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Apple CarPlay is adding support for ChatGPT and other AI chatbots

Apple will soon let drivers converse with AI chatbots while on the road.

The company’s CarPlay Developer Guide (via MacRumors) now includes voice-based chat apps supported by CarPlay. Or, at least, they will be supported when iOS 26.4 launches this spring. This presumably will include third-party AI apps like ChatGPT and Gemini, giving users the ability to verbally ask the AI bots questions while they drive. Previously, CarPlay users could only give voice commands to Siri while driving.

There are, of course, a few caveats to this.

The first is that the companies behind apps like ChatGPT and Gemini will specifically need to update their apps so they work with CarPlay. The second is that wake-up words will not work here; you’ll have to manually open the app in question to start talking to it. Finally, you won’t be able to issue car or iPhone commands using these apps. You can still ask questions, but you can’t ask ChatGPT to do anything to your car or phone.

Other upcoming iOS 26.4 features include AI-generated Apple Music playlists, increased video playback options for Podcasts, and end-to-end encryption for RCS messages. There’s a beta available now, with the full update coming in the spring.

Now, we just need to wait and see if Apple includes the AI-powered Siri we’ve all been waiting for in iOS 26.4, though it looks unlikely.


Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

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Hurdle hints and answers for February 20, 2026

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

To snap.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

FLICK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Come up.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ARISE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Chubby.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

PUDGY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Sheet.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

PAPER

Final Hurdle hint

A vital organ.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

LIVER

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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Gift the most important family member the Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder while its on sale for under $70

SAVE $30: The Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder (5 liter) is on sale at Amazon for $69.99, marked down from the standard price of $99.99. That’s a 30% discount.


$69.99
at Amazon

$99.99
Save $30

 

All pet owners know the cat or dog is arguably the most important member of the family. Taking care of their needs is a high priority. If you won’t be home during feeding times, there’s an easy way to keep pets fed, and it’s on a great sale today at Amazon.

As of Feb. 19, the five-liter Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder is on sale at Amazon for $69.99, marked down from the standard price of $99.99. That’s a 30% discount.

The Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder can hold five liters of food for your furry friend. Petlibro mentions that’s about a weeks worth of food for dogs and up to 20 days of meals for cats. In Mashable’s review of the best automatic pet feeders, the Petlibro earns the top spot as the best model for portion control.

From the Petlibro app, you’ll be able to schedule up to 10 meals per day at designated times. And as an extra fun bonus, you can record a message that’ll play to your pets at each feeding time. Adding to that feature, you can record up to 10 customized messages to play during different feeding times and set each at an appropriate volume. That’ll be great for late-night cat meals when the kids are already asleep.

The pet food sits in a stainless steel container that’s designed to keep food fresh. Knowing some pets would love to sneak in an extra meal, Petlibro designed the automatic feeder with a twist locking lid.

When food is getting low, the Petlibro app will send an alert to your phone so you can top up supply before your pet misses a meal. You can also share the feeder in the app with up to five users, so several family members have access to the feeder. That’s also a great feature to share with a pet sitter when you’ll be on vacation.

While it’s on sale for under $70, upgrade to the five-liter Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder. It’s perfect for keeping meals on scheudle without having to worry about if you’ll be home on time.

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12 Black History Month Recs

christine pride

christine pride

I sometimes worry that Black History Month is counter-productive. Yes, it’s nice to have a platform to celebrate the culture and shine a light on the continued struggles around race in America. And I’m glad that it’s a month (originally it was just a week!). But BHM commemorations often feel like box-checking: ‘Here’s the time of year when I remember to support Black causes/businesses/artists.’ How great would it be if, instead, these things were just part of our lives, year-round?

