.

    Features for Staying Connected and Eliminating Interruptions

    Fundamental to the iPhone experience, the Phone app now offers a unified layout that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all in one place. Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail and helps eliminate interruptions by gathering information from the caller and giving users the details they need to decide if they want to pick up or ignore the call.4 And for the times when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist notifies the user when a live agent is available.5

    In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them.

    iOS 26 also offers enhancements to conversations, including custom backgrounds and the ability to create polls. With Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one, and users can generate unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Additionally, in group chats, users can now see typing indicators, and request, send, and receive Apple Cash.6

    Enhancements to CarPlay

    CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use. The stunning design includes a new compact view for incoming calls, allowing users to see who’s calling without missing key information like upcoming directions. iOS 26 also brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages in CarPlay, and with widgets and Live Activities, users can stay in the loop without losing focus on the road. These updates also come to CarPlay Ultra, which brings the best of iPhone and the best of the car together for a deeply integrated, unified experience across every screen.

    Updates to Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    In Apple Music, Lyrics Translation helps users understand the words to their favorite songs, while Lyrics Pronunciation allows everyone to sing along, regardless of language. AutoMix uses intelligence to transition from one song to the next like a DJ, using time stretching and beat matching to seamlessly move from one song to the next.

    In Apple Maps, Visited Places help users remember the places they’ve been. Users can choose to have iPhone detect when they’re at a place like a restaurant or shop, and view all of their Visited Places in Maps. Visited Places are protected with end-to-end encryption and cannot be accessed by Apple. Additionally, iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to better understand a user’s daily route, presenting them with their preferred route when they’re headed home or to the office, along with notifying them of delays and offering alternate routes.

    Updates in Apple Wallet help make everyday interactions with the physical world easier than ever. Users can choose to pay with installments or rewards when they make in-store purchases with Apple Pay using iPhone. Refreshed boarding passes in Wallet offer the ability to see and share Live Activities for real-time updates on a flight. They also provide convenient access to a traveler’s most relevant information, such as Maps to navigate airports, Find My to track important items and report missing bags, and more.

    Additional features in iOS 26:

    • Apple Games is a new app that gives players an all-in-one destination for their games. It helps players jump back into titles they love, find their next favorite, and have even more fun with friends. They’ll find out what’s happening across all their games, including major events and updates, so they never miss a moment. The Games app is also the best way to experience Apple Arcade, Apple’s game subscription service with more than 200 award-winning and highly rated games for the whole family.
    • AirPods are more versatile than ever with new features for AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2. Building on the benefits of Voice Isolation, studio-quality audio recording allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy even clearer calls. With camera remote, users can press and hold the AirPods stem to take a photo or start and stop a video recording on iPhone or iPad.
    • Parents can now create or move kids into Child Accounts even more easily, taking advantage of a wide set of parental controls designed to keep children safe. Enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety, and the App Store include parental approvals for contact requests from kids, blurring out sensitive content in FaceTime calls and photos in Shared Albums, and enabling parents to grant an exception for their child to download an app with an age rating that exceeds the app content restriction they set.
    • Browsing in Safari gets even more private with advanced fingerprinting protection extending to all browsing by default.
    • Powerful accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, which provides a customized systemwide reading experience, and Braille Access, an all-new interface for iPhone devices with connected braille displays. Updates to Live Listen, Background Sounds, Personal Voice, and more bring a new level of accessibility across the Apple ecosystem.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified). Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    2. The ability to add an event to a calendar with visual intelligence is available in English on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    5. Hold Assist supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    6. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.

    Press Contacts

    Shane Bauer

    Apple

    shanebauer@apple.com

    Tania Olkhovaya

    Apple

    tolkhovaya@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

    Source: Apple

    Headline: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected

    A new software design makes using Apple Watch even more delightful, Workout Buddy brings a first-of-its-kind workout experience with Apple Intelligence, and the Smart Stack and Messages are more intelligent

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed watchOS 26, offering a beautiful new look and even more intelligence for a more personalized experience, to support users in staying active, healthy, and connected. A new design with Liquid Glass makes features like the Smart Stack, Control Center, the Photos watch face, and in-app navigation and controls more expressive, while maintaining the instant familiarity of watchOS. Apple Intelligence enhances the fitness experience with Workout Buddy, which provides personalized, spoken motivation. The Workout app features a new layout, and offers music to listen to based on a user’s tastes and the workout type. watchOS 26 makes everyday interactions even more convenient with Smart Stack hints and updates to Messages, and introduces a new one-handed wrist flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications.

    “Apple Watch is an indispensable companion for millions of people around the world, and watchOS 26 uses intelligence to offer an even more personalized experience,” said David Clark, Apple’s senior director of watchOS Engineering. “From a gorgeous new design, to Workout Buddy with Apple Intelligence, personalized music suggestions in the Workout app, and more intelligence in the Smart Stack and Messages, we’re excited about the many ways watchOS 26 will support each user in staying active, healthy, connected, and safe throughout their day.”

    A Beautiful New Design

    A gorgeous new software design with Liquid Glass brings a fresh look to watchOS 26. Across apps, this new design enables a vibrant and expressive experience that reflects and refracts content using real-time rendering, which brings even more focus to content and makes using Apple Watch even more delightful. Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation will adopt the new design. The popular Photos watch face is enhanced with numerals made of Liquid Glass, allowing users to see even more of their photo.

    Apple Intelligence Comes to Fitness with Workout Buddy

    Workout Buddy is a first-of-its-kind fitness experience with Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and their fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.

    For example, as a user starts a run, Workout Buddy will give a personalized pep talk that may remind them of their running mileage for the week so far, or share how they are doing against their Activity ring goals: “Way to get out for your run this Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring. So far this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re going to add to that today.”

    During the workout, Workout Buddy can mark key moments like their mile splits, or tell them if they hit a new milestone based on their fitness history: “Mile four. You picked up the pace and ran that last one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds.” “Hey, check this out. Your total running distance for the year just crossed the 200-mile mark! That’s a lot of running!”

    When a user ends a workout, Workout Buddy will recap their workout stats and congratulate them on their achievements: “Way to get your workout in! You went 4.3 miles in just over 38 minutes. Your average pace was 8 minutes and 58 seconds, and your average heart rate was 128. That was your longest run of the last 28 days. What will you do next?”

    To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data privately and securely, with Apple Intelligence. A new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout.

    Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, and requires an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby. It will be available starting in English, across some of the most popular workout types: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

    Additional Updates to the Workout Experience

    The Workout app is one of the most popular apps on Apple Watch, and in watchOS 26, it debuts the biggest update to its layout and navigation since its introduction. Four new buttons in the corners of the app make it easier for users to access their favorite features to customize workouts, like Workout Views, Custom Workout, Pacer, Race Route, and more.

    To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For users’ convenience, Apple Music can now select the best playlist for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes.1 Alternatively, users can see suggestions for playlists or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.

    The Smart Stack Becomes Even More Proactive

    The Smart Stack is designed to help users quickly access important information from any watch face. In watchOS 26, the Smart Stack improves its prediction algorithms by incorporating more contextual data, sensor data, and data from a user’s routine to provide Smart Stack hints, a proactive prompt for actionable suggestions that are immediately useful. Made of Liquid Glass, Smart Stack hints will appear on the display as a gentle visual prompt. For example, a hint for Backtrack may appear when a user is in a remote location with no connectivity, or a hint for a Pilates workout may show up when a user arrives at a studio location at their usual time.

    Added Convenience in Messages

    Apple Watch now supports Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language, right on their wrist.2 And when the user responds, their texts can be instantly translated for the person they’re having a conversation with. Live Translation will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone.

    Additionally, for users whose device language is set to English, Apple Watch will intelligently suggest relevant actions in Messages using the context of a conversation, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home, or using Apple Cash when a user is asked to contribute to a group gift. Customizable Backgrounds set on iPhone will also appear on Apple Watch to make conversations feel more personal and distinct, and users can respond to polls right on their wrist. Smart Replies get even more precise for users whose device language is set to English, with an improved on-device language model that can generate relevant responses based on the content of a conversation.3

    Notifications Are Easier to Manage

    Notifications are even easier to manage with a simple wrist flick gesture on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. When a user raises their wrist to check a notification but isn’t ready to respond, they can quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification. The wrist flick gesture can be used to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and return to the watch face. It uses the accelerometer and the gyroscope — along with a machine learning model — to analyze a user’s wrist movement. Wrist flick joins the double tap gesture to allow users to do even more on Apple Watch with only one hand, for times when the user’s other hand is occupied, such as when walking the dog, cooking, or holding a cup of coffee.

    Apple Watch can also now automatically adjust the speaker volume based on the ambient noise in a user’s surroundings for notifications, timers, alarms, incoming calls, and Siri, allowing them to stay connected without worrying about disturbing those around them.

    Additional updates in watchOS 26:

    • The Notes app comes to Apple Watch, allowing users to access their notes right on their wrist. Users can also pin and unlock notes, complete checklist items, and create new notes with Siri, dictation, and the keyboard.
    • Hold Assist and Call Screening come to the Phone app, when an iPhone is nearby. When a user is waiting for a live agent, Hold Assist recognizes once a live agent is available and notifies the user to return to the call.4 Call Screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and reason for the call before their phone rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline the call, or ask for more information.5
    • For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, Live Listen controls come to Apple Watch with a new set of features, including real-time Live Captions of what their iPhone hears on a paired Apple Watch while listening to the audio.6 Apple Watch serves as a remote control to start or stop Live Listen sessions on a paired iPhone, or jump back into a session to capture something that may have been missed.
    • The Photos face will now shuffle images based on Featured content from Photos, so users can see images of their most meaningful moments every time they raise their wrist or tap the display.
    • Users can now explore and discover watch faces more easily with the redesigned watch face gallery on Apple Watch and in the Watch app on iPhone, with faces grouped into collections.

    New Tools for Developers

    Developers are able to take advantage of new APIs in watchOS 26 across design, the Smart Stack, and more. Developers can use new SwiftUI APIs to adopt the beautiful new design materials of watchOS 26. With the Control Widget API, developers can create custom controls to be added to the Control Center, Action Button, or Smart Stack widget, and the Smart Stack Relevance API allows third-party widgets to be added to the Smart Stack with new signals like Points of Interest, with user permission to incorporate location data. For example, the Smart Stack can intelligently show a widget for Slopes when users arrive at a ski resort with improved location APIs, and now Dark Noise can add a custom control to Control Center so users can easily turn on a sleep soundscape without picking up their iPhone.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. watchOS 26 will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and all Apple Watch Ultra models, paired with iPhone 11 or later, running iOS 26. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Apple Music subscription is required for automatic music selection.
    2. Live Translation in Messages will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    3. Updates to Smart Replies will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
    4. Hold Assist requires iPhone nearby, and supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain).
    5. Call Screening requires iPhone nearby, and supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Macao, Taiwan), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    6. Live Captions support English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), German (Germany), French (Canada, France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), and Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong).

