Month: July 2024
Instagram creators can now make AI doppelgangers to chat with their followers
The next time you DM a creator on Instagram, you might get a reply from their AI. Meta is starting to roll out its AI Studio, a set of tools that will allow Instagram creators to make an AI persona that can answer questions and chat with their followers and fans on their behalf.
The company first introduced AI Studio at its Connect event last fall but it only recently began to test creator-made AIs with a handful of prominent Instagrammers. Now, Meta is making the tools available to more US-based creators and giving the rest of its users the chance to experiment with specialized AI “characters.”
According to Meta, the new creator AIs are meant to address a long-running issue for Instagram users with large followings: it can be nearly impossible for the service’s most popular users to keep up with the flood of messages they receive every day. Now, though, they’ll be able to make an AI that functions as “an extension of themselves,” says Connor Hayes, who is VP of Product for AI Studio at Meta.
“These creators can actually use the comments that they’ve made, the captions that they’ve made, the transcripts of the Reels that they’ve posted, as well as any custom instructions or links that they want to provide … so that the AI can answer on their behalf,” Hayes tells Engadget.
Mark Zuckerberg has suggested he has big ambitions for such chatbots. In a recent interview with Bloomberg he said he expects there will eventually be “hundreds of millions” of creator-made AIs on Meta’s apps. However, it’s unclear if Instagram users will be as interested in engaging with AI versions of their favorite creators. Meta previously experimented with AI chatbots that took on the personalities of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner, but those “characters” proved to be largely underwhelming.
“One thing that ended up being somewhat confusing for people was, ‘am I talking to the celebrity that is embodying this AI, or am I talking to an AI and they’re playing the character,’” Meta’s Hayes says about the celebrity-branded chatbots. “We think that going in this direction where the public figures can represent themselves, or an AI that’s an extension of themselves, will be a lot clearer.”
Meta
AI Studio isn’t just for creators, though. Meta will also allow any user to create custom AI “characters” that can chat about specific topics, make memes or offer advice. Like the creator-focused characters, these chatbots will be powered by Meta’s new Llama 3.1 model. Users can share their chatbot creations and track how many people are using them, though they won’t be able to view other users’ interactions with them.
The new chatbots are the latest way Meta has pushed its users to spend more time with its AI as it crams Meta AI into more and more places in its apps. But Meta AI has also at times struggled to relay accurate information In a blog post, Meta notes that it has “policies and protections in place to keep people safe and help ensure AIs are used responsibly.”
Screenshots provided by the company show that chats with the new AI characters will also have a familiar disclaimer: “Some messages generated by AI may be inaccurate or inappropriate.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-creators-can-now-make-ai-doppelgangers-to-chat-with-their-followers-220052768.html?src=rss
The next time you DM a creator on Instagram, you might get a reply from their AI. Meta is starting to roll out its AI Studio, a set of tools that will allow Instagram creators to make an AI persona that can answer questions and chat with their followers and fans on their behalf.
The company first introduced AI Studio at its Connect event last fall but it only recently began to test creator-made AIs with a handful of prominent Instagrammers. Now, Meta is making the tools available to more US-based creators and giving the rest of its users the chance to experiment with specialized AI “characters.”
According to Meta, the new creator AIs are meant to address a long-running issue for Instagram users with large followings: it can be nearly impossible for the service’s most popular users to keep up with the flood of messages they receive every day. Now, though, they’ll be able to make an AI that functions as “an extension of themselves,” says Connor Hayes, who is VP of Product for AI Studio at Meta.
“These creators can actually use the comments that they’ve made, the captions that they’ve made, the transcripts of the Reels that they’ve posted, as well as any custom instructions or links that they want to provide … so that the AI can answer on their behalf,” Hayes tells Engadget.
Mark Zuckerberg has suggested he has big ambitions for such chatbots. In a recent interview with Bloomberg he said he expects there will eventually be “hundreds of millions” of creator-made AIs on Meta’s apps. However, it’s unclear if Instagram users will be as interested in engaging with AI versions of their favorite creators. Meta previously experimented with AI chatbots that took on the personalities of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner, but those “characters” proved to be largely underwhelming.
