Apple WWDC Highlights 6-9-25
Posted: June 9, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, iOS, iPhone, Tech, technology, WWDC Leave a commentThe hour and a half nonstop hype and ‘reality distortion field’ that is the Apple World Wide Developer Conference Keynote is over. So, cutting through the haze, what are some of the cool new features you might actually use? Although the presentation opened with a big hype for Apple Intelligence…which is running a bit behind…the various presenters did weave it throughout. As expected, the large, over-arching items though were the major redesign of iOS…which basically extends across all platforms. The first redesign since iOS 7, it is translucent, transparent, and pretty. New looks, design elements, and reimagined icons are the rule. Apple calls it ‘Liquid Glass.’ As we reported here, all the operating systems will get a unified naming system…iOS 26, macOS 26, etc…based on the year…what? You expected them to use this year, that’s half over? Nope…like the auto makers, they will have next year’s models out this Fall with next year’s model numbers.
As most of the useful features, in my opinion, are showing up on iOS..which is what most users use anyway, I will focus there…and skip over CarPlay and Vision OS. One of the biggest changes predicted, and which was announced, was to the phone app on the iPhone. Improving phone use…what a concept! the first thing they have done is pulled voicemails and calls from users together, rather like text messages. It does seem cleaner. Another change is a beefing up of call screening. The phone answers from unknown numbers silently in the background. When the caller shares their name and reason for the call, the phone rings…unless you have ringing off like I do!
A really cool feature is Hold Assist. The iPhone detects crappy hold music, and automatically mutes it. The call stays connected, and you can continue using your phone for other stuff while it holds its place in the queue. When an agent finally answers, they are asked to hold a moment, and you are connected with them.
Messages is getting some updates, too. You can now select backgrounds (like Facebook Messenger has) on group messages that all can see..including from your photo library or you can make an image from Apple’s Image Playground. They also have added polling and using Apple Cash in groups…so you can send or get cash…say to divvy up paying for lunch. By the way, like with the phone app, unknown texters are sent to a dedicated area so as not to bother, BUT with time sensitive messages like ‘your table is ready’ or a verification code, you will see those right away.
In messaging and the phone app, Live Translation can translate a caller speaking or typing in a different language on the fly, which will be way cool if you are traveling.
Apple Wallet gets more car keys for supported cars and driver licenses and even a digital ID for your US passport. Apple claims that you can use these at TSA checkpoints within the US, or in-apps. Boarding passes now include indoor mapping to help you get to your connecting flight without leaving the boarding pass…and Find My is built in too…to track your checked luggage.
Apple Watch gets the same Liquid Glass look, and as far as I can tell, not much else. There is a sure-to-become irritating ‘Workout Buddy’ that will say crap like ‘You’re Crushing it’ during your workout to encourage you…or just piss you off.
macOS Tahoe gets the Liquid Glass treatment, which really does look cool…the menu bar at the top is invisible now, and the mini=icons are kind of translucent…a much cleaner look. Live Translation comes to the Mac, along withe the improved Image Playground. Continuity has been improved…a great feature if you are deep into the Mac system as I am. You can start something on your Phone and pick right up on your Mac…or iPad. Here is a real feature…Apple FINALLY gives us a phone app on the Mac…which mirrors the one on the iPhone with most of the features like Call Screening and Live Translation.
iPad OS makes all iPads that can run the new system immediately more useful. Apple has finally brought real windowing to the iPad. You can move them, resize them, tile them, etc just like on a Mac. There is also a menu bar at the top…translucent like on the Mac. They have now made it so you can choose other audio and video inputs…so you can use a pro quality microphone and record your podcast on an iPad if you are traveling…or just prefer to use the smaller interface.
As noted at the top, I have skipped over Vision OS, which has some cool features…but I will be surprised if any subscribers to this report have dropped the $3500 to buy a Vision OS headset. It very well may be a great view of the future, but still a bit into the future and still very pricy.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Next MacOS Name etc Leaked; Samsung May Incorporate Perplexity’s AI; Meta Moving Product Risk Assessment to AI form Humans; 30% of Americans are Active AI Users
Posted: June 2, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, openai, Samsung, technology Leave a commentApple’s World Wide Developer Conference is imminent, and a bit more has trickled out. We already reported that the operating systems will assume years as part of their naming system, as in macOS26. Now, macrumors.com reports that macOS26 will be named Tahoe. Apple burned through a number of names of big cats for its OS names for years, then switched to California names….like Yosemite, Monterey, and Sonoma. Along with the name, Apple will bow a more glass-like design with more translucent windows, buttons and icons…thus the connection to Lake Tahoe…famous for its clarity and being able to see deep down into the water. WWDC kicks off a week from today, on Monday June 9th, at 10am Pacific.