    Press Contacts

    Nikki Rothberg

    Apple

    nrothberg@apple.com

    Clare Varellas

    Apple

    cvarellas@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Banking: New handhelds combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: New handhelds combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11

    Together, we’ve combined our strengths and technical expertise to introduce something entirely new: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. These handhelds are built to make it easier than ever to access your favorite games—from Xbox, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts—all from a single device.

    This holiday, with ASUS, players can discover another way to play as we combine the power of Xbox with the freedom you expect from Windows. And this is only the beginning.

    Meet the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X

    • ROG Xbox Ally: The essential handheld at a great value for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast.
    • ROG Xbox Ally X: The ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.

    Both handhelds allow players to play natively, via the cloud, or remotely with their Xbox console in another room.

    Next-Level Features Designed for Play Anywhere

    With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, players can look forward to an approachable gaming experience that travels with you wherever you go, featuring several new and first-of-their kind features on both devices—from an immersive Xbox full screen experience, an aggregated gaming library with access to installed games from leading PC storefronts, and more.

    We’ve optimized Windows 11 to be easy to use on the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X from the moment you power on. Game Bar makes it easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, open apps, adjust settings, and more. Now, with the integration of ASUS’s innovative Armoury Crate, Game Bar also gives you streamlined access to advanced device and input controls. Details like the lock screen and task switcher have also been adjusted for easy navigation with a controller.

    Because these handhelds run Windows, you have access to games you can’t get elsewhere, so you can enjoy the full freedom and versatility of PC gaming—download games from your favorite storefront, run apps like Discord, watch your favorite streamers on Twitch, and play with your favorite mods—all straight from the Xbox experience. The choice is yours.

    Introducing the Xbox Experience for Handheld

    When you power on your Xbox Ally, you’ll boot directly into the Xbox full screen experience, a new feature optimized specifically for handheld gaming. With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay. That means more memory, higher framerates, and a fully immersive experience for players—all made possible by the versatility and freedom of Windows.

    The Xbox Ally has more familiar Xbox touches, including:

    • Xbox button: With a dedicated Xbox button, players have access to chat, apps, and settings through an enhanced Game Bar overlay, allowing you to quickly switch between running apps and games.
    • Contoured grips: Created with player comfort in mind, and using the same design principles as Xbox Wireless Controllers, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X feature contoured handgrips to accommodate a wider range of hand sizes.
    • Accessibility features: Game Bar and the Xbox app have also been optimized for handheld use, bringing along familiar accessibility features from Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, with much more to come in future.

    Easy Access to Games from Xbox, Leading PC Storefronts, and More

    Locating and accessing games across multiple channels can be a challenge —navigating through various browsers, storefronts, and login credentials can sometimes make gaming feel anything but fun. But with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, getting into the fun is easier and faster than ever.

    Within the Xbox full screen experience, players will see their aggregated gaming library, giving them quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts. With this new feature, your Xbox library, hundreds of Game Pass titles (membership required), and all your installed games from other PC game stores are always at your fingertips.

    We’re also making handheld gaming more seamless through our investment in Xbox Play Anywhere. With support for over 1,000 games, a single purchase means you can play with Xbox, including your progress and achievements, across Xbox console, PC and Xbox Ally—at no additional cost. And when you power on your Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X, your favorite games are already there, ready to play. Whether you’ve been gaming on Xbox console, Xbox on PC, or in the cloud, everything syncs effortlessly. With Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) or Remote Play, you can access your full Xbox console library and keep playing—wherever you are.

    And yes…there’s still even more to come:

    • We’re excited to partner with Roblox for the launch of Xbox Ally. For the first time ever, Roblox will be playable natively and optimized for gaming handhelds, enabling players to play with millions of people and discover a variety of immersive games on day one.
    • We are working closely with our game developer partners on a brand-new program designed to help players easily identify which games have been optimized for handhelds, including the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. We will share more details soon. 
    • Players who purchase an Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X and are new to Game Pass will also be able to get started at no additional cost, accessing hundreds of games like Balatro, Gears Tactics, Vampire Survivors and more, straight from your device.
    • Players on either device will be able to tap into Gaming Copilot via Game Bar, a personalized gaming companion that helps you get to your favorite games faster, improve your skills, and connect you with your friends and communities.

    Two Great Choices & A First Look at Specs

    The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are perfect for players looking to take an approachable gaming experience with you during travels— whether it’s between airports, or between the comfiest chairs in the living room.

    Both handhelds run on AMD processors that deliver premium gaming performance, immersive visuals, and more.

    The Xbox Ally offers great value for anyone looking to take their favorite games wherever they want to play, whether it’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Gears of War: Reloaded, Lies of P, South of Midnight, or many more. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor—balancing performance and power consumption to maximize battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality—16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.

    The Xbox Ally X offers more for players looking to get the best level of performance and visual settings from their favorite games on a handheld. It features the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor—allowing us to power the latest AI features as they are introduced— double the storage to have more native games at your fingertips, and 24GB of high-speed RAM that more demanding games crave. The Xbox Ally X also features impulse triggers for more immersive play.

    Here’s how the specs compare between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X:

        ROG Xbox Ally   ROG Xbox Ally X  
    Operating System   Windows 11 Home   Windows 11 Home  
     Comfort & input    Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU   Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.  ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU  
    Processor   AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor   AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor  
    Memory   16GB LPDDR5X-6400   24GB LPDDR5X-8000  
    Storage   512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade   1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade  
    Display   7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  
    120Hz refresh rate  
    FreeSync Premium  
    Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 
    7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  
    120Hz refresh rate  
    FreeSync Premium  
    Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 
    I/O Ports   2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0   1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible  
    1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC)   1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0  
    1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack   1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode)  
        1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack  
    Network and Communication   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4  
    Dimensions   290.8*121.5*50.7mm   290.8*121.5*50.7mm  
    670g   715g  
    Battery   60Wh   80Wh  
    Included   ROG Xbox Ally  65W charger  Stand   ROG Xbox Ally X  65W charger  Stand  

    Pre-orders, Pricing, Accessories and More – Coming Soon

    At launch this holiday, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with availability to follow for other markets where ROG Ally series products are sold today.

    But that’s not the only thing to look forward to. In the coming months, we’ll share even more details about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, including pricing, compatible accessories, and pre-orders. Interested in pre-ordering? Please sign up here to be notified when pre-orders go live.

    We can’t wait to share more about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we continue to fulfil our vision of delivering a consistent, approachable gaming experience anywhere—and meeting more players where you want to be.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    Source: Apple

    Headline: visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    Widgets become spatial and anchor in a user’s space, Personas are more expressive and realistic, and new APIs unleash exciting opportunities for developers, creators, and enterprises

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed visionOS 26, an expansive update packed with groundbreaking spatial experiences and new features for Apple Vision Pro. Everyday interactions become more immersive and personal, with widgets that integrate into a user’s space, spatial scenes that use generative AI to add stunning lifelike depth to photos, striking enhancements that make Personas feel more natural and familiar, and shared spatial experiences for Vision Pro users in the same room.

    visionOS 26 also adds support for 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon, while new enterprise APIs allow organizations to create spatial experiences unique to visionOS. And with support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, players can enjoy a new class of games on Apple Vision Pro.1

    “Apple Vision Pro has defined what’s possible in this new era of spatial computing, and with visionOS 26, we’re excited to push the boundaries even further,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group. “With brand-new ways for Vision Pro owners to connect, explore, work together, and enjoy content, we’re incredibly excited for users to enjoy features like apps and widgets that they can arrange in their spaces, spatial scenes that offer a brand-new viewing experience for their photos, and dramatically enhanced Personas on Vision Pro.”

    Widgets Become Spatial

    Across the Apple ecosystem, widgets offer personalized and useful information at a glance, and with visionOS 26, widgets become spatial, integrating seamlessly into a user’s space and reappearing every time they put on Apple Vision Pro. Widgets in visionOS 26 are customizable, with a variety of options for frame width, color, and depth. Beautiful new widgets — including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos — all offer unique interactions and experiences.

    Users can decorate their spaces with favorite widgets, including stunning panoramas and spatial photos of their favorite memories, clocks with distinctive face designs, and quick access to their go-to playlists and songs on Apple Music. The Widgets app helps users find widgets, including those from compatible iOS and iPadOS apps, and developers will also be able to create their own widgets using WidgetKit.

    Enhanced Shared Spatial Experiences

    Users love how visionOS lets them connect with family, friends, and colleagues remotely, and with visionOS 26, they can share spatial experiences with other Apple Vision Pro users in the same room. They can come together to watch the latest blockbuster movie in 3D, play a spatial game, or collaborate with coworkers. Users can also add remote participants from across the world via FaceTime, enabling connection with people near and far.

    Dassault Systèmes, a leading provider of engineering and 3D design software, is leveraging this ability with their 3DLive app, bringing the ability to visualize 3D designs both in person and with remote colleagues.

    With visionOS 26, Personas are transformed to feel more natural and familiar. Taking advantage of industry-leading volumetric rendering and machine learning technology, the all-new Personas now have striking expressivity and sharpness, offering a full side profile view, and remarkably accurate hair, lashes, and complexion. Personas are still created on device in a matter of seconds, and new improvements to the setup process allow users to adjust and preview how their Persona looks spatially, and even pick glasses from over 1,000 variations.

    Introducing Spatial Scenes

    visionOS 26 makes spatial photos even more realistic, leveraging a new generative AI algorithm and computational depth to create spatial scenes with multiple perspectives, letting users feel like they can lean in and look around.

    Users can view spatial scenes in the Photos app, Spatial Gallery app, and Safari, while developers can use the Spatial Scene API to make their app experience even more immersive. Zillow is taking advantage of the API for their Zillow Immersive app, allowing users to see images of homes and apartments with the rich depth and dimension that spatial scenes offer.

    New Ways to Browse, Play, and Watch

    Users can select spatial browsing to transform articles on Safari, hide distractions, and reveal spatial scenes that come alive as they scroll. Web developers have the ability to embed 3D models directly into web pages, letting users shop and browse with depth and dimension, and see and manipulate 3D objects and models right in Safari.

    visionOS 26 supports native playback of 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon. Users can enjoy their exciting 2D action footage the way it was meant to be seen. Developers can incorporate this new playback capability into their apps and websites.

    visionOS 26 also introduces support for the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller. Now, developers can deliver even more engaging gameplay experiences for Apple Vision Pro thanks to high-performance motion tracking in 6 degrees of freedom, finger touch detection, and vibration support.