“One thing that ended up being somewhat confusing for people was, ‘am I talking to the celebrity that is embodying this AI, or am I talking to an AI and they’re playing the character,’” Meta’s Hayes says about the celebrity-branded chatbots. “We think that going in this direction where the public figures can represent themselves, or an AI that’s an extension of themselves, will be a lot clearer.”
AI Studio isn’t just for creators, though. Meta will also allow any user to create custom AI “characters” that can chat about specific topics, make memes or offer advice. Like the creator-focused characters, these chatbots will be powered by Meta’s new Llama 3.1 model. Users can share their chatbot creations and track how many people are using them, though they won’t be able to view other users’ interactions with them.
The new chatbots are the latest way Meta has pushed its users to spend more time with its AI as it crams Meta AI into more and more places in its apps. But Meta AI has also at times struggled to relay accurate information In a blog post, Meta notes that it has “policies and protections in place to keep people safe and help ensure AIs are used responsibly.”
Screenshots provided by the company show that chats with the new AI characters will also have a familiar disclaimer: “Some messages generated by AI may be inaccurate or inappropriate.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-creators-can-now-make-ai-doppelgangers-to-chat-with-their-followers-220052768.html?src=rss
ADT’s new smart security system will unlock your door for a Trusted Neighbor
ADT’s new smart security system is now available nationwide. ADT Plus features new ADT hardware and integrates with Google Nest cameras and video doorbells, and the Yale Assure Lock 2. | Image: ADT
ADT’s long-rumored new security system is now live on ADT.com. Featuring entirely new ADT hardware and integrations with Google Nest cameras, smart speakers, and more, the new ADT Plus system has a distinctly Google Nest Secure look and feel (RIP). But how it will work in your home remains to be seen.
The company also announced that the Yale Assure Lock 2 will be the first smart lock compatible with Trusted Neighbor, its new feature that leverages technologies such as smart locks and facial recognition to make it easier for people you trust to get into your home in an emergency — or just to feed the dog.
If you have the smart lock as part of the system, you’ll be able to set it so that when your “trusted neighbor” comes to the house to help you out, the door can unlock automatically and the system disarm, then re-lock and re-arm when they leave.
Yale’s Assure Lock 2 (Z-Wave) will be the first smart door lock to work with ADT’s new Trusted Neighbor feature.
The new ADT Plus system is a significant shift for the company as it brings its professionally installed system and DIY system to parity. Now, you get the same hardware no matter which installation route you go.
ADT Plus replaces ADT’s Self Setup system, which launched in 2023 following Google’s investment in the company. It was offered for free to Nest Secure users when that service shut down and will continue to be supported.
According to ADT’s chief business officer, Wayne Thorsen, the technology behind the new system — which uses DECT Ultra Low Energy, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and BLE protocols — is able to integrate more deeply with hardware from smart home partners like Yale and Google, allowing for more advanced automation.
In an interview with The Verge, Thorsen said this is just the start of more intelligent integrations that will be coming to the new platform. The Z-Wave Yale lock is the first lock to be compatible, but Thorsen says there will be more options in the future.
The access feature allows someone you trust to disarm your system and unlock the door using the app or a key code based on parameters you set. These parameters can be time-based or — uniquely — event-based. So, you can set it to let Suzy in if a package shows up at your door and to let the plumber in if a leak detector is triggered.
It can also leverage the Familiar Face feature of Google’s Nest cameras and the Yale lock’s connection to the ADT system to have the home “magically” disarm itself and unlock the door when it recognizes a trusted neighbor.
Trusted Neighbor is a new feature in the ADT Plus app that lets you give friends and neighbors secure time and event-based access to your home.
The Yale Assure Lock 2 is being offered in a bundled starter kit for the new system, which regularly costs $658.98 but is launching with a 30 percent discount for $461.29. The Front Door Protection bundle includes the new base station, two door/window sensors, a Yale Assure Lock 2, and a Google Nest Doorbell (battery). Professional monitoring is $45 a month and includes a subscription to Nest Aware for event-based video recording (if you want 24/7 video recording, it’s an extra $7).
The premium Total Safety package adds a third door/window sensor, a motion sensor, three Google Nest Cams (Nest Cam indoor, Nest Cam indoor/outdoor, and Nest Cam floodlight), and three water temp sensors for $1,101.76 (reg $1,573.95). You can also build a package that starts at $269 for the base station and one door/window sensor.
