Month: March 2024
No, I don’t want the iPhone 16 to go big on AI
I want Apple to focus on the core iPhone experience, not lean into generative AI.
I doubt you could go to a tech-centric show without someone babbling on about artificial intelligence. At MWC 2024, the likes of Qualcomm championed AI in phones, cars and more, while Samsung had its suite of Galaxy S24 phones present and correct to show off the Galaxy AI features they come with.
Now AI has, arguably, been around for years in some form or another. Sure, we don’t have true general AI with human-level smarts or cognitive clout. But machine learning algorithms have been serving up musings and streaming recommendations, translating text, and figuring out what’s in photos for some time. Yet, 2023 saw the rise of generative AI, whereby smart software can produce things from instructions and inference rather than simply working off what it already has.
For all sorts of tasks, from conjuring up holiday plans to content creation, generative AI – fuelled by the likes of ChatGPT – has become a bit of a big deal. In the consumer tech space, you only have to look at the smart photo editing and language cognition features of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro to see such AI in action.
So, it’s no surprise that the very much still-rumored iPhone 16 is being tipped to come with generative AI features, with Apple likely being fashionably late to the show by bringing in a new level of AI-powered smartphone tools.
But I’m not down with that.
Stick to the core
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Of course, AI has played a role in iPhones for ages with the Neural Engine on Apple’s A-series chips powering machine learning algorithms and the Semantic Rendering that has helped iPhone feature consistently on our best camera phones list. However, I’m not so keen on Apple going deep into generative AI.
Apple’s phone photography is hardly ‘real’ per se, given the way the camera system will capture data and images before the shutter button is pressed and stick together multiple shots. You’re never likely to get the exact scene you’re shooting as a perfect split-second snapshot.
Yet, the image processing applied has often felt like the most realistic of all the phones I use; iPhones have no qualms leaving dark areas dark and letting highlights bloom in all their glory if the scene calls for it. And this is one of the main reasons why I use an iPhone 15 Pro Max despite the temptation of Android.
While iPhones have no shortage of editing options or filters, I tend to enjoy the photos they produce in their default settings – or at least default to particular modes – which are very Instagrammable or reaching a standard where putting them on this very website is fine. The idea of having more AI tech to mess with these photos and move away from the realism I feel enshrines iPhone photography isn’t tickling my phone-loving synapse.
I’m fine with generative AI on Pixel phones, as they’ve always seemed like a testbed of tech innovation; plus, Google does a good job with AI tools and integration. And on Galaxy phones, generative AI sort of fits with the whole maximalist ‘here’s a feature for everything’ vibe I feel Samsung’s flagship phones have.
I’d not argue against a smarter Siri, and other behind-the-scenes optimizations powered by smart processing. But I don’t want a next-gen iPhone to be stuffed with generative AI, manipulating photos beyond realism or serving up too many suggestions.
That’s because I see iPhones as inherently practical devices; something that’s simple and somewhat manual in operation, with me granting it permissions to suck data from text when needed rather than having an AI-powered assistant or interface trying to do everything for me. I feel Apple’s insistence on arguably limited interfaces and customization, matched with a highly-curated app store, encapsulates this feeling. The iPhone is an everyday tool that you use, like a watch, rather than a super-smart gadget.
Conversely, the design and the feeling of intent behind some of the best Android phones is to be more like gadgets that you can work with and manipulate into what you want. I’m fine with that, and there’s a place for such Androids in my life.
But my appreciation for iPhones comes from their simplicity, privacy, ease-of-use and stylish tool-like functionality. This makes them feel boring compared to their Android counterparts, but that’s low-key appealing to me when I just want something to get things done without a load of AI stuff getting in the way.
Apple does have a reputation for taking existing tech and honing it into a fine point to make the user experience super-slick. So there’s a good chance it could do that with generative AI.