    Enterprise APIs and Tools

    Companies around the world are harnessing spatial computing on Apple Vision Pro to supercharge their workflows for design, training, sales, education, and more. New capabilities like team device sharing let organizations easily set up and manage a shared pool of devices. Users can securely save their eye and hand data, vision prescription, and accessibility settings to their iPhone running iOS 26 and bring it to another Vision Pro, making sharing easier than ever.

    visionOS 26 adds support for Logitech Muse, a spatial accessory built for Apple Vision Pro that enables precise input and new ways to interact with collaboration apps like Spatial Analogue.1

    Enterprise-focused APIs, like the new Protected Content API, ensure that only people who have been granted access can see confidential materials like medical records or business forecasts, while preventing copying, screenshots, and screen sharing.

    Additional visionOS 26 features include:

    • More Apple Intelligence features — including updates to Image Playground — come to Apple Vision Pro. visionOS 26 also adds support for new languages: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, along with support for English in Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, and the UK.2
    • Look to Scroll allows users to explore apps and websites using just their eyes. Users can customize the scroll speed, and developers can integrate Look to Scroll into their visionOS apps.
    • In the redesigned Control Center, features like Guest User, Focus, Travel Mode, and more are conveniently displayed in one view, letting users effortlessly manage their music, adjust their Environment settings, and connect to Mac Virtual Display.
    • Users can unlock their iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro, even in a fully immersive experience like an Environment. This feature can be enabled in Settings for Face ID-enabled iPhone models running iOS 26.3
    • visionOS 26 supports relaying calls from iPhone, so a user can now answer phone calls directly from Apple Vision Pro, or start a call from People View by selecting a contact’s phone number or clicking on a phone number in a web page.4
    • Home View now supports folders, letting users rearrange and group apps together.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com. For more information, visit apple.com/os/visionos. Apple Intelligence requires Apple Vision Pro running visionOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish (Mexico, Spain). Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. Compatible hardware and software may be required.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Accessory sold separately.
    2. Image Playground is available in English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish (Mexico, Spain) when Apple Intelligence is enabled. Feature availability varies by region.
    3. Unlocking iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro requires both Apple Vision Pro and a Face ID-compatible iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account and running visionOS 26 and iOS 26 or later.
    4. Relaying cellular calls from iPhone to Apple Vision Pro requires visionOS 26 or later, and iOS 14 or later. Devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and within Bluetooth range with Bluetooth enabled.

    Press Contacts

    Andrea Schubert

    Apple

    a_schubert@apple.com

    Corey Nord

    Apple

    cnord2@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Source: Apple

    Headline: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Introducing a stunning new design, more Continuity experiences with the Phone app and Live Activities, the biggest update to Spotlight ever, and expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed the next major macOS release — macOS Tahoe 26 — which introduces a stunning new design and powerful capabilities that enable users to get even more done. With the new design, iconic elements of macOS will feel more expressive, delightful, and personal while remaining instantly familiar, including the desktop, Dock, in-app navigation, and toolbars. Users can further personalize the experience with an updated Control Center and new color options for folders, app icons, and widgets. Continuity gets even better with the Phone app arriving on Mac, so users can access familiar features from iPhone — including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails — and new ones like Call Screening1 and Hold Assist.2 And with Live Activities from iPhone, users can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming flight, right on their Mac. Spotlight gets its biggest update ever, allowing users to now directly execute hundreds of actions — like sending an email or creating a note — and take advantage of all-new browsing experiences to get to content faster.

    Apple Intelligence expands with powerful new features that elevate the Mac experience further, while protecting privacy at every step. Live Translation helps users easily communicate across languages, translating text and audio. Genmoji and Image Playground offer new options for creativity.3 Shortcuts get even more powerful with intelligent actions and the ability to now tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to automate complex tasks.

    “macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we’re building on what users love most. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started on Mac, there’s something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamless than ever before,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With its gorgeous new design, amazing Continuity experiences, powerful enhancements to Spotlight, more intelligent shortcuts, and updates to Apple Intelligence, the Mac experience is better than ever.”

    A Gorgeous New Design

    The gorgeous new design enhances the Mac experience in new ways, while maintaining the familiarity of macOS. It is crafted with Liquid Glass, a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings. The Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been refined, bringing greater focus to a user’s content. The menu bar is now completely transparent, making the display feel even larger. There are more ways to customize what controls appear in the menu bar and Control Center, along with how they’re laid out. The new design also unlocks more personalization on the Mac. App icons come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. Users can also change the colors of folders and add a symbol or emoji to give them a unique identity. And when combined with personalized wallpapers and theme colors, it’s easier than ever to make Mac a seamless extension of a user’s style.

    New Continuity Experiences with the Phone App and Live Activities

    The Phone app arrives on Mac thanks to Continuity, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone. The Phone app on Mac has the familiar features of the Phone app on iPhone — including Recents, Favorites, and Voicemails — and the latest updates like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for information so a user can decide whether or not to answer. And when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows them to keep their spot in line while they wait for a live agent, so users can continue working on their Mac.

    Live Activities from a user’s nearby iPhone will now appear in the menu bar on their Mac so they can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming Uber ride, flight, or live sports score. When clicking on a Live Activity, the app opens in iPhone Mirroring to show more information so users can take action right from their Mac.

    The Biggest Update Ever to Spotlight

    Spotlight, the central place to search for things on Mac, makes finding what users are looking for easier than ever, and provides users with all-new ways to take action. During a search, all results — including files, folders, events, apps, messages, and more — are now listed together and ranked intelligently based on relevance to the user. New filtering options rapidly narrow searches to exactly what a user is looking for, like PDFs or Mail messages. Spotlight can also surface results for documents stored on third-party cloud drives. And when a user doesn’t know exactly what they’re searching for, Spotlight’s new browse views make it easy to scan through their apps, files, clipboard history, and more.

    Users can now take hundreds of actions directly from Spotlight — like sending an email, creating a note, or playing a podcast — without jumping between apps. Users can take actions from both Apple apps and apps built by developers, because any app can provide actions to Spotlight using the App Intents API. Users can also run shortcuts and perform actions from the menu bar in the app they’re currently working in, all without lifting their hands off the keyboard. Spotlight learns from users’ routines across the system and surfaces personalized actions, such as sending a message to a colleague a user regularly talks to. Additionally, Spotlight introduces quick keys, which are short strings of characters that get users right to the action they’re looking for.

    Brand-New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence, gets even more capable while protecting users’ privacy at every step.

    • Seamless communication across language barriers with Live Translation: In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages, so if a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type and delivered in the recipient’s preferred language. And when the user receives a response, each text can be instantly translated.4 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when a user is on a call in the Phone app, their words are translated for the recipient as they speak.5 This is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so conversations stay private.
    • Shortcuts get more intelligent: A whole new class of intelligent actions lets users create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarizing text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. And now users will be able to tap directly into Apple Intelligence models, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses that feed into the rest of their shortcut, maintaining the privacy of information used. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Users can also choose to tap into ChatGPT for its broad world knowledge and expertise. Additionally, users can now run shortcuts automatically on macOS, such as at a specific time of day, or when taking a specific action like saving a file to a folder or connecting a display.
    • Updates to Genmoji and Image Playground: macOS Tahoe brings new ways to create Genmoji, giving users the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions based on the moment. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style or vector art. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want.
    • Increased productivity with Reminders: Apple Intelligence can review an email, website, note, or other content on Mac to find the most relevant action items. And users can also choose to use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize Reminders into sections to make them more manageable.

    New Apple Games App, Game Overlay, and More Titles

    macOS Tahoe introduces Apple Games, a dedicated app that gives players a home for all their games, making it easier to jump back into favorites, discover new games tailored just for them, and play with friends in whole new ways. With the new Game Overlay, players can conveniently adjust their system settings, chat with friends, or invite them to play, all without having to leave their game. Players can also turn on Low Power Mode, which extends gaming sessions and maximizes playtime on battery. For developers, macOS Tahoe introduces Metal 4, which brings even more advanced graphics and next-generation rendering technologies to games, like MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX Denoising, for smoother visuals and faster frame rates.

    Alongside these improvements, developers continue to deliver exciting new games on Mac, including upcoming titles like Crimson Desert and InZOI. Both games leverage powerful software technologies like MetalFX Upscaling to accelerate performance and deliver high-quality visuals, as well as take advantage of the M3 and M4 family of chips with ray tracing for a breathtaking experience. Additional titles on the way include Cyberpunk 2077, Cronos: The New Dawn, Architect: Land of Exiles, Lies of P: Overture, HITMAN World of Assassination, EVE Frontier, Where Winds Meet, and more.

    Additional features in macOS Tahoe include:

    • Safari, the world’s fastest browser,6 offers a fresh but familiar experience, featuring a rounded tab design that floats in the toolbar, along with a refreshed sidebar with new sections to help users more easily find saved content like iCloud Tabs and Saved. When compared to Chrome, Safari is 50 percent faster at loading frequently visited websites7 and offers up to four more hours of battery life when streaming video.8 And for even greater protection from trackers when browsing, Safari now offers advanced fingerprinting protection in all browsing by default.
    • The Messages app brings Backgrounds, Polls, and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation. Plus, it features typing indicators in groups to let participants know exactly who is going to chime in, as well as the ability to add new contacts easily right from the group chat and search with more natural language.
    • Journal comes to Mac, making it easy to capture and write about everyday moments and special events when inspiration strikes. On Mac, it’s easy to type long, thoughtful entries and view them on a map. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, which are all synced across Apple devices.
    • Photos has an updated design that includes beautiful Liquid Glass elements, enhancements for customization, easier workflows, and sidebar consistency with iPadOS. Pinned Collections now come to Mac, so users can access the collections they use most with a click on the sidebar. Users will also find new buttons to quickly access filtering and sorting options in all views, and the ability to customize the size of Collections tiles, so they can view their library just how they like.
    • On FaceTime, the reimagined landing page features beautiful Contact Posters of recent callers, Liquid Glass controls now float in the bottom right and recede to create more space, and a new More button lets users quickly access features like SharePlay and Live Translation.
    • Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, and support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.
    • Accessibility features include Magnifier on Mac, which enables users with low vision to zoom in on their surroundings using Continuity Camera on iPhone or attached USB cameras, apply image filters so items are easier to see or read, and even change perspective when viewing presentations or books from an angle. Additional features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed with accessibility in mind; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for those with a connected braille display; and Vehicle Motion Cues, which helps reduce motion sickness in a moving vehicle.
    • With Passwords, users can easily reference changes they make to their accounts, including checking previous versions of passwords they save, along with details on when they were changed.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. The release will be available as a free software update this fall. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/os/macos and apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    2. Hold Assist will be available in English (U.S.), English (Canada), English (UK), English (Singapore), English (Australia), English (India), French (France), Spanish (U.S.), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    5. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    6. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 using JetStream 2.2, MotionMark 1.3.1, and Speedometer 3.1 performance benchmarks. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and latest stable versions of Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox at the time of testing on: 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4 and prerelease macOS Tahoe, and Intel Core Ultra 9-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Home; iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) units with prerelease iPadOS 26.0, and Intel Core Ultra 7-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Pro; and iPhone 16 Pro Max with prerelease iOS 26.0, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite-based smartphones with Android 15. Devices tested with a WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    7. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 by measuring page load performance of snapshot versions of 10 popular websites under simulated network conditions. Tested on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    8. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Systems tested with WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection while running on battery power, with display brightness set to 8 clicks from bottom and keyboard backlight off. Video streaming tested with 1080p content on prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Not all features are available on all devices. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

    Source: Apple

    Headline: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected

    A new software design makes using Apple Watch even more delightful, Workout Buddy brings a first-of-its-kind workout experience with Apple Intelligence, and the Smart Stack and Messages are more intelligent

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed watchOS 26, offering a beautiful new look and even more intelligence for a more personalized experience, to support users in staying active, healthy, and connected. A new design with Liquid Glass makes features like the Smart Stack, Control Center, the Photos watch face, and in-app navigation and controls more expressive, while maintaining the instant familiarity of watchOS. Apple Intelligence enhances the fitness experience with Workout Buddy, which provides personalized, spoken motivation. The Workout app features a new layout, and offers music to listen to based on a user’s tastes and the workout type. watchOS 26 makes everyday interactions even more convenient with Smart Stack hints and updates to Messages, and introduces a new one-handed wrist flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications.

