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Job postings hint Apple is developing its own generative AI chatbot

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Siri
Siri might get smarter.
Photo: Apple

Apple is apparently responding to criticism that it doesn’t offer real competition for OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, two AI-powered chatbots that have made so many headlines in recent months. Job postings show the Mac-maker is on a hiring spree for people skilled in generative AI.

Perhaps Apple’s voice-activated system Siri is in for a significant jump in capabilities.

Wistron drops out of iPhone assembly in India

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Wistron drops out of iPhone assembly in India
Wistron is taking itself off the list of companies that assemble iPhone in China.
Photo: Wistron

The first company to assemble iPhone in India is reportedly getting out of the business. Wistron is selling the plant where it puts together Apple handsets to Tata Group, an Indian multinational based in Mumbai.

At the same time, Foxconn and Pegatron continue to grow their commitments to manufacturing iPhones in India.

3 Apple TV+ hits are more popular than almost anything else on streaming

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Explore the deep mystery of the 'Silo'
"Silo" on Apple TV+ gets more viewers than any other series on any streaming service.
Photo: Apple TV+

Silo, Ted Lasso and Ghosted all showed up in this week’s lists of the most-watched streaming movies and TV shows. They offer further proof that Apple TV+ can successfully compete against Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+.

In fact, Silo currently ranks as the most popular series on any streaming service.

Who needs HDMI? This gadget connects Mac or iPad to TV wirelessly [Review] ★★★★☆

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Who needs HDMI? This gadget connects Mac or iPad to TV wirelessly★★★★☆
Don't use a cable when the plug-and-play EZCast Pocket is so much more convenient.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

EZCast Pocket lets a range of computers connect wirelessly to an external display. No additional software is needed — it’s very nearly as easy to use as a cable, but without the cable clutter.

I tested the affordable and very portable wireless video adapter in my home and on a business trip. Here are its strengths and occasional weaknesses.

Note: When this review was first published in March, there was so much interest that EZCast Pocket sold out almost immediately. Amazon once again has the product in stock so we’re re-publishing the review.

Apple hasn’t given up on iOS 16 and macOS 13

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Apple hasn't given up on iOS 16 and macOS 13
iOS 16 and macOS 13 will still be around for months, even though we'll soon learn all about their replacements.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The first betas of iOS 16.6 and macOS Ventura 13.5 went to developers on Friday. The same is true for iPadOS 16.6 beta 1, watchOS 9.6 beta 1 and tvOS 16.6 beta 1.

The timing might seem odd because Apple is expected to unveil iOS 17, macOS 14 and the replacements for its other operating systems in a couple of weeks, but this is normal.

How to manage browser tabs so they don’t stress you out

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How to manage browser tabs so they don't stress you out
Browser clutter can be stressful, no matter what device it happens on.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A recent study found that web browser clutter is a source of stress for many people. It’s a result of keeping large numbers of tabs open and disorganized.

Here are some tips for managing the number of browser tabs you keep open, including using Safari’s system for organizing them.

ChatGPT iPhone app puts AI ‘at your fingertips’

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OpenAI ChatGPT for iOS
Get an iPhone version of the real ChatGPT. No workarounds necessary.
Photo: Cult of Mac

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT for iOS, an application that brings the much-hyped chatbot powered by artificial intelligence to iPhone users.

It is free and has all the features of the web version, which means it is ready to answer questions with generally correct answers. Plus, this iOS version supports OpenAI’s speech recognition system.

Georgia becomes latest state to support driver’s license in Apple Wallet

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Georgia becomes latest state to support driver’s license in Apple Wallet
Georgia got on board with Apple's digital ID initiative.
Image: Georgia Department of Driver Services

Georgia is now the fourth U.S. state to support digital driver’s licenses and IDs stored in the Wallet app on iPhone or Apple Watch. The major advantage is speeding up the process of moving through security checkpoints at airports.

It’s another step in Apple’s goal of replacing physical wallets with iPhone.