Yet right now, I feel generative AI isn’t quite as capable as I’d like it – even Google’s Magic Editor isn’t that robust in my experience. Instead of being drawn in by AI hype, I’d like the next-generation iPhone to focus on offering more of what Apple is known for: a phone that ‘just works’.
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ICYMI: the week’s 7 biggest tech stories from WWDC 2024 announcements to Disney Plus to the Google Pixel 6a being laid to rest
Here’s the biggest tech news stories from Apple, Disney, Nikon, Google, and more in our ICYMI round-up for March 30, 2024.
In case you missed the last week in the busy world of tech we’re here with your weekly update that’ll catch you up to speed on all the most important stories.
This week we finally got a date for Apple’s WWDC 2024 event – which might very well be the most important conference in Apple’s history. We also saw some weird creations from OpenAI’s Sora bot, got to hear some impressive ANC earbuds, and even witnessed the marriage of Disney Plus and Hulu.
To find out about these, and the other biggest stories of the week scroll down this page – and be sure to check back next Saturday for another quickfire round-up.
7. Apple WWDC 2024 was announced for June 10
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple’s next Worldwide Developer Conference got a date this week – and it’s due to land on June 10, 2024. During the opening keynote we expect to get our first look at Apple’s next batch of software updates – iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 – as well as some hardware reveals – perhaps new Macs, a new Apple silicone chipset, or maybe even a Vision Pro successor (though that seems unlikely).
One reveal that seems all but certain is the announcement of Apple’s big generative AI plans. While it hasn’t said anything specifically, Apple’s senior VP for marketing Greg Joswiak gave a less than subtle hint with a Tweet saying of WWDC 2024 “It’s going to be Absolutely Incredible!” – note the capitalization of Absolutely and Incredible.
We’ll have to wait until June to know what’s in store, but WWDC 2024 looks set to be an Apple event you won’t want to miss.
Read more: Apple’s WWDC 2024 gets official date for iOS 18 news and more
6. OpenAI wowed us with Sora videos
(Image credit: OpenAI / shy kids)
If you’re like us (and who isn’t?) you’ve been watching OpenAI Sora videos on TikTok with an increasing level of wonder and worry. The company responsible for DALL-E and ChatGPT has been posting all manner of bite-sized video creations that, if they weren’t so other-worldly, would look as if they were filmed in a real world. Put simply, this prompt-based generative AI video tool is unlike anything we’ve seen before, and no one really knows what it’ll do to the film, television, and animation industry.
With an apparent nod to that concern, OpenAI recently opened up Sora to a set of independent artists and creators. Instead of throwing their hands up and running away in fear for their livelihoods, they created a set of unforgettable short films, including one that might rival an Oscar-winning short (okay, a very short film). You just have to see these AI-generated films to believe them. We guarantee you’ll be shocked and a little entertained. It won’t be long, we think, until Sora is credited as the cinematographer on a full-length film.
Read more: OpenAI just gave artists access to Sora and it’s super weird
5. The Samsung Galaxy Ring dropped another big launch hint
(Image credit: Samsung)
Sometimes it feels like the Galaxy Ring is launching in slow motion, but the wearable inched closer to lift-off this week when it was spotted inside the battery widget on Samsung phones.
This didn’t really tell us anything new about the Oura rival, other than hinting that it’s on track for a full launch – most likely in July alongside phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 6. But it got us excited about the Galaxy Ring’s potential again, particularly for sleep tracking. If all goes well, it could be one of the gadgets of the year.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Ring edges closer to launch – and I’m excited about its sleep-tracking potential
4. Hulu officially merged with Disney Plus
(Image credit: Disney)
Hulu and Disney Plus have officially tied the knot. Now in the US alongside hubs for Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic you’ll see a Hulu option that’ll show you shows and films from the Hulu catalogue.
Of course, to watch this content you’ll need to pay for a Hulu subscription. A Disney Plus and Hulu bundle will start at $9.99/month for the standard subscription with ads (just $2 more than Basic Disney Plus). Meanwhile, you’ll pay $19.99/month if you want a Premium subscription to both services that offers 4K video and no ads.