    “Apple Watch is an indispensable companion for millions of people around the world, and watchOS 26 uses intelligence to offer an even more personalized experience,” said David Clark, Apple’s senior director of watchOS Engineering. “From a gorgeous new design, to Workout Buddy with Apple Intelligence, personalized music suggestions in the Workout app, and more intelligence in the Smart Stack and Messages, we’re excited about the many ways watchOS 26 will support each user in staying active, healthy, connected, and safe throughout their day.”

    A Beautiful New Design

    A gorgeous new software design with Liquid Glass brings a fresh look to watchOS 26. Across apps, this new design enables a vibrant and expressive experience that reflects and refracts content using real-time rendering, which brings even more focus to content and makes using Apple Watch even more delightful. Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation will adopt the new design. The popular Photos watch face is enhanced with numerals made of Liquid Glass, allowing users to see even more of their photo.

    Apple Intelligence Comes to Fitness with Workout Buddy

    Workout Buddy is a first-of-its-kind fitness experience with Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and their fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.

    For example, as a user starts a run, Workout Buddy will give a personalized pep talk that may remind them of their running mileage for the week so far, or share how they are doing against their Activity ring goals: “Way to get out for your run this Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring. So far this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re going to add to that today.”

    During the workout, Workout Buddy can mark key moments like their mile splits, or tell them if they hit a new milestone based on their fitness history: “Mile four. You picked up the pace and ran that last one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds.” “Hey, check this out. Your total running distance for the year just crossed the 200-mile mark! That’s a lot of running!”

    When a user ends a workout, Workout Buddy will recap their workout stats and congratulate them on their achievements: “Way to get your workout in! You went 4.3 miles in just over 38 minutes. Your average pace was 8 minutes and 58 seconds, and your average heart rate was 128. That was your longest run of the last 28 days. What will you do next?”

    To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data privately and securely, with Apple Intelligence. A new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout.

    Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, and requires an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby. It will be available starting in English, across some of the most popular workout types: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

    Additional Updates to the Workout Experience

    The Workout app is one of the most popular apps on Apple Watch, and in watchOS 26, it debuts the biggest update to its layout and navigation since its introduction. Four new buttons in the corners of the app make it easier for users to access their favorite features to customize workouts, like Workout Views, Custom Workout, Pacer, Race Route, and more.

    To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For users’ convenience, Apple Music can now select the best playlist for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes.1 Alternatively, users can see suggestions for playlists or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.

    The Smart Stack Becomes Even More Proactive

    The Smart Stack is designed to help users quickly access important information from any watch face. In watchOS 26, the Smart Stack improves its prediction algorithms by incorporating more contextual data, sensor data, and data from a user’s routine to provide Smart Stack hints, a proactive prompt for actionable suggestions that are immediately useful. Made of Liquid Glass, Smart Stack hints will appear on the display as a gentle visual prompt. For example, a hint for Backtrack may appear when a user is in a remote location with no connectivity, or a hint for a Pilates workout may show up when a user arrives at a studio location at their usual time.

    Added Convenience in Messages

    Apple Watch now supports Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language, right on their wrist.2 And when the user responds, their texts can be instantly translated for the person they’re having a conversation with. Live Translation will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone.

    Additionally, for users whose device language is set to English, Apple Watch will intelligently suggest relevant actions in Messages using the context of a conversation, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home, or using Apple Cash when a user is asked to contribute to a group gift. Customizable Backgrounds set on iPhone will also appear on Apple Watch to make conversations feel more personal and distinct, and users can respond to polls right on their wrist. Smart Replies get even more precise for users whose device language is set to English, with an improved on-device language model that can generate relevant responses based on the content of a conversation.3

    Notifications Are Easier to Manage

    Notifications are even easier to manage with a simple wrist flick gesture on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. When a user raises their wrist to check a notification but isn’t ready to respond, they can quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification. The wrist flick gesture can be used to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and return to the watch face. It uses the accelerometer and the gyroscope — along with a machine learning model — to analyze a user’s wrist movement. Wrist flick joins the double tap gesture to allow users to do even more on Apple Watch with only one hand, for times when the user’s other hand is occupied, such as when walking the dog, cooking, or holding a cup of coffee.

    Apple Watch can also now automatically adjust the speaker volume based on the ambient noise in a user’s surroundings for notifications, timers, alarms, incoming calls, and Siri, allowing them to stay connected without worrying about disturbing those around them.

    Additional updates in watchOS 26:

    • The Notes app comes to Apple Watch, allowing users to access their notes right on their wrist. Users can also pin and unlock notes, complete checklist items, and create new notes with Siri, dictation, and the keyboard.
    • Hold Assist and Call Screening come to the Phone app, when an iPhone is nearby. When a user is waiting for a live agent, Hold Assist recognizes once a live agent is available and notifies the user to return to the call.4 Call Screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and reason for the call before their phone rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline the call, or ask for more information.5
    • For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, Live Listen controls come to Apple Watch with a new set of features, including real-time Live Captions of what their iPhone hears on a paired Apple Watch while listening to the audio.6 Apple Watch serves as a remote control to start or stop Live Listen sessions on a paired iPhone, or jump back into a session to capture something that may have been missed.
    • The Photos face will now shuffle images based on Featured content from Photos, so users can see images of their most meaningful moments every time they raise their wrist or tap the display.
    • Users can now explore and discover watch faces more easily with the redesigned watch face gallery on Apple Watch and in the Watch app on iPhone, with faces grouped into collections.

    New Tools for Developers

    Developers are able to take advantage of new APIs in watchOS 26 across design, the Smart Stack, and more. Developers can use new SwiftUI APIs to adopt the beautiful new design materials of watchOS 26. With the Control Widget API, developers can create custom controls to be added to the Control Center, Action Button, or Smart Stack widget, and the Smart Stack Relevance API allows third-party widgets to be added to the Smart Stack with new signals like Points of Interest, with user permission to incorporate location data. For example, the Smart Stack can intelligently show a widget for Slopes when users arrive at a ski resort with improved location APIs, and now Dark Noise can add a custom control to Control Center so users can easily turn on a sleep soundscape without picking up their iPhone.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. watchOS 26 will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and all Apple Watch Ultra models, paired with iPhone 11 or later, running iOS 26. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Apple Music subscription is required for automatic music selection.
    2. Live Translation in Messages will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    3. Updates to Smart Replies will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
    4. Hold Assist requires iPhone nearby, and supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain).
    5. Call Screening requires iPhone nearby, and supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Macao, Taiwan), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    6. Live Captions support English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), German (Germany), French (Canada, France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), and Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong).

    Press Contacts

    Nikki Rothberg

    Apple

    nrothberg@apple.com

    Clare Varellas

    Apple

    cvarellas@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    The release delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iOS 26, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design provides a more expressive and delightful experience across the system while maintaining the instant familiarity of iOS. Integrated throughout the system and built with privacy from the ground up, Apple Intelligence gets even more capable. Updates to the Phone and Messages apps help users stay connected while eliminating distractions like unwanted calls. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.

    “iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day, making iPhone even more helpful,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the Lock Screen and Home Screen, to new capabilities across Phone and Messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most. And with powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the system, users can get things done easier than ever.”

    A Beautiful New Look

    The new design makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, while keeping iOS instantly familiar. It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a new translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. The new design extends to the Home Screen and Lock Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. Liquid Glass also brings new customization options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look.

    On the Lock Screen, the time fluidly adapts to the available space in an image, and spatial scenes bring wallpapers to life with a 3D effect when users move iPhone. Updated design elements also deliver fresh experiences in apps. A simplified, streamlined Camera layout helps users keep their attention on the moment they’re capturing, and the Photos app is updated to feature separate tabs for Library and Collections views. In Safari, web pages flow from the top edge to the bottom of the screen, enabling users to see more of the page while maintaining access to frequently used actions like refresh and search. In Apple Music, News, and Podcasts, the tab bar is redesigned to float above users’ content, dynamically shrink when users are browsing to put content front and center, and then expand when they scroll back up.

    An updated set of APIs provides developers with access to Liquid Glass materials and components so they can make their apps appear just as dynamic and delightful.

    New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence elevates the iPhone experience and helps users get things done easier than ever, while unlocking new ways to communicate and do more with what’s on their screen. Live Translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help users communicate across languages, translating text and audio on the fly.1 Live Translation is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users’ personal conversations stay personal.

    Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user’s iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they’re viewing across apps. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re looking at onscreen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar, repopulating key details like date, time, and location.2

    Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new.3

    Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence, and will see dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground.

    Apple Intelligence can now automatically identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants and delivery carriers, giving users the ability to see their full order details and progress notifications all in one place — even for purchases not made with Apple Pay.

    Additionally, a new Foundation Models framework opens up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving developers direct access to powerful intelligence that’s fast, built with privacy at its core, and available offline, using AI inference that is free of cost.

    Features for Staying Connected and Eliminating Interruptions

    Fundamental to the iPhone experience, the Phone app now offers a unified layout that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all in one place. Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail and helps eliminate interruptions by gathering information from the caller and giving users the details they need to decide if they want to pick up or ignore the call.4 And for the times when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist notifies the user when a live agent is available.5

    In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them.

    iOS 26 also offers enhancements to conversations, including custom backgrounds and the ability to create polls. With Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one, and users can generate unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Additionally, in group chats, users can now see typing indicators, and request, send, and receive Apple Cash.6

    Enhancements to CarPlay

    CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use. The stunning design includes a new compact view for incoming calls, allowing users to see who’s calling without missing key information like upcoming directions. iOS 26 also brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages in CarPlay, and with widgets and Live Activities, users can stay in the loop without losing focus on the road. These updates also come to CarPlay Ultra, which brings the best of iPhone and the best of the car together for a deeply integrated, unified experience across every screen.

