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Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: With 5-Across, response to «Knock, knock!»
Answer: WHOS

5A clue: See 1-Across
Answer: THERE

6A clue: Dating app alternative to Tinder or Bumble
Answer: HINGE

7A clue: Take the top off, as a tube of toothpaste
Answer: UNCAP

8A clue: [This person has read your message]
Answer: SEEN

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Say «But, Mom!,» say
Answer: WHINE

2D clue: As a result
Answer: HENCE

3D clue: Something that a medical donor gives or a church has
Answer: ORGAN

4D clue: Flow slowly
Answer: SEEP

5D clue: As a result
Answer: THUS

If you’ve ever dreamed of talking with your car, Apple may have good news for you. Within the latest CarPlay developer guide is support for «voice-based conversational apps,» a sign that Apple could be about to open the doors to AI chatbot apps like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude right on your dashboard.

The guidelines indicate that AI companies like Google or OpenAI will need to create an interface that shows the conversational AI is listening in CarPlay, and then «appropriately respond to questions or requests and perform actions.»

Support is expected to arrive in March with the release of iOS 26.4, which is currently in beta. Companies that want to participate will have to jump through all the usual Apple hoops to qualify for CarPlay.

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

How will talking to AI while driving work?

Apple has limited what apps work with CarPlay, partially to help keep drivers focused and undistracted. Siri commands were enabled under certain circumstances, but that was all.

With iOS 26.4 and the new conversational AI support, drivers could potentially have more in-depth conversations, but with a few significant limitations. First, Apple won’t be enabling wake words, meaning drivers will have to use their dashboard controls to open the AI app before they start talking.

CarPlay apps must also be designed for «voice interaction in the driving environment,» and can’t show text or images in response to your questions, unlike your usual use of AI chatbots.

Also, Apple makes it clear that these apps won’t be able to control your vehicle, your iPhone or related devices. So you’re limited to the basic chatbot conversation, which could let you brainstorm ideas for dinner, vent about your work day or ponder the great questions of the universe. Just don’t ask for home security advice and never use them for therapy, medical diagnoses, financial advice, tax planning and more. 

And always double-check that and AI chatbot hasn’t hallucinated while giving you information it says is true.

Meta’s next version of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses could be arriving later this year, and along with them, a watch. A new report from The Information says the smartwatch, codenamed Malibu 2, could have fitness features like an Apple Watch or Fitbit. But the real reason for a watch like this to emerge now is to work with smart glasses. Let me explain.

When I talked with Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth last year, he told me that the neural band Meta released with the Ray-Ban Display glasses last fall was something that would eventually make sense as part of a watch. That’s exactly what I think will happen this year.

Meta representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meta won’t be alone in a mission to triangulate wearables. Apple is reportedly planning on releasing glasses and maybe a pin to go with AirPods and Apple Watch. Google’s XR team confirmed to me that its upcoming 2026 smart glasses will work with Android watches, too.

The biggest problem with Meta’s fascinating neural band accessory, which uses skin-based electromyography to sense motor neuron signals and translate them into interface gestures, is that it currently works only to control Ray-Ban Display glasses. Meta’s already been exploring other devices its neural band tech could connect with: I tried a demo of Meta’s neural band in a concept Garmin smart car cabin at CES back in January. 

But Meta’s wearables team is also likely working on ways to have a wrist wearable do more than just recognize hand gestures. Enter a smartwatch, which could add fitness tracking. Meta’s already been dipping its toes into fitness over the past year, too: The company’s Oakley Vanguard sports glasses feature heart rate-tracking LED indicators and pair with Garmin watches.

If I were to guess a partner for this smartwatch, it would be Garmin. Meta clearly has a partnership going with them, both for existing glasses fitness functions and the smart car demo I tried. Of all the smartwatch makers out there that aren’t Apple-, Google- or Samsung-made, Garmin is the best remaining bet.

One thing a watch could also do is be a better glasses companion. A touchscreen could potentially act as a viewfinder or control the on-glasses camera. 

A watch could be another place Meta could explore onboard AI, either as a glasses companion or for AI-powered fitness functions.

We probably won’t know more until later this year, since Meta’s Connect developer conference, where its new products tend to be announced, usually happens in September. But debuting a new neural-equipped watch with next-gen Ray-Ban Display glasses (hopefully with a wider range of subscription support and developer access to create apps) would make a lot of sense as Apple and Google look ready to dive into the same territory.