The ADT Plus system can be self-installed and self-monitored. However, you have to pay for one month of monitoring to purchase the system — after that, you can self-monitor for free, according to the company. For professional installation, a 36-month monitoring plan is required.
Shades of Nest Secure
Image: Google Nest
Google’s Nest Secure home security system shut down earlier this year.
The new ADT Plus system borrows heavily from the much-missed Google Secure system. It has a similar-looking base station that features a backlit touch-button keypad with proximity sensing and the option of premium door and window sensors, similar to the Nest Detects that were part of Nest Secure. The sensor can be disabled with a button press — so you can let the dog out to pee without waking up the whole house — although it doesn’t double as a motion sensor like the Detect did.
Since Google’s investment in ADT in 2020, there have been several changes at the top of the company, with many Nest employees moving over from Google to ADT —including Thorsen and new CTO Gilles Drieu, who was director of engineering at Google Nest.
This all means the new hardware has Nest’s fingerprint all over it. I’m looking forward to testing it out to see if it’s a worthy Nest Secure successor. However, while ADT Plus works with Google Nest hardware, the company tells me it’s not compatible with the Google Home app — app control is only through the ADT Plus app.
As someone who has covered the smart home and home security for over a decade, I’m excited to see better integration and innovation between the two areas, which have been largely segmented to date. At the same time, it’s frustrating that this is all still locked within a closed ecosystem. It will be interesting to see where ADT, Google, and Yale take this.
ADT’s new smart security system is now available nationwide. ADT Plus features new ADT hardware and integrates with Google Nest cameras and video doorbells, and the Yale Assure Lock 2. | Image: ADT
ADT’s long-rumored new security system is now live on ADT.com. Featuring entirely new ADT hardware and integrations with Google Nest cameras, smart speakers, and more, the new ADT Plus system has a distinctly Google Nest Secure look and feel (RIP). But how it will work in your home remains to be seen.
The company also announced that the Yale Assure Lock 2 will be the first smart lock compatible with Trusted Neighbor, its new feature that leverages technologies such as smart locks and facial recognition to make it easier for people you trust to get into your home in an emergency — or just to feed the dog.
If you have the smart lock as part of the system, you’ll be able to set it so that when your “trusted neighbor” comes to the house to help you out, the door can unlock automatically and the system disarm, then re-lock and re-arm when they leave.
Yale’s Assure Lock 2 (Z-Wave) will be the first smart door lock to work with ADT’s new Trusted Neighbor feature.
The new ADT Plus system is a significant shift for the company as it brings its professionally installed system and DIY system to parity. Now, you get the same hardware no matter which installation route you go.
ADT Plus replaces ADT’s Self Setup system, which launched in 2023 following Google’s investment in the company. It was offered for free to Nest Secure users when that service shut down and will continue to be supported.
According to ADT’s chief business officer, Wayne Thorsen, the technology behind the new system — which uses DECT Ultra Low Energy, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and BLE protocols — is able to integrate more deeply with hardware from smart home partners like Yale and Google, allowing for more advanced automation.
In an interview with The Verge, Thorsen said this is just the start of more intelligent integrations that will be coming to the new platform. The Z-Wave Yale lock is the first lock to be compatible, but Thorsen says there will be more options in the future.
The access feature allows someone you trust to disarm your system and unlock the door using the app or a key code based on parameters you set. These parameters can be time-based or — uniquely — event-based. So, you can set it to let Suzy in if a package shows up at your door and to let the plumber in if a leak detector is triggered.
It can also leverage the Familiar Face feature of Google’s Nest cameras and the Yale lock’s connection to the ADT system to have the home “magically” disarm itself and unlock the door when it recognizes a trusted neighbor.
Trusted Neighbor is a new feature in the ADT Plus app that lets you give friends and neighbors secure time and event-based access to your home.
The Yale Assure Lock 2 is being offered in a bundled starter kit for the new system, which regularly costs $658.98 but is launching with a 30 percent discount for $461.29. The Front Door Protection bundle includes the new base station, two door/window sensors, a Yale Assure Lock 2, and a Google Nest Doorbell (battery). Professional monitoring is $45 a month and includes a subscription to Nest Aware for event-based video recording (if you want 24/7 video recording, it’s an extra $7).
