Today is World Emoji Day, and Emojipedia's dedicated Emojitracker has a real-time list of the emoji that are most popular in the United States and other countries. Here are the top 10 most popular emoji in the U.S.:


The red heart is the number one emoji across all countries, followed by the checkmark, fire, sparkles, loudly crying face, and skull.

Emojipedia's Emojitracker tool shows the most popular 1,000 emoji globally and across select countries like the United States, UK, India, Brazil, Philippines, France, Germany, Australia, and Japan.

The tool used to aggregate data from Twitter, but it now tracks the emoji that are copied from Emojipedia and the GetEmoji websites in real time.

Earlier today, Apple announced the launch of a new Emoji-themed game that's available to Apple News+ subscribers, plus the Unicode Consortium confirmed the new Unicode 17 emoji that will come to iOS 26 in the future.

With ‌iOS 26‌, Apple will introduce a new emoji-inspired Genmoji feature that will let users combine two or more emoji characters together to generate a new image that can be used in Messages conversations.
This article, "World Emoji Day 2025: Here Are the Top 10 Emoji in the U.S." first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After two years under Instagram head Adam Mosseri, Meta is officially handing off Threads to a new leader. Here’s what the change could mean for the app’s future.

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OpenAI today launched ChatGPT agent, a new agentic model that is able to think proactively and complete computer-based tasks on the user's behalf.


The ChatGPT agent is in the same family as o3. It combines several existing ChatGPT features, and it can do things like research and generate reports, execute code using Terminal, generate slides and spreadsheets, and connect to external data sources and applications.

OpenAI gives several examples of how ChatGPT agent can be used:

• Look at my calendar and brief me on upcoming client meetings based on recent news.


• Plan and buy ingredients to make Japanese breakfast for four.


• Analyze three competitors and create a slide deck.

The ChatGPT agent uses its own virtual computer, and it will navigate websites, filter results, prompt users to log into websites when needed, and deliver summaries of its findings. It is designed to seek permission before taking any "actions of consequence," and OpenAI says that users can interrupt tasks to add extra instructions, and stop tasks at any point.

ChatGPT agent is rolling out starting today for Pro, Plus, and Team users. Just select "agent mode" from the dropdown menu in the composer during a conversation. ChatGPT users are able to transition between conversations and action requests within the same chat.

Pro users will get access by the end of today, while Plus and Team users will get access over the next few days. OpenAI plans to add the functionality for Enterprise and Education users in the coming weeks. Pro users have access to 400 messages per month, and other paid users will get 40 messages monthly with additional usage available through flexible credit-based options.
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In a quick live stream today, OpenAI announced ChatGPT agent, which improves on its promising, but limited Operator feature announced a few months ago. Here’s how it works

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Apple Notes has become one of Apple’s most consistently updated apps, and iOS 26 includes a few solid new additions. Here’s everything new for Apple Notes in iOS 26.

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Video hosting and sharing platform Vimeo today announced the launch of an updated Apple TV app, bringing Vimeo back to the Apple TV App Store for the first time in two years.


The updated Vimeo app has been rebuilt, and it is available on ‌Apple TV‌ units that are running tvOS 18 or higher. The Vimeo app supports discovering, searching for, and watching videos that have been uploaded to Vimeo.

It includes a Library, and Watch Later list, and a section for On Demand purchases, as well as Staff Picks. Enhanced playback with chapters, speed controls, and multi-language options, and 4K support is available.

While the Vimeo app was missing from the ‌Apple TV‌ ‌App Store‌, Vimeo users had to AirPlay from the Vimeo app on an iPhone or an iPad to watch videos on a bigger display. Vimeo says that its community has been asking for the return of the ‌Apple TV‌ app for watching premium, ad-free content.

Vimeo is free to use, but it offers paid Starter, Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise plans starting at $20 per month for video creators.
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Another wave of streaming service price hikes may be on the horizon: Peacock just announced a $3 increase for each of its plans, which makes its ad-supported option more expensive than almost all of its competitors.

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This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: all the latest rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup and iOS 26.

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Benjamin and Chance react to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman report on what Apple is planning to ship over the course of the next twelve months, as well as the details of a near-term refresh for the Vision Pro including a more comfortable strap. Apple launches a new Emoji puzzle in News+, AirPods marketshare is revealed in a new study, and Apple sweeps the Emmy nominations.  

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance talk more about the recent controversies surrounding Liquid Glass. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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In an interview this week with CNBC's Alex Sherman, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that Apple, NBC, and ESPN have each bid on the media rights to MLB's "Sunday Night Baseball" package, for the 2026 through 2028 seasons.


Manfred said he plans to choose a winning bidder for "Sunday Night Baseball" within the month, and the rights could be split up between two bidders.

ESPN held the rights to "Sunday Night Baseball" through the 2028 season, but the network and MLB mutually opted out of the $550-million contract earlier this year, so ESPN's rights now expire after the 2025 season. Apple is now looking to pick up those final three seasons, along with NBC, and even ESPN is looking to renegotiate a deal.

