Technologies
Apple Pumps Up Music Features in Next Versions of iOS, iPadOS and MacOS
After previewing new streaming and sharing features at WWDC, Apple has announced more music features for its upcoming operating systems.
At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, the company announced new features for streaming and sharing music on iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. On Wednesday, Apple provided more details on its upcoming music offerings and disclosed even more music features not mentioned at WWDC.
Read more: WWDC 2023 Biggest Reveals
Apple has always made it easy to play and share music across its devices, and the next versions of the company’s operating systems for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers will expand those features for cars, hotels and personal connections. A new AirDrop feature will let iOS users easily kick off shared listening experiences (as well as easily share contact info), and AirPlay and CarPlay will both make it easier for Apple users to stream and share music when traveling.
Read on to learn all about the new music features coming to your Apple devices. For more from WWDC, check out everything new in iOS 17 and the new gaming mode for MacOS.
New AirDrop features in iOS 17 will let you share music easily
An update to iOS for iPhones will soon add a new phone gesture for launching an AirDrop, Apple’s Bluetooth-based system for secure personal sharing. Now users will only need to «bump» their devices by bringing them close together to initiate an AirDrop and share contact info or other files.
The new AirDrop functionality will make it easier for Apple users to kick off shared experiences as well. Bumping devices will also enable starting SharePlay, which lets two people listen to the same music or watch the same movie simultaneously.
At the WWDC event, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi gave the example of two people running together who bump their phones to start listening to the same music at the same time. Similarly, two friends at a coffee shop could bump phones to watch the same video stream together.
More from WWDC 2023
Collaborative Playlists will let friends create shared music sets

Collaborative Playlists will make it easier to create and react to shared music.
One of the biggest upcoming Apple Music features not announced at WWDC is a new Collaborative Playlist option. Coming this fall, Apple Music subscribers will be able to invite friends and family to join group playlists. Participants can select, edit and order songs in the shared playlist, or add emojis to specific tracks.
Apple didn’t provide many details about how Collaborative Playlists will work, but an image in the company’s press release indicates that playlist participants will see their profile pictures associated with the songs they selected, with a button at the top of the app for adding or removing people from the playlist.
CarPlay will make it easier to share music on road trips
Apple also showed off the integration of SharePlay with CarPlay, which will make it possible for everyone in the car to contribute to a road-trip playlist without passing a phone around. If you’re running CarPlay and using Apple Music, everyone in the car with an iPhone should be able to join your share and add songs to the playlist.
On Wednesday, Apple provided a few more details about how SharePlay will work in cars. When people in a car are listening to Apple Music, other trusted iPhones in the car will be prompted to join the session. Participants can then control the music with their own devices, and they won’t need an Apple Music subscription to do so.
AirPlay will let you play music and movies on hotel devices
Apple announced an upcoming partnership with hotels to allow iPhone, iPad and Mac users to stream music and movies directly to hotel devices. While the most obvious use of AirPlay in hotels will be playing your movies and TV shows on the big screen, you’ll also probably be able to stream music to the hotel TV for a stereo music experience that doesn’t require headphones.
Pairing your Apple device with the hotel’s will be as simple as scanning a QR code. According to the WWDC announcement, «AirPlay will be available in select hotels before the end of the year.»
AirPlay will also soon learn your favorite music preferences
Along with the new streaming options for music in hotels and cars, Apple AirPlay is set to start learning your listening preferences and adapting to them. iPhones and iPads will soon use «on-device intelligence» to analyze your listening habits and adjust playback suggestions accordingly.
In the example provided at WWDC, someone who always listens to music while cooking dinner would be prompted to stream their music via a kitchen HomePod speaker during the usual time for food preparation.
You’ll also soon be able to initiate an AirPlay session using Siri and your Apple HomePod, letting you control the music playing at home with only your voice.
Other new audio features coming to Apple devices
Sharing and streaming music more easily were the main audio features announced at WWDC, but there were a few other minor announcements that could improve the listening experience for AirPods, iPhones and iPads.
First, a new iOS diary app called Journal will use curated information from your device — such as photos, music and location — to create personalized prompts for your journaling. You’ll soon be able to simply tap a song on your Apple device to add it to your Journal entry.
Apple also plans to add new playback features to Apple Music, including the ability to crossfade songs and display full-screen animated album art when it’s available. The app will add new artist features as well, such as new song credits that will provide details about all of the musicians and contributors involved in the recording.
Finally, Apple AirPods will soon add a new feature called «adaptive audio,» which dynamically tweaks volume and noise cancellation based on what you’re listening to and the sounds around you. A personalized volume system will also adjust your sound based on your listening preferences over time.
Read more: AirPods Getting a Cool New Feature That Sony Earbuds Already Have
For more on Apple’s WWDC 2023, check out all the new features coming to the Apple Watch with WatchOS 10 and our hands-on impressions of the biggest MacBook Air ever.
Technologies
Verum Messenger Turns Five and Launches Offline Messaging on iPhone
Verum Messenger Turns Five and Launches Offline Messaging on iPhone
Verum Messenger has marked its fifth anniversary with the release of a new feature that enables users to exchange messages without an internet connection.
The update, now available on iPhone, allows devices to communicate directly through a decentralized peer-to-peer architecture, bypassing servers, mobile networks and Wi-Fi. According to the company, messages are transmitted securely without relying on traditional internet infrastructure.
Unlike most offline communication tools that depend on Bluetooth, Verum’s approach uses encrypted device-to-device technology designed to operate independently of centralized systems.
Founded five years ago, Verum Messenger is positioned as a privacy-first platform. The app does not require a phone number or email address for registration and generates encryption keys locally on the user’s device. The company states that user data and message content are not stored on centralized servers.
Over time, Verum has expanded beyond messaging to include features such as encrypted calls, screenshot and screen-recording protection, self-destructing messages, anonymous email, a built-in VPN, eSIM connectivity and on-device AI tools.
The offline messaging update reflects a broader push toward more resilient communication tools, particularly as concerns over network reliability, censorship and digital surveillance continue to grow.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Feb. 2
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 2
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? There are some tough clues today. Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Rock band with albums like «High Voltage» and «Flick of the Switch»
Answer: ACDC
5A clue: Stuck doing the same old, same old
Answer: INARUT
7A clue: Burning up
Answer: ONFIRE
8A clue: -tion, for one
Answer: SUFFIX
9A clue: Jared of 2025’s «Tron: Ares»
Answer: LETO
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Declare void, as a marriage
Answer: ANNUL
2D clue: ___ macchiato (espresso drink)
Answer: CAFFE
3D clue: Begin to veer off the road, say
Answer: DRIFT
4D clue: Odd little trinket
Answer: CURIO
5D clue: What Apple smartphones run on
Answer: IOS
6D clue: ___-Mex cuisine
Answer: TEX
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 2, #497
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 2, No. 497.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. It helps to know a lot about two distinct locations and their sports teams. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Lone Star State.
Green group hint: Think of the Arch.
Blue group hint: You put cereal in this.
Purple group hint: Not four or six.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Texas college teams.
Green group: St. Louis teams.
Blue group: Can be followed by «bowl.»
Purple group: ____ five.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is Texas college teams. The four answers are Aggies, Cougars, Horned Frogs and Longhorns.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is St. Louis teams. The four answers are Billikens, Vlues, Cardinals and St. Louis City.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is can be followed by «bowl.» The four answers are pro, senior, shrine and super.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ five. The four answers are fab, fierce, high and starting.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies5 лет agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies5 лет agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoiPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow
