TL;DR: Siri’s going to get better this year—Apple really means it this time. In a move that feels like a subtle snub to its former partner OpenAI, Apple is handing Siri’s brain to Google’s Gemini, reshaping its AI strategy and signaling where it believes the future of large language models really lies.

What happened: Right now, Apple can send you to ChatGPT when Siri gets stumped. This new multiyear Google partnership goes further—promising a deeper revamp of Apple Intelligence with a “more personalized Siri,” representing a fundamental upgrade rather than an optional add-on. Apple will reportedly pay Google $1 billion a year—a sign of how badly Siri needs a smarter core. The iOS assistant still struggles with multistep instructions, like: “Start a 25-minute timer and add milk to my Reminders list.” It also doesn't have a great memory, likely because Apple avoids storing much personal data.

What this deal means for the industry: OpenAI had a first-mover advantage when it burst onto the scene with ChatGPT in late 2022. That appears to be fading, with Gemini 3 wowing people with its speed and long-context reasoning. The race to be the “best” AI model is still neck and neck, but if you had to bet on one horse, it might be the one Apple just chose to build its flagship assistant around.

What this could mean for users: This setup raises new questions about how Siri requests will flow between Apple and Google’s servers. With the current ChatGPT integration, Apple says it shields identifying info from OpenAI by stripping requests of your Apple ID and IP address. Its deal with OpenAI also bars the AI company from storing user requests or using that data for training. In a joint statement, Apple and Google said this integration would maintain “Apple's industry-leading privacy standards,” but it’s unclear if that means the same privacy protections in the OpenAI deal will apply.

Who’s a hater: On X, Elon Musk called the team-up “an unreasonable concentration of power for Google.” It’s true Google isn’t a stranger to antitrust heat: The Department of Justice recently scored a legal victory arguing that Google illegally maintains a search monopoly. While Apple reportedly evaluated models including those of OpenAI and Anthropic, it’s not clear Musk’s xAI was ever in the running. We can’t imagine why any firm would be wary of being associated with the company behind Grok right now…

What we’re watching: Apple’s choice of dance partner suggests it isn’t trying to win the race to build the world’s most powerful AI model itself, at least not anytime soon. —WK

These earbuds revolutionized my sleep routine

After nearly a month of testing the Ozlo Sleepbuds, they’ve gone from “intriguing sleep experiment” to a nightly essential. These tiny in-ear headphones are designed for sleeping, letting you stream music, podcasts, or audiobooks, then using biometric sensing to quietly switch to ambient sounds once you drift off.

As someone who loathes rewinding 20 forgotten chapters of an audiobook each morning, this feature alone feels borderline magical. I still have to rewind by about 20 minutes, but nowhere near as much as before. Ozlo intentionally builds in a delay to avoid rousing you as you nod off, which usually works well, though twice the buds confidently declared I was asleep when I very much was not.

On average, I’ve worn my Sleepbuds for about 7.5 hours per night, with one marathon stretch topping nine hours. I’m also a dedicated side sleeper, and they’ve stayed comfortable throughout. After a full week, you do start to feel them slightly, but only one bud has ever fallen out—which is a miracle compared to my regular earbuds that eject themselves often. Ozlo’s sleep tracking is still in beta, so if that’s your main goal, I’d hold off. If you want a comfortable way to fall asleep to audio, this is where Ozlo shines.

The Good: Extremely small and comfortable for side sleepers. Reliable fit overnight thanks to three eartip sizes. Bluetooth streaming is very useful. A variety of sleep sounds, from rain to a campfire. The case can sense environmental factors like light, temperature, noise, and barometric pressure as part of your sleep tracking.

The Bad: Battery life is… fine (up to 10 hours). Between the buds and the case, you’ll want to charge everything every other day to stay safe. Sleep tracking stats in the app are still in testing. You need to keep both your phone and the case within range of the buds overnight.

The Verdict: Signal —SM

Disclosure: Companies may send us products to test, but they never pay for our opinions. Our recommendations are unbiased and unfiltered, and Tech Brew may earn a commission if you buy through our links.

If you have a gadget you love, let us know and we may feature it in a future edition. Or, if you want us to test something you’ve had your eye on, send us an email at techbrew@morningbrew.com.

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LinkedIn is the familiar turf of brown-nosing employees, consultants whose jobs no one can figure out, and career coaches hawking six-week leadership courses, and now… it’s the go-to place to stalk your ex? A Business Insider report explains the site’s growing use case as a scalable synergistic emotional-due-diligence platform—or, if you don’t speak LinkedIn, a tool to look up love interests.

It makes sense: Over 1 billion people have a LinkedIn account, and it’s often one of the top hits when you search someone’s name. The site has long been a strange blend of job board and social feed. Given its growing relevance as a social network—a recent Wall Street Journal article noted people are spending more time on LinkedIn—maybe it’s no surprise that people use it to vet, and even find, dates. Matchmakers are also reportedly using LinkedIn to reach out to promising romantic leads for clients, which sounds like a deleted scene from Materialists. Now hiring: qualified candidates with a master’s degree and at least 10 years of experience being a good boyfriend. —WK