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Search results for: Craig Federighi

Today in Apple history: Yosemite brings a visual overhaul to OS X

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Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, previews Mac OS X Yosemite at WWDC in 2014.
OS X Yosemite more strongly resembled iOS than previous versions of the Mac software.
Photo: Apple

Jun2 June 2, 2014: Apple shows off Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite for the first time at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Following the Jony Ive-redesigned iOS 7, Yosemite boasts an aesthetic change that brings Apple’s desktop computers closer than ever to the look of the company’s mobile software.

Named after Yosemite National Park, the update follows the previous year’s Mavericks as the second Mac operating system named after a California landmark.

Apple might finally let you ditch Siri for a smarter assistant

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Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts
There's a lot Siri doesn't understand. And that's a problem.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple might allow users to replace Siri with another virtual assistant on iPhone, iPad and Mac, according to a new report.

While Apple’s smarter Siri will not arrive until at least next year, Apple users in the European Union might get something even better in the near future.

Prepare to see the future of iOS and macOS at WWDC25 on June 9

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WWDC25: Mark your calendar: June 9-13, 2025
Get ready for your first look at what's next for iOS, macOS and more.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple revealed Tuesday that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off with a keynote on June 9. Apple traditionally uses WWDC to show off the next major upgrades for iOS, macOS and its other operating systems. WWDC25, which will run from June 9 to June 13, will be no different.

“We’re excited to mark another incredible year of WWDC with our global developer community,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We can’t wait to share the latest tools and technologies that will empower developers and help them continue to innovate.” 

New Siri boss tasked with turning around floundering AI upgrade [Updated]

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Siri management shakeup
The new head of Siri development has one job: make it stink less.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

An Apple reorganization reportedly brings new management to the team struggling to develop an AI-enhanced version of Siri. Apple apparently tapped Mike Rockwell, an exec with one successful Apple product launch already under his belt, to shepherd the promised Siri upgrade.

Clearly, the goal is to accelerate a project that’s been significantly delayed — and has become a major embarrassment for Apple.

Nobody’s getting fired over Apple’s Siri debacle … yet

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AI-generated image of a circuit board with an Apple logo, and he words,
An Apple executive admits that delaying the AI-enhanced Siri is an embarrassment.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

The head of the team developing the promised AI-enhanced Siri had to admit the recent decision to significantly delay the release gave Apple’s reputation a major black eye, according to a report published Friday.

Robby Walker, Apple’s senior director of Siri and information intelligence, reportedly called the delay “ugly” during a recent all-hands meeting with his team. He gave an update on how close Apple is to having the technology ready, but couldn’t promise when it will ship. At present, the “smarter” Siri reportedly still fails to work correctly a significant percentage of the time.

When it comes to making Siri smarter, the struggle is real

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Image of an iPhone with the words
It's official: The smarter Siri that Apple touted last year is taking longer than expected.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple confirmed Friday that the smarter Siri promised at WWDC24 isn’t coming together as quickly as anticipated. After touting the minor Siri upgrades that already rolled out, a company statement ended on a depressing note.

“We’ve also been working on a more personalized Siri, giving it more awareness of your personal context, as well as the ability to take action for you within and across your apps,” said Apple spokeswoman Jacqueline Roy. “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.”

This confirms multiple previous rumors indicating that users pining for a smarter Siri shouldn’t hold their breath.

How to get Apple Intelligence early — in the European Union and on Vision Pro

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Get The New Siri Right Now
Get the Apple Intelligence features early.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can get Apple Intelligence right now on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro. All you have to do is update to the latest developer beta release. You’ll get access to Visual Intelligence, Image Playground, Genmoji and more.

The developer beta of iOS 18.4 enables Apple Intelligence in the European Union for the first time. visionOS 2.4 brings the featureset to the Vision Pro.

Apple Intelligence is compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro and the new iPhone 16 lineup. Unfortunately, older devices (or even the iPhone 15) don’t have enough RAM to support Apple’s Foundation models. Luckily, you can also try it out if you have an iPad or Mac with an M-series or A17 Pro chip.

Here’s how to get it all.

iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1 and more usher in Apple Intelligence

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iOS 18.1 release date: Today!
iOS 18.1 just launched, bringing Apple Intelligence to iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The wait for Apple Intelligence is over. iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iPadOS 18.1 can all be installed now, and they all include Apple’s AI-powered features.

“Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a press release Monday. “Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use — all while protecting their privacy. Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way that only Apple can deliver, and we’re incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives.”

But that’s not everything coming out of Cupertino today. watchOS 11.1, tvOS 18.1 and visionOS 2.1 went out, too — alongside upgraded iMacs powered by Apple’s M4 chip.

iOS 18.1 beta 6: All the new features and changes

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iOS 18.1 beta 6 is here with small but important refinements.
Apple Intelligence is finally here!
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple continues beta testing iOS 18.1 ahead of its potential public release on October 28. Besides Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.1 will pack several other changes and improvements.

Below is everything new in the latest iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 beta 6.

All the gorgeous San Francisco locations in Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event

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San Francisco's Coit Tower, which featured in Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event.
The beautiful city of San Francisco shone as the backdrop to Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event.
Photo: Apple

While getting blitzed by an avalanche of mind-numbing specs during Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event, I kept marveling at how good San Francisco looked. The beautiful City by the Bay provided the backdrop to Monday’s event, with many of the presenters standing in front of gorgeous San Francisco landmarks.

San Francisco is my hometown (I’ve lived here nearly 30 years now), and it’s been getting beat up by stories about urban decay in recent years. But it’s still one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and it looked great during Apple’s live stream. Here’s a quick rundown of all the eye-popping SF locations.

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