Apple’s dream of lightweight AR glasses remains elusive

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Apple Glass concept from the Hacker 34.
The technology to make Apple AR glasses like these doesn't exist yet.
Concept: the Hacker 34
WWDC23

The VR/AR headset roughly the size of a pair of ski goggles that Apple is widely expected to introduce next month isn’t even close to CEO Tim Cook’s original goal for the project, according to info leaking from the company. Instead, Cook wanted a slim pair of AR glasses that could be worn all day,

As it stands now, that lightweight version of the product remains years away.

Online Apple store opens virtual doors in Vietnam

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Online Apple store opens virtual doors in Vietnam
iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and accessories are all now available in Vietnam via an online Apple Store.
Image: Apple

Vietnam is the latest country to get an online Apple store to shop for iPhone, Mac and other products.

It’s the latest move in the company’s efforts to increase sales in Asia — Thursday’s opening comes a month after Apple opened its first retail stores in India.

Save big on 2023 Mac mini with M2 or M2 Pro while you can

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2023 Mac mini with Apple M2
Wow: get the 2023 Mac mini at $100 or $200 off.
Photo: Apple

The Mac mini with M2 processor is a bargain at its regular price, and $100 off makes it an even better deal. That cuts the price of Apple’s newest desktop to less than $500.

That’s for the base model — and you can save even more by jumping up to the version with an M2 Pro and double the RAM and storage.

More Android users switch to iPhone than you might expect

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iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks
Even after all these years, there are lots of Android users who jump ship for iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The percentage of U.S.-based iPhone owners who just dumped their Android has grown in recent years, according to a market-analysis company.

That’s exactly the opposite of what conventional wisdom says should be happening. Nevertheless, the percentage of Android switchers hasn’t been this high since 2018.

Apple’s new Personal Voice tech might make texting more personalized

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Apple’s new Personal Voice tech might make texting more personal
Imagine getting a text from a friend and your iPhone reads it to you in your friend’s voice.
Photo: Rodolfo Clix/Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s newly announced Personal Voice technology enables an iPhone to read text in the user’s own voice. The same tech could be used to read incoming text messages in the sender’s own voice, making them feel more personal.

This isn’t a theory — Apple submitted a patent for exactly this idea in early 2023.

Another Apple employee allegedly caught stealing self-driving car tech for China

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Until the Apple Car is officially announced, all we have are concepts like this one.
The Apple car is still on the drawing board, but that doesn't stop Chinese companies from wanting to steal details of it.
Concept: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

An Apple employee was recently indicted for allegedly transferring trade secrets about self-driving car technology to a Chinese company. This marks the third such incident.

The cases seem quite similar: Chinese companies hire the workers, who then get caught attempting to bring Apple’s proprietary information with them when they leave the United States.

Apple rejected nearly 1.7 million App Store submissions in 2022

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Apple rejected nearly 1.7 million Apple Store submissions in 2022
It's up to Apple's App Review team to prevent malware from sneaking onto its software store.
Graphic: Apple

Keeping bad applications out of the App Store is a monumental task — Apple says it denied 1.7 million apps submitted for approval in 2022. That’s out of 6.1 million, and it’s an increase from the previous year.

And Apple also blocked nearly 3.9 million stolen credit cards from being used to make fraudulent purchases on the App Store. Plus, the iPhone-maker blocked millions of fake reviews.

Photomator for Mac launches as a low-cost rival to Photoshop

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Photomator for Mac launches as a low-cost rival to Photoshop
Photomator for Mac is designed for pros, but doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Photo: Pixelmator

The powerful image-editing application that used to be called Pixelmator Photo when it was only available for iPad and iPhone launched Tuesday on Mac as Photomator.

It promises state-of-the-art color adjustments, AI tools, powerful Repair and Clone tools, and batch editing. But it faces tough competition from Adobe Photoshop.

Apple promises Live Speech, Personal Voice, and Point and Speak are coming to iOS

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Apple promises Live Speech, Personal Voice, and Point and Speak are coming to iOS 17
Apple will bring Assistive Access, Live Speech and Personal Voice to iPad and iPhone.
Photo: Apple

Just can’t wait for WWDC23? Apparently, Apple can’t either because it’s already starting announcing new features that will almost certainly be in iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS 14.