    Updates to Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    In Apple Music, Lyrics Translation helps users understand the words to their favorite songs, while Lyrics Pronunciation allows everyone to sing along, regardless of language. AutoMix uses intelligence to transition from one song to the next like a DJ, using time stretching and beat matching to seamlessly move from one song to the next.

    In Apple Maps, Visited Places help users remember the places they’ve been. Users can choose to have iPhone detect when they’re at a place like a restaurant or shop, and view all of their Visited Places in Maps. Visited Places are protected with end-to-end encryption and cannot be accessed by Apple. Additionally, iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to better understand a user’s daily route, presenting them with their preferred route when they’re headed home or to the office, along with notifying them of delays and offering alternate routes.

    Updates in Apple Wallet help make everyday interactions with the physical world easier than ever. Users can choose to pay with installments or rewards when they make in-store purchases with Apple Pay using iPhone. Refreshed boarding passes in Wallet offer the ability to see and share Live Activities for real-time updates on a flight. They also provide convenient access to a traveler’s most relevant information, such as Maps to navigate airports, Find My to track important items and report missing bags, and more.

    Additional features in iOS 26:

    • Apple Games is a new app that gives players an all-in-one destination for their games. It helps players jump back into titles they love, find their next favorite, and have even more fun with friends. They’ll find out what’s happening across all their games, including major events and updates, so they never miss a moment. The Games app is also the best way to experience Apple Arcade, Apple’s game subscription service with more than 200 award-winning and highly rated games for the whole family.
    • AirPods are more versatile than ever with new features for AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2. Building on the benefits of Voice Isolation, studio-quality audio recording allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy even clearer calls. With camera remote, users can press and hold the AirPods stem to take a photo or start and stop a video recording on iPhone or iPad.
    • Parents can now create or move kids into Child Accounts even more easily, taking advantage of a wide set of parental controls designed to keep children safe. Enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety, and the App Store include parental approvals for contact requests from kids, blurring out sensitive content in FaceTime calls and photos in Shared Albums, and enabling parents to grant an exception for their child to download an app with an age rating that exceeds the app content restriction they set.
    • Browsing in Safari gets even more private with advanced fingerprinting protection extending to all browsing by default.
    • Powerful accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, which provides a customized systemwide reading experience, and Braille Access, an all-new interface for iPhone devices with connected braille displays. Updates to Live Listen, Background Sounds, Personal Voice, and more bring a new level of accessibility across the Apple ecosystem.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified). Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    2. The ability to add an event to a calendar with visual intelligence is available in English on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    5. Hold Assist supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    6. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.

    Press Contacts

    Shane Bauer

    Apple

    shanebauer@apple.com

    Tania Olkhovaya

    Apple

    tolkhovaya@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI: MediPharm Labs’ Founder-CEO Pat McCutcheon Throws his Support behind Apollo Capital as Dissident

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    McCutcheon Agrees with Apollo that Urgent Change is Needed, including Complete Turnover at the Board Level after Years of Value-Destruction

    Apollo Capital Announces Filing of Circular Addendum to
    Reflect McCutcheon’s Endorsement

    SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO VOTE THE GOLD CARD “FOR” APOLLO CAPITAL’S SIX DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND NOT VOTE MEDIPHARM’s GREEN CARD

    TORONTO, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), one of MediPharm Lab Corp’s (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (“MediPharm”, or the “Company”) largest investors, is very pleased to announce that Pat McCutcheon, a founder, former CEO, director and Chairman of MediPharm, has joined Apollo Capital as a co-dissident in its battle to bring integrity, transparency and prosperity back to MediPharm’s long-suffering shareholders.

    Pat McCutcheon stated: “I have been observing Apollo’s activist campaign from the sidelines, and I can no longer just sit by and watch. I still feel a deep responsibility to the Company, its employees and the shareholders who have invested millions into the vision of MediPharm being the global leader in medical cannabis and cannabis derived pharmaceutical products. Over the past three years, the share price has collapsed while the senior management team has been paid over $10,000,000, a compensation program that should never have been approved by the independent Directors. Management has failed to capitalize on the medical cannabis opportunity and taken the Company away from its founding vision by entering the recreational market, taking on dilutive M&A transactions and recently announcing a return to cultivating cannabis. This is not the MediPharm investors have supported.

    I have gotten to know Regan McGee & his team of proposed directors. The directors have a broad range of relevant experience including medical cannabis experience, turn-around experience, and extensive capital markets experience. Regan has demonstrated himself to be a skilled investor who has been successful in both start-ups and turn-around projects. He’s also overcome great personal adversity, showing that he never backs down from a fight. In terms of the negative statements from MediPharm about Regan, the ones that I have been able to independently verify have turned out to be simply fabrications that appear to be part of MediPharm’s campaign to discredit and defame Regan. I believe the attacks on Regan & his business record are not factual and more importantly hide the real issues that shareholders should be considering such as compensation, dilution & the share price. On each of these fronts, I believe the Apollo directors are a better choice than the directors put forward by the current Board.

    We need to focus on the real issues – who is going to drive the stock price higher. Apollo only makes money when the stock price goes up, as all the shareholders do together. This is why I support the Apollo team. I’m asking shareholders to vote GOLD at this year’s AGM. We do not have time to wait.”

    Apollo notes that its business model with MediPharm is highly aligned with shareholders. As an activist investor, it looks to make investments in poorly managed companies where new governance and management can work to improve the share price for Apollo and all other investors. Apollo’s business model is to buy stock in target companies and work with frustrated shareholders to secure the majority of votes needed to replace board members and executives with ones focused on share value growth. Apollo does not “take over” or otherwise control its target companies, rather it appoints directors who recognize their legal fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of all common shareholders.

    Regan McGee of Apollo Capital commented: “We are immensely proud to welcome Pat McCutcheon as a co-dissident. Pat is responsible for helping to build MediPharm into an absolute powerhouse in the cannabis industry, and I can only imagine how difficult it has been for him to watch the Company he loves so much be mismanaged virtually to the point of insolvency.

    Pat and I want exactly the same thing – to restore value to MediPharm shareholders and to usher in a new era of profitability, good governance and most importantly, accountability. We both believe that if we all come together and take urgent action, the future for the MediPharm will be bright.”

    In connection with the addition of Mr. McCutcheon as a “dissident” within the meaning of applicable corporate laws, an addendum dated June 4, 2025 (the “Addendum”) to the dissident information circular dated May 15, 2025 (the “Circular”) has been filed on www.SEDARPLUS.ca under MediPharm’s profile. Shareholders are encouraged to read the Circular, as supplemented and amended by the Addendum.

    Apollo Capital’s strategic five-pillar plan for MediPharm has been made available in detail at www.curemedipharm.com. With shareholder support, we can turn MediPharm around and transform it into the world’s leading medical cannabis company.

    Apollo Capital urges shareholders to vote for change by voting the GOLD CARD by June 12, 2025. Shareholders are urged NOT to sign or return the green proxy cards sent by the Company.

    Contacts

    For Shareholders:
    Carson Proxy
    North American Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189
    Local or Text Message: 416-751-2066 (collect calls accepted)
    E: info@carsonproxy.com

    For Media:
    media@curemedipharm.com

    This solicitation is being made by and on behalf of the Concerned Shareholder, who, as of the date of this Circular, beneficially owns or controls, directly and indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nobul Technologies Inc., 12,491,500 common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”), representing approximately 3% of the total Common Shares issued and outstanding, and not by the management of the Company (“Management”).

    Legal Disclosures

    Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption under Canadian Law

    In connection with the annual general and special meeting (the “Annual Meeting”) of shareholders of MediPharm, Apollo Capital has filed an amended and restated dissident information circular dated May 15, 2025 (the “Circular”), as amended and supplemented by an addendum to the Circular subsequently filed by Apollo Capital and Patrick McCutcheon (together, the “Concerned Stakeholder”) dated June 4, 2025 (the “Addendum” and together with the Circular, the “Amended Circular”), each in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws. The Concerned Stakeholder has provided in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and the corresponding exemption under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), and has filed the Amended Circular, available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Amended Circular contains disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of the Concerned Stakeholder’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. The Amended Circular is hereby incorporated by reference into this press release and is available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The registered office of the Company is 151 John Street, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 2L1.

    SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDIPHARM ARE URGED TO READ THE AMENDED CIRCULAR CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders are able to obtain free copies of the Amended Circular and any amendments or supplements thereto and further proxy circulars at no charge under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, shareholders are also able to obtain free copies of the Amended Circular and other relevant documents by contacting the Concerned Stakeholder’s proxy solicitor, Carson Proxy Advisors Ltd. (“Carson Proxy”) at 1-800-530-5189, local (collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 or by email at info@carsonproxy.com.

    Proxies may be revoked in accordance with subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) by a registered shareholder of Company shares: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the accompanying form of proxy; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s attorney authorized in writing; (c) by transmitting by telephonic or electronic means a revocation that is signed by electronic signature in accordance with applicable law, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting is to be held, or (ii) with the chair of the Annual Meeting on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting; or (d) in any other manner permitted by law. In addition, proxies may be revoked by a non-registered holder of Company shares at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.

    The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of any circular or proxy solicitation by the Concerned Stakeholder and any other participants named herein will be borne directly and indirectly by Apollo Capital. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Apollo Capital intends to seek reimbursement from the Company of all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of its director nominees at the Annual Meeting.

    This press release and any solicitation made by the Concerned Stakeholder is, or will be, as applicable, made by such parties, and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. Proxies may be solicited by proxy circular, mail, telephone, email or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by managers, directors, officers and employees of the Concerned Stakeholder who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, the Concerned Stakeholder may solicit proxies by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws, and may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on their behalf.

    Apollo Capital has entered into an agreement with Carson Proxy for solicitation and advisory services in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Concerned Stakeholder for the Annual Meeting, for which Carson Proxy will receive a fee from Apollo Capital not to exceed $250,000, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses. Apollo Capital has also engaged Gasthalter & Co. LP (“G&Co”) to act as communications consultant to provide the Concerned Stakeholder with certain communications, public relations and related services, for which G&Co will receive, from Apollo Capital, a minimum fee of US$75,000 in addition to a performance fee of US$250,000 in the event that the Concerned Stakeholder’s nominees make up a majority of the board of directors of MediPharm (the “Board”) following the Annual Meeting, plus excess fees, related costs and expenses.