Samsung is moving forward on an investment in AI startup Perplexity, which would lead to the smartphone maker integrating the AI company’s tech into their devices. According to techcrunch.com, Samsung would use Perplexity’s AI brawn to power some of Samsung’s Bixby assistant features. A partnership deal with Perplexity may be sealed yet this year. Interestingly, Apple has also thought about adding Perplexity as a search engine to its Safari browser. Motorola already has a partnership with the AI firm.
Meta is planning to move assessment of its products’ potential harms from human reviewers to AI, aiming to speed up the process. Engadget.com notes that Meta is wanting to have up to 90% of risk assessments taken care of by AI…even considering it in areas like youth risk and ‘integrity,’ which includes violent content, misinformation and more. Meta employees who spoke with NPR warned AI may overlook serious risks that a human team would have been able to identify. It appears the old slogan of ‘move fast and break things’ is still well entrenched at Meta.
The folks at ComScore have done the analytics, and says that 30% of US people are actively using AI at least monthly. Top AI tools on the desktop are OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and the Canva designer. ComScore notes that 67 million people in the US are using AI on their mobile devices. Top categories on the desktop…besides AI assistants…are Audio with 23.8 million users, image generation with 23 million, and designs also with 23 million. Video generation shows up with 22.4 million. For mobile, ChatGPT has the highest number of visitors. In #2 is marketing platform Octane AI, followed by Canvas, Gemini, and social marketing tool Beacons.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple Renaming All OS at WWDC; Tesla Investors Demand Musk Work 40 Hours a Week; Nick Clegg Whines About Asking Artist Permission for AI Use; Anthropic Launches Claude Voice Mode
Posted: May 29, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, anthropic, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, technology, Tesla, writing Leave a commentApple will finally unify its operating system naming system at WWDC. Instead of different numbers for the MacOS and iOS, etc, all of the systems will use a year-based name. 9to5mac.com says they will jump 6 months ahead with the systems taking the names MacOS 26, iOS26, WatchOS 26, and so forth. Honestly, it is about time Apple fixed this. Now, people will know if they are using the latest system or not just by the year.
A group of pension fund leaders sent a letter Wednesday to Tesla Chairman Robyn Denholm, demanding that Elon Musk spend ‘at least’ 40 hours a week working at Tesla. According to CNBC, the investors say the company faces a ‘crisis.’ The letter says “Tesla’s stock price volatility, declining sales, as well as disconcerting reports regarding the company’s human rights practices, and a plummeting global reputation are cause for serious concern.” It continues “Moreover, many issues are linked to Mr. Musk’s actions outside of his role as Technoking and Chief Executive Officer at Tesla, including his high-profile role as an architect of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).” They also asked for a clear succession plan and an outside director with no connection to Musk or his relatives. Tesla stock is down 12% this year, and sales are off over 50% in Europe.
Former British Deputy Prime Minister and former Meta executive Nick Clegg has complained to United Kingdom regulators that a push fo artist consent would ‘basically kill’ the AI industry. Theverge.com notes that Clegg spoke at an event plugging his new book. He said the creative community should have the right to opt out of having their work used to train AI models. But he claimed it wasn’t feasible to ask for consent before ingesting their work first. “I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work,” Clegg said. “And by the way if you did it in Britain and no one else did it, you would basically kill the AI industry in this country overnight.” I say, let it die, then. The union I belong to, SAG-AFTRA, has negotiated contracts which makes what seems a small ask…get artist permission first, and PAY us for use of our creative work, likenesses, and voices. That is not remotely a big demand. What Clegg and others want is the ability to steal creative work without asking permission in advance or paying. Since when is it reasonable to base an industry entirely on the theft of peoples’ creative works? An amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill would require technology companies to disclose what copyrighted works were used to train AI models. Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Elton John, and Andrew Lloyd Webber are among the hundreds of musicians, writers, designers, and journalists who signed an open letter in support of the amendment earlier in May. Good for them!
