Apple News 8 Hours

Last updated: May 19, 2026, 11:34 PM ET

Entertainment & Media

Apple TV+ dropped its newest thriller-comedy "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed" with the first two episodes now live, adding fresh content to a slate that continues to grow under the platform's original programming push. The series joins an increasingly crowded field of Apple Originals, and the company is reinforcing its talent bench with Rhea Seehorn signing on for the upcoming film "Running", marking her second Apple project after her acclaimed turn in "Better Call Saul." Meanwhile, Apple has quietly acquired virtual avatar technology and talent from startup Animato, a move that could reshape how the company handles video communication and AR-driven social features in future hardware cycles. The Animato deal, which includes licensing IP for video-chat avatars used in tutoring and meetings, signals Apple's deeper investment in the metaverse-adjacent space as it looks to differentiate Vision Pro and upcoming devices.

Hardware & Gadgets

Google is preparing to launch its first AI-powered smart glasses this fall, partnering with Samsung and eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, a product that will support iPhone and is expected to blend voice-assistant capabilities with real-time visual processing. The announcement arrives as the wearables market heats up, and Google's move positions it to challenge Apple's Vision Pro with a more consumer-friendly price point. On the audio front, the Insta360 Mic Pro has earned praise for exceptional sound quality and build quality, despite not being the smallest wireless option on the market, and its e-ink display face adds a design twist that could appeal to content creators prioritizing both performance and aesthetics.

Gaming

Nintendo announced "Pictonico!," a Wario Ware-style collection of minigames powered by player photos, set to launch on iOS and Android on May 28. The game transforms personal images into quick-play microgames, a creative pivot that leans into mobile-first casual gaming. A companion announcement confirmed the iOS version turns photos into playable minigames, reinforcing Nintendo's push to bring its quirky IP to smartphones ahead of the summer season.

Platform Pricing & Messaging

Plex will triple the price of its Lifetime Plex Pass to $750 starting in July, a $500 jump that reflects the company's growing content library and rising licensing costs. The hike puts the one-time purchase well above most streaming subscriptions and may test subscriber loyalty at a time when consumers are increasingly selective about recurring costs. Separately, WhatsApp is developing a feature that makes messages disappear once the recipient has read them, a further tightening of privacy controls that could reshape how users think about ephemeral communication on the world's most popular messaging platform.

iOS & Mobile

Apple's upcoming iOS 26 update includes a long-awaited fix for order tracking in the Wallet app, addressing a longstanding complaint from users who relied on Apple Pay for delivery status updates. The change rounds out a broader set of Wallet enhancements in the next OS cycle, positioning the app as a more complete replacement for third-party tracking services.