The premium Total Safety package adds a third door/window sensor, a motion sensor, three Google Nest Cams (Nest Cam indoor, Nest Cam indoor/outdoor, and Nest Cam floodlight), and three water temp sensors for $1,101.76 (reg $1,573.95). You can also build a package that starts at $269 for the base station and one door/window sensor.
The ADT Plus system can be self-installed and self-monitored. However, you have to pay for one month of monitoring to purchase the system — after that, you can self-monitor for free, according to the company. For professional installation, a 36-month monitoring plan is required.
Shades of Nest Secure
Image: Google Nest
Google’s Nest Secure home security system shut down earlier this year.
The new ADT Plus system borrows heavily from the much-missed Google Secure system. It has a similar-looking base station that features a backlit touch-button keypad with proximity sensing and the option of premium door and window sensors, similar to the Nest Detects that were part of Nest Secure. The sensor can be disabled with a button press — so you can let the dog out to pee without waking up the whole house — although it doesn’t double as a motion sensor like the Detect did.
Since Google’s investment in ADT in 2020, there have been several changes at the top of the company, with many Nest employees moving over from Google to ADT —including Thorsen and new CTO Gilles Drieu, who was director of engineering at Google Nest.
This all means the new hardware has Nest’s fingerprint all over it. I’m looking forward to testing it out to see if it’s a worthy Nest Secure successor. However, while ADT Plus works with Google Nest hardware, the company tells me it’s not compatible with the Google Home app — app control is only through the ADT Plus app.
As someone who has covered the smart home and home security for over a decade, I’m excited to see better integration and innovation between the two areas, which have been largely segmented to date. At the same time, it’s frustrating that this is all still locked within a closed ecosystem. It will be interesting to see where ADT, Google, and Yale take this.
Corrupt Winamp skin investigation leads to treasure trove of hidden content
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macOS Sonoma 14.6 Adds Dual External Display Support to M3 14-Inch MacBook Pro
The macOS Sonoma 14.6 update that Apple released today includes dual display support, an important feature specifically for the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro. With the new software, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip is able to run two external displays in clamshell mode, aka when the lid is closed.
Apple introduced dual display support in clamshell mode for the M3 MacBook Air models when they were released in March 2024, but at the time, the option was not available for the M3 14-inch MacBook Pro released back in October 2023. Apple said at the time that it was planning to release a software update that would add multi-display support to the M3 MacBook Pro.
The change is mentioned in Apple’s macOS Sonoma update support document and in a support document on using dual monitors with the M3 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
The 13-inch M3 MacBook Pro now supports one external display at 6K resolution when the lid is open, or two external displays at 5K resolution at up to 60Hz when the lid is closed.
Higher-end MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips were already able to support multiple displays, so today’s change only applies to the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro model.
Aside from the display update, macOS Sonoma 14.6 addresses a number of security vulnerabilities as outlined in Apple’s security support document. None of the vulnerabilities are known to have been actively exploited in the wild, but it is still a good idea to update as soon as possible.Related Roundup: macOS SonomaRelated Forum: macOS SonomaThis article, “macOS Sonoma 14.6 Adds Dual External Display Support to M3 14-Inch MacBook Pro” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
The macOS Sonoma 14.6 update that Apple released today includes dual display support, an important feature specifically for the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro. With the new software, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip is able to run two external displays in clamshell mode, aka when the lid is closed.
Apple introduced dual display support in clamshell mode for the M3 MacBook Air models when they were released in March 2024, but at the time, the option was not available for the M3 14-inch MacBook Pro released back in October 2023. Apple said at the time that it was planning to release a software update that would add multi-display support to the M3 MacBook Pro.
The change is mentioned in Apple’s macOS Sonoma update support document and in a support document on using dual monitors with the M3 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
The 13-inch M3 MacBook Pro now supports one external display at 6K resolution when the lid is open, or two external displays at 5K resolution at up to 60Hz when the lid is closed.
Higher-end MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips were already able to support multiple displays, so today’s change only applies to the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro model.
Aside from the display update, macOS Sonoma 14.6 addresses a number of security vulnerabilities as outlined in Apple’s security support document. None of the vulnerabilities are known to have been actively exploited in the wild, but it is still a good idea to update as soon as possible.