Just note that some shows – like Modern Family and Love Island – won’t appear in Disney Plus right away thanks to “content licensing restrictions” per Variety. It’s unclear when these restrictions will stop getting in the way of Disney’s new one-stop streaming service shop, but we hope it’s soon.
Read more: Hulu is now officially part of Disney Plus – here’s what you need to know
3. Nikon launched a versatile zoom lens
(Image credit: Nikon )
We get the occasional 10x optical zoom lens for DSLR and mirrorless cameras, but 14x? That’s unheard of, until now. Nikon dropped the new Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR, which looks like a superb all-in-one zoom lens for its full-frame mirrorless cameras such as the Nikon Z6 II. Its wide end covers shooting everyday observations and landscapes, its telephoto setting is ideal for distant wildlife and landmarks, and its close-up photography skills are super impressive thanks to its close minimum focus distance.
At 725g it’s pretty compact, too, ideal for your travels. The lens also comes equipped with 5 stops of image stabilization which is exactly what you’ll need for those telephoto snaps. It won’t be as sharp as a prime lens, but the 28-400mm could just be the last Nikon lens you ever buy.
Read more: Nikon just launched the world’s most versatile zoom lens for its full-frame cameras
2. Cambridge unveiled its first-ever noise-cancelling earbuds
(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)
The company that launched one of our all-time favorite sets of earbuds (namely the 2021-issue Melomania 1 Plus) is back with a new earbuds proposition – and the fact that they’re CA’s first noise-canceling option isn’t even their biggest selling point.
The firm has actually launched two models: the regular Melomania M100 and a limited edition Melomania M100 How High Edition. The latter comes in a bright yellow case that’s an homage to the music video for The Charlatans’ hit How High, in which singer Tim Burgess wore a glorious bright yellow mackintosh. But both products come with a veritable ace up their sleeves: the slinky vocal stylings of Matt Berry, aka Steven Toast (Toast of London/Toast of Tinseltown), aka Lazslo (What We Do in the Shadows). That’s right, Matt Berry will purr ‘Noise canceling’ or ‘Transparency’ in your ear as often as you’d like, for the princely sum of £169 (about $219 / AU$326). If that doesn’t make Apple nervous, we don’t know what will.
Read more: These new ANC earbuds have a feature Apple’s earbuds can’t beat
1. Google pulled the plug on the Pixel 6a
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
This week Google unceremoniously killed off the Pixel 6a – with the budget smartphone being pulled from all of its official online stores all over the world. Even the official protective case has disappeared from the digital shelves.
Of course, you can still buy the device from third-party retailers, but you might not want to as we believe this is a sign that Google is planning to launch the Pixel 8a very soon.
Lots of leaks have been teasing the 8a in recent weeks – suggesting it could be pricier than the Pixel 7a, and that it’ll likely use the same Tensor G3 chipset as the Pixel 8 – so it seems possible that a new Google handset is on the way.
We might have to wait a little while for more details though, Google’s next official event isn’t until I/O 2024 which kicks off on May 14.
Read more: Google pulls the plug on the Pixel 6a, paving the way for the Pixel 8a
X is funding a lawsuit against Jack Dorsey’s Block to support the ‘right to freedom of speech’
X is funding a lawsuit filed by Chloe Happe against her former employer Block, which was founded by Jack Dorsey, the same person who founded the website formerly known as Twitter. In her lawsuit, Happe said Block had wrongfully fired her in retaliation for two posts she made on what she called her “pseudonymous, satirical account” on X while on her personal time. One of the posts made after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel referenced refugees fleeing Gaza and and coming to the region of Kurdistan. In another, she used ableist language and a slur against transgender people while referencing the use of a “gender neutral restroom in the office.”
Happe repeatedly stressed that she “expressed her political views, opinions, or beliefs in the form of satire.” She said she did not mention Block in any post on her anonymous account and that she did not make those posts during her work hours. Happe also said that she “voluntarily deleted” the post on refugees within days of posting. She deleted the post with the slurs on the same day she made it upon seeing that X had limited its visibility.