Anthropic has started to roll out a ‘voice mode’ for its Claude chatbot apps. Techcrunch.com reports that this lets mobile app users have “complete spoken conversations with Claude.” It will be out in English to users in the next few weeks. Anthropic is touting its use when your hands are busy but your mind isn’t. OpenAI and Google already have voice mode, as does Elon Musk’s Grok. Anthropic is offering 5 distinct voice options, and you can switch between text and voce on the fly…and can see a transcript and summary following conversations with Claude. Voice conversations count towards normal usage caps…that means 20 to 30 conversations is the most free users can expect.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple’s Failed Satellite Saga; NPR Sues Administration; Galaxy Z Flip 7 Globally to be All Snapdragon Powered; SteamOS 3.7-Gaming On Other Systems besides the Steam Deck
Posted: May 27, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentSomething I have considered a great emergency feature on Apple’s iPhones may be in for some long term issues. I’m talking about satellite connectivity. Apple has offered the feature since 2022, but actually started talking to Boeing about low orbit satellites back in 2015. 9to5mac.com reports that at that time, Cupertino envisioned offering full blown wireless internet service, in addition to emergency services. Apple pulled back due to concerns about damaging relations with the cellular carriers. Then, in 2022, Elon Musk approached Apple about Using SpaceX for satellite connectivity. Musk wanted $5 billion up front and a billion a year. Apple said nope. Musk gave them 72 hours, then said he would move forward with his own deal…which he has…in partnership with T-Mobile. Apple is now concerned if it adds to the emergency features, Musk will use his influence to get the government involved and get the feds to regulate Apple as a telecommunications carrier. Some are now predicting that Apple may abandon this satellite feature, and leave it to the carriers to handle. This would be a shame…the emergency satellite calling has saved lives in areas where there is no…and will never be any…cellular service.
NPR and 3 Colorado public radio station have sued the Trump White House over the president’s executive order, which acts to bar the use of congressionally appropriated funds by NPR and PBS. From NPR’s filing, quote: “It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment. ‘But this wolf comes as a wolf,'” states the legal brief for the public broadcasters. “The Order targets NPR and PBS expressly because, in the President’s view, their news and other content is not ‘fair, accurate, or unbiased.'” The line about the “wolf” was drawn from a 1988 dissent by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The lawsuit says the administration is usurping Congress’ right to direct how federal money will be spent and to pass laws. NPR reports itself that “The Executive Order is a clear violation of the Constitution and the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech and association, and freedom of the press,” that from a statement by NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher. The administration has been pursuing Harvard University over its diversity programs, in another instance where the Trump administration seems intent on throttling that institution and it’s faculty and students as they try to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Usually by mid to late summer, Samsung releases its latest folding phones. Now comes word that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 may be sold worldwide with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Chip. That is, worldwide, except for South Korea…where it will continue to have an Exynos 2500. Androidpolice.com says the folder will reportedly get a bigger 4300 mAh battery and as we reported earlier, will have a bigger cover display…along the lines of the latest Motorola folder. The big brother Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be notably thinner, and we expect a price bump due to the Trump tariffs.
In a big move for gamers, Valve has rolled out its SteamOS version 3.7 to the public. Arstechnica.com notes that this is no ordinary update…this one will run on PC hardware in addition to Valve’s Steam Deck. It will run on a number of other AMD powered handhelds and even AMD desktops and laptops in some cases. Some of the mobile systems it will run on including the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and Legion Go S. Right now, the Legion Go S is the only one that will have fully baked SteamOS support. At present, the SteamOS is no drop-in replacement for Windows, that won’t happen without strong support for Intel or NVIDIA hardware…but that may be coming. With a lot of people and companies reluctant to upgrade to Windows 11, a fair number of gamers and do-it-yourselfers may just migrate to SteamOS…especially if the rumored support for Intel and NVIDIA happen.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Google I/O Underway; Apple WWDC Dates & Predictions; Nintendo Using Samsung Chips for the Switch 2; The Take It Down Act Signed into Law
Posted: May 20, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Google, News, Nintendo, switch-2, Tech, technology Leave a commentGoogle I/O- The keynote by Sundar Pichai kicked off the event at 10 Pacific this morning. The CEO jumped right in to AI, summarizing Gemini 2.5 progress and developer adaption. 9to5google.com reports that Pichai is claiming that Google Search is bringing AI to more people than any product in the world. Project Starline 3D video conferencing has been renamed Google Beam. The CEO touted Google Meet speech translation, saying it is like having a human interpreter on a call. Google says Gemini Live Camera and screen sharing is coming to iOS. As with Microsoft and others, Gemini is getting an Agent Mode. It’s all about the AI agents at the moment. For Gmail, Google is going to give us personalized smart replies starting later this summer. There’s much more, but with a 2 hour keynote, some of it will have to wait!