Apple TV+ already streams MLB's Friday Night Baseball games, and the service could offer Sunday Night Baseball too if Apple wins the rights.

Following the 2028 season, all regional and national MLB media rights will be expired, and the league is hoping to table a bigger all-in-one package of rights. Apple would likely be very interested in such a package, as it would allow the company to offer an MLB equivalent of MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. However, MLB is much bigger than MLS, so it remains to be seen if MLB would be willing to go all-in with Apple.

Apple continues to push into sports content, with the company reportedly likely to secure the rights to Formula 1 racing. In the past, the company unsuccessfully bid on NFL's "Sunday Ticket" package, and on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
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In celebration of World Emoji Day, the Unicode Consortium this week confirmed the new emoji characters that will be added to Unicode 17 in the fall.


Emoji characters that are coming include trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature (aka Bigfoot or Sasquatch), fight cloud, apple core, orca, and ballet dancers.

After Unicode 17 is released later this year, artists at Apple will begin creating new emoji characters in the Apple emoji style. It takes several months for Apple to introduce new emoji after a Unicode update, so we can expect to see these characters next spring.

Apple will add the emoji to an iOS 26 update next year, likely in iOS 26.4. Apple most recently added new emoji in iOS 18.4, an update that came out in late March.

iOS 18.4 introduced the Unicode 16 emoji, which included bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.


The Unicode Consortium releases Unicode updates on a yearly basis, adding new emoji characters each time. Anyone can submit an emoji proposal that the Consortium will consider.
This article, "iOS 26 Emoji Will Include Bigfoot, Apple Core, Distorted Face, Fight Cloud and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Today is World Emoji Day, and the organization that decides which new emoji your iPhone gets has announced this year’s latest crop. Here are the new emoji that will be added in an upcoming version of iOS 26.

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Apple has just released a new video advertising Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16, with one feature spotlighted: Clean Up. The humorous message of the video? Be careful what you remove from photos.

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It looks like Apple's foldable iPhone will have some "crease-free" competition.


Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Samsung's next-generation Galaxy Z Fold 8 will use the same laser-drilled metal display plate as the foldable iPhone, with the component to be supplied by South Korean company Fine M-Tec.

Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 7 still has a visible crease in the middle of its inner screen. However, Kuo said that Apple's stricter crease-free requirement for the foldable iPhone has essentially raised the bar for foldable devices, so it sounds like next year's Galaxy Z Fold 8 will feature a "crease-free" screen as well.

Earlier this week, Kuo said the laser-drilled metal plate can disperse the stress generated by bending, allowing for a "crease-free" screen.

The foldable iPhone's inner screen will be supplied by Samsung, according to Kuo, but it is the Fine M-Tec plate that will enable the "crease-free" feat.

Kuo said Apple is aiming to start mass production of the foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, so the device should finally launch next year. He expects the device to have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID.
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Apple today shared a new iPhone 16 ad that highlights the Clean Up feature that's available in the Photos app. In the spot, a man snaps a photo of a woman with her cat, and then removes the cat from the image using Clean Up.


Both the cat and the woman are upset with the change, so he undoes it, demonstrating the reversible nature of the feature.

Clean Up is an Apple Intelligence tool that is able to remove unwanted and distracting objects from a photo. It is accessible through the editing interface in the ‌Photos‌ app. You can swipe over whatever you want removed in an image, and the Clean Up tool will do its best to replace it by cloning the background and other elements of the photo.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ is available on the iPhone 15 Pro models, the ‌iPhone 16‌ models, and it will be available on the upcoming iPhone 17 models.
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Recent weeks have brought a flurry of rumors related to color options for the iPhone 17, including Air and Pro models. Among the most surprising leaks: the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max may come in a new orange color, along with blue and more. Here’s the latest report, plus renders of what could be coming.

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According to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, Apple is among the companies that have submitted a bid for the rights to the iconic Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, starting in 2026.

In an interview with CNBC, Manfred said that Apple, NBC, and ESPN have all submitted bids for the Sunday Night Baseball package.

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals are kicking off with a new low on the silver 24GB 13-inch M4 MacBook Air with 512GB SSD at $165+ off to join some notable back to school MacBook options. We are also highlighting the Space Black 11-inch M4 iPad Pro at $300 off the list price alongside some ongoing Prime Day pricing on Apple Watch Series 10 cell models at nearly $120 off and Apple’s regularly $99 140W USB-C Power Adapter down at $50. Plus, you’ll find the Sonos Ace headphones still down at the $299 Prime Day price ($150 off) alongside plenty of charging and other accessory offers down below. 

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A new rumor out of China today has sparked speculation that Apple may be readying a unique new iPhone 17 Pro color that somehow reflects the new design language of its iOS 26 software.


Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital on Thursday hinted that the iPhone 17 Pro has a "special" color variant that is said to be "connected to the iOS 26 Liquid Glass design."