That’s my dream, so this Black History Month, I’d like to highlight some favorite things to enjoy all year…

Ashley thee barroness

An IG account that keeps me learning: @ashleytheebarroness creates videos on obscure — sometimes intentionally disregarded — corners of history, tracing each topic to the present. I’ve learned more from her than all of my high-school history classes. One recent post breaking down white supremacy (“White Narcissism,” as she calls it) had me fully in its clutches and saying, “Amen!” Watching Ashley feels like sitting in a lecture with a charismatic, clear-eyed professor.

A favorite poem: When I was a teenager, I won a competition for my recitation of For My People by Margaret Walker. I remember wishing I’d chosen a shorter poem because it’s long. But it’s also epic and beautiful, and brims with pride and resistance. We could all use more poetry in our lives — and more artists speaking truth to power, which Margaret did so elegantly.

Rayo-and-honey-pennants

Home decor with a message: How inspiring are these pennants from Rayo & Honey? They make great gifts. I also love their totes, keychains, and pens — and the fact that it’s a business built from the heart of a Black woman.

A must-have skincare product: I recommended Beauty Stat’s Vitamin C Serum as a product fave back when I did CoJ’s Beauty Uniform. Five years later, my passion endures for this illuminating serum, created by a pioneering Black chemist.

A TV show I’ll always re-watch: For five seasons, Insecure — starring Issa Rae, Natasha Rothwell and other incredible actresses — made me laugh, cringe, cry, and agonize over a fictional love triangle that I was more invested in than my own love life. Tell me if you’re Team Daniel or Team Lawrence. (Bonus recs: Survival of the Thickest, Harlem, Run The World, and of course, the OG classic, Girlfriends.)

Wine by two sisters: Red wine calls to me on these cold, dark winter evenings. The red blend from Black Girl Magic Wines is one of the all-time bests, but really, you can’t go wrong with any of their bottles; they’re great quality at a reasonable price point. And if you need new stemware, check out the gorgeous sets by Estelle Colored Glass (the amethyst! So pretty!).

tayari jones kin

A novel I can’t wait to read: When Tayari Jones publishes a book, it’s an event. Her fourth novel, Kin, comes out next week, and the excitement has been building for MONTHS. It’s about two friends from Louisiana, whose lives take vastly different turns. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

A gem of a bookstore: There’s been a gratifying rise in Black-owned bookstores these last few years. Kansas City’s Bliss Books is run by two sisters who dreamed of opening a bookstore together (awwww!) and actually did it! I also love Loyalty Books, in Silver Spring, Maryland, my hometown. And if you’re in NYC, check out Liz’s Book Bar, The Little Bookshop and The Lit Bar.

Ailey

A beautiful night out: Admittedly, I’m not the most cultured person when it comes to fine arts — but I do love (love love) dance. I’ve seen the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform several times, and it’s soul-stirring. The company was founded in 1958 to “uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity,” and almost 70 years later, they remain steadfast in their mission. Art funding is so precarious at the moment — especially BIPOC art — it needs our support!

A timely article that made me feverishly nod my head: I read a lot of long-form journalism — a lot — and I’m still thinking about this recent Atlantic article by Clint Smith, which hit on so many points about why Black history matters, and why it’s so critical in our current moment that we keep fighting against its erasure. Other Black journalists I admire for their insightful takes and having their finger on the pulse: Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mitchell S. Jackson and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

A cause I’m glad to support: As a child of the ‘70s/’80s, I can’t forget the iconic TV ads for the United Negro College Fund (especially this one — the end still makes me cry!) In the post-Civil Rights era, UNCF helped launch a generation of kids into the middle-class by giving them access to education. Decades later, their good work continues. I used one of my book events to raise funds for UNCF, and I can’t think of a better way to honor BHM than by supporting this worthy organization.

What are your own recommendations? I hope you’ll share them with us, too.

Christine Pride is a writer, book editor and content consultant who lives in Harlem, New York. Her latest book is All The Men I’ve Loved Again, and you can read her past Cup of Jo posts here.

P.S. A reading challenge, and five more things I want to tell my white friends.

(Photo of Christine Pride by Christine Han for Cup of Jo.)

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