    No member of the Concerned Stakeholder nor any of their respective associates or affiliates has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or will or would materially affect the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates. No member of the Concerned Stakeholder nor any of their respective associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, other than setting the number of directors and the election of directors to the Board.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward‐looking statements. All statements contained in this filing that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward‐looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of the Concerned Stakeholder and currently available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. All forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof and the Concerned Stakeholder disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur, or of which the Concerned Stakeholder hereafter becomes aware, except as required by applicable law.

    Hashtags: #ShareholderActivism #CorporateGovernance #InvestorProtection #Investor Alert #Investor Fraud #FinancialRegulation #CorporateCrime #FinancialCrime #HomelandSecurity #DHS #OpioidCrisis #OpioidEpidemic #OpioidLitigation #OpioidVictims #BMO #DEA #ONDCP

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Tuesday, June 10, 2025

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Note: All times local

    National Capital Region, Canada

    10:00 a.m. The Prime Minister will chair the Cabinet meeting.

    West Block
    Parliament Hill

    12:30 p.m. The Prime Minister will attend a flag raising ceremony on Parliament Hill to mark the start of Pride Season.

    Notes for media:

    • Open coverage

    • Media wishing to cover the event must be accredited with the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery.

    2:15 p.m. The Prime Minister will attend Question Period.

    West Block
    Parliament Hill

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University

    On October 7 2023, more than 1,000 Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel and went on a killing spree, murdering 1,200 men, women and children and abducting another 250 people to take back to Gaza. It was the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

    That day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country, “Israel is at war”. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) immediately began a military campaign to secure the release of the hostages and defeat Hamas. Since that day, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children.

    Israel has maintained its response is justified under international law, as every nation has “an inherent right to defend itself”, as Netanyahu stated in early 2024.

    This is based on the right to self-defence in international law, which is outlined in Article 51 of the 1945 United Nations Charter as follows:

    Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations[…]

    At the start of the war, many nations agreed Israel had a right to defend itself, but how it did so mattered. This would ensure its actions were consistent with international humanitarian law.

    However, 20 months after the October 7 attacks, fundamental legal issues have arisen around whether this self-defence justification still holds.

    Can Israel exercise self-defence ad infinitum? Or is it now waging a war of aggression against Palestine?

    Self-defence in the law

    Self-defence has a long history in international law.

    The modern principles of self-defence were outlined in diplomatic exchanges over an 1837 incident involving an American ship, The Caroline, after it was destroyed by British forces in Canada. Both sides agreed that an exercise of self-defence would have required the British to demonstrate their conduct was not “unreasonable or excessive”.

    The concept of self-defence was also extensively relied on by the Allies in the second world war in response to German and Japanese aggression.

    Self-defence was originally framed in the law as a right to respond to a state-based attack. However, this scope has broadened in recent decades to encompass attacks from non-state actors, such as al-Qaeda following the September 11 2001 terror attacks.

    Israel is a legitimate, recognised state in the global community and a member of the United Nations. Its right to self-defence will always remain intact when it faces attacks from its neighbours or non-state actors, such as Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    However, the right of self-defence is not unlimited. It is constrained by the principles of necessity and proportionality.

    The necessity test was met in the current war due to the extreme violence of the Hamas attack on October 7 and the taking of hostages. These were actions that could not be ignored and demanded a response, due to the threat Israel continued to face.

    The proportionality test was also met, initially. Israel’s military operation after the attack was strategic in nature, focused on the return of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas to eliminate the immediate threat the group posed.

    The legal question now is whether Israel is still legitimately exercising self-defence in response to the October 7 attacks.

    This is a live issue, especially given comments by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on May 30 that Hamas would be “annihilated” unless a proposed ceasefire deal was accepted.

    These comments and Israel’s ongoing conduct throughout the war raise the question of whether proportionality is still being met.

    A test of proportionality

    The importance of proportionality in self-defence has been endorsed in recent years by the International Court of Justice.

    Under international law, proportionality remains relevant throughout a conflict, not just in the initial response to an attack.

    While the law allows a war to continue until an aggressor surrenders, it does not legitimise the complete destruction of the territory where an aggressor is fighting.

    The principle of proportionality also provides protections for civilians. Military actions are to be directed at the foreign forces who launched the attack, not civilians.

    While Israel has targeted Hamas fighters in its attacks, including those who orchestrated the October 7 attacks, these actions have caused significant collateral deaths of Palestinian civilians.

    Therefore, taken overall, the ongoing, 20-month military assault against Hamas, with its high numbers of civilian casualties, credible reports of famine and devastation of Gazan towns and cities, suggests Israel’s exercise of self-defence has become disproportionate.

    The principle of proportionality is also part of international humanitarian law. However, Israel’s actions on this front are a separate legal issue that has been the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court.

    My aim here is to solely assess the legal question of proportionality in self-defence and international law.

    Is rescuing hostages in self-defence?

    Israel could separately argue it is exercising legitimate self-defence to rescue the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

    However, rescuing nationals as an exercise of self-defence is legally controversial. Israel set a precedent in 1976 when the military rescued 103 Jewish hostages from Entebbe, Uganda, after their aircraft had been hijacked.

    In current international law, there are very few other examples in which this interpretation of self-defence has been adopted – and no international consensus on its use.

    In Gaza, the size, scale and duration of Israel’s war goes far beyond a hostage rescue operation. Its aim is also to eliminate Hamas.

    Given this, rescuing hostages as an act of self-defence is arguably not a suitable justification for Israel’s ongoing military operations.

    An act of aggression?

    If Israel can no longer rely on self-defence to justify its Gaza military campaign, how would its actions be characterised under international law?

    Israel could claim it is undertaking a security operation as an occupying power.

    While the International Court of Justice said in an advisory opinion last year that Israel was engaged in an illegal occupation of Gaza, the court expressly made clear it was not addressing the circumstances that had evolved since October 7.

    Israel is indeed continuing to act as an occupying power, even though it has not physically reoccupied all of Gaza. This is irrelevant given the effective control it exercises over the territory.

    However, the scale of the IDF’s operations constitute an armed conflict and well exceed the limited military operations to restore security as an occupying power.

    Absent any other legitimate basis for Israel’s current conduct in Gaza, there is a strong argument that what is occurring is an act of aggression. The UN Charter and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court prohibit acts of aggression not otherwise justified under international law.

    These include invasions or attacks by the armed forces of a state, military occupations, bombardments and blockades. All of this has occurred – and continues to occur – in Gaza.

    The international community has rightly condemned Russia’s invasion as an act of aggression in Ukraine. Will it now do the same with Israel’s conduct in Gaza?

    Donald Rothwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    ref. Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war? – https://theconversation.com/can-israel-still-claim-self-defence-to-justify-its-gaza-war-257822

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Off-ramp closed on Highway 1 near East 1st Avenue

    Drivers are advised about an off-ramp closure along Highway 1 westbound near East 1st Avenue this week from Monday, June 9 until Friday, June 13, 2025.

    The northbound off-ramp at East 1st Avenue (Exit 27) will be closed for the week to allow City of Vancouver crews to safely complete essential sewer upgrades on East 1st Avenue. Additional work is anticipated. Updates on any closures affecting the highway will be provided.  

    During the closure, the off-ramp will remain closed and there will be no left turn onto the Highway 1 northbound on-ramp from East 1st Avenue.

    Drivers travelling westbound can detour on East Hastings Street or McGill Street, and should plan for additional travel time through the route.

    Travellers are reminded to obey signs.

    Learn More:

    Traffic updates will be available on: https://www.DriveBC.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI: CEA Industries Enters Canadian Vape Market with Completion of Fat Panda Acquisition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Closes Acquisition of Leading Vape Operator with 33 Locations and Over 50% Market Share in Central Canada

    Adds High-Margin, CAD $38.5 Million Revenue Platform to Accelerate Growth and Drive Shareholder Value

    Conference Call Scheduled for June 11, 2025 at 4:30pm ET to Review the Supporting Investor Presentation on the CEA Industries Website

    Louisville, Colorado, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CEA Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: CEAD, CEADW) (“CEA Industries” or the “Company”), today announced the completion of its acquisition of Fat Panda Ltd. (“Fat Panda”), Central Canada’s largest independent vape retailer and vertically integrated manufacturer. The acquisition accelerates CEA’s strategic diversification while establishing a scalable platform in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the regulated nicotine market.

    Founded in 2013, Fat Panda operates 33 high-traffic retail locations across Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, supported by a national e-commerce platform. The company’s vertically integrated model includes ISO-certified manufacturing facilities for its e-liquid production and direct supplier relationships, enabling product consistency, streamlined sourcing, and improved cost structure. With over 50% regional market share and a loyal customer base, Fat Panda generated approximately CAD $38.5 million (USD $28.5 million) in revenue with 39% gross margins and CAD $8.0 million (USD $5.9 million) (before ownership distributions) in adjusted EBITDA in the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, based on preliminary unaudited results.

    “This acquisition marks a significant milestone for CEA as we expand into a dynamic, high-growth regulated vertical benefiting from strong consumer demand,” said Tony McDonald, Chairman and CEO of CEA Industries. “Fat Panda brings an established brand, experienced leadership, and a highly profitable operating model that can be rapidly scaled with our capital and strategic support. Importantly, this acquisition exemplifies our commitment to identifying accretive opportunities that can unlock meaningful long-term value for our shareholders.”

    “Joining CEA Industries provides the financial strength and operational support to accelerate our vision,” said Jordan Vedoya, Co-Founder and President of Fat Panda. “We are excited to deepen our footprint, elevate our e-commerce presence, and continue delivering value through Fat Panda’s customer-centric approach across Canada’s regulated vape industry.”

    Fat Panda will operate under its existing brand led by the current management team to ensure a seamless transition with uninterrupted operations. Mr. Vedoya will also lead integration efforts and spearhead expansion across both retail and digital channels.

    Strategic Benefits of the Transaction

    • Leads Central Canada’s Regulated Vape Market – Fat Panda operates 33 corporate-owned stores across three provinces with over 50% regional market share, establishing immediate category leadership.
    • Expands Scalable Omnichannel Platform – Combines a national e-commerce footprint with high-traffic retail locations, driving over CAD $2 million in annual online sales.
    • Drives Margin Accretion Through Vertical Integration – In-house manufacturing and direct supplier relationships support 39% gross margins and CAD $8.0 million in adjusted EBITDA in fiscal year 2024.
    • Establishes Durable Competitive Moat – Proprietary product formulations, a robust trademark portfolio, and regulatory alignment under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) differentiate Fat Panda in the dynamic regulatory landscape.
    • Enables Platform Growth Through Expansion and M&A – With CEA Industries capital and strategic support, Fat Panda is positioned to open new locations, acquire complementary retailers, and scale profitably across Canada.