The leaker, who only claims to have heard of it but not seen it, seems to believe that the color is what previous leaks have simply referred to as white, "but it appears differently depending on the lighting."

While speculative, a white base material that subtly shifts hues depending on light and angle could add a dynamic, refractive quality to the color. Combined with the Liquid Glass UI aesthetic of iOS 26, a shimmering surface could potentially create a sense of motion or unity with the glassy elements of the software interface.

The account Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. But its track record isn't perfect.

On Wednesday, a Macworld report claimed to reveal all of the colors that each iPhone 17 model will come in. Allegedly based on an "internal document," the report listed white as a color option for all models, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Other colors that have now been rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models by multiple sources include a new copper-like orange, black, gray, and dark blue. Whether Apple chooses different names for the colors it ultimately goes with remains to be seen.

Curiously, the leaker Majin Bu recently shared images of third-party lens covers purportedly reflecting Apple's iPhone 17 colors. A white color was not shown, but another, identified as "Transparent," appeared in its place. When asked why the transparent accessory is included in the images, Bu has equivocated, but the leaker has since alluded to another "surprise" color that Apple is currently still testing, without giving anything else away.

In a change to last year's all-titanium iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple is believed to be using a part-glass, part-aluminum design for the iPhone 17 Pro chassis. This could potentially usher in all-new color choices for Apple's high-end iPhone 17 models. What they look like in reality is something we'll learn in just a couple of months. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 series in September.
This article, "Rumor Hints at 'Liquid Glass' iPhone 17 Pro Color Tied to iOS 26 Design" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple TV+ has already premiered what’s arguably the best comedy of the year so far: The Studio. But now Seth Rogen has another TV+ debut coming soon—the return of hit comedy Platonic—and it looks better than ever.

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A report yesterday suggested that the two iPhone 17 Pro models could get an anti-reflective display, after Apple’s suppliers managed to overcome production difficulties.

I do love anti-reflective displays, and still have very fond memories of my all-time favorite Apple one from way back in 2004, but an iPhone one would have only moderate appeal to me …

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Development studio CD Projekt Red today released acclaimed role-playing action game Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for the Mac, and it looks like the developers have gone all-out to make the experience as impressive as possible for Mac gamers with the right hardware.


The 2020 triple-A game has been Metal API-optimized for a variety of Macs with Apple silicon, from the first M1 models right up to the latest M4 models. The only caveat is that Cyberpunk 2077 requires a minimum of 16GB of RAM to play, so 8GB M1 and M2 chips don't get a look in.

The open-world action-adventure role-playing game lets players take on the role of V, a cyber-enhanced mercenary ready to do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves in Night City — a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition features the base game, starring Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, and the critically acclaimed spy-thriller expansion Phantom Liberty, starring Idris Elba as Solomon Reed. It also contains every update released for the game so far, including the brand new Update 2.3 — which introduces new quests, new vehicles, AutoDrive, extra Photo Mode options, and more.

To make the most of your machine, the CD Projekt Red team has created "For this Mac," a dynamic preset that assigns settings and resolution based on your Mac's hardware capabilities "to deliver an optimal balance between visual quality and performance."

For example, the Minimum configuration (M1 chip and 16GB of RAM) runs at 1,440 x 900 or 1,600 x 900 resolution with a target FPS of 30, while the Recommended preset requires an M3 Pro chip and 18GB of RAM, and produces an 1,800 x 1,125 or 1,920 x 1,080 resolution with a target FPS of 60.


Users with higher spec Mac models can look forward to enabling two special configurations: High Fidelity requires an M2 Ultra or M3 Max chip and 36GB of RAM, and produces 2,294 x 1,432 or 2,560 x 1,440 resolution with a target FPS of 60. Meanwhile, Very High Fidelity requires an M3 Ultra or M4 Max chip and 36GB of RAM, and produces 2,294 x 1,432 or 2,560 x 1,440 resolution with a FPS target of 60.

In addition, Apple XDR Display owners and owners of other HDR-equipped monitors will get HDR support in the game, while AirPods owners can enable Spatial Audio and head tracking. Lastly, users who want to play with Ray Tracing on can enable it manually in Settings ➝ Graphics, under the Quick Preset menu. Ray Tracing is available on M3 and newer chips.


Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition supports cross progression across all platforms, and includes the Phantom Liberty expansion as well as all subsequent patches. The title requires macOS 15.5 or later, as well as 92GB of storage when downloaded from GOG, Epic Games Store, or Steam, and 149GB of storage when downloaded from the Mac App Store. Prices vary depending on the store, but GOG currently is offering a 53% discount on the game's usual $87.69 price that ends on July 23. Note that players who already own a copy on these storefronts can download it for free on their Apple silicon Mac.
This article, "Cyberpunk 2077 Now Available on Mac With High Performance Presets" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Genmoji launched last December in iOS 18.2 as a new Apple Intelligence feature for creating custom emoji. And in iOS 26, Apple has upgraded Genmoji with several new capabilities that will hit your iPhone soon. Here’s what’s new.

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