This article, “macOS Sonoma 14.6 Adds Dual External Display Support to M3 14-Inch MacBook Pro” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple In Talks To Bring Ads To Apple TV+
Following in the footsteps of competitors Netflix and Disney+, Apple is reportedly working on bringing advertisements to Apple TV+ through an ad-supported tier. MacRumors reports: Apple has apparently been in discussions with the UK’s Broadcaster’s Audience Research Board (BARB) to explore the necessary data collection techniques for monitoring advertising results. Currently, BARB provides viewing statistics for major UK networks including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky, as well as Apple TV+ programming.
While BARB already monitors viewing time for Apple TV+ content, additional techniques are required to track advertising metrics accurately. This data is vital for advertisers to assess the reach and impact of their campaigns on the platform. In addition to the UK, Apple has also reportedly held similar discussions with ratings organizations in the United States. Apple has already included limited advertising in its live sports events, such as last year’s Major League Soccer coverage, where ads were incorporated even for Season Pass holders. It is also notable that in March Apple hired Joseph Cady, a former advertising executive from NBCUniversal, to bolster its video advertising team.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Following in the footsteps of competitors Netflix and Disney+, Apple is reportedly working on bringing advertisements to Apple TV+ through an ad-supported tier. MacRumors reports: Apple has apparently been in discussions with the UK’s Broadcaster’s Audience Research Board (BARB) to explore the necessary data collection techniques for monitoring advertising results. Currently, BARB provides viewing statistics for major UK networks including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky, as well as Apple TV+ programming.
While BARB already monitors viewing time for Apple TV+ content, additional techniques are required to track advertising metrics accurately. This data is vital for advertisers to assess the reach and impact of their campaigns on the platform. In addition to the UK, Apple has also reportedly held similar discussions with ratings organizations in the United States. Apple has already included limited advertising in its live sports events, such as last year’s Major League Soccer coverage, where ads were incorporated even for Season Pass holders. It is also notable that in March Apple hired Joseph Cady, a former advertising executive from NBCUniversal, to bolster its video advertising team.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Here Are All of the Apple Intelligence Features in the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta
Apple today released new betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 for developers, introducing the first Apple Intelligence features. Apple Intelligence was previewed in June, and is Apple’s version of artificial intelligence.
Not all of the Apple Intelligence features are available as of yet, but we’ve rounded up a list of what’s active in the beta. Note that iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 are limited to developers only at this time, with the software set to come out to all users in a beta capacity this fall.
Apple Intelligence is in the early stages of refinement, and Apple is working out bugs and polishing the new features before launch. Apple Intelligence will improve over time, and the features that are missing in the developer beta will roll out later this year.
Writing Tools
Proofread text for spelling and grammar errors, including word choice and sentence structure. You can accept all suggestions with a tap or go through them one by one with explanations.
Rewrite for cleaning up what you’ve written and shifting the tone without impacting your content. Options include Friendly, Professional, and Concise.
Options for selecting text and summarizing it. You can choose to create a paragraph, pull out key points, make a list, or create a table. Summaries are available in Mail, Messages, and more.
You can select any text on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and use Apple Intelligence to access Writing Tools for summaries and other features.
Siri
New glow around the edges of the display when Siri is activated, applicable to iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay. On Mac, the Siri window can be placed anywhere. The glow animates responsively to the sound of your voice so you can tell when Siri is listening without interrupting other things you’re doing.
A double tap at the bottom of the display brings up the Type to Siri interface so you can type requests instead of speaking them. If this isn’t working, you may need to restart. On Mac, you need to press the Command key twice to bring up Type to Siri. Type to Siri includes suggested requests so you can get your questions answered faster.
Siri can maintain context between requests so you can ask a question and then reference it in a second reply. If you ask about the temperature in Orlando, for example, and then follow up with “what’s the humidity?” Siri will know you mean in Orlando.
If you stumble over your words when speaking to Siri, or shift what you’re saying mid-sentence, Siri can follow along.
Siri has Apple’s product knowledge and support base for answering questions about your device’s features and settings, and can even find settings when you don’t know the exact name.
There is a summarize button for summarizing any of your incoming emails, plus you will see a brief summary of an email in your inbox list rather than the first few lines of the email.
Mail surfaces time sensitive messages first when applicable, putting them at the top of your inbox so you see what’s important right away.
Smart Reply provides quick-tap responses to emails that you’ve been sent, with contextual options based on what’s in the email.