These are aimed at those with disabilities, and include Live Speech and Personal Voice. These will allow those with speech disabilities to participate in conversations in a synthesized voice that sounds like the user.

iMessage comes to Windows via Microsoft Phone Link for iOS [Updated]

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iMessage comes to Windows via Microsoft Phone Link for iOS
Quick, someone check to see if hell has frozen over.
Photo: Microsoft

Windows users can now send and receive messages and calls via an iPhone. The new capability — which many thought would never happen — comes courtesy of Microsoft’s Phone Link for iOS, which is rolling out now.

This is the latest software release from Microsoft to make it easier for Windows users to own an iPhone.

Microsoft started rolling the feature out in April, and announced on Monday it’s available to all Windows 11 users.

Swagger season 2 might ruin everything for young basketball hopefuls

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Apple TV+ 'Swagger' Season Two
The second season of the sport drama Swagger premieres in June on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Swagger, the Apple TV+ series that isn’t exactly the life of basketball superstar Kevin Durant, returns for season 2 in June. The young players are getting famous and the future look bright, but a scandal might ruin all their hopes.

A trailer for the upcoming season, released Monday, shows some of what to expect in the episodes that premiere in June.

5 reasons to get excited about the Apple VR/AR headset

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An AI-generated image of Tim Cook wearing an Apple-branded VR headset.
We don't yet know what the Apple VR/AR headset will look like, but that doesn't mean it's too soon to get excited about it.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

Multiple sources predict Apple will launch its first VR/AR headset three weeks from today at WWDC23. As the company’s first major new product category to launch since Apple Watch, there’s a lot riding on the headset. And yet not everyone’s buzzing with anticipation.

For those who aren’t yet feeling excited, here are five reasons you should look forward to the big reveal next month.

Get 1-month free trial of MLS Season Pass from Apple

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Are you ready for some football? And by that we mean soccer, natch.
Are you ready for some football? And by that we mean soccer, natch.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple is now offering a free, month-long trial of MLS Season Pass, its subscription service that shows all the matches from the top professional soccer league in the United States.

The deal is available for both new and returning customers.

Add convenient wireless charging to iPad Pro with this case and stand [Review] ★★★★☆

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Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro and MagEZ Charging Stand review★★★★☆
Pitaka's wireless charging case and stand look brilliant.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With the Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro, you can stop plugging in a charging cable. Put the tablet in this slim, lightweight case then pop on a charging mat when it’s time to juice up the tablet.

Combine it with the MagEZ Charging Stand and you have a desktop setup without the hassle of wires for the iPad Pro and an iPhone or AirPods.

I tested both accessories in my home office. There’s a lot to like here.

California shutters its phone-based COVID-19 exposure notification system

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California shutters its phone-based COVID-19 exposure notification system
CA Notify is no more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

California introduced a COVID-19 exposure-notification system that used iPhone and Android to track interactions with infected people. And now that the U.S. government says the pandemic is over, CA Notify is shut down.

It’s possible Apple will eventually remove the underlying technology from iOS.

Apple explains how to use Stage Manager on iPad

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Stage Manager on iPad
A tutorial video from Apple Support demonstrates how to get started using Stage Manager on iPad.
Photo: Apple Support

Stage Manager puts iPad applications into floating, resizable, overlapping windows. It’s the most significant change to iPadOS in many years, and Apple Support created a video that walks through the possibilities.

Watch it if you’d like to get started with this multitasking system.

New trailer teases return of Foundation to Apple TV+ in July

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'Foundation' season 2 on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ announced that epic saga Foundation will return for season 2 in July 2023.
Image: Apple TV+

The second season of Apple TV+’s epic space opera Foundation premieres July 14, the streaming service said Thursday.

A newly released teaser trailer gives a first look at what’s coming to the series based on Isaac Asimov’s classic novels.