    Transaction Terms

    The CAD $18.0 million (USD $12.6 million) purchase price comprises approximately CAD $12.1 million in cash, 39,000 shares of CEAD common stock with an agreed value of CAD $700,000, and seller notes totaling CAD $2.56 million. A portion of the purchase price was funded by a short-term loan from a United States based lender in the amount of USD $4.0 million, which is due in six months. In addition, CAD $2.6 million has been placed in escrow to support post-closing adjustments, indemnity obligations, and employee-related matters.

    Conference Call and Investor Presentation

    CEA Industries will host a conference call to discuss the acquisition and strategic implications for the Company on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 4:30pm ET. A live webcast and accompanying investor presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.ceaindustries.com.

    To access the call, please use the following information:

    A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the event and archived online.

    About CEA Industries Inc.

    CEA Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: CEAD) is a growth-oriented company focused on building category-leading businesses in regulated consumer markets. With a focus on the high-growth, Canadian nicotine vape industry, one of the fastest-expanding segments of the global nicotine market, CEA Industries targets scalable operators with strong regulatory alignment, defensible market share, and high-margin business models. The Company provides capital, operational expertise, and strategic resources to accelerate retail expansion, strengthen e-commerce infrastructure, and drive long-term value creation in performance-driven sectors. For more information, visit www.ceaindustries.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. These statements reflect our current beliefs, and a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release, including the factors set forth in “Risk Factors” set forth in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and subsequent filings with the SEC. Please refer to our SEC filings for a more detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties associated with our business prospects and the prospects of our existing and prospective customers; the inherent uncertainty of product development; regulatory, legislative and judicial developments, especially those related to changes in, and the enforcement of, cannabis laws; increasing competitive pressures in our industry; and relationships with our customers and suppliers. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reference to CEA’s website has been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    To supplement our financial results on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, we use non-GAAP measures including net bookings and backlog, as well as other significant non-cash expenses such as stock-based compensation and depreciation expenses. We believe these non-GAAP measures are helpful in understanding our past performance and are intended to aid in evaluating our potential future results. The presentation of these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to our GAAP results and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information prepared or presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way to view aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business.

    Investor Contact:

    Sean Mansouri, CFA or Aaron D’Souza
    Elevate IR
    info@ceaindustries.com
    (720) 330-2829

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Joly and Petrina Gentile to discuss the future of the Canadian auto industry at the 2025 Canada Automotive Summit

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 9, 2025 – Vaughan, Ontario 

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, will be participating in a discussion with Petrina Gentile, automotive reporter with The Globe and Mail, at the 2025 Canada Automotive Summit.

    Minister Joly will take part in a media scrum following the discussion.

    Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025

    Time:  4:00 p.m. (ET) fireside chat
                 4:45 p.m. (ET) media scrum

    Location: Vaughan, Ontario

    Members of the media are asked to contact ISED Media Relations at media@ised-isde.gc.ca to receive event location details and confirm their attendance.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ultra-processed foods are everywhere — and they’re quietly raising health risks

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Angelina Baric, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University

    It’s not exactly news that junk food isn’t healthy.

    What may be surprising is exactly how pervasive ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become and what harm they’re doing. This includes some foods that are specifically labelled and marketed as having nutritional value.

    We are nutrition researchers, and the authors of a new study that identifies some of the specific negative effects of ultra-processed foods that are readily available, very popular and often hard to resist, especially when people are feeling pressed for time.

    Our research group leads population-based studies that integrate nutrition epidemiology, food policy, and dietary assessment to better understand how modern food environments and dietary patterns influence chronic disease risk.

    While ultra-processed foods include obvious culprits like potato chips, candy and frozen pizza, there are also some that people may believe are good for them, such as packaged granola bars, sports drinks and fruit-filled yogurt. Our study used the Nova classification system to define UPFs, which are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods, derived from food constituents with little if any intact whole food remaining.

    How UPFs harm health

    Our research, based on diet questionnaires and personal medical data that Health Canada and Statistics Canada collected from over 6,000 Canadians, shows that the effects of UPFs can pile up over time, adding to the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health issues by raising blood pressure and blood sugar levels, for example.

    Even a person who is thin, active and free from illness might be accumulating risk by consuming UPFs that may seem innocuous or even healthy.

    The ways ultra-processed foods harm our health aren’t just about calories or individual nutrients like salt, sugar and fat, though those aren’t making things better. It’s also in the way they’re made.

    Take that seemingly healthy tub of yogurt. On its own, yogurt is indeed very healthy. The problem is when things like jam-like fruit with preservatives or artificial vanilla flavouring are added. They make yogurt taste better but can push it into unhealthy territory.

    Even after we eliminated the impacts of influences such as the survey respondents’ body mass index, age, exercise and smoking habits, the numbers showed a specific risk that may be related to the additives that give ultra-processed foods longer shelf life, brighter colours and enhanced flavours. For example, we know that the modern diet of highly processed food is associated with distorted hormone levels.

    Some products are so heavily processed that it appears our bodies may not respond to them as they would to more natural foods. UPFs trigger inflammatory responses that suggest the body regards them as stressors, rather than nutrition.

    Substituting UPFs for healthy foods

    We learned from survey respondents that consumers are increasingly using UPFs as substitutes for healthy staples such as vegetables and fruit. This is not surprising when the wrapper on a granola bar proclaims its contents to be a good source of fibre, or a when a sports drink label says it’s a good source of electrolytes, Vitamin D or some other single nutrient.

    Granola bars are often marketed as containing fibre. While the claim may be factual, many granola bars are also high in sugar, fat or salt.
    (Shutterstock)

    While these claims are factual, they don’t represent the entire or even most significant effects of the products inside. For a long time, food policies have been very focused on single nutrients rather than thinking about the totality of our food supply.

    Our complex food supply has come to be heavily influenced by huge multinational companies and their need for sales instead of our need for health, to the point where marketing and packaging have made it challenging to understand exactly what we are eating or drinking.

    That is starting to change. Starting in January 2026, the Canadian government will require food packaging to prominently declare the presence of unhealthy amounts of sodium, sugar and saturated fat.




    Read more:
    Front-of-package food labels: A path to healthier choices


    While that will be a significant and welcome improvement in transparency, it will not change the fact that a loaf of mass-manufactured white bread, a package of bacon or even a tray of muffins may also be harming the people who eat them in ways they have not even considered.

    Setting reduction targets

    Canada’s food guide, produced by Health Canada, only suggests we limit the amount of processed food we eat, but it doesn’t set any clear national target for how much we should cut our consumption. While most other countries also stop short of setting specific limits, France has gone a step further by aiming to cut national consumption of ultra-processed foods by 20 per cent over five years.

    Setting a similar national reduction target in Canada could have a particularly significant, positive effect on people in care homes, hospitals and schools that are required to use Canada’s Food Guide in planning their menus.

    Individual consumers know how easy it is to fall into the habit of eating too many ultra-processed foods. They are hard to resist because they are heavily marketed, usually tasty, reasonably affordable and appear to make life easier by saving time and effort.

    Understanding more about what these appealing products are really doing to people is an important step toward helping consumers make better, more informed choices. We are already working on more research to understand more about what’s really inside those bright shiny packages that keep finding their way into shopping carts.

    Anthea Christoforou receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and has previously received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    Angelina Baric does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Ultra-processed foods are everywhere — and they’re quietly raising health risks – https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-are-everywhere-and-theyre-quietly-raising-health-risks-256419

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Canada: People urged to prepare as warming temperatures increase wildfire, drought risk

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    With warmer, drier conditions expected to increase across B.C., people are advised to stay prepared for climate-related emergencies.

    “As temperatures rise, so does the risk of wildfire and prolonged drought throughout B.C.,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “The Province stands ready to support communities and people during an emergency, and I urge people to take action now to increase their household preparedness. Visit PreparedBC.ca for information on how to prepare for common hazards such as heat and wildfire.”

    People are encouraged to prepare grab-and-go bags, create an emergency and evacuation plan, create an Emergency Support Services profile through their B.C. Services Card app and ensure they have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance for their property.

    If you are placed under evacuation alert for any reason, you should immediately:

    • Get prepared to leave your home on short notice.
    • Get your grab-and-go bags ready (which should include several days of clothing, food, water, toiletries and medication), as well as your emergency plan, copies of important documents (including renters and home insurance) and important mementos.
    • Listen to local emergency officials for further information on the situation.

    If you are placed under evacuation order for any reason, you must:

    • Leave the area immediately.
    • Follow the directions of local emergency officials and evacuate using the route(s) they have identified.
    • Do not return home until you have been advised that the evacuation order has been rescinded.

    In the event of an evacuation, Emergency Support Services will be available to provide temporary support to people who don’t have resources to meet their basic needs, such as accommodation, clothing and food.

    Wildfire preparedness

    Warm and dry conditions are expected throughout the province this month, and with that comes an elevated risk of wildfire. Northeastern B.C. is continuing to experience prolonged drought and is expected to remain at high risk for wildfire this summer.

    Regardless of where people live or travel in B.C., it’s critical that everyone does their part to reduce the risk of wildfire. People are urged to be aware of their local fire danger, including open burning prohibitions and report wildfires on the BC Wildfire app or by calling *5555.

    “It has been an intense start to the wildfire season across Canada, but I am incredibly proud of our BC Wildfire Service. BCWS has been there for our neighbours while also keeping us safe here at home,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Summer is nearly here, and with it will come wildfires. It’s a tough season ahead for communities here in B.C., but know that we will have your back. Your role is to stay informed, prepared and FireSmart.”

    The Province is working to keep communities safe by focusing on all four phases of emergency management: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. BC Wildfire Service is a year-round operation that enables:

    • out of province deployment to assist partner agencies;
    • improved firefighter recruitment, training and First Nations boot camps;
    • wildfire-prevention work including cultural and prescribed burning;
    • expanded BCWS contract opportunities for heavy equipment and aerial support; and,
    • incorporating new technologies to better support firefighting.

    Drought preparedness

    In addition to wildfire risk, the Province is also closely monitoring key indicators of drought risk, including snowpack. The River Forecast Centre’s latest snowpack survey, released on June 9, shows B.C.’s overall snowpack is at 44% of normal. Low snowpack, early snowmelt and warm seasonal weather forecasts point to the potential for elevated drought this summer. While these are important early indicators, rainfall in the coming weeks will also be a key factor in how drought conditions evolve throughout the province.

    Drought levels measure the severity of dryness and are updated weekly on the B.C. Drought Information Portal. This year, the drought portal features monitoring summaries, providing an overview of B.C.’s current drought conditions, impacts and outlook.

    People, communities and businesses are encouraged to take steps to use water more efficiently and prepare for potential drought conditions.

    “Drought affects the well-being of people, businesses, wildlife and ecosystems that rely on healthy watersheds,” said Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “By staying informed, planning ahead and conserving water, we can work together to safeguard both our communities and the environment.”