But Block still obtained copies of the posts and wouldn’t tell her if another employee had complained about it, she argued in her lawsuit, admitting that she initially denied making them out of fear that she could get in trouble. She accused Block of terminating her, without severance, solely because she expressed views the company disagreed with. Happe argued that Block’s policies expressly allowed its employees to engage in speech like her post, so it was the company that violated its own rules. Jack Dorsey, the founder of both Block (a financial services company) and Twitter, had publicly endorsed Elon Musk before the latter took over ownership of the social media platform. Last year, though, he changed his tune and criticized Musk, saying “it all went south” after he took over and that he “should have walked away” from the acquisition.
On his account, Elon Musk retweeted X’s announcement that it’s supporting Happe’s lawsuit with the caption: “Supporting your right to freedom of speech.” The company had previously funded other lawsuits in the name of “free speech.” One of those cases is Gina Carano’s lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney, which she accused of removing her from The Mandalorian for expressing views that were “not in line with the acceptable narrative of the time.” Carano notably questioned the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and added “boop/bop/beep” as her pronouns. She also shared a post on Instagram that compared the treatment of conservatives in America to the treatment of Jews in Nazi-era Germany.
Happe is asking the court to order her reinstatement as a Block employee. She is also asking for compensatory and punitive damages, including for loss of pay from the time she was terminated. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-is-funding-a-lawsuit-against-jack-dorseys-block-to-support-the-right-to-freedom-of-speech-073059007.html?src=rss
X is funding a lawsuit filed by Chloe Happe against her former employer Block, which was founded by Jack Dorsey, the same person who founded the website formerly known as Twitter. In her lawsuit, Happe said Block had wrongfully fired her in retaliation for two posts she made on what she called her “pseudonymous, satirical account” on X while on her personal time. One of the posts made after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel referenced refugees fleeing Gaza and and coming to the region of Kurdistan. In another, she used ableist language and a slur against transgender people while referencing the use of a “gender neutral restroom in the office.”
Happe repeatedly stressed that she “expressed her political views, opinions, or beliefs in the form of satire.” She said she did not mention Block in any post on her anonymous account and that she did not make those posts during her work hours. Happe also said that she “voluntarily deleted” the post on refugees within days of posting. She deleted the post with the slurs on the same day she made it upon seeing that X had limited its visibility.
But Block still obtained copies of the posts and wouldn’t tell her if another employee had complained about it, she argued in her lawsuit, admitting that she initially denied making them out of fear that she could get in trouble. She accused Block of terminating her, without severance, solely because she expressed views the company disagreed with. Happe argued that Block’s policies expressly allowed its employees to engage in speech like her post, so it was the company that violated its own rules. Jack Dorsey, the founder of both Block (a financial services company) and Twitter, had publicly endorsed Elon Musk before the latter took over ownership of the social media platform. Last year, though, he changed his tune and criticized Musk, saying “it all went south” after he took over and that he “should have walked away” from the acquisition.
On his account, Elon Musk retweeted X’s announcement that it’s supporting Happe’s lawsuit with the caption: “Supporting your right to freedom of speech.” The company had previously funded other lawsuits in the name of “free speech.” One of those cases is Gina Carano’s lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney, which she accused of removing her from The Mandalorian for expressing views that were “not in line with the acceptable narrative of the time.” Carano notably questioned the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and added “boop/bop/beep” as her pronouns. She also shared a post on Instagram that compared the treatment of conservatives in America to the treatment of Jews in Nazi-era Germany.
Happe is asking the court to order her reinstatement as a Block employee. She is also asking for compensatory and punitive damages, including for loss of pay from the time she was terminated.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-is-funding-a-lawsuit-against-jack-dorseys-block-to-support-the-right-to-freedom-of-speech-073059007.html?src=rss