Multiple notifications from Mail will be summarized on your Lock Screen so you can see what’s in an email without opening the app.
Messages
Messages has Smart Reply options for incoming texts, which analyze the content of messages to offer suggestions of what you might want to say.
Multiple Messages notifications are summarized on your Lock Screen.
Photos
You can create a Memory Movie with just a description, such as “My cat in 2024,” or “Orlando in the summer.” The feature automatically picks relevant photos and chooses songs, but you can tweak through the Memory Mixes feature or choose a mood to guide the direction of the audio. You can also add in specific scenes and images you want to see throughout the memory when you’re creating the prompt.
Natural language search is available in Photos, so you can just describe what you’re looking for, such as “Eric rollerskating while wearing green.”
Search can also find specific moments in video clips.
Search offers up smart complete suggestions for narrowing down what you might want to find
Transcription
In Notes and other apps, you can record audio and get a transcript along with a summary of your transcript, which is useful for recording lectures and other audio.
Focus Modes
There is a dedicated Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode that only shows you important notifications that need attention while filtering out everything else.
When customizing an existing Focus mode or creating a new one, there is a new toggle to turn on Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing. This option allows important notifications to interrupt you, while muting notifications that are not important, which is the same thing that the Reduce Notifications Focus does. You can override the notification settings for specific apps and people, which is how it worked prior to iOS 18.1.
Phone
Phone call recording is available in iOS 18.1. When starting a call, you can tap on the little record button in the upper left corner of the display. All participants are notified that the call is being recorded before the recording starts.
Recorded phone calls are stored in the Notes app, where you can tap in to view a transcript and get a summary generated from that transcript.
Safari
When reading an article in Reader Mode, there is an option to have Apple Intelligence summarize the article for you.
Apple Intelligence Report
In the Privacy and Security section of the Settings app you can access an Apple Intelligence Report that lets you export your Apple Intelligence data as part of Apple’s promise for transparency around Apple Intelligence. Face ID is required to access and export Apple Intelligence data.
Apple Intelligence Waitlist
Developers that upgrade to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 will need to go to the Settings app and join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. There is a waitlist mechanic to ensure that behind the scenes downloads go smoothly and that the system isn’t overloaded.
While on the waitlist, Apple devices download necessary files for on-device processing, and so far, the time from Apple Intelligence waitlist signups to activation has been quick. The waitlist is on a per-account basis, so you only need to sign up for it on one device to have access on multiple devices.
Apple Intelligence Compatibility
The iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas are only available to registered developers with an eligible device. Devices that cannot run Apple Intelligence will not see the update.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
All Apple silicon iPads
All Apple silicon Macs
Apple Intelligence Availability
Apple Intelligence is only available in U.S. English at this time, and it is not available to developers in the European Union or China. Device region and language need to be set to the United States.
Apple Intelligence Launch Date
Apple Intelligence will not be in the initial launch version of iOS 18 that comes out in September alongside new iPhones. It will instead be introduced in a separate iOS 18.1 update that is likely to come out a few weeks after iOS 18 debuts.This article, “Here Are All of the Apple Intelligence Features in the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple today released new betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 for developers, introducing the first Apple Intelligence features. Apple Intelligence was previewed in June, and is Apple’s version of artificial intelligence.
Not all of the Apple Intelligence features are available as of yet, but we’ve rounded up a list of what’s active in the beta. Note that iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 are limited to developers only at this time, with the software set to come out to all users in a beta capacity this fall.
Apple Intelligence is in the early stages of refinement, and Apple is working out bugs and polishing the new features before launch. Apple Intelligence will improve over time, and the features that are missing in the developer beta will roll out later this year.
Writing Tools
Proofread text for spelling and grammar errors, including word choice and sentence structure. You can accept all suggestions with a tap or go through them one by one with explanations.
Rewrite for cleaning up what you’ve written and shifting the tone without impacting your content. Options include Friendly, Professional, and Concise.
Options for selecting text and summarizing it. You can choose to create a paragraph, pull out key points, make a list, or create a table. Summaries are available in Mail, Messages, and more.
You can select any text on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and use Apple Intelligence to access Writing Tools for summaries and other features.
Siri
New glow around the edges of the display when Siri is activated, applicable to iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay. On Mac, the Siri window can be placed anywhere. The glow animates responsively to the sound of your voice so you can tell when Siri is listening without interrupting other things you’re doing.
A double tap at the bottom of the display brings up the Type to Siri interface so you can type requests instead of speaking them. If this isn’t working, you may need to restart. On Mac, you need to press the Command key twice to bring up Type to Siri. Type to Siri includes suggested requests so you can get your questions answered faster.
Siri can maintain context between requests so you can ask a question and then reference it in a second reply. If you ask about the temperature in Orlando, for example, and then follow up with “what’s the humidity?” Siri will know you mean in Orlando.
If you stumble over your words when speaking to Siri, or shift what you’re saying mid-sentence, Siri can follow along.
Siri has Apple’s product knowledge and support base for answering questions about your device’s features and settings, and can even find settings when you don’t know the exact name.
There is a summarize button for summarizing any of your incoming emails, plus you will see a brief summary of an email in your inbox list rather than the first few lines of the email.
Mail surfaces time sensitive messages first when applicable, putting them at the top of your inbox so you see what’s important right away.
Smart Reply provides quick-tap responses to emails that you’ve been sent, with contextual options based on what’s in the email.
Multiple notifications from Mail will be summarized on your Lock Screen so you can see what’s in an email without opening the app.
Messages
Messages has Smart Reply options for incoming texts, which analyze the content of messages to offer suggestions of what you might want to say.
Multiple Messages notifications are summarized on your Lock Screen.
Photos
You can create a Memory Movie with just a description, such as “My cat in 2024,” or “Orlando in the summer.” The feature automatically picks relevant photos and chooses songs, but you can tweak through the Memory Mixes feature or choose a mood to guide the direction of the audio. You can also add in specific scenes and images you want to see throughout the memory when you’re creating the prompt.
Natural language search is available in Photos, so you can just describe what you’re looking for, such as “Eric rollerskating while wearing green.”
Search can also find specific moments in video clips.
Search offers up smart complete suggestions for narrowing down what you might want to find
Transcription
In Notes and other apps, you can record audio and get a transcript along with a summary of your transcript, which is useful for recording lectures and other audio.
Focus Modes
There is a dedicated Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode that only shows you important notifications that need attention while filtering out everything else.
When customizing an existing Focus mode or creating a new one, there is a new toggle to turn on Intelligent Breakthrough and Silencing. This option allows important notifications to interrupt you, while muting notifications that are not important, which is the same thing that the Reduce Notifications Focus does. You can override the notification settings for specific apps and people, which is how it worked prior to iOS 18.1.
Phone
Phone call recording is available in iOS 18.1. When starting a call, you can tap on the little record button in the upper left corner of the display. All participants are notified that the call is being recorded before the recording starts.
Recorded phone calls are stored in the Notes app, where you can tap in to view a transcript and get a summary generated from that transcript.
Safari
When reading an article in Reader Mode, there is an option to have Apple Intelligence summarize the article for you.
Apple Intelligence Report
In the Privacy and Security section of the Settings app you can access an Apple Intelligence Report that lets you export your Apple Intelligence data as part of Apple’s promise for transparency around Apple Intelligence. Face ID is required to access and export Apple Intelligence data.
Apple Intelligence Waitlist
Developers that upgrade to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 will need to go to the Settings app and join the Apple Intelligence waitlist. There is a waitlist mechanic to ensure that behind the scenes downloads go smoothly and that the system isn’t overloaded.
While on the waitlist, Apple devices download necessary files for on-device processing, and so far, the time from Apple Intelligence waitlist signups to activation has been quick. The waitlist is on a per-account basis, so you only need to sign up for it on one device to have access on multiple devices.
Apple Intelligence Compatibility
The iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas are only available to registered developers with an eligible device. Devices that cannot run Apple Intelligence will not see the update.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
All Apple silicon iPads
All Apple silicon Macs
Apple Intelligence Availability
Apple Intelligence is only available in U.S. English at this time, and it is not available to developers in the European Union or China. Device region and language need to be set to the United States.
Apple Intelligence Launch Date
Apple Intelligence will not be in the initial launch version of iOS 18 that comes out in September alongside new iPhones. It will instead be introduced in a separate iOS 18.1 update that is likely to come out a few weeks after iOS 18 debuts.
This article, “Here Are All of the Apple Intelligence Features in the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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