    People can find more information about preparing for climate-related hazards at https://PreparedBC.ca 

    Quick Facts:

    • On June 6, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness announced $7 million to support 139 emergency operation centre projects, benefiting 183 communities through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).
    • Since 2017, the Province has provided approximately $550 million to First Nations and local governments for approximately 2,800 disaster-preparedness and mitigation projects.
    • For wildfire-prevention initiatives through BCWS, FireSmart initiatives and the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC), $90 million has been allocated in 2025.
    • There are 88 cultural and prescribed burn projects planned for 2025; 48 were completed in 2024.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about how to prepare for emergencies, including information about grab-and-go bags, household emergency plans and hazard-specific guides, visit https://PreparedBC.ca

    For information about active evacuation alerts and orders, visit https://EmergencyInfoBC.ca or follow @EmergencyInfoBC on X

    For more information about the Summer Outlook, visit: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/category/seasonal-outlook/ 

    To learn about how to prepare for wildfires, visit: https://FireSmartBC.ca/

    To view burning prohibitions and restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions

    For real-time wildfire information, visit: https://wildfiresituation.gov.bc.ca or the BC Wildfire Service mobile app, which is available for Apple and Android users.

    To pre-register with Emergency Support Services, visit https://ESS.gov.bc.ca

    To access the B.C. Drought Information Portal, visit: https://droughtportal.gov.bc.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the University of Ottawa Accelerate Low Dose Radiation Research and Foster Next Generation of Scientists

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHALK RIVER, Ontario, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), one of Canada’s most innovative universities, are pleased to announce a new partnership to advance knowledge, education, research and innovation in low dose radiation (LDR) exposure health effects.

    Leveraging the leading research organizations’ complementary capabilities, the new partnership builds on CNL’s global leadership in LDR research with the establishment of a CNL-led LDR innovation hub, accelerating research critical to public safety and the health of Canadians. It will also serve to increase capabilities, education and training opportunities to graduate students and early career researchers.

    The partnership will also extend uOttawa researchers’ access to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s world class facilities at Chalk River Laboratories, including the unique Biological Research Facility, associated irradiation facilities and LDR Tissue Bank, and establishes a CNL satellite laboratory within uOttawa’s new Advanced Medical Research Centre (AMRC) – set to open in 2026. This physical presence will be co-located with the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology (OISB) as well as uOttawa state-of-the-art Core Facilities, which altogether will support new research directions in radiation sciences and advanced organoid-based systems biology. These areas are rapidly developing strengths at uOttawa, positioning the university as a national, and potentially international, leader in this field. uOttawa will also offer reciprocal access to key research facilities on campus, in addition to those located at the faculty of medicine and in AMRC.

    “As a major player in the global research and development effort to support LDR research, CNL is focused on the prevention or reduction of radiation exposure effects in workers, patients and the larger population,” says Dr. Stephen Bushby, Vice-President, Science & Technology, CNL. “We are very excited to include uOttawa as a major partner in the work needed to shed light on this complex field of research.”

    As part of this partnership, CNL will be contributing towards the acquisition of a mass spectrometer, which will be installed in the in the Metabolomics Core Facility at uOttawa. This strategic investment, supporting collaborative initiatives between OISB and CNL, will enable leading-edge single-cell metabolomics and spatial metabolomics, a rapidly advancing field with transformative potential in biomedical research. This will be the only equipment of its kind in eastern Canada, offering unique capabilities for high-resolution chemical imaging at the cellular level. The instrument will not only serve researchers at uOttawa, but also attract national and international collaborators, firmly establishing uOttawa as a leader in metabolomics and precision health research.

    The mass spectrometer will be a central component of the new Spatial Biology and Single-Cell Suite (3S) within the AMRC. This cutting-edge suite will integrate transformative new technologies into a coordinated workflow that complements and enhances five existing and intensively used Core Facilities: Flow Cytometry, Metabolomics, Gene Editing, Cellular Imaging, and Bioinformatics. By bridging these platforms, 3S will significantly expand research capabilities in some of uOttawa’s strongest areas of discovery, particularly brain, heart, and cancer biology—driving breakthroughs in systems biology, precision medicine, and therapeutic development.

    “This new equipment, the only one of its kind in Eastern Canada, positions the University of Ottawa as a leader in metabolomics and precision health research, while attracting national and international collaborations,” says Julie St-Pierre, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation, uOttawa.

    This new partnership builds on over a decade of collaborative research involving CNL and multiple uOttawa faculties, including Engineering, Science and Medicine. These collaborations have advanced understanding of the biomedical impacts of LDR, including studies on DNA damage and repair, protein synthesis, epigenetics, mitochondrial biology, metabolism, immunity, and stem cell functions. As part of this partnership, CNL has also provided funding support for postdoctoral fellow stipends, further enabling high-impact research and talent development.

    With the field of LDR research growing and Canadian leadership in LDR research well-recognized, both organizations will continue to explore additional opportunities to further strengthen this partnership.

    About CNL

    As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

    By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

    To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

    About the University of Ottawa

    The University of Ottawa is powered by research. Located in Canada’s capital, we bring together energetic and creative scholars to tackle urgent global challenges and to respond to emerging opportunities.

    As one of Canada’s most innovative universities, we generate breakthroughs and discoveries that make a real difference in communities across Ontario, Canada and the world. Our thought leaders provide evidence-based insights that inform policy and support industry.

    Our influence keeps growing due to our vast range of international partnerships, including our membership in the U7+ Alliance. As the world’s largest French-English university, we are a driving force in the Francophonie.

    To learn more about uOttawa, please visit www.uottawa.ca.

    CNL Contact:
    Philip Kompass
    Director, Corporate Communications
    1-866-886-2325
    media@cnl.ca

    uOttawa contact:
    media@uottawa.ca

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c4cd1c0-401a-44e6-83ce-e65ea78dc6b4

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Game Changers: Alberta’s 2024 Sport Stars

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canadian Father and Son Plead Guilty to Illegal Entry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 6, 2025, Van Hoa Phung, 49, and Reason Phung, 18, both citizens of Canada, pleaded guilty to criminal complaints charging them, respectively, with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities, and illegally entering the United States by making willfully false statements.

    According to court records, on June 5, 2025, at approximately 2:35 p.m., the United States Border Patrol observed a man walking south and crossing the United States-Canada international border near the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. The Haskell Free Library and its vicinity do not constitute a time or place as designated by immigration officers to lawfully enter the United States.

    After entering the U.S., the man, who was wearing a red shirt with shorts, entered the passenger side of a Red Tesla motor vehicle. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle in a parking lot in Derby, Vermont and identified the driver as Reason Phung, and the passenger as Van Hoa Phung, Reason Phung’s father. Van Hoa Phung was wearing a red shirt with shorts consistent with the description of the individual who illegally crossed the border.

    During the vehicle stop, Border Patrol determined that the Red Tesla previously crossed through a legal port of entry in Derby, Vermont. At the time the vehicle entered, Reason Phung was the only occupant.

    Reason Phung admitted that he travelled to the border where he dropped off his father, Van Hoa Phung, at the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Thereafter, Reason Phung entered through the port of entry, and then picked his father up in the U.S. after Van Hoa Phung illegally crossed the border in the vicinity of the library. Reason Phung intended to transport his father to an airport and then return to Canada.

    When he entered through the Port of Entry earlier, Reason Phung stated his purpose in entering the United States was to visit his grandparents. Because his real purpose was to pick up and transport his father and then return to Canada, that statement was false.

    Van Hoa Phung and Reason Phung had their initial court appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on June 6, 2025, where they each pleaded guilty, and both received time-served sentences.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and United States Customs and Border Protection.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig. Van Hoa Phung is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. Reason Phung is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Parks Canada in Cape Breton working with post secondary institutions on restoration projects 

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Historical carpentry program provides unique hands-on experience for students

    June 9, 2025                             Louisbourg, Nova Scotia                        Parks Canada

    Parks Canada in Cape Breton has signed a multi-year agreement with Holland College, Algonquin College, and Willowbank School of Restoration Arts. The agreement will enable students at all three post-secondary institutions to participate in the restoration of the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. The agreement supports Parks Canada’s priorities by helping preserve a nationally significant heritage place while fostering hands-on learning.

    Students from the schools have been working on shutters for the fortress after reviewing blueprints and meeting with Parks Canada’s lead conservator, gaining hands-on experience in a restoration project. This experience has helped prepare them for careers as skilled tradespeople.

    Holland College is located in Prince Edward Island; Algonquin College and Willowbank School of Restoration Arts are both in Ontario. Parks Canada representatives worked with students virtually, with each school’s program instructors overseeing the students’ work. Several of the students from all three institutions were also able to visit the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site to gain hands-on, in-person experience directly at the site.

    Cultural resources are irreplaceable and connect us with the places, persons and events that have shaped history in Canada. Parks Canada is privileged in its role as the steward of outstanding cultural and natural treasures that represent the richness and diversity of Canada.

                                                                                                         -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New partnership will help detect, monitor wildfires in B.C.

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    A camera network that gives first responders information to support wildfire response, emergency management and public awareness is being expanded through a partnership between the Province and the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus (UBCO).

    “With this technology, we’re making strides in protecting communities from wildfires by predicting them before they happen. And better predicting them means keeping more families safe,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “I’m proud to work with UBCO and use its research to protect our communities from the threat of wildfire.”

    After a successful trial in 2024, the Province is investing $200,000 to expand the camera network throughout British Columbia. Early detection of wildfire plays a crucial role in reducing risks, lowering suppression costs and protecting communities. Using 5G technology, the cameras detect smoke from wildfires and provide real-time data to support evacuation planning, resource deployment and wildfire behaviour predictions.

    “As our climate changes, it’s important to manage and reduce risks to keep people safe,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “Taking steps to prevent disasters, such as the early detection of wildfires, can be life-saving and helps protect communities, homes, critical infrastructure and our forests.”

    Data captured by the network is analyzed using artificial intelligence at UBCO and provides information to first responders to support wildfire response, emergency management and public awareness.

    Communities, local governments or First Nations interested in becoming involved in the development of the camera network, can contact the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) for more information: BCWS.CameraNetwork@gov.bc.ca

    Quotes:

    Lesley Cormack, principal and deputy vice-chancellor, UBC Okanagan –

    “As a leading research institution, the University of British Columbia Okanagan is proud to partner with the BC Wildfire Service and the Government of British Columbia to support the people of the province through the provincial wildfire camera network.”

    Mathieu Bourbonnais, Irving K. Barber faculty of science, UBC Okanagan –

    “The provincial camera network will serve as a vital public-safety platform, helping to build safe and resilient communities, while enhancing wildfire and emergency management across British Columbia.”

    Quick Facts:

    • The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness contributed $50,000 to the BCWS provincial wildfire camera network.
    • In 2024, a partnership of Rogers Communications, Pano AI and the BCWS tested smoke-detection cameras in five locations in British Columbia

    MIL OSI Canada News