Apple has released the dates for this year’s WWDC It will be June 9th to 13th with the tag line ‘On the Horizon.’ According to TechCrunch.com, we should see the usual teases of the updated operating systems, and a lot about Apple Intelligence. Apple is also planning to update the look of its screens in the operating systems for the first time in years. Look for refreshed icons, menus, apps, window, and system buttons…with the emphasis on simplifying navigation and control. Apple will have online group sessions at WWDC for the first time this year.
Nintendo is using Samsung to produce the primary chips for the Switch 2, including an 8 nanometer processor custom designed by NVIDIA. Engadget.com notes that this is a move away from Taiwan based TSMC, which has built the chips for the original switch since 2017. Nintendo has been buying flash memories and displays from Samsung. The word is, they will build enough chips for Nintendo to ship some 20 million or more Switch 2s by March 2026.
The president has signed the Take it Down Act, which beefs up federal protections for victims of revenge porn and AI generated sexual images. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Senator Amy Koobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota and Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas. It makes it illegal to “knowingly publish” or threaten to share nonconsensual intimate imagery—whether real or generated by artificial intelligence—without the person’s consent. It also requires tech platforms to remove such images within 48 hours of being notified and to take steps to eliminate duplicate content. Up to now, federal law only banned the creation or distribution of realistic, AI-generated explicit images of children, while protections for adults varied by state. As a result, laws differed in how the crime was classified and penalized, leading to inconsistent criminal prosecutions. Some victims also struggled to have images taken down from websites. This legislation, which garnered overwhelming bipartisan support, marks the first federal law aimed at protecting adult victims.
I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Upgrading Hinges on Z Fold 7; Apple Easing Apple Intelligence Away from Siri; Microsoft-AI to Accelerate Scientific Discovery; Sesame Street to Air on PBS & Netflix Simultaneously
Posted: May 19, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Microsoft, News, Samsung, sesame-street, Smartphone, Tech, technology Leave a commentSamsung is apparently going to upgrade the hinges on the Galaxy Z fold 7 and ti-fold…but not the Z Flip 7. 9to5google.com reports that Samsung will use titanium in the new hinges, strengthening them. The tri-fold gadget…possible to be called the Galaxy G Fold will get the hinges in addition to the Z Fold 7. The Z Flip 7 will not get the new hinge, and won’t get any slimmer. It should be noted that Motorola put a titanium hinge on the 2025 Razr, and Apple is going titanium combination on their upcoming folding phone. Up to now, Samsung has used a stainless steel hinge on all its folders. Last year’s Z Fold SE got titanium, and now the tech will spread. As for the Z Fold? Maybe on the 8…
It appears that hapless Siri will not get a lot of time during Apple’s WWDC coming up next month. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple was caught somewhat flat-footed with the rapid trend towards generative AI. The net is, with Siri AI upgrades delayed, Apple will be adding Apple Intelligence to other apps, and introduce an AI battery optimization tool, in addition to a virtual health coach. Poor Siri…Cupertino is even working on implementing a new capability for European Union residents: the ability to ditch Siri entirely. Instead of having Siri as your voice assistant, you’ll be able to use third-party options. Specific third-party options weren’t named, but it’s worth noting that this will be a distinct feature from the already-existing ChatGPT integration in Siri. Honestly, I swear at Siri half the time when it fails to do the simplest things when dealing with my very simple home automation…which is primarily lights and cameras. It’s not surprising that Apple wants to distance Apple Intelligence as much as possible from Siri.
Among a slew of announcements from Microsoft today at their Build 2025 conference, one interesting reveal is Microsoft Discovery. TechCrunch.com notes that Redmond is claiming that Discovery is a platform that taps agentic AI to “transform the [scientific] discovery process,” according to a press release provided to TechCrunch. Microsoft Discovery is “extensible,” Microsoft says, and can handle certain science-related workloads “end-to-end.” They are saying that “The platform enables scientists and researchers to collaborate with a team of specialized AI agents to help drive scientific outcomes with speed, scale, and accuracy using the latest innovations in AI and supercomputing.” Other AI purveyors are also on the science bandwagon, with Google rolling out ‘AI co-scientist’ earlier this year, and Anthropic and OpenAI also crowing that AI tools will massively accelerate scientific discovery…particularly in medicine.
With the uncertainty of funding coming out of the present administration, Sesame Street is taking a proactive move…they will air on PBS and now on Netflix at the same time. Engadget.com reports that the beloved kids’ show will be available worldwide on Netflix and on PBS in the US. Episodes will be released the same day on Netflix, PBS stations and PBS kids. The deal also includes some 90 hours of prior Sesame Street episodes. Sesame Street had lived on HBO for the last 10 years in addition to PBS, but HBO didn’t renew its deal.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Office Apps Spared From Windows 10 Support Cutoff; iPad Demand Soars; Android’s Latest Update-Tighter Theft Protection; Sony Sees PS5 Sales Drop Coming-Tariffs
Posted: May 14, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentWith the Windows 10 end of support date looming large for this October 14th, some good news for those who don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11 or who can’t. Until recently, Microsoft had also said that users running the Microsoft Office apps on Windows 10 would also lose support on that date, whether they were using the continually updated Microsoft 365 versions of those apps or the buy-once-own-forever versions included in Office 2021 or Office 2024. Now, arstechnica.com reports that Microsoft has eased their policy…Windows 10 users of the Microsoft 365 apps will still be eligible to receive software updates and support through October of 2028, quoting Microsoft “in the interest of maintaining your security while you upgrade to Windows 11.” Windows Defender malware definitions will also continue for Windows 10 through at least October 2028.
Apple iPads led the global tablet market first quarter, with 14% growth year-over-year. According to macrumors.com, worldwide shipments of tablets hit 36.8 million units first quarter…that was up a very good 8.5% year-over-year. With Apple growth 5.5% more than that, Cupertino has grown their market share for tablets from 35.5% to 37.3%. Replacement demand for iPads really started to ramp up during the early parts of COVID-19. Apple is no doubt keeping a sharp eye on Chinese maker Xiaomi, as their growth was 56.1% year-over-year. At 3.1 million units compared to Apple’s 13.7 million last quarter, Apple does have some breathing room, however.
One of the best reasons to keep your software up to date…particularly when it comes to mobile operating systems….is security. A few years ago, Android rolled out Factory Reset Protection, a security feature that prevents an unauthorized person from accessing your phone by requiring a Google login or PIN after a factory reset. If someone fails these logins, they can’t complete setup (meaning they then can’t sell your phone). Now, zdnet.com says Google has indicated it is ‘further hardening’ Factory Reset protections. While they didn’t go into detail about this, they showed a screenshot that said “This device was reset by authentication failed during setup. To use this device, reset again and enter the device’s previous lock screen or Google account credentials.” The hardening will come ‘later this year,’ so may not make it into Android 16, which is due out in just a few months.
Sony has now sold almost 78 million PlayStation 5s since the first ones went on sale in 2020, but the company is looking at a fall off due to tariffs. Engadget.com notes that Sony shipped 2.8 million in the past quarter. This brings the PS5 in line with the PS4, which had sold 79 million in a similar time frame. The good news for Sony…game sales are up 9%. The down side? They are projecting a $100 billion drop in sales next year due to tariffs. Sony has considered passing the tariff hikes to buyers, but hasn’t made that decision yet. The company has already raised the price of the console in other territories including Europe, but US increases are extremely rare. Sony also said in an earnings call that they will consider building the gaming systems in the US going forward, if that